Flash floods strike Parkfairfax, Del Ray · 2020-07-07 · Flash floods strike Parkfairfax, Del Ray Woman killed on West End COVID-19 The death rate in Alexandria is 20% lower than

Some protesters vow to chain themselves to the trunkBY MISSY SCHROTT

Residents are banding to-gether to protest Alexandria City Public Schools’ plans to cut down a 150-year-old oak tree at T.C. Williams High School.

The tree, located near the high school football field, is slated to be removed to make way for a new concession stand and bathrooms as part of the Parker-Gray Memorial Stadi-um modernization project.

ACPS declined to com-ment on when the tree will be removed. However, sever-al residents who caught wind of the removal last week say it could happen at any time since it appears that ACPS is prepping the area for con-struction.

According to a July 13 up-date on the project on ACPS’ website: “Construction fenc-ing along portions of the proj-ect perimeter is scheduled for installation starting July 15, 2020. This will be followed by the disconnection of utilities and the installation of a con-

struction entrance. Erosion control measures are sched-uled to be installed in late July, 2020, with demolition com-mencing the first week of Au-gust.”

An online petition created last week to “save the tree” collected 1,087 signatures as of Wednesday at 5 p.m.

“The tree is estimated to be around 150 years old, and in good health. It provides an invaluable source of shade and beauty on the school campus,” the petition reads.

City’s stormwater ca-pacity overwhelmed for second year in a rowBY CODY MELLO-KLEIN

Parts of Alexandria ex-perienced flash flooding after more than 2.5 inches of rain fell in the city in less than an hour on the night of July 23.

The Parkfairfax and Del Ray neighborhoods were hit

hardest by the floods, but residents in Rosemont and West Alexandria also expe-rienced surging stormwater, as the city’s infrastructure was quickly overwhelmed by the intensity of the rain-fall. The area remained un-der a flash flood warning until 2:30 a.m. on July 24.

This is the second time in two years that a major storm has swept through

Incident marks first city homicide of 2020BY CODY MELLO-KLEIN

The Alexandria Police Department reported the city’s first homicide of 2020 on Wednesday.

APD officers responded to a report of shots fired on South Greenmount Drive on Wednesday at 6:20 a.m., according to a news release. Upon arriving at the scene,

officers found the body of a woman with gunshot wounds on her upper body. APD has not released the name, age, race or ethnicity of the deceased woman.

The case is currently under investigation, and no suspects have been ar-rested. Those with infor-mation regarding the ho-micide are encouraged to contact APD Detective Gill at [email protected]

Vol. 16, No.31 Alexandria’s only independent hometown newspaper. JULY 30, 2020

TimesAlexandria

ACPS to cut down 150-year-old tree

Flash floods strike Parkfairfax, Del Ray

Woman killed on West End

COVID-19The death rate in

Alexandria is 20% lower than the state average.

Page 4

Home ProfileJournalists in Del Ray

made their house a gathering place.

Page 11

INSIDE

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4617 Duke St, AlexandriaNOVA®

PHOTO/MISSY SCHROTTA 150-year-old oak tree on the property of T.C. Williams High School.

SEE FLOOD | 6

SEE OAK TREE | 8

2 |JULY 30, 2020 ALEXANDRIA TIMES

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WEEKLY BRIEFINGSurvey shows discontent among APD officersSpeak Easy features

Councilor John Chapman A survey that the Times ac-quired from a former Alexan-dria Police Department officer revealed that numerous APD officers are unhappy with Po-lice Chief Michael Brown and the culture of the department.

The survey was conducted on members of the Alexandria chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Associa-tion, an organization com-posed of more than 58,000 law enforcement officers. The SSPBA website does not spec-ify how many members are in the Alexandria chapter.

Of the 60 members whose survey responses were re-ported, the majority indicat-ed they were unhappy with the chief of police and the culture of the department through their responses to 14 questions. The survey also asked respondents how the national pressure and scrutiny on law enforcement officers in recent months has impacted them.

The questions included: “If you are accused of vi-

olating policy, do you believe you will receive a fair admin-istrative process?” (60% no, 25% yes, 15% undecided)

“Considering the current national climate and the scrutiny of policing policies and procedures, the APD will be actively seeking commu-nity comment and input on the adoption of reforms. Do you feel the current chief of police has the requisite re-spect of APD officers to lead the department into this new era?” (68.33% no, 18.33% un-decided, 13.33% yes)

“Has the chief of police, in his role as a leader, helped

to make you feel more or less secure in your future with the APD?” (65% less secure, 31.67% no impact, 3.33% more secure)

“Have the actions of the Alexandria City Council, may-or and city manager caused you to reduce your normal po-licing activities (traffic stops, arrests, community policing, etc.) for fear of being placed in a situation where you may be unjustly publicly scrutinized? (73.33% yes, 16.67% no, 10% undecided)

Find the full survey at https://bit.ly/3gecm3m.

[email protected]

Councilor John Chap-man joins the Alexandria Times’ podcast, Speak Easy, this month to talk about his involvement in the city’s civic life.

A fourth generation Al-exandrian and member of city council, Chapman’s role in Alexandria goes far beyond his time in local politics.

Chapman sat down with Times reporter Cody Mel-lo-Klein to talk about his work uncovering the city’s Black history for Manu-mission Tour Company, the current state of race relations in Alexandria and how his upbringing in-spired him to get involved in [email protected]

IMAGE/LYVI SIEG


Alexandria’s rate is 20% lower than state-wide averageBY DENISE DUNBAR

The death rate per case of COVID-19 in Alexandria has declined by 35% on new cas-es since May 28, according to calculations made to data from the Virginia Depart-ment of Health website.

In the two months be-tween May 28 and July 28, only 13 new deaths from COVID-19 were reported in Alexandria, while there were 862 new diagnosed cases in

that timeframe, a 1.5% death rate per case. As of May 28, there had been 1,887 cumu-lative cases of COVID-19 di-agnosed in Alexandria and 44 deaths, which was a 2.3% death rate.

This story looks at as-pects of three data sets: cu-mulative COVID-19 demo-graphic data for Alexandria and Virginia as of May 28, cumulative COVID-19 de-mographic data for Alexan-dria and Virginia as of July 28 and COVID-19 demo-graphic data for Alexandria since May 28.

While the city’s over-all death rate per case fell sharply in the last two months, this was not true for people age 70 and old-er. Alexandria residents age 70 and older experienced a slight uptick in their death rate per COVID-19 case.

As of May 28, the death rate per case was 14.8% for people age 70-79 and 25.7% for those age 80 and older. By July 28, those cumulative percentages had climbed to 16.8% for age 70-79 and 26.3% for age 80 and older.

Between May 28 and July 28, there were 40 new re-ported cases of COVID-19 for people age 70 and older in Alexandria, according to data on the VDH website on those dates, and 11 reported new deaths in that age group, a 28% death rate per case.

In every other Alexandria age group, the death rate per COVID-19 case either fell or remained the same in the July 28 cumulative data

from that reported on May 28. Statewide, the death rate per case fell or remained the same in every age group be-tween May 28 and July 28.

Alexandria’s overall death rate per case is lower than the statewide average: 2% in the city compared to 2.4% in the commonwealth,

which is 20% lower than the statewide death rate per case. This is likely due to the fact that a higher percentage of statewide cumulative cas-es as of July 28 fall in the age 50 and older age group than in Alexandria.

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City COVID-19 death rate declines sharply

Table 1

Black 18%

Latino 56%

White 20%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Black Latino White

20%

56%

18%

Table 1-1

Black 15%

Latino 9%

White 10%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Black Latino White

10%9%

15%

Table 1-2

Black 2.6%

Latino 0.6%

White 6.5%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

Black Latino White

6.5%

0.6%

2.6%

Cases by ethnicity

Percentage of cumulative cases as of July 28 for the three largest groups in Alexandria for which there is an ethnicity designation.

GRAPH/LYVI SIEGDATA/VDH

SEE COVID-19 | 5


Overall comparisons of racial and ethnic data be-tween May 28 and July 28 is difficult, because VDH changed the way it classi-fied race and ethnicity on the COVID-19 website during that time. However, com-parable data is available for Latinos, and it reveals that both the hospitalization and death rates per case fell for that ethnic group.

On May 28, there had been 79 hospitalizations out of 856 cumulative Latino cases of COVID-19, a hospitalization rate per case of 9.2%. By July 28, the hospitalization rate had fallen to 8.5%, with 124 hospitalizations out of 1,452 cumulative cases.

The Latino death rate per case fell from .7% on May 28, with six deaths out of 856 cases, to .6% on July 28, with nine deaths out of 1,452 cu-mulative cases.

The three largest ethnic

groups in the city – Blacks, Latinos and whites – re-spectively had the highest percentage of hospitaliza-tions per case, highest per-centage of overall cases and highest death rate per case in the July 28 cumulative VDH data.

Blacks had experienced 71 hospitalizations out of 469 total cases on July 28, for a hospitalization rate per case of 15%. Whites had the second highest cumula-tive hospitalization rate per case at 10%. The cumulative Latino hospitalization rate per case was 9%.

Latinos had by far the largest percentage of total COVID-19 cases in Alexan-dria for which there was an ethnic designation on July 28, at 56%. Whites were sec-ond, with 20% of total COVID cases in the city, while Blacks had 18% of the city’s total COVID-19 cases.

Whites had a death rate per case that was more than

Table 1

Black 18%

Latino 56%

White 20%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Black Latino White

20%

56%

18%

Table 1-1

Black 15%

Latino 9%

White 10%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Black Latino White

10%9%

15%

Table 1-2

Black 2.6%

Latino 0.6%

White 6.5%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

Black Latino White

6.5%

0.6%

2.6%

Table 1

Black 18%

Latino 56%

White 20%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Black Latino White

20%

56%

18%

Table 1-1

Black 15%

Latino 9%

White 10%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Black Latino White

10%9%

15%

Table 1-2

Black 2.6%

Latino 0.6%

White 6.5%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

Black Latino White

6.5%

0.6%

2.6%

Hospitalization rate per case by ethnicity

Death rate per case by ethnicity

Death rate per cumulative case as of July 28 by ethnicity for the three largest ethnic groups in Alexandria for which there is an ethnicity designation.

GRAPH/LYVI SIEGDATA/VDH/DENISE DUNBAR

Hospitalization rate per cumulative case as of July 28 by ethnicity for the three largest ethnic groups in Alexandria for which there is an ethnicity designation.

GRAPH/LYVI SIEGDATA/VDH/DENISE DUNBAR

10 times higher than that of Latinos, 6.5% compared to .6%. There had been 33 deaths of whites out of 510 total cases, while there were nine Latino deaths out of 1,452 cases. The death rate for Blacks was 2.6%, with 12 deaths out of 469 total cases.

Fully 58% of Alexandria deaths from COVID through July 28 had been of white res-idents – 33 out of 57 deaths.

Alexandria’s COVID-19 gender data mostly mirrored the state as a whole. Women have comprised more of the cases, while men more of the hospitalizations, at both the

city and state levels. There have been more deaths of women from COVID-19 in Al-exandria as of July 28, with 30, than men, at 27. Statewide, slightly more men than wom-en have died of COVID-19: 1,057 men have died com-pared to 1,035 women.

[email protected]

COVID-19 FROM | 4


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Alexandria, flooding streets, cars and basements and leav-ing residents concerned and frustrated with the state of the city’s stormwater man-agement. A month’s worth of rain hit Alexandria in about an hour on July 8, 2019.

“Imagine a funnel that you’re pouring a gallon milk jug in and imagine, instead of pouring it out [over time], you dump the whole milk jug all at once,” Bill Skrabak, dep-uty director of infrastructure and environmental quality, said. “… You have all that wa-ter trying to get through that, whether it’s an inlet or a pipe, and it just can’t handle it and it just starts backing up.”

On July 23, the city’s rain gauges measured a minimum of 2.5 to 3.25 inches of rain fell on the city within an hour, according to Skrabak.

Some residents reported even higher estimates. Streets in Old Town, Del Ray and Northern Alexandria became impassable. More than a foot of water filled the 200 block of

East Monroe Avenue. An eye-witness video from a Parkfair-fax resident showed cars sub-merged in water and drivers exiting through the windows.

City staff is still assessing the volume of service calls received from residents relat-ed to the flood but so far has counted 75 flood-related ser-vice calls since July 23, Sk-rabak said. The city received 90 service calls related to the storm in 2019.

During the July 23 flooding, the Alexandria Fire Depart-ment responded to six calls related to people stranded in high water, according to AFD.

Several residents experi-enced flooding in their base-ments. Mike Putzu, a resident who lives in the Brookville Townhomes complex near Holmes Run Trail, realized his basement was flooding when he went to check on his cat and dog. The well in his back yard had overflowed, resulting in gallons of water pouring through his base-ment window.

“I was able to get the win-dow back in place for a few

moments for me to run back outside with a Home Depot bucket and just empty the well myself in the middle of the thunderstorm, or else all of my stuff was going to get destroyed,” Putzu said.

Another resident, Raquel Davis, experienced flooding for the first time since mov-ing into her Rosemont home with her husband in January.

“When we bought our house, we knew we were in a flood zone, but we had no idea what that meant,” Davis said.

Davis’ backyard filled up with water, which quick-ly started seeping into her house. Recycling bins, trash bins and one neighbor’s ca-noe floated down the road as the water rose in the street, Davis said. After the rain stopped, Davis’ husband and neighbors used trash bins to bail water out of their homes.

According to Davis’ neigh-bors, the area has been hit by intense flooding three times since 2006: once in 2006, once in 2019 and once this

Hoof

f'sRu

n

Four Mile Run

Old CameronRun

Channel

Holmes Run

Backlick RunCameron Run

Taylor Run

0

Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, and theGIS User Community

LegendDensity of Requests

Dense

SparseCity Boundary Line

Stream

Heatmap Showing Flood-related Requests for ServiceJuly 23, 2020 Rain Event

PHOTO/RAQUEL DAVISRosemont resident Raquel Davis' home after flood waters rushed in from her yard.

IMAGE/CITY OF ALEXANDRIAThe city has received about 75 flood-related service calls since July 23, the majority of which have come in from North Ridge, Rosemont, Del Ray, Parkfairfax and Old Town.

FLOOD FROM | 1

SEE FLOOD | 7


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past week. Some residents are still re-

covering from the impacts of the 2019 flash floods.

“It’s crazy. There’s noth-ing you can do to keep up be-cause the sewers here don’t work,” Del Ray resident Mary Burner said.

Residents expressed frus-tration with the city’s re-sponse to the flood and man-agement of its stormwater infrastructure.

“You’re like, ‘Well what are you going to do to pre-vent this in the future?’ And they’re like, ‘We’re gonna hope it doesn’t rain like that again,’” Putzu said.

“The infrastructure just isn’t working in this area,” Burner said. “We have two drainages in our alley and if you go out there when it’s raining … it’s like a swim-ming pool.”

Alexandria has about 185 miles of storm sewer pipe, 26 stream miles and about 13,500 structures, such as inlets or pieces of infrastructure. The city inspects and maintains that expansive infrastructure and performs maintenance in areas that have become de-graded due to age or wear and tear, Skrabak said.

“We are regularly assess-ing. When we get calls for flooding, we go out and take a look,” Skrabak said. “If there are simple things that can be improved that are happening, we try to do that.”

The city has long-term plans to improve its storm-water system both in terms of the quantity of water it can

handle and the quality of the stormwater that empties into local bodies of water.

“We’ve done a study, and we have about $100 million planned over the next 10 years in stormwater improve-ment projects,” City Manager Mark Jinks said. “Generally, what they’ll do is create ad-ditional capacity or they will slow the water, trade capacity by creating a holding tank.”

The city also implement-ed a stormwater utility fee in 2018 that was designed to provide a revenue source for infrastructure improve-ments. The fee is estimated to bring in about $12 million per year, according to Jinks.

Skrabak admitted that the city has to balance broader stormwater infrastructure improvement in a way that is worth the investment. A system that’s only used once every few years isn’t as ap-pealing from a budget per-spective as one that will get continued use.

Even with infrastruc-ture improvements, flooding events like the one that oc-curred on July 23 could re-main a challenge for Parkfair-fax, Del Ray and other flood zones, according to Skrabak.

“That’s a pretty unusual event with a high intensity,” Skrabak said. “When you do those improvements it helps, but it may not have entirely prevented those localized flooding areas in the city.”

However, city officials and residents agreed that, with storms like this occurring more frequently, there needs to be a more concerted effort to address the issue in some way.

“The challenge is that climate change is increasing the amount of moisture in the air, the intensity of the storms, and that is some-thing that’s true not just in Alexandria,” Jinks said.

“We have to budget to deal with areas that have isolated problems, but as these events become more and more fre-quent, I think there’s a larger conversation we need to have about how do we size the in-frastructure to deal with this,” Mayor Justin Wilson said.

There is some aid that resi-dents living in flood zones can utilize. The city has a backflow preventor program that helps residents pay for devices that can prevent sewage backup. Residents can also take part in FEMA’s Community Service Rating program, which reduc-es the cost of flood insurance.

But for some residents, the damage has already been done.

“Some of [my neighbors] are thinking about moving,” Burner said. “They’re just done; they can’t do this. … Everybody’s just frustrated. We don’t know what to do. We don’t know what avenue to take anymore.”

Denise Dunbar contributed to this story.

[email protected]

PHOTO/ RAQUEL DAVISWater filled the street near Raquel Davis' Rosemont home after the storm on July 23.

We have to budget to deal with areas that have isolated problems, but as these events become more

and more frequent, I think there’s a larger conversation we need to have about how do we size the infrastructure to deal with this.”

–Mayor Justin Wilson

FLOOD FROM | 6


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“… As climate change warms our planet, the last thing we need is to kill such a piece of nature and history – es-pecially for such a non-crit-ical purpose. It would be a

[short-sighted], selfish and irreversible decision.”

Several residents have vowed to chain themselves to the tree if ACPS goes forward with its removal, according to the petition.

Julie Moult, an ACPS

spokesperson, said that the division had tried to save the tree when designing the con-cession stand.

"Much consideration has been given to finding a way to save this tree which un-fortunately is positioned in

the middle of the site where the concession and restroom area will be,” Moult said in an email. “When planning, the goal was to locate this facil-ity as far ... from the neigh-borhood on Woods Avenue as possible so to minimize its impact on residents. Al-though we understand and agree that losing a mature tree is regrettable, 31 new trees and other landscaping will be planted."

Former Mayor Allison Silberberg, who was known for advocating to protect and grow Alexandria’s tree canopy during her tenure as mayor, argued that planting new trees isn’t the same as protecting mature ones.

“The city can plant more trees, but it will take decades for that new tree to become anything near to what this tree is,” Silberberg said. “Some people have called this tree a ‘witness tree’ because it’s wit-nessed so much history.”

The stadium moderniza-

tion project has been entan-gled in controversy because of that very history.

In the 1960s, the city used eminent domain to take the land of a predominantly Black neighborhood to build T.C. Williams High School. After paying the displaced residents nominal compensation for their homes, the city agreed to build them new homes on property adjacent to the school along Woods Avenue.

Allegedly, the city and school division also verbally agreed to never put stadium lighting up at the school, since it would diminish the Woods neighborhood’s property values. The city reaffirmed the promise in writing in the development special use permit for the school’s 2004 rebuild.

Nevertheless, city council approved the stadium mod-ernization project, which in-cludes stadium lighting, in

COURTESY PHOTOSome have suggested that ACPS build the concession stand on the visitors' side of the football field.

OAK TREE FROM | 1

SEE OAK TREE | 9


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October 2018. Several groups of neighbors subsequently filed lawsuits against the city and the school board, and one suit is scheduled to go to trial in October 2020. While some stadium construction has be-gun, ACPS has agreed to wait until after the lawsuit is decid-ed to erect the lights, accord-ing to the plaintiffs’ lawyer.

Resident McArthur My-ers is among those who have called the oak tree a “witness tree” because of the history associated with the T.C. Wil-liams site. Even though the concession stand is located on the tree site to give space to the Woods neighborhood, Myers argued that cutting the tree down is a disservice to that neighborhood’s history.

“We are one city [with] many stories, and you have to respect and tell all of the sto-ries: the good, the bad and the ugly,” Myers said. “This situa-tion up here, this is one of our ugly stories. Taking the land with no reparation, no respect of the citizens as related to the promise made regarding the lights. … This tree is, for me, the connector to all of this.

Part of this legacy up here.”Myers suggested that in

order to protect the tree, ACPS should incorporate the con-cession stand and restrooms into the stadium structure at the bottom of the stands. Sil-berberg advocated moving it to the other side of the field.

ACPS declined to answer questions about whether it is possible to build the conces-sion stand somewhere else and whether the division is consid-ering alternatives that don’t result in cutting down the tree.

In response to ACPS’ si-lence, Silberberg, Myers and other tree advocates are watch-ing the site closely to ensure construction doesn’t begin.

Resident Boyd Walker said he’s requested that the city designate the tree as his-toric, reconsider its removal because of the city’s climate goals and direct the city ar-borist to conduct a report on the tree. The city arborist de-clined the Times’ request to be interviewed.

Tree advocates plan to host a socially distanced ral-ly in the T.C. Williams park-ing lot tonight at 7:30 p.m. to raise awareness, Myers said.

[email protected]

PHOTO/MISSY SCHROTTACPS plans to cut down a 150-year-old oak tree to make way for a new concession stand and restrooms.

OAK TREE FROM | 8


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Brigid Schulte and Tom Bowman’s two-story Terrett Avenue house is a place where children grow and learn, neighbors gather and work gets done.

The couple moved to Del Ray in the ‘90s after living in D.C. during their early journalism careers. At first, Schulte was hesitant to plant long-term roots somewhere other than her home state of Oregon, but the couple was charmed by Del Ray and saw potential along Mt. Vernon Avenue.

CLOSE HOMETO

HOME PROFILE

What makes a house a homeBrigid Schulte and Tom Bowman

made their home a neighborhood gathering place

BY MARGO WAGNER

SEE TERRETT AVE. | 12

PHOTO/MARGO WAGNERBrigid Schulte and Tom Bowman live in a two-story house three blocks east of Mt. Vernon Avenue.


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“This is the first house that we saw that really made us say, ‘This is home,’” Bow-man said.

The house was built in 1927 and purchased by Schulte and Bowman in 1997. After living in it for almost 10 years and having two kids, Liam and Tessa, the couple renovated in 2006, nearly doubling the footprint of the house.

At the front is a little li-brary and living room with a large fireplace. Just past the living room sits a dining room large enough to host the couple’s multi-family Thanksgiving dinners. Off to the right is a home office where Schulte wrote her New York Times bestselling book, and Bowman can broadcast to NPR as a National Desk reporter.

A few steps further from

the dining room is the spot where the original house ended. It is now replaced by an organized mudroom, with a locker for each family mem-ber and a sun-filled kitchen. The back wall of the home is covered in windows, which offer a view of the small art-ist’s studio in the backyard.

When Schulte and Bow-man renovated the house in the early 2000s, space was a priority. Their small Del Ray home was shrinking with the addition of two young children and all of the new possessions that come along with parenthood. Instead of moving into a larger home in a different neighbor-hood, they decided to dig in and bloom where they were planted.

During the renovation, they built a kitchen with an island the size of two

HOME PROFILE

TERRETT AVE. FROM | 11


PHOTO/MARGO WAGNERThe kitchen is the family’s favorite gathering place, where they bake pies together and host various community events.


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dining room tables, a sun-ny breakfast nook, a living space for friends and family to congregate in and a mas-ter suite. The family of four lived together in the base-ment during the renovation in an area that they are cur-rently converting into a dark room for their daughter’s photography.

The new space quickly became home to some of the family’s favorite traditions, like an annual neighborhood kids’ pie baking contest the day before Thanksgiving and full-contact charades the fol-lowing night.

“We call it full-contact charades because it gets re-ally competitive. We try to come up with the most ob-

scure things you can,” Bow-man said.

Schulte and Bowman’s home shows their deep con-nection to the neighborhood and has almost become an extension of their Del Ray community. Bowman hosts brown liquor night with the Del Ray Dads each year, and Schulte has hosted a variety of events, including a glogg party when she returned from doing research in Ice-land, Finland and Sweden.

The couple also opened their home up to events for Mount Vernon Community School, hosting open houses in the front living room and working to build community between parents and teachers.

“I think it was through

HOME PROFILE

I think it was through the schools and through our

kids that we started to really feel connected to other people and really invested in wanting the best for the neighborhood and for everybody.”

– Brigid Schulte



PHOTO/MARGO WAGNERThe back living room is home to family movie nights and full-contact charades. The wall of bamboo just outside of the room gives the family privacy.


Flat Run Farm was designed and built to satisfy the need for connection with the land and mind. It offers the opportunity to be a part of something relevant today, and pay homage to the history of the great battles of the Civil War. This magnificent Adams and Frederick County retreat is divided by the actual Mason-Dixon Line on 217 gently rolling acres at the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains. Equipped with a total of nine buildings, a stocked eight-acre pond, and more than five acres of trails this estate offers picturesque views, tranquility and luxurious functionality. Sixty-six acres of this private, gated retreat are currently being farmed.

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the schools and through our kids that we started to re-ally feel connected to other people and really invested in wanting the best for the neighborhood and for every-body,” Schulte said.

Their family has seen Del Ray grow and change throughout the past 23 years and helped it devel-op into the community it is today. They remember par-ticipating in the Halloween parade back when it was just a handful of people in fun-ny hats. Schulte started the cookie exchange and Flat Stanley tradition at MVCS, and Bowman helped start the annual Del Ray Dads’ Pig Roast that now funds a scholarship for the Alexan-dria Scholarship Fund.

The home also reflects the couple’s worldwide trav-els and impressive careers. As journalists, both Schul-te and Bowman travel often and like to bring back me-mentos to display in their

home. The house is decorat-ed with rugs and art from Afghanistan and glassware from Iraq.

“We’re journalists. We’re interested in the world. We’re interested in stories. We’re interested in peo-ple,” Schulte said. “Bring-ing some of each trip back

into our home is a nice way to not only remember the trip but also remember your connection to the bigger community.”

Throughout their careers, Schulte and Bowman have done a lot of reporting from

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HOME PROFILE



PHOTOS/MARGO WAGNERTop: Bowman and his daughter painted the walls of the studio together and included a large mermaid scene.Bottom: Bowman has an ISDN line that allows him to report for NPR live from home when news breaks overnight.


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their home. Bowman remem-bers broadcasting live from the home office the night that Osama Bin Laden was killed. Schulte wrote down what the president said on live TV while her son ran the transcriptions to Bowman in the office.

Schulte also wrote her book “Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time” from that same home office. She worked with a woman who did feng shui to create a space that would promote creativi-ty and concentration.

“I’d never written a book

before, and I was nervous,” Schulte said.

According to Schulte, the feng shui worked, and the office became a spot where she could put together her thoughts. Schulte also re-cords a live podcast from the office each Friday. The topics she’s covered include paid family leave, gender equality and structural racism.

“It makes you feel like you are not only less alone, but part of a big conversation,” Schulte said about her pod-cast.

If the main level of the house is a place for work and

HOME PROFILE

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PHOTOS/MARGO WAGNERTop: Schulte uses a color-coded post-it note system in her home office to organize her thoughts. Bottom: Schulte fills the home office with tokens and objects that help her stay motivated and on-task.


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community, then the upper level is all about family.

“We wanted to create more of a sense of a private family space upstairs and a communal opening space downstairs,” Schulte said.

The master suite includes a Japanese spa-inspired bathroom with a deep soak-ing tub and double sinks. Outside the master bed-room is a laundry station, to streamline the process and make laundry seem like less of a chore. In the master closet, there are little notes with fashion advice, left many years ago for Schulte by her daughter. The space is comfortable and functional, a tell-tale sign that real peo-ple live there.

The children’s rooms em-brace each of their person-al styles with ski inspired décor in one room and a hand-painted mural in-prog-ress in the other. Schulte and Bowman allowed their daughter to make her room her own by painting on the walls and doors.

In the backyard there is a small artist’s studio filled with overstuffed couches and a drum set. Originally, Schulte wanted to use the space as a writing studio,

but the family turned it into a space for the children to hang out and practice their instruments. Now that the children are grown up, Bow-man and Schulte have plans to eventually turn it into a mother-in-law suite or a place for Schulte to write her next book.

Over time, the house has become a living structure, growing and changing with the family and becoming a waterhole for many neigh-bors. It is a place where the family can work, love and play without getting too overwhelmed.

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HOME PROFILE

A new episode of the Alexandria Times’ podcast is

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PHOTO/MARGO WAGNERThe master bath was inspired by Schulte’s time living in Japan.


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BY DAWN HOIEM

Remodeling can be daunt-ing. The national average for a kitchen renovation is more than $20,000, and bathroom renos run anywhere from $2,500 to well over $10,000. But updating your home is an investment in your most valuable asset, and it can be done affordably.

I recently gave our kitch-en a major facelift for less than a third of the nation-al average. Here are a few things I learned along the way that might help you with your next project.

Do some of the work yourself.

Painting and removing flooring and tile require sweat equity more than skill.

Watch some how-to videos, and you might even feel con-fident tackling more complex tasks. There are YouTube tu-torials for everything. Make a list of what needs to be done, and decide what you can do yourself.

Know when to hire a professional.

“But wait, you just said …” While you can DIY many elements, it’s important to know your limitations. Hanging a light fixture or installing a garbage dispos-al are simple jobs many peo-ple can do themselves. But doing complex plumbing and electrical tasks yourself can cost you later. A leaky pipe or ungrounded electri-cal wire can lead to serious problems. So again, watch

tutorials. If you aren’t com-fortable moving forward, leave it to the pros.

The cost of DIYing vs. hir-ing a professional also needs to be considered. Acquiring the tools to install my kitchen backsplash myself was going to cost about $200. I found a professional tiler who did the job for $350. The extra $150 for a professional finish was well worth the expense.

Get multiple estimates and references.

For that tiling job, three estimates ranged from $350 to $1,500. The low bid came with great references, so it’s worth shopping around. There are many skilled trade workers looking for jobs.

Tips for a budget-friendly renovation

SEE RENOVATION TIPS | 23

PHOTO/DAWN HOIEMPaint isn't just for walls. Refinishing your cabinets can be an inexpensive DIY project that rejuvenates the whole kitchen.


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Nancy Perkins2 0 2 0 S A L E S T O D AT E


Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t have nice things.

If there’s an element you fall in love with, find a way to incorporate it. For me it was encaustic-style tile from Spain. We couldn’t af-ford to do the entire back-splash in these tiles, but I was able to order a single tile and used that as a fea-ture over the stove.

If you can’t do your entire kitchen in quartz, feature it on the island. Design your dream room then scale it to fit your budget, finding ways to include elements that speak to you.

Shop for bargains. Big box stores may have

everything you need, but with a little effort, better deals can be found in places you might not think to look. Craigslist and other online sale sites are a great place to

start. A lot of people over-or-der materials for their proj-ects, and with strict return policies and restocking fees, their loss can be your gain.

I was able to score $250 worth of high-end subway tile for $50. Some sites let you set up alerts so you get a message when items like the ones you are looking for are listed. Use this feature to make sure you don’t miss out.

Habitat for Humanity Re-store and other resale shops are also good sources, espe-cially for smaller projects like a powder room.

A $40 can of paint can make a world of difference.

And paint isn’t just for walls. Hate your cabinets? Why not try freshening them up? Again, you can find tuto-rials for painting just about anything, from linoleum and tile floors to tile backsplash-es. I was worried after the first coat, but I absolutely love

my “new” black cabinets.

Make elements you don’t replace feel clean and new.

All it takes is time, pa-tience and a bit of effort. Try scrubbing dirty grout, applying new caulking and changing out drawer pulls and knobs yourself.

Purge and organize as you go.

While we were stuck with

the existing footprint, pull-ing everything out of the cabinets to paint them gave us a chance to get rid of old and unneeded items. I’m not sure why we had three meat grinders, but eliminating two freed up space.

Sell your old stuff. We sold our oven vent and

hood and a couple of those meat grinders. Turns out there’s even a market for old George Foreman grills. Every

little bit helps to offset the cost of the renovation.

Shop your own home. If you’re like me, your bud-

get may be shot by the time you get to the finishing touch-es. So shop in other rooms of your home. Maybe it’s a plant from a seldom-used room or a figurine from Aunt Helen’s collection that’s gotten pushed to the back of a bookshelf. Shuffling pieces you already own can bring new life to for-gotten items while helping your new room feel complete.

If you’re working with a budget, be flexible, realis-tic and creative. With a lit-tle pre-planning, internet searching and scavenging for materials, you can have the room you’ve been dreaming of for a fraction of the price.

The writer is a communications expert

who enjoys giving new life to discarded furniture and

home improvement projects.

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RENOVATION TIPS FROM | 20

PHOTO/DAWN HOIEMAn encaustic-style tile from Spain. If there’s an element you fall in love with, find a way to incorporate it in your renovation project.


Set the stage for success when selling your houseBY DIANN CARLSON

Ever wonder why some homes on your block go on the market and sell within days, while others languish for weeks, even months?

While many factors figure into the recipe for success, one of the most obvious ones is how the property presents itself to house hunters, in person and online. Pricing your property in line with its most recent comparables has always been critically import-ant, as well as making neces-sary repairs and refreshing paint as needed. But in recent years, buyers in the DMV have

come to expect a higher stan-dard of how a home “shows” – now more than ever, as prices have continued to rise.

A whole new industry has been born. Staging compa-nies are thriving due to the need for professional assis-tance in preparing properties for the market. Successful sellers have been known to

move out and turn over their vacant house to their stag-ing crews. Others complete the process of cleaning out and throwing out unneeded items, then engage the stag-

ers to make the best of what they intend to keep.

It goes without saying that professional photos are a must when posting online for the world to see. Why

not make those photos as appealing and attractive to potential buyers as possible?

Photos of vacant proper-

COURTESY PHOTOPricing and repairs are critical for successfully selling a house, but staging – how a house presents to buyers – is becoming even more vital.

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The benefits of staging your home

DIANN CARLSON

REAL TALK

SEE STAGING | 25


ties always appear a bit sad and unloved, lacking the spark of enthusiasm that en-courages buyers to pay a visit.

On the other hand, no one wants to look at photos of 25-year-old wallpaper, outdat-ed light fixtures or antiquated appliances. The same applies to personal furnishings. Your favorite rug, chair or china cupboard may actually work against you in photos.

We are all our own worst enemies in judging our home furnishings. Most of us just can't see it. What is needed is a neutral, third party who will tell us the truth so that we can set ourselves up for success in the selling process.

A professional stager can do just that: analyze what will enhance and improve

your house's potential and suggest eliminating those items that won’t. Most stag-ers maintain a warehouse full of sofas, tables, lamps and artwork at-the-ready to spruce up your house and dress it for success.

Another new industry option, though less popular, is virtual staging, wherein photos of your property can be embellished with virtual furniture, giving the appear-ance online of an actual dec-orated room.

When the house is cam-era-ready, a common seller response is, “Why didn't we do this years ago?” or “It looks so great. Why are we mov-ing?” Maximize your real es-tate investment, hire a stager and consider it sold. Statisti-

cally, staged homes sell more quickly and for a higher net, according to the NAR.

The writer is an associate broker with Weichert Old

Town, and has been in practice since 1984.

California and Flori-da meet in this Alexandria home, which has been rede-signed with custom contem-porary touches.

Modern design elements include an open floor plan on the main level with a stone gas fireplace and a state-of-the-art kitchen with a bar counter for casual dining. The dining room

is staged as a billiards room with a moat filled with koi.

The master bedroom, with a walk-in closet, laundry fa-cilities and a custom bath, overlooks the deck with a koi pond and fire pit, leading to the outdoor kitchen and in-ground pool.

The detached, oversized garage offers a full bath for

guests and a “party room” above with a full bar.

In the main house, there is an upper level guest bedroom and en-suite bath, while on the lower level there is a fam-ily room with a gas fireplace that opens to a covered hot tub pavilion. There is also a third bedroom/office, a full bath, storage and a wine cellar.

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Location: 4512

Dolphin Lane

Neighborhood: Yacht Haven

Price: $1,397,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 4

Year Built: 1959

Contact: Kate Patterson

703-627-2166, McEnearney

Associates Realtors,

Old Town, kpatterson@

mcenearney.com, www.

KatePattersonHomes.com

AT A GLANCE

COURTESY PHOTOS

REAL TALK

COURTESY PHOTOSLeft: Stagers are skilled at determining what already existing items can enhance or detract from a house's potential. Right: Most stagers have a warehouse full of furniture and lighting that can spruce up a house.

STAGING FROM | 24


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Weekly Words

METALHEADS by Zhouqin Burnikel, edited by David SteinbergACROSS1. Church of country music5. Furtive "Hey!"9. Places to raise crops14. Certain fingernail shape18. Like a well-maintained lawn19. Martin dubbed "King of Latin

Pop"20. In the loop21. Fashion designer Sui22. Chef for some shelter adoptees?24. Payment for a stand-up

person?26. Exorcism target27. Host with all the answers29. "Great comeback!"30. Upright32. Helped dishonestly35. Daily ___ (political blog)36. Exercise regimen that involves

getting out of bed repeatedly?41. Fielder's mistake43. Title girl in a Kinks hit44. Rice, e.g., in Korean cuisine45. Beam of sunlight46. Screen legend Sophia50. Largest city in Idaho52. Female deer53. Landscaper's roll54. Impressionist Monet55. Land of Mass. and Miss.

56. Madison Ave. pro59. Easy A's?61. Airy summer top63. Dish served in a corn husk64. Perfect scores for divers65. According to67. Turn sharply68. Like Thor70. Miracle ___73. Chilean novelist Allende75. Evaded79. Cassandra, e.g.?81. Rib cage location83. "___ you with me?"84. Feel contrite85. Overly86. Jersey call87. Future World's theme park89. "Bye Bye Bye" boy band90. ___ and hers91. Speedy game fish94. Campaign trail worker95. "Get that prowler, Rover!"97. Worn-out shellfish?99. Listening device102. Prom rentals104. They may be clear or cloudy105. Comes to light107. Privy to the plot110. Derisive look113. Most adorable Senate gofer?116. Prearranged part of a bus

tour?119. Clarinet's cousin120. "Parasite" award121. Comes down hard122. Cancel123. Bunker contents124. Catcher's gloves125. 761,600 square miles, for

Mexico126. Bygone days

DOWN1. Pointy-eared toymaker2. Deeply regretted3. ___ of Capri4. Lion-headed monsters that

breathe fire5. Insta upload6. Big brokerage firm until 20177. Hershey toffee bar8. Little kid9. "Get real!"10. Stopped sleeping11. Lamb's dad12. Orthopedist's scan, briefly13. Part of the economy14. Honolulu's home15. Sweater style16. Smoky chili pepper17. Land of 10,000 ___ (Minnesota

nickname)19. Pays for more issues

23. Social convention25. Camry relative28. Background color of the U.N.

flag31. Portable bed33. Like Tig Notaro's humor34. Prepare, as scallion pancakes36. Book that brings back mem-

ories37. Like harem pants38. False identity39. Music genre for Girls' Gener-

ation40. Futbol cheer42. Turkey-cooking appliance45. Wander around47. Devious scheme48. First garden49. Loch ___ monster51. Enjoys some scallion pancakes53. Unexpected glitch54. Register workers57. Portray58. Actress Witherspoon59. Stable unit60. In the vicinity62. Takes place66. Scott Joplin's genre67. Calorie count for water69. Search engine's find70. Put on notice71. Palette choices

72. Road trip game74. "About me" pieces76. Implicitly understood77. Crumble bit by bit78. Fend off80. Eggs on81. Granny Smith's center82. Remains valid86. Pi Day mo.88. Forgoes, as an opportunity90. Evil spell91. Fermented soybean paste92. Kind93. Library disturbances96. Made-to-order97. Skin moisturizers98. "___ It Like Beckham"99. Crunchy Tuesday meals100. Island near Curacao101. Mountain climber's spike103. Probe into106. Pomegranate bit108. Cabbage variety used in

kimchi109. Frankenstein's helper111. Highest active volcano in

Europe112. Towel rack parts114. Second to last Greek letter115. Play segment117. Paleozoic, e.g.118. Plant holder

MARTHA BETHEA (83), formerly of Alexandria, July 16, 2020

CATHRYN COX (100), of Alexandria, July 22, 2020

BRUCE KAUFFMANN (72), of Alexandria, July 18, 2020

FREDERICK LEES (89), formerly of Alexandria, July 17, 2020

MICHAEL J. O’ROURKE (69), of Alexandria, July 21, 2020

BRYAN P. WILLIAMS (65), formerly of Alexandria, July 23, 2020

DEATH NOTICES


TimesLivinqSermin Ciddi brings traditional Turkish miniature paintings into the 21st centuryBY CODY MELLO-KLEIN

In the right hands, a paintbrush and canvas can be transportive, taking view-ers away to a different place, time or headspace.

In Torpedo Factory artist Sermin Ciddi’s hands, that’s certainly the case. Ciddi works in a modernized style of traditional Turkish min-iatures, using the cultural traditions of her birthplace to transform landmarks from the real world into vibrant, fairytale landscapes.

Ciddi’s work spans con-tinents, drawing on every-thing from the Hagia Sophia to Old Town for inspiration in an attempt to connect herself, her viewers and the broader world under one flag: humanity.

“I am connecting to the people with my emotion, as an artist, my colors, my pos-itive attitude,” Ciddi said. “… The same painting, people are saying to me the same feelings [I had while painting it]. It means, as a human be-ing, we are connected some-how.”

Ciddi’s work as an artist started before she knew how to put brush to canvas. As a

child in Istanbul, Ciddi would stick crayons in her mouth before using them on the page, finding that the mois-ture made the colors brighter in an improvised form of wa-tercolor painting.

Without television or many picture books, Cid-di’s imagination became her best friend. When she read or heard a story, she would cre-ate images, or mental paint-ings, that soon manifested physically in her art.

“I could imagine every-thing, everything,” Cid-di said. “… It’s a habit. If somebody is talking about something, telling me about their day or whatever, my mind, at the same time, [is] making a picture or think-ing of painting.”

After high school, Ciddi attended the Istanbul State Academy of FIne Arts, where she started exploring more traditional forms of Turkish art, including miniature – or minyatür – painting.

Miniature painting is a cultural tradition in Turkey, as well as other civilizations like Persia, that dates back centuries and peaked as a medium in the 17th century under the Ottoman Empire. Miniature paintings were given as gifts to sultans and COURTESY IMAGE

Sermin Ciddi's depiction of Old Town in the moonlight combines traditional Turkish miniature tech-niques with Old Town's historic architecture.

CITY CREATIVES

Humanity in minyatür

SEE CIDDI | 28


presented at weddings in Turkey.

The form experienced a decline in the 20th century as modern art took center stage. In the 1980s, however, artists started to revive it.

Traditionally, miniature

paintings are two-dimen-sional representations of peo-ple or places. The Ottoman Empire was known for ex-tensive documentation, and miniature paintings played a role in that as well. They were used for cartography, to rep-resent the known world and chart the unknown world.

For Ciddi, the initial ap-peal of miniature paintings was the color, style and rules behind such a tradi-tional art form.

“I was [always] interested in … the colorful, child-like paintings because they are so innocent. They’re so pure,” Ciddi said.

Alongside her professors, and then as a teacher of the style herself, Ciddi learned how to recreate the classi-cal approach to miniature paintings. However, she re-alized that although there is value in following tradition, it could only get her so far, she said.

“I always wanted to do contemporary work,” Cid-di said. “You can see all the [paintings] are different from the miniature paintings we know because in the old time, always, Turkish miniatures were presented at weddings or [to] Sultans. But we need to do something new because it’s the 21st century.”

At its heart, Ciddi’s work retains the hyper-detailed, almost architectural ap-proach to process and plan-ning that is traditionally a part of miniatures, but her color palette and subjects ex-ist far outside the traditional miniature template.

Her move to Alexandria and acceptance into the Tor-pedo Factory in 2017 helped push her work to new plac-es, literally. While the Hagia Sophia and Maiden’s Tower

of Istanbul still make ap-pearances, Ciddi’s more re-cent work draws inspiration from the historic streets and buildings of Old Town.

“[Istanbul] is my home-town. … But moving to Al-exandria, because I’m living here, I started to do some-thing that belongs to the places I’m living in or the places I’m visiting. This is me now,” Ciddi said.

When she first moved to the U.S., Ciddi didn’t know how she would get into the art business. Although she was a professional recog-nized artist in Turkey, each country has a different arts culture.

She eventually stumbled on the Torpedo Factory while visiting her son, who lives in the area, and Ciddi became obsessed, she said. She re-turned day after day, visiting galleries but remaining too shy to ask the artists how they got involved.

In 2016, while visiting her son for Christmas, Ciddi saw that the Torpedo Factory had issued a call for artists. She

CITY CREATIVES: SERMIN CIDDI

COURTESY IMAGECiddi's art may be contemporary, but she still draws on classic Turkish images, such as the Edirne Palace.

COURTESY IMAGE"Battle in Bloom" is part of a series that contrasts the benevo-lence of the phoenix with the ferocity of the dragon.

CIDDI FROM | 27

SEE CIDDI | 29


CITY CREATIVES: SERMIN CIDDI

eagerly applied and learned two months later that she had been accepted via the blind jury process.

No matter where she is or what she’s painting, Cid-di strives to capture a sense of place, one that is au-thentic both physically and emotionally.

In order to do that, Cid-di does as much online and in-person research as possible.

“I need to go to places, take the photos or feel the energy and later on I can have a look at Google,” Ciddi said. “But I need to feel it.”

Ciddi’s first piece that in-volved Alexandria, part of a series called “Old Town Al-exandria in the Moonlight,” was inspired by her experi-ence walking the streets of Old Town one winter night. Under the moonlight, a part of the city she had become familiar with transformed into something entirely new, she said.

“Many places [were like], ‘Did I see this place before?’” Ciddi said. “You can see all the depth of the shops, not only the windows. And the colors [are] coming out from the windows, especially vivid colors, the yellow of the lights.”

The final piece remains largely geographically ac-curate, drawing in spe-cific local businesses and landmarks to create a blue, dreamlike and moon-bathed

representation of Old Town. It’s become a hit with a lot of Alexandrians, including Mayor Justin Wilson, who purchased a recreation for his office, Ciddi said.

Ciddi is currently working on a companion piece that will shift the season and col-or palette.

Even when Ciddi’s work focuses on landscapes and architecture, she uses her art as a medium, connecting people from different parts of the globe through hope and positivity, she said.

In recent months, espe-cially when the Torpedo Fac-tory was closed to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic, that has become a little harder. Hope is in short supply, but Ciddi is still working to bring people joy through art.

“All the time, if I am very sorry or very sad in my emo-tional life … I never gave my feelings to my paintings. I always wanted to give hope, cheer to the people,” Ciddi said.

Like most Torpedo Facto-ry artists, Ciddi worked from home from April to June while the site was closed to the public. Commissioned work she had started prior to the pandemic sustained her as her Torpedo Factory sales dried up.

During the pandemic, some of Ciddi’s work took on a meaning and popularity she didn’t anticipate. For her first reception series at the

Torpedo Factory, Ciddi creat-ed a series of pieces depicting phoenixes, the mythological bird that burns up, only to be reborn from the ashes.

In the middle of the pan-demic, a lot of art has been reinterpreted and inscribed with new meaning, and Cid-di’s series is no exception. It has connected again with people for different reasons, but the intent behind the se-ries remains the same.

The Torpedo Facory re-opened to the public on June 12, but unfortunate-ly, Ciddi’s studio and the art center at large remain fairly empty, Ciddi said. People are still hesitant to visit, and even those who do come in rarely walk into an artist’s gallery unless they know they’ll purchase something, Ciddi said.

Still, Ciddi’s humani-ty-inspired work resonates with many in these unusual times. While people are iso-lating themselves in their homes and in their political and social silos, Ciddi’s work offers an olive branch, a re-minder that we are all hu-man beings.

“It’s my feeling, or my mission, to give to people more energy and more posi-tive attitude because every-body is having a very dif-ficult time,” Ciddi said. “… Even just one minute, or just visiting my studio, I like to give some positive thoughts. I want to reach their heart.”

[email protected]

“It’s my feeling, or my mission, to give to people more energy and more positive

attitude because everybody is having a very difficult time. Even just one minute, or just visiting my studio, I like to give some positive thoughts. I want to reach their heart.”

– Sermin Ciddi

CIDDI FROM | 28

PHOTO/CODY MELLO-KLEINCiddi's work has been well received by the Torpedo Factory and residents, including Mayor Justin Wilson who purchased a recre-ation of her Old Town piece for his office.


To the editor: I recently heard about the ef-

fort to re-name T.C. Williams High School. As a native Alexandrian, may I suggest Boone-Yoast High School,

a name fit for an anti-racist future while remembering those Titans?

-Jon Stier,T.C. Williams Class of ‘84

Seattle, Washington

To the editor: The need to rename the city’s

high school has been evident for some time. T.C. Williams was a segregationist who represented the worst of what the Democratic Party and city government had to offer the commonwealth and the community at the time. He does not deserve the honor his name on the building bestows.

The question is what the high school should be called if not T.C. Williams. Many names have been tossed out, all of whom have their own constituencies but few of whom represent all the residents of the Port City.

Let me suggest the best name,

and the only one we can all accept with pride and rally around, would be “Titan High School.”

Some may believe that naming the school after its teams is silly. That’s nonsense. What better exam-ple is there of unity of purpose and spirit than the accomplishments achieved by Coach Herman Boone and his remarkable players in 1971?

That team epitomized what is best about our city. They may be the only ones whose achievements set an example we all can agree our students should follow.

Remember the Titans. Name the school for them.

-Peter Roff,Alexandria

Our View Opinion

Your Views

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

“It’s a one time thing – it just happens a lot,” Suzanne Vega wrote in the song “Cracking.”

Vega’s line seems to have been co-opted by the City of Alexandria, as it’s become the mantra of city leaders whenever weather events over-whelm Alexandria’s storm sewer system.

“Our staff has reviewed the rainfall data and preliminarily characterized the thunderstorm of Thursday, July 23, 2020 as between a 50-yr (2%-chance-per-year) and a 100-yr (1%-chance-per-year) storm,” Yon Lambert, director of Transportation and Environmental Services, recently wrote to a resident who had contacted him about increased frequency of flooding.

Except that this was the second time in two weeks that some residents’ basements had flooded, and the second time in two years that there has been widespread flooding throughout the city. Ask restaurants near Old Town’s waterfront how many times they’ve had water at – or inside – their doors in the last 15 years, let alone 50.

Clearly, if city leaders think these are one in 50- or 100-year events, then they need to revise their calculations.

In Alexandria, we have a perfect storm of increased severe weather events caused by global warming combined with city policies that have exacerbated the effects of these storms.

We have:● A city manager and mayor who are both on record saying they want

to dramatically increase Alexandria’s population density, despite the fact that we are already the most densely populated city in Virginia.

● City leadership that sacrifices preserving wetlands, streams and mature trees in favor of development every time there’s a choice to be made. Examples of this behavior include, respectively, the Potomac Yard Metro station site, the Karig Estates development and the 150-year-old tree about to be axed at T.C. Williams High School. In each instance there were less environmentally damaging alternatives.

● An antiquated storm sewer system that’s been overdue for an over-haul for decades. The city was finally forced to stop kicking this par-ticular can down the road when the Virginia legislature and then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) imposed a condensed timeline on Alexandria to eliminate four outfalls that dump large amounts of raw sewage into the Potomac River during, you guessed it, major weather events.

City residents were hit with a sharp increase in their sewer fees two years ago, but obviously that $12 million per year is not being spent on flood mitigation.

When we replace pervious surfaces such as grass, topsoil, mulched groundcover and planted areas with impervious surfaces like concrete and asphalt used in development, water runs off instead of soaking in.

When we destroy wetlands, we eliminate nature’s best system of deal-ing with excess water from extreme weather events.

And when we neglect infrastructure, which is a core function of gov-ernment, while approving every development proposal that comes before us, we are asking for many repeats of “one time” events.

Weather patterns that create extreme storm events are a fact of life in the year 2020. It’s time for city leaders to wake up and realize that, while they can’t control the weather, they can change their own policies that are exacerbating the weather’s effects.

A starting point would be to deny overdevelopment projects that are currently in the city’s approval pipeline – starting with the Heritage that seeks to more than triple current housing units on that Old Town site – while we reassess our priorities.

If current city leaders refuse to change course, then residents can take heart in the knowledge that in addition to a national election this fall, there’s a local election next year.

A flood of poor policies

A vote for Boone-Yoast H.S.

How about ‘Titan High School?’

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: As COVID cases continue

to spike nationwide, full-time in-person instruction will not be a reality in most school districts this fall. As a working parent with four kids at home, I understand how daunting and frustrating that reality is. It is essential for fami-lies to return to work both for their own financial stability and for our country’s economic recovery.

But while schools serve as de facto childcare during normal times, we cannot expect schools to shoulder the burden of reopen-ing the economy by providing the sole source of affordable child-care to working parents during COVID. It’s time for policymakers to separate the childcare crisis from the extremely complex task of reopening schools.

We’re not being creative enough in solving this vexing problem. Students will likely be participating in distance learn-ing for several days a week, if not every day. What if we leveraged furloughed after-school staff from the Campagna Center or recre-ation centers or college students taking a gap year and provided safe, socially distanced supervi-sion for distance learning?

We could tap unused public spaces like school gymnasiums in districts that are closed, rec-reation centers, churches or even outdoor areas such as athletic fields to provide large open spac-es for distance learning.

Staff who are typically charged with overseeing recre-ational activities for students af-ter school could provide structure and supervision to students while they participate in asynchronous instruction or even a live feed from a certified teacher on a pro-jection screen. College students could tutor children individually or in small groups to improve the quality of distance learning.

Districts could even coordinate programming so that small class groups remain clustered together

on their “off days” to limit exposure to new networks. Offering a sliding scale fee structure to families could help alleviate funding concerns and prioritize access for families with more limited resources.

There are at least seven clear benefits to this model, which could:

• Solve or mitigate childcare challenges for working parents by providing a safe, supervised space to participate in distance learning.

• Counteract equity concerns posed by the establishment of “learning pods,” a growing na-tional trend where families with greater resources hire private tu-tors or babysitters to supervise distance learning for small groups of children in a family’s home.

• Free up certified teachers to do what they do best – teach. Teach-ers could potentially reach more students by providing live-feed in-struction to distance learning sites across a district. More centralized instruction could free up some teachers to provide small group or individualized virtual tutoring to students who need it most.

• Provide access to 1:1 devices or wifi in a centralized location to address digital equity gaps and offer tech support on site.

• Provide employment for po-tentially furloughed after-school workers and offer public service and career development opportu-nities for college students or as-piring teachers.

• Offer teachers who do not wish to return to the classroom an opportunity to focus on virtu-al instruction exclusively, while working with networks of kids at off-campus sites.

• Provide wellness screenings, free meals and some safe social-izing with peers and ensure chil-dren are safely supervised while parents are at work.

This would no doubt be a com-plex and expensive undertaking, requiring cross-organizational

Schools can’t solve our childcare crisis

My View | Heather Peeler

What does home mean to you? For many of us home is a place of comfort, safety and joy. It is the foundation for our emotional and physical health. As we sheltered in place this spring, home took on even more meaning as it became the only place that we could inhabit.

Unfortunately, many Alexandrians risk losing their homes. The economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has been overwhelming, especially for essential workers who are trying to make ends meet despite re-duced hours and challenging work conditions. According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, 39,000 households – 57% of Alex-andria’s total – are renter households.

The Washington Post re-cently reported that 20% of renters in the United States are at risk of eviction by Sept. 30. That means 7,000 households in Alexandria are in jeopardy.

Eviction has a devastating effect on a family. Imagine if you suddenly had to abandon your home. Where would you go? What would you bring? How might this sudden change impact your abili-ty to work, your access to food or your kids’ participation in school?

Communities of color were already economically disadvantaged prior to COVID-19, and with little to no finan-cial cushion, they are making tough choices between food, rent and other necessities. Limited by low-wage em-ployment options and recent unem-ployment, savings have dwindled.

Our neighbors without U.S. cit-izenship status are not eligible for federal CARES Act stimulus or safety net programs and have fewer places to turn. The Urban Institute Household Pulse Survey reports that nearly 60% to 70% of African Americans and Lati-nos in Virginia have no or slight con-fidence they can pay their rent in the next month.

There are many things we can do to address this looming housing crisis. In fact, the City of Alexandria is providing short-term emergency rental assistance for Alexandria renters experiencing housing insecurity due to COVID-19 re-lated loss of income. Property owners, government, renters and nonprofits are

working together to develop long-term, systemic solutions. But there is more we need to do.

Every Alexandrian can play a role in ensuring housing security for all res-idents. First, we must urge our elected officials to take bold action. On Aug. 18, the Virginia General Assembly will convene to focus on budgeting among other priorities.

Reach out to your local state represen-tatives and ask them to prior-itize budget items that will support renters and home-owners who face unprece-dented financial hardships due to COVID-19. Include your federal representatives on your call list and let them know that federal action con-tinues to be necessary to alle-viate the economic impact of the pandemic.

Second, we can support the many or-ganizations that are on the front lines helping Alexandrians keep their homes. For example:

• Legal Services of Northern Virgin-ia provides legal assistance to people who are facing eviction.

• Lazarus Ministries provides emer-gency financial assistance for rent and food.

• Alexandria Housing Development Corporation operates more than 600 units of affordable housing in the city and is committed to preventing evic-tions despite job loss and other finan-cial needs of residents.

• Tenants and Workers United mobi-lizes community-led campaigns to ensure social justice and housing for immigrants and low-income communities of color.

All of these organizations recent-ly received funds from the ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund. You can read more about the ACT Now Fund and give online at www.actforalexandria.org.

Throughout the pandemic, Alexan-drians have demonstrated their love for our community through their generous support for one another. Let us contin-ue to express our love for our home in Alexandria and take steps together to ensure that all of our neighbors can re-main in their homes.

The writer is president and CEO of ACT for Alexandria.

We must ACT now to prevent eviction

HEATHER PEELER

SEE CHAMBERS | 33


To the editor: The July 16, 2020 Alexan-

dria Times contained stories, editorials and letters about racial injustice in Alexandria, ranging from the name on the only high school, to traf-fic enforcement and city ad-ministered civil rights train-ing. All are important topics of which residents and city council should be aware, and in which to invest appropriate attention.

However, general racial is-sues have been in plain view for decades and I am skeptical that Alexandria Police De-partment traffic enforcement is racially biased. City council does appear to pay inordinate attention to virtue signaling on matters beyond its juris-diction though, such as the Paris Climate Agreement and illegal immigration.

Conversely, it provides less critical scrutiny on matters within its control, such as the specious need for night lights at football games – thus ab-rogating a long-term agree-ment with neighboring Black homeowners – and extensive road engineering to install bike lanes to solve nonexis-tent traffic problems.

What has not been in pub-lic view is evidence that city council has addressed its au-thority and responsibility, per City Charter Section 2.04, to ensure that Alexandria can quell riots, disturbances and disorderly assemblages.

Recent local demonstra-tions blocking streets have been handled by APD, but it is well documented that some people travel to cities to foment violence, and many cities in the nation have been affected. What appears to be a “mostly peaceful” demon-stration can change in a heartbeat, and a history of virtue signaling will not save

us – see Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington.

The issue is: Can the APD quell riots, disturbances and disorderly assemblages? To do so, rigorous recruitment, training and equipment are required. Each of these ele-ments is critical individually and as part of the whole.

Police officers who are in poor physical shape or lack proper training will be of lit-tle use in protecting lives and property during riots. Many APD officers appear to be obese – a bad sign for person-nel in a physically active job.

Charleston, South Caro-lina is a bit smaller in pop-ulation than Alexandria, but both cities depend on tourism, restaurants and bar spending. In late May 2020, Charleston’s tourist area was devastated by rioting, looting and arson. The same could happen here. Is Alex-andria prepared?

Most residents were not alive, or in Alexandria in June 1970, when the shoot-ing of a Black man by a con-venience store clerk resulted in nights of rioting in Arlan-dria/Chirilagua. The then-city council reportedly ham-pered an effective response by APD. The downtown tour-ist area was not affected, but then Old Town was not fully developed; nights of rioting in Old Town now would be catastrophic. In 1970, ap-proximately 25 officers left APD as a result of council’s lack of support. That could happen again.

Residents and business owners must ask city council to affirm that APD is capable of protecting life and prop-erty, and that city council allow APD to provide that protection.

-Edward M. Templeman, Alexandria

To the editor: The opinion article published in the

July 16 edition of the Alexandria Times entitled “Thank you for gun law” was one of gratitude to city council and came from a place of obvious passion. Unfortunate-ly, it was also filled with inaccuracies and misleading evidence.

The author began by thanking the Alex-andria City Council for its recent adoption of an ordinance that bans the possession of a firearm on city property (Chapter 3 of Title 2 of the Code of the City of Alexandria, Vir-ginia (Section 2-3-5)).

The author then proceeded to recount the tale of their presence at the 2017 shooting at Simpson Park where Repub-lican Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) and five others were injured and concluded by not-ing that the rifle used by the perpetrator was purchased legally.

What the author thought this fact has to do with the ordinance adopted by city council is not clear. Indeed, it would seem that the fact that the perpetrator had legally purchased the weapon and still managed to bring it to a city park would be an argument against the ordinance the author is writing in support of.

If a man is able to legally acquire a rifle and take it to a city park to commit a mass shooting, it seems the last thing we should want to do is to limit the would-be victims’ ability to protect themselves.

The author did not stop there, however. The author proceeded to make a radical ac-cusation that should concern all law-abid-ing citizens: “People with concealed carry permits are dangerous.”

They even concluded the article with an ominous line, “Guns kill, and concealed car-ry permit holders kill.” What evidence did the author present? On what basis did they make these claims?

The author cited three instances of a CCW permit holder committing a violent crime with a gun. What they did not tell you, however, is that none of those crimes were committed with the aid of a CCW or even with a firearm that is able to be con-cealed. I will break these down below:

• Jan. 19, 2010: Concealed Carry Permit Holder Christopher Speight killed eight people in Virginia.

Here, the author referenced the 2010 shooting in Appomattox, Virginia. While the author identified Speight as a CCW permit holder, he failed to mention that he used a rifle. You cannot concealed car-ry a rifle either practically due to size or

legally within the permissions afforded by a CCW permit.

• May 5, 2008: Concealed Carry Permit Holder Aaron Poseidon Jackson killed four people in Virginia.

Here, the author referred to a domestic abuse incident turned murder-suicide inci-dent in a Stafford County mobile home. The incident resulted in the death of Jackson, his girlfriend and two small children. A tragic event, to be sure, and one that should cause us all to pause and reflect, but one com-mitted with an AK-47 style rifle. As noted above, one cannot practically nor legally conceal a rifle.

• Sept. 6, 2013: Concealed Carry Per-mit Holder Aaron Alexis killed 13 people in Washington, D.C.

The author referenced the 2013 shoot-ing on a military base in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. In this instance, the perpetrator utilized a sawed-off shotgun and a stolen handgun to kill 12 and injure three. It bears repeating that one cannot practically nor legally conceal a shotgun, even if the barrel is sawed off – an illegal modification in itself.

Any event in which a person is killed is tragic, especially when it happens with such mercilessness as the events referenced above. Every shooting should cause us to re-flect on what got us to that point and what we can do as a society both in terms of legis-lative and societal changes to avoid a repeat.

We must not, however, allow our passion on this or any subject to justify categorical accusations or data manipulation in order to achieve the changes we seek. We should carefully consider all of the events noted here and consider if we as a city want to fur-ther limit the rights of Alexandrians to pro-tect themselves on city property.

I will close with the following comment from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) regarding the 2017 Congressional Baseball Shooting, at which he was present:

“Everybody probably would have died except for the fact that Capitol Hill police were there, and the only reason they were there was because we had a member of lead-ership on our team.”

Most Alexandrians do not have the luxury of a personal protection force or a Capitol Police detail tagging along with us wherever we go. With the city’s new ordinance barring all firearms from city property, what is left to stop the next mass shooting on city property?

-Conley Lowrance,Alexandria

APD needs city council’s support

Misleading evidence on gun violence


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This Week Has your neighborhood experienced flooding in the last 10 years?

A) Yes, multiple times.B) Yes, once.C) No.D) I don't know.

This Week What do you think about plans to redevelop the Heritage at Old Town, increasing it from 244 to 777 units?45% I support redeveloping the Heritage, but I think this proposal is too large. 33% I don't support redevelopment of the Heritage. 17% I support the proposal. 5% I'm not sure.

Reopened earlier this month, Alexandria’s History Museum at the Lyceum has endured multiple renovations and the Civil War. In order to allow visitors and staff to return following being shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, The Lyceum had to have significant interior work done to increase safety.

This year is not the first time The Lyceum has under-gone cosmetic work or reno-vations. Its last major rejuve-nation was in 2018.

The Lyceum Company, which promoted education in Alexandria, partnered with the Alexandria Library to build The Lyceum known then as Lyceum Hall, in 1839. The Lyceum Company spon-sored lectures and debates in Lyceum Hall, and they also rented the space for concerts, traveling lecturers, meetings, scientific demonstrations and fundraisers.

During the Civil War, it served as a hospital, quarters for troops and meeting space. After the war, the hall was a private residence, an office building, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s first Bicentennial Center and now serves as Al-exandria’s History Museum.

In ads for the first lec-ture at the building on Dec.

10, 1839, The Alexandria Gazette noted: “The Lyceum Hall will, of course, be ready for the occasion – though, we understand, the finishing … has not yet been given to it.”

Indeed, work continued through much of 1840, with the Gazette noting that the building was “handsomely stuccoed” in August and that the iron railing around the building was nearly complete in mid-September.

After nearly two decades of use, Lyceum Hall under-went its first major renova-tions in 1858. It reopened in October of that year with Professor Donald Macleod providing readings and rec-

itations. A column in The Gazette noted that: “The new Hall was universally pronounced a complete suc-cess – the seats are comfort-able and admirably arranged, - the stage handsomely fres-coed, carpeted, and fitted out – and the whole well lighted and ventilated.”

Sadly, vandals damaged the building and grounds in 1860, necessitating repairs.

After the Civil War, the Lyceum Hall became a home, requiring major renovations. The owners moved doors and stairs and divided the lecture hall into bedrooms. It was further converted into offic-es in the 20th century before

the city saved the building, first making it the Bicenten-nial Center, and later the city’s museum. The Lyceum contin-ues to undergo improvements, including in 2014, when a new, more historically accurate roof was installed incorporating wooden shingles.

The 2018 upgrades aimed to enhance the building’s his-toric appearance and improve the amenities and charm of the Lyceum’s lecture hall. Its latest modifications aim to protect the health of those who enter it, as well as edu-cating its visitors.

In earlier days, the build-ing had a similar mission as both a lecture hall and a hospital. The Lyceum con-tinues to adapt to meet the challenges that emerge with changing times.

On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, visitors can view the new exhibit, “Witness-ing Worship: A Photographic Study of Faith in Alexandria,” by Nina Tisara in person with the purchase of a timed ticket at https://Alexandriava.gov/shop or online at https://Al-exandriava.gov/historic.

Out of the Attic is provided by the Office of

Historic Alexandria.

OUT OF THE ATTICThe Lyceum: reopened again

cooperation between ACPS, after school providers and city

recreation centers – and fund-ing. But creative solutions are essential for addressing this crisis. Relieving the pressure

of schools to address society’s public health crisis and fo-cusing on providing engaging distance learning is worth fur-

ther consideration.-Dana Chambers,

Member, ACPS Cross Functional Reopening Team

COURTESY PHOTOThe Lyceum.

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JOB AVAILABLESENIOR QUANTITATIVE ANALYST (Alexandria, VA) wanted by investment firm. Candidates must have at least a MS in Stats, Math or related quant discipline plus 2 yrs in a quant analyst related role, which exp must include 2 yrs exp with predictive modeling, small sample modeling, R and/or Python, as well as 1 yr exp in power trading analytics, cloud computing, and Map-reduce. Please send CV & cover letter to Krisha Yanko, Tios Capital LLC, [email protected]. No calls please.

LEGAL NOTICE

The Alexandria City School Board will hold online public hearings on the ACPS fall re-opening school models (Con-tinuity of Learning Plan 4.0) during its Virtual Special Called School Board Meetings on:

Thursday, August 6 at 7:00 p.m. Friday, August 7 at 12:00 p.m.

For more information or to sign up to participate in a virtual public hearing, please contact the Clerk of the Board at 703-619-8316 or email [email protected].

Public comments for the School

Board may also be submitted by:• Online feedback form at: https://www.acps.k12.va.us/board/meetings• U.S. Mail:Clerk of the Board, Alexandria City School Board 1340 Braddock PlaceAlexandria, VA 22314• Telephone message: 703-619-8316

LEGAL NOTICENotification is hereby given that Bank of America National Association, 100 North Tryon Street, Suite 170, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, NC, 28202, has filed an application with the Comptroller of the Currency on July 30, 2020 as specified in 12 CFR 5 of the Comptroller’s Licensing Manual, for permission to establish a domestic branch in the vicinity of:

● 7802 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, Fairfax County, VA 22306

Any person wishing to comment on this application may file comments in writing with the Large Bank Licensing Lead Expert, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street S.W., Mail Stop 10E-2, Washington, DC 20219, within 30 days after the date of this publication. The non-confidential portions of the application are on file with the Deputy Comptroller of the Currency as part of the public file. This file is available for public inspection during regular business hours.

PUBLIC NOTICENOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO RE-QUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS

July 29, 2020

Office of Housing, City of Alexandria 421 King Street, Suite 215Alexandria, VA 22314(703)746-4990

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Martha Clarke Bethea, 83, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Thursday, July 16, at Fairfax Hospital. Martha grew up in Louisville, Georgia, where she was the first born of Robert Little Bet-hea Jr. and Anne Clarke Bet-hea and the granddaughter of Martha Pughsley Clarke, Wil-liam Enoch Clarke Jr., Fran-ces Brown Bethea and Mayor Robert Little Bethea Sr. Her brother, Robert Little Bethea III, preceded her in death.

Martha graduated from Agnes Scott College in 1959. She started her banking career in Atlanta and worked there until the Federal Reserve Bank recruited her. She moved to Alexandria, where she had a long career with the Federal Reserve, retiring in 1998.

Martha loved to travel, read and spend time with friends and family. She es-pecially enjoyed her group of friends called FNMG (Fri-day Night Movie Group) who meant a great deal to her. They were her friends and support.

She is survived by four nephews and their wives and children. Jim and Patti

Bethea of Jacksonville, Flor-ida (Lauren and Amy), Todd and Kirsten Bethea of Ari-zona City, Arizona, (Don-ner, Stone, Rider and Lilly), Matthew and Carrie Bethea of Denton, Texas, (Samuel and Isaac), and Stephen and Monika Bethea of Corinth, Texas, (Landon and Mor-gan). She will be missed by all who knew her for her kindness, loving heart and independent spirit.

Service will be held at Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria, and graveside services will be held at the Louisville City Cemetery at a date to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for contributions to be made to Grace Episco-pal Church in Alexandria or American Cancer Society.

Martha Clarke BetheaOBITUARY

COURTESY PHOTO


These notices are reopenings of the public comment period on the Finding of No Significant Impact and the Intent to Request Release of funds for the project know as the Waypoint at Fairlington. These no-tices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of Alexandria.

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDSOn or about August 20, 2020, the City of Alexandria will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop-ment (HUD) for the release of HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds under Title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, as amended, and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, to undertake a project known as the Waypoint at Fairlington. The proposed project is located on the grounds of the of Fairlington Presbyterian Church at 3846 King St., Alexandria, VA. The project includes the redevelopment of a portion of the Church's surface parking lot with a new four-story affordable multi-family building of 81 units, including a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units available at 40-60% Area Median Income (AMI).

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACTThe City of Alexandria has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. There-fore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environ-mental Review Record (ERR). The ERR will be made available to the public for review either electronically or by U.S. mail. Please submit your request by U.S. mail to Office of Housing, Attn: Kim Cadena, 421 King St. Ste. 215, Alexandria, VA 22314 or by email to [email protected] The ERR can be accessed online at the follow-ing website: www.alexandriava.

gov/HousingPUBLIC COMMENTSAny individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the Office of Housing. All comments received by August 17, 2020 at 5 p.m., will be consid-ered by the City of Alexandria prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing.

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATIONThe City of Alexandria certifies to HUD that Mark B. Jinks in his capacity as City Manager consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these re-sponsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certifica-tion satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the City of Alexandria to use Program funds.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDSHUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Al-exandria’s certification for a period

of fifteen days following the antici-pated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Alexandria; (b) the City of Alexandria has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objec-tions must be prepared in writing and submitted through email in accordance with the required pro-cedures (24 CFR Part 58, Section 58.76) and shall be addressed to the DCFO CPD Division Director, Mr. Michael Rose. Please submit Objections at the following email address [email protected].

Mark B. Jinks, City Manager

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Flash floods strike Parkfairfax, Del Ray · 2020-07-07 · Flash floods strike Parkfairfax, Del Ray Woman killed on West End COVID-19 The death rate in Alexandria is 20% lower than