DATE: Saturday, July 12, 1997               TAG: 9707120347

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: Staff writer Matt Dolan contributed to this report.

                                            LENGTH:  104 lines

HAMPTON ROADS

CHESAPEAKE

New self-sufficiency

housing program

will start Monday

A new self-sufficiency program for residents of public and subsidized housing overseen by the Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority will start Monday.

The first meeting for the authority's Families Achieving Self-Sufficiency Together, or FAST, will take place for residents of the Peaceful Village public housing community from 9 a.m. to noon, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m at the authority's 3001 Welcome Road office.

All residents are strongly encouraged to attend a self-sufficiency session in order to prepare for this fall's new work requirement for welfare recipients, said Margaret Freeman, the authority's director of resident services.

Residents of both public and subsidized housing - about 1,200 households in Chesapeake - will fill out surveys about their educational background, work experience, health benefits and transportation needs. After the resident questionnaires are completed, housing authority staff members will meet individually with residents to discuss how they can obtain sustainable employment.

VIRGINIA BEACH

Wine tasting, surf, soccer

added to Neptune Festival

A wine tasting, along with surf casting and soccer tournaments will, be added to the Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach this fall.

More than 6,000 people are expected to attend the soccer event at Princess Anne Park, said Bob Fort, festival chairman. In all, almost 1 million people attend the yearly farewell-to-summer party. It's been ranked as one of the top 20 festivals in the Southeast, according to the Southeast Tourism Society.

In addition to the new events, traditional activities such as the king's grand ball, an air show at Oceana Naval Air Station, sandcastle contests for amateurs and professionals, fireworks, a parade and Boardwalk festivities are featured. Events will begin Sept. 6 and culminate with the Boardwalk weekend Sept. 26-28.

NORFOLK

Operation Blessing targets

the Ingleside community

Four local churches and Operation Blessing are working together today to distribute about 5,000 pounds of groceries to provide more than 3,300 meals to feed hundreds of families throughout the Ingleside community.

Coupons for free bags of groceries will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to free groceries, festival activities include live music and a lively children's program. The program begins at 11 a.m. Food distribution begins at 11:45 a.m. at Ingleside Recreation Center, 948 Ingleside Road.

More than 100 volunteers from Full Gospel Church of Deliverance, Ingleside Baptist Church, Squire Presbyterian Church and Jesus Church of Deliverance and Operation Blessing have donated resources to host the event.

The event begins the seven-day, community-wide 1997 Youth Convention at Full Gospel Church of Deliverance.

PORTSMOUTH

Art, antiques workshops

continue through August

Free demonstrations dealing with art and antiques continue at Olde Towne businesses each Sunday through August.

The workshops, sponsored by the Olde Towne Portsmouth Association, are open from noon to 4 p.m.

The topics:

Introduction to picture framing, Olde Towne Gallery, High and Court streets, July 13.

Repair and appraisals of clocks, Prison Square Courtyard, High and Court streets, July 20.

Tour of Visual Arts Center of Tidewater Community College, High and Court streets, July 27.

Repair and estimates of silver, Prison Square Courtyard, High and Court streets, Aug. 3.

Introduction to pottery, Potrafka Gallery, corner of High and Effingham streets, Aug. 10.

Discussion of antiques, Keith's Antiques, 726 High St., Aug. 17.

Photographic techniques, Jack Milner Photography, 511 High St., Aug. 24.

In addition to the workshops, entertainment is scheduled on other days of the week. Beer and wine tastings are scheduled at various locations from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Fridays.

COMING UP

TODAY

Portsmouth - The Tidewater Community Band will give a public concert at 11 a.m. at Trophy Park in Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The 90-minute concert will be followed by a public tour of the recently commissioned guided-missile destroyer Ross, now berthed at the shipyard. Visitors may enter the Navy Yard through Gate 3 off First Street, adjacent to the Elizabeth River.

SUNDAY

Suffolk - Sen. Mark Earley will speak at the 10:50 a.m. worship service Sunday at Liberty Baptist Church, 2601 Godwin Blvd. Earley, who led the fight for the recent passing of the commonwealth's parental notification bill, is running for attorney general of Virginia in November, on the Republican ticket.

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