Lois L. Walker Dies at 73
Memorial service is planned for Oct. 26.
There was never any doubt that Lois Walker cared about the City of Alexandria, a place she called home for over 40 years. On Sunday, Oct. 13, the former City Council woman died in Kayseri, Turkey after contracting pneumonia while on vacation. She was 73.
Editorial: Don’t Let Negatives Keep You From Voting
Choices are stark; think about what principles should guide governance in Virginia for the next four years.
Every Virginia voter will have the option to cast a ballot for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and their member of the Virginia House of Delegates. While much of the coverage and advertising at the top of the ticket has been negative in the extreme, it will still matter who is governor. Don’t turn up your nose, hold your nose if necessary, and go vote. You can vote on Nov. 5; most likely you can vote before that.
New $1.6 Million Advertising Blitz Seeks to Rebrand Alexandria
First it was Fun Side. Then it was Charmville. Now Alexandria is extraordinary.
First Alexandria was the Fun Side of the Potomac. Then it was Charmville. Now Alexandria is being sold as "extraordinary" in a new $1.6 million destination advertising campaign that hopes to generate overnight stays by targeting people within a five-hour drive radius.
Battleground Northern Virginia
What role will the region play in the election?
For many years, Northern Virginia has been written off by both parties as a Democratic stronghold — a place where Republicans simply try to cut their losses while they focus on the rest of the commonwealth. But this election cycle may be different. All three of the gubernatorial candidates are from Fairfax County. And recent statewide candidates have not been able to win without picking off selected jurisdictions in Northern Virginia. "As you look at Northern Virginia that's further from Washington, you see a more Republican area — Prince William, western Fairfax, Fauquier," said Stephen Farnsworth, professor at University of Mary Washington. "That's where the real action is in Northern Virginia politics." As Election Day draws closer and television becomes a virtual battlefield for attention, a real battle is brewing on the ground here in Northern Virginia. Candidates and their advisors are looking at the path to victory back in 2009 for Republican Bob McDonnell, who won Prince William County, Fairfax County and Fauquier County. Although this race is likely to be closer than 2009, the importance of Northern Virginia is looming larger than ever.
What’s in a Name?
Virginia legislators work with Korean American groups to push for “East Sea” in textbooks.
Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates Ken Cuccinelli (R) and Terry McAuliffe (D) may be light years apart on most issues, but on one issue they’ve reached a consensus. Last month, they both pledged support to Virginia’s growing population of Korean Americans to use the dual names of “East Sea” and “Sea of Japan” to denote the body of water between Korea and Japan in Virginia’s textbooks. Koreans view the “Sea of Japan” designation as a legacy of Japanese colonial rule. Currently, more than 2.5 million Korean-Americans reside in the U.S. and nearly 150,000 of them live in Virginia. “As governor, going forward, I will wholeheartedly support the effort … to have our textbooks and other teaching materials reflect the concurrent names as we pursue education excellence in Virginia,” Cuccinelli wrote in a Sept. 16 letter to the Korean Community of Virginia. “As governor, I will ensure that as new texts are purchased or downloaded, they reflect this important historical truth …,” McAuliffe wrote to the Korean Community of Virginia on Sept. 25. For the past year, state Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37) has been leading Virginia’s legislative efforts to add the “East Sea” in public school textbooks.
'Undisciplined' South County Holds on to Beat T.C. Williams
Stallions improve to 5-1 with 44-37 victory
South County QB Symmes throws two touchdown passes to Quigley.
Editorial: Get a Flu Shot, Register to Vote
Getting a flu shot has never been easier.
A Bike Trip Through History
The Center Hiking Club hosts this season’s final historic marker bicycle tour.
Now that last weekend's heat wave is over and things are back to feeling fall-like, it's time for the last historic marker bicycle tour of the season, led by Bernie Bern of the Center Hiking Club.
Circle of Stars
USO honors top corporate donors.
The USO of Metropolitan Washington honored its top corporate sponsors Oct. 4 at the 10th Annual Stars and Stripes Night gala, naming 37 corporate donors to its 2013 Circle of the Stars.
West Springfield Volleyball Sweeps T.C. Williams
Nagel leads Spartans with 10 kills.
Spartans edge Titans in sets one and two, run away with set three.
Digging into the Future
Construction moves forward at The Exchange at Potomac Yard.
Mayor Bill Euille and U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) joined City of Alexandria officials as the JBG Companies and MidAtlantic Realty Partners held a ceremonial groundbreaking Oct. 9 to officially launch The Exchange at Potomac Yard, a mixed-use development along the Route 1 corridor in Alexandria and Arlington. “Unlike the folks on Capitol Hill, we are moving ahead and keeping people working,” said JGB managing partner Matt Kelly, referring to the federal government shutdown. The first phase of the 19-acre development will include two multi-family communities with a combined 65,000 square feet of retail and nearly 400,000 square feet of office space. The Alric, with 323 residential units, broke ground last February with occupancy expected in September of 2014. “This project is about a future generation of Alexandrians and Northern Virginians,” said Moran, who also made a reference to the lack of productivity on Capitol Hill. “This will be part of a new community where residents can live, work and shop without having to deal with extended traffic interruptions.”
Cleary, Realtor, Philanthropist Dies
Carol Leann Cleary, a well-known Realtor, local philanthropist and longtime resident of Alexandria, died Oct. 6 after a seven-week battle with pancreatic cancer. “Carol Cleary modeled a quiet dedication to children, family and community that inspired all of us who had the good fortune to know and interact with her,” said Sonia Qunionez, executive director of SCAN, a nationally-recognized nonprofit dedicated to the prevention of child abuse founded by Carol Cleary's husband David in the couple's basement 25 years ago. “She has been a force of generosity and compassion in this community for decades and believed in the power of individuals to make a difference in our community.”
'Del-Ray-Geous'
DRA artists express spirit of Del Ray.
The Del Ray Artisans held an opening night reception Oct. 4 for its latest exhibit, “Del-Ray-Geous,” a members-only show of works that expresses each artist's impressions of the spirit of the Del Ray community. “I tried to capture the unique architecture and feel of the Del Ray community,” said artist Durell Hope, whose colored pencil drawing on display featured the Del Ray Café restaurant. “There is so much vibrancy to this community. It's a very special place and I hope my work reflects that.”
Column: Senior Law Day Teaches How To Avoid Scams
Senior Services of Alexandria
Last June, Senior Services of Alexandria ended our second annual Speaker Series with a discussion about local scams targeting seniors. Ever since, I seem to hear more and more stories from friends and neighbors about someone who has been the victim to this type of predatory behavior. So I guess it shouldn't have come as a surprise when we received one of those "too good to be true" calls at home last Saturday. The recorded message promised that the Affordable Health Care Act entitled anyone over 60 to receive a $3,000 cash food benefit and a free life alert system. All I had to do was "press 1" to get started! Fortunately, I remembered learning that just pressing "1" would send me into a maze of scam artists, waiting for someone to identify themselves as a senior willing to listen to their latest scheme.
Commentary: Help Fight Breast Cancer
Pam Baker’s attention to detail saves lives. As a nurse and quality consultant here at Inova Alexandria Hospital, Pam diligently ensures our staff follow evidence-based guidelines and practices that promote the best outcomes for our patients. She also practices what she preaches: Pam follows guidelines from the American Cancer Society, which recommend that women over 40 get a mammogram every year. Eight years ago, her annual mammogram detected a lump in one of her breasts. “I wasn’t worried about dying of breast cancer. [The lump] was small. Because of my yearly exams, I knew it wasn’t there the year before,” Baker said. Fortunately, her mammogram flagged her breast cancer at an early stage. Baker underwent a mastectomy and hormone treatment at Inova Alexandria Hospital. Today, she’s a survivor.
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