What a week in Alexandria. Here’s the rundown.

Our top story was on President Joe Biden stopping by the Sportrock Climbing Center in Alexandria last Friday with First Lady Jill Biden and Governor Ralph Northam.

Seeing the president around town is getting to be a regular thing. The president, who also visited in April, discussed “the state’s progress against the coronavirus pandemic” and the celebration of “summer as Virginia lifts all COVID-19 distancing and capacity restrictions.”

This week, we also followed up on a New York Times report about the Virginia Theological Seminary making reparations payments to slavery descendants. The program was launched in 2019, and the school issued $2,100 in annual payments to 15 families in February.

On Wednesday, the Fire Department released its restructuring plan, which goes into effect June 12, and is intended to help emergency response times by shifting resources. AFD will conduct community conversations on the restructuring on Saturday, June 5, at 10 a.m.; Monday, June 7, at 2 p.m. and Thursday, June 10, at 7 p.m.

Closing the short workweek, on Friday Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown announced that his retirement. Brown’s last day is June 25, and the City Manager is soon expected to name an acting chief to lead the department while the city’s undergoes a national search for a permanent replacement.

Election stories

• Bennett-Parker says Levine mailer on Commonwealth of Virginia letterhead is ethics breach
• Wilson keeps fundraising lead over Silberberg in mayoral primary, McPike leads City Council candidates
• City Council candidate thinks divisive local issues are Republican comeback opportunity
• Former City Council member Willie Bailey announces bid for School Board

Important stories

• A rare glimpse inside Alexandria’s abandoned and overgrown GenOn power plant
• Virginia Theological Seminary is making reparation payments to slavery descendants
• Alexandria military veterans honored on Memorial Day
• Alexandria brings back summer cooling and senior care program
• Police investigate Old Town hit and run
• Woman arrested in Braddock for attacking father of her child with pepper spray and a knife
• Driver in stolen U-Haul pickup truck successfully eludes Virginia State Police
• Alexandria Jail slowly lifting COVID restrictions, in-person attorney visitation for inmates resumes
• Mayor releases figures for ongoing eviction crisis in Alexandria
• ‘Rock It Grill’ eyeing karaoke expansion, bringing back Halloween party

Top stories

1. UPDATED: President Biden and Gov. Northam visited Alexandria this morning
2. JUST IN: Virginia State Police chase U-Haul pickup truck through Alexandria
3. Bennett-Parker says Levine mailer on Commonwealth of Virginia letterhead is ethics breach
4. Goodie’s Frozen Custard & Treats opens in Old Town
5. Hank & Mitzi’s Italian Kitchen closes for the foreseeable future in Old Town North
6. Volunteers needed this weekend to help clear dangerous stretch of Mount Vernon Trail
7. Wilson and Silberberg mayoral debate finale opens possibility of ‘tweaking’ Seminary Road Diet
8. Homegrown Restaurant Group gives employees raise to $15 an hour, will ease COVID restrictions at 6 restaurants
9. ‘Rock It Grill’ eyeing karaoke expansion, bringing back Halloween party
10. Here’s the order that City Council candidates will appear on the ballot for the June 8 democratic primary
11. Ownership of Landmark’s streets could make a big difference down the road

Photo via White House/Twitter

Monday night was a clinic in anti-establishment thinking, as the final group of City Council candidates opined on such issues as transparency, the Seminary Road Diet, the elimination of school resource officer funding and shifting from an at-large to a ward system.

It was the third and final Council forum with the Seminary Ridge Civic Association, which last week featured two virtual panels with the other candidates.

City Councilwoman Amy Jackson said that she voted against the Seminary Road Diet, and that if there is enough support will vote to reverse it in January.

“If I’m reelected and we get the votes of course that’ll be one of the first things I’m going to look at in January,” Jackson said. “City Council, for as much as they say they listen to everybody’s voice, then they go and vote in a way that honestly shows that they weren’t listening.”

Candidate Mark Shiffer said that the concerns of 13 civic associations opposed to the road diet were not taken into account, and that the decision to move forward was predetermined by Council, despite the legislation’s 4-3 Council vote in 2019.

“What we saw was a decision that had already been made, and that’s why we’re seeing that there was an appearance of not listening,” he said, adding that Council also overstepped its bounds with its decision to eliminate school resource officers (SROs) from Alexandria City Public Schools. “I don’t think the City Council should have overruled overruled the (School) Board. That’s why we have a Board to make those decisions, and if you don’t like what the Board does vote them out. If you want City Council to run the schools, well let’s get rid of the School Board, right?”

Jackson said that she held her ground against the 4-3 SRO decision, and that it undermined the School Board.

“I did not want to take $800,000 away from the police because they didn’t do anything wrong,” she said.

However, candidate Kevin Harris is in favor of the elimination of SROs.

“You have to understand me being a young man of color, and attending schools that have had school resource officers,” he said. “I’ve seen so many times how minor, minor disciplinary issues have turned into criminal issues, I’ve had friends personally who have been put sent to juvenile detention centers for things that don’t even make sense.”

Harris also said that colocating affordable housing on school grounds should be kept on the table, while Jackson, Shiffer and Independent candidate Florence King are against the concept.

On ward representation, Jackson said that it would lead to further inequities.

“When you’re a public servant to the city, you really should know everything that’s going on everywhere because one puzzle piece in your neck of the woods may connect and usually does to something else somewhere else,” she said. “I would hate for anything to fall through the cracks just because we have a ward system, and maybe someone who is really not as engaged in that one Ward and then those people don’t have the representation that they need.”

Shiffer said that the at-large system is absurd.

“It’s very difficult to represent 160,000 people,” he said. “My personal favorite is a solution where the mayor is at-large, we have one or two council members at large, and I think in that way, we make sure that all parts of the city are represented.”

The Seminary Ridge mayoral forum between Mayor Justin Wilson and former Mayor Allison Silberberg is at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 27.

The Democratic primary is on June 8.

Stark differences were on full display Saturday night, as Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson and former Mayor Allison Silberberg sparred in a contentious debate on local issues.

Wilson defended his record since taking the mayorship from Silberberg in 2018. Silberberg, however, said she wants to restore the public trust, and that the city is at an inflection point.

“We’ve seen in the last couple of years certain decisions and policies that have been decided that really put our city at risk in many ways,” Silberberg said. “Our visions for the city are different. And our city is at an inflection point… It saddens me to hear so many residents express a profound loss of confidence and trust in our local government. As your mayor, I would certainly be very focused on transparency, and rebuilding the public trust.”

The hour-long debate was hosted by the Alexandria Democratic Committee, and moderated by Robert McCartney, a senior regional correspondent for The Washington Post. Wilson currently leads in fundraising and endorsements, and the debate comes on the heels of Wilsons’ endorsement by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.

Silberberg presented herself as an environmentalist in favor of “smart growth,” while Wilson said that the city needs to match growth with transportation infrastructure.

“I’m inspired to turn what I’ve learned about our city’s resilience over the last year into a mission for our city’s future,” Wilson said. “I know that by investing in our kids, investing in our basic infrastructure, and making sure that we have an economy that can support the services that our residents expect and demand, Alexandria cannot only survive in the aftermath of this pandemic, but we can thrive.”

Silberberg’s tenure as mayor was plagued by lone 6-1 votes, and Wilson said that she voted against a number of important issues, including a controversial 5.7 cent tax hike in 2017 that resulted in significant capital improvement funding.

“I speak out for the people and I listen to our residents,” Silberberg said. “I’m certainly in favor of transit oriented development, that has been what we’ve all supported across the many years. But what I’m really for is smart growth. And what that means really, is that you don’t have unabashed out of scale overbuilding on every square inch, that you do keep some open space, which helps with the flooding.”

Silberberg criticized Wilson’s handling of COVID-19, and said that the city’s face mask ordinance needed to be passed sooner that the fall of 2020.

“It’s been a harrowing year for all of us,” she said. “I know a number of folks who have had COVID, and I’ve lost some friends. I don’t think we should have waited till October 1 with the outdoor mask order. Cities all across the country were helping restaurants, but the restaurants in the Bradley Center in the middle of the city and on the West End weren’t helped as much as other places, so we need to look at that across the board.”

Wilson said that the mask ordinance was the first adopted in Virginia, and was replicated by Northam in his statewide executive order. He also said that the city’s vaccination rate for Latinos is higher than for white residents, a result of “aggressive outreach” to the city’s nonprofits.

“I’m very proud of that ordinance,” he said. “Alexandria led the way in providing new small business flexibility using outdoor spaces, sidewalks, closing streets, parking lots and everything to help keep our businesses afloat. I worked with the mayor of Richmond to go down to the General Assembly and ultimately get the governor to include an executive order that allowed carry-out cocktails, which has helped keep our restaurants a floating all around our city. We spent millions of dollars a small business assistance again leading the way in the region, and helping our small businesses providing grants to small businesses all around our city.”

Silberberg also said that she would reverse the Seminary Road Diet, which she said is a transparency issue.

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Community activist and attorney Sarah Bagley just filed paperwork to run for City Council.

Bagley, who launched a campaign Facebook page and website, filed her paperwork to run in the June 8 Democratic primary with the city’s registrar on Feb. 5.

“I know that Alexandria is a community of smart, passionate people who care about our community and the world around us,” Bagley said on her website. “I am running for City Council to become a voice for that passion, and to build an Alexandria that works for every single one of us.”

Bagley is the executive director of the Chisom Housing Group nonprofit in D.C., also volunteers for the Alexandria Democratic Committee and the local chapter of Moms Demand Action. A Virginia native, she received her bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary and her law degree from the Catholic University of America. Her career includes stints as a judicial law clerk for the District Court of Maryland, and as an associate civil litigation attorney for numerous area firms.

Bagley joins a number of new candidates running for open council seats, including James Lewis, who just announced his candidacy.

Bagley has three issues on her campaign website. Short on specifics, the issues are affordable housing, safe communities and COVID-19.

“We must secure a future for Alexandria that balances the need for inclusive housing options with Alexandria’s unique character and history,” Bagley wrote on her website. “Beyond ensuring a range of housing price points in Alexandria, we must engage the residents in all areas of our city in work that supports the stability and growth of Alexandria’s economy.”

Photo via Sarah Bagley for Alexandria/Facebook

James Lewis, a longtime democratic staffer on Capitol Hill, has joined the race for the Alexandria City Council.

The 33-year-old democrat has lived in Alexandria for more than a decade and is the vice chair of the city’s Traffic and Parking Board. He filed his statement of organization on Thursday, according to the city’s registrar of voters. He will also soon launch a campaign website, he said.

“I think we can find ways to be a green city to get to zero carbon emissions, to restore our waterways,” Lewis told ALXnow. “We can do the right things in a way that engages everyone, and I’m a collaborative team leader.”

He joins a number of new candidates running for open council seats seeking the democratic nomination in the primary on June 8. There are now only three sitting City Councilors seeking reelection — John Taylor Chapman, Amy Jackson and Canek Aguirre.

Lewis, the former president of the Virginia Young Democrats from 2017 to 2018, got a degree in biology from the College of William & Mary, and received a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. He got a new job this year heading up government affairs for the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists in Old Town. Before that he spent more than six years working for members of Congress, as communications director for Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA).

Lewis, who opposed the Seminary Road diet, says that there is a disconnect between city staff and residents concerning big projects, and that residents need more say on development projects in the city.

“The way that the city does business, or at least is perceived to do business bothers a lot of people,” he said. “We need to be consulting every one of the stakeholders, and right now, I feel that in a lot of ways the average person who lives in the city doesn’t feel that’s happening.”

Lewis lives in the West End with his fiancé, Trevor Riley.

“It’s a brave new world,” Lewis said. “I’m excited to be here.”

Courtesy photo

It’s been a hell of a morning Del. Mark Levine.

News broke this morning that Levine, a Democrat from Alexandria, is now one of 12 candidates who have thrown their name into the Lieutenant Governor race and one of eight Democrats. Since then, Levine says the morning has been one of non-stop phone calls.

“I’m excited,” Levine said. “It’s a firehose and I’m starting to drink the water.”

Levine said part of his goal is to transform the role into a full-time position rather than the part-time, back-up position it currently occupies.

Levine touted his history of working for Barney Frank, the fight to put his brother-in-law behind bars after his sister’s murder, and his history of pushing for LGBT rights. If elected, Levine would be the first openly gay statewide elected official. It’s a series of accomplishments that were at the forefront of Levine’s campaign for the House of Delegates in 2015, but this year some of the attention is shifting towards work done over the last year now that the Democrats control the legislature.

“I’ve introduced 47 bills; 23 became law: some in my name and some in colleagues’ names,” Levine said. “A number of my bills were incorporated into other bills.”

Levine’s website has a 20-page summary of progress made on bills during the 2020 legislative sessions and a few areas where Levine hit stumbling blocks. Of those, Levine said one of the ones he’s most proud of is the “most comprehensive LGBT rights bill in Virginia” that Levine said added sexual orientation and gender to non-discrimination statutes. Another required voter-verified paper ballots.

One of the bills that failed was one that would allow localities to fund law libraries — a longtime priority for Alexandria — and one that would make it easier for non-clergy to perform marriage ceremonies.

Levine has been an outspoken Democrat, particularly on gun control issues — though Levine said he prefers to call it gun violence prevention. Earlier this year, an armed protester stood outside Levine’s house to protest Levine’s position.

“The people who disagree with me are passionate, but they aren’t the majority of Virginia,” Levine said. “I’m not trying to ban guns. [Gun owners should] have background checks and should be trained. So I think some of my stances have been overstated, frankly, but I think reasonable people will support me, including reasonable gun owners, because I think reasonable gun owners don’t mind background checks.  The people who believe every child should have a bazooka, no, they’re not going to support my campaign.”

Levine said if he does not win the Lt. Governor race primary this summer, he intents to run for reelection as a Delegate later that year.

File photo

Beyer Says House Democrats Working to Protect Postal Service — “So many of you are writing, calling, and urging us to act to protect the US Postal Service. We share your anger and frustration about what Trump is doing and your alarm about what it could mean for the election. And we ARE working to stop him.” [Twitter]

Noah and Josephus Lyles Win First and Second in 200 Meter Race in Monaco — “Lyles raised a black, fingerless-gloved right fist before getting into the blocks to win a 200m in his first international race of the season, conjuring memories of the famous 1968 Olympic podium gesture. He clocked 19.76 seconds, leading a one-two with younger brother Josephus.” [NBC Sports]

ALIVE! Gives Food to 900+ Households — “916 households received food at today’s Truck to Trunk food distribution. Thanks to everyone who made this possible- donors, volunteers, Department of Community & Human Services, City of Alexandria, VA; Volunteer Alexandria; Alexandria Sheriff’s Office, City of Alexandria, Virginia; Police Department, City of Alexandria, Virginia; Transportation & Environmental Services, City of Alexandria, Virginia and ALIVE! Staff!” [Facebook]

Monte Durham’s Salon Opening at Waterfront Next Month — “The chic boutique salon, located next door to Hotel Indigo, will feature Durham, who got his start as a hair stylist before heading down the bridal path to a hit reality TV show, TLC’s ‘Say Yes to the Dress – Atlanta.'” [Alexandria Living]

Chris Daughtry of American Idol to Play Virtual Concert for Birchmere — “Next week, Chris Daughtry presents his virtual “Live from Home Tour” on Aug. 18 to benefit 19 venues across the country, including The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia.” [WTOP]

Today’s Weather — “Partly cloudy early. Scattered thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. High 83F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.” [Weather.com]

New Job: K-8 Teacher — “SchoolHouse is a new, innovative education startup that helps families to form Learning Pods, and matches excellent teachers with those Pods. A Pod is a group of approximately 4 – 8 students, of the same or similar grade level, who are learning, growing, and socializing together.” [Indeed]

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris was named Joe Biden’s vice presidential candidate on Tuesday, and some in the deeply blue Alexandria are celebrating.

Alexandria Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) said Harris is a powerful and historic choice.

“I congratulate Vice President Biden, who knows better than anyone the importance of this decision, on his excellent judgment, and I congratulate Senator Harris,” Beyer said in a statement. “This is a ticket that will get things done.”

Mayor Justin Wilson said he appreciated Harris’ background in local politics. The California Senator previously served as a district attorney in San Francisco and as Attorney General of California.

“I’m super excited,” Wilson said. “I was excited to endorse her a year ago for president. I thought she brought an important voice to the ticket. At a time where a clear vision for the future of the country is needed, she’s not only someone who can articulate that vision but she’s also really a fighter. She showed that in the Senate and in California.”

It’s one of the few traits she shares with her opponent, Vice President Mike Pence, who was a Congressman from 2001 to 2013 and then governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017.

“I’m also particularly excited as someone privileged to lead a city,” Wilson said. “I’m excited to have someone who comes out of a city and has experience in city government. There is a lot of urban innovation and I’m hopeful the federal government will be back as a partner… as it relates to housing and economic and workforce development.”

Federal and local partnerships had been particularly vital over the last few months as the city utilized federal CARES Act funding to programs like rent assistance and small business grants.

Del. Charniele Herring was also an early supporter of Harris and shared her reaction on Twitter.

I am extremely excited that @KamalaHarris will be our next Vice President! There is no one as qualified or deserving, congratulations! #KHive #KamalaHarrisForVP pic.twitter.com/WX9nJs9Ego

— Charniele Herring (@C_Herring) August 11, 2020

Other Alexandria Democratic leadership swiftly rallied around Harris.

“A winner of three statewide elections in America’s largest state and a smart, tough, effective leader, Harris lives and breathes our country’s progressive values,” Del. Mark Levine wrote in an email. “I’m confident she will give Biden good advice in the Oval Office and be an effective President, if necessary, in the event of tragedy.”

“Amid a strong field of highly qualified women, Senator Harris stands out as a powerful and historic choice,” said Congressman Don Beyer. “Senator Harris’ leadership in America’s largest state, her commitment to progressive ideals, and her battle-tested record in the U.S. Senate all speak to her readiness to serve. If elected, she will break barriers as the first woman, the first Black American, the first Asian American, and the first HBCU graduate to hold the office. Kamala Harris will be a great Vice President.”

Harris has faced some criticism from Democrats further on the left who say she did little to prosecute cases of excessive force by police and has referred to herself as a “top cop,” according to the New York Times — is tone deaf in an era of widespread protest against police brutality and injustice.

We are in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history, the subject of which is excessive policing, and the Democratic Party chose a “top cop” and the author of the Joe Biden crime bill to save us from Trump.

The contempt for the base is, wow.

— Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy) August 11, 2020

Wilson said he recognized those concerns but said that Harris’ experience inside the judicial system will mean she has the experience to make changes.

“As we turn a very critical eye to the criminal justice system, I think having folks who have been on the inside and understand how the system works on a ground level is going to be vey important,” Wilson said. “Folks like me who don’t have a law degree or experiencing on the policing and judicial side, we can say things but having someone like her with her experience is going to be very helpful. Having someone on the federal side is going to be very important.”

During the campaign, neither Harris nor Biden visited Alexandria (which voted overwhelmingly for Biden in the primary). Wilson said he hopes the situation will be improved enough to have campaign rallies in Alexandria, but that currently the public health considerations come first.

“If we can’t welcome her as a vice presidential candidate this year,” Wilson said, “I hope we can welcome her as Vice President next year.”

James Cullum contributed to this story
Photo via Charniele Herring/Twitter

Update at 2:15 p.m. — The event was held Friday morning. See our coverage here.

Earlier: Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg will be making a campaign appearance in Alexandria on Friday.

The morning campaign event is not open to the general public and the exact location has not been made available for public dissemination.

Bloomberg, the billionaire founder of Bloomberg LP and former New York City mayor, launched his campaign last month and has since blitzed the airwaves with $100 million worth of advertising.

Photo via Mike Bloomberg 2020