Residents, who receive City trash and recycling services, are reminded that trash and recycling collection is delayed by one day the week of May 28 due to the Memorial Day holiday. If your regular collection day is Monday, you will be serviced on Tuesday this week only. Regular services on Tuesday will be serviced on Wednesday; Wednesday on Thursday; Thursday on Friday. For more information, contact the Solid Waste Division at 703-519-3486.
The Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) has awarded low income housing tax credits to assist in funding a major portion of the construction of The Station at Potomac Yard, a project that includes affordable and workforce rental housing. The Station at the Potomac Yard is part of an innovative mixed-use building that will include 64 apartment units above a new City fire station and a small retail space within Landbay G of the 165-acre Potomac Yard redevelopment site. The tax credits from the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program will provide approximately $10 million in equity for the project.
The Station at Potomac Yard is being built through a public-private collaboration that includes the City, the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation (AHDC), and Potomac Yard Development, LLC (PYD), a private entity. PYD, a joint venture comprised of Pulte Homes and Centex Homes, donated the parcel of land for the mixed use project, as well as $6 million for the fire station and $6 million for the affordable housing.
The Low Income Housing Tax Credit program is a federal program that was developed in the mid-1980s to provide an incentive for private investment in affordable rental housing production and preservation. In Virginia, the program is administered by the VHDA, the state’s housing finance agency. Once a year, developers are invited to submit applications for affordable housing project proposals that are reviewed and ranked by the VHDA. Projects are scored based on a variety of criteria, including readiness, local support, level of affordability, provision of family-sized units, developer experience, economic feasibility, and special amenities or features, such as enhanced energy efficiency, building sustainability, and accessibility. In return for credits, projects remain affordable for 30 years.
For more information, call Helen McIlvaine, Deputy Director of City’s Office of Housing, at 703-838-4990.
For the first time, a popular annual bicycle tour is being expanded to include the City of Alexandria. The Arlington & Alexandria Community Bike Ride will take place on Sunday, June 3. The event is a non-competitive, family-oriented tour of roads and trails that will begin and end this year in Arlington County’s Shirlington community.
The Arlington & Alexandria Community Bike Ride consists of the Community Tour, a 23-mile ride through Arlington and Alexandria, mostly on trails and bike lanes; and the Family Ride, a 7-mile ride on trails. Registration for the event begins at 7 a.m. The Community Tour will start at 8 a.m. and the Family Ride will begin at 8:30 a.m. The cost is $15 per person and $30 per family. Children, ages 13 and under, participate for free.
Individuals can register for the Arlington & Alexandria Community Bike Ride by visiting the Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s Web site at www.waba.org/cbr. Participants will receive a bicycle bell, refreshments at a series of rest stops every few miles, and a chance to win a new bike.
For more information on the Arlington & Alexandria Community Bike Ride, call Yon Lambert, the City’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Program Coordinator, at 703-838-4966 or visit www.waba.org/cbr.
The Alexandria Red Cross is holding its annual meeting on Thursday, May 31 at 11 a.m. 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 am 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 as 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. This year's award will be presented to former City Manager, Vola Lawson, for her many years of services to the Alexandria community. Reservations for the annual luncheon must be made by May 30, 2007. For more information, please contact Tina Games-Evans, Public Relations Manager at
GamesT@usa.redcross.org or by telephone 703- 549-8300.
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 has prepared a document on the issues under its consideration. Written comments can be mailed or delivered to Bernard Caton, City Hall, 301 King Street, Room 3400, Alexandria VA 22314; or e-mailed to bernard.caton@alexandriava.gov.
The Alexandria Human Rights Commission is seeking submissions for the Student Human Rights Awards. The essay and letter of recommendation should showcase a student’s or student group’s contributions during the current academic year. Submissions must be mailed or delivered to the Director of the Office of Human Rights, 421 King St., Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314, by the close of business on Friday, May 25. Call Jean Niebauer, Director of the City’s Office of Human Rights, at 703-838-6390 or e-mail jean.niebauer@alexandriava.gov.
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.
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.
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.