Asthmatic Champion Sprinter Noah Lyles Cautious Amid Pandemic — “Professional athletes can seem superhuman, but some like US sprinter @LylesNoah are having to take extra precautions to protect themselves during the Covid-19 crisis.” [Twitter]
The Majestic Menu Available Only For Easter Sunday — “We’re so hoppy to be back 🐰 The Majestic is back for one day only and offering a chef curated, prix fixe Easter menu for four. To pre-order, call us today at 703.997.5300. All Easter meals must be picked up at Mia’s Italian Kitchen located just .5 miles from The Majestic.” [Facebook]
Mystery Del Ray Chalk Artist Creates Street Art — “The most timely message from earlier in March read: STAY SAFEÂ WASH YOUR HANDSÂ BE KIND along with the more philosophical quote: ‘Life is, at times, tough. All we need to do is to prove that we are tougher than it.'” [Zebra]
It’s Super Easy to Volunteer Making Face Masks — “Being over the age to help with the general public, I was frustrated about how I could serve during this crisis … until I saw my sewing machine in the closet. I sent a note to Volunteer Alexandria that simply said ‘I sew’ and before I knew it I had an order for masks. Using tea towels, items in my sewing basket, and patterns found online I turned my dining room into a production line. As I handed over my first batch of masks, I was thinking how today’s technology merged with an old fashioned skill will hopefully keep people safer.” -Ivy, Sewer of Masks [Facebook]
At Home in Alexandria Gets Homemade Face Masks — “Several of our wonderful members have dusted off their sewing machines and have gotten to work. Our AHA [At Home in Alexandria] members are in their 60’s, their 70’s, their 80’s and their 90’s. They are the most vulnerable among us right now, and while we have had to pause our full range of services and events momentarily, we still have volunteers shopping for groceries and delivering necessities for our members to keep them safe at home.” [Facebook]
Police Receive Face Mask Donations — “Thank you so much American Uniform Sales, Inc. for these donated cloth face coverings. The Alexandria Police Department is really grateful, and glad to add these to our uniforms.” [Twitter]
Lee-Fendall House Easter Egg Hunt Goes Virtual — “The first five people to find all of the eggs will receive a family pass to visit the museum and a Lee-Fendall chocolate bar. Both can be redeemed when the property reopens later this year.” [Alexandria Living]
Alexandria Chamber of Commerce List of Business Updates — Here’s a list of more than 100 restaurants, retail shops and other businesses in the city, including deals and hours of operation. [Chamber of Commerce]
Free Online Therapist-Led Support Group Tonight — “Join us on Sunday and Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm to 8:00pm via zoom to connect with others, share resources, and to chat about this wild rollercoaster ride of life. We will limit the group to under 10 per meeting. Please RSVP for each event. We hope to see you there!” [Facebook]
Valor Awards Postponed, No Date Set — “Please be advised, the Valor Awards will be postponed to a later date given these unprecedented times. We will be updating the event date once confirmed and alert registered attendees and sponsors directly. We look forward to honoring these exceptional individuals for their tremendous sacrifices to our community.” [Chamber of Commerce]
Alexandria Hospital Reminds Residents to Monitor Stroke Symptoms — “During these unprecedented times, we understand that there is concern about entering a hospital…If you or someone you know is experiencing a serious life threatening emergency, such as a stroke, we urge community members to call 9-1-1 and activate an emergency response team to evaluate and provide further resources.” [Facebook]
Senior Communities Taking Extra Precautions — “In Alexandria specifically, we are screening visitors as they come in the door. We’re checking temperatures, [and] doing questionnaire work.” [WAMU]
NOVA Shifts to Remote Learning — “With growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, Northern Virginia Community College, NOVA, is shifting to remote learning for all students beginning March 18. All classes will be cancelled March 16-17 to allow for the transition, according to a statement from the school.” [InsideNova]
Lost Boy Cider Posts Covid-19 Protocol — The microbrewery posted on social media a number of measures it’s taking to protect customers from the coronavirus, including a “Fresh air intake system [not recirculating],” and the assurance that all surfaces are being cleaned with anti-viral agents per shift. [Instagram]
Senior Services of Alexandria Gala Postponed — “SSA’s top concern in all things is the health and well-being of Alexandria’s older adults and those who support them. We feel that any risk, no matter how small, is not worth the potential consequences given the populations we serve.” [Zebra]
Chamber Extends 40 Under 40 Deadline — The annual program recognizes 40 outstanding leaders and innovators under the age of 40 living or working in the city, and the nomination deadline has been extended from March 13 to March 20, 2020. [Chamber of Commerce]
Port City Brewery in Running For USA Today’s Top 10 — “We have been nominated by @USATODAY for #BestBreweryTour on the @10best list! Help us secure our spot and be named one of the 10 Best Brewery Tours in the USA! Voting ends March 17!!” [Twitter]
Alexandria Students Awarded By C-SPAN — “Amal Sharif, Alex Conkey and Ben Janusz, students at T.C. Williams High School are honorable mention winners and will receive $250 for the documentary, ‘Which Side of the Story Will You Be On?’ about asylum seekers. Andrew Caslow, a student at Episcopal High School, is an honorable mention winner and will receive $250 for the documentary, ‘America in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.'” [Zebra]
The coronavirus is coming to Alexandria, if it’s not here already, and the Alexandria Health Department is asking residents to wash their hands and to be mindful as the city prepares to keep its services running with fewer staff.
“We know we’re going to get it here. It’s just a matter of time when we get it here,” Alexandria Health Department Director Dr. Stephen Haering told city council on Tuesday night.
“I think everybody needs to… practice new hand hygiene instead of shaking hands,” Haering added. “Some other gesture is one way to keep our hands clean.”
The city announced last night that a person who tested positive for the coronavirus recently spent time in a chapel at Virginia Theological Seminary.
“The majority of the people that would have been in the chapel are just being advised to self-monitor for fever, cough, shortness of breath,” Haering said.
City Manager Mark Jinks said Alexandria has banned city-related overnight travel and is asking residents to do their business with city hall over the phone or computer.
“We don’t need our folks exposed and have them expose our employees when they come back,” he said. “We’re working through how to basically manage the city government, keep it open and keep its services going. But we figure we’re probably going to have to do so with with with less staff, and less staff actually front and center here on a day-to-day basis.”
“It’s in everybody’s interest that we have basically less face-to-face interaction,” Jinks added.
Haering conducted a web conference with the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday morning, and said that the city is working to slow the spread of the virus until there is a vaccine.
“We know that won’t happen… before December, in terms of a vaccine, and more likely next spring,” Haering said. “Our goal is really to mitigate the impact that this will have on our community throughout the United States. So that way, we can protect those most at risk.”
Bill Blackburn of the Homegrown Restaurant Group employs more than 150 people and participated in the web conference. He said that his businesses, which include Pork Barrel BBQ and Holy Cow Del Ray, have not yet been impacted.
“We share the concerns with the community, and this is something we are not taking lightly,” Blackburn said. “We are ramping up our sanitation practices, which includes increased handwashing and glove use for employees, and a contact surface cleaning program with commonly shared surfaces — door knobs, handles, touch screens, counters and other commonly touched surfaces and areas.”
“We also are explicitly reminding our employees if they are showing symptoms that they are not to come to work,” Blackburn added. “If they do have an employee that contracts the virus, we will financially compensate that individual until they are cleared to come to work.”
Fire Chief Corey Smedley conducted a department-wide situational awareness conference call with staff on coronavirus on Tuesday evening.
“We have policies and procedures on how many consecutive hours personnel can work,” Smedley said. “We have policies and procedures for call-backs in the event that staffing levels go below where they should be. We can alter our normal response patterns based on what the parameters that we’re dealing with. So, there are many options for us to ensure that we have the adequate staffing, we’re meeting the community’s expectation, and where we’re concerned and preparing for the quality of life of our first responders.”
The city will conduct an online virtual information session on Thursday from 8-9 p.m.
Questions About Homicide Arrest at T.C. — “Because Aly’s arrest was part of an ongoing criminal investigation, Virginia State Police, the lead law enforcement agency on the case, haven’t released details about his connection to the crime. But some parents and students have sought answers to different questions: Why did the arrest take place at school, and what happened at the school that day?” [Alexandria Times]
Rec Registration Starts Next Week — “Registration for spring and summer classes and activities offered by the City of Alexandria’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities will begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18 for City residents and Friday, March 20 for nonresidents. Spring and summer registration applies to classes, leagues and activities occurring April through August 2020.” [City of Alexandria]
Controlled Burn Leads to Hazy Sunday — Across much of the D.C. area Sunday afternoon, smoke from a controlled burn at Marine Corps Base Quantico led to temporary hazy conditions outside and a “campfire” smell. [ARLnow]
“Moonlight and Magnolias” at Little Theatre Until March 21 — “It’s Hollywood, 1939. Legendary film producer David O. Selznick is five weeks into shooting ‘Gone with the Wind’ when he realizes the script is awful and the director doesn’t have a clue. He has a few short days to replace them and restart shooting or the production will shut down.” [Gazette]
Nominations Open For Chamber of Commerce’s 40 Under 40 — “The 40 under 40 class celebrate 40 outstanding leaders and innovators who either live or work within the city of Alexandria. The nomination period closes March 13, 2020. Go to www.thechamberalx.com/young-leaders-network.html to nominate a leader for this honor.” [Alexandria Living]
(Updated at 2:10 p.m.) Last week the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce unveiled a new look for the brand that includes a shift towards “ALX” as a moniker for Alexandria, like all the cool kids are doing.
At a meeting on Dec. 10, the group unveiled a new logo that shortens the organization’s monicker to The Chamber ALX.
ALX is not a new abbreviation for Alexandria — it’s the Amtrak designation, for one. It is also used by the coworking company ALX Community, which just launched another new location on the waterfront. (ALXnow.com, for the record, was first registered by our parent company in May 2013, six years before our Oct. 1 launch.)
The Chamber says the new logo reflects a more modern stance for the long-time local business advocacy organization, which was founded in 1906 and has has more than 800 members.
“In 2020 you’ll see a transformation at the Chamber, from the look and feel of our events to advocacy opportunities and how we engage online,” the organization said in a video. “Our new brand represents your unique path to achieving your business goals.”
The organization described the new logo as bringing “Alexandria’s legacy into the present.”
Photo courtesy Alexandria Chamber of Commerce
Suit Filed Over Chicken Slaughterhouse — “The drama over the halal poultry butcher shop coming to Alexandria did not end when city council approved the business’ special use permit on March 26… About a month after the SUP approval, 10 businesses and residents filed a lawsuit against the City of Alexandria and the Alexandria City Council over the decision.” [Alexandria Times]
FBI Releases 2018 Crime Stats — “In Alexandria, violent crime fell from 262 to 260. That includes four murders and nonnegligent manslaughters, down from six in the previous year. Alexandria had 2,482 property crimes total in 2018, the same number reported in 2017.” [Patch]
Saturday: Hispanic Heritage Fiesta — “Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with music, crafts, food, dance and face painting! All ages. Children under age 8 must remain with their adult at all times.” [Alexandria Library]
Update on First Phase of VT Campus — “Virginia Tech is looking to start building the first part of its $1 billion innovation campus — a 300,000-square-foot academic building — by August 2021…Â The design for the school is expected to be finished by September of next year. The estimated total cost for the building: $275 million.” [Washington Business Journal]
Sentencing for Robbery Suspect — “A man involved in an armed burglary and robbery at a veteran’s home in Alexandria has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.” [Patch]
Chamber Fetes Top Local Businesses — “The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce held its annual Best in Business Awards, presented by Burke & Herbert Bank, at The Westin Alexandria last night to recognize and celebrate the city’s top businesses.” [Alexandria Times]
