THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, January 31, 1997              TAG: 9701290138
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
                                            LENGTH:   47 lines

VIRGINIA BEACH IS WELL ON ITS WAY TO GETTING SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES

Remember all the talk about Virginia Beach license plates a while back? Remember that applications to purchase them were being accepted through the Virginia Marine Science Museum? Remember that 1,000 people had to plunk down $25 to reserve a plate before the commonwealth would start making them?

After nearly two years of trying to get enough interested buyers to stroke $50 checks, the resort city's own personal license plate is close to becoming reality.

Thanks to changes in the state's requirement, the number of reservations required has been reduced to 350. That's the good news. The better news is that those who want to display their civic pride don't even have to enclose a check to reserve a plate. All they need to do is get an application form, fill it out and return it to the Marine Science Museum.

``We have about 275 on file already,'' said Alice Scanlan of the museum staff. ``As soon as we have another 75, they'll start issuing them.''

When ready, the plates, which show a pair of dolphins leaping over a stylized wave, will sell for $25 above the normal $25 annual registration fee. There is an additional $10 per year charge for those who wish to have their Virginia Beach tags personalized.

As soon as 1,000 of the Virginia Beach plates are distributed, the Virginia Marine Science Museum will receive $15 for each tag in service each year. Money realized from the plates will be used to support VMSM's stranding program, which rescues marine mammals that stray from their usual migratory paths. The museum's stranding teams not only attempt to save the off-course mammals, they also learn from them and share that knowledge with others in the marine science field.

``We know more about marine mammals off the coast than any other organization in the area,'' said Scanlan. ILLUSTRATION: Graphics

After 1,000 of the Beach plates are distributed, the Virginia Marine

Science Museum will receive $15 for each tag in service each year.

HOW TO ORDER

Applications may be picked up up from the Marine Science Museum

at 717 General Booth Blvd. or from the city Public Information

Office in Building 22 at the Municipal Center. For details, call

437-4949.