How'd that get there?

just wondering how that gourd got in that tree.... did someone put it there or did a squirrel get it up there?

Alexandria Police to Host Free Child Identification Event

Alexandria Police to Host Free Child Identification Event

On Saturday, February 2, 2013, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Alexandria Police Department, in partnership with the Department of Community and Human Services, the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office and the Center for Alexandria’s Children, Inc., will host a SafeAssured Child Identification event for City residents.  The event will be held at Police Headquarters, located at 3600 Wheeler Avenue, in the first floor Community Room. SafeAssured Child Identification kits are being provided for free to families with children 16 and younger. The kits are available on a first come, first serve basis.

SafeAssured ID provides families with all the vital information needed by law enforcement and the media to immediately broadcast information unique to a missing child. Parents receive a completed, ready-to-use ID kit for their child. The free kit contains a privacy-protected mini-CD, which acts as a single storehouse of personal identification information essential to locating a missing child. Families also receive a photo data card and a Parents' Guidebook with prevention tips, written in conjunction with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. For more information, visit http://www.safeassured-id.com/.

Last year, 49,619 children in the State of Virginia were reported as possible victims of abuse and/or neglect.  Of these children, 6,116 were found to be victims of child abuse and/or neglect.  Thirty children in Virginia died from injuries attributable to abuse and/or neglect, and 26 of these children were age 4 or younger.  Parents can take immediate steps now to keep their child safe from abuse and protected all year long. 

In community events leading up to Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, police officers, deputies, social workers, and community volunteers will be providing ID kits as well as important child safety information and resources for parents and families.  Professionals will be on hand to assist families, providing them with simple safety tips and conversation starters to help parents and caregivers initiate important conversations with their children, conversations that can impact your child for a lifetime.

For more information, contact the Alexandria Volunteer Office at 703.746.1909. 

City of Alexandria Announces Schedule of Services for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

City of Alexandria Announces Schedule of Services for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

For Immediate Release: January 18, 2013

All City of Alexandria Government offices will be closed on Monday, January 21, in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Virginia State offices will also be closed on Friday, January 18 for Lee-Jackson Day.

Refuse Collection: Residential refuse and recycling will not be collected on January 21; collection services will be delayed one day during the week. The Household Hazardous Waste Electronic Collection Drop-off Center will be closed on January 21.

Transit: On Monday, January 21, DASH will operate on a Saturday schedule. The King Street Trolley will operate a regular schedule, from 11:30 a.m. to 10:15 p.m.

Libraries: All Alexandria Library branches will be closed on Monday, January 21.

Hotlines: All emergency hotlines operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including the child protective services hotline at 703.746.5800; the domestic violence hotline,703.746.4911; the emergency services for mental health or substance abuse crisis hotline,703.746.3401; and the sexual assault hotline, 703.683.7273.

Recreation Centers: On Monday, January 21, the Chinquapin and Charles Houston Recreation Centers will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Cora Kelly and William Ramsay Recreation Centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. All other facilities will be closed.

Health Facilities: All Alexandria Health Department facilities except the Teen Wellness Center will be closed on Friday, January 18 for Lee-Jackson Day. All Alexandria Health Department facilities, including 4480 King Street, Flora Krause Casey Health Center at 1200 N. Howard Street and the Teen Wellness Center at 3330 King Street, will also be closed on Monday, January 21.

Historic Alexandria: On Monday, January 21, Gadsby’s Tavern Museum and the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the last tour of the day at 3:45 p.m.

Parking: The Alexandria Police Department will not enforce parking restrictions at metered spaces, as well as time restrictions in residential permit parking districts and other areas with signed parking time limits, on Friday, January 18 or Monday, January 21.

Schools: All Alexandria City Public Schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 21.

State Offices: The following Commonwealth of Virginia offices located in Alexandria will be closed on January 18 and January 21: the Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts, and the DMV Office at 2681 Mill Rd.

For more information, contact Nathan Carrick, Office of Communications and Public Information, at 703.746.3199 or Nathan.carrick@alexandriava.gov.