Landrum To Lead Alexandria Economic Development Partnership
The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) named Stephanie Landrum as president and CEO of the organization on Thursday, April 30. Landrum had been serving as acting president and CEO since former President and CEO Val Hawkins stepped down in March. Landrum has worked at AEDP for 10 years and previously served as the organization’s vice president.
Alexandria: Budget Winners … and Losers
Schools and fire station win, affordable housing and rec center lose.
The last work session for additions and deletions to the city budget saw Alexandria City Public Schools and Fire Station 210 take the lion’s share of the funding while a recreation center’s Sunday programming and an affordable housing program were left unfunded. The May 4 work session is the last step of the budget process before the City Council votes on the budget later this week.
Alexandria: Feedback on Potomac Yard Metro
WMATA hosts public forum near proposed Metro station.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) took the Potomac Yard Metro Station discussion outside of City Hall and into the affected neighborhood for the April 30 public hearing at the Corra Kelly Recreation Center. The project had as many detractors in the crowd of local citizens as it did supporters.
Alexandria: Long-Term Budget Plan Lacks Numbers
Long Range Educational Facilities Plan faces scrutiny for budget omissions.
The Long Range Educational Facilities Plan includes extensive information on new enrollment projections for Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and a list of proposed changes, additions, and new schools to fight current and projected overcrowding in the school system. What current drafts of the Long Range Educational Facilities Plan don’t include is the price tag.
Alexandria: Mistrial and Missed Trial
Just down the hall from each other, there were major developments in two Alexandria murder trials on April 23.
Alexandria: Mayoral Standoff
First debate in race for mayor focuses on failing infrastructure.
Differences between incumbent Mayor William Euille, current Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg, and former Mayor Kerry Donley emerged during a debate as the three took turns directing blame for Alexandria’s current problems on each of the other two during the first mayoral debate. The debate, held in Douglas MacArthur Elementary School on April 23, primarily focused around issues of parking and city infrastructure.The shifting blame became most apparent during the candidates’ discussions on BRAC-133.
Alexandria: Add/Delete Budget Drama
Council members spar over last minute additions.
A preliminary discussion of the City Council’s Add/Deletes from the budget led to a heated exchange between council members during their April 28 meeting.
Alexandria Mayoral Standoff
First debate in race for mayor focuses on failing infrastructure.
Differences between incumbent Mayor William Euille, current Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg, and former Mayor Kerry Donley emerged during a debate as the three took turns directing blame for Alexandria’s current problems on each of the other two during the first mayoral debate.
Not Enough Progress Made on Affordable Housing in Alexandria
Alexandria Needs Assessment finds affordable housing severely lacking.
The 2010 City Council Strategic Plan laid out seven main goals for the city’s long-term development. Goal number one was to “achieve a net increase in the number of dedicated affordable rental and ownership units in the city by 2015.”
Businesses Join Local Nonprofits for 24-Hour Charity Drive
Spring2ACTion emphasizes off-line community building.
Five years ago, ACT for Alexandria helped raise $100,000 for local charities at its first annual Spring2ACTion event. Last year, the organization raised over $1 million for 121 local nonprofits. At this year’s city-wide event on April 22, ACT for Alexandria’s Chief Program Officer Brandi Yee says the goal is to exceed 10,000 donors. Last year, the program had 7,516 total donors to the event, but this year Yee hopes a more public presence and greater involvement in the community can help bolster that number.
Alexandria: Eisenhower Ave. Field Fails as TC Stadium Alternative
Site on Eisenhower Avenue can’t match TC Stadium
Following suggestions expressed at public hearings that a new AlexRenew Field on Eisenhower Avenue be developed as a substitute for the lights and expansion at T.C. Williams’ High School’s Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium, Alexandria city staff analyzed the suggestion and reported back to City Council with a resounding no.
City Hall Briefs: April 15
In his State of the City address on April 14, Mayor William Euille reflected on recent Potomac Yard and waterfront development milestones.
Alexandria: Notice of Intent on Waterfront Planning
A three-year legal battle between three Old Town residents and the City of Alexandria reached another milestone when, on March 27, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld the Alexandria Circuit Court’s dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the city’s Waterfront Plan zoning.
Alexandria: Planning Comission is Considering Reducing Parking Options
Planning Commission updates policy on residential parking spaces.
A proposed text amendment to the Alexandria Parking Standards will decrease the amount of parking spaces residential property developers will be required to provide.
Alexandria: People vs Parks on Potomac Yard Impact
Draft Environmental Impact Statement details Potomac Yard Metro impact on parks and neighbors
The Potomac Yard Metro plan moves forward with the release of a draft Environmental Impact Statement developed by the City of Alexandria alongside the Federal Transit Administration and the National Park Service.
Selling Alexandria's City Hall
A costly repair bill for City Hall creates discussion of potential public/private partnership.
Facing a $53 million heating ventilation and air conditioning price tag for City Hall, some on the City Council have begun questioning the wisdom of continuing to operate in City Hall. At a City Council Work Session on March 17, discussion became heated after Mayor William Euille said he had his own ideas for the future of the building and referred to the City Hall property as “a pot of gold.”
Alexandria: Compromise on Waterfront Barging
After a long tug-of-war between local residents and waterfront property developer EYA, acting City Manager Mark Jinks announced an agreement with EYA to use barging instead of trucking to transport materials to and from the South Robinson Terminal development.
Alexandria: Negotiation for Budget Funds
Schools and city clash over continued budget gap.
The deadline for proposing a tax rate increase for fiscal year 2016 passed on March 17 without any update from the city, meaning the funding in the current budget is all of the funding that will be available. For Alexandria police officers and city employees, that means a pay increase and additional career opportunities inside their departments. For Alexandria public schools, who were hoping a last minute decision to raise the tax rate might be enough to cover the $3 million gap between the school’s budget and the city manager’s proposed budget, the news means budget discussions between now and May are going to be tense.
Alexandria Delays, Costs In Severance Trial
Motions and delays continued in the ongoing pre-trial for Charles Severance, accused of three murders in Alexandria.
Alexandria: Fighting Fires Without Firefighters
Fire Station 210: No firefighters until 2016?
Fire Station 210 is one of the newest and nicest buildings around the Van Dorn Metro area. It is full three-story building with four operation bays and a training tower. Except it doesn’t have any firefighters. Currently the facility is staffed by emergency medical technicians. Acting City Manager Mark Jinks said that, while the original plan was to have the facility be fully staffed by the end of 2015, “that process could be pushed back to the end of 2016.”
Alexandria: Developing in the City
One hotel property opens, another remains stalled.
While developments at one Carr hotel property in Alexandria remains stalled due to an impending decision by Virginia’s Supreme Court, another Carr property opened across town.
Alexandria: IB to the Rescue?
Jefferson-Houston to expand International Baccalaureate program.
Alexandria’s unaccredited Jefferson-Houston elementary and middle school is expanding its International Baccalaureate (IB) program to the full school in hopes of reforming the school’s image. Jefferson-Houston will be the first and only school in the Alexandria school system to have a full International Baccalaureate program.
Alexandria: Waterfront Developer Muddies Public Relations
Residents, council members disparage company’s email.
A select group of Waterfront residents received an unexpected email from EYA, the developer currently set to redevelop the Robinson Terminal South site.
Barging In On the Alexandria Waterfront
Contractor gives residents and developers assessment of haul route options.
Construction is a dirty business. During the redevelopment of the current Robinson Terminal South site, 15,000 cubic yards of dirt will have to be brought to the site to raise it above flood level, and then 55,000 cubic yards will have to be removed to facilitate construction of an underground parking garage.
Inside the Police Academy
Local police officers, deputy sheriffs gain perspective at the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy.
One of the doors in the regional law enforcement training academy opens to the view of a run-down apartment interior.
Congressman Beyer Visits T.C. Williams High School
T.C. Williams High School Student Peter Eckel quietly confided that when he wrote the email to his congressman’s office, it was originally as a joke.
First Shots Fired in Mayoral Race
Democratic candidates define their issues.
With campaigns kicking off in late February and early March, the mayoral election season has begun in Alexandria.
Hunting Potholes: If residents call, city will fix them.
How To Help: Call Click Connect hotline at 703-746-4357 to report potholes.
As many Alexandrians would likely attest, 2015’s February was the coldest the city has faced since 1979.
Alexandria News Briefs: 03/11/15
City Council will hold a special public hearing to discuss the proposed $647.9 million operating budget and $815 million All Funds budget.
Alexandria Welcomes Zombie Apocalypse Survivors
The mayor welcomed Rick Grimes and others from the AMC show “The Walking Dead” to the city. Grimes entered the city on March 1 and has expressed an interest in joining local law enforcement. In the show, based on a comic series by Robert Kirkman, Alexandria is a safe-zone relatively protected from apocalyptic horrors.
Hunting Alexandria's Potholes
Over the winter, Alexandria received 18 inches of snow, higher than the 15 inch average, which has also left Alexandria with larger than average potholes.
Congressman in the Alexandria Classroom
After student inquiry, Beyer visits T.C. Williams High School.
T.C. Williams High School Student Peter Eckel quietly confided that when he wrote the email to his congressman’s office, it was originally as a joke. He hadn’t expected a response, and certainly didn’t expect Representative Don Beyer to show up at his school on March 10 to give his class and other students a brief explanation of life in Congress and answer their questions.
National Honor for Alexandria Educator
Ana Bonilla-Galdamez named National Social Worker of the Year
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has selected Alexandria Social Worker Bonilla-Galdamez at the recipient of its 2014 National Social Worker of the Year.
Duncan Visits Patrick Henry Pre-K
Students in Patrick Henry Elementary School’s pre-kindergarten were building with their blocks and learning how to write letters when their Feb. 25 morning was interrupted by a room full of men and women in suits.
Duncan Visits Alexandria's Patrick Henry Pre-K
Secretary of Education and others express support for Alexandria’s early childhood development.
In a crowded corner of the Patrick Henry Elementary School Library, Duncan heaped praise on Patrick Henry Elementary School’s pre-kindergarten education program while expressing his frustrations at a nationwide lack of similar programs.
Alexandria Budget Winners and Losers
Acting city manager presents budget proposal to City Council
When Acting City Manager Mark Jinks presented Alexandria City Council with the $647.9 million proposed budget, the generally positive reception was tempered with the knowledge that many departments would not be receiving the funding they had requested.
Collaboration Over Competition for Alexandria Nonprofits
Alexandria non-profit organizations unite for city budgeting.
As Alexandria’s nonprofits prepare for the March 3 release of the County Manager’s proposed budget, things are going a little differently this year.
Alexandrians Of Two Minds
Zoning amendment for memory care center draws crowd of supporters and opponents.
After seven hours of debate in Alexandria’s City Council meeting, the room was still deeply divided between those in favor of rezoning a property on King Street to create a memory care facility and neighbors to the property entrenched against it.
Interstellar
NASA Administrator gives Jefferson-Houston students a taste for science.
For many children, “astronaut” is one of the quickest answers when asked what they want to be when they grow up. A visit to Jefferson-Houston School on Feb. 13 from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden aimed to encourage those students to hold onto that answer.
Alexandria School's Space Odyssey
NASA Administrator gives Jefferson-Houston students a taste for science.
For many children, “astronaut” is one of the quickest answers when asked what they want to be when they grow up. A visit to Jefferson-Houston School on Feb. 13 from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden aimed to encourage those students to hold onto that answer. Bolden and other NASA leadership spoke to adults on how to cultivate an interest in math and science, and showed how by fielding questions from Jefferson-Houston students on life in space.
Alexandria's George Mason Elementary Left Behind
Superintendent and parents clash over school modernization priorities.
For parents at George Mason Elementary School, all of the talk of modernization and improvements isn't resonating.
Researching Alexandria’s African-American Ancestors
Two genealogists help African-Americans in Alexandria trace their families’ roots.
Tracing genealogies is not only impossibly frustrating for many African-American families, but many of the results they find are predictable and grim. But for two genealogists who hosted events at Alexandria’s Black History Museum, that idea obscures the powerful histories and proud legacies of many families.
Working Toward Restorative Justice in Alexandria Schools
TC students take aim at suspension rates and new disciplinary policy.
A word of warning to students at T.C. Williams High School hoping to skip out on classes in the second half of their senior year: Don’t. A new policy implemented at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year gives teachers at TC final say over whether a student can pass or fail a class regardless of the final grade.
Too Poor for Benefits in Alexandria
New advisory panel tackles lack of healthcare options for Alexandrians.
An estimated 5,000 people living in Alexandria are without access to healthcare. Without any assistance from the state, the struggle for many Alexandrians has potential to grow into a city-wide moral and financial crisis.
Alexandria Working Against a Slowdown
Alexandria developments hope to reverse job loss trends.
When asked how Alexandria’s doing, interim City Manager Mark Jinks’ reaction is tepid. The good news is that income is high, as is hotel occupancy, but it basically stops there.
Supporting Music in Alexandria Schools
Award-winning violinist helps Alexandria Public Schools play its biggest concert.
Every elementary, middle, and high school in Alexandria, 18 schools in total, came together on Janu. 7 for the biggest concert in the school system’s history: 370 students, 200 of them from local elementary schools, 170 from middle and high schools, participated in Electrify Your Strings (EYS).
Alexandria Budget Looms Over 2015 Plans
Alexandria city officials discuss goals and funding for 2015.
For Alexandria City Council, 2015 kicks off with a continuing discussion of the budget and the city’s priorities. With an anticipated decrease in federal spending, city officials are preparing for a difficult budget process.
Alexandria's Year of the Manhunt
Local law enforcement looks back on pursuing a killer and plans ahead for 2015’s goals.
For much of Alexandria’s law enforcement, 2014 was defined by a manhunt across state boundaries to catch a suspect in killings that haunted the city’s streets for 10 years. In 2015, the most immediate concern for the police and sheriff’s office is the no less complicated task of finding a way to maintain their efficiency with the prospect of a tightening budget from the city.
Arlington-Alexandria Coalition Moves Forward
Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for Homelessness undergoes transformation to “Bridges to Independence.”
At the end of 2014, the Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless (AACH) will cease to exist. The organization, with its nearly 30 years of work transitioning homeless families into apartments and houses across Northern Virginia, will be going through a transition itself when it becomes “Bridges to Independence.”
Sharing Struggle Against Addiction in Alexandria Detention
Sober Living Unit Celebrates 26th Anniversary
A recurring theme of loss and hope for recovery weaved through the songs, poems, and presentations at the Sober Living Unit’s 26th anniversary. Inmates and alumni of the program shared their stories of addiction and the long road to recovery.