Letter: Get Tough On Texting
When it comes to rankings, Alexandria has accumulated some impressive laurels in recent years: one of the nation’s “100 Best Communities for Young People,” Money magazine’s “Best Places to Live,” one of the Top Ten “Heart Friendly Cities,” and even the Top Ten “Cities for Single Women,” among other lofty distinctions. However, no place is perfect...
Letter: Encourage Green Growth
The city has adopted a plan to reduce greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming by 20 percent by the year 2020, as compared to 2005 levels. At that time, 25 percent of the energy is supposed to be generated by renewable sources like solar or geothermal. The targets for 2050 are much higher: an 80 percent drop in greenhouse gas emissions (like carbon dioxide from coal fired electricity) and an equivalent increase in the amount of our energy derived from cleaner renewable sources.
Letter: Get Expenses Back to 2007
The following is an open letter to Councilman Paul Smedberg.
Letter: On BRAC, Blame Rumsfeld
In the page-one story of your Sept. 20 edition, you state that “Alexandria officials actively encouraged the Department of Defense to consider the Mark Center site” for its gigantic new office complex. Yet you provide no credible evidence to support this statement.
Letter: BRAC Lack Of Impact
Last week, Michael Lee Pope wrote an interesting article on “The BRAC Five”, a small group of local politicians who apparently initially supported the construction of the controversial BRAC-133 facility at Mark Center. In his article, Pope focused on the possibility that the BRAC situation could be used against those incumbents come November. While bringing out the BRAC controversy may elicit cheers from debate audiences, its true effectiveness on the political battlefield has yet to be seen in our area.
Editorial: Vote Now
How to Register, Vote, Vote Early.
Changes in Virginia's voter identification rules are causing confusion in many quarters, and some voters might be tempted to stay home rather than deal with a difficult situation. Slow down, there are alternatives, including a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck indicating the name and address of the voter.
Column: Public Education Sustains Democracy
One of the most important conversations I have each year is with our new teachers. I ask them if they know why American public education is so important. The answer has always been clear to me: to help create literate, participating, productive citizens to sustain and enhance our democracy.
Column: A Walk Down Memory Lane
Eighty-two year old Maeda* remembers moving as a child to Alexandria from Halifax, N.C. with her parents and five siblings. Their home on Cameron Street did not have electricity — everything was coal or kerosene powered. Coal trains used to run near her home on the way to Fannon’s and often times the train workers would throw some coal off during winter months, keeping her family warm. Maeda also remembers the penny candy stores on Henry Street, the Majestic Restaurant on King Street, and eventually a service station and Dr. Pepper office. And Mutual Ice on Henry Street used to keep full her family’s 50-pound icebox with weekly deliveries.
Column: Community Collaboration To End Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is a widespread public health problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 percent of women experience domestic violence at some point in their lives, and it is the leading cause of injury and homicide each year. While women are most commonly victimized, men are also abused.
Column: Celebrating Active Aging Week
A healthy, active lifestyle is important for everyone — but perhaps more so for seniors. Numerous studies have documented the benefits of physical activity in reducing risk factors for diseases, improving physical abilities, and substantially enhancing the quality of life for older people. In Alexandria, we are fortunate to have a wide range of fitness and social opportunities for older Alexandrians.
Column: My Team
Not literally, of course. Nor am I the coach or the general manager. But I do feel like an owner, in that there are people that I invest in – again not literally, but definitely emotionally.
Column: LEAF Interns Appreciate Billy Goat Trail
This past summer, interns with The Nature Conservancy’s LEAF (Leaders for Environmental Action in the Future) program hiked the strenuous Billy Goat Trail on Bear Island the C&O Canal National Historical Park.
Commentary: A Solution To End Struggle over Brickyard Road Site?
As of this week, the Board of Education has spent in excess of $200,000 defending their actions in leasing the Brickyard Road school site to Montgomery County so the county can lease the same 20-acre site to MSI at $1,500 a year for 10 years. Not much of a return for the cost of keeping an unwise decision in place. With this continuing financial bleed on taxpayers in mind and in the hopes of finding reasonable solutions and rectifying past mistakes, the plaintiffs in the case have made the Board of Education a formal proposal offering to end their litigation if a few simple conditions are met.
Letter: A Major Disappointment
I could have attached a legitimate photo of a sick and starving deer within Fairfax County—but that serves little except to tug at the emotional heartstrings. Overpopulation of deer in Fairfax County is a reality and it is a problem that must be faced square-on, using science, biology, personnel majoring in the wildlife career field and an understanding of the alternative costs of managing the deer herd.
Opinion: Bill of Rights Makes Democracy Work
Rare opportunity to see George Washington's copy of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
The Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments, are a model of spare writing, packing every word and phrase with meaning, anticipating much and providing a framework for future. Here is the text of the Bill of Rights, courtesy of the Library of Congress. I cannot imagine that 500 words anywhere from any era convey so much power. These 500 words are what make democracy work.