The savory Indo-Chinese food at Indochen in Cameron Station will be featured by America’s Best Restaurants (ABR) later this month.
On Feb. 28, the ABR Roadshow will stop at the restaurant at 4906 Brenman Park Drive to talk with its owner, chef Ram Thapa. The show will be aired on YouTube and social media channels and will be featured on the ABR website at a future date.
According to ABR:
Popular menu items that may be featured on the episode include the Chicken Dumpling, an appetizer served in tomato onion chutney; a variety of family-style Biryani Pots, with choice of chicken, lamb, vegetables or shrimp; Fish Mandarin, a pan-fried whole pompano with vegetable mandarin sauce; and Indian specialties such as Chicken Tikka Masala or Butter Chicken.
Kentucky-based ABR was founded as a digital marketing company in 2008. The business has featured more than 1,000 restaurants.
Restaurants wanting to be featured on ABR must apply online, where applicants are asked about what makes the restaurant distinctive and worthy of consideration. If selected, an applicant then participates in a 45-minute Zoom interview.
Alexandria’s political scene is heating up, as a number of Democrat candidates formally launched their campaigns over the weekend.
City Council Member Alyia Gaskins held a packed kickoff at Indochen in Cameron Station on Sunday, following her opponent Vice Mayor Amy Jackson’s kickoff on Jan. 21 at Doyle’s Outpost in the West End. On Saturday, City Council Member Kirk McPike launched his campaign at Pork Barrel BBQ in Del Ray and City Council Member John Taylor Chapman did the same at Port City Brewing Company.
In her speech, Gaskins didn’t get into her positions on large projects in the city, like the Potomac Yard arena or the massive WestEnd development, but said that she is devoted to the nitty gritty of policies that maintain a quality of life for residents.
“I am running to be your next mayor to make sure that your city, that my city, that our collective city is a place that is safe, affordable, accessible, and one that truly and finally works for all of us,” Gaskins said.
A third mayoral candidate, Steven Peterson, will announce his candidacy to the Alexandria Democratic Committee on Monday, Feb. 5, followed by his formal kickoff later in the month.
City Council Members Sarah Bagley and Canek Aguirre are also running for reelection and have not announced when their kickoffs will be held. Aguirre is finalizing details for an event in Arlandria next month, he told ALXnow. Candidate Charlotte Scherer, a former Alexandria magistrate, is holding her campaign kickoff on Feb. 21 at Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe & Wine Bar in Old Town.
Chapman has been on council since 2012, and is the most senior member running for reelection. An Alexandria native who grew up in public housing, he said at his kickoff that doing City Council work is a “labor of love.”
“We have a thriving city,” he said. “It takes good policy, it takes advocating for resources.”
The other candidates with intentions to run haven’t announced when their campaigns will formally launch. They include Alexandria School Board Members Jacinta Greene and Abdel Elnoubi, West End Business Association President James Lewis, Del Ray’s Jesse O’Connell and Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Resident Association President Kevin Harris.
The Democratic primary is on June 18. No Republican candidates have entered the race.
Campaign finances
Gaskins is leading the money race so far, raising $46,000 with $34,000 on-hand as of Dec. 31, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Jackson has raised $16,900, and has $15,800 on-hand.
Longtime City Council Member Del Pepper endorsed Gaskins and donated $3,000 to her campaign.
“She has the ability to work with people she disagrees with,” Pepper said at the event. “You’ve got to have that if you want to be a good mayor.”
In the Council race, Chapman leads with fundraising, having raised $19,579 with $16,624 on-hand. McPike has raised $14,790, with $12,087 on-hand, followed by Aguirre, who raised $7,020 and has $10,716 on-hand. Bagley raised $3,320 and has $856 on-hand and Scherer is self-financing her campaign and contributed $900.
With only 15 total students in the entire school in a single room, it’s unlikely students at the proposed Bright Start Learning Center will get lost in the crowd.
Bright Start currently has a child care program at 4920 Brenman Park Drive but is looking to convert the administrative space at 4917 Brenman Park Drive into a school for elementary-age children.
“The space is currently being used for administrative offices of Bright Start Learning Center,” the school said in a special use permit application. “We propose changing the use to a private commercial school that offers enrichment classes to children ages 3 to 12. This use is separate from Bright Start’s child care center.”
The school will be open from noon to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekends. The application says the Cameron Condominium Association Board has agreed to let the school use existing visitor parking spaces for the school.
Multiple violent charges against a 25-year-old Fairfax County man have been dismissed in court, although the man remains in the Alexandria jail without bond after allegedly assaulting police during his arrest.
The suspect was arrested on July 27 for carjacking, assault and battery, brandishing a firearm and and assaulting police.
The victim reported to police that the suspect pointed a gun at her head, pistol-whipped her with a handgun and forced his way into her car at Armistead L. Boothe Park in the Cameron Station neighborhood, according to a search warrant. There was also a male passenger in the car with the victim, and both of them told police that they bailed out of the car a short time later.
The female victim also told police that the suspect also stole $400 in cash. The handgun allegedly used in the incident was discarded in a back yard in the 200 block of Medlock Lane, and it was later found by a resident and turned in to police, according to the affidavit.
The suspect was arrested less than a mile away outside the 7-Eleven at 30 S. Reynolds Street. He was later positively identified by the female victim.
More details have been released on the armed carjacking on Tuesday night in the 500 block of Cameron Station Boulevard.
The suspect who was arrested “suffered a medical emergency” while being booked in jail and was taken to the hospital, according to police. He is reportedly in stable condition.
Police were dispatched to investigate an armed carjacking in the 5500 block of Cardinal Place near Cameron Station Boulevard at around 8:45 p.m. The 25-year-old suspect was arrested less than 40 minutes later the intersection of S. Reynolds Street and Duke Street.
“The victims told officers they were able to get away from the suspect when he stopped the vehicle in the 400 block of Ferdinand Day Drive,” Police said. “The victims told officers they fled to Armistead Boothe Park to call 911.”
Police said that a helicopter and K-9 units were called in to assist in searching for the suspect.
“During the search, officers recovered the vehicle and a firearm,” police said.
Police did not release the suspect’s name, what he was charged with, or where he is from.
It was a cold and news-filled week in Alexandria.
It all started with the report of two public safety incidents over the weekend — a serious car crash in Old Town and another shooting in the West End.
On the coronavirus front, Alexandria is now at 104 fatalities and 9,342 cases. Mayor Justin Wilson said that there is a vaccine shortage in the city, as the waitlist to get inoculated is at more than 25,000. The Alexandria Health Department reported to the Alexandria Times that about 2,000 doses are being distributed weekly.
Our top story this week was on the body that was found last Friday in the water at Holmes Run Trail by Cameron Run Regional Park. In an update, police told us that the death was not suspicious in nature.
Additionally, 630 people responded to our weekly poll. This week, we asked about the proposed Heritage development in Old Town. About 67% of respondents don’t think it’s appropriate for the neighborhood and 33% don’t have a problem with it.
In case you missed it, here are some important stories:
- New Flood Warning Signs Installed in Del Ray
- Initial and Continued Unemployment Claims Go Down in Alexandria
- Despite COVID-19 Contractor Impacts, Potomac Yard Metro Station on Track for Spring 2022 Opening
- City Council Accepts Plan to Double Stormwater Utility Fees
- Victory Center’s Condominium Redevelopment Headed to Planning Commission
Here are our top stories of the week:
- BREAKING: Body Found in the Water Near Cameron Station
- Photos: The Regal Potomac Yard Movie Theater is Being Torn Down
- Citizens Group Vilifies Heritage High Rise Project in Old Town
- Atlantis Pizzeria and Family Restaurant Closing on Jan. 24
- Alexandrians with Joe Biden Yard Signs Get Anonymous Letters Saying Biden is a Pedophile
- Police: Shots Fired in West End, Car Crash in Old Town Over Weekend
- Snow in Alexandria: Winter Weather Advisory in Effect Until 9 A.M. Tuesday
- BREAKING: Woman Gets Arm Amputated, Police Investigate if She Was Thrown From Car in West End
- Local Business in Hot Water with City Architects After Unauthorized Paint Job
- Alexandria Mayor Formally Requests Dominion Energy Step Their Game Up
- JUST IN: ACPS Announces No In-Person Schooling For Week of Feb. 1
Have a safe weekend!
There are few details released so far on the man’s body discovered in Holmes Run last week near Cameron Station, but police said the death does not appear suspicious and foul play is not currently suspected.
“[The incident] does not appear to be suspicious,” said Alexandria Police Department Senior Public Information Officer Amanda Paga.
Paga said the police are still waiting on the results from the chief medical examiner for a final report on the cause of death and other information about the person.
Mayor Justin Wilson tweeted that there was no known danger to the community.
We do not suspect foul play in this matter however, we are waiting for the Medical Examiner to make that final determination. As always we are out patrolling and doing everything we can to ensure the residents (and visitors) of Alexandria are safe.
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) January 27, 2021
A drive-through only testing event is planned today at Ben Brenman Park (4800 Brenman Park Drive) from noon to 2 p.m.
The event is intended for those who live and work in the immediate area, including Cameron Station and other nearby neighborhoods. Walk-up testing will not be available at the event and limited parking is available.
“It is not required, but please bring your ID and insurance card if you have those,” the city said in a press release. “The event will end at the stated time, or when test kits run out. You will receive take-home instructions and a call with results within 3-5 days.”
The event is intended primarily for people without insurance. Those who have insurance or are seeking testing for travel are asked to utilize other sources.
Today from noon until 2 PM, the City will be hosting another free COVID testing event in partnership with @NeighborhoodHth
Today’s event is a drive-through event at Ben Brenman Park (4800 Brenman Park Drive).https://t.co/0uXWBEr7iu
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) December 29, 2020
Image via Google Maps
Beyer, National Capital Region’s House Delegation Write Letter to White House Over COVID Outbreak — “This is no time for publicity stunts that put people at risk, or for playing down the seriousness of this pandemic. The American people will never trust the Administration to keep them safe if the White House cannot protect its own staff.” [Twitter]
City Offices Closed for Indigenous Peoples Day on Oct. 12 — “City government offices will be closed October 12 in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Trash and recycling will be collected one day later that week, and yard waste will not be collected on October 16.” [Twitter]
Free Online Job Fair on Oct. 15 — “Looking for a job? Attend a free online recruitment event on October 15, 12 – 1 p.m., and learn more about immediate job opportunities with Atlantic Personnel Search. Attendance is free but registration is required.” [Twitter]
Senior Services of Alexandria Local Tours are Back — “We are going virtual starting with the Stabler-Leadbeater “Wicked” Apothecary on Friday, October 30 from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Just in time for Halloween, join us for this special program created just for SSA about some of the more diabolical concoctions created at the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary.” [Facebook]
New Dog Groomer Opens in Cameron Station — “The salon’s priority is making sure pets are comfortable and healthy without the added frills like pet facials and fancy styling products. Pet owners can choose from different bathing packages, grooming or a la cart services as well as a self-serve option.” [Alexandria Living]
Today’s Weather — “A mainly sunny sky (during the day). High 82F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. A mostly clear sky (at night). Low 56F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.” [Weather.com]
New Job: Entry Level Arabic Intelligence Analyst — “Leidos Integrated Mission Solutions Group has an immediate opening in Alexandria, VA for an Entry Level Arabic Intelligence Analyst.” [Indeed]
Uncertainty Lingers for Furloughed Alexandrians — “When Joy Phansond was furloughed from her job as sales coordinator at the Holiday Inn in Old Town, the temporary layoff was initially supposed to last until April 5. Then it was extended to May 5. Then it was extended again until June 5.” [Gazette]
Cinema Del Ray Canceled Due to Coronavirus — “Due to COVID-19, we must ensure the safety of our fellow community members by canceling Cinema Del Ray 2020. We greatly appreciate the support Cinema Del Ray has been shown in the past. We will be back next year, better than ever!” [Facebook]
Old Town Spanish Restaurant ‘La Tasca’ Files for Bankruptcy — “In the past two years, La Tasca has closed two locations in Chinatown and Clarendon.” [Washington Business Journal]
Food Trucks Lift Spirits in Cameron Station — “Rothschild started reaching out to various food truck vendors on March 25, and shortly thereafter she landed her first truck to visit the neighborhood, at the corner of Cameron Station Boulevard and Harold Secord Street – barbecue purveyor Smoking Kow. And neighbors were ready for a feast.” [Gazette]
Tenants and Workers United Raises $16K for Arlandria Community — “Many of our members have had their work hours reduced or been laid off completely. For the undocumented community, there is no social safety net: no unemployment benefits and no stimulus check from the federal government.” [actblue.com]
Contest: Alexandria Living Magazine Gives Away $600 in Merchandise — “Along with KH Giving, we can finally announce the winner of this week’s Mission Masks giveaway! Dixie won $600 worth of prizes including $250 in gift cards from Sweet Fire Donna’s, $100 from Chadwicks and $100 from Bastille and more! These gift cards are all purchased from local restaurants as a way to support them.” [Facebook]
Photos: Meal Distribution at William Ramsey Elementary — “Enjoy these photos of ACPS meal distribution at William Ramsey Elementary School. Thank you to volunteer and photographer, Chris Castillo.” [Facebook]
How Funeral Homes and Cemeteries are Coping in Alexandria — “Some immediate families of the deceased elect to have ceremonies recorded or live streamed for extended family and friends who cannot be present. Others are opting to hold a memorial service at a later date, when larger groups may be able to congregate, rather than a funeral with restricted attendees now.” [Alex Times]
‘La Brocante’ and ‘Top It Off’ Open This Weekend in Del Ray — “La Brocante and Top It Off are now both open on the weekends only (including TODAY until 5 p.m.), with social distancing measures in place (extra sanitizing, limits on the number of people in the stores, and face masks).” [Facebook]
‘Pacers Running’ Donates Shoes to ‘Together We Bake’ — “Thank you @runpacers and @on_running for giving running shoes to our TWB family! We’re excited to break in our shoes.” [Facebook]
New Job: Member Marketing Manager — “We are looking for someone passionate and analytical who loves product marketing. The purpose of this role is to help drive many stakeholders across many departments to inspire members to act on our top opportunities. If you love coordinating complex marketing campaigns, then this job is for you.” [Indeed]
