Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Waterfront Plan and Other Capital Projects Around Alexandria Delayed by COVID-19

Published December 7, 2020 at 10:45AM

Waiting for the bus at redirected loops at the ongoing King Street-Old Town Metro Access Improvements project. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

A quarterly report on the status of Alexandria’s capital projects is headed to the City Council tomorrow (Tuesday) with some bad news: the pandemic has created some setbacks and additional challenges for anticipated projects across the city.

At the Potomac Yard Metro station, a contractor out of Pennsylvania was unable to make progress on the work for part of the summer due to COVID-19 restrictions

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Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published December 7, 2020 at 9:00AM | Updated December 7, 2020 at 9:29AM

Local Democrats Divided Over Expunging Criminal Records — “House Democrats and Senate Democrats are deadlocked over how people accused of minor crimes should be able to clear their records, a clash that has stalled action for now on one of the most important criminal-justice reform efforts on the agenda for Democrats now that they have seized control of the General Assembly.” [Alexandria Gazette]

Personal Property Taxes Due Next Week — “The City of Alexandria reminds taxpayers that 2020 Vehicle and Business Personal Property Taxes are due December 15. City Council extended the Personal Property Tax due dates until December 15, 2020 to provide vehicle and business owners with additional time to pay.” [Patch]

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ALXnow’s Top Stories this Week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published December 4, 2020 at 3:30PM

Honestly, kind of a slow week in Alexandria — must have been the tryptophan in the Thanksgiving turkey.

As we head into the end of the year, the city and many local organizations are working to lay the groundwork for a better 2021. Even as the Campagna Center recoils from cancelling the Christmas Parade, the organization is working to ensure fundraising stays consistent for the local non-profit’s early childhood programs. The City, too, is planning for a looming budget setback when CARES Act funding expires.

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After CARES: City Plans for Looming Collapse of Food Security and Housing Funding

By Vernon Miles

Published December 4, 2020 at 2:45PM

On Dec. 31, CARES Act funding stops but the end of COVID-19 related food insecurity or income loss is still nowhere in sight in Alexandria.

A series of measures to try to compensate for the lack of CARES Act funding is docketed for the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

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New Holiday Art Coming to Old Town Street Lamps

By Vernon Miles

Published December 4, 2020 at 11:40AM

This weekend, the Old Town Business Association is planning to install a holiday update to Alexandria’s street lamps.

“Starting today, the art is being installed on the selected lamp posts in Old Town,” the Old Town Business Association said in a press release. “The arts are alive in Old Town this holiday season with the debut of its first-holiday art walk.”

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Mayor: Household Contact Primary Source of COVID Transmission in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published December 4, 2020 at 10:30AM

In the latest virtual townhall, Mayor Justin Wilson said the largest source of COVID-19’s spread in Alexandria remains contact between family members or roommates.

“About 44% of folks who tested positive have lived with someone who recently had COVID,” Wilson said. “Household contact is a significant source.”

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Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published December 4, 2020 at 9:00AM

Historic Old Town Home Uprooted and Relocated — “If you were driving down Washington Street Wednesday, you may have noticed a historic brick townhouse being moved on beams and dollies.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]

Duke Street’s Transit Focused Redesign Starts — “In early 2021, city staff will begin collecting community input for the future of the Duke Street Corridor from Landmark Mall to the King Street Metro Station.” [Alexandria Times]

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Registration Announced for Scaled Back Winter Activities Season

By Vernon Miles

Published December 3, 2020 at 4:30PM

COVID-19 has definitely put a damper on the already slimmed-down list of winter activities, but there are still dozens of activities residents can start registering for next week.

Registration is offered through the City of Alexandria’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities will begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9, for City residents and on Friday, Dec. 11, for nonresidents. Winter registration applies to programs taking place January through March 2021.

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Campagna Center Cancels Scottish Christmas Parade, but Still in Dire Need of Fundraising

By Vernon Miles

Published December 3, 2020 at 2:30PM

Bagpiper at the Scottish Christmas parade (photo via Campagna Center/Facebook)

While the Scottish Christmas Parade is cancelled this year, President and CEO of The Campagna Center Tammy Mann said the non-profit’s early childhood programs that rely on the fundraising this weekend are no less in demand.

Usually, The Campagna Center hosts a holiday store, where families can come into the building and an entire floor is dedicated to giving low-income families a positive holiday shopping experience. This year, The Campagna Center is planning an alternative drive-through program on Saturday for families in the program.

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City Urges Drug Treatment Over Punishment as Opioid Overdoses Rise

By Vernon Miles

Published December 3, 2020 at 1:45PM

The City of Alexandria is urging locals to become acquainted with overdose treatment as cases rise both statewide and locally.

“The Virginia Department of Health’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reports that 2020 may be the worst year on record for fatal overdoses in Virginia,” the city said in a press release. “Preliminary figures from the second quarter of 2020 indicate a 66.8% increase in fatal drug overdoses in Virginia from the same period in 2019, suggesting a possible correlation with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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Women’s Clothing Store LOFT Closes in Old Town

By Vernon Miles

Published December 3, 2020 at 11:45AM

Women’s clothing store LOFT (423 King Street) has permanently closed.

The store had mostly positive reviews and was often busy, but was victim to Ascena Retail Group’s wider bankruptcy filings. The store had survived earlier rounds of closings this summer, which had claimed the stores in the Tysons Corner Center and Potomac Mills Mall but was closed as of early December.