Out of Tragedy, a Foundation To Help Others
Alexandria Community Trust is family’s living legacy in honor of Norma Lang Steuerle.
Once there was an Alexandria family of four that regularly acted on an individual’s responsibility to serve others in need. Each member was well educated and appreciated the community’s “diversity of people — racially, financially, in thought and in socio-economic status, that for the most part embraced Alexandria’s potential.” They were givers.
Commentary: A Man (and Woman) About Town
In 1942, Cecelia and her husband, Floyd*, moved into a row home on Duke Street, promising to each other that it would be their last move.
Letter: Elect the Person, Not the Party
After plowing through David Speck’s nearly full-page defense of Alexandria politics status quo, I put down the Gazette Packet, closed my eyes and dared to dream of the day when citizens can elect a person because they share our goals and have the talent to achieve them; not because they cloak themselves in the robes of a political party.
Letter: Doesn’t West End Matter?
Four West End civic associations extended an invitation to Andrew MacDonald and Bill Euille to debate this fall to allow citizens to make an informed decision. As this debate is expected to focus on West End issues, the three dates available were based on Hammond School availability.
Letter: Don’t Minimize Citizens’ Anger
When David Speck (letter to the editor last week) says that if someone isn’t mad at you, you aren’t doing your job right, he implies that it was right for the city to have approved of BRAC-133. If one judges by the number of Alexandrians angered by the construction of this building so far from a metro stop, the city is doing a great job.
Letter: Get Beyond Debating Debates
Mayor Euille is ready and willing to debate his opponent one-on-one. During this busy 2012 election season, Alexandrians have been bombarded by political ads and activities, and Mayor Euille has been more than accommodating to Mr. Macdonald’s interest in debating him. Macdonald seems more focused on politicizing the debate issue rather than focusing on issues that Alexandrians care about.
Editorial: About the Gazette Packet, a Connection Newspaper
The paper you're reading, the Alexandria Gazette Packet is one of 15 papers published by the independent, locally owned Local Media Connection LLC, serving the suburbs of Metropolitan Washington in Northern Virginia and Potomac, Md.
Letter: Moderate Voices Exist
I write this letter in response to David Speck’s commentary here in Opinion (Aug. 16) regarding dominance of the Democrat party in Alexandria City.
North Fairfax County Calendar, Aug. 24-Sept. 2
Events to get you out and about in the area.
Breeze through the events calendar and pick up a few events to spice up and fill out your week.
Opinion: Mindless Slashing
Automatic cuts set to kick in January would harm Northern Virginia more than any other region.
While reducing the federal deficit is critical to the nation's economic health in the long run, the knee jerk, slash and burn method based only on cuts that is coming at us like a freight train will do immense damage to the economy nationally. But no place would feel the pain more intensely than Northern Virginia.
A Year in Fairfax County
A sampling of some of the cherished, annual events of the county.
A sampling of some of the cherished, annual events of the county.
Church Street Garage Debated
Proposal submitted under Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act.
“This is an opportunity to get Church Street to work better.” --Mayor M. Jane Seeman
Letter: Labor Outsourcing Is Not the Problem
To the Editor:
President Obama thinks he can score points on Mitt Romney by pointing out that companies acquired by Bain Capital outsourced jobs to other countries. The implication is that there is something unpatriotic in contracting for foreign labor. That is a strange position in this era of globalization, which Obama claims to favor.
Ryan Gets a Warm Welcome
GOP Victory Rally with VP candidate Paul Ryan fills West Springfield HS Auditorium.
“I’m here because I’m tired of looking for my career. I hope this ticket and these people can make a difference and give us job opportunities.” That’s why Jay H. from Herndon says he drove all the way to attend the GOP Victory Rally at West Springfield High School on Friday, Aug. 17, featuring VP candidate Paul Ryan on his campaign swing through Virginia. A 2011 graduate from a local college with a degree in business, Jay says he has been looking for “something more than a job in retail” since then.
Lorton Insiders Perspective
What’s the greatest thing about living in Lorton?
Residents share their greatest joys and biggest tips for living in the area.
My Favorite Places
Lisa Whetzel, executive director of Our Daily Bread in Fairfax
Lisa Whetzel, executive director of Our Daily Bread in Fairfax, shares her favorite local places.
Insiders Perspective
What is the best thing about living in Clifton?
"My favorite thing about living in Clifton is the big properties, so there's so much room to run around..."
Raising Wally and Polly
A McLean family finds, raises baby squirrels.
It was back in the 1970s in McLean. Coming home from school one afternoon, our two younger children, Lisa, 9, and Steven, 7, found a tiny rolled-up ball of fur lying under the maple tree out in front of our Lemon Road house. It was too big to be a baby mouse and too small to be a baby kitten. It turned out to be a baby squirrel which must have fallen out of a nest high up in the tree out in front. Bill hauled out his trusty painter’s ladder, rested it up against the trunk, climbed up and put the tiny creature back into its nest. He said there was another baby already up there.
Preserving Summer Memories
Reflections of the Great Falls Farmers Market’s ‘Jelly Girls.’
We have completed our last Saturday at the Great Falls Farmers Market and we are heading back to Christopher Newport University. We are looking back on what a great idea it was to start a jelly-making business and get our feet wet at the Farmers Market. It was so much fun! We enjoyed talking to customers about how we prepare our jellies and it was such a treat when a customer came back the second time.
County Fumbles Plan for Rail, Reston Future-Part 1
Next year rail service will finally arrive. It will drive a transformation of our community from suburban to urban, from a population of 60,000 to twice that in twenty years. But neither the infrastructure to support the transformation nor a land-use plan to assure an orderly transition or attractive outcome for residents is in place. Fairfax County and the Virginia Commonwealth are inexplicably unprepared for this transition despite having had many years to plan for it.