All results / Stories / Shirley Ruhe
Keeping the Best and Adding the Vision in One Arlington Middle School
New principal leads Williamsburg Middle.
It was the third day of school and Gordon Laurie, new principal at Williamsburg Middle School, began his day when a father dropping off his son explained to Laurie that his son couldn't work the combination on his locker. Laurie told him he would take care of it.
Kostbar: Bike Noise Is Epidemic
People at Work
A week after the big snowstorm, a blue and silver Trek Excalibur sits on a bike rack waiting for its one-year warranty tune up and replacement of the chain links for more speed. Garrett Kostbar, service manager of Spokes etc. on Quaker Lane, will check all the bolts to be sure nothing has loosened up, adjust the head set to prevent slop or play in the bearing assembly, check the brake adjustment, make sure the wheels are true since the braided stainless steel cable can stretch out and break.
Cabrera: Automobile Detective of Alexandria
The case of the blinking AVS light.
Blink. Blink. The hood of the 2007 Toyota Highlander is propped open. Cristoper Cabrera, certified technician at Jack Taylor's Alexandria Toyota Scion, is sitting in the driver's seat, a bulky black machine on his lap, scanning the codes for a blinking AVS light. "It will give me some ideas on where to look."
Alexandria People at Work: Every Kitchen’s a Challenge
Shawna Dillon's mother let her pick out the furniture for her bedroom and rearrange it when she was 7 years old and, "I've always, always wanted to be an interior designer."
Alexandria: Call a Taxi for the Dog
VIP Pet offers grooming, spa services and a dog taxi. Guzal Arslanova, owner of the pet salon, said, "Some people are so busy and they don't want to deal with traffic. So our dog taxi delivers our clients to doggy school at Olde Towne School for Dogs, to the vet or doggie day care. We have doggie seat belts for very little tiny dogs to big ones. We get a lot of people staring at the van."
Alexandria People At Work: 32 Years of Cooking and Singing
It is 8:30 on Friday night and the customers look expectedly toward the kitchen.
Alexandria People At Work: It’s All About the Milk
It was dark on the farm as Kinsley Coulter got up at 2 a.m. to load his truck and drive the 150 miles from Juniata County, Pa. to the Alexandria Farmer's market on Saturday.
People At Work: Making Pasta - and More - in Alexandria
In the kitchen with Chef Jenrri
Flour sprayed through the air as Chef Henry Jenrri sprinkled the metal ravioli mold before spreading the sheet of pasta over the top. He filled each indentation with spinach filling, folded the large sheet of pasta over the top and pressed the rolling pin back and forth to separate the raviolis.
People at Work: Firefighter on Engine 204
The house tone went off. Durant Cephers quickly zipped off his shoes and pulled on his knee high steel-toed RBI retardant boots waiting by the fire truck. Then in a few seconds came his nomex hood, inner and outer layer protectant pants and jacket. He jumped into the right rear bucket seat. The firefighters were headed to a fire alarm on the third floor of new construction. It had taken about a minute from the time the alarm sounded until the fire truck pulled out into the street. Durant is assigned to the East Battalion, Engine 204 on Prince Street in Old Town, Alexandria.
Alexandria People at Work: It’s All About the Pan
Mauviel copper saucepans and fry pans hang on pegs across the wall in back of the counter at La Cuisine on Cameron Street.
Alexandria: Wiggle Toes Plié Through the Morning
People at Work
The warm up music begins from the corner. "Are you ready?" Jessica Petchenick, instructor at Tiny Dancers on S. Washington Street, asks, "Can you dance with your eyes?" Moms and leotard-bedecked children blink at each other. "Can you dance with your nose?" Noses wiggle including five mothers and one father who has accompanied his daughter to today's Wiggle Toes class for 2-3 year olds. After wiggling ears and patting tummies, at last the answer is "You dance with your feet."
Alexandria People At Work: Dancing the Afternoon Away
Dancing the Afternoon Away
Shiny silver heels glide over the polished wooden floor. Today Lioudmila Blinov will review the steps of the Argentine tango with Gregory and Lindsey Bearce from Alexandria who have been dancing there since January. You can do it "slow slow slow" or "slow quick quick slow. It's what you feel." They have already been through the foxtrot and other basics. "He bought me a dance lesson as an anniversary present,” Lindsey says. "And now it's kind of like a date night sort of thing," Gregory adds.
Arlington: Palette 22 Combines Working Art with International Flavors
Diners can watch art in progress.
Palette 22 at 4053 Campbell Ave. in Shirlington combines international street food with work stations for local artists where diners can watch art work in progress.
People At Work: Crafting a Floral Centerpiece in Alexandria
The art of flower arrangement
Scott Marchand puts hanging amaryllis in the green foam oasis rings. “See how it is giving it a kind of cascading look. I put my greens in first, “ he says. “This is going to be an open, airy floral arrangement in fall tones as a centerpiece for a table.
In the Kitchen: Carluccio’s Chef Celia Keeps it Simple, Fresh, Italian...
Carluccio’s Chef Alfio Celia juggles an industrial stove full of boiling kettles, one for the eggs that will go in the Nicoise salad and one for the chicken that will be brined for the chicken salad.
Meet the Chef: Frantz of Majestic
Chef Frantz discovers her sweet spot in the kitchen.
Wedges of lemon, squares of unsalted butter, curly green onion slivers, low country gravy and blackened shrimp sit mise en place in the prep kitchen at The Majestic on King Street. Lisa Marie Frantz, executive chef at The Majestic, is preparing shrimp and grits made to order for each customer.
Alexandria People at Work: The Hunt for the Culex Mosquito
Daniel Sherwood poked the long-handled dipper into the manhole. "Let's see if we can get any here." He peered into the stagnant water in the dipper. "Look at this; we have all four instars in here. These rafts are filled with eggs, and each raft can have 50-100 mosquitoes. See that little guy wiggling around in there," he said. "He is getting ready to pupate. We are really concerned about the pupa. When they get to the fourth instar stage, they stop eating and start laying eggs."
In the Kitchen: Evan Buchholz Heats Up Alexandria's Rustico
Making 130 pies a day is a labor of love for this pizza-maker.
Evan Buchholz pulls a wad of dough out of a large bucket onto Rustico’s kitchen counter.
Meet the Chef: Virtue Feed & Grain
Energy, camaraderie, chaos personify Duncan’s kitchen.
"Corner," Corporate Executive Chef Graham Duncan calls as he heads down the stairs and makes the sharp turn to the kitchen at Virtue Feed & Grain on Union Street. It is a bustling Friday lunchtime, and he squeezes by the line cook grilling Virtue and lamb burgers.
Alexandria People At Work: Back to Kindergarten
Ponytails and polka dots bounce through the door at Douglas MacArthur Elementary School a few minutes before 8 a.m. The noise gradually levels off, and the daily kindergarten routine begins.