Marlow Heights 60s and 70s Newsletter, 2 Jan 2011

[ArkRescue]

whoops reverse the prices (left to right)

 

[hvp05]

Marlow Heights and vicinity began a drastic change well before 1992. My web site focuses on the heyday of that area, of the 60s and 70s. Much as we hear how bad the area is now, it's actually better than it was in the 2002 timeframe in which you left, believe it or not.

I left the area well before 1992, yet I remember it being not so great. We lived in a house near MH, so we shopped at the mall and the other places regularly. Then moved to Temple Hills in 1985 and left in 1994.

I wouldn't trust going back to either area these days, regardless how many assurances that it was "better" I heard.

Oxon Hill near Eastover (close to SE DC line) know the area? - now that was a HOOD, but I was too young to be scared when I was there - as I got older I realized how bold I had been to walk to the store when I lived there.

(See above.) I remember playing outside/in the street; it was a major area, but quiet. I was too young to notice, myself.

 

[ArkRescue]

Until late Sep. I had a bank acct. in the rescue's name, but I closed it when I was informed the free small business checking at Suntrust was going away to be replaced by monthly fees. I didn't want to see the small balance we had eaten up by fees so I closed the acct.

Looking for another free account now, and until I find one, I can't accept any checks in the name of the rescue. So I'm sort-of stuck right now as far as accepting non-cash donations. Thanks for the offer. I can let you know when I find and open another acct. for the rescue.

My guys are a bit too, um, portly for them. But I could help the Critter Rescue. I don't have pay pal though.

 

[ArkRescue]

thanks

O.K. If you need specific things, food, bedding, litter, let me know.

 

[kwillia]

Forrestville Elementary '73 representin'...

 

[EmptyTimCup]

Oxon Hill near Eastover (close to SE DC line) know the area? - now that was a HOOD, but I was too young to be scared when I was there - as I got older I realized how bold I had been to walk to the store when I lived there.

I grew up in Oxon Hill, went to Thomas Addison Elementary 73-76

 

[ArkRescue]

You're old ....

I grew up in Oxon Hill, went to Thomas Addison Elementary 73-76

 

[mitzi]

Oxon Hill near Eastover (close to SE DC line) know the area? - now that was a HOOD, but I was too young to be scared when I was there - as I got older I realized how bold I had been to walk to the store when I lived there.

That area has been the pits since the mid 60s. What time era did you actually walk to the store there???

 

[Proud_Nana]

Well, I guess I'm OLDER
When we lived on St. Clair Drive in Marlow Heights....
I was born in 1960, went to Sandymount Elementary, then Benjamin Stoddert (it was junior high then), and started 10th grade at Potomac High when we were bussed...was suppose to go to Crossland. Moved to Calvert County middle of 10th grade when I was 15. I walked to school, walked to Iverson Mall, walked to Giant, BoPeep, Hot Shoppes, and to the Red Barn on St. Barnabus....we walked everywhere and never had any problems. This neighborhood started to deteriorate as we were preparing to move.

 

[MarlowHgtsfan]

Marlow Heights

I left the area well before 1992, yet I remember it being not so great. We lived in a house near MH, so we shopped at the mall and the other places regularly. Then moved to Temple Hills in 1985 and left in 1994.

I wouldn't trust going back to either area these days, regardless how many assurances that it was "better" I heard.



(See above.) I remember playing outside/in the street; it was a major area, but quiet. I was too young to notice, myself.

I have attended all of the Steak in a Sack get togethers for 2 years now. They are safe and fun. You meet in the middle of the day in a busy shopping center. Everyone should come out and see their old friends again, we won't live forever, some of us are already gone. Get together while you can.

 

[hvp05]

was suppose to go to Crossland.

I went to Crossland 1990 - '94. Lived a half mile away on Temple Hills Road; walked home every day. Granted, I did have to dodge the occasional gunshot.

Everyone should come out and see their old friends again, we won't live forever, some of us are already gone. Get together while you can.

Everyone I used to know drifted south into SoMD. Most certainly, I am not in the area any longer.

 

[gemma_rae]

I have attended all of the Steak in a Sack get togethers for 2 years now. They are safe and fun. You meet in the middle of the day in a busy shopping center. Everyone should come out and see their old friends again, we won't live forever, some of us are already gone. Get together while you can.

In other words, don't get caught there after dark or you're one dead cracker!

 

[gemma_rae]

Dear Friends of Marlow Heights 60s and 70s:

Well, another year has come and gone and it’s already 2011. Wasn’t it just yesterday that we welcomed the new millennium? Or for that matter, relatively speaking, wasn’t it just yesterday that we were in 5th grade at Sandymount Elementary, watching a football game at Crossland, sledding down Reeve’s Hill or St. Claire Drive, dancing for the first time at the Benjamin Stoddert Teen Club, going to the carnival at Marlow Heights Shopping Center, eating a Royal Burger or Pappy Parker fried chicken for the first time, working that first job in Iverson Mall, or getting our driver’s license? Man, where does the time go?

Anyway, there have been a lot of positive changes with your web site, Marlow Heights 60s and 70s. As many of you have probably noticed, the site has a new look, which should hopefully make it easier to view, navigate around, and find what you’re looking for. The changes also include finally adding all the photo galleries from the many Steak in a Sack get togethers, dances, and school tours. We also added a personal endorsement from Susan Gailey, the, “Ourisman Girl”, where you, “always get your way, at Ourisman Chevrolet”, and where Susan also said that she always gets her memories from Marlow Heights 60s and 70s. The Guest Book is going stronger than ever, and at this writing, there are 938 entries! Lots of great memories, but you’ll need to have some time on your side to go through all of them. Please also bear in mind that there is a Google search box specifically for the Guest Book, at the bottom of the site home page. There is also one for the site itself.

Several of you generously made donations to the upkeep of the web site, and I used that to good effect, as well as money made off of selling Marlow Heights 60s and 70s t-shirts, mugs, pens, and calendars. In the interest of disclosure, since we all own Marlow Heights 60s and 70s, I can tell you that this past year I paid over $3,000 in web consulting, hosting fees, and software licenses. In particular, Chris Weber from Layer 9 Security has done a phenomenal job with these new changes. But as I’ve said before and I will say again, Marlow Heights 60s and 70s will always be a free site. Thank you to everyone who has donated, as well as contributed photos, videos, and information about Marlow Heights 60s and 70s.

We also added videos to the site, in addition to the Ourisman one. If you go to the, “Do You Remember?”, pages, you’ll see we’ve put up videos from Hot Shoppes, Pappy Parker, and one of someone using a pair of Clackers (anyone remember how good Nikki McCawley was with a pair of ‘em, in the lunchroom at Benjamin Stoddert?). I also plan to put up one in the near future of one I produced, which will show everyone how to make a Mighty Mo/Royal Burger.

There were many activities outside of the web site which I sponsored. We held four get togethers at Steak in a Sack this year, with the one in March attended by a record 60 people, and covered by a newspaper reporter and photographer (which was followed by a story in the PG Gazette). Two Marlow Heights 60s and 70s dances were held, one in April and one in October. At the one in April we again served up Mighty Mo’s. So what’s in the future for Marlow Heights 60s and 70s? Read on, folks, and may all of you have a very happy and prosperous New Year, and I wish each of you good health and good fortune.

Next Steak in a Sack Get Together, December 11, 2010
The next get together at Steak in a Sack will be on March 26, 2011, from 2-5 p.m.

Next Marlow Heights 60s and 70s Dance
The next dance is tentatively scheduled to be October this year, based upon feedback I’ve received from many folks, who have stated that we should limit these dances to once a year. I’ve been scouting locations to hold the dance in Southern Maryland besides the Chesapeake Beach American Legion, and many of you have made some great suggestions. I am hiring my own professional caterer, and have them to fix EXACTLY what we want to serve at the dance. What would you like? If the people want Mighty Mo’s/Royal Burgers, onion rings, orange freezes, etc., that’s what we’ll serve, BUT fresh and hot by professionals. If you want something else, let me know, as the majority will rule. I have already set up secure, on-line ordering on my site, so that’s where everyone will make their ticket orders via PayPal. You can also RSVP via email for those who will want to pay at the door, or may contact me to make arrangements to send a personal check. Right now I’m shooting to keep the cost of the tickets $20 or below, whether purchased in advance or at the door, however, we do need RSVP’s so we can get a head count. Any other suggestions you’d like to offer for the next dance, I’m all ears. My desire is to create a fun, nostalgic evening for everyone, to, “Keep the memories alive”, and create new ones.

School Tours
Any of you that would like to tour your old schools, let me know and I’ll see what I can arrange. Informally, we were able to get inside Benjamin Stoddert twice this year, prior to regularly scheduled Steak in a Sack get togethers. For the high schools, we probably can’t just walk inside like that, but we should be able to make arrangements to have a school official chaperone our group. We did this in October 2009 at Potomac Senior High and can do it again. It just take coordination but also a minimum number of attendees (10 or more).

As always, until next time…

Keep the memories alive,

Chuck Fraley
MARLOW HEIGHTS 60's & 70's
Bringing you fun memories of Marlow Heights and vicinity of the 60s and 70s!

Sorry Chucky, Marlow Hieghts sux & so does your website.

 

[ArkRescue]

If it works for you that's great. Personally I don't go anywhere NEAR that area anymore. I figure just being in the vicinity increases my odds of having something bad happen to me. I prefer to at least have better odds by going to safer places (statistically).

I have attended all of the Steak in a Sack get togethers for 2 years now. They are safe and fun. You meet in the middle of the day in a busy shopping center. Everyone should come out and see their old friends again, we won't live forever, some of us are already gone. Get together while you can.

 

[ArkRescue]

You're a youngster ....

So why did you leave the area?

I went to Crossland 1990 - '94. Lived a half mile away on Temple Hills Road; walked home every day. Granted, I did have to dodge the occasional gunshot.


Everyone I used to know drifted south into SoMD. Most certainly, I am not in the area any longer.

 

[mitzi]

Well, I guess I'm OLDER
When we lived on St. Clair Drive in Marlow Heights....
I was born in 1960, went to Sandymount Elementary, then Benjamin Stoddert (it was junior high then), and started 10th grade at Potomac High when we were bussed...was suppose to go to Crossland. Moved to Calvert County middle of 10th grade when I was 15. I walked to school, walked to Iverson Mall, walked to Giant, BoPeep, Hot Shoppes, and to the Red Barn on St. Barnabus....we walked everywhere and never had any problems. This neighborhood started to deteriorate as we were preparing to move.

I got you beat, I'm OLDER . I grew up there too. I remember shopping at Eastover for school clothes in 1st and 2nd grade. I went to Green Valley Elementary, Hillcrest Heights Elementary, Stoddert and Potomac. We walked everywhere too. Probably why we were all so skinny back then. I was a senior the year they started busing (72) so I was able to stay at Potomac. They didn't bus seniors the year it went into effect. I lived up there until my daughter was ready to start school and we moved down here. Plus I was sick of everything we had being stolen (car, motorcycle, plants, dog, etc.). I loved growing up there but then in the early 80s I began to hate it for the reasons above. I wonder how many here on the forums may have known each other back then.

 

[mitzi]

Sorry Chucky, Marlow Hieghts sux & so does your website.

And you can't spell

 

[gemma_rae]

What time era did you actually walk to the store there???

And you can't construct a proper sentence.

 

[MarlowHgtsfan]

In other words, don't get caught there after dark or you're one dead cracker!

That may be but crime happens everywhere.... I would not recommend Springfield Mall, plenty of crime, car jackings and murders have taken place there.

 

[OldHillcrestGuy]

I got you beat, I'm OLDER . I grew up there too. I remember shopping at Eastover for school clothes in 1st and 2nd grade. I went to Green Valley Elementary, Hillcrest Heights Elementary, Stoddert and Potomac. We walked everywhere too. Probably why we were all so skinny back then. I was a senior the year they started busing (72) so I was able to stay at Potomac. They didn't bus seniors the year it went into effect. I lived up there until my daughter was ready to start school and we moved down here. Plus I was sick of everything we had being stolen (car, motorcycle, plants, dog, etc.). I loved growing up there but then in the early 80s I began to hate it for the reasons above. I wonder how many here on the forums may have known each other back then.

Come on, cant beat me Im even older, started at Green Valley first year it opened which was right after Christmas, before that we went to school for the start of my 2nd grade at a building on St Barnabas Rd, just down from Silver Hill Rd and the D&G Grocery store at the 'T', you either had to go right or left at that intersection, there was no road that went straight through to Branch Ave. I remember Silver Hill Rd when it was a single lane road.
I went to Hillcrest Heights Elementary, Green Valley, Ben. Stoddert and then Crossland (66)(45th class reunion this July). We walked everywhere back then or I rode my bicycle.
Parents also shopped at Eastover think they had a JC Penny and Woodys there, parents also shopped at Morton's for school clothes, corner of Pennsylvania Ave and Minnesota Ave in SE.
My Dad and a brother still live in the same house that I grew up in back in 1952. They have been very lucky they have never had one instance of a crime to them or the house or property in all these years.