THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, September 24, 1995             TAG: 9509240044
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY TONY WHARTON, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                         LENGTH: Short :   42 lines

HODGES MANOR IS QUIET, BUT ITS CITIZENS ARE ACTIVE VOTERS SCHOOLS FORM A MAJOR COMMUNITY BOND FOR RESIDENTS YOUNG AND OLD.

Between the rushing streams of traffic on Portsmouth Boulevard and Interstate 264 lies Hodges Manor, a neighborhood that has aged over four decades into a quiet enclave where many residents are retired but still involved in the community.

Denver Miller, one of the area's original residents, describes its serenity this way: ``You know that old saying, `It can't happen here'? Well, so far it hasn't happened here.''

Many of the houses are one-story ranch homes, built in the 1950s and '60s. The Navy and the shipyards employed many of the owners.

Flags flutter along the streets, and quite a few front doors are dotted with floral wreaths.

The 1990 census showed that one out of four Hodges Manor residents are retired. More than half, 65 percent, were born in Virginia, and most of those have lived here more than 5 years.

Median income, perhaps in part because of the number of retirees and a low percentage of college graduates, is $26,542.

Statistics show about 25 percent of the residents are minorities.

The houses and streets resemble those in other area subdivisions, except that the trees are taller and add some grace to the neighborhood. The trees are mature because the neighborhood has 30 or 40 years under its belt.

A major community bond is the schools. Everyone likes having the elementary and high schools so close by. It is a unifying feature of Hodges Manor, since many subdivisions built today do not have schools in or near them.

``Young people with kids keep moving in, so it doesn't get stale,'' said Phillip Gregg, 59, of Logan Drive. ``People look out for one another. It's an ideal world. Both of my kids walked to schools.''

KEYWORDS: VOTER REGISTRATION PORTSMOUTH by CNB