McAuliffe Talks Medicaid Expansion
Patients share stories at Medicaid expansion roundtable.
Just a few days before the Virginia General Assembly convened in a special session in Richmond to decide on the budget and the possibility of Medicaid expansion, Gov. Terry McAuliffe met with patients of Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services in Arlington, as they shared with him how Medicaid expansion would change their lives for the better.
Area Residents Depend On Medicaid Coverage
Surovell, Puller host Medicaid expansion town hall.
Before heading to Richmond to debate what Sen. Toddy Puller describes as the “biggest battle” that will occur during this session of the General Assembly, Puller joined Del. Scott Surovell and Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Bill Hazel to discuss Medicaid expansion and its possible impact on the Mount Vernon and Lee communities.
New Superintendent Hopes to Cut the Numbers of Suspensions in Half
Black male students suspended at disproportionate rates.
Less than a month into office, new Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Alvin Crawley is taking on the challenge of reducing the number of suspensions by half.
President Rebuilding Together Alexandria
Her memories are vivid. She loves Alexandria. And she loves her home. After living in the city for 71 years, Mary* not only appreciates the city’s rich history but grows with it. In fact, everywhere she looks, she recollects memories from different parts of her life. As a native Alexandrian who grew up on Queen Street, Mary remembers when Quaker Lane used to be mud lands, and when shops on Mt. Vernon Avenue had to close due to the floods. As a private nurse who often worked at the Goodwin House during her 30-year career, she met and cared for many well-known people and their family members, including a relative of Jackie Kennedy. She experienced segregation during the Civil Rights era but felt that outside of school, boundaries faded and kids got along. This was especially the case during a family tragedy. When her brother drowned as a young boy, the entire community came together working to find him.
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)
Even Mean Speech Is Protected
The matter of free speech surely, completely and without exception is certainly alive and well. Contrarians and other questioners need only remember the name of Fred Phelps. Phelps is the odious man who masqueraded as a Baptist preacher. He pushed the limits of saying what you want, when you want, no matter where you are or who you hurt. To the utter astonishment, but truly proper perhaps, the U.S. Supreme Court backed up his rantings. I have known, met and worked with hundreds, probably thousands of ecclesiastical types all of my life from all sorts of denominations. Fortunately I never met a man or person of the Phelps ilk or who personified such hate as this disbarred attorney. There are certainly other malicious and despicable public personages in the United States and around the world, not attempting to pass as members of the cloth.
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.
New Food for Spring
When Dara Yaffe Lyubinsky was growing up in Potomac she always enjoyed cooking, whether it was with her family and friends, or for her synagogue. Today, she’s passionate about cooking fresh, seasonal meals. Lyubinsky, like many chefs and culinary enthusiasts, is looking forward to strolling through farmers markets and creating fanciful spring dishes with the season’s freshest bounty, especially as she prepares to return to D.C. from New York. However, she and other chefs are making the most of the available spring produce even if warm weather seems a like a distant dream.
Underscoring Importance of Early Education
U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner visited The Child and Family Network Centers’ West End facility on March 7 to discuss President Obama’s 2015 budget proposal to invest in high quality early education for all children. Duncan, Sebelius, Moran and Warner received a tour of CFNC’s site and met with the children in their classrooms.
Let the Music Play
In support of students enrolled in music classes throughout the city, First Night Alexandria announced contributions to the music programs at three Alexandria City Public schools. During a recent pyramid concert performed by the bands, orchestras and choirs of Francis Hammond and George Washington Middle Schools and T.C. Williams High School, First Night Alexandria presented contributions totaling $3,000 to support the music programs at the three schools.
Virginia Bluebells: Native Spring Beauty
Carpets of bluebells coming soon to a park near you.
The Virginia Bluebells are coming. In early Spring, these native wildflowers will burst into bloom profusely throughout much of the Washington area. Botanically named Mertensia virginica, one of a number of species of Mertensia, Virginia Bluebells can be found in many moist, woodland areas, especially along streams and rivers. Depending on the weather, they first appear in early April as light pink buds, and then open into several shades of pink, blue and even white. In some areas along the local rivers they bloom in stunning profusion, creating a veritable carpet of color.
‘Sea Surface Full of Clouds’
WMPA, NOVA Community Chorus to debut work of local composer.
At a recent rehearsal of the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, composer Lawrence Edward Ries observed the orchestra as it performed his cantata “Sea Surface Full of Clouds.”
Neighborhood
ST. PATRICK'S DAY CELEBRATIONS The Irish Breakfast Band, a group of local musicians, held a lively session at St. Elmo's Coffee Pub on Mt. Vernon Avenue on the evening of Monday, March 17.
Letter to the Editor: True Cost of Medicaid Expansion
To the Editor: State Sen. Adam Ebbin’s constituent report highlighted the proposed state Medicaid expansion which has forced a special session because the legislature’s two houses, under the control of different parties, cannot reach agreement. In this liberal state senate district, most constituents likely support Senator Ebbin’s stance.
‘Carmen’ Comes to Area
Virginia Opera brings "Carmen" to Center for the Arts.
Virginia Opera, the Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, will present Georges Bizet’s sultry tragedy about opera’s most famous femme fatale, "Carmen." The opera has enthralled audiences for more than a century and is one of the most popular. "Carmen" follows Don José and his ill-fated obsession with the alluring Carmen who tosses him aside for another man leading to jealous rage.
African American Heritage Tour Stops in Alexandria
“Welcome to Alexandria,” called out the Alexandria Town Crier as 200-plus visitors stepped out of four tour buses at the Charles Houston Recreation Center last month.
Kicking Off the 19th Annual Kick Butts Day
Nearly 30 members of the Influence Club at T.C. Williams High School participated in a walking tobacco audit of local stores on March 19.
‘Goal Is To Spot Kids in Crisis’
Police, others take suicide prevention training.
Although there have been four recent incidents of teen suicides in Fairfax County, the Police Department has planned to offer Suicide Awareness and Intervention Training for its officers since October 2013.
Obit: Elsie Taylor Jordan Dies at 87
Family, friends mourn community activist and leader.
Elsie Taylor Jordan (Ms. Elsie) died peacefully at the age of 87 surrounded by her family at the Birmingham Green long-term care facility in Manassas on Feb. 7, 2014.