Last week, Alexandria’s City Council voted to move forward with a plan to convert the four-lane S. Pickett Street near Cameron Station to one lane in each direction for much of the road, adding bike lanes and on-street parking.
The plan created considerable consternation among neighbors who expressed concerns that the changes would create cut-through traffic in the Cameron Station neighborhood. The outrage was reminiscent of the response to Seminary Road bike lane changes.
The Subway restaurant at 3829 Mount Vernon Avenue closed on Nov. 19.
The business has been in the Del Ray North shopping center for decades. The owner of the Arlandria franchise said that paying rent was becoming increasingly difficult and that he was forced to shut down.
Many people who look into estate planning ask, “What is the difference between wills and trusts?” While both wills and trusts deal with estate planning, they serve different purposes. In this post, the legal team of PJI Law, PLC, estate planning lawyers from Fairfax, VA, outline the key principles of wills, trusts, and their role in asset protection.
Here are the basic features of wills and trusts:
While we recommend that everyone have at least a will (whether or not you also have a trust), trusts aren’t strictly necessary for all individuals. Trusts are particularly helpful for individuals who have assets that are potentially going through probate, own property across several states, or have minor children.
A will, also known as a last will and testament, is a legal document specifying how the will maker wishes to handle asset distribution and other affairs after their death. A will typically includes all of the principal’s assets, such as real estate, vehicles, and other property, and usually a list of debts. A will may also provide directions for a funeral or memorial service.
Usually, every will must go through a probate court before execution. In some states, it may be possible to avoid probate under specific conditions. Certain assets, such as insurance policies and retirement accounts, may, if planned properly, pass directly to named beneficiaries without probate. (more…)
The holidays officially brightened up in Alexandria with the annual lighting of the city’s Christmas tree on Saturday night.
Mayor Justin Wilson joked with Santa Claus onstage in front of City Hall (301 King Street) before the official countdown to spark the 40,000 lights on the 40-foot-tall plastic tree.
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect a sunny day with a high near 59 degrees and calm winds shifting south at 6 mph in the afternoon. The night will bring a 50% chance of showers after 1am, mostly cloudy skies, and a low around 48 degrees with south winds at 3 to 7 mph.
Come celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s War for Independence with renowned music historians David & Ginger Hildebrand for performances of special period music. The Hildebrands will don period attire to discuss and perform music associated with Alexandria’s sister cities: Caen, France; Dundee, Scotland; Helsingborg, Sweden; and Gyumri, Armenia. Scottish music was especially influential in the American colonies, and once the French joined the Revolutionary cause there were musical celebrations for Generals LaFayette, Rochambeau and other French leaders. This concert event is part of the “Alexandria commemorates America’s 250” campaign. David & Ginger specialize in researching, recording, and performing early American music. Since 1980 they have presented concerts and educational programs throughout the country and abroad at museums, historic sites, schools and universities. Mount Vernon, The National Gallery of Art, The National Archives, and Colonial Williamsburg are among their many past sponsors.
Tickets are $20.
The biggest story this week was the fire at 103 S. Saint Asaph Street.
The fire destroyed three businesses including Friends to Lovers Bookstore, a highly anticipated bookstore that had opened just four days earlier.
A new roundabout in Alexandria’s Warwick Village neighborhood has resulted in a surge of near-miss complaints.
The Alexandria chapter of NoVA Families for Safe Streets saw a surge of reports in its crowd-sourced Near Miss and Dangerous Locations Reporting and Dashboard. The dashboard is intended to identify roadways with high risks for pedestrians.
A crash at the intersection of Potomac Avenue and Richmond Highway had knocked over a traffic signal and reduced traffic on the street to one lane in each direction.
The driver of a white truck struck the pole around 1 p.m.
The King Street Pedestrian Zone’s expansion to the 200 block opened today in Old Town.
The expansion is currently in a pilot stage. The first phase started today (Nov. 22) and will run through Jan. 6.
If you haven’t looked outside: it’s snowing in Alexandria.
A light dusting of snow is coming down outside, the first for this season.
