Editor's Notebook

Tell Us: What Wildlife Have You Seen in Alexandria?

Foxes, owls, bald eagles and even a deer have been spotted in the city.

After spotting a beautiful osprey flying over Four Mile Run Park on Sunday, I reached out to ask Del Ray Patch Facebook followers about the interesting wildlife they’ve seen across Alexandria. Below is a sampling of the responses. The biodiversity might surprise you: Linda Fitzgerald Williams — A red fox trotting down the sidewalk in Rosemont. Francoise Thalacker Thomas — A bald eagle flying over marshes of Potomac River near Hunting Towers. And a red fox on Holly street. Nancy J. Clark — A pileated woodpecker huge and a three-legged fox, all on Pine Street. Matthew Funkhouser — My yard is never dull. We've got everything from chipmunks, field mice and rabbits, to owls, litters of foxes, and one morning a deer. Then of course there's my …

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Should Alexandria Put a Priority on Building a New Website?

Arlington County is preparing a new municipal site. Should Alexandria follow suit?

Over the last several years, some members of Alexandria City Council—most notably Councilman Paul Smedberg—have expressed concerns that the city’s website is clunky and difficult to navigate. It’s an issue speakers at council hearings have also addressed from time to time. Just to the north of the city, Arlington County is in the process of building a new website with a version of WordPress that it hopes to launch by the end of the year, according to ARLnow. Arlington officials believe the open-source content management system will reduce the costs of upkeep and development, make it easier for county employees to update pages and improve navigation. • For the quickest updates, "like" Del Ray Patch on Facebook and follow @delraypatch on …

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Jim Moran Returning to Del Ray

Longtime Virginia congressman moving back to the same Alexandria neighborhood where he launched his political career more than 30 years ago.

U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8th) is returning to live in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, the same community where he launched his political career more than 30 years ago. “It’s about coming home,” said Moran, who announced he was moving to Del Ray at Monday’s Del Ray Business Association luncheon. “I’ve always appreciated the way the community embraced me as a single father and supported me when I first ran for council in 1979 coming out of the Del Ray Citizens Association.” Moran, who served as mayor of Alexandria from 1985 to 1990, is currently living in Arlington County’s Shirlington neighborhood. The 12-term congressman said his son, Patrick, recently moved out of the apartment, leaving Moran on his own. “I don’t need a two-bedroom …

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Ben Clay

7:43 am on Saturday, April 20, 2013

You're claiming that because Jim Moran his "Minority Report" style telepathic powers that told him an 8-year child would become a criminal when he grew up, Moran was justified in engaging in a freelance "Scared Straight" program and choking the child? Is that right? Moran is a thug who somehow convinces local liberals to sell out their beliefs to keep him in office. But there's no chance of a …   more ›

Crystal City-Potomac Yard Transitway to Open in Spring 2014

Metro officials say bus rapid transitway could move more people quicker, boost bus ridership and potentially reduce vehicle traffic.

The Crystal City-Potomac Yard transitway—the first network of bus-only lanes to be built in the Washington, D.C. region—will debut in spring 2014, according to a report from The Washington Post. The transitway will ultimately connect Braddock Road and Crystal City Metro stations, with a future extension to Pentagon City. Construction began in July. Alexandria officials initially suggested line would open at the end of 2013. • See: Route 1 Transitway Construction to Begin Soon “We see this as the poster child for what transit service should be,” Jack Requa, Metro’s bus chief, told the Post. “This will be the first time that the buses will own the street and be able to move freely without interruptions from cars and taxis.” The MetroBus 9S …

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Alexandria Launches "Call.Click.Connect." Initiative

New online platform and hotline aims to help the city respond more efficiently to requests for information and services.

Alexandria launched a new customer service initiative called “Call.Click.Connect.” on Monday designed to help the city respond more efficiently to requests for information and services from residents and the public. At the base of the initiative is a new online system that can be used to enter, track and resolve service requests for reporting things like potholes and filing complaints about trash service. Residents can search for their service request by keyword, category or department on the city’s website. They will be asked to enter the location of a pothole or incident, verify its location, describe the request and enter contact information. Users will then receive verification that their request was recorded with an estimated response…

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Tony Castrilli

3:02 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Amy: Thanks for your comment. We designed Call.Click.Connect. to offer a variety of ways to find what you need. When you first go to Call.Click.Connect, you can enter a word or phrase in the search box. In this case, if you enter “taxi,” you’ll immediately get the listings for taxicab information and complaints. You can also click the “A-Z” tab, which lists the taxi items as well. As you noted, …   more ›

City Offers First-Time Home Buyer Workshops

Alexandria has organized free sessions from January through June.

Alexandria has organized free education and outreach sessions for first time homebuyers over the coming months. The sessions are open to the public and will be conducted by volunteer housing industry experts certified by the Virginia Housing Development Authority.   Homebuyer training seminars will be held Jan. 31, Feb. 7, March 25, April 11, May 9 and June 6 at the Burke Branch Library Meeting Room, 4701 Seminary Rd. These seminars will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Advanced registration is requested and may be completed at www.HomeSeminar.org. These sessions are informational only and do not lead to a VHDA training certificate. Three VHDA homebuyer training classes are scheduled for Feb. 16, March 2 and April 13. These six-hour …

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2013 Alexandria Summer Day Camp Guide

Cool camps for kids with a focus on everything from pets, robots and musical theater to the Civil War.

Looking for some great summer day camps for the kids? Alexandria and the communities right next door are full of them. As summer approaches, many of these camps will have more details available, but here’s a start put together by Patch. Alexandria Patch Summer Day Camp Picks: Alexandria Archaeology Summer Camp - Children ages 12 to 15 help city archaeologists excavate a real archaological site. July 15-19, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Animal Welfare League of Alexandria — Rising 3rd through 8th graders can register for sessions tailored for their age group and specific interest. Camp sessions run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and last one week. Registration open. The Art League — This camp, which operates out of the league's Madison Annex, offers a …

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Join the Conversation: Is Alexandria a City or Suburb?

Tell us how you refer to where you live.

Editor's Notebook

Alexandria: City or Suburb?

Tell us how you refer to where you live.

While on vacation in California last week, I often found myself explaining to old friends and new ones exactly where I live and work. I would tell folks I live “Just south of DC in Alexandria, Virginia.” That seemed to paint the picture pretty well. If someone proved familiar with the area, I would say, “I live in the City of Alexandria, just a couple miles north of Old Town.” Most were able to figure that out, or at least nod and feign familiarity. Sitting in St. Elmo’s, Duncan Library and other places around Del Ray and Alexandria over the last couple years, I’ve often heard people refer to the area as “a suburb.” I’m not sure if I agree with that. In my mind, Alexandria was once (maybe as little as 10 years ago) a suburb. It has grown, …

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Get Involved with Alexandria's Bicycling Committee

The city's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee has a number of upcoming opportunities for citizen engagement.

Alexandria’s Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee in seeking public participation in a few upcoming events For the quickest updates, "like" Del Ray Patch on Facebook and follow @delraypatch on Twitter. Interested in getting Del Ray Patch directly into your inbox each morning? Learn more about our daily newsletter.

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