Alexandria: Transitway Plan Branches Out
Council approves West End Transitway after argument over tree canopy.
If all goes as planned, implementation is still four years away, but the West End Transitway took a step forward at the March 29 meeting with the City Council unanimously voting in support of guidance for the planning of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route between the Van Dorn Metro Station and the Pentagon.
Alexandria People at Work: Emily Henry of Hooray for Books Makes Transition
Emily Henry makes transition from story hour to the guitar.
It is 10:29 a.m. and the floor is crowded with chairs all filled for the Friday morning story hour at Hooray for Books on King Street.
Alexandria Snapshot: On the Hill
Hammond Middle School students who participated in the RARE (Reach and Raise for Excellence) Program of the Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria (CCNA) attended the Fifth Annual BWR (Black Women's Roundtable) Women of Power Summit at the Capitol last week.
Alexandria: Former Deputy Fire Chief Dies
Michael Conner dies at 68.
Each October during National Fire Prevention Week, a solemn ceremony takes place at Ivy Hill Cemetery where a Roll Call of the Fallen is taken to honor firefighters who have given their lives protecting the citizens of Alexandria. This year’s ceremony will take on new meaning when the toll of a bell rings out for Michael Conner, the former deputy fire chief whose recruit class first dedicated Ivy Hill’s Circle of Honor in 1970.
Alexandria Snapshot: Generation to Generation Gala
Senior Services of Alexandria hosted its annual Generation to Generation Gala March 12 at the Hilton Mark Center Alexandria. The 2016 honorees included Sue Goodhart and Allison Goodhart DuShuttle, and Kitty, Mike, Kirby and Keely Porterfield. H. Arthur Sauer was awarded with SSA’s first Special Service Award. For more information about SSA’s programs and services go to seniorservicesalex.org.
Alexandria: Wiggle Toes Plié Through the Morning
People at Work
The warm up music begins from the corner. "Are you ready?" Jessica Petchenick, instructor at Tiny Dancers on S. Washington Street, asks, "Can you dance with your eyes?" Moms and leotard-bedecked children blink at each other. "Can you dance with your nose?" Noses wiggle including five mothers and one father who has accompanied his daughter to today's Wiggle Toes class for 2-3 year olds. After wiggling ears and patting tummies, at last the answer is "You dance with your feet."
Alexandria Snapshot: Fighting Fire
Flames were visible Sunday night at 5845 Monticello Road near Huntington Station in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County. The fire was held fast on neighborhood fences by firemen of the Pen Daw Fire Station led by Captain Pitman.
Alexandria Snapshot: Celebrating 100 Years
Friends and family gathered to celebrate William Charity’s 100th birthday. The party was held on Saturday, March 12, at the Elks lodge at 227 N. Henry St.
Alexandria: Local Breweries Bring in Kitchens on Wheels
Working together to serve customers.
At Port City Brewing in western Alexandria, the “pearl,” a layered dish of macaroni and cheese, baked beans and barbecue meat, is downed with a micro beer so it’s known to bring on a “food coma,” of sorts. Port City is one of the many microbreweries that serve no food but rely on independent food trucks that pull up outside for their food source.
Alexandria: Local Church Members Travel to Flint
The water crisis affecting residents in Flint, Mich., captured local attention at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria. Through a partnership made possible with Lott Carey, a missions-based convention, Alfred Street Baptist Church is sending teams to Flint to help distribute water to residents in need and to serve as eye-witnesses to the tragedy. “I wasn’t anticipating the complexity of the problem in Flint,” said Aaron Watson, a church member and volunteer on one of the teams.
Alexandria Resident Pens: ‘Drinking Adventurously’
Book spotlights 52 beverages.
Alexandria resident Jeff Cioletti had more than a decade of writing professionally about a full spectrum of beverages — from Chinese spirits to bottled iced teas to the best sparkling wines in America. As the current editor-at-large of Beverage World, where he’s held editorial roles for more than 13 years, he decided a few years ago to chronicle his adventures with these beverages in a 335-page book, “The Year of Drinking Adventurously: 52 Ways to Get out of Your Comfort Zone.”
Alexandria: Euille Meets with Inmates
Former mayor discusses need for jobs to curb recidivism.
“Before we start, I want you to know that I can’t do anything to get you out sooner,” said former Mayor William Euille to inmates at the Alexandria Detention Center on March 10. Euille spoke about his own experiences with successes and defeats throughout his life, including his recent loss to Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg.
Alexandria People At Work: Back to Kindergarten
Ponytails and polka dots bounce through the door at Douglas MacArthur Elementary School a few minutes before 8 a.m. The noise gradually levels off, and the daily kindergarten routine begins.
Alexandria: Davis Named to State Board
Audrey P. Davis, director of the Alexandria Black History Museum, has been appointed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe to the State Historical Records Advisory Board. The board serves as the central advisory body for historical records planning and related projects developed and carried out by the state, and promotes an understanding of the role and value of historical records.
Alexandria Snapshot: Top Employers Institute
Gov. Terry McAuliffe welcomes Top Employers Institute to Alexandria at a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 8. Top Employers Institute, which certifies companies around the globe for excellence in their HR policies and practices and the workplace environment they create to support the development of their employees, has chosen Alexandria for its first U.S. office. Above: Jennifer Ives, Top Employers Institute (left of the governor); McAuliffe; and David Plink, CEO, Top Employers Institute (to the right of the governor) are joined by Top Employers Institute and strategic partner HR Certification Institute board members and employees.