Column: State Shirks Transportation Responsibility
Maybe we should rename our County The Bank of Last Resort.
Column: “Battling Cancer”
I suppose, as a cancer patient, there’s a presumption/understanding that not giving into cancer and its potential ravages is an ongoing battle – to the death, if you will. And I imagine, on many levels, some truer than others, it is. War is indeed waged – so to speak, in hopes of defeating this horrible disease (enemy).
Column: Seminary Valley
If you lived in Seminary Valley in the 1960s and ’70s, you knew the McKeon family and their eight children: Charles McKeon, Jr., Sharon, Brian, Peggy, John, Pat, Keen and Marie. Last week, the Valley and Alexandria lost Mae McKeon, formerly of Strathblane Place. Marie (Zack) still lives in the original family home and it was the scene of a reunion after Mae’s service at Blessed Sacrament.
Column: National Controversy and Budget Process Begins
Crossover Week at the General Assembly found us in the national media spotlight of Saturday Night Live, CNN and the Rachel Maddow Show. Over 1,000 demonstrators appeared at the State Capitol this week.
Column: On the Way to $85 Billion Budget
Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling broke a tie in the evenly divided Senate chamber at the beginning of the Session. This provided Republican organizational control of the Senate even though a lawsuit is still pending on whether the power should be shared. In taking this step, many bills have been passed that were voted down by a more moderate Senate in past years.
Letter: Prompt Action, Good Work
I am writing to commend the City of Alexandria’s Office of Environmental Quality for its prompt response to a concern I passed along to them this past Wednesday, Feb. 15. That morning, I was walking my dog in the Chinquapin woods, like I do every weekday just before dawn
Letter: Invaluable Assist for Seniors
With all the talk about the rapid growth of the aging population, here in Alexandria there is an answer that benefits our community by supporting seniors who want to stay in their homes.
Letter: Manager’s Budget Lacks Vision
Alexandria's city manager's proposed budget reveals a flawed focus and vision. Instead of proposing major budget cuts in public safety and scaling back the major capital improvement projects, our city manager has instead preferred to cut jobs and reward the speculative metrics of more expenditures on public safety and priority development projects.
Letter: Displacing The Poor
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Beauregard Small Area Plan working session held at the Landmark Mall. As many of your readers may be aware, this plan is quite contentious — particularly to the residents of the West End neighborhood who will be most impacted.
Letter: Congressional Satirist?
Let’s not lose our faith in Rep. Moran’s ability to surprise. As background, he gamely decided to co-sponsor the STOCK Act which prohibits congressmen from buying or selling securities based on “congressional nonpublic” information.
Letter: Honoring George Washington
I commend Mayor Euille for proclaiming February 2012 as a month-long celebration to mark George Washington’s 280th birthday and the Birthday Committee for planning and facilitating the events and activities throughout the month.
Letter: Say Thanks in the Budget
Scott Gordon wrote a very moving tribute to our Alexandria First Responders in his Feb. 16 letter entitled "Say Thanks." He's right; the spirit of his letter and his recommendation to just say thanks are both spot on.
Column: Marking Time
As much as I don’t want to be ever-mindful of today’s date – relative to when I first learned of my diagnosis, that Thursday three years ago this very week, when my Internal Medicine doctor called me with the results of the biopsy (confirming the malignancy); and of course all that had preceded it and all that has happened since.
Column: Looking Ahead Despite Disappointments
The 2012 General Assembly has passed “Crossover,” when each house must complete action on all of its legislation that is to "crossover" to the other body.
Column: Bringing Job Search Assistance
Valentine's Day was very special this year at the Old Presbyterian Meeting House (OPMH) in Alexandria. The church hosted the latest event in Senior Services of Alexandria' Speaker Series titled, "Staying Connected: Employment and Volunteer Opportunities for Seniors in Alexandria.”