Alexandria Living Magazine - March/April 2023

The Face of Old Town Real Estate

No one knows Old Town Alexandria better than Babs Beckwith, whose name is synonymous with Old Town Real Estate. With more than 25 years of success selling homes in this very special community where she lives and is actively involved, Babs has the insider’s knowledge and understanding of today’s market for selling and buying Old Town real estate. Call Babs today for a confidential conversation about your property.

The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the home and a place where many memories are made – cooking meals, doing homework, entertaining family and friends.

If your kitchen could use a bit of love, we offer home equity loans and lines of credit that can help you finance the renovations to build the kitchen of your dreams. You can also use the equity in your home to finance a college education, other renovations, consolidate debt and much more.

Stop by our branch or call us to discuss how a CommonWealth One home equity loan or line of credit can help you create those fond memories.

“ Kitchen (noun) - A gathering place for friends and family. A place where memories are homemade and seasoned with love.”

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CONTENTS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Spring is here! Peruse our calendar and start making plans now to get out and about during the lovely springtime weeks ahead.

WEDDINGS

16

Is there a wedding in your future?

Join style expert Monte Durham and more than 30 wedding experts at the 2023 Alexandria Wedding Showcase, presented by Alexandria Living Magazine.

WEDDINGS

Wedding photographers Steve Johnson and Emily Nicole Petroccione share tips to help you create memorable photos on the big day.

22

WILDLIFE

It’s exciting to see Alexandria wildlife in the spring. Foxes are especially beautiful, with their long red fur and bushy tails. But what can you do if you see a fox with a case of deadly mange?

40

BUSINESS

A tech expert gives tips on what to do if your email is hacked.

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18 47 52

TRAVEL

A Columbus, Ohio visitor gives us his impression of Alexandria after his first visit to the area.

TRAVEL

A roundup of regional happenings to look forward to near Alexandria this spring and summer.

THE LAST WORD

Former Alexandria resident and CIA officer Brittany Butler pens her first spy thriller.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TIDES INN

PHOTO BY EMILY NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PARKWAY CLASSIC

In just two years, The Torpedo Factory will celebrate its 50th year. We talk to the artist who started it all and see how things are going these days at this former munitions plant turned art venue on Alexandria’s waterfront.

Torpedo Factory thinking outside the box

Meet a group of Alexandrians who are not only finding their own path to get from point A to point B, but enriching others' lives as they do so.

PHOTO BY ANDREW WHITE

PHOTO COURTESY MEDSTREET

PHOTO COURTESY OF: TODD WRIGHT

A Letter from Our Founders

PUBLISHER

Beth Lawton

EDITOR

Mary Ann Barton

ADVERTISING / EVENTS

Katherine Barton

Cleo Chitester

Kristen Riffle

DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION

Andrew White

PUBLISHING ASSISTANT

Susannah Moore

Alexandria Living Magazine is published six times per year by Alexandria Living, LLC ©2022. 201 N. Union St., Suite 110 Alexandria, VA 22314. For newsstand or distribution locations or to subscribe for home delivery, go to alexandrialivingmagazine.com/subscribe.

CONTACT US

info@alexandrialivingmagazine.com or call 571-232-1310.

PARTNER WITH US

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To learn more about how partnering with Alexandria Living Magazine can help build your business, contact us at ads@alexandrialivingmagazine.com or call 571-232-1310.

PRESS RELEASES & TIPS

Send news releases and story tips to maryann@alexandrialivingmagazine.com

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

Subscribing to Alexandria Living Magazine is easy! You can go to alexandrialivingmagazine.com/ subscribe to pay securely online by credit card, or mail a check with the subscription mailing address to Alexandria Living Magazine, 201 N. Union St. Suite 110, Alexandria, VA 22314. Subscriptions are $14.95 for one year or $24.95 for two years.

Happy Spring!

It's one of the most beautiful times of the year in Alexandria and we hope you are making the most of it by planning to enjoy the great outdoors at the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Old Town Festival of Speed & Style, Historic Garden Week, Spring Garden Market. Well, you get the picture, we have an abundance of exciting happenings coming our way this spring! Be sure to check out our calendar for all the events, starting on Page 9. (And we hope you aren't just reading about them — go!)

This year we hope you will join us for the 2023 Alexandria Wedding Showcase, presented by Alexandria Living Magazine, taking place Sunday, March 5 at Above ALX Community. Style expert Monte Durham (owner of Salon MONTE in Old Town and co-star of "Say Yes to the Dress - Atlanta") will be on hand as our special guest at a VIP brunch and more than 30 vendors will meet one on one with brides and grooms. Get all the details on Page 16.

Speaking of weddings, we talk to two wedding photographers, Steve and Emily Nicole, about the trends they're seeing and tips for taking beautiful photos on the big day, starting on Page 18. (If you're coming to the showcase, be sure to stop by and say "hi" to Steve.

They say you can't outsmart a fox, but you can try when it comes to lending a helping hand to these beautiful creatures. Local writer Susannah Moore explores the sometimes fatal skin disease that can afflict these wonderful animals and how you might help. Read all about it on Page 22.

Turning to the arts, one of the most unique draws for both tourists and local residents alike in Alexandria is the Torpedo Factory Art Center. With its previous use as a munitions factory, the 105 year-old building that sits on the City's waterfront plays host to an array of talented artists, who engage with visitors as they create their work. Catch up with the Torpedo Factory on Page 25.

When challenges confront some people, they may shy away, give up or .... in the case of the folks you'll meet starting on Page 30, tackle a problem head-on. These Alexandrians not only were thinking outside the box, they busted down barriers to help others as well.

Who hasn't been hacked or had to deal with a frustrating email situation? We talk with an expert who gives us tips on how to steer away from online troublemakers, on Page 40.

Next up, photographer and writer Andrew White gives us a birds-eye view of his first visit to Alexandria, where he explored our coffee shops and restaurants and just enjoyed strolling the streets of Old Town, with camera in tow of course, starting on Page 44.

If you're like us, you can't wait to plan some fun spring and summer outings, maybe a long weekend getaway that's just a car-drive away. We've rounded up some regional happenings and events that we hope you'll make plans to enjoy, on Page 49.

Last but certainly not least, in The Last Word, CIA agent turned author Brittany Butler, a former Alexandrian, talks about her first book and her upcoming launch party in Alexandria, on Page 52.

We hope you enjoy this issue and thank you for all your support of our endeavors. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, sign up for our email newsletters and keep abreast of current events on our website.

Thanks for reading!

Mary Ann Barton and Beth Lawton Founders

Beth Lawton, publisher, and Mary Ann Barton, editor

PHOTO BY MATT MENDELSOHN, TAKEN AT VIRTUE FEED & GRAIN.

Our Team

Meet some of the contributors to this issue.

MARY ANN BARTON Editor

Mary Ann is the editor of Alexandria Living Magazine. She and Beth Lawton founded the magazine in 2018 after working together at Patch.com. A native of Minnetonka, Minn., Mary Ann began her journalism career as a reporter in Little Rock. She loves the character and history of Alexandria as well as the camaraderie of the business community. Got a story tip? Send it her way maryann@alexandrialivingmagazine.com.

Beth founded the magazine in 2018 with Mary Ann Barton after working together at AOL. She grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut, before "bouncing around the Midwest" and then spending a year in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Beth now lives in the West End with her husband Joe, two children, a dog, a cat and two guinea pigs

Susannah has happily called Alexandria home since 2015. She graduated from the College of Charleston and has worked in the political and legal fields and is excited for the opportunity to rekindle her interest in writing. For fun, she enjoys running along the Potomac with her husband or spending time with her rescue cat, Cinnamon, and golden retriever, Kai.

Andrew is a photographer and writer who sometimes dabbles in graphic design. He enjoys wandering around the country and documenting his trip with his camera. He published his first book: Wait Here in 2021 and has since produced a number of other works such as his most revent travel series, Far From Home.

Jerry joined publisher Beth Lawton's household in early 2023. He was adopted at three months old from the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria to be a companion to Scissors, another guinea pig who was adopted from the AWLA in 2022. The "pigs" join Pepper the pit bull mix and Mandy the cat. Jerry enjoys hay and squeaking a lot.

BETH LAWTON Publisher

SUSANNAH MOORE Contributor

ANDREW WHITE Contributor

JERRY Chief Bottle Washer

D R E A M S The rooftop wedding of your

SPRING 2023

Calendar of Events

March

Lettice and Lovage

Feb. 25 - March 18

If you are a fan of witty British humor, then this is the perfect play for you! This comedy satire, written by Peter Shaffer, the author of "Equus" and "Amadeus," and written specifically for Dame Maggie Smith, centers on an overly exuberant tour guide who loves to embellish the history behind an English country house. Ultimately she is fired, but she refuses to go without a fight.

Tickets are $24 plus a $3 fee. Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., thelittletheatre.com

60th Annual Needlework Show at Woodlawn

March 1-31 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (except Tuesdays)

Woodlawn and Nelly’s Needlers are proud to present the 60th Annual Needlework Show. This event has become the largest judged show of needle arts in the nation, displaying thousands of embroidery pieces by artists from all over the world. This year’s theme is "Craft as Comfort: Joy in Needlework."

Tickets for the show are $15 for adults, $6 for students K-12 and free for children under 5.

Woodlawn & Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey House, 9000 Richmond Hwy., woodlawnpopeleighey.org

Fun with One Art Exhibit

March 3 - April 1

The "Fun With One" art exhibit showcases 2D and 3D monochromatic artwork by Del Ray Artisans members— revealing a fascinating variety using just one color. The opening reception is set for Friday, March 3 from 7 to 9 p.m., offering the opportunity to meet the curators and artists.

Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. delrayartisans.org

THE BALLYSHANERS ANNUAL ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE RETURNS SATURDAY, MARCH 4 TO OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA.

PHOTO BY KIMBERLEE BRYCE

Concerts at The Birchmere

Check out some of the performances scheduled for January and February at The Birchmere. Check The Birchmere’s website for the latest information and a full concert list. The concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary.

MARCH 2

Vanessa Carlton

MARCH 3

Keller Williams & Steve Poltz

MARCH 5

Kevin Ross

MARCH 8, 9

Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group (SOLD OUT)

MARCH 10, 11

Stephanie Mills

MARCH 23

Gerald Albright

MARCH 24, 25

The High Kings

MARCH 26

Larry Carlton

MARCH 29

Stanley Clarke N 4Ever

MARCH 30, 31 & APRIL 1

Drew & Ellie Holcomb

APRIL 14

Christian de Mesones

APRIL 28

Ohio Players

The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., birchmere.com

MAR 4

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

March 4 | 12:30-2 p.m

Alexandria’s favorite celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and all things Irish returns Saturday, March 4. Pipe bands, Irish dance schools, community organizations, musicians and performers of all kinds will fill the streets of Old Town for this festive, family-friendly parade. The event is hosted by the Ballyshaners, an Alexandria nonprofit dedicated to promoting and preserving Irish Heritage. ballyshaners.org

Homeschool Day at Mount Vernon

March 6 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Mount Vernon welcomes homeschooling families to discover the 18th century by exploring the Farm at Mount Vernon. Activities include watching costumed historic trades interpreters perform 18th-century farming and visiting a reconstructed cabin for an enslaved family. Pick up materials for projects to explore at home. Adult admission is $14 and student admission (ages 6-18) is $12. Children 5 and under admitted free of charge.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., mountvernon.org

Ciaconna - Bach on the Solo Violin

March 4 | 7 p.m.

As part of the Washington Bach Consort’s Chamber Series, violinist Rachell Ellen Wong, a rising star on both the historical performance and modern violin stages, will perform Bach works for unaccompanied solo violin, featuring the renowned Partita No. 2 in D Minor, with its famous “Ciaccona.” Tickets are $40 for adults; $10 for ages 18 and younger.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 228 S. Pitt St., bachconsort.org

Brandenberg and Blue

March 10 | 7:30 p.m. & March 12 | 3 p.m.

Members of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director James Ross, present music by Bach and Handel in the intimate setting of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Friday, March 10 and an additional performance at Westminster Presbyterian Church Sunday, March 12. The program also features a world premiere by Alexandria-based composer Jonathan Kolm, commissioned by the ASO. All seating is general admission.

Friday’s concert: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 228 S. Pitt St. Sunday’s concert: Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2701 Cameron Mills Road alexsym.org

PHOTO BY CHRIS MILITZER

PHOTO BY MIKE PABLO FOR THE BALLYSHANERS, INC

13th Annual March150: Special Exhibition and Art Sale

March 11-April 8

March150, Torpedo Factory Art Center’s 13th annual special exhibition and art sale, returns to Target Gallery with all proceeds going to support new exhibitions and programs. Enjoy a wide variety of art from local artists who donated the work on the gallery-provided 10×10 panels. The size and price make the works ideal for collecting. This local favorite will have public sales from March 12-April 8 with early sales starting the night of the Art Party. The Art Party will be held March 11 from 7-9 p.m. Guests can enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres, purchase artwork and vote for their favorite square. General admission is $30; VIP tickets (early access and two drinks) and are $50.

Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St., torpedofactory.org

An

Evening of Irish Music

March 11 | 7 p.m.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early with the Irish Breakfast Band and Whiskey Before Breakfast for an evening of Irish music at The Lyceum. Irish Breakfast Band is a diverse group and most performances feature several fiddles and flutes, a guitar or two, a drummer, a hammered dulcimer, banjo, pipes, and at least one vocalist. The

Whiskey Before Breakfast Band is a new Irish instrumental group based in Northern Virginia formed by younger members of the Irish Breakfast Band. Tickets are $10 if purchased before the concert or $15 at the door. Tickets for children 17 and under are $5. Free snacks; beer and wine available for purchase.

The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., shop. alexandriava.gov

Discovering Alexandria Walking Tour

March 18, April 22 | 10-11:30 a.m.

Alexandria has grown from a small town in the 18th century to a bustling small city in the 21st century. Join Carlyle House Historic Park staff for a walking tour of Alexandria as you explore various architectural styles that adorn the city streets. Reservations are required; tickets are $20.

Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N. Fairfax St., novaparks.com/parks/carlyle-house-historic-park

"This Tide of Wounded": Lee-Fendall as a Civil War Hospital

March 18 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Visit the Lee-Fendall House for a day of living history demonstrations and discover the experiences of staff and patients at Lee-Fendall when it was a Union hospital during the Civil War. The Lee-Fendall House

was the site of the first documented and only successful blood transfusion during the Civil War. Admission is $10 for adults (ages 18 and older) and $5 for students (ages 5-17).

Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden, 614 Oronoco St., www.leefendallhouse.org

National Cherry Blossom Festival

March 20 - April 16

The weather determines the peak bloom for the cherry blossom trees around the Tidal Basin and here in Alexandria, but the National Cherry Blossom Festival lasts for three weeks in the spring and celebrates the beauty of cherry blossom trees and the arrival of spring. Key events include the Pink Tie Party fundraiser, the Opening Ceremony, the Blossom Kite Festival, Petalpalooza and the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. City Experiences by Hornblower offers cherry blossom tours, transportation to DC’s events and more. Also explore options from the National Mall Water Taxi and the Wharf Water Taxi. In addition, stay in Alexandria and enjoy “Cherry Picks” from some of Alexandria’s best restaurants.

DC and Alexandria, visitalexandriava.com and nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

American Roots: Bluegrass in the Green Garden

March 24 | 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

Bluegrass and American Roots music returns to the Secret Garden in a transfixing, elegant program played in sophisticated arrangements for banjo and guitar. Two-time Grammy Award winners, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer are master musicians with a career spanning over 35 years. Their superb harmonies are backed by instrumental virtuosity on the guitar, five-string banjo, ukulele, mandolin, cellobanjo and more. Tickets are $25-$45. The Rectory at Princess Street, 711 Princess St., classicalmovements.com/secretgardenconcerts

Ides of Bark Dog Festival

March 26 | 1-4 p.m.

Join Mount Vernon District Supervisor, Dan Storck and the Fairfax County Park Authority at the ultimate event for you and your four-footed friend. This annual festival will feature games, prizes, food, fun, vendors and health assessments plus

PHOTO BY ANDREW WHITE

Easter Egg Hunt

April 1, 8 & 9

Find Easter eggs hidden in the Lee-Fendall garden during their popular annual egg hunt. Sign up for a timed session. Bring your own basket. Find out more including times and tickets at the Lee-Fendall website.

Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden, 614 Oronoco St., leefendallhouse.org

demonstrations by the Fairfax County Police K-9 Unit. Admission is free.

Grist Mill Park, 4710 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., fairfaxcounty.gov/mountvernon

A Cheery Cherry Jubilee

March 27-April 23

It is springtime in the Washington, D.C. area and cherry blossoms are being celebrated. Scope Gallery artists commemorate with objects both cherry and cheery. Bowls feature cherry blossoms, and work with a color scheme of cherry red, pink or white. Serving pieces hold a slice of (or whole) cherry pie and a colander can rinse your cherries.

Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St., torpedofactory.org

Vocal Polyphony - Thomaskantors and the German Motet

April 1 | 7 p.m.

Johann Hermann Schein’s motet series “Fontana d’Israel” is among the most important of the 17th century, with music exquisitely crafted to its biblical text. Performed by Washington Bach Consort’s superb vocalists, this will be a concert to remember. Dana T. Marsh will conduct. Tickets are $40 for adults and $10 for children ages 18 and younger

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 228 S. Pitt St., bachconsort.org

Del Ray Dog Fest 2023 & Yappy Hour

April 2 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Join the Del Ray Business Association Sunday, April 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for

the first-ever Del Ray Dog Fest, an outdoor springtime festival celebrating dogs, their owners and the Del Ray community. Welcome the warmer weather with this fun outdoor event which will include dogcentered activities, dog menu items, live music, vendors and food. The event is dog friendly and will be held outdoors, rain or shine. Following the event, there will be a “Yappy Hour” for owners and their pets at participating restaurants.

George Washington Middle School parking lot, 1005 Mount Vernon Ave. visitdelray.com/events/del-ray-dog-fest-2023

A Tale of Two Studios Art Exhibit

April 7-29

A Tale of Two Studios showcases inspiring and diverse works by local artists from Del Ray Artisans and Art Enables. Del Ray Artisans develops community-based arts activities, events and exhibits for the benefit of artists and the community. Art Enables is a vocational arts program dedicated to creating opportunities for artists with disabilities to make, market, and earn income from their original and compelling artwork. Both groups are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Join curators and artisans for an opening reception on Friday, April 7 from 7-9 p.m.

Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., delrayartisans.org

American Horticultural Society 2023 Spring Garden Market

April 14, 15 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

AHS’s annual Spring Garden Market is one of River Farm’s largest fundraisers. This much-anticipated outdoor event brings together plant, seed and garden accessory retailers, nature-focused artists and authors, gardening experts, food vendors and fun activities for the whole family to enjoy.

River Farm, 7931 East Boulevard Dr., ahsgardening.org

Exclusive Access

Virginia Historic Garden Week

April 15-22

For one week, visitors will tour inspired private landscapes, public gardens and historic sites across Virginia, enjoying our beautiful state at the peak of spring. In addition, more than 1,000 world-class floral arrangements created by Garden Club of Virginia members will enhance tour properties. This beloved statewide event will include 29 unique tours organized and hosted by 48 member clubs — from the foothills of the Shenandoah Valley all the way to the beaches of the Tidewater. The tour of Old Town Alexandria is set for April 15. The walking tour includes private homes and secluded gardens nestled along the tree-lined streets of the Historic District. In addition, the tour ticket allows access to two Garden Club of Virginia restoration projects, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens and Green Spring Gardens, and to other local places of interest

Various locations, vagardenweek.org

Rite of Spring & Grieg Concert –Awaken

April 15 | 7:30 p.m.

James Ross, conductor

Natalia Kazaryan, piano

López-Gavilán: “Mojito con saoco”

Grieg: “Concerto for Piano”

Stravinsky: “Rite of Spring”

Maestro Ross pairs two symphonic music’s most popular works: Grieg’s lyrical, passionate piano concerto with Georgian pianist Natalia Kazaryan, and Stravinsky’s brutal, breathtaking ballet Rite of Spring. Cuban composer Guido López-Gavilán’s spicy musical take on Hemingway’s favorite cocktail will have you ready to party

Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, 4915 E. Campus Dr., alexsym.org

Mary Stuart

April 22-May 13

This highly-charged political drama is about two mighty royals – Mary Stuart and

Queen Elizabeth I – and the power play between them. With inspiring, powerful characters, and a theme grounded in the struggle between religion, womanhood and statesmanship, this play mirrors and explores many of the same issues present today. Tickets go on sale March 22.

The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., thelittletheatre.com

The Parkway Classic

April 23

Run 5k or 10 miles along the Potomac River and through Old Town Alexandria during one of the country’s most scenic running events. The 5k begins and ends at Oronoco Bay Park and the 10-miler starts at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, continues along the George Washington Memorial Parkway and finishes up at Oronoco Bay Park. A virtual option is also available. Kids 12 and under can run the 600-meter Kid’s Dash beginning at 10:30 a.m. Spaces for the Kid’s Dash are limited and should be purchased early. parkwayclassic.com

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

ALX Dog Walk

April 29 | 7 a.m.

Join hundreds of dogs and their humans at the second annual ALX Dog Walk. This community event was started to educate people about the environment and sustainable and plastic-free living. Participants will take a two-mile walk which will begin and end at Oronoco Bay Park along Alexandria’s waterfront. Check-in begins at 7 a.m., the walk kicks off at 8 a.m. and at 10 a.m. there will be a dog contest, a raffle drawing and plenty of fun and treats!

Special guests include Mayor Justin Wilson, NBC Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Chuck Bell and style expert Monte Durham, owner of Salon MONTE in Old Town Alexandria. This is a plastic free/recycled plastic event so bring your own reusable water bottles. Find out more and register on the event website.

Oronoco Bay Park, 100 Madison St., alxdogwalk.com

Historic Garden Tour

April 29 | 10 a.m.

Discover the history of the Lee-Fendall garden from its 18th-century beginnings to the present. Learn how the use and appearance of the garden has changed over time and see recent efforts to restore the garden and create an educational space

April Allegria: Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet

April 30 | 6 p.m.

The stellar musicians of the National Symphony Orchestra perform Mozart’s sublime clarinet quintet, as well as a piece for violin and cello by the up-and-coming composer Carlos Simon, artist in residence at the Kennedy Center. Enjoy a reception

and a meet-and-greet with the artists after the concert.

The Rectory at Princess Street, 711 Princess St., classicalmovements.com/secretgardenconcerts

Old Town Festival of Speed & Style

May 21

Save the date! The streets of Old Town Alexandria will be filled with classic, exotic and rare cars for Alexandria's biggest annual car show. Enjoy music, crafts and foods while strolling through this multiblock festival. Proceeds from the event support local nonprofit organizations. More information will be available in the coming weeks.

Festivalspeedstylealex.com

PHOTO BY FESTIVAL OF SPEED & STYLE

Monte Durham to Headline Alexandria Wedding Showcase

BY MARY ANN BARTON

Planning a wedding? Grab your friends and relatives and plan to attend the 2023 Alexandria Wedding Showcase, presented by Alexandria Living Magazine, set for Sunday, March 5 at Above ALX Community in the heart of Old Town Alexandria.

Additional sponsors include VP Consulting Event Design, a wedding and events company owned by Virginia Perry of Northern Virginia and JJ&T Entertainment. Floral design at the event is by VP Consulting Event Design.

Area wedding experts will be on hand ready to talk all things weddings at the showcase, set from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Above ALX Community, a wedding venue itself, located at 277 S. Washington St.

Style expert Monte Durham, who owns Salon MONTE in Old Town Alexandria, will headline the 2023 Alexandria Wedding Showcase at Above ALX Community.

Start your morning off right with a special VIP champagne brunch with celebrated style expert Monte Durham! The rooftop brunch takes place from 10-11a.m.,

when Durham (star of "Say Yes to the Dress - Atlanta" and owner of Salon MONTE in Alexandria), will meet attendees, discuss wedding trends and answer your questions! The brunch will be catered by Blu Sage Catering.

Who's invited? Brides and grooms, parents and friends — anyone planning a wedding — are welcome to attend the Alexandria Wedding Showcase, which will offer the opportunity to gather ideas and meet with local wedding professionals for everything to make your wedding day sheer perfection.

Ticket-holders will get the chance to talk one-on-one with more than 25 vendors including caterers, florists, photographers and more. Guests will sample wedding cake and appetizers, visit a pop-up Wedding Showcase Lounge, meet wedding planners, explore reception tablescapes and much more.

Tickets for the wedding showcase are $15 per person. VIP tickets, which include brunch with Durham, are $50 per person. Tickets are available through AlexandriaWeddingShowcase.com.

Vendors include:

1799 Prime

Above ALX Community

Ambiana Floral

Blooms by Jenna

Bodyspa by Deblyn

Century 21 Redwood Realty

Chic Weddings

Comparian Insurance

Completely Coordinated

Desserts by Audrey

Finch Photo DC

Kelly Loss Photo

Organic Bronzing Studio

River Farm

Snap Spaces

Steve Johnson Photography

Tang's Bridal

VP Consulting Event Design

Visit Alexandria

Weddings by Lee

Windows Catering

And many more!

Alexandria Living Magazine will be showcasing our vendors and exciting prizes on our website and social media sites so stay tuned! Follow us on Instagram @alexandrialivingmag.

STYLE EXPERT MONTE DURHAM, WHO OWNS SALON MONTE IN OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA, WILL HEADLINE THE 2023 ALEXANDRIA WEDDING SHOWCASE AT ABOVE ALX COMMUNITY. PHOTO BY ALEXANDRIA LIVING MAGAZINE

He Said, She Said

BY MARY ANN BARTON

Is there a wedding in your future? Then surely you will want keepsake photos of the big day. We asked two area photographers — Emily Nicole of Emily Nicole Photography and Steve Johnson of Steve Johnson Photography— to give our readers some tips as well as some ideas about wedding photography trends they’re seeing with their clients.

ALM: What trends are you seeing in wedding photography?

Steve: I still have a lot of couples who ask for or want digitals only for their wedding, and for me, this is a big concern for several reasons, and I work with couples to make sure they have something other than just their digital portraits. Through the years, digital portrait files tend to become lost/misplaced or corrupted, but with albums, prints in folios or wall art, those wedding portraits and moments will be around for generations. Also, as people, we react deeper and more emotionally to a physical portrait versus a digital one. Even for me each morning,

I see my wedding portraits and fall in love with my wife all over again and remember our beautiful wedding day.

Emily: It sounds odd, but candids are really having a moment lately. I get so many inquiries from brides saying they want candid-style photos and what most brides don't realize is that aside from documenting reception toasts and wedding ceremonies, most "candids" are choreographed to look natural by a skilled photographer! I love incorporating movement and natural emotion in wedding portraits because I feel it brings out the true personalities of the bride and groom and the happiness they share. But it's not as "spontaneous" as you might think ;) Lots of strategic posing goes into it to make it flattering and natural!

ALM: What advice or tips would you give a couple for the day of the wedding?

Steve: Take a deep breath and enjoy. It is truly the one day in your life that is all about you, so enjoy it. Also, it is easy to try to plan everything down to the minute…take a breath. Find a time for just you and your partner to take a deep breath, steal some private kisses and moments and take in this amazing moment in your love story.

Emily: So much I could share! The best place to get my wedding day advice is on my blog at https://emnicolephotography.com/category/wedding-tips/ But the NUMBER ONE piece of advice I give all couples: Plan more for your marriage than for your wedding. You're a wife for a lifetime, and a bride for a day. Invest in what matters MOST in life (and usually that investment is free).

ALM: Any advice to the wedding party for posed photos?

Steve: There are several things to know about creating beautiful posed portraits that you will cherish for life. Realize that they do take both time and planning. It is important to work with your photographer to have a plan and time frame that works and does not impact the flow of your wedding day. Work together on your visions, your photographer will often have one…or should, but when you work together, the results can be amazing.

Emily: Bridesmaids, hold bouquets at hipbone level, and point the flowers toward the camera! Groomsmen, EMPTY YOUR POCKETS. All of them. Put your hand in your pocket with your thumb out. All bridal party members — close those gaps. Get uncomfortably close to the person next to you. Pretend you're holding pieces of paper between your bodies.

ALM: Are couples displaying their wedding photos in albums or online?

Steve: The couples I work with are doing both, as well as a number of couples we work with who create beautiful wall art for their homes, from vibrant metals to classic oilfinished portraits. Displaying your wedding story in your home through albums, folios, or wall art is not only a great way to share your love with guests in your home but also with each other every day.

Emily: Digital photos die so fast. You post it once to your Facebook Album or a few 10-image carousels on anniversaries and then they never see the light of day.

I wish more couples would print their photos. It almost cheapens the whole experience when you hide your photos behind a desktop folder. I offer a free album to my clients, and reason being, that I think there is something

PHOTO BY: STEVE JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Two Wedding Photographers Give Their Two Cents on Bridal Trends

PHOTO BY: EMILY NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

so special about printing your photos in physical form. It creates greater value beyond a clump of pixels on a thumb drive. My wedding album is one of my prized possessions. My couples who order albums never regret it.

ALM: What three questions should an engaged couple ask when meeting a wedding photographer?

Steve: I love this question, because so often we do not know what to ask, and many of us are not used to hiring professionals for services such as photography. So I think the three questions I would ask are, can you explain why you photograph weddings, how do you work with wedding clients and what should we expect, and what is the worst experience you had with a wedding and how did you handle it? These are the questions that will help you understand your photographer's heart, what to expect from them, and how they handle stress or adversity in the moment. I know that I look forward to answering these questions for the couples I work with.

Emily: There are a lot of articles out there from wedding photographers about what questions to ask, and I think there's a lot of validity to these lists. But honestly, hiring the perfect photographer for you really comes down to three things. I call it the Three P's: Portfolio, Pricing, Personality. If you can picture yourself in their portfolio and LOVE everything about their style, CHECK! If their pricing fits in your budget and provides the right value for you, CHECK. Lastly, and honestly most importantly, if you love their personality and get along with them easily, CHECK. Photographers spend more time on a wedding day with the bride than the groom does! So liking them as a person should be your top priority.

Be sure to stop by and visit with Steve Johnson Photography and Emily Nicole Photography and our other wedding vendors March 5 at the 2023 Alexandria Wedding Showcase at Above ALX Community. For more information and tickets, visit alexandriaweddingshowcase.com.

PHOTO BY: STEVE JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY: EMILY NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY: STEVE JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY: EMILY NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY: EMILY NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Outfoxing Deadly Mange

By Susannah Moore

One of the great things about living in Alexandria is the abundance of wooded areas and natural habitats, which are also perfect for wildlife and wildlife-watching. Alexandria is home to squirrels, bats, opossums, raccoons, foxes and more.

Fairlington resident Karen Dadey became something of a local celebrity last year when she organized neighbors to trap foxes with mange on their private property to send them to a wildlife rehabber like Nirvana Ridge Wildlife Refuge in Culpepper. Virginia residents who trap sick foxes on private property with the goal of sending them directly to a wildlife rehabber or veterinarian are protected under the Good Samaritan law.

Dadey purchased two traps herself and now she and her group of volunteers have seven. They have also worked with the Animal Welfare League of Arlington to catch foxes. “Fox rescue is truly about mange eradication and protecting our fox population to achieve a healthy ecosystem balance,” said Dadey. Foxes eat small mammals, birds, frogs, fish and insects and berries.

Maybe you’ve seen them in your neighborhood — foxes with patches of their fur missing or no fur at all.

These foxes are likely suffering from sarcoptic mange, a highly transmissible infection caused by microscopic mites that are passed by direct physical contact. Symptoms of the disease are intense

itching, scabbing, crusty or dry skin, and loss of fur and weight. The disease can also cause behavioral changes.

“A mange-stricken fox may be mistaken for a rabid one because of their sickly appearance and seeming lack of fear," according to the Humane Society.

"Mange-afflicted animals try to maintain their body temperature seeking any warm places they can find. Death may arise from a wide variety of causes, including starvation and hypothermia,” reads the Humane Society website.

Foxes can sometimes recover from mange on their own, if there is a low level of infection, but if more severe, they require rehabilitation.

PHOTO OF RED FOX BY MATTHEW LAMBERT, COURTESY OF NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

The mites that cause mange in animals can lead to minor irritation in humans, but the mites cannot survive on the human body. However, domestic pets can contract mange if they come into contact with an infected animal, although common flea and tick medicine help prevent the disease. Mange has also been seen in other wildlife such as black bears. Interestingly, mange primarily affects red foxes and is rarely seen in wild gray foxes.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia, a conservation organization that provides health care to native wildlife, located in Waynesboro, Virginia, says that the number of foxes with mange is on the rise “due to human encroachment and well-meaning citizens providing food/water sources that then spread the disease more rapidly,” said Maliah Carroll, a staff member at the Wildlife Center of Virginia.

Foxes with mange are typically seen in the Alexandria area every year, according to Tony Rankin, COO/Chief of Animal Services for the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, but you may be noticing them more right now because red foxes in Virginia mate from December to February and pups (also known as cubs or kits) are born in late March or early April.

What can you do if you think you see a fox with mange wandering in your neighborhood? First, never try to feed or medicate the sick animal yourself. It is illegal and unsafe to medicate wild animals in Virginia. “[It carries] the risk of over-dosing/under-dosing wildlife, medicating the wrong animal (including dogs/cats), and the safety issue correlated to the interaction with the fox on the animal's part as well as the citizen,” Carroll emphasized.

It is also illegal to trap wild animals on public property or to trap them in order to relocate them somewhere else. Rankin encourages City of Alexandria residents to report sightings of foxes they suspect might have mange.

“When we receive reports, we initially go out to the area where the sighting occurred to try to determine the current health status of the animal,"

Rankin explained. "If we are able to locate and capture, we will do so but oftentimes the fox is still quite mobile and we may

not be able to locate it. In this case, we would ask the reporting party to follow up with any further sightings. If we have confirmed sightings in a general area, we would likely set a trap to try to capture the fox. Once captured, we work closely with local wildlife rehabilitators that are able to treat the condition and then re-release the fox in the area where it was captured.”

Fairfax County does not currently have a county-sponsored program to treat mange in wildlife. Residents are encouraged to contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator to report sick animals, however in cases where an animal is beyond recovery, Animal Control will humanely euthanize the animal.

Keep in mind that due to an ongoing tapeworm infection that the Department of Wildlife Resources is trying to contain and monitor, Fairfax County is one of over a dozen Virginia counties where a fox must be rehabilitated in the county of origin. A list of wildlife rehabilitators in Virginia can be found at dwr.virginia.gov/ wildlife/injured/rehabilitators/ where you can search by county.

Ed Marits is an animal behaviorist who has decades of experience with wildlife and other animals and has worked with animals all over the world. He now resides in the Mount Vernon area and until recently was the director of Second

Chance Animal Rescue of Mount Vernon. He says that foxes are often misunderstood because they are one of the few species that can carry rabies.

While they are predators, they are usually not aggressive unless threatened. "They can have diseases, but this is generally controlled by the ecology. They are hunters of vermin, they do not damage property or flora, and they are part of the overall management of nature," Marits explained.

While he says there has not necessarily been a significant increase in foxes with mange, or to the fox population, mange is still a problem. It can kill a fox in a few months and is a painful death, causing loss of appetite, dehydration, lethargy or uncharacteristic wandering. Foxes with mange are treated using the common antiparasitic, Ivermectin.

"We don’t want to capture the foxes if possible, for contamination reasons. We would like to be able to find a place where it frequents and feed it for about a week. We use all kinds of tricks, like Ivermectin in peanut butter or a hot dog. Treatment is erratic and difficult. Often we can get one dose or maybe two or three over a long period. Success is to see the hair growing back and the behavior changing from lethargic to active," said Marits.

Keeping animals from pain is Marits' first priority and he is happy to share his knowledge of wildlife with anyone who is interested in learning more.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ANIMAL WELFARE LEAGUE OF ALEXANDRIA

STARTING FRESH AT THE TORPEDO FACTORY

BY MARY ANN BARTON

For nearly 50 years, Alexandria artist and community leader Marian Van Landingham has made her way down to the City’s waterfront, where she heads to Studio 321 at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.

“Four days a week, I go down there and paint,” said Van Landingham, 85, who was instrumental in turning the former munitions plant into what it is today. The soaring space filled with art galleries and art studios is a place where the public can stop in to watch an artist create their latest masterpiece, with the Alexandria waterfront as a backdrop.

In 1974, the building was dilapidated, with broken windows and pigeons roosting inside. Van Landingham was president of The Art League. “We were at 315 Cameron St., right across from City Hall and our lease was running out,” she recalled.

“I was looking at every space in town to figure out where we could go,” she said. The editor of one of the local newspapers suggested the Torpedo Factory. At the time, it had fallen into disrepair. “He said, ‘Why not the Torpedo Factory?’ Nobody knows what to do with it.’”

Van Landingham went down to take a look at it. “Gosh what a space! But it was a mess,” she said.

As it was owned by the city, “it would have to be a tourist attraction,” she said. The City Council backed the idea. Then-Mayor Charles “Chuck” Beatley, “was very supportive,” she said.

Van Landingham and other artists gathered that summer, when Alexandria was celebrating its bicentennial, for a celebratory opening near the loading dock of the building. When artists moved in, a jury system was put into place after it was apparent that “some artists weren’t up to snuff,” Van Landingham said. For years, many of the same artists occupied the studios.

A new annual jury system implemented recently, which involves new jurors each year and uses a point system, has “certainly been controversial,” she noted. “Some good people gave up and left. It was a sad time around the Factory this fall.”

Brett John Johnson, director of the Torpedo Factory, said one-third of the building’s artists were re-juried last year. The jury system is based on points, with the majority of those earned by the quality of the artists’ work. Other factors include an artist’s ability to engage with the public and communicate about their art.

The city-owned Torpedo Factory is implementing the city’s vibrancy plan, also known as the Action Plan for Vibrancy and Sustainability at the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Since 2016, the art center has been managed by the City’s Office of the Arts.

Meanwhile a 20-member stakeholder task force, made up of representatives of local groups working with a consultant, has been busy considering ways to help attract more visitors and will offer up strategies for the future. The group committed to at least five meetings with City Manager James Parajon.

The group was surveyed to prioritize actions to improve the vibrancy at the Torpedo Factory. The top suggestions were to enhance the waterfront entry;

“wow factor” intervention, public visible events space and creating a rooftop sculpture park/cafe/coffee shop and gift

shop. Under “not recommended” was a restaurant and modifying the main stairway.

The task force saw how a number of similar art centers from around the country operate, regarding budgets, public-private management, programming and more. (One insight: If the Torpedo Factory wants to offer more programming, more staff will be needed.)

Artists who earn a spot at the Torpedo Factory are required to spend at least 1,456 hours per year at their studio, which breaks down to roughly 28 hours per week. The time commitment is less

PHOTO BY ANDREW WHITE

for those sharing studios. Similar art organizations don’t set as high a bar, according to the consultants working with the task force.

One member of the stakeholder task force noted that some artists at the Torpedo Factory aren’t keeping up their commitments to work in their studios during visiting hours. “That’s one reason vibrancy slips,” he said.

Johnson noted that he does not personally monitor artists’ time at the Torpedo Factory but some sort of electronic system may be considered.

The artists rent the space at 60 percent below its market value (less than $17 per square foot), which is one of the most-subsidized of similar art centers. A task force member noted that raising rents should be considered as well as governing the art center with a board, which could offer more flexibility in terms of fundraising.

Eighty-five percent of the Torpedo Factory’s revenue comes from the rental of the studios; the rest is from outside rentals for things like weddings and

other events and income from the Target Gallery.

The Torpedo Factory further engages the public with ongoing special events, including its “Late Shift” events held until 10 p.m. on the second Friday of every month from April to October. A “flex space” on the third floor, looking out on the waterfront, is available for artist talks, weddings and performances.

“We just started using it,” Johnson said. “We want to do more ticketed events.”

Before the pandemic, the Torpedo Factory saw about a half-million visitors per year. Those numbers plummeted during COVID but the art center is back to seeing nearly half a million annual visitors again.

The Torpedo Factory is also sharing its art with exhibitions at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in the West End. An all-City high school exhibition is expected to be underway and on display this spring through March 10.

In March, the Target Gallery’s 13th annual March 150 open exhibition fundraiser will see more than 100 artists create

In March, the Target Gallery’s 13th annual March 150 open exhibition fundraiser will see more than 100 artists create 10” by 10” works that they then donate. Each work of art will be for sale for $150. Look for cherry blossom-related events coming up in April.

Meanwhile, Johnson and others interested in the future of the art center, await the recommendations of the task force meetings. “Because of that, we’re not making major program decisions until we see the outcomes,” he said.

What everyone agrees on: The Torpedo Factory Art Center is unique, it needs some capital improvements and all are interested in seeing it not only succeed, but thrive.

PHOTO BY ANDREW WHITE

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

The adage that "necessity is the mother of invention" couldn't be more apt when it comes to several Alexandria residents you're about to meet here. They encountered a problem, got creative and not only solved their own challenges but created opportunities for others.

STORIES BY BETH LAWTON

CORE Skills for the Modern World

Alexandria’s Computer CORE helps residents launch new careers and connections.

Most local school students are toting around Chromebooks, but there are thousands of Alexandria residents — often the parents of those very students — who don’t know how to use one themselves.

For those people, their lack of modern digital skills can hold them back from getting promotions, more stable hours or better jobs.

Since booting up in 1999, Alexandria-based Computer CORE has provided technology education to more than 5,000 people from 99 different countries of origin. More than 70 percent of its students are women and 95 percent are people of color.

Success stories abound. One of Computer CORE’s graduates, Aasia Haider, is now the organization’s finance and development associate. Haider had emigrated to the United States with her husband in 2014 from Afghanistan, just after graduating high school. She trained in cosmetology in the United States, but with the birth of her first child, her salon hours were difficult to maintain. The Alexandria Workforce Development Center

recommended Computer CORE to her, and after taking several classes, she interned for the organization. After extending her internship multiple times, the organization hired her.

Community Outreach and Student Success Manager Nagia Kurabi is also a Computer CORE graduate, as is Project Manager Nuria Azam. The organization’s news page includes several other success stories of people who were able to exit their low-paying and unstable jobs thanks to their new skills. Some graduates got promotions in their field, including a preschool teacher who gained the confidence to go for a lead teacher position.

In addition, the addition of new digital skills allow graduates to reconnect with family members from afar, adding to their overall quality of life, according to Executive Director Donna Walker James.

Changing with the Times

James, who grew up in Alexandria and returned after college at the University of Pennsylvania, has worked in several nonprofit and service roles in and around Alexandria. She is Computer CORE’s third executive director and started with the organization in 2019 after a career that included

positions at the Goodwin House Foundation, Senior Services of Alexandria and Volunteer Alexandria, among other organizations.

Since its launch in 1999, Computer CORE has changed as much as technology has in the past two decades. While much of Computer CORE’s original programming was on computer basics, recent years have seen the addition of classes in internet security and privacy, social media and Python coding.

Prior to the pandemic, Computer CORE offered all of its classes in person to local residents. Like many other organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a major pivot. The organization closed — along with much of the rest of Alexandria — on March 13, 2020. It reopened just a month later to significantly higher demand.“Everything is a learning opportunity,” James said — and that was especially true for the staff, volunteers and students who needed to figure out an entirely new way of teaching over Zoom.

The pivot to online learning turned out to be a boon for the organization, which served a record number of students that year. Eliminating the need for its adult stu-dents to find childcare and make its

offerings more accessible. The courses are entirely free to those who need help.

While the pandemic has mostly abated, Computer CORE is sticking to remote learning, recognizing that the ability to handle Zoom calls is itself a skill that an increasing number of people need to have.

“Beyond computer skills, we’re really building confidence,” James said.

To wit, some of the newest classes offered during 10-week terms include English Conversation, Life Skills (which covers building confidence, setting and achieving goals and developing positive beliefs) and Bridges to Success (which teaches online etiquette, digital collaboration and PowerPoint).

The organization also has distributed more than 1,500 refurbished computers to local residents at no cost. (In addition to offices at the co-working space ALX Community, Computer CORE has had a longtime home at Fairlington Presbyterian Church.)

In addition to providing computers and peripherals, Computer CORE volunteers have a technology help desk that operates in eight different languages. The help desk is staffed by current and former Computer CORE students and opened in 2022.

Interested in helping? Computer CORE relies on more than 100 volunteers per year doing everything from teaching to refurbishing computers, staffing the help desk and handling administrative work.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CORE SKILLS

PHOTO COURTESY OF CORE SKILLS

"Beyond computer skills, we’re really building confidence”

Called to Serve on the Streets

MedStreet founder Dr. William Mazzellan takes healthcare to the homeless.

By day, you may find Dr. William Mazzellan at Fairfax Hospital or a local emergency room in a white coat, smelling like soap and latex gloves. As a hospital-based internal medicine specialist, he treats everything from the flu to chronic illnesses.

At night and on his days off, Mazzellan still cares for the sick — but he may do so under a bridge, in an alley or on a concrete stairwell.

Mazzellan is the founder of MedStreet, a nonprofit organization that brings healthcare to those who are homeless in Alexandria.

Unhoused people may face multiple health concerns that people with consistent, safe housing may not worry about as much.

In the summer, people without homes may be outside in 90-plus degree weather, sweating, with very limited access to a shower or the relief of air-conditioning. In the winter, they may be shivering and wet. Year-round, they are likely to sleep poorly.

The environmental issues they face only complicate the treatment of other health concerns such as COVID or the flu, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, addiction and more.

It took more than two years for Dr. Mazzellan to get MedStreet up and running, as he navigated the complexities

of setting up the nonprofit and then figuring out all the various business and health licenses, insurance coverage, mobile pharmacy regulations and more. (He hopes someday to be able to help doctors in other cities set up similar services.)

Mazzellan grew up mostly in the hills of North Carolina. He was exposed to the health care system early, both visiting a local nursing home and dealing with his mother’s illness and death when he was a teenager. He went to college in California, then returned to North Carolina and eventually enrolled in medical school.

Mazzellan said he felt that he was always called to serve. While he was in medical school, he volunteered at the medical clinic that treated those who were uninsured. During his medical residency, he traveled to Third World countries to treat people there. He now practices internal medicine as a hospital-based physician in Northern Virginia.

The Bible quote (Mark 2:17) that stuck with Mazzellan and helped put him on the path to start MedStreet was: “Jesus heard it, he said to them, It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick.”

From Trench Foot to Trust

Recently, Mazzellan encountered his first case of trench foot, also called immersion foot syndrome, which can occur when feet are wet for extended periods of time. (The name came from the doctors treating soldiers in World War I, who

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEDSTREET

were fighting in the trenches and often developed foot problems.) The young man worked as a dishwasher during the day, where his feet often got wet, but because he was unhoused, he did not remove his shoes at night to let them dry out because then he’d get cold (or his shoes could be stolen).

Foot problems are common among people who are homeless due to a combination of being on their feet all day and sometimes only having one pair of ill-fitting shoes. But diabetes or high blood pressure from an unhealthy diet are also common issues.

While Mazzellan can help heal trench foot, distribute medications and encourage people to take advantage of available health and human services, it’s the non-medical issues that are sometimes the hardest to treat.

Two of the biggest issues Mazzellan is working to cure in his patients are loneliness and distrust. Mazzellan said that often, the people he treats just want to be heard, understood and feel a human connection. Many of his patients spend their days hidden under bridges or behind buildings, and often those who pass them on the street avert their eyes or try to avoid them.

“It’s a very lonely existence,” Mazzellan said.

Sometimes, the hardest part of treating people is being able to earn their trust enough for them to tell him their problems and let him help. He said early on that bringing his wife, Brandy, and his children out with him helped his patients see

him as a person, not just a white coat who will judge and scold them for their choices.

Sometimes that means sitting in a park with his wife and child for a while before approaching anyone. Often, once he earns the trust of one person, they tell him about others who also need help.

This was the case with a woman he refers to as "Lady Godiva," who referred him to "Lady Spencer" and "Lady Chatterley" and others in the neighborhood. They were dealing with issues related to addiction, eczema and high blood pressure.

In recent months, Mazzellan has started collecting the stories of some of these patients and posting them on medstreet.org.

There is no shortage of need, Mazzellan said. Help is needed in the form of volunteers who can hit the streets with winter coats, sandwiches, clean socks and companionship to volunteer coordination, supply logistics and much more. To donate or join the MedStreet team, visit medstreet.org.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEDSTREET

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEDSTREET

Pawfect in Every Way

Not many people with a disease that causes significant physical and mental challenges can put “cofounder of a nonprofit organization” on their resume.

Bryan Tuccillo has mitochondrial disease, which affects how the mitochondria in his body turns sugar and oxygen into energy. There are a variety of types of the disease and its effect on each person is different, but it commonly affects

the brain, kidneys, muscles, eyes and other systems.

Diagnosed at age 4, the disease affects Bryan's ability to walk, talk, see and care for himself.

He aged out of the special educational services he was receiving from Fairfax County Public Schools at age 22, around the time his mother, Anne Tuccillo, ended her career at the U.S. Department of Education.

It was difficult for Bryan to find meaningful, consistent employment after aging out of the school system’s educational services.

“We all want to feel needed and have a sense of purpose,” Anne said.

At the encouragement of a friend who gave her the idea of making ginger snap dog treats, Anne started experimenting with dog treat recipes with Bryan in their kitchen at home in Alexandria. Bryan also got a companion animal, a Wheaten Terrier-Poodle mix named Friday.

The result of all that baking and experimenting was the founding of Pawfectly Delicious, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing meaningful opportunities for people like Bryan who are differently-abled.

The vision for the organization was “to be able to help all the young people we met along the

way like Bryan,” Anne said.

Since October 2017, the nonprofit now makes thousands of from-scratch dog treats, sold through multiple outlets in and around Alexandria.

“What started as a need for my own child became something to share with others,” Anne said.

Bryan is now 30 years old and Pawfectly Delicious has a devoted following among dogs and people. The treats smell and taste just like ginger snaps, but with significantly less sugar. They are sold in four-ounce and eight-ounce resealable bags.

Seasonally, the team frosts and decorates special treats. The most popular treats are the “Naughty” and “Nice” treats at the holiday season — two bone-shaped treats decorated with the words in red and green. They also decorate treats for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween and a variety of other holidays.

In addition to treats, volunteers are making paw-print coasters, dog bandanas and other items. All are available through pawfectlydelicious.org. The treats are also available at Made in ALX at 533 Montgomery St. The team, which now includes eight employees and one supervisor, creates the cookies out of the kitchen at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church — and in many ways, Anne sees it as a ministry itself.

Anne also said that people with disabilities are often really great employees. “They take pride in what they do, they show up and they work hard. They’re enthusiastic,” she said.

This year, the Pawfectly Delicious team will be leading the ALX Dog Walk this spring and participating in the dog show judging during the event.

Pawfectly Delicous treats packaged up and ready to be sent our for the "Holly Days" PHOTO COURTESY OF PAWFECTLY DELICIOUS

A Hallway Between Work and Life

Working from home during the coronavirus pandemic was less than ideal for a lot of people. For Shamena Nurse, it led her life in an entirely new direction.

Nurse can laugh about trying to potty train her two little girls while on conference calls with her law enforcement team members now, but it wasn’t so funny at the time. (Her son, who is now 17 years old, was more independent.)

Nurse said some of the child-related interruptions while working from home were “at best embarrassing, at worst worthy of HR complaints.”

Unable to find a good solution and the balance she needed, Nurse started to create it.

Cowo & Crèche, a new type of coworking space, is intentionally designed with an office space on one side and a daycare and preschool across the hall. Busy working parents with young children can drop their child off for hours of play and education while getting in some uninterrupted work-time.

“I was ready to be a stay-at-home mom, but I wished there was somewhere I could go where I could have focused work and the kids were also engaged,” she said, noting that she wasn’t interested in leaving her fulfilling career.

Like many start-up business owners, Nurse has kept her day job in law enforcement logistics while

starting up the new coworking space. Her husband works in user experience design and has been her business partner through this development.

Cowo & Crèche will be located on the third floor of the Society for Human Resource Management building at 330 John Carlyle St. in Alexandria, midway between the King Street and Eisenhower Avenue Metro stations. Parking will be available.

The coworking space, which will launch this spring, will be designed to facilitate organic connections between adult members. It will offer similar amenities that other coworking spaces offer, from open seating areas to private offices, coffee, cold brew, a kitchen, printing, high-speed internet and more. In addition, Cowo & Crèche will have a lactation room and easy access to the adjacent educational facility.

The “Crèche” side (a word the British use for a nursery) will be an 800-square-foot multi-use space with learning zones. The curriculum for children up to age 5 will come from Experience Learning (formerly known as Mother Goose), which flows into Virginia’s Standards of Learning. Children will learn through sensory play and hands-on experiences under the supervision of three licensed adult caretakers. The building itself is secure and the educational center will be facing the reception desk for easy monitoring.

Nurse’s daughters, who are now 4 and 5 years old, are helping design the educational space.

There will be separate billing for members for the workspace and daycare — something potential members have requested for tax purposes.

However, the billing separation also seems symbolic. One thing Nurse hopes to get from her new space is a return to some work-life balance.

“It doesn’t matter the square footage of your house. I just didn’t like that everything was bleeding into each other. I need my house back, and I need work to be work,” Nurse said.

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MOVE-IN SPECIAL

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The Decorating Conversation

I’m just back from the High Point furniture market where I saw more in the way of innovation than I have experienced in years. And what made it especially interesting was that so much of the innovation the world’s leading suppliers were displaying is based on variations on the classics.

Think: skirts on chairs and sofas; throwback curves in design lines; slipper chairs; upholstered headboards; printed lampshades; privacy screens and all of it (and much more) incorporating detail, detail, detail. Now imagine all that using sheepskin and suede and velvet in shades of white and teal and mustard . . . you get the picture.

This isn’t to say that everything in the showrooms was a decades-long look back. Far from it. There were all sorts of forward-looking designs, materials and technology-driven and technologyenabled hard treatments and soft treatments. But the overarching theme

to my eye was a fond look back to eras where high style blended with function and comfort.

My impression, too, was that all of it pointed to a “built to last” ethos. With the design side of the furniture market having returned to its former vibrancy and issues affecting the multiple supply chains involved in interior design easing ever so slightly, the “let’s just buy a new sofa every three years” mentality that drove so much consumer spending is fading. In its place a “let’s invest” rather than a “we have a need, let’s just get something” approach

is once again driving the decisions being made by so many of my customers.

That I’ll have so much that’s both new and familiar to incorporate into my clients’ individual visions for their spaces is one of the joys of this business. That there remains so much that’s unsettled in the process of taking a project from conception, through selection and sourcing, to completed deliveries and installations remains a challenge, but managing those challenges is a huge part of what sets my practice apart.

I’m keeping this installment brief so that you can see a small sample of what the team and I saw in High Point but be assured I’ll have more insights to share with you next month. But for now, let your eyes linger over what the next interior design wave is bringing and let your mind wander as to how pieces like these might just have a spot in your home.

Decorating Alexandria for more than25 years We

Please feel free to continue the conversation with me at janetbertin@ decoratingden.com. See you next time . . .

your home

To start your next interior design project contact Janet Bertin at 703-299-0633 or janetbertin.decoratingden.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JANET BRETIN

PHOTO COURTESY OF JANET BERTIN

Annual

April 14 and 15 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Plant,

ENTRY FEE Walk-ups: $5 per individual Parking: $20 per car, including all passengers

PURCHASE TICKETS AT www.ahsgardening.org

Marketplace and 15 p.m. individual passengers www.ahsgardening.org

Unique items handcrafted by local artisans

Classes and workshops

Parties and events

YOU'VE GOT SPAM

By Beth Lawton

The first email — and hint that something was seriously wrong — rolled into my email inbox at Alexandria Living Magazine at 8:49 a.m. on a Monday in January.

The email’s subject line was Re: Electric Companies HAT This Efficient Heater.

The person who sent that 8:49 a.m. email, named Teresa, had hit the ‘reply’ button on an email advertising an ultra-efficient space heater — one that electric companies supposedly HAT. (We’ll assume the sender meant “hate.”) Teresa asked us to unsubscribe her from our email list.

The problem: Teresa had never been on our email list. We had no idea who Teresa was, and we certainly had not sent anyone an email advertising a space heater.

Then, a similar email came in from a person named Manuel. Then Luis, Ida, Victor, Mike, Terry, James, Juanita. All of them had that same subject line and essentially said the same thing:

“Stop!”

“UNSUBSCRIBE!”

“**** you!”

We responded to each email individually, stating that we had not sent the offending email and we were looking into the matter.

What happened?

Anyone who has had an email address for more than a day has probably received unwanted emails, commonly referred to as “spam.”

Companies that operate according to the law only send emails to people who have opted (sometimes inadvertently) to receive those emails. Sometimes, companies buy emails from other companies in the hopes of increasing sales simply by increasing the volume of emails they send out — similar to how businesses buy mailing addresses to send out advertisements. This is also legal as long as the company abides by certain requirements, like promptly honoring unsubscribe requests and being honest about their identity.

But, sometimes, companies “spoof” emails, making it appear as though the emails have come from a trusted, reliable business. That’s what happened to us.

“Calling it electronic mail is not a coincidence,” said Dan Ross, an engineer at Envision Consulting, a local company that provides proactive and managed IT services across a variety of sectors. “The way it typically works is that you have a virtual envelope that contains your email, and there’s a 'to' field and a 'from' field. So, you just change the 'from' email and drop it in the mailbox.” It’s almost as easy as sending a fraudulent letter through the U.S. Postal Service. There was next to nothing we could have done to prevent this.

What shocked Ross was how brazen the heater company was in doing this. Normally, companies make concerted efforts to hide their digital tracks when sending out emails that seem to violate federal laws. In this case, Ross said, “It was like stealing your neighbor’s car and then parking it in your driveway.”

Within minutes of the unsubscribe request from Teresa, we logged into our email campaign system, looking for any evidence that someone had sent the email directly from our account. There was none. We changed our password, anyway. We also changed our email account passwords for safety.

‘Cease and desist’

Because we were able to identify the heater company that sent the email, we had options to possibly prevent this type of thing from happening again.

The link in the heater advertisement email led to a webpage offering 50 percent off the space heater. The bottom of the email showed a company address at a warehouse in Jackson, New Jersey. Further research showed the company also had a business address in nearby Union City.

We found the heater’s trademark is owned by a company that sells a variety of “cutting-edge products.” That company is based in California; it has almost universally bad reviews from customers and a failing grade from the California Better Business Bureau.

We called the company’s toll-free number. The customer-support person was unable to connect us to their legal department and said the company does not send emails.

Our next move was to send a “cease and desist” message to the email listed on the heater company’s website. We sent the same message through the “contact us” form on the website. For good measure, we threatened legal action should they fail to respond.

To their credit, we got a response from the company within an hour assuring us that our message was forwarded “to the relevant department.” (We never heard from that department.)

Meanwhile, the requests to unsubscribe and demands that we stop sending emails continued to flow into our inbox.

Reporting to the FTC

Still frustrated, we went to the Federal Trade Commission website to file a complaint there. The FTC is the federal government agency with the mission of “protecting consumers and competition by preventing anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices through law enforcement, advocacy, and education without unduly burdening legitimate business activity.”

The complaint form was easy enough to submit and took less than five minutes, but the message we got after submitting the form was a letdown. The FTC does not investigate and resolve individual complaints like ours, but rather uses the complaints to look for patterns that can lead them to uncover illegal activity.

It seemed that our complaint would only matter if a lot of other business owners made a similar complaint against the same company. To put that in perspective, the FTC reported it received more than 2.8 million consumer complaints in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available. More than 700,000 of those complaints were for “imposter scams.”

Ross suggested that the company may have made the gamble that the FTC wouldn’t bother to take any enforcement action against them. Further, many businesses probably wouldn’t have thought to report them or known how to do so.

About that ‘unsubscribe’ button…

We have no idea how many people in Alexandria or Northern Virginia received the email from the heater manufacturer, and there was no way for us to find out. Our internal email tracking system revealed that Teresa and Manuel were in Nebraska, Luis was in Pennsylvania and James was in California.

We confirmed that the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the email did not work.

Even if the unsubscribe link did work, clicking it can come with risks, according to computer security firm McAfee.

“While attempting to reduce the load in your inbox, you might actually increase the amount of spam you receive, and in the worst case you could be infecting your system with malware by clicking that link,” according to McAfee.

A legitimate company sending emails will honor unsubscribe requests. Doing so is required by federal

law. Unfortunately, if the company is unethical, clicking the unsubscribe link will prove to them that your email address is valid and active, and the company can sell your email address to other companies at a higher price. (Replying to the email with a request to unsubscribe can have the same effect.)

Worse, clicking the unsubscribe link could lead to a website that puts a virus on your computer or phone.

Instead, security experts recommend doing one of two things: Ignore the email entirely (don’t even open it!), or block that email address from sending you messages and then delete the email.

Either way, it’s important for consumers to use an email service provider that has a strong spam filter attached.

“The way spam filters work is that they look at the ‘to’ and the ‘from’ field and they try to match the sender’s Internet Protocol (IP) address to the domain,” Ross said, to verify the legitimacy of the email.

“The problem spam filters run into is that there are legitimate reasons for spoofing. SurveyMonkey or Constant Contact — any of those mass-emailing services — they’re spoofing your domain to send mail on your behalf. The challenge is authenticating that a company is really sending this on your behalf,” he said.

Some businesses invest in stronger, customizable spam filters for their employees’ corporate email addresses, but those can be expensive and they are typically available as enterprise solutions, not for individuals.

“From a consumer point of view, you are a little bit at the mercy of the email platform you are using,” Ross said.

How can you tell if It’s a legitimate email?

Unfortunately, sometimes legitimate emails get trapped by spam filters and some spam emails get through the filter.

In our case, the email was from a real company

Why is it called ‘SPAM’?

Why is unwanted digital marketing called “spam”?

You can thank Monty Python.

The comedy troupe in 1970 released a sketch about a restaurant where every single menu option included the canned meat Spam, which the diner did not want to eat.

The first documented email spam was sent out to the users of ARPANET in 1978, about 25 years before Congress passed the CAN-SPAM Act. In that context, SPAM is part of a much longer acronym: the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003. Each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $46,517, according to the FTC.

selling a real product, but it could have been a scam to get customers to send money for a product that would never arrive.

There are a few ways to tell a real email from one that’s nefarious.

• Check for typos or sentences that seem like they were very poorly translated.

• Look to see if the ‘from’ name seems to match the email address the message comes from. (In our case, the ‘from’ name was the heater company but the email address had alexandrialivingmagazine.com at the end.)

• Be very careful with emails that ask for personal or company information — particularly financial information. If you receive an email asking for financial information at work, check with your human resources department before replying to the email.

Plus, ask yourself the following questions:

• Have you heard of this company before (outside of emails from them)?

• Does the company seem to have a real address? (Do not click on a link in the email, but you can open your web browser and do a search for the company to look for red flags.)

• Does the email pass the “sniff test”? If it seems like an offer that’s too good to be true, like a miracle cure or an easy way to make money fast, don’t fall for it.

A First Timer's View of Alexandria

Earlier this year, I took a weekend trip to Alexandria. It was my first time visiting the city and I was very excited to explore and take some photos.

I had already been in discussion with Alexandria Living to do this story. So, like any photographer, I set out to take some pictures from my perspective and how I viewed the city.

I woke up bright and early on my first morning and ventured out down King Street and walked toward the Potomac.

I grew up on the shores of Lake Erie, so I was thrilled to be back near a body of water. Being near the water brings back a feeling of familiarity and gave me a sense of nostalgia that reminded me of home.

As I was standing on the dock drinking a coffee and thinking about how I wanted to write this story and capture these photos, that feeling of home made me think about how I never really appreciated the beauty of where I grew up until after I moved away.

I have found over the years that when you live somewhere or visit somewhere regularly you begin to lose that special feeling that it once evoked within yourself.

Story and Photos By Andrew White

The quaint brick sidewalks lose their luster. Walking on the dock at sunrise just becomes another Monday morning. The happy feelings from getting ice cream cones from the little shop up the street when you were a kid eventually melt away. And then it hit me.

I wanted to capture photos that would spark emotion in the locals and remind them of how lovely Alexandria is.

So, the following photos capture how I saw Alexandria for the first time, and I hope they help bring you back to your first time seeing all of these beautiful things.

As the flowers nothing getaway away from Alexandria options. renovations, coming

Spring Road Trip!

What's New in Travel Near Alexandria

BY MARY ANN BARTON

As the weather warms up, and trees and flowers come to life across Virginia, there’s nothing better than planning a little getaway — a day trip or long weekend away from the regular grind. Luckily, Alexandria is close to loads of great travel options. Here’s a sampling of openings, renovations, annual events and more coming up in 2023 near Alexandria.

• Splish, Splash

Soak up the good times at the Omni Homestead Resort's iconic Warm Springs Pools, an integral part of Bath County and Virginia history. The pools reopened in December 2022 following a 14-month, $4 million rehabilitation. Fed by four natural warm springs, rich in mineral content, the 19th-century bathhouses have been sought by travelers for centuries. The stone basin of the Gentlemen’s

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIDES INN

PHOTO COURTESY OF OMNI HOMESTEAD RESORT

Bathhouse was constructed in 1761, making it the oldest spa structure in the country. There is a family soaking time from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Ladies' Bathhouse. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent.Also look for the completion of a $120 million renovation of Omni Homestead Resort, which first opened its doors in 1766. Distance from Alexandria: 160 miles or 2 hours, 30 minutes

• Saddle Up at the Marriott Ranch It’s not the Dutton Ranch, but it'll do! Located 50 miles west of Alexandria, the Marriott Ranch offers a variety of horse-related activities including a 90-minute trail ride on the 4,200-acre cattle ranch. Dinner rides are offered occasionally throughout the year, including April 1, for up to 10 riders. These rides include dinner on the grill, a bonfire, live music and horses in a corral at the ranch's “Western Town.” Guests enjoy a trail ride from the trail barn to Western Town, where they dismount and enjoy dinner, dessert by the fire, storytelling and then mount up and ride back to the trail barn as the sun is setting. Open to adult beginner riders, this is an all-walk trail ride and is popular for couples and friends looking for a memorable experience. Payment for the Trail Ride portion is $75 per person, which will be used as a guarantee for a spot. The remaining $75 can be paid via check when you arrive.There are loads of other riding options as well including for children ages 10 and older. Distance from Alexandria: 66.5 miles or 1 hour and 12 minutes

• Fried Chicken and Cornbread: OK, so maybe your official reason for driving to Washington, Va. is for the fabulous scenery and hiking. But if you time your visit just right, you'll be able to stop in at Patty O's Cafe & Bakery, the country cousin (and more affordable option) of the award-winning Inn at Little Washington. On Tuesday nights, you can order the fried chicken served in a wicker hamper with "Grandma's cornbread." Worried about calories?

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATTY O'S CAFE & BAKERY

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARRIOTTRANCH.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARRIOTTRANCH.COM

Take advantage of all the hiking to be found, like the Mount Marshall Trailhead or Keyser Run Trailhead. Distance from Alexandria: 73.2 miles or 1 hour, 24 minutes

• Fire Station Hotel Opens in Roanoke: Built in 1907 as a fire station, the new Fire Station One Boutique Hotel in downtown Roanoke opened in February. The seven-room hotel, housed in a 20th-century fire station, is furnished by TXTUR, a locally based furniture manufacturer specializing in sustainability. Stock, a Nordic-inspired restaurant and bar is located in the Fire Station Hotel. Be sure to visit the hiking trails at 568-acre Mill Mountain Park, home to the famous Roanoke Star, the world's second-largest illuminated star. Distance from Alexandria: 243.6 miles or 3 hours, 45 minutes

• On the Water in Irvington: Tides Inn is a great spring break and summer destination for families, friends or couples. There are a bunch of interactive and educational activities that go on during these months, like hands-on art workshops in the Maker Space, culinary classes in the Chef’s Kitchen, boating excursions, water sports, hiking and biking trails, tennis and pickleball, and an 18-hole Golden Eagle Golf Course. The resort also boasts its most iconic activity in the warmer months — the Chesapeake Gold oyster excursion, guided by the property’s ecologist. Guests can shuck oysters like a pro and cook them while learning how oysters are a keystone species of the Chesapeake. Additionally, the resort offers The Spa at the Tides Inn and a pet-friendly environment. Distance from Alexandria: 119.5 miles or 2 hours, 29 minutes

• Hope Flower Farm and Winery, Waterford, Love flowers and the great outdoors? Situated on 25 lush acres, Hope Flower Farm & Winery in Waterford will be open on May 20 and 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for guests to come and enjoy fields of peonies and live music. Peony stems are available for purchase and you can cut your own in the

• field. The farm welcomes guests to pack a picnic or enjoy food from local vendors. Visitors can try the “Jack Cat Hard Cider” and spring-inspired wines. There will be activities for everyone, such as a farm walking tour and a scavenger hunt for the kids. Check the farm's website for more activities coming up. 40905 Stumptown Road, Waterford, Va. Distance from Alexandria: 54.7 miles or 1 hour

• Theme Park Fun: Thrill seekers, take note. Busch Gardens Williamsburg will debut “DarKoaster” this spring. Billed as North America’s First All-Indoor Straddle Coaster, riders will travel on snowmobiles across 2,454 feet of track and race through total darkness while changing course to avoid the elements. As the weather strikes, riders encounter four accelerating launches on this family-friendly dark ride experience. Distance from Alexandria: 110 miles or 2 hoursAfter an active day outdoors, you’ll work up an appetite. There is plenty of great dining in the area. We’ve put together a sampling of some of the top-rated eateries in the area to try.

• The Coves Amphitheater at Smith Mountain Lake: A lake vacation might be just the thing this spring or summer. In addition to terrific scenery, Smith Mountain Lake now offers live outdoor concerts. Located on the edge of Smith Mountain Lake, The Coves Amphitheater was designed and built to provide a one-of-a-kind music venue for world-class talent. From Grammy-award winners to local talent, The Coves Amphitheater showcases best-in-class entertainment with a view like none other. Distance from Alexandria: 259 miles or 4 hours.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROANOKE STAR

PHOTO COURTESY OFPEONY DAYS WATERFORD

Veteran-Owned Glamping Business Reconnects People with Nature and Each Other

By: Susannah Moore

Glamping isn’t your parents’ version of camping. Instead of small tents, sleeping bags on the cold ground and the light of a campfire, think spacious structures, rugs, comfortable mattresses, pillows and string lights.

This luxurious style of camping has blown up in recent years. It enables people to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors with less of the usual accompanying discomforts.

John and Tameika Roames would know. John spent 20 years serving in the Army, and Tameika has served 14 years and is still in the Army reserves. After years of being forced to sleep outside on the hard ground thanks to their jobs, the discovery of glamping was a dream come true. It allowed them to enjoy the outdoors while also enjoying the comforts of home.

When they were surviving the pandemic in a small apartment, the Alexandria-based couple came up with the idea of starting a mobile glamping business, to share the dream with others. Inspired by a Portland, Oregon company with a similar model, they started Evolution Glamping in March. The premise of mobile glamping is that they set up the tent, furnishings and special touches for customers wherever they want whether a campsite, park, winery or backyard within a two hour radius of the DC metro area.

They came up with the name Evolution Glamping, as it represents what they were trying to accomplish with their business. “There’s camping and then there’s permanent [glamping] sites, but this is the evolution of glamping. It’s bringing it to your backyard, it’s bringing it to wherever you are,” said Tameika. “This is the evolution of being outside.”

The words comfort, ease and reconnect drive the business.

“The comfort is not having to sleep on the ground, how do you make camping nice so that people want to do it. Ease is make it easy for people so they don’t have to go set things up, and reconnect not just with nature, which is very important because of Covid, but reconnecting with people now that Covid is over,” John explained.

Customers can pick from a variety of packages based on their specific needs. The base package includes a tent, and a queen, two full or three twin mattresses as well as tables, lanterns, chairs, linens, poufs and outdoor lighting. One of their most popular packages is the sleepover package which is a tent with up to six twin beds, all the

furnishings and a custom theme. This package has been a hit for bachelorette parties and birthday parties.

Evolution Glamping also offers a theater package, picnic package, outdoor package, lounge package and their most recent addition an indoor blanket fort big enough for kids and kids at heart. There is a lot of room for customization and add-ons. “We can only do what people imagine. They think ‘oh we don’t have the space, we can’t do this,’ that’s not always true, we can figure it out,” John said.

The Roameses own and store all the furnishings they provide in a converted garage. Most of the larger pieces are neutral so they can work with a variety of themes and color schemes. Except for a few larger scale events, where they hired some additional help, the couple sets up most of the packages themselves, giving themselves an hour per tent to set up and furnish them.

With winter coming, the demand for outdoor adventures may be less, but the Roameses are already booking for 2023. Word of mouth, social media and targeted marketing have helped the business grow quickly. Additionally, they are currently offering indoor mattress and furnishing rentals, perfect for all the extra friends and family visiting over the holidays.

The Roameses would love to see Evolution Glamping expand and become their main hustle. John is a realtor and Tameika operates two businesses, Nomadico Shop and Black Lady Whiskey, in addition to the Army reserves. “Our plan is to really get into the large scale events while still doing these small backyard type events as well. We don’t want to take that away because we think it’s really important to our customer base, not only that but also getting people back to reconnecting outside,” John explained.

They are also looking into a potential franchise in Dallas, Texas and a permanent glamping site somewhere in the DC region. It’s important to the couple to support small businesses, particularly other veteran and black-owned businesses, whether it’s the company that provides their tents, or caterers and artisans they work with for events. “We realize it’s not easy at all, and we can support each other,” Tameika emphasized.

Find out more and book your glamping adventure www.atevolutionglamping.com and follow along on Instagram @evolutionglamping.

Former Alexandria resident Brittany Butler’s debut novel, “The Syndicate Spy,” is a fictional account inspired by her days working in counterterrorism for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Although she and her family now live in Charleston, S.C., she plans to launch the book with a party at Lost Boy Cider and books will be provided for the event and for sale at Hooray for Books! It’s not a coincidence that Butler is celebrating the publication of her first book in Alexandria. She and her husband were Old Town Alexandria residents for 15 years. The book is inspired by her days at the CIA.

It’s a career she hadn’t expected. But after an internship at the American Embassy in Paris during her junior year in college, where she helped with some passport fraud cases, she was recruited to work for the agency after graduating with a degree in international affairs from Florida State.

“I’m from a small town in Georgia, I never thought in a million years they’d want me,” she said.

Although she was recruited to be a case officer, “I wasn’t really ready to sign up for that first 10 years abroad,” she said. “I wanted a good work-life balance and a family.”

Instead, she became a targeting officer, “identifying jobs [and people] with access to information we needed to support our counterterrorism efforts.”

She worked at the CIA for nine years. “As corny as it sounds, it was a privilege to have that job and be a part of that mission,” she said.

Former CIA Officer Pens Spy Thriller

By Mary Ann Barton

During that time, in between assignments in the Middle East, she got engaged and eventually married. “Whenever I was working in Iraq, that was kind of my first taste of ‘Oh my gosh, I want a relationship, a family, how do I balance that with this work?’ I was able to do it for quite a few years, but it was really taxing on me mentally. You can’t really divorce yourself from the intensity of your work. It’s about knowing your limitations and knowing how much you can handle."

In 2014, she became a stay-at-home mom. "I knew pretty quickly I needed to do something more,” she said. She began volunteering for Women for Afghan Women, as an advocate for women’s rights in the Middle East. A translator there, who moved to the United States, inspired her to write her book. “I felt like enough stories weren’t being told about the pivotal role women have been playing the last few decades,” she said.

In Charleston, she’s also helping the Afghan refugee population in her community. “I’ve gotten involved with Lutheran Services, on a volunteer basis to resettle Afghan refugees.” The group hosts Afghan women dinners, provides rides to and from work, helps find donated furniture and clothes and helps them get jobs.

Now the mother of three, Butler is working on a second book, a continuation of the story from her first effort and hopes to make it a series.

“The spy thriller genre, there are so many men in it, it’s male dominated,” she said. “My agent said ‘Oh my gosh, publishers love the female perspective and changing the narrative, women spies are not these sexual dominatrixes.’ We use our trade craft.”

In 2009, after eight CIA officers were killed in Afghanistan, she began to rethink her career. “I knew two of the officers who died in that attack,” Butler said. “It had a huge impact. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, you know, your work is dangerous. Sometimes it takes that happening close to you.”

Butler will sign copies of her book on March 24 at 7 p.m. at Lost Boy Cider, 317 Hooffs Run Dr., in Alexandria. Check with Hooray for Books and Lost Boy Cider for ticket information.