Letter to the Editor: Re-Striping Plan Hurts Homeowners
To the Editor: The overarching problem with FCDOT’s and VDOT’s proposal for Sherwood Hall Lane is that it is concerned exclusively with the imagined needs of bicycle riders of whom there are only a handful and with passing through commuters of whom there are already far too many. The residents of the neighborhoods stretching from Route 1 and Gum Springs to Ft. Hunt Road, which include Hybla Valley [Frances and Schelhorn], Sherwood Estates and Hollindale are being told to accept changes to the road that will only degrade the neighborhood further and, therefore, decrease property values. The first degradation occurred in the early ‘70s with the widening of Sherwood Hall Lane from a little two lane road to what we have now. We lost property and many fine trees but at least we got sidewalks [we do have walkers and runners] and on street parking.
Letter to the Editor: Thank You To WPHS
To the Editor: Recently, U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry issued a communication to exceptional schools in the U.S. that support public diplomacy efforts by hosting high school exchange students sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. AFS has just learned that West Potomac High School received this commendation from Secretary Kerry, and we want to express how proud we are to work in educational partnership with this outstanding school and its visionary leaders.Nearly 30 years ago, I was welcomed into a U.S. high school as an exchange student from Argentina.
Letter: Multiple Needs
To the Editor
Commentary: Aumsings
My wife and I live just a couple of blocks from the Mount Vernon mansion and property.
Letter to the Editor: Advice on Road Sand
To the Editor: To follow up on several recent letters regarding collection and disposal of residual road treatment sand from this winter's snows, I have the following suggestion:1. remove shovel and push broom from garage (1 minute)2. sweep sand from road into gutter (5-10 minutes)3. use shovel to scoop sand from gutter and place in low spots in yard or in flower beds, etc. (don't put it where the kids play or in your vegetable garden) (5 minutes)
Editorial: Challenging Budgets
Local Government should be able to access income taxes to give relief on real estate taxes.
Northern Virginia governments are facing shortfalls in the classic budget sense: projected revenues are less than last year’s expenditures plus increases in costs.
Another Milestone
March 30, 2014. My age 59 and a half (9/30/54 is my date of birth). The age at which money deposited into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can be withdrawn without incurring a 10 percent early-withdrawal penalty from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Not that I’m retiring. I am remembering though when this cancer-centric life of mine began.
Commentary: Closing Healthcare Gap
As the General Assembly attempts to complete work in Richmond on the $90 billion state budget, the looming obstacle to an agreement is how to close the health insurance gap or cover uninsured Virginians. There are an estimated one million uninsured adults in Virginia today or about one in every eight Virginians.
Letter to the Editor: Amusings
George Washington had a brilliant mind and many interests. Among them was his love for words and, specifically, anagrams. As you know (or maybe not), an anagram is a word or phrase which is created by rearranging its letters to form another word or phrase. As an example, the word "horse" can be "anagrammed" into "shore."
Commentary: Let’s Be Fair about Route 1
As we’re about to see the Route 1 widening project get underway, it’s worth a review of what brought the need to widen the road in the first place. Contrary to what some of us are given to understand, Fort Belvoir’s growth under the Base Realignment and Closure did not bring about the need to widen Route 1. It did, however, play a critical role in getting the project funded.
Letter to the Editor: Frustrating Focus
To the Editor: I read with interest the recent commentary submitted by Del. Scott Surovell in the March 13-19 edition of the Mount Vernon Gazette. I was enlightened, frustrated and saddened by the 20 point commentary written by Delegate Surovell. While many of the 20 items Mr. Surovell discussed were noteworthy and reflected sound logic and value to Virginia citizens, several of the 20 items saddened and frustrated me. In item 9 Mr. Surovell complained about not being successful in removing the Virginia ban on same sex marriage. In short why is our legislative time and money being wasted on such an issue? Gay marriage is offensive and in no way can legislative time and effort and resources be justified in dealing with nothing more than politically correct activity to please a few when so many other pressing issues face our state and our country.
Letter to the Editor: Stop Higher Taxes Now
To the Editor: Speak up now or face higher Fairfax County real estate taxes. After April 29, it will be too late because the Board of Supervisors is making final decisions on the FY 2015 budget that includes property tax rate.By now you should have received the Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration (DTA) tax assessment notices for 2014. They show that assessments have increased over last year for most homeowners. According to county information, County-wide assessment values for 2014 have increased 6.54 percent and a typical household will see their real estate taxes increase by $331.67 over last year. Of course some will pay more because their tax assessment increased more than for the average household and if the current tax rate of $1.085 per $100 of assessed value is not reduced.
Letter to the Editor: Negative Impacts
To the Editor: Re: “Green Energy or Closed Landfill,” March 13. I wish EnviroSolutions’ plans for the Lorton landfill meant Green Energy for Fairfax County. Unfortunately and disappointingly, after vigorous research and investigation, the Mt. Vernon Council has learned that their proposal largely means increased methane pollution for our air, negative impacts on recycling construction and demolition debris (CDD), the likely killing of eagles, and the greening of ESI’s wallets
Editorial: Income Gap Alive and Well
Statistics make life in the area sound idyllic, but many families are left out in the land of plenty.
Northern Virginia is a place of wonder and plenty. So says the New York Times this past week in, "Income Gap Meet the Longevity Gap," (March 15, 2014).
Commentary: Will Supervisors Honor Compact with the Community?
Former publisher of the Chronicle Newspapers A move by EnviroSolutions in South County, including Lorton and parts of Fairfax Station and Springfield, to extend the life of its construction debris landfill by 22 years and dramatically increase the facility’s size has led to a growing controversy. The core issue is whether residents can trust the Board of Supervisors to honor and enforce the terms of a past agreement that was made between a corporation, the local community, and the Board of Supervisors.