THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 19, 1994 TAG: 9406170193
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Long
DATELINE: 940619 LENGTH:
8:30 a.m. - Corner of Pacific Avenue and 32nd Street.
{REST} A white-haired woman, slowly pushing her husband's wheelchair down the sidewalk along Pacific Avenue, pauses as they arrive at 32nd Street.
They look distressed; there's no handicapped curb cut offering smooth passage from the sidewalk to the street.
She edges his wheelchair as close to the curb as she can. Then the elderly man, using his cane for support, rises shakily from his wheelchair. With his other hand he grabs the metal pole of the street sign as he carefully steps down from the curb. He stands there clinging to the pole as his wife bumps the wheelchair down from the sidewalk onto the street.
Then they reverse the procedure as he carefully releases the pole and eases himself back into his wheelchair. They continue slowly down the street.
- Melinda Forbes
\ Wednesday, June 8
8:30 a.m. - 20th Street at the Oceanfront.
A couple, full from an early-morning pig-out session at a local eatery, stroll slowly around the corner at 20th Street and head to their car parked in a metered spot.
As they round the corner, they see a young man in a light blue shirt standing at the front of their car, writing on a pad of paper.
The woman reaches the man first and says, ``How long have we been expired?''
The man is startled and jumps. ``Oh, is this yours?'' he asks the couple.
``Sure is,'' the man said.
``Well, don't worry about it. Don't EVEN worry about it,'' the man says to the couple. ``Just go. Don't EVEN worry about it.''
They take his advice, jump in the car and drive off, ticket-free and worry free.
- Lori A. Denney
\ Saturday, June 11
2 p.m. - Lynnhaven Mall.
Life-size Disney characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse are holding court outside the Leggett department store. Hundreds of patient parents are waiting with their wide-eyed children in a line that goes all the way down the hallway and ends across from Wal-den-books.
Mickey and Minnie shake hands with the children and hug those who come up to them. One mother, obviously relieved to make it to the front of the line, eagerly pulls her toddler daughter up to Minnie.
``Look, honey, there's Minnie Mouse!'' she exclaims to the little girl.
Her daughter takes a tentative step toward the costumed character. But instead of a smile, she bursts into tears and reaches for a familiar pair of legs.
``Noooooo, I don't wanna!'' she wails.
The embarrassed mom picks up her daughter and soothes her, then moves out of the way for other children.
- Pam Starr
\ 9 p.m. - Pavilion.
The two men - one in a green shirt, the other in a green sports coat - sure are glad their paths crossed this evening.
Obviously old acquaintances, they have a lot to catch up on as they and a few thousand other people attend the First Colonial High School graduation ceremony. The two talk nonstop throughout - discussing work, co-workers, family and friends and occasionally joking and bursting into laughter.
People sitting nearby soon know what they do for a living, that one has retired, that the other has lots of questions about retirement and pension plans, what cities they've lived in and so on and so forth.
It's also obvious that the people sitting nearby - who are listening to the ceremony - are getting annoyed.
Suddenly the talkers shush each other. They pay close attention as the person they've come to see graduate is called to walk across the stage and receive a diploma.
They shout, clap and yell for their grad, whose 10 seconds of fame end quickly.
The highlight of their night over, the two men resume their conversation.
- Melinda Forbes
\ Monday, June 13
8:30 p.m. - The beach at 35th street.
A couple has just celebrated their anniversary with a nice meal at an outdoor Boardwalk cafe, and they decide to walk on the nearly deserted beach.
They take off their shoes, hold hands and stroll dreamily across the sand, watching the fog roll in. A few hearty souls are still venturing into the water to cool off from the humid day and one boy is boogie-boarding on the waves.
The walk is marred, however, by the debris littering the beach. Empty glass bottles, dirty diapers, leftover food, paper and plastic bags, cigarette butts and dozens of other items are strewn carelessly across the sand.
``I can't believe how people turn into pigs,'' says the man with disgust, picking up some of the debris and putting it in the can. ``This shouldn't happen - what's wrong with these people?''
Most of the garbage lies just feet away from the large, obvious, white trash cans.
- Pam Starr
\ Wednesday, June 15
9:15 a.m. - 7-Eleven, 32nd Street.
``I hope someone wins tonight - it's up to $15 million,'' a clerk says to a co-worker behind the counter. As she speaks she enters a customer's Lotto selections into a nearby computer. ``If not, it'll be a madhouse here this weekend.''
``A real hassle, huh?'' the customer offers.
The clerk nods as the Lotto slip emerges from the machine.
``Yeah,'' the customer continues, ``but what if YOU win?''
The clerk hands him his slip. ``I don't play Lotto,'' she sniffs. ``I think it's a waste of money.''
The customer turns and heads out the door.
``Unless you happen to win, sweetheart,'' he mutters.
- Bill Reed
\ 11:48 a.m. - Bonney Road.
Four teenagers, all boys, Rollerblade down the sidewalk on Bonney Road.
The leader, wearing a white T-shirt and shorts, decides to show off. He jumps off the sidewalk and into the middle lane of the road.
Still Rollerblading, he turns to skate backwards and faces the front of a full school bus that's traveling about 35 mph.
The boy throws his arms up at the bus, as if to say, catch me if you can.
The bus driver, fast approaching the skater, begins to brake.
The boy turns back around, skating with his back to the bus, and hops back up on the curb.
His friends chuckle and slap each other's backs and continue skating down the sidewalk.
Meanwhile, the bus driver pulls over and turns on her flashing lights. Her head rests on the steering wheel for several seconds before she pulls into traffic once again.
- Lori A. Denney
by CNB