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Thursday, May 23, 2013

WOW House for Sale in Greater Alexandria: Man Cave, Media Room and Finished Basement

This home in Belle Haven is on the market for under $2 million.

This home at 2016 Fort Drive is for sale in the Belle Haven community. According to the listing, this six bedroom, five bathroom single family home is 6,100 sq. ft. on a 16,500 sq. ft. lot. List price: $2,095,000. Built in 1935, the renovated colonial home features a "man cave" and media room with 100 digital projection, gas fireplace, attached garage and finished basement. If you have a few million to spare for a new home, you can arrange a private viewing of the property. For more on this home, click here. Check out more real estate news and information in the Greater Alexandria Patch real estate section here.

Emergency? In Fairfax, There's a Text for That

Automatic Wireless Emergency Alerts system, set to launch June 1, can automatically target cell phones in the geographical area of an emergency.

Fairfax County is now part of a new system that automatically sends text messages to area phone users during the most dire of emergencies. In the event of an emergency, the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system will be used to send out messages of 90 characters to mobile phone users in the vicinity of the event. The text alerts will be accompanied by a loud sound similar to the beeping tone of an emergency broadcast on a television, said Sulayman Brown, manager of Fairfax County’s emergency operations center. “Let’s say we have a hazardous material incident in Western Fairfax and we want to let people know to shelter in place,” Brown said. “We can go into it and have it send the alerts to phones in certain zip codes that might be affected…

Blog Roundup: Adorable Rescue Pups, Snack Shacks, and a Golf Fundraiser

Check out this week's new and noteworthy blogs on Patch!

If You’re Headed to a Nationals Game, Check Out these Game Day Tips! Blogger Mark Braibanti offers his game day tips for Nats fans. He covers everything from getting tickets to where to score the best food at Nationals Park. A Teenager Who Doesn’t Want to Drive? Patch blogger and certified Leadership Parenting Coach Sarah Hamaker offers advice to a parent whose 16-year-old son is afraid of driving. Want to blog on Patch? Go to your local Patch site’s homepage and click on “Start a Blog.” For more information, email Patch Community Editor Jessie Biele at Jessie.biele@patch.com. Snack Shack: The Heart of Woodlawn Little League Patch blogger and Woodlawn Little League volunteer Tricia Thompson Jennings talks about how hot dogs, Cokes and …

Memorial Day Weekend Weather in Alexandria and Beyond

The weekend weather forecast: Cooler temperatures across Northern Virginia.

Summer seemed to kick into gear this week across Northern Virginia, with temperatures in the 80s under sunny skies. But the Memorial Day weekend weather forecast in the Alexandria area calls for cooler temperatures. Friday’s forecast has high temperatures in the low or mid-60s with a 30 percent chance of showers, particularly in the afternoon. Saturday and Sunday temperatures will be in the low 70s under sunnier skies—the chance of rain decreases to just 10 percent. Monday should be downright beautiful—sunny with a high temperature of about 75 degrees across the DC metro area. Here’s the weather for some popular destinations this weekend: Virginia Beach – Friday will bring isolated thunderstorms with high temperatures in the low 70s. …

SFDC Hosts Open House at Beacon of Groveton

New apartment community is more than half full. SFDC provides info about other developments along the Route 1 corridor.

Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation (SFDC) and The Beacon of Groveton hosted an open house event from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the new apartment community on Richmond Highway. The open house was free and open to the public and SFDC had a raffle during the event. Food tastings from area restaurants and giveaways were also available. Crystal Freel, residential manager, along with other Beacon representatives gave tours of the community to people who attended. SFDC Executive Director Edythe Frankel Kelleher was also available, providing information about new developments along the Route 1 corridor. Also in attendance to answer questions about development were Taylor Holland, new chief of staff for Supervisor Jeff McKay and Lindsey Doane, …

Memorial Day Concerts, Parades, Wreath-Laying Ceremonies, Rolling Thunder

Memorial Day weekend celebrations Friday through Monday in DC and Northern Virginia.

Memorial Day 2013—the unofficial kick-off for summer—is Monday, May 27, but concerts, fireworks and other events last all of Memorial Day weekend throughout DC and Northern Virginia. Here’s a round-up of what’s happening locally. National Memorial Day Concert in DC The evening of Sunday, May 26, head out to the Capitol’s West Lawn the annual Memorial Day concert. This year, actors Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise are expected along with performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, “The Voice” star Chris Mann, the UK’s Katherine Jenkins and others.  The concert starts at 8 p.m. The lawn opens at 5 p.m. More information on the National Memorial Day Concert is here. National Memorial Day Parade in DC The annual National Memorial Day Parade in…

Zumba Instructor Remembers Growing Up Hungry in Virginia

Rosie Clark's memories drive her to raise money to fight hunger.

About this sponsorship: In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape-Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains. This story originally ran March 29. Local Zumba instructor Rosie Clark doesn't want any child in Prince William County to go hungry. She vividly remembers going hungry as a child growing up in Dale City, and on a recent Sunday, she held a Zumbathon to raise money to fight hunger in the greater DC area.  "Nowadays, I hear families complain about going without name brands or eating out at fancy restuarants," Clark said. "When I was growing up right here in PWC, we went without hot water, electricity and food. I …

Mutts Matter Rescue

Mutts Matter: Little Guy With A Big Personality

Duke is a fun-loving, young miniature pinscher mix who gets along well with everyone and is looking for his new family.

Hey guys, my name is Duke and I’m very pleased to meet you! I’m a charming and energetic one-and-a-half to two year old miniature pinscher mix with loads of personality. I’m the complete package: smart, social, affectionate, and playful, with a little mischief mixed in to keep things interesting. I only weigh about 12 pounds, but I’m no shrinking violet, and can run and play with the best of them. Sadly, my owners surrendered me to a shelter in Maryland, and said they just didn’t want me anymore. I don’t understand it, but I’m better off without those guys anyway. I was pretty scared in the shelter and realize how lucky I am to make it out alive. I’ve settled into home life now, and am so thankful for my second chance and the opportunity …

Memorial Day BBQ? 8 Money-Saving Tricks (Sponsored)

Who’s NOT planning a BBQ this weekend? If the weather holds and you’ve got propane or charcoal, chances are you’re grilling something with your friends and family. Here are Memorial Day recipes and ideas for keeping costs down. Sponsored by Home Depot.

Here at Patch, we like to be thrifty, so we talked to two barbeque experts and uncovered some really good ideas to help you save money on your next outdoor party.  and, share their tips on how to save money on your Memorial Day feast. 1. Start with a marinade. This means planning ahead -- say, Friday. But it’s worth it, says Rick Browne, host of Barbeque America on PBS, because you can pass up that well-marbled ribeye steak and buy a less tender and less expensive choice to grill like a flank steak or chuck steak. Just marinate it or brine for one or two days and then cook long and slow on the barbeque grill to break down tissues but maintain moisture. “You need to include an acid in the marinade --perhaps juice, vinegar or soy sauce -- …

Where's the Cheapest Gas in the Alexandria Area?

Use this gas price locator tool to find the lowest price right now.

by Virginia Patch Staff Gas prices nationwide were predicted to be lower this summer compared to the last three years, but that won't translate into savings at the pump this Memorial Day weekend, experts said. "Motorists this year are facing rising gas prices heading into the Memorial Day holiday," said Michael Green, a AAA spokesman, adding that Memorial Day 2013 would probably be the most expensive since 2011. In past years, prices have declined heading into early summer as oil refineries produced more gasoline to meet expected summer driving demand. This year, though, Midwest refineries haven't been able to produce as much gas, which has pushed prices up. "If you can gas up today to prepare for your Memorial Day driving, do so," said …

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