THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606210219
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 110 lines
Thursday, June 13
11:35 p.m. - Corner of Virginia Beach Boulevard and Lynnhaven Parkway.
A seemingly drunk driver careens over a concrete median, smashes into a pole and topples the traffic light that was previously regulating left turns. The weighty, yellow traffic signal lies battered in the street along with debris from the front of the man's car.
Three cars brimming with cooperative witnesses stop. The police arrive and chase down the driver who has abandoned his crippled car and is now hoofing it away from the scene.
In the confusion, a witness in the first car sees an opportunity.
The shirtless driver wearing droopy shorts, a pager and sporting a buzz cut scoops up the dented traffic signal, loads it into his trunk and speeds away.
The police nab the first driver but miss the signal thief. They're still looking the next day.
- Mike Mather
Saturday, June 15
11 a.m. - Marine Science Museum.
As a steady stream of opening day visitors moves through the sea turtle exhibit an unassuming middle-aged man stands almost motionless in an out of the way corner.
Tom McFarland, a high school art teacher and freelance sculptor from Waynesboro, Pa., is doing something for which he rarely has an opportunity.
He's monitoring reaction to his work, in this case the life-sized sculpted creatures in the turtle room.
The museum had wanted the turtles by April 1, but McFarland, worried about damage during the renovations, made the delivery himself at the last possible moment.
``We brought them down yesterday in a mini-van,'' he says. ``I was out in the parking lot last night, touching them up.''
McFarland adds that the oohs and aahs of the museum visitors are not the only enjoyable event of the weekend for him and his wife, Beverly.
``We didn't know the art show was going on until we got here. We walked the Boardwalk yesterday and ran into a whole lot of friends we've been with at other shows,'' he says happily.
``This is a real treat for us,'' he adds.
- Jo-Ann Clegg
6:30 p.m. - Oceanfront at 47th Street.
Two women have just landed in the sand, which at this time of day is sparsely populated by beach-goers despite the ideal weather conditions.
Other parties of people are scattered every hundred yards along the shore, connected only by passers-by as they stroll the surf.
One of the two women is dressed in street clothes with a light blue towel bound around her waist.
Feet planted firmly on the ground, she reaches up under her towel and extracts a pair of white cotton underwear, which she slides down her legs, shakes firmly in the air then folds neatly and tosses aside.
Next, she retrieves from her beach bag a fuchsia bathing suit and begins drawing it up her legs under cover of the towel. As the suit reaches her waist, this quick-change artist casts aside her towel. All that's left is to work the suit up under her shirt. She manages to drape the suit's straps over her shoulders, then stretches her hands skyward and tugs at the shirt.
Her mission seems almost complete when suddenly the suit slumps forward while the woman's hands are still held hostage overhead. She has just bared her chest to all who are sitting in the surf or on the sand within several hundred feet.
The woman, however, seems unfazed by her situation. She corrects the problem then jaunts off into the waves for a swim.
- Kevin Armstrong
Wednesday, June 19
2 p.m. - Hannaford grocery store at Pembroke.
``Happy birthday to you . . . '' a lone male voice warbles over the loudspeaker.
Curious clerks and customers look at each other then swivel their heads, looking around the store to see what's up. But there's nothing out of the ordinary to be seen.
``Happy birthday to you,'' the disembodied voice continues. As he sings, however, customers and workers alike join in, sharing the spirit of the fun and lauding the unknown birthday person.
``Happy birthday, dear Karen,'' the voice continues, and now people are clustering near the customer service counter where a man emerges from an office holding a bouquet of flowers that he hands to a surprised woman who must be Karen.
- Melinda Forbes
9:15 p.m. - Virginia Beach Amphitheater.
``Four dollars for a beer!'' a man complains during intermission of the rocking 'n' rolling Eagles concert.
The be-bopping blonde next to him - who has been happily gyrating through every song all night - turns to him and scolds, ``You paid $80 for a ticket. I don't think $4 is going to break you!''
- Melinda Forbes
11:15 p.m. - One of the Virginia Beach Amphitheater parking lots.
A man and a woman are sobering quickly from an evening of intoxicating Eagles' music.
They look as though they've been wandering around the vast parking area filled with thousands of cars for some time now.
Finally, spotting two bicycle security guards, the man whimpers, ``Please help us. We can't find our car.''
- Melinda Forbes ILLUSTRATION: It was music to fans' ears
Photo by L. TODD SPENCER
The Eagles, a wildly popular country/rock band whose appeal crosses
all age levels and goes back decades, played the amphitheater
Wednesday night. The reunited group had a nearly sellout crowd
standing and screaming for more. The band members are, from left,
Timothy B. Schmitt, Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Don
Felder. by CNB