Mayor Sessoms of Virginia Beach

I first met the new mayor of Virginia Beach at the Farmer's Market in the Princess Anne area of Va Bch. He was Vice Mayor then and there was a logo contest for the market where I was one of the finalists who received an award from the city. All the logo entries were displayed in a barn-style room next to vegetable stands and country crafts, sporting phrases like "Home Sweet Home." There was music and refreshments.

A Date with an American Beauty

The 1936 Cord, a conception that got last place in a 1933 GM sponsored design contest. I drove this car for months and nothing was more unforgettable than its timeless lines from the sculpting hands of Gordon Buehrig, a designer that didn't allow rejection to stop his drawing from becoming a reality, and how.

This Poet's element is off-stage

A local poet hits the street in virginia beach...

The Original Tough Copper

How would you catch a bootlegger if you were a cop in the 1930’s? You’d chase him and if you lost him, you’d call for back up to intercept him, right? Well, that wouldn’t work too well for Norfolk cops, who didn’t get radios installed in their cars until 1941. And searching for a gas station with a phone, would often give crooks time to escape. But my late grandfather, John Estes, a Norfolk police officer for 35 years, had a skill that terrified criminals - he could fly...

Click on the title above to link to the rest of the article, The Original Tough Copper on the on-line magazine Blogcritics.

Life-Sized Betty Boop Remains Headless

Associated Press picked up the story on Betty Boop's Beheading from the Virginian-Pilot, which I had submitted a press release, which the Pilot had titled, "Cartoon Violence" in July 2005. AP reverted back to my original press release titled with the three B's - "Betty Boop Beheaded..." It became a top story in papers, TV, and was even on live-feed radio. Someone told me they read about it in the NEw YORK TIMES. Yesterday I submitted an update on the still unsolved mystery, to Blogcritics which they published right away. See the article - http://blogcritics.org/archives/2009/04/25/171030.php

Mayor Fraim meeting with citizens

In the mid 1990's, Norfolk Mayor Fraim, began offering opportunities to individuals to meet with him one-on-one. It was a revelation when a group showed up parading as one, like they were attending an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The Virginian-Pilot is a-changing

I had a morning and evening route, folding this paper in thirds and binding it with a rubber band. I delivered them before and after school. When my brother got his first van, I used to ride on the back and toss the papers from the top to customer's door steps, like a daring trashman. The evening paper, the Ledger-Star, is de-funct. But, the morning paper has greatly changed with a new publisher and a new look - with more ads plastered on it, including the near-sacred cover, in vivid color, nonetheless. Therefore, front page news is no longer as great as it was. Not when a car dealer or realtor can buy a place on the same page, forcing the publisher to sometimes relegate important news to another less prominent spot, thus weakening the priority of news and its placement hierarchy, further creating less of a paper and more of a daily advertisement. Thinking money, money, money will only destroy the paper's long standing reputation in my hometown.