The Alexandria Beautification Commission is accepting nominations for the 2007 Alexandria Beautification Awards. The awards program recognizes City residents, organizations, and businesses for their efforts in contributing to the beautification of Alexandria’s neighborhoods and public vistas with landscaping and aesthetic design. Nominations with the property address clearly identified must be submitted by Friday, May 25, and can be e-mailed to marie.johnston@navy.mil or mailed to:
Alexandria Beautification Commission
P.O. Box 178
Alexandria, VA 22313
The Alexandria Beautification Commission presents the awards for Residential, Commercial, Public, and Service categories. Nominations are judged on the use of texture, color, plant material, neighborhood context, marked improvements, and overall appearance. Properties nominated must be visible from the public right-of-way. Award winners will be recognized at the Beautification Awards Ceremony, scheduled to be held on Oct. 1 at the Lyceum, located at 201 S. Washington St.
For more information on the awards and the commission, call Marie Johnston, Chair of the Alexandria Beautification Commission, at 202-433-4171, or e-mail marie.johnston@navy.mil.
Old Town North Community Partnership and Best Solutions have created the third "Taste of Old Town North" featuring Old Town North area restaurants, gourmets and hotels on Thursday, May 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. This third "Taste" will feature food and beverage samplings from area restaurants. The event will be held at the newly improved grounds of Montgomery Park, located between Montgomery & First Streets, in the Old Town North section of historic Old Town . Admission is free to all and this is a family and local business community event. This culinary social outdoor event will solely benefit the Old Town North Partnership’s improvement initiative of Montgomery Park, including the new walkways and the new construction of and installation of a thirty-foot wide picnic shelter and entertainment Gazebo. Sponsors for the event include: Armed Forces Benefit Association, Montgomery Center, New Target Internet Design & Development, Holladay Corporation/Abingdon Row & Old Town Sport & Health.
Guests enjoying the "Taste of Old Town North" will be able to sample signature dishes from participating restaurants, gourmets and hotels and enjoy live entertainment providing by the City of Alexandria Department of Parks and Recreation featuring Caribbean sounds by Sam ‘O & the band JFC. There will also be non-alcohol and other beverages offered to guests. Restaurants that will be represented include Stardust, A La Lucia, Fin & Hoof in the Sheraton Hotel, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, Traditions Restaurant in the Holiday Inn-First street, Thailand Royal Restaurant and Villa Di’Este Ristorante.
Fencing Classes. "The Oldest Modern Sport," blending athletic technique and reaction speed with tactics and strategy. Classes are offered from 8-9 p.m. at Alexandria’s Mount Vernon Recreation Center, 2701 Commonwealth Ave. Beginner classes are held Mondays, beginning April 18. Prerequisites for the Advanced-Beginner class are completion of the Beginner class or the instructor’s permission. The cost of the eight-week session is $60. Masks, foils, and jackets are provided. Sign up in advance at the Chinquapin Recreation Center, 3210 King St.,, on-line at www.alexandria.gov/recreation, or register on the first night of class.
The Annual NALC/USPS food drive will be held on Saturday, May 12. All Postal Customers in the Alexandria Mailing Zip Codes beginning with the numbers "223" will be asked to place bags of Non Perishable food items near their mail receptacles, to be picked up by their Letter Carriers. The carriers will then help to distribute the food items to local area food banks. Contact Brian McCormick at 571-278-3231
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 public is invited to attend a community meeting to discuss proposed improvements to playgrounds at Goat Hill Park, located at 33 Kennedy St., and Landover Park, located at 3301 Landover St. The meeting will be held at 7 pm on Monday, May 14, at the Warwick Pool Community Room, 3315 Landover St.
During the meeting, attendees will give input and suggestions on their need for play equipment. Staff from the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities will provide an overview of the project and outline the public process for community input as the proposal moves forward.
Persons who are unable to attend the community meeting can send written comments to the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, Attention: Judy Lo, 1108 Jefferson St., Alexandria, VA 22314.
Healthy Families Alexandria (HFA) will host a fundraising event at Metro Stage at 1201 North Royal St. on Monday, May 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.to benefit the children and families it serves. HFA is a program of Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS), an organization dedicated to empowering and strengthening families and the community. This will be the sixth year for the benefit for HF The benefit event will include a reception and feature performing artist, Chris Ullman, the four-time national and international whistling champion. Virginia Senator Patricia Ticer, who has been a long time supporter of the program and who was the mayor of Alexandria when the program began in 1993, is the Honorary Chair.
This year, NVFS and HFA will present the second annual "Spirit of Synergy Award" to the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI). Founded in 1968 NACHRI is a not-for-profit, membership organization of more than 200 children’s hospitals committed to excellence in providing health care to children. NACHRI works to ensure children’s access to health care and the continuing ability of children’s hospitals to provide services needed by children.
Healthy Families Alexandria is a voluntary home visiting program that supports new parents and their young children ages 0-5 during a child's most rapid and significant phase of development. Started in 1993, the program improves parenting, encourages child health and development and prevents child abuse and neglect. In FY 2006, the program served 212 families.
To purchase tickets, or for complimentary media registration, please contact Sara Skees, 703.219.2120.
The Alexandria Red Cross is holding its annual meeting on Thursday, May 31, 2007 at noon. The event will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Old Town Alexandria, located at 1900 Diagonal Road (across from the King Street Metro Station). Registration will begin at 11:30 a.m. with lunch being served at noon. The cost for the luncheon is $25 per person.
One of the highlights of the event will be the presentation of the prestigious Burke Award, given annually to an individual who, through volunteer work (not necessarily related to the Red Cross,) has demonstrated a level of commitment through a variety of organizations and has made a significant impact on the quality of life in Alexandria. The award is named in honor of the Chapter’s founder, Esther Dashille Taylor Burke.
Reservations for the annual luncheon must be made by May 29, 2007.
For more information on the annual meeting or to make a nomination for the 2007 Burke Award, please contact Tina Games-Evans, Public Relations Manager at GamesT@usa.redcross.org or by telephone (703) 549-8300.
The Alexandria Office of Aging and Adult Services are holding medication reviews with local pharmacists throughout June and July. Free. 703-838-0927.
* Thursday, June 21: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Lee Center , 1108 Jefferson St
* Monday, June 25: 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. at St. Martins Senior Center, 4650 Taney Ave.
* Friday, June 29: 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Annie B. Rose senior high-rise, 399 Pendleton St.; 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. at Ladrey senior high-rise, 300 Wythe St .
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.
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 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.
The Alexandria Election Process Review Committee will hold a public hearing on Saturday, June 2, at 10 a.m. at City Hall, located at 301 King St., in the Council Chambers, second floor. The Committee has met several times to review Alexandria’s election process and related issues, and is preparing a document that will be distributed to the public in early May on the issues under its consideration. For each issue, the document will give some background, and describe current City practice and any changes to the practice that are under consideration.
The public hearing will allow the public to respond to the document.
Since 1973, the Alexandria City Charter has provided for Mayoral and City Council elections to be held every three years on the second Tuesday in May. School Board elections have been held on the same schedule since 1994. The Constitution and Code of Virginia allow cities such as Alexandria to hold elections for Mayor, City Council, and the School Board in May or November. The State allows terms of office to run from one to four years in length. The Code specifies that elections and terms for School Board members must be the same as those for City Council.
For additional information on the Alexandria Election Process Review Committee, call Bernard Caton, Legislative Director for the City of Alexandria, at 703-838-3828, or e-mail bernard.caton@alexandriava.gov.