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Letter to the Editor: Defer Decision On Zoning Changes
There are two important votes before Alexandria’s City Council this Saturday. Both deal with amendments to zoning language. One amends the W1 Waterfront Mixed Use Zone. The second amends language of the zoning ordinance itself.
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EPA Will Not Appeal Court Decision on Accotink Watershed
EPA regulations could have cost county $300 million.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) effectively ended a two-year legal battle with Fairfax County when the agency announced last week it will not appeal a federal court decision favoring Fairfax County’s handling of the Accotink Creek watershed.
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Bicyclists Pedal Onward, Despite Legislative Losses
FABB promotes extended hours on W&OD Trail.
As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, Northern Virginia bicyclists are back on the roads and trails, despite the Virginia General Assembly’s antipathy for bike safety bills this session.
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Party Animals
Mardi Growl raises $50,000 for AWLA.
Supporters of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria celebrated their own version of Mardi Gras with the third annual “Mardi Growl” bash March 8 at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. “This is an incredible evening,” said former City Manager Vola Lawson, for whom the AWLA shelter building is named.
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Springfield Post 176 Holds Memorial Service for Chaplain Emeritus John S. Bednarek
On Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013, Springfield Post 176 conducted an American Legion Memorial Service for WWII veteran Chaplain Emeritus John Stanley Bednarek Jr., 84, who died on Feb. 12, 2013.
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‘Re-enactress Tea’ at Historic Clifton Home
Fairfax County History Commissioner Lynne Garvey-Hodge hosted former first ladies, Civil War wives and a Native American princess.
Amid a historically accurate buffet of fried cod balls, “Election Day” cake and biscuits and ham with zucchini relish, there stood a true culinary symbol of the afternoon: purple and pale gold-layered gelatin desserts served in stately glassware with a blackberry garnish.
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Letter to the Editor: The Right To Petition
On Saturday, March 16 at City Hall, elected officials will take a vote that seems intended to try to deny property owners’ their day in court.
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Letter to the Editor: A Final Opportunity
On March 16 the City Council will take what may be the final vote on a waterfront plan that in my opinion is akin to the razing of historic buildings along King Street that occurred in the 1960s.
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Letter to the Editor: Libraries Take Another Hit
Imagine my consternation when once again Alexandria’s libraries are on the hit list. At the same time the BikeShare program is expanded to the tune of $600,000 on top of $360,000 that taxpayers have already forked over.
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Sharks Take a Bite Out of Cancer
Swimmers raise $17,000 for breast cancer awareness during annual marathon.
One woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes, and one woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the U.S. On Sunday, March 3, 38 members of the Shark Tank Racing Squad swam for three hours to put a dent in that brutal statistic.
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‘At Some Time, Everyone Needs a Helping Hand’
Wounded veteran talks about the value of serving others.
Two years ago, Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient Justin Constantine shared his personal story with Mountain View High students. Severely injured during the War in Iraq, he had a long road to recovery and now helps other wounded veterans.
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Over 300 Attend ‘Dancing With the Greenspring Stars’
The event serves as a fundraiser for the community’s Benevolent Care Fund.
On Tuesday, March 5, Greenspring hosted a “Dancing With the Greenspring Stars” event to benefit the Benevolent Care Fund at the community. Throughout the year, various events are held at Greenspring to raise funds to provide support to residents who, despite careful planning, outlive their financial resources.
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Column: The BBQ Princess
Frances* has spent all 61 years of her life in Alexandria though she has moved at least eight times over the years. From Patrick Street to Henry, Cameron Valley to Old Town, Fulton Street to Hume Springs … she now owns her home in the Mount Jefferson neighborhood. She has such fond memories of the city, she can’t imagine living anywhere else.
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The Irish ‘Rose’ of Burke
Briana Apgar shares her experiences as the 2012 Washington Rose.
The Rose of Tralee Festival is celebrated in Irish communities worldwide. Each Rose Centre selects a female with Irish heritage between the ages of 18-27 as their “Rose,” who will serve as a role model and ambassador for their community at the international festival in Ireland, where one international Rose of Tralee is selected.
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Column: Explaining Waterfront Plan and Petition Process Text Amendments
On Tuesday, March 5, the Alexandria Planning Commission approved two text amendments to Alexandria’s zoning ordinance after public hearings where most of the speakers opposed the amendments.