To have an item listed, mail to the Gazette-Packet, 1604 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314; fax to 703-917-0991 or e-mail to gazette@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Friday at noon for the following week’s paper. Photos and artwork encouraged. If you have any questions, call Marguerite Rogers at 703-917-6407.
East West Mortgage Company Inc., Michael & Son Electric Service, Service Master of Alexandria will be among the more than 300 exhibits showcasing top renovating-related products and services at the Remodeling Expo, a brand new consumer show coming to the Dulles Expo Center on Jan. 28-30. The Remodeling Expo debuts Friday, Jan. 28-Sunday, Jan. 30 at the Dulles Expo Center, North Hall, located at 4368 Chantilly Shopping Center in Chantilly , VA. Show hours are 4-9:30 p.m., Friday; 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Sunday. Visit www.dullesexpo.com. Admission is $8 for adults; $3 for children ages 6-12 and free for kids 5 and under. Tickets are available during show hours.
Kerri Chase, of Alexandria, is about to open a state-of-the-art day care called Bright Start Learning Center in Alexandria, on Feb. 7. Chase and the center's director, Jacqueline A. Flynn, have developed an educational based curriculum in conjunction with Teaching Strategies, the company that created "Creative Curriculum," a developmentally appropriate curriculum for infants to preschoolers.
Bright Start is a full-service child development center that provides a nurturing environment for children from age 6 weeks to 5 years. On a bi-monthly basis on Saturday evenings from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Bright Start will host a "parents night out." Parents will be invited to bring their children to Bright Start for a few hours in the evening, so they can enjoy a night by themselves.
Chase has a range of experience managing projects and people and has a bachelors of science degree in business management from the University of Maryland. She is currently a lawyer with a law firm in Washington D.C. Prior to attending law school, Chase worked for the White House Communications Agency where she managed the advance team responsible for providing radio communication support for the president, vice president, and Secret Service. She will be responsible for the business side of Bright Start and will work with the center director to formulate policies and procedures.
During the month of January, any patron who dines at Cafe Marianna, 1201 N. Royal St., will be automatically donating to Tsunami Relief. The owner, Charles Oppman, will be donating 20 percent of January's profits to UNICEF. In addition, Oppman will be offering the classic New Orleans dish of red beans, sausage and rice for $5 per plate — lunch and dinner — for the entire month and all the proceeds from it will be added to the financial donation for the relief effort.
Alexandria Business and Professional Women, working to achieve equity for women in the professional workplace, meets on the second Tuesday of the month from September to May at 7 p.m., at the Eisenhower Ave. Holiday Inn.
Employment Club. The Laurie Mitchell Employment Center hosts "The Job Club" every Monday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The group is for those with mental illness and others who need support in their job search. The center is located at 8794 S. Sacramento Drive, Alexandria.