The Virginian-Pilot

urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:1234 HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com http://www.pilotonline.com The Virginian-Pilot 2010-03-11T01:20:20-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545796 At work with Barbara Wilson in Portsmouth 2010-03-11T21:14:43-05:00 2010-03-11T21:10:00-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

We've been downtown for seven years. My husband takes me in the morning and sets everything out. I just have to break it down when I leave.

We've been downtown for seven years. My husband takes me in the morning and sets everything out. I just have to break it down when I leave. We really weren't looking for me to get into it, but I was tired of the auto industry. I was in auto parts; I was the manager of the commercial department. I'm not a mechanic. I wasn't comfortable there. I said, "I can't keep faking this." So I asked him to let me have the cart. This is his dream, and I'm just in it. It's a love-hate thing. I love it because I like making people happy. It just makes you feel good when they've got a smile on their face. They'll say, "I've been dreaming about them hot dogs." The hardest part of this job is dealing with the weather. I really hate the summertime. At the end of the day, I'm so weak. The sun just drains you. I have a big 54-ounce jug of water that I drink. I keep a towel on my hip. So this is my work hand. (She raises her left hand.) This is the hand I handle money with, this is the hand I wipe my face with, and ( she raises her right ) this is the hand that I serve food with. I work from 9 to 2:30, Monday to Friday. I sell hot dogs, smoked sausages, chicken barbecue and pork barbecue. I run soup on Wednesdays - baked potato soup. If you make something for a specific day, I can sell that out. What's the secret ingredient? If I told you, I'd have to shoot you! When my customers come up with weird stuff, I try it. I wouldn't think of putting mayo on my hot dog. But they do. I have a customer who gets red onions and relish on his chicken barbecue. One guy comes in, he'll put mustard on it. Some people think it's really weird to put coleslaw on hot dogs, but I've just turned on one of my customers to that. When you mix the chili and cole slaw together, it's an awesome flavor. Sometimes I try to remember what my regular customers put on their dog. They like that. Like I have a deputy sheriff that comes down; he gets two mild sausages with ketchup. There's another guy who comes in here who gets two hot sausages with ketchup. I used to get them mixed up; I don't now. I get the School Board, the Coast Guard, the shipyard guys, the judges, the lawyers, the criminals. They're like, "I've got to be in court at 8 o'clock." They're running late; they didn't get to eat breakfast. Or when they get a break from court, they say, "I've got to get something to eat because when I get out of there I've got to go to work." Anything that happens downtown, that affects me. When they started laying off, I lost customers. This was the worst winter we had for sales. Our restaurant, Oh! Taste n See, opened on Greenwood Drive in April of 2007. That's his baby. I come back to it every afternoon. We do fish sandwiches and fish dinners there; we do pork-chop sandwiches and pork-chop dinners. He makes his own flour for his fish and pork chops, so they have a distinct flavor. We've been selling a lot of Philly cheesesteaks lately. I would love to do the Philly cheesesteaks downtown, but it's just too much. The grill is too small. As told to Pilot writer Philip Walzer. Norfolk, VA Anonymous At work with Barbara Wilson in Portsmouth The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545796 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545793 A national trend that Va. should avoid 2010-03-11T20:33:50-05:00 2010-03-11T20:32:49-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

At a time when charities nationwide are receiving fewer donations and fielding more requests for help, some elected officials are turning to a rather unusual source for additional tax revenue - charities. Hawaii's legislature, for example, is looking at imposing a 1 percent excise tax on nonprofits. The New York Times reported that in Kansas and elsewhere, lawmakers are talking about requiring charities to pay sales taxes. Some counties in Pennsylvania, among other states, are looking at lifting property-tax exemptions. In Minneapolis, leaders decided to charge nonprofits the same fees imposed on businesses and residents to help pay for streetlights. The executive director of Minnesota's nonprofit council called it the equivalent of "looking under the sofa cushions." Some of the revenue-generating ploys are designed to get universities, hospitals and other large nonprofits to help cover the cost of services such as law enforcement. But the efforts are also hitting groups that provide mental health programs and address other needs. Nationally, few state and local governments have been able to cope with the current recession without cutting programs ordinarily spared even in tough budget times. That's certainly been the case in Virginia and Hampton Roads. But even as leaders in the commonwealth and region argue over the depth of Gov. Bob McDonnell's proposed cuts to education and social programs, there is - fortunately - no move afoot to tap nonprofits for revenue. It should never come to that in Virginia, of course. But neither should it happen anywhere else. Elizabeth Boris, head of the Urban Institute's Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, recently described the state of charities for The Wall Street Journal: "Donations are down. Government funding is down. Need is up." It's "a triple whammy," she said. It appears that in some places, if government has its way, it'll soon become a quadruple whammy - with force of the blows ultimately hitting people who can least afford it. Even desperate times don't call for measures this desperate. Norfolk, VA Anonymous A national trend that Va. should avoid The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545793 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545792 Mediocre accord for Va.'s consumers 2010-03-11T20:31:59-05:00 2010-03-11T20:29:29-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Dominion Virginia Power's agreement with state regulators on appropriate electricity rates is an improvement over one the company floated last year. Still, it should have been better.

Dominion Virginia Power's agreement with state regulators on appropriate electricity rates is an improvement over one the company floated last year. Still, it should have been better. The typical residential customer will receive $153 in savings over a decade, about half of it in the first year. Dominion will return to customers a portion of its excess profits from 2008, but the utility can keep its base rates at the same level that generated those over-earnings. The utility agreed not to request a rate increase for four years. The deal was approved by judges with the State Corporation Commission on Thursday. A rate reduction could easily have been justified in any other state. But not here. There are two reasons why consumers in Virginia will have to settle for less than they deserve. First, the state legislature passed a 2007 law that greatly reduced the SCC's authority over electric rates. The law gives utilities lucrative bonuses for constructing power plants and prohibits SCC judges from considering those incentives when establishing base rates. Dominion was still free to offer a settlement that includes elements of both. Second, Virginia consumers do not have an independent advocate to represent them in utility matters. Instead, they must rely on the Attorney General's Office. Sadly, former Attorney General Bill Mims was the first to roll over when Dominion tried to cut a deal. His office agreed to a settlement totaling $397 million, or about $80 per residential customer. SCC staffers, backed by attorneys for several large industries and the U.S. Navy, were better negotiators, and their perseverance resulted in a new deal that nearly doubles the value for all customers. When legislators were briefed on the settlement plan last week, Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw demanded that SCC staffers explain why they had recommended reducing Dominion's rates by $350 million when the utility initially filed a request for a $250 million increase. Saslaw should have asked Dominion attorneys how they could earn a 19 percent return on equity and $524 million in excess profits in 2008 - and then have the gall to request a rate increase in March 2009. He should have asked whether it was appropriate for a regulated monopoly to pay its president, David Heacock, $976,000 in total compensation in 2009, not to mention the $3.5 million collected by Thomas Farrell, CEO of parent company Dominion Resources. Consumers won't get answers to those questions because they are represented by politicians who collect campaign contributions from utility companies. Dominion doled out more than $800,000 in last year's elections, with the biggest shares going to Gov. Bob McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and House Speaker Bill Howell. Mims should have been an exception to the rule because he was appointed to fill out McDonnell's term, but his accommodating behavior is hardly a surprise. As chief deputy attorney general, he worked with Dominion lawyers to craft the 2007 utility law and pronounced it good for consumers. He worked briefly as a lobbyist for Appalachian Power Company before winning a seat on the Virginia Supreme Court this week. And now it's Appalachian's turn to appear before the SCC. The utility serving much of Southwest Virginia is less astute than Dominion. It antagonized its customers by raising rates 60 percent over the past three years. Legislators stumbled to the rescue with their usual ineptitude, passing a law that prohibits utilities from imposing a temporary rate hike while the SCC is considering their request. However, legislators also reduced the time available to state regulators to perform audits and determine what is in the best interest of consumers. In the long run, legislators have done customers no favors. Will the new attorney general be a stronger advocate for Appalachian customers? Or is Cuccinelli too busy waging culture wars to bother with his real job? Norfolk, VA Anonymous Mediocre accord for Va.'s consumers The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545792 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545626 Local Girl Scout cookies get the green light 2010-03-10T17:27:44-05:00 2010-03-11T08:19:56-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Girl Scout Cookies sold in Hampton Roads are safe. The Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast wants to assure local cookie connoisseurs that no cookies sold in Hampton Roads are among those being replaced by the manufacturer because of quality issues. Last week, Little Brownie Baker, which produces Girl Scout Cookies, pulled certain batches of its Lemon Chalet CrÃ¨mes - a sandwich cookie with a lemon filling - because of complaints about their palatability. An investigation determined that certain lots of the cookie contained an oil that may break down and result in an unusual taste or smell. Although the cookies are safe to eat, the baker is replacing the affected cookies - none of which were sold locally. "At this point we're just hoping to get the correct information to the public - that all of our Girl Scout cookies are just as good as always," said Girl Scout representative Elizabeth Farry. Girl Scout Cookie sales will continue through March 14. For more information, visit www.gsccc.org or call 547-4405. Norfolk, VA Anonymous Local Girl Scout cookies get the green light The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545626 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545692 Seas' acidity threatens life, livelihoods, film says 2010-03-11T10:50:34-05:00 2010-03-11T06:43:51-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

NORFOLK Oceans are becoming more acidic, which poses another threat in Virginia to oysters, clams and crabs as well as to water quality and coastal ecosystems, a panel of scientists and environmentalists warned Wednesday. The experts, including researchers from Old Dominion University and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, spoke after a special screening of the documentary film "Acid Test" at the Naro Expanded Cinema in Norfolk. More than 100 attended the free event, intended to shine a rare spotlight on the little-publicized issue of ocean acidification. Described as "the other carbon problem," the slow decrease in the pH of ocean waters across the globe is blamed mostly on the burning of fossil fuels and the release of excessive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Scientists once thought that the oceans could absorb the carbon and that it might even be beneficial. But in recent years, as coral reefs have started to vanish and researchers have seen how small aquatic life is having trouble in more corrosive conditions, the tide has changed dramatically. Debbie Bronk, a researcher at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, told the audience Wednesday that, as a student, she was taught that it would be incredibly difficult to change the pH of sea water. "But we've managed to do it," she said, "and in this whole climate change arena, that really scares me." The film "Acid Test" describes how, since the Industrial Revolution some 200 years ago, ocean waters have increased in acidity by about 30 percent. And, as Bronk noted, even minor changes in pH mean a great deal, pointing out how battery acid is about a 1 on the pH scale while lemon juice is a 2. "Battery acid will melt your skin, but you can drink lemon juice," she said. Increased acidity means that shellfish, from the tiniest to the largest species, have trouble making their shells from calcium carbonate, a victim in the changing chemistry of the oceans, the experts said. That threat has watermen worried about future impacts on crabs, oysters, clams and other commercial stocks that grow shells or rely on small shellfish for food, said Wayne Creed, an Eastern Shore fisherman, writer and consultant. Some critics of climate change say that ocean acidification is good, that the phenomenon increases marine life. James Taylor, a senior fellow at The Heartland Institute, made that case to the Virginia Beach Alternative Energy Task Force last year. But Margie Mulholland, an ODU researcher, said some species that do well in acidic waters include harmful algae that bloom and steal oxygen from rivers and the Chesapeake Bay every summer. "Acid Test" was produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group, and was shown on the Discovery Channel last summer. The group is showing the film in several states, including Virginia, South Carolina and Maine, in the hope of creating political support for a bill pending in Congress to combat climate change, said Lisa Suatoni, a scientist with the defense council. Scott Harper, (757) 446-2340, scott.harper@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Seas' acidity threatens life, livelihoods, film says The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545692 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545684 Local foreclosure filings hit record in February 2010-03-11T05:14:47-05:00 2010-03-11T05:02:55-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Foreclosure filings jumped to a record high in the region last month after falling in January, according to a report to be released today. Foreclosure-related notices totaled 1,305 last month, up about 22 percent from 1,074 in January, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure-monitoring service based in Irvine, Calif. The January figure was down about 11 percent from 1,200 in December, the previous record. That number includes default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions. The region reaches from Williamsburg to Currituck County in North Carolina. All five cities in South Hampton Roads - Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach - reported increases in foreclosure filings. Virginia Beach had the largest number - 333. Norfolk reported the sharpest increase, up 61 percent. In contrast, the national total declined 2 percent from January, to 308,524. But it was 6 percent higher than the level in February 2009. That marks the 50th consecutive month of year-over-year increases in foreclosure figures, RealtyTrac CEO James Saccacio said in a statement. He predicted the "historically high level" of activity "will likely continue for an extended period." Norfolk, VA Anonymous Local foreclosure filings hit record in February The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545684 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545698 NSU baseball sweeps; ODU a run short 2010-03-11T01:20:20-05:00 2010-03-11T01:14:51-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Norfolk State pounded seven home runs in a 14-2, 18-6 sweep of North Carolina Central on Wednesday in Durham, N.C. Brandon Hairston had two home runs, four doubles and five RBIs for the Spartans (6-5-1). John Lynch equalled Hairston's seven hits and Chris Joyce (Great Bridge) added five, including two home runs. Also Wednesday, Grant McCoury's pinch-hit double capped a six-run rally in the ninth inning, lifting Elon to a 10-9 victory over Old Dominion. The Monarchs (9-6) got two home runs from Kenny Stoneback and also turned a triple play. Old Dominion opens a three-game series at Stetson on Friday. Norfolk, VA Anonymous NSU baseball sweeps; ODU a run short The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:545698 Change 0 Usable