DATE: Friday, August 1, 1997                TAG: 9707310176

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 04   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   50 lines

OCEANA WILL KICK OFF NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

Folks in Aragona will be taking to the streets Tuesday evening. So will those in Atlantis Apartments, Arrowhead, L&J Gardens and dozens of other Virginia Beach neighborhoods.

They'll be joining residents of 9,000 communities in the United States and Canada who will be observing National Night Out Tuesday, the time set aside each year to let criminals know that law-abiding citizens intend to keep drugs and criminals from ruling the streets.

But first, these locals are invited to a kickoff bash Sunday at Oceana Naval Air Station.

For 14 years, the National Association of Town Watch has sponsored the marches on the first Tuesday in August. For the past three years, the Virginia Beach Police Department and the city's Crime Prevention Steering Committee has sponsored a major kickoff event on the Sunday preceding the marches.

Or at least they've tried to.

Last year's event at Mount Trashmore ran into a major snag. ``We pretty much got rained out,'' said Master Police Officer Janine Hall of the Crime Prevention/D.A.R.E unit. ``We figured we'd better wise up and find a location where we could have it regardless of the weather.''

With the help of Oceana Naval Air Station, a co-sponsor of this Sunday's event, they found their spot.

From 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday afternoon they'll be set up in Oceana's Hangar 122. Four-time World Kickboxing Champion Curtis Bush will be there along with former Pittsburgh Steeler Tim Pellerin and Hampton Roads Admirals player, Chris Phelps.

Also expected are tumblers, dancers (both line and step), horses, dogs, S.W.A.T. team members, crash dummies, motorcycles, acoustic guitarists and enough emergency vehicles to keep a 10-year-old boy - and his grandfather - amused for hours.

There also will be Putt-Putt golf, a dunk tank and fire safety and hurricane emergency preparedness programs.

Entrance to the event, which is open free to the general public, is through the main gate on Oceana Boulevard.

The sponsors are preparing for a large crowd, regardless of the weather. ``We're hoping to draw 5,000 people,'' Hall said. ``It should be a whole lot of fun.'' MEMO: For more information on Sunday's National Night Out kickoff or

other crime prevention programs, call the Virginia Beach Crime

Prevention/D.A.R.E. office at 563-1006. For information on Tuesday

evening events, check with your civic league or Neighborhood Watch

coordinator.

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