To have a notice listed in the Bulletin, e-mail gazette@connectionnewspapers.com. Call Rebecca Halik at 703-917-6407 with questions.
There will be an Eco-City Action Plan Open House on Monday, Nov. 17 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St. Free.
There will be a Women’s Expo on Nov. 8 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Inova Alexandria Hospital, 4320 Seminary Road. Receive free massages, and get information on other issues including breast health and pregnancy. Get flu vaccinations for $25. Visit www.inova.org/events or 703-750-8800.
The Alexandria Jaycees will sell Christmas trees this season, with proceeds to benefit the Holiday Shopping Tour for underprivileged children. This year's lot will be open Nov. 29 until all the trees are sold. The location is the Safeway parking lot in Old Town, 500 South Royal St. The operating hours are Monday-Friday, 6– 8 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday, 9 a.m.– 5 p.m. Prices from $45-$90. For more details or for membership information, call the Jaycees' 24-hour recorded event line: 703-866-7171 or visit www.alexjaycees.org.
The Seminary Hill Association will hold their Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. at Addison Auditorium of the Virginia Theological Seminary. There will be refreshments and a business meeting followed by Councilman Timothy Lovain speaking on transportation issues at 8:15 p.m. For more information, contact Joanne Lepanto, 703-823-1241.
The City of Alexandria reminds property owners that the second half 2008 Real Estate Tax and Refuse Fee payments are due Nov. 17. To avoid a late payment penalty and interest, payment must be received by the City or postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service no later than Nov. 17. If you have not received a bill in the mail and do not have your real estate tax paid by your mortgage company, contact the City’s Treasury Division at payments@alexandriava.gov, or call 703-838-4777 to request a duplicate bill.
The City of Alexandria’s Department of Human Services is currently accepting applications for the 2008-2009 Winter Fuel Assistance Program now through Friday, Nov. 14. Financial assistance is available to eligible low-income households to help pay for the primary fuel used to heat the home. Applications for assistance may be obtained at the Department of Human Services, 2525 Mt. Vernon Ave., Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. To request an application by mail, please contact Ward Pivec at 703-838-0971.
On Saturday, Nov. 8, the City of Alexandria and Arlington County are partnering to test their ability to deliver medications quickly to residents in the event of a public health emergency such as an anthrax attack or influenza pandemic. Hundreds of residents, Medical Reserve Corps volunteers, first responders and local and state health officials will be involved in the exercise, which will run from 9 a.m. until noon. For more information on the Nov. 8 exercise in Alexandria, call 703-838-4400 ext. 283 or 294, or visit www.alexandria.gov/health; in Arlington, call 703-228-5580 or visit www.arlingtonva.us/dhs.
Beginning Sunday, Nov. 2, Lansdowne Resort will be collecting new and unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots. Any guest who brings a new and unwrapped toy to Sunday brunch buffet, at the resort’s On the Potomac restaurant, will receive $10 off the brunch price of $49 per person. This offer applies only to the adult brunch price, and the maximum “discount” will be $20 per couple. The promotion and collection will go on through Dec. 21. For more information, call 703-729-8400 or visit www.lansdowneresort.com.
Area residents who are experiencing difficulty in meeting their monthly mortgage payments, and those who are already in the process of foreclosure, are eligible to attend a Foreclosure Prevention Clinic, a free training and counseling service offered by Housing Counseling Services (HCS). The clinic will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Nannie J. Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St., in Gold Room 1. To RSVP 202-667-7006.
The public is invited to attend the third community meeting to review and discuss draft design for the pocket park at 1 and 7 East Del Ray Avenue. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center, 2701 Commonwealth Avenue. The property was acquired in January 2008 as part of the City’s Pocket Park Program.
Comments from the November 12 meeting will be used to finalize the park design, which will then be forwarded for a public hearing and approval by the Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission.
Pocket parks are designed to meet the needs of those who live or work within about a tenth of a mile of their location. They are less than 20,000 square feet, and may include such elements as public gardens, seating areas, passive open space, landscaped areas, important natural features, or trees.
On Nov. 12 there will be a Public Meeting from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Indigo Landing, Charleston Room, 1 Marina Drive, adjacent to the Washington Sailing Marina in Alexandria. Learn more and share your comments on how Arlington County's development of Long Bridge Park will have an impact on recreational uses on National Park Service land at Gravelly Point, Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary and the Mount Vernon Trail. Visit http://parkplanning.nps.gov/gwmp for information or to submit comments.
The City of Alexandria, Environmental Policy Commission & Virginia Tech will hold an Eco-City Open House to provide input about the Environmental Action Plan, which will be used as a roadmap for City leaders, staff, and citizens to implement the Eco-City Environmental Charter. The public is also invited to comment on the City’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) Stormwater Program Plan, a requirement of the Virginia Stormwater Management Program permit issued by the state, Monday, Nov. 17 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St Please RSVP to Eco CityAlexandria@alexandriava.gov by November 10
At the Alexandria Volunteer Bureau’s annual Evening in the Heart of Alexandria, the 28-year-old Alexandria nonprofit announced that its name will change to Volunteer Alexandria, reflecting an updated approach to volunteer recruitment and management.
The organization currently manages initiatives to recruit, train and place volunteers in nonprofit and government agencies and events; to provide service learning opportunities for youth; to place and supervise court-mandated community service clients; and to coordinate volunteer management for disasters in cooperation with the Alexandria Fire Department. Much of the volunteer recruitment is currently accomplished online, a service that will be expanded over the next 12 months with updated technology.
Volunteer Alexandria has recently completed a strategic planning process with its Board of Directors, headed by Allison Cryor DiNardo. The process, funded through a grant provided by the Alexandria Community Trust (ACT), resulted in a decision to affiliate with the newly-formed national volunteer organization, Hands On Network. Through collaboration with other volunteer centers, Volunteer Alexandria will be able to employ best practices being implemented in other areas of the country to increase and better utilize Alexandria’s volunteer base.
Please note the winter hours for the following history museums operated by the City of Alexandria. These hours are effective from November 1, through March 31, 2009.
Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site
4301 West Braddock Road
Alexandria, VA 22304
703.838.4848
www.fortward.org
Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Monday, closed
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum
134 North Royal Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.838.4242
www.gadsbystavern.org
Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday, closed
Stabler-Leadbetter Apothecary
www.apothecarymuseum.org
Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday, closed
“Putting the Pieces Together,” will be held in Alexandria on Tuesday, November 11, for those caring for or concerned about family and friends living with dementia. Community health care providers, nursing home, assisted living, home care or adult day center staff are also invited to attend. The conference, scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., will be held at T.C. Williams High School, 3330 King St., in the cafeteria.
Conference speakers include: Ann Morrison, RN, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; Cynthia Sullivan, Ph.D. and Jeffrey A. Wilken, Ph.D., Georgetown University Medical Center;Jennifer Abel, Virginia Cooperative Extension;Elinor Ginzler, AARP and Bill Kallio, Director, AARP Virginia
The cost is $25 for family caregivers, $45 for professional caregivers, and $10 for .5 CEU from George Mason University. The fees include continental breakfast, lunch, materials and certificate of attendance. The deadline for conference registration is Thursday, November 6. For more information on the conference or about registration, please call Debbie Ludington at 703.838.0920.
Runners in Alexandria will once again pound the pavement for the 33rd running of the Alexandria Turkey Trot, held each Thanksgiving morning in Alexandria’s Del Ray community. This year’s five-mile road race will be held on Thursday, Nov. 27 at 10 a.m. at the Cora Kelly Elementary School at the intersection of West Reed and Commonwealth Avenues. The entry fee -- with two cans of food – is $15 for individuals ages 13-21 years and $20 for those age 22 and over. Children 12 and under can participate for $10 at the door and two cans of food. The food will be donated to ALIVE, Inc. Register online before Monday, November 24th and save $5! Visit www.visitdelray.com/turkeytrot. Alexandria Turkey Trot T-shirts
Applications for the following awards are now being accepted: The Women’s Opportunity Awards program aids women seeking to improve their economic status by gaining additional skills, training and education. The women may use the award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education including books, childcare and transportation.
The Violet Richardson Award recognizes and honors young women, between the ages of 14 to 17, who make the community and world a better place. The program offers a cash grant to award recipients and the organizations for which they volunteer.
Applications are available by contacting Sylvia Winterling, svlwint@aol.com. All completed applications are due by January 10, 2009.
Nominations are sought for the HIV/AIDS Lifetime Achievement Award, Prevention/ Education Award, and the Client Services Award. The Second Annual World AIDS Day Service Excellence Awards Program is designed to acknowledge and honor the extraordinary efforts of peer-nominated HIV/AIDS providers and advocates in Alexandria, Virginia. The deadline for Nominations is Nov. 12. for further request a Nomination Packet at nadineeads@comcast.net
The third annual Special Needs Trusts series meeting will take place on Wednesday Nov. 12 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the The Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center, 1108 Jefferson St. Learn about setting up a Trust for your mentally ill family member, and ensuring that it is adequately handled after you are gone. A panel of experts will address issues like, should you or another family member be the Trustee and deal with the issues? If not, who else? If it is someone outside the family how do you make sure things are done properly?
The Alexandria Commission on Persons with Disabilities (ACPD) is currently seeking input from City residents through a Needs Assessment survey. If you are a person with a disability, a family member of a person with a disability, or a service provider to persons with disabilities, please take the Needs Assessment survey today at alexandriava.gov/acpdsurvey. To request additional information, a reasonable accommodation, or an alternative format, e-mail mike.hatfield@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3148, TTY 711.
The City of Alexandria planning commission is holding a public hearing on Thursday, November 6 at 7:30 p.m., at council chambers, 301 King St., City Hall. The Alexandria Planning Commission docket is subject to change. Planning and Zoning staff can provide information on changes that occur prior to the meeting. For more information, call 703-838-4666.
Every year the Alexandria Office on Women organizes a Holiday Party for children and their mothers, who have been recently served by our Domestic Violence Program. If you would like to participate in the Children's Holiday Party this year, we are asking that your donated gifts remain unwrapped. For the mothers' presents we are requesting gift certificates to area stores in denominations of $25.00. The Children's Party will be held on Thursday, Dec. 18. Donations accepted at the Office On Women, 421 King St., Suite 400, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., beginning Monday, Nov. 3. The deadline for having unwrapped gifts delivered or picked-up is Monday, Dec. 15 by 5 p.m. 703-838-4911.
Wright to Read is a program of the Frank and Betty Wright Foundation and is administered by The Campagna Center in Alexandria. The program trains and places tutors with students in the Alexandria City Public Schools who are reading at least one year below grade level. Needed are volunteers to participate in one of our programs. Contact Heather Miles, the program assistant director, if interested in helping children through volunteering. Phone 703-549-0111 ext. 134 or e-mail hmiles@campagnacenter.org.
The Special Education Parent Resource Center holds a weekly Support Group for Parents of Children in Special Education from 10 a.m. to noon every Thursday in the Parent Resource Center at Jefferson-Houston Elementary School, 1501 Cameron St. (Ring the bell at door No. 4).
Each meeting includes coffee and bagels, and an opportunity to share stories, support, information and problem-solving ideas related to special education issues, school and family life. The group is open to parents who have children of all ages with special needs. Infants and toddlers are welcome. Parents are welcome to drop in whenever they can.
For more information, please contact Anne Lipnick at 703-706-4552 (office) or 571-274-2866 (work cell), or email alipnick@acps.k12.va.us.
CrisisLink's 24/7/365 hotline for the Washington Metro Region is currently recruiting volunteers. Come to a training session on Oct. 18. Go to www.crisislink.org, e-mail volunteer@crisislink.org, or call 703-527-6016 to learn more.
The Alexandria Workshop of Ikebana International meets at the Hollin Hall Senior Citizen Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road, at 9:30 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month from September through June except December and January. Ikebana is the Japanese art of floral arrangement. The group makes Ikebana floral arrangements, studies the history of the art and learns new techniques. New members are welcome. For more information call Julie Cimino at 202-544-5331.
The Sexual Assault Response and Awareness (SARA) program is looking for compassionate listeners, both English speaking and bilingual, who would be comfortable talking to sexual assault survivors and their families. The next SARA training is scheduled to begin in early October and meets two evenings a week from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and on two Saturday mornings. For more information or to register for the SARA training, contact Stacey C. McCullough at 703-838-5030 or HYPERLINK "mailto:stacey.mccullough@alexandriava.gov"stacey.mccullough@alexandriava.gov.
The Alexandria Community Services Board is in need of volunteers to serve in the following positions:
* Friends of the Alexandria Mental Health Center Board Members: Friends is seeking new members who will take an active role in fund-raising, building relationships with the business community and helping coordinate Friends community events. The Board meets one Wednesday evening every other month with occasional subcommittee meetings and additional time required for leading or assisting with projects.
* Mural Artists: Alexandria Vocational Services is seeking a mural artist or group of artists to paint a portion of a 30’x 60’ concrete wall in a warehouse that houses the Sheltered Workshop Program. Program participants complete projects such as labeling, envelope stuffing and film recycling. Some funds are available for supplies.* Representative Payees: Payees receive Social Security checks and pay bills for persons with an intellectual disability or mental illness. A separate bank account is opened with automatic deposit and there are few monthly transactions. The duties require two hours per month, per account. For more information about these volunteer opportunities, contact Jennifer Cordero at jennifer.cohen-cordero@alexandriava.gov or 703-838-4455, x 161.
Nonprofit organizations and other grantseekers in Alexandria looking for funding sources now have access to a valuable new collection of resources through Alexandria Library. The Foundation Center’s core collection includes The Foundation Directory Online and Foundation Grants to Individuals Online. All four Alexandria Library branches have access to the two databases through their catalog computers. The complete Cooperating Collection of print and electronic resources is held at the Barrett Library, located at 717 Queen St. For more information visit visit www.alexandria.lib.va.us .
The 4Paws Rescue Team is allowed to keep foster cats at the Petco in Alexandria to increase their chances of finding a loving home. Petco volunteers are asked to commit to one evening or morning each week to care for 2-4 cats. Currently are in dire need of Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning volunteers (until noon), but volunteers for other shifts are encouraged to apply as well. 
If interested, contact info@fourpaws.org or by phone at 703-715-6369.
Alexandria Library now offers its patrons a chance to write their own reviews of almost all of the Library holdings (books, movies, music, and other materials) on the Alexandria Library Web site online catalog at www.alexandria.lib.va.us. To access the online catalog, visit www.alexandria.lib.va.us , click on “Library Catalog,” and begin browsing. To write a review, simply register and type your review for all to read. For more information, contact Mark Schwartz at 703-519-3498, or e-mail mschwartz@alexandria.lib.va.us
The Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is seeking persons who are diplomatic, assertive, and good communicators to serve as volunteer ombudsmen. Volunteers are assigned to a specific local nursing home or assisted-living facility in the City of Alexandria and make weekly visits, meeting one-on-one with residents. For further information and to obtain an application, call 703-324-5422, or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/LTCOmbudsman.
The Alexandria chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) meet 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.