Tenants and Workers United Organizes Rent Protest in Arlandria Friday — “Join our Caravan. THIS FRIDAY at 4:30 P.M.” ️[Facebook]
Here’s an Updated List of Alexandria’s Nonprofit Needs — “This list is updated on a regular basis, so check back regularly to see the latest items needed to support our most vulnerable populations during this critical time. Thank you for caring for our community!” [Volunteer Alexandria]
‘Let’s Meat On The Avenue’ Requiring Customers Wear Face Masks — “As of TOMORROW [Wednesday], we will REQUIRE all patrons to wear masks. ‘Most everyone’s already on board, but we had a nitwit or two today.” [Twitter]
Taqueria Picoso Donates Tacos to Police — “Thank you so much #TaqueriaPicoso for dropping off tacos for our officers and dispatch! From left to right: Capt. Ladislaw, Taqueria Picoso employees, and Officer Cushing.” [Twitter]
City Housing Director Wins 2020 Regional Housing Leaders Award — “This month we are honoring Helen McIlvaine for leading the Office of Housing in the City of Alexandria, developing creative solutions in land use and zoning, and supporting a dedicated source of revenue to address the growing housing needs in the city.” [Facebook]
Revolutionary Fitness Hiring Gym Manager — “Under the direction and guidance of the CEO, the incumbent has the general responsibility of managing the day-to-day operations of Revolutionary Fitness.” [Indeed]
Del Ray Cakery Makes Hospital-Themed Cookies — “Thank you to all our healthcare professionals during this pandemic. We are truly grateful for your efforts!” [Facebook]
DASH Hosting Online Meeting to Discuss Future Service — “Join us live on Facebook at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday 4/29 for our Transit Development Plan Community Meeting to discuss potential changes to FY2021 service, including to the AT-4.” [Twitter]
Group Give Meals From ‘The Warehouse’ to Alexandria Hospital — “These are crazy, uncertain times right now and the least we can do is support our favorite independently owned restaurants and bring some food to healthcare professionals! Cheers to supporting local, supporting each other, and showing gratitude for our community! [Facebook]
Method Acting Used to Teach Polk Elementary Students the Scientific Method — “Hello children of Polk Elementary School. I am professor Brainstein, and Mr. Palmer has invited me to speak to you about the scientific method. First, I want you to feel welcome in my laboratory…” [wevideo.com]
Alexandria Nurse Speaking in Church Online Sermon Series at Noon — “As part of our Finding Hope sermon series, this week, we hear from our very own Caroline Cheek, an Emergency Room nurse, who shares how she has experienced hope in the last 6 weeks.” [Facebook]
Alexandria Restaurant Partners Reopening Two More Locations in May — “Alexandria Restaurant Partners will reopen two of its restaurant concepts, Riverside Taco Company and Vola’s Dockside Grill, on May 5.” [Patch]
Del Ray Cafe Gets PPP Loan, Hiring Back Employees — “Our PPP loan came through and we’re bringing back our employees! Starting tomorrow, Friday, April 24th, we will be offering Brunch for carryout every day from 9am-2:30pm. Order from our modified Brunch menu on our website www.delraycafe.com.” [Facebook]
Reminder: ALIVE! Food Distribution on Saturday — “ALIVE! will distribute food from Truck-Trunk at two Drive-Thru food distributions this weekend, April 25 from 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. or until supplies run out at the parking lots of Cora Kelly and John Adams Elementary Schools. People who walk to the site are asked to observe social distancing.” [Facebook]
Councilman Seifeldein Wishes Muslims a Blessed Ramadan — “Ramadan Mubarak to all those observing the month of fasting. I wish you a blessed month of reflection. May you find internal peace and enlightenment.” [Facebook]
ALIVE! Thanks Islamic Center for Halal Chicken Donation — “We are fortunate to have Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center Fruitful Planet and Gate Gourmet as Community Partners. Each provided wonderful high quality food for our families enrolled at the ALIVE! Child Development Center tomorrow when then drive-thru to pick up learning packet. Also EXTRA thank you to Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center for their continued donation of halal chicken, a welcome food item for Muslim families in need in Alexandria City, especially at the start of Ramadan!” [Facebook]
City Hiring Assistant City Manager for Public Private Partnerships — “As a member of the City Manager’s Senior Leadership Team, the Assistant City Manager for Public Private Partnerships reports to the City Manager and a Deputy City Manager and is responsible for leading the overall public private partnership (P3) initiatives for the City primarily via capital project planning and financing, leveraging of City assets and resources to implement City facility, City infrastructure, economic development related public sector and private sector projects, as well as facilitating the development and implementation of alternative service delivery strategies.” [LinkedIn]
Beyer Introduces Legislation To Encourage COVID-19 Test Innovation — “Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), today introduced the Point-of-Care Testing Prize Competitions Act, legislation designed to harness the power of scientific innovation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill would direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to rapidly launch prize competitions encouraging the development of a point-of-care COVID-19 test capable of producing accurate results in under 30 minutes for multiple samples.” [beyer.house.gov]
Trinity United Methodist Church Food Drive on Sunday — “Reminder if you go to the grocery store this week that Trinity United Methodist Church will be collecting non-perishable goods in our parking lot at the corner of Cameron Mills & Allison St. each Sunday afternoon from 2:00 to 4:00 and will continue doing so until the church building reopens. The current needs include the following: Canned meats (tuna, chicken, spam, ravioli, soups containing meat); Pasta, rice, dry beans; Canned tomato products (sauce, tomato paste, whole/diced/crushed tomatoes); Canned vegetables, fruits, beans; Cereal; Powdered drink mix; Powdered iced tea mix; Coffee; Tea bags; Peanut butter, jelly; Salad dressing – Italian and Ranch preferred; Dish soap, “pot scrubbers”; Toothpaste and Deodorant.” [Trinity UMC]
Virtual Happy Hour at 5 p.m. With Pork Barrel BBQ Bartender — “Social distancing doesn’t have to stop you from having a good happy hour. Join us for a virtual happy hour series to stay connected to the social scene, enjoy great cocktails and have some much needed fun. You’ll be hosted live by top bartenders in the area. Once you register, you must send $10 to your bartenders Venmo and then you’ll receive; a list of the cocktail ingredients, a music playlist curated by the bartender, and a link to the virtual HH. On the day of – get camera ready to meet new friends and make some fab cocktails.” [Eventbrite]
Sweet Fire Donna’s Offers Sunday Brunch — “Sunday Funday Brunch from Sweet Fire Donna’s! Pre-Order by Saturday, 10PM! Add on a Titos Bloody Mary with Two Shrimp Cocktail for $8.95!” [Facebook]
Maryland Lyric Opera Donates to Alexandria Hospital — “When the Maryland Lyric Opera realized their season was over, they wanted to do something to help others. They redirected funds towards a huge purchase of face masks, leveraging the connections of one of their Chinese American producers. They’ve since made major donations of face masks to several hospitals, assisted living facilities and homeless shelters. We are incredibly grateful for their support in providing face masks for our #InovaHeroes!” [Facebook]
Alexandria Times Conducts Mask Contest — “The readers who are able to identify the most mask-wearers will win local restaurant gift cards. This week, we’ve included six photos. To enter the competition, email your best guesses to [email protected]. It’s okay if you can’t identify all six people. The person to accurately identify the most mask-wearers will win a $50 gift card to Del Ray Cafe. Happy guessing!” [AlexTimes]
There are a number of emergency food resources available for Alexandria residents struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hunger Free Alexandria is continually updating a list of emergency food access points in the city.
Here’s the list, as of today:
Alexandria City Public Schools
ACPS is providing two days worth of breakfast and lunch meals free for any ACPS student between the ages of 2 and 18 years-old on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. at the following locations:
- William Ramsay Elementary School (5700 Sanger Avenue)
- Francis C. Hammond Middle School (4646 Seminary Road)
- Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology (3600 Commonwealth Avenue)
- Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School (1501 Cameron Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314)
- T.C. Williams High School (3330 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302)
ACPS “Grab and Go”Meals are available for any ACPS student or child over the
age of 2 to pick up breakfast and lunch at the following locations:
- Mason Apartments at South Reynolds Street — 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
- Brent Place Apartments at 375 South Reynolds Street — 11:20 to 11:50 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
- Ruby Tucker Family Center at 322 Tancil Court — 10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
- Community Lodgings at 607 Notabene Drive — 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
- Old Towne West Apartments (parking lot) at 500 South Alfred Street — 11:20 to 11:50 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
- The corner of Florence Drive and Four Mile Road in the Arlandria/Chirilagua community. 10:45
to 11:15 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.NO SIGN UP OR REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE MEALS
Meals consist of cold breakfast and lunch, including fresh fruits and vegetables, salads and sandwiches for multiple days per the student’s need.
Grocery distribution from ALIVE!
Saturday, April 25th, 8:30 am – 10:30 am
- Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center (23 W. Reed Ave.)
- John Adams Elementary School (5651 Rayburn Ave.)
**ALIVE! IS ENCOURAGING YOU TO DRIVE TO THE SITES. IF YOU MUST WALK, PLEASE ADVISE THEM TO USE SOCIAL DISTANCE AND STAND 6 FEET APART.**
Bag Lunch at Meade Memorial
Monday – Friday
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
322 N Alfred St, Alexandria, VA 22314
**Meals will be served to-go, outside in the courtyard**Food Pantry at Meade Memorial
Thursday and Friday
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
322 N Alfred StreetBreakfast available at Old Presbyterian Meeting House
Thursday
6 – 8 am
323 S Fairfax Street
**Meals will be served to-go, outside in the courtyard**Breakfast available at Old Town Community Church
Wednesday
6 – 7 am
212 S Washington Street
**Meals will be served to-go, outside the front door of the church**Breakfast available at Washington Street United Methodist Church
Monday, Tuesday, and Friday
6 – 8 am
109 S Washington Street
**Meals will be served to-go**West End Food Pantry (Located at St. James Mission House)
Monday
5 – 6:30 pm
5200 Fillmore Avenue
REQUIRED: Valid photo ID with current City of Alexandria, Virginia address or Photo ID, current bill with City of Alexandria Virginia address.CCDA Christ House Food Pantry
Wednesday and Thursday
9 am – 1 pm
131 S. West Street
**clients can receive food once per month**CCDA Christ House Evening Meal
EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK
Guests may begin to arrive at 4:30 pm to sign in for a meal. The program runs 4:30 – 6pm.
131 S. West Street
**meals will be served to go**YMCA Produce Distribution
Mondays 4 – 6 pm, Tuesdays 9 am – 12 pm
Produce is available for anyone, regardless of their affiliation with the YMCA. This will be distributed while supplies last.
420 East Monroe Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22301
**Please bring your own bag**Frozen Meal Delivery Program for Seniors
Eligible individuals are City of Alexandria residents aged 60 or above, their spouses, or an individual with a disability, regardless of age, who resides with a program recipient aged 60 or above; have difficulty getting food and are homebound because of COVID 19.
For more information or to apply for the meals, please call 703-746-5999
The Child & Family Network Centers
The Child & Family Network Centers are Providing Snacks and Nonperishables for the families of their students. If you have a child who attends a Child & Family Network Center Preschool please reach out and we can connect you with available food.
Meals on Wheels
City residents who are 60+ and interested in Meals on Wheels should call the Division of Aging and Adult Services at 703-836-5999.
Pet Food & Supplies Available from Animal Welfare League of Alexandria
Please email [email protected] or call 703-746-4774 to request pet food or supplies. Pet items will be available for pick up at the AWLA by appointment only. If transportation is a problem, limited delivery may be available for those in need. 4101 Eisenhower Ave Alexandria VA 22304
Goodwin House Conducting Virtual Job Fair for Servers at 1 p.m. — “When you join our team, you’ll also be working at one of the Top Workplaces in the Washington, D.C. area according to The Washington Post. Our pay is highly competitive, we offer outstanding benefits and we provide opportunities for growth and excellent perks such as access to our swimming pools and fitness facilities.” [Indeed]
Old Town Sign to Stay on Theater — “Patagonia will “fix up” the sign so it looks a little bit better and to prevent further water damage to the marquee. Patagonia will put up its own sign underneath the marquee.” [Alexandria Living]
Mayor’s Social Media Habit Positively Recognized During Pandemic — “Every time the mayor gets takeout for his family — most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays these days — he tries to documents his meals for more than 4,500 followers on Twitter. For Wilson, it’s a small way to raise visibility for Alexandria restaurants struggling to stay in business while Virginia enforces a dine-in ban to battle the spread of the novel coronavirus.” [Eater DC]
Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe & Wine Bar Opening This Summer — “Originally, we were hoping to open in early May. Obviously that isn’t happening, nor can it while there is a stay at home order enacted. Our current target is now mid-summer. We greatly hope that life will be starting to normalize somewhat by then.” [Facebook]
Casa Chirilagua Video Shows Expressions of Thanks for Support — “We are just grateful. As you may know, we are without work because of the virus. I’ve been out of work for three weeks, and my brother the same. And we are just, you know, trying to wait this thing out. Thank you so much for the collaboration to help. It was so welcome at this time.Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” [Facebook]
Fairlington United Methodist Church Hosting Daily Online Worship at Noon — “Do you have questions about your faith and our world? Let us know what those questions are in the comments below and we will explore some of them during noontime gatherings this week. Everyone is invited to come to a short devotional, check-in, and prayer at noon every weekday!” [Facebook]
Tech On Tap Urban Gardening Webinar at 4 p.m. — “Get your hands dirty with Urban Gardening! Gardening can be a great stress reducer. Don’t think you have the space for a garden? Wondering which plants you can or should grow? Gardening is the perfect social distancing activity – feeding a revival of interest in food production and gardening as a recreation, outdoor exercise form and community-building tool. Alexandria Economic Development Partnership can help you get started!” [Facebook]
Cidery Owner Participating in Lost Boy Cider Zoom Chat at 4 p.m. — “Chuck Shelton is joining Tristan on Zoom for Wednesday’s happy hour. Chuck is the co-founder and cider maker at Albemarle Ciderworks in Virginia. Widely recognized as one of Virginia’s premier cideries with a tremendous history in heirloom cultivation.” [Facebook]
At Home happy Hour at 5 p.m. With Pork Barrel BBQ Bartender— “Don’t forget to get your tickets for @Home HH with Kristina tomorrow night from 5-6PM! Kristina will be teaching you how to make two craft cocktail classics.” [Facebook]
Volunteer Alexandria Needs Help Transporting Food — “Volunteers needed to transport a generous donation of food from Great Harvest Bread Company to local organizations. Morning and afternoon shifts available Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Fri.” [Facebook]
Several local religious institutions are changing the way they host their services to try to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Coronavirus’ spread in the D.C. region has been closely associated with religious gatherings, from Georgetown church where a pastor was infected to the Virginia Theological Seminary where Alexandria had its first identified case. As large social gathering places, churches nationwide are emptying as quarantine orders are ramping up.
Worshipping from home has become a new weekly reality for some Alexandrians. Many of Alexandria’s religious organizations are moving worship services to their websites or to social media apps like Facebook or Zoom:
City Finalizes Freedom House Purchase — “What happened at 1315 Duke St. had a terrible and lasting impact on America. Freedom House encourages us to speak truth to power and delve deeper to confront the hard, honest truths about race, class and equity in this country.” [City of Alexandria]
The Birchmere Starts GoFundMe Fundraiser For Staff — “As you know, we have had to cancel or postpone all of our shows for the foreseeable future, at least into May. With no shows this means that all of our hourly and tipped workers (kitchen, wait & bar staff) are not getting paid. We have been asked by many fans of The Birchmere if there was a way they can help so we have setup this GoFundMe page for them.” [GoFundMe]
SBA Loans Available for Local Businesses — “The loans offer up to $2 million per small business. They can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the impact of coronavirus.” [Alex Times]
AEDP Launches Website to Support Businesses During Pandemic — “The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership and our partner organizations are committed to ensuring Alexandria’s business community has the latest information on the impacts of COVID-19 and resources to help businesses respond.” [AEDP]
Lost Boy Cider Hosting Blood Drive — “Local friends, there’s a big shortage of blood right now. Next Thursday we’re hosting a blood drive in the parking lot with our good friends Alexandria Renew and @inovahealth. Please join us between 11-4pm to donate blood.” [Facebook]
Fairlington UMC Holds Daily Online Noon Service — “Weekdays, Monday through Friday at noon, you are invited to gather online via zoom video conference. One of our pastors will lead a devotion, check-in with those gathered, and lead a prayer. It is easy to join.” [Facebook]
Cheesetique Offering Fresh Produce — “Retail–Online Ordering now includes FRESH PRODUCE! For pickup or delivery.” [Facebook]
Huge Fire South of Alexandria — “A large fire in Fairfax County destroyed an unfinished development of apartments and retail stores Saturday, shutting down traffic along Route 1 for several hours while firefighters battled the blaze and thick black smoke that could be seen for several miles.” Alexandria firefighters, along with firefighters from other nearby jurisdictions, responded to the scene as mutual aid. [Washington Post, NBC 4, Twitter]
Views of the Fire from Around the City — Smoke from the South Alex fire could be seen from around the city and beyond. Here are some of the views.
T.C. Williams Lights Trial Delayed — “The trial to determine whether Alexandria City Public Schools can add lights to T.C. Williams High School’s new football stadium has been postponed from Feb. 24 to June 8, Lars Liebeler, the attorney for the plaintiffs, said… Residents from six of the neighboring households filed an original complaint in August 2018.” [Alexandria Times]
History of the Oakland Baptist Church — “Longing for their own church, they organized themselves and built Oak Hill Baptist Church in 1888. The men would leave work on their day jobs, go directly to the building site of the church, and start working. They would continue building the church after work on the weekends week after week until the church was finished.” [Zebra]
Opponents of the Alexandria Presbyterian Church’s expansion went into Saturday’s public hearing knowing it was an uphill fight, and ultimately the City Council unanimously struck down the appeal.
The City Council voted unanimously to uphold the Planning Commission’s ruling in November that Alexandria Presbyterian Church could expand by-right from a 3,400 square foot building that can’t hold its congregation to a 22,794 square foot gothic-inspired church.
Neighbors, who rallied around a petition to appeal the Planning Commission’s ruling, came out to the public hearing in force to share a wide range of concerns about the project like increased traffic, parking in front of neighbor’s homes, and increased stormwater runoff.
Richard Weiblinger, one of the appellants, showed photographs of backups on Scroggins Road, a road the church would be built along that’s frequently used as a traffic cut-through. Weiblinger said residents were concerned that they wouldn’t be able to get in or out of their driveways with the added traffic, noting that driving on Scroggins is already “a game of chicken.”
A letter published by the Alexandria Gazette Packet and written by Cara Weiblinger said the area is already “overwhelmed” by traffic, expressing concerns about “incredible pain and a diminished quality of life for neighbors” and “bad blood between a church and the neighborhood in which it plants itself.”
The argument that the new church would add dangerous levels of traffic to the nearby roads didn’t garner any more sympathy from the City Council than it did from the Planning Commission, with councilmembers repeating the Planning Commission response. Councilwoman Redella “Del” Pepper said current hours of peak traffic were different from the hours of peak usage for the church — namely Sunday ,orning.
“They’re not going to be there on Monday mornings,” Pepper said.
One area where the City Council did recognize the plight of nearby residents was on the stormwater issue. Several neighbors noted that the area already has stormwater drainage problems. One said that her basement is regularly flooded during storms and she was concerned that more impervious space across the street would only make that situation worse.
“If you can’t mitigate stormwater adequately, I’m the one that pays for that,” the resident said. “If they don’t manage the stormwater, it’s going to put us under, and I don’t just mean literally underwater… Please don’t be lazy and just say ‘it’s going to be fine.'”
Cathy Puskar, an attorney for the church, argued that the church would not have a negative impact on the neighborhood, pointing to a handful of stormwater management initiatives at the site that she noted could improve the local flooding issues. Many on the City Council seemed unconvinced, though ultimately not enough to change their vote on the project.
“If we’re serious about looking at water runoff, we need to push our applicants to do more progressive things,” Councilman John Chapman said.
Mayor Justin Wilson said the stormwater issues being raised by neighbors were existing conditions, but the city would have to look at ways to work on the runoff situation in that area in the upcoming budget season.
Despite these concerns, staff noted that the project met all zoning requirements, which Puskar argued left the city with no choice but to approve it, which the City Council ultimately did.
“What many of the neighbors are telling us is that it’s counterintuitive that you can have a church double its size and not double some of the problems,” Pepper said. “We’re really in a tight spot. There’s no wiggle room. We have to follow the law.”
Photo via City of Alexandria
Suggestion of Affordable Housing at School Sets Listserv Ablaze — “A contractor for Alexandria’s public schools set off an online firestorm by accidentally including a rendering of an apartment building with affordable units in a presentation about modernization plans for an elementary school… the mistake occasioned a ‘3 day+ rager‘ about affordable housing, racism, and–because this is Alexandria–dockless scooters, the halal chicken slaughterhouse, and a ‘road diet’ imposed on a different leafy neighborhood.” [Washingtonian]
Pushback on (Actual) Affordable Housing at School Proposal — “Members of the MacArthur Advisory Committee and the community were left scrambling last week after the city indicated it would be exploring affordable housing on the Douglas MacArthur Elementary School site. The announcement that the city would not only be exploring co-location options, but also providing funding to Alexandria City Public Schools for an architectural exploration of potential housing options, surprised members of the advisory committee.” [Alexandria Times]
Neighbors Decry Church Expansion Plans — Nearby residents are speaking out against and appealing Alexandria Presbyterian Church’s expansion plan, expressing concerns about the size of the planned building and the possibility of increased traffic. The proposal, however, does not go beyond what standard zoning allows for the site and thus is unlikely to be nixed on appeal. [Patch, Alexandria Times]
Alexandria Glass Drop-off Deemed a Success — “Fairfax County said this month that the glass coming from dedicated collection bins in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County and elsewhere in Northern Virginia has been of sufficiently high quality that, in addition to being crushed and used as construction materials, some is now going to a processing facility and is being recycled into new glass products, like bottles and fiberglass.” [ARLnow, Fairfax County]
Child Car Seat Inspections This Weekend — “Come this Saturday’s (Jan 25) FREE APD Child Car Seat Safety Inspection (from 8AM-12PM). Make sure your child’s car seat is installed properly! Open to everyone–you don’t need to be a Alexandria City resident. There will be covered parking in case it rains.” [Twitter]
Old Town Restaurant Makes Mag’s Top 20 — Nasime, at 1209 King Street, is No. 13 on Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants list. The magazine wrote: “This sliver of a Japanese dining room in Old Town serves a single five-course menu — a great value — each night.” [Washingtonian]
City Writes Off Thousands in Unpaid Taxes — “In the last decade, Alexandria has written off more than $100,000 in uncollected tax balances. The annual write-off happens every November, just as City Council members are appearing with a giant turkey at City Hall to celebrate Thanksgiving.” [Gazette Packet]
Obit for Alexandria Scientist — “In the course of her lifetime, physician and activist Janette Sherman gave voice to countless — and often voiceless — victims of environmental toxins. She died this year on Nov. 7, in Alexandria, at age 89.” [WAMU]
Local Woman Stuck in Apartment — “An Alexandria woman who uses a wheelchair says she’s been stuck in her apartment this Christmas week because her building’s only elevator is broken down. Ami Francisco contacted 7 On Your Side after she says the Mason at Van Dorn apartment complex didn’t take her concerns seriously enough.” [WJLA]
Electrical Fire Costly for Convergence Church — “On October 31, Lisa and her staff faced one of their biggest challenges when an underground fire caused widespread damage to the facility’s electrical system… Convergence will likely not reopen until February. And until issues between the insurance and utility companies are resolved, Convergence has been saddled with over $40,000 in repairs.” [Zebra]
