SUFFOLK Look just over the railroad tracks on East Washington Street and it might be hard to figure just what developer Tom Powell sees in the place. The brick buildings have seen much better days - days that were decades ago, when the structures were actually occupied. "It's really desolate," Powell said.

By James Thomas Jr. SMITHFIELD Knit one, pearl two. Cast on, cast off. Knit, pearl, knit. There was a time when knitting seemed like a pastime only for Grandma. And Grandma passed it down to Mom and Mom to daughters. It just never seemed to be a guy thing to do. Meet Jack Bryant.

Peter Pan will fly this weekend at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. "For our first community production I wanted to do something impressive, and who's not heard of 'Peter Pan'?" said Michael Bollinger, the musical's director. "I can't think of a more appealing project. Even adults with no children will come out and see this. This is part of everyone's childhood DNA."

 
Suffolk
They came, they networked, they learned.
Suffolk's Healthy Family Advisory Board collaborated on its second Community Network Resource Fair Friday at the Tabernacle Christian Church's fellowship hall on East Washington Street.

SUFFOLK
The Tidewater Beekeepers Association on Friday and Saturday will sponsor a beekeeping short course at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk.

SUFFOLK Call them crazy. Or maybe just confident. Either way, tight times haven't stopped two new businesses from setting up shop in the downtown area.

SUFFOLK Anne Marston Lynch, an attorney who practices law with the downtown firm of Pretlow & Pretlow, has been disbarred indefinitely from the state Court of Appeals. The action by the state court has to do only with that court and does not affect the local Circuit Court or the state Supreme Court.

A new Comfort Suites hotel has opened, the latest in development projects done in conjunction with Temple Beth El church in the Harbour View area of Northern Suffolk.
The hotel, which has 116 guest rooms, had its grand opening Friday at its location at 5409 Plummer Blvd. The facility has an indoor heated pool, a hot tub and an exercise room.

SUFFOLK
A 66-year-old man could be facing up to 75 years in prison for sexually abusing a child left in his care.

By Barbara J. Woerner
Correspondent
SUFFOLK
Local boaters looking for a place to set off their expired flares under safe - and legal - conditions will have the chance on Feb. 28.
Nansemond River Power Squadron will hold its first "Flares For Life," from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at Bennetts Creek Park and boat launch, located off Shoulders Hill Road, in Suffolk.