THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 4, 1995 TAG: 9506020204
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 135 lines
Tuesday, May 23
3 p.m. - First Landing/Seashore State Park beach at The Narrows.
A number of sun seekers are taking advantage of a bright cloudless day on the sandy shore deep in the state park.
Several guys on jet skis have pulled up to the waterline and are discussing the beach sights.
``The scenery is especially nice today,'' says one, and looks over in the direction of a man and a woman who have spread their beach towels slightly away from the other sunbathers.
The woman is attracting all the attention. She's not wearing a top.
- Kevin Elliott
Wednesday, May 24
4 p.m. - Virginia Beach SPCA.
Shelter staff has always thought of the vacant lot next door as a bird sanctuary, but no more. This day, it is a bird's nightmare.
The lot has been sold and and the trees are being cut down.
Fledgling birds and parents are popping up out of the fallen tree branches. Baby brown thrashers, doves and other youngsters are fussing, crying and begging for food. Their alarmed parents are desperately calling them out of harm's way.
``It's so sad,'' says SPCA staffer Susan Wagner.
However the shelter decides not to call Wildlife Response to the rescue. Most of the babies appear to be fledglings which are better off with their parents.
``We just hope the birds will move before they clear the trees tomorrow,'' Wagner says.
- Mary Reid Barrow
Thursday, May 25
10:45 a.m. - City Council chambers.
Mayor Meyera Oberndorf is giving awards to citizens who have given assistance to the disabled in the community. Before the ceremony, the diminutive mayor tells the citizens and the audience a story about touring a snake farm in mainland China.
``The host asks me if I would like to go to a snake farm,'' she recalls with a smile. ``I thought it was a joke and said yes. They took me to this farm where 35,000 species of snakes are raised.
``The host asks me `Are you afraid of snakes?' '' she continues. ``I felt that the dignity of America and the honor of Virginia was on the line and I said `No, I'm not.' ''
Oberndorf's eyes grow big and she laughs.
``The host handed me a snake - I didn't know if it was poisonous or not. I was the first woman to hold a snake like a rifle with a bayonet.''
Everyone laughs along with the mayor.
``Just then someone snapped my picture,'' she continues. ``My face is like `Oh, my God!'
``But no sacrifice is too great for you all,'' she adds. ``I didn't want the host to think you had a wimp for a mayor!''
- Pam Starr
7:45 p.m. - Regent University's library atrium.
The Tidewater Down Syndrome Association is holding its annual Professional Appreciation Night.
Two of the attendees are adoption attorney David Daulton and wife Jane of Western Branch. They have brought a very popular baby with them, 10-week old Emily Rose, all dressed in pink. Guests practically fight over who gets to hold the infant as they coo and smile at her.
The Daultons adopted the pretty baby from Ethiopia four weeks earlier. Babies who are born with Down syndrome in that country, explains David, are either not allowed to live or are institutionalized.
``We're lucky to have her,'' he says, whipping out a family photo. Emily Rose is their eighth child. The Daultons have four ``homegrown,'' two foster and two adopted children, including another child with Down syndrome. David, when asked how he and his wife spread enough love around to eight children, smiles and has a ready answer.
``When you get that love so intensely, you reflect it back,'' he says. ``We benefit so much from these children - it's really self-serving.''
- Pam Starr
Saturday, May 27
3 p.m. - Fabric store at Hilltop.
After ringing up their sale, a clerk watches a husband and wife leave the store. Then she calls over to her coworker, ``Didn't you love his blue eyes - beautiful blue eyes.''
The coworker shakes her head. ``I didn't even notice them,'' she says.
The first woman continues, ``They were Paul Newman eyes.''
``Paul Newman eyes?'' says a middle-age female customer who overhears the conversation as she walks up to the counter. Then she adds wishfully, ``And I missed them?''
- Melinda Forbes
Sunday, May 28
2 p.m. - Barnes and Noble bookstore.
A tanned and trim couple stand in line in the cafe. As they pass the refrigerated dessert case, they began to talk excitedly about the feast of sugar right before their eyes.
The man turns to explain to the customer behind him:
``We just had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and it was good, but even the desserts were like black beans and stuff.
``Healthy,'' his female companion says. ``Tofu? For dessert?''
They call over to their friends browsing the nearby book shelves.
``Come on and get something. No kidding. This is real dessert, chocolate, everything. Look at that pound cake.''
- Gary Edwards
Wednesday, May 31
9 p.m. - A home in Kempsville.
The phone rings. ``Hi, it's Nedra,'' the lilting voice on the other end says. ``Sorry I've been so long returning your call. It's been crazy here in New York.''
A few weeks ago in a telephone interview, Nedra Olds Neal, Bayside High School Class of '71 and Emmy nominee for her production of an album of early Louis Armstrong recordings, mentioned that she had just finished taping a television show with Garrison Keillor but didn't know when it would be shown locally.
Martha Franklin, a member of a local interfaith group that promotes quality religious programming cleared up the mystery of when and where the program would be found - 9 to 10 p.m. Thursday, 1 a.m. Friday and 8 p.m. June 11 on F&V (Cox Cable channel 39).
But one mystery still remained.
How would the hometown folks recognize Neal?
``I'm in the group of eight women called `Melodious Accord' the producer with Sony records explains in her call. ``Only two of us are black. One is on the end. That's not me. I'm the other one.''
- Jo-Ann Clegg ILLUSTRATION: A little father-daughter time
Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
John Hooper and his daughter, Kieren, set up their paraphernalia for
a day at the beach. The Oceanfront, near 26th, was still uncrowded
last week before the official beginning of the summer season.
by CNB