Excellent turnout for the Advisory Group Meeting on Confederate Memorials and Street Names last month! Very insightful comments at both the meeting and on the City of Alexandria's feedback form. Thank you for answering the Call to Action. But there is one final chance on Monday to voice your opinion on the future of Jefferson Davis Highway and other Confederate iconography in Alexandria……. EVENT: The Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Confederate Memorials and Street Names will hold its FINAL MEETING on Monday, April 11, 2016 to recommend to the City Council whether Jefferson Davis's name should be removed from Route 1 in Alexandria. The Advisory Group will also make recommendations on: 1. the City's policy of flying the Confederate flag on city property on Confederate holidays, 2. the future of the Appomattox statue on South Washington Street, and 3. the names of 32 other streets within the City that are named after Confederate generals and military leaders. DATE: Monday, April 11, 2016 TIME: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. VENUE: City Hall 301 King Street Room 1101 Alexandria, Virginia FIRST CALL TO ACTION: If you live in Alexandria, Northern Virginia or the surrounding area and you can make the time to attend the Advisory Group meeting on Monday April 11th please do so. Neo-Confederate attitudes were the dominant viewpoints expressed by attendees at the Advisory Group meetings held in January and February, as the local chapters of the Sons (and Daughters) of Confederate Veterans rallied their members to attend those meetings. Indeed, even several members of the Advisory Group acknowledged at the last meeting that the viewpoints they had been primarily hearing was one-sided (ie. pro-Confederate and pro-monument). The Group wants to listen to a diversity of opinions. Please turn out in force on April 11th and express your opinion to the Advisory Group!!! SECOND CALL TO ACTION: If you cannot attend Advisory Group Meeting on Monday night or if you live too far away from Alexandria to attend, please consider providing your written feedback to the Advisory Group using the online feedback form. If you do not live in Alexandria, your opinion is just as valuable. The Advisory Group acknowledges that the opinions of visitors and tourists are, indeed, important because the City's economy depends on tourism. To submit feedback to the members of the Advisory Group, please use this feedback form - https://survey.alexandriava.gov/s3/AdvisoryGroupFeedback. BACKGROUND: The City Council of Alexandria, Virginia has established an Ad Hoc Advisory Group to review Confederate Memorials and Street Names. The main purpose of the committee is to develop recommendations on actions, if any, that it believes City Council should consider with respect to o the status of the Appomattox statue on South Washington Street o the name of Jefferson Davis Highway in the City of Alexandria o the names of the many streets within the City that are named after Confederate generals and military leaders o a specific policy on flying of any flags on property owned or under the control of the City* (*On September 8, 2015, City Council voted unanimously to prohibit the flying of the Confederate flag on City property on Robert E. Lee's Birthday and on Confederate Memorial Day.) For more information about the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Confederate Memorials and Street Names, please visitwww.alexandriava.gov/manager/info/default.aspx?id=87599. Here you can read comments from concerned citizens, exhibits and agendas for past meetings.