Stories for October 2014

Stories for October 2014

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Thursday, October 30

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Port City Presents ‘In the Next Room’

Comedy examines sexual repression in the Victorian era, Nov. 7 to 22.

Port City Playhouse will present Sarah Ruhl’s “In the Next Room,” a comedic examination of sexual repression in the Victorian era, Nov. 7 to 22.

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Reunited

After 70 years of searching, a family split by war comes together.

Years of starvation and war had robbed Galina Lodoba and her half-sister Tatyana Schremko of their parents and their homes, and the sisters had struggled in the years that followed to keep together and stay alive.

Buried Alive

Poe and poetry in an Alexandria crypt.

Apparently, reading Edgar Allen Poe stories in Alexandria’s haunted Athenaeum wasn’t creepy enough, so the Guillotine Theater upped the ante.

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Pirates Take Over on Halloween at Del Ray Home

Pirate Lady shares her methods for creating the perfect scary house.

”It’s like being a kid all over again. You get to create your own little world. One that everyone else gets to enjoy with you,” says Tami Sarjeant, owner of 1407 Russell Road in the Del Ray area of Alexandria.

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Sharing Fun of Reading

Volunteering with The Reading Connection.

Diana Mertz opened the door to the Ruby Tucker Center on Tancil Court in Alexandria.

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Resurrection of Ivy Hill

Effort to make historic cemeteries “destinations.”

“Leveraging Mobile Technology for Cemetery Marketing and Maintenance” and “The Use of Mechanical Armatures to Support Weak or Failed Gravestones” are unlikely lures for the ordinary weekend.

Bragging Scofflaw?

When is it permissible for a member of one of our boards or commissions to openly admit to breaking the law, while still being able to maintain a seat on that appointed body?

Lights … and Learning

It was interesting to watch the School Board meeting as they received the Lights Feasibility Report.

An Answer Down the Road?

The article about the plight of housing people of modest means, and especially those with blemished records, made me appreciate that in Alexandria there are some exceptionally compassionate people.

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A Feast for Foodies

Rotary’s Taste For Giving raises funds for local nonprofits.

The Rotary Club of Alexandria held its seventh annual Taste For Giving, a community-wide fundraiser to benefit more than 30 local charities and nonprofits, Oct. 24 in the atrium of the U.S. Patent and Trade Office.

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Halloween on Parade

The sun was shining brightly for the annual Del Ray Halloween parade on Mt. Vernon Avenue on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 26.

Del Ray’s Haunted Houses

Del Ray Business Association has made its selection for the 2014 Best Decorated Haunted Houses.

Sole Provider

Firefighters distribute 2,500 pair of shoes to children in need.

Seeing is believing for Nicholas Chakos and his family, who made the drive from Pittsburgh to Alexandria to help provide 2,500 pair of shoes to children in need as part of the Firefighters and Friends to the Rescue coat and shoe distribution Oct. 28 at Penn Daw Fire Station 11.

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And the Winners Are ...

Chamber honors 2014 local Businesses of the Year.

The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce held its annual Business of the Year Awards Oct. 22, honoring businesses throughout the community and Lonnie C. Rich as the 2014 Business Leader of the Year.

Planning for the Future

Senior Law Day: Tools to build security for the future and beyond.

The Alexandria Bar Association and Senior Services of Alexandria recently welcomed more than 150 attendees to the fourth annual Senior Law Day.

What’s on the Ballot?

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Every voter in Virginia will vote for U.S senator and their member in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Edwin “Bumps” Myers, Jr.

Obituary

Edwin “Bumps” Myers, Jr., 82, of Huntersville, N.C. died on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014, at Levine & Dickson Hospice House.

Wednesday, October 29

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Board Approves Bicycle Master Plan

The Fairfax County Government Center has several massive parking lots. Many hundreds of spaces. But Bruce Wright and members of the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling only needed some rack real estate in front of the building. They rode into the afternoon session of the Board of Supervisors on two wheels apiece from Reston, taking the West Ox Road Side Path.

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Stage Presence

Cappies recognized among arts leaders at Arts Council awards.

After Bill Strauss first approached Judy Bowns about creating a student-driven arts awards and journalism organization 16 years ago, the ensuing creative partnership resembled a pair of cartoon characters.

Faddoul Is Bishop Ireton's Humbled Star

Junior scores three goals in WCAC quarterfinal win over Good Counsel.

Bishop Ireton's Joey Faddoul has 27 goals this season.

Column: Running Out of Efficacy

Not that I’m the least bit worried (actually, I’m the most bit worried), but surviving a terminal cancer diagnosis years beyond one’s original prognosis does present its own unique set of problems.

Editorial: Change for the Better in Fairfax County Schools

Later start times, full-day Mondays; who knows, next maybe gifted-and-talented programs for poor students?

Who says big bureaucracies can’t make big changes? One year into the tenure of Karen Garza, we have two huge changes that between them impact almost every single student, every family with children in Fairfax County Public Schools.

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Local Foundation Promotes Campus Safety

The VTV Family Outreach Foundation, a Centreville-based national non-profit campus safety advocacy organization, held their 2014 annual meeting last weekend at the Sheraton Reston Hotel. VTV was formed by the families of victims and survivors of the April 16, 2007 mass shooting tragedy at Virginia Tech.

Thursday, October 23

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ASC Welcomes Redskins Great Nelms

Student-athletes of the month honored.

Mayor Bill Euille was on hand to present a key to the city to Washington Redskins Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowl punt returner Mike Nelms as the Alexandria Sportsman’s Club held its annual Redskins Night Oct. 21 at the Old Dominion Boat Club.

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A Dream Come True

Alexandria Book Shelf Turns 1, dedicates MVCS location.

Summer school paid off for Mount Vernon Community School principal Peter Balas, who officially opened the newest Alexandria Book Shelf Oct. 6 as part of the DreamDog Foundation literacy program.

Family and Friends Mourn Death of Georgina Parks

Former ACPS speech pathologist, civic volunteer dies of cancer.

In the fall of 1967, Roger Parks was checking out “the impressionable young freshman” girls at the University of Kentucky when he met the woman who would change his life.

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‘Taste of Teeter’

Crowds flock to opening of Harris Teeter in Old Town.

Deborah Henderson stood for hours cheerfully answering questions and directing shoppers to the proper aisles as hundreds of residents turned out for the “Taste of Teeter” night Oct. 21 to celebrate the long-awaited opening of Old Town’s Harris Teeter grocery store.

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Fall Family Fun Festival

Hayrides, pumpkin painting, karate lessons, a puppet show and live entertainment from the Jay Armsworthy & Eastern Tradition Band were just a few of the attractions at the annual Family Fall Fun Festival at the Armistead Boothe Parke on Saturday, Oct. 18.

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A Medieval Book Fair at Polk

Hundreds of students and their families attended the annual book fair at Polk Elementary School on Monday evening, Oct. 20.

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Pumpkin Patch Returns

It is the 21st anniversary of Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill fall fundraiser, the Pumpkin Patch. This year’s sale opened on Oct. 5 and runs through Oct.31.

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Expo Highlights Trademarks

T-Markey greeted visitors in the Dulaney Gardens arriving to tour the annual U.S. Patent and Trademark (USPTO) Expo in Alexandria last weekend. T-Markey is the official USPTO mascot.

Need Right Place for Lights

We hear over and over how students want a lighted field for sports. Coaches and staff from the Rec Department express a need for sports fields for the entire city.

Examining Senator’s Record

Who is Senator Warner? The senator is not necessarily reflected in his words.

Speak Up for Public Safety

While the mayor, City Council and city manager are making plans to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on a waterfront plan and metro, the city’s public safety departments are suffering.

What’s Best For Students?

Political capital is usually earned in advance and then spent to pursue an elected official’s policy agenda.

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Pet Rescuer Needs Rescuing

... as birds multiply in home.

All’s quiet now at the bungalow in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood, except for the occasional squawk of an exotic bird called a cockatiel.

Schoettler To Perform ‘The Hello Girls’

One-woman show at the Athenaeum.

Chevy Chase storyteller Ellouise Schoettler will present her second one-woman show, “The Hello Girls: A Surprising WWI Story,” at the Athenaeum Theatre in Alexandria at 7 p.m. on Nov. 4.

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An Open Door, an Open Heart

At Carpenter Shelter

It was 7:30 a.m. and Sharon Addison, the Davis Place Monitor, opened the door to Carpenter Shelter on Henry Street in Alexandria.

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Beachcomber To Be Rebuilt for Boat Club

The Beachcomber Restaurant, an abandoned building on the Alexandria Waterfront, will soon be restored as the new home for the Old Dominion Boat Club.

Not the Victim’s Fault

City officials draw attention to domestic abuse.

Every year, there are around 400 cases of domestic violence in Alexandria where the police can make an arrest. The city’s hotline for reporting domestic abuse or sexual assault receives nearly 2,000 calls.

Little Development for Low Income Housing

Six years after the Alexandria Council of Human Services Organizations (ACHSO) compiled a list of needs in the community, the group has met with local leaders to see what progress has been made. In regards to housing and affordable development in Alexandria, the answer is not much.

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LTA Stages “The Rocky Horror Show”

Campy rock and roll musical to play from Oct. 25 to Nov. 15.

It’s time to do the time warp! Just in time for Halloween, the Little Theatre of Alexandria is staging the campy musical, “The Rocky Horror Show,” from Oct. 25 through Nov. 15, 2014.

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Connect Four

Complete ballot of 11th District candidates faced off in Lake Ridge.

It wasn’t so much a down and dirty debate as a no-frills four-way question-and-answer session. Not that AARP and the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area (LWVFA), two of the sponsors of the “Meet the Candidates” series billed the Oct. 14 event as such. Tuesday’s meeting was the penultimate of seven events in the series.

Alexandria to New Orleans: The Human Tragedy of the Interstate Slave Trade, Part IV

Part IV: What is also clear from the slave names on the manifests of the slave trade ships is that the enslaved African-Americans of Virginia and Maryland did have a rich and extended family structure.

Energizing the Community

Brrrrrr! Cooler temperatures are a signal to many Alexandria residents that it is time to prepare their homes for the winter.

Mentor of The Month

I've been privileged enough to have traveled around studying and working for nearly half my life. Now at 32, as an educator and artist, I find it irrefutable that I return to my roots at the Charles Houston Recreation Center.

Afterschool Programs

Great for children, working parents and the community.

A timely report hit the streets last week that zeros in on the powerful impact of after-school hours on children, parents and communities.

Wednesday, October 22

QB Holland Carries Titans to Victory

T.C. Williams wins shootout against Lee, 40-38.

T.C. Williams quarterback Darius Holland accounted for five touchdowns against Lee on Oct. 18.

Column: Self-Indulgent or Self-Effacing

After re-reading last week’s column: “Not in the Mood,” I began wondering if that column had strayed beyond the boundaries, so to speak, and was too much about me and not enough about my circumstances.

Friday, October 17

Alexandria Home Sales: September, 2014

In September 2014, 167 Alexandria homes sold between $2,662,500-$105,000.

Alexandria Home Sales: September, 2014

Thursday, October 16

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John McEnearney Dies at 87

Real estate pioneer, community leader was decorated Vietnam veteran.

For John McEnearney, helping the area’s most vulnerable citizens was part of his DNA, a testament to his family’s nearly 100-year commitment to helping others.

Potomac Day

On Parade

The line-up for the parade starts at 9:30 a.m. Roads close at 10 a.m. The parade kickoff is 10:30 a.m.

Letter to the Editor: Abject Neglect

To the Editor: I've lived in the Route 1 corridor for 33 years. It is in desperate need of revitalization and has been neglected by the Board of Supervisors for decades while they favored development in the western areas of Fairfax County.

Don’t Panic

Alexandria Health Department lays out plan for Ebola.

Despite one death in Texas, the Alexandria Health Department reassured local citizens at a City Council meeting that a widespread outbreak of Ebola was unlikely.

Sarvis: Warner-Gillespie Debate ‘Disappointing’

Libertarian candidate says chamber’s decision to include only major-party candidates in U.S. Senate debate a “disservice” to voters.

After a full day of campaigning at Fort Belvoir on Friday, Oct. 11, Robert Sarvis talked about his campaign for U.S. Senate, and his disappointment in not being invited to participate in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate Debate — a major televised debate hosted by The Fairfax Chamber at Capitol One’s convention center in McLean. “The Fairfax Chamber informed us that it was nothing other than ‘tradition’ to only invite major party candidates,” Sarvis said. “But this was after we formally requested an invitation, noted that over 145,000 Virginians voted for Robert Sarvis for governor in 2013, and sent them a petition signed by over 1,000 Virginians in support of a three-candidate debate.”

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Warner, Gillespie Clash in U.S. Senate Debate

Stark distinctions on same-sex marriage, immigration, abortion and healthcare.

In front of an audience of Northern Virginia business leaders, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Republican challenger Ed Gillespie honed their attacks on each other during a sharp, wide-ranging debate Tuesday evening, Oct. 7.

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Visitors Explore Cherry Blossom at its Open House

Local riverboat complements city’s history.

The Cherry Blossom was commissioned at least 100 years after a paddlewheel riverboat would have been considered a financially viable investment. The boat remains docked along the waterfront for most of the year, used almost exclusively for private events. It doesn’t happen often, but on Monday, Oct. 13, the Cherry Blossom opened its doors to the public for an open house.

All Aboard the Trolley

It was a cool October morning. The trolley door opened with a swish. “Good morning, watch your step," Marlene Stevens, the bus operator for the Alexandria trolley was beginning her first trip of the day.

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Getting Children Excited for Halloween

Local experts offer advice for keeping trick-or-treating fun, not scary, for small children.

For many children, Halloween is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. From Power Rangers and athletes to princesses and pirates, dressing up in their spookiest or most imaginative attire and trolling the streets in search of treats is a major part of the fun for school-age children. For younger children, however, the ghosts and goblins who are meant to entertain can cause too much of a fright.

Letter to the Editor: Meddling with Free Market

To the Editor: Justin Wilson’s latest cockamamie proclamation, which he made during a recent City Council meeting, is a demand that city government tell property owners the rents they may assess their tenants. And if the city doesn’t have the authority now to do so, then at least shame those landlords whom he believes are charging excessive rents.

Letter to the Editor: This Council’s Legacy

To the Editor: Each Alexandria City Council leaves its indelible mark on our community — which ultimately becomes its legacy. This particular council will leave Alexandria with more than a half-billion dollars of debt, with a $64 million a year in debt service. This should in itself be enough to replace most of the Alexandria City Council members, along with the city manager.

At Firehouse Open House

Mekhai Goodwin gets a feel for the weight of the fire hose that the firefighters carry into burning houses and buildings. Hundreds of residents toured the nine Alexandria Fire Stations during the annual open house on Saturday, Oct. 11.

Editorial: Coming - Children’s Connection

During the last week of each year, The Connection devotes its entire issue to the creativity of local students and children. The results are always remarkable. It is a keepsake edition for many families.

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ASC to Host Mike Nelms

Annual Redskins Night set for Oct. 21.

Mike Nelms, a three-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion defensive back and kick returner with the Washington Redskins, will be the featured speaker at the Alexandria Sportsman’s Club annual Redskins Night Oct. 21 at the Old Dominion Boat Club.

Letters to the Editor

Weighing ‘Greater Good’s’ Impact

To the Editor: TC lights: This is just another example of the city's total disregard for its residents. How many of the School Board members live in the impacted residential area? How many of our council members?

Wednesday, October 15

Honoring Those Who Died in Service

The Alexandria Fire Department held its annual Memorial Service and Wreath Laying ceremony at Ivy Hill Cemetery on Friday morning, Oct. 10.

Rich Named Business Leader of the Year

Chamber to host business awards Oct. 22.

Lonnie C. Rich, founding partner of Rich, Rosenthal, Brincefield, Manitta, Dzubin and Kroeger LLP, has been named the 2014 Business Leader of the Year by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce.

Lights, Camera, Action

Travel Channel show to feature Del Ray’s Pork Barrel BBQ.

Hollywood invaded Alexandria Sept. 25 when the Travel Channel descended on Del Ray’s Pork Barrel BBQ Restaurant to tape an episode of its food show BBQ Crawl.

Siegel: Alexandria’s ‘Beautiful Mind’

An Alexandria artist has been celebrated as one of the nation’s most Beautiful Minds.

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Alexandria to New Orleans: The Human Tragedy of the Interstate Slave Trade, Part III

Part III: The extent of the forced separation and sale of young slave children away from their mothers has long been a vexing question, and historians have often been especially concerned with this issue. In 1931, the historian Frederick Bancroft asserted that "the selling singly of young [black slave] children privately and publicly was frequent and notorious." He added that such children were "hardly less than a staple in the [interstate slave] trade."

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Cartoon: T.C. Williams

T.C. Williams

An Economic Debate

8th Congressional District candidates differ over priorities.

Congressional candidates Don Beyer and Micah Edmond squared off last week at a forum in what could rank as one of the election season’s tamest political debates.

Column: Not in the Mood

Sometimes, believe it or not, I’m not in the mood to be a terminal cancer patient (duh). Not that the effect is particularly tangible, but the weight of it, as well as the associated waits I’ve occasionally written about, can get awfully heavy.

Following Don Beyer’s Political Journey

Don Beyer likes climbing mountains. One of his two current dreams is to climb a via feratta, one of the climbing routes along the alps. Beyer has a certain fascination with the Eiger, or “The North Wall.” For Beyer, the appeal is in the challenge.

Micah Edmond Walking the District

On the campaign trail with Edmond.

Micah Edmond’s 8th District Congressional campaign has a problem.

Friday, October 10

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Oronoco Condos Almost Sold Out

Size matters in 60-unit residences with panoramic views.

The Oronoco Waterfront Residences, condominiums at 601 N. Fairfax St., are almost completely sold out. Only six units are left and sales began in May. Panoramic views of Oronoco Park, Old Town and the Potomac River as well as expansive city skyline views, are at least part of the reason. Then there is sheer size.

2014 Alexandria Beautification Awards

The Alexandria Beautification Commission announced the 2014 Alexandria Beautification Award winners in a ceremony held on Sept. 15, 2014 at the Little Theatre of Alexandria. The Commission, Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg and Councilman Paul Smedberg presented 25 awards.

Bio and Q&A with Gerry Connolly

Q: What do you think are your top three accomplishments in office? A: * The Silver Line. I wasn’t alone, but I'm very proud of my championship of the Silver Line and the fact that it's up and running and succeeding. It took 19 years to sort of get people to reimagine it and get it built. It was a long, tough struggle.

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Pounding the Pavement

First annual 5K raises awareness of teen driving safety.

Robin Wallin of Alexandria has been training for this day at Cameron Run Regional Park for three months. She and sister-in-law Carolyn Wiser of Baltimore used a seat-to-5K app on their smartphones to prepare for the Oct. 4 race, encouraging each other through Facebook messaging.

Thursday, October 9

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Art on the Avenue

Pictures from Art on the Avenue

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Going, Going, Gone

Contents of Old Town Theater auctioned off.

The entertainment phrase “bringing down the house” held a different meaning this week as the contents of the Old Town Theater were dismantled and auctioned off Oct. 7 after the landmark venue dimmed its marquee lights for good earlier this summer.

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La Zona Rosa

NVFAA benefit held at historic Athenaeum.

The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association held its second annual La Zona Rosa reception Oct. 5 at the historic Athenaeum in Old Town. “This is a way for us to thank our supporters and board members as well as to welcome our incoming board,” said NVFAA board chair Amy Heiden. “This is the second year for this fundraiser and a fun way for us to say ‘thank you’ to our members.”

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Art on the Avenue

Record crowds attend Del Ray festival.

A record 55,000 people took to the streets of Del Ray Oct. 4 for the 19th annual Art on the Avenue, one of Alexandria’s premiere events and largest arts festivals in the mid-Atlantic region.

Wednesday, October 8

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Bishop Ireton QB Dickinson Finds Success on the Move

Senior signal caller has Cardinals at 5-1 after transferring from El Paso.

Joe Dickinson has passed for 1,391 yards and 14 touchdowns in six games after transferring from Chapin High School in El Paso to Bishop Ireton in January.

Letter

Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations.

Dear Chairman and Board Members: The Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations (the Federation) appreciates the many years of support that the Board of Supervisors (BOS) has provided to the Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL). Recently, the FCPL introduced new policies that the Federation decided to examine.

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Focus on Transportation

Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance presents regional priorities at 10th annual event.

“What You Need to Know about Transportation in Five Minutes or Less” was the working title of this year’s Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (NVTA) seminar and reception held on Sept. 30 at Capital One’s auditorium in McLean.

Column: Week Of, Weak On, Week Off

This column completes the three-week arc which describes what I have endured mostly successfully for approximately five years now: chemotherapy every three weeks – with one year off for good behavior (not really good behavior; the year off was to switch to a twice-daily pill, Tarceva, to be taken at home, since the previous treatment was no longer stemming the tide). It’s been my experience that these anti-cancer drugs don’t exactly work forever.

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Alexandria to New Orleans: The Human Tragedy of the Interstate Slave Trade, Part II

Part II: Franklin and Armfield’s slave-trading “establishment” was located near the outskirts of what was then, in the 1830s, the town of Alexandria. The main building was three stories, handsomely painted, with green blinds.

Friday, October 3

‘Extraordinary Alexandria’

ACVA unveils latest marketing campaign.

The Alexandria Convention and Tourism Association unveiled the latest addition to its “Extraordinary Alexandria” tourism campaign during its annual meeting where officials also released the latest figures on visitor spending.

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For Those Who Serve: Groundbreaking for Alexandria Memorial

Alexandria Police Foundation breaks ground on Fallen Officers Memorial.

Alexandria police officer Eugene Yoakum was 31 years old when he was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 27, 1964. On the 50th anniversary of his death, his daughter Sharon joined other family members of slain officers at Police Department headquarters for the groundbreaking of the Alexandria Fallen Officers Memorial.

Severance Sent To Arlington Jail

Lawhorne: Transfer avoids “appearance of a conflict.”

Following the recent decision by three Alexandria Circuit Court judges to recuse themselves from the murder case of Charles Severance, Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne has chosen to transfer the suspect to the custody of the Arlington Sheriff’s department on similar grounds.

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Shift in Alexandria Job Market

Growth is in retail, leisure and hospitality.

The growth in low-wage jobs is greater than the decline in the number of federal government jobs in the area, according to the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership’s recently released mid-year 2014 State of the Market report.

Thursday, October 2

Letter to the Editor: Preserve Old Town Theatre

Last week it was announced in the Washington Business Journal that "The life of the Old Town Theater as an entertainment venue may be coming to an end after a rocky few years." Will the property be turned into a retail location as suggested as a possibility in the article?

Letter to the Editor: Out-of-Place Structures

On Sept. 3, Al Cox (who is the Historic Preservation Manager of the Board of Architectural Review) gave a presentation on "Alexandria's Buildings of Genuine Architectural Merit." The impetus for this presentation was a response to a hypothetical question of “what constitutes good historic development at the Robinson Terminals?”

Letter to the Editor: Capitalism’s Advantage

It’s bad enough when the Federal government takes it upon itself the right to tell business owners what to pay entry level employees. Now we have evidence that one of our rulers, councilmember Justin Wilson, wants us to have fewer taxis.

Letter to the Editor: Independent Bike Count

Out of sheer curiosity I counted bicycles and observed pedestrians and cars at the intersection of Royal and Cameron on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 5-7 p.m. This day and time corresponds with those used by the city and its data collection volunteers from BPAC (Bicycle, Pedestrian Advisory Committee). I did this in order to provide a “blind” count of the flows, i.e. one uninfluenced by prior alerts.

Letters to the Editor

Breaking a Commitment

This Thursday night, the School Board plans to vote on the lighting of the Parker Gray Stadium at T.C. Williams High School. The long and perhaps unknown history of the location of both the school and the stadium gives everyone a reason to consider why lights should never be placed in this location.

Helping Low Income and Public Housing Residents

Ramona K. Hatten was with the national Daily Point of Light Award.

For over 30 years, Ramona K. Hatten has been involved in community service in Alexandria. Hatten graduated from Mount Vernon College with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration. Since then, she has used her professional skills to help low income and public housing residents improve their quality of life.

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A Taste of Outdoors

The feline residents of the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter will soon be glimpsing blue sky and breathing some fresh air. A “catio” under construction on the shelter grounds will be the animals’ new playground — a fenced outdoor area with a specially curved top that will prevent escape.

Brandishing Near School Unfounded

The Alexandria Police Department has investigated the reports of a subject brandishing a weapon toward school children at Maury Elementary School on Tuesday, Sept. 16, and determined that the reports were false.

Discussing Mental Health Issues

A series of free presentations addressing mental health issues will be offered Monday, Oct. 6, through Thursday, Oct. 9, in the large meeting room of the Beatley Central Library, 5005 Duke St.

Woman Convicted of Embezzlement

Julissa Rauhut, 45, formerly of Springfield, was convicted Sept. 24 on five counts of wire fraud after embezzling over $186,000 from her employer from 2008 to 2011.

141 Pounds of Drugs Collected

News Briefs

The Alexandria Police Department and the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office collected 141 pounds of unused and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction at the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

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Cardinals ‘Claim’ Alexandria

Bishop Ireton football is 4-1, including wins over Episcopal, SSSAS.

The Bishop Ireton football team beat Episcopal and St. Stephen's & St. Agnes.

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T.C. Williams Field Hockey Beats Rival West Potomac

Titans bounce back from season’s first loss, improve to 9-1-1.

The T.C. Williams field hockey team started the season with a 9-1-1 record.

Wednesday, October 1

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Alexandria to New Orleans: The Human Tragedy of the Interstate Slave Trade, Part I

This is the first article in a four-part series.

Part I: On May 17, 1828, the following advertisement appeared in the Alexandria Phoenix Gazette: Cash in Market~ The subscribers having leased for a term of years the large three story brick house on Duke Street, in the town of Alexandria, D.C. formerly occupied by Gen. Young, we wish to purchase one hundred and fifty likely young negroes of both sexes, between the ages of 8 and 25 years.

New Voter Identification Requirements

There are new requirements for voter identification that voters must bring with them to the polling place.

Column: Pre-Chemo Peek

I realize, given last week’s column: “Post-Chemo Week,” this week’s column about the preceding week (week-of, actually) of chemotherapy might be a bit bass-ackward, but it seemed reasonable to me that if you regular readers had an interest in the week-after, perhaps you’d have a similar interest in the week-before.