DATE: Friday, August 22, 1997               TAG: 9708220837

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:  136 lines

HAMPTON ROADS [BRIEFS]

REGION

Transportation Board

in favor of changing

Route 44 to I-264

The Commonwealth Transportation Board on Thursday unanimously endorsed renumbering Route 44 in Virginia Beach to Interstate 264.

Two more agencies, the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, must sign off on the proposal.

If approved, road signs and directional signs would not be changed until sometime after the first of the year.

Virginia Beach officials hope the interstate designation will boost economic development and make tourist travel easier. Chesapeake and Norfolk also endorsed the proposal.

JAMESTOWN

Traffic on Jamestown ferry

was the busiest ever in July

July was the busiest month ever at the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry.

The number of vehicles and pedestrians who made the crossing between Jamestown and Surry County in July increased 19 percent over July 1996.

Tolls were removed from the ferry July 1.

The most growth in traffic came during non-commuting hours, particularly on weekends. Traffic on Fridays through Sundays rose 23 percent.

``Our logs also show an increase in the number of crossings in the evenings when people cross the James River to go to dinner, to shop or to enjoy other types of recreation,'' said Jim Cleveland, Suffolk district administrator for the Virginia Department of Transportation. ``Right now it may be just a fad or novelty that will diminish in the coming months.''

CHESAPEAKE

Construction of post office

might shift city ZIP codes

A new post office to be built at the intersection of Hanbury Road and Battlefield Boulevard should cause the realignment of ZIP codes in the city, postal officials announced this week.

Postmaster Richard Fleenor has proposed putting all areas south of the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal under the new ZIP code 23322. Areas north of the canal will retain the 23320 ZIP code. The ZIP code 23328 will continue to service the Great Bridge post office boxes, which will be in the new facility.

Individual notices will be sent to addresses affected by the change, which officials said would make mail deliveries more efficient. The new post office is expected to be finished by May 1998.

PORTSMOUTH

Mayor to greet munchkins

and Hurrah Players today

The Wicked Witch of the West and the munchkins from the ``Wizard of Oz'' will journey somewhere over the rainbow to Portsmouth by ferry this morning.

The members of the cast of the Hurrah Players production will arrive in Portsmouth at 11 a.m. and are to be greeted at High Street Landing by Mayor James Holley and an impersonator of Col. James Crawford, who founded Portsmouth in the 18th century.

The players will perform songs from the musical and welcome the mayor to Munchkin Land as the mayor welcomes the Hurrah Players to Portsmouth.

The theater company will give an encore performance of ``The Wizard of Oz'' at Willett Hall at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Hurrah Players will perform much of their new season at Willett Hall, including ``Annie'' in November, ``The Best Christmas Pageant Ever'' and ``Happy Hanukkah My Friend'' in December, and ``Pinocchio'' in March.''

United Way campaign has

good start in Portsmouth

A campaign to raise $644,000 for the United Way in Portsmouth officially opened Thursday with 26 percent of its goal already pledged.

Campaign chairman Ken Wheeler, the city's director of marketing and communications, said that to date $111,797 has been raised by Pacesetter companies and another $57,490 has come in from Keel Club and Navigation Society members.

Public schools hold annual

back-to-school convocation

Portsmouth Public Schools will hold its annual back-to-school convocation for all employees at 9:30 a.m. Monday at Willett Hall.

Julian M. Earls, deputy director of Lewis Research Center for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Cleveland, will be the motivational guest speaker.

The theme for this year's convocation is ``150 Years - Building On A Tradition of Educational Excellence.''

For more information, call 393-8743.

NORFOLK

Norfolk SPCA will host a

reduced-cost rabies clinic

The Norfolk SPCA will host a reduced-cost rabies clinic on Aug. 30 from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Norfolk SPCA shelter.

Rabies shots will be available to dogs and cats 12 weeks and older for $6 per shot. In addition, Norfolk city animal licenses will be sold for $10 for each unaltered dog and cat, $5 for spayed/neutered dogs and cats, and $2 for seniors 62 and over with a valid ID.

For more information, call 622-3319.

Suffolk takes big step

toward building school SUFFOLK

Aiming for completion of a new, 800-pupil school by the opening of the 1998-99 school year, the School Board on Thursday accepted a bid from Blueridge General Inc. of Norfolk to build a central elementary school.

Blueridge's bid of $7,467,340 million was less than the estimated cost of around $8 million.

The school, on Nansemond Parkway, will accommodate students moving into Suffolk's burgeoning residential developments as well as students rezoned from other, overcrowded elementary schools in the district.

ALSO. . .

Suffolk - Have a few extra hours and want to help out your local police department?

Suffolk's police department is looking for volunteers over 21 years old to type and perform other secretarial duties at their headquarters, 120 N. Wellons St., between 8 a.m. and midnight.

A background check will be done on all interested parties. For more information, call 925-6350 Ext. 715.

COMING UP

SATURDAY

Norfolk - A Back to School Block Party sponsored by PACE and the Five Points Partnership will be held in the parking lot of Tabernacle Voice of Deliverance Church from noon to 4 p.m. Food and games, and music by Reflections Band, will be provided. The gathering is a chance to meet neighbors, PACE officers and community leaders.

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