The Alexandria Brief: Wednesday, Dec. 17
Transportation board eyes 2050, new officers hit the streets, and those Washington Gas letters explained
Good morning, Alexandria. Today is Wednesday, December 17, the 351st day of the year. There are 14 days left in 2025.
On this day in 1983, the Braddock Road, King Street, and Eisenhower Avenue Metro stations opened on the Yellow Line, complete with bagpipe music and a ribbon-cutting by Senators Chuck Robb and John Warner.
I attended Tuesday night’s 3+ hour school board work session virtually, where members took the next step in finalizing a 10-year capital plan. The board is expected to adopt the plan on Thursday. Full coverage coming later today.
Here’s what you need to know today.
~ Ryan
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1️⃣ What’s happening in Alexandria today
Clouds will be rolling in on Wednesday, with a high near 51 degrees. Tonight will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 31 degrees.
It’s a hoops-heavy day for Alexandria City High School, which hosts West Springfield across three games starting with freshman and JV action and capping off with girls varsity at 7:30 p.m. Over at John R. Lewis High School, the boys varsity wrestling team hosts a quad at 6 p.m.
Looking to celebrate the holidays? Ice & Lights: The Winter Village opens at Cameron Run at 5 p.m., and the Beatley Central Library is throwing a tea party for Jane Austen’s 250th birthday at 4 p.m. For live music, Mac McAnally returns to the stage at The Birchmere at 7:30 p.m., while Evening Star Cafe hosts The What Have You Open Mic Annual Holiday Extravaganza at 8 p.m.
2️⃣ Regional transportation board to vote on 25-year plan
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board will vote Wednesday on Visualize 2050, a long-range plan that will guide $17.91 billion in transportation investments across the Washington metropolitan area through 2050. The board meets at noon at the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission office in Arlington.
The vote caps more than three years of development and public input, with 4,606 comments submitted across three comment periods. Major themes included calls for more ambitious climate goals, expanded transit service and opposition to highway widenings and toll lanes. The plan must be approved for projects to receive federal funding.
3️⃣ Those Washington Gas letters aren’t actually from Washington Gas
If you’ve been getting official-looking letters with the Washington Gas logo asking you to sign up for gas and water line coverage, you’re not alone. The letters aren’t from Washington Gas — they’re from HomeServe, a Connecticut-based company that partners with utilities to sell optional home repair insurance.
The product is legitimate, but the branding, frequent mailings and urgent language have left some Alexandria residents confused about what they’re being asked to sign up for. HomeServe says the Washington Gas logo shows the partnership is legitimate, but critics note the presentation can feel like a required action from your utility rather than an optional insurance product. If you want to stop receiving the letters, you can call 1-844-250-6651 to opt out.
4️⃣ Alexandria welcomes 14 new law enforcement officers
Fourteen new law enforcement officers are joining Alexandria’s public safety ranks after graduating Monday from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy. Three Alexandria Sheriff’s Office deputies and 11 Alexandria Police Department officers completed the program, with two Alexandria graduates earning top honors among all regional recruits.
Deputy Washington of the Sheriff’s Office received the Human Performance Award for top physical fitness, while one police officer earned the Director’s Award for Academic Excellence, the highest academic honor for the class. Both agencies are actively recruiting — the Police Department hosts a Walk-In Wednesday hiring event today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
5️⃣ What’s open, what’s closed in Alexandria over the holidays
City offices will close for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and again for New Year’s Day. The closures affect courts, libraries, health facilities, recreation centers, and most other municipal facilities. Trash and recycling collection will be delayed by one day following both holidays.
Alexandria City Public Schools students begin winter break on Monday and return Jan. 3. DASH bus service will operate on a weekend schedule on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Looking for something to do? Waterskiing Santa returns to the Potomac on Christmas Eve, and First Night Alexandria rings in the new year with live performances and fireworks at 7:30 p.m. and midnight.
Extra Extra!
Indochen at Cameron Station will close permanently on December 24 after the owners decided not to renew the lease. “The doors may be closing, but memories will always stay in our hearts,” Sharo Bera wrote on Facebook. The restaurant’s Old Town location at 1615 King Street remains open, along with Masti in Reston and Harbor Tandoor in Baltimore.
The fair trade shop at 915 King Street is changing its name to The World Crafted on King after 31 years in Old Town. The rebrand comes after Ten Thousand Villages closed all its brick-and-mortar locations nationwide and shifted to online sales, requiring affiliates to adopt new identities. The store will continue selling ethically sourced handcrafted goods and plans a grand reopening on February 21-23.
Artists, makers, crafters, and small businesses are invited to apply for a chance to become a vendor at PatCon 2026, Alexandria’s free community-built anime celebration on February 7 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Recreation Center. (City of Alexandria)
If you missed the Duke Street Lane Use Plan Community Open House, you have until mid-January to still watch it and participate. (City of Alexandria)
Alexandria Fire Department recently enjoyed spending time with students at Discovery Time Learning Center, where they shared important fire safety tips, and giving them a closer look at what firefighters do every day. (AFD on Facebook)