DATE: Thursday, September 18, 1997          TAG: 9709170117

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: MR. ROBERTS' NEIGHBORHOOD 

SOURCE: Frank Roberts 

                                            LENGTH:   72 lines

DOLPHINS SPOTTED DINING ON NANSEMOND

Dolphins, ahoy. In the Nansemond River, yet. An octet, yet.

Linda and Butch Bunch spotted the bottlenose dolphins from their little jon boat Sept. 7, off Cedar Point, between the Godwin Bridge and the mouth of the Nansemond River.

``We sighted them about four o'clock and were out there for 45 minutes,'' Linda said. ``They were there when we left.''

The dolphins were chasing their supper - small fish du jour - often diving under the boat.

The usually staid Suffolk Art League administrative assistant had the urge to join them for a nice swim, resisting the urge when she realized she would be up to her left ear in ooky, stinging jellyfish.

She contented herself with looking and photographing, noting, ``they're fast, so we got a lot of dorsal fin pictures.''

One or two did show a little more.

Linda and Butch do a lot of lolling and boating in the river, and this is their first sighting.

``The dolphins interrupted our intellectual conversation,'' she said.

I had a conversation with Alice Scanlon, spokesperson for the Virginia Marine Science Museum, who told me that such sightings are not particularly rare.

``It was probably not the dolphins' first time in that river,'' she said. ``They get around there occasionally.''

Our ace photog, Michael Kestner, said the mammals have also been seen in Chuckatuck Creek.

Congrats to Jason Swain who has won a few area talent shows, singin' his country heart out.

The most recent appearances for the John F. Kennedy High frosh include a shot on Channel 3's ``Live at Nine,'' and a few moments at Donk's Li'l Ole Opry in Matthews.

Twice he was what he calls, ``an unofficial winner.''

``I was an unofficial karaoke winner at an outdoor festival in May,'' Jason said.

``I - allegedly - won a $50 bond. I haven't gotten it yet.''

He was also an unofficial winner at Obici Hospital's recent Family Day picnic. ``Well, I got the largest stuffed animal.''

Jason's most impressive gig was a guest appearance with the Wooden Nickel Band at Constant's Wharf during the July 4 celebration, borrowing ``I Swear'' from the John Michael Montgomery songbook.

And, congrats to W. Dayl Burnett, who continues as artist-in-residence at Paul D. Camp Community College - held over by popular demand.

The grant that brings an artist-in-residence to town is usually for one semester.

``Two in a row is unusual,'' said Patsy Joyner, Camp's director of Institutional Advancement.

Burnett certainly didn't expect the encore.

``I'd been looking at other locations,'' he said. ``I'd been sending out resumes and making a lot of phone calls.''

Burnett teaches, offers recitals, gives concerts, conducts school orchestras, sometimes plays with Virginia Symphony, and is a member of the Appalachian Trombone Quartet.

If you want to see what all the fuss is about, he will be in recital, Oct. 12, at the Walter Cecil Rawls Library in Courtland.

The time for the recital will be announced later. ILLUSTRATION: Photo courtesy of LINDA and BUTCH BUNCH

Linda and Butch Bunch spotted a pod of bottlenose dolphins off Cedar

Point while sailing on Sept. 7.

Photo

Swain

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu