If you haven’t noticed, there are leaves on the ground all across Alexandria, which means it’s time for Alexandria to kick off its leaf collection season.

Residential leaf collection is starting today and will rotate through zones across the city. The city is broken up into five collection zones and each zone will go through three separate passes over the course of fall. The full schedule and an interactive map is available online.

According to the City of Alexandria:

Tentatively, on Monday, October 30 leaf collection will start in Zone 2 Pass 1 and Zone 5A Pass 1. Tentatively, on Friday, November 3 leaf collection will start in Zone 3 Pass 1.

Free biodegradable leaf bags are available at City Hall, recreation centers, and the City’s self-serve shed on Business Center Drive on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. *There is a limit of 15 bags per resident, per visit.*

As a reminder, start dates of the zones are tentative, subject to weather, equipment, and other unforeseen circumstances that may impact service start dates.

New gift shop in Old Town helps people with disabilities — “B.E.S.T stands for ‘Building Employment Solutions Together’ and is a collaboration between the Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund  (JPMF) and ServiceSource to provide meaningful employment for people with disabilities.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]

Alexandria wins housing policy leadership awards — “Affordable and workforce housing policies and programs put in place by the governments of Alexandria, Virginia, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, have been selected as joint winners of the 2021 Urban Land Institute Robert C. Larson Housing Policy Leadership Awards.” [Urbanland]

Best Pumpkin patches around Alexandria-area — “Cooler fall days are quickly approaching in the Greater Alexandria area, which means it’s time to start planning your family’s yearly trek to the country to find the best pumpkins.” [Patch]

School Board forum tonight — “PTAC will host a virtual School Board Candidate Forum at 7:00 PM on October 13, 2021. Come hear from each of the school board candidates.” [PTAC]

D1 Training opens new Alexandria location — “D1 Training, a sports training franchise for all ages, finally opened its Alexandria doors. On October 11, at 6550 Little River Turnpike, children and parents and divas and mascots reveled in the grand reveal.” [Zebra]

Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana to open Alexandria location— “The Alexandria location will be at the Alexandria Commons Shopping Center, 3231 Duke Street. Frank Pepe, an Italian immigrant from just southwest of Naples, founded the pizzeria in 1925 in Connecticut after working for a macaroni manufacturer and a bakery… The thin-crust pizzas are fired in a coal oven. Small pies start at less than $10 (the tomato pie), and the menu also includes salads, beer and wine. The company has not yet announced an opening date for the Alexandria location.” [Alexandria Living]

Fire Department rescues Golden Retriever with head stuck in Old Town fence — “On Saturday, Engine 201 arrived on a call to find a dog stuck on an iron fence experiencing distress. After requesting Rescue 209, first responders worked to remove the fence from the dog’s neck & return to the owner. The dog was uninjured. Great job by E201 & Rescue 209 B shift!” [Twitter]

Energy Efficient Day is October 6 — “Join the City in celebrating Energy Efficiency Day on October 6, and Energy Awareness Month during October. Energy Awareness Month highlights opportunities to help the community to sustainably use energy resources and reduce climate change.” [Twitter]

Leaf collection program returning to Alexandria — “Nov. 1 the annual leaf collection program returns! Visit alexandriava.gov/LeafCollection to get a refresh on all the details. We’ll post weekly status updates here and periodic operational updates as needed.” [Facebook]

Drug Take Back Day is October 23 — “Dispose of your expired medications during Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 23. There are various locations across the City to dispose of medications you no longer need. Learn more about how to safely dispose of medications.” [Twitter]

Today’s weather — “Overcast with rain showers at times. High 72F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%… Cloudy (in the evening). Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable.” [Weather.com]

New job: Property Maintenance Code Inspector — “Employees selected for this class are assigned to the Property Maintenance. Maintenance Code inspectors are responsible for conducting proactive inspections, reviewing complaints, and identifying applicable code violations. Inspectors in the class also perform on-site inspections; negotiate compliance solutions with property owners, tenants, and business owners when violations of the codes are discovered and recommend effective, corrective abatement actions. The Code Inspector I class serves in an entry-level capacity within the Code Inspector career ladder.” [Governmentjobs.com]

Community town hall on City Manager position on Wednesday — “Alexandria City Council will hold a hybrid town hall meeting to receive input from the community about the qualities and values that should be considered in the hiring of the next City Manager. The town hall meeting will be held at City Hall in Council Chamber (301 King St.), from 7 to 9 p.m. and community members will be able to participate either in-person or online.” [City of Alexandria]

Fall fest honors heroes at Greenstreet Gardens — “Greenstreet Gardens kicks off its annual Fall Fest this weekend with a special bonus: All heroes get in free.” [Zebra]

Today’s weather — “Partly cloudy skies (during the day). High near 80F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph… Mainly cloudy (in the evening). Low 63F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.” [Weather.com]

New job: Garden center associate — “Looking for team members to help water plants, load mulch, unload trucks, assist customers and general garden center duties, Must be a team player with a great attitude. We will train you!” [Indeed]

Remnants of Hurricane Ida headed for Alexandria — “Tuesday will be cloudy with only reaching the mid-80s. Scattered thunderstorms will start Tuesday evening and will become more widespread into Wednesday dropping an estimated two to six inches of rain. Alexandria city officials will be handing out sandbags to residents Tuesday morning ahead of the storm.” [Alexandria Living]

City Hall lit blue for Opioid Awareness Day — “Wonder why City Hall was lit up last night? It’s lit up teal through September 1 in recognition of #InternationalOverdoseAwarenessDay! The City is also giving out free Narcan and fentanyl test strips–find out more at http://alexandriava.gov/123920.” [Twitter]

Old Town Festival of Speed and Style is this Sunday — “The Old Town Festival of Speed & Style highlights all the things that make Old Town unique — history, architecture, great food, fabulous people, art, style and energy. On Sunday, Sept. 5, view dozens of exotic cars on display in Old Town, centered on lower King Street.” [Alexandria Living]

Today’s weather — “Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds light and variable… Scattered thunderstorms during the evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.” [Weather.com]

New job: Seasonal leaf collection — “An essential function of this position is the ability to perform a variety of manual labor tasks to include heavy lifting and bending, in adverse weather conditions.” [Indeed]

After getting approval from the General Assembly last year, next month Alexandria will consider adopting a 5 cent plastic bag tax at drug stores, grocery stores and convenience stores.

The proposal, which has been in the works since 2017, will be discussed in a virtual information session on September 8 at 7 p.m.

The Virginia General Assembly adopted legislation last year allowing localities to impose a bag tax. Alexandria has supported legislation that limits use of plastic bags for the last three years.

“Lightweight plastic bags are commonly found in waterways as litter and remain as a pollutant,” the City reported. “Wildlife commonly mistake plastic bags for food and also cause microscopic particles of broken down plastics to enter into the food chain.”

Staff are planning to present a draft ordinance to City Council with an effective date of January 1, 2022.

According to the city, the collected taxes will be used for:

• Environmental Cleanup;
• Providing education programs designed to reduce environmental waste;
• Mitigating pollution and litter; or
• Providing reusable bags to recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) benefits

The Alexandria Drive-In returned to Eisenhower Avenue with a double feature on Halloween night, and there will be a dozen movies running this weekend until Dec. 5.

The drive-in showed “The Mummy” and “Casper” on Halloween.

“Our second series of movies will hopefully provide some humor on Halloween, especially with the absence of trick or treating, lighten your heart and any worries you have while you and your neighbors enjoy a few hours together, apart from celebrating the winter season,” said Kelly Grant, Chief Operating Officer for ALX Community, who came up with the idea.

The drive-in launched in August and the first six shows sold out in four days. The shows can hold 215 cars in the Victory Center parking lot at 5001 Eisenhower Avenue, and tickets cost $35 apiece. Proceeds from the events go to ACT for Alexandria and Athena Rapid Response.

“It’s so incredible to see the city come out and celebrate movies, togetherness, and charity during a time when going to the movies and being together is nearly impossible,” said Allen Brooks, Chief Operating Officer of The Garden, which partners with ALX Community. “Not to mention that we’ve already given $30,000 to a local charity that is already being used to provide desks for free to kids in the city through Athena response.”

The food trucks at the drive-in include DC Slices, Chix N Stix, Lattimore’s Funnel Cakes, and Popped Republic.

The Schedule

• Saturday, Nov. 7 — “Nanny McPhee” & “The Race” (Double Feature)
• Sunday, Nov. 8 — “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”
• Saturday, Nov. 14 — “The Secret Life of Pets” and “Pitch Perfect” (Double Feature)
• Friday, Nov. 20 — “Sea Biscuit”
• Saturday, Nov. 21 — “How to Train Your Dragon” and “42” (Double Feature)
• Friday, Dec. 4 — “The Bourne Identity”
• Saturday, Dec. 5 — “The Grinch” and “Love Actually” (Double Feature)

Photos via ALX Community

With fall in full swing, the leaves are about to start coming down in droves in Alexandria.

Starting next month, Alexandria’s annual leaf vacuuming and leaf bag collection program will take away piles of leaves left on curbs all around the city. The leaves will be ground into mulch, which is available in the spring and summer.

Residents are asked to recycle leaves by leaving them on the curb to be vacuumed, or in paper bags, which can be picked up for free at City Hall, recreation centers and at the City’s self-serve shed on Business Center Drive.

Please see below for an up-to-date schedule, help determining your collection zone, preparation instructions, and frequently asked questions regarding leaf collection.

“Residents may receive leaf collection status updates by signing up for the free Alexandria eNews service and subscribing to ‘Resource Recovery Updates,’ or by following the Department of Transportation & Environmental Services on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram,” according to the city.

Alexandria is divided into five collection zones. Of those four zones, Old Town is divided into four additional sections.

The leaf collection will occur at the following locations:

First Pass Dates:

November 2 – ZONE 2
November 6 – ZONE 3
November 12 – ZONE 4
November 18 – ZONE 1

In Old Town:
November 2 – Section 5A
November 6 – Section 5B
November 12 – Section 5C
November 18 – Section 5D

These are the estimated start dates for leaf collection in each zone; crews will not vacuum every street in the zone on the first date, it will take them several days to complete each pass in each zone.

• Remove stones, litter, branches or other debris. These items can damage our equipment and hurt workers
• Avoid placing leaves in front of storm drains or on water meter covers
• Move parked cars off leaf piles
• Do not rake leaves into alleys or service roads

Maps via City of Alexandria

For all Alexandria homeowners who struggled with a yard full of fallen leaves: your relief is here.

Starting today, the City of Alexandria is kicking off its annual leaf vacuuming and leaf bag collection service.

Today, leaf collection trucks are moving through the Seminary Hill and Carlyle neighborhoods. A website set up by the City of Alexandria shows the various leaf collection zones around Alexandria, the schedule for leaf collection, and a live-tracking of where the leaf collection vehicles currently are.

As of 11:30 a.m. today, three of the trucks were moving up and down neighborhoods along Seminary Road.

Earlier in Oct. our Fleet Services division prepared the leaf trucks for service. They replace the liner of the drum (white metal circle) each season due to the beating it takes. First passes begin Nov. 4–check the calendar and map at https://t.co/qsaZ19WFI9 for your dates! pic.twitter.com/HX4i5u1TdQ

— Alexandria T&ES (@AlexandriaVATES) November 1, 2019

There are three ways to dispose of leaves in Alexandria, according to the city’s leaf collection website. Leaves raked to the front curb will be vacuumed by trucks sweeping through in scheduled passes through various neighborhoods. These leaves should be pushed into piles, with stones, litter, branches and other debris removed. Leaves should also be kept clear of storm drains or water meter covers.

Leaves can also be collected into paper bags, available for free at various city facilities. There is a limit of fifteen bags per household.

Finally, leaves can also be composted in yards, with a guide available online.

The Braddock neighborhood is also scheduled for collection sometime today. According to the website, leaf collection is staggered across Alexandria’s neighborhoods — though snow or rain could lead to rescheduling.

The current estimated dates for leaf collection are:

• Seminary Hill and Carlyle: Today (Nov. 4)
• Braddock: Today (Nov. 4)
• Old Town north of King Street: Friday (Nov. 8)
• North Ridge and Arlandria west of Russell Road: Friday (Nov. 8)
• Del Ray, Potomac Yard, and Arlandria east of Russell Road: Thursday (Nov. 14)
• Old Town south of King Street and west of N. Washington Street: Thursday (Nov. 14)
• The West End and Eisenhower Valley west of N. Jordan Street: Wednesday (Nov. 20)
• Old Town south of King Street and east of N. Washington Street: Wednesday (Nov. 20)

“City crews make three passes through each neighborhood zone,” Alexandria’s website notes. “It takes crews several days to complete each pass in each zone.”

Photo via City of Alexandria

Patch Editor Dies After Cancer Fight — “William ‘Skip’ Wood, of Alexandria, Virginia, died on Sunday, Oct. 6, after a battle with cancer. He was 57. A longtime journalist and Virginia resident, he covered parts of Northern Virginia for Patch over three years, and was well-known nationally for his reporting at USA Today.” [Patch]

Alexandria Man Charged With Classified Leaks — “A counterterrorism analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency has been charged with leaking top-secret details about foreign countries’ weapons systems to two journalists, including a reporter with whom he apparently was romantically involved, federal authorities said Wednesday. Henry K. Frese, 30, of Alexandria, Va., ‘was caught red-handed disclosing sensitive national security information.'” [Washington Post, Wall Street Journal]

NOVA Names New Prez — “Northern Virginia Community College has named its new president. Anne Kress, one of three finalists in a national search, has been selected to lead Virginia’s largest college as its sixth president, Virginia’s Community Colleges announced Wednesday. Her appointment takes effect at the beginning of next year.” [Washington Business Journal]

Fall Family Fest This Weekend — “Celebrate the change of seasons at the City of Alexandria’s annual Family Fall Festival on October 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Armistead L. Boothe Park (520 Cameron Station Blvd.). The festival is free, with activities that include scarecrow building, inflatables, pumpkin painting and entertainment. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.” [City of Alexandria]

Del Ray Farmers Market Cookbook — “To mark the recent 25th anniversary of the Del Ray Farmers’ Market, founded by Pat Miller, Charles Buki, Karen Johnson, Dennis Areeder, and Gayle Reuter, the vendors and volunteers have assembled a commemorative cookbook.” [Zebra]

Bullying Allegations at Alexandria-Based NSF — “A union representing employees at the National Science Foundation demanded Monday that the agency take action to hold managers accountable for acts of bullying, sexual harassment and retaliation against LGBT employees.” [Government Executive]