THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 6, 1996 TAG: 9611060375
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBRA GORDON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 39 lines
Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf is listed in this week's Newsweek magazine, along with New York City's Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and San Francisco's Mayor Willie Brown, as one of 25 mayors across the country to watch.
A cover story in the weekly news magazine titled ``City Slickers'' includes a picture of the 55-year-old, three-term Virginia Beach mayor. Copy lauds Oberndorf's courage for announcing that she had breast cancer just before last spring's election.
Oberndorf, who granted a half-hour interview with a Newsweek reporter last month, said the article, which hit newsstands Monday, ``was an absolute, delightful surprise to me.''
She learned of it in her car Monday when her secretary called.
``You're not going to believe this!'' her secretary screamed.
``What, what's wrong?'' Oberndorf asked.
``Nothing's wrong - you're among the 25 top mayors in the country to keep an eye on!''
Oberndorf has made a point of being open about her diagnosis and treatment this year for breast cancer. Her mother died of the disease, she said, and she hopes her activism can help raise awareness about the need for regular testing, early diagnosis and research.
She said she hopes the Newsweek article will ``give more women the courage to speak out and to stand up and join hands so we can be certain that serious research money is being applied so we can find the cure.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Meyera Oberndorf
KEYWORDS: TOP 25 MAYORS by CNB