THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 9, 1996 TAG: 9605090156
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: COVER STORY
SOURCE: This report was compiled by Staff Writers Shirley Brinkley, Katrice
Franklin, Jon Glass, Linda McNatt, Frank Roberts, Phyllis Speidell,
Jody Snider, Susie Stoughton and Terri Williams.
LENGTH: Long : 254 lines
IT WAS NEWCOMERS 3, incumbents 1, in Tuesday night's political contests in Suffolk.
Victorious newcomers were Leroy Bennett for City Council and John R. Riddick for School Board, both from the Nansemond Borough; and James E. Perkinson Jr., from the Sleepy Hole Borough.
Incumbent Marian ``Bea'' Rogers retained her City Council seat in Sleepy Hole. Whaleyville representatives, City Councilman Curtis R. Milteer and the School Board's Mark Croston, were unopposed.
Bennett said his defeat of first-term Councilman Richard Harris was a result of constituents' call for change.
``It was a good race,'' Bennett said. ``It was clean race. I wish Richard Harris well . . .''
Rogers saw her win as vote of confidence: ``I'm gonna do the same thing as I did before,'' she pledged. ``I'm gonna work my rear end off.''
In Franklin, voters elected three newcomers and one veteran.
James P. Councill III easily won the mayor's race. His opponent, E. Kent Pope, will remain on council at least until his term expires in two years.
Billy D. Hawkins, 39, upset veteran W. Norwood Boyd in precinct two. Newcomer Joseph J. Scislowicz and veteran Robert E. Harrell had no opposition.
In town council races in Southampton County and in Windsor in Isle of Wight, candidates were elected without opposition.
Smithfield had the only contested race with four candidates vying for three seats. Alvin C. ``Al'' Rogers was re-elected, and newcomers Kaye H. Brown and Richard K. MacManus also won.
Here's a look at what was happening in the region on Election Day:
Elephants Fork Elementary School
M argaret Tyler opened her umbrella as she headed out the door after voting.
``As my husband says, `If you don't vote, you don't have any right to complain,' '' she said.
He had another reason for coming: ``Being kin to an ex-president, I've got to vote!''
Driver Variety Store
M ost folks talked about everything but politics. Former Mayor J.W. Nelms declared, ``I wanna know when the racetrack is gonna be built.''
Golden Corral restaurant
R obert Brinkley offers this about his vote: ``No special issue or candidate,'' he said. ``I'm exercising my right to vote. That's one thing I got that I can keep. Now, I'm going to Hardee's to have a biscuit.''
Bettie S. Davis Village
E lection officer Jane Speight is surprised at the turnout.
``We've been busy all morning,'' she said. ``I didn't expect that. This place has been jumping. (Councilman Curtis R.) Mr. Milteer does his work. He sends everyone out to vote.''
Bettie Davis Village
Felicia Brown braved the rain because she likes Curtis Milteer. ``Mr. Milteer has been helping Saratoga. They're working on the streets now because of him.''
Nansemond River High School
Shivering campaign workers line the sidewalk.
``The only people who are going to benefit from this election are doctors,'' said Richard Harris, running for re-election to the City Council.
Bennett's Creek Rescue Squad
A tall, young man offered his umbrella as the driver opened the car door, explaining she wasn't there to vote.
``But you're going to get wet anyway,'' said the polite young man, a student at East Carolina University who's wearing only a shirt and jeans.
He's the son of School Board candidate James E. Perkinson Jr. and he's been out all day, helping people through the rain.
``I've been having great conversations with people,'' James E. Perkinson III said.
Bennett's Creek Rescue Squad
``S ee you next year!'' said the gentleman as he pushed his walker forward.
A poll worker reminded him he could vote in November.
``He'll be here. He's voted every time he had the chance,'' said Francis H. Jordan.
``I like to vote for people I know so I know how they think about things,'' said Jordan, 81.
Driver Volunteer Fire Department
Poll workers were scratching their heads and wondering: Weren't we wearing the same outfits on election day last November? Rain gear!
The turnout is ultralight.
``Maybe a lot of people are waiting to see if it clears up,'' one poll worker said.
Windsor Volunteer Fire Department
By 9:40 a.m., only 13 voters - one of them a candidate - have cast ballots in the unopposed race for three seats on the town council.
``Where is everybody?'' said Dot Gwaltney, one of six election officers who spent the morning chatting, walking around the room and eating.
``We have a kitchen full of food,'' she said. ``We may not work hard today, but we're sure going to eat well.''
Windsor Volunteer Fire Department
Ray Holland, one of three unopposed town council candidates, hopes people turn out to vote. ``I'd hate to be beaten by a write-in candidate,'' he said.
A Sleepy Hole polling place
D ianne Bailey, 28, doesn't have children in the school system but she cast her vote for a candidate who did.
``It was pretty important if they had children in the school district and if they were involved in the PTA,'' Bailey said.
Smithfield Volunteer Fire Station
Town Council candidate Kay Brown could see it was raining when she left home early this morning. But she had no idea it was so cold.
``I'm wearing a T-shirt, a sweatshirt, a sweater and a raincoat,'' she said as she shivered beneath a huge golf umbrella.
``And my pants,'' she added, patting the blue jeans she wore, ``I've already been home and changed them twice.''
A Sleepy Hole polling place
Once Arthur D. Smith, school board chairman for the past two years, decided to seek re-election to the Nansemond seat, his wife, Roberta, was behind him ``200 percent'' even if it meant shivering in the rain for hours Election Day.
She took the day off from her job with Isle of Wight schools to work the polls. Between 5:30 a.m. - when she arrived to greet voters - and 6 p.m., she dashed home to change out of wet clothes four times.
``When I got wet up to the knees, I went home to change,'' she said, wrapped in a raincoat with her feet protected by rubber boots.
A Sleepy Hole polling place
Many voters braving the elements felt strongly about the issues: managing growth, reducing class sizes, getting rid of mobile units, raising test scores.
Gordon Iiams, a Navy doctor who lives in the Sleepy Hole Borough, has one child in the public schools and two others in private facilities, because he finds the public system lacking.
``There are trailers at every school, practically, and they seem to build schools on last year's numbers,'' Iiams said. ``We need to have complete schools - not in trailers - and they need to have class sizes where teachers can pay attention to students.
Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department
By midmorning, about 100 people have voted in the town council race.
``In the last presidential election we had 100 voters the first 45 minutes,'' said John Stallings, chief elections officer.
``The weather has a lot to do with it. People just don't want to get out,'' he said.
But nothing stops Virginia Kues, 65. ``I vote in every election - rain or shine. It's that important.''
Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department
All the candidates have braved the rain to greet voters before they cast ballots.
``I started out with a small umbrella,'' said Al Rogers. ``Someone gave me a bigger one. I've been home once to change clothes.''
Nansemond River High School
M. A. Scott wanted to make sure her candidates won.
``We're interested in getting sewers in our neighborhood,'' said, Scott, who live in Lake Forest. ``And crime prevention and schools. We need somebody on the School Board that's really going to look out for the interests of our children.''
Bennett's Creek Rescue Squad
Voters leaving the Yeates precinct are thanked by campaign volunteers huddled under umbrellas in a driving rain.
``Thanks for swimming out to vote,'' one damp volunteer calls out. ``Did you do the back stroke or the crawl?''
Bennett's Creek Rescue Squad
Campaign volunteers stand outside the polls, comparing notes on shoe leather.
City Council candidate Marian B. ``Bea'' Rogers is not the only person who has worn out a pair of shoes in her door to door campaign. David Saunders, who lives in Milteer Acres, has covered most of the borough on foot in the past month, and his shoes look a bit worse for the effort. Jo Cooper, another Rogers volunteer, may have been better prepared.
``I bought a new pair before we started all this,'' she says.
Bennett's Creek Rescue Squad
New housing developments have boosted voter rolls to 1,921 in this precinct. But by 8:45 a.m., only 81 folks have cast their ballots.
``Looks like it is going to be a long, slow day,'' Ezra Howard says, calling upon his 25 years of experience as an election official in the precinct.
Mary F. Keeling agrees, adding that she has been working elections in the precinct even longer than Howard. Together they can recognize most of the voters and know many of them well enough to chat about their families and catch up on neighborhood news.
``I think it is nice for our voters to know that we are interested in them,'' Keeling said.
Keeling serves as precinct clerk and claims it was more than her enthusiasm that earned her the job. ``I got it on my penmanship and being able to write fast,'' she says with a smile.
Elephant's Fork Elementary School
As a car pulls into the parking lot, volunteers bearing umbrellas swarm toward the newcomer, vying to escort the new arrival to the door.
A man urges votes for Richard Harris for City Council and Arthur Smith for School Board, offering yellow fliers with their names. A woman hands out another slip with council candidate Leroy Bennett's name on it.
Voters haven't been turned off by the rain, they say. ``We've had a moderate turnout,'' the man says. ``It's been better than expected with the rain.''
``We'll take whatever the Lord gives,'' the woman says, referring to the weather, if not the election outcome. ``It will be all right.''
Elephant's Fork Elementary School
Eight people had voted by absentee ballot in the precinct, a poll worker says.
Benny Plewes, who is spending the long day in the art room with his co-workers, had to vote as an absentee in the neighboring Lake Meade precinct.
``Once you're in here, you stay until everything is finished,'' he says, wearing his ``I Voted'' sticker like his six comrades. ``We can't leave, even to vote.''
Elephant's Fork Elementary School
After a lull, several voters come in together, providing something for the poll workers to do besides sit and wait.
``Every year, I say this is going to be my last year,'' says Juanita Moody, who is at the polls for her 37th year. ``I guess it helps keep me young - if you call 78 `young.' ''
Nansemond River High School
More election officials and candidates have graced the school's presence than voters.
Those who did turn out already had in mind who they were voting for, and most of the campaign paraphernalia that they were given landed in the school's trash can.
Thelma W. Earl says she came out in the rain simply to exercise her right to vote.
``It's your duty,'' Earl says. ``I'm voting because I feel like I'm qualified to vote. I've been given the privilege.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Suffolk Mayor Chris Jones congratulates Bea Rogers on her
re-election.
Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Election workers check records as voters line up at the Hollywood
polling place.
Photos
Leroy Bennett
City Council
Nansemond
Curtis R. Milteer
City Council
Whaleyville
Mark A. Croston
School Board
Whaleyville
James Perkinson
School Board
Sleepy Hole
John R. Riddick
School Board
Nansemond
KEYWORDS: ELECTION SUFFOLK RESULTS by CNB