DATE: Sunday, September 28, 1997            TAG: 9709260318

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 09   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:  109 lines

FYI

FYI is an update of the news and happenings that have affected Virginia Beach during the past week. Divers spend a day cleaning Owls Creek

NO MERMAIDS or Volkswagens were raised from the depths of Owls Creek when volunteer divers combed the water behind the Virginia Marine Science Museum for trash during International Coastal Cleanup Day last Saturday.

But there was plenty of trash of the ordinary sort. Divers filled 10 large mesh bags primarily with plastic items and cans. They also brought up debris, such as construction wire, most probably left over from the museum's recent expansion.

``To be quite honest, it was cleaner that we expected,'' said diver David Hunt. ``The fish life and plant life was fairly active, which was nice to see.''

Hunt was one of nine divers from the Mid-Atlantic Divers club who spent several hours last Saturday morning searching for trash under the water behind museum property along the creek. Although other groups joined in the coastal cleanup along city beaches, this was the only group of divers that participated. Lotto luck, pal

Do you believe lightning strikes twice?

Larry and Susan Mathias do.

They own the Salem Food Mart, a busy convenience store at the owners of Salem and Elbow roads, where the second winning Lotto ticket in seven years was sold on Sept. 20.

This time the winner came away with a $1 million jackpot. Apparently a shy sort, the lucky ticket holder identified himself to State Lottery officials only as Donald Hawkins of Virginia Beach and made it clear he wanted no interviews with the media.

Salem Food Mart sold the first winning Virginia Lotto ticket in 1990 to a Virginia Beach Navy man named Anthony Palermo, who promptly took his $7.1 million prize and his family and moved to Florida.

The Mathiases, meanwhile, are pretty happy about their part in the good fortune of Hawkins. They collected a $5,000 bonus check Wednesday for selling the winning Lotto ticket.

``The first time around, the (Virginia) Lottery didn't give commissions,'' said Larry Mathias. ``They changed that policy later.''

He and wife Susan have been in business at the Salem Road location for seven years.

They are trying to spread their luck around, said Larry. ``We just bought a second store at Creeds - Creeds Food Mart. Maybe we can sell a winning ticket there.'' Keys to success

A Beach piano retailing duo recently landed in the cover story of a national trade publication.

Bob and Susan Shepheard, owners of the Piano Galleries of Virginia, not only were the subject of a lengthy profile in the September issue of Music Inc.,they also were voted among the top 30 retailers nationwide.

Piano and keyboard manufacturers chose them for the honor earlier this summer.

Both items were welcome attention for the Shepheards, whose shop at 5033 Virginia Beach Blvd., will likely reach $1 million sales for 1997. That's two years ahead of schedule for the owners, now in their third year of quietly building a successful music center.

``It brings exposure to us and our company, and it brings exposure to the manufacturers,'' Bob Shepheard said.

The 33-year-old Portsmouth native and his wife, 35, sell pianos, keyboards and digital pianos in the 5,000-square-foot store. Their acoustic piano prices range from $1,990 to $30,000. They also sell sheet music and accessories and offer a range of music lessons.

Shepheard said he kept 50 copies of the cover story for himself. He also has posted information about the store and the article on a Web site - www.pianogalleriesofva.com

How does Shepheard view the success? Tall tale in Creeds

``I'm very proud,'' he said.

Chester and Frances Schaffer tucked four tomato seedlings into the earth around their Creeds home in April.

Two died, a third fared fairly well, but the fourth grew and grew and grew - to height of 15 feet. And, it is still growing.

``I'm 73 and I've never seen anything as tall in my life,'' said Schaffer, a retired welding company operator. ``Just call it Chester and the bean stalk, not `Jack and the Bean Stalk.' ''

Is this a world's record? Schaffer doesn't know, but he is in awe of the way Mother Nature sometimes works.

He said he purchased the tomato seedling from a Taylor's Do-It Center outlet nearby, little knowing that husbanding the plant would lead him up the drain spout to the rooftop of his house.

As the vine grew, Schaffer welded 11 S-hooks to the spout to help support its weight and growth.

``I had to crawl up on the roof to dust it (with insecticide) and pick off the tomato worms,'' he said.

So far Schaffer and his wife, Frances, have harvested about 40 tomatoes from the vine, including one juicy specimen that measured 5 inches in diameter. ``There are at least 20 more on the vine and it's still growing,'' Schaffer said.''

Schaffer operated the C.L. Schaffer Welding Co. on 17th Street near the Oceanfront for 25 years. Now he and his wife own and operate Fran's Antiques in Pungo and an adjacent wood working shop. MEMO: FYI items were compiled by staff writer Bill Reed, Mike Abrams and

Mary Reid Barrow. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY REID BARROW

David Hunt participated in last week's Coastal Cleanup Day and

reports that Owls Creek behind the Virginia Marine Science Museum is

looking good.

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