THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 9, 1996 TAG: 9608080194
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 85 lines
L&J Gardens, off Northampton Boulevard near Virginia Wesleyan College, is the kind of neighborhood where older folks sit on their front porches, middle-aged couples stroll by the lake in the evening and everybody knows just about everybody else.
Developed in the 1950s, it's still a place where the parents of a youngster bent on getting into trouble will probably know what he did, where he did it and when he did it before he gets home.
The residents of L&J Gardens fully intend to keep it that way, which is one of the reasons why they have established a Neighborhood Watch Program and cooperate with the Police Department in other crime-stopping efforts.
In Aragona Village, developed a few miles away at about the same time, evening strollers and front porches are few. A much larger sub-division than L&J Gardens, its homes turn over much more often.
Without an active Neighborhood Watch Program and a core group of citizens interested in everybody's safety, it would a lot easier for a kid with an empty can of spray paint or a date with a pusher to disappear before anyone figures out who he is.
Tuesday evening, residents of both neighborhoods answered the call to turn on their porch lights and take to the streets. They were joining in the celebration of National Night Out, the time when people from all over the country reaffirm their belief in their communities and send a clear message to those who threaten their peaceful existence: The streets belong to everyone and everyone intends to enjoy them.
With only a little coaching from a nearby adult, a trio of L&J Gardens' youngsters explained the evening's mission.
``We keep our neighborhood drug free, crime free and watch out for our neighbors' property,'' explained Octavia Moultrie, 9, Kara Riddick, 5, and Stephanie Wiggins, 11, as they sat on the corner of Norwich and Maywood, waiting to march.
Before the evening was over, more than 50 L&J residents had made their way to the other side of the neighborhood where they signed a giant pledge in support of police-community partnerships, drug and crime prevention, safety and neighborhood unity.
At the same time, at Bayside Middle School's sixth-grade location on Jericho Road, more than 60 other Virginia Beach residents started on an hour long march through what is known as Aragona Neighborhood 3.
From young families to empty nesters, they typified the mix in the subdivision which has become popular both with hard-working first time homeowners and retirees who intend to sit back and enjoy the snug homes and the mature landscaping.
There were plenty of both in Tuesday night's march.
``We just kind of picked people up as we went along,'' said Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Gail Nilsen as the marchers returned to their starting point.
She, like a growing number in what they refer to as ``the village,'' grew up in Aragona and chose to make her adult home there.
When the parade ended, marchers snacked on orange juice and cookies as they gathered around Mayor Meyera Oberndorf. The Aragona event was one of several around the city at which she greeted marchers.
Looking rested and happy, Oberndorf first thanked the Aragona residents for their good wishes and a food basket they had sent following her recent breast cancer surgery. ``I attribute my good health at this point to all of you who came out to love me,'' she said.
``It's people like you,'' she added, ``who have made this the safest city in the 250,000 to 750,000 category in the country.''
The marches in Aragona and L&J Gardens were two of more than 25 held throughout the city Tuesday evening.
``We're really pleased with all the support,'' said Master Police Officer Jeff Eaton of the Virginia Beach Crime Prevention Unit.
The large number of participating communities came as somewhat of a surprise to city officials. Threatening weather had caused cancellation of the National Night Out kick-off which had been scheduled for Mount Trashmore Sunday afternoon.
``A lot of people had put an awful lot of work into that,'' Eaton said, ``it was a real disappointment when we had to cancel. We're just happy that so many turned out (Tuesday) anyway.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by JO-ANN CLEGG
Octavia Moultrie, 9; Kara Riddick, 5; and Stephanie Wiggins, 11, who
live in L&J Gardens, wait at corner of Norwich and Maywood streets
for the march to start.
Sheila Wooland, a block captain in the Aragona Neighborhood Watch
program, listens as Mayor Meyera Oberndorf talks to the marchers
Tuesday evening. by CNB