On This Day in Alexandria History — “On Dec. 8, 1953, the Alexandria City Council passed a resolution that ‘no discrimination be shown in the employment of city government personnel because of race, creed or national origin.’ Though the first African American to serve as an Alexandria police officer would not be hired until 1965, African American women had served as crossing guards since 1951.” [Historic Alexandria]
Freedom House Closes for Repair — “Due to a plumbing repair, Freedom House Museum (1315 Duke Street) is closed to the public on Saturday, Dec. 6. The Office of Historic Alexandria asks all guests to check the Freedom House website for updates on its re-opening.” [Historic Alexandria]
Drunk Raccoon Inspires Ad Campaign — “Virginia ABC has posted a new advertisement highlighting the drunken raccoon that broke into the Ashland ABC store over the weekend. Virginia ABC has released promotional digital artworks on social media of a raccoon with various types of alcohol, titled ‘Raccoon’s Recommendations.'” [WRIC]
Student Photographer Fosters Success — “Since partnering with the ACHS Athletic Department, Kayden [Molina] has become a familiar presence on the sidelines, capturing images for nearly all of the 19 sports the school offers … Kayden now photographs teams across the DMV, including the professional women’s soccer team DC Power and youth basketball organization Hoop Kids Elite. [Theogony]
Local Psychologist Offers Seasonal Advice — “The real work of the holidays isn’t about performing joy—it’s about practicing presence. With yourself, with others, and with the emotional reality of where your family is right now. You’re not doing it wrong if this season feels messy. You’re just being human in a very human time of year.” [The Zebra]
Hashmi Shares Utility Cost Reduction Plans — “Ahead of the 2026 General Assembly legislative session, Lieutenant Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi on Thursday joined environmental advocates from the Natural Resources Defense Council and Evergreen Collaborative in Richmond to share policy ideas they believe will put money back in consumers’ pockets. ‘Policies must shift so that the cost is not on the everyday rate payers,’ Hashmi said.” [Virginia Mercury]
It’s Monday — Expect a slight chance of snow from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 32. The northeast wind will be 8 to 11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph, and a 20% chance of precipitation. Monday night, the clouds will gradually clear, and the temperature will drop to around 20. The north wind will be around 6 mph, becoming calm in the evening. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
