Greetings, Neighbors!

According to the dictionary, the word paradise can be traced back
to the Old Persian language where it originally meant an enclosed park.
Therefore a baseball field, as someone has pointed out, could be called
paradise and I think the same thing is true of our 2005 Garden Walk held
in late May. Fourteen gardens and green spaces to enjoy on a delightful
Sunday afternoon. Many thanks are due to all the gardeners and volunteers
who made it memorable for each of us.

Roy and Nancy Reynolds tell me that the Princeton Creek project is well
underway and maybe by next year, this new area could be a part of the
2006 Garden Walk. Another Garden of Eden in the making.

Roy, who is our Vice President, has also been instrumental in identifying
a new printer for The Bellevue Times. So as you read this I hope you
appreciate the new look of the newsletter.

Whatever your opinion is, please plan to attend our next Bellevue Civic
Association meeting on July 19th outside at “ Once Upon A Vine” on
MacArthur Ave. Just like last July, our host will be store owner Bob Kocher,
who has been an enormous help to the BCA since he opened his shop last
year. The meeting begins at 6:30 pm with a pizza reception, rain or shine.

Scheduled to appear at the gathering are city councilman Chris Hilbert,
school board member Carol Wolf, and a representative from 4025 Yoga,
who will talk to us about the different systems of yoga that are available
to us at Helen Campbell’s new studio, also located on MacArthur. Chris Hilbert
will be on hand to answer your questions and Carol has been invited to facilitate
a poetry recital. You simply bring along your favorite poem to read, if you wish
to participate. It could be an original poem or maybe something by Emily
Dickinson. Personally, I may read a poem by W.B. Yeats but don’t quote me
on that.

See you at the meeting, it could be a real paradise but don’t forget to bring
along your lawn chair!

Regards,
Larry L. Jones, BCA President

Bring a Chair!
Bellevue Civic Association Meeting
Tuesday, July 19
6:30 p.m. pizza
7:00 p.m. meeting
Once Upon a Vine patio
4009 MacArthur Avenue

Always wanted to be a writer?
Want to see more variety and content in our newsletter? If you have an idea
for a recurring article, maybe a neighbor spotlight to recognize good deeds, or
restaurant reviews, or book reviews, or whatever you have in mind; or perhaps
a one-time report, please let us know. The newsletter would like to hear from
our neighbors! Present your ideas to Larry Jones, president, or to another board
member.

Deadline dates for the remaining 2005 are:
• September 12th (October newsletter)
• December 10th (January 2006 newsletter)

Inclusion will be based on the amount of space available and articles received
after the deadlines will not be accepted. – Betty Lewis Smith

4007 Chevy Chase Street
A Letter From My Past

My mother was living with her sister over on Warren Ave (near Azalea Mall)
when she died in 1995. Her sister still lives there and is 102 years old.
My parents were living in your house when I was born, in 1929. Allen Cavedo’s
family lived next door. Allen’s Father, Frank Cavedo, was City Sergeant in
Richmond for many years. My family moved from Chevy Chase street to
Greensboro, NC before I started school. It must have been about 1934.

Incidentally, my Father built the stone wall in your front yard. The stones were
cobble stones from the streets in downtown Richmond. They dug up the cobble
stones, replaced them with asphalt, and dumped the cobble stones in a field.
My father would go out, at night, load up the trunk of the car with stones and
bring them home. When he had enough stones he built the wall.

On one of our last visits to Richmond, before Mother died, my wife and I walked
over to Chevy Chase street so that she could see the house. It brought back a
lot of memories to me. Although I was only five when we moved, I remember
many things that happened when we lived there. There was the time I fell in
with a group of Boy Scouts that were on their way to Bryan park. My Mother had
no idea where I was. I don’t know how they found me but I do remember the
consequences. It was very painful as I recall.

My first school was Mrs. Hilda Wallerstein’s “Play School” around the corner. I
only had to cross the street, go up the alley three houses and I was there.
But I go on too long. Let me thank you again, Mrs. Jennings, for being so
thoughtful and forwarding this information to me. The next time Becky
and I are in Richmond I will give you a call and if it is convenient I
would like to drop by and say hello and maybe see the house.
Sincerely,

About the Bellevue Spring 2005 Cleanup
By Joe Robertson

I just want to say a few words about the spring cleanup:
Lisa Harr, Audrey Kane, Katie Roemer, Barbara Taggart, Amanda Vea,
Drew Griffin, Larry Jones, Melvin Law, Chuck Lindsay, Paul Quel, Alex Simon
(also co-chairman for the cleanup), Steve Stankiewicz, Jay Stroble, and
Mark Sulanke.

These fifteen volunteers cleaned up your neighborhood on April 30th. The
absolute minimum number of people needed to accomplish our goal of
cleaning the entire neighborhood and keeping Bellevue among the tidiest
neighborhoods in the city is fifteen. There are approximately 1200 homes
in Bellevue. I am certain that more of you can give four hours of your time
to insure Bellevue remains one of our cleanest areas.

Please watch for announcements regarding the Fall Cleanup scheduled for
Saturday, October 29th.

Besides the people listed above, I would like to thank Billie Raines at the
Department of Public Works for lining up the trucks and drivers for us and
Stir Crazy for the coffee.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH REPORT
By Linda Decker

Hi! Don't you think it would be great if when incidents of mischief or
any criminal activity occurred in the neighborhood you could get a rapid
report delivered right to your home?

Well, so do I. We're in the process of putting together an automated phone
dialer that will be able to deliver a recorded message to anyone's phone/
voicemail who wishes to be notified. We've found shareware that can do
this at no cost but we need to have a computer to load it on. It needs a
Pentium 3 processor and Windows 2000 or better to operate. If you or anyone
you know has a computer they are no longer using, would you consider
donating it to the Bellevue Civic Association? Once we have a machine,
we'll gather names and phone numbers of neighbors and set up the system.

We will need volunteers to canvass the blocks near their homes to get the
information. Please consider helping. It's not hard and it will make our area
a safer place for our families. Please call Linda at 261-0459 if you can help.

16th annual Bellevue Garden Walk
by Betty Lewis Smith, Chairperson

The 16th Annual Bellevue Garden Walk took place on Sunday, May 22. The
weather cooperated and provided a glorious day to visit the gardeners and
enjoy their gardens. A comment was overheard recognizing the diversity
among the gardens in this year's walk and I would certainly agree. There was
garden which focused on the owner's bonsai; there were shade gardens;
another showed the gardener's love of blue; and still another showed a love
of roses. There were cottage gardens, gardens with water including a pool,
and community gardens. I personally was thrilled with all and thank the owners
for their willingness to share. This continues to be a wonderful way to share
our neighborhood.

Several gardens have already signed up for next year. If you would like to join
the fun, simply notify a committee member of your interest. A willingness to
open your garden gate to neighbors is all the qualification we need. So don't
miss out on the fun! Participate in next year's Garden Walk!

The continued success of this event is to be shared not only with the gardeners
but with the committee members and our loyal sponsors. The committee
members include: Michele Banalett, Kathy Sadler, Judith Brown, Patsy Glazer,
Susan Murphy, Linda Decker, Diane Day, Jim Schuyler, Judd Proctor, Brian Burn,
Frank Dellinger, Fred Gerson, and Florenz Sterling. Everyone contributed to
making this event a success. And we had fun doing it!

The committee also wishes to thank several neighbors who lent a hand to
distribute flyers to every residence in Bellevue: Larry Jones, Annette Lane,
Joe Robertson, Kelly McCants, Della Anderson, and Sandy Kreiser.

Once again, we are grateful for the support our sponsors: Mike, Mary Ann, and
Brian from Azalea Garden Center; Carolyn Raskind with Westminster Canterbury;
and Joan Peaslee with Prudential Realtors. Thank you.

Again, if you are interested, please contact me, Betty Lewis Smith at 266-9410,
or another committee member.

From the Azalea Gardens

Over in the Garden my band of Merrymen have increased so we may be able
to keep up with the weeds, but can always use extra hands. Shortly, we will
be pruning the shrubs and I would be most appreciative for anybody with
some knowledge of pruning and a pair of pruning shears. This is always a
challenging time of year, the rains come and so do the weeds, at the same
time we have to feed and prune, plus start the propagation. We are also in
need of newspapers, which we use to retard weeds. Just leave them by either
gate to the Garden.

Many of you are allowing your dogs to run loose in the beds. Do you even care
how many azaleas you have killed? Do you even care who steps in your dog
droppings? The fine starts at $100.00 when you are caught. The dog people
have destroyed over $700.00 in signage last year. Each call for service costs
the city approximately $300.00 and guess who pays for this? These are the little
acts that make our property taxes go up. How about some eyes to help us catch
some of the miscreants? Their operating hours are 6:30-8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
until dark.

Another problem is the persons who pull up to the gate on Bellevue Avenue so
the various trucks can't get in. I lost a full load of mulch on a recent Saturday
because of this.

The progress that has been made over the last 5 years is slow but obvious. I
have never heard any citizen challenge the City when they made the decision
not to care for the azaleas. So until they become accountable, I will be slow.
It took 30 years of neglect for it to deteriorate so have patience.

The Azalea Lady
Irene Jennings
264-8638

Wanted Dead or Alive
Flamingo Poachers Reward

Sometime during the evening of May 21, 2005, seven, count them, s-e-v-e-n,
Pink Flamingos were stolen from the median strip on Fauquier Avenue and my
front porch. They were stolen just in time for the Garden Walk and they were
obviously missing from the action in the strip. The police have been contacted
and Richmond's finest are working the caper. Detective Tobin is on the case.
Any information about their whereabouts should be reported immediately so
this delicate case can be solved. We all know there is no way they flew the
coop on their own – they were happy and well-cared for in their nests. The
crime was also reported to the Neighborhood Security Patrol team and the
crime hotline. I searched the area high and low during patrol and have not seen
one feather. My guess is that they were bird-napped to another neighborhood.
Any help you can offer would be most appreciated.

Thank you,
Michele Banalett, Crime Victim

GARDEN HINTS
brought to you by The Garden Walk Committee

Spend as much money on your soil as you do on your plants. Improve your soil
with organic material each year to keep your garden beautiful.

Use containers throughout your garden to draw the eye upward or downward.
Containers also provide a great way to 'contain' invasive plants like mint or
loosestrife.

Texture in the garden adds interest as well as color. Mix plants with ruffled
leaves, smooth leaves, and varying shades of green in the foliage as well as
the blooms.

Deadheading helps many perennials blooming and is worth the effort.
Coreopsis, scabiosa, and phlox are among perennials that benefit.

The Houses of Bellevue
By Florenz S. Sterling, Editor

Bellevue is a neighborhood of varying house types ranging from modern to
classic old houses. We would like to run articles on a different house in each
newsletter. We will start with a letter written to a Bellevue resident who
lived in the house she currently lives in. I hope you enjoy reading the letter
found on page 3.

I have lived in Bellevue since September 1969 and have enjoyed every minute
of it as I love antique things such as old houses. We hope to run stories each
edition on houses in Bellevue. Please let us know by sending a letter or email
for the newsletter to Larry Jones, President, at jonesll4114@earthlink.net.

PRINCETON CREEK UPDATE
By Nancy and Roy Reynolds

If you have walked or driven along Princeton Road lately, you are aware of
the ever- changing landscape around Princeton Creek. By the time you read
this update the work may indeed be complete. The utility work is done with
a new section of sewer in place and new power and phone lines at the lower
end of the creek.

At the upper end of the creek nearest Crestwood Road a stilling pond has been
constructed to take the energy out of the storm water before it enters the
restored creek. The position of the new creek bed has been established,
with contouring, and soil stabilization under way. The shrubs and trees will
be planted in the fall.

Drainage from approximately 400 acres of Bellevue flows through Princeton
Creek on its way to the Chesapeake Bay. When you visit Young's Pond in Bryan
Park and see the silt, you are looking at soil from the banks along Princeton
Creek. The newly restored creek with twice the capacity of the old one will
be better able to handle the flow of storm water with little or no erosion,
reducing new silting in Young's Pond.

There are a couple of things to remember. First, anything that winds up in
your storm drain flows through Princeton Creek and Bryan Park, eventually
flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. Please be mindful of what you put into a
storm drain. Second, the restored Princeton Creek is located in an easement
provided by the property owners, but the creek resides in their backyards.
Please ask permission from the property owner before trekking through their
property. Opportunities will be available to view the restored Princeton
Creek up close.

Dear Bellevue Residents,

Thank you for the many articles and pictures you have provided for the
Bellevue Times newsletter over the years I have been editor. It has been
an opportunity to get to know the neighborhood and to continue my editing
skills since retiring from my job as a professional writer and editor with the
State. Effective with the next issue I am retiring as editor and will become
the advertising manager for the newsletter and will continue to serve on the
Civic Association board.

Florenz Sterling
Editor

The Plant Swap – A Bellevue Tradition

The eighth Bellevue plant swap was held April 30, 2005 from 11:30 a.m. to
1:00 p.m. Over 130 plants were brought to the Swap and found a new home
in Bellevue. In addition to swapping plants, participants were able to buy
new plants for $1.00 each. The Bellevue Plant Swap generated $52.00 for
the Bellevue Civic Association and 14 plants were donated to the Bellevue
Merchants' parking lot.

The coordinators of the event, Jan Brown and Kath Sadler, want to recognize
the people who helped make the Plant Swap another success. Jill Brown,
Page Calisch, and Betty Smith contributed their time and plant knowledge
during the event itself while Judith Brown provided her graphic design skills
to help with signage for the event. This year, Bob Kocher, owner of
Once Upon a Vine, made his parking space available, providing more space
for the participants to peruse the plants before selecting.

Since the Plant Swap has become more popular, the coordinators are mindful
of the increased numbers of participants and are open to suggestions for next
year. Please call Jan at 262-5469 or Kath at 262-6835 with your ideas or to
volunteer for next year.

Fauquier Median Gardeners Give Thanks
By Michele Banalett, Head Gardner (Self-proclaimed) and Lead Stripper

Once again the median strip in the 3900 block of Fauquier Avenue is ablaze
with colorful flowers and newly emerging tomatoes, peppers, and other
sundry vegetables. We are the grateful recipients of the generosity of others.
Tulips line the strip for most of April and early May, thanks to the Chesterfield
County Extension Office and an anonymous benefactor. Next came the flowers
and veggies from both the Chesterfield and Henrico Counties Technical Centers.

The students and staff do a wonderful job raising the sprouts into gorgeous
plants and when their sales are in find homes for the remaining plants.
We are very red this year – salvia and petunias that needed homes found us
on Fauquier Avenue. Shopping for plants at the Tech Centers is one of the
world's best kept secrets. Mark your calendars for next year, late in April, and
plan to get there early as they sellout fast. The students are always quite helpful
and they don't hesitate to tell you that the plant you are looking at was grown
personally by them. How can you not buy it? Now, if I could just figure out a
way to convince them to come into the city to plant them.

The strip gardeners are thankful for any and all donations. These are huge plots
to fill and I for one cannot stand to see a speck of dirt, I want to see flowers
everywhere. This season, Southern States donated some beautiful yard art
to display in the strip. They will take the place of the missing (stolen)
flamingos. Thanks to the people who drive by and say thank – that means a lot
to us and is a big part of why we do it.

The Garden Walk was a blast and we enjoyed sharing the gardens in an up close
and personal way. Betty Lewis Smith and the Garden Walk committee once
again orchestrated a fabulous event. A big thanks goes out to Irene Jennings
for providing me with several important names and phone numbers. Two days
before the scheduled walk, the grass in the median had not been cut, despite
my having made a special request at least a month in advance, apparently the
rain created some type of problem for the heavy equipment. I simply
suggested a man and a push-mower accompanied by a weed eater and the
grass was cut in less than an hour – Irene knew exactly who I needed to talk
to in order to get the job done.

I also must thank Sandy Krieser, who at any moment is subject to drive by with
a surprise in her car trunk that she wants to share. A new, old wheelbarrow has
found its way to the median to replace that wicker loveseat that outlived its
usefulness. It is planted with a full array of flowers and vegetables and squash
and cucumbers should be pouring over the sides any minute now. I just hope it
doesn't go the same way as the flamingos. I'll refrain from trying to fix it by
putting a wheel where it now rests on a flower pot.

Thank you all and happy gardening.

Please Don't Do It!
Dear Neighbors,
Our good neighbors on Pope Avenue have a serious problem and need your
help. As you know, Pope Avenue is a one-way street. Unfortunately, some
seem to feel that taking the shortcut from Crestwood Avenue to Princeton
Road is okay as long as you don't get caught. Even worse, drivers go so far
as to drive the wrong way up Pope toward the Arch, some continuing through
the arch the wrong way! Couple this with the high speed of the cars coming
the right way down the street and we have a disaster in the making.

Residents on Pope Avenue are working with City officials to develop a plan
to stop the wrong-way traffic once and for all. This could mean changes in
traffic patterns in the neighborhood, including the possibility of making other
streets one-way; barricades; right turn only intersections; etcetera. No one
wants these changes, but if our neighbors and others continue to break the
law, there will be no other choice.

Pope with its historic arch is an integral part of this city and is the very heart
of Bellevue. It would be a shame to limit its access.
If you are guilty of taking the shortcut, today is a good day to stop! Please
help us keep Pope Avenue the way it is by obeying the law.

If you are interested in serving on the traffic committee, please contact
Nancy Reynolds at NancyReynolds@comcast.net or 640-1099.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR BELLEVUE RESIDENTS
Information Provided by Mike LaBelle

Sec. 19-54 Weeds and other vegetation(((a) It shall he a misdemeanor for
any person who owns or occupies(property within the City to permit any grass,
plant, bushes, weeds or(any other vegetation twelve (12) inches high or over,
other than trees, shrubbery, agricultural plants, garden vegetables, flowers or
ornamental plants, to exist on such property.(((b) It shall be a misdemeanor for
any person who owns or occupies (property within the City to permit the
existence on such property of any(live or dead hedge, shrub, tree or other
vegetation, any part of which (extends or protrudes into any street, sidewalk,
public right-of-way,(grass strip or alley so as to obstruct or impede or threaten
the safe (and orderly movement of persons or vehicles.(((c) It shall be a
misdemeanor for any person who owns or occupies (property within the City
to permit any grass, plant, bushes, weeds or(any other vegetation twelve (12)
inches high or over, other than trees, (shrubbery, agricultural plants, garden
vegetables, flowers or ornamental (plants, to exist on any sidewalk, public
right-of-way, grass strip adjacent (to such property or unimproved street or
alley (to the centerline of such (unimproved street or alley).(((Code 1985 25-4;
Ord. No.89-311-289, 1, 10-23-89)

Bellevue Civic Association Officers 2005

President – Larry Jones 264-4953
Vice President – Roy Reynolds 928-1588
Secretary – Joellen Davis 262-3570
Treasurer – Mary Garber 262-6771
Newsletter – Florenz Sterling 264-8704
Past President – Ed Parks 264-8867
Arch – Chuck Epes 264-7123
Education – Roy Reynolds 928-1588
Garden Walk – Betty Lewis Smith 266-9410
Neighborhood Cleanup –
        Joe Robertson, Chairman 262-2121 Alex Simon, Cochairman 266-1676
Neighborhood Watch – Linda Decker 261-0459
Safety – Vacant
Security Patrol –
Chris Sterling 266-7496
Beth Rappaport 264-4860
Traffic/Upham Brook – Nancy Reynolds 640-1099
Web Site Editor – John Anderson editor@bellevueweb.org
At Large – Jerry DeVoss 262-7427