Living Legends in King Street Gardens Park

In time for the holidays, the Living Legends vein of bricks was installed yesterday in King Street Gardens Park.  Hope you will make time to stop by and see them (maybe if you’re in town for First Night...).

The new vein represents a lot of work and coordination on the part of Rodger Digilio, chair, and Marlin Lord, treasurer,  of the King Street Gardens Park Foundation.  Marlin is pictured at left, above, overseeing the installation. Thank you, Rodger and Marlin.

Photos are by Steven Halperson, Tisara Photography, who came over when called, to get the shots.  Thank you, Steven.

Warmest wishes for a joy-filled holiday,

Meet the 2014 Living Legend of Alexandria Nominees

Reception Canceled
In view of time constraints for proper planning, the Board reluctantly decided not to try to reschedule a separate reception for introducing the 2014 Living Legend nominees. We sincerely regret the circumstances that caused us to reach this decision.

The Legends of 2014 will be announced in early January. All nominees and Legends will be introduced at the Meet The Legends reception at the Patent & Trademark Office on March 20. We hope you will plan to attend.

Meet the 2014 Nominees:

Mike Anderson’s philanthropic contributions to the community date back to the 1980s when his Shooter McGee’s “Alexandria Autumn 10K” raised more than $50,000 for Special Olympics. Today, in an innovative partnership with ACT for Alexandria, Anderson gives back to more than 75 local nonprofits by donating 25 cents for every burger sold at Holy Cow restaurant.

Char McCargo Bah has a passion for African American history and genealogy, most particularly in Alexandria. She had a pivotal role in the publication of African Americans of Alexandria, Virginia – Beacons of Light in the Twentieth Century, which she co-authored with four other volunteers.

Rose Enevoldsen Berler served on the board of directors of the Alexandria Hospital Corporation from 1978-86 continuing her affiliation from 1986-97 with what became the Alexandria Health Services Corporation. The first woman appointed to the Alexandria Redevelopment Housing Authority she served as vice chair from 1974-79 and as chair from 1979-83.

As a result of Glenn Eugster's efforts, Fort Ward Park is a better and more esthetically attractive site. The maintenance and horticulture facilities are gone, more than 60 unmarked graves and numerous cultural artifacts have been identified and a formalized commitment to a park management process is in place.  

One of his many philanthropic activities, Lee Fifer joined the board of the Carpenter’s Shelter in 1994 when it was on the verge of going out of business. His first assignment was to lead a fundraising effort where with the help of many others, he raised $600,000 in six months. He chaired the board for ten years and still serves to this day.

At the same time that he was building his own business, the Snack Bar Restaurant, Charles “Tony” Gee was encouraging other local businesses to get started and to grow. While at his King Street location, he helped organize 84 Alexandria business owners and became the founding president of the Old Town Business Association.

Richard (Rick) Glassco has served as treasurer of ALIVE! (Alexandrians Involved Ecumenically) for 23 years. Since its founding in 1969, ALIVE! has grown from an all-volunteer organization to one with volunteers from 40 faith communities, approximately 14 employees and a 1.3 million dollar budget.

Gila S. Harris’s volunteer work swung into high gear the year she retired in 1994 when the City Council appointed her to the Equal Opportunity Commission, Alexandria's official anti-poverty agency. Harris is the longest serving member having been there 19 years. At the same time she became a significant fundraiser for the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria.

For over thirty years, Ramona K. Hatten has been involved in community service in Alexandria. She was an Alexandria Redevelopment Housing Authority commissioner from 1982 to 1990 and instrumental in the formation of the Alexandria Resident Council (ARC) to assure public housing resident input into ARHA decisions effecting them.

Wayne Hulehan has been active in civic affairs since moving to Alexandria in 1971, receiving the Tommy Thompson Award for lifetime service to Boy Scouts of the National Capital Area. Many of his charitable causes are related to the fight to cure cancer.

A member of the Alexandria Commission for Women from 1997 to 2013, Susan B. Kellom now serves on the board of the Friends of the Alexandria Commission for Women. She served on the Alexandria Youth Policy Commission from 1997 to 2003 and as a member of the Alexandria Human Rights Commission from 1985 to 1997, including two terms as chair.

As Music Director of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra for 25 years, Kim Allen Kluge contributes to the rich cultural fabric of Alexandria through his outstanding artistic leadership and a strong connection to the local community. Passionate about music education, in 2003 he founded the Children’s Arts Festival.

Perhaps best known for her tenure on the Alexandria school board during 2002-03 and 2003-06 (when she became the first minority women to serve as vice chair), Gwendolyn Hubbard Lewis was widely admired for her ability to steer the board through critical educational and personnel issues.

A passionate “boater,” Lorraine Lloyd wanted to showcase Alexandria’s waterfront and seaport history. In 2000 she volunteered to create and organize Alexandria’s first “Parade of Lights” boat parade.Today’s Parade of Lights is one of Alexandria’s holiday hallmarks and has attracted regional and national media.  

Gregory L. (Gregg) Murphy led the merger of Alexandria Hospital into the INOVA Healthcare System. This merger gave Alexandria Hospital the financial stability to fund a new cancer center, a cardiac rehabilitation facility, and an $80 million expansion of the out-patient surgery center and the Emergency Department which now serves nearly double the 50,000 patients it accommodated annually in the 1990s.

Since thirty-two years ago when Gary Oelze opened The Birchmere in Arlandria, it has been at the center of business activity in the area. For the past 11 years Oelze and the Birchmere have hosted the Carpenter Shelter Cook Off.

Frederic “Fred” Parker was ahead of his time when he and his brother, Jim, founded the Hard Times Café in 1980 on upper King Street. It now serves as an anchor for what has become a very vibrant area of Old Town and draws chili lovers nationally and internationally. 

Known best for revitalizing the Del Ray business community with her business partner Scott Mitchell, through the establishment of St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub, Nora Partlow is often thought of as the "Mayor" of Del Ray. Besides making St. Elmo’s a community gathering place, Partlow mentors her young employees and showcases and promotes local artists and musicians.

James S. (Jim) Roberts has been an indefatigable advocate for children’s literacy since 1996 when he joined with other members of Alexandria’s faith-based communities to create the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium. Roberts was instrumental in seeing that children who struggled to master basic reading skills were matched with caring, competent volunteer tutors. He has served as treasurer and president of the board, a position he still holds.

For over 30 years, Tricia Rodgers has been a volunteer with programs that help to improve the lives of Alexandrians. For the past three years, Rodgers has served as co-chair, and now chair, of the Alexandria Childhood Obesity Action Network (A-COAN), a group whose mission is to reduce the number of Alexandria children who are overweight and obese.

James B. (Jim) Singerling’s civic involvement in Alexandria has included serving on the board of the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association and two terms on the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce board. He’s served on the board of First Night Alexandria and held all officers’ chairs on the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra Board where he is now a trustee emeritus.

Jodie Smolik, director of the Winkler Preserve, helped save the 44.5-acre sanctuary and living classroom from destruction.Working around the Thanksgiving holiday Smolik rallied the school community, parents and children, to come out in force against city council’s plan to approve a proposed ramp off I-395 which would have destroyed a third of the preserve.

Shirley N. Tyler worked to bring about what became the Four Mile Run Flood Control Project by the US Army Corp of Engineers. She was appointed to the Alexandria School Board in 1973 and from 1980 to 1982 served as the first African American female chairperson. She was instrumental in creating racial harmony during the redistricting of Alexandria City Public Schools.

Converse (Connie) West successfully completed certification courses offered at the Alexandria Police Academy and now regularly gives eight hours a week. He has logged over 5,200 volunteer hours of service with the Alexandria Police Department, the equivalent of nearly three full-time years.

A veteran of World War II and a 34-year career with the CIA, William (Bill) Willis began volunteering at Carpenter's Shelter in 1981 and continues to do so today at age 90. In 1981, he also began volunteer service with ALIVE!, and served as its president in 1984-85.

Donnan (Donnie) Chancellor Wintermute’s philanthropic achievements have had a major impact on the quality of life in Alexandria. Along with currently serving as vice president of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra board of trustees, she was the 2013 honorary chair for The Historic Alexandria Homes Tour sponsored by Twig, the Junior Auxiliary of Inova Alexandria Hospital. 

 

 

Holiday Concert/Introduction of 2014 Living Legend Nominees

For Immediate Release

December 2, 2013

NOVA-Alexandria music ensembles to play Holiday concert

Living Legends of Alexandria nominees celebrated

What:

Celebrate the holiday season listening to much-beloved favorites such as “Deck the Halls” and “Jingle Bells” at this year’s Holiday Concert on the Alexandria Campus of Northern Virginia Community College.

The musical event will feature the NOVA Community Chorus, the NOVA Alexandria Jazz Ensemble and the Alexandria Band. Other songs to be performed include “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” Selections from Franz Joseph Haydn's “Mass in Time of War” will also be performed and the evening will be capped by an audience sing-along.

Attendees will also be introduced to the 2014 Living Legends of Alexandria nominees during the evening. The initiative is an on-going not-for-profit photo-documentary project to identify, honor, and chronicle the people making current history in Alexandria. The 2014 Legends will be selected later this month and honored early next year at the annual Meet the Legend Reception.

When:

The concert will take place Tuesday, Dec. 10. A reception to greet the Living Legends nominees begins at 6:30 p.m. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

Where:

Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria Campus, Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, 3001 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311

Cost:

The concert is free and open to the public. Free garage parking will also be available. The garage is closed from Campus Drive, but accessible from the Beauregard Street entrance.

Concert Contact:

Lisa C. Eckstein, music instructor and band director at NOVA-Alexandria, 703.845.6252 or leckstein@nvcc.edu 

Media Contact: Jennifer Gonzalez | 703.425.5839 | jgonzalez@nvcc.edu

Northern Virginia Community College is the largest institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia and one of America’s largest community colleges. NOVA enrolls more than 75,000 students at its six campuses in Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Springfield and Woodbridge, and through the Extended Learning Institute. For more information about NOVA and its programs or services, call 703-323-3000 or visit the College’s website, www.nvcc.edu.

 

 

NOVA Winter Concert/Introduction of 2014 Legend Nominees

Come and meet the 2014 Legend nominees at Northern Virginia Community College's Winter Concert in the Schlesinger Center, Tuesday, December 10, 2013.  The reception begins at 6:30 p.m. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. The community is warmly invited to attend the FREE reception and concert. (Info: 703-625-8191).  Note there is a fee for parking.
 

The 2014 nominees are: Mike Anderson, Char McCargo Bah, Rose Berler, J. Glenn Eugster, Lee Fifer, Charles (Tony) Gee, Richard Glassco, Gila S. Harris, Ramona K. Hatten, Wayne Hulehan, Susan B. Kellom, Kim Allen Kluge, Gwendolyn "Gwen" Hubbard Lewis, Lorraine Lloyd, Gregory Murphy,Gary H. Oelze, Fred Parker, Nora Partlow, James S. (Jim) Roberts, Tricia Rodgers, Jim Singerling, Jodie Smolik, Shirley Tyler, Converse "Connie" West, William Willis, and Donnan Chancellor Wintermute.

 

 

The 2014 Legends will be selected in December and honored at the annual Meet the Legend Reception, Thursday, March 20, at Alexandria's

Patent & Trademark Office.

Tax Saving Advice from Renner & Company, CPA, P.C.

Reprinted by permission of Renner & Company, CPA, P.C.

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 extended the qualified charitable distribution provisions for 2013. This allows donors to donate directly from their IRAs to qualified charities. If you have donors who are age 70 ½, they are probably eligible for tax savings by donating to your charity directly from their IRAs.
How To Use This Information for Your Charity
Proactive Charities will want to get this information to their donor base and potential donors as soon as possible. The provision currently expires December 31, 2013, so don’t delay.

• Review the information below and determine if you have contributors or potential contributors who are age 70 ½.
• Educate your donors and potential donors about this tax benefit. Include it in your next appeal letter. Suggest that they consult with their individual tax advisors regarding the tax benefit that may be available to them by making their contributions to your organization directly from their IRAs.
• Encourage your donors and potential donors who wish to do so, to contact their IRA trustees and provide transfer instructions as described below.

The Basics: IRA Required Minimum Distribution
The IRS will not allow taxpayers to maintain retirement funds indefinitely. Once taxpayers reach age 70 ½ they must take required minimum distributions from their IRAs. You may have donors that do not need these distributions, and do not want to increase their tax by taking them. There is no way around taking the distribution, but there is a way to avoid the tax. Taxpayers who donate their distribution directly to a qualified charity may exclude the distribution from their income.
How Donors Benefit from Qualified Charitable Distributions

1. The IRA distribution contributed to charity never hits taxable income. Required minimum distributions usually increase adjusted gross income, affecting taxable income in a number of ways. Higher income increases limits on itemized deductions. Higher income also raises the amount of social security benefits subject to tax. IRA distributions donated directly to charity are excluded from income. This results in a lower adjusted gross income, and possibly lower taxable social security benefits, and lower tax.
2. The charitable donation income limits do not apply. Taxpayers are usually only allowed to deduct up to 50% of their adjusted gross income in charitable contributions. Donors who take taxable IRA distributions and then choose to make charitable contributions have to consider that those contributions are only deductible up to 50% of adjusted gross income. Donors who make their charitable contributions directly from their IRAs exclude the entire contribution from tax.
3. There’s no need to itemize deductions to benefit. Taxpayers can only receive a benefit from charitable contributions if they itemize their deductions on Schedule A of their individual returns. However, an amount donated directly from an IRA can be excluded from adjusted gross income. In this case, if the donor does not have enough deductions to qualify for itemized deductions, they still get a benefit without having to itemize.
4. If an individual has an inherited IRA and they have reached age 70 ½ then they can still take qualified charitable distributions from the inherited IRA.

How Donors Can Maximize Contributions
A donor is allowed to exclude from gross income up to $100,000 for qualified charitable distributions made each year. Spouses may each contribute up to $100,000 for qualified charitable distributions from an IRA. Therefore on a joint tax return there could be a total of $200,000 excluded from adjusted gross income. If donors also contribute additional amounts besides those distributed from their IRA, those additional amounts may be included on Schedule A of the 1040 as charitable contributions. The additional contributions may not exceed 50% of their adjusted gross income without considering the $100,000 allowed for IRA distributions. Therefore, on a joint return an individual may exclude $100,000 for each spouse from their adjusted gross income for IRA distributions and then also contribute to charity up to 50% of their adjusted gross income.
How to Donate
Donors should contact their IRA trustee and have them transfer the money directly to the charity. The trustee can issue a check in the name of the charity and allow the donor to deliver it to the charity. The distribution cannot be made payable to the individual, it must go directly from the IRA trustee to the charity.
Tax Reporting
Donors will receive a Form 1099-R from their IRA trustee for distributions made in 2013. Qualified Charitable Distributions will be included in total distributions but will be excluded from taxable distributions. “QCD” should be listed next to the taxable amount so that the IRS is aware there are amounts that were excluded from tax as a result of a charitable distribution deduction.
Taxpayers will report total IRA distributions on the first page of their individual returns where it says IRA distributions (line 15a for the 2012 tax return) and the taxable portion will be listed on the next line. The taxable portion is the total amount of IRA distributions that were not donated to charity.
The charity should provide a receipt to the donor. The donor must keep this receipt with his or her records to support the contribution.
Summary
If you have donors who are age 70 ½ they may be receiving required minimum distributions from an IRA. If they’re already contributing to your charity, it’s likely that you can save them some tax by suggesting that they make their donations directly from their IRA accounts. Proactive charities will want to get this information to their donor base and potential donors as soon as possible. Your donors will appreciate the information. The provision currently expires December 31, 2013, so don’t delay.
© 2013 Renner and Company, CPA, P.C. All Rights Reserved.

2014 Nominees

The nominations are in...

   The 2014 nominees are:  Mike Anderson, nominated by Bill Reagan; Char McCargo Bah, nominated by Audrey P. Davis; Rose Berler, nominated by Arlene Hewitt; J. Glenn Eugster, nominated by Richard E. Merritt; Lee Fifer, nominated by Joe Shumard; Charles (Tony) Gee, nominated by Joe Shumard; Richard Glassco, nominated by Mike Oliver; Gila S. Harris, nominated by Mel Bergheim; Ramona K. Hatten, nominated by Alice Morgan; Wayne Hulehan, nominated by Donna Walker James; Susan B. Kellom, nominated by Mary S. Lyman; Kim Allen Kluge, nominated by Jessica Wisser; Gwendolyn "Gwen" Hubbard Lewis, nominated by Allison Silberberg; Lorraine Lloyd, nominated by Gayle R. Anderson; Gregory Murphy, nominated by Vola Lawson; Gary H. Oelze, nominated by Charles W. Ballou; Fred Parker, nominated by David Martin; Nora Partlow, nominated by David Martin; James S. (Jim) Roberts, nominated by the Board of Trustees and the Executive Director of the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium; Tricia Rodgers, nominated by Allen Lomax; Jodie Smolik, individual nominations by Carole Augustine, Marjorie Conner, Susan Miranda & Debbie Halla, Carol Mitchell, Clinton Page, Tracy Taylor and Amy Zang; Shirley N. Tyler, individual nominations by Lynnwood Campbell and George Lambert; Converse "Connie" West, nominated by Sherry Wilson Brown; William Willis, nominated by Liz Salter; and Donnan Chancellor Wintermute, nominated by Kathie Truitt.

 

   Acceptance is pending on two additional nominations.

  The nominees will be introduced at Northern Virginia Community College's Winter Concert in the Schlesinger Center, Tuesday, December 10, 2013. There will be an opportunity to meet and congratulate the nominees at a reception beginning at 6:30 p.m. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. The community is warmly invited to attend the free reception and concert.  (Info:  703-625-8191).
  
  The 2014 Legends will be selected later in the month and honored at the annual Meet the Legend Reception, Thursday, March 20, at Alexandria's Patent & Trademark Office.

Nomination Deadline: October 15

Two weeks left to nominate a Legend for 2014!!!

Nominees will be introduced at the Holiday Concert in the Schlesinger Center at Northern Virginia Community College on December 10.

Let us hear from you.  Who do you know whose vision and energy has improved life in Alexandria? There are two categories for your nomination:

   (1) Individuals who have contributed at least one tangible improvement to the quality of the city's life that would likely be missing without this person's vision and energy -- or

   (2) Individuals demonstrating exemplary service to the city over ten years or more, especially service on Boards, Commissions, Committees or Service Organizations that improve the quality of life in Alexandria.

Those currently running for or holding political office are not eligible for consideration. The contributions of City employees must be beyond the responsibilities of their jobs.

See www.AlexandriaLegends.com for a list of past Legends, a nomination form and to nominate on-line.

Here are suggestions to help your nominee have the best possible chance of being selected as a Legend.  Include:

(1)   a single sentence high in the nomination information that says exactly the reason for the nomination.  We want the Selection Committee to be clear about why the person was nominated.

 (2)   contact information for yourself and the nominee.

 (3)   names and contact information of others who can be consulted for additional information if needed.

If you have questions, contact Legends@AlexandriaLegends.com. 

.

StudioPAUSE

Nina Tisara was one of the speakers on the theme of Black and White at StudioPAUSE on Saturday.  Tisara spoke on the importance of Living Legends of Alexandria as a photo-journalism/photo documentary project. 

Asked why the Living Legends photos are in black and white, Tisara explained that it sets them apart from the multitude of images viewed by people daily and has the subliminal message of being historical images.

Audrey Davis, Acting Director of the Alexandria Black History Museum, seated at left, and writer/editor Christa Watters spoke on the recently published book, African Americans of Alexandria, Virginia:  Beacons of Light in the Twentieth Century.  Watters and Davis are among the book's five authors.

 

StudioPAUSE is the new art studio of Sushmita Mazumdar, artist. writer and educator,  where you can see Sush's work, explore art and stories for yourself, and be part of a community that is creative, diverse, and fun.

Sush leads Family Legend workshops for Living Legends where participants select a Legend in their family and write their stories in a one-of-a-kind book they can take home.

 

 

Pictured here is Dulce Carrillo, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist for Arlington County. Sush and Dulce met when Dulce was coordinating the Tell Arlington Story project for Arlington County. Sush volunteered to help the project collect stories from children and adults about growing up and living in Arlington.

 

Howard Feinstein spoke on his experiences during the Civil Rights movement in Louisiana.

 

Photos by Nina Tisara

 

 

Continuing the theme of Black and White, October will feature photographs by Kenneth Marti whose images are about things that are missing or of his feelings of missing someone or something.  The opening reception is Friday, October 3, 6-8 p.m.

 

StudioPAUSE, www.StudioPause.com, is at 2421 26th Road South, Arlington , 22206. 

Community Pause: Black and White

 

 

Artist/Educator Sushmita Mazumdar who leads Family Legends workshops for Living Legends of Alexandria has invited Nina Tisara to speak on photojournalism this Saturday, 4 p.m. at her new studio, www.StudioPause.com. 

The program also features presentations on the newly published book, African Americans of Alexandria, Virginia:  Beacons of Light in the Twentieth Century.

Enjoy light refreshments and story sharing.

The gallery is located at 2421 26th Road South in Arlington. 

All are welcome.


 

Theater Night at MetroStage

Among those who gathered for Living Legends of Alexandria’s Theater Night at MetroStage were 17 of Alexandria’s Living Legends. 

The play, Gee’s Bend, is the powerful true story of the Petty women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama who turn to quilting to provide comfort and context for their lives through segregation, family turmoil and the Civil Rights movement.  The quilts turn out to be works of art.

Legend Cheer.

Pictured are (front row, L-R) Ferdinand Day, Vola Lawson, Living Legends Director Nina Tisara, Melvin Miller, Elizabeth Chimento; (middle row) Stuart Dunn, Marian Van Landingham, Carolyn Griffin, Lois Walker, Gwen Menefee-Smith; (back row) Lynnwood Campbell, Tim Elliott, Stephen Rideout, Joe Shumard, Fran and Gant Redmon and David Martin. 

Not pictured: Dorothy Turner and Mel Bergheim.

  

Now Hear This!  Carolyn Griffin, artistic producing director, MetroStage, calls the group to attention.  Griffin was named a Living Legend in 2007.

Guests From Near and Far. Pictured among the reception guests (L-R) are Bobbi and Stephen Rideout visiting from Cambridge, Maryland, Diane Webster and Nancy Macklin.  Rideout was named a Living Legend in 2007.

 

Happy Birthday, Vola!  Attendees celebrated the birthday of former city manager, Vola Lawson, who was named a Living Legend of Alexandria in 2007.   Chris Banks holsds the cake created by Hollin Hall Pastry Shop.  The cake was decorated with an image of Vola holding Jack, her beloved Jack Russell Terrier. 

Photos by Steven Halperson/Tisara Photography

Theater Night at MetroStage - On-line Registration

Theater Night at MetroStage

Space is Limited. Reserve now

   We'll gather for a reception from 7-8 p.m. and then enjoy Gee's Bend by Gregory Wilder. 

 

   We'll also be celebrating former Alexandria City Manager Vola Lawson's birthday which is that very day!  Vola was named a Living Legend of Alexandria in 2007. Hollin Hall Pastry Shop is providing the cake.

 

   Gee's Bend is the true story of the Pettway women of Gee's Bend, Alabama. Through segregation, family turmoil, and the Civil Rights Movement, the women turn to quilting to provide comfort and context for their lives. These quilts, a labor of love and necessity, turn out to be valuable works of art.

 

   Tickets for the reception and play are $75 each.  Order on-line at http://theatrenight.eventbrite.com or by sending your check to Legends, P.O. Box 10485, Alexandria, VA  22310.

   MetroStage is at 1201 N. Royal St. 

 

   Space is limited so reserve early.

 

Nominate a 2014 Legend

Who do you know whose vision and energy has improved life in Alexandria? There are two categories for your nomination:

   (1) Individuals who have contributed at least one tangible improvement to the quality of the city's life that would likely be missing without this person's vision and energy -- or

   (2) Individuals demonstrating exemplary service to the city over ten years or more, especially service on Boards, Commissions, Committees or Service Organizations that improve the quality of life in Alexandria.

Those currently running for or holding political office are not eligible for consideration. The contributions of City employees should be beyond the responsibilities of their jobs.

You may nominate as many Legends as you consider worthy of consideration.  See www.AlexandriaLegends.com for a list of past Legends, a nomination form and to nominate on-line.

Here are a couple of suggestions to help your nominee have the best possible chance of being selected as a Legend.

  (1) Include a single sentence high in the nomination information that says exactly the reason for the nomination.  We want the Selection Committee to be clear about why the person was nominated

  (2) Show the nomination to the nominee before it’s submitted for fact-checking.

  (3) Include names and contact information of others who know of the nominee’s contribution and who can be consulted for additional information if needed.

If you have questions, contact Legends@AlexandriaLegends.com. 

The deadline for nominations is October 15, 2013.

Our Town in Our Times

 

Nina Tisara, director of Living Legends of Alexandria, announced that History Press will publish six years of Living Legend feature stories and photographs under the working title “Our Town in Our Times.”  Publication is expected in January 2014. 

 

 Living Legends of Alexandria is an ongoing not-for-profit project to identify, honor and chronicle people making current history in Alexandria.  It also offers programs to encourage children and youth to document the histories of family members and create one-of-a-kind illustrated books. 

“To our our knowledge,” said Tisara, “Living Legends is the only program that has a system for identifying the people doing extraordinary things to benefit the city and to chronicle them in a way that is easily retrievable.  Currently the annual Living Legend catalogs are collected by the Alexandria Library, the Library of Virginia in Richmond and are registered at the U.S. Library Congress.  The feature stories are carried by printed monthly by four media partners.  Publication by History Press further validates the importance of this program to the people of Alexandria.”

Since starting in 2004, History Press has published nearly two thousand local and regional history titles from coast to coast.  Its mission is to preserve and enrich community by empowering history enthusiasts to write local stories for local audiences. 

Living Legends is now accepting nominations for the Legends of 2014.    Nomination information is available on-line at www.AlexandriaLegends.com or by calling Nina Tisara at 703-625-8191.

The deadline for nominations is October 15.

 

Black History Museum Hosts Two Events

The Alexandria Black History Museum hosted two events on Saturday. In the morning patrons joined artist, writer and educator Sushmita Mazumdar and Nina Tisara, director of Living Legends of Alexandria for chai tea and a book writing workshop. The workshop is one of a series of programs sponsored by Family Legends, an activity of Living Legends of Alexandria.

Sushmita Mazumdar pours chai tea at the book writing workshop

In the afternoon, visitors were welcomed at a community open house to celebrate the museum’s current exhibition, Living Legends of Alexandria: African American Activists and a signing of the newly released book, African Americans of Alexandria, Virginia: Beacons of Light in the Twentieth Century, written by Char McCargo Bah, Christa Watters, Audrey P. Davis, Gwendolyn Brown-Henderson, and James E. Henson, Sr.  

 Patrons queue up to have their books signed by three of the authors,
James Henson, Sr., Char McCargo Bah and Christa Watters.


Photos by Nina Tisara

The exhibition features 13 African Americans who have been chronicled as part of the Living Legends of Alexandria project: Ferdinand Day, Lillie Finklea, Carlton Funn Sr., Eula Miller, Melvin Miller, Bert Ransom, Nelson Greene Sr., Lynnwood Campbell, Lillian Patterson, Gwen Menefee-Smith, Dorothy Turner, Willie Bailey Sr. and Rosa Byrd. The exhibition runs through August 2013.

The book is available at the museum, local bookstores and online at Historypress.net.

 

Chai and Story Telling, Community Open House and Book Signing

Living Legends of Alexandria: African American Activists

at Alexandria Black History Museum 

Over the years, 13 African Americans have been chronicled as part of the Living Legends of Alexandria project.  The African American Legends included in this exhibition are:  Ferdinand Day, 2007-08; Lillie Finklea, Carlton Funn Sr., Eula Miller, Melvin Miller and Bert Ransom, 2008-09; Nelson Greene Sr., 2010; Lynnwood Campbell, 2011; Lillian Patterson, Gwen Menefee-Smith and Dorothy Turner, 2012; and Willie Bailey Sr. and Rosa Byrd, 2013. The exhibition runs through August 2013. 

Upcoming events associated with the exhibition include:

Chai and Stories – A Writing Workshop for Adults, Saturday, July 20, 11 am – 12:30 pm
Join Instructor Sushmita Mazumdar for chai tea, relaxing storytelling and a chance to express your creativity with a handmade book. There is no charge for this event, but patrons are encouraged to make a tax deductible donation to Living Legends.

 

Community Open House and Book Signing - Saturday, July 20- 2-4 pm

Join the Living Legends past and present, organization founder Nina Tisara, and Living Legends board members for light refreshments a chance to see the exhibition and learn more about how to nominate a legend.

This event will also feature a signing for a newly released book, African Americans of Alexandria, Virginia: Beacons of Light in the Twentieth Century, written by Char McCargo Bah, Christa Watters, Audrey P. Davis, Gwendolyn Brown-Henderson, and James E. Henson, Sr.   Portraits of six Living Legends of Alexandria are included in the book.

The Alexandria Black History Museum is located at 902 Wythe Street in the Parker Gray historic district.  703-746-4356.   www.Alexblackhistory.org. 

 

 

Living Legends and the Art of Photojournalism

Nina Tisara was invited to speak to the Rotary Club of Alexandria on Living Legends and the Art of Photojournalism.  Her talk answered:

What is photo-journalism? 
How is it different from being a photographer or a journalist?
What does it take to do it well?
How can one recognize good photo-journalism when they see it? 

Why is it important for Alexandria to have a Living Legends program in Alexandria?
What were your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
What has been unexpected?

Tisara said,

"There are many types of photographers and in some ways, today’s technology lets anybody and everybody be a photographer, someone who makes pictures with light.  To my way of thinking being a photographer (with a capital P) means seeing the picture.  

"Virtually anyone, any age, can take a technically acceptable photograph with today’s automatic cameras and smartphones. What no machine is yet smart enough to do is to tug your sleeve and say take this picture.  

"A camera will photograph whatever it’s pointed at. You touch a button and you’ve got it. But you are the one who puts the camera in front of the picture. Where you stand, how you edit, what you leave in or out of the frame, that’s what makes a photographer. That and doing it in an instant because sometimes that as long as you get."

To schedule a similar program for your group, contact us at Legends@AlexandriaLegends.com

Photos by Steven Halperson/Tisara Photography


 

It's a Blast!

In another example of Alexandria Arts group collaboration, the Alexandria Singers hosted the Living Legends traveling exhibition at its Broadwalk Blast concerts on June 21 and 22.  The Singers did a fantastic job of celebrating American's great fun-and-sun treasure...the boardwalk and we were happy to be part of the enthusiastic audience!
 

Photos by Nina Tisara/Living Legends of Alexandria

Save the date of Friday December 6 and Saturday, December 7, 2013 for the Singer's Holiday show.  See www.alexandriasingers.com for information and tickets.

GW Middle School - Talk on Photojournalism

Back to School.

This morning was my second opportunity to talk with another group of students in Ms. Katie Avila's reading class before they left for a field trip to the Newseum.  Another group of great kids! 

I learned that yesterday, the first group of students were on a photo scavenger hunt in Old Town.  They made it to City Hall before they got rained out.  Good news is they got to see the Living Legends exhibition there!

After a very brief introduction on the importance of photographs and photojournalism, I asked the kids to form small groups, each one with its own photographer.  The students got first-hand experience in how to pose and photograph small groups.  Later, I asked them to form other groups and study books of photographs I had brought and pick a favorite picture. 

The photos below show some of the students studying the books of photographs.

 

Photos by Nina Tisara/Living Legends of Alexandria

Visit to George Washington Middle School

I was delighted to be invited by reading teacher Katie Avila to speak to two classes about photography.  The kids were taking a field trip to the Newseum that morning and it was a perfect time to share my enthusiasm for photo-journalism and tell them about the Living Legends project.  Looking forward to next year when I hope to get them involved in Family Legends.

Celebrate Dad! - Family Legend Workshop

Make a Unique Gift for for Dad!

Join us for a FREE Family Legends Workshop for children on Saturday, June 15, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. , Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street.

This bookmaking workshop is a fun and informative art class designed for families with children 6 -12 years. Adults and children work together to choose a “legend” in their family, write their story, and create a handmade storybook to take home!

Family Legends is an activity of Living Legends of Alexandria, a private, nonprofit photojournalism project to identify, honor and chronicle those making recent history in Alexandria.

 

Instructor Sushmita Mazumdar is a local book artist, writer, and educator. She teaches art education programs for children as well as adult groups to encourage storytelling and passing on cultural heritage from one generation to the next.

 

Free.  Reserve/Info:  703-746-4399

Business to Business Innovation Expo

Living Legends took part in the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Business to Business Innovation Expo. Thanks to the help of volunteer Alyssa Murphy, WindRose Media, we ran simultaneous programs on two monitors--the 2013 Living Legend portraits on continuous loop and the 2013 "Meet The Legends Highlights" video, also on continuous loop. We got to see some long time friends, meet some new people and show our project.

(L-R) Farzana Kennedy, Alexandria Compounding and Medical Pharmacy, Amanda Chandler, Focus Data Solutions and Alyssa Murphy, WindRose Media, check out a Living Legends catalog.

Alyssa Murphy with one of the video monitors in the background.

Photos by Nina Tisara/Living Legends of Alexandria

Family Legends at Black History Museum

Family Legends held a workshop for children on Saturday, May 11, at the Alexandria Black History Museum.  Family Legends is a project of Living Legends of Alexandria.

Instructor Sushmita Mazumdar is a local book artist, writer, and educator. She teaches art education programs for children as well as adult groups to encourage storytelling and passing on cultural heritage from one generation to the next.

This bookmaking workshop is a fun and informative art class designed for families with children 6 -12 years. Adults and children work together to choose a “legend” in their family, write their story, and make it into a handmade storybook to take home.

The next workshop will be offered on Saturday, June 15, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., the Saturday before Father's Day.

Register now at 703-746-4356.

Photos by Nina Tisara/Living Legends of Alexandria