Alexandria Times · 3/3/2021 · VP visits For iNFo about alexaNdria’S adoptable petS, pleaSe viSit . tHaNK You The Alexandria Animal Shelter’s Pet of the Week is sponsored by

Experienced educa-tor prioritizes city’s economy, schools, equityBY CODY MELLO-KLEIN

Amy Jackson, a current member of City Coun-cil and longtime educa-tor in Northern Virginia, kickstarted her council re-election campaign on Feb. 3, her birthday.

It was a personal way for Jackson to launch

her campaign at a time when knocking on doors and meeting community

members at fundraisers are no longer part of run-ning a campaign. It was also apt for a candidate who was raised in Alexan-dria and pitches herself as a “voice of the people.”

“We have an inclusive city that’s always been home to me,” Jackson said. “I want to continue to always find a path to make sure that people feel

Vol. 17, No.9 Alexandria’s only independent hometown newspaper. MARCH 4, 2021

The right to bargain

Hybrid learning begins at ACPSBY ALLISON HAGEMAN

Alexandria City Public Schools welcomed back its first group of students for in-per-son hybrid learning on Tuesday after almost a year of virtual learning. The returning stu-dents are kindergarten through fifth graders who are receiving special education services or are English language learners.

At Mount Vernon Commu-nity School, which has a large English Language student population and has been pre-paring for reopening all year, teachers, staff and students were excited to return to the classroom, Principal Liza Bur-

rell-Aldana said. “We just want to make sure

that the kids feel that this is like the moment that we’ve been waiting for since March last year,” Burrell-Aldana said. “And we are just very happy to see the kids.”

From March to March

After COVID-19 reached Al-exandria in early March 2020, ACPS closed its doors on March 16 and switched to a virtual learning model. Those doors are now reopening just a couple of weeks shy of one full year later.

Tuesday was not always the date ACPS had planned for its reopening. ACPS announced last fall that a partial return to the

City, unions debate proposed labor ordi-nanceBY WILL SCHICK

The city will be discussing a proposed draft ordinance on collective bargaining on March 9 that, if passed, would bring the labor practice to Al-exandria for the first time.

Collective bargaining is the legal process by which pub-lic sector employees negotiate their wages, benefits and work-ing conditions with their gov-ernment employers. While col-lective bargaining agreements are ubiquitous throughout the country and permitted in 47

TimesAlexandria

INSIDERiver Farm

AHS declines offer from NOVA Parks.

Page 3

KidsSome creative solutions to

combat cabin fever.Page 10

LIZLUKE.COM | 703.868.5676

LIZLUKE.COM | 703.868.5676

PHOTO/ACPSA sign welcoming students back to Alexandria City Public Schools on Tuesday.

Amy Jackson gears up for re-election bid

Back to school

AMY JACKSON

SEE BARGAINING | 4

SEE ACPS | 8

SEE JACKSON | 6

CANDIDATE PROFILECANDIDATE PROFILE

2 |MARCH 4, 2021 ALEXANDRIA TIMES

Spring Market is heating upWith the DC Metro Area experiencing low inventory levels, we’re gearing up for a wildly busy Spring Market. Here’s a sneak peek at some of our latest listings. As always, reach out to one of our Alexandria Experts to help guide you through the buying or selling process with a fullproof strategy in place.

The Goodhart Group [email protected] [email protected]

Homes of Alexandria Team [email protected]@compass.com

The Rivkin Group [email protected] [email protected]

Pia Taylor [email protected]

1512 Stonewall Rd, Alexandria, VA 223025 BD | 3.5 BA | $2 ,195,000

Listed by The Goodhart Group

601 N. Fairfax St, Unit 215 Alexandria VA 22314

2 BD | 2 .5 BA | $1 ,950,000

Listed by Pia Taylor

201 E Randolph Ave, Alexandria, VA 223013 BD | 3 BA | $1 ,195,000

Listed by Homes of Alexandria Team

2206 Basset Street, Alexandria, VA 223086 BD | 3 BA | $890,000

Listed by The Rivkin Group

ACTIVE

ACTIVE

ACTIVE

ACTIVE

Compass is a licensed real estate brokerage that abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Compass is licensed as Compass Real Estate in DC and as Compass in Virginia and Maryland. 1006 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 | 703.277.2152

Start your Search!

WWW.ALEXTIMES.COM MARCH 4, 2021 | 3

Alexandria resident Meronne Teklu has an-nounced she is running for City Council in the June 8 Democratic primary.

Teklu was born in Alexan-dria, raised in Fairfax County and is the child of Ethiopian immigrants. She graduated from the College of William & Mary with an interdisci-plinary studies degree and majored in Africana stud-ies. She currently works as a

management consultant at a professional services firm and previously served as commu-nity manager for the Institute for East African Councils on Higher Education.

On her campaign website, Teklu describes herself as “a driven, empathetic leader who is running for Alexandria City Council to connect the voic-es of marginalized and un-derrepresented communities with City leadership.”

Teklu will join 10 other candidates in the June 8 Dem-ocratic primary: new candi-dates Sarah Bagley, Bill Camp-bell, Alyia Gaskins, James Lewis, Richard Kirk McPike, Patrick Moran, and Bill Ross-ello and incumbent Councilors Canek Aguirre, John Chapman and Amy Jackson.

Candidate Abdel Elnou-bi recently announced he is dropping out of the race.

[email protected]

The City of Alexandria is experiencing the larg-est 10-day spike in reported COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic reached the city a year ago, though the city cau-tioned that these deaths were the result of the post-holiday case surge and could have oc-curred weeks earlier.

In the last 10 days, the Vir-

ginia Department of Health has determined that 16 ad-ditional Alexandria residents have died from COVID-19, bringing the city’s death total to 120. The 16 deaths reported in 10 days surpass even the reported death to-tals from last spring, when most of the city’s long-term care facilities experienced

COVID-19 outbreaks. There have been lags between the occurrence of deaths and when VDH reports them throughout the pandemic.

In addition, the four deaths reported on Feb. 28 were the second-most in a single day since the pandemic began, trailing only June 26, 2020.

[email protected]

The American Horticultur-al Society announced on Mon-day that it had declined an offer made by NOVA Parks and the Northern Virginia Conser-vation Trust to purchase the historic River Farm property, according to a news release.

The 27-acre property

has served as the headquar-ters for AHS since the 1970s when philanthropist and AHS member Enid Haupt donated $1 million to help AHS pur-chase the property and keep it open the public. AHS put the property on the open real estate market in November,

citing the financial strain of maintaining the property as the reason for the sale.

Regional parks organiza-tion NOVA Parks and NVCT, a local nonprofit, put for-ward an offer to purchase the

The pets-in-waiting are asking Santa for a home of their own this holiday. Your donation sustains them while they wait.

AlexandriaAnimals.org/Donate 703-746-4774

THANK YOU

Now 16 months, Molly is fully grown but retains those puppy charms we love.

Molly is a clever girl, happy to show off her excellent sit, and, we suspect, eager to learn more. Such a happy companion she is, she

will make you happy too.

AlexandriaAnimals.org/Adopt-By-Appointment 703-746-4774

THANK YOU

~ Phoenix ~

~ Puppy Time ~

~ Canine Health Care ~

www.diannhicks.com

The Alexandria Animal Shelter’s Pet of the Week is sponsored by Diann Hicks, finding

homes for pets and humans, alike.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SARAH’S FUND, PLEASE CALL

703-746-4774 OR VISIT US AT www.ALExANDRIAANIMALS.ORg/DONATE

THANk yOU

Puppies require surgery sometimes. “Sarah’s Fund”

provides Shelter pets with needed procedures.

This puppy will soon undergo an operation to repair

“pulmonic stenosis”, with donations from Alexandrians.

Your five-dollar donation adds to Sarah’s Fund and

together with contributions of others, ensures that

medical care is there when needed.

ADOPTABLE PET OF THE WEEK

~ Special Needs ~Extra patience may be required to adopt Flash. At

age 4, he is energetic, and needs encouragement to slow down.

He’s lost a leg, but gained perspective on what’s important; be happy each day, and love those

around you. Flash well knows this credo, and hopes for a home of his own to share the love.

For iNFo about alexaNdria’S adoptable petS, pleaSe viSit www.alexandriaanimals.org.

tHaNK You

The Alexandria Animal Shelter’s Pet of the Week is sponsored by Diann Hicks Carlson, finding homes for pets and humans, alike.

Diann CarlsonWeichert Old Town

Realtors703-628-2440

“Let me find you a new home, too.”

For more information on the virtual campaign kickoff and to RSVP, visit

www.chapman4council.com

SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 3PM.

Join Councilman John Taylor Chapman as he officially kicks off his re-election

campaign for a fourth term on the Alexandria City Council.

WEEKLY BRIEFING

Meronne Teklu announces council run

VP visits Old Town's fibre space

Spike in reported COVID-19 deaths

AHS declines River Farm offer

PHOTO/PETER VELZ VIA TWITTERVice President Kamala Harris visited local knit-ting shop fibre space on Wednesday to discuss the American Rescue Plan and listen to owner Danielle Romanetti dis-cuss how her business is surviving the pandemic.

SEE RIVER FARM | 23


Celebrating 40 Years in Alexandria

www.rbincorporated.com

703-683-1996Heating & Air Conditioning

NEW MARCH 1! Fontaine ‘To Go’ Coffee Shop (2 doors right)

7:30 am to 2:30 pm daily Coffee, croissants, locally made pastries & more!

FONTAINE Mon. - Fri. 10:00 am - 2:30 pm; 5:30 - 10:00 pm Sat. - Sun. - 10 am - 10 pm

Dine in, try curbside take out or local delivery www.fontainebistro.com | 703-535-8151

Models Open | Alexandria Times | Eight-page 4C: 5.5" x 2.5"

OLD TOWN

Tour Our New ModelsWe are here for you and your loved ones. Visit Sunrise of Old Town for a one-on-one tour of our brand new models. You’ll get a sneak peek of our community’s amenities, activities, and dining program. We look forward to sharing our personalized approach to assisted living and memory care, coming to Alexandria in the spring of 2021.

703-454-9900 | SunriseOldTown.com/Times

CONTACT US TO SCHEDULE YOUR

PERSONAL TOUR

© 2020 Sunrise Senior Living

58720156-061-Sunrise_Old_Town_Print_Media_Ads_MODELS_OPEN_hz3.indd 5 11/2/20 1:39 PM

states, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia have long outlawed the practice.

Last year, however, the Virginia state legislature passed a law allowing local governments and municipal-ities to establish collective bargaining ordinances.

If approved, the new pro-posed city ordinance will mark the first time that pub-lic sector employees in Al-exandria will have the legal right to participate in collec-tive bargaining.

Alexandria’s proposed ordinance is much more limited in scope than those currently on the books in Washington D.C. and Mary-land. It allows only for le-gally binding negotiations over wages and benefits. The proposed ordinance does not include negotiations about working conditions, such as how workplace hours and schedules are assigned and

how the city manages its handling of grievances and discipline.

While neighboring coun-ties such as Fairfax and Prince William have ex-pressed strong support for collective bargaining, they have not yet determined the scope of their ordinances. Along with Alexandria, Ar-lington was one of 17 mu-nicipalities to back collec-tive bargaining before it was banned in Virginia Supreme Court in 1977. Many local union members said they believe Arlington and other surrounding municipalities in the state will look to Alex-andria as a model.

According to City Man-ager Mark Jinks, limiting the ordinance’s scope is import-ant because it allows the city government to ensure there are no delays in the delivery of its essential services.

“The public holds City Council responsible for the delivery of services and

having a detailed contract which limits the ability to be responsive … can interfere with, at times, the effective delivery of services that City Council is held responsible for,” Jinks said.

Others, however, argue that a sole focus on wages and benefits misses the mark.

Scott Treibitz, a public relations consultant with 35 years of experience working with public employee unions, said that limiting the scope of the ordinance to negotia-tions over wages and benefits defeats the purpose of collec-tive bargaining.

“This is called ‘collec-tive bargaining’ … [in oth-er words] it’s collaborative bargaining. How do we work with a certain set of funds to develop the best kinds of policies out there that are going to serve our citizens?” Treibitz said.

Josh Turner, a local fire-fighter and president of Al-exandria Fire Fighters, Inc. Local 2141, a union rep-resenting firefighters and other first-responders in the city, echoed Treibitz’ stance. Turner added that he be-lieves widening the scope of the ordinance could address issues around scheduling and leave that local firefight-ers have had to contend with in the past.

“People don’t always get in the fire department the importance of scheduling and how people get leave,” Turner said.

Turner said two of his

colleagues missed Christmas one year because of an unan-ticipated shift in their sched-ules, which for bureaucratic reasons resulted in them no longer having enough leave for the holiday.

“When you switch a shift, it throws your life kind of up and down,” Turner said. “We work a nine-day rotation, and you can plan out your year. And I think for us as a union, that’s part of the con-versation when we talk about working conditions. That’s a practical application of it where, ‘Hey, we want to work on this to make it better.’”

Turner explained that expanding the scope of collective bargaining to include negotiations over working conditions could help them persuade the city government to make much-needed changes.

“We’ve approached ad-ministrations past, we’ve ap-proached the city about some of these issues, and some-times we don’t necessarily hear [back],” Turner said.

According to Jinks, con-versations between employ-ee associations and the city over workplace conditions hardly ever happen.

“Over the six years I’ve been city manager … wages and benefits is 99% of what [had been] raised,” Jinks said.

Jinks also said there was no need to change how city employees address concerns over their workplace condi-tions. There are currently ways for city employees to do

this via employee advisory committees and through a city-employee engagement process, according to Jinks.

However, as Cynthia Hudson, the special counsel hired by the city to help draft this ordinance, said in a City Council public hearing in February, the current process is not legally binding.

According to Hudson, in cases like this, “[Local gov-ernments] don’t have to do what they’re asked to do. It’s very different from collective bargaining.”

Another disagreement between labor unions and the city has to do with the proposed number of bargain-ing units.

The draft ordinance rec-ommends the city organize bargaining units into four broad categories: police, fire and EMS, labor and trades and general govern-ment. The proposed ordi-nance does not include pro-visions for teachers as the School Board determines their wages, benefits and working conditions.

Some unions, however, said they believed organizing bargaining units into these four broad categories can be problematic because they don’t always represent the interests of unified groups.

Namita Waghray, the communications coordinator for the American Federation of State, County and Munic-ipal Employees for Virginia,

BARGAINING FROM | 1

SEE BARGAINING | 12


What’s new in Old Town?

1103 PRINCE STREET

601 NORTH FAIRFAX ST. NO. 605

$1,350,000

$1,998,000

Circa 1805, Historic home with gorgeous

modern addition

Serene river views & elegant, one-level living

545 E. BRADDOCK ROAD NO. 201

6 POTOMAC COURT

$458,000

$1,795,000

Colecroft Station two bedroom, at Braddock Metro

Panoramic river views & excellent, recent renovations

Diann CarlsonCELL 703-628-2440

OFFICE [email protected]

623 SOUTH ROYAL STREET

734 SOUTH ROYAL STREET

$899,000

$1,495,000

Fabulous addition in Yates Gardens

~ UNDER CONTRACT ~

Sensational large gardens & handsome, recent renovations


5 thingsto keep in mind when buying a car in 2021

1. Save your cash. With interest rates at historic lows, money is cheap. Consider financing your new or used vehicle in-stead of blowing your nest egg on a de-preciating asset. Be on the lookout for 0% financing offers.

2. Consider a lease. Manufacturers heav-ily incentivize leases, which are currently at close to 0% interest rates, because they want the opportunity to lease you a new car once the contract is up. Your vehicle will be within the manufacturer’s warran-ty for the duration, so you won’t have any surprise repairs to worry about.

3. Don’t overextend. Before purchasing a new or used vehicle, be sure to consider all costs associated with ownership. The more expensive the car, the more you should budget for things like car insurance and personal property taxes.

4. Shop from home. Even if it is not being advertised, much of your car buying expe-rience can be completed from the comfort of your own home.

5. Go green. Nowadays, the difference in price between a hybrid car and its full gas counterpart is only a couple hundred dol-lars. And with today’s battery technology, you’ll be able to stretch that gallon of gas even further than earlier hybrid models.

The writer is marketing manager for Jack Taylor’s Alexandria Toyota.

BY ANDREW MITCHELL

welcome and that people feel seen. I want everybody here feeling seen.”

Jackson graduated from T.C. Williams High School and was formerly a teach-er and administrator at the middle and high school lev-els for more than a decade. She eventually took a break from teaching to raise her now 7- and 9-year-old chil-dren in the Seminary Hill neighborhood.

Prior to running for coun-cil in 2018, Jackson served on a variety of community boards and commissions, in-cluding the Commission for Women and the Fund for Al-exandria’s Child board.

During her first term on council, Jackson served on the Eisenhower Partnership Board of Directors; INOVA Alexandria Hospital task force; AlexRenew’s Com-bined Sewer Outfall Project Team Workgroup; the Metro-politan Washington Council of Governments Chesapeake Bay and Water Resources Policy Committee; and the Douglas MacArthur Elemen-tary School rebuild advisory committee, among others.

Jackson said the COVID-19 pandemic was the deciding factor in her choice to run for re-election. With City Council’s priorities shifting toward healthcare and recovery efforts, Jack-

son was unable to pursue some of the ideas she had campaigned on in 2018.

“It’s a year that, as an in-cumbent, I didn’t have to do other things that were on the list, things that, hear-ing from residents, they needed,” Jackson said. “The platform that we ran on before, it wasn’t a priority anymore. The priorities are the health of our residents, of our businesses.”

“My passion is my city, and so therefore, I can’t turn away,” Jackson added. “I couldn’t pass the baton. The baton is still mine to run the race with, so that’s what I’m doing.”

The health and safety of residents during the second year of the pandemic remain priorities for her, Jackson said. Jackson led the charge on passing a mask mandate ordinance before Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA) had issued a similar mandate statewide.

Jackson said she is fo-cused on helping Alexandria be successful after the pan-demic. Moving forward, she also plans to bring a race and social equity lens to every is-sue she considers on the dais.

“We need to bring equity to every situation. Reopen-ing Alexandria from the waterfront to the West End, it’s going to look different,” Jackson said.

Equity has long been a passion of Jackson’s and one she would continue to

champion during her sec-ond term on council, Jack-son said. During her time on the Commission for Wom-en, Jackson testified twice before the Virginia General Assembly in support of the Equal Rights Amendment. Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the amend-ment in January 2020.

With her experience as an educator and parent, ed-ucation would still be a pri-ority for Jackson if she were re-elected. Jackson said she wants City Council to ensure the Alexandria City Public Schools budget is fully fund-ed so that it can effectively pursue its ambitious long-term planning goals.

Jackson said the shift to virtual learning and remote work has highlighted the need for the city to create a municipal broadband net-work, something the city is currently considering.

“With people now know-ing they can stay home and not have to work [in-person], a lot more telecommuting is going to be going on, so our broadband needs to be strong and needs to be in place,” Jackson said. “It’s not just for our education and our students but also for our workforce. It demands it.”

Jackson also said she re-mains concerned about the city’s current approach to af-

In terms of affordable housing, we all want it. We all need it.

We just need to find another way to get there other than continuing to build and not get but one or two units out of something. The residents are not going to stand for it. I’m not going to stand for it.”

– Amy Jackson,member, Alexandria City Council

JACKSON FROM | 1

SEE JACKSON | 7

CANDIDATE PROFILE


fordable housing, which in-volves providing additional density to developers in ex-change for more affordable housing units in their projects.

“In terms of affordable housing, we all want it. We all need it,” Jackson said. “We just need to find an-other way to get there oth-er than continuing to build and not get but one or two units out of something. The residents are not going to stand for it. I’m not going to stand for it.”

During the Feb. 20 public hearing, council considered and ultimately approved the redevelopment of the Heri-tage at Old Town apartment complex. The development project spans three buildings, with 195 affordable units out of 750 new units.

Although she ultimately voted to approve the project due to the significant afford-able housing contribution, Jackson said the Heritage highlights her ongoing con-cern about increased develop-ment and density in Alexan-dria. At the hearing, Jackson voiced concerns about traffic impacts and increased en-rollment at the city’s already crowded schools.

“When we are looking at density, we also need to be sensible about what this den-sity means in the long run,” Jackson said.

With conversation current-ly swirling around the con-troversial stream restoration project in Taylor Run and the impacts of flooding on the city’s stormwater infrastruc-ture, ensuring the city is truly living up to its eco-city status is paramount, Jackson said.

“Moving forward in that regard, we are an eco-city, and we need to make sure that that is successful,” Jackson said.

In looking back on her first term on council, Jack-son said she is proud of the work she has done to make

Alexandria a safer and more inclusive city. She brought forward an ordinance, which passed unanimously, that prohibits firearms on city property. Jackson also helped shepherd the city’s race and social equity resolution from a set of ideas to reality.

Jackson added that her first term on council has taught her the value of an active, involved community input process and of council taking a measured yet progressive approach to policy. Jackson refers to her-self as a “principled progres-sive” Democrat.

“Being progressive doesn’t mean you have to be fast. You have to be thoughtful and de-liberate because when things change, and you want things to change that way, they don’t change overnight,” Jackson said.

Change has also been necessary for Jackson and her second City Council cam-paign. Social media and vir-tual fundraising events and meetings have taken on an even more important role.

“I’m still using all the tools I had before in my cam-paign toolbox, but I’ve had to add some and be creative and think outside the box … as I’m using the other tools I have,” Jackson said.

Jackson will face off against fellow incumbents Canek Aguirre and John Chapman in addition to at least eight new candidates in the June 8 Democratic prima-ry. However, Jackson said she believes her work on council over the last two years speaks volumes about her passion for and ability to lead a city that still is her home.

“I’m here to represent. I’m here to continue the work that I’ve been doing. I continue to look for new opportunities that will help our city in the future and beyond,” Jackson said. “I look forward to being the peoples’ representative for another term.”

[email protected]

The CaseStudy‰

Since our first renovation 60 years ago we'vebeen a team of visionaries. Our unique approachto the remodeling process is tried and true. It's so effective that we had to give it a name:The CaseStudy‰. We guide you through every step, using 3D renderings to bring new possibilities to light. At every phase of our work,we'll maintain strict attention to time and budget. Don't forget our 5-year warranty. Because you are our highest priority.

Our commitment to providing a safe, healthy, and respectful worksite and experience. DESIGN STUDIOS IN MD | DC | VA

CaseDesign.com | 703.539.5000

Always AlexandriaLocated in Old Town at the corner of Washington & King.Because during these times, home is more important than ever.

ADVERTISE WITH USDon’t miss your chance to advertise in the following special sections in the Alexandria Times! Contact us at 703.739.0001 for rates and more information.

March 18Weddings

March 25Homes

April 1Port City Flavor

JACKSON FROM | 6

CANDIDATE PROFILE


classroom would begin in Jan-uary 2021. When COVID-19 levels spiked over the holi-days and caseloads contin-ued to climb in January, the reopening timetable was pushed back several times.

A combination of factors led to March 2 being the date when schools actually began reopening: a decline in COVID-19 levels in Alex-andria, an increase in teach-er vaccinations, Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA) ordering Virginia schools to reopen by March 15 and ACPS’ com-pliance with the Virginia De-partment of Health and Cen-ters for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

During the past year, res-idents asked repeatedly for more details about when and how the school district would transition to in-person edu-cation. Parents’ frustration peaked last October follow-ing a particularly contentious School Board meeting. Imme-diately afterward, a group of parents formed the Facebook group “Open ACPS” to pres-sure the School Board and ad-ministration to provide in-per-son learning as an option.

Concerns about equity and the achievement gap also fueled discontent with virtual-only learning. In Jan-

uary, data released by ACPS’ Department of Accountabili-ty and Research showed that vulnerable student groups such as minority and spe-cial program students at the secondary level were falling behind at higher rates under virtual-only learning.

In mid-February, Mount Vernon Community School students and teachers cel-ebrated 100 days of Virtual PLUS+ learning, according to the school’s Facebook page. Posts after this announce-ment show the school pre-paring students for their re-turn to school with webinars, behind-the-scenes looks at

classrooms and a post telling them what to bring to school: a mask, tablet or Chromebook, charger, water bottle, head-phones and learning packet.

“We are excited to wel-come our first group of hy-brid students into our build-ing,” the post read in both English and Spanish.

Students also expressed enthusiasm about returning to their classrooms.

“I am really excited to go back to the building with my friends and meet my teach-ers in person,” Luis Armando Aleman Campos, 9, a Mount Vernon fourth grader, said via email. “I know we are go-ing through a hard time right now but we love our school and our teachers.”

Hybrid reopeningOn Tuesday, Mount Ver-

non welcomed about 120 stu-dents back for the first day of hybrid learning, Burrell-Al-dana said. The school would normally have about 900 students and 117 staff mem-bers. About 60% of staff are returning in-person, accord-ing to Burrell-Aldana.

Students coming back to school will have a schedule that remains similar to vir-tual learning and will start at 8 a.m., Burrell-Aldana said. During hybrid learning, stu-

dents will get dropped off by parents or come off the bus and be greeted by teachers in the auditorium, cafeteria or gym to be guided to their classrooms.

In the classrooms, stu-dents’ desks will be spaced six-feet apart, have clear plastic shields and personal supplies for the students.

“We’re making sure that they keep the normalcy that they’ve had this year in terms of instruction,” Bur-rell-Aldana said.

According to ACPS’ “Back to school guide for hybrid learning,” the classroom schedules for hybrid learning will be in-person Tuesday and Wednesday or Thursday and Friday, while Monday will re-main asynchronous.

School services offered to students will include free breakfast and lunch, to be consumed in the classroom; bus transportation, with limited space due to so-cial-distancing constraints, for eligible students; and ad-ditional school supplies pro-vided as needed.

ACPS parent Jennie Ritt has two children in first and third grade who will return to hybrid learning, March 18 at James K. Polk Elementa-ry School as part of Group B. During the pandemic, her

children have attended The Campagna Center at Patrick Henry Elementary. She said she was initially excited at the news of schools reopening until she went to the last PTA meeting.

At the PTA meeting, Ritt said they described recess as students in a field, lined up six-feet apart and walking around the school. It sound-ed like “child prison,” Ritt said. Other restrictions men-tioned, according to Ritt, were that students can’t use water fountains, go to the bathroom together or get up from their desks.

On the first day of hy-brid learning, her children experienced new guidelines at The Campagna Center, including no longer being allowed to play on the play-ground equipment. She said this is upsetting to her and her kids because they have been attending the program “successfully” since last June and using the playground.

“There has to be a better way,” Ritt said.

The Alexandria PTA Council was contacted for comment on the reopening of ACPS but did not respond in time for publication.

Each morning before in-person school, parents must complete a daily symp-tom checklist which asks health screening questions such as if a student has a tem-perature over 100 degrees. In school, students are required to wear masks, except when eating, and maintain a six-foot distance from others.

Ritt said she thinks this is asking too much of parents, as it adds another step in an al-ready hectic morning process.

Though when asked about social distancing and wearing a mask, Mount Ver-non fourth grader Madison Andrade Diaz, 9, said in an email that wearing a mask makes her feel great.

“The mask protects me

PHOTO/ACPSA student washes their hands while a staff member looks on at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School.

ACPS FROM | 1

SEE ACPS | 9


703 797 3800 | HERMITAGENOVA.ORG | 5000 FAIRBANKS AVENUE | ALEX ANDRIA, VA 22311

LET’S TALK TODAY TO CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY!

LIVE ON YOUR OWN TERMSHERMITAGE NORTHERN VIRGINIA, a tree-lined senior living community in the heart of Alexandria, provides our residents with the tools necessary to live life on your own terms. We connect residents, families, and loved ones through a person-centered approach to senior living, ensuring support and services are tailored to your individual needs. Our emphasis on togetherness creates a dynamic and engaging retirement community that lets you thrive! Whether you live independently or require more assistance, Hermitage Northern Virginia is ready to help you enjoy a journey that you create.

from COVID-19. There’s no problem for me wearing a mask,” Diaz said. “But it’s hard to have the mask all the time, but it’s safe to not spread the virus. About the distance, I have to get used to being away from my teachers and friends.”

Classroom monitors The transition to hybrid

learning brings with it a new staff position: the classroom monitor. Those who serve as classroom monitors will be the in-person presence for teachers who are not able to be in the classroom.

A recent ACPS job posting said the classroom monitor role “ensures the students (up to eight students) stay engaged in their learning; laptops and classroom in-struction will be followed per the instruction of the on-line teacher (using Zoom vid-eo-conference technology).”

Mount Vernon will have 12

classroom monitors who were recently trained, according to Burrell-Aldana. In the case of Mount Vernon, since many staff members are returning to the classroom, the moni-tors will work with a teacher who may be in another room, collaborating with the teach-er on supervising students, Burrell-Aldana said.

When asked about class-room monitors, Ritt, who re-cently applied to be a monitor, said she wondered how they would be able to assist stu-dents in need. On Tuesday, her children were told that both of their teachers are coming back to school for hybrid learning, and as a result will not have classroom monitors.

“[There are] no classroom monitors for either of our kids and that is definitely a good feeling and another reason we love and appreci-ate our amazing teachers,” Ritt said via email.

Some parents from the OpenACPS group questioned

the role of classroom moni-tors on their Facebook page.

One parent wrote that they specifically asked at a re-entry meeting if monitors could help a child struggling with an assignment.

“The reply was point blank-No,” the parent wrote on the OpenACPS Facebook page. “They are paying peo-ple to stand there and NOT help kids.”

“The principal told every-one that the monitors are ‘not trained’ to assist students,” another parent wrote.

The ACPS website states that classroom monitors are not teachers or substitute teachers. According to ACPS, the responsibilities of class-room monitors are limited to ensuring students remain at-tentive on their laptops and providing some help to stu-dents under the direction of the online classroom teacher.

In the same post, ACPS indicated that monitors in special needs classrooms will

be hired using specialty agen-cies. The monitors will receive two days of focused training specifically for special needs classrooms. They will “be un-der guidance from the class-room’s trained professional.”

Next stepsThe next group of stu-

dents will return to school for hybrid learning on March 9, specifically grades six through 12 in special edu-cation and EL services. The remaining students whose families have opted for hy-brid learning are slated to return on March 16.

By the end of March, Mount Vernon is expecting 420 students to return to classrooms, Burrell-Aldana said. While staff and stu-dents are excited to be back in the classroom, Burrell-Al-dana warned that school is not going to look the way it used to for a while.

“It’s about adjustment and it’s about communication,

making sure that the kids know that we’re still a school and we’re still a community and we are still here for them, and that this is the first step,” Burrell-Aldana said.

Despite her concerns with various facets of the reopen-ing, Ritt said getting her kids back in school now is an im-portant step toward return-ing to full time, in-person learning in the fall.

On the first day of re-opening, Ritt said she could see the positive side. For the first time in almost a year, she saw her local neighbor-hood crossing guards back on their corners, parents walking their children to school, school buses with kids on board and teachers excitedly cheering to wel-come back students.

“I want my kids back in school. I want every kid back in school,” Ritt said. “And I feel like at this point, corona-virus isn’t going anywhere.”

[email protected]

ACPS FROM | 8


Fight cabin fever and quarantine boredomBY EVA BOUTROS

If you are under the age of 20, or even over, I can pret-ty much guarantee you’ve experienced the feeling of boredom, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown.

As a 13-year-old student, I have experienced this feeling myself on multiple occasions, but this article contains some home-made remedies for this unpleasant state that can help you and others in your life. These are some things I like to do when I have a whole lot of extra time on my hands, and I hope you enjoy them.

One of the things I like to do is arts and crafts. Try making up your own art proj-ect, or if you have trouble doing that, find some ideas online or bring back an old favorite. Paint your painting with different colors. Make a collage on your wall with your own art projects and

photos. Those are just my suggestions, but I encourage you to make up your own.

One way you can do some-thing for others through this project is by thinking about a family member or loved one – what do they like? Do they have a favorite animal or hob-by? Do you share an inside joke with them? I suggest trying to incorporate these things into a

home-made card and mailing it to them. Yes, with a stamp and an envelope. From expe-rience, I can say it has a good chance of making their day.

Another thing I like to do is read. To me, there are few things better than a good sto-ry. However, if you are not the story type, there are thousands upon thousands of non-fiction books to choose from. Or, if you get tired of endless black words marching across a white page, try a comic book.

One of the things I like to do, if I own the book, of course, is highlight certain quotes I like or keep a bookmark in pages I want to reread or go over again. If you’d like to do something for others, show a friend a thoughtful or kind quote you marked that made you think of them, or if they have similar interests, see if they identify with it. Anoth-er thing you could do is come up with or write down a story for your loved one. It could be about them or just something out of your imagination.

Another fun thing to do

is photography. You don’t need a big, fancy camera – just your phone or digi-tal camera will do. Take ad-vantage of the absence of crowds in Washington D.C., for instance, and snap a few photos of the amazing land-marks. The waterfront in Old Town is also another place to go for great photos. For oth-ers, try making a collage with the photos you took or creat-ing a post card for a distant friend or relative.

If you feel a sweet tooth coming on, try baking. There are thousands of tasty, easy recipes online, and I’m willing to bet you or a family member has a cookbook or recipe book. Choose something you like that is at your baking level – and that you’re not allergic to – and start baking. I suggest putting all your ingredients and items you will need on your counter before you start so you know you have nothing missing. I have had a lot of fun baking during quarantine, and I hope you do, too. One thing that would be appreciated is

baking for an elderly person or a new neighbor.

The last suggestion might sound boring, but hear me out: I suggest reorganizing and/or redecorating your bed-room. This might seem te-dious, but I promise you the end result is worth it. Clear out any old clutter that is in your way, especially in your closet and bathroom, and donate it to a charity, such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

If you plan to re-deco-rate your room, talk with your parents and figure out a budget. Sort out your main priorities, such as paint, fur-niture, etc., then head to the nearest furniture store or buy online. If you’re going for a less thorough redecoration, try moving your furniture around with an adult’s help or putting up new things on your walls.

These are just a few ideas from me, but don’t feel pres-sured to stick to my list – add your own fun things. Just know that I understand how you feel, and I did my very best to try and cure your boredom – I hope it worked! Remember to have fun and stay safe. I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on this matter, and I will see you on the other side of this virus.

The writer is a 7th grader at Immanuel Lutheran School.

Creative COVID 19 activities

529 Kids Consign offers not only consignment items but also

the freshest & most trendy must haves for hip moms and cool kids.

703-567-4518 | 529kidsconsign.com

529 Kids Consign122A S. Royal St.

FILE PHOTOSometimes painting your room or rearranging your furniture is all you need to bust some boredom.

EVA BOUTROS


AZALEASBIKINGBLOOMBLUEBELLSBUTTERFLIES

CARDINALCHERRY TREECICADADOGWOODFISHING

GARDENINGHIKINGPICNICPOLLENSQUIRRELS

GFBNAZALEASXJAF

DOGWOODESFSRTGP

CCFWVSQUIRRELSZ

OHAYNRBLUAZCRPM

TBERBGBLUEBELLS

MUGRDOEBLHIKING

VTAGRIKVGJZLNOE

KTRBZYNIINCIRKP

KEDQWZTAIYYDLBO

BRECKGWRLQDDTLL

IFNYQDADEISKVOL

KLICICADAEXUNOE

IINXFISHINGYOMN

NEGDUJUCGJDRPHY

GSLBAWPICNICQPL

SIGNS OF SPRING

Come aboard a floating classroom and learn about the role of the Continental Navy in the Amer-ican Revolution. Meet Captain John Paul Jones for stories, games and a guided tour of Tall Ship Providence. This 45-minute educational pro-gram runs every Monday until June 28, 2021.Date: Starting March 8 Time: Program times run between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.Location: 1 Cameron St.Information: www.tallshipprovidence.org

MARITIME MONDAYS ON THE TALL SHIP PROVIDENCE

CHERRY BLOSSOMS WORKSHOP FOR KIDS

The cherry blossoms are only in bloom for a few weeks, but in this workshop, young artists can create glittery masterpieces that they’ll want to keep on display all year long. Explore a unique painting technique as you create a sparkly cherry blossom painting. Come get messy with Kid Create Studio as we celebrate this magical time of year.Date: March 20Time: 2 to 3 p.m.Location: Kid Create Studio, 724 Jefferson St.Information: www.kidcreate.com/alexandria

COURTESY PHOTOSLeft: Lucy McArdle,

a second grade student at Mount

Vernon Community School, depicts a

beautiful spring dayMiddle: An

abstract rainbow from Mount Vernon Community School

kindergartener Jess Allen.

Right: A depiction of the Eiffel Tower from Maxim Louis,

a first grader at Lyles Crouch Tradi-

tional Academy.


said that “ultimately, there needs to be bargaining units that are defined by like work and job titles.”

Waghray added that this was part of an ongoing con-versation with the city and that the type and number of bargaining units needed has yet to be determined.

“We don’t know what that looks like right now,” Waghray said, “And part of that is negotiating and dis-cussing with the city what that would look like.”

Jinks said, however, that negotiating with more than four bargaining units could become burdensome for a city the size of Alexandria.

“We’re not a government with 50,000 employees or 30,000 employees. We[’ve] got 2,500 permanent full-time employees,” Jinks said.

In either case, the city projects that the proposed new ordinance will increase costs. According to a pre-sentation given during last month’s public hearing, if passed, the ordinance will

lead to a rise in wages and benefits for city workers.

The presentation project-ed that a 1% raise in wages and benefits would result in $2.3 million in added costs to the city, while a 5% raise would increase expenses up to $11.5 million.

Jinks said that while the dollar amounts within the fiscal impact statements were “hypothetical,” there will be a definite increase in costs to the city.

Jinks said that the city would either have to raise taxes, reduce services or “squeeze and become more efficient” to fund the in-

crease in wages and benefits.Treibitz said that this was

precisely the problem with limiting the ordinance to negotiations over wages and benefits.

“They’ve created their own self-fulfilling proph-ecy. ‘We’re only going to talk about wages and bene-fits, and wages and benefits are going to go up.’ Well, of course,” Treibitz said.

Treibitz added that there were other ways that workers could help the city identify areas where they could re-duce overall costs.

“Firefighters are very willing to offset wages with

retirement … and with some other kinds of cost factors,” Treibitz said as an example.

Turner also said that the government could find savings in other ways if it expanded the ordinance to include negotiations over working conditions.

“We lose, on average, about 10 firefighters and paramedics a year to var-ious jurisdictions, most of which go across the river to areas that have [expansive collective bargaining agree-ments],” Turner said.

Turner added that it costs approximately $185,000 to recruit and train a new fire-fighter, a cost that, when compounded, soars into mil-lions of dollars. Turner also said that in 11 years, he had worked with three different full-time fire chiefs, which he said was also reflective of this retention problem — one that unleashes a chain of other expensive issues.

“We were spending a ton of money on workers com-pensation claims from peo-ple who were doing a lot of extra work,” Turner said. “We have overworked mem-bers. I think as of last week, I had a member who was close to 500 hours of over-time because we’re a min-imally staffed department. And [even] when there’s not somebody to fill that spot, somebody’s got to fill it.”

Jinks, however, said that retention for police and fire is not a problem within the city.

“Our turnover for police

and fire is not a major issue. … While I have been man-ager, I think we have raised police and/or fire pay at least three times,” Jinks said.

Jinks also added that, broadly speaking, “… turnover is way down. So, while we’d like a situation where nobody leaves, that is not feasible.”

Some within the commu-nity, however, do not believe there should be a collective bargaining at all.

Frank Fannon, a Repub-lican who served on City Council from 2009 to 2012, is opposed entirely to the prac-tice of collective bargaining. Fannon said he didn’t think Alexandria needed to consid-er a collective bargaining.

“All [collective bargain-ing] does is empower the city employees, and the City Council ends up handicap-ping themselves in negotia-tion with city employees in relation to wages and bene-fits,” Fannon said.

Fannon also added that he believed the city already treats its employees well and gives them all the benefits they need.

“… They don’t need to negotiate. We treat the city employees very well here in Alexandria. Not many employees, you know, turn over because of income is-sues where they’re not being treated well,” Fannon said.

The General Assembly has already approved collec-tive bargaining, the debate in Alexandria has moved beyond whether the practice should be allowed to whether the current draft ordinance is expansive enough.

As Alexandria debates this new draft ordinance on collective bargaining, neigh-boring cities and municipal-ities across the state will be watching to see the outcome.

“We know that Arlington County is watching what’s happening. Our members are talking about it,” Waghray said.

[email protected]

Give it a Shot!

#VaxALX

Protect Yourself & Your Community.The Alexandria Times encourages all residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine when available.

We were spending a ton of money on workers compensation claims from people who were doing

a lot of extra work. We have overworked members. I think as of last week, I had a member who was close to 500 hours of overtime because we’re a minimally staffed department. And [even] when there’s not somebody to fill that spot, somebody’s got to fill it.”

– Josh Turner, firefighter, president of Alexandria Fire Fighters, Local 2141

BARGAINING FROM | 4


With cases increasing, protect your pup from theft using these tipsBY KIM GILLIAM

You probably saw the headlines last week: Lady Gaga’s dog walker was shot in the chest and the thieves took two of the pop star’s be-loved French Bulldogs. The dogs were returned, likely due to the half million-dollar reward she offered with “no questions asked,” but it’s not just celebrities that are vic-tims of this crime.

Dognapping has become

surprisingly common in the U.S. According to Tom Sharp, the president and CEO of AKC Reunite, the American Kennel Club's lost pet recovery service, thou-sands of dogs are stolen ev-ery year, a statistic that has increased 70% since 2010. Dognapping is almost al-ways a crime of opportunity, with dogs typically stolen from yards, animal shelters or pet stores, mostly in the spur of the moment.

But why would someone steal a dog? Sometimes it’s because they can't afford to

buy one of their own. But more often, high-dollar small breeds are stolen to be resold. Dogs like Lady Gaga’s are expensive and easy to grab and run off with. French Bulldog puppies can fetch between $2,000 and $5,000, enticing for a prospective thief who would likely try to sell the dog for cash via Facebook or Craigslist. Other breeds might be sold for ille-gal fighting rings or medical research purposes.

Is dognapping taken se-riously from a legal stand-point? Usually, a dog is con-

sidered personal property, so this crime is considered to be theft or grand theft depending on the dog’s val-ue. However, in some juris-dictions, such as Virginia, dognapping is considered a Class 5 felony, punishable by up to 10 years in jail regard-less of the dog’s monetary value. Virginia is one of only 15 states that specifically addresses dognapping in its criminal code.

Do you ever leave your dog unattended in your yard or tied up outside a coffee shop while you grab a cup of

Joe? If so, you’re unknowing-ly giving dog thieves an open invitation to snatch your pup. The majority of thefts involve purebreds and the most commonly stolen dog breeds include the Yorkshire Terrier; Pomeranian; Mal-tese; Boston Terrier; French

TimesLivinq

FILE PHOTODon’t leave your dogs tied up and unattended, even for a few minutes, to run into a store.

PETSThe rise in

dognapping – what you need to know

KIM GILLIAM

SEE DOGNAPPING | 16


Worn-out laminate can spring to life with a bit of loveBY DAWN HOIEM

Ever been to a rummage sale and found a TV stand or headboard that’s the exact shape and size you’re look-ing for with a less than de-sirable finish? Then, upon closer inspection, you real-ize it’s a laminate, some-as-sembly-required type fur-niture and you walk away? Well, like Charlie Brown’s little Christmas tree, all that piece needs is a little

love and imagination. This type of furniture

can be acquired for cheap. Odds are you’re staring at a bookcase or some other item right now thinking how tired you are of that faux honey oak finish. Let’s turn that functional but unattractive item into the centerpiece of your room’s décor.

Here are a few different ways to tackle the project, with pros and cons for each.

Spray paint

One of my first under-takings in painting lami-

nate furniture was a desk I updated for my son. I start-ed by doing a light sanding – with 80 to 100 grit sandpa-per – and then using spray paint primer. I topped that with a few coats of black, semi-gloss spray paint.

Spray paint runs, so use light, even coats. Let it dry and repeat until it’s com-pletely covered.

Spray paint gives a smooth finish that’s hard to get with other types of paint. My son’s desk had a nice,

SEE PAINT | 15

703-684-7702 techpainting.com

Thinking of sprucing up your home’s interior this year?

Call us now for a FREE estimate, and take 10% off if the work is performed between January and March 2021.

maidservicesinc.com

Cell and Text: 703 629-9977

Office:703-560-6243

Handyman ServicesDivision of Maid Services, Inc.

• Bathrooms• Plumbing• Carpentry• Kitchen

• Painting• Electrical• Drywall Repair• Power Washing

Maid Services Inc.• Weekly• Bi-Weekly• Monthly• One Time

• Apartments• Condominiums• Townhouses• Single Homes

Bruce EltonOwner

PHOTO/DAWN HOIEMThe “after” photo of a two-piece laminate bookcase that was transformed with some sanding, chalk paint, wax and new drawer knobs.

A fresh coat of paint

HOMES: DO IT YOURSELF!

Subscribe to Alexandria Times E-edition to get your news delivered to your email Wednesday night. www.alextimes.com/ sign-up-to-receive-e-edition

Want to get your news

a day before everyone else?


sleek finish. However, the legs did get some scratches when we transported it.

Also, for best results, wait 24 hours between coats. Most big box stores carry spray paint, but your color choices are somewhat limited.

If you are painting some-thing that won’t get bumped into regularly, spray paint works fine. If it will get wear and tear, you may want to go another route.

Traditional paintIf you’re using tradition-

al paint, start with a light sanding and a layer or two of primer. Make sure you let the primer dry and cure for a few days before proceed-ing. Sand between coats.

No matter what kind of

paint you use, let that first coat dry well and get a good bond with the surface. It makes the subsequent coats go on smoother and adhere better.

With traditional paint you have endless choices when it comes to color and finish. Flat and eggshell paint won’t clean up as well as semi-gloss or gloss. However, the closer to flat, the more forgiving a paint is, so you won’t notice the flaws like you do with a higher gloss.

Chalk-type paintYou’ve probably heard

about the wonders of chalky paint. And yes, you can take this kind of paint and slap it on anything with little to no prep work. It will adhere and give you a nice, rustic finish.

That said, if you want a

piece that will last, I recom-mend a light sanding before you begin. Chalky paint doesn’t require primer, but if you want a more durable finish, I recommend top-ping your project with a coat or two of wax. It takes

two or three coats of home-made chalky paint to get complete coverage. Don’t panic after that first coat.

Chalk-type paint dries in about a half hour and is by far the fastest way to trans-form something. It’s also a

good choice if you want to distress your piece to give it a shabby chic look. You can also achieve a smooth and shiny finish with some wax and polishing.

Actual, store-bought chalk paint can be expensive and color choices are limited un-less you use an online recipe to make your own.

Having used all of these methods, chalk paint is my personal go-to for paint-ing laminate. Consider how your piece will be used, se-lect a finish that works for you, and get down to that basement and find some-thing that needs a facelift.

The writer is a transportation communications specialist

when she isn’t filling her garage with furniture

renovation projects.

This detached historic brick residence comes with a large private side garden, covered veranda with brick patio and two car garage with alley access.

Located in the heart of Old Town, the house is entire-ly free standing with private brick walled gardens that run the entire east side of the property. Though the house was built in 1810, this home had a full restoration with state-of-the-art amenities and finishes by local builder William Cromley, with an eye toward preserving its historic moldings and character.

Additional updates by the current owners make this the perfect home in Old Town for work and play. At

approximately 4,000 square feet, this home has four bed-rooms, three and a half baths and an entire basement for storage. It boasts high ceil-ings, extensive moldings and three gas, two wood and two decorative fireplaces. This home has been metic-

ulously maintained for more than 200 years including as a speakeasy, by a former congressman and more.

The covered veranda over the brick patio area makes for comfortable social gath-erings, a refuge from rainy days or just enjoyment of the

private side yard and peren-nial gardens with water fea-ture. It is the perfect spot to unwind under the stars, host friends and family outside or gather around the fire pit on a fall evening.

Pop over a block and enjoy all the boutiques and restau-

rants King Street has to offer. It is also located only a few blocks from the King Street Metro and the Potomac River.

HOME OF THE WEEK

Historic Old Town home with modern amenitiesDoes your home’s exterior need some post-winter TLC?

Call us today for a FREE estimate. We are scheduling summer jobs now! 703-684-7702

Run in April and May 2020

Thinking of painting your home’s exterior before winter arrives? It will be here before you know it. Call us now for a FREE estimate!

703-684-7702 Run in June, July, August, 2020

Run in Sept, Oct, Nov, and Dec 2020

We’re booking interior painting projects for the winter. Want to get on our schedule? Call us now for a FREE estimate!

703-684-7702 ASK ABOUT

OUR WINTER DISCOUNT!

Location: 1020 Prince St.

Neighborhood: Old Town

Price: $2,700,000

Square feet: Approx 4,000

Bedrooms: 4

Baths: 3.5

Year built: 1810

Parking: 2 car garage

Contact: Christine Garner,

Weichert Realtors,

www.ChristineGarner.com,

703-587-4855

AT A GLANCE

HOMES: DO IT YOURSELF!PAINT FROM | 14

PHOTO/DAWN HOIEMThe “before” photo of a honey oak colored, two-piece bookcase. With just a little TLC and imagination, pieces like this can be transformed.

COURTESY PHOTOS


www.tailshigh.org

meo

w@ta

ilshi

gh.o

rg

Cat Rescue and Adoption

703-

819-

5240

# 23910

Combined Federal Campaign

Tails High

15, 30 & 60 Min. Visits

Does Your Dog Need a Friend in the

Middle of the Day?

v

Schedule A Consultation Today!571-438-2323

Shop Apparel, Gifts & Pet Supplies at www.PassionatelyPets.com/Shop

Ask About Our Puppy Packages

Dog Walking, Pet Sitting & Overnight Options Available

Special Sweet PeaThis darling girl is hoping for a quiet forever home where she can relax with her family and give them all the love in her heart.

Due to COVID-19 we are only doing adoptions by appointment. For more information contact King Street Cats: [email protected] us at www.kingstreetcats.org

Whoo Hoo, I Am Headed to Whole Dogz!

Healthy Play, Healthy Food, Happy Life

WHOLE DOGZ TREATS THE WHOLE DOG!

PLAY, EAT, BATHE, SLEEP, SHOPCOME IN FOR A PLAY DATE AND GET A NUTRITIONAL

CONSULT AND FREE FOOD

WWW.WHOLEDOGZ.COM703.751.3649

SEE FOR YOURSELF! 4748 EISENHOWER AVENUE

ALEXANDRIA, VA 22304

Bulldog; Chihuahua; Lab-radoodle; American Pit Bull Terrier; German Shepherd; and Labrador Retriever. Is your dog on that list?

So how can you protect your dog? Make sure you have proof of ownership documentation and a re-cent identifying photograph readily available and keep their I.D. tags and microchip updated with your current phone number and address.

If your back yard is ac-cessible to strangers, keep a close eye on your pup. Do-gnappers will use whatever tricks they can to lure them away from your home. Even when you and your dog are out for a walk, there is still a potential for danger. Stay off your phone so you are aware of your surroundings and be careful walking your dog off leash; there’s no guarantee they won’t be led astray from you. Plus, stay tight-lipped about where you live, places you frequent with your pup

or even how much you paid for your dog. Remember, thieves look for high-value dogs.

If you believe your dog has been stolen, the first step is to file reports with the po-lice and animal control in the area where your pet dis-appeared. You can also have your dog’s microchip unique serial number posted in the “stolen article” category on the National Crime Informa-tion Center.

Talk to people in the im-mediate vicinity to see if they saw any suspicious activity and distribute flyers as soon as possible with a recent pho-to or your pet. Post on social

media including alert services such as PawBoost and the AKC Lost Pet Alert to get as much visibility as possible. You’ll then want to search “for sale” ads on Craigslist, Facebook and local message boards and call area animal shelters in case the dognap-per dumped them instead. You can also contact local media outlets to request their help in getting the word out.

Your dog is priceless to you; it’s important you do your best to keep them safe.

The writer co-owns Frolick Dogs, an indoor dog gym

in Alexandria, with her husband, Kevin Gilliam.

PETS“If your backyard is accessible to strangers, keep a close eye on your pup. Dognappers will use whatever tricks they can to lure them away from your home. Even when you and your dog are out for a walk, there is still a potential for danger.”

DOGNAPPING FROM | 13


Solu

tion

s fr

om la

st w

eek

Weekly Words

PARTING THOUGHTS by Samuel A. Donaldson, edited by David Steinberg

DEATH NOTICESPATRICIA DAVIS (62), of Alexandria, Feb. 25, 2021

THEREZINHA FRITH (87), of Alexandria, Feb. 9, 2021

DELORES A. HENSLEY (76), formerly of Alexandria, Feb. 18, 2021

DELANE LAMBERT (77), formerly of Alexandria, Feb. 26, 2021

TIMOTHY MCCONCHIE (65), of Alexandria, Feb. 24, 2021

PATRICIA RENNER (71), of Alexandria, Feb. 25, 2021

ACROSS1. "___ '70s Show"5. Heavenly ring9. What Mars is known for12. Belts surround them18. Words of advice?20. Resentful21. How rain-soaked leaves smell22. TEN SION24. "___ Down the Road" ("The

Wiz" song)25. Cookie Monster's fur color26. Web access device27. Notable flamingo feature29. Ltd., in the U.S.30. Comic's prop32. I CE36. Slithering swimmer41. Devious42. Tablet tappers43. Common skin condition44. Down-to-earth46. Response to "Are you?"48. Infomercial, usually52. MO LD57. Smallest party size58. Tennis partners?59. Lipton competitor60. Backboard attachment61. Film FX62. Bourbon barrel wood64. Petty quarrel

67. Does a surgeon's job70. BA NK73. INTE RNET75. NE WS76. Tangled up78. Middle of QED79. Above, in "The Star-Spangled

Banner"80. Friend81. All cozy83. More like a pin?87. Red lentil ___ (Indian dish)90. Ambient music pioneer Brian91. T IE95. Esteem97. ___ Wonderful juice98. Informed99. Littlest bit100. Odorless home hazard103. Dubai's land, briefly105. Oklahoma's resembles a

saucepan107. L AW111. Large cookie holder112. P, on a sorority sweatshirt113. Dorothy's pooch114. Meal in a brown bag, perhaps117. Raggedy dolls120. Island chain southeast of

Miami123. "Life is hard," and a hint to

interpreting this puzzle's

clues in all caps127. "Yes, and" class128. House overhang129. Super simple130. Area of expertise131. Molecule hidden in "finger-

nails"132. Stand for the judge133. Edward's adoptive mom in

"Twilight"

DOWN1. Active ingredient in pot2. Mint or sage3. Mostly dried-up sea4. Iconic Shawnee chief5. Contains6. Unit of matter7. Ride with a stretch variety8. Columns with viewpoints9. Lo mein cooker10. "___ you glad you did?"11. Puts back at 00:00, say12. Small-town dirt source?13. Top bond rating14. Org. associated with unhappy

returns15. Oktoberfest souvenir16. Certain bikini bottom17. Coordinate, as devices19. Ball of yarn20. Mogadishu's nation

23. Fast planes28. Iron's replacement as a Mo-

nopoly token31. Meat, at a taco truck33. Actor Gosling34. Warriors star Thompson35. Three, in Roman numerals36. "Smooth Operator" singer37. Macro or micro class38. Snack with celery and raisins39. Fraternities' beer buys40. Right direction?45. Deliberately deceive47. "Nothing special"49. Fantastic Four foe50. Fury51. Believer in a nonintervening god53. Color, as a tattoo54. Easily duped55. Coat for a wolf in sheep's

clothing56. Doo-___ music63. Muscles targeted by planks65. Common Christmas tree66. Swiss money68. Corp. shuffle69. Orangutan, for instance70. Windshield cleaner71. Cockamamie72. One may boost an octane

rating73. Huge surplus

74. Committed an epic fail77. NICU workers82. Old Navy's parent company84. Commotions85. Pinball foul86. Wrap up by88. "___ girl!"89. Spring91. Pull an all-nighter, perhaps92. Full of gloom93. "Send along your response"94. Hailing from Austria's capital96. Spot for a vaccine101. Prefix with "laryngologist"102. Prattle104. Down Under birds106. Homecoming queen's crown107. Orangutan relative, informally108. Pizzazz109. Lauren of "The WalkingDead"110. Key that may have an arrow

on it112. Softball stats115. Spiced tea116. Oil company with toy trucks118. Goes out for a bit?119. Milk option121. Fury122. Neither fish ___ foul124. Actress Green or Mendes125. Top seed's reward, often126. "Understand?"


The opinions expressed in letters and columns are those of the writers only and do not reflect the views, nor receive the endorsement, of the Alexandria Times.

To the editor: The story “Single complaint,

lengthy permitting process jettison classical concert series” by Cody Mel-lo-Klein in the Feb. 25 Alexandria Times struck a chord with me.

As a former piano teacher, I can personally speak to the healing and unifying nature of classical music. It gently, beautifully silences the clam-or of politics, pandemic and personal tragedy that mark our lives. To per-form well is to intimately bare one’s soul; to listen well is to be vulnerable to the reception of what the performer offers, and any changes it may bring to you. Such a unifying experience is precisely what we long for in this time of muted loneliness.

To Classical Movements: Keep on keepin’ on. We’re on your side and I promise we’ll buy tickets if you host concerts.

To the police officer who acknowl-

edged “There’s no crime being com-mitted here. We’ve got a lot of other things to do.” You’re right – thank you for being a voice of reason and a public servant with a heart.

To the city permitting office: I work in a government office and know the red tape and bureaucra-cy that fill your days. But please, don’t sacrifice your humanity for the paperwork. Even from a business perspective, outdoor classical mu-sic concerts are low-cost, high-re-turn ventures. Grant the permit for all performances this year. We are thirsty for experiences that take us outdoors and out of ourselves. Please, let us have it!

And as for the complaint maker: I offer beginner piano lessons, if you’d like to learn more about the beauty you are squelching.

-Caitlin Buchheit,Alexandria

Opinion

Your Views

Photo of the Week

“Where the press is free and every man is able to read, all is safe.” - Thomas Jefferson

Our View

Babies crawl before they walk, and they walk before they run. That’s how learning of all types occurs: We master one skill before moving on to the next challenge.

So, it’s no surprise that as Alex-andria City Public Schools reopen for part-time, in-person learning, they are doing so gradually.

These tenuous first few weeks of in-person instruction will be a learning experience for all involved.

Families will adjust to the old yet new routine of getting chil-dren ready for school and out the door, with added tasks such as temperature checks and making sure children have masks and wa-ter bottles.

Teachers, who have been in-structing remotely for a year, must shift back to classroom routines, which will be different than any they’ve experienced.

There will be logistical learning curves too, for safely distancing on school buses, how to handle recess in a safe but reasonable manner and how school monitors will be expected to interact with students.

While we don’t have current data on the overall number of teachers who have chosen to re-turn to the classroom, kudos to those who have done so.

Parents who have opted to re-turn their children to the class-room also deserve praise, as the disruption to their existing rou-tines in the short run probably outweighs the benefit their chil-dren will receive from being back in the classroom part-time with all of the restrictions in place. These parents realize that crawling is, well, the first step.

This is all a dress rehearsal for this fall and the 2021-22 school year. Because come September, it’s imper-ative that ACPS return to full-time, in-person school with complete sports and after-school offerings.

This simply must happen. The intellectual and physical develop-ment of our children, along with the mental health of them and their families, depends on a full

return to school this fall.Our community and our coun-

try can’t endure another year like the last 12 months, and the wide-spread availability of vaccines in the coming months means we shouldn’t have to.

By this fall, all adults should be vaccinated. With new vaccines be-ing approved, millions of additional doses will be available in the coming months. The new Johnson & John-son vaccine, which rival pharma-ceutical company Merck is going to help produce, is going to be a game changer. Even most children may be vaccinated by September.

By this fall, teachers should not have the option of not teaching in classrooms. We respectfully be-lieve that ACPS teachers and staff members who are still unwilling to return to their schools after be-ing fully vaccinated should find another line of work. ACPS Super-intendent Dr. Gregory Hutchings, Ed.D. and the Alexandria School Board need to have the courage to require teachers to return this fall.

We continue to believe this return to school should have oc-curred last September, when key health metrics were better than they are now. For instance, the seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate was 4.4% on Sept. 1, 2020, while it was 4.9% on Feb. 26. The seven-day average number of new cases was 12 on Sept. 1, 2020. It was 20 as of Tuesday.

But that’s in the past, and this week is about the future. Tuesday’s return to school created a palpable sense of excitement in Alexandria and it’s clear that more than a few tears of relief and joy were shed.

This phased approach is being taken one baby step at a time. This week was step one. Even by March 16, when students in all grades are eligible to return, it’s important to realize that classroom instruction will still be limited to two days a week only for those students whose families have opted for a return.

The first step toward any goal is generally the hardest.

Baby steps

We all need classical music right now

PHOTO/ACPSAn ACPS student on her first day back to in-person learning on Tuesday.


To the editor: Thank you for your story, “City

Council reviews collective bargain-ing ordinance” in the Feb. 11 Alexan-dria Times. While your story was in-tended to introduce the community to the topic of collective bargaining, a number of terms need to be clar-ified so the taxpayers of the City of Alexandria understand the complete process the city council is discussing.

For professional firefighters and paramedics, collective bargaining is about enhancing public safety by providing us a real voice on the best ways to meet the needs of residents in crisis.

When you have an emergency and dial 911, you count on the City of Alexandria to have enough fire-fighters and paramedics, armed with the right tools and equipment, to show up quickly and take care of your family, business and property.

Collective bargaining helps ensure that your crisis is met by profession-als more swiftly and effectively.

Today, many public safety de-cisions in our city are made by bu-reaucrats who have never answered a 911 call, put out a fire or dealt with a medical crisis. They have little to no understanding of what it takes to save lives and property. Our real goal is collaborative bargaining that goes beyond discussions about wages and benefits and addresses the ways to better serve our neighborhoods.

Collective bargaining provides firefighters and paramedics with a greater voice on the direction of public safety and that will improve the quality of life for everyone who lives, works or visits here.

-Josh Turner, president, Alexandria

Fire Fighters Inc.IAFF Local 2141

To the editor: The announcement that devel-

oper Foulger-Pratt is planning the long-awaited redevelopment of the Landmark Mall site and that Inova Alexandria Hospital will anchor the site is great news for both the City of Alexandria and the hospital. This project also offers a unique oppor-tunity for commercial developers to engage in environmentally sustain-able practices that go beyond those required in the city’s current Green Building Policy, adopted in 2019.

Specifically, we recommend that both Foulger-Pratt and Inova strive to achieve net-zero build-ings, where energy consumption is roughly equal to renewable energy generation. To have any chance of meeting the city’s Environmental Action Plan 2040 goal of having new construction be carbon neutral by FY2030 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 100% by 2050, we need to get serious about environmental sustainability now.

Green design is an excellent business decision since it lowers the ownership cost of a building over its

lifetime, while reducing its environ-mental footprint. In addition, green construction raises the image of de-velopers as good corporate citizens. Upfront investment in green build-ing can result in a 10% or greater increase in asset value, almost 20% lower maintenance costs than typi-cal commercial buildings and lower exposure to energy price risk.

To achieve net zero buildings while maximizing the profitability and other benefits of sustainable building practices we recommend that both Foulger-Pratt and Inova:

• Use only electricity, no gas, for all energy needs;

• Use solar panels/solar thermal collectors both onsite and remote-ly with consideration to operating same as a microgrid/nanogrid to re-duce costs and power outages;

• Use healthy building materials to maintain healthy indoor air qual-ity combined with energy-efficient exhaust air heat-recovery systems.

It is particularly important for hospitals to engage in state-of-the-

Enhancing public safety

Landmark project should have ‘net zero’ buildings

The Business Plan with Bill Reagan

Are you ready for the recovery?Going into the pandemic was

chaotic and unpredictable and we had to make consequential decisions on the fly.

The road ahead certainly has its share of unpredictability, but the roll-out of vaccines holds promise for our return to normalcy – or as close as we can get to what our lives were like be-fore COVID-19.

Now is a good time to take stock and begin planning for the decisions and approaches we’ll need to make in the coming months. Exiting the pandemic might be just as chaotic as going into it, but research and preparation will help business owners make sound choices.

Some of the critical considerations include changing consumer be-havior, post-pandemic technology fundamen-tals, supply chain concerns, reeval-uating financial circumstances and workforce matters. We must also closely monitor how the state and ju-risdictions scale back their social dis-tancing restrictions.

Consumers became conditioned over the past year to online ordering, curbside pickup and contactless trans-actions. The essential safety measures of 2020 set a new baseline for buyer expectations. Even when we no lon-ger feel the need to wear masks, we are still likely to appreciate businesses who take extra steps for our well being.

Consumer behavior will vary by industry, so it behooves business owners to research and monitor trends in their business sector. The savviest owners are those who reg-ularly collaborate and share smart practices with one another.

Individuals and the nature of commerce have gone through a dig-ital transformation. The pandemic prompted more consumers to shop and transact online, and businesses must bridge this digital divide to re-main viable. Owners should evaluate their online presence and how they

stack up against the competition. They might also need enhanced cyber infrastructure for more efficient and sophisticated operations.

The pandemic disrupted custom-ary supply chains and, while some items like toilet paper have largely re-solved, others remain unpredictable. Supply chain issues apply to both con-sumer and service sectors. Business owners need to consider post-pan-demic operations and how to ensure

resiliency of operations.While some busi-

nesses are navigating the pandemic adequate-ly, many have been fi-nancially devastated. In addition to dealing with loan forgiveness or repayment, it will be crucial for owners to examine their financial circumstances and cash flow. Decisions ahead include adequacy of cap-

ital, where to trim for more efficiency and where to invest.

Another consideration is the com-plexities of the workforce – rehiring workers, attracting new employees or reskilling talent. With new busi-ness demands, roles in business op-erations might have shifted, and it’s important for small business owners to follow sound practices to avoid pit-falls and to ensure the most produc-tive work environment.

Alexandria Small Business Develop-ment Center is planning a free webinar series that will help business owners explore the fundamentals of a post pandemic economy and examine the critical issues described above. It will be presented virtually and designed for owners to select the sessions and break-out sessions applicable to their circum-stances. Announcements of the series will be forthcoming in SBDC bulletins.

For more information, subscribe to the SBDC’s mailing list at https://alexandriasbdc.org/

The writer is executive director of the Alexandria Small Business Devel-opment Center.

BILL REAGAN


To the editor: Nathan Macek, volunteer chair

of the Alexandria Planning Com-mission, is also director of proj-ect development and finance and a senior vice president of WSP, a large engineering firm that has been working closely with the city and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority on the Po-tomac Yard Metro Station Alter-native B project.

As director of project develop-ment and finance for WSP, Macek “has conducted cash flow mod-eling and uncertainty analyses of capital and operating funding for more than three dozen trans-portation projects, applying in-novative financing approaches to address the budgetary challenges faced by public agencies,” accord-ing to the WSP website.

Macek publicly testified in favor of Alternative B at the Vir-ginia Department of Environ-mental Quality hearing at the

Durant Center on July 16, 2019, right alongside Paul Smedberg, WMATA board chair. Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson, City Man-ager Mark Jinks, former Mayor Kerry Donley and others also spoke in favor of the project at the meeting.

Macek’s dual roles – as a senior vice president at the firm that has been assisting the city and Metro for the past 10 years “with ongo-ing financial analysis consult-ing” and other services to secure funding for the new station, and chair of the Alexandria Planning Commission – is a clear conflict of interest.

Why are conflicts of interest, such as this obvious case, tolerat-ed in Alexandria? No financial ad-vantage, either direct or indirect, should be allowed by people serv-ing on public trust boards.

-C. Dara, Hal Hardaway, Jimm Roberts,

Alexandria

Still awaiting ethics reform The Business Plan with Bill Reagan

No reason to panic, every reason to planWhile we’re still learning about

COVID-19, commonly called corona-virus, its potential impacts are dom-inating the media. When we see the effects overseas and outbreaks in the United States, we have good reason to become concerned about what will happen locally.

We’re being told that the best preventive measures for now are all the things you’re supposed to do to avoid the common flu – wash hands frequently, cover coughs and stay home as soon as you begin to feel bad. Staying away from crowds is proba-bly not a bad idea but is likely overkill until we know more about con-tagious cases nearer our region.

Businesses most dis-rupted are those dependent on China for production, and the ripple effects will increasingly affect our daily lives. “What do you mean there’s no Diet Coke?”

Obviously, if travel and gather-ings are risky, hospitality businesses will suffer and the tourism industry has begun planning accordingly.

At the White House press confer-ence last week, the head of the Cen-ters for Disease Control said it was a good time for businesses to dust off their pandemic preparedness plans, but let’s get real. Few small busi-nesses have emergency plans on the shelf. Yes, we should all have them but those are often among the smart practices we’re perpetually hoping to get to next year.

There are, however, some real-ly worthwhile things that business owners can start thinking about now that might help out if circumstances worsen locally – and, incidentally, these are smart preparations to un-dertake at any time, so you’re not wasting effort.

The listing below is pulled from a variety of experts and reputable sites. To echo the comment of one of those experts, Patricia Frame, a hu-man resources consultant frequently

engaged by Alexandria SBDC, “There is no reason to panic. There is every reason to plan.”

First, owners should consider their business’s essential functions, and evaluate how those might be impacted by significant employee absences. Now is the time to cross-train employees on one another’s responsibilities.

The next step is to evaluate lo-gistics required for employees to

work remotely, and those might require enhanced communications such as providing a phone and computer.

Owners need to re-view their HR policies for possible changes to encourage employees to stay home if they’re not feeling well; paying em-

ployees during extended sick leave for themselves or sick/quarantined family members; or dealing with having to close for a temporary period. Perhaps you should estab-lish special HR provisions just for COVID-19 circumstances.

Also important is identifying credible sources of information. You’re already hearing misinforma-tion about con artists taking advan-tage of the situation. Our local Health Department website is constantly updated with the most current and valid information and will also have links to other key sites. Go to: https://www.alexandriava.gov/Health and search “coronavirus.”

Alexandria SBDC staff has ad-vised businesses through similar circumstances in the past and will provide updates and suggestions as conditions develop. To review our tip sheet on how businesses can manage the coronavirus, see our website at alexandriasbdc.org.

Though much is still unknown, it makes sense for you to begin thinking and planning now.

The writer is executive director of the Alexandria Small Business

Development Center.

BILL REAGAN

was public engagement for the upcoming Arlandria and Del Ray small area plan updates. Outreach for this effort has included mul-tiple community meetings, open houses and pop-up events con-ducted in Spanish and English. Meetings included childcare, to facilitate attendance by parents with young children, and tested new communications channels to inform the public, such as text messaging and Spanish-language news articles.

The city conducted a survey of residents in both languages, revealing that the priorities of Spanish-speaking survey re-spondents differ in many re-spects from those of the English speakers. The Del Ray Citizens Association also conducted a survey of its members and re-ported the detailed comments offered by each survey respon-dent, augmenting the outreach conducted by city staff.

Too often, the voices heard at city hall are older, less racially di-

verse, more affluent, more likely to be homeowners and less likely to have young children than the typical resident. As the successful Arlandria and Del Ray engagement demonstrates, the city has several tools that can broaden our reach. This level of public engagement isn’t possible with every planning effort, but demonstrates that we do have a template for doing it well.

Moving forward, I hope that civic associations, business groups and other community organiza-tions will broaden their own reach to be as inclusive of the communi-ties they represent as possible and continue to weigh in on issues of concern. City staff should continue to engage these groups, while also seeking feedback from groups and individuals heard less often.

We must actively work to solic-it comments representative of our diverse community, and respect-fully consider the viewpoints of all to make certain we’re making the best decisions for our commu-nity as a whole.

-Nathan Macek, chairAlexandria Planning Commission

INPUT FROM | 26

SEE LANDMARK | 20


To the editor: On Feb. 5, 2021, the Virgin-

ia House of Delegates passed a Bicycle Safety Act that would allow bikers to yield at stop signs in lieu of coming to a full stop. Needless to say, if the State Senate concurs in the House of Delegates position, it would be a grave mistake.

First, the National High-way Transportation Safety Administration considers the bicycle to be a vehicle and says that bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as vehicle drivers. Additionally, the NHTSA states that vehicle drivers must treat bicyclists the same as any other vehicle.

As an example, the Penn-sylvania Department of Transportation states that “Automobiles are not required to yield to bicycles being rid-den across a crosswalk …. as the bicycle is treated as a vehicle. A better choice is to

dismount and walk your bike across.” The NHTSA also says that bicycle accidents occur because of lack of traffic law awareness, non-compliance with traffic laws, poor visibil-ity of the bicyclist and alcohol or other impairment.

I can attest to this, since every day I stop at the Wolfe-Union street intersection, but I cannot see oncoming traffic either to my left or right be-cause parked cars block my view. So, I very gingerly creep across that intersection after ensuring I won’t hit a car or cy-clist. For years, I have said that this corner and others like it along Union Street are danger zones waiting for an accident to happen, and believe me, it will occur. I only pray that I will not be involved.

Hopefully, the Virginia Sen-ate will not pass this legislation. -Townsend A. “Van” Van Fleet,

Alexandria

To the editor: This winter, a small army of Alexandri-

ans roll out of bed in the wee hours, don burgundy Medical Reserve Corps shirts and badges, pack masks, shields, water and snacks and head through quiet neigh-borhoods to vaccination pods, call centers, supply inventories and community clinics. Volunteers from Old Town, Del Ray, North Ridge, Rosemont, Seminary Ridge and West Alexandria, representing medical and non-medical professions, combine diverse skill sets to combat the greatest public health crisis of our generation.

The Alexandria Medical Reserve Corps is organized within the Alexandria Health Department under Public Health Emer-gency Management. The AHD mission, “to protect and promote health and well-being in our communities” is evidenced daily in our city.

MRC volunteers are the foot soldiers of this mission, working alongside AHD staff and other City of Alexandria employ-ees who have volunteered for work details. Nearly 400 volunteers have been trained, tasked and deployed during the course of the pandemic.

At call centers, six to eight volunteers answer covid-related calls from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Schedulers work long hours to make sure vulnerable Alexandrians receive vac-cinations at participating pharmacy loca-tions. Workers coordinate supply centers, maintain inventory and distribute supplies for vaccine PODs and clinics.

Three times weekly at vaccination sites, volunteers perform complex and vital tasks – flow, logistics, biohazard, registration, tech, clinical and safety – in an impressive-

ly coordinated public health effort to pro-tect Alexandria residents.

You will encounter us when you arrive for your vaccine. Flow volunteers in yellow vests will direct you where to go, remind you to please remain six feet apart and ask familiar screening questions. They share your excitement as you take this significant step to protect yourself and your fellow cit-izens.

Next, you’ll meet registration volunteers in blue vests who will ensure that the cor-rect person is vaccinated and, in a month, vaccinated again. You will then be directed to a table where friendly clinicians in PPE will again ask screening questions. At last, you will be vaccinated.

We’ll ask you to hang around for 15 min-utes in the rare event of an adverse reaction. Meanwhile, fastidious safety crews in green vests will disinfect shared spaces, preparing the way for the next neighbor. We won’t see you again until you are back in a month for your second dose. That is, unless we see you around the neighborhood.

I discovered the Alexandria MRC in spring 2020 but did not become active until the fall when pandemic, politics and a plum-meting economy propelled me to try and do something. I quickly found like-minded neighbors, many who have been staffing call centers, clinics and testing sites since March 2020.

These stalwart volunteers soldier on today, contributing multiple shifts week-ly, now supervisors in a chain of command that is rewarded with a meal at the end of a 10-hour shift and the heartening knowl-

To the editor: After reading Jim McElhatton’s proselytiz-

ing article, “Poetic justice,” which was tanta-mount to an endorsement of one candidate’s name as a replacement for T.C. Williams High School, I felt compelled to present a rebuttal. T.C. Williams actually had many achieve-ments which led the school board in the early 1960s to name its brand new, state-of-the-art high school after him.

I do not approve of changing the name of either T.C. Williams or Matthew Mau-ry School. Maury Elementary has been on Russell Road since 1929. Did you know that Commodore Maury was instrumental in the establishment of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1845?

Isn’t it interesting that both Williams and Commodore Maury have strong ties to the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Vir-ginia – the West Point of the South? Superin-tendent Williams graduated from VMI in the class of 1915 during the World War I era.

Maury taught physics and astronomy at VMI after the Civil War. There is a Maury House at VMI that has been used as a faculty residence since its construction. It’s the com-mandant’s quarters.

This changing of school names is eras-ing our local culture and social history. It’s an affront to all the proud alumni of these long-standing institutions.

-Greg Paspatis,T.C Williams Class of ‘78

Cyclists must stop at intersections

A small army of Alexandrians

Don’t erase our history

art environmentally sustain-able building practices. The healthcare industry accounts for 9.8% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. As stated on the CDC’s website, “climate change, together with oth-er natural and human-made health stressors, influences human health and disease in numerous ways, including in-creased respiratory and cardio-vascular disease, injuries and premature deaths related to ex-treme weather events, changes in the prevalence of food- and water-borne illnesses and other infectious diseases, and threats to mental health.”

There are a number of ex-amples of hospitals that use re-newable and cost-effective en-ergy technologies that reduce their negative effect on the environment while generating cost savings over the long term and goodwill in their commu-nities. In Virginia, both the Winchester Hospital and Car-

ilion New River Valley Medical Center will install solar panels nearby to provide energy needs, and John’s Hopkins Bayview in Baltimore has invested in a so-lar farm built remotely on the Eastern Shore. There are many others around the country.

As plans move forward for this exciting new development at Landmark, the city should do its best to ensure that its effect on greenhouse gases and the health of our citizens is minimized. Patients, staff and physicians – and all Alexandria residents – will benefit from a facility that is a beacon for en-vironmental sustainability.

We encourage Alexandri-ans who share our concerns about the Landmark project to write to Ashley Labadie, the city staffer responsible for working with the Advisory Group, at [email protected]

-Alexandrians for the EAP 2040, The Potomac River

Group of the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club

LANDMARK FROM | 19

SEE MILLER | 21


Denise Dunbar Publisher & Executive Editor

[email protected]

Cody Mello-Klein Editor

[email protected]

Margaret Stevens

Sales Director [email protected]

Patrice V. Culligan Publisher Emerita

[email protected]

Allison Hageman

Intern [email protected]

Will Schick Intern

[email protected]

ALEXTIMES LLC Denise Dunbar

Managing Partner

The Ariail family Suzanne Brock

William Dunbar

HOW TO REACH US 110 S. Pitt St.

Alexandria, VA 22314 703-739-0001 (main) 703-739-0120 (fax) www.alextimes.com

CONTRIBUTORS Mara Benner

Alexa Epitropoulos Kim Gilliam Dawn Hoiem Louise Krafft

Sarah Liu Dr. Vivek Sinha Jordan Wright

ART DIRECTOR

Lyvian Sieg [email protected]

OUT OF THE ATTIC

ADVERTISINGMargaret Stevens

[email protected]

Marty DeVine [email protected]

Patrice V. Culligan [email protected]

Tina Franco Office Administrator

[email protected]

Take the poll at alextimes.com

Weekly PollThis Week Are you happy with the ACPS return to school on Tuesday?

This Week What is your attitude toward the Democratic primary on June 8?

A) Yes, I'm thrilled to have some in-person learning. B) The new guidelines and COVID-19 restrictions on children outweigh the benefits.C) It's a very small step toward full-time learning. D) I'm very disappointed.

54% It's important, but so are all elections.27% It's not particularly important. 19% There's never been a more important local election.0% I don't know.

BY KRISTY HUETTNER

Hannah Griffith was be-tween 38 and 44 years of age in 1789 when her husband, Rev. Doctor David Grif-fith, rector of the Episcopal congregation now known as Christ Church, sudden-ly died. Transformed into a widow and single mother of eight children – age 19 and younger – Mrs. Griffith em-barked upon an uncommon business venture.

From the smaller building that now comprises the Gads-by’s Tavern Museum complex, she operated the Alexandria Coffee-House from 1794 to 1800. During that chapter of her life, she would utilize knowledge she had acquired years earlier as a “deputy hus-band” during the American Revolutionary War.

Popularized by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, the term “deputy husband” describes wives of the colonial period who assumed duties typically assigned to their husbands. Based upon nineteen surviv-ing letters written to Griffith by her husband, a Continen-tal officer, between April 1776 and November 1778, she managed the family planta-tion, including all domestic

and financial matters.These letters are part of the

“David Griffith papers” cur-rently in the manuscripts col-lection at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Rich-mond. From that correspon-dence, the extent of Hannah Griffith’s role is uncovered. In a letter he penned on Nov. 6, 1777, Rev. Griffith reminded his wife of his decision to:

“… leave the Management of Plantation Affairs entirely to Your discretion. I am sor-ry you find them so bother-some: But you may remember that my desire was, when last at Home, to disencumber you of that Care by selling off the Stock. You have only your self to blame; & you may be assured I shall not wish you to continue it longer than is agreeable to yourself.”

Mrs. Griffith’s wide-rang-ing responsibilities were of-ten alluded to:

“There is something in what you say concerning the Accts. of Peyton that I can-not understand. Was it Coll. Peyton or Craven that you call’d upon: I shoud be glad to be informed, & wether there was not a Balance sufficient to discharge his Demand or Herberts.”

“The Season is now Ad-

vancing when it is necessary to make Provision for the Winter…you must endeavour to provide on the best Terms you can…Is Salt to be had? I fully intended sending you some Money by Coll. Pey-ton but he went off before I expected it…I am much obliged to you for your Care in sending me my flannel waistcoat...I enclose you the measures you desire of a Col-lar & Wristband for Shirts…I think if you make me half a Doz.n New Ones it will be sufficient.”

Then, on Sept. 23, 1778, Griffith’s husband wrote seeking her “Sentiments” re-

garding an offer of employ-ment he had received from Fairfax parish. By early 1779, with military service behind them, the Griffith family left Shelburne parish of Loudon, Virginia and resettled in their final home together, the glebe which sat between the two churches of Fairfax parish – Alexandria and Falls Church.

In time, as “Widow Grif-fith,” she would apply her war-time experience to the coffee-house business in that bustling port city of the new republic.

Out of the Attic is provided by the Office of

Historic Alexandria.

Hannah Griffith: The making of a businesswoman

PHOTO/ VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND CULTUREPart of a letter written to Hannah Griffith from her husband, Rev. Dr. David Griffith, during the Revolutionary War.

edge that 1,000 more neigh-bors received vaccinations that day.

I am proud to be among

these hardworking, commu-nity-minded Alexandrians and feel fortunate to be liv-ing in a city where limited supply of vaccine is reliably and intentionally distributed

to those who need it first. To date, more than 20,000 vac-cine doses have been given to city residents, teachers, first responders and front-line healthcare providers work-

ing in Alexandria.A solid start, executed by

your neighbors, a small army of Alexandrians.

-Traci Miller,Alexandria

MILLER FROM | 20


AUCTIONSATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Adver-tise your upcoming auctions statewide and in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions reaching your target audiences. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, [email protected]

HOME IMPROVEMENTVinyl Replacement Windows Starting at $235* Installed w/Free Trim Wrap Call 804-739-8207 Siding, Roofing, Gutters and More!

GENERAC Standby Generators provide backup power during utility power outages, so your home and family stay safe and comfortable. Prepare now. Free 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!). Request a free quote today! Call for additional terms and conditions. 1-877-636-0738

Eliminate gutter cleaning forev-er! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protec-tion. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-877-614-6667

Thinking about installing a new shower? American Standard makes it easy. FREE design consultation. Enjoy your shower again! Call 1-866-854-7620 today to see how you can

save $1,000 on installation, or visit www.newshowerdeal.com/vapress

ATTN. CONTRACTORS: Adver-tise your business statewide and in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions to reach Homeowners. Call Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, [email protected]

SERVICESDIVORCE-Uncontested, $395+$86 court cost. WILLS $195.00. No court appear-ance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Hilton Oliver, Attorney (Facebook). 757-490-0126. Se Habla Espanol. BBB Member. https://hiltonoliverattorneyva.com.

Up to $15,000.00 of GUAR-ANTEED Life Insurance! No medical exam or health ques-tions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Call Physicians Life Insurance Com-pany- 844-509-1697 or visit www.Life55plus.info/vapress

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Alexandria City School Board will hold a virtual public hearing on recommendations for the renaming of T.C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School on March 18, 2021 at 4:00 p.m.

Sign up to speak by noon on March 17 at: https://acpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/sef82mh1chbm0j/ Recommendations may also be submitted by noon on March 17 in the following ways:

• Email written comments to the Clerk of the Board at:[email protected]• U.S. Mail:Clerk of the Board, Alexandria City School Board 1340 Braddock PlaceAlexandria, VA 22314• Telephone message: 703-619-8316

For more information, please contact the Clerk of the Board at 703-619-8316 or at the email listed above.

PUBLIC NOTICE

ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCILMARCH 2021

ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2021PUBLIC HEARING – 9:30 AM

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic emergency, the March 13, 2021 meeting of the City Council is being held electronically pursuant to Virginia Code Section 2.2-3708.2(A)(3), the Continuity of Government ordinance adopted by the City Council on June 20, 2020 or Section 4-0.01(g) in HB29 and HB30, enacted by the 2020 Virgin-ia General Assembly (Virginia Acts of Assembly Ch. 1283 and 1289), to undertake essential business. All of the members of the City Council and staff are participating from re-mote locations through Zoom We-binar. This meeting is being held electronically, unless a determina-tion is made that it is safe enough for the meeting to be held in person in the City Council Chamber at 301 King Street, Alexandria, VA. Electronic access will be provided in either event. The meeting can be accessed by the public through: Zoom hyperlink (below), broad-casted live on the government channel 70, and streaming on the City’s website. City Council Public Hearing:URL: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kSvwP6RsT0al6bbWpWyIgQ Zoom Audio Conference:Dial in: 301-715-8592 Webinar ID: 926 5562 3381Password: 337741 Public comment will be received at the meeting. The public may submit comments in advance to the City Clerk at [email protected] for the City Council hearing, or make public comments through the conference

call on the day of the hearing.

For reasonable disability accom-modation for the City Council hearing, please call the City Clerk and Clerk of Council's Office at 703.746.4550 (TTY/TDD 838-5056). We request that you provide a 48-hour notice so that the proper arrangements may be made.

In accordance with Virginia State Code Section 15.2-2006, the following is the second publication of notice of a request for a Vacation of public right-of-way. The item described below was previously advertised on February 26, 2021 in the “Classified Legal Ad” section of the Washington Post:

THE FOLLOWING ITEM WILL BE HEARD BY THE CITY COUNCIL ONLY: Master Plan Amendment #2020-00008Rezoning #2020-00004Development Special Use Permit #2020-10027Transportation Management Plan Special Use Permit #2020-00076Vacation #2020-000041352, 1356, 1360, and 1362 Mad-ison Street; 711, 715, 719, and 727 North West Street; 1319, 1321, 1323, 1325, 1327, and 1329 Wythe Street - Braddock West

Public Hearing and consideration of a request for: (A) Amendments to the Braddock Road Metro Station Small Area Plan Chapter of the Master Plan through updates to the Development Site Map, Devel-opment and Land Use tables in the Braddock Metro Neighborhood Plan Overlay, and the Development Framework Map and Land Use and Development tables in the Braddock East Master Plan Over-lay; (B) amendment to the official zoning map to change the zone for the site from RB to OCH; (C) a Development Special Use Permit and site plan with modifications to construct a 180-unit multifam-ily building with ground-floor commercial uses, including special use permits to increase the floor area ratio to 3.0 in the OCH zone, the utilization of Section 7-700 for bonus density and height for the provision of affordable housing, for a parking reduction for residential

and commercial uses, to allow a restaurant, retail shopping or personal service establishments on a lot which does not include office buildings, provided such use supports and serves office uses in the immediate zoned area, and a fraternal or private club; (D) a Special Use Permit for a Transpor-tation Management Plan (tier two); and (E) the Vacation of two public alleys serving the site; zoned RB/Townhouse.

Applicant: West Street Acqui-sitions, LLC, represented by Jonathan P. Rak, attorney; City of Alexandria (portions of the Master Plan Amendment only)

For further information, call the Department of Planning & Zoning at 703.746.4666 or visit alexandriava.gov/dockets.

LEGAL NOTICE

Board of Architectural ReviewLEGAL NOTICE OF A PUBLIC

HEARING

The Board of Architectural Review (BAR) will hold an Electronic Public Hearing on WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2021 beginning at 7:00 p.m. to review the following item(s):

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic emergency, the March 17, 2021 meeting of the Board of Architec-tural Review (BAR) is being held electronically pursuant to Virginia Code Section 2.2 3708.2(A)(3), the Continuity of Government ordinance adopted by the City Council on June 20, 2020 or Sections 4-0.01(g) in HB29 and HB30, enacted by the 2020 Virginia General Assembly (Virginia Acts of Assembly Ch. 1283 and 1289), to undertake essential business. BAR board members and staff are participating from remote locations through Zoom Webinar. This meeting is being held electronically, unless a determination is made that it is safe enough for the meeting to be held in person in the City Coun-cil Chamber at 301 King Street, Alexandria, VA. Electronic access will be provided in either event. The meeting can be accessed by the

Classifieds

ROBERT BEATSON IIAttorney/Accountant

Former IRS AttorneyAdmitted to DC, MD, VA & NY Bars

All types of Federal, State, Local & Foreign Taxes Individual/Business.

Trusts - Estates - Wills. Amended & Late Returns Back Taxes - IRS Audits

Civil Litigation.Business Law - Contracts

703-798-3590 OR 301-340-2951www.beatsonlaw.com


property and keep it open to the public in January. The offer proposed pay-ing a “fair market value” for the property over the course of a few years.

“We deliberated careful-ly over the proposal and its terms and concluded that their offer as currently writ-ten simply does not meet AHS’s needs. So, with thanks to them for their interest, the board declined the of-fer,” AHS Board Chair Terry Hayes said in the release.

An AHS representative declined to provide infor-mation on how many offers the organization has re-ceived on the property.

AHS’ decision dealt a blow to NOVA Parks and NVCT’s campaign to “save

River Farm,” Paul Gilbert, executive director of NOVA Parks, said. The campaign has gained support from community members as well as federal, state and local officials. The Virginia General Assembly allocated $2 million for the preser-vation of River Farm in its budget in February.

Although AHS declined the offer, Gilbert said the campaign is not over.

“We have a lot of momen-tum behind us with the com-munity, with state and grant funding, and we’re going to continue to talk to AHS and see where we can find com-mon ground,” Gilbert said.

However, Gilbert and NVCT Executive Director Alan Rowsome questioned whether AHS has realistic expectations for the value

of the property. AHS listed River Farm for $32.9 mil-lion, while the tax assessed value of the property and NOVA Parks’ original offer were closer to $17 million, according to Gilbert.

“I think, unfortunately, they’re seeing that money as more of a priority than the future of the property,” Rowsome said.

For Gilbert and Rowsome, AHS’ decision is just a bump in the road and the first step in the negotiation process.

“There still really re-mains only one path forward here that’s going to ensure the future of River Farm,” Rowsome said. “This begin-ning salvo in a continued negotiation doesn’t change that. … I think this was prob-ably just the beginning.”[email protected]

Classifieds OBITUARIES

Kenny passed away peace-fully in Knoxville, Tennessee, Feb. 26, 2021. He was born March 13, 1941 in Alexandria to Ruth Bruffy Harrison and Walter Albert Harrison.

Kenny is survived by his nieces, Susan Perkins McKee-han, of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Kathy Greenia Padgett, of Port Republic, Maryland; his great niece, Christina Perkins Johnson, of Nashville, Tennes-see; his great nephew Brent Jeffrey Perkins, of Chattanoo-ga, Tennessee; and his brother Walter Albert Harrison Jr., of Elmhurst, New York. Kenny is predeceased by his sisters, Janice Eldora Harrison and Betty Harrison Greenia.

Kenny, nicknamed Spoon, lived most of his life on East Windsor Avenue in Del Ray, Alexandria. He had a generous

spirit and loved to help people. He is a part of many memo-rable milestones and will be missed greatly by his family, friends and neighbors. A grave-yard service was held at Mount Comfort Cemetery in Alexan-dria on Wednesday, March 3 at 11:00 a.m. Contributions in lieu of flowers to the family can be made to your favorite charity.

Kenneth Eugene Harrison

COURTESY PHOTO

Eloise Hopkins Brantley of Alexandria, went home to be with her Lord in the early morning hours on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. She was born Sept. 23, 1939 in Middlesex, North Caro-lina to the late Winslow Brant-ley and Lottie Hopkins Brantley.

Eloise began her career in the legal field in the 1960s and worked for various law firms, including the presti-gious law firm of Arnold and Porter in Washington D.C., as a legal assistant. In addition, Eloise started her busy and successful real estate broker career in the 1980s that lasted for decades until 2020. Eloise became a very well respected realtor and delighted in as-sisting her real estate clients in both Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia.

Eloise served her First Bap-tist Church in Alexandria for many years. She established scholarship funds at her church in honor of both her late broth-er, Julian Brantley, and her nephew, Mark King, that will

continue to assist students in their college educations for many years to come.

A celebration of life ser-vice was held on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021 at Midpoint Church, 5407 South NC-231, Middlesex, North Carolina 27557.

In lieu of flowers, contribu-tions may be made in her mem-ory to the scholarship funds for Julian Brantley and Mark King at the First Baptist Church, 2932 King St., Alexandria, VA 22302.

Arrangements are by Strickland Funeral Home & Crematory, Louisburg, www.stricklandfuneralhome.net.

Eloise H. Brantley

COURTESY PHOTO

public through: Zoom hyperlink (below), broadcasted live on the government channel 70, and streaming on the City’s website.

URL: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yuw9VddAQ3y9EBMWwHkO3Q

*The Board of Architectural Review Hearing will start at 7:00 p.m., while the Zoom Webinar will become available to join at 6:30 p.m.*

Zoom Audio Conference:Dial in: 301.715.8592Webinar ID: 932 4235 8498Password: 350625Public comments will be received at the meeting. The public may submit comments in advance to Lia Niebauer at [email protected] or make public comments through the conference call on the day of the hearing.

For reasonable disability accom-modation, contact Jackie Cato at [email protected] or 703.746.3810, Virginia Relay 711.

For further information, call the Department of Planning & Zoning at 703.746.4666 or visit

alexandriava.gov/dockets

BAR #2021-00004 OHADRequest for partial demolition/ encapsulation at 414 North Union Street.Applicant: David L. Charney

BAR #2021-00005 OHADRequest for addition, alterations, and waiver of rooftop HVAC screening at 414 North Union Street.Applicant: David L. Charney

BAR #2021-00023 OHADRequest for partial demolition/ encapsulation at 314 Commerce Street.Applicants: John and Emily Galer

BAR #2021-00020 OHADRequest for alterations at 314 Commerce Street.Applicants: John and Emily Galer

BAR #2020-00533 OHADRequest for partial demolition/ encapsulation at 108 Gibbon Street.Applicants: Benedict and Carol Capuco

BAR #2020-00532 OHAD

Request for alterations at 108 Gibbon Street.Applicants: Benedict and Carol Capuco

BAR #2021-00071 OHADRequest for partial demolition/ encapsulation at 124 South West Street.Applicant: King West Properties Inc. William B. Hatherill

BAR #2021-00070 OHADRequest for alterations at 124 South West Street.Applicant: King West Properties Inc., William B. Hatherill

BAR #2021-00066 OHADRequest for alterations at 105 North Union Street.Applicant: City of Alexandria

BAR #2020-00396 PGRequest for new construction at 1413 Princess Street.Applicant: Deyi Awadallah

BAR #2020-00412 PGRequest for new construction at 1415 Princess Street.Applicant: Deyi Awadallah

Old and Historic Alexandria District (OHAD); Parker – Gray District (PG)

RIVER FARM FROM | 3


ALEXANDRIA SPECIALIST | $33M+ SALES IN 2020Northern VA Magazine Best Agent 2018-2020 | Washingtonian's Best Real Estate Agent 2018-2020 RealTrends Top 1.5% Agents in USA & #24 Individual Agent in VA703.851.2556 | kristenjones.com | [email protected] | Licensed in VA

109 S. Pitt Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 | Equal Housing Opportunity | *Represented the Buyer

A L O O K AT K R I S T E N ' S R E C E N T L I S T I N G S A N D S A L E S

106 N Quaker LnFor Sale | $1,799,999

300 S Union St #506* Sold | $2,602,653

540 Second St #103For Sale | $815,999

15 Keiths Ln*Sold | $1,999,995

3309 Old Dominion BlvdUnder Contract | $1,180,000

1250 S Washington St #703*Sold | $675,000

16 Alexander StSold | $1,700,000

310 Strand St #403*Sold | $2,954,000

815 Water PlUnder Contract | $1,050,000

1105 Queen St* Sold | $820,000

kristen sells

Documents

Alexandria Times · 3/3/2021 · VP visits For iNFo about alexaNdria’S adoptable petS, pleaSe viSit . tHaNK You The Alexandria Animal Shelter’s Pet of the Week is sponsored by