Reading the Judge's Mail
Over time a lot of notes have been taken in courthouses, jails, political meetings and other venues where intellect sometimes is off the bubble.
Creating a Harmonious Family Life
Local experts offer tips for keeping your family happy.
As Elizabeth Rees drove her daughter and two of her daughter’s friends to a library reading group recently, the Alexandria mother of three admits that she felt like a chauffeur at first. But she had a change of heart after hearing sounds of laughter.
Not Yet, Really
While we’re exchanging pleasantries here, in semi real time – although this column will not be most read until March 6th (I need to submit it on Monday, March 3rd as we go to press on Tuesday, March 5th), I feel the obligation, given how last week’s column ended, to update you on the results from my February 26th CT Scan. Presumably, by the title you all have determined that as of this writing, Saturday, March 1st, I have not heard back from my oncologist. Typically, I would have already heard from him, electronically. But so far, not a peep, electronic or otherwise and believe me, I’ve been checking, as you might imagine.
Board Advertises Higher Tax Rate
Rate gives board flexibility, options in determining final budget.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 8-2 Tuesday to advertise a higher real estate tax rate that could add about $100 to annual tax bills, which will be on top of the $332 county homeowners will see this year as a result of higher real estate assessments. Setting the advertised tax rate formally begins the two-month public process to adopt the Fiscal Year 2015 budget, and the rate represents the maximum potential tax rate for FY2015.
Preventing Teen Suicides
Recent deaths shine light on FCPS suicide prevention programs.
Every 15 seconds, a teen in the United States tries to commit suicide. Every 90 minutes, one succeeds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also reports that the number of attempted suicides among teenagers increased from 6.3 percent in 2009 to 7.8 percent in 2011.
Cox Charities Virginia Awards Area Nonprofits
Cox Communications awarded $160,000 in grants to 25 nonprofit organizations in Virginia through Cox Charities grants programs. The grants presented Feb. 21 are part of the nearly $8 million Cox contributes annually through cash and in-kind support to the communities where they do business.
Impasse over Medicaid Expansion
This week we enter what will hopefully be the last week of the 2014 legislative session. The Senate and House must agree on a budget before we adjourn, but Healthcare remains the issue where legislators are having trouble moving forward. Republicans are refusing to discuss any options that involve Medicaid expansion and they are turning around and accusing the Democrats of holding the budget hostage. It is one thing to have an honest debate on differences in opinion, but it is not acceptable to stonewall the other side of the aisle to score political points. I recently spoke on the House floor this week about the need to compromise on healthcare and the budget; video is available on my website www.krupicka.com. Mental Health has been another one of the big issues this year. I co-patroned several bills this year relating to emergency detention. There has been some disagreement on how long we should extend the time for an emergency detention order, but the General Assembly has shown strong resolve to make real progress with our state’s mental health system and I am confident we will find a compromise to this issue.
Assistance Dogs: Making Connections
Service dogs and their “handlers” are teamed up through paws4people.
I was already one of those embarrassingly crazy dog people, when I first met Kyria and Terry Henry, founders of paws4people.org. But I had no idea how little I truly knew about the bonds possible between animals and their people. After photographing puppies coming home for the first time, dogs sharing their favorite pastime and pets who are older and/or ill, I really thought I knew all about the animal/people connection.
Virginia Laws Help Local Governments Conceal 911 Calls from Public
Police agencies refuse to release audio from 911 calls, prompting questions about transparency.
When city officials in Alexandria released the audio of a 911 call in a high-profile murder case, many people interpreted the move as a step forward for transparency in a commonwealth known for opaque government.
Letter to the Editor: A Call to Action: Jefferson-Houston School’s Future
Within the next few weeks the Alexandria City Public School (ACPS) Board plans to decide on a way forward for Jefferson-Houston (JH) School. The School Board discussed three options at its Feb. 20 meeting for the school’s future. You may be saying, I don’t have a child in school, why should I care? Because the city (and you as a tax payer) has invested $44 million for a new JH school building to open this fall which will double the school’s capacity. Meanwhile, everyone is working hard to reverse more than a decade of low achievement.
Brief: Back to Two Middle Schools
Following a six-month study by its Middle Schools for Tomorrow Workgroup, the Alexandria School Board unanimously approved restructuring the city’s five middle schools on two campuses back into two middle schools. As part of a plan to improve student achievement, George Washington Middle School would be formed from the current GW 1 and 2 middle schools and Francis C. Hammond Middle School would be formed from the current Hammond 1, 2 and 3 middle schools.
‘To Honor Our Beginnings’
Since the Center for Alexandria’s Children opened in 2007, a number of dedicated individuals has kept its child abuse education and prevention programs running, growing and thriving. Three of these individuals will be honored at its Fifth Annual Gala Benefit on Friday, Feb. 28, at Virtue Feed & Grain in Old Town. The organization hopes to raise more than $120,000 at the gala, which is its biggest fundraising event of the year. Center staff, volunteers and affiliates will take some time at the event to honor some key players in the Center’s history.
Brief: Memorial Fund To Honor Lawson
For the last 20 years, The Walk to Fight Breast Cancer has helped support mammograms and other diagnostic screening for Alexandria women who are uninsured or not adequately insured. To honor the Walk’s founder, Vola Lawson, who died in December 2013, the Walk will be renamed. A fund has been created in her memory, the Vola Lawson Breast Cancer Memorial Fund. Since its inception in 1994, the Walk has helped more than 8,000 uninsured Alexandria women receive free mammograms and other diagnostic screenings.
Synetic Theater Offers Street Theater Camp
Synetic Theater and dog & pony dc are teaming up to offer a week-long intensive course in street theater for high school and college students at Synetic's new studio space in Crystal City. It runs March 10-15 and costs $350. Classes will culminate on Saturday, March 15 with public performances that take students from Crystal City to Freedom Plaza in the District. “This year, we are very excited to be working with dog & pony theater,” said Camp Director Elena Velasco. “They use social media and are very focused on audience reaction and audience relationships.” She added, “With dog & pony, it will be how we can invite the audience into the action ... How do we incorporate that into social media — Twitter, texting — how can we expand that performance circle.” Under the guidance of senior Synetic teachers and artists from dog & pony dc, students will study the disciplines of collaborative creation. Street theater offers a means of honing one's skills as an actor, and performers use their craft to empower their community and transform public spaces into arenas of artistic exchange.
Budget Process: Get Involved
Chairman gives blueprint for community engagement in Fairfax County budget process.
In Fairfax County, when we adopt the budget, we are investing in the priorities and needs of the community. At the center of this open and transparent process is community engagement. It is critical that we have the community at the table with us when we are considering changes to the budget that the County Executive released for advertisement at our Board Meeting on Feb. 25. Below are some opportunities to learn about the budget, ask questions and make suggestions during the months of March and April. I look forward to hearing from you.
High Five
I made it. It’s five years after receiving a terminal diagnosis on February 27, 2009 from my oncologist: stage IV non-small cell lung cancer, accompanied by a "13-month to two-year" prognosis. Let’s be honest, medical professionals don’t toss around the word "terminal" because you’re going to be treated at an airport. Presumably, they know their facts and figures as well as the patient’s present condition, confirmed by a variety of diagnostic results from X-Rays, CT Scans, P.E.T. Scans, lab work and of course the ever-popular biopsy, so their diagnosis/prognosis is a bit more than an educated guess. Nevertheless, there are exceptions to every rule and until proven otherwise, I was not about to succumb to their statistics. Still, based on the best medical knowledge available at the time, this patient (yours truly) was given a limited life expectancy and encouraged to take the vacation I had always dreamed of – for obvious you’re-life-is-now-shorter-than-you-ever-imagined-type reasons, and yet, five years hence, here I am.
T.C. Williams Girls’ Basketball Loses in Region Quarterfinals
Titans fall short despite overcoming 11-point deficit.
The T.C. Williams girls' basketball team's season ended Tuesday night.
Q&A with Brooke Curran
After witnessing the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, Brooke Curran decided that she would embark on a mission to impact the lives of others. After recreationally running 10 miles each day, Curran made it her goal to run 50 marathons in all 50 states, seven marathons in each continent, and each of the five major marathons. Curran has successfully accomplished all these goals while raising money to fund more than 20 local charities with her Alexandria-based nonprofit, RunningBrooke.
Bulova: ‘This Will Be a Challenging Budget’
Fairfax County average homeowner will see tax bill increase $330 under County Executive’s proposed $7 billion budget.
Fairfax County Executive Edward Long, Jr. unveiled a $7 billion budget proposal Tuesday that reflects his "cautious and deliberative approach to budgeting," a result, Long said, of continuing uncertainty over federal spending and sluggish commercial tax revenues.
Commentary: People of Faith for Equality in Virginia
Prior to 1996, I had not given much thought to same sex marriage. Then, in September of that year, DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, was passed. Now DOMA confused me. I really did not understand why marriage needed defending. If gay people got married, would that make me want to abandon my wife or make me want to become a gay man? What nonsense! If gays adopted kids who needed homes, wouldn’t that be a good thing, and how was it different from an infertile straight couple who adopted? If gays had legally-recognized families, would they do any worse with the institution of marriage than straight people who for years have sported a 50 percent divorce rate? In November 1996, as a member of City Council, I proposed that we include in our legislative package a same-sex marriage proposal for consideration by the Virginia General Assembly. Hard to believe that was almost 20 years ago. That was the first legislative proposal for same-sex marriage in Virginia, maybe the first in the country. It didn’t pass, but I can tell you it made for some very interesting politics in my next election six months later.