Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
⛅ Today’s weather: Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 57 and low of 43.
⛅ Tomorrow: Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 51 and low of 38. Sunrise at 6:33 am and sunset at 6:07 pm.
🚨 You need to know
An opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal by a former Mike Pence speechwriter took aim at the anti-development “Save Del Ray” campaign.
The piece by Stephen Ford, titled “Yes, There’s a Housing Crisis. No, You Can’t Build Here”, detailed much of the appeal of Del Ray — its “Main Street” atmosphere, the Halloween parade — but said the once working-class neighborhood has become increasingly unaffordable.
“Now the most affordable town homes typically run in the low to mid $700,000s, and single-family homes usually go for $1 million or more,” Ford wrote. “People want to live in Del Ray, but for many families it’s getting difficult to move — or even to stay — here.”
Enter Bonaventure Realty and its plans to Alexandria redevelop the former Department of Community and Human Services building at 2525 Mount Vernon Avenue into a four-story, 43-foot-tall building mixed-use development.
The plan prompted backlash from some locals and the creation of a “Save Del Ray” group. The project’s density was scaled back but eventually, community feedback pressured the developer into backing away from the project. According to Ford:
Hyperbole carried the day. In November, Bonaventure put the project on indefinite hold, and the property is now for sale. It makes sense. Nothing short of the status quo seems likely to win over opponents. Until some middle ground can be found between not-in-my-backyard and yes-in-my-backyard, neighborhoods like mine–and Berkeley, Calif., and Brooklyn, N.Y., and many other desirable places–will keep getting more expensive and less welcoming to newcomers.
📈 Saturday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Mar 4, 2023.
- Police: Man murdered in Landmark shooting Friday night (2074 views)
- Police: Man murdered in Landmark shooting Friday night (12 views)
- Police: Man murdered in Landmark shooting Friday night (12 views)
- Police: Man murdered in Landmark shooting Friday night (12 views)
🗞 Other local coverage
- 🌱 Officer Receives Medal Of Honor + St. Patrick’s Day Parade Returns
Patch (Sunday @ 4:18 pm)
- City of Alexandria Releases Funeral Arrangements for Brian Hricik, EMS Deputy Chief
Zebra (Sunday @ 10:54 am)
- Earthquake Relief For Turkey Announced By Northern Virginia Leaders
Patch (Friday @ 5:10 pm)
- Beyer applauds Medal Of Honor recipient Col. Paris Davis
Alexandria Times (Friday @ 4:39 pm)
- Body Camera Program Launch Coming To Alexandria Police Department
Patch (Friday @ 4:09 pm)
- 20 Alexandria School Teachers Certified by National Board
Zebra (Friday @ 2:57 pm)
- Amazon HQ2 Pause, Peak Bloom, NAACP On Police Killing: Top VA News
Patch (Friday @ 2:53 pm)
- Alexandria Songwriter Jarreau Williams Drops His New Single “Cherry”
Zebra (Friday @ 12:54 pm)
- ‘Lettice and Lovage’: A Frothy Comedy Delights at The Little Theatre of Alexandria
Zebra (Friday @ 11:43 am)
- St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Restaurant Weeks: NoVA, DC Weekend Events
Patch (Friday @ 10:49 am)
- Check Out These Spring 2023 Events Around Alexandria
Patch (Friday @ 9:42 am)
- St. Patrick’s Day Parade Returns to Old Town Alexandria Saturday, March 4
Zebra (Friday @ 9:00 am)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Recent Stories
Monarch Montessori School located in the heart of Del Ray is enrolling children 6 weeks to 6 years of age for our half day and full day program.
Our hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday-Friday. Monarch Montessori School is open year round, with intermittent breaks.
Children engage in self-directed, self-initiated activities under the guidance of a trained Montessori teacher. Classroom sizes range from 8-12 students. Our robust curriculum includes botany, sensorial activities, the social graces, culture, math, science, practical life, geography, music appreciation and language arts.
You’ll get half off of the registration fee when you register and begin care with us before April 30, 2023.

Press Release:
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The HIPAA Seal of Compliance is issued to organizations that have implemented an effective HIPAA compliance program through the use of The Guard, Compliancy Group’s proprietary compliance tracking solution.
Clients and patients are becoming more aware of the requirements of HIPAA compliance and how the regulation protects their personal information. Forward-thinking providers like EDBS Dental Billing Solutions choose the HIPAA Seal of Compliance to differentiate their services.
Del Ray Dog Fest & Yappy Hour
The 1st Annual Del Ray Dog Fest is a fun outdoor event that will include dog-centered activities, dog menu items, live music, vendors and food on Sunday, April 2 from 11am- 3pm at the George Washington Middle School parking lot.