Alexandria News Briefs

Seventh Annual LGBTQ+ Pride Fair 

The City of Alexandria will kick off the Seventh Annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month on June 1 with a Pride fair at City Hall and Market Square (301 King Street) from 3 to 6 p.m.

Dance to live music and a DJ, express yourself at the dance workshop, grab a bite to eat from the food trucks, enjoy the mobile art lab, and pose for Pride pictures. Visit tables of more than 50 Pride-celebrating programs in Alexandria and collect swag. 

At 3:30, head inside City Hall for the popular Drag Story Hour. 

Free and confidential health services will be available, and Mayor Wilson will present the 2024 Pride Month Proclamation. Don’t leave without checking out DASH’s Pride-wrapped bus and crossing the newly revealed rainbow crosswalks, located at Royal and King Streets.

For more information about the City’s LGBTQ+ Task Force and resources, visit alexandriava.gov/LGBTQ. For books and information related to LGBTQ+ Pride Month, visit the Alexandria Library’s LGBTQ Pride webpage.

Share Your Experiences With Extreme Heat 

The City of Alexandria is collaborating with George Mason University on a study of extreme heat and public health in Alexandria. 

To help us learn more about community members’ experiences, please consider completing this 30-question survey, which will help Mason's Virginia Climate Center study the way extreme heat episodes affect Alexandrians. This anonymous survey is open to any adult aged 18 or older who lives in Alexandria and should take around 15 minutes to complete. Your input is greatly appreciated! 

For more information, contact the principal investigator for this project, Dr. MB Mitcham at mmitcha2@gmu.edu.  

If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available.. Please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3960. 

Small Business Resiliency Grants Available

2024 Small Business Resiliency Grant program is available to provide vital assistance to Alexandria's small businesses. Eligible businesses can receive up to $7,000 in grant assistance through the program. 

Administered by the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), the program aims to assist businesses in overcoming challenges in accessing essential resources. The City’s contribution underscores its commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and nurturing a thriving business environment. 

Applications will be accepted through the LEDC website from Tuesday, May 28, through Tuesday, June 18. That is also where you can learn about the SBR Grant program, eligibility, and selection criteria. 

The City will be providing space for LEDC to host two engagement opportunities — one virtual and one in person — for interested parties to learn more about the program, ask questions, and receive assistance: 

• SBR Grant Webinar, Hosted by LEDC
Thursday, May 23, 4-5 p.m.
Register to attend

• SBR Grant Application Assistance, Hosted by LEDC
Monday, June 3, 10-11 a.m.
Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe St.)

A recording of the webinar will be available on the LEDC website for those who are interested but unable to attend. 

For more information about the Small Business Resiliency Grant, questions about eligibility, or help accessing grant resources, contact LEDC at AlexandriaSBR@ledcmetro.org or call 202-540-7400.  

Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week and Clean the Bay Day

Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week, taking place from June 1 through June 9, 2024, is an opportunity to continue to protect the Chesapeake Bay. As part of this commemoration, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will coordinate its annual Clean the Bay Day.

In celebration of Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week, the City's Department of Transportation and Environmental Services invites the community to participate in a stream cleanup event on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at Oronoco Bay Park, (100 Madison St.) The cleanup event will take place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

For those participating in the Clean the Bay Day event at Oronoco Bay, City staff will provide gloves, trash grabbers and bags, and first aid kits. Participants are encouraged to bring sunscreen, snacks, water, and wear appropriate clothing, including long pants and closed-toe shoes.

Additional actions to protect the Bay include:

• Keep pet waste out of the City's storm drains, which causes bacteria contamination. Pick up and properly dispose of pet waste in a trash can.

• Keep the City litter-free, as waste dropped on streets, sidewalks, or parks ends up in local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.

• Reduce or eliminate fertilizer use on home lawns. Excess fertilizer causes poor water quality. Consider applying for a ten-percent Stormwater Utility Fee credit for the no-fertilizer pledge.

Early Voting for June 18 Dual Primary

Early voting is underway for the June 18, 2024, Dual Primary Election in the City of Alexandria. The ballot will include contests for either the Democratic nominations for Mayor and City Council or Republican nomination for United States Senate. In a Dual Primary Election, qualified voters may vote in either Primary, but not both. They must indicate their choice to the Pollbook officer and may not be challenged on their choice.

All registered voters in Virginia are eligible to vote by mail or in person. 

VOTING IN PERSON

The deadline to vote early is Saturday, June 15, at 5 p.m. You can vote in person:

Office of Voter Registration & Elections, 132 N. Royal St., Suite 100

• Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. through June 14

• Closed Monday, May 27, 2024

Additional and Extended Hours:

• Saturday, June 8, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

• Sunday, June 9, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

• Monday, June 10, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.

• Tuesday, June 11, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.

• Wednesday, June 12, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.

• Thursday, June 13, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.

• Saturday, June 15, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

VOTING BY MAIL

Applications to request a mail-in ballot must be received in the Office of Voter Registration & Elections by 5 p.m., Friday, June 7. Access an application in one of the following ways: 

• By visiting vote.elections.virginia.gov to submit an application online.

• By downloading the application available on the City’s Elections webpage.

• By calling Voter Registration & Elections at 703.746.4050 to request that an application is mailed to you.

Completed ballots must be either returned to the Office of Voter Registration & Elections by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, or postmarked by June 18 and received in the office by noon on Friday, June 21. To vote in person, an application is not required. Applications should not be submitted before voting in person.

BALLOT DROP BOXES

Ballot drop boxes will be available at all polling places on June 18, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. A secure outdoor drop box, under video surveillance, is available in front of the Office of Voter Registration & Elections, 24 hours a day, through June 18 at 7 p.m.

REGISTERING TO VOTE

The deadline for the normal registration period for the June 18, 2024, Dual Primary Election is May 28. The Same Day Registration period begins May 29 and runs through Primary Election Day, June 18, 2024. Visit vote.elections.virginia.gov to register, check registration status, or update an existing registration. 

Visit alexandriava.gov/Elections for complete election information, including voter registration requirements, sample ballots, precinct maps and ID requirements.

For more information, contact the Office of Voter Registration & Elections at voters@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4050.

Commonwealth, Ashby, and Glebe Flood Mitigation Project

City of Alexandria invites residents to a community open house on May 22, 2024, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center to learn more about the Commonwealth, Ashby, and Glebe Flood Mitigation Project. The open house will provide residents an opportunity to learn about the project, ask questions, and provide feedback as staff plan for further design and future construction. A questionnaire will also be available on the project website following the meeting. 

The Commonwealth, Ashby, and Glebe Flood Mitigation Project will increase storm sewer capacity and reduce flooding near the intersections of Commonwealth Avenue and Glebe Road, and Ashby Street and Glebe Road.  

Currently in the design phase, the project includes installing new parallel relief storm sewers to increase the capacity of the storm sewer system. The project also includes the installation of a new outfall to discharge stormwater flows to Four Mile Run, and green infrastructure to improve water quality in the watershed. 

Construction will affect multiple areas near and along the project site. 

More information about the project is available at alexandriava.gov/go/4139