Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Wi-Fi Available in Rose Hill

Photos below.... and I don’t know how I got a copy of this joke, years ago, or who wrote it.  

I switched the names and references from the Virginia Mountaineer of Grundy, Backbone Ridge, Haysi, and Bubba to the Powell Valley News in Lee County, Cumberland Mountain, Rose Hill, and Joan -- so that I am the butt of the joke.  

Does that make the joke less “politically incorrect?”  Here’s the joke….

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago. Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, a California archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story in the LA Times read: "California archaeologists, after finding 200 year old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers."  One week later, the Powell Valley News in Lee County, Virginia reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 feet in her backyard near Cumberland Mountain in Rose Hill, a self-taught archaeologist reported that she found absolutely nothing. Joan has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, that part of Virginia had already gone wireless."  Hillbillies are such a proud bunch.

Wi-Fi is now available in Rose Hill Library’s parking areas.  The maple tree beside the library offers some delightful shade and there’s a nice view of the cliffs from under that shade tree.



Monday, September 24, 2012

Heartwood blog features Lee County swinging bridges today

 
Testing, testing 1-2-3!! ;)  Hello?!  Hello?! :)  May the blogging begin!  I think blogging can be mighty fun, and I'm look forward to BLOGGING again right here from Lee County, Virginia. I am now the part-time Lee County Tourism Director.  It can be a very interesting and sometimes rather fun position.  Some days I get "paid to be a tourist" more or less, as I identify, locate, visit, photograph, and enjoy some of the delightful destinations in Lee County.  Those are the most fun days of all!  I haven't even been to half of the places here in Lee County that people have told me about yet, but I am certainly looking forward to more of those scattered days here and there, when I get to be a tourist in Lee County, Virginia.  For example, there are a dozen VDOT-maintained, public access swinging bridges in Lee County.  So far, I've been on just two of them.  They were FUN!!!  The local newspaper, Powell Valley News, took this photo of me for a newspaper story back in the Winter, and kindly sent me a copy.  And swinging bridges are the feature for today's post, both here and at Heartwood's blog.

There are lots of remarkable and visionary organizations and agencies working collaboratively to invite tourists into Lee County's stunningly scenic, authentic Appalachian adventures.  One of those visionary organizations is "Heartwood."  It is so appropriate to open up this Rose Hill blog anew, by sharing a blog post in partnership with Heartwood at www.myswva.org where they posted my Lee County's swinging bridges blog entry today.  By the way, Beech Grove and the Powell River and that swinging bridge on Virgil Minor Road are not far from Rose Hill.  I love riding scooters out the back of Rose Hill and over into Beech Grove.  The photo above is upstream on The Powell a bit, and it's not the first photo printed/published of me "just a swingin' on bridge 666." 

Anyway, this old Rose Hill blog is kind of leftover from back when fiber-to-the-home came to our community.  It's just been left sitting here unattended for quite some time.  Now it needs a bit of dusting off, some clean up (tons of spam trash has piled up in the comments section), and fresh invigoration. ;)  testing, testing 1-2-3!

Joan Minor
Lee County Tourism Director
Tel (276) 346-4629
Email jminor@co.lee.state.va.us

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Rose Hill scenes





Took theses photos recently from my backyard. Everything is real green this year - since we've had plenty of both sunshine and rain.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Washington Post article response

In response to The Washington Post article...

Here's the short version -

I beg to differ with The Washington Post article on several points. First, the census statistic about high school diplomas printed in The Washington Post article was reported incorrectly. That was irritating.

Further, Rose Hill does have potential, worthy of both mention and investment. With hopes to gain many jobs in Rose Hill, local and regional leaders recently completed a new shell building in Rose Hill’s Constitutional Oaks Industrial Park, now served by fiber-optic Internet. In addition, eco-tourism and heritage tourism are growing sectors in our area. For example, nearby Wilderness Road State Park attracted over 138,000 visitors last year. Particularly with fiber-to-the-home now available, Rose Hill has potential for significant self-employment, small business, and entrepreneurial growth. Rose Hill residents are more likely than other U.S. residents to launch and operate a sole proprietorship. According to the census, in Rose Hill, 23% of the employed civilian labor force are self-employed workers in their own not incorporated business, in comparison to only 7% in the U.S. Rose Hill has produced successful entrepreneurs, including Pete DeBusk, whose company, DeRoyal Industries, Inc., employs over 2,000 people around the world. Today, residents in western Lee County are successfully embarking upon e-commerce. My personal favorite is www.roadkillbbqsauce.com, where you can fill up your online shopping cart with some of the area’s latest products. I heard they were featured on Japanese television.

Many Rose Hill residents desire and value education and training. While Connect Rose Hill project leaders had set a goal of attracting 80 computer/Internet training participants to Rose Hill Library’s new computer center, more than 450 participants showed up.

Finally, The Washington Post article incorrectly reported that Rose Hill is a town. Rose Hill is not a town. In my opinion, Rose Hill is most certainly a “hamlet,” which according to my 1959 Random House American College Dictionary, is “1. a small village. 2. a little cluster of houses in the country.”


Here's more detail -

High School Graduates Census Statistics Correction -

The Washington Post incorrectly quoted the census statistics. The statement, “About 71 percent of Lebanon’s residents have a high school diploma, compared with Rose Hill, where only 29 percent do, according to the census” is incorrect. A correct statement would be, “About 71 percent of Lebanon’s residents age 25 years and over have a high school diploma or higher, compared with Rose Hill, where about 48 percent do, according to the census.”

Another correct statement would be, “At least 51 percent of Lebanon’s residents have a high school diploma or higher, compared with Rose Hill, where at least 35 percent do, according to the census.” The U.S. Census Bureau’s Census 2000 reports: Lebanon’s population is 3,273. Lebanon’s population 25 years and over is 2,325. Among Lebanon’s population 25 years and over: 1,657 residents are a high school graduate (includes equivalency) or higher. Rose Hill CDP’s population is 714. Rose Hill CDP’s population 25 years and over is 528. Among Rose Hill CDP’s population 25 years and over: 253 residents are a high school graduate (includes equivalency) or higher.

The Desire for Many Jobs -

According to a recent Middlesboro Daily News (www.middlesborodailynews.com) article, “The shell building in Rose Hill’s Constitutional Oaks Industrial Park has finally been completed, and is ready for an industry to move into it.” The article provides a quote from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Executive Director Jonathan Belcher stating that, “…everyone would have to be ‘patient’ and the building won’t have ‘overnight success.’” The grand opening was held in early 2009. The Tennessee Valley Authority and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership are among the organizations working to market the industrial site. Property details about Constitutional Oaks Industrial Park are also available at www.YesVirginia.org.

Information about Rose Hill’s Constitutional Oaks Industrial Park is also available at www.rosehillvirginia.org. Information is presented in both in the website’s “Business and Industry” section and also in several of the website’s blog entries. The blog presents photos from the groundbreaking event in the March 26, 2008 post; of site preparation work in the June 12, 2008 post; and of the building while under construction in the August 17, 2008 post.


Eco- and Heritage Tourism Opportunities -

Rose Hill is located at the original site of Martin's Station which was at one time the westernmost fort. Today there is a replica of Martin's Station fort down the road less than 10 miles at Wilderness Road State Park. Wilderness Road State Park was mentioned in a recent Kingsport Times News article about Virginia State Parks and their economic impact. The article explained, "Park officials reach the economic impact funding based on an average of $75 spent per overnight visitor and an average of $16 per day use visitor. Wilderness Road State Park had 138,890 visitors and a $2.2 million impact in 2008.



Self-employment Among Rose Hill Residents -

Census statistics document that many Rose Hill residents are aspiring to achieve self-reliance through self-employment. According to the census, in Rose Hill CDP, a remarkable 23% of the employed civilian labor force are self-employed workers in their own not incorporated business, in comparison to only 9% in Lee County, 6% in Virginia, and 7% in the U.S.


Rose Hill Entrepreneurial Success -

Rose Hill also benefits from having a local role model entrepreneur, Pete DeBusk. Rose Hill’s primary private employer is DeRoyal Industries, Inc. The company’s founder was born and raised in Rose Hill and his company now employs over 2,000 worldwide, including two facilities in Rose Hill. Raised in Rose Hill, entrepreneur Pete DeBusk operates his international headquarters in nearby Tennessee. According to their website at www.deroyal.com, “Since 1973, DeRoyal has been a leader and an innovator in the healthcare industry. From our humble beginnings as a cottage industry, DeRoyal has grown into an international corporation with over 26 locations worldwide.” The company website mentions facilities in Estonia, Dominican Republic, and Guatemala. The website further reports, “DeRoyal's success can be attributed in great measure to its owner and chairman, Autry O.V. "Pete" DeBusk. Pete was born and raised in Rose Hill, Virginia. Pete graduated from Thomas Walker High School in Rose Hill, received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee and attended graduate school at the University of Georgia. Pete began his career in 1965 as a pharmaceutical salesman for Hoechst Laboratories. In 1969, he joined Solar Laboratories as a regional sales manager. His education and experience led him to the development of his first company, Pete DeBusk and Associates in 1970. In 1973, Pete patented his first orthopedic product and founded STAT Medical. In 1976, DeRoyal Industries, Inc. was incorporated. Since that time, DeRoyal has grown to manufacture over 30,000 different medical and surgical supplies with over 2,000 employees.”

Many Rose Hill Residents Desire to Learn -

Both the USDA Community Connect guidelines and the Connect Rose Hill project leaders recognized the need for computer/Internet training. The project goal was for at least 80 residents to participate in a training workshop at the new computer center inside the library. Resident response to the training opportunities was fairly remarkable. Workshops began in June 2007 and by December 31, 2008, a total of 453 participants had attended 100 computer/Internet training workshops in the new Rose Hill Library computer center.

Held 19 times, the most popular workshop was Microsoft Word, which attracted 76 participants. Eight (8) Digital Photography workshops attracted 46 participants. Repeated workshops on Basic Keyboarding, Email Basics, and Navigating Internet Explorer were also well-attended. Each of those topics attracted over 20 total participants through 4-5 workshops. Other training workshops included Computer Basics, Using the Mouse, Library Home Page, Copy & Paste, Intermediate Email, Basic Games, and Burning CDs. The Virginia Electronic Commerce Technology Center conducted an e-commerce short course series, providing training on E-Commerce 101, How to Improve Your Website, and Internet Marketing.

Not a Town, But a Little Mountain Village, a Hamlet

The Washington Post article incorrectly refers to Rose Hill as a town. Rose Hill is not a town. Rose Hill is only a Census Designated Place (CDP), as defined by the U.S. Census. I like to call Rose Hill a “little mountain village,” although I can’t imagine that any of my Rose Hill neighbors would refer to Rose Hill as a “village.” A few call it “RoseVegas.” One of the locals called me a “resident tourist.” I like that term. It suits me well. In my own opinion, Rose Hill is also most certainly a “hamlet,” which according to my 1959 Random House American College Dictionary, is “1. a small village. 2. a little cluster of houses in the country.”

Joan Minor
www.rosehillvirginia.org

Sunday, April 12, 2009

hunting hickory chickens
















So it's Easter Sunday and today was a warm and sunny day in Rose Hill. It rained all week, snowed some, and it will likely rain again tomorrow. But a bright and sunny Easter Sunday was tucked in between the dreary days. After church I took off on my scooter heading out towards Martins Creek and Possum Holler and Giles Holler... my usual route. There were lots of fishermen enjoying the nice weather on the banks of Martins Creek. Martins Creek was stocked on Thursday. Folks were catching as many as 12 fish in a day on Friday. I saw one trout pulled out today. So I'm hanging out with these fishermen on the banks of Martins Creek and one of them starts talking about "hickory chickens." I got to laughing, saying, "I've heard about these hickory chickens, but I wouldn't know one if I saw it." Apparently, they are edible mushrooms which only grow in the Spring. And it's a special pasttime for some of the local Rose Hill folks to go out in the woods in search of "hickory chickens," which is a type of morel mushroom. Apparently, you fry them and eat them. Seeing my interest in hickory chickens, the fisherman took a break from his fishing to find me a hickory chicken. After seeing what one looks like, I then spent most of the afternoon walking around in the woods along Martins Creek looking for hickory chickens. Only found a few. I brought one home and showed it to the youngins. My daughter started laughing and talking about when her buddy at school was telling her about having a jolly good time going into the woods looking for hickory chickens. At first, my daughter had pictured her buddy chasing wild chickens in the woods - until her buddy explained that hickory chickens are mushrooms. It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon - instead of hunting Easter eggs, I found myself hunting hickory chickens. I found lots of real pretty little wild flowers. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much growth and life is happening on the forest floor. Looks like nothing but brown leaves covering the ground in the woods from the road. But you get out there walking in the woods - and far out - there's all kinds of wonderful fern prawns and flowers, and I even saw a wild geranium blooming already. I couldn't find much info very easily on the web about hickory chickens, except in several blogs. But I did find a bit of information on http://www.answers.yahoo.com/ -- "Hickory chickens are little mushrooms that look like a christmas tree, with a stem (resembling the trunk of the christmas tree and a cap, resembling the shape of a christmas tree), with the exception that it is colored much differently. The color generally varies between beige to dark brown. These mushrooms only come out in Virginia/Kentucky areas once a year, usually in the spring and can only be found in woods, but are more common to some areas in these states than others. Some people refer to or call these mushrooms "dry land fish" instead of hickory chickens. They are wonderful when dredged in a flour/salt/pepper mixture and fried. They have a very distinct taste. The only other detail I can think of is that they normally grow on the mossy sides of trees, in areas that are dark and moist, and grow up together in groups. They normally will grow up and above ground in a day or two and usually not last more than a week or so, but may bloom more than once in a given season." Anyways, it was sure fun to walk around the woods looking for hickory chickens! Red buds are blooming, lots of flowers are blooming, and it's hickory chicken season in Rose Hill.
Joan










Saturday, March 14, 2009

local scenery





































well, I've never tried to post so many photos in one blog entry. Thank you to the visitor commenting on the Giles Hollow Road post. Here's some more local scenery photos. These were all taken on the same little scooter ride in May 2008. The two photos with the bright yellow fields were taken on Giles Hollow Road.
Joan

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Fire near White Rocks


Got out and about today on my scooter. Sure enjoyed touring around the backroads. Went all the way out to the river in Hancock County TN. Here's a photo from my scooter ride, back in western Lee County. There were some forest fires on the mountain, but last I heard they don't seem to be spreading.
Joan