DATE: Saturday, November 1, 1997            TAG: 9711010742

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

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HAMPTON ROADS [BRIEFS]

NORFOLK

Concerned Citizens

group endorses

slate of Democrats

An influential African-American political group on Friday endorsed a slate of Democrats who are running Tuesday for offices ranging from the governor to the city commissioner of the revenue.

The Concerned Citizens for Political Education of Norfolk, a group that has its roots in the 1960s civil rights movements, said the Democratic candidates seeking election this season hold the ``same interests and concerns'' that its members do, said James L. Rivers, the chairman.

``We're talking about jobs, we're talking about education, we're talking about decency and trust,'' Rivers said. ``They have our interests at heart.''

Rivers said the group had not met with Republican candidates before making the endorsement. Democrats came to the group seeking support, Rivers said.

``The Concerned Citizens is not a rubber stamp for Democrats,'' Rivers said. ``The only candidates who have approached the Concerned Citizens have been the Democratic candidates.''

Candidates showing up for the endorsement announcement, held at the Pizazz Restaurant and Lounge on Granby Street downtown, were Democrat Sharon M. McDonald, who is running for commissioner of the revenue in Norfolk, and Democrat Donald Williams, who is seeking Norfolk's 86th District seat in the state House of Delegates.

The group plans to distribute ``guide'' ballots to voters encouraging them to vote for Democratic candidates and also plans to work the polls on Tuesday, Rivers said.

Other Norfolk Democrats endorsed by the group included those running for the state House of Delegates, including Todd M. Fiorella in 87th District; Thomas W. Moss Jr. in the 88th District; William P. Robinson Jr. in the 90th District; and Jerrauld C. Jones of the 89th District. Portsmouth

Marine Corps celebrates

222nd birthday Thursday

The 222nd birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps will be celebrated at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the flagpole on John Paul Jones Circle at the Naval Medical Center.

Two hospital sailors, Craig Mullen and Edward Diaz, will be presented Navy and Marine Corps medals for heroism.

Maj. Gen. Michael P. Delong, deputy commanding general for the Marine Forces U.S. Atlantic Fleet, will be the guest speaker for a tribute to the relationship between the Marine Corps and Navy medical corpsmen throughout military history.

The Marine Corps was founded Nov. 10, 1775. A Marine honor guard and band will be part of the ceremony.

The program is free and open to the public. Both active duty and retired military personnel are encouraged to attend. For information, call 953-7986.

CHESAPEAKE

Next Homearama will be at

city's new Warrington Hall

Next year's Homearama, Tidewater Builders Association's annual home show, will be at Warrington Hall, a new planned development in the Greenbrier area of Chesapeake.

The event will take place Oct. 3-18, 1998.

Warrington Hall, located between Kempsville and Butts Station Road, is a 127-acre project that will have 189 single-family homes upon completion. In addition, 66 brick townhouses with garages and an assisted living facility will be built on the property.

More information about Homearama is available by calling the TBA at 420-2434.

Grant will allow agencies

to track high-risk youths

Chesapeake has received a $70,923 grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice to create an integrated database to track high-risk youths, said Doris ``Cookie'' Roberts, director of human services.

The grant will allow several city agencies to pool resources and maintain centralized records about young people in crisis, Roberts said. Among those sharing records will include the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office, the Police Department, the Community Services Board, the Department of Health, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, the Tidewater Detention Center and the Division of Social Services.

Many young people are served by a number of city agencies, she said. Combining resources, so that young people do not need to fill out the same forms at each agency, will help reduce paperwork and administrative costs.

Virginia officials hope to use Chesapeake as a model, and will closely monitor how the city uses its one-year, renewable grant, Roberts said. Chesapeake is among the first cities in Virginia to attempt to centralize its records in this way.

Public school radio station

will report live on elections

On Tuesday, WFOS-FM 88.7, the radio station of Chesapeake public schools, will offer reports from various voter precincts beginning at 7 a.m. and up-to-the-minute election results starting at 7 p.m. after the polls close.

Broadcast instructor and program director Dennis McCurdy said WFOS may be the only radio station in Hampton Roads to offer live, all-day election coverage.

The station will broadcast up-to-the-minute results on the statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general along with results from the various state Senate and House of Delegates races. The station will also carry Mutual Broadcasting System results of other state races or elections of local interest.

During the day, McCurdy said, he'll visit voter precincts to report on voter trends and offer comments from voters and election workers.

At 7 p.m., McCurdy will be at Chesapeake Circuit Court, while other student volunteers will be stationed throughout Hampton Roads to report results from other cities. Election night veteran Richie Babb and Indian River High School junior Alice Whitener will be at the WFOS anchor desk at its Cedar Road studios.

More information about WFOS's election coverage is available by calling the station at 547-1036.

ALSO. . . Virginia Beach - Dr. Gordon Davies, the new director of The Center for the Study of Religious Freedom at Virginia Wesleyan College, will address the topic ``The Nature of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom and the Limits of Tolerance'' on Monday at 12:30 p.m. in the Village II Commons. The program is part of the ``Conversations'' brown-bag luncheon series, which began last spring. It is free and open to the public. Call 455-3200 for more information.

COMING UP. . . SUNDAY

Virginia Beach - The Rickie Richards campaign will host a candidate rally and an ``End the Car Tax Bashing'' from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Republican Headquarters at 2955 Virginia Beach Blvd. Republican candidates for local and state offices will attend. All are welcome. For details, call 481-2403.

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