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City Attorney Gave Green Light to Hensley Before All Documents Were Reviewed
Federal grant from 1970s provided barrier to private development of public land.
Recently unearthed documents from city and state archives show Joseph Hensley Park is protected by the Land and Water Conservation Act, which financed development of the city-owned property in the late 1970s.
Should Jefferson-Houston Become a Charter School?
Alexandria's failing school is in crossfire of political debate.
Politicians love to talk about failing schools. As an abstract concept, they are an easy target. But when an actual school is identified as a failing school, the reality become a bit more complicated.
Business Matters
Former Alexandria Mayor Kerry Donley is looking for a new gig. Ever since United Bankshares announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire all the outstanding stock of Virginia Bancorp back in January, the writing has been on the wall.
On the Campaign Trail
Turnout for Tuesday's primary was abysmally low, with only 140,000 participating in the voting.
Alexandria City Hall Loses Wales Alley Case to Old Dominion Boat Club
Virginia Supreme Court rejects argument from City Attorney James Banks
Justices of the Virginia Supreme Court have rejected the argument City Attorney James Banks outlined during oral arguments back in September that the city has the ability to lease a public alley to a private business.
Democrats Shut Out of Power in Senate
Even if Democrats win in two special elections, control over committees is unlikely.
Don't expect Democrats to take control over state Senate committees anytime soon, even if the party manages to hold both of the seats where special elections are now underway.
Voters to Have Final Say on Waterfront Plan as Legal Challenges Linger
Boat Club occupies the Strand as tensions mount over controversial small-area plan.
Last weekend, members of the Old Dominion Boat Club staged an annual ritual that’s something of a cross between a tailgating party and Occupy Wall Street. Every year, members shut down a section of the Strand for several hours to make sure everybody knows that the land is officially Boat Club property. The yearly affirmation usually goes without much notice.
Redrawing the Elementary School Poverty Map in Arlington
Adding two new elementary schools could create opportunity for more diversity.
When Linley Mancilla was preparing to send her child to elementary school, she looked at the boundary map and examined the demographics. Then she considered her options. Ultimately, she decided against sending her child to the local neighborhood school, Carlin Springs Elementary.
Stable Unstable: Future of Woodlawn Stables in Doubt
Feds decision on Southern Bypass creates a sense of uncertainty.
From the top of the hillside graveyard at Woodlawn Baptist Church, Pastor Travis Hilton looks out over the cars rushing by on the highway below.
Signs Point To Change: Arlington County makes some changes to sign ordinance
For Dan Magnolia, the headache of dealing with Arlington County government is a sign of the times. Visitors to his business in south Arlington are likely to see a four-foot by three-foot sign announcing the business
Artist Loses Freedmen’s Cemetery Commission Because He Used Religious Symbols
Traditional African symbols prompted rejection of winning design.
The Contraband and Freedmen’s Cemetery is no stranger to controversy. Now a new conflict has emerged at the final resting place for dozens of former slaves.
Commission Buries Proposal
Plan to transform French-Lawler House into boutique funeral home rejected.
When the French-Lawler House was constructed on South Washington Street in 1893, the Victorian standard for funerary called for elaborate processions featuring pall bearers who carried batons and mutes dressed in gowns. These days, people have a more modest approach to death. Gone are the black ostrich feathers covering a hearse bearing a polished coffin bearing inscribed plates. Increasingly, people are being cremated. And Kingstowne-based Jefferson Funeral Home hopes to expand its operation into Old Town by transforming the French-Lawler House into what it calls a "boutique funeral home."
House Historian
Family and friends remember Ruth Lincoln Kaye.
Alexandria's premiere house historian, a woman who pioneered the industry and fiercely protected her research, died April 30. She was 95. "She had a curious and inquisitive mind," recalled her son, Arthur Lincoln Kaye. Kaye was known throughout the city as a sort of walking history book, a woman who possessed an extensive institutional memory and a razor-sharp wit.
The Fighter
Longtime congressman celebrated by Alexandria Democrats.
During his first run for Congress, then-Mayor Jim Moran assembled a campaign team that was hungry to oust incumbent Republican Stan Parris. Mame Reiley ran the operation, which included a young communications consultant named Joe Trippi. As the race headed toward Election Day, Reiley and Trippi became concerned that Moran's campaign signs kept disappearing from Eisenhower Avenue. So they set up a sting operation with a video camera to catch the culprit, who turned out to be Jim Moran.
Six Feet Over
City officials planning flood mitigation for the waterfront.
Every heavy rainstorm seems to bring a flood of news trucks, which arrive at the foot of King Street and set up television cameras. The images of flooded streets have become a regular feature for television news segments because the images are so shocking. Now city leaders are planning to raise the elevation of the waterfront to six feet, preventing flooding for most major storms.
More Clang Coming to Del Ray
New free service along Mount Vernon Avenue to cost $1 million a year.
Del Ray is sometimes called the “little neighborhood that could,” a reference to its history as a home for railroad workers at Potomac Yard.
Zoned Out
City Council to determine future of single-family housing in Alexandria.
"We need to apply strict scrutiny on the zoning provisions we have and ensure that they do not have a disparate impact, particularly to ensure that some of the provisions are not segregating our communities." — Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson
Following the Money
Alexandria delegation pulls in almost $3 million despite lack of competition.
“The amount of money is fascinating, although I’m not sure what it says about our current state of democracy.” — Brian Moran, former Alexandria delegate who served as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus
Green Rollback May Hit Blue Wall
Republican efforts to undo environmental laws to face opposition in Democratic-led Senate.
Environmental laws
Tax Code Thunderstruck in Alexandria
Lawmakers consider easing bracket creep by making tax code more progressive.
Taxes