Around Town

Numerous restaurants and sports bars in Alexandria are gearing up for March Madness this week, with plans to offer specials on drinks and bites while the games play on.

Fans will get to see how their March Madness brackets fare when the NCAA men’s tournament’s first round begins Thursday (March 19) and women’s tournament follows on Friday (March 20). Games run until the final championship games on April 5 (women) and April 6 (men).


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The Washington Wizards helped tip off the 2025-26 school year with a backpack and supplies giveaway today (Aug. 15) at William Ramsay Recreation Center.

Wizards forward Anthony Gill made a surprise appearance and joined rookies Tre Johnson, Will Riley, and Jamir Watkins at the event. The players, along with mascot G-Wiz and the Wizards Dancers, gave 700 backpacks to the students at William Ramsay Elementary School (5700 Sanger Avenue), which is located next to the recreation center and officially opens for the first day on Monday, Aug. 18.


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There’s something about Joey Schaljo’s voice.

Since 2023, the Del Ray resident has been the in-game PA announcer at all of the Washington Mystics games. She’s also a longtime announcer at the New York City Marathon, and can regularly be heard in commercials for Ozempic, Aspercreme with Lidocaine, and Realtor.com.


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It’s a new era for middle school sports in Alexandria, and the girls started it.

On Tuesday (Dec. 3), the George Washington Middle School girls basketball team defeated Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School 22-14 in Alexandria’s first-ever middle school championship basketball game.


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Three-time Paralympic gold medalist Trevon Jenifer visited Alexandria on Tuesday, and gave some advice to kids at the Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic Boys & Girls Club in Old Town.

Fresh from visiting the White House with the U.S. Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball Team, the 36-year-old Maryland native talked about his desire to win.


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Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill handed out 200 stuffed backpacks to fourth and fifth graders at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School in Alexandria’s West End this afternoon.

The event is one of many from team owner Monumental Sports and Entertainment was part of a regional giveaway at schools in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. In Alexandria, the students at Tucker also received a free book from MahoganyBooks, a Wizards t-shirt, and an autographed card.


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Noah Lyles, the world champion sprinter and Olympic bronze medalist can add another trophy to his collection, as he and his speedster brother Josephus Lyles have been chosen for induction into the 2022 ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame.

“Noah Lyles is a world record holder, world champion, bronze medal winner and a great ambassador for our city,” Aly Khan Johnson, chair of the ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame Advisory Committee Meeting, told the School Board last Thursday night (May 19).


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ACHS basketball coach resigns — “Alexandria City varsity boys’ basketball coach Darryl Prue said he resigned from his position Thursday morning following an in-game incident Tuesday night in which he went into the crowd to confront heckling fans at Wakefield High in Arlington.” [Washington Post]

French bakery ‘Fresh Baguette’ crossing the river into Old Town Alexandria — “Fresh Baguette bakery will be opening its fourth location — and first in Alexandria — at 1101 King St. in early 2022. The French bakery has stores in Bethesda, Rockville and Georgetown.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]


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Alexandria ranks ninth in Virginia for small businesses — “Alexandria ranked ninth overall among Virginia localities with a small business index score of 39.17. The city was seventh for percentage of small business income — 10.11 percent.” [Patch]

Alexandria ranked by CDC as third best city in U.S. for surviving zombie apocalypse — “It seems the CDC-yes, the Centers for Disease Control were kind of bored a while back and actually posted a Zombie Apocalypse Preparedness Guide which recently inspired a company called Lawn Love to dig into a bunch of data and develop 2021’s Best Cities for Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse and Alexandria, Virginia turns out to be a good spot to be in such an event.” [Zebra]


News

Earl Lloyd statue unveiled at Charles Houston Recreation Center — “At the unveiling of the first African American NBA player, and Native Alexandrian, Earl Lloyd!” [Twitter]

Episcopal Church of the Resurrection opens new facility — “Inspiring Grand Opening of Episcopal Church of the Resurrection’s beautiful new church this morning! Honored and humbled to partner with you to create 113 new affordable homes adjacent to your new space.” [Twitter]


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