THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 28, 1996 TAG: 9601270068
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Susie Stoughton
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
For years, Janice Hollowell lived in the 100 block of Country Club Road, Franklin.
Then, in 1992, her address changed to the 31000 block of the same road, and she had a hard time remembering to write five numbers instead of three.
First, she had to notify all her friends, family members, everyone on her Christmas card list and all her creditors. And she had to remember the new numbers whenever she wrote out her address.
She had gotten the hang of it when she had to unlearn the new numbers she had finally mastered. Since Jan. 1, she's been back in the 100 block again, and she's going through all that change-of-address routine once more, sending notices to everyone she could think of.
``I don't know if you need to know this or not,'' she said a couple of weeks ago, ``but I have a new address.''
But through two changes within almost four years, Hollowell has never moved from the same house in the close-knit neighborhood of Hunterdale.
The house is the same. It's only the numbers that change.
The first re-numbering came about when the 911 emergency telephone system was installed in Southampton County, where Hollowell lived. Everyone in the 600-square-mile county had to have a five-digit house number. That made it easy to distinguish Southampton houses from those in the neighboring city of Franklin or in Isle of Wight or Greensville counties.
The second adjustment came about this year when the Hunterdale section was annexed by the city of Franklin. That meant no more five digits.
``You know, change isn't easy at my age,'' Hollowell said over the phone.
We finally decided her newspaper carrier knew her house, and it probably didn't matter what the numbers were. And she pays her bill once a year and it wasn't due.
So she seemed straight with us, anyway.
One down, forty gazillion more people to remember to call or write.
Of course, it's all in the name of progress, but somehow small-town life never used to be so complicated.
The 911 system certainly helps emergency personnel reach people faster. We just hope we don't need them, of course.
In the second phase of a two-part annexation, Hollowell and about 400 others who formerly lived in Southampton County ``moved'' to the city.
They had known for several years that they would be city folks instead of county folks. Still, any change takes time.
Wonder if they know that this summer we're going to have a new area code?
Some blame the need for that on the popularity of fax machines, beepers and computer modems - all of which require telephone lines.
And when we hook up to the Internet with our personal computers now, we suddenly realize that no one can reach us on our telephones - call waiting or not. So rather than be lost in cyberspace, we add a second phone line.
Grandma never had a web site, to be sure.
And while we realize that growth and development are headed our way, some of us would like to keep a piece of old-fashioned life here in western Tidewater - even if we do have e-mail and voice mail, tel-netting and fax machines, beepers and programmable VCRs.
Despite all this technology at our finger tips, we still have the chance to run into friends and grab a quick bite for lunch at an old-fashioned lunch counter. That's Americana for you.
There's a ``soda fountain'' at the Nansemond Drug in downtown Suffolk, one at the Village Drug in Chuckatuck and one at Parker Drug in Franklin.
What better way to enjoy small-town life?
But if you want to combine the best of both worlds, check out the image of friendliness in downtown Suffolk on the Internet. Believe it or not, the Nansemond's lunch counter is there for the world to see.
Oh, how all those commuters tired of the big city hustle and bustle would love to zip through cyberspace and join Alice Cross as she orders a sandwich at her favorite eating spot in Suffolk.
Check it all out at http;//www.infi.net/pilot/extra/gallery/gallery/html.
And let me know how we can keep the best of small-town life alive and well in the midst of growth and technology. I'd also love to hear suggestions of interesting people in your neighborhood, church, office, home or anywhere else.
E-mail me at stough(AT)norfolk.infi.net. Or fax to 934-7515. Or if you're not technologically up to speed, call 934-7555 (from Franklin, 562-3028). And if you get voice mail and don't want to talk to a machine, just drop by at 157 N. Main Street, Suffolk.
We can walk to Nansemond Drug for lunch. by CNB