News | ALXnow - Part 737

Carlyle neighborhood could change School Board districts

Published December 1, 2021 at 9:50AM | Updated December 2, 2021 at 3:06PM

Alexandria's current School Board districts (photo via City of Alexandria)

(Updated 12/2/21) The City of Alexandria is going through a mandatory review of voting districts in Alexandria and City Manager Mark Jinks is recommending that the Carlyle neighborhood — called the Alexandria Renew district — have its representation on the School Board changed from District A to B.

The issue comes out of a review of the 2020 census. While the City Council seats are at-large, the School Board seats are voted by district. District A encompasses Old Town, Carlyle, Del Ray, Arlandria and Potomac Yard. District C is the western fringe of the city, from the Landmark/Van Dorn corridor up to the Bailey’s Crossroads area. District B is more-or-less everything in between.

Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published December 1, 2021 at 5:00AM

A flock of geese in flight near Cameron Run (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Golf could return to former Topgolf Alexandria property — “The shuttered Topgolf Alexandria and neighboring former Ruby Tuesday restaurant on South Van Dorn Street may be resurrected as a golf-centric venue by the underlying landowner, whose efforts to rezone the properties for residential use have been slow to advance.” [Washington Buisness Journal]

Alexandria Film Festival 2021 extended into December — “The festival, held in a virtual format, is giving viewers more time to view films through Dec. 10.” [Patch]

Old Town salon announces grand reopening with huge expansion

By Vernon Miles

Published November 30, 2021 at 3:30PM

Salon Meraki on Queen Street (photo courtesy Salon Meraki)

A salon in Old Town has announced plans for a grand reopening next week to celebrate a massive expansion into a former print service next-door.

Salon Meraki, an Alexandria-based salon, said in a press release the salon at 1101 Queen Street will be expanding into 300 N. Henry Street next door, formerly home to ARC Document Solutions. The expansion will boost the salon up to a total of 3,600 square feet.

Sen. Mark Warner is the grand marshal at 50th annual Campagna Center Scottish Walk

By James Cullum

Published November 30, 2021 at 2:15PM | Updated November 30, 2021 at 3:57PM

After being canceled last year, the 50th annual Campagna Center Scottish Christmas Walk Parade is back on Saturday, Dec. 4.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) will be the grand marshal at Saturday’s parade, which begins at 11 a.m. at St. Asaph and Queen Streets and ends in front of City Hall.

Alexandria City Council to choose new city manager on Wednesday night

By James Cullum

Published November 30, 2021 at 1:00PM

Alexandria City Hall lit up (staff photo by James Cullum)

After a five-month-long national search, the Alexandria City Council will select a new city manager at a special meeting on Wednesday night (Dec. 1).

“Yes, we will be choosing a city manager,” Mayor Justin Wilson confirmed to ALXnow.

Here are the businesses participating in Giving Tuesday in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published November 30, 2021 at 10:45AM

It’s Giving Tuesday, and a number of Alexandria businesses are donating a percentage of sales to nonprofits in partnership with the Old Town Business Association.

The following businesses within the association are participating:

Multiple car break-ins reported in parking lot of Arlandria apartment building

By James Cullum

Published November 30, 2021 at 9:55AM

Park Vue of Alexandria at 511 Four Mile Road in Arlandria has been renamed as The Square at 511. (staff photo by James Cullum)

No arrests have been made after a series of car break-ins at an apartment building in Arlandria.

There have been four incidents at 511 Four Mile Road of parked cars being broken into and valuables stolen, according to Alexandria Police.

Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published November 30, 2021 at 5:00AM

The fight to preserve Douglass Cemetery — “While the location’s rich past and personal connection served as an emboldening force for Johnson, he said he’s sorry that anyone’s final resting place could wind up in such a dilapidated state.” [Alexandria Times]

Advice from Old Town Books’ Ally Kirkpatrick — “We talked to Ally Kirkpatrick, founder and owner of Old Town Books, about curling up with a good read when the weather gets cold and finding the perfect book to give as a gift.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]

Alexandria heads into Scottish Christmas Walk weekend with declining COVID numbers

By James Cullum

Published November 29, 2021 at 3:30PM

As the city prepares for the Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend, Alexandria’s COVID-19 infections have continued a steady decline through the holidays.

The upcoming annual festivities were put on hold last year, and it usually bring thousands of visitors to Alexandria.

Agenda Alexandria dives into what makes a good city manager

By Vernon Miles

Published November 29, 2021 at 2:45PM

From left: David Speck, Phil Sunderland, Janet Barnett, Michael Lee Pope (photo via Agenda Alexandria/Facebook)

As the City of Alexandria searches for a new manager, several civic leaders recently met with Agenda Alexandria for a behind-the-scenes look at what the job entails and some of its local history.

The discussion, moderated by Alexandria Gazette reporter and local historian Michael Lee Pope, examined the qualifications of the job both as written by the city and from more hands-on experience.

The Del Ray menorah and Christmas tree lightings are this Sunday

By James Cullum

Published November 29, 2021 at 1:30PM | Updated November 30, 2022 at 10:26AM

The Del Ray Menorah and Christmas tree lightings are happening this Sunday (Dec. 5) night on Mount Vernon Avenue, but Santa Claus won’t be making an appearance due to COVID-19.

It’s the 11th straight year that Mike Anderson and Bill Blackburn of the Homegrown Restaurant Group selected and cut down the tree at the Naughty Pines Nursery in Maryland, and donated it to the Del Ray Business Association. Additionally, BMC Smoot donated a flatbed truck and a driver to haul the 30-foot-tall tree to Del Ray, and Mike Dameron of Windmill Hill donated his cherrypicker crane to put it in place on Tuesday (Nov. 30).