News

Mayor Justin Wilson says 2021 Democratic primary is about the future, not a rerun of 2018

By James Cullum
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson speaks at the swearing-in ceremony for Clerk of Court Greg Parks on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson doesn’t want to hold any other political office. He also wants to be elected at least once more in November, and in less than two months he’ll square off in a Democratic primary rematch against his political rival, former Mayor Allison Silberberg.

Wilson says the June 8 primary really isn’t about he and Silberberg, but more about the direction that the city wants to go. In fact, he never mentioned his opponent by name during a 45-minute conversation with ALXnow. He’s raised $90,000 to Silberberg’s $64,000, hired Henry Watkins (Sen. Adam Ebbin’s Chief of staff) as his campaign manager, and has a goal of knocking on more than 2,000 doors.

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Alexandria historians aim to move preservation beyond local historical celebrities

By Vernon Miles

(Updated on 4/16/21) As the city works towards a more inclusive portrayal of its history, part of that also involves an effort to move away from the “George Washington slept here” approach to history.

In a meeting of the Alexandria Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission meeting yesterday, the commission met with preservation architect Purvi Gandhi Irwin to discuss diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in historic preservation. A focus of the discussion was reshaping views of historic preservation front the ground-up that accounts for viewpoints often neglected in preservation.

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JUST IN: Gubernatorial candidate Sen. Jennifer McClellan highlights race, women issues in Old Town

By James Cullum

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-31) was in Old Town Thursday to introduce “Women For McClellan”, an initiative to send more than 75 her female supporters around the state in the run up to the June 8 Democratic primary.

McLellan held the event outside fibre space in Old Town, although shop owner Danielle Romanetti could not participate. It was her second event outside the shop, which has gained attention since being visited by Vice President Kamala Harris and being featured on GMA3 and Lifetime.

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The George Washington Masonic National Memorial, as viewed from the King Street metro station (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

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Kitties ‘Kaleidoscope’ and ‘Lincoln Log’ are up for adoption

By James Cullum
Kaleidoscope is up for adoption via the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (Photo by AWLA)

Kitties Kaleidoscope and her brother Lincoln Log are scratching around for a new home with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.

The three-month-old siblings are up for adoption during a period known as “Kitten Season”, where AWLA starts to receive an influx of young cats.

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum
The George Washington National Masonic Memorial in the springtime. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

ACPS opens contest for students to design new logo for renamed T.C. Williams High School  — “T.C. Williams was named after Thomas Chambliss Williams, ACPS superintendent of from the mid-1930s until 1963. Williams was a known segregationist who argued that Black and white students learned differently and should remain in separate schools.” [WJLA]

The Old Town Shop Celebrates Four Years — “Over the past four years, the store has introduced a variety of Virginia goods, including the world-famous Hubs peanuts. More locally, the shop features a variety of local, curated artisan items that are normally offered only at the Alexandria Farmers’ Market. Featured vendors include Truly Life (bath and body items), Capital Candles (soy candles), Watermelan Designs (jewelry), Together We Bake (granola and trail mix) and Napier Farms (jams & jellies).” [Alexandria Living]

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Silberberg addresses old defeats and new challenges in campaign to reclaim mayorship

By Vernon Miles

Former Mayor Allison Silberberg very publicly didn’t plan on running against Mayor Justin Wilson in the Democratic primary, but as weeks slipped by and no other challenger came forward — and Council Member Mo Seifeldein dropped out — Silberberg said she felt she needed to step up.

Three years after Silberberg lost her reelection bid to Wilson, she’s back to reclaim the position.

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Spring2ACTion fundraiser sets $2.5 million goal for Alexandria nonprofits

By James Cullum
ALIVE! gave out 13,000 pounds of food Saturday, and much of it was transported to a distribution point by DASH buses. The nonprofit is asking for donations in this year's Spring2ACTion event on April 28. (Photo via DASH/Facebook)

Spring2ACTion, the biggest annual fundraiser for Alexandria nonprofits, is around the corner and organizers want to raise $2.5 million from 10,000 donors.

On April 28, donors will get a 24 hour chance to contribute to more than 150 nonprofits in the city.

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Southern Towers residents nervous as landlord steps up eviction proceedings

By Vernon Miles

Low-income residents at Southern Towers (4901 Seminary Road) in the West End have been among those most affected by historic highs in unemployment and a sluggish economic recovery — but on-top of this, many of the residents face a new problem: a landlord pursuing hundreds of evictions.

At a meeting today between residents and elected officials, several immigrants living one of the city’s few remaining bastions of market rate affordable housing shared a sense of uncertainty and fear as new landlord CIM Group begins taking legal actions against residents.

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