Commentary:The Meaning of the American Revolution
In May I attended the cornerstone dedication for the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.
Column: Been There, Doing That
I.V. chemotherapy, that’s what; and I’m not infusing it for the fun of it, either.
Editorial: HOT-Lanes and No Metro for I-66?
Did you miss the public discussion and input? So did we.
One day when I was stuck in traffic on I-66, I was briefly entertained by the license plate of the vehicle in front of me. "66 SUCKS," it read. No question, commuting on I-66 is a bear.
Column: No Shame in Crying
Nor is it a crying shame. But something has changed, dare I say affected my tear duct production. I can’t say with certainty – or even specify a particular moment in time for sure – when the tears began to flow more easily, but I’ll guess the change occurred sometime on or around February 27, 2009, the day I first met my oncologist; the day I was diagnosed with a terminal disease, stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), “prognosed” to live 13 months to two years. If that kind of shocking, terminal-type news doesn’t upset your apple cart – permanently, “You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din.” And so it has, as reflected in my frequent “salty discharge” (to quote Jerry Seinfeld).
Editorial: Ready for Your Pet’s Close-up?
The Pet Connection, a bi-annual themed edition, will publish July 24. We invite you to send us stories about your pets, photos of you and/or your family with your cats, dogs, hamsters, snakes, lizards, frogs, rabbits, or whatever other creatures share your home or yard with you.
Commentary: Northern Virginia’s Health
The 2.2 million people in the Northern Virginia communities of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties and Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park cities live in the most populous region in the commonwealth and in some of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the nation.
Letter: Supporting Indoor Facility at Baron Cameron Park
To the Editor:
I am a long-time Reston resident, strong community volunteer and parent of age-group swimmers. I am also a nationally recognized swimmer and swimming official. I support an Indoor Aquatic & Recreation Facility at Baron Cameron Park
Letter: Call to Ban Outdoor Smoking
To the Editor:
As a teenager, I really dislike smelling smoke from cigarettes, cigars, etc. I highly agree with Starbucks’ ban of smoking on their outdoor patios. The rest of the community should consider banning outdoor smoking also.
Commentary: Bipartisan Approach Needed in Evaluating Legislators
The 2013 session of the General Assembly was a landmark one, according to most everyone who follows politics in the Old Dominion. It passed a sweeping transportation funding package that had eluded approval for at least a couple of decades.
Column: Full Circle
I hope it’s not a wrap though. I’d like to continue rolling along just like I rolled into college in late August, 1972, matriculating to the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. Oddly/coincidentally enough, there have been and continue to be some recent occurrences in my life that hearken back to yesteryear, the olden days of the early 1970s, when I freshmen-oriented myself to a major university for the first time.
Commentary: Measure of Being Poor in Virginia
I have always maintained that the poor in Northern Virginia are worse off than others living in less affluent parts of the state because the cost of living is higher in this region. The difference can be most clearly seen in the cost of housing; and there have been many notable efforts on the part of local governments to increase the stock of workforce, affordable housing. The traffic coming into Northern Virginia from the west and south is made up largely of people who cannot afford housing in the area.
Commentary: Picking Candidates
While primary elections are considered to be the most democratic way to select candidates, these elections suffer from little public notice or awareness, low voter turnout and the use of scarce resources that will not be available for the general election.
Commentary: A Bizarro World Slate
Imagine a state where the incumbents of the top posts—governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general—are all from one party. Imagine it is an election year. Imagine that party convening to select their candidates. One might expect a confident, party atmosphere celebrating a relatively popular incumbent governor and great unity in the coming battle to continue to hold power.
Commentary: Respecting Parents’ Roles
Parental notice is key to school discipline reform.
Most Fairfax County parents assume that they will be called before their child is questioned for something that could ruin their academic career, just as they are when their kid is sick or injured. That is not the case.
Editorial: Don’t Be Among the Missing
Last time Virginia elected a governor, 1.7 million voters failed to vote after voting the previous year.
In 2008, 74.5 percent of Virginia’s registered voters turned out to vote in the presidential election. In 2009, the last time Virginians elected a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and members of the House of Delegates, just 40.4 percent of registered voters came out to vote.