Dear Village Neighbor / Friend,
Shouldn’t be long before the crocus and day lilies start to sprout, and we get back to separate Wednesday collection of yard debris. But still no one has volunteered to take on the President’s role in our Civic Association. Counting on you to give serious thought to that and no – you do not have to be retired to be CAWSV President. In fact, our goal must be getting someone younger with newer ideas. Someone argued that she couldn’t take on the position since she can’t write as well as I do. I am still laughing at that! And, I will apologize for my abuse of the Queen’s English you may find below.
1. 2022 Community Directory – you should have it by now or will soon. Check the area around your front door, ideally before it rains, or the winds blow. I know that one of you on Ontario Street was missed; please let me (john.t.cooley@verizon.net) if it was you or if you were also missed.
Those who chose to not join or renew membership may still get a copy of the directory for $10.00 - and that comes with full voting rights membership for the rest of this fiscal year ending 9/30/2022. Same for new neighbors if we are made aware of them by you. We can present a copy of the directory to that new neighbor or better yet – give it to you to give to your new neighbor.
Please provide comments back to Andrea Lewis about this edition. I think she knocked it out of the park with Steve’s help at Printing Ideas, but constructive ideas to improve the next directory are very welcome.
Special thanks to those who volunteered or volunteered their children to deliver the directories: Glenn & Dianna DeMarr, Kathy D’Amato, Vince & Sue Trinka, Michele Schulker with her helpers (ages 7, 6, and a 3-year-old), Gabriellle Bois and her two sons (please send me their names), Debbie Bunyea, Jennifer Treasure (and kids?), Jim Kirkpatrick, Bill & Maria Daugherty, Liz Greene, Beth & Dale Marhanka, Michael Wasilisin (editor’s son). Thank you!
2. Village Curb Appeal – Daily we see that too many people use Rolling Road as their ash tray, trash can or recycle bin. I think we all have a vested interest in the first image most see of our village as they approach of pass through our village on Rolling Road. We have community-dedicated people (like Ruth LaPointe) who take a trash bag with them when they walk RR. Their exercise is extended as they frequently stop to bend over or squat to pick up trash. We need more to do the same. Also, it would help if all residents would edge the curb in front of their homes and clear weeds, leaves and trash from the gutter splash. This obviously isn’t a one-and-done mission, but are you willing to help?
3. Red Bag Food Supplement Program – If your child plays in any athletic program in the county, it is probably administered by Fairfax County Neighborhood Community Service (Athletic Services/NCS). They allocate fields and gyms plus provide training for parents/coaches and run scholarship programs to help low-income families. And they are actively involved in securing weekend food for our youth who may need our help. Right now, NCS is supporting a program known as Red Bag where food from a predetermined list is collected and delivered to schools for distribution to those children who may need it. Go to Food For Neighbors - Home to see if this program is one you want to support. I know from experience that when NCS is involved, it is an effective program and worth your consideration.
4. Food Drive - Springfield United Methodist Church (7047 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield 22150) is holding a food drive on Saturday, 5 March. All food donations are vital to ECHO right now but click here to find Needed Right Now | ECHO – Ecumenical Community Helping Others (echo-inc.org).
5. It's Girl Scout Cookie Time! Melissa Carl (Greenview) asks that we support Rolling Valley Troop 52099 during this year's cookie sale. More information can be found at: https://www.gsdigitalcookie.com/cookie/Landing/3/edbaa5a6-22bc-4629-b465-fa90671fcdef/en-US. There is a "girl" deliver option, where the scouts will bring the cookies right to your door. Cookie proceeds help fund the troop activities, e.g., camping. Melissa offers her thanks for your support!
6. History - Several years ago, my daughter reported that she had learned in a World History class that a Beatles’ song (yep - John, Paul, George, and Ringo) broke up the USSR. She was hard to convince that she might have taken whatever that teacher had said out of context, but just like that – history had been rewritten at least in her mind and perhaps the minds of her classmates. Did that teacher really cast aside all the internal economic and political reform offered by Gorbachev? I would hope not! Nor will changing the name of Fairfax County or Lee Highway erase the fact that Lord Fairfax owned other human beings? Or that General Lee fought for the CSA against the north even though he did not support slavery? Hard no, I say!
One well respected neighbor, Amy Meli (Bluefield Court) wanted to offer an alternative viewpoint regarding the renaming projects that are being discussed by Fairfax County. In her own words:
“My church, Ravensworth Baptist in Annandale, has been involved in the county’s process since it began a few years ago. The people at our church, many of whom have lived in Fairfax for their entire lives, and others who come from other southern states, are interested in this as part of a broader mission of understanding the role that race, particularly the legacy of slavery and its legacy, has played in our nation’s history and in its present. Our church is part of a larger, national effort among churches seeking to promote racial justice, particularly in light of the role that Baptist churches have played in this regard. You can read about the national program we’re involved with here.
I also have a personal connection to the places in question since I’m related to John Mosby, who is the namesake of one of the places the county is considering renaming. Mosby is my 4x great uncle on my mom’s side - close enough that we see the Mosbys at family reunions. I think it’s a good thing to rename the places that are named after him. The things that made Mosby famous were his actions as part of the Confederate Army. His job in this regard was to fight against the Union Army. Years later, he would apologize to his fellow countrymen and eventually helped with reconstruction efforts in Virginia. Regardless of these actions or any of his personal attributes, I don’t think we should name things after people who are famous for being traitors, even if they’re people in my family.
I think that we can have conversations about whether it’s practical to use county money to rename such places, but I also think it’s important to acknowledge why these places were named for people like John Mosby in the first place. This is a conversation that I hope we can have as a community. Happy to chat with anyone about this in a spirit of good faith.”
Several others suggested that it would be a shameful waste of precious tax dollars on such projects especially if only a few or no one at all are offended today by those names or perhaps offended for all the wrong reasons.
Another resident summarized the need for us to disagree respectfully. He said that:
“I appreciate your invitation to be challenged on your positions. I really believe we need more such invitations to respectful discussions. Obviously, it is hard to respectfully disagree, but it seems to me the more we shy away from such conflict the more isolated we become, and the polarization only grows worse. I certainly understand why we do it, but I really don't think the practice of refraining from political discussion among family that has opposing views is helping our country.”
I will include your comments without edit whether you agree or disagree on any issue if you’ll give me the Reader’s Digest (condensed) version that will be meaningful to most village enews readers. No hitting below the belt, no eye gouging and no name calling. Other than that, have at it.
7. Calendar:
- 21 February President’s Day / Student Holiday
- 2 March Wednesday Yard Waste Collections Begin Again
- 4 March FCPS Student Holiday
- 13 March Daylight Savings Time Begins
- 14 - 16 March RVES PTA Spirit Event at Rice & Spice
- 16 March Rice & Spice Neighborhood Food Drop at RVES
- 27 March – 1 April RVES PTA Online Auction
- 1 April Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)
- 4 – 8 April Holiday (Spring Break)
- 30 May Holiday (Memorial Day)
- 10 June Last Day of School (Early Release)
- 19 June Juneteenth
Stay safe and healthy.
John Cooley
CAWSV