Letter: Investment in America's Youth
Have parents and their baseball-oriented sons from ages 15 to 18 given much thought to the advantages of playing American Legion Baseball — a program that is extremely active in the Northern Virginia District 17 of the American Legion?
Letter: Another Done Deal
It is no surprise to the residents of the Beauregard section of the West End that the Mayor/council and city staff are once again pulling another “done deal” in our neighborhood and that the push for a major redevelopment in this area is a result of the BRAC-133 and loss of property tax dollars.
Letter: City Can’t Subsidize Rents
There have been recent discussions in Alexandria about whether the city should purchase apartment complexes and convert them to subsidized affordable housing units.
Column: Keeping a Promise
The mission of Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is to provide the environment, resources, and commitment to ensure that each and every student succeeds — academically, emotionally, physically, and socially.
Good, Bad and Ugly In Virginia Budget
The Virginia Senate finally adopted the State Budget on a vote of 21-19 last week. It now goes to the Governor for his amendments.
Letter: Deserving Better
Letter to the Editor
On Tuesday, April 10, I attended Barbara Comstock's town hall meeting in Great Falls. As a constituent, I wanted to ask her why she voted for mandatory ultrasound procedures for women (HB462) and why she voted for the so-called "personhood" bill (HB1) that would give full rights to zygotes and could restrict a woman's access to birth control, while voting against funding for two of our northern Virginia priorities: education and transportation (HB30).
Column: Really?
Having recently upgraded my cell phone, I have finally, due to its larger keys and simplified data-entry process, learned how to enter “contacts” and their phone numbers as well as select some of these key contacts for speed-dialing.
Column: Spending Plan Approved
The General Assembly passed a spending plan for FY2012-2014 last week in a session that had much more drama than most meetings of the state’s legislature. One Democratic Senator changed his vote after the budget had failed to pass in order that the constitutionally required majority could be reached; a Republican Senator got a State Police escort back to the Capitol from visiting his wife in the hospital in order that he could vote. By a one vote margin the $85 billion spending plan for the next biennium was approved.
Column: Finally - a Budget!
It started in January, 2012 when the Virginia General Assembly convened for the 2012 Session. The Democrats, unhappy over being turned down in their bid for power-sharing in committee assignments commenced a guerilla action – putting partisan politics ahead of the needs of Virginians. The first budget was DOA. The next was a refusal to negotiate. Then, it was healthcare and education. Finally, it devolved to a $300M earmark for funding Rail-to-Dulles Phase II.
Letter: Herndon Elections: Vision and Action
Letter to the Editor
The Herndon Town Elections are coming up on May 1. I encourage everyone to check the candidates’ websites and attend events to learn more about them and their vision for Herndon.
Letter: Merkel for Mayor
Letter to the Editor
On May 1st, at our Community Center, you will pick a new team to guide our Town for the next two years. The leader of that team, our next Mayor, will set the agenda and represent our community at the local, county and state level. We feel the best qualified candidate is our current Vice Mayor, Lisa Merkel. We need to elect a true leader with a positive vision for our Town.
Letter: Supporting Merkel for Mayor
Letter to the Editor
I am proud to support Lisa Merkel for Mayor of Herndon. Since Vice Mayor Merkel took office in 2010, she has succeeded in re-focusing the town away from the divisive issues of immigration and day labor, and put her energies where they needed to be: land use, economic development and budget.
Letter: Reston Traffic: From Difficult to Impossible
Monday evening the county’s Department of Transportation (DOT) staff presented the Master Plan Task Force its latest analysis for traffic in Reston in 2030. The presentation was based on the task force’s current planning proposal for Reston near the Dulles Corridor, called “Scenario G.”
Letter: True Community Business in Alexandria
I am writing to thank the Harvey family for everything they've done in the 20 years or so that we've lived in the Fort Hunt area, fully aware that they had done the same things for years before we arrived. The service provided at Hollin Hall Automotive has been fantastic over the years, and the contributions the Harvey family has made to the local Little League and other organizations have helped make this a great community. When we moved to this area, the Hollin Hall shopping center looked a bit drab, but then we went through the doors and met the people at Village Hardware, Safeway, Via Veneto, the Variety Store, etc., and we learned to love the place. Village Hardware, in particular, has made major contributions to local organizations; I have personally spread much of the free Turfus they have provided to the Ft. Hunt Little League.
Why Early Intervention Matters
It’s a parent’s nightmare—one day—out of the blue, your princess, your first- born, your two-year-old daughter, loses her ability to speak. There’s no identifiable reason and my wife and I were devastated.