Newsletter of the Rose Hill Civic Association
September 2009
President
Carl Sell
703.971.4716
Vice President
Linda Nichols
703.971.0755
Secretary
Beth Kohm
703.338.4876
Treasurer
Carolyn Slenska
703.922.4135
Editor, The Rambler
Marty Williams
703.910.6316
Neighborhood Watch
Woody Betts
703.971.0520
Webmaster
Jim Sapp
303.816.0944
RHCA, P.O. Box 10891, Alexandria, VA 22310
President’s Message
Soupfest at the September Meeting of the Rose Hill Civic Association
We’ll be serving various kinds of soup free at the September 22 meeting of the Rose Hill Civic Association. Included on the menu will be Italian bread, lemonade, water, and coffee. If any business comes up between now and then, we’ll let you know about it at the meeting.
The September meeting will be at the John Marshall Library starting at 6:30pm because the library now closes at 8 on Tuesday nights due to budget cuts (more on that in a subsequent article).
Several people already have agreed to make soup for the meeting. If you would like to provide soup, we’ll pay for the ingredients. Cookies or baked goods for dessert also will be welcomed. They’ll go good with the coffee. We’ll also provide all of the paper goods needed for the soupfest.
Join your friends for soup and conversation at the September 22 meeting at 6:30pm at the John Marshall library. If you have a favorite soup, please bring it along for others to sample.
If you have any questions or suggestions we’ll try to answer them or get answers for you. We have a program on gangs set for the October meeting but will welcome other suggestions for topics of general interest to the community.
Remembering Neighbors
We here in Rose Hill recently have lost some long-time neighbors, friends, and in the case of Pearl Butler, one of our Originals. Double tragedy occurred on Carriage Drive when Lucylynn Petitt and her husband Larry passed away within a short time of each other. And Don Bise, a member of our Neighborhood Watch for many years, died after a short illness. Mrs. Butler, who moved to Rose Hill in 1955, succumbed after a long illness on July 1, 2009. Lucylynn Pettit passed away on July 8 and her husband Larry on August 14. Don Bise died on August 1. Pearl and Don are remembered in this issue of The Rambler and as part of our new In Memoriam section on our website, myRoseHill.com. The Petitts will be remembered in the October Rambler.
Crime Update
Over the summer, numerous Rose Hill residents have had their cars broken into. The favorite target has been tools and personal items. It hasn’t mattered if the cars were locked or not. If they were locked, a window was broken to gain access to the items. Do not leave tools, computer equipment, cameras, recorders, etc. in plain sight in your car at night. Chances are it will be the target of thieves. If you see a crime in progress, call 911. If you see any suspicious people in your neighborhood at night, call the non- emergency number, 703.691.2131. Numerous reports will help the police put together a composite that may lead to the criminals. Get the color and make of any suspicious cars and license plate numbers if you can.
There have been a number of major crimes in the Franconia and Springfield areas, including separate robberies and a carjacking/abduction at the Franconia-Springfield Metro station, robberies in Kingstown and Springfield, in addition to several domestic disputes, stabbings and other robberies. Fortunately, the police have been able to make arrests in many cases, including running down the person who carjacked and abducted a woman at the Metro station.
The point is that it is a dangerous world out there. The police have their hands full. We need to be their eyes and ears and put out the word that Rose Hill is a community that has scores of people looking out for wrongdoers. We have Neighborhood Watch people on the job throughout the community. We could use more, particularly on Leewood Drive, Appletree Drive, Willowood Lane, and other streets. We’ll also be happy to add more eyes on streets where we already have coverage. Let us know we can count on you and we’ll give you some simple rules approved by the police that will tell you what to look for and what to do if you see anything suspicious. We also ask that you identify and assist senior neighbors if needed. In addition, we ask that you keep your eye out for zoning or auto related violations that detract from the neighborhood. You can help deter crime in your driveway or on the street in front of your home by leaving your porch and front outside lights on at night. Criminals shy away from well-lighted areas. As always, if you are uncomfortable calling the police or zoning enforcement, RHCA will do it for you.
Joe Alexander Book
Franconia Remembers Joe Alexander will be unveiled at the Franconia Museum’s annual History Day on Saturday, October 24 from 9am to 2pm. This year’s event will be held at the Franconia firehouse, 6300 Beulah Street. Joe is a life member of the Franconia Volunteer Fire Department. He also lived in Rose Hill on Leewood Drive for several years before he and his family moved around the corner to Craft Road. Joe will sign the copy of the book you purchase ($20) on History Day. All proceeds from the book go to the museum, thanks to a sponsor arrangement with the Gailliot family, longtime residents of Franconia and owners of Hilltop Sand and Gravel and Debris Landfill and Hilltop Golf Center. Joe served 32 years as the Lee District representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and also was chairman of Metro. I wrote this book after extensive interviews with Joe, Davie, and friends over the years. I hope you will enjoy it and learn more about this extraordinary representative of the people in this area.
Meeting Place and Times
Because the John Marshall Library now closes at 8pm on Tuesdays due to budget cuts, we will be switching back and forth between the Library and Rose Hill Elementary school. When we have a speaker and need more time, we’ll be at the school. For example, the October 27 meeting includes a report from the Fairfax Count Police gang coordinator so we expect a good-sized crowd and numerous questions. Gang activity is on the rise in Rose Hill and its surroundings and we need to be vigilant and learn how to recognize it. Teachers and staff at Rose Hill Elementary have been briefed as to what to look for concerning gang activity. We need to arm ourselves with their knowledge. We will be inviting Rose Hill parents to join us through an invitation to the PTA. The October 27 meeting will start at 7pm and last until 9pm. Regular meetings at the library will begin at 6:30pm. The upcoming site will be announced in each edition of The Rambler and on our web site, myRoseHill.com. Our meeting sign has been refurbished and easily can be changed to accurately tell the meeting place. If you go to the Library and we aren’t there, look next door. And vice versa!
Gettysburg Tour
The Franconia Museum is sponsoring a day-long tour on Saturday November 14 to Gettysburg, PA, and the new visitor’s center on the Civil War battlefield. Additionally, the tour will provide information about the final battle on July 3, 1863, as collected from the records of people who were actually there. This is the second “Both Sides Tour” sponsored by the Museum. Last Spring, more than 50 people made the bus trip to Monocacy near Frederick, MD, and the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA. The November tour includes an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at the famous Cozy Restaurant in Thurmont, MD. The tour costs $100 and includes transportation, all visitor center fees, the Cozy buffet, and a value card for a fast-food stop on the way home. The day will begin with coffee and donuts at the Franconia Museum with the bus departing at 8:15am sharp. The Museum is located in the Franconia Governmental Center, 6121 Franconia Road. Go to myRoseHill.com or franconiamuseum.org for additional information and instructions on how to sign up. If you haven’t seen the battlefield since the removal of the 300-foot tower, here’s your chance! In the spirit of full disclosure, I am on the Board of the Museum and am one of the organizers of this trip. My great grandfather was wounded as part of Pickett’s Charge and I will be telling about his day on the battlefield.
—Carl Sell
FLU SHOTS...NOW AND LATER
Don't forget to get your regular flu shot. The Safeway in Rose Hill is giving shots at the Pharmacy with no appointment. Pick a slow time early and you'll breeze right though. Wait, and well….you'll wait. Don't forget you'll have to get another shot later to protect you from the H1N1 (swine flu) strain. We'll update you via the web site, my RoseHill.com, in the October Rambler, and by email.
Rose Hill Civic Association Treasurer's Report
Calendar Year 2008
INCOME
Membership dues, Rambler ads, donations
$3,769.00
EXPENSES
Police holiday meals/food
$100.00
Fortney Lawn and Garden, median upkeep
$195.00
Lee District Association of Civic Organizations, dues
$10.00
United States Postal Service, mailbox fee
$128.00
Virginia State Corporation Commission, fee
$25.00
United States Postal Service, Forever stamps
$41.00
Edison All Night Graduation party, donation
$100.00
Rose Hill Elementary School anniversary party
$32.73
Lettercraft Signs, Rose Hill Beauty signs
$547.31
Fortney Lawn and Garden, median upkeep
$195.00
RHCA community dinner
$89.21
July 4th Lee District Park, dinners
$213.75
Fortney Lawn and Garden, median upkeep
$195.00
Lee District Association of Civic Organizations, annual dinner(s)
$90.00
The UPS Store, Rambler printings (total)
$2868.87
Total Expenses
$4830.87
The Rose Hill Raid painting and frame, donated to the John Marshall Library, were paid for entirely by donations specifically made for that purpose from2007-2008.
Remembering...
Pearl Butler
Back in the early 1950s, Pearl and Wesley Butler enrolled their son Greg in the Sugarland Country Day School. They would drive way out in the country from their home in Alexandria near what is now T. C. Williams High School. The school was located on a farm in Franconia owned by the May family, which operated the AB&W bus company.
They obviously liked what they saw for when the community of Rose Hill began construction on the farm, they were among the first crop of buyers. The Butlers moved here in March of 1955. Greg was almost eight years old and his brother Dennis was two and a half.
Pearl passed away after a long illness on July 1, 2009. She had lived on Cottonwood Drive in Rose Hill for 54 years. You’ll find her name on the list of Rose Hill Originals, displayed on Rose Hill Drive at the library; those who were still here during the community’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2004. Wesley died from cancer in February of 1966. Dennis, who lived with Mom for a spell, passed away in February of 2009. Gregg and his family live in Hayfield.
The Butlers were active in community affairs and youth activities. Until she became ill, Pearl was a regular at meetings of the Rose Hill Civic Association. She also was active in school functions and saw the openings of Rose Hill Elementary, Mark Twain Middle School, and Edison High School as her boys grew up. Greg started school in Virginia Hills, then went to Bush Hill before Rose Hill opened its doors. He went to Twain and then spent one year at Lee before Edison opened. Dennis went to Rose Hill, Twain, and Edison. He retired from Giant Food.
Pearl worked for 31 years for the American Red Cross. Her husband was a tool maker and machinist, working at the Torpedo Plant in Alexandria, the Navy Yard in Washington, Naval Research Laboratory, and finally the Coast Guard Station on Telegraph Road.
Greg played and his dad coached in the forerunner of the Pioneer Baseball League that had its beginnings at Virginia Hills School in the mid-50s. He played for Groveton Esso. Other teams were Jerry’s Barbers, Bucknell, C&J Delicatessen, Telegraph Pharmacy, and Dixie Pig. Greg has worked for Duron Paints the last 11 years.
The Butler heritage lives on in Rose Hill. Andrew Butler, grandson of Pearl and Harry and Greg's son, Andrew’s wife Mallory, and three children (Aiden 3, Mason 2, and Rhys 1) live in the house on Cottonwood Drive.
If you would like to remember our neighbor, friend, and a real lady, Pearl Butler, please send a contribution in her name to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 4002018, Des Moines, Iowa 50340.
Donald E. Bise, Sr.
Like many friends and neighbors, Don Bise left the coal mines and steel mills of western Pennsylvania in the late 1950s and came to Northern Virginia looking for work. He found a job with Newton Asphalt and commuted back to Masontown, PA on weekends for several years.
In 1960, Don moved his family from Pennsylvania to a new home on Roundhill Road in the almost new Rose Hill subdivision. Don, his wife Delma, and sons (Donald, Jr., 14 and Kevin, 10), quickly became part of the community. His wife opened a beauty shop named Fashionaire in Arlington Forest and their sons settled in to local schools.
Don Bise died on August 1, 2009, at Inova Fairfax Hospital after a short illness. Delma passed away in 1992 and Donald, Jr., died in 1995. Don spent the last four years living with his son, Kevin, and daughter-in-law, Jane, in Springfield. Kevin and Jane were Don’s caregivers during his illness due to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
John and Jane Madaris, long-time neighbors across the street, remember the Bise family fondly. John recalls that he looked forward to seeing Don and Delma hook up their boat and head for the Chesapeake Bay. He knew they would return with fresh fish for the neighbors. Don was partial to Bluefish.
In addition to working in the asphalt business, Don served as a guard at Lorton Prison. In Rose Hill, he volunteered as a member of Neighborhood Watch and he and Delma kept the home and grounds in tip top shape. As a testament to their work, the house annually was designated a Rose Hill Beauty by the Rose Hill Civic Association.
Donald, Jr., spent one year at Lee and then became a member of Edison High School’s first sophomore class. Kevin went to Rose Hill Elementary for one year, then on to Mark Twain and Edison. Delma sold the beauty shop to several employees and then continued work there part time until 1991.
Don Bise is survived by one grandson, two great grandsons, two sisters, and a brother in addition to his son and daughter-in-law. Contributions in Don’s memory can be made to the National Capital Area Alzheimer’s Association, 3701 Pender Drive, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Fairfax Notes
FCPD Helicopter Division Wins National Award
The Fairfax County Police Helicopter Division won third place in the 2009 FLIR Vision Awards for their “catch” using an infrared camera. The case began when an officer attempted to stop a truck that had smoke emanating from it. The truck did not stop and continued along Interstate 495 into Maryland. The officer had to terminate his involvement, but the helicopter continued. The vehicle broke down just across state lines and the suspects fled on foot along the shoulder of the capital beltway. The flight crew, Pilot Garrett Wymer, Master Police Officer James Greeves, and Police Officer First Class Tammy Russell, followed the suspects until a Maryland officer responded. While waiting on the Maryland officer, the flight crew of the helicopter witnessed the suspects’ unsuccessful attempt to carjack two separate vehicles. The first suspect eventually surrendered and the flight crew provided aerial backup as he was arrested. The second suspect ran and hid. After searching the area where the suspect was last seen, he was spotted hiding in a concrete drainage pipe. Due to the immense amount of heat radiating from the pipe, he was seen with the aid of the infrared camera. Both suspects were eventually arrested and it was later determined the truck had been reported stolen.
Police departments across the country and Canada participated in the competition.
All FCPS Earn Full Accreditation
One hundred percent of the 190 County’s public schools earned full accreditation from the Virginia Department of Education based on the 2008-09 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. Ratings are based on the achievement of students tested in the four core subjects in 2008-09, or may reflect the overall achievement during the three most recent years. Test results in each subject area are combined to produce overall passing percentages in English, math, history and social science, and science. The percentage of schools earning a passing rate of 90 or greater has increased significantly since last year. Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Jack D. Dale notes, “Full accreditation, which FCPS also achieved last year, is the result of teams of teachers and administrators working together to help every student learn subject matter. The fact that our students score well on these assessments is icing on the cake.”
FCPS, Fairfax County Government to Hold FY 2011 Budget Community Dialogues
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and the Fairfax County government are teaming up again this year to solicit community input to help meet a significant projected budget deficit for FY 2011. Fairfax County is in the midst of a multiyear cyclical downturn requiring that county and school decision-makers continue to make expenditure and revenue adjustments. The school system’s ongoing challenge is to develop a budget with an appropriate level of services that is both sustainable and acceptable to the community. As part of the budget process, FCPS and Fairfax County are hosting a series of budget community dialogues in September, October, and November. Citizens are invited to engage in facilitated small-group discussions to help find solutions to close the FY 2011 budget gap. Registration is required.
Community dialogue meetings will be held as follows:
- Tuesday, September 29, 7-9pm at the McLean Community Center.
- Wednesday, September 30, 7-9pm in the West Springfield High School cafeteria.
- Wednesday, October 14, 7-9pm in the Marshall High School cafeteria and the South County Secondary School cafeteria.
- Saturday, October 24, 10am-noon at the Centreville Regional Library, the Reston Regional Library, and the John Marshall Library.
- Thursday, October 29, 7-9pm in the South Lakes High School cafeteria and the Woodson High School cafeteria.
- Saturday, November 14, 10am-noon at the Kings Park Library, the Sherwood Regional Library, and the George Mason Regional Library.
FCPS and Fairfax County officials will give budget presentations, followed by small-group discussions facilitated by staff members. To register, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget or call 703.324.2391, TTY 711. Citizens who are unable to attend the community dialogues are welcome to pass along their comments and suggestions by calling 703.324.9400 or completing a budget feedback form at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget.
Advertising in the Rambler
We have recently received several inquiries concerning advertising in the Rambler. While a listing in the Business Directory is free to Rose Hill residents who own their business, placing an actual advertisement is open to all with rates as follows per month:
Business Card size
3 1/2" x 2"
$10
Quarter page size
3 1/2" x 4 3/4"
$25
Half page size
7 1/2" x 4 3/4"
$50
Full page size
7 1/2" x 9 3/4"
$100
Ads may be bought for either one month only, month-to-month, or as many months in advance as desired. Our newsletter is published nine times a year, excluding July, August and December.
Advertising in the Rambler is an excellent way to reach the 700+ homes in our community. In addition, the ads each month are placed on our website www.MyRoseHill.com for the world to see.
Anyone interested in placing an ad may call the editor (me) at 703.910.6316. I will need the artwork sent to me either electronically in a .tiff or .jpg format or as a hard copy through the mail. Checks made out to RHCA may be included with ads mailed to me, or sent to our PO Box 10891 for quick access to the treasurer.
Marty Williams
