Interim ACPS head aims to bridge the gap

24 Pages·2017·8.65 MB·English

Alexandria Times
Vol. 14, No. 29 Alexandria’s only independent hometown newspaper JULY 20, 2017
Interim ACPS head
aims to bridge the gap
Lois Berlin brings 40 and staff. She de- principals this year. I’ll
years of experience to scribes coming back be looking at how to
superintendent post to Alexandria City support them.”
Public Schools, the She inherits a
BY ALEXA EPITROPOULOS district where she school district in the
When Lois Berlin arrives spent 24 years, as midst of a growth
COURTESY IMAGE
in a new school district, she has “coming home.” But spurt. The student
A rendering of the proposed $35 million stadium the Potomac
two questions in mind: First, Berlin said, as she Lois Berlin population stood at Nationals had hoped to build in Prince William County before
what is going well? Next, what takes the reins as about 15,056 when the negotiations fell through.
can be improved on? ACPS interim superintendent, 2016-2017 school year began,
Nationals farm
That was how she ap- she will again emphasize get- a 5.9 percent increase from the
proached her time as superin- ting to know school staff. 2014-2015 school year, when
team weighs move
tendent of Falls Church City “It’s been 13 years. There the student population was
Public Schools, a position she are a lot of new players,” Ber- 14,157. According to an ACPS
held between 2004 and 2011. lin said in a joint press confer- report from 2014, enrollment is from PW County
While at Falls Church, Ber- ence with School Board Chair expected to grow by an addi-
lin said she prioritized getting Ramee Gentry on Monday
to know teachers, principals morning. “We have six new SEE BERLIN | 5 Alexandria one of sev- The P-Nats, a high class
eral potential sites A Carolina League affiliate
of the Washington Nation-
Woman injured in Eisenhower shooting BY EVAN BERKOWITZ
als, originally hailed from
City leaders have mixed
the Port City: they started life
views on the possibility of a
Arrest made in inci- as the Alexandria Dukes in
minor league baseball team’s
dent police attribute 1978. The team later moved to
return to the Port City, with
to “road rage” Prince William County, where
Mayor Allison Silberberg
they’ve been for 30 years. Now,
preaching caution while Vice
the team may move or be sold,
BY EVAN BERKOWITZ Mayor Justin Wilson ex-
the Business Journal reported,
A shooting left one woman pressed excitement at the pros-
after negotiations with county
seriously injured Wednesday pect.
leadership for a new, $35 mil-
morning in what Alexandria The relocation possibility
lion stadium fell through.
Police said appears to be a case was first raised when Wilson
P-Nats owner Art Silber
of road rage. told the Washington Business
told the Alexandria Times
At 7:56 a.m., police re- Journal on July 14 that he’s in-
Monday afternoon that the
sponded to reports of a shoot- terested in bringing the Poto-
ing at the intersection of Eisen- mac Nationals, or P-Nats, back team was “delighted” to hear
hower and Clermont avenues, to the city, should a “feasible” of Wilson’s interest and are
department spokeswoman path forward appear. SEE BASEBALL | 10
Crystal Nosal said.
The victim remains in sta- COURTESY PHOTO
Alexandria police Lt. Matthew Weinert updates media at a
ble condition at Inova Fairfax
Wednesday morning press conference following the shooting. INSIDE
Hospital after being shot in the
neck and back, Alexandria Fire and speak” after the shooting, up in Maryland, where Mary- Who’s selling your block Railroad tracks uncovered
Department Spokesman Rick but Muse declined to confirm land State Police apprehended Young real estate agents A section of a 20th century
Muse Jr. said. such details. him Wednesday afternoon, describe the secrets to their railroad was uncovered on the
The Washington Post re- The suspect fled the scene, success | Page 6 riverfront | Page 8
ported she was “able to walk leaving Alexandria and turning SEE SHOOTING | 3
2 |JULY 20, 2017 ALEXANDRIA TIMES
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WWW.ALEXTIMES.COM JULY 20, 2017 | 3
THE WEEKLY BRIEFING
SHOOTING FROM | 1 reported the car’s passenger
Alexandria’s bond rating reaffirmed window was shot out and
according to police. The sus-
said multiple bullet holes
pect, Ernest Stickell, 58, of
were visible in its wind-
The City of Alexandria an- Mechanicsville, Maryland,
shield.
nounced on July 14 that it has is charged with malicious
A Fairfax County police
once again received top bond wounding and use of a fire-
helicopter assisted Alex-
ratings of AAA and Aaa, respec- arm in commission of a fel-
andria police in the search,
tively, from S&P Global Ratings ony. Police wouldn’t release
Nosal said.
and Moody’s Investor Service. a description of the suspect’s
The scene remained
The reaffirmation comes as the vehicle during the ongoing
closed to traffic late Wednes-
city prepares to issue $100.9 investigation.
day morning and officer
million in general obligation tax A man who was in the
exempt bonds to fund municipal passenger seat of the victim’s presence was expected in the
and school facility capital proj- car at the time of the shoot- area as police investigate,
ects and $4.4 million in general ing was not injured, Nosal she said. The intersection is
obligation taxable bonds to fund said. Muse said the passenger about one block north of Exit
affordable housing. was also transported to Inova 174 off the Capital Beltway.
“The bond rating agencies COURTESY PHOTO Fairfax Hospital after being Alexandria City Public
have once again recognized Al- Alexandria’s financial leadership team traveled to New York City in shaken up by the incident. Schools rerouted one bus
exandria’s proactive manage- June to meet with financial analysts regarding the city’s bond rating. The car, a black Chevro- from the area, ACPS spokes-
ment and sound financial poli- Pictured during their meeting at Moody’s Investor Service are (L-R): let SUV, sustained damage, woman Helen Lloyd said.
Jimmy Sanderson of Davenport and Company, LLC; Mayor Allison Sil-
cies,” Mayor Allison Silberberg Nosal said. She declined to – eberkowitz@
berberg; City Manager Mark Jinks, and Alexandria Economic Develop-
said in a news release. elaborate further, but WJLA alextimes.com
ment Partnership President and CEO Stephanie Landrum.
The city has maintained its
top bond ratings from both agen- sale in 2016 was just 2.12 percent and said its rating includes a sta- Clarification: Multiple additional addresses,
cies since 1992, which enables over a 20-year period. ble outlook, meaning it is likely including 1010 King St., were affected by fire
Alexandria to pay very low inter- In reaffirming the city’s bond to continue on its current trajec- department activity there on July 1, as described
est rates on bonds issued to fund rating, Moody’s praised Alex- tory regarding its management in “Firefighters respond to reports of smoke at
capital projects. The interest rate andria’s “dynamic tax base with and tax base. Old Town storefront” in last week’s Times.
for the city’s most recent bond above average wealth levels…” -Times staff
4 |JULY 20, 2017 ALEXANDRIA TIMES
CRIME
Alexandria accident ends in death of 22-year-old resident
An accident on South Van South Van Dorn Street and was however, worsened and he later investigations section and crash 8. That crash, which occurred
Dorn Street over the weekend involved in a minor crash with died. reconstruction team leading the in Old Town around the 300
ended with the death of an Al- little damage, according to a It’s unclear what caused his effort. Any witnesses or indi- block of South Henry Street,
exandria resident. news release. death at this time, but a news viduals with information about resulted in the death of Jose
The Alexandria Police De- The driver, Zain Siddiqui, release said an autopsy will be the incident are asked to call Wuilver Urbina-Vasquez, a
partment responded to a single a 22-year-old resident of Alex- conducted. Detective Ryan Clinch at 703- 24-year-old resident of Silver
vehicle crash at around 9:41 andria, was conscious when he The investigation into the 746-6673. Spring, Maryland.
p.m. on Saturday. The driv- was transported to the hospital. crash is ongoing, with mem- The incident follows a fatal - aepitropoulos@
er was headed northbound on Siddiqui’s medical condition, bers of the police’s criminal crash in Old Town early July alextimes.com
Alexandria resident sentenced in grisly murder
Reinaldo Mauricio Portillo murder of Jose Luis Perez Fer- compliance with supervised pro- including chop wounds, stab after her release, on the condition
Membreno, a 19-year-old Alex- man. bation for a period of 20 years wounds and incised wounds. of supervised probation. Saenz
andria resident, has been sen- Portillo Membreno will serve following his release and 30 When found, Ferman was al- Castro, who pleaded guilty to
tenced to decades in prison after 60 years in prison, with 30 years years of good behavior, the office most decapitated. first degree murder, has not yet
being convicted in the violent suspended, on the condition of of the commonwealth’s attorney An investigation by the Al- been sentenced.
announced in a news release. exandria Police Department re- Portillo Membreno is being
Once accomplice Leidi sulted in the arrests of Portillo held at the Fairfax County Adult
Granados Gutierrez lured Fer- Membreno, Granados Gutierrez Detention Center and will be
man into Beverley Park, Portillo and Saenz Castro. Granados transferred to the Department of
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Membreno “viciously attacked” Gutierrez has been sentenced to Corrections, where he will serve
him with a third accomplice, Al- commitment with the Depart- out his sentence.
varo Saenz Castro. Ferman had ment of Juvenile Justice and will - aepitropoulos@
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CRIME
BERLIN FROM | 1
Paula Thompson
tional 2,200 students by fiscal
year 2021.
Marshall sentenced in
While the student popu-
lation continues to climb, the
murder of husband school district concurrently
faces a number of constraints,
Paula Thompson Marshall, shot Marshall during the argu- including aging facilities and
the 48-year-old Alexandria res- ment with a .38-caliber revolver limited land that ACPS can use
ident convicted in April of mur- while he was sitting in what was to build new schools.
dering her husband, will face described as his favorite easy “Facilities is a major piece,”
14 years in the penitentiary chair. His body was turned away Berlin said. “I’m going to fo-
with three years of post-release from Thompson Marshall in a cus on the [ACPS] 2020 plan.
supervision, the office of the defensive posture. There are a lot of good process-
commonwealth’s attorney an- The bullet struck Marshall in es, planning in place… My role PHOTO/ALEXA EPITROPOULOS
nounced in a news release. the torso and, as a result, damaged and goal is to keep things go- Alexandria School Board Chair Ramee Gentry, left, sits next to
Marshall was convicted on several internal organs and blood ing, to keep the trains running incoming interim superintendent Lois Berlin at a joint press con-
ference Monday morning.
April 21 of murdering her hus- vessels, which caused his death. on time.”
band, Rolf Marshall, on Oct. 5, Thompson Marshall Berlin said she considers it pick his brain. during her time at ACPS and
2016. called police and told them the her role to continue the work After that, Berlin said her will focus on making sure
The murder, which occurred shooting was accidental, but the begun by outgoing superinten- job will start in earnest: talking things run smoothly until the
on the 1100 block of Duke jury in the case dismissed her dent Alvin Crawley. with school faculty, setting school board names a per-
Street, sent shock waves through defense. In order to make the tran- goals and getting up to speed manent superintendent. The
Old Town last fall. Thompson Thompson Marshall is be- sition as seamless as possible, as quickly as possible. school board is required to
Marshall’s motive was apparent- ing held in the Alexandria Adult she will start her role next “I haven’t hit the ground
make that decision by the end
ly anger from an argument with Detention Center and will be Monday, July 24, to give her yet, but when I do, I’ll be run-
of January.
her husband on the morning of transferred to the Department of time to shadow Crawley before ning,” she said at the press con-
Berlin, however, said she’s
Oct. 5 concerning whether or not Corrections. he assumes a faculty position ference.
flexible when it comes to her
their elderly Akita dog should be - aepitropoulos@ at George Mason University. Berlin said she won’t seek
euthanized. Thompson Marshall alextimes.com Time, she said, she will use to to make significant changes SEE BERLIN | 9
6 |JULY 20, 2017 ALEXANDRIA TIMES
BUSINESS
Young realtors lead Alexandria’s growing real estate market
Two local professionals That’s not an uncommon ex- Old Town, said the She said she par- company’s business, Goodhart
weigh in on changes to perience. The average realtor is environment has ticularly likes work- DuShuttle has also won individ-
the industry 53, according to recent statistics started to change ing with real estate ual accolades, including being
from the National Association over the last decade, novices, whom she named to Realtor Magazine’s
BY ALEXA EPITROPOULOS of Realtors – though that’s on a especially with the can help by men- “30 Under 30” at age 29 in 2014.
When Allison Goodhart Du- downward slope. growing popularity toring and guiding She said the key to that suc-
Shuttle decided to go into real Goodhart DuShuttle, chief of all things HGTV. them through the cess has been proving her know-
estate full-time in 2008, she was operating officer and lead agent That doesn’t, process. how to clients.
often the youngest person in the at the Goodhart Group within however, mean there “I really like “The first few years you
Allison Goodhart
room. McEnearney Associates Inc. in aren’t challenges for working with the have to prove that you have ex-
DuShuttle
younger real estate first-time buyers. perience,” she said. “A lot of
Limited Spaces Still
professionals, particularly those The teaching part of it is fun people think it’s like HGTV…
Available for
in their 20s, when they’re begin- for me, as I tend to be very thor- It’s not just the fluff.”
Fall 2017
ning their careers. ough,” she said. “Seeing them She said over the years she’s
“At 22, I felt like, ‘Who is get the settlement at the end – learned how to navigate rela-
To schedule a tour, please
call 571-451-1006 going to trust me as a realtor?’” that’s the best.” tionships with clients better,
or email admission@ Goodhart DuShuttle said. The sales volume for the particularly clients who are sell-
browneacademy.org
After spending about four Goodhart Group within McEne- ing homes.
PRESCHOOL-GRADE 8
Nurturinga ancda tdheem cioc nefixdceenllceen cteo years on the administrative arney Associates has grown sig- “I’ve learned more about the
THRIVE
5917 TELEGRAPH ROAD ALEXANDRIA, VA 22310 side at McEnearney, she began nificantly in recent years, from nuance of the emotional jour-
703.960.3000 WWW.BROWNEACADEMY.ORG/FINDYOURHOME making sales in her mid-20s as $79.6 million in 2014 to $96 ney,” Goodhart DuShuttle said.
a licensed agent in Virginia and million in 2016. The Goodhart “I’ve learned to find out upfront
D.C. Now, she represents buyers Group’s 2017 sales volume al- about people’s motivations for
and sellers everywhere from hot ready stands at $70 million selling.”
D.C. markets like the Golden just over halfway through the Another Realtor Magazine
Triangle and Shaw to Old Town year, positioning her team to “30 Under 30” honoree, 29-year-
or more suburban markets in easily surpass last year’s total. old Will Wiard of Weichert Re-
Northern Virginia like Ashburn. In addition to building up the altors, knows about the uphill
climb to gain trust as a young
Valley Paving and Masonry
real estate professional.
571-707-9532 Real Estate Watch As managing broker at We-
15% discount ichert’s Alexandria office, he
Driveways ~ Walkways ~ Patios ~ Steps ~ Pavers Weichert Realtors’ Miller, says they are oversees the day-to-day oper-
valleypavingandmasonry.com Alexandria/Old Town making and breaking ations of the company, which
office was recognized for their own records. They has 120 agents. So far, he’s had
exceptional performance have outperformed the notable success in his three
in June, Mark Ackermann, market by 16 percent years in the position, including
president of Weichart for the past year and leading the Alexandria office to
Realtors’ Capital Region, last month doubled have the top sales volume with-
announced. The office led their office production. in Weichert Company in 2016 at
its sales region in resale
Mark Ackermann $281.9 million.
listings for the month.
was named president Despite his success, Wiard
Nicole Canole, sales of Weichert’s Capital said there are a number of indi-
associate with Long and Region, which includes viduals who are surprised that
Foster’s Alexandria/ its Virginia, Maryland and someone so young is in his po-
Kingstowne Centre Sales D.C. offices. Ackermann sition.
Office in Alexandria, was previously led the “I get that all the time. It’s a
named “Rookie of the company’s Virginia sales big thing because historically, in
Year” both for Northern offices as regional vice terms of the national average,
Virginia’s metropolitan president since 2016. the average age in the industry
region and companywide. is about 65,” Wiard said.
The Northern Virginia
Canole had a $9 million Wiard has fought that per-
Association of
sales volume in 2016. ception by being involved in the
Realtors has appointed
industry as much as possible.
Berkshire Hathaway Nisha Thakker as
For instance, he sits on the board
PenFed Realty’s senior director of
of the Northern Virginia Asso-
Alexandria broker, strategic partnerships, a
Maxine McLeod newly created position. ciation of Realtors.
SEE REALTORS | 9
WWW.ALEXTIMES.COM JULY 20, 2017 | 7
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8 |JULY 20, 2017 ALEXANDRIA TIMES
Construction unearths 20th-century rails
Portions extracted,
but most tracks to
stay buried at Wind-
mill Hill Park
BY EVAN BERKOWITZ
Archaeologists with the Of-
fice of Historic Alexandria had
hoped that when city develop-
ers began work on Windmill
Hill Park on the Potomac wa-
terfront, they would find rem-
nants of a 19th-century ship
buried long ago.
GRAPHIC: USGS/OVERLAY BY EVAN BERKOWITZ BASED ON SANBORN FIRE
Instead, when construction
INSURANCE MAPS PROVIDED BY OFFICE OF HISTORIC ALEXANDRIA
workers called to report they
The newly uncovered railroad tracks, which sweep
had unearthed something near through the upper left corner of the Windmill Hill shore-
the 500 block of Union Street, it line project area, are visible starting on a 1941 Sanborn
was a pair of 20th-century rail- COURTESY PHOTO Fire Insurance map, recreated above.
road tracks that could help tell
The crews, Fesler said, “did stance of preserving some in While Breen said there fy was a buried ship,” he said.
the story of Alexandria’s indus-
exactly what they’re supposed place,” she said, while extract- was a post-bellum freight spur A small, prow-shaped pen-
trial past.
to do:” stop work and call in ing those segments that might on the site built before 1877 to insula appears on contem-
“For me, the rail lines were
city archaeologists. be impacted. “We removed a serve a car float that ferried porary maps, and newspaper
sort of an inadvertent find,”
said Garrett Fesler, an archae- Upon further review, Act- section, possibly for future use laden railcars riverward, those accounts led archaeologists to
ologist with OHA. They’d be- ing City Archaeologist Eleanor in historical interpretation.” tracks were gone by 1921 at the believe a derelict 1840s ship
come lodged in tree roots and Breen said the office decided Early community reaction latest. — the “Young Hero” — was
Sometime between 1921 scuttled there and used to create
were revealed as construction that the majority of the buried included excitement at a pos-
and 1941, according to contem- filled land.
crews working on the Windmill rails wouldn’t be disturbed by sible link to Civil War-era rail-
porary maps, a second railroad “We very strongly believe
Hill shoreline project pulled construction. road activity in the area, which
line was built, exiting the Wil- that the ‘Young Hero’ boat was
trees up.” “We determined to take a proved unfounded.
kes Street tunnel then curving buried here, so that was one of
across Union Street and briefly our main concerns when they
grazing the corner of the proj- started this process,” he said.
ect site. It served an industrial Alas, no luck.
site nearby and appeared on The ship may have been dis-
1949 aerial photographs before turbed by marina construction
disappearing by 1964, Breen on the property between 1949
said. and the 1960s, Fesler said, or
“We sort of trace the doc- perhaps the “Young Hero” lies
umentary history of this find,” still deeper, beyond the reach of
Pediatric Associates has served
Breen said, “which is what led the current project, undiscov-
families in Northern Virginia for us to believe that they’re proba- ered by soil surveys and there-
over 60 years. We are excited to bly 20th-century.” fore best left undisturbed.
The tracks’ sweeping shape, “Sort of like doctors, you
announce the opening of our
and the fact that they were know ‘do no harm,’ that’s kind
second office in Potomac Yard,
found at so shallow a depth, of our guiding principle,” Fesler
close to Del Ray, Old Town and suggests the more recent line, explained. “If it doesn’t need to
Arlington neighborhoods. once part of the Southern Rail- be excavated and it’s not going
way, was the one discovered. to be impacted, then just leave
Total healthcare for children, The city had commissioned it in place, let it be where it is.”
from infancy through a detailed report on the site’s That was the fate of most of
history ahead of development, the rails.
adolescence to college age.
as is required, Fesler said, and a The Windmill Hill project
For more information: different intriguing prospective — which aims to create a natu-
703-924-2100 discovery stood first in the ar- rally sloping shoreline in place
chaeologist’s mind. of an unsightly, often smelly
www.pedsalex.com
“The main focal point of
what we were hoping to identi- SEE RAILS | 9
WWW.ALEXTIMES.COM JULY 20, 2017 | 9
BERLIN FROM | 5 particular schools that are facing REALTORS FROM | 6 said he plans to continue working to
academic problems, whether it’s “After you see the track record advance Weichert and the industry.
end date, should an incoming lack of accreditation or dipping I have, age is just a number,” Wiard “I want to…[help] someone who
superintendent need more time test scores, she always looks at said. “At the end of the day, some of might not necessarily understand
before starting. how to help the individual stu- the people in this office are 22, some that real estate can be a career,” Wi-
Most recently, Berlin served dents.
are 80.” ard said. “I want to do that across the
as executive director for the “I always look at each stu-
Wiard started working in the in- board, and support the office and the
Washington Area School Study dent individually and what their
dustry at 15 for his father’s real estate industry as a whole.”
Council, composed of current progress is at the beginning of
company in Northern Virginia. He Will Wiard - [email protected]
and retired superintendents the year and at the end of the
from the D.C. Metro area who year,” Berlin said. “I look at
meet and discuss topics relevant ‘how are we focusing on indi- U R G
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superintendent in Falls Church candidates, but that Berlin’s W I O
M
and what trials she will face as in- breadth of experience and fa-  1
terim superintendent at ACPS, the miliarity with ACPS made her
sheer difference in size is some- stand out.
thing that comes to mind. “We do really feel very for-
While ACPS has more than tunate to have her joining us
15,000 students, FCCPS had as we go through this period of
2,685 at the start of the 2016- searching for a permanent su-
2017 school year – which is perintendent,” Gentry said. “We
roughly equal to the enrollment had a really strong group of can-
at T.C. Williams High School didates applying for the interim
alone, as Berlin pointed out in and we were really excited that
the press conference. we had such a great group, but
“I think the same challenges Dr. Berlin was clearly our best
are still being faced – growth choice.”
and facilities. That is just uni- At the same time, Berlin, de-
versal. Where do you build if spite being retired from the day-
there’s not room to do that? to-day of school administration,
What are the things you do to felt compelled to return to Alex-
accommodate a growing pop- andria to guide the school dis-
ulation?” Berlin said. “How do trict through its transition phase.
you keep achievement on par “When this opportunity
OF WALDORF, MD
and continue to improve?” arose, it was something I want-
As Berlin assumes her lead- ed to do because I had such great Sets the New Standard of healthy living, social interaction,
ership post, she said she will al- years in Alexandria and I have good friends and dedicated staff in a warm inviting atmosphere
ways ask herself “is it good for such a commitment,” Berlin
the children?” and “can we do it said. “It’s good to be back.”
better?” - aepitropoulos@
Berlin said, when it comes to alextimes.com
RAILS FROM | 8 show the different industrial
zones of the city; … to give an
stretch of waterfront bordered echo of what it was in the past.”
by seawall — wouldn’t have The recently discovered rail
disturbed the rails, and they’re lines could have a similar val-
still in place for future archae- ue, to help visitors and residents
ologists to discover. remember the heritage, he said,
The sections removed, now and think about Alexandria’s
in storage, Breen said, may find evolution.
use as interpretive artifacts “It wasn’t always high-
hearkening to the Port City’s priced townhomes,” he said. “It
industrial past. was a working, thriving city.” Call or visit TheCharlestonWaldorf.com | 301-932-7013
In the past, Fesler said, the - eberkowitz@ 45 Saint Patrick’s Drive, Waldorf, Maryland 20603
city has “used railroad lines to alextimes.com
10 |JULY 20, 2017 ALEXANDRIA TIMES
SPORTS
Alexandria boys win national Futsal title
BY EVAN BERKOWITZ
Alexandria’s under-15
boys’ indoor Futsal team took
home its first-ever national ti-
tle in an overtime win in San
Jose, California Sunday night.
The Alexandria Soccer
Association squad bested a
team from Colegio Pearson
of Ensenada, Baja California,
Mexico, winning 6-5 in over-
time, according to a team press
release.
Futsal is a soccer varia-
PHOTO/LIZ BLOUNT
tion played mainly indoors on The U15 Boys Futsal ID, an Alexandria Soccer Association team,
hard courts smaller than soc- were named national champions after winning an overtime game
cer fields, with five players 6-5 against an Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico-based team in
to a side. Teams hailing from San Jose, California.
foreign communities near the
mates and the coaching staff.” in the semifinals to face Pear-
American border are eligible
The Alexandria boys won son, the release said.
2017 Playoffs start on July 23rd! for U.S. Futsal leagues and three games at the national The finalists ended regula-
tournaments, an official from tournament under the direc- tion knotted at 5, but Alexan-
Check the Aces website to the sport’s national governing tion of Hanna, as well as As- dria scored early in overtime
body said, hence the the Mexi- sistant Coach Peja Radivoje- and held on to top the Baja
see the updated can squad’s presence. vic, Manager Drew Dietrich Californian team.
“We knew the competition and Futsal Program Director “This has been an unbe-
post-season schedule! was going to be some of the Chris Arnold, the release said. lievable journey,” Hanna said
best in the country,” Alexan- Alexandria won the North- in a submitted quote. “Words
**Games start @ 7pm** dria Coach Will Hanna said in east Regional Finals in New don’t describe how proud I am
a submitted quote. “I’m proud Jersey in February, then beat of these guys.”
Frank Mann Field of the boys for sticking to the club Futsal Without Borders of - eberkowitz@
plan and trusting their team- Silicon Valley, California, 3-2 alextimes.com
3700 Commonwealth Ave
BASEBALL FROM | 1 Aces fall to Big Train in 15-in-
eager to begin the conversa- nings, slip out of national top-10
tion.
The Alexandria Aces slipped the D.C. Grays on July 15.
“We are aware of our Al-
behind Bethesda Big Train in They split a home double-
exandria heritage,” said Silber,
national rankings July 14 after header with the FCA Herndon
who bought the team in 1990,
a “heartbreaking” 6-5 away loss Braves the next day, losing the
seven years after it relocated.
to their rival in 15 innings the first contest on a walk-off hit
“Nobody could possibly com-
night before, the team said.
by a 4-3 score before rebound-
plain about Alexandria [not]
CollegiateSummerBaseball.
ing to win 10-8 in the nightcap.
having potential for a minor
com had pegged the Aces as
league team.” They then topped the Gaith-
high as No. 4 in the nation be-
Several other Northern ersburg Giants on a walk-off hit
fore the squad slipped to No. 7
Virginia communities have 7-6, at home.
last week, then No. 11 in its lat-
expressed interest, Silber said. They faced the Big Train
est poll.
He declined to name locali- Wednesday in the pair’s final
The Big Train, now one
ties or provide a number of regular season matchup, with re-
game above the Aces in the Rip-
interested parties, instead say- sults not available at press time.
ken League’s South Division,
ing the team had “been very They’ll close out the season
climbed to No. 9 in the rankings.
gratified with the number of The Aces’ performance has with two away games against
responses and certainly the clinched a berth in the Ripken the Baltimore Redbirds and the
quality of those communities League’s playoffs, though, set to Rockville Express on Thursday
that have approached us.” be played between July 23 and 30. and Friday, respectively.
Wilson said his first state-
After the loss at Bethesda, the – eberkowitz@
AlexandriaAces1 Alexandria_Aces Alexandria_Aces
SEE BASEBALL | 17 Aces dropped a 5-1 road game to alextimes.com