The Fixer: Mame Reiley Remembered as Political Force of Nature
Democratic insider was mastermind behind Jim Moran's 1990 campaign for Congress.
When Mame Reiley decided a young guy by the name of Jim Moran could knock off an incumbent congressman, people thought she was crazy. U.S. Rep. Stanford Parris (R-8) had been in Congress more than a decade, and he had the kind of financial support that the mayor of Alexandria could only hope to assemble. But Reiley knew it could be done, and she put together a dream team to make it happen.
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."
Two Million Dollar Primary
Former lieutenant governor raises $1.1 million; his competitors combined raise $1.4 million.
Campaign finance documents released in the final days before the June 10 primary show the seven candidates in the primary to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) have raised almost $2.5 million. Former Lt. Gov. Don Beyer leads the pack with $1.1 million, three times as much as his closest competitor. "Don Beyer is clearly the favorite," said Geoff Skelley, analyst with the University of Virginia Center for Politics. "He may not win it with a particularly large plurality, but he's the favorite to win."
Seven in the Eighth: Epic Democratic Primary Heads Toward Final Days
Hotly contested race to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8)
Ten names will be on the ballot June 10, although only seven candidates are still in the Democratic primary to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8).
Sheriff's Deputy Charged with Raping Inmate
Prosecutor says he forcibly raped inmate using an ink pen as a weapon.
Deputies at the Alexandria Sheriff's Office say Bryant Duane Pegues was a quiet man, someone who got his work done and did not draw much attention to himself since he was hired in 2007.
May 28: Council Notebook
News briefs from the city council on May 28.
Seaport Foundation Without a Seaport?
Waterfront plan leaves nonprofit homeless, for now.
A sense of uneasiness fills Randall Smith when he starts talking about the future of the Seaport Foundation, the nonprofit that taught him how to build boats. One recent afternoon found him scarfing a board so that it has the right ratio to be part of a kit that the nonprofit sells for people to make a kind of boat known as a Bevin's Skiff. By this time next year, the nonprofit will have to move out of this building, which will be demolished as part of the waterfront plan.
Piloting Food Trucks
Most of controversial food truck proposal placed on back burner.
The food truck craze is coming to a city park or a farmer's market near you, part of a 16-month pilot program that will allow the mobile vendors to set up shop and see what happens. City Council members approved the pilot program in a four-to-two vote with Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg and Councilman Paul Smedberg voting no. Disgruntled restaurant owners across the city are talking about creating a new association specifically to fight expanding the program to hot spots in Old Town and Del Ray, a move city officials have been pushing for more than a year. The pilot is scheduled to begin in July and run through October 2015.
Nightmare on Green Street?
Neighbors say house is a nuisance; city officials say their hands are tied.
The 800 block of Green Street is tucked away in a quiet part of Old Town, a few blocks west of Washington Street where spring flowers are in bloom and neighbors know each other by name. Except Michael Wargo. Property records say he purchased 813 Green St. in 1989 for $263,000. But neighbors say he hasn't lived in the house for 12 years, and they are concerned that the house is a firetrap that's attracting wild animals and growing concern.
Serving Up Controversy Over Food Trucks in Alexandria
Council members indicate they're likely to approve a pilot program at farmers markets.
City Council members are bracing themselves for a massive food fight this Saturday, when elected officials will take up a divisive proposal to allow food trucks in Alexandria.
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.
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.
May 14: Council Notebook
Council Notebook briefs.
C-Section Boom in Northern Virginia
Region has some of the highest rates of cesarean-section deliveries for low-risk pregnancies.
Behind the closed doors at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church and the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, a quiet change has been taking shape over the last few decades.
Despite Advances, Many Virginians Remain Uninsured
Affordable Care Act expands coverage, but more than 800,000 still have no health insurance.
What is the state of the uninsured in Virginia?
Animal Instinct: Democrats in Hotly Contested Primary Divided on Speciesism
Will Jim Moran's successor share his enthusiasm for animal rights?
Candidates in the Democratic primary for Congress have a wide range of views on animal rights, an issue that has become one of the defining legacies of retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8).
Words With Frenemies
Pulitzer-prize winning historian outlines research at Lyceum.
The handwritten words of a former Virginia slave splashed across the screen at the Lyceum Tuesday night, part of a presentation by Pulitzer-prize winning historian Alan Taylor's War of 1812 Bicentennial Lecture. Taylor was explaining the research behind his new book, "The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia, 1772-1832."
Pleas for Services Increase Taxes
Council raises tax rate to fund services for seniors and schoolchildren.
Seniors will be able to keep their tax relief, and Engine 204 will remain at the city's Powhatan Park headquarters. But homeowners will see their tax bills going up once again. That's because members of the Alexandria City Council voted to increase the tax rate last week, adding $2 million to the budget proposal City Manager Rashad Young presented back in February.
Food Fight: Work Group Snubbed on Food Trucks
City officials move forward with recommendations without report from work group.
Last May, City Manager Rashad Young issued a series of recommendations that would have opened the door to food trucks in Old Town, Del Ray and Carlyle.
For Congressional Candidates, No Common Ground on Common Core
Democrats in Virginia's 8th Congressional District divided on national education standards.
Should American schools share national standards? That's a question that divides the 10 Democrats seeking to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8), who is retiring after 24 years in the House of Representatives. During a recent candidates forum, the Democrats were asked if they support the Common Core State Standards Initiative, two candidates said they disagreed and eight candidates said they agreed.
Alone on the Road: 7 out of 10 Northern Virginia Workers Use Single-Occupancy Vehicles
Study raises concerns about amount of time drivers spend commuting alone.
Despite the decades-long war against the single-occupancy vehicle, seven out of 10 workers in Northern Virginia drive to work alone every workday.
Who is Trailing Don Beyer in Hotly Contested Democratic Primary?
Candidates elbow each other out of the way to secure second place.
Campaign finance documents show that former Lt. Gov. Don Beyer crushed the nine other candidates in the hotly contested Democratic primary.
Will Alexandria Sell City Hall to Developers?
City leaders to consider selling historic structure rather than investing in it.
Should city taxpayers fork over $50 million to renovate City Hall? Or should a new $100 million facility be constructed somewhere else, opening the door for a developer to transform the historic building? That's the question that will be confronting City Council in the coming years as elected officials decide whether or not they want to invest in fixing the building.
Beyer Rakes in Campaign Cash in Democratic Primary
Fundraising numbers reveal former lieutenant governor has significant edge.
Campaign finance documents released this week show Don Beyer well ahead of his competitors in the race for cash, giving the former lieutenant governor a significant edge over the nine other Democrats in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8).
Tax Burden Targets Low-Income Workers in Northern Virginia
Average tax burden for low-income workers is highest in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax.
Families that are struggling to make ends meet in Northern Virginia are the target of local governments in Northern Virginia, which has the highest tax burden in the region for low-income workers. Wealthy people face the highest tax burden in Prince George's County and Montgomery County. But here in Virginia, poor people face the biggest tax burden in Arlington, according to a new study by the Office of Revenue Analysis in the District of Columbia. Alexandria ranked second, and Fairfax County ranked third.
Alexandria to Stop Dumping Human Waste into Potomac River by Earth Day 2035
Fixing combined sewer overflows to cost at least $200 million.
The year 2035 seems like a distant dream. But it's a Sword of Damocles hanging over the head of officials at City Hall. That's the year Alexandria will no longer dump human waste into the Potomac River.
Alexandria Goes to War (Again)
City planning a number of activities to commemorate forgotten conflict.
The War of 1812 was the first war that America lost, a bitter conflict that began with an ill-planned invasion of Canada that ended when the British burned the Capitol and the executive mansion.
New Superintendent Hopes to Cut the Numbers of Suspensions in Half
Black male students suspended at disproportionate rates.
Less than a month into office, new Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Alvin Crawley is taking on the challenge of reducing the number of suspensions by half.
Bike Lane Controversy Creates a King-Sized Debate in Alexandria
City Council set to take up proposal to remove parking and install bike lanes.
Months of bitter accusations and counter-accusations are set to culminate this weekend as members of the Alexandria City Council take up a plan to remove four blocks of parking spaces on King Street to make room for a bike lane in each direction.
Wiggle Room on the Alexandria Tax Rate
Council members advertise half-a-penny increase in tax rate, allowing more flexibility.
Although Alexandria City Manager Rashad Young issued a proposed budget that keeps the current tax rate, members of the City Council voted this week to advertise a tax rate that's half a penny higher.
Northern Virginia's Growing Debt Burden
Local governments use debt as a tool to build for the future.
Back in the 1920s, Harry Byrd became governor of Virginia on what he called a "pay-as-you-go" platform.
Should Royal Street Become a Bicycle Boulevard?
Alexandria hires consultant to consider ways to encourage more bicycle traffic.
Pedestrians and bicyclists clash with vehicles up and down Union Street, a concern for city leaders who want to find a way to move cyclists to Royal Street.
Alexandria School Board Selects Interim Leader to Head Division
Alvin Crawley to take control of city schools at critical time.
Turns out, the national search for a new superintended wasn't able to find a candidate as good as the guy who is already sitting in the chair.
Virginia Laws Help Local Governments Conceal 911 Calls from Public
Police agencies refuse to release audio from 911 calls, prompting questions about transparency.
When city officials in Alexandria released the audio of a 911 call in a high-profile murder case, many people interpreted the move as a step forward for transparency in a commonwealth known for opaque government.
Money on the Shelves: Jurisdictions Take Variety of Approaches to Funding Libraries
Some have recovered from the recession, others are still struggling.
What is the future of the neighborhood library?
Alexandria Food Truck Task Force Prepares to Issue Recommendations
A movable feast through Old Town, Del Ray and Carlyle?
This spring, advocates for food trucks will engage in a battle with brick-and-mortar restaurants.
Eleven Candidate In Epic Democratic Primary to Replace Moran
Successful candidate could emerge with 10,000 votes.
The Democratic primary is shaping up to be the most competitive election in recent memory, one with an unprecedented number of candidates.
Assessing Alexandria: City Officials Mail Annual Valentines to Homeowners
Residential properties increase 5 percent; commercial properties increase 2 percent.
Homeowners across Alexandria will be receiving their annual Valentine from City Hall this week, an assessment of their property that will be used to issue a tax bill later this year.
Happyland on Edge: Quiet Suburban Neighborhood Rocked by Unsolved Murders
Residents worried that a serial killer may be on the loose.
The late Ellen Pickering used to call North Ridge "Happyland," a quiet suburban stretch of the city where neighbors knew each other and the most shocking crime that happens is when someone's car is broken into.
Scattering Low-Income Residents Across Alexandria
Public-housing authority considers redeveloping seven properties.
Uncertainty is hanging in the air for thousands of public-housing residents and their neighbors.
Alexandria School Board Considers Budget as Search Continues for Superintendent
Interim leader proposes spending priorities for a system in transition.
Alexandria City Public Schools is in a state of flux. School Board members are conducting a national search for the next superintendent as students are flooding into the city's classrooms. Meanwhile, interim superintendent Alvin Crawley is proposing a 3.3 percent increase over last year's budget, adding $8 million to the existing $235 million operating budget.
Nine Candidates Vying for Attention in 8th Congressional District Democratic Primary
Race to replace Jim Moran is expected to be competitive and expensive.
It's been three weeks since longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) announced that he would not be seeking a 13th term in Congress, opening up an epic primary fight that is now starting to take shape.
Hotel Virginia on the Alexandria Waterfront
City Council approves 120-room hotel on waterfront.
The Alexandria waterfront plan is like the 1970s Eagles hit, "Hotel California." You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.
Alexandria Fire Chief Takes Role as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
Adam Thiel to leave Alexandria and join McAuliffe administration.
When Adam Thiel became chief of the Alexandria Fire Department in 2007, he took over an agency that was clinging to the past — and not just the antiques at the Friendship Firehouse Museum.
Jim Moran: The $15 Million Congressman
During his years in Congress, Moran raised and spent about $1 million each campaign cycle.
One of the first things that happened after U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) announced he would not be running for reelection this year was that he cancelled a fundraising event.
Virginia Supreme Court Opens Access to Audio Recordings of Oral Arguments
Policy change overturns blackout instituted in 2008.
Members of the Virginia Supreme Court have a New Year’s Resolution — become more transparent.
Week in Alexandria: 1/08/14
Highlights from this week in Alexandria.
Decriminalizing Suicide
General Assembly to consider abolishing common-law crime of suicide.
Suicide is illegal in Virginia, one of the few states that has not yet abolished the English common-law tradition of criminalizing the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Twisted Psychology
TC teacher sentenced to year for inappropriate contact with female students.
TC teacher sentenced to year for inappropriate contact with female students.
Setting the Tone
First redevelopment proposal of waterfront plan heads to City Council.
Developer Carr City Centers wants to build the Cummings Hotel, a five-story building with 120 hotel rooms, a restaurant and a meeting room.