Not Enough Progress Made on Affordable Housing in Alexandria
Alexandria Needs Assessment finds affordable housing severely lacking.
The 2010 City Council Strategic Plan laid out seven main goals for the city’s long-term development. Goal number one was to “achieve a net increase in the number of dedicated affordable rental and ownership units in the city by 2015.”
Community Rallies Behind Fire Victims
After a Mount Vernon High School student and family lost their home in a fire on April 14, principal Nardos King sent an email the following Friday morning to school staff and the Mount Vernon “Keep In Touch” contact list asking for donations to help the family start over.
Alexandria: Battle of Robinson Terminal South Ends
Council approval yields compromises amidst unyielding opposition.
In a 5-1 vote, the City Council approved EYA’s redevelopment of Robinson Terminal South. In many ways, the City Council public hearing on April 18 was largely a repeat of the April 9 Planning Commission and a number of committee hearings before that. Many of the same voices from the audience voiced the same concerns or showed the same support.
Alexandria: Plaque Recalls Education Before Desegregation
Alumni of Parker-Gray High School gather.
Alumni and city officials gathered on April 16 for the unveiling of a plaque outside the Alexandria City Public Schools’ Central Office commemorating Parker-Gray High School.
Lyles Crouch Students Remember Abraham Lincoln
On the 150th anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, the students in the Lyles-Crouch After School Theater program presented an original play “Abraham Lincoln: And Now He Belongs to the Ages.”
People At Work: Spring Warms into Hot Market
It is spring and the real estate market is hot. Mary Moran puts her access card in the lock box, uses her own personal code, opens the front door and walks into the hallway. According to Mary Moran, Realtor for Long & Foster, in the spring the market picks up because of weather. Houses look better, snow is gone and they are easier to show.
Cartoon: Civil War Reenactment
Civil War Reenactment
Citizens Divided over Development’s Impact
While earlier meetings on the Robinson Terminal South Development tended to primarily pit local citizens against city staff and representatives from EYA, the developer, the proposal of four special use permits for the development drew a mix of reactions at the April 9 Planning Commission Special Public Hearing. After a presentation explaining the changes made to the site, the public responded with some in favor of the proposed buildings, some opposed, and many expressing opinions somewhere in between. Following the public discussion, the Planning Commission ultimately voted unanimously to approve the special use permits for the site.
Businesses Join Local Nonprofits for 24-Hour Charity Drive
Spring2ACTion emphasizes off-line community building.
Five years ago, ACT for Alexandria helped raise $100,000 for local charities at its first annual Spring2ACTion event. Last year, the organization raised over $1 million for 121 local nonprofits. At this year’s city-wide event on April 22, ACT for Alexandria’s Chief Program Officer Brandi Yee says the goal is to exceed 10,000 donors. Last year, the program had 7,516 total donors to the event, but this year Yee hopes a more public presence and greater involvement in the community can help bolster that number.
Alexandria: Eisenhower Ave. Field Fails as TC Stadium Alternative
Site on Eisenhower Avenue can’t match TC Stadium
Following suggestions expressed at public hearings that a new AlexRenew Field on Eisenhower Avenue be developed as a substitute for the lights and expansion at T.C. Williams’ High School’s Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium, Alexandria city staff analyzed the suggestion and reported back to City Council with a resounding no.
City Hall Briefs: April 15
In his State of the City address on April 14, Mayor William Euille reflected on recent Potomac Yard and waterfront development milestones.
People at Work: Mind the Mat
Laugh, dance and sweat—yoga combines it all.
The door opens and a crowd streams out the door clutching mats as Pilates Boot Camp is over. Smiles line the lobby waiting to sign in for the next class. Katie walks to the desk and stops to say hello. Paige Lichens, yoga instructor at Mind the Mat in Del Rey says, "Her husband just started."
Honoring King through Service
Staff and students from two Alexandria City public schools gave up their time on Jan. 19 to give back to their communities in honor of Martin Luther King Day.
Alexandria Students Help Replenish Food Pantry
The students of Grace Episcopal School in Alexandria helped feed those in need and the hungry in Alexandria by creating a gigantic, canned and boxed-food “Bountiful Basket” bunny on March 31.