Botanicals
spring blooming on the walls of the Athenaeum
The Brainy Bunch
Alexandria teams head to national trivia championships.
Which U.S. president took early morning swims in the Potomac River? What were “poulaines” used to indicate in medieval Europe? What are the 10 least grossing Eddie Murphy movies?
Applause in the Form of $1,500
First Night donates to school music programs.
First Night Alexandria's board of directors voted unanimously April 19 to make monetary contributions to the music programs at T.C. Williams High School and George Washington and Francis Hammond Middle Schools.
State Award for Sherman
Dr. Morton Sherman, superintendent of Alexandria City Public Schools, is the recipient of the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals 2012 Pathfinder Award.
Business Matters
Say goodbye to the Alexandria Sanitation Authority. Say hello to Alexandria Renew Enterprises, and get ready to pay two bills instead of one.
Tensions Rising Between Arlington and Alexandria Over Transit Corridor
Alexandria leaders lash out at Arlington officials for backing out of an environmental analysis.
Tensions between Alexandria and Arlington are growing along Route 1, where city and county leaders are moving in different directions about how the jurisdictions want to create a high-capacity transit corridor.
Tall Order For Smart Growth Near Braddock Road Metro
City Council members set aside commercial land-use and height limit in Parker Gray.
Remember that commercial building that was approved near the Braddock Road Metro station? Well forget about it.
Celebrating Opening Day for Alexandria Little League
Twenty-five teams took the field at Simpson Field for the annual Alexandria Little League opening day ceremony Saturday morning, April 14. League president Bill Gehrig introduced the teams as they paraded onto the field. Majors commissioner Rusty Rhodes and his two sons led the players in reciting the Little League Pledge.
New Leadership At Gunston Hall
Museum director ousted by regents after year of controversy.
After surviving more than a year of calls for his resignation, Gunston Hall museum director has been removed as head of the historic house site. In a meeting last week, the Board of Regents voted to replace David Reese, effective immediately. Mark Whatford, a senior staff member, will serve as acting director until a permanent replacement is hired. The decision comes after harsh criticism of financial mismanagement and unprofessional behavior.
Chamber to Honor First Responders with Valor Awards April 26
There was no time for careful deliberation. The water was swiftly rising as an elderly driver was trapped inside a submerged vehicle at the intersection of Edsall Road and Winter View Drive during the flash flooding that devastated the region on Sept. 8, 2011. Unequipped for swift water rescue, Lt. Patrick Lyon and firefighters Michael Chandler, Louis Simpson and Joseph Porcelli from Ladder Truck 208 quickly assessed the situation.
Helping Rebuilding Together Alexandria
Twenty-one volunteers from Safeway spent Thursday, April 12 constructing an outside porch and wheel chair ramp for John Patterson, a double amputee veteran of the Vietnam War. The volunteers also repaired broken faucets, painted, repaired a fence and pergola and planted a summer garden. Katherine Dixon, executive director of Rebuilding Together Alexandria said, “In addition to the $20,000 donation from Safeway, we leveraged a significant amount of volunteer help, discounted materials, and professional labor.”
SCAN Names 2012 Ally in Prevention Awardees
SCAN named Erick T. King, co-founder of the Capital Youth Empowerment Program (CYEP); Valerie Cuffee, who recently retired as division chief of Arlington County's Child & Family Services Division; and the late Cynthia Hull, former executive director of United Community Ministries, as the 2012 Allies in Prevention for Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax, respectively. The award was given at SCAN's 10th Annual Allies in Prevention Awards Luncheon.
"Flight 905 Heavy"
The Space Shuttle Discovery, atop its Boeing 747 carrier, flies over Windmill Hill Park on Tuesday, April 17. The shuttle will become part of the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly. The flight was referred to as “flight 905 heavy” on the air traffic control channel.
Nancy Larsen Turner Dies
Nancy Larsen Turner, 83, formerly of Alexandria, died on March 2, 2012 at her home in Boonton, N.J. Born in Ogden, Utah, in 1928, she spent her childhood in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, where her father worked for the Park Service.
Watershed Cleanup in Alexandria
Volunteers collected hundreds of pounds of trash from Four Mile Run Park in Alexandria on Saturday, April 14. The cleanup was organized by Alexandria’s Transportation and Environmental Services, Office of Environmental Quality and Solid Waste Division in conjunction with the Alice Ferguson Foundation. The foundation, established in 1989, organized watershed cleanup activities at 600 sites in five states on Saturday.