Opinion: Commentary: Don’t GO (Yet), But Still “Visit”
Just as I reported to you about our nonprofits and local small businesses, our many historic, cultural and arts sites in the Mount Vernon District are currently closed to visitors. Our favorite sites are using their time to create virtual experiences to engage their visitors in new ways and leading fundraising efforts to offset lost revenue.
Opinion: Commentary: Early Economic Impact of COVID-19
Virginia is gradually and cautiously opening up after the coronavirus lockdown. However, we must navigate a rough fiscal road ahead due to a precipitous drop in tax revenues due to the economic impact of this crisis.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Alexandria Needs a Plan to Re-open
I commend the efforts to flatten the curve of the pandemic by the city of Alexandria and its residents but we must also prepare for a just re-opening of Alexandria's economy. Alexandria, like the rest of Virginia and the DC Metro Region adhered to stay at home orders, and asked businesses to close and citizens and local government alike have tried to reduce the number of cases of the CoronaVirus. Critical to reopening, like flattening the curve, is testing for coronavirus and the antibody, as well as preparation for contact tracers. But we must also continue to encourage social distancing and the wearing of masks.
Opinion: Commentary: One Night In Del Ray: A 2020 Retrospective
On May 29, 1970, a young black man was murdered in a convenience store in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria. The young man, Robin Gibson, was just 19. The white store manager who shot Gibson later admitted to planting a knife near his body to make it appear as though Gibson had attacked him. The manager pleaded guilty to manslaughter and served less than 1 year in prison for his crime.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Keeping Nursing Home Residents Safe
On behalf of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), I’d like to thank all those who work in nursing facilities -- doctors, nurses, food preparers, housekeepers, and others -- for their unwavering dedication to compassionately caring for the vulnerable residents who are relying on them during the COVID-19 pandemic. These facilities have been on the front lines of the pandemic, and our hearts are with all of those who have been affected by this virus and their families.
Opinion: Column: Time Will Tell
Nearly three weeks into my low iodine diet, in preparation for my hospital overnight on May 28 when I will get my radioactive iodine therapy, to be followed immediately by a medical quarantine at home for a week, I wouldn't say I'm thriving. More like persevering. I can't really satiate eating "rabbit" food, and what culinary pleasures I can enjoy, I can only have them in small quantities and infrequently at that. I won't give you a list, but just consider what any 10-year-old likes to eat.
Opinion: Commentary: The Story of 22305 Is Not Unique to Alexandria
As the coronavirus spreads and more testing is performed, anxious residents are demanding more information regarding the rate of infection in their communities.
Opinion: Commentary: Beyond Equality to Equitable Funding of Our Schools
Passing by the elementary and high schools I attended as a youngster was a small yellow bus carrying about six children to a school 12 miles away in Luray. They were black children who by the constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia were prohibited from attending school with white children.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Frank Fannon, Living Legend
It is heartening to see a citizen as solid as Frank Fannon recognized as a "Living Legend." Given the time and effort this Alexandrian has dedicated to making his community a better place, no one can question the appropriateness of the honor.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Wrong Approach for Stream Restoration
The biggest problem with the so-called natural channel design approach to stream "restoration" for us in the greater Washington, D.C. region is that it is planned and implemented in completely the wrong places: small order, interior forested, upper headwater streams and wetlands.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Dismayed
I was dismayed to read the very one-sided and mostly inaccurate version of an event taking place in my neighborhood.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Role of Local Newspapers?
Local newspapers play an important role in our community life because they identify local issues that are often overlooked by national news but which nonetheless impact our day-to-day lives. We look to local newspapers to provide a balanced presentation of these local issues.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Plan Many Years in the Works and Supported by Majority of the Community
[My Gazette was delivered late this issue; but I write anyway, to object to the "reporting" cited below.] The value of a community newspaper lies in its ability to treat local issues in some depth and with fairness and accuracy.
Opinion: Commentary: Battling the Coronavirus – Efforts Must Be Expanded
It has been four months since the Centers for Disease Control confirmed the first case of coronavirus disease, called COVID-19, in the United States. As of May 11, over 800 Virginians have died, 3,200 hospitalized and over 25,000 Virginians have tested positive for this virus. Only about 1.7% of Virginians or 147,000 have been tested. Our hospitalization rate has continued to climb with over 1,500 people currently in the hospital. The rate of infection has slowed, but this virus has hit our community very unevenly.