Del Ray House and Garden Tour Tickets Available Now!
Del Ray's biennial House & Garden Tour is scheduled for Saturday, May 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets will be available to the general public at the Farmers' Market beginning on May 3, or online. Day of the Tour sales will only be at the Farmers' Market. (Please print out your receipt and bring it to the Farmers' Market the morning of the tour to pick up your program(s), which serves as your ticket on the day of the tour.)

MV Big Flea Nets Huge Take
This year's annual flea market benefiting the Mount Vernon Community School PTA raised $18,226, over twice as much as last year, and with over $10,000 on the day of the event alone. Joe LaMountain, chair of the MV Big Flea, said "The funds we raised will be used for after school clubs, field trips, teacher supplies and extracurricular events like Hispanic Heritage Night and the Family Fun Fair." Thank you Joe and all of the volunteers for your hard work to benefit our local school!

Centennial Parade Coming to Del Ray
It's official!!! Mark your calendars. The Del Ray Centennial Hat Parade will be held on Saturday, May 3, in celebration of the "Town of Potomac's" 100th Birthday. The parade starts at 10 am at Cliff and Commonwealth Avenue and proceed North on Commonwealth to the Mt. Vernon Recreation Center fields.

Everyone is invited to participate -- all you have to do is wear a hat from one of the ten decades that the centennial celebrates -- 1908 to 2008. It can be from your grandfather's hall closet, your great grandmother's cedar chest or one you make. And a Del Ray Parade wouldn't be a parade without our pets so as long as they are wearing a hat, they are welcome to join the fun! Hat marchers should gather by 9:45 am on Cliff Street behind the yellow balloons. Other participants will include the Police Honor Guard, Sheriff's Car, Fire Truck, TC Williams Band, Antique Cars from each decade with hopefully a horse & buggy for our first decade, an old fashioned float, lots of elected officials & Del Ray Citizens Association Board Members (past and present) and finally families and neighbors in hats.

Look for an e-mail shortly giving details how you, your neighbors, friends and family can all help make the float that will be starring in the parade. We will be providing the location of our wonderful neighbors, the Beckers, who have donated their garage for the float making and we will give you the hours that you can come down and make a float the old fashioned way – no experience needed. 

We are also reaching out to the community to help identify key members of the community that you would like to see honored for their contributions to making this such a great neighborhood. Besides looking for those that have made contributions, we are also looking for our most senior citizens and our most recently born citizens. If you have any nominations or suggestions, please e-mail Gayle Reuter ASAP . They will be honored and ride in our special cars in the parade.

Immediately following the Parade at the Mt. Vernon Recreation Center, a May Pole will be demonstrated, children can participate in lots of old fashioned games and everyone can enjoy music by the Kate Moran Band. Also be sure and stop by the Spring Outdoor Art Sale hosted by the Del Ray Artisans on that day from 10 am to 4 pm next to the Mt. Vernon Rec fields.

Please spread the word and forward to any other list serves of neighbors and friends. And, if marching in parades is not your thing, don't worry, we need lots of fans to line Commonwealth Avenue to cheer all the "marchers" on. And remember, this only happens once every 100 years so you won't want to miss it!!!!

- - posted April 25, 2008

New Town of Potomac Historic Markers Dedicated
Del Ray's new historic markers were ceremonially dedicated and unveiled at the Farmers' Market on Saturday April 12. Mayor (and Del Ray Citizen) Bill Euille, several members of City Council, and DRCA President Larry Altenburg were on hand as well as several members of the Potomac Centennial Committee and the Office of Historic Alexandria. Images of each of the signs and their locations are available online. Thank you Lee Ness and Lee Perna for all of your work in providing the content for each of the signs.

- - posted April 14, 2008

Del Ray Resident Wins Pulitzer Prize for Journalism
Del Ray's own Brigid Schulte shares in the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting as part of the team of Washington Post journalists who won for breaking-news coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings. The citation reads:  "Awarded to The Washington Post Staff for its exceptional, multi-faceted coverage of the deadly shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, telling the developing story in print and online." Brigid is a writer for the Metro Section of the Post and regularly reports on happenings in Arlington and Alexandria. Excellence in journalism must run in her family as her husband, Tom Bowman with National Public Radio, was nominated for the 1995 Pulitzer for his six-part series "No Such Agency" for the Baltimore Sun.  Congratulations Brigid!

- - posted April 8, 2008

Town of Potomac Centennial Lecture Fills Lyceum
Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Town of Potomac, Leland Ness, local historian and a co-founder of the Town of Potomac Historical Society, presented a lecture to over 150 attendees on the history and origins of Del Ray. Presented at the Lyceum and co-sponsored by the Alexandria Historical Society and the Del Ray Citizens Association, Ness described Del Ray as a one of the earliest commuter suburbs. A small railroad community with a very large and famous horse racing track (St. Asaph's) with savory and unsavory tales alike. Ness regaled the attendees for nearly 90 minutes with history and legend. The lecture was capped off with a special treat from The Dairy Godmother - a unique flavor of sorbet designed exclusively for the event. Thank you Lee for a wonderful night.