View this email in your browser

November Updates

Dear Neighbor,

Please see the following updates below about various community events and meetings.

Thank you,

BSVCA Board of Directors

BSVCA Election Results:

PRESIDENT Michael Rodriguez

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Shirley Downs

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT Mairym I. Ramos-Salinas

SECRETARY Elizabeth Middough

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Lindsey Heitman

TREASURER Jenn Wylie

PARIAMENTARIAN Ginny Franco

MEMBERS AT LARGE Amanda Casey, Ginny Franco,Beth LaMois, Bethlehem Addis

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Ashley Dalton

ATC Needs Tutors!

After being released last week, the NAEP report, known as the Nation's Report Card, showed significant declines in math and reading scores since its last administration in 2019. While there is ongoing debate about the cause of the plummeting scores, one thing is clear: children have a lot of catching up to do.

The one-on-one structure of ATC’s Book Buddies program makes it particularly apt at supporting students with their specific reading needs. Last year, 84% of all Book Buddies read proficiently by the end of tutoring. This year, the program is up and running at 12 of Alexandria's elementary schools!

Sign Up To Tutor Here

Thanksgiving Walk

Staying in the neighborhood for Thanksgiving? Join your neighbors for some fun exercise and camaraderie Thanksgiving morning! We will meet at the Blue Top at Polk (the corner of Polk Ave & Pegram St) at 9:00 am Thanksgiving Morning. The route will end at the home of BSVCA 2nd Vice President Jeremy Hogg (at the corner of N. Pelham St & Polk Ave). We invite you to stay and mingle with your neighbors. Coffee and donuts will be served, courtesy of Melanie Hogg Realty! Please fill out a waiver to participate here - https://bit.ly/3MFfOp2

Holiday Homes Decorating Contest

Show your holiday SPIRIT and spread some CHEER by participating in the Third Annual BSVCA Holiday Home Decorating Contest! All entries must be submitted by Sunday, December 11th and winners will be announced before Christmas Day. Fill out an entry from here https://bit.ly/3CKQF7Q

Winners will be awarded with a gift card from their favorite local business

1st Place: $100; 2nd Place: $75; 3rd Place: $50.

Landmark Meeting Reminder (Hybrid)

'West End' (former Landmark Mall site) Community Meeting

Foulger-Pratt is hosting a hybrid, in-person and virtual, community meeting on Wednesday, November 16, at 7:00 p.m. to present plans for 'West End' Blocks E, G, I, and K within the former Landmark Mall site. The proposed buildings on the four blocks would include multifamily residential, ground floor commercial, and medical offices. These cases have been docketed for the December 6, 2022, hearing of the Planning Commission.

To join in-person, visit the Patrick Henry Recreation Center, 4653 Taney Avenue.

To join online, visit: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89174270493

Webinar ID: 891 7427 0493

Dial-in: 301.715.8592

For more information visit Foulger-Pratt’s 'West End' website or the City’s Landmark Redevelopment Website

Questions? Contact Meagan Rappolt at mrappolt@wiregill.com or 703.362.5232.

Tree Walk

Join us for a Fun, Fact-Filled Fall Color Tree Walk

Saturday, November 12 at 1:00 p.m. around Ft. Ward Park.

Learn more about the trees in your neighborhood. Aside from IDing trees, we will talk about trees’ many benefits to our ecosystem and the ecological impact trees have in our environment. We’ll also cover some tree care.

Since leaves are falling now and some trees may be bare in a couple of weeks, this will be an early opportunity to test our winter tree ID skills!

We’ll meet in the parking lot of the Ft Ward Museum, 4301 W Braddock, Alexandria, VA, 22304. The walk will last about 2 hours and be about 1 mile loop.

This walk will be co-lead by Scott Knudsen, Tree Steward, and Ginny McNair, Master Naturalist.

Alexandria West Community Planning Process Kick-Off Meeting (Virtual)

On Tuesday, November 15 at 7:00 p.m., community members, businesses and organizations are invited to attend a virtual kick-off meeting launching the City’s 18-month Alexandria West planning process.

A recording of the meeting will be posted on the project website for anyone unable to join on the 15th. Additionally, in-person events in the community will be held in the following weeks to share the same information presented during the kick-off meeting and receive input from community members. A list of pop-ups open to the community is available on the project website and will be updated with new events, as well as any changes due to weather or other circumstances. Interpretation services in Spanish, Amharic and Arabic will be provided.

This planning process will engage the community to create a vision for the area’s long-term future and explore topics such as housing affordability, equity, culture, land use, mobility, pedestrian and cyclist safety and accessibility, and connecting existing and future open spaces.

The November 15 meeting can be accessed through the following:

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xyOATpwPSIC3W6Cm0LTGEA

Meeting ID: 942 7239 2659

Passcode: 356941

Dial-in:  301.715.8592

Interpretation services in Spanish, Amharic and Arabic will be provided.

You can also mail a check for your membership dues to:
Brookville Seminary Valley Civic Assoc.
PO BOX 9125
Alexandria, Virginia 22304