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In the News

Crossing guard ‘has quite a following’

Charlotte Ross, 87, is the longest-serving crossing guard in Alexandra. For nearly 50 years, she has helped little feet safely traverse the street.

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Sept. 20, 2012

Crossing guard Charlotte Ross, 87, stops traffic for pedestrians at the corner of Polk Avenue and North Pegram Street in Alexandria. Ross has been a crossing guard on this corner near James K. Polk Elementary for 48 years.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Ross cleans her coffeepot just before she walks six blocks to her post. In 1964, a man knocked on her door and asked the homemaker if she would like to work as a crossing guard at Polk Elementary.

Sept. 20, 2012

Ross cleans her coffeepot just before she walks six blocks to her post. In 1964, a man knocked on her door and asked the homemaker if she would like to work as a crossing guard at Polk Elementary.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Ross puts on her police sweater for a morning shift. She said that being a successful guard means, among other things, being on time and dressing for the weather.

Sept. 20, 2012

Ross puts on her police sweater for a morning shift. She said that being a successful guard means, among other things, being on time and dressing for the weather.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Ross walks to her corner near Polk Elementary. One of the blocks is a bit steep, and Ross said, “As long as I can make it up this hill, I'll keep working.”

Sept. 20, 2012

Ross walks to her corner near Polk Elementary. One of the blocks is a bit steep, and Ross said, “As long as I can make it up this hill, I'll keep working.”

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Marc Schie and his 10-year-old twin daughters, Caroline, left, and Sarah, talk with Ross. Generations of parents and schoolchildren know Ross. “She has quite a following,” said Anna Belle Fuller, whose daughters Ross helped across the street years ago.

Sept. 20, 2012

Marc Schie and his 10-year-old twin daughters, Caroline, left, and Sarah, talk with Ross. Generations of parents and schoolchildren know Ross. “She has quite a following,” said Anna Belle Fuller, whose daughters Ross helped across the street years ago.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Ross stops traffic for pedestrians at Polk Avenue and North Pegram Street. Alexandria Police Chief Earl L. Cook said of Ross: “If I had 10 more Mrs. Rosses, I’d sleep a lot better when I think about the safety of our schoolchildren.”

Sept. 20, 2012

Ross stops traffic for pedestrians at Polk Avenue and North Pegram Street. Alexandria Police Chief Earl L. Cook said of Ross: “If I had 10 more Mrs. Rosses, I’d sleep a lot better when I think about the safety of our schoolchildren.”

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

The shoulder patch on Ross’s sweater identifies her as a crossing guard. In Alexandria, 25 crossing guards are 10-hour-a-week civilian employees of the police department.

Sept. 20, 2012

The shoulder patch on Ross’s sweater identifies her as a crossing guard. In Alexandria, 25 crossing guards are 10-hour-a-week civilian employees of the police department.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Alex Devereux, 45, takes a walk with his four dogs. Devereux has known Ross since he was 5. Each morning, parents and dog walkers stop by to visit Ross, turning her corner into a virtual cafe. But she runs the intersection with a firm hand, engaging people only when time allows.

Sept. 20, 2012

Alex Devereux, 45, takes a walk with his four dogs. Devereux has known Ross since he was 5. Each morning, parents and dog walkers stop by to visit Ross, turning her corner into a virtual cafe. But she runs the intersection with a firm hand, engaging people only when time allows.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Ross, a grandmother of four and great-grandmother of two, has no plans to retire.

Sept. 20, 2012

Ross, a grandmother of four and great-grandmother of two, has no plans to retire.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

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