The Alexandria Brief: Friday, December 19
School Board approves $282 million plan; weekend packed with holiday markets and live music
Good morning, Alexandria. Today is Friday, December 19, the 353rd day of the year. There are 12 days left in 2025.
The Alexandria City School Board made major decisions Thursday night, approving a 10-year capital plan that delays the Cora Kelly modernization and converts Jefferson-Houston and Patrick Henry schools. The board also voted unanimously to name four facilities after community leaders, including former Mayor Kerry Donley and NFL veteran Keith Burns.
Just five days until Waterskiing Santa returns to the Potomac, a tradition for more than 40 years. Until then, there’s plenty of holiday magic to enjoy across the city this weekend.
Here’s what you need to know today.
~ Ryan
1️⃣ Holiday markets, John Waters, and Titan sports pack weekend calendar
A rainy, blustery Friday will give way to a pleasant weekend in Alexandria, with sunny skies Saturday and highs reaching the low 50s by Sunday.
Friday’s showers and possible thunderstorms should clear by mid-morning, but gusty winds up to 47 mph will stick around. Temperatures will fall to around 39 degrees by evening before dropping to 28 overnight.
Holiday shoppers have options all weekend. The 30th Annual Fine Art & Fine Craft Holiday Market runs Friday through Sunday at Del Ray Artisans, while Ice & Lights: The Winter Village illuminates Cameron Run each evening at 5 p.m. Saturday adds the Old Town and Del Ray farmers markets, plus the Gustave Marché de Noël Gift Market in the morning and an Old Town Christmas Bar Crawl in the afternoon. Sunday brings the Old Town North Annual Holiday Market and an Ugly Sweater Party at Hops N Shine.
Live music highlights include Carbon Leaf at The Birchmere on Friday, John Waters bringing his demented Christmas show to The Birchmere on Saturday, and a Luther Vandross tribute starring William “Smooth” Wardlaw on Sunday. The Little Theater of Alexandria presents “A Christmas Carol” throughout the weekend.
2️⃣ Alexandria School Board approves $282 million capital plan in 5-4 vote
The Alexandria City School Board voted 5-4 Thursday to approve a 10-year capital plan that delays the Cora Kelly School modernization from 2028 to 2036 and converts two K-8 schools to address middle school overcrowding.
Chair Michelle Rief and board members Tim Beaty, Donna Kenley, Alexander Crider Scioscia and Ashley Simpson Baird voted for the $282.3 million plan. Vice Chair Christopher Harris and board members Abdulahi Abdalla, Kelly Carmichael Booz, and Ryan Reyna voted against it.
The plan converts Jefferson-Houston to a middle school and Patrick Henry to an elementary school, with both opening in their new configurations in 2030. The $39.7 million in conversions address overcrowding at George Washington Middle School, which operates at 126 percent capacity, and Francis C. Hammond Middle School at 113 percent.
3️⃣ School Board unanimously approves naming four facilities after community leaders
The Alexandria City School Board voted 9-0 Thursday to name four school facilities after community leaders, overriding Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt’s recommendation to approve only one proposal.
The board approved naming the athletic fields at the Minnie Howard campus the Kerry Donley Athletic Field Complex, the field at Parker-Gray Stadium the Keith Burns Field, the media center at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School the Jean B. Reid Media Center and the courtyard at the Early Childhood Center “Owen’s Place.”
Donley served as Alexandria’s mayor from 1996 to 2003 and later as athletic director at what was then T.C. Williams High School. He died suddenly in July 2022 at age 66. Burns, a 1990 T.C. Williams graduate, played 13 NFL seasons and won two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos.
4️⃣ City seeks approval to demolish Old Town Pool, build new brick bathhouse
The city is seeking approval to demolish the 50-year-old Old Town Pool bathhouse and construct a new brick facility in its place, according to application materials filed with the Board of Architectural Review.
The BAR will hear the case at 7 p.m. Jan. 7. The application seeks both a Certificate of Appropriateness and a Permit to Demolish for the facility at 1609 Cameron St. in the Parker-Gray Historic District.
Architectural drawings from RRMM Architects show the existing white stucco bathhouse would be completely razed. The proposed replacement would be a single-story, 3,888-square-foot structure clad in modular brick with hardwood slat accents and rooftop solar panels.
5️⃣ Alexandria police arrest one, seek two others in $8,000 retail theft on King Street
Alexandria police arrested a Baltimore woman and are searching for two other suspects after an officer monitoring surveillance cameras observed three women leaving an ALO yoga store on King Street with approximately $8,000 in merchandise on Dec. 10.
Lakeira Taneisha Sampson, 33, was apprehended after fleeing on foot as she attempted to enter a vehicle, according to police. Two other suspects escaped and have not been located.
The arrest marks an early test of the department’s Holiday Crime Prevention Initiative, a data-driven enforcement effort launched Nov. 21 that relies on increased patrols, real-time camera monitoring and business partnerships. An officer with the Alexandria Tourism-Oriented Policing unit, formed in September to focus on high-traffic commercial areas, spotted the suspects via a public safety camera.
Extra Extra!
First Night Alexandria, the city’s signature New Year’s Eve festival, returns Dec. 31 with more than 12 hours of live entertainment, family activities, and two fireworks shows over the Potomac River. (The Alexandria Brief)
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board voted Wednesday to adopt Visualize 2050, a long-range plan that will guide $297 billion in highway and transit investments across the Washington metropolitan area through 2050. The board also approved $10.7 million in federal grants for 25 projects supporting transportation for older adults and people with disabilities. The City of Alexandria received $125,000. (The Alexandria Brief)
A lottery ticket sold at a Mount Vernon Avenue convenience store won $50,000 in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing, the Virginia Lottery announced Thursday. (The Alexandria Brief)
Previewing Alexandria’s George Washington Birthday Parade (Fox 5 DC)
A bronze memorial honoring a Revolutionary War era officer important to the Virginia history of the Catholic Church is the newest feature at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria. (Arlington Catholic Herald)
Youth Participation In Sports Betting Sees A Rise But Remains Just As Illegal (Theogony)
Friends of ROAM Rocks Del Ray With Their Holiday Show and Fundraiser (Theogony)
On Capitol Hill
From the offices of Alexandria’s congressional delegation:
Sen. Mark Warner introduced two bills and led a bipartisan letter on Thursday. Warner and Sen. Jim Justice, D-W.Va., introduced the Child Care Supply Tax Credit Act to address the nationwide shortage of child care options through a new tax credit for providers. Warner and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced the Relief for Survivors of Miners Act to remove barriers to benefits for families of miners who died from black lung disease. Warner also led a bipartisan group of senators urging the FTC to crack down on “surveillance pricing,” the practice of using personal data to set individualized consumer prices. (Sen. Warner)
Sen. Tim Kaine introduced two bills and spoke on the Senate floor Thursday. Kaine and Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., introduced the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act to strengthen preservation of historic battlefields ahead of America's 250th birthday. Kaine also joined Sen. Mark Warner in introducing the Relief for Survivors of Miners Act to support families of miners who died from black lung disease. On the Senate floor, Kaine criticized the Trump administration's decision to allow Nvidia to sell advanced H200 chips to Chinese commercial customers, calling it a threat to national security. More information is available at kaine.senate.gov. (Sen. Kaine)
Rep. Don Beyer has been reappointed to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced this week. (The Alexandria Brief)
2025 Christmas Concert | St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish School