Column: Cost of Living
As the person primarily responsible for stocking the house with supplies and maintaining miscellaneous inventory, I am frequently in stores (supermarket, drugstore, pet store, etc.) buying the staples (not an office supply reference) our family needs to maintain our lifestyle, such as it is.
Editorial: Shop Locally, Shop in McLean
Small business Saturday isn’t enough; don’t wait until then, and don’t stop after that.
An effort to support locally owned businesses has resulted in the recognition of Small Business Saturday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year that is Nov. 30. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is known as a dedicated day of national zeal for shopping. Presumably the next day shoppers can focus on local shopping.
Editorial: Proof Every Vote Matters
Elections have consequences, including very close races.
Tuesday morning, a full week after an Election Day that included races that were more suspenseful than anticipated (and also many races that were foregone conclusions), we are probably more than a month away from certifying the winner of the Virginia Attorney General race.
It Wasn’t Fun While It Lasted
But it was only a week, and I was able to leave under my own power, assisted by a wheelchair, which is of course standard procedure when leaving a hospital after an admission, so it wasn’t a total loss. It was three months ago today, Friday, August 2nd that I was "ambulanced " to Holy Cross Hospital where I spent the beginning of my seven, first-ever nights in a hospital; pretty fortunate track record for someone my age.
Column: This Spud’s For You
There’s more talk now than ever before, about the possibility of the Washington, D.C. professional football team changing its name.
Editorial: Be Part of Children’s Connection
Call for student artwork and writing; deadline Dec. 6.
During the last week of each year, The Connection devotes its entire issue to the creativity of local students and children.
Letter: Strongly Opposed to Cutting Food Aid
Last week, Elizabeth Berry wrote a letter expressing concern over a bill passed by the House of Representatives that would cut food aid for nearly 3.8 million people, and asked that I oppose this legislation. I strongly oppose it. The cuts recommended by the House would eliminate free school meals for 280,000 children and aggravate an already difficult situation for many families in Virginia struggling to put food on the table. We must protect nutrition assistance programs because it’s our responsibility to ensure the neediest among us have access to food when times are hardest.
Editorial: Vote Nov. 5 or Before
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
For voters in Virginia, it is hard to overstate how important it is to go out and vote next week. All Virginia voters will see statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, plus one delegate race. In addition, there are a few local races in Alexandria and Arlington, a bond question in Fairfax County and a referendum question about the housing authority in Arlington.
Column: Excuse Me, Pardon Me, Excuse Me…
If it wasn’t a coincidence, it was the next thing to being one. What it was, was the hiccups; occurring after chemotherapy infusion number one and again after chemotherapy number two. The first episode lasted only a few days and annoyed my wife, Dina, way more than it annoyed me. The first hiccuping episode was fairly constant; however it was not exhausting – and I wasn’t having any trouble sleeping because of them. Nor was I making any disturbing sounds or having any difficulty breathing – when caught in mid-hiccup, and/or eating because of the herky-jerky movements/spasms of my diaphragm. In general, it was a fairly benign effect. In the big picture, it didn’t seem particularly important that it was the hiccups I was having, so I never called my oncologist. It was the hiccups after all. It might as well have been a skinned knee. Jeez. And sure enough, within a couple of days, I was “hiccuped out.”
Commentary: Keep Old Town Old Town
Driving through Old Town Alexandria on my way to City Hall in the early evening or on my way home after a night of meetings, the quiet streets of Old Town always provide an enduring sense of calm. There is a lasting beauty; the scenery gives me pause. I tell myself I must never take our historic preservation for granted.
Letter: Elections Have Consequences
Elections Have Consequences
I write in reaction to an article published in the Alexandria Gazette October 24 edition title “Conflict of Interest?” by writer Michael Lee Pope. The article discusses the hiring of the McGuire Woods law firm by the City of Alexandria to provide legal services in connection with the waterfront development.
Letter: Beyond Conflict Of Interest
Beyond Conflict Of Interest
When the Virginia journalism awards come out, I hope Michael Pope’s exposé of city hall using the same law firm as the waterfront developers gets an award for investigative reporting. Michael’s feature [“Conflict of Interest,” Oct. 24] is on par for the local level with what major dailies do on a national scale.
Letter: Focus on Economy
Virginia's abortion laws are unlikely to be any different four years after the new governor's inauguration from what they are on the day of his inauguration, no matter who is elected. The Democratic Senate would not allow any additional restrictions, and the Republican House would not go along with the relaxation of current law.
Letter: Move Forward, Not Slide Back
I am a woman with daughters and a granddaughter. The very idea that they could have their lives, and decisions about their health care, restricted by a governor and an attorney general who, because of their personal beliefs, would effectively punish women of many backgrounds, situations and beliefs, makes me very afraid.
Editorial: Halloween Party Safety Net
Make plans for a safe celebration; SoberRide safety net for those over 21.
Halloween is now a major holiday for adults, especially young adults, and also one of the major holidays each year that involve partying with alcohol and the risks of drinking and driving.