Newcomers & Community Guide 2014-2015 Inside Inside t e k c a P e t et z a G e h T / t f f a r K ise u Guide Community & o Guide Community & Guide Community & Jackson McGahee darts Alelexxandrriaia L Jackson McGahee darts y through the water in the b Newcomers o Potomac Yard Park fountain. Newcomers Newcomers t o GGazetteazette Packet h P wLwwoc.Caol nnMeectdioianN Coewnspnapecertsi.coomn LLC Alexandria Ga onlinezette Pack atet www.connectionnewspapers.com❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2014-15 ❖ 1 25 Cents August 28, 2014 Alexandria The Great Blue Way How It Works Metroway buses begin Metrowayusing buses run every 12 minutes during daytime off-peak hours and ev- region’sBy Michael firstGazette Lee dedicated PopePacket ery lanes.15 minutes in the evening. During rush hour there’ll be buses every six minutes between the Crystal City Metro Gazette Packet station and South Glebe Road. On week- ommuters stuck on ends, buses will run every 20 minutes. Jefferson Davis High- The bus fare is the same as on Metrobus. Serving Alexandria for over 200 years • A Connection Newspaper C way are now witnessing cated lanes in the entire state, so I think all eyes are on it.” a sleek new fleet of blue buses pass The transitway has been a them by, zipping along in the source of tension between Arling- region’s first dedicated lanes as ton and Alexandria, neighboring motorists are stuck in bumper-to- jurisdictions that have had con- bumper traffic. The Metroway con- flicting visions about how it should nects Braddock Road Metro to work and what kind of vehicles Crystal City, offering 22 stops with should be on it. Arlington plans to off-board fare collection and real- upgrade the transitway to a street- time information about when the car in 2020 while Alexandria lead- next arriving vehicle will arrive. ers say they won’t even consider a “They are specially made with streetcarSee until Metroway, 2021. That Page means 18 different suspension, different boarding, different seating set- ups,” said Rich Baier, director of the Alexandria Department of Transportation and Environmental Service. “No one else has dedi- Mystery Endures As dedication City of Alexandria Alexandria director of libraries Rose T. Dawson, invited guests, elected officials and neighborhood children help with the unveiling of the new Virginia State his- approaches, full toric marker recalling the 1939 sit-in at the library. story of Library Sit-In: 75 Years Later Freedman’s eventy-five years ago, on Aug. 21, 1939, Alexandria resi- dents William Evans, Edward Gaddis, Clarence Strange, Otto Cemetery may Tucker and Morris Murray entered the Kate Waller Barrett Library on Queen Street and requested registration forms never be known.Gazette Packet S By Michael Lee Pope Ah’Kei reads the newly The Path of Thorns and for library cards. The request was denied to each. After being de- unveiled historic marker Roses by Mario Chiodo is nied cards, each man picked up a book and took a seat in the read- hy did city officials al- with state Sen. Rob the sculpture that will be ing room and began reading. Two hours later, the police were called low a gas station to be Krupicka. featured at the and the men were arrested for their act of civil disobedience, sitting constructed on top of Contrabands and Freedmen quietly in the reading room and reading. The men were African W Cemetery Memorial. American and the Barrett Library was a segregated whites-only build- an African-American cemetery? ing. Researches have spent years Local attorney Samuel W. Tucker had applied earlier that year for combing throughSee Mystery, the archives Page for 18 a library card and his request had also been denied. Tucker, who 22314 VA Alexandria, helped plan the protest, represented them in court. The judge never Reques Service Address issued a ruling. In 1940, Alexandria opened the Robert Robinson St., King 1604 To: Library for African Americans. Desegregation of the library system ❖ 1 ted material. began by 1959. Samuel W. Tucker died in 1990. Time-sensitive Postmaster: Attention Permit #482 Permit ❖ August 28 - September 3, 2014 Alexandria, VA Alexandria, PAID U.S. Postage U.S. PRSRT STD PRSRT Alexandria Gazette Packet Kwame Ansah-Brew conducts an African storytelling program for the children inside the Barrett Library. Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority commissioner Melvin Miller talks with LaVerne Spencer. Spencer was playing around the corner in her cousin’s yard on N. Columbus Street when the five men were arrested 75 years ago. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com 2 ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ August 28 - September 3, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Alexandria Gazette Editor Steven Mauren 703-778-9415 or [email protected] Week in Alexandria News Photos by John Bordner/Gazette Packet Photos New Day at Jefferson-Houston Massive changes are in the works at Jefferson-Houston School, the long-troubled school near the King Street Metro that offers Kinder- garten through the 8th grade. Not only is the school getting a brand new $45 million facility, but it’s also getting a new principal. This week, Superintendent Alvin Crawley announced Christopher Phillips has been hired to be the seventh principal in the last 12 years. Phillips is currently princi- pal of Oakland and Southwestern Elementary schools in Suffolk County, where he has worked since 2005. “Dr. Phillips brings to ACPS extensive leadership experience in school administration and critical teaching experience in the area of math that will be a great benefit to our students as well as a tremen- dous addition to our administrative team,” said Crawley. APD officer Bennie Evans and volunteer Ron Rigby Phillips has a doctorate and a master’s degree from Regent Univer- help families select backpacks at the annual sity. He also has a degree in educational leadership from Cambridge Firefighters and Friends backpack distribution day Capt. Willie Bailey gives College and a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University. Aug. 24 at the Charles Houston Recreation Center. instructions to families “We have the opportunity to create a shared vision and school cul- More than 550 backpacks filled with school supplies prior to the start of the ture as we open this year,” said Phillips. “It is through collaboration were given to local children in anticipation of the first annual backpack distribu- with the students, staff, parents and community that we will ensure day of school next week. tion day. the success of all students.” School officials have scheduled a reception on Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m. for parents and members of the community to meet the new princi- pal. Leader of the (Back)Pack Party Like It’s 1814 Firefighters distribute backpacks to children in need. By Jeanne Theismann It’s been 200 years in the making, literally. and organizer of the event. “And we know that This weekend, the city of Alexandria will feature a much antici- Gazette Packet getting a new haircut will help them look good and pated and long-awaited rematch of the War of 1812. That’s the one feel good about themselves, which is just as im- America lost to the British empire, who arrived here to burn down irefighters and volunteers from throughout portant to their success.” our capital after President James Madison’s ill-fated invasion of Fthe region joined forces at the Charles Hous- More than 100 children were treated to free hair- Canada. ton Recreation Center Aug. 24 to distribute cuts by volunteer barbers as families were enter- The rematch will be decisively less violent, a friendly competition more than 550 backpacks filled with school sup- tained by a disc jockey and youngsters played in a involving tug-of-war, cricket and a yacht race. The tug-of-war team plies for children in need. moon bounce and enjoyed other games. will feature the firefighters of IAFF Local 2141. The cricketers of the “Receiving a new backpack with school supplies “We wanted them to come to a location and just Washington Cricket League will take the field of competition. And will help these kids go to school prepared and bet- have fun prior to going back to school next week,” Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg will join the Old Dominion Boat ter able to succeed,” said Capt. Willie Bailey, Bailey said. “That’s why we had a lot of different See Getting Ready, Page 9 Club for the yacht race. founder of the nonprofit Firefighter and Friends “They might have a slight edge in cricket,” acknowledged Gretchen Packet Krafft/Gazette by Louise Photos Bulova, chairwoman of the committee organizing the event. “But our firefighters are very confident and excited about this.” Ice Bucket Challenge The summer’s hottest craze is coming to Del Ray this week, as Al- exandria Mayor Bill Euille accepts the “Ice Bucket Challenge” as part of the final First Thursday of the summer. Friends and support- ers of the mayor have been pushing him to accept the challenge for weeks, although his schedule has made pinning down a time and place complicated. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, Euille Dina Evans, center, hands out organ finally hammered out the details to get doused this week. donor awareness bracelets in memory of When asked if he’s concerned about having a bucket full of ice her son Cameron, a T.C. Williams stu- water dumped on his head, Euille said he’s confident he can take it. dent who died suddenly last year. “Over my 30 years in community activism and elected office, I have Garry Bailey trims up James Lewis Cameron, a volunteer at last year’s taken a lot of ice water from constituents,” said Euille.