The City of Alexandria is in search of a Colorado Blue Spruce, Leyland Cypress or other well-formed evergreen tree, approximately 25 to 35 feet tall, to serve as the City’s official 2009 Holiday Tree. The City will remove the tree from the donor’s property in mid-November and grind the stump at no cost. The tree will be decorated and displayed at Market Square, 301 King St., throughout the holiday season.
The lighting of the Holiday Tree officially opens the holiday season in Alexandria. The City’s Holiday Tree will be lighted during the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27, at Market Square, 301 King St. The ceremony will feature a special visit by Santa Claus, along with entertainment and caroling. Persons who are interested in donating a tree should call John Noelle, City Arborist, at 703-746-5499 or e-mail john.noelle@alexandriava.gov.
Late-Night Hang-Out. Every Thursday and Friday nights from 9 p.m. to midnight. At Charles Houston Community Center, 901 Wythe Street, Alexandria. Basketball league games, card tournaments, table game tournaments, DJ music. For young adults, 19 years and up. Call 703-838-4814.
NAACP, Fairfax County Branch. 7 p.m. Meets on second Tuesday of the month at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 7836 Fordson Road, Alexandria. Call 703-591-4488 or send email to info@naacp.org.
Beauregard Corridor Plan meeting. 7 p.m. Focused on gathering issues, concerns and ideas from residents, owners and businesses in the area. At John Adams School, 5631 Rayburn Ave., Alexandria.
Mount Vernon Distance Learning. 1 p.m. Free. First in War: George Washington and the American Revolution. A panel of historians will explore how Washington's leadership was instrumental in securing American independence. Mount Vernon’s distance learning take place in the Distance Learning Classroom, which is housed in the Donald W. Reynolds Education Center at Mount Vernon. Visit mountvernon.org/learn.
Alexandria. Go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/aaa, e-mail caregiver@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-324-5205, TTY 703-449-1186.
Bishop O'Connell Open House. 7 p.m. No RSVP is required. Contact the admissions office at 703-237-1433. At 6600 Little Falls Road, Arlington.
checks and sun-exposure screenings. Nurses and hospital staff will be on hand to answer questions about nutrition, heart health, stroke prevention, labor and delivery, cancer and more. An hour-long infant CPR instruction-and-safety class will be offered at noon for those who register. Seasonal influenza vaccinations will be provided for $25. Hosted by Inova Alexandria Hospital, 4320 Seminary Road, Alexandria. Call 703-750-8800, or visit www.inova.org/events
Confident City Cycling Classes. 1-3 p.m. They are free and open to all and designed to provide cyclists with the skills they need to incorporate bicycling into their daily routines, on city streets for errands, commuting and fun. At the Nannie J. Lee Community Center, 1108 Jefferson St., Alexandria. Call 703-746-5550.
Panel Discussion. 8 a.m. Creativity and Entrepreneurship in Alexandria featuring community leaders. Part of the 2009 Call to Greatness Series. At the Campagna Center.
New Metropolis Lecture Series. 7-9 p.m. William H. Hudnut III, managing partner, Bill Hudnut Consultants LLC, and Urban Land Institute Senior Fellow, will present The Seven Silent Crises Facing Metropolitan America. At the Virginia Tech Alexandria Center, 1001 Prince St., West Room, Alexandria. Contact Kris Wernstedt, (703) 706-8132 or krisw@vt.edu.
Alexandria’s Domestic Violence Program invites female City residents to attend confidential weekly support group sessions for survivors of domestic violence or are currently in an abusive relationship. The meetings are meant to understand the impact violence has on relationships, can be employed to empower victims, to share experiences with other women and to support victims as they move on with their lives.
The sessions are held every Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Childcare is provided. For location information, contact 703-838-4911. The DVP 24-hour hotline is 703-838-4911.
The Alexandria Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) meets at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St. Contact 703-684-6190 or visit www.naacpalexandria.org.
The operating hours for the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center have changed. The center’s new operating hours will be Monday –Thursday 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Friday 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.; and Saturday & Sunday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. For information, visit alexandriava.gov/recreation or call 703-519-2160.
The fatherhood program "Fathers in Touch" is looking for volunteers. It is composed of a 12-week parenting course using the 24/7 Dad curriculum and three supervised visitation activities to promote strong relationships between fathers and their children. The program is free to all participants and will be held at Mount Vernon Recreation Center, 2701 Commonwealth Ave., from Feb. 3 through April 28. For additional information on the Fathers in Touch Program, contact Erick King at eking@cyep.org or visit www.cyep.org.
Hopkins House (www.hopkinshouse.org) is a local charity that provides preschool services for children and offers family education workshops for parents. This time of year donations of facial tissue, diapers/pull-ups, wipes, batteries, construction paper and crayons are needed. 703-539-4232 ext. 4086.
The City of Alexandria and Volunteer Alexandria have teamed up on a program called "Snow Buddies," to provide snow removal assistance for low-income homeowners or occupants who are elderly or disabled. The City and Volunteer Alexandria will match eligible residents with volunteers who can shovel their snow. Residents are encouraged to apply for this program in advance to ensure that their sidewalks can be cleared in enough time to avoid City fines and/or snow removal charges. To apply 703-838-4800. To become a volunteer contact Kelly Sazama of Volunteer Alexandria at 703-836-2176.
The Alexandria Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) meets at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month, at the Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center, 1108 Jefferson St. Contact 703-684-6190 or visit www.naacpalexandria.org.
Greenlight Toastmasters International meets every second and fourth Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Mount Vernon Rec Center, 2701 Commonwealth Ave. Visit greenlight.freetoasthost.info or 703-569-4810.
Computer CORE is looking for volunteers. To request an application, e-mail Victoria@computercore.org.
The Alexandria Aces Collegiate Summer Baseball Club, the eighth and newest franchise of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, is looking for host families for the upcoming 2009 season. To volunteer as a host family, contact Aces general manager, Brian Midkiff, at 703-232-8869, or e-mail Brian at brian@alexandriaaces.org.
Then older children will have an opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes of a museum at a new one-day Curator Camp. During Curator Camp, kids ages 11 through 14 will learn about museums from the inside out. Campers will meet the people who make The Lyceum work, take an exclusive tour, learn about and touch real historic artifacts, and work as a team to create a small exhibit. Campers, their family and friends return to The Lyceum on a later date for their exhibit opening reception. Curator Camp is one day only, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and costs $75 including snacks and souvenirs. To sign up or to learn more, call 703-838-4994 or visit www.alexandriahistory.org.
ALIVE! is holding a raffle fundraiser with the prize being premium tickets to a Nationals game in July. Tickets are $100 each and only 300 will be sold. Visit www.alive-inc.org for more information.
