Stories for August 2020

More Students, Less Administration in Alexandria?

Superintendent revamps senior administration team for the challenging school year ahead.

Trouble ahead? Administrators, new organization face the pandemic, T.C. Williams name change, virtual reopening and more.

‘The Need Continues’ in Alexandria

Backpacks, school supplies distributed across the city.

More than 800 families from across the city turned out to pick up backpacks and school supplies as part of a citywide back-to-school drive Aug. 22 and 23.

Obituary: Carter Holland, 24, Dead from Cardiac Arrest

Carter Hamilton Holland, 24, died on August 15, 2020, at his home in Alexandria, Virginia, from cardiac arrest.

Senior Law Day 2020 Goes Virtual

“Should I Stay or Should I Go: Housing Options As We Age”

As families around the globe struggle with issues caused by the spread of Covid-19, our seniors continue to face important financial and emotional decisions affecting their housing options.

Opinion: Commentary: Special Circumstances for Special Session

On Tuesday, the General Assembly returned to Richmond for a Special Session called by Gov. Ralph Northam to revisit the biennial budget following the release of updated revenue forecasts due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Back-to-School Doesn’t Have the Same Ring To It This Year

West Potomac gets ready with laptops and virtual lessons.

West Potomac

Baking For Social Issues Sprouts in Alexandria

Sales from teen’s baked goods raise funds to fight racial injustices.

Racial Justice Bake Shop

Automated Justice?

Lawmakers to consider automatic expungements for misdemeanors.

Virginia is one of 10 states that offers almost no way for people convicted of misdemeanors to expunge their records, creating roadblocks for people trying to get a job or rent an apartment. Even when a jury finds defendants in Virginia not guilty or when prosecutors dropped charges, allegations remain on records as a stain that can cause problems for years to come. That’s why lawmakers are about to consider a proposal from the Virginia Crime Commission on automatic expungement, which is expected to be released early next week.

Opinion: Column: The Doggone Truth

I don't remember much substance from my freshman-level psychology 100 class at the University of Maryland in 1972 except that the lecture hall sat approximately 600 students, tests were graded on a bell curve (with which I was totally unfamiliar), the professor always wore black leather pants, and he brought his dog to every lecture.

For Seniors, Love Is Not Cancelled

This region is a prime location for meeting and dating other single seniors.

A 67-year-old widower, who lives in Old Town, met a woman who is divorced and 65 on eHarmony.

A Migration Miracle Is Underway

Small efforts can help monarch butterflies.

Bright orange and black butterflies are zigging and zagging through Northern Virginia in September and October headed south, the migration of monarch butterflies.

Bargain Shoppers United in Alexandria

Rainy skies don’t dampen enthusiasm for sidewalk sale.

Rainy skies were no match for bargain hunters, who turned out to support more than 50 locally owned businesses during the annual Old Town and Del Ray Sidewalk Sale held Aug. 15 and 16.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: First Hand View of Racism: Change the Name

Dear Elected Officials and ACPS Board Members, Nelson Greene Jr.’s letter to The Honorable Cindy M. Anderson, Chairperson; Members of the Alexandria City Public School Board; and Alexandria City Council Members is shared with the Gazette Packet

Additions to Secret Garden Concerts in Alexandria

Two new concerts have been added to the live, outdoor concert series in Alexandria.

‘Flower Flashing’ in Alexandria

Garden Clubs unite to spread beauty of nature

The Hunting Creek Garden Club and Garden Club of Alexandria joined forces to provide a “flower flash” at the Alexandria Police Department Headquarters Aug. 5 to culminate a month-long effort to share the beauty of nature with the community.

For (Some) Women, Right to Vote Came 100 Years Ago

City marks centennial of 19th amendment

Harry Burn was a staunch anti-suffragist.

Opinion: Commentary: In the Interim

Coping with relentless issues: pandemic, eviction crisis, unemployment crisis, boosting tourism and more.

Normally, the end of the legislative session allows time for legislators, staff, and advocates alike to regroup and catch their breath.

Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Selects Dr. Tammy Mann as 2020 Business Leader of the Year

The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce has selected Dr. Tammy Mann, President & CEO of The Campagna Center, as the 2020 Business Leader of the Year.

Sunny Day For Alexandria Chamber Golf Classic

The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Golf Classic was held at Springfield Golf and Country Club on Monday, August 17, presented by MGM National Harbor.

Trailer Park Residents Speak Out About Being Priced Out

Hybla Valley residents oppose mixed use plans.

Hybla Valley

Opinion: Column: Narratively Speaking

After 11 years and almost exactly six months since being diagnosed with stage IV, non-small cell lung cancer, the party is apparently over.

Governor Northam Signs Protection Bills For Dogs

Virtual ceremony held

In a signing ceremony, held virtually, and streamed from his State Capitol office, Governor Ralph Northam officially signed stronger protections for tethered dogs into law on Aug. 17.

Distance Learning for Children with ADHD

Decreasing stress and increasing success in a virtual classroom

Voncia Hartley and her 10-year old son Kelvin are dreading the first day of school this year.

Appetite: This Alexandria Restaurant Week Gives New Meaning to “In-House”

While indoor dining has been curtailed in many restaurants due to social distancing requirements, this summer’s festival of local food is moving to another exclusive locale: Your home.

Reforming the Police

Lawmakers consider sweeping set of proposals to change policing in Virginia.

Only a few hours into a special session of the General Assembly earlier this week, members of a Senate panel passed a sweeping bill on policing reform that does everything from banning no-knock warrants and limiting chokeholds to creating use-of-force standards and requiring de-escalation training.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: First Homicide of the Year

This article is most notable for what it omitted.

Senior Services of Alexandria ‘Shout Out’ to its Volunteers

Senior Services of Alexandria would like to give a special “shout out” to its volunteers who have delivered Meals on Wheels, Frozen Meals, Groceries to Go, and served as Friendly Visitors to isolated seniors during the last several months.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Witnessing Worship, Converging Paths

My husband and I had a wonderful experience recently at Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum here in Old Town Alexandria.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: If Not Now, When? Rename Alexandria’s High School

On behalf of the membership of the Departmental Progressive Club which includes many T.C. Williams High School alumni, we strongly and urgently request that the Alexandria School Board adopt and unanimously pass a resolution to remove the name of T.C. Williams from Alexandria’s public high school effective immediately.

Blood-Stained Hands in Alexandria

City marks 1899 lynching of Benjamin Thomas, who was 16.

It happened just after midnight. On Aug. 8, 1899, 16-year-old Benjamin Thomas was attacked at the city jail on Saint Asaph Street and dragged half a mile by an angry mob of white citizens in what would become the second lynching of an African American man in two years.

Obituary: Bob Calhoun

Former vice mayor, state senator dies at 83.

Bob Calhoun, a political statesman who represented Alexandria in elected office for 20 years, died Aug. 6 at his country wildlife preserve in Berryville, Va., following a battle with prostate cancer. He was 83 years old.

Appetite: The Chewish Deli Almost Ready to Open in Alexandria

Bagel lovers, rejoice. Soon, a new bagel shop will be opening its doors in Old Town Alexandria, providing a bit more chew to the morning meal.

Alexandria Tutoring Consortium Launches Fundraiser to Purchase Books For Elementary Virtual Tutoring Program

The Alexandria Tutoring Consortium is launching a $22,000 fundraising campaign to purchase books for its virtual literacy tutoring program this school year.

The Other Alexandria: From Firefighter to Poet: Kendall Thompson

After graduating from T. C. Williams in the Class of 1984, Kendall Thompson embarked on a career as a firefighter in 1986.

Mount Vernon Get-a-Way

Huntley Meadows Park offers solitude from the pandemic and rhetoric.

Mount Vernon Get-a-Way

Night Court

Lawmakers to consider eliminating no-knock warrants, new hurdles for nighttime search warrants.

Lawmakers in Virginia are about to consider banning no-knock warrants and creating a new requirement that judges — not magistrates — sign off on search warrants executed at night.

EagleForce Warrior Foundation Donates $30K

Funds launch Capital Caring Health's ‘So No One Dies Alone Program.’

The local nonprofit provider of elder health, hospice and advanced illness care, Capital Caring Health, received a $30K donation from EagleForce Warrior Foundation to launch the provider's 'So No One Dies Alone Program' for Veterans from Northern Virginia and nearby areas and their families.

Black Interior Designers on Industry’s Lack of Inclusion and Diversity

Local tastemakers speak honestly about racial barriers within the profession.

As recent racial injustice protests have brought issues of diversity and inclusion to the forefront of the nation’s consciousness, local interior designers of color are voicing concerns about equity and underrepresentation within the industry.

OrthoVirginia Moves to New Offices in Northern Virginia

OrthoVirginia has relocated offices in Northern Virginia.

Airplane Noise Virtual Community Conversation and Aircraft Noise Mitigation Study Kickoff Meeting

Members of the Arlington County and Montgomery County, Md. and adjacent communities impacted by aircraft noise from Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA):

Alexandria Summer Sidewalk Sale Returns August 15 and 16

Stroll outdoors for deals from 50+ boutiques.

One of the longest-running seasonal summer shopping events for independent boutiques returns with the annual Alexandria Summer Sidewalk Sale happening Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15 - 16, 2020, throughout Old Town and Del Ray.

Alexandria Schools Stay Virtual

Division to open fall semester online, then reevaluate in November.

Students will not return to school this fall.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Lobbying for Leniency?

The three prosecutors in the ultra-liberal dense urban core consisting of Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax have broken with their Commonwealth-wide association which includes prosecutors from less liberal places.

Electrical Event Cause of Fort Hunt House Fire

Saturday, Aug. 1, at approximately 11:25 a.m., units from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and the City of Alexandria Fire Department were dispatched for a reported house fire in the 2100 block of Rampart Drive in the Fort Hunt area of Fairfax County.

Republican Women Honor the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment Ratification

The Commonwealth Republican Women’s Club (CRWC) met briefly – with masks and social distancing – to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote in August of 1920.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: On the ‘First Principal of Parker-Gray School’

I would like to express my gratitude to one of your editors Char Bah.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Thankful

I want to let you know how thankful I am for Mrs. Char McCargo Bah and the many articles she has written for the Alexandria Gazette.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Tapestry of Experiences that Make Alexandria Special

It is always a pleasure to shout praises to you for covering and to Char Bah for writing stories so illustrative of the Black experience in Alexandria!

Restore Our Parks Act Could Create 10,340 Jobs

The president signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law this week, a bill championed by U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA).

Making Dreams Come True – Spirit Week in Alexandria

The City of Alexandria, Department of Recreation is truly focused on working hard to safeguard our city and communities.

Living Legends of Alexandria: Rosa Landeros

Rosa Landeros is the parent liaison at Mount Vernon Community School, but she says her real calling is to welcome families to the community and act as the cultural broker between the students, teachers, parents and the community.

Obituary: James Breeding

Al’s Steakhouse owner dies at 52.

Like many Alexandrians, James Breeding was a frequent visitor to Al’s Steakhouse in Del Ray.

Arrest Made in First Homicide of the Year

Suspect found after pursuit with gunshot wound, police say.

Ibrahm Elkahlil Bouaichi, who was wanted for the July 29 murder of Karla Elizabeth Dominguez Gonzalez, has been taken into custody.

Say Their Names:

In Remembrance: Benjamin Thomas, August 8, 1899

During the early morning of August 8th in 1899, at the corner of King and Fairfax streets, just across from Market Square, a 16-year-old boy named Benjamin Thomas was lynched by a mob of thousands.

Appetite: Thai Signature Wants to Leave Its Mark on King Street in Alexandria

Nestled in the heart of King Street, there’s a new Thai flavor coming to town.

Dangling Liberty

Lawmakers to consider putting pretextual stops in the rearview mirror.

Do you have a parking pass dangling from your rearview mirror? What about rosary beads or a graduation tassel? Police officers can use that as a pretext to pull you over and ask to search your car.

Opinion: Column: Safeguarding My Future

Whether or not I'm certain about my attitude toward being a dual cancer threat (non small cell lung and papillary thyroid, cancer), only my subconscious knows for sure.

AAUW of Virginia Holds Summer Leadership Meeting

A record number of Virginia members of the American Association of University Women, a national advocate for women’s equity, attended their annual Summer Leadership Meeting on July 25, 26, and 27.

Back-to-School Vaccinations Required, Even with Distance Learning

Free vaccine clinics are designed to help ensure that all children are vaccinated.

While there’s a cloud of uncertainty over what the back-to school season will look like this year, one thing is certain: children still need to be vaccinated.

Senior Year Unlike Any Other

Recent high school grads, Class of 2021 face college uncertainty amid pandemic.

Senior year, 2020 T.C. Williams graduate Mikaela Pozo applied to 17 colleges.