Circus Comes to Town
I am going to be taking two of my grandchildren to the Barnum and Bailey Circus at the Richmond Coliseum tonight. It is really amazing how quickly the circus can move into its venue; amaze, entertain and hold in suspense its audience; and then pack up and move on. Just a few blocks from the Coliseum, the General Assembly opened at the State Capitol the second week in January and will pack up this week and members will go back home. For the last six weeks the 140 members of the House of Delegates and State Senate along with their staff and about a thousand lobbyists have been holding forth on Capitol Square for the annual legislative session. The agenda is serious, and the activities over the past several weeks have been humorous, suspenseful and in a term used by the circus ringmaster, “unbelievable.”
P Minor of a Purim Paparazzi
Instead of joining an exasperated press probing into prominent people's privacies, I will pursue celebrities like King Ahasuerus, Queen Esther and Vashti of Persia. I will serve a much greater purpose by presenting a better picture, or portrait, of the Megillah's principal personalities. It gives me the opportunity to report on the grand procession of Mordechai, Haman and his sons Parshandatha, Parmashta and Poratha, to name only three. Now, with the approach of Purim, I prefer to devote my expertise to promote the proper performance of the Purim procedures and its prerequisites.
Letter: Saving French at Herndon Elementary
I am writing, as a parent of two children currently attending 4th and 6th grade at Herndon Elementary School in Herndon, to express our big concern about the proposal and possibility of switching from the French Immersion Program that has been in place since 1988, to a two-way Spanish immersion.
Letter: Alarmed and Saddened
I participated in the public hearing on school discipline last week and was alarmed and deeply saddened to view the document Students Rights and Responsibilities for K-12, which lists pages and pages of all the “bad” behavior a student could possibly have, and the consequences for each violation. The really big consequence is for marijuana use, which merits immediate 10-day suspension and a referral for consideration of expulsion on the first violation.
Letter: Time to Vote on Gun Control
A powerful moment was reached during the State of the Union address when President Obama spoke of America’s responsibility to survivors of gun violence. The president said, “they deserve a vote” — on gun reform. Representatives from Virginia should heed this call.
Letter to the Editor: Litter Poisons Environment
Michael Pope’s recent article [“Carts Clog Creek,” Feb. 14] brings needed attention to the problem of the shopping carts that end up in Little Hunting Creek.
Column: Seeing Progress on U.S. 1
As we move to the end of the General Assembly session, we are engaged in intense negotiations on the major issues. Also, we have had significant progress on U.S. 1.
Column: Legislature Enters Final Week
Working for and with my constituents in Richmond is always exciting, and this year is no different. As we enter the final week of the session, conference committees are meeting to iron out the differences in House and Senate versions of several key bills.
Column: To ‘Get That Vote We All Deserve’
From Fix Gun Checks tour to White House.
After my sister Reema was killed at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007 our lives changed forever. I say “our lives” changed forever because gun violence doesn’t just affect the direct family of the person killed, but an entire community.
Letter to the Editor: The Right Influence
As a young Muslim girl growing up in the West, it can be hard to find a role model who is famous for helping others, especially in a sea of celebrities and reality stars.
Letter to the Editor: ‘What Next, City Council?’
The Feb. 15 letter from the city manager describing the city’s plan to amend the zoning ordinance and re-vote the Waterfront Plan is an unfortunate example of things to come in city government.
Letter to the Editor: So Much for Transparency
No sooner had the Washington Post announced that its two warehouses were for sale than Bingo … council announces that they have had one of their “back room” executive sessions wherein they decided to alter the zoning code on the waterfront. All this with two court cases yet to be decided.
Letter to the Editor: Teachers Deserve Better Salaries
In a recent letter to the editor Richard Vis takes issue with Sen. Barker's contention that a 3 percent increase in teacher salaries would help close the gap in student achievement.
Letter to the Editor: Beauregard Plan’s Benefits
I am writing in response to the article, “Beauregard Waiting Game," which attempted to describe the impact of future redevelopment in the Beauregard area on existing residents, yet failed to include some important facts.
Letter to the Editor: Don’t Disconnect Parents from Schools
The Alexandria PTA Council, on behalf of its 3,000 members (parents, teachers and students) throughout the city, is writing to express our strong opposition to the “Opportunity Education Institution” legislation recently adopted by the state Senate (SB1324) and House of Delegates (HB 2096) and awaiting Governor McDonnell’s signature.