People
2013 Living Legend Nominees Honored
The 2013 Living Legends of Alexandria nominees were honored with a musical tribute at NOVA's Winter Concert at Rachel Schlesinger Hall Dec. 6. Nominees, nominators, board members and members of city council gathered for a pre-concert reception followed by the winter concert and formal introduction of the nominees during intermission.
Classified Advertising January 2, 2013
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Happy New Year, Keep in Touch
Reflecting and reinforcing the sense of community.
As local, weekly newspapers, the Connection’s mission is to bring the news you need about your community, to give you the information you need to enjoy the best things in and near your community, to advocate for community good, to call attention to unmet needs, to provide a forum for dialogue on local concerns, and to celebrate and record milestones and events in community and people’s lives. To succeed at any of that, we need your help.
Advice for Seniors on Fitness in the New Year
Suggestions for making and keeping exercise resolutions.
Mary Garner’s New Year’s resolution is to increase the intensity of her workout routine. The 69-year-old retiree plans to seek the advice of a fitness trainer to create a plan to achieve her goal.
The Quest for Youth and Beauty
Spending billions of dollars to improve one’s appearance.
Hiba Hakki reclines on an exam table as a physician picks up a syringe with his latex-gloved hand and points it at her face. He inserts the needle into the flesh around her eyes. She cringes slightly. This is a Botox injection, just one of the cosmetic procedures Hakki undergoes for the sake of beauty.
Should Virginia’s Governor Be Able to Run for Reelection?
Longstanding ban on second consecutive term to be reconsidered this year.
Virginia is the only state that limits its governor to a single, four-year term, a vestige of the distrust Americans had for executive power during the American Revolution. Now, more than two centuries later, the commonwealth may finally be ready to ditch the longstanding term limit and allow Virginia’s governor to run for reelection.
Happy New Year
Thousands celebrate First Night Alexandria, flock to fireworks finale.
Revelers from as far away as New Zealand celebrated the New Year here as a dazzling display of fireworks lit up the Alexandria waterfront to signal the arrival of 2013.
Column: George’s Advice on Role of Party
In his Farewell Address in 1796, giving his final counsel to his country, after two terms as President, George Washington warned:
Editorial: Happy New Year, Keep in Touch
Reflecting and reinforcing the sense of community.
As a local, weekly newspaper, the Gazette Packet’s mission is to bring the news you need about your community, to give you the information you need to enjoy the best things in and near your community, to advocate for community good, to call attention to unmet needs, to provide a forum for dialogue on local concerns, and to celebrate and record milestones and events in community and people’s lives.
Column: Legacy Of Life
Dec. 12 marked an historic occasion in Inova Alexandria Hospital’s long and distinguished history: the 140th anniversary of the hospital’s founding by Julia Johns and a committed group of Alexandria women.
Touching For Sure, But Not Always
Usually, but not always, when I show for my scheduled post-chemotherapy/post-scan appointment with my oncologist, I am physically examined (touching, feeling). Recently, due to some enhanced computer and facility upgrades, I was shown the actual scans, digitized. However, on more than one occasion over the last 18 months or so, after we discussed the results of my most recent CT Scan – and lab work, no physical exam was performed. Apparently, as I later learned, the good results from my scan sort of trumps any need to feel for physical manifestations.
How the Powerless Access Power
Immigrants make significant gains in influencing political system.
On Election Night Nov. 6, Keisy Chavez’s nerves were frayed. The Fairfax single mom had been campaigning hard for Democrats since the official launch of Latinos for Obama last April.
Instincts…
Forty-five months later, I am still dealing with feelings – as in still living, for which I am amazingly fortunate. However, those feelings seem to sometimes have a mind of their own, and accordingly tend to take over and rewire one’s brain (figuratively speaking).
Contractors Call Holidays Ideal Time to Ponder Remodeling Projects
Local contractors say that the holidays offer an opportunity to consider home renovations.
While the holidays can bring glad tidings and cheer, they can also spark an interest in remodeling, say some local contractors.
An Alexandria Homecoming at the 9:30 Club
Two bands with T.C. Williams roots to celebrate the world still spinning this weekend.
Two Alexandria-based bands are joining forces for what's bound to be a feel-good show at the 9:30 Club this weekend. Virginia Coalition, a group of guys that have been making the rounds in rock clubs since their high school days at T.C. Williams and better known to their fans as VACO, are hosting Rock-A-Pocalypse on Saturday, Dec. 22.
Union of Pedestrians: Waterfront Plan Prompts Changes to Union Street
Union Street to become 'shared street.'
The first signs of change from the waterfront plan are about to sweep through Old Town, adding features city officials believe will make the thoroughfare more friendly to pedestrians who will walk along the redeveloped properties.
City Leaders Approve Plan to Demolish Jefferson-Houston and Construct New Facility
$45 million facility is seen as a way to revitalize long-struggling school.
The name “Jefferson-Houston” presents a paradox — a hyphenated marriage of slave-owner Thomas Jefferson and civil-rights leader Charles Houston.
Avoiding Jet Lag
Medical experts offer suggestions for those traveling across multiple time zones during the holidays.
Every December, Linda McDonald travels from her Oak Hill home to Stockton, Calif., to visit her family for Christmas. She tries to head west a few days before the holiday, but often leaves on Christmas Eve, and arrives feeling hazy and sluggish.
Cosmetic Dentistry for Children
Whether it’s to replace a tooth that was lost or broken during a hockey game or to create a Hollywood-smile before taking the stage for a school play, pediatric dentists say an increasing number of children are undergoing cosmetic dental procedures.
Present Needing to be Accounted For
As a stage IV non-small cell lung cancer diagnosee/patient/survivor/anomaly, living long--whether prospering or not, is not the simple and presumptive proposition I had anticipated. No more do I anticipate living the same number of years and in the same relative good health that my parents (both deceased), experienced well into their 80s. Now, my life revolves around my oncologist and the CT Scans and lab work that precede our recurring appointments.