The Virginian-Pilot
                            THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, June 30, 1996                 TAG: 9606300058
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 
                                            LENGTH:   22 lines

FINGERS NEED TO DO NEW WALK

When making long-distance calls to and within Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore and portions of several western Tidewater counties, callers can now use either 757 or 804 as the area code.

The new 757 code will become mandatory Feb. 1, 1997, for long-distance calls to numbers in the new code area.

Monday was to officially mark the beginning of a seven-month grace period, but phone companies actually completed the dual-code setup last week.

Cities and counties affected are: Accomack, Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Isle of Wight, James City, Newport News, Norfolk, Northampton, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg and York. New Kent, Prince George, Southampton, Surry and Sussex counties will be partly in 757 and partly in 804.

Tip: When reordering stationery, checks, business cards, brochures and items with your phone number, make the change to 757. by CNB