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How To Prepare for New SAT

Local experts say working hard in class is the best way to be successful.

Linda Mitchell and her 15-year-old daughter, Alexis, say they don’t really know what to expect when Alexis sits for the SAT college admissions exam in 2016, but they’re not too worried at this point. Two years is a long time.

Sledders Enjoy the Snow

Sledders of all ages took to the hillside beneath the George Washington Masonic Temple on Monday, March 17, enjoying the newly fallen snow.

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Art Educators, Galleries Celebrate Youth Art Month

Experts say art can teach valuable life skills.

Brightly colored self-portraits, landscapes dotted with spring flowers and hand-carved sculptures fill a gallery at the McLean Project for the Arts in McLean. All of the art was created by local school children. Meanwhile, in Alexandria, parents and tots dip their fingers in glue, clay and paint to create collages, sculptures and paintings.


Obituary: Howard Hollis “Bo” Callaway, Sr.

Howard Hollis “Bo” Callaway, Sr., died Saturday, March 15, 2014, in Columbus, Ga. Callaway, age 86, was Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation in Pine Mountain. He was the son of the late Cason and Virginia Callaway, co-founders of Callaway Gardens.Callaway was born April 2, 1927, in LaGrange, Ga. He graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria. From 1944 to 1945, he attended Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta leaving there to become a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point earning letters in boxing, tennis, and squash. He graduated in 1949 with a degree in Military Engineering.During his military career, Callaway served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He was a platoon leader in Korea, an instructor in tactics at Fort Benning, Ga., and was the recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, three Campaign ribbons, and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. Callaway ended his military service in 1953 to return to his home in Hamilton, Ga., and help his father develop and manage Callaway Gardens, a nationally recognized 6,500 acre garden and resort in Pine Mountain.

Letter to the Editor: ‘The Eminent Domain Council’

To the Editor: On Saturday I attended the public hearing on approving the Special Use Permits (SUPs) of two used car dealers whose businesses are located on the 1300 block of King Street. The city in all its wisdom has decided that these two used car lots are non-conforming uses for King Street. They did however give them until October to find alternate spaces elsewhere in the city. This is easier said than done as finding affordable alternative and accessible sites elsewhere is almost impossible.

Letter to the Editor: Making a Trial Run

To the Editor: The conditioned vote on the King Street bike lane was a heartening start to using compromise to produce a better solution. Vice Mayor Silberberg and Councilman Chapman are to be commended for their outreach efforts that created a bike lane pilot project whose performance at the end of 18 months will contribute to the final configuration for combining pedestrians, vehicles, bikes, and residential needs.


Letter to the Editor: Fiscal Blindness

To the Editor: I enjoyed Annabelle Fisher’s Feb. 13 letter on business as usual in City Hall. She was spot on, the $100,000 spent on civic engagement, it is equivalent to losing about $10,000,000 in the real estate tax base. It is truly a complete waste. However what can we expect from a city government whose secret motto appears to be “We don’t listen, and we don’t care.” This abuse of the taxpayer is typical of Alexandria politicians.

Obituary: William "Bill" Hopke, Jr.

William "Bill" Hopke, Jr., of the William B. Hopke Company Inc. died Saturday, March 1. Beloved husband of Joan M. Hopke; father of Patricia Hopke Casey (the late Rob), Michael W. Hopke (Ann) and Frank J. Hopke (Carla); brother of James T. Hopke; grandfather of Kristen, Shannon, Ryan and Brenna Casey and Brooke, Scotty, Matt and Michelle Hopke.

Happily Ever After

MVCCT presents “Once Upon A Mattress.”

Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairytale, "The Princess and the Pea," comes to the stage as a musical comedy in the Mount Vernon Children’s Community Theater spring production “Once Upon a Mattress.”


Classified Advertising March 19. 2014

Read the latest ads here!

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Hog Wild

Sweet Fire Donna's opens in Carlyle neighborhood.

It took a bit longer than expected because of weather and permit delays but it was worth the wait as BBQ fans lined up Feb. 27 to sample the fare at the opening of Sweet Fire Donna's, the latest offering from "Mango Mike" Anderson, Bill Blackburn and Anderson's wife Donna.

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Rotary Club Accepting Grant Applications

Deadline is March 31.

The Rotary Club of Alexandria is currently accepting applications for its annual grants to organizations that provide services to Alexandria's children, seniors and families in need.


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High on the Hog

Pork Barrel BBQ Hosts Meat Week challenge.

Skinny jeans were nowhere to be found as five contestants bellied up to the bar at Del Ray's Pork Barrel BBQ Jan. 29 to compete in the second annual High on the Hog Challenge as part of Meat Week 2014.

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Tips to Get Your Home Ready for Spring

Experts suggest a yearly spring maintenance check-up.

With warmer weather just around the corner, it’s time to focus on your home.

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Getting Your Garden Ready for Spring

Local experts tell you what you should do now, in spite of the cold weather.

It doesn’t feel like spring. Last week’s snow made it seem like warm weather might never arrive, so planting a garden might be the last thing on your mind. However, local gardening experts say this is the ideal time to start preparing your landscape to yield colorful spring foliage. Bill Mann, of Behnke Nurseries in Potomac, Md., said spring garden preparation plans differ from year to year. "It depends on the landscape beds you have and whether or not you’re planning to put in a vegetable garden," he said.


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Whimsy Meets Elegance

Potomac designer creates playful yet polished home for family of five.

When an active family of five approached Potomac interior designer Sharon Kleinman and asked her to give their home a makeover, they wanted a whimsical yet polished space.

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Kitchen Confidential

From light-filled to dramatic, local designers create dream kitchens.

When Allie Mann of Arlington, a designer and senior interior specialist at Case Design/Remodeling, Inc. was tasked with giving the first floor of a McLean, Va., home a face lift, she had to think free-flowing and airy.

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Arlington Family Outgrows Home but Stays Put

Family builds addition to accommodate their growing needs.

When a family of five realized that they’d outgrown their home in the Cherrydale neighborhood of Arlington, they pondered two options: purchase a new home or build an addition onto their existing home. They decided to stay in their home.


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15th Biennial Ikebana Show at the Art League

Twenty-five members of the Washington, D.C., branch of the Sogetsu School participated in the 15th biennial Ikebana Show at the Art League in the Torpedo Factory last week.

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Near Zero Temps Call for Back-to-Basic

What mid-winter maintenance can reveal about your home’s needs.

While common sense suggests that home improvements should be put off to warmer weather, a sustained period of colder temperatures often reveals systemic problems that will need correction sooner or later. As temperatures dropped precipitously several weeks ago, all Reston homeowner Craig Mattice knew was that his original mansard roof was plagued with ice dams and his 10-year-old, 600-square-foot addition was so cold the pipes were freezing. Moreover, no amount of thermostat adjustment improved the situation much.