Commentary: Celebrating Creativity, Recovery and Mental Health
Alexandria will open its fourth annual Art Uniting People celebration and exhibition on May 7 with several firsts this year. For the first time the opening exhibition and reception will take place at The Gallery@Convergence. Convergence, a faith community that explores the intersection of art, faith and the human experience, is well known for presenting the work of local artists, musicians and dancers.
Will Alexandria Sell City Hall to Developers?
City leaders to consider selling historic structure rather than investing in it.
Should city taxpayers fork over $50 million to renovate City Hall? Or should a new $100 million facility be constructed somewhere else, opening the door for a developer to transform the historic building? That's the question that will be confronting City Council in the coming years as elected officials decide whether or not they want to invest in fixing the building.
Alone on the Road: 7 out of 10 Northern Virginia Workers Use Single-Occupancy Vehicles
Study raises concerns about amount of time drivers spend commuting alone.
Despite the decades-long war against the single-occupancy vehicle, seven out of 10 workers in Northern Virginia drive to work alone every workday.
Who is Trailing Don Beyer in Hotly Contested Democratic Primary?
Candidates elbow each other out of the way to secure second place.
Campaign finance documents show that former Lt. Gov. Don Beyer crushed the nine other candidates in the hotly contested Democratic primary.
Bishop Ireton Girls’ Lax Eyes WCAC, State Titles
Cardinals have improved each year under Coach Sofield.
The Bishop Ireton girls' lacrosse team is 10-2.
A Picture Perfect Home
Tips from the pros on boosting a home’s curb appeal.
When Realtors Marsha Schuman and Betsy Schuman Dodek drive up to a home to show it to a prospective buyer, they know that they have only one chance to make a good first impression. Potomac-based Dodek and Schuman of the Schuman Team of Washington Fine Properties say a home’s curb appeal matters. “When we think of curb appeal we think of the lawn and landscaping, front door, windows, roof and how it all looks,” said Dodek.
Del Ray Realtor Honored for Community Leadership
Jen Walker receives the Marguerite Payez Leadership Award.
When Jen Walker moved to the Del Ray section of Alexandria in 1997 she received a warm welcome and felt an immediate sense of community.
What to Expect
Real estate experts offer a forecast for spring.
Real estate agent Joan Caton Cromwell says she lost a home bidding war last week in Falls Church even though her client was a strong contestant.
Realtors: Great Kitchens Help Sell Homes
Real estate experts offer tips for creating an appealing kitchen.
Designer Jacquelin Lluy, of Nicely Done Kitchens and Baths in Springfield, recently transformed the kitchen of a home in Mantua, in Fairfax, from a small, dark space to a light-filled, free-flowing culinary oasis.
Spring Songbirds Arriving Now
Local bird groups and bird walks help beginning birders see colorful birds.
The birds are coming. The annual migration of often brightly colored songbirds from their winter homes in Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, and the southern U.S. is underway now. Millions and millions of avian migrants fly northward every night and the come down to rest or nest every morning. Some of the birds are enroute to nesting areas far to the north; some nest right here or nearby.
Region Sees Lowest Number of TB Cases in Decades
Outreach efforts get people in for tuberculosis treatment before it spreads.
When Dr. Barbara Andrino came to the Fairfax County Health Department in 2011, there were 137 cases of tuberculosis in Northern Virginia.
Notes from the Producer
MetroStage Presents ‘Underneath the Lintel’
Storytelling at its best — storytelling in a small intimate space where the audience is actively engaged — this seems to be a common theme at MetroStage.
Gala To Benefit Scholarship Fund
The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria will hold its 28th Annual Spring Gala dinner dance and silent auction on Saturday, April 26.
Send in Mother's Day Photos
Mother’s Day is May 11 and every year at this time, the Gazette Packet calls for submissions to its Mother’s Day photo gallery.
Enjoying the 4th Annual Mardi Growl
Colorful boas and festival masks greeted the guests arriving at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on April 2 for the 4th annual Mardi Growl benefiting the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
TR’s Pot of Gold
The City of Alexandria’s Therapeutic Recreation Program found a pot of gold in its celebration with participants of the Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center’s Out of School Time program.
Where Am I?
"I’m sitting in the rocking chair, good buddy," (a "Smokey and The Bandit" reference, if you’re not of a certain vintage), between two 18-wheelers where the police radar can’t find me – further referencing the C.B. radio days. Updating to the "Kenny-with-cancer" days, I’m a month or so past my last very encouraging CT Scan, the one I wrote about when my oncologist offered me a congratulatory handshake, a gesture he had not made in the five-plus years since we’ve been tangling with this damn disease; and I’m approximately seven weeks away from my next CT scan, "intervaled" every three months at present. Seven weeks is far enough away where I’m not even thinking about it, or the possibility of its discouraging results that I’ll know about on or about June 9th. I am cruising, emotionally, and savoring the excellent results from the last scan and not yet worrying, wondering, hoping, praying (too much) about my next scan. This means, at the moment – or moments, I should say, I am enjoying a relatively stress-free and blissful ignorance to what may – or hopefully may not, be happening in my lungs. I am, to quote a Three Stooges line: "as safe as in my mother’s arms."
Entrants Sought for Anti-Alcohol Awards
A Vienna-based, alcohol-education group wants to honor local, high school groups for their efforts in fighting underage drinking. To recognize high-school students for "doing the right thing," the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) will present its 2014 GEICO Student Awards at a May 16 ceremony in Washington, D.C., and is accepting applications for the honors through Monday, April 28, at http://www.wrap.org/files/youthOutreach.htm. Entry is free.
Editorial: Past Time for Later Start Times
Teenagers are sleep deprived, and sleep deprivation takes a significant toll on safety, health and learning. We’ve known this for decades. But for decades, literally, Fairfax County Public Schools (and Montgomery County, Md.) have let a combination of reactionary blabber ("buck up and get moving;" "just tell them to go to bed earlier") and organizational resistance prevent implementing a solution to this very real problem. Getting up at 5:30 or 6 a.m. to hop on a school bus at 5:45 a.m. or even as late at 6:30 a.m. to get to school by 7:20 a.m. is not healthy for teenagers. It is nearly impossible for teenagers to go to sleep before 11 p.m. or midnight. Fairfax County high school students average six hours of sleep a night on weeknights. Research shows they need nine hours of sleep. Research has also quantified the costs of sleep deprivation.
Classified Advertising April 23, 2014
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