Stories for July 2020

Appetite: Del Ray Boccato to Keep Mount Vernon Avenue Cool in Alexandria

In the dog days of a pandemic summer, a new beacon of cold treats has begun to shine in Del Ray, its light getting brighter day by day prior to its opening in just a few weeks.

Progressive Prosecutors Lobby for Justice

Commonwealth’s Attorneys from Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax join forces to press for reform.

As lawmakers prepare to return to Richmond for a special session on criminal justice reform, this group of likeminded prosecutors known as the Progressive Prosecutors for Justice will be pushing for a package of criminal-justice reform bills that does not have the backing of the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys.

Ponds are Popular in Backyards Around the Area

Sometimes a water garden provides the natural setting for fish, frogs, butterflies and birds.

Backyard Ponds

Alexandrians Sit on Edge of Eviction

Unemployment crisis due to coronavirus leaves families in jeopardy.

The impact of the coronavirus with loss of income has led to a roller coaster for many Alexandria families who have fallen behind on their rent.

‘Titan Oak’ in Danger in Alexandria

Residents rally to save 150-year-old tree at TC.

Concerned citizens and local activists gathered July 21 on the campus of T.C. Williams High School to protest the planned removal of a 150-year-old oak tree to make way for a new concession stand at the school’s Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Citizens’ Expressions of Venom, Ignorance, and Unsupported Statistics

The Gazette published several articles in last week’s edition in which citizens expressed venom, hate, ignorance, and questionable conclusions unsupported by the statistics cited.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Going Back to the Dark Ages

With the July 8 decision by the Supreme Court to ban insurance coverage for contraceptives for women, we have gone back to the Dark Ages, where men in management will decide “what is best” for women who work in their offices and in their companies.

‘Cancel Our Rent’ in Alexandria

Southern Towers residents protest eviction hearings.

Residents of Southern Towers apartments gathered July 15 at the Franklin P. Backus Courthouse in Old Town to protest for the cancellation of rent payments and demand an extension to a statewide moratorium on evictions, which expired last month.

Seniors to Protest Via Zoom

Online forum scheduled for July 27.

An online protest for older adults is being planned via Zoom to allow seniors to “gather in solidarity and bring attention to the need to end systemic racism and push for police reform,” according to the event organizers.

City of Alexandria Employee Dies in Car Crash

Robert Bloom was Public Safety Systems Administrator.

Robert Bloom, the Public Safety Systems Administrator in the Department of Emergency and Customer Communications (DECC) for the City of Alexandria, died July 20 after his SUV struck a traffic pole at the intersection of North Kings Highway and Telegraph Road in the Huntington section of Fairfax County.

150 Years of Service in Alexandria

APD marks founding of police department.

The Alexandria Police Department marked the 150th anniversary of its founding with an informal gathering July 15 at police headquarters.

Alexandria’s Irish Walk to Close July 31

Economic uncertainty ends 50-year run.

The Irish Walk, a landmark shopping destination in Old Town for over 50 years, will be closing its doors July 31, a casualty of a string of recent economic challenges.

A Senior Year Unlike Any Other in Alexandria

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.

Continuing Social-Emotional Learning at Home this Summer

Grace Episcopal School may officially be on summer break, but this summer is unlike all of the others.

Robert Bloom Dies in Fatal Crash in Huntington

Detectives from Fairfax County Police Department Crash Reconstruction Unit are investigating a fatal car crash that occurred Monday morning in Huntington in the Mount Vernon Police District.

Appetite: Say Hello to Hank & Mitzi’s This Month in Alexandria

Soon, the aroma of rich Italian food will once more waft from the corner of Montgomery Street and St. Asaph Street.

At the Crossroads

Lawmakers to slash the state budget and consider criminal-justice reforms.

The threadbare Franklin and Armfield office on Duke Street stands at the crossroads between racial injustice and economic crisis. It’s a ramshackle building now, but it was once the headquarters for the largest domestic slave trading firm in the United States, present at the creation of the systemic racism that plagues Virginia cops and courts. It’s also the city’s latest acquisition, and the state budget was to include $2.5 million to help transform it into the Freedom House Museum. But then the pandemic hit, and the governor hit the pause button on that line item as well as all the other spending priorities of the new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.

Combat Reporting Lands Local Resident Marine Corps Award

Jefferson Manor resident was embedded with Marines in Afghanistan.

Local resident gets USMC award

Virginia Adopts First-in-the-Nation Workplace Safety Standards for COVID-19 Pandemic

Gov. Ralph Northam announced statewide emergency workplace safety standards in response to the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

Opinion: Column: Growing Pains

After more than six months away from the infusion center, due to the treatment for my papillary thyroid cancer stage II, I make my return on Wednesday, July 22.

Discarded Electronic Equipment Helps Seniors in Need

Handheld devices keep the elderly in contact with healthcare providers, family and friends.

On a recent summer morning, a group of college students gathered in Chantilly to sort and sanitize handheld devices ranging from smartphones to tablets.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: New Name: Nolan Dawkins High School

I write today about the matter of renaming T. C. Williams High School.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Relearning the Value of Private Charity

The cause behind the "More for Enforcement, Less for Assistance" phenomenon in Michael Lee Pope's feature about Alexandria spending more on policing but less on social services, ironically, is on the very next page.

The Other Alexandria: Betty Garrett Scott: ‘Memories of My Grandfather’

During the Civil Rights movement unrest in the 1940s and 1950s, Betty Garrett-Scott witnessed many historical moments that shaped her life.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Call for Independent Police Auditor; More Data on Police Actions in Alexandria

The Alexandria Human Rights Ordinance established the Alexandria Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in 1975. The Commission comprises 14 members appointed by city council for three-year terms. The AHRC works to ensure, among other things, that Alexandrians are treated fairly and in accordance with applicable state and local laws and regulations.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Rename T.C. Williams NOW

There has been a chorus of support for renaming T.C. Williams High School to remove the moniker of an arch-segregationist who does not represent our values.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Boone-Yoast High?

I recently heard about the effort to re-name T.C. Williams High School.

Unsung Heroes

Rotary project raises $16k for local nonprofits.

The Rotary Club of Alexandria raised $16,000 for local nonprofits through its third annual Flags for Heroes program, a display of 200 flags along the George Washington Parkway at Cedar Knoll Restaurant.

Fun Things to Do this Summer in Northern Virginia

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Eva Shea to Lead Alexandria Sportsman’s Club

First female president in Sportsman’s Club history.

Eva Shea, a two-time All American and two-time All New England Lacrosse player, has been elected as the 2020-2021 president of the Alexandria Sportsman’s Club.

Alexandria Sportsman’s Club Awards $16k to Student Athletes

TC, Bishop Ireton among honorees.

The Alexandria Sportsman’s Club has awarded $16,000 in scholarships to eight high school student athletes for exemplary performance in athletics and academics.

Goodbye, T.C.

Majority of School Board members support ditching name of segregationist.

Five out of nine School Board members say they are willing to ditch the name T.C. Williams, divorcing the name of a segregationist former superintendent from Alexandria’s only high school.

Obituary: Ron Umbeck dies at 78

Taught mathematics at Bishop Ireton for over 50 years.

Ron Umbeck, a beloved and dedicated educator at Bishop Ireton High school for more than 50 years, died July 13 at Inova Alexandria Hospital after suffering a fall at his home earlier this month. He was 78 years old.

Appetite: Off the Menu: Alexandria Restaurant News Notes

From more ways to get bagels to new restaurants opening their doors to welcoming back an old favorite, there are certainly signs of life amongst the city’s eateries again.

Guilty Plea for Swatting Conspiracy

A former leader of the white supremacist group Atomwaffen Division pleaded guilty July 14 to charges related to his role in a conspiracy that conducted multiple swatting events targeting journalists, a Virginia university, a historic Virginia church — Alfred Street Baptist Church, and a former cabinet official.

Virtual Library Meets Need for Escape for Alexandrians

Hannah Risley, reference librarian, and Katie Whitman, children’s librarian, were quick to start executing their programming in the digital sphere.

Every week, hundreds of Alexandrians have counted on being able to walk through the doors of James M. Duncan Branch Library, a place that has proven to be much more than the thousands of books it makes available to patrons.

Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Awards Over $500,000 in Scholarships to 2020 TC Titan Grads

181 Graduating Seniors receive scholarships to help make their college dreams become reality.

The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria (SFA) awarded $504,000 in college scholarships to 181 graduating seniors from the T.C. Williams Class of 2020.

Protecting Paychecks

Restaurants, lawyers and consultants in Alexandria receive millions in forgivable loans.

Restaurants in Alexandria received the biggest chunk of federal cash from the Paycheck Protection Program, landing more than 200 forgivable loans and saving about 4,000 jobs, according to new data released from the Small Business Administration. Lawyers, consultants and home health care workers also scored big, landing hundreds of loans and saving thousands of jobs. Ultimately, businesses in Alexandria received more than 3,000 loans and preserved more than 35,000 jobs.

Opinion: Commentary: Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorneys Voicing Support for Criminal Justice Reform

We are a group of Commonwealth’s Attorneys who represent and are responsible for the safety of over 40 percent of the population of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Opinion: Column: It's a Twofer

And not just Tuesday, either. All week in fact, I'll be waiting to hear the music.

Randolph-Macon Academy Fully Opening for Fall 2020 Semester

Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal, Virginia will open for on-campus operations for all students and staff for the Fall 2020 semester. All classes will be held in-person with full course schedules and teacher instruction.

A COVID-19 Summer Gives Time for Reading

From current events to mysteries, books can fill time and lead to lively family conversations.

During a recent 12-hour car ride to their summer home in Michigan, the Leland family finished two books, “Bridge To Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson and Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Let’s Have an Ombudsman in Alexandria

Former Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg tried during her one term in office to establish a permanent ethics commission. However her “cohorts” on the City Council, refused to support her initiative.

Public Art Installation Opens in Waterfront Park in Alexandria

New exhibit frames 300 years of African American history.

Following delays of several months due to COVID-19 restrictions, the city has formally opened its newest public art installation at the Alexandria waterfront.

All Aboard! The Tall Ship Providence in Alexandria

ALL ABOARD! The Tall Ship Providence, a 110-foot, 12-gun sloop of war, is a replica of the first ship authorized to serve in the Continental Navy and John Paul Jones' first American command.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Racism Must Force Us as Individuals to Act

Over a century ago African-American educator and activist, W.E.B DuBois argued the dilemma, "Am I an American or am I a Negro ... does my black blood place upon me any more obligation to assert my nationality than German, Irish or Italian blood would."

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Racial Justice Applied to Traffic Enforcement

An open letter to Alexandria’s City Council Members, the City’s Manager and Alexandria’s Chief of Police: Subject: AFSS statement on racial justice applied to traffic enforcement

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Change T.C. Williams’ Name

Twenty-two years ago, in 1998, Hopkins House asked the School Board to change the high school’s name, but the board declined. Today, we ask again.

Health Care Heroes in Alexandria

#CAREavanChallenge visits assisted living facilities.

The gauntlet was thrown. ElderTree Care Management Services challenged care providers to get creative and show appreciation for health care aides at local assisted living facilities.

Land of the Free: Alexandria

Homes across the city were adorned with displays of patriotism over a Fourth of July weekend that was more subdued than usual due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Living Legends of Alexandria: ‘Champions for Children’

Magaly and Tom Hirst

Passionate. Dedicated supporters. Generous. Inspirational. Humble. These are just a few words to describe Tom and Magaly Hirst’s philanthropic efforts to give back to Alexandria through the Mason Hirst Foundation.

Food for Everyone During Pandemic in Alexandria

ALIVE! serves as the City’s basic food resource for people in need through many programs targeting specific populations.

Ann Patterson, Food Program Director for ALIVE!, says that the first week after the pandemic was announced, they packed for 400 in their regular food distribution but 1,100 families showed up.

More for Enforcement, Less for Assistance

Since the recession, funding has increased for public safety but decreased for social services.

Since the recession, spending on public safety in Alexandria has increased year after year. According to documents from the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts, that category of government spending has increased 38 percent since 2010 as city leaders increased salaries for police officials and funded new positions at the city’s emergency communications center. But during that same time, spending on health and welfare programs has increased only 12 percent. Spending on social services has actually gone down since 2010.

Appetite: Dining Out, Phase 3: Two Restaurateurs Discuss the Latest in Alexandria

Now that Alexandria is solidly in Phase 3 of the Virginia Forward reopening plan, restaurants and cafes are wide open – with social distancing in place – both inside and out.

Calendar: Fun Things to Do this Summer in Arlington & Alexandria

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Send Photos for the Pet Connection

The Pet Connection, a twice-yearly special edition, will publish the last week of July, and photos and stories of your pets with you and your family should be submitted by Thursday, July 23.

Opinion: Column: Questions and “Canswers”

"Very interesting," to quote Artie Johnson from "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," that "crazy-kooky" comedy show from the 70s.

A Summer Oasis

Pool house evolved into a space that incorporates the beauty of the outdoors into the interior design.

Transforming the expansive backyard into a summer oasis by designing a pool and adjacent pool house.

The Other Alexandria: Standing on Historical Land: James E. Henson, Esq.

After the end of the Civil War, George L. Seaton was commissioned by the Freedmen Bureau to build two schools for the education of Colored children.

‘Flags for Heroes’ in Mount Vernon

Hundreds of flags on display through July 11.

A lone bagpiper stood among hundreds of American flags as the strains of Amazing Grace wafted through the air during the opening ceremony of the 3rd annual Flags for Heroes display June 28 at Cedar Knoll Restaurant along the George Washington Parkway.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Failing to Stem Impact of Covid-19 on Vulnerable

Even as many of our leaders emphasize reopening the economy, covid-19 cases in Virginia have fallen only by 50 percent, and Alexandria has more Covid-19 cases than most other jurisdictions in Virginia.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Missing the Obvious?

Michael Lee Pope's article on income gaps misses some obvious explanations. Many minorities are recent immigrants. Do we really expect them to step into jobs with incomes commensurate with Alexandria's 80% college-educated whites?

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Statues for Benedict Arnold

I'm a history buff and have read many books about the Civil War in order to understand events surrounding that tragedy.

Senior Services of Alexandria Welcomes New Board Members

Senior Services of Alexandria (SSA) welcomed 5 new board members at its virtual Annual Meeting on June 23, 2020.

Opinion: Commentary: Preventing the Callous in Young Black America

Growing up in Birmingham, AL, I recall playing in the basement of 16th Street Baptist Church. The same church that was bombed in 1963 by the KKK, killing four young Black girls and injuring dozens.

Opinion: Commentary: Virginia State Legislature Will Vote on Policing Reforms

The events of the last 60 days have been troubling for America and our community.

T.C. Williams: What’s in a Name?

Efforts intensify to change name of T.C. Williams High School.

When the Disney movie “Remember the Titans” was released in 2000, it brought national attention to T.C. Williams High school. Starring Academy Award winner Denzel Washington, the movie shone a spotlight on the integration of Alexandria’s public high school and the 1971 undefeated season of its football team.

Alexandria Officer Charged for Unjustified Use of Force

An Alexandria Police officer was arrested on the evening of June 30 and charged with misdemeanor assault and battery, for the unjustified use of force while on duty.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Old Town Alexandria Traffic

Although we are gradually returning to normal, I regret to say that some “normal” things are still not acceptable, since the Alexandria City Council and the Police Department continue to ignore enforcing traffic and bicycle laws.

GOP Women of Alexandria Host Douglass Leadership Institute Chairman and State GOP Party Candidates

The Commonwealth Republican Women’s Club (CRWC) of Alexandria met via Zoom to discuss state party candidacies and the recent US Senate primary, and to hear a special guest speaker on African American conservatism.

Reconsidering Police in Schools in Alexandria

School resource officers face new scrutiny during Black Lives Matter movement.

Earlier this year, rising senior Fina Osei-Owusu encountered a yelling crowd while walking the second floor B wing of T.C. Williams High School.

Alexandria: This Week in Covid

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‘It’s Been an Honor’: Trailblazing Judge Dawkins Retires After 26 Years

Nolan Dawkins grew up at a time when Alexandria segregated everything from water fountains to public schools. But he was determined to make a difference, becoming one of seven individuals to integrate George Washington High School in the 1960s, then distinguishing himself as an officer in Vietnam.

Alexandria City Public Schools Serves 30,000 Meals Weekly to Children during Coronavirus

Five yellow school buses and two vans line up outside door 34 at T.C. Williams every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:30 a.m. for meal deliveries to Alexandria children.

COVID-19: Not a Fair Fight in Alexandria

Regional perspective: pandemic exposes health inequality leading up to discrepancies in life expectancy.

In Alexandria, the Latinx population, which comprises 16.8 percent of the City, accounts for 55.5 percent of Alexandria’s positive cases of COVID-19.

Calendar: Fun Things to Do this Summer in Northern Virginia

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Opinion: Commentary: Moving Forward: The Anatomy of Racism in our Everyday Lives

In the past few weeks, many people, especially African Americans, have had to reconcile what they have seen in witnessing the murder of George Floyd and that of their own experience. I am no exception.

Opinion: Commentary: Public Demands Changes, Not Studies and Delays

Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus Police Reform and Criminal Justice Equity Plan

The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor has awoken Americans and Virginians to long standing problems in policing in America.

Alexandria Reckoning

Police launch formal inquiry into why Black people make up majority of arrests.

Black people are 23 percent of the population in Alexandria, and yet most arrests in the city are of African Americans. Most cases when police use force are against Black people. Most drug arrests are of Black people. And almost half of the inmates at the Alexandria jail are Black people.

Appetite: Not Ready for Indoor Dining? Eat Al Fresco Here in Alexandria

Here on the precipice of Virginia’s Phase 3 of reopening, most of Alexandria’s restaurants are back to business as usual – within the scope of a major pandemic, that is.

Plans for Old Mount Vernon High School

Virtual meeting puts educational uses on the forefront for the 1939 building.

Old Mount Vernon High School plans.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Alexandria Police Department Has a Systemic Racism Problem

The Alexandria Police Department is one of the most professional and respected law enforcement agencies in the country. And yes, the Alexandria Police Department does have a systemic racism problem within it. The two can be synonymous.