Opinion

Commentary: Jefferson-Houston’s Journey through Re-Segregation

“Alexandria quietly is making plans for a model community-centered facility to replace its least integrated elementary school, Charles Houston,” The Washington Post reported in January 1968. “But present indications are that the new Jefferson-Houston Elementary School will be as segregated as the old one.” To what extent is today’s new school facility, the ongoing construction and failing academics a continuation of yesterday?

Seniors Struggling with Hunger

Senior Hunger is real, and, according to information provided by the Meals on Wheels Association, 8.8 million of America’s seniors or nearly 1 in 6 may not know where their next meal is coming from. Programs like Meals on Wheels are critical to solving this national crisis. In the State of Virginia over 124,000 seniors are struggling with hunger and only 22 percent are receiving help through Meals on Wheels.

Letter: Bee Safe Neighborhoods

Letter to the Editor

Letter: Determining Cost Of Added Jobs

To the Editor: The examples given regarding people who will receive expanded coverage Medicaid are tragic and saddening. However, the figures given to substantiate the beneficial effects of expanded Medicaid coverage in Virginia appear to be whimsical.

Letter: Adopt A Block Works In Old Town

To the Editor: My husband and I moved into beautiful Old Town a few years ago. We purchased a rather shabby and old historic home in need of lots of love and repair. We have been blessed with caring neighbors on our block and we met some wonderful neighbors around the corner, the Huettner's who have become Adopt A Block captains with us.

Letter: Adding to Deficit Spending

To the Editor: Mary Kimm’s editorial encouraging Virginia’s legislature to expand Medicaid coverage because the federal government will foot the $3 billion bill ignores how the feds will foot the bill — by deficit spending. Revenues won’t cover this additional spending — it will go straight on top of the deficit for future generations to foot. The 30,000 jobs it will supposedly create — one for every 13 beneficiaries — is an egregious misdirection of resources.

“CanSir”

When it comes to being a cancer patient, even more so a multi-year cancer survivor, I have always erred on the side of caution. And by caution, I mean being respectful to the disease, courteous of its comings and goings, mindful of its potential damage and afraid of its intangibles. And by intangibles, I mean the unexplained and the inexplicable, and most fearfully, its power and unpredictability. Therefore, my behavior toward it has been intended to be as polite as possible; never to be perceived – in any way imaginable – as arrogant, presumptuous, in control, all-knowing and most especially, victorious.

Editorial: Finally, Marriage Rights Protected in Virginia

On July 28, 2014, in affirming that Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, Circuit Judge Henry F. Floyd writes: “We recognize that same-sex marriage makes some people deeply uncomfortable. However, inertia and apprehension are not legitimate bases for denying same-sex couples due process and equal protection of the laws.

Letter: Bow Hunts are Consistent with Reston Values

The Reston Association has wisely begun to approve bow hunts to curb our deer overpopulation, under strict regulations that this be done safely and professionally.

Column: Kids Count

Officials at all levels of government need to demonstrate that we know how much kids count!

An index of key indicators in four domains measures what children need most in order to thrive: (1) economic well-being, (2) education, (3) health and (4) family and community.

Column: Riding the Silver Line—Day One

No doubt about it: The Silver Line is a game changer for Reston.

I was kind of excited about the opening of the Reston (Wiehle-Reston East) Metro station on Saturday.

The Connection