Editorial: Yes to Nonpartisan Redistricting
Politicians shouldn’t be choosing voters.
Virginia’s Congressional map is unconstitutional because African American voters are packed into District 3, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The problem will have to be remedied by drawing new boundaries.
Column: Quality of Life
Throughout my nearly six and a half years of cancer treatment, starting at the initial Team Lourie meeting on February 27, 2009, when my oncologist suggested I take that vacation I’ve always dreamed of (to which I exclaimed “WHAT!?”), my quality of life has always been important to him.
Editorial: Open Letter to Elected Officials and Candidates
Spend some of your campaign dollars in newspapers.
Here at the Connection, our email boxes are filling up with messages from people running for office. It’s not surprising, since in November, virtually every state and local office in the commonwealth is on the ballot.
Column: Gone But Always Remembered
As Father’s Day approaches, (written Thursday, June 18th) I am reminded of one of my father’s standard lines which characterize his positive attitude on life, for which I am eternally grateful – because I inherited it.
Letter: Irony of Park Petition
Letter to the Editor
Unfortunately some who volunteer to serve in the civic arena do so mainly to pursue their own personal agenda and impose it on the community at large.
Editorial: Safe Planning for Independence
Talking and planning about celebrating July 4, and throughout the summer months.
Independence Day is a national celebration, and for many, that celebration includes alcohol. The summer overall and July 4 in particular are times of greater risk for drinking and driving.
Alexandria Appetite: Good Restaurants Make Good Neighbors
Once bereft of eateries, Carlyle community now boasts embarrassment of riches.
For years, the Carlyle community has been more than a nine-to-five business district. While condos and apartments have been full for more than half a decade, the restaurant population has been slow to catch up. In a neighborhood that was once dominated primarily by sandwich shops and other lunchtime eateries, some more substantial dining spots have emerged, and they’re certainly worth a visit.
Column: No Joke, But Funny Nonetheless
Not that I ever want to use my having cancer as an excuse, but you have to admit, it’s a doozy. And it’s probably the best thing about the diagnosis/prognosis. However, it’s not as if there are a number of other advantages to the disease.
Letter: Who Could Resist?
Letter to the Editor
The big day had finally arrived. My two boys were about to experience their first day owning a small business, the Bearce Brothers Lemonade Stand.
Letter: Where Is Ray Morrogh?
Letter to the Editor
Natasha McKenna, a 37-year-old African-American mother of a young daughter, while a prisoner in the Fairfax County jail, was shot at least four times with taser stun guns by sheriff’s deputies. She rapidly lost consciousness and five days later died. At the time of the incident, it was reported she was shackled with a hood covering her head. The 5 foot 130-pound woman’s death raises questions. How much fight could have been in her to resist six sheriff’s deputies assigned to an elite squad specializing in dealing with a woman diagnosed with mental illness? Was it necessary use of force? Was there no other tactical option available?
Column: Philosophically Speaking
Recently I attended a “Celebration of Life” event, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, created to bring attention to, and educate the public on, cancer. As a long-time cancer survivor, nearly six and a half years now – and one treated by doctors at Kaiser, I was asked, along with a cervical cancer survivor, to sit on a “survivor panel”; to share our cancer experiences, and offer, along with two oncologists and a pulmonologist, our respective insights as “treater” and “treatee.”
Letter: Impressed By Candidate
As someone who has lived in the Mount Vernon area all of my life, I came home from UVA this summer with a keen interest in Scott Surovell’s State Senate campaign.
Letter: Listen to Proposal's Neighbors
Last Thursday, I attended a meeting where developer CHPPENN I, LLC presented preliminary proposals for providing affordable housing dwellings on North Hill on Richmond Highway, numbering over 400 including apartments and townhouses. Under the current Zoning and Comprehensive Plan, 67 dwellings may be constructed by right.
Editorial: Overdose Deaths Are Preventable
New “safe reporting” law encourages people to seek help in time.
The death rate due to heroin overdose more than doubled between 2010 through 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), with an average increase of 37 percent per year in the United States.
Column: Weight For It; Wait
Given some post-chemotherapy eating challenges I’ve experienced during the past few months, and the subsequent weight loss which has occurred, my oncologist has prescribed Dronabinol, common brand name: Marinol.