Vice Mayor Volunteers For ACPS Food Giveaway — “I’m putting my food manager’s license to good use this week in coordinating the preparation of school meals at TC. Thanks to a rock-star team of Alexandria City Public Schools employees, Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities employees, and Volunteer Alexandria volunteers, we distributed more than 1700 meals yesterday.” [Facebook]

Police Hosting Virtual Story Time Tonight — “Great news! Every Friday evening APD will be starting a new initiative–APD #VIRTUALStorytimes at 7PM. This Friday join Sgt. Morgan as she reads “Little Blue Truck” by Alice Schertle. Do you have any book recommendations you wish to see us read???” [Twitter]

Online Focus Group on Parking, Curb Issues Planned — “The City of Alexandria’s Transportation & Environmental Services will be conducting another round of focus groups from April 20 – May 1 on transit, parking and other curb-side uses for Alexandria’s streets.” [Alexandria Living]

Senior Services of Alexandria Gets Face Mask Donation — “We appreciate all the mask donations we have received! Thank you to everyone who responded to our call for masks, our volunteers now can continue to provide services to local seniors while staying protected. Grocery Program volunteer Dave Dolton rocked his new mask this morning while shopping!” [Facebook]

Old Town Boutique District Starts #lovelocalOT Contest — “Each day is a different theme, all you need to do is post in your stories how you supported local in OT that day, use #lovelocalOT & tag @otboutiques… Winners will be chosen at random each night & will receive a $50 gift card to the OT small biz of their choice!” [Facebook]

Evening Star Cafe Sells Wine Package With Tiger King Theme — “As an ode to the latest Netflix phenomenon, Tiger King, Beverage Director/Cat Enthusiast Greg Engert has curated a special selection of bottles tail-ored to sip as you watch the cat-astrophe surrounding Joe Exotic and the G.W. Zoo unfold.” [Facebook]

Village Brauhaus T-Shirt Sales Going to Staff — “We can’t wait for the day when we can all be drinking and eating together at Village Brauhaus! Make sure to get your shirt and wear them when we open our doors again!” [Facebook]

Yates Dry Cleaning Makes Face Masks For Customers — “In challenging times, we’re thankful to have a team with such diverse skills! Our wonderful Seamstress at Yates Dry Cleaning, Joy, has been hard at work making face coverings for our Yates team and some at-risk customers.” [Facebook]

Seifeldein Asks Governor to Ease Restrictions on Medical Transport Businesses — “Some medical transportation businesses needed assistance and I reached out to our governor and elected officials in Richmond. The DMV Commissioner looked into the issue and provided reasonable relief. Our collective actions will help us navigate this crisis.” [Facebook]

ABC Store at 686 St. Asaph Street to Close — “Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority announced Thursday afternoon that they’re closing 12 ABC liquor stores in Northern Virginia in order to deal with reduced staffing levels as workers self-quarantine. The closure starts Monday and lasts until at least April 30.” [WTOP]

Del Ray Farmer’s Market Open Saturday — “Farmers’ markets in the City of Alexandria are open ONLY for the distribution of pre-paid preorders. Many of the #delrayfarmersmarket vendors are offering this option. Vendors will NOT be offering items for sale at the market – only pickup of preorders is permitted. Please place your orders as soon as possible to give our vendors time to prepare.” [Facebook]

Rosemont Neighborhood Holds Door Decorating Contest — “The Hooff family came in First Place in the “Most Creative” category for their stained glass chalk artwork on their door, windows, and front walk, inspired by artwork they had seen on Facebook.” [Zebra]

Updated Del Ray Easter Menu — “Celebrate Easter while supporting our restaurants! Special menus available for carry out.” [Facebook]

Old Town Deli Needs Support — “If anyone is in the DMV area please stop by my dad’s shop Old Town Deli in Alexandria, VA! It’s been around for over 29 years. Just like everyone else, we’re struggling and we could use all of your support! We offer UberEats, carry out and delivery!” [Twitter]

The following Letter to the Editor was written by Jennifer Ayers, the executive director of ALIVE!

A few weeks ago, like many, I wondered if coronavirus was just another bad case of the flu. Would it just pass?

We’ve all learned it’s much more serious than that. I could not have imagined that I would find myself working extensive hours (from home, mostly, in between taking care of two young children and one nervous beagle mix) and find myself cold calling my counterpart in New Rochelle, New York, because I saw a news clip on CNN of them in action doing a drive-thru-food distribution, and wondering how they did it so that if I had to, we could find a way to replicate it here in Alexandria.

Little did we know, we would be doing not just one, but now four drive-thru mass food distributions within two weeks and find ourselves figuring out supply chain issues. Yet here we are and, believe it or not, I’m not as overwhelmed by the problem and what lies ahead as I am by the love and support I am finding from the people of Alexandria, the place I’ve called home for 20 years and the organization I’m proud to lead.

We’ve served about 8,000 people, equating to more than 40,000 meal equivalents over the course of both drive thru distributions. Read More

Southern Towers Residents Prepared to Strike Over Rent — “Their goal is 1,000 signatures from the 2,300 total units. They want management to cancel rent until one month after the pandemic ends, address safety and cleaning concerns, and create a sliding scale for future rent payments based on income.” [WAMU]

Less Than Half of Alexandrians Will Get Full Stimulus Checks — “SmartAsset estimates that full stimulus check would go to just 49.57% of households in the City of Alexandria, and 65.92% would get some level of stimulus check. The full check of $1,200 would be sent to individuals with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of up to $75,000 and a reduced benefit would be sent to individuals earning up to $99,000, at which point it phases out completely.” [Alexandria Living]

Market 2 Market Del Ray Caters Food Gifted to Alexandria Hospital — “We had the wonderful opportunity to partner with Cafe Pizzaiolo and Market 2 Market Del Ray and our friends Trinchero Family Estates and to provide dinner for the teams working around the clock at Inova Alexandria Hospital this afternoon!” [Facebook]

The Chamber’s Virtual Professional Women’s Network Mixer is Tonight — “We can all agree that these are unprecedented times we are experiencing now, and connections are now more important than ever so please make plans to join us on Thursday, April 9th for a slightly different version of our wildly popular Professional Women’s Network Coffee & Connections.” [Chamber of Commerce]

Del Ray Farmers’ Market Canceled This Weekend — “There is no market at 4 Mile Run this weekend, but Tom (and our other vendors) will be at the #delrayfarmersmarket on Saturday so you can pick up your pre-orders!” [Facebook]

Virtual Mindfulness Workshop Tonight — “Stress is an inevitable part of life. Join Dr. Eng for an 8-week course where you will learn about the stress response in your body, stress management techniques, coping strategies, and mindfulness-based relaxation training.” [Facebook]

Old Town Books Hosting Virtual Writing Classes and Literacy Series — Kicking off on Friday, April 10, Old Town Books will launch writing classes and a virtual literacy series featuring accomplished authors. The pay-what-you-can programs include participation by authors Jenny Offill, Jessica Lahey and New York Times Magazine writer Emily Bazelon. [Old Town Books]

Safeway Updates Social Distancing Rules — “Stores will limit occupancy levels to one person per 150 square feet during normal business hours and one person per 300 square feet during special hours reserved for seniors and other vulnerable customers. Each store will utilize one front entrance/exit to ensure enforcement and a store associate will be assigned to the doors to manage traffic.’ [WUSA9]

Center For Alexandria’s Children Recognizes Child Abuse Prevention Month — “Raise awareness and show your support for Child Abuse Prevention Month while enjoying family time together. Download and print the board and play #PinwheelBingo with us! Continue to check back on our social media platforms throughout April for more family-friendly activities to do at home. Together we are stronger! Let’s all do our parts to protect the children in our communities. [Facebook]

The Dog Park in Old Town is Open — “Easter is coming…so don’t furget your doggy! We carry a full line of Easter toys, treats and wearables. We will be featuring a new item everyday for you to enjoy. We are open everyday M-S 10-6 and Sunday 11-5. We offer curbside pickup and contactless home delivery too!” [Facebook]

Fat Face Opening This Summer in Old Town — “It all began in 1988 with two guys enjoying life on the slopes in the French Alps and desperately trying to avoid working for a living. With money running out, they hatched a plan: print some sweatshirts and t-shirts, sell them at night, and ski during the day. With that simple formula, the FatFace brand was born with the name even being inspired by their favourite black mountain run in Val d’Isère, La Face.” [Alexandria Living]

Alexandria’s farmers’ markets are adapting to the new coronavirus restrictions with a new Market To-Go program.

Under the new system, visitors will browse vendors online and place orders, then pick them up at the market with minimal social interaction.

“[With] the Farmers’ Market To-Go program, residents can access fresh food from their favorite vendors while also maintaining social distancing,” Leah Spellman, Director of Communications for Visit Alexandria. “Customers will browse a list of participating vendors online then contact the vendor to place their orders. Pick-ups will take place during Alexandria’s regular farmers’ market locations during their regular times.”

The new market is formed from a partnership with Visit Alexandria, which will oversee the new web page showcasing participating vendors.

“From fresh produce delivered straight from local farms to specialty items like made-from-scratch gluten-free empanadas, visit the Farmers Market To-Go web page for a full list of pick-up offerings,” Spellman said. “Vendors will be added to the web page daily.”

Customers are asked to keep six feet apart from vendors during interactions and to wash all purchased food before eating it.

There are four farmers markets participating, from the large Old Town one to a few smaller ones across the city:

• Old Town Farmers Market: Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon at Market Square (301 King Street)
• Del Ray Farmers Market: Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon at the corner of East Oxford & Mount Vernon Avenues
• Old Town North Farmers Market: Thursdays from 3-7 p.m. at Montgomery Park (901 North Royal Street)
• Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market: Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (4109 Mt Vernon Avenue)

The only vendor currently registered at the last two markets is Ana S Twist, a healthy food vendor with a focus on Ecuadorian cuisine.

The Farmers Market To-Go program is the newest part of a suite of new features from Visit Alexandria called ALX at Home. The group was praised by the City Council at a meeting earlier this week for rapidly redeploying their resources to focus on social distance-friendly marketing.

“[ALX at Home] allows residents and visitors to experience Alexandria’s restaurants, shops and attractions from the comfort of their own home,” Spellman said. “From care packages and quarantine kits you can order online to curbside pickup at your favorite restaurants, ALX at Home features more than 100 ways to support the independent businesses that make Alexandria so special.”

Photo courtesy Visit Alexandria

‘Legendary’ Local Merchant Family Retiring — “When members of the Dove family first started bringing their produce and flowers to Alexandria’s Market Square at 301 King Street, the clippity clop of their horses’ hooves provided the soundtrack on the trip to and fro… Saturday, December 21, 2019 was the end of the era. The Dove Family retired, selling their last boxwood tree and bits of seasonal holly at the Old Town Farmers Market on a sunny morning [after] nearly 200 years of entrepreneurship.” [Zebra]

Christmas Tree Safety Reminder from AFD — “Unattended Christmas trees can become a fire hazard if not watered regularly. @NFPA reports that each year, an average of 160 home fires start with Christmas trees. Show your tree a little love to prevent fires this holiday season.” [Twitter]

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from ALXnow — We wish all of our readers a very merry Christmas and a happy Hanukkah. ALXnow’s staff will be taking this afternoon and Christmas Day off. We’ll be back Thursday with more local news coverage.

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]