Decorating for Easter
Easy ideas to welcome spring into your home.
From floral arrangements that burst with pastel blooms to candles that fill one’s home with scents reminiscent of warm weather, local style experts offer suggestions for accents that welcome spring.
The Region’s Best Home Designs
Local contractors get top honors for remodeling projects.
From designing a kitchen with a concave glass tile backsplash to creating a backyard with a fireplace and pool, some local home remodelers were honored recently with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s (NARI) 2013 Regional Contractor of the Year awards for design acumen. Winning projects ran the gamut from historic preservation projects to environmentally conscious conceptions.
Recycle, Reuse, Remodel
Remodeling often affords an opportunity to re-purpose existing materials by donating to those less fortunate. Ask your remodeler if there is a plan or policy for saving materials for re-use rather than sending it to a land fill. Every project is different. And some materials are more easily removed and saved than others. Here are a couple of organizations that accepted used materials.
Demand for Incremental Improvements
Over time, some owners makeover the entire house—one phase at a time.
If you compare the current home remodeling market to 2007, it's clear that homeowners are less likely to execute a top-to-bottom makeover in a single stroke than they were five years ago. Home resales are rising again, but the belief that every dollar spent on a Northern Virginia home will be quickly recovered has been suspended—if only temporarily—as homeowners reassess.
World’s Fanciest Rummage Sale Coming April 7
Rumor has it that the “world’s fanciest” rummage sale will feature some of the crystal light fixtures and other items recently replaced in the remodeling of the Ritz-Carlton Tysons.
‘How to Fall in Love’
Hopkins & Porter, Inc. will be offering "How to Fall in Love with Your Home Again,” a free design and remodeling seminar on Thursday, March 21, 6-8 p.m. This seminar will include a complimentary supper with opportunity to discuss one's own project with professional staff.
Virginia Garden Week to Feature NoVa Gardens
80th Historic Garden Week, April 20-27, 2013
Historic Garden Week 2013 will feature approximately 200 private homes and gardens open on 32 separate tours throughout the state of Virginia over eight consecutive days. It is the largest ongoing volunteer effort in Virginia and represents the coordinated efforts of 3,400 club members. One hundred percent of tour proceeds are used to enhance Virginia’s landscape. For 80 years, the grounds of the commonwealth’s most cherished historic landmarks have been restored or preserved with help from proceeds from Historic Garden Week including Mount Vernon, Monticello and the grounds of the Executive Mansion in Richmond.
Alexandria Middle School Administrator Salaries
Salaries of middle school administrators.
Alexandria Elementary School Administrator Salries
Annual salaries of elementary school administrators.
Alexandria High School Administrator Salaries
Salaries of high school administrators.
List of Rejected Budget Cuts Reveals Thinking Behind Budget Proposal
Cuts that were cut may become key as budget season moves forward.
Imagine a world without school crossing guards or security screening at the courthouse — a city so strapped for cash it closes one of its fire stations and eliminates life insurance for its retired workers.
Week in Alexandria
What’s the difference between a map amendment and a text amendment?
Council Notebook
Want to know how much city officials are going to charge you for the privilege of living in Alexandria? Check the advertisements.
Squash Across Borders
Lekotla Masope competes in All Africa Squash Championships.
During most of the year, Lekgotla Masope is teaching squash at the Regency Sport and Health in McLean. But for five days in February, he was representing his home country of Botswana in the All-Africa Senior Squash Championships in Windhoek, Namibia, where they took third place.
Facing STEM Challenges Head On
Thomas Jefferson senior Katherine Ho of McLean awarded scholarship from Siemens Foundation.
For many students, AP classes are a chore, something taken to help college standings or boost GPA and the AP Exams are dreaded all year long. For Katherine Ho of McLean, challenges and problem solving have been part of her life for a long time.
West Potomac Girls’ Lax Falls to Yorktown in Opener
Wolverines coach Cochran has heightened expectations.
The West Potomac girls' lacrosse team reached the region quarterfinals in 2012.
TC Boys’ Soccer Beats Chantilly in Season Opener
Titans senior Terell Williamson scores game’s lone goal.
The T.C. Williams boys' soccer team is the defending Patriot District champion.
Column: Writing What Four
As far as anniversaries go–and I hope this one “goes” a lot further; acknowledging, dare I say celebrating my four-year survival anniversary from “terminal” stage IV (inoperable, metastasized) non-small cell lung cancer, a diagnosis I initially received on Feb. 27, 2009, along with a “13-month to two-year prognosis” from my oncologist, is certainly column-worthy.
Yorktown Girls’ Lax Rallies for Win in Season Opener
Patriots have won seven consecutive district championships.
Yorktown closes Monday's contest on a 6-1 run.
Editorial: Hybrid Hijinks
Discouraging innovation in high-tech Virginia.
Consider this as a possible scenario (although perhaps we should have saved this for April 1): Fewer people are smoking, and many of those who do are smoking less. Virginia’s cigarette tax, the lowest of any state at 30 cents a pack, is a declining revenue source. Higher cigarette taxes are proven to reduce smoking. Under current logic in the commonwealth, there would be two courses of action to raise revenue: a) cut the cigarette tax, and b) charge non-smokers a fee to make up the difference and to compensate for the fact that they don’t pay cigarette taxes.