Yorktown Va

How about a family vacation in the 18th century--or even the 17th? The colonial past is robustly alive in Williamsburg, Va., of course, and kids love it. Where else can they talk to Martha Washington and Thomas Jefferson, brought to life by astute "character interpreters," ride in a horse-drawn coach, or stick their necks, arms and legs through holes in a stock?

How about a family vacation in the 18th century--or even the 17th? The colonial past is robustly alive in Williamsburg, Va., of course, and kids love it. Where else can they talk to Martha Washington and Thomas Jefferson, brought to life by astute "character interpreters," ride in a horse-drawn coach, or stick their necks, arms and legs through holes in a stock?

How to Get There: Jamestown, Yorktown and the more popular Colonial Williamsburg, which lies between them, are on the Virginia Peninsula between Norfolk and Richmond. They comprise what is known as Virginia's Historic Triangle. All are linked by the 23-mile Colonial Parkway, completed in 1957. No commercial vehicles are allowed on the two-lane road, which goes through a tunnel beneath Williamsburg.

Fluor Corp. said Monday that its engineering subsidiary has received a contract to modernize controls at three Amoco Oil Co. refineries. The value of the contract was not disclosed. The agreement calls for the Chicago and Houston divisions of Fluor Engineers Inc. to update the refineries' controls by replacing them with computer-driven distribution monitoring systems.

Regarding "To Enjoy France, Say Au Revoir to Those American Stereotypes" (Her World, Dec. 15): I took French in high school and had another year in college, where we studied the history of France in French. I have been to France three times for two weeks or more and loved every minute of it. The food, culture, history, art and people form my favorite memories. My uncle and aunt went to France every year. Their attitude was, "We saved your bacon twice in this century," and that idea prevails.

Union negotiators for oil industry workers reached a tentative agreement late Thursday with Amoco Corp. on labor contracts that would boost wages by an average of 15.5%, or $2.36 an hour, over three years. The deal came on the same day that 300 contracts expired covering roughly 40,000 members of the Oil, Chemical & Atomic Workers International Union. Although the tentative pact directly applies only to a small number of those workers, it could set the pattern for the entire industry.

The Obama administration is stepping up its courtship of active-duty military personnel and their families by offering them a free pass to any national park, officials announced on Tuesday. The annual passes will be made available to members of the military free of charge beginning Saturday, Armed Forces Day, officials said. The pass, which usually costs $80, allows entrance  to more than 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands. The plan was announced Tuesday during a ceremony at Colonial National Historical Park in Yorktown, Va., where Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, director of the National Park Service Jonathan B. Jarvis and assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works)

Ed McCulloch beat the fastest field in National Hot Rod Assn. history Sunday, but his victory was something of an anticlimax. McCulloch, of Hemet, drove a 4.795-second trip down the Texas Metroplex strip at Ennis, with a top speed of 297.81 m.p.h., to win top-fuel honors at the Chief Auto Parts Nationals. It became a one-car race when Eddie Hill overpowered the track and smoked his tires at the starting line, running the quarter mile in 12.230 seconds at 72.99 m.p.h.

In the controversy about what my country owes to the United States, I would like to speak for France. I do not mean to say that the French have no debt toward the U.S. Without the landing of American troops in Normandy, plus the even more massive intervention of the Russian army in Eastern Europe, our "liberation" would not have been possible. Anyone who has visited Omaha Beach and the American cemetery nearby, and has cried there, knows that. Yes, we do have a debt. But it does not ensue that we ought to blindly and forever applaud whatever the U.S. government decides.

Worldwide terrorist incidents reported from 1984 through 1997: 1997: 304 Where to Get Information * The U.S. State Department is handling urgent inquiries about American citizens in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. For information, call the State Department Operations Center, Office of Crisis Management, in Washington, D.C. (202) 647-0900. * The U.S. State Department Web site home page includes information about the bombings at the U.S.

Western Refining Inc. said Monday that it was buying Giant Industries Inc. for $1.23 billion in cash, creating the fourth-largest publicly traded independent oil refiner in the U.S. The combined company will have the capacity to handle about 216,000 barrels a day from four refineries. That is about 84% more than Western's current capacity. Western already has a refinery in El Paso, where it is based. The deal will give it an East Coast presence with a refinery in Yorktown, Va.