Parking & Events on Black Friday

FROM THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA:  

Alexandria is rolling out the red carpet for shoppers on Black Friday, November 25, 2011, one of the biggest shopping days of the year. The City of Alexandria is offering free parking in all City-owned garages and parking lots, and metered spaces will also be free, as a special incentive for shoppers to visit Old Town to make their holiday purchases.

These City-owned garages and lots are opening early and will offer free parking for patrons:

• Market Square Garage, 108 North Fairfax St., Open 6 a.m. Friday – 6 a.m. Saturday
• Courthouse Square Garage, 111 South Pitt St., 6 a.m. – 3:00 a.m.
• Thompson’s Alley Garage, 10 Thompson’s Alley, 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.
• North Union Street Garage, 220 North Union St., 6 a.m. – 2:30 a.m.
• South Henry Street Lot, 112 South Henry St., 6 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Cameron/St. Asaph Street Lot, 210 North St. Asaph St., 6 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Dozens of Alexandria’s independently owned shops are offering deep discounts with early and extended hours on Black Friday. Shop as early as 6 a.m. and warm up with a hot beverage and breakfast from some of Old Town's favorite cafés. Holiday shopping becomes a charming one-of-a-kind experience on Alexandria's historic streets.

After shopping all day, stay to enjoy the City of Alexandria Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at 7 p.m. on the picturesque and historic Market Square. As the official kick-off to the holiday season in Alexandria, you’ll enjoy a performance from Santa’s Frosty Follies, a special visit from Santa Claus, and community caroling.

Then, visit Santa throughout the season in Old Town. Starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 26, Santa will be available for photos every Saturday and Sunday until December 18 at 210 South Union Street. Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Special parade day schedule is 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, December 3.

For more information on all the Black Friday festivities, free parking, participating shops, and many more holiday events in Alexandria, go to www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com.

Work to begin on observation deck at Oronoco Bay Park

FROM THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA: 

Replacement of Oronoco Bay Park Observation Deck Scheduled to Begin Monday, November 7

City contractors will replace the Oronoco Bay Park Observation Deck damaged in the flooding this past spring. Work will not affect users of the park and will be completed within 30 days.
For additional information or questions about the work, call Cheryl Lawrence, Acting Division Chief, at 703.746.5419 or e-mail cheryl.lawrence@alexandriava.gov.

TC Williams Presents "The Laramie Project"

"The Laramie Project" written by Moises Kaufman will be performed  Fridays, November 11th and 18th and Saturdays, November 12th and 19th. All shows start at 7:30pm.

Senior student, Joseph Powers, is the Student Director. Junior student, Sarah Laane is the Student Stage Manager.

There will be two "Talk Back" discussions where the audience will have a chance to talk to the Cast of the show at the conclusion of these two performances. The dates are: Saturday, November 12th and Friday, November 18th.

Tickets are $5.00 for ACPS Staff, Students, and Senior Citizens and $10.00 for Adults.

Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy and ACTion Alexandria Launch Keep it 360 Video Contest

Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy and ACTion Alexandria Launch Keep it 360 Video ContestA total of $800 in prizes is up for grabs in ACAP's Keep it 360 Video Contest on ACTion Alexandria.

We want you to help spread the word about how Alexandria can Keep it 360 when talking about sex and teen pregnancy.  Create a short video (2 minutes or less) using your camera or cell phone, and tell us how you Keep it 360.  Nothing fancy! Just be creative and honest.  You could be the winner of the $500.00 first prize, a $200.00 second prize, or a $100 third prize!
What is Keep it 360?
On October 1st , the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP) and Teens Talk, a group of TC Williams students, launched the Keep it 360 campaign.  What does Keep it 360 mean?  Keep it 360 means “keep it real all the way around.”  The Keep it 360 campaign was created to foster real, open and honest conversations about sex and teen pregnancy between teens, adults and the community.
Who’s eligible to enter?All City of Alexandria residents ages 13 and up are eligible.  This means we are looking for videos from youth and adults.
How do you enter?To enter the contest and find more information, visit http://www.actionalexandria.org/challenge/enter-keep-it-360-video-contest.
For more information, contact Becky Griesse at 703.746.3130 or rebecca.griesse@alexandriava.gov.

Wordless Wednesday - Fall

Alexandria Police Investigate Bank Robbery

FROM THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA: 

Alexandria Police Investigate Bank Robbery at BB&T Located on S. Washington Street

Alexandria Police are investigating a bank robbery that occurred at the BB&T, located at 300 S. Washington Street.  Around 10:50 A.M. on Saturday, October 29, a man entered the bank, implied a weapon and demanded money.  The teller relinquished an undisclosed amount of cash and the suspect fled the area on foot.  No one was injured.

The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 6 feet tall, weighing approximately 170 pounds.  The suspect was wearing dark pants, a dark shirt and a mask.

Anyone with additional information about this robbery is asked to call Detective Thomas Buckley at 703.746.6837 or the Criminal Investigations Section at 703.746.6711.

Detectives would like to remind witnesses that they can remain anonymous.

The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria

FROM THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND OF ALEXANDRIA: 

The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria will host its 16th Annual Fall Telethon on Sunday, November 6, 2011, at T.C. Williams High School. 

The five-hour live broadcast features student performers and professional entertainers who contribute their time and talents to raise pledges to support the General Fund. 

General Fund scholarships support students who have academic promise but who lack the financial resources to access and complete higher education. 

Last year, the Fall Telethon netted over $102,000 to support higher education for Alexandria students.

You can PLEDGE NOW  or call 703 824-6730 to support this event. 

The event will be broadcast live, 4-9 p.m. on Comcast Channel 69.  

Alexandria Police Remind Residents of Halloween Safety Tips

FROM THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA: 

Alexandria Police Remind Residents of Halloween Safety Tips

There are many ways to keep your child safe at Halloween, when they are more prone to accidents and injuries.  The excitement of children and adults at this time of year sometimes makes them forget to be careful.  Simple common sense can do a lot to prevent tragedies from happening. 

Youngsters will be out and about on Halloween during evening hours and crossing streets in the dark.  Motorists frequently use residential side streets as a cut-through during high volume traffic hours.  Alexandria Police will be out in numbers to make sure trick-or-treaters have a safe Halloween night by enforcing violations involving speeding, stop signs and pedestrian cross walks over the weekend. 

Here are a few Halloween safety tips to remember:

• Always use crosswalks and sidewalks and walk facing traffic
• Carry a flashlight or glow sticks
• Wear light colored clothing and reflective stickers on costumes
• Use face paint rather than full-face masks that can partially block your vision
• Only trick-or-treat at houses you know and that are well lit
• Travel in groups and children should always be with an adult
• Inspect all candy and treats before children eat them
• Notify police about any suspicious persons or activity

For more information about Halloween safety tips, contact the Public Information Office at 703-746-6600 or visit our website at www.alexandriava.gov/police.

I got a Rock