Through May 13 donate baby supplies to two Del Ray businesses, A Show of Hands, 2204 Mt. Vernon Ave. and Yoga in Daily Life, 2402 Mount Vernon Ave. Schedule a pick up by calling Pat Miller 703-683-2570. The items collected will be donated to four non-profit groups.
The City of Alexandria will host its annual Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 21, from 9 am to noon at the Ben Brenman Park, located at 4800 Duke St. The event will feature family-oriented environmental activities, open-space cleanup, Arbor Day tree planting, environmental exhibits and displays, live-animal exhibits, an insect safari, lessons on composting, the Blue Sky Puppet Show, and live music and food. Admission is free.
The City’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities and Department of Transportation and Environmental Services, the Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission, and the Alexandria Volunteer Bureau are sponsoring the Earth Day Celebration.
In case of inclement weather, the event will be relocated to the Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School, located at 435 Ferdinand Day Drive.
For additional information, call the City’s Special Events Hotline at 703-883-4686.
The celebration continues. You can still purchase 2007 Jamestown 400th Anniversary festival merchandise. Items are available at:
*Gadsby's Tavern Museum , 134 North Royal St. 703-838-4242. Museum hours are Tues. – Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun. and Mon. 1– 5 p.m.
*Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St. 703-838-4356. Museum hours are Tues. – Sat. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
*The Lyceum, Alexandria's History Museum, 201 S. Washington St. 703-838-4994. Museum hours are Mon. – Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. 1 – 5 p.m.
*Ramsay House Visitors Center, 221 King St. , 703-838-4200
Items available include souvenir coins, set of 4 logo glasses, celebration patches, lapel pins, spoons, and lots more. The commemorative items make great souvenirs and gifts…Mother's Day is right around the corner. For more information, call Gadsby's Tavern Museum at 703-838-4242.
Mentors are needed for the City's annual celebration of "Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day," to be held on Thursday, April 26. Adults are needed to individually "adopt" an Alexandria high school student, or an office can team up to host a student for the day. If interested in mentoring a student or want further information, contact Jen Harris at the Office on Women at 703-838-5030, or visit www.alexwomen.com to fill out a mentor application. Applications are due April 6.
NOTICe (North Old Town Independent Citizens Civic Association) Community meeting, Thursday evening, April 26, 7:30 pm in the Potomac Room at Marina Towers , 501 Slaters Lane. Guest speakers State Senator Patsy Ticer (former Mayor of Alexandria) and State Delegate David Englin. Discussion, question and answer session to follow.
The Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission will hold a public hearing at 7 pm on Monday, April 30, at the Mt. Vernon Recreation Center, located at 2701 Commonwealth Ave., to discuss athletic fields and other site features proposed for the Witter property, a 13.7-acre site located west of Telegraph Road between Duke Street and the railroad and Metrorail rights-of-way.
Acquisition of the property and project development by the City are being implemented with federal funds received in conjunction with the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project. The Witter property project’s sports consultant and design engineer, A. Morton Thomas Associates, Inc., will provide an in-depth design presentation based on comments received from concept discussions in November 2006 and March 2007 and accept public comment.
Following the public hearing, the commission will hear comments from residents on any park and recreation related issue.
Persons who are unable to attend the public hearing can send written comments to the Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission within two weeks of the hearing date in care of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, Attention: Roger Blakeley, 1108 Jefferson St., Alexandria, VA 22314.
The Mt. Vernon Recreation Center is served by DASH transit bus line AT #10. For route and schedule information, call 703-370-DASH or visit www.dashbus.com. For Metrobus schedule information, call 202-637-7000 or visit www.wmata.com.
Alexandria Historic Preservation Conference and Town Meeting. Friday, May 4, featuring keynote speaker William Seale, 7 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 228 S. Pitt St. followed by opening reception at Gadsby's Tavern, 134 North Royal St. and Saturday, May 5, conference, luncheon address by Donovan Rypkema and Town Meeting from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Alexandria, 2932 King St. Registration: $25. For details and to register call 703-549-5811 or visit www.historicalexandriafoundation.org.
Military Spouse Career Expo on May 5 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Barden Education Center at Ft. Belvoir. Program includes workshops on federal jobs, resume-writing and more, job fair, complimentary breakfast and lunch. Free to military spouse, but registration is required. Visit www.USOMetroDC.org for more.
The public is invited to come to the "Women, Art, and Shopping Spring Show" on Sunday, May 6, from 3pm – 6pm at the Durant Center, 1601 Cameron Street.
More than 20 local women artists will be offering their arts and crafts for sale, including jewelry, paintings, photography, and much more! You can purchase a gift for Mother’s Day or something great for yourself while you enjoy complimentary refreshments and wine. Best of all, 15% of all proceeds will be donated by the Friends of the Commission for Women to programs at the Alexandria Office on Women. The event is free, and all are welcome to attend! For more information, please call the Alexandria Office on Women at 703.838.5030 or visit the web site at alexwomen.com.
The City of Alexandria's Office of Aging and Adult Services has published "Cooking with Friends," a collection of the best recipes of the Department of Human Services' staff. The cost of the cookbook is $10. Proceeds from the book will benefit the Eleanor Ager Host Fund. The cookbook can be purchased at the main office for the Department of Human Services, located at 2525 Mt. Vernon Ave; or by mail by sending a check for $12.50 per copy, which includes postage, payable to the City of Alexandria and mailed to: Office of Aging and Adult Services, 2525 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA, 22301. For more information, to request bulk orders, or to pick up a copy of "Cooking with Friends," call the Department of Human Services at 703-838-0920.
The Gerald R. Ford Memorial Committee is seeking suggestions from Alexandria residents on ways for the City to permanently memorialize the late President Ford. Suggestions for the memorial will be accepted through Monday, April 30, and can be e-mailed to fordmemorial@alexandriava.gov or mailed to: Gerald R. Ford Memorial Committee, c/o Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, 1108 Jefferson St., Alexandria , VA 22314. For additional information on President's Ford life in Alexandria, visit www.alexandriava.gov/ford . For more information on the proposed Gerald R. Ford Memorial, call Janet Barnett at 703-838-4343.
The Alexandria Commission on Persons with Disabilities is seeking nominations for three annual awards that honor local residents and organizations. All nominations and applications for the awards must be received by Monday, April 30. For more information or to obtain nomination forms, e-mail Mike Hatfield at mike.hatfield@alexandriava.gov or call 703-519-3357, 711 TTY. Nomination forms are also available online at www.alexandriava.gov/human/awards_notification.pdf
The Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse is in need of volunteers to serve in the following positions:
* Guardians for adults with mental retardation and mental illness. Guardians make decisions about personal care, health care, living conditions and recreation. Guardians are court-appointed and bonded. The duties require approximately four hours per month.
* Representative Payees to receive Social Security checks and pay bills for persons with mental retardation or mental illness. A separate bank account is opened with automatic deposit and there are few monthly transactions. The duties require two hours per month, per account.
* Friendly Visitors to plan one-on-one outings and activities with a resident of an Alexandria group home for adults with mental retardation. This volunteer activity requires approximately two hours per week.
* Mentors to meet one-on-one with a specific child on a weekly basis to provide friendship, act as a positive role model, plan leisure and recreational activities together, participate in age appropriate activities and assist the child with school work as needed. Meetings with the child take place primarily in neutral locations away from the child's and mentor's homes. Being a mentor requires approximately two hours per week.
Contact Jennifer Cohen Cordero at jennifer.cohen-cordero@alexandriava.gov or 703.838.4455, ext.165.
Alexandria's Community Lodgings is launching a $400,000 capital campaign to expand its thriving Family Learning Center. The campaign will fund construction of an addition that will double the Family Learning Center's classroom space. Visit www.communitylodgings.org or call 703-549-4407.
HEW Federal Credit Union (HEWFCU), a federally insured financial institution can now serve the entire City of Alexandria. All residents are able to join HEWFCU and take advantage of the low-cost products and services the credit union offers. With experienced lending and member services staff and a physical facility already located in the area, HEWFCU has the tools and infrastructure to deploy to the market as an alternative to non-traditional financial services providers. Visit HEWFCU's office located on 400 N. Columbus St.; or visit www.hewfcu.com.
Rebuilding Together Alexandria (formerly Christmas in April) is seeking homeowners who need assistance with home repairs. Teams of volunteers work on many houses throughout Alexandria, repairing and renovating homes so that homeowners may continue to live in warmth, safety, and independence. All repairs are made at no expense to the homeowner. If you are a low-income Alexandria homeowner and need help with home repairs, call for an application at 703-836-1021 or e-mail info@rebuildingtogetheralex.org for more information. Limited applications accepted.
Virginia Tech’s Urban Affairs and Planning Program in Alexandria is presenting a New Metropolis Lecture Series during 2006-2007. The lecture series focuses on cutting-edge topics and ideas about metropolitan development in the United States and abroad. Lectures will be held from 7-9 p.m. at Virginia Tech’s Alexandria campus, 1021 Prince Street, 3rd floor main conference room, and are open to the public, free of charge.
April 25, 2007, William Millar, President of the American Public Transportation Association — "The Future of Transit in the U.S."
Contact Heike Mayer at 703-706-8122 or heikem@vt.edu
The following City of Alexandria boards, committees and commissions will hold their April 2007 meetings as scheduled below. Additional committee meetings and subcommittee meetings may be held during the month and those meeting notices will be posted in the City Clerk’s Office. For further information, contact the person listed below. Amplified sound devices to assist the hearing impaired are available form the Sound Technician in Council Chambers for meetings at the location. Individuals with disabilities who required assistance or special arrangements to participate in the meetings listed below should contact Rose Boyd at 703.838-4800 or TTY 703.838-5056. We request that you provide a five-day notice so that the proper arrangements can be made.