Column: Look What She Saw—Sort Of
Well there’s five seconds that fellow super-market-shopper won’t have back anytime soon. The question, the curiosity is: will she have nightmares and/or live to regret staring at me so intently that I think I may have seen the whites of her eyes – and it wasn’t even remotely dark?
Editorial: Reenacting a Dark History?
Turning back the clock in Richmond.
Who could have anticipated that our elected officials would take African-American History month and Women's History month so seriously that they would literally try to turn back the clock?
Column: Protecting Residents in Tax, Road Debates
Congress finally has acted to ensure payroll tax relief for 170 million individuals and families through the rest of 2012. This additional tax relief is critical for maintaining the momentum of the economic recovery, and Northern Virginians will realize an average savings of $2,000 per household.
Column: A Raw Deal for Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia is getting a raw deal from Governor McDonnell. While we need transportation investment to support this economic engine of the state, at least $1.5 billion in transportation funds are being diverted to wasteful and unnecessary projects in rural areas. Meanwhile, the state refuses to adequately fund Dulles Rail, leaving Northern Virginia taxpayers and toll payers to foot the lion's share of the bill.
Column: Black History Is American History
Nannie J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center celebrated along with other neighborhood centers, our collective American story with the annual "Black History is American History" program
Column: Keeping Focused on Economic Issues
As Black History Month comes to a close, I believe that we need to reflect on where we are as a Commonwealth and a nation. I am proud to share a slice of black history as the first African
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: Improving Budget While Fighting Right-Wing Social Agenda
On Sunday, the House and Senate budget committees unveiled competing versions of Virginia's $85-billion two-year budget.
Letter: Check Up on Legislators
The Virginia General Assembly's web site Lis.virginia.gov is very valuable for determining what your state delegate and senator is doing to represent you because it has information readily available on legislation introduced (patron) and signed on other bills (co patron) by each state delegate and senator, committee assignments, bills considered by committees and votes cast by each General Assembly member in committees, during house and senate floor sessions and whether to pass or reject bills. The patron of a bill has the responsibility of providing data to committees for consideration to pass or reject a bill. When a person co-patrons a bill it shows support for the bill's content.
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.
Column: Advice for Healthy Seniors
The Senior Speaker Series continues next month with an event co-sponsored by Senior Services of Alexandria and Inova Alexandria Hospital on March 7 at 10:30 a.m.
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