DEL RAY FARMERS MARKET SCHEDULE… The Del Ray Farmers Market is now open year round — located at the corner of Mt. Vernon Avenue and Oxford Avenue in Del Ray.  During the winter months the market will be open 9 am to noon each Saturday.

The Del Ray Market farmers that will be there are Smith Meadows meats, eggs, fresh pasta and sauces; Amish cheese, yogurt, bakery goods, eggs and jams and jellies; winter vegetables; fancy nuts; pralines; and bakery goods.

Tom the Cheese Guy actually came the Saturday we had 18 inches of snow — he was not able to get out until Sunday around 5:30!!!!!

The Del Ray Market is producer grown so the fresh vegetables and fruits will be back once that season kicks in.

Any questions, please contact Pat Miller at pmiller1806@comcast.net.

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday Solid Waste Collection Announcements

• Trash and Recyling Collection
• Holiday Tree Recycling Collection
• Household Hazardous Waste/Electronics Collection

More Information:

• Department of Transportation & Environmental Services, Solid Waste Division
• Eco-City Alexandria Initiative

Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday on Monday, January 18, 2010, residents are reminded that their trash and recycling will be picked up one day later during that week only.

*Residents are reminded not to use any plastic bags to set out recyclables.  Plastic bags negatively impact the efficiency and cost effectiveness of recycling.  Consider purchasing a second recycling container or using paper bags instead.  To learn more about purchasing a second recycling container, visit: www.alexandriava.gov/recycling.

Curbside trash and recycling customers have one more opportunity to recycle their holiday tree on Saturday, January 16, 2010.

Residents are reminded to:

• Set the tree at the curb no later than 6 a.m. on Saturday
• Remove all ornaments, tinsel and stands, and
• Do not place trees in plastic bags

The trees are recycled into mulch by chipping.  The mulch is available at the mulch site at no charge to City residents in the spring, on a first come, first served basis.  Mulch is also available for delivery for a small fee.

The Household Hazardous Waste Collection and the Electronics Recycling Drop-off Center will also be closed on Monday, January 18, 2010 for the holiday.

Normal hours of operation are every Monday and Saturday (except holidays) from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 3540 Wheeler Ave (Please note the new location).

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ALEXANDRIA BOARD LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE (ABLE)… Committee Service:  Advancing the Mission Between Board Meetings – All nonprofit governing boards have substantially more work to do than can ever be accomplished at monthly or quarterly meetings.  Many boards try to solve the problem by creating committees to work on issues between meetings.  But even with the best intentions, boards sometimes don’t build their committee structures properly, creating even more work for board and staff.

BoardSource Senior Governance Consultant, David Styers, will walk us through the steps for building a solid committee structure and then leveraging those committees to create a more effective and enjoyable board experience.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Holiday Inn Old Town Alexandria

625 First Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

Breakfast provided.  Street and Garage parking is available.

Registration & networking:  7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.*

Board leadership session:  8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m

ABLE is offering a significant discount for group registration – $100 for 4 members and $25 for each additional member.  Individual registration is $35.  This is a great investment for your nonprofit, especially an opportunity to hear from an expert from BoardSource!  Please pass this along to your board colleagues.

Register online at www.ablealex.org.

Questions?  Please call 703-739-7778 or email info@ablealex.org.

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CORA KELLY PTA… Anyone thinking about ordering flowers for Valentine’s Day, or any other day of the year, for that matter — please order from Conklyn’s Internet order form, and select Cora Kelly School in the bottom right drop down menu on billing page where it says Helping Friends.  The school gets a percentage if you do.   http://www.conklyns.com/

Please save your BoxTops from packages like Bisquik, General Mills cereals, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker and many others.  They are little pink rectangles on the boxeds or bags that just need cutting out.  You can save them up and mail or drop off at Cora Kelly, 3600 Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305.  Tell your friends, tell your families — this is a really easy fundraiser because the Boxtops are on products you already buy.  The Boxtops page here has a picture of what a Boxtop looks like.  http://www.boxtops4education.com/Default.aspx

Please come to our Cora Kelly School Bookfair Community Night on March 17th and shop for great books and gifts.

We may do a restaurant night or pizza night with a local shop, and would like to alert the Warwick Village members in case you are at a loss for dinner ideas and ordering would help both you and us!  We will send an email if and when these nights are scheduled.

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Mount Vernon School Big Flea… Have a box of CDs you no longer need, or a too-small bicycle just taking up space?  We’ll gladly take them off your hands and sell them at our April 24, 2010 sale.

This Saturday, January 16,the Mount Vernon Big Flea will host a “Donation Dropoff” day from 2-4pm at 409 E Alexandria Avenue in Del Ray. Just come by with your items, preferably placed neatly in a box, and we’ll store them until the April sale.

In the last three years the Mount Vernon Big Flea has raised nearly $40,000 through the sale of donated merchandise. By donating your gently used treasures and junque, you can help them fund important educational programs for Alexandria public school students.