Virginia Beach

Margaret B. Brown, a retired apartment rental agent, died of heart disease Thursday at Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care. The longtime Govans resident was 89. Margaret B. Coleman was born in Portage, Pa., and lived in Harrisburg before moving to Baltimore in 1950. She was a rental agent for Regional Management Co. and leased apartments at Lothian, Parkway Drive and Oakridge Gardens, all in Northeast Baltimore. She retired about 25 years ago. She followed Democratic Party politics and enjoyed watching University of Maryland basketball and football games on television.

A $200 million convention center opened two years ago, and there's talk of a new hotel and new entertainment, but the broad beaches and bustling boardwalk remain the most popular attractions for Virginia Beach visitors. The city has become Virginia's largest, with almost 430,000 residents and nearly 3 million visitors a year. For those seeking a break from the resort's crowds, check out the north end above 47th Street. Parking can be dicey, but the payoff is a quieter, more relaxing beach experience.

MARY I. BARBRA MARTINO, 86, of Virginia Beach, Virginia passed away on Tuesday, April 3, 2007. Mrs. Martino was a beautician in the Baltimore area for many years. She was the widow of A. Philip Martino. She is survived by her son, Ron Barbra and wife Debbie of Virginia Beach, VA; seven grandchildren; five great grandchildren, and four brothers. Graveside service will be conducted at 11am on Friday, May 11 at Gardens of Faith Cemetery, Baltimore, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Memorial United Methodist Church, 804 Gammon Rd., Virginia Beach, VA 23464

Virginia throws its doors wide open for this year's Virginia Arts Festival. From dance to opera and from blues to bagpipes, this year's festival, which kicks off Tuesday and runs through June 3, has something for everyone. Featured performers this week include the Virginia International Tattoo, a ceremonial troupe of military musicians. Upcoming guests include Cuban jazz artist Arturo Sandoval, blues guitarist and songstress Bonnie Raitt, swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and violinist Itzhak Perlman.

Hip-Hop Clipse appearance The hip-hop duo Clipse re leased its long-awaited album Hell Hath No Fury yesterday. The Virginia Beach, Va.,-based pair appears at 6 tonight at the Sound Garden, 1616 Thames St., to sign autographs. For more information, call 410-563-9011. FYI Glenn McNatt is on assignment. His art column does not appear today.

Virginia Beach, VA-- Elizabeth J. Critzer M-BM- Cremation & Funeral Services of Tidewater is handling arrangements, www.candfservices.com .

OCEAN CITY-- --Sun-baked vacationers - their bodies tired, their bellies full, their brains unfettered from workplace worries - shuffle along the boardwalk in a balmy late-evening breeze, in no particular hurry to get any particular place. Some tote ridiculously large stuffed animals won in amusement park games of chance. Some shovel funnel cake into their mouths, not bothered by the powdered sugar that clings to their cheeks like clown makeup. Some linger outside shops or wander inside for an impulse buy. This, after all, is the beach, where decorum and restraint sometime go by the wayside, where minds open up, whims are followed and curiosity, not the clock, rules - all of which can be seen in the mass of humanity that, even at its carefree pace, still passes by at a clip of more than a hundred people a minute, up to 8 million a summer.

Mr. and Mrs. Ron Garling of Bel Air are happy to announce the marriage of their daughter, Hope, to William David Insley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Billy Phillips of Virginia Beach and of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Insley of Lake Worth, Florida. Hope is also the daughter of the late Elaine Zern Garling Staley and granddaughter of Miriam Kennedy of Glen Arm. The ceremony was performed on April 15 on-board the Carnival Liberty in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After a cruise to Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama, the couple is residing in West Palm Beach.

Virginia Beach - MARGARET JEAN CLARKE, 79, passed away on July 2, 2006. She was born in England and was a proud British citizen. Mrs. Clarke is survived by her husband of 59 years, William Clarke; four children, Michael Clarke and wife Marte Hersey, Laura Rock and husband William, Monica Corbin and husband David, and Judy Clarke; three grandchildren, Adrian Clarke, Jennifer Johnson, and Alaina Taylor; and eight great-grandchildren. She was an avid gardener and animal lover and will be dearly missed.