Spring Cleaning Checklist

It is that time of year- time for spring cleaning. Here is a helpful link to get you started:

Spring Cleaning Checklist

Alexandria Police to Participate in Regional Street Smart Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Campaign

Beginning Tuesday, March 23, the Alexandria Police Department plans to conduct increased enforcement of pedestrian safety laws at locations Citywide. This enforcement coincides with the beginning of the 2010 Street Smart campaign, an annual public education, awareness and behavioral campaign about pedestrian and bicyclist safety in the Metropolitan Washington region.

Officers from the Department's Motor Unit will focus on King Street Metro, Braddock Road Metro, Eisenhower Avenue Metro and Van Dorn Street Metro during the morning and evening rush hours. Officers will also concentrate on locations of high traffic and numerous crashes, such as Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria, Duke Street, North Van Dorn Street, Eisenhower Avenue and Edsall Road. Officers will be issuing citations to drivers along the Mount Vernon Trail corridor in Old Town to encourage safe bicycling.

The officers will be citing pedestrians for jaywalking and bicyclists for violations of the traffic code. They will also be writing warning and citations to drivers for:
Failure to obey a highway sign by blocking the crosswalk,
Failure to yield right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks,
Making improper turns into crosswalks,
Failure to obey "No Turn on Red" while pedestrians are present,
Speeding and
Running red lights and stop signs.

The 2010 Street Smart safety campaign begins with a formal press conference and kick-off event on Tuesday, March 23, at 11:00 A.M. at the intersection of Sligo Avenue and Chicago Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland. The campaign will run from March 14 through April 14 and will include media campaigns targeted at drivers and pedestrians. It also will features increased enforcement throughout the National Capital Region. The goal of Street Smart is to increase awareness of pedestrian and bicycle safety and reduce the number of injuries and deaths.

Law gives homeowners flag display rights

Law gives homeowners flag display rights

By Rich Griset/Capital News ServiceMonday, March 1, 2010 8:51 AM EST

RICHMOND - A bill prohibiting homeowners' associations from regulating a properly displayed U.S. flag has passed both the House and the Senate and now goes to the governor to be signed into law.House Bill 956, sponsored by Delegate L. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Woodbridge, would give a property owner the right to display a U.S. flag as long as it complies with the federal Flag Code.

"A unit owners' association may, however, establish reasonable restrictions as to the size, place, duration, and manner of placement or display of the flag provided such restrictions are necessary to protect a substantial interest of the unit owners' association," the bill states. A fight over the issue made national headlines in December when retired Army Col. Van T. Barfoot challenged his homeowners' association in Henrico County.Barfoot, a 90-year-old Medal of Honor recipient and veteran of three wars, refused to take down his flag and flagpole after being ordered to do so by his homeowners' association. Barfoot's refusal stirred up support from politicians and citizens, including U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and U.S. Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-Va.Stephen Spiker, a legislative aide to Lingamfelter, said that while citizens like Barfoot would benefit from the bill, Barfoot wasn't the only person the delegate had in mind while drafting the legislation.

"We know it's going to help a lot of people," Spiker said.Interest groups that support the bill include the Community Association Institute, which lobbies on behalf of homeowners' associations.The House voted 99-0 for the HB 956 on Feb. 11. Last week, the Senate followed suit with a 40-0 vote.Spiker said he is confident that Gov. Bob McDonnell will sign the bill into law. "Politically, it's a winner."