EX-NORFOLK RESIDENT OPENS HOME FOR PREGNANT TEENS.(NORFOLK COMPASS) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Christine Walton-Watson is single. The former Norfolk resident lives alone in the spacious, three-bedroom town house she owns in Manassas, where she relocated a few years ago for her accounting job. She's not engaged, doesn't have a boyfriend.

But when her gaze sweeps across her home's quiet rooms, in her mind's eye she sees babies. An infant in the kitchen, chubby legs dangling from a high chair. More diaper-laden babies napping or crying in cribs in other rooms.

And toddlers. Pacifier-plugged young ones waddling across the living room's brown carpet or playfully splashing in one of the home's two tubs.

With all those babies about, there'd be no room for Walton-Watson. She'd have to find somewhere else to stay. Living at Walton-Watson's house and tending to the tots would be their unmarried adolescent moms and three adult helpers.

All this would be a good thing, Walton-Watson says.

For the past few years, the 33-year-old has been laboring to transform her modest town home into a non-profit shelter for unwed teen-age mothers.

Her desire to help teen moms in trouble had unusual beginnings. Unlike people who champion a charitable cause, Walton-Watson's own life hadn't intersected with the problem she seeks to alleviate. In the Hampton neighborhood where she spent her pre-teen years, she never had to help a sister or childhood friend struggle with teen pregnancy.

After moving to Norfolk, she never saw an unplanned pregnancy shove a high school buddy to the educational wayside. And by the time she was an honors graduate from Norfolk State University, she had never experienced the problems of any woman who had become a mom too young.

But on a winter's evening in 1998, Walton-Watson was hit with a solution.

``I was praying.'' Walton-Watson recalled. ``I was unfulfilled with my career, and I asked the Lord what He purposed my life for.'' She says God gave her the vision of teen-aged girls and their small children living in her home.

A lot of people might have slammed their eyes shut at this sight, but Walton-Watson says she felt comfortable with what she had seen. The young accountant mixed pondering with praying, then sent an application to the state and became incorporated in May 1999.

This corporation that consisted of a woman and her town home realized it needed, in business lingo, to expand its employee base. Walton-Watson prayed again. She says the Lord provided names of seven church members, all who agreed to be board members.

Next came the fund-raisers: A bazaar, a sweetheart ball, an art show and more. Walton-Watson applied for government grants - federal, state, county. Several private foundations donated money. At this point, $20,000 is needed to close the gap to the shelter's opening.

When that happens, her town home will have a name: The House of Hope. It will be a haven for four teen mothers, referred by the state or county, and their children, all short of food, shelter, survival skills, self esteem - and hope. During an 18-month stay, young moms will be offered programs that include parenting and job skills, counseling and encouragement to finish high school. Delivering these goods will be a program director, a licensed social worker and trained counselors.

``Education is the heartbeat of House of Hope,'' Walton-Watson said.

She is stretching her vision southward and has researched possibilities for shelters in Hampton Roads. ``Norfolk has no transitional homes for teen mothers,'' she said.

But there is a need. The Norfolk Health Department's most recent statistics, from 1998, show 399 recorded pregnancies among Norfolk girls younger than 18. Of that number, nearly two-thirds chose to keep and raise their babies.

YOUTH WORKERS BEGIN FIGHTING OBESITY BATTLE ON LOCAL SCALE.(LOCAL) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: ELIZABETH SIMPSON THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

JAMES CITY COUNTY -- On the heels of a national summit on obesity last week in Williamsburg, regional health advocates gathered Wednesday to hammer out ideas about how to tackle the issue in a more specific population:

The children of Hampton Roads.

Teachers, doctors, school nurses, dietitians and youth group directors met at the James City/Williamsburg Community Center to brainstorm ways to address the issue of overweight children.

Fifteen percent of American children between the ages of 5 and 19 are overweight, triple the percentage of 20 years ago, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But there i s only scattered and incomplete information about how the children of Hampton Roads are doing.

That helped form some of the goals of the local group: to find out just how the region's children compare with the national trend, and to identify what needs are particular to this area.

While doctors and nurses said the evidence is clear that children in Hampton Roads are riding the same trend, more concrete data would help health advocates better address the problem.

One participant in Wednesday's summit, the Peninsula Coalition for Obesity Prevention, has spent the past several months collecting height and weight data from 18,000 schoolchildren in Peninsula schools. The coalition is still crunching the numbers, but it hopes to release a report within a few months.

That could be a model for how other communities can gather similar information. The schools are likely to be valuable partners in any effort.

Summit participants also believe the various coalitions need to find ways to share ideas of what they are doing, what is working and what isn't. That way, tried-and-true projects can be duplicated across the region.

Dr. Lawrence Pasquinelli, a Norfolk pediatrician who directs a weight-management program for children at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk, said an important aspect of any of the programs is to make sure there's a way to measure and evaluate them.

He said the children in the Healthy You weight-management program at CHKD are tracked by their weight, height, hip and waist measures during the duration of the seven-week class.Following the children after they leave the program, however, is a bigger challenge.

The Consortium for Infant and Child Health, a coalition of Hampton Roads health advocates, organized Wednesday's summit and hopes to focus the various groups on making changes in systems, such as schools, neighborhoods, youth groups and health-care organizations.

The consortium, for instance, is working on a 'Healthy Kids Kit' that will include information for presentations, fitness programs, lists of the best Web sites about childhood obesity. Those kits, based on a 'train the trainer' model, will be distributed to people who can educate large groups of people.

The need to change environments also is important. One project featured at the summit was organized by the Norfolk Health Department, in which officials focused on Oakmont North, a community in Norview. The health workers met with people in the community to ask what would help them live healthier lifestyles.

They identified a walking trail, already located within the community, and put up signs encouraging people to use it. They also met with civic groups to encourage more physical activity.

But the need for individual advocacy will play a role as well. Cyndi Fisher, a nurse practitioner in the consortium, said it can be as simple as asking why your child's soccer team must hand out fatty snacks at practices and throw pizza parties to celebrate the end of the season. She urged parents to press for healthy snacks and non-food celebrations, such as bowling parties .

Fisher said it's important to capitalize on the enthusiasm and passion of committed people, because community health efforts tend to be underfunded.

'If you don't have money, you have to have passion.'

- Reach Elizabeth Simpson at 446-2635 or elizabeth.simpson pilotonline.com.

CAPTION(S):

Fact Box

WEIGHT

EMBRACING THE CONSEQUENCES HOSPITAL PROGRAM HELPS TEEN ATHLETES SEE THE OTHER SIDE OF PREMARITAL SEX.(LOCAL) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: ELIZABETH SIMPSON THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT\

NORFOLK -- NORFOLK - The 18-year-old football player viewed pictures of a man ravaged by syphilis and saw a videotape of a teen-ager giving birth. But it was the sight of a real-life premature baby that reached James Jones where he lives.

``Two pounds, 6 ounces, man, that is hard,'' he said, shaking his head.

Jones and 27 other male athletes from Booker T. Washington High School - all muscles and elbows and big sneakers - took a sobering tour of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital on Friday to see firsthand the premature babies in the nursery and to hear women giving birth in the labor and delivery unit.

Their main mission was to learn about a subject they're more used to seeing on the big screen: sex.

This was a lesson in the less-glamorous consequences of the act. Teen births. Raising a premature child. Sexually transmitted diseases.

The tour was part of a teen-pregnancy prevention program that began after Horace Lambert started coaching basketball at Booker T. Washington High School four years ago. Five of his players were fathers.

A few were helping to raise their children, but others weren't, and none of them seemed to grasp the consequences of having early sex. ``The father goes on with his life and leaves the young lady to deal with it,'' Lambert said.

So Lambert decided to find some way to drive the lessons home.

He linked up with Lyn Gold, women's health coordinator at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, and in May 2000 started bringing groups of athletes to the hospital. Now he and wrestling coach Robert Toran bring football and basketball players and wrestlers twice a year.

``It's a real eye-opener for the kids,'' Lambert said. ``To tell you the truth, the first time I came, it was a real eye-opener for me.''

On Friday, Dianette Stokes, a health counselor from the Norfolk Health Department, began the program by talking with the boys about sexually transmitted diseases. Norfolk's STD rates are among the highest in the country.

``When we have sex, what is it about?'' she asked the boys.

``Love.''

``Making out.''

``Making a connection.''

``Intimacy.''

She showed what else it's about.

Pictures of genitals ravaged by gonorrhea. A man with lesions all over his face from syphilis, a disease that also left him blind. A woman covered in a scaly rash caused by the same disease.

``Oooo,' said one of the boys, wincing. ``That's nasty.''

Sometimes, Stokes explained, gonorrhea can cause so much damage that a man has to have scar tissue cut out of his urethra, which carries semen and urine through the penis.

Afterward, the boys shared their impressions of her frank talk.

``It was mind-blowing,'' said Vincent Jones, a 16-year-old basketball player.

Sentara labor and delivery nurse Jackie Jones then showed the boys a film of a teen-age girl giving birth. Afterward she asked how many of the boys had already had sex. Three admitted they had. At least half of them had friends who were already fathers.

``What was missing in this film?'' she asked.

``The dad,'' several said.

``How many of you are ready to be a parent?''

Only 16-year-old Mario Williams raised his hand. ``I already have a little girl,'' he said.

Next the boys toured the labor and delivery unit, pausing outside one room to listen as a woman groaned during labor.

Jackie Jones showed them a labor and delivery bed and asked 17-year-old Daryl Curtis to lie down on it. She put his sneakered feet in stirrups and had him pull his knees up in a childbirth position.

After plenty of ribbing from his friends, he got up. ``I have to sit down, I'm tired,'' he said.

In the nursery, the boys gathered around nurse Melinda Gillus, who explained that the spindly baby they were looking at was born a month ago, weighing only 1 1/2 pounds. She is still tube-fed and breathes with the help of a respirator.

``These babies are here sometimes for months,'' she said. ``Can you imagine how stressful that is for the parents?''

She also explained that teen moms were more likely to have premature babies than older women because they often don't get proper prenatal care.

``If more kids saw this, it would change their whole mind-frame,'' Jones said at the end of the tour. ``This is going to stay with me.''

Lambert and Gold said they'd like to offer the tours to girls, as well as to students from other high schools and maybe middle schools. The program, which includes seminars throughout the year, is funded by the Virginia Department of Health. About 140 boys have participated since May 2000.

The boys must have parental permission, but Lambert said he's never had trouble getting that consent. ``The parents come to me, asking for their sons to be included,'' he said. ``They're very excited about it.

``Anytime you have more knowledge, you make better decisions. Hopefully, these boys will go back to school and spread the word.''

Reach Elizabeth Simpson at 446-2635 or at liz@pilotonline.com

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

Booker T. Washington basketball coach Horace Lambert says the program he started has been ``a real eye-opener for the kids.''

COLOR PHOTOS

Booker T. Washington basketball players Chase Womack, 15, left, and Daryl Curtis, 17, listen to a discussion of sexually transmitted diseases at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

Bergey guilty of selling milk without health permit.(Business) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: JANETTE RODRIGUES

CHESAPEAKE -- By JANETTE RODRIGUES

The VIRGINIAN-PILOT

CHESAPEAKE - The president of Bergey's Dairy Farm Inc. was found guilty Tuesday of one misdemeanor charge of producing and selling milk without a Grade A permit.

Chesapeake General District Judge Robert R. Carter suspended a $250 fine against Leonard E. Bergey for selling chocolate milk two days after the judge ordered the dairyman to immediately stop on April 4.

The Chesapeake Health Department reinstated Bergey's milk-producing permit April 8 after the dairy corrected the health violations that led to the suspension.

But the dairy's woes didn't end there. The farm will not resume home deliveries because the family-run business, considered a Chesapeake institution for 72 years, is having financial difficulties, Bergey said Tuesday.

Bergey, 50, said he is glad that the judge dismissed all but one of the nine identical charges against him and that the fine was suspended. Bergey must pay just the $67 in court costs.

But 'things are looking pretty serious' for the business, he said, adding that the dairy needs a private investor.

In the past, he has attributed the dairy's financial problems to poor business decisions and costly improvements he had to make to the dairy and farm because of changes in state and federal regulations. He had said the cash crunch made it difficult for the dairy to address the violations.

Now, Bergey is having trouble putting milk on the shelves of the family's Mount Pleasant Road store.

'We have had difficulties producing and selling,' he said. 'We have the permit back to process and bottle all of our products , but I haven't been able to get it all done.'

Billing problems angered some home-delivery customers, causing the dairy to lose a third of those who used to get dairy products brought to their door in a yellow Bergey's delivery truck. He said the dairy hasn't done home deliveries since late March.

And last week health inspectors found high bacteria counts in samples of the dairy's non homogenized, 2-percent and whole milk .

Bergey contends that the amount of bacteria detected in the samples is similar to those allowed for yogurt and buttermilk.

Agnes Flemming, Norfolk Health Department environmental health manager, said the dairy was warned about the three products. If there are two more occasions when the same products are found with high bacteria counts, the dairy will have to stop making those products, she said. The next inspection will be in May, Flemming said.

Health Department records dating back to the mid-1990s for Bergey's show a pattern of violations - since corrected - such as leaking valves, mislabele d products and not having a functional thermometer on a milk tank.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Terry Gryder, who prosecuted the case, said no one wants to see Bergey's go out of business or have any difficulties, 'but ultimately, the milk supply has to be safe.'

* Reach Janette Rodrigues at (757) 222-5208 or janette.rodrigues@pilotonline.com.

{DOUBLE-EDIT} what it means

Judge orders dairy to stop making milk, fix problems.(Local) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: JOHN HOPKINS

CHESAPEAKE -- BY John Hopkins

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

CHESAPEAKE - A judge has ordered Bergey's Dairy Farm Inc., a popular fixture in the city since the 1930s, to immediately stop producing milk and other Grade A dairy products.

Chesapeake General District Judge Robert R. Carter's order came Monday afternoon during a three-hour trial in which the dairy was accused of continuing to produce milk despite being notified to stop . Leonard E. Bergey, president of the dairy, was told in February by the Health Department that his milk -producing permit was suspended because of health violations.

'We can't let this go on,'' Carter told Bergey. 'I think the Health Department has been extremely, extremely nice.''

The ruling does not affect the dairy's ice cream and butter production and non dairy products.

Carter ruled that Bergey will be allowed to continue his milk-producing business only after he has corrected violations.

Financial problems have made it difficult for the local dairy to address the violations, said Bergey, who predicted he could have the business up and running again within two days.

'Obviously, I would like to get this corrected and get the Grade A permit back in place,' Bergey said during the trial. 'There are a great number of people who depend on our milk supply.'

Health inspectors suspended the dairy from producing milk on Feb. 14 after several warnings to correct violations. Bergey was told personally of the suspension, said Robert L. Smith, environmental health supervisor for the Chesapeake Health Department.

'I delivered the letter to him and had him sign it,' Smith said.

Nonetheless, Bergey did not stop.

'He has flagrantly continued to produce, continued to process,' said Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Terry Gryder. 'It just can't happen.''

Bergey was accused of numerous charges of producing Grade A milk and Grade A whipping cream without a permit. The Class 1 misdemeanors are punishable by 12 months in jail and up to $2,500 in fines.

'I'm not going to break you with fines,' Carter told Bergey. 'You already have enough problems.'

Linda Clapp, environmental health specialist with the Norfolk Health Department, cited numerous violations at the dairy in past months.

'At least nine of the suspected violations were identified as repeat violations, meaning Ms. Clapp had observed the same condition during previous inspections of the milk plant,' according to Health Department records.

Those suspected violations included leaking valves, unacceptable bacteria counts, improperly labeled products, milk for retail sale without pull dates or expiration dates, lack of a functioning thermometer on a milk tank, mold and soil on walls in a processing room and mouse droppings in cap-storing cabinets and in dry storage.

The dairy also had failed to get a vitamin analysis of milk products, a requirement to determine the amount of vitamins in the Grade A milk.

It is the first time the dairy's entire milk production has been shut down. The Health Department, however, has suspended or warned Bergey about individual products on numerous occasions, Clapp testified.

Since Sept. 9, 2003, Bergey has received 14 health warnings on items such as its buttermilk, chocolate and strawberry milk, raw cream, 2 percent reduced-fat milk and whipping cream. In the same period, the dairy has been suspended from producing five of the individual products because of high bacteria counts.

'He can not show that his milk supply is safe,' said Gryder, who argued that the latest problems are part of 'a pattern, a history of noncompliance.'

Health Department records, obtained by The Virginian-Pilot, show a history of repeat violations.

In 2002, Bergey was warned about 'lots of mouse droppings' on shelves and in dry storage, mold and peeling paint.

In 2003, one report noted 'lots of dead flies' in a zapper in the bottle washer room, mold buildup on walls and mouse droppings.

A report in 1998, noted a failure to wash milk crates before they entered the processing room.

In 1999, a report noted that 'Bergey's has had chronic problems with coliform counts that exceed allowable limits for its buttermilk.'

In 1998, sand was found in the bottom of a vat pasteurizer, according to Health Department records. The sand was from well water, which should have been filtered to prevent sand from getting on equipment and into any products.

Milk samples taken in 1998 revealed the presence of antibiotics in the raw and processed product. Milk is not supposed to be sold with traces of antibiotics.

The Mount Pleasant Road business is one of only two in Virginia that own and operate a dairy farm and milk-processing plant. The dairy milks about 30 cows.

Despite its recent struggles and lack of money , Bergey said he does not plan to give up the farm.

'We want to continue to serve the public,'' he said.

* Reach John Hopkins at 222-5221 or at john.hopkins@pilotonline.com.

{DOUBLE-EDIT} ruling

Bergey's Dairy Farm Inc. will be allowed to continue producing milk after the violations are corrected.

CAPTION(S):

Steve Earley/The Virginian-Pilot

Leonard E. Bergey says he hopes to have Bergey's Dairy Farm open again within two days. A judge ordered him to stop making milk and other Grade A dairy products.Steve Earley/The Virginian-Pilot

Bergey's Dairy accused of making milk without permit. - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Mar. 25--CHESAPEAKE --- The owner of the landmark Bergey's Dairy Farm Inc. faces prosecution for continuing to produce milk despite having the dairy's milk-producing permit suspended.

For many in Chesapeake, the family-owned dairy is an institution that provided their only taste of farming life in a rapidly growing city. The Mount Pleasant Road business is one of only two in Virginia that own and operate a dairy farm and a milk-processing plant, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Leonard E. Bergey, who owns Bergey's Dairy, is tentatively scheduled to stand trial Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of producing milk without a permit, according to Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Terry Gryder.

The Chesapeake resident was expected to stand trial Thursday afternoon. However, Bergey appeared in Chesapeake General District Court without an attorney and asked Judge Robert R. Carter to continue his case.

Carter told Bergey that he needed to be ready for trial next week or face having the dairy shut down because of the health issues involved.

Opened in 1933, the dairy still sells its products in glass bottles. It hosts school groups and 'Day on the Farm' open houses, and it has been featured in numerous magazine and newspaper articles.

Bergey is accused of seven charges of producing Grade A milk and Grade A whipping cream without a permit, Gryder said. The misdemeanors are Class 1 offenses, each punishable by 12 months in jail and up to $2,500 in fines.

Bergey's Dairy's recent offenses occurred Feb. 18, 23, 25 and 28, and March 15 and 18, according to court records.

Health inspectors in Norfolk suspended the dairy from producing milk on Feb. 14 after several warnings to correct violations, according to court testimony. Despite the suspension, Bergey admitted in court that he continued to produce milk and whipping cream.

He was not allowed to produce any products except for butter and ice cream, according to court testimony.

The Norfolk Department of Public Health handles inspections at Bergey's Dairy because Chesapeake's public health department lacks a dairy inspector and both health departments are units of the state.

Inspectors sent Bergey letters in October, November and February warning him to rectify concerns they had with the dairy. Bergey told the judge on Thursday that he had taken care of many of those concerns.

Inspectors were concerned that Bergey failed to get a vitamin analysis of his product, a requirement to determine the amount of vitamins in the Grade A milk. Among other things, they noted an unacceptable bacteria count and temperatures at the dairy. Bergey was directed to install a new thermometer on a milk tank at the farm.

Bergey, a resident of the 500 block of Wenger Road in Chesapeake, declined to talk about the case Thursday.

Agnes Flemming, environmental health manager for the Norfolk health department, said the dairy's permits were suspended because Bergey's 'failed to meet the standards acceptable to protect the milk and public.'

Flemming said she could not make comments prior to the trial.

Bergey's has a dairy farm permit with the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Products and a Grade A processing plant permit with the state Health Department.

To earn a Grade A label, milk production has to follow extensive sanitary regulations on how cows are milked, how milk is stored and how the facilities are cleaned, among other items. The Grade A classification includes milk and fluid milk products such as cream and yogurt.

Bergey's Dairy is one of only two businesses in Virginia that own and operate a dairy farm and a milk-processing plant, said John Beers, a dairy specialist with the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

'They process milk from their own farm,' he said.

Less than two years ago, a third dairy farm and processing plant went bankrupt and closed, Beers said.

While Virginia has more than 800 dairy farms, all but Bergey's and Homestead Creamery Inc. in Wirtz sell their milk to processing and bottling plants, generally through cooperatives, Beers said.

'Plants are very expensive. Dairy farming is very expensive,' Beers said. 'It's hard to make a go of it economically.'

Their milk products are generally more expensive, and the average customer is not willing to pay more for a gallon of milk, he said. Niche marketing strategies such as home delivery have been successful, Beers said.

Bergey's provides free home delivery for its customers. Earlier this year, the dairy closed its North Battlefield Boulevard retail store, keeping retail stores at the Virginia Beach Farmers Market and at its Mount Pleasant Road location.

Bergey's has been in trouble with the state Department of Environmental Quality in the past because of its handling of wastewater. The dairy has paid fines for not complying with state rules for proper disposal of wastewater, among other problems.

By Claudia Assis and John Hopkins

To see more of the The Virginian-Pilot, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.pilotonline.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

Q&A: WHICH ITEMS FROM THE REFRIGERATOR DON'T HAVE TO BE TOSSED?(FRONT) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

Q: A lot of people are curious, as they're throwing away stuff from their refrigerators, about things such as salad dressings, sauces, condiments, jams, jellies, etc.

Can we keep those, or do we need to throw them out? What refrigerated items can we keep?

Edna

Norfolk

A: Forget what your mother told you about mayonnaise.

The rule is: If it wasn't refrigerated when you bought it, it should be fine. That applies even if it's been opened and refrigerated, and if it says to refrigerate after opening. The notable exception: canned goods, which are vacuum-packed.

``We've always been told mayo is one of the first things to go bad,'' said Carol Smith, who supervises the Norfolk Health Department's environmental health division. But the mayonnaise you buy at the grocery store isn't made with eggs anymore; it's been adjusted with vinegar or citric acid, creating an environment bacteria doesn't like.

You can also keep other condiments, like ketchup, mustard and relish. Also, your salad dressing should be fine - again, if it was not refrigerated.

Check the label - if the product was purchased in a refrigerated section of the store and the label says it must be refrigerated, then it should probably be thrown away if has not been kept cold.

- Elizabeth Simpson

, Q: A tree came down in my mother's yard, and brought down many power lines with it. There are power lines all over, as close to 15 feet from our front door.

My concern is, these lines could become live again. One side is still hooked up to a transformer.

I've put in numerous phone calls to Dominion Virginia Power, but no one calls back.

I know everyone is without power now. But this isn't a power issue; it's a safety issue.

Jennifer Hanbury Pobiak

Chesapeake

A: With 436,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers still without power, there are no shortcuts, nor satisfying answers.

Dominion spokesman Chuck Penn says there are numerous downed wires like yours throughout the area. If you've reported the problem, he says, they are aware of it. Penn says the only thing to do is to stay clear of the wires until someone can get to them.

To report a downed wire, call Dominion Virginia Power at 1-888-667-3000, where you can reach an actual person without great pain. After dialing the number, follow the prompts - press one for ``touch tone phone,'' then one for ``power outage.'' Then, in your case, press three, to report damaged power lines or generally dangerous situations.

- John Warren

Q: What storm-related things can people write off on their income taxes?

M.K.

Norfolk

A: ``Basically, everything.'' So says Diane Wishart, managing partner for McMahon Accountants in Norfolk.

Included items are anything not covered by an insurance payment. You can deduct property damage, food, garden utensils and even clothing.

``Keeping inventory of goods thrown out or damaged properties is essential,'' Wishart said. ``Just because you may not have sustained substantial damage does not mean you're out of the IRS deduction loop.''

Go to the Internal Revenue Service Web site - irs.gov - to get Form 584, a ``casualty, disaster and theft loss'' workbook. Fill out the workbook, and give it to a tax professional when it's time to file. Business owners, look for Form 547.

You can claim the deductions for the 2003 tax year, or retroactively for 2002.

For more information online, go to irs.gov/newsroom, where there's information specific to Hurricane Isabel victims. Another useful online resource is wwwebtax.com

- John Warren

Q: I have been without a phone since Sept. 18, even though I got electricity back on Sunday.

When I called the phone company, Verizon, the customer service representative acted as if my outage was an isolated case. She didn't even want to hear there was a phone cable knocked down by a tree one street over from my house and none of my neighbors' phones work either.

Larry Ahlgrim

Norfolk

A: Verizon, the region's largest telephone provider, reported about 8,000 trouble calls from consumers as of late Tuesday. That compares with an average of 700 at any given time.

But officials admitted the figure is fluid, and that they could not say precisely how many lines may be down. Many residents who fled the area ahead of Isabel, for instance, have not yet called for assistance. Some who stayed probably assumed their neighborhoods have already been reported.

And though Verizon has 800,000 to 900,000 phone lines in the 757 area code, some customers, such as businesses, have numerous lines.

Miller would not estimate how long it might take to get customers' phone service back.

- Michael Davis

Q: We live in Norfolk, and have been without power since the storm hit. My husband and I were out of work because of the storm, and lost $300 in food. We're running out of food, and we won't be getting paychecks.

We make too much ($40,000 combined) to qualify for food stamps, and FEMA considers we are not destitute enough for relief. Aside from the hot meals being offered by the Red Cross, is there some way we can get assistance? D.W.

Norfolk

A: One option is to call the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia's main number at 627-6599, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

If you give the food distribution agency your Zip code, the Foodbank can tell you which of its 352 partner agencies is nearest you. Foodbank supplies food to a variety of agencies and faith-based groups that donate food to people in need.

Also, many foodbanks have suspended income qualifications during the hurricane.

Clark Mandigo, director of operations and programs for the foodbank, also suggested contacting the United Way of South Hampton Roads, 853-8500, or your city social service department.