THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 30, 1996 TAG: 9606280154
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 119 lines
Friday, June 21
9:52 a.m. - Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway.
The white utility vehicle is heading east, and seems to be in a hurry. There's a sardonic message on the blue sticker on its rear bumper:
``God, Please Save Me From Your Followers.''
- Matthew Bowers
Monday, June 24
7:30 a.m. - False Cape State Park.
Osprey expert Reese Lukei has his binoculars trained on one of the big fish hawks as it fishes in the ocean. The bird suddenly plummets into the surf, and just as quickly rises again with a fish grasped in its sharp talons.
As the osprey flies over the dunes toward Back Bay with its prey, it jerks noticeably in mid-flight. Lukei starts laughing.
``It's a blow fish,'' he says. ``The osprey caught a blow fish and then it puffed up right in its talons!''
- Mary Reid Barrow
11:30 a.m. - Dining room, Ramada Plaza Resort, 57th Street and Oceanfront.
City officials and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representatives mill excitedly in a dining area overlooking the beach.
They are awaiting the arrival of the honored guest, U.S. Senator John W. Warner.
Warner and local Congressman Owen B. Pickett are to witness the signing of an agreement to launch a Hurricane Protection project - a $102-million undertaking aimed at protecting beaches in the city's resort district and North End from major sea-borne storms.
Some late morning diners watch television cameras being set up and take special interest in what is about to take place only a few feet from their tables. An elderly woman dawdles expectantly over her coffee. Behind her a family of four stops in mid-breakfast to watch, wide-eyed.
Indifferent to the hubbub is a teenage boy and a younger teenage sister. They sit alone at a table nearby, glumly munching breakfast rolls, staring off into space.
Warner and his entourage suddenly sweep into the dining area and the gabble of local officials intensifies.
Hands are pumped, backs are slapped, pleasantries are exchanged, but the vacant expression on the faces of the two teenagers never changes. The presence of a Beltway powerhouse - not to mention ex-husband of movie star Elizabeth Taylor - leaves them unfazed.
- Bill Reed
Evening - A Virginia Beach pizzeria.
A patron wears a T-shirt sporting this message on the front. ``Member of PETA.''
On the back it says,
People
who
Eat
Tasty
Animals.
- Lou Elliott
4:30 p.m. - Atlantic Avenue at the North End.
A luxury car with a woman at the wheel bears a rather pointed message on its bumper. The sticker reads: If Men Could Become Pregnant, Abortion Would Be a Sacrament.
- Gary Edwards
Wednesday, June 26
5:15 p.m. - A grocery on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
S hoppers jockeying down the entrance aisle and turning into the produce section suddenly begin swerving their carts, some coming to a full stop.
Those following closely on their heels slam on the brakes to avoid colliding with the traffic jam.
The problem? A bell pepper spill.
An avalanche of green produce has fallen onto the floor, leaving dozens of ripe summer vegetables blocking the way. Nearby stands a shopper, looking startled and holding one green pepper in hand.
- Melinda Forbes
6:30 p.m. - A resort hotel on the south end of the strip.
Three young men in surfing trunks approach the combination lock door of the hotel's recreation center. The facility contains video games, steam and sauna rooms, a jacuzzi and indoor pool.
``No, sweat,'' says one. ``I know the combination.''
He punches in the numbers and turns the handle. He opens the door and, with a sly smile, waves his companions through. One enters. The third notices a sign on the door prohibiting surfboards and boogie boards.
``Bummer,'' he says.
``It's cool, the waves aren't very good in here anyway, you know?'' responds the mastermind.
- Gary Edwards
10:45 p.m. - Wendy's at Independence and Bonney.
One dad and two daughters have just pulled up to the drive-through window. The lady there hands over one large Frosty and a spoon to the waiting driver.
``Could we please have an extra cup and spoon?'' the father asks the window worker. ``They're going to share this.''
``Well then why did you get only one?'' the worker asks with a wide smile.
``I figured they both didn't need to eat this much,'' the father answers while holding up the tall cup of chocolate ice cream.
``Here,'' the worker says, ``let me have that back.''
The father passes the cup back inside where the worker pours half the concoction into a smaller cup.
``Wow, what service,'' the father says delightedly as he watches from his idling car.
``Well, I know what can happen,'' the worker says about the siblings seated in the back waiting to dive into the dessert.
Then, to literally top things off, the worker takes the smaller cup and adds an extra swirl to fill the cup at no extra charge.
``Boy, you can't get service like that most places,'' the dad declares.
He and his daughters thank the woman profusely, then drive off into the dark.
- Kevin Armstrong ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH
Fan mail from some flounder? No, that's just Lucy Dunning, 5,
showing cousin Kyle Schwab, 5, some seaweed that she had pulled from
the beach at Lynnhaven Inlet. The two were visiting their aunt and
uncle, April and Steve Schwab, of Virginia Beach. by CNB