As bear population grows, so do neighborhood concerns

I give Trey Hudson of Western Branch a lot of credit for keeping his grass cut. I think he has a pretty good reason to let the backyard grow.

Trey and his family, including a 2-year-old, have repeatedly seen bears at their Jolliff Woods home.

“The cub climbed over the fence and up our screened-in porch. He hurdled that fence like it was nothing,” Trey said after the last visit Sunday evening. The bear left hungry that time though, as the Hudsons have removed all bird food from the yard.

Trey was surprised two weeks ago when Chesapeake Animal Services wouldn’t send someone out to set traps or do something to keep the bears away. It turns out those days are past, along with the days of low bear populations.

The city tells residents to remove any potential food sources from their yard and any buildings on the property. Callers are also told to alert their neighbors and keep a watchful eye.

Aaron Proctor, a biologist at the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said taking away the food is usually enough to get the bears to move on.

“There are 16,000 black bears in Virginia now,” Aaron said. He gets bear reports most every day at this time of year.

“We’re trying to change the public’s mindset (about bears),” he said. “It’s not a dangerous situation. We’re saving the bears from people.”

Our bear population here is no different than the rest of the country, Aaron said. The idea these days is to teach people how to live with bears. The mammals have no interest in humans, he said, and pose no danger unless they’re in a situation they can’t get away from like the oceanfront or a highway.

Trapping or removing one bear does no good if you have something they want. As Aaron said, what’s to keep other keen-smelling bears from visiting?

The biologist said the other big deal with bears is not to let the family pet chase it. Clearly!

I asked about shooting the unwanted visitors since I know a couple of our readers have guns. Aaron said we all have the right to protect ourselves and our property but we should be ready to justify our actions.

If a bear is 100 yards away and/or it is not threatening anyone, you could be ticketed for illegal taking of game.

Virginia allows archery hunting of bears Oct. 1 through Nov. 18. Muzzleloader bear season is Nov. 12-18.

In the meantime, don’t feed the bears!

Lady Cruisers enjoy motorcycle rides, socializing

“We don’t have to ride on the back all the time,” Brenda Ward told me. She’s director of the Tidewater Lady Cruisers, a local chapter of the national Woman on Wheels motorcycle group.

This is one of those groups whose meetings I see every month in our calendar and wonder about.

It turns out these women bikers aren’t much different than men – they like to ride and feel the open road beneath them. They like to socialize too.

The 5-year-old club has about 20 members, four of whom are men. The guys get support memberships and are usually there because of their spouses.

As Brenda explained the club’s schedule, I realized riding is important to them. The group’s regular monthly meeting is the second Tuesday at Zino’s Café on Old George Washington Highway, but they also meet for rides on the third Thursday and fourth Saturday when weather permits.

Brenda said the Saturday rides are the longer ones, often taking four hours, and include meals. Thursdays’ shorter trips also involve dinner. Eating and talking is important – just like in most clubs, I guess.

Some of the talk is about motorcycle safety, and they sometimes have a speaker at the Tuesday meetings.

The group took its first overnight trip last year. They went to Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park campground in Emporia, with all their gear on the bikes.

I asked about that drive on U.S. 58.

“We try to stay on back roads because they’re more fun to ride on,” Brenda said.

Despite my repeated questions, the group defies easy description. The members – of all ages –  ride all kinds of bikes, from Hondas to Harleys. One member has a BMW.

Women don’t just ride small motorcycles either. Brenda has a 750 cc Honda Shadow and said she can handle her husband’s 1100 just as easily.

“Ladies bikes have to have lower seats so you can touch the ground at stoplights,” she said, but otherwise aren’t usually different from men’s bikes.

One lady cruiser has a black Harley and pink-walled tires. Brenda said it stands out a little.

“Everybody has to ask where she got the tires and tell her they like them.”

Your Mother’s Day wishes should come from the heart

I don't know if I should feel guilty or not. I haven’t in past years, but now I’m not so sure.

I sent my mom a Mother’s Day card but no flowers or candy. And, I won’t be there to take her out to dinner.

Mother’s Day, established by Congress and President Woodrow Wilson in 1914, has become one of the most popular days to dine out.

Interestingly, the woman credited with establishing the observance, Anna Jarvis of Grafton, W.Va., spent her inheritance and the latter years of her life railing against what the holiday had become.

Jarvis, who never had children, was even arrested once for disturbing the peace at a protest.

Jarvis disliked greeting cards, saying they were a poor substitute for writing a note yourself thanking mom for her efforts. She also wasn’t a fan of that box of candy, pointing out children often end up eating it themselves.

When President Wilson issued the proclamation for the first Mother’s Day, it was billed as a day for citizens to honor those mothers whose sons had died in war.

But, no matter the origin, it’s the thought that counts, right?

Call your mom, take her out if you can, but mainly tell her you love her – while you can.

Pink Floyd and symphony, what else could you want?

I went back in time for a few hours this past weekend. I saw the Virginia Symphony perform Pink Floyd.

In my college days, it wasn’t uncommon to sit and just listen to music. The older I get though, the more difficult it seems to find that kind of time.

I’d heard the music from other progressive-rock bands done by orchestras a few times so I expected this show would be good, if a little bit on the mellow side. I didn’t expect to be blown away, or to feel chills on several occasions.

Rather than use the orchestra to do symphonic versions of some of the most classic of rock songs, the old standards were enhanced while still being recognizable.

Most of the first half of the show was from the “Dark Side of the Moon” album. The enriching, fullness of sound provided by the musicians was incredible.

I’ve been to many concerts and musicals and I played in high school and college bands, but this was so different. It wasn’t someone else’s favorite music, or a famous work written several hundred years ago that “everyone should see.”

Every song was so well known to me and done so loudly and accurately that I found myself smiling like a little kid on a roller coaster.

Randy Jackson did a great job with the vocals, surely one heck of a challenge. He also provided some banter between songs including making the joke that he’s not “that” Randy Jackson. I wondered briefly how many Pink Floyd fans watch “American Idol.”

I thought of the word juxtaposition a few times. Seeing 15 or 20 violin bows moving to the beat of “Money” was one of those times.

The audience was a study in contrasts, too. There were people who looked like they were regular symphony patrons standing in line with teenagers dressed as though they were going to a summer show at the nTelos pavilion in Portsmouth.

And, the hippie culture of the 1960s and ’70s was represented as well – including the big, burly guy who introduced himself as Rain.

The orchestra and touring musicians were conducted by Brent Havens, who has been doing this show with his company, Windborne Music, since 1997. Thanks to the Virginia Arts Festival, they came to the Harrison Opera House – and made my day.

Minister's reality: Church feeds all who are hungry

"If you know somebody who’s hungry, I’ll get them food by the end of the day,” the Rev. Nelson Fields told me. And he means it.

As horrible as it is there are hungry Americans, it’s really wonderful to hear about groups feeding the less fortunate.

Rev. Fields at Living Waters Christian Fellowship on Gum Road started giving away food about two years ago. The twice-a-month program feeds between 100 and 130 families.

Most of the recipients are low-income older folks, often with an extended family to care for. They get a big box of meat (including steak) and have their pick of canned goods and toiletry items.

Fields told me most of the food he and his volunteers hand out is donated by Wal-Mart, through the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. And, the church was given an old van they use to pick up and haul the food. I asked if this article might result in too many mouths to feed but the pastor quickly replied “we don’t refuse anyone.” They ask for identification and keep a record of the beneficiaries, but it’s really all about helping others.

“We just let people know we love them … I don’t ask if they go to church but if this is meeting a need for them,” Fields said.

“We give it all away and then God sends it all back in a week, plus more. It’s amazing.”

When your mouth slips up, have a fall-back line ready

"Your hair looks pretty!”

That’s what my friend says when he doesn’t want to repeat what he really said for fear it might offend someone who wasn’t intended to hear the comment in the first place.

I know it’s kind of silly, but I think it’s a very clever way to deflect someone’s attention from something – especially if you can say it with a genuine smile.

The best part about this tactic is how effective it is. It’s funny how easily our attention can be diverted when someone wants to talk about us, especially if it’s in a positive way.

After chuckling as I watched Eric successfully use this line on several occasions, I’ve got to say it’s masterful. And, I think its use comes from a good place.

It’s best not to talk about people at all if you can’t say something nice, right? Well, I’m never one to spurn motherly advice, but let’s face it, we talk about each other.

And, if the subject of the comment heard what you originally said and doesn’t seem convinced his/her hair does look pretty, the ensuing laughter often soothes the hurt feelings.

We usually don’t need to hear these kinds of observations anyway.

My coworker told me about how her friend in high school offered to tell her the nickname they had for her. Knowing the types of names her friends used, she said no, she didn’t want to know. Fifteen years later, she’s still clueless and considers not knowing a wise choice.

Or perhaps you thought you were offering your opinion in a voice low enough that no one would hear it. When asked to repeat yourself, just smile and say “Nice shirt! Where did you get it?”

We can’t always say the right thing the first time around, so it can be good to have a substitute phrase at the ready.

If you’re able to keep your mouth shut about human amusement, keep it up. But, if you’re more like me and sometimes let opinions fly before thinking, you may want to develop a complimentary phrase to keep at the ready.

Really, your hair does look nice today!

Motorcycle revvers should be a little more considerate

I'd like to think I’m a tolerant guy and a decent neighbor. I also try hard to not overreact to some of the daily annoyances of modern life. But disturbing the peace is, well, disturbing.

I would never cut grass at 7 a.m. or run a leaf blower late in the evening. Most people I know wouldn’t either. But some think it’s perfectly fine to rev their Harley-Davidson at any hour. We’re supposed to love that trademark roar.

I appreciate a fine-running machine (particularly an American-made one) as much as the next guy and love feeling a lot of power under me when I’m on the road, but that roar is crazy.

Does anyone reading this think that ear-splitting sound isn’t disturbing every person within earshot who’s not sitting on a bike themselves?

I think it’s just plain rude. In my opinion, if you drive or operate something that loud you should have to follow a schedule for when you can operate it. We don’t allow Navy jets to take off and land at any hour of the day or night.

Most Harley owners wouldn’t think of waking the neighborhood. But some do and they probably sully the Hog name for all the respectable bikers.

I called several local dealers and couldn’t get anyone to comment for this column. I did hear several chuckles on the other end of the phone. One pleasant-sounding woman told me they occasionally get complaints about Harleys or their riders but that those aren’t complaints about noise.

Think about all the crazy rules and regulations in parks and recreational areas. You can’t chew gum some places because a few wouldn’t dispose of it properly and make a mess for someone else.

There are numerous places pets aren’t allowed. There are so many regulations for boaters you have to take a course to learn them all. Some cities ask semi-trucks to not use their engine brakes as they head into towns due to the noise.

But 20 revving motorcycles can interrupt a quiet family gathering at will with usually no consequences.

As more and more communities consider noise ordinances, why not nip the problem in the bud before we have more meddlesome laws governing how we behave?

I know I’m probably dreaming, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could just care about each other a little more?

Crime-watch signs may be sending mixed messages

My neighborhood in Portsmouth is littered with those crime-watch signs.

I still haven’t decided whether they do any good. I know they’re very visible. In some blocks, the little signs are in almost every front yard. It makes me wonder about the houses that don’t have the signs; are they dens of iniquity? I doubt it.

I’m told the idea is to let others know we have a strong sense of community, and neighbors are keeping an eye out for each other. It would be nice to think my neighbors are keeping an eye on my house and property while I’m at work or on vacation.

A guy walking his dog told me the sign campaign urges people to report suspicious activity. That’s all well and good I guess, but stories like the boy who cried wolf or George Orwell’s “1984” still come to mind.

Here’s another perspective. I see a bunch of little signs in front of homes with the blinds drawn on every window. I watch neighbors return from work, walk into their homes and shut the door – not to come out again until they go to work the next day.

What gives me a sense of community is knowing my neighbors’ names or occasionally hearing how their day went.

There are all these old homes with beautiful wrap-around porches, except they’re usually empty. It seems rarer and rarer to see people talking to one another from their stoop or front yard.

I think, if you know your neighbor, you’re less likely to misinterpret what you see through that slit you’ve made in the window blind.

And here’s another perspective. What if you’re shopping for a new home? What do you think when you drive into a section of town where crime-watch signs are prevalent?

I think it would tell me to look at another part of town because there’s obviously a crime problem here.

But, maybe the sign crusade makes some people feel safer. I guess that’s a good thing.

If you’re going to read this, sit up straight, please

James Thomas’s story this week about the etiquette class really brings back memories for me.

The idea of teaching manners to four young children over the dinner table seems kind of crazy to me now, but my parents did it – with varying degrees of success and a certain amount of family strife.

Learning to hold a fork the correct way and keeping my elbows off the table were relatively easy for me. The difficult one was staying at the table until everyone was finished eating.

Fortunately, we didn’t have any slow eaters in our house because waiting to be excused from the table was torturous for me. I’ve often wondered if I’d be on hyperactivity medication if I grew up now, but staying still for long has always been a challenge.

My two brothers were never too keen on the manners thing though, so it wasn’t unusual to hear loud cries of “prongs up” or “elbows off” from our mom while I was trying not to choke on that day’s unpleasant vegetable.

I still remember this one, uttered in a plaintive tone as though as I was stabbing my mom in the heart: “Come on Ronnie! Sit back, you’re lying on the table!”

Visit Portsmouth museum for refresher on Civil War

This could be the weekend to brush up on your Civil War history, particularly as it pertains to Portsmouth.

You can literally get a feel for history at the The Naval Shipyard Museum’s monthly First Saturday program. Among other activities, visitors can pick up the weapons and accoutrements a typical soldier would have carried.

I was surprised how little I remembered from my studies of that era when I spoke with the museum’s curator of history, Corey Thornton. Maybe if I had grown up here where so many historically important things happened, it would’ve stuck with me more.

In April of 1862, Confederate forces were getting ready to evacuate Portsmouth and make their way up the Peninsula to Richmond. I’m going to try to remember that the next time I make the trek on I-64 with all its modern threats to life and limb.

Corey told me how Hampton Roads had been confederate for the year before 1862 but remained under federal control for the duration of the war.

“People had to take an oath of allegiance to show that they were loyal to the Union,” he said.

Corey mentioned two cases of local pastors who wouldn’t sign that loyalty oath. One of those pastors was sentenced to community service and told to sweep the streets of Portsmouth.

But back to 2012. Saturday’s free event features re-enactors portraying local units of Union and Confederate soldiers. Corey said the soldiers will talk to people and answer questions, but they’ll also be separated as much as possible to keep the day skirmish-free.

Crafts (designed for young and old) will include making a haversack, the satchel used to carry a soldier’s personal belongings. I’m wondering if it will hold a laptop.

This “living history” is an open-house format from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you want to know more, check out www.portsnavalmuseums.com or call 393-8591.