Del Ray | ALXnow

ALXnow’s top posts this week in Alexandria

Published April 30, 2021 at 3:30PM

An Alexandria police cruiser (Staff photo by James Cullum)

It was a busy week in Alexandria. Here are some of the highlights.

Governor Ralph Northam and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Alexandria this week. Northam stopped by Pacers Running in Old Town, and afterward met with Cardona, Mayor Justin Wilson, National Education Association of the United States President Becky Pringle and Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane at Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School. Cardona was at the school as part of his “Help is Here” school reopening tour.

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Del Ray restaurant The Garden to bloom into new outdoor area

By Vernon Miles

Published April 26, 2021 at 2:15PM

A Del Ray beer garden is headed to the Planning Commission on Tuesday, May 4, with hopes to grow beyond the venue’s current confines.

The Garden at 1503 Mount Vernon Avenue is requesting to expand its outdoor seating from 100 to 146 seats and expand hours of operation from the current 10 p.m. closing time to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published April 22, 2021 at 5:00AM

Animal Welfare League unveils van for onsite surgeries — “Biscuit, an eight-year-old gray and white cat, was the first to receive surgery.” [Zebra]

Free food distribution this Saturday — “On Sat, Apr 24, 8:30-10:30am, @ALIVE4AlexVA will distribute food in Cora Kelly Elem School parking lot and parking lot B-1 of NOVA-Alexandria Campus (map at alive-inc.org, if college closes due to weather, distribution cancelled). More resources alexandriava.gov/115053.” [Twitter]

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Stracci Pizza files special use permit to operate at former Nectar Coffee & Wine Bistro in Del Ray

By James Cullum

Published April 19, 2021 at 3:30PM | Updated April 21, 2021 at 9:51AM

Stracci Pizza at 106 Hume Avenue in Del Ray. (Photo via Stracci Pizza/Facebook)

Roman-style pizza is finding a permanent home in Del Ray.

Stracci Pizza submitted a special use permit (SUP) to run a restaurant out of the former Nectar Coffee & Wine Bistro at 106 Hume Avenue.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published April 16, 2021 at 3:35PM | Updated April 16, 2021 at 10:05PM

It was another busy week in Alexandria. Here are some of the highlights.

This week, ALXnow profiled Mayor Justin Wilson and his opponent, former Mayor Allison Silberberg. The pair are facing off in the June 8 Democratic primary, and have vastly different ideas on city governance.

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D.C. man arrested for pharmacy burglaries in Del Ray and West End

By James Cullum

Published April 16, 2021 at 2:30PM

Police car lights (file photo)

A 23-year-old Washington, D.C. man faces at least two years in prison for allegedly breaking into two Alexandria pharmacies late last year.

The suspect will go to court April 28 on two counts of entering a structure to commit larceny and stealing more than $1,000 from the Walgreens at 1517 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray on Dec. 8, 2020, and the MedPlus pharmacy at 5130 Duke Street in the West End, on Dec. 18.

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‘Dogs Of Del Ray’ mural to be finished next month

By James Cullum

Published April 16, 2021 at 9:35AM | Updated April 16, 2021 at 10:31PM

It’s no secret that Del Ray loves its dogs, and next month a new mural will be unveiled in their honor.

For the last month, local artist Patrick Kirwin has been working on the “Dogs Of Del Ray” mural, which is on the north side of Stomping Ground, facing the Pat Miller Neighborhood Square in the heart of Del Ray.

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Deadline tonight to vote in Del Ray restaurant matchbook contest

By James Cullum

Published April 15, 2021 at 2:15PM

The deadline to vote on the 12 choicest matchbooks in Del Ray is 11:59 p.m. tonight (April 15).

Alexandria artist Laurel Prucha Moran has painted watercolor matchbook designs of more than 30 Del Ray restaurants, including Los Tios Grill, Thai Peppers, The Dairy Godmother and Spice Kraft.

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NEW: Locals chase down suspected shoplifters in Del Ray

By James Cullum

Published April 13, 2021 at 4:45PM | Updated April 16, 2021 at 10:00PM

Alexandria Police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

An Alexandria man and woman suspected of stealing clothes from Del Ray vintage shop La Brocante were chased and tracked down by locals before being arrested on Saturday evening.

The 59-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman were arrested and charged with petit larceny-shoplifting after getting their location from witnesses on what was otherwise a beautiful night along Mount Vernon Avenue.

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Del Ray Business Association launches ‘Cherry Blossom Challenge’ scavenger hunt

By James Cullum

Published April 7, 2021 at 2:15PM

The Del Ray Business Association has a bunch of efforts in the works to get business to local retailers and restaurants.

From now until April 15, visitors are encouraged to participate in DRBA’s “Cherry Blossom Challenge” scavenger hunt. There are 27 cherry blossoms hidden in storefronts along Mount Vernon Avenue with clues. Each numbered cherry blossom has a symbol near it, and participants need to mark down what those symbols are and then drop off their entries at the Pat Miller Neighborhood Square by April 15 for a chance to win a $50 gift card at a Del Ray restaurant or retailer.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published April 2, 2021 at 3:30PM | Updated April 11, 2021 at 11:34PM

It was another busy week in Alexandria.

Our top story was on the dog found dead and wrapped in blankets at N. Armistead Street and Beauregard Street. The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is offering a reward for information that can lead to the identification of the owner.