DATE: Friday, September 12, 1997            TAG: 9709120556

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

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MILESTONES

CHESAPEAKE

Virginia Special Olympics has selected a Western Branch family as its outstanding family of 1997.

John and Betty Buss of the 4000 block of Charlton Drive became became Special Olympics coaches through their 15-year-old daughter Rosie, who plays basketball and soccer and runs track. Rosie's older sister, Madeline Yonker, also volunteers as a coach.

``On any given Saturday this past year, at least two of the coaches at a Norfolk training session were from the Buss family,'' said Katy Lang, Special Olympics coordinator for the Norfolk area.

Rosie Buss won a bronze medal in the softball throw competition earlier this year, said her mother, Betty. Rosie's coaches also chose her to carry the Special Olympics torch during a recent track and field meet, Lang said.

``This is something she really needs,'' Betty said.

Virginia Special Olympics, the state chapter of Special Olympics International, provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for 11,500 children and adults with mental retardation. More information is available by calling 1-800-932-GOLD.

NORFOLK

Three Norfolk residents have been chosen to receive the Celebrating Healthy Families Awards by the Hampton Roads Division of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation:

Dr. Raymond D. Adelman, past professor and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Eastern Virginia Medical School.

Dr. H. William Fink, director of pediatric education, DePaul Medical Center.

And Dr. H. McDonald Rimple, retired regional director of the Virginia Department of Health and retired assistant surgeon general of the U.S. Public Health Service.

They were selected for their outstanding service to the community.

The doctors were cited for their kindness and excellence in their profession and for their dedication to the advancement and improvement of the health of mothers and babies.

The three will be honored at a reception and dinner at the Waterside Marriott, Norfolk, on Sept. 24.

PORTSMOUTH

Margaret E. Lowery, a paralegal for a Portsmouth law firm, recently received the 1997 Founders' Award from the Tidewater Association of Legal Assistants for her service to the paralegal profession.

Lowery also presented a paper she wrote to paralegals from all over the United States at the annual convention of the National Association of Legal Assistants held at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in Washington. The paper was titled ``Use of Legal Assistants in the Practice of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Law.''

Lowery, a Norfolk resident, works for the law firm of Marcus, Santoro, Kozak & Melvin, P.C. The firm specializes in bankruptcy and commercial litigation.

SUFFOLK

When she was a little girl, Monet Ledbetter appeared regularly in 4-H talent shows, pageants and talent competitions.

She often took first place.

The intensity paid off for the daughter of Costellar and Romie Ledbetter of Riddick Drive.

Today, Monet Ledbetter lives in Boston, where she wrote, produced, directed and starred in ``Jack's World,'' a children's hip-hop musical - tunefully promoting love, family and self-esteem.

Ledbetter and her husband, Ian, hope to bring the show to Suffolk - and to take it to Broadway. They are seeking financial backers.

Their company, Inet Productions, produces recordings, jingles and commercials, and promotes professional singing acts.

When she is not involved in that commercial world, Ledbetter is minister of music at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Boston.

She is also a composer. At age 9, she wrote a song about ``The City of Suffolk.''

Recently, she updated it in an effort to interest local officials to adopt it as the city's official song.

Ledbetter's next effort is a coloring book version of ``Jack's World.''

VIRGINIA BEACH

Raymond Wilson of Virginia Beach and past president of both g1raymond Wilson the Tidewater Lost Chord Club and the International Association of Laryngectomees, was honored recently for his dedication in helping those who have lost their larynxes.

A retired Navy chief warrant officer 4, Wilson was presented a plaque by the Lost Chord Club citing his tireless dedication, leadership, organizational skills and concern for the health and well-being of laryngectomees and their families and improving their quality of life.

In his work with the organizations since 1976, Wilson has worked with doctors and speech therapists and is credited with contributing to medical and speech advancements in the care of laryngectomees.

The Tidewater Lost Chord Club is a support group that works with those who have had their larynxes removed and assists in bringing them back to a normal lifestyle. Members also serve as volunteers for the American Cancer Society.

John J. Dittrick Jr. of Virginia Beach and vice dean for undergraduate programs at the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, has been named the 1997 faculty initiate to Beta Gamma Sigma Business honor society.

Dittrick sponsored the Marshall School's first international invitational case competition with teams competing from Penn State; the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania; University of Indiana; Carnegie Mellon; Singapore University; Hong Kong University; and McGill University in Toronto, Canada. He currently is developing leadership studies, which includes the leadership speaker series for the undergraduate programs.

Dittrick, who retired after 29 years in the military and was an associate professor at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, received his bachelor's degree in naval science from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.; master's in operations research at the Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, Calif.; and doctorate in economics from American University in Washington, D.C. ILLUSTRATION: Photos

Adelman

Fink

Rimple

Dittrick

Ledbetter

Wilson

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