DATE: Thursday, November 6, 1997            TAG: 9711060498

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:  129 lines

HAMPTON ROADS [BRIEFS]

SUFFOLK

Fire destroys local

landmark; no one

hurt, cause unknown

An early morning fire Wednesday destroyed a vacant building, a former truck stop and eatery that was considered a landmark, fire officials said.

The fire marshal's office is investigating the cause of the blaze at the former Floyd's Bar and Grill in the 3600 block of Pruden Blvd., or U.S. Route 460.

The two-story wooden building was fully in flames when Suffolk Fire units arrived just after midnight, said fire spokesman Jeffrey T. Messinger. The building was valued at $50,000, he said.

No one was injured.

Floyd's closed about 18 months ago, and the property was sold to Paris Zambas of Chesapeake, Messinger said. A passer-by spotted the blaze and awakened the occupants of a home behind the building, Messinger said. Everyone managed to get out safely, he said. Damage to the vinyl siding on their home, caused by heat from the blaze, was estimated at $5,000.

The four-lane highway was closed while firefighters fought the blaze. Police rerouted traffic onto Kings Fork and Providence roads.

Firefighters remained on the scene nearly three hours.

Downtown parking area

construction commences

Construction began Wednesday on the public parking area adjoining the new courts building in downtown Suffolk. The paving work is scheduled to be completed within a week.

This area will provide more than 125 added spaces in downtown. Other features include new concrete curbs, walkways, high-intensity security lighting and landscaping.

More than 325 parking spaces will be provided upon completion of the new courts building project.

During the paving, other temporary parking will be available within the courts building project site. The public may use the new 104-car parking lot between Commerce and Franklin streets.

Goodwill will open new

super thrift store Friday

Goodwill Industries of Hampton Roads will hold a grand opening for its new super thrift store at 10:30 a.m. on Friday.

Suffolk Mayor Thomas G. Underwood will deliver opening remarks, and shoppers and donors will be greeted by Old Country Buffet mascot ``OCBee''.

There will also be a special sale through the weekend.

Goodwill Industries, a United Way agency, provides job training and employment services to people who are disabled and disadvantaged.

The Goodwill Super Thrift store in Suffolk is at 117 N. Main St.

WILLIAMSBURG

Virginia dentists to answer

dental questions on hotline

Members of the Virginia Academy of General Dentistry will host a toll-free dental hotline Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Virginia residents may dial 1 (800) SMILE33 to ask a Virginia AGD member dentist any oral-health questions free of charge.

Topics raised on the hotline were bleaching, sealants, proper oral health techniques, implants, tooth decay and cosmetic dentistry. Virginia Beach

Welfare reform will be

topic of civic meeting

Virginia's welfare reform will be discussed at the next meeting of the Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in City Council chambers at the Municipal Center.

Speakers will be Del. Robert McDonnell, who was Gov. George Allen's point man on the legislation; John A. Hornbeck Jr., president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce; Paul Levy of the city's Department of Social Services; and Priscilla Drew, assistant dean of Regent University's School of Counseling and Human Services. There will be time for questions and answers.

NORFOLK

City seeks public input for

reuse of inoperative landfill

Norfolk will host a citizen workshop Saturday to help the city plan for the reuse of the former Campostella landfill for recreation.

The 48-acre site, located just east of Campostella Road on Berkley Avenue Extended, has the potential to become a major recreation site. The site has been inoperative as a landfill since 1994.

The day will begin with the landfill site open for informal individual tours between 8 and 9 a.m. The workshop will formally begin at 9 a.m. and end at noon in the former Tucker Elementary School/Campostella Boys and Girls Club gymnasium.

PORTSMOUTH

Hailstork's music is topic

of Second Tuesday Forum

Adolphus Hailstork, professor of music and composer-in-residence at Norfolk State University, will discuss his musical compositions on Tuesday at Portsmouth's Second Tuesday Forum.

The free program will begin at noon at the Commodore Theater, 421 High St. Lunch will be available from the menu, and complimentary beverages will be served by the theater.

Hailstork has written numerous works for chorus, orchestra, solo voice, chamber ensembles and band. Among his compositions are ``Celebration,'' recorded by the Detroit Symphony; ``Out of the Depths,'' which won the 1977 Belwin-Mills Max Winkler Award; and ``Mourn Not the Dead,'' which received the Ernest Bloch Award for choral composition.

The Second Tuesday Forum is funded by the Portsmouth Public Library Foundation, the Portsmouth General Hospital Foundation, and the Portsmouth Museum and Fine Arts Commission.

ALSO. . . Chesapeake - The regular meeting of the City Council scheduled for Nov. 11 has been canceled in observance of Veterans Day. All items that would have been heard on that date will be postponed until the next meeting on Nov. 18.

COMING UP. . . TODAY

Virginia Beach - City Council member Louisa M. Strayhorn will hold her monthly towm meeting today at 7 p.m. in the Kempsville High School cafeteria, 5194 Chief Trail. Topics will be the city's Community Services Board and Life in Hampton Roads in the year 2015 with or without transportation improvements. MEMO: Staff writers Susie Stoughton, Linda McNatt, Mike Knepler and Ida

Kay Jordan contributed to this report. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

Land-Use Debate

For complete copy, see microfilm

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