THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 17, 1995 TAG: 9509150214
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Elizabeth Thiel and Eric Feber
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Being a School Board member can be tough at times.
Just ask Mary Korving.
She's long been active with the Western Branch High School Parent-Teacher Association, helping the principal with various tasks and volunteering to answer office phones a couple of times a week.
But now she's on the School Board and, in a sense, is one of the principal's superiors. That can make once-easy relationships tough.
``You're a School Board member; you're not a normal person,'' cautioned James Roy, the board's attorney, in a board retreat last weekend. Roy explained board members' roles and responsibilities.
The board has three relatively new members, including Korving.
All the board members understood Korving's dilemma. They've all been there.
Friends phone, wanting help dealing with a difficult teacher or principal. Teachers call, complaining about a supervisor. Dinners out and shopping trips are interrupted by strangers wanting to express gripes about schools.
Board Chairman Maury B. Brickhouse now lets his wife handle parent-teacher conferences because teachers might be intimidated dealing with him.
``Once we take that oath, we're public officials,'' said board member L. Thomas Bray.
That means board members must be careful how they deal with school workers and other parents, Roy said.
For Korving, it might mean giving up things she once enjoyed, like answering phones at Western Branch High School.
A very civil performance
Organizers of Chesapeake's third annual Civil War Days say the event was a huge success.
Paula Alston, adult programmer for Chesapeake Public Libraries, estimates more than 11,000 people visited the Central Library for the two-day celebration and homage to the Civil War.
The festival featured films, speakers, re-enactors, musical entertainment, drills, skirmishes, parades, exhibits, a fashion show and even a tea. But the high point of the weekend was an appearance by Abraham Lincoln, a.k.a. James A. Getty, who makes his living portraying the 16th president at various Civil War and history programs and events.
``I really admire the 16th president,'' said William Blake, library volunteer, re-enactor, history docent and teacher. ``I was assigned to be Mr. Getty's aide de camp for last weekend's festival, and it was like being in Lincoln's presence.
``In following him around, I would look at him and say to myself, `Oh my! It's just like seeing Mr. Lincoln himself.' He was wonderful. He had his walk, his mannerisms, his speech and his thoughts down perfectly. It was like having him come back to life. He was filled with good stories and good humor, just like Mr. Lincoln.'' by CNB