Good Thursday morning, Alexandria!
🌤️ Today’s weather: Expect partly sunny conditions with a high around 62°F, accompanied by a north wind at 6-9 mph. As for Thursday night, the sky will be partly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 43°F, while the east wind blows at a gentle 3-6 mph.
🚨 You need to know
An indie bookstore crawl across Northern Virginia this weekend will hit two Old Town book shops, Patch reported.
The NoVa Indie Bookstore Crawl marks Independent Bookstore Day (April 27).
The event involves customers going to any participating bookstore and picking up a crawl passport, then getting it stamped at each bookstore they visit. The two Alexandria locations are Old Town Books (130 S. Royal Street) and Hooray for Books (1555 King Street).
Collecting four stamps wins the participant a free advance reader copy. Eight stamps earn a tote bag. 10-15 locations get the participant entered into a raffle for the Grand Prize, which includes contributions from every store.
The crawl is scheduled to run through May 31.
📈 Wednesday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Apr 24, 2024.
- Office building housing The Motley Fool in Carlyle being sold at foreclosure auction (3045 views)
- Alexandria CVS stores ransacked of cosmetics and suspect gets busted in Maryland (2635 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
(Updated at 12:30 p.m. on April 25) The Alexandria Police Department (APD) is conducting a death investigation near Four Mile Run Park at 4100 Mount Vernon Avenue.
Police responded to a call about a body around 1:30 p.m., according to scanner traffic.
According to an APD release:
This afternoon, at approximately 1:27 PM, the Alexandra Police Department responded to a call for the report of a deceased person in the river in the 4100 block of Mount Vernon Avenue, near Four Mile Park. Officers discovered an adult male who was pronounced deceased on the scene.
Anyone with information on this incident can contact the APD non-emergency number at 703-746-4444. Callers can remain anonymous.
APD is currently conducting a death investigation near Four Mile Park in the 4100 block of Mount Vernon Avenue where a person was found deceased. Please avoid the area. The investigation is active and no further information is available at this time. pic.twitter.com/48DC45myvH
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) April 24, 2024
James Cullum and Vernon Miles contributed to this story
Eisenhower Avenue’s days at the hot-spot for local drag racing could be coming to an end soon.
At a Transportation Commission meeting last week, Senior Transportation Engineer Dan Scolese laid out plans to potentially reduce lanes at the western end of Eisenhower Avenue to install new bicycle lanes and improved transit options.
Scolese said at the west end of Eisenhower Avenue, the intersection with Van Dorn Street causes backups along Van Dorn Street and pedestrians said it’s difficult to access the Metro station.
“Another really big issues is accessibility,” Scolese said. ” We’ve consistently heard it’s difficult to get to the metro. At the western end, there’s nothing to address accessibilty in the sidewalks. West of Telegraph is uncomfortable; we don’t have access for bikes or scooters.”
The project’s website said new plans for the intersection include:
- For the intersection of Van Dorn Street and Eisenhower Avenue, relocate the left turns from southbound Van Dorn Street to eastbound Eisenhower Avenue and from westbound Eisenhower Avenue to southbound Van Dorn Street. These movements will use the ramps from Van Dorn Street to Metro Road, located to the north of the intersection. This will improve traffic flow and operations at the intersection.
- Construct a new sidewalk on the south side of Eisenhower Avenue from Van Dorn Street to the Van Dorn Metro Station by reducing capacity and re-utilizing one lane on eastbound Eisenhower Avenue between Van Dorn Street and Metro Road. The new sidewalk will provide a direct pedestrian connection to the Metro station, eliminating the need to cross Eisenhower Avenue.
- Improve the bus stop on the south side of Eisenhower Avenue (adjacent to eastbound traffic) near Van Dorn Street. The new sidewalk will add better connectivity to the transit stop and allow for a transit shelter similar to the bus stop on the opposite side of Eisenhower Avenue.
- Build a two-way cycle track along the north side of Eisenhower Avenue from the Van Dorn Metro Station to Van Dorn Street. The cycle track will be approximately 1,700′ in length and include two 5′-wide lanes. Future projects will build connections along Van Dorn Street and east to Holmes Run.
The area toward the middle of Eisenhower Avenue, Scolese said, is also a hotbed of drag racing, particularly from the Holmes Run Trail to Telegraph Road.
“What we’ve heard here is speeding and [it’s dangerous] crossing the road,” Scolese said. “From what [the Alexandria Police Department] says, it’s prime real estate for drag racing.”
Scolese said, because there’s seldom congestion on that section of the road during the day, the city is considering extending the bike lanes considered on the west end of Eisenhower Avenue further east.
Finally, while Scolese said much of the current planning is focused on getting central and western Eisenhower Avenue caught up with the infrastructure work at the east end of the street, there are other projects in the work at the east end: including replacing the intimidating, dimly lit tunnel connecting Eisenhower Avenue to Duke Street. The tunnel has occasionally been called the tetanus tunnel, and not without good reason.
“On the east end [of Eisenhower Avenue] there are issues, but it’s the area with the most identified projects funded,” Scolese said. “We want to provide other connections besdies the tunnel. On that one, we have to work with [the Virginia Department of Transportation].”
A survey about the city’s Eisenhower Avenue plans is available online through May 10.
Image via Google Maps
There’s a liquidation sale happening at Robcyns (3660 King Street) at the Bradlee Shopping Center.
Merchandise is currently being sold at half-price.
The store reportedly opened in 1963, and sells women’s and children’s dancewear, shoes and tchotchkes. It will close for the last time on Saturday, April 27.
The store made the news last year after a car smashed through the front window.
Store staff told ALXnow that the business couldn’t recover after the pandemic and that customers are finding their needs on Amazon.
A Hyattsville man suspected of stealing thousands worth of cosmetic items from multiple CVS stores in Alexandria was arrested with two others in Maryland earlier this month.
The three Maryland men are suspected of stealing more than $100,000 in merchandise from Target and other stores throughout the region and were arrested on April 19 by a deputy from the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. They were charged with grand larceny, possession of stolen goods with the intent to sell and conspiracy to commit retail theft of more than $50,000 in five days.
“Amazing work to the quick acting deputies to prevent further retail larcenies in not only Stafford, but the DMV area,” the Stafford Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
In Alexandria, there were at least six incidents at six different CVS stores during February and March, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. The incidents are all similar — two Black males wearing ski or surgical masks walk into the store and then place items in the cosmetic section into large bags, then walk out the store and into a car that’s waiting with the engine running.
Thefts were reported at the following CVS stores:
- 1462 N. Beauregard Street, Feb. 24 — The suspects were seen fleeing in a blue Subaru Crosstrek with Maryland plates
- 5101 Duke Street, Feb. 24 — The suspects were seen fleeing in the blue Subaru
- 3120 Duke Street, Feb. 29 — The suspects were seen fleeing in the blue Subaru
- 4515 Duke Street, Feb. 29 — The suspects were seen fleeing in the blue Subaru
- 2601 Richmond Highway, March 4 — No suspect vehicle seen
- 501 King Street, March 8 — The suspects were seen fleeing in a black Hyundai with Maryland plates
- 433 S. Washington Street, March 8 — The suspects were seen fleeing in a black Hyundai
On March 8, the manager of the CVS at 433 S. Washington Street in Old Town told police that the three suspects walked in wearing black clothing, and black ski masks or surgical masks, according to the search warrant affidavit. The manager said the suspects placed cosmetic items in large bags and that they walked out of the store and into an awaiting vehicle.
The black Hyundai with Maryland license plates fled southbound, and during their investigation police received a license plate reader alert, “showing a stolen black Hyundai Elantra with Maryland tags in the area of Braddock Road and Mount Vernon Avenue,” police said in the search warrant affidavit.
Police located the stolen Hyundai near the CVS on S. Washington Street and were involved in a brief chase, but lost sight of the suspects when they crossed from the city into Fairfax County by driving onto the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
“(T)he vehicle operated by an unknown driver fled from them at a high rate of speed from S. Washington Street southbound towards Fairfax County,” police said in the search warrant affidavit. “APD officers attempted to deploy a global positioning systems device on the fleeing vehicle before losing sight of (it) southbound on the George Washington Parkway.”
The Hyundai was recovered in Hyattsville near on March 9 by the Prince George’s County Police Department. It was released to its owner, according to the search warrant affidavit.
Another car was also seen fleeing the scene of multiple incidents in February — a blue Subaru Crosstrek with a Maryland license plate. Police contacted the owner of the license plate, who said it stolen from his daughter’s car.
The Bowie Police Department also found that there was a similar theft from a CVS store on Feb. 21, with two Black males allegedly stealing cosmetics and fleeing in a blue Subaru, according to the search warrant affidavit.
On March 12, CVS’s regional investigation officer provided APD with two internal case files identifying one of the suspects that was arrested in Stafford County on April 18. APD determined that the Hyattsville suspect lived on the same street from where the stolen Hyundai was recovered. Additionally, a video camera captured the stolen Subaru driving along that same street, according to the search warrant affidavit.
No charges have been made in the Alexandria incidents.
The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office put out a press release after making the arrests:
On April 18th at approximately 11:45 a.m. deputies responded to Target, located at 1090 Stafford Market Place, for a larceny in progress. Staff advised a group of males, who they had seen stealing before, were currently concealing skin care items into a large bin. As deputies arrived, the suspects fled out a fire exit with the stolen items.
Due to law enforcement agencies having stronger communication skills than a teenage couple, deputies were already well aware of this group. It was reported they were involved in an organized retail theft ring that involved numerous Target stores stretching all the way to Maryland. It was also reported these three musketeers traveled in a black Nissan Rogue with a Maryland license plate. With this information, it did not take Deputy J.E. Alford long to locate the Nissan with all three suspects inside at the traffic light for Stafford Market Place and Garrisonville Road. A high-risk stop was conducted and all three were taken into custody without incident. Not surprisingly, stolen Target items were located within the vehicle.
…All three were charged with four counts of grand larceny, two counts of possession of stolen goods with intent to sell, and conspiracy to commit retail theft greater than $5,000 within 90 days. All three were held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. The investigation is still ongoing.
(Updated 4:40 p.m.) The large office building in Carlyle containing the Motley Fool headquarters is heading to a foreclosure auction.
The 164,407-square-foot office building has a stately appearance at the northern entrance to the Carlyle neighborhood — with the iconic lion statues out front and a distinctive circular turret design — but the building has been the victim of market upheaval since the pandemic devastated office real estate.
In 2023, building tenant Motley Fool significantly downsized its space in the building.
The Washington Business Journal reported that the building’s owner, The Shidler Group, defaulted on its mortgage of the building.
A news release said the building will be sold at a foreclosure auction on Thursday, May 16, with RealMarkets handling the sale.
“The successful bidder will own the five-story building on approximately 1.6 acres subject to a ground lease,” the release said. “The building is approximately 44 percent occupied by two full floor tenants. It features five floors, a marble lobby, entry security and 296 private underground parking spaces. The fourth and fifth floors, as well as some smaller spaces on the ground floor, are available.”
According to the release, it will sell to the highest bidder over a $500,000 minimum bid. The building sold for $57.75 million back in February 2019.
Image via Google Maps
There’s a new Honduran restaurant in town.
Como En Casa (Just Like Home) opened last month at 4112 Mount Vernon Avenue in the former home of Ferman’s Bar & Grill. It’s the first restaurant for owner Jury Vaquedano, who brightened the interior by painting the walls, and adding large televisions, as well as a fresh menu and staff.
One thing that is sticking around is the rotisserie oven for cooking roasted chicken.
“We have great pupusas, chicken fajitas and tacos,” Vaquedano said. “Lunch is getting busier every day because people are finding out how good the food is.”
Vaquedano is in the process of getting a license to serve wine and beer, and wants to host Olympic watch parties this summer, as well as for other big sporting events.
The entrees at the restaurant cost between $15 and $30.
Vaquedano has owned a roofing company, JVC Home Improvement, for the last eight years. In 2018 she opened a food truck, El Sazon Catracho, but closed it in 2020. Since then, she’s worked with her sister’s Honduran restaurant in Springfield, Hondu Pollo (6959 Hechinger Drive).
Como En Casa serves breakfast all day and is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The historic cemetery tour: it’s the one locals are dying to get into.
A tour coming up this Saturday (April 27) will reacquaint Alexandrians with some of their post-mortem neighbors and hear buried histories of duels, cavalry battles and more in the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex (1475-1501 Wilkes Street).
According to the Office of Historic Alexandria:
Embark on an extraordinary walking tour through the historic Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex. Immerse yourself in the captivating lives of remarkable individuals laid to rest here who share a profound connection to the landmark Lee-Fendall House. This exclusive tour offers a rare opportunity to visit gravesites not typically covered elsewhere, unveiling tales of duels, cavalry battles, encounters with the Marquis de Lafayette, and many other intriguing narratives.
Tickets for the tour are $20 per person and all proceeds go directly to the preservation and maintenance of the Lee-Fendall House. The tour is limited to 25 participants, starts at 1 p.m. and lasts approximately one hour.
Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
☔️ Today’s weather: Showers are likely before 7am, followed by a gradual transition to mostly sunny skies and a high around 71. Expect northwest winds ranging from 9 to 13 mph, gusting up to 20 mph, and a 30% chance of precipitation. Tonight, the forecast is for partly cloudy conditions and a low of approximately 44, accompanied by a 9 mph north wind.
🚨 You need to know
Spring2ACTion, Alexandria’s annual day of giving, launches today.
This year marks the 14th year of Spring2ACTion, a 24-hour online event run by ACT for Alexandria connecting donors to charitable causes around the city.
The website allows Alexandrians to search by specific organizations, locations or causes they’d like to contribute to.
“This virtual fundraising effort, presented by ACT for Alexandria, with the help of generous sponsors, offers local nonprofits the chance to raise thousands of dollars to ensure that Alexandria is a strong, vibrant community for all,” the website said. “Last year, 8,331 donors gave $2.96M to 186 nonprofits serving Alexandria.”
It’s time to #Spring2ACTion with @ACTforAlex !
I just contributed to an incredible group of Alexandria non-profits as we attempt to set a new record today.
Will you join me?https://t.co/PdhEN2PBWX pic.twitter.com/x13jqHMdJP
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) April 24, 2024
📈 Tuesday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Apr 23, 2024.
- Old Town cafe and corner store Foxtrot closed as national chain implodes (3118 views)
- More than $50K in luxury handbags and other items stolen from two consignment shops in Old Town (1798 views)
- Alexandria woman loses $100K+ in Social Security Administration email scam (1486 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
- 12:00 pm: Revolve Cares Ribbon Cutting & Open House
- 3:00 pm: Spring2Action Fundraiser Wine Tasting
The YMCA in Del Ray (420 E Monroe Avenue) is temporarily closed after a medical incident.
Alexandria Fire-EMS are on the scene assisting a woman who went into cardiac arrest in the gym section of the YMCA.
The woman is being transported to the hospital. As of 3:40 p.m. the gym remains temporarily closed.
James Cullum contributed to this story
