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Good morning, Alexandria. It's Monday, May 11 — the 131st day of 2026, with 234 days left in the year.
Happy 277th birthday, Alexandria.
On this day in 1749, colonial Governor William Gooch designated 60 acres along the Potomac as the site for a new settlement. A 17-year-old surveyor named George Washington helped lay out the lots. The rest, as they say, is history.
Tomorrow, more history: Sandy Marks will be sworn in at 6 p.m., giving the city its first female-majority council in its history. Also on the docket — the council will receive the lone bid to operate the Torpedo Factory, submitted by Scout Urban.
On Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the voter-approved redistricting maps in a 4-3 ruling, finding the legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the amendment on the ballot. 78% of Alexandria voters had supported it. The fight continues.
And a feel-good story: Soccer IN School wrapped its inaugural year Friday, reaching all 1,360 second graders in ACPS — every single one.
Here's what you need to know today.
~ Ryan
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1️⃣ Soccer IN School wraps first year, reaching all 1,360 Alexandria second graders
Under 66-degree sun on Friday afternoon, 75 second graders raced across the fields of Mount Vernon Community School, dribbling through cones and lining up to high-five semi-pro players in red.
Friday's session marked the second-to-last stop in the inaugural year of Soccer IN School, an ASA program that, over the past school year, reached every second grader in Alexandria City Public Schools — 1,360 students in all. Each child received a free recreational jersey, ball and take-home toolkit. Mount Vernon was the 13th of 14 schools to host the program, with MacArthur Elementary set to close out the year next week.
Read the full story: Soccer IN School wraps first year, reaching all 1,360 Alexandria second graders
2️⃣ Alexandria to roll out six bike to work day pit stops on Friday
The city will join thousands of area commuters in marking National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 15, with six pit stops across Alexandria offering free refreshments, raffle prizes and resources for cyclists.
The annual event encourages residents to consider bicycle commuting as an affordable and environmentally friendly way to get to work. Participants can stop at designated locations during the morning commute, or in some cases on the ride home, to refuel and connect with fellow riders.
Read the full story: Alexandria to roll out six bike to work day pit stops on Friday
3️⃣ Alexandria Police name May and North as new assistant chiefs after national search
The Alexandria Police Department has appointed Capt. Mike May and Capt. Jason North as its newest assistant chiefs, the agency announced, capping a national search that drew more than 50 applicants.
Both selections came from inside the department. May joined APD in 1997 and most recently led the Criminal Investigations Division. North joined in 2005 and most recently commanded Patrol Operations for Sector One, which includes Old Town Alexandria. Together, the two bring nearly 50 years of combined service.
Read the full story: Alexandria Police name May and North as new assistant chiefs after national search
4️⃣ Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats' redrawn US House maps, giving Republicans a win
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan, delivering another major setback to the party in a nationwide battle against Republicans for an edge in this year's midterm elections.
The court ruled 4-3 that the state's Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot to authorize mid-decade redistricting. Voters narrowly approved the amendment on April 21, but the court's ruling renders the vote’s result meaningless.
78% of voters in Alexandria voted in favor of the proposed constitutional amendment.
Read the full story: Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats' redrawn US House maps, giving Republicans a win
5️⃣ Marks to take oath Tuesday; City Council to receive lone Torpedo Factory bid from Scout Urban
Sandy Marks will be sworn in to the Alexandria City Council at 6 p.m. Tuesday, taking the seat vacated in January by former Councilman R. Kirk McPike and giving the city its first female-majority council in its 279-year history.
Later in the meeting, the council will publicly receive what appears to be the only bid to take over operations at one of Alexandria's marquee cultural assets. According to a May 7 memo from Deputy City Manager Emily A. Baker, Scout Urban, LLC was the only firm to submit a timely proposal by the April 27 deadline to lease, manage, and operate the Torpedo Factory Arts Center at 105 Union St.
Read the full story: Marks to take oath Tuesday; City Council to receive lone Torpedo Factory bid from Scout Urban
📰 In brief
The city's annual street-repaving program will work on five streets between Monday and Friday, with two new Old Town blocks joining the rotation and three streets carrying over from last week's schedule, the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services said. (The Brief)
Mayor Alyia Gaskins on Friday announced a new program to help Alexandria households with children navigate federal nutrition programs and connect with community food resources, funded by a grant from the national Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger. (The Brief)
Fort Ward Museum will host an outdoor concert of Civil War-era music on Saturday, May 16, in honor of Armed Forces Day. (The Brief)
Christopher Morel hit a go-ahead single in the eighth to lift the Miami Marlins past the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Sunday. (The Brief)
Claudia Martínez scored her second consecutive game-winning goal to lift the visiting Washington Spirit over the Seattle Reign 1-0 on Sunday. (The Brief)
Traffic Alert: Drivers and bus riders along Richmond Highway should brace for two weeks of construction starting today, as the City of Alexandria begins maintenance work on the corridor's Bus Rapid Transit lanes. (The Brief)
Reminder: The city will host a pre-construction community meeting this evening to brief residents on upcoming roadway and sidewalk work along South Patrick Street, ahead of a construction start scheduled for June 1. (The Brief)
Today in Alexandria
⛅ Weather
A chance of showers today, mainly between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 64. North wind 8 to 11 mph. The chance of precipitation is 40%.
Mostly clear tonight, with a low around 45 degrees. Light and variable wind becoming north around 6 mph in the evening.
🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide
Sunrise at 5:59 a.m., sunset at 8:10 p.m. 14 hours & 5 minutes of sun. High tide at 4:01 a.m. & 4:16 p.m. Low tide at 10:16 a.m. & 10:36 p.m. The moon phase is a Waning Crescent.
🗓️ Things To Do
- 12:15 p.m.: Concerts at Christ Church: Songs for Voice & Lute at Christ Church
- 6:30 p.m.: Joggers & Lagers at Port City Brewing Company
🎶 Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Just For Fun at 9 p.m.
- Clyde’s at Mark Center: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
- Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant: Traditional Irish Music at 7 p.m.
- Del Ray Public House: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Epicure on King: Open Mic at 7 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Jim West at 6 p.m.
- Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Colby Sard at 8:30 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
🏛️ City of Alexandria
- 6 a.m.: Chinquapin Open at Chinquapin
- 6 p.m.: Minnie Howard Open at Minnie Howard
- 7 p.m.: S. Patrick St. Median Project Community Meeting
- 7 p.m.: Human Rights Commission Executive Committee
- 7 p.m.: Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee
- 7 p.m.: Board of Zoning Appeals Public Hearing
- (City of Alexandria calendar)
📚 Alexandria Library
- 10:15 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.: Baby Time at Duncan Branch Library
- 11 a.m.: Storytime in the Reading Garden at Beatley Central Library
- 1 p.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) at Burke Branch Library
- 5:30 p.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) 2 Workshop at Beatley Central Library
- 5:30 p.m.: Teen Takeover at Beatley Central Library
- 6:30 p.m.: Stability in Motion - Yoga Class at Duncan Branch Library
- (Alexandria Library calendar)
🏫 Alexandria City Public Schools
- 4 p.m.: CTE Advisory Committee at Minnie Howard
- 6 p.m.: Advanced Academic Services Advisory Committee via Zoom
- (ACPS calendar) (ACHS Titans sports calendar)
📜 Alexandria History
On May 11, 1749, colonial Governor William Gooch designated sixty acres of land adjacent to a small bay along the Potomac River in Northern Virginia as the site for a new settlement to be called Alexandria. Several theories support the naming for the new settlement;• that it was named for Philip and John Alexander who formerly owned the land; or• that the name was selected after Alexandria, Egypt a center of knowledge in the early civilized world; or• that the name was taken from the tiny town of Alexandria, Scotland, known to the Scottish founders that proposed the site; or• all of the above.An auction of 84 half-acre lots was scheduled for July 14 that same year, with a deadline of two years for successful lot purchasers to erect a structure on the property. Two lots were set aside at the center of the new community for a market place and town hall/courthouse. A seventeen-year-old assistant surveyor, George Washington prepared a map of the new town, including the names of the gridded streets, most of which are still used today. In the 17th century, plantations could be found along the Potomac River in Northern Virginia. By 1732, Hugh West had established a tobacco warehouse on high bluffs overlooking a small but deep bay, at what is today the foot of Oronoco Street in Alexandria. The Tobacco Inspection Act of 1730, one of the most successful laws promoted by colonial Governor William Gooch designated West's warehouse as the official inspection point for this area. The creation of such stations in the colony reduced fraud and affirmed the high quality of Virginia tobacco, thus allowing it to become a premium product for European trade. Hugh West oversaw the warehouse along with a ferry and tavern, while Philip and John Alexander farmed much of the surrounding land. To facilitate shipping, Scottish and English merchants petitioned the Virginia General Assembly in the fall of 1748 to establish a town at West's Hunting Creek Warehouse. After some debate that considered a competing location along Cameron Run, on May 11, 1749, Sir William Gooch, Colonial Governor of Virginia designated 60 acres of land surrounding West’s tobacco station for the founding of Alexandria. John West, Fairfax County surveyor, assisted by 17-year-old George Washington, laid out 60 acres for creation of the new town and lots were auctioned off in July 1749.
The Alexandria Brief
Alexandria, Va., news and information you won't find anywhere else.
Publisher: Ryan Belmore, an Alexandria resident and journalist.
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