Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Former Governor and Old Town business owner discuss Kamala Harris’ proposed startup tax relief

Published September 6, 2024 at 11:20AM

Danielle Romanetti of fibre space at 1319 Prince Street in Old Town. (Via Sarah Marcella Photography)

Fresh off an appearance at the Democratic National Convention, fibre space owner Danielle Romanetti spoke with former Governor Terry McAuliffe about a proposed small business tax plan from Vice President Kamala Harris.

This week, Harris unveiled a policy proposal that would expand the tax deduction for startup expenses from $5,000 to $50,000 with a goal of spurring 25 million new small business applications.

News

Notes: Significant progress being made underground at Landmark redevelopment

By Vernon Miles

Published September 6, 2024 at 9:10AM

Construction at Landmark Mall site (staff photo by James Cullum)

Good Friday morning, Alexandria!

☀️ Today’s weather: Cloudy, then becomes mostly sunny with a high near 82. Still mostly cloudy tonight with a chance of showers tomorrow.

News

Alexandria City High School staggering student dismissal because of bus driver shortage

By Vernon Miles

Published September 5, 2024 at 3:45PM

School buses preparing at Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Cullum)

Not long after warning families that the bus driver shortage will impact schools, Alexandria City Public Schools said it’s staggering student dismissal because of the driver shortage and schedule changes at the high school.

According to a letter from Alicia Hart, chief operating officer for Facilities and Operations at Alexandria City Public Schools, the school division will start having staggered student dismissal times for mid-day shuttle transportation at Alexandria City High School.

News

Alexandria Library hosting short story writing event with a chance to win a typewriter

By Vernon Miles

Published September 5, 2024 at 11:00AM

Typewriter (photo via Pereanu Sebastian/Unsplash)

NaNoWriMo organizers are in hot water over comments about allowing AI, but there’s one surefire way to ensure the story isn’t AI-generated: Alexandria is hosting a writing event with vintage typewriters.

The Get Out & Type event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 7, from 1-3 p.m. at the James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library (2501 Commonwealth Avenue).

News

Alexandria launching long-anticipated City Hall and Market Square redesign project this fall

By Vernon Miles

Published September 4, 2024 at 3:35PM | Updated September 4, 2024 at 11:46PM

Alexandria City Hall (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria has been talking about much-needed repairs to City Hall for a decade, but that process is set to officially launch this fall with a design process running over a year.

In a release, City Manager James Parajon said a design team, international firm Leo A Daly, will take the lead on the renovation of City Hall. Alexandria firms Rust Orling Architecture and LandDesign will tackle the redesign of Market Square.

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Alexandria nonprofits collaborate for event celebrating City’s inclusivity and diversity

By Vernon Miles

Published September 4, 2024 at 3:00PM

Event at the Campagna Center (photo via Campagna Center/Facebook)

Campagna Center, an Alexandria non-profit that helps local children and families, will be hosting a celebration showcasing Alexandria’s diverse cultures with the help of some grant funding from another local nonprofit.

Campagna Center is hosting Welcoming Week 2024 on Sunday, Sept. 15, at its headquarters at 418 S. Washington Street. The event will be funded, in part, via a $2,000 grant from fellow nonprofit ACT for Alexandria.

News

Independent Alexandria City Council candidate to kick off campaign next week

By Vernon Miles

Published September 4, 2024 at 1:50PM

Mason Butler (image via Mason Butler for Alexandria City Council)

Independent City Council Candidate Mason Butler announced he will be formally kicking off his campaign on Monday, Sept. 9.

Butler is one of a handful of underdog candidates, including independent Roy Byrd and Republican Celianna Gunderson, going up against the Democratic slate chosen in a primary in June.

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Classic car show highlighting ‘orphan’ cars returning to Old Town this month

By Vernon Miles

Published September 4, 2024 at 9:45AM | Updated September 4, 2024 at 10:31AM

Old car parked on a brick road (photo via Vitali Adutskevich/Unsplash)

When people say “they don’t make them like they used to,” these classic cars are what they’re talking about.

The Classic Car Show returning to The Lyceum (201 S. Washington Street) this month focused on orphan cars: cars that are no longer manufactured, many of them by extinct car companies.

News

How can Landmark-Van Dorn businesses survive upcoming redevelopment?

By Vernon Miles

Published September 3, 2024 at 3:05PM

Construction at Landmark Mall site (staff photo by James Cullum)

On the eve of an annual report on the city’s economy from the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, ALXnow sat down with AEDP CEO Stephanie Landrum to discuss the future of development in three areas of the city: Carlyle, Potomac Yard and Old Town North, and the Landmark-Van Dorn corridor. These will be broken up into a multi-part series covering each location.

As the City of Alexandria gears up for the Landmark redevelopment, the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) is working to try and ensure nearby local restaurants and small businesses aren’t pushed out.

News

New Carlyle brewery hosting Oktoberfest events this month

By Vernon Miles

Published September 3, 2024 at 11:00AM

Oktoberfest at Atlas Brew Works (photo courtesy Atlas Brew Works)

Atlas Brew Works, which opened a new location in Alexandria earlier this year, will be bringing its Oktoberfest celebrations to the Carlyle neighborhood.

The brewery said in a release that it will be hosting an Oktoberfest at Atlas Alexandria Brewery and Tap Room (2429 Mandeville Lane) on Friday, Sept. 20.

News

Del Ray park closed for proximity to JD Vance home reopening with ‘modified schedule’

By Vernon Miles

Published September 3, 2024 at 9:40AM

Streamers hung outside of JD Vance's home at Jude Lowe Park (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

The Judy Lowe Neighborhood Park (7 E Del Ray Avenue) is reopening… kind of.

Around a week after the City of Alexandria closed the park at the request of the Secret Service, the City said the park is reopening with a “modified schedule with intermittent closures until further notice.”