Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Holiday Sing-Along in Del Ray This Weekend

Published December 10, 2019 at 11:45AM

A sing-along celebration this weekend will feature a live band backing up you — the audience — as the chorus.

Alexandria’s 2019 Holiday Sing-Along, hosted by the Del Ray United Methodist Church at 100 Windsor Avenue, is a free holiday concert presented by the Alexandria Citizens Band.

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T.C. Williams High School Gears Up for Stadium Upgrades Next Year

By Vernon Miles

Published December 10, 2019 at 10:45AM

The Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium at T.C. Williams High School is falling apart, but a long-discussed renovation project is primed to start taking shape early next year.

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) laid out a timeline for the upcoming improvements at a School Board meeting on Dec. 5. Staff said potential contractors will be invited to bid in January, with approval of a deal for the work set for March. After that, staff said work is expected to take place over the course of that spring and summer.

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City to Consider Safety Improvements for King/Braddock/Quaker Intersection

By Vernon Miles

Published December 10, 2019 at 9:30AM | Updated December 10, 2019 at 10:07AM

Overturned vehicle on W. Braddock Road (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Alexandria will be looking into new safety improvements for the King Street, Braddock Road, and Quaker Lane intersection after a car overturned last week in a crash.

The city made improvements to the intersection a few years ago — with changes to the traffic signal and improvements to the service road. The city implemented other safety measures to the surrounding area, like reducing the speed limit on Quaker Lane. Despite this, the junction remains congested and, some believe, dangerous.

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John Waters is Returning to the Birchmere for a Vulgar Christmas Special

By Vernon Miles

Published December 9, 2019 at 5:05PM

John Waters (photo via The Birchmere)

On Wednesday, Dec. 18, Waters is scheduled to return to the Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Avenue) for an event titled “A John Waters Christmas: Filthier & Merrier 2019 Tour” with the tagline “It’ll Stuff Your Turkey.”

Tickers are $55 and the show is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

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ACPS Delays Decision to Start Schools Before Labor Day Another Year

By Vernon Miles

Published December 9, 2019 at 2:55PM

After some back and forth decision, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) has announced that having school start earlier than Labor Day next year would do more harm than good.

For years, local school districts were prohibited from starting school before Labor Day under a law colloquially known as the Kings Dominion law. In February, the Virginia legislature overturned the law.

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City Tears Down Fire Station 203 in North Ridge Neighborhood

By Vernon Miles

Published December 9, 2019 at 1:30PM

Fire Station 203 being torn down (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

It’s been a long time coming, but Fire Station 203 (2801 Cameron Mills Road) in North Ridge is finally coming down.

The 71-year-old station is being replaced by a modern, 15,000 square-foot, two-story station. The new station is planned to have two and a half operational bays to house a fire engine and medical units, according to the city’s website.

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City Council to Add Gender Identity and Transgender Protections to City Code

By Vernon Miles

Published December 9, 2019 at 11:45AM

The city will likely add gender and transgender identities to protected statuses in Alexandria.

The new ordinance is scheduled for an introduction and first reading at the City Council’s meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) and for public hearing and enactment on Saturday, Dec. 14.

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Jeni’s to Celebrate Old Town Opening With Free Ice Cream and Visit from Jeni

By Vernon Miles

Published December 9, 2019 at 10:30AM | Updated December 9, 2019 at 11:00AM

Jeni's Ice Cream is now open in Old Town (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Shortly after scooping out a spot in Old Town, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is hosting a grand opening celebration next Thursday (Dec. 19) with a scheduled appearance from the eponymous Jeni Britton Bauer.

The grand opening celebration is scheduled from 7-11 p.m. at Jeni’s (102 S. Patrick Street). Free ice cream and “swag” is promised to the first 50 people in line.

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Landmark Mall Lives Again in New Wonder Woman Trailer

By Vernon Miles

Published December 9, 2019 at 9:30AM | Updated December 9, 2019 at 1:28PM

Landmark Mall in the Wonder Woman 1984 trailer (image via Warner Bros. Pictures)

Landmark Mall may be all but dead, but a trailer for the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984 revives the Alexandria landmark to its full ’80s glory.

Wonder Woman filmed in Alexandria and D.C. in 2018. The film will see Gal Gadot as Diana Prince — aka Wonder Woman — face off against Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal).

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Petrified Ham, Kid-Friendly Charm and Other Alexandria Restaurant Profiles in New Book

By Vernon Miles

Published December 6, 2019 at 3:15PM

Historic marker for the Fitzgerald Warehouse, later a tavern and Seaport Inn (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Before it was a Starbucks, before it was the Seaport Inn, the restaurant at the corner of King and S. Union Street was a bawdy little tavern with a petrified pig.

As early as 1893, records refer to the location as Brill’s Restaurant, and local newspaper reports from a year later detail a curious incident with a slab of ham. These details, and others about local Alexandria restaurants, are featured in a new book by local journalist Hope Nelson called Classic Restaurants of Alexandria.

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Testing This Month to See if George Washington Middle School is Finally Mold-Free

By Vernon Miles

Published December 6, 2019 at 2:00PM | Updated December 6, 2019 at 2:47PM

George Washington Middle School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

It’s been a rough couple months for George Washington Middle School.

First, an old mold problem at the school resurfaced. Then there was the series of fire-related incidents at the school. School administration is hoping an environmental test can help provide a light at the end of the tunnel.