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Shirley Ruhe

Stories by Shirley

Alexandria People At Work: New Boutique Opens in City

Elizabeth Todd picks up the phone. "Hey, we just got in this great Veronica Beard classic jacket with a zip-in dickey — just your style. Do you want me to hold it for you?" Todd says she has a loyal client base and she calls to let them know what has just arrived. "I get to know who needs comfortable shoes to walk in on the Hill." Todd has just opened the Hive, described as a luxury lifestyle and clothing boutique, at 301 Cameron St.

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Alexandria People at Work: Chef Couple Cooking through 26 Years at Tempo

Sharing cooking duties.

"First I give the lobster a shower." Serge Albert puts the 1.5 pound Maine lobster under running water to get off "whatever is on there." Today he is making Linguine alla Aragosta, one of the customer favorites at Tempo on Duke Street. "We have one customer who comes in twice a week and orders it,” he said.

Alexandria People at Work: Stetanova’s Secret – Plenty of Coffee

Kremena Stetanova opens the Caboose Cafe and Bakery on Mt. Vernon in Del Ray Monday and Thursday and leaves at 2:30 p.m. Other days are regular hours. "Well first I turn on the lights and make sure there is plenty of coffee. That's the biggest thing, then put out the muffins."

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Alexandria People At Work: Listening to Her Patrons

Talking Books librarian provides concierge-style service.

The green caterpillar inches along a tree branch toward a juicy looking leaf.

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Alexandria People at Work: Gonzalez Creates Art as a Team

"O.K. everyone, out on the field." Arms grab trumpets, clarinets, with a shoulder harness for the drum. Band members head out the door, down the steps and onto the end of the football field at T. C. Williams High School on a hot first school day of the year.

Alexandria: Faces of Hunger

Stories from a church’s “pop-up” grocery.

Third in a series on childhood hunger in Alexandria.

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Alexandria People at Work: Recruiting as Match-Making

TorchLight Hire: Number 621 out of 5,000 fastest growing private companies.

Heidi Parsont says, "I've always been a connector. So, 12 years ago I randomly ended up in sales/business development and built relationships with companies.

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Alexandria People at Work: Jones Reinvents Himself at 60

Not a choice: what he was meant to do.

Guy Jones hunches over his clay board panel in Studio 337 working on a pen and ink commission of a guy's dad in Vietnam. "The father is standing there in his uniform but had adorned himself with a beautiful red flower. His son wanted to catch that spin of his father." Jones says he has several pictures of the father as examples and will create a new image. "I sketched the face this morning. By tomorrow I should have it knocked out."Guy Jones hunches over his clay board panel in Studio 337 working on a pen and ink commission of a guy's dad in Vietnam. "The father is standing there in his uniform but had adorned himself with a beautiful red flower. His son wanted to catch that spin of his father." Jones says he has several pictures of the father as examples and will create a new image. "I sketched the face this morning. By tomorrow I should have it knocked out."

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Alexandria Snapshot: Friendship Firehouse Festival

The crowd arrives early for the Friendship Firehouse celebration Aug. 6.

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Alexandria People at Work: The Many Faces of Firefighting

On a normal day Durant Cephers would be working at Firehouse 206 on Seminary Road. But it is Aug. 6 and he is on S. Albert Street at the Friendship Firehouse 150th anniversary event.

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Alexandria People at Work: Campolieta Thinks Outside the Piano

Daniel Campolieta remembers when he was about four years old his mother attached numbers with masking tape to the keys on a little plastic keyboard. "She wrote out the accompanying numbers for my favorite songs in a book — like the Ninja Turtles theme song." Campolieta's mother was a piano teacher and noticed he seemed to like it so his piano career started from there.

Alexandria People at Work: Act, Sing and Dance Through Summer

Michael Page is the Director of summer camps at LTA.

"Everyone ready to go on stage? Awesome!" The Counselors In Training at The Little Theatre of Alexandria Summer Camp have just rolled up the comic strip backdrop of villains and heroes created by the 3-5 grade group. The actors have been practicing giving each other a punch because, “We are superheroes for goodness sake. But we need to be focused so people don't get hurt."

Alexandria People at Work: Walking through City’s History

“There is no real place called Mercy Street although it would have been right there on the 100th block of N. Fairfax Street," according to Meredith Barber, tour guide for DC Military Tours.

Alexandria: Making Progress Against Childhood Hunger

Serving up ways to provide food.

“When you look at the big picture of childhood hunger in Alexandria, you almost don't want to tackle it," said Melanie Gray, director of Outreach and Mission at Historic Christ Church in Alexandria. "So we take it one piece at a time."

Alexandria: Trying To Ease the Pains of Childhood Hunger

Massive need requires massive effort.

Childhood hunger in Alexandria is just beyond the doorstep. Some of the underlying causes include lack of knowledge about the existence of the problem or the resources available to alleviate it.

Alexandria People at Work: One Pint Can Save Three Lives

Robbins manages Red Cross Blood Drive in Alexandria.

It was 12:20 p.m., and donors were starting to line up for the American Cross Blood Drive at Alexandria Chapter House.

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Alexandria People at Work: A Second Family at Sunrise

Every Alzheimer’s story is unique.

A yellow balloon zooms across the room. An arm reaches up from a wheelchair and bats it back across the room. The balloon flies faster and faster. "Go Hunter, you throw harder than anyone." Some of the residents are down the hall taking naps.

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Alexandria: Teacher Retires After 40 Years

Cecelia Snyder leaves Old Town Montessori School.

After 20 years of teaching 3-6-year-olds at the Old Town Montessori School on S. Columbus Street and serving as its administrative director, Snyder is retiring.

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Alexandria: Kiosk Enhances Four-Mile Run

Eagle Scout-organized effort completes project.

It was 92 degrees and Thomas Pollack stood on the spot where the new Four Mile Run Wetlands Trail and Bike Trail meet in Four Mile Run Park.

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Alexandria People at Work: Singing Is Breathing

Voice coach Elizabeth Kluegel-Niblock starts with basics.

"So let's warm up." Elizabeth Kluegel-Niblock says, "we always start with a neutral vowel."

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Meet The Chef: London Curry's Naina Mohammed

Cameron Station restaurant offers regional specialties.

Naina Mohammed stirs a large pot of tomatoes, purple onions, fresh ginger, garlic bits and marsala — 15 different spices: "I use everything."

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Responding to Teen Sex Trafficking

Comprehensive approach seeks to educate teens.

In 2012 Fairfax County Detective William Woolf discovered a 16-year-old girl being prostituted by the M-16 gang. At the time there was little recognition that the problem existed locally. The girl was recovered and since then Woolf has interviewed 300 recovered victims, some as young as 12-years old. After the initial shock, Northern Virginia businesses, faith communities and educational groups sought to understand the extent of the problem.

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In the Kitchen: Meet Chef Pawel Podbielski of Le Refuge

The Making of Filet de boeuf Wellington

Chef Pawel Podbielski sprinkles flour on the counter so the pastry won't stick. He is making Filet de boeuf Wellington, a customer favorite, at Le Refuge on Washington Street. "Last Saturday night I made 12 of these and they all sold out," he says. "I'm getting this pan nice and hot and then I'll add Kaola gold oil because it's no trans fat and has a buttery taste."

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In the Kitchen: Meet Chef Pawel Podbielski of Le Refuge

The Making of Filet de boeuf Wellington

Chef Pawel Podbielski sprinkles flour on the counter so the pastry won't stick. He is making Filet de boeuf Wellington, a customer favorite, at Le Refuge on Washington Street. "Last Saturday night I made 12 of these and they all sold out," he says. "I'm getting this pan nice and hot and then I'll add Kaola gold oil because it's no trans fat and has a buttery taste."

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Becoming Aware of Child Sex Trafficking

The problem extends throughout northern Virginia.

She stands on the sidewalk outside the mall with her backpack full of 7th grade science and math books. An older man pulls up and she gets in the backseat of his car.

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