GoFundMe for Abysinnia Raises Money After Face Mask Incident— “From the two waves of giving, the campaign has raised more than $15,500 of a $20,000 goal.” [Alexandria Living]
Fitness Centers Reopen Cautiously — “Now that the state is in phase three of reopening, fitness studios are allowed to open at 75% capacity, although there must still be 10 feet of distance between each client, which limits smaller studios.” [Alex Times]
After weeks of laissez-faire parking enforcement during the pandemic, Alexandrians may want to start being more careful about where they park later this month.
“The City of Alexandria will resume enforcement of residential parking zones, weekend meters, and other parking regulations beginning Monday, July 20,” the city said in a news release. “Enforcement has been temporarily suspended since March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In years past, the Torpedo Factory Art Center teemed with upward of a half-million visitors every year, but all that changed with the coronavirus. It’s one of Alexandria’s top tourist destinations, and despite the cancellation of all in-person scheduled programs and private facility rentals, the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association will soon be looking for new artists to participate in its jury process.
The Torpedo Factory, which is owned by the city, is currently open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Wednesday through Sunday and closed Monday and Tuesday. Visitors are required to wear face masks and observe social distancing. The Target Gallery, for instance, now only allows 10 people at a time.
Beyer Doubles Down on Trump Stance on School Reopenings — “Trump has again overruled the nation’s leading public health officials for political reasons, this time on guidance for reopening schools. He is intentionally endangering American children because he believes it will help him get reelected.” [Twitter]
Planning Commission to Evaluate Increasing School Density — The Planning Commission’s September 2 docket has been posted to the city’s website, and it includes a discussion to allow for an increase in density for public school sites. Since last fall, the city and administrators have been coordinating on a plan to co-locate affordable housing on school grounds. [City of Alexandria]
Alright, which of you went to a movie in April?
At the height of the pandemic, when nearly everything in the city was shut down, the city’s latest revenue report shows that the city still collected $2 in admissions tax. The city’s finance officials ran the numbers and said that meant that four people bought tickets at movie theaters in Alexandria while nearly everything in the city was shut down.
Mayor Decries Hate Incidents in Alexandria — “Two sad examples of hate in our community this week. This is not who we are as a City. We reject those that would spew hate and target members of our community. I hope that any violation of the law will be addressed aggressively by City, State and Federal officials, as applicable.” [Facebook]
Beyer Says Trump Doesn’t Care About Children — “Trump’s approach all along has been to pretend a miraculous end to the pandemic is just around the corner. He doesn’t have a plan. He isn’t going to lead. He doesn’t care about making schools safe for children and educators. It’s so important to get this right.” [Twitter]
Alexandria’s Workforce Development Center has launched a new program aimed at offering training and services for the thousands of Alexandrians currently unemployed after the COVID-19 shutdown.
Strive & Thrive: Helping Alexandria Stay Resilient & Get Back to Work offers free online programs on topics like resume building and mastering job interviews.
Alexandria City Public Schools wants feedback from the community on reopening the school system this fall and will hold two public hearings this week.
The School Board is currently awaiting a reopening report from staff to evaluate whether or not to open this fall, and if so, how to keep kids socially distant while minimizing the risk of spreading the virus.
Alexandria businesses struggled with poor sales during the shutdown, and now that drop in revenue is coming around to leave the City of Alexandria with little commercial tax support for an already strained budget.
According to information shared by Mayor Justin Wilson, the city faced a dramatic drop off in business taxes in April and May.
Stuck at home? Potomac Kempo has been teaching Japanese martial arts virtually through the pandemic.
The dojo has a number of locations in Alexandria, and while hundreds of students are starting to come back the business is transitioning from offering online-only services.
Abyssinia Market & Coffee House in Old Town had a promising reopening on Saturday, but the cafe has closed again after the owner said a white man came in on Sunday, spat on her and vandalized the store when he was told he had to wear a face mask.
Abyssinia Market owner Lily Damtew said Sunday was off to a good start after the first customer came in wearing a mask.
