(Updated 2:30 p.m.) In most years, an Israeli flag at the Beth El Hebrew Congregation precinct might not draw attention on an election day, but with the catastrophic civilian death toll in Gaza, it raised some eyebrows on Super Tuesday.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) put out a release yesterday (Tuesday) calling for an investigation of a report that an Israeli flag was hung near voting machines inside a polling station at a synagogue.
“According to a complaint filed with CAIR, a local voter in Alexandria went to her polling place and noticed the flag above the voting machine,” CAIR said in the release. “There were no other Israeli flags present inside the room, leading the complainant to conclude that the flag had been deliberately placed over the voting machine to make a political statement.”
In a statement to ALXnow, Director of Elections & General Registrar Angela Maniglia-Turner said the layout of the polling place was not meant to send a political or religious message and apologized for making voters feel uncomfortable:
During the afternoon of today’s primary election, the City of Alexandria’s Office of Voter Registration & Elections was made aware of an Israeli flag located behind a voting machine at the Beth El Hebrew Congregation precinct. The layout of the polling place was not meant in any way to send a political or religious message. To the extent that any voter was made to feel uncomfortable by the location of the voting equipment, we sincerely apologize.
The Beth El Hebrew Congregation has partnered with our office since 1964. During this time, we have cooperated with many diverse faith-based organizations to provide locations for Alexandria residents to cast their ballot and participate in the electoral process, while respecting the religious and cultural beliefs of our hosts.
Moving forward we will continue to work with all our partners to ensure a welcoming atmosphere in all 32 of the City of Alexandria’s election precincts.
The question over the Israeli flag at the polling place comes at a time when many city public comment sessions are filled with — alongside opponents to the Potomac Yard arena — locals encouraging the city to support a ceasefire resolution.
The comments of a woman went viral after speaking at a City Council hearing earlier this month.
“The United States is abetting a genocide,” the person said. “I should not have to say anything past this. There is no greater threat to this world, there is no greater crime. I know this inherently as a Jewish member of this city. I am no longer able to say this eloquently or diplomatically.”
In November, students at Alexandria City High School staged a walk out in protest against the Israel-Hamas war. A ceasefire resolution.
A ceasefire resolution was raised at the Human Rights Commission (HRC) but was tabled pending a meeting with the City Attorney. Members of the HRC told ALXnow that the City Attorney declined to meet with the Commission.
Protests have been held in Arlington but Arlington County Board members turned down a request to issue a resolution calling for a cease-fire.
Updated 4/28 — The City of Alexandria confirmed that, contrary to earlier comments from code enforcement, there was at least one complaint about the slaughterhouse. According to Alexandria communications officer Andrea Blackford:
Thank you for following up with us. There was a complaint about the Market in December 2021, which was followed up by a Zoning Inspector, who reported:
On Dec 6, 2021, a business owner placed a complaint on Alex 311 (21-00030162). The complainant provided photos of animal waste left on the street, and alleged that deliveries occur outside of designated hours and doors are left open. The business was observed to be compliant with SUP conditions during my visit. I spoke with the manager and owner of the business regarding the complaints and issued a warning notice based off the photographic evidence of the animal waste on street.
(Earlier) For all of the fuss about the halal slaughterhouse at 3225 Colvin Street, the last ten months since its opening have reportedly been pretty quiet.
The poultry slaughterhouse garnered an intense backlash, including a lawsuit that was eventually dismissed. The slaughterhouse was approved in a 5-2 vote at the City Council in March 2019, but after a series of delays the slaughterhouse eventually opened last June.
According to Alexandria communications officer Andrea Blackford, the city’s code enforcement department hasn’t reported any complaints filed or violations investigated since that time.
Rebecca Gomez, director of operations at Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling just up the street (3471 Washington Blvd), said that it’s been all quiet on the poultry front since the slaughterhouse’s opening.
“We’ve had no problems at all,” Gomez said. “We were one business that was not against it as long as they followed the rules. It’s a local business. It was more the neighborhood that’s been up in arms. But we’ve been fine and barely noticed they’re there.”
Gomez said there’s been no noticeable loss in customers since the slaughterhouse opened. Some of the more vocal neighbors in opposition, like multiple nearby dog training services, couldn’t be reached for comment. On the Bring Integrity Back to Alexandria Facebook page, one user said in December 2021 they reported waste from the facility “including feathers, chicken entrails and other waste” spread across Colvin Street. The complaint was not reported by the City of Alexandria.
Abdul Mused, the owner of Saba Live Poultry, said that he hasn’t experienced any issues with neighbors since they opened.
“We invited all the neighbors to come to the store, and most of them that came liked what we did,” Mused said. “We had open arms and showed them [our facility], gave them tours and invited them in to see our operations.”
Since opening Mused said things have been going well as the slaughterhouse, and the facility has been busier than expected.
“They were scared of the unknown,” Mused said. “Now they know and see what we do and we haven’t had any complaints.”
After years of legal wrangling and pandemic pressures, the controversial halal slaughterhouse at 3225 Colvin Street quietly opened on Wednesday, July 28. There is no discernible smell of chickens in the air yet, and there are hundreds in cages in a back room.
The D.C. Poultry Market is now open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is giving away two free chickens per customer for the first two days that it is open.
“If you go around the neighborhood, this is the cleanest place,” owner Abdul Mused told ALXnow. “We are cleaner than a supermarket. Do you smell any chickens? Of course not.”
Mused says he spent more than $400,000 in rent for the property, which is near a number of pet-related businesses, including the Wholistic Hound Dog Academy, Frolick Dogs, Dogtopia, Pinnacle Pet Spa & More, as well as the Wild Bird Center of Alexandria. A number of those neighbors deluged City Council with letters after their 5-2 approval of a special use permit in 2019, which gave Mused the green light.
Or so he thought.
Neighbors were concerned that the smell of chickens would incense canines at these businesses. Alexandria Circuit Court Judge Lisa Kemler ended up throwing out two cases levied by 10 area citizens and business owners against the city and council for the decision. At the end of the day, Mused reportedly spent $600,000 on interior renovations and $150,000 in legal fees, and says he won’t be opening any new locations in the area anytime soon.
“It’s not worth it for me,” he said. “My plan is to open one-to-two stores a year. I opened four stores while this one was in development, and I’m moving on. My next city is Raleigh, North Carolina.”
Mused, who owns 18 slaughterhouses around the country, was born in Yemen and emigrated to the U.S. in 1997. He started work as a teenager at his father’s corner deli in New York City, and with his brother, Ahmed, opened their first halal slaughterhouse.
“I had two locations by the time I graduated high school,” Mused said, adding some advice to business owners facing adversity. “You need to stick to it, and not everybody can do that. If you give up once you will never succeed again.”
The slaughterhouse will get 300-to-500 chickens in closed box trucks every other day from an Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Customers select a chicken in a steel cage with a number attached to its leg. The customer will get a ticket with the number as the chicken is taken into another room and slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law.
Pork Barrel BBQ in Del Ray took home the first two slaughtered chickens.
“We are honored to cook the most controversial chickens in modern Alexandria history,” Pork Barrel BBQ owner Bill Blackburn said. “Although I’m not sure they are still considered halal after being cooked on equipment that also cooks pork.”
After a series of delays, the owner of the Saba Live Poultry slaughterhouse says he will open in June.
ALXnow was granted exclusive access to the building at 3225 Colvin Street. The paint is still fresh, floors are being retiled and cages for chickens and other equipment were recently unpacked.
“What happened was that we had a delay in the delivery of some of our mechanical equipment,” Abdul Mused told ALXnow. “I don’t think we’re going to have a problem getting permits. We’re going above and beyond to meet the standards with the city.”
Mused, who owns 18 Saba Live Poultry locations around the country, reportedly spent $600,000 on the renovation of the building. The location has been controversial, as it’s located near a number of pet-related businesses, including the Wholistic Hound Dog Academy, Frolick Dogs, Dogtopia, Pinnacle Pet Spa & More, as well as the Wild Bird Center of Alexandria.
As previously reported, the owners of these businesses and neighbors deluged city council with letters in 2019, and Alexandria Circuit Court Judge Lisa Kemler threw out two cases levied by 10 area citizens and business owners against the city and council for their 5-2 approval of the business.
When open, the slaughterhouse will get 500 chickens in closed box trucks from an Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., customers will be able to select a chicken in a steel cage with a number attached to its leg. The customer will get a ticket with the number as the chicken is taken into another room and slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law.
Abdul Mused says it hasn’t been easy, but his halal slaughterhouse at 3225 Colvin Street will open in approximately two weeks.
Mused, the owner of Saba Live Poultry, said that neighbors and the city have made it hard to get the business off the ground. No firm date has been set for the opening, and Mused said that the opening is an estimate.
“You have no idea what I’ve been through,” Mused told ALXnow. “It’s been a long time coming. The ironic thing is that everyone is going to be thrilled with the results and thank me later.”
The business has been enormously controversial, as it’s located near a number of pet-related businesses, including the Wholistic Hound Dog Academy, Frolick Dogs, Dogtopia, Pinnacle Pet Spa & More, as well as the Wild Bird Center of Alexandria. The owners of these businesses and neighbors deluged city council with letters in 2019, and Alexandria Circuit Court Judge Lisa Kemler threw out two cases levied by 10 area citizens and business owners against the city and council for their 5-2 approval of the business.
Mused has repeatedly pushed back the opening date, and reportedly spent $600,000 on the renovation of the building. He also said that business at his 18 Saba Live Poultry locations around the country increased 500% during the pandemic.
When the slaughterhouse opens, up to 500 chickens will be trucked in every other day in closed box trucks from an Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Drop-offs will be made between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. The business will be open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and customers will be able to walk in, select a chicken in a steel cage with a number attached to its leg. The customer receives a ticket with the number as the chicken is taken into another room and slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law.
“You won’t believe it when you see it,” Mused said. “It looks better than any other halal supermarket.”
Patrick Moran wants to focus on the issues, and says that events from his past are hurtful, misunderstood and private.
The 31-year-old son of former Northern Virginia Congressman and Alexandria Mayor Jim Moran, announced last month that he is running for City Council. He’s a graduate of Yale University with a degree in political science, and his campaign is tarnished by events that occurred shortly after he graduated in 2012.
He pleaded guilty to simple assault after a fight with his then-girlfriend, and later resigned as field director from his father’s Congressional reelection campaign after talking about the possibility of voter fraud with an undercover videographer conservative activist James O’Keefe. Moran said that the incident was uncharacteristic of the relationship and that it was otherwise “very loving”.
“It’s complicated, it’s private, and I want this campaign to be about the future of Alexandria, not something that invokes pain for other people,” Moran told ALXnow. “The circumstances that went into this were very complicated. The backstory that ultimately contributed to me pleading guilty was very complicated. I was heartbroken, but decisions were made where pleading guilty was the decision I made.”
Moran’s father was first elected to City Council in 1979, became Alexandria’s Mayor in 1985 and was elected to Congress for Virginia’s 8th District in 1990. He retired from politics in 2014.
“This was targeted and unfortunate, and at the time I was doing an enormous amount of work,” Moran said. “Poor judgment was exercised in not showing this guy that door as soon as he started to go off the rails.”
Two years later, in 2014, Moran, joined the Alexandria Citizen Corps Council. He became the chair in 2018, and in February presented City Council with the Resilient ALX Charter. The charter, which will take two years to complete, will evaluate the city’s existing preparedness data across departments. It’s this document that he mentions when discussing his achievements in the community.
“It’s significant,” Moran said. “It’s talking about a holistic strategy in which we’ve engaged with our stakeholders across the city.”
Moran said he is not a voice of opposition to the current City Council. He said he’s learning about issues that affect the community, and spent last Sunday speaking to voters at Pat Miller Neighborhood Square in Del Ray. He recently wrote that the city needs to hire additional maintenance workers to pick up trash on the waterfront.
As far as transportation issues, such as the Seminary Road diet, Moran said that the city needs to ensure that it isn’t contributing to traffic buildups in neighborhoods.
Moran is married, has a child, and is the founder of an environmental policy consulting company and a landscape design firm, Tactical Land Care.
When asked about his family legacy, Moran said that he works with a football mentality. Moran was named Yale University’s defensive lineman of the year in 2011, and is a third generation football player. His grandfather also played for the Boston Redskins and his father played at Holy Cross.
“I am extremely proud of is my father’s record of service,” Moran said. “There’s a determination that goes along with it. You can’t win a game or have any semblance of success without working together. There’s a lot of values that come with that and a lot of lessons that are important in developing a sense of humility.”
Our campaign’s one question: what in Alexandria is most important to you? Thank you neighbors for taking the time at this mornings farmers’ market to share your thoughts/concerns/points of pride! Our future is bright! #BestSmallCity @DelRayFarmMkt #moranforalexandria #DrainALX pic.twitter.com/maUg79FXgF
— Patrick Moran (@PatrickMoranVA) March 13, 2021
Photo via Patrick Moran/Facebook
The 2,233-member strong Bring Integrity Back to Alexandria (BIBA) Facebook page has become a prominent forum for criticism against local government but has found itself the object of some backlash and now: parody.
A blog launched this weekend, Make Alexandria Great Again, includes a handful of posts lampooning common topics in the group, like frequent criticism of Mayor Justin Wilson, opposition to added density, and nostalgia for the city’s past.
“What happened to this city,” said one blog post, titled ‘I Used to Be Able to Buy a Hamburger in This City for A Nickel’. “Used to be, a man could walk around with some change in his pocket and live like a king. A nickel! I used to put a nickel down on the counter and the man would give me a hamburger!”
The BIBA group started in 2018 focused on opposition to new bike lanes on Seminary Road but the group has since expanded into other issues, like criticism of city’s plans to restore Taylor Run.
The page features a banner image with various people on the City Council or in city administration that are frequent targets for critique from the group. The parody site features a similar image, but with Mayor Justin Wilson alongside characters from Parks and Recreation, West Wing, the Andy Griffith Show, 24, and the Battlestar Galactica reboot.
A post from today remarks that the group’s “founder” is running for City Council, a reference to early BIBA member and former administrator Bill Rossello running for City Council.
The parody site includes categories like:
- Alexandria of the Past
- Council Elections
- Disenfranchisement
- History
- Housing
- Transportation
- Windmill Wilson
The page even includes a cameo parody of ALXnow: “ALXToday”
Image via Make Alexandria Great Again
Construction has begun at a controversial halal slaughterhouse, and the owner says that the business at 3225 Colvin Street will open in mid-November.
“As a company we are doing great,” Abdul Mused, the owner of Saba Live Poultry to ALXnow. “We are extremely busy. With restaurants closed, we have had a 500% increase in our business. Everybody comes to us now.”
Mused, who owns 18 Saba Live Poultry locations around the country, said that he is spending $600,000 on the interior renovation. The business was supposed to open in June but that was pushed back because of the pandemic. Meanwhile, his rent has also increased to $8,500 a month, and he reportedly paid $150,000 in legal fees in a fight with neighboring businesses and residents.
That area of Colvin Street is home to the Wholistic Hound Dog Academy, Frolick Dogs, Dogtopia, Pinnacle Pet Spa & More, as well as the Wild Bird Center of Alexandria. The owners of these businesses and neighbors sent thousands of letters to city council and a petition was signed by 1,373 people asking that the special use permit for the property be rescinded.
The slaughterhouse was a top issue last year, as the city and council received hundreds of letters and emails on the project. A petition was signed by 1,795 people requesting that the special use permit application council approved 5-2 last March be rescinded. Last November, Alexandria Circuit Court Judge Lisa Kemler threw out the second case levied against the city and council by 10 area citizens and business owners.
As previously reported, the chickens will be trucked in from an Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Saba Live Poultry will receive up to 500 chickens every other day in closed box trucks, which will make drop-offs between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. in the rear of the building. The business will be open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and customers will be able to walk in, select a chicken in a steel cage with a number attached to its leg. The customer receives a ticket with the number as the chicken is taken into another room and slaughtered.
“I think people will be super happy with what I’m doing in the neighborhood,” Mused said.
The owner of a controversial Halal slaughterhouse plans to open up for business at 3225 Colvin Street this June.
Despite being $150,000 in the hole due to paying legal fees and $8,000 a month in rent, Abdul Mused says he is excited to open Saba Live Poultry at 3225 Colvin Street. The anticipated opening comes after nearly a year of legal challenges from neighboring businesses and residents.
Mused and his family are based in New York and now own 18 Saba Live Poultry locations around the country. The company plans on expanding to 50 slaughterhouses in total, and even opened three new locations while the case against the city’s decision to approve their special use permit was held up in the Alexandria Circuit Court.
“I think this location is going to be one of my best locations. I think the neighbors will be very happy when I open,”Mused told ALXnow. “Yes, it was a lot of drama they made out of it. I believe they overreacted to it. It doesn’t make sense. It made me lose money and struggle. They are just afraid of the unknown. It’s like any small business, and it sounds like a big deal because it’s a slaughterhouse.”
Mused was raised in Yemen and runs the company with his nine brothers in Brooklyn.
The slaughterhouse will be located next door to a number of pet-related businesses, and many owners are worried that the constant odor of hundreds of chickens being slaughtered will disturb their four-legged clients. The industrial and commercial block is home to the Wholistic Hound Dog Academy, Frolick Dogs, Dogtopia, Pinnacle Pet Spa & More, as well as the Wild Bird Center of Alexandria.
“This is something people eat. You have to be clean and sanitary and up to code. I’m dealing with the USDA — the U.S. Department of Agriculture — and the local health department. They are on me 24/7,” Mused said. “They will shut me down in a minute if I’m not up to code.”
The slaughterhouse was a top issue in the city in 2019, as the city and council received thousands of letters and emails on the project. A petition was signed by 1,795 people requesting that the special use permit application council approved 5-2 last March be rescinded. Then in November, Alexandria Circuit Court Judge Lisa Kemler threw out the second case levied against the city and council by 10 citizens and business owners who live and work in the area.
Kevin Gilliam, who owns the Frolick Dogs canine daycare, spoke against the slaughterhouse in the city council public hearing before its decision.
“I said my peace when I went last year, and I did what I could do, but I think you have a lot of people in the community who don’t want it, and they took it to court,” Gilliam said. “I’ve got a business to run. I can’t chase chickens all day, know what I mean? There’s not much I can do about it.”
The chickens are raised in an Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Saba Live Poultry will receive up to 500 chickens every other day in closed box trucks, which will make drop-offs between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. in the rear of the building. The business will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and customers will be able to walk in, select a chicken in a steel cage with a number attached to its leg. The customer receives a ticket with the number as the chicken is taken into another room and slaughtered.
“The question most usually asked about Halal concerns the method of slaughter,” Mused wrote in the SUP application. “All meat and poultry we process will be slaughtered strictly in accordance with the Islamic rites, where one of the most important prerequisites is the humane treatment of any animal intended for human food. Saba Live Poultry believes that the concept of Halal involves the whole process of meat production, from the wholesome food feel to the animals in their rearing right through until the meat reaches the consumer.”
Map via Google Maps
Fire Officials Deny Seminary Road Political Pressure — “The AFD representatives… pushed back on allegations that the city had strong-armed the fire department into supporting a certain stance. ‘No one is going to force me… to put people in harm’s way – the first responders or the people that we’re charged to protect,’ Smedley said. ‘That’s my number one goal, and that goal can be accomplished with however many lanes are on the roadway, as long as certain measures are in place. If that is being jeopardized, I will dig in hard.'” [Alexandria Times]
Resident: New Seminary Road is an Improvement — “As someone who lives on a small cul-de-sac off of Seminary Road, I am a daily user of Seminary Road. I use the road several times every day as either a driver, walker, cyclist, or simply as a resident. The new Seminary Road is beneficial to me and to my neighborhood. We are able to live with greater safety no matter how we use the road. We are people who live here — not just drive through to some other location.” [Gazette Packet]
Rent in Alexandria Lower Than Neighbors — “The District and Arlington County are virtually tied for average apartment rent, at $2,233 and $2,236 respectively. Rents in D.C. and Arlington County are both up 4.3% in the last year. The average rent in Alexandria is currently $1,746, up 2.8% from a year ago.” [WTOP]
Details About New Restaurant at Bradlee — “Rotisserie chicken, ceviche, lomo saltado and much more are on the menu at El Saltado, a new Peruvian restaurant that recently opened at Bradlee Shopping Center in Alexandria. The star of the menu is likely the charcoal-broiled chicken served with a house salad plus a choice of French fries, fried yuca, rice or Peruvian-style potato salad.” [Alexandria Living]
