DATE: Saturday, October 11, 1997            TAG: 9710110746

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:  121 lines

HAMPTON ROADS [BRIEFS]

WILLIAMSBURG

William and Mary

senior drowns while

swimming in creek

A College of William and Mary senior drowned Friday while swimming with friends, officials said.

John Raymond Parkinson, 21, of Winchester, Va., was swimming in College Creek about 4 a.m. with eight or nine other students when he disappeared, the college said.

Divers recovered his body about 9 a.m. in the creek near the mouth of the James River, James City County Fire Chief Bob Ryalls said. The body was within 100 feet of where Parkinson was last seen.

Parkinson was a chemistry major who received a research scholarship this summer for his work on a chemistry honors project, said W. Samuel Sadler, vice president for student affairs.

NEW KENT

Colonial Downs concludes

with high stakes, festival

Colonial Downs will end its inaugural horse racing meet this weekend with two $100,000 stakes races and a ``Rhythm and Ribs Festival'' tonight.

The festival, which will begin around 5:30 p.m. tonight, will feature performances by Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers and Roomful of Blues, as well as a rib dinner.

Also Julie Krone, America's most successful female jockey, will ride in the first running of the $100,000 Chenery Stakes.

Sunday's high-stakes race will be the $100,000 Tippet Stakes for 2-year-olds.

Admission to the concert is free with the purchase of a $5 ticket to the races, if it is purchased before the fifth race. Post times are 1 p.m. today and Sunday.

Colonial Downs is in New Kent County, off exit 214 on Interstate 64. For details, call (804) 966-2477.

CHESAPEAKE

Housing authority closes

subsidized waiting list

The Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority closed its waiting list this week for subsidized housing certificates after the roster swelled to more than 1,200 families.

Sylvia Copeland, the authority's director of housing management, said new names were last taken in 1995. Friday marked the last day after two weeks in which new names were added to the Section 8 certificate list. Copeland said the authority was still accepting names for slots in one of the city's five public housing communities.

``People are slower to sign up for public housing. The sites are isolated,'' Copeland said. ``With Section 8 (housing certificates), you can go anywhere.''

Family No. 500 on the waiting list can expect to wait nine to 18 months before becoming eligible for a certificate. Copeland said families at the end of the list could wait more than two years.

But securing a place on the waiting list does not guarantee housing. The first families who have a place on the list will start meeting Tuesday to assess their eligibility for the city's housing subsidies.

To obtain an appointment for public housing, call 543-6847 Tuesday or Thursday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Hearing-impaired people may call 523-1316. Norfolk

Civic league hosts forum

for six local candidates

The Bayview Civic League will host a public forum Tuesday for candidates running for Norfolk commissioner of revenue and General Assembly seats from the 86th and 87th districts.

Tuesday's forum will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church, 1601 Bayview Blvd., Norfolk.

Each candidate will have five minutes for opening comments and three minutes for closing remarks.

Everyone in the audience will get a form on which to write questions. A three-person panel of civic-league members will screen the questions to eliminate personal attacks and statements not germane to the election.

Candidates are:

Commissioner of Revenue, Sharon McDonald, Democrat; Charles Gibson, Republican.

General Assembly House District 86, Don Williams, Democrat; Beverly Graeber, Republican. House District 87, Todd Fiorella, Democrat; Thelma Drake, Republican. Virginia Beach

Maintenance dredging

at Lynnhaven begins

After several delays, the federal project to dredge Lynnhaven Inlet and connecting waters has been initiated.

The inlet approach channel will be dredged first.

About 65,000 cubic yards of dredged sand will be placed on Ocean Park Beach.

The dredge arrived Friday and the beach placement operations could begin this weekend.

Festival of Pride showcased

at Oceanfront this weekend

The '97 Festival of Pride tunes up at 24th Street Park today and continues Sunday with soul-stirring gospel, down-home blues and jazz.

During the weekend, there will be a special salute to Fleet Week with the Navy Atlantic Fleet Four Star Edition band playing jazz and recognizing the contributions of women in blues and jazz.

Today's Gospelfest Youth Explosion begins at noon and continues until 7 p.m. with youth and adult church choirs, school singers, music ministries and other musical groups.

The Four Star Edition kicks off Sunday's musical spree at noon and entertainment continues until 6 p.m. with such groups as the U.S. Continental Army Band, vocalist Brenda Livermon, jazz trumpeter Vince Preister, vocalist Karen Jordan and the R&B Allstars Blues Band.

Events are free. There will be arts and crafts, vendors, face painting for children and more.

For information, call the African American Cultural Council of Virginia Beach at 460-3093. KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT DROWNING

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