Letter: Give Mason His Due
To the Editor: The Bill of Rights, one of the most important bulwarks of our freedoms, was the product of the wisdom and determination of George Mason IV of Gunston Hall, a proud native Alexandrian.
Letter: Offering Some Healthy Corrections
I was pleased to see the Mount Vernon Gazette cover the recent American Association of University Women (AAUW) showing of the movie “Food, Inc.” with a panel discussion in which I took part (“Taste Trumps Nutrition,” Nov. 23), however, several corrections to the article are in order.
Letter: Lessons from School Board Election
In Alexandria you have to know the players to understand the scorecard. The city's campaign finance records reveal that Alan Hilburg contributed $500 to Helen Morris's successful 2009 School Board run. A year later, Mr. Hilburg was given a $12,000 a month consulting contract to advise ACPS on communications issues. Given ACPS’s many public relations gaffes in the past few years, the newly elected School Board may want to take a closer look at the school system’s use of consultants.
Letter: An Early Scottish Christmas Walk?
Advent is from Dec. 2 through Dec. 24. Christmas begins on Dec. 25. So why is the Scottish Christmas Walk on Dec. 1?
Letter: Focus on Jefferson-Houston
The Gazette Packet’s story [“New Direction for Schools,” Nov. 22] relied on the overquoted, yet curiously ignored public relations expert Alan Hilburg's recent editorial lament. Hilburg's letter to the editor expressed sadness upon hearing of School Board Vice Chair Helen Morris' electoral passing. Morris like several past and present Jefferson-Houston PTA presidents are the architects of the school's academic decline.
Letter: No Basis For Complaint
In response to the recent letter to the editor: “Sermonizing At Poll Site,” I am compelled to take issue with Ms. Downs who complained about a normal function in Blessed Sacrament Catholic Community. As precinct captain at Temple Beth El and a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament, there is absolutely no basis for this outrageous complaint.
Column: SSA Kicks Off Friendly Visitor Program
Column: On Oct. 24, Senior Services of Alexandria kicked off its Friendly Visitors Program with the support of Alexandria’s Mayor Bill Euille and members of the faith community from Old Presbyterian Meeting House and Downtown Baptist.
Column: Sometimes, Just Vote and Move on
Column: Process is very important — indeed critical. It is important to democratic self-government that the people know how and when they can participate.
Column: A History of Healthcare Excellence
Column: Exactly 140 years ago this month – December 1872 – a woman of remarkable spirit, compassion and vision called upon a group of friends to help her open a hospital in the City of Alexandria.
Editorial: Learning in a Global Community
Students in Fairfax County speak 160 languages.
This week our ongoing series about immigration in Fairfax County takes a look at county schools, and some of the joys and challenges of having a diverse student body that speaks as many as 160 different languages at home.
As Sandy Rolls In, Still Plan to Vote
Variety of choices in political landscape.
Hurricane Sandy means that the week preceding the election will not be what we were expecting. This editorial is being written Sunday night, Oct. 28, as forecasters predict five inches of rain and 65-mile-per-hour winds over the next two days. With some predicting that power could take a week or more to restore, we have to worry about the likely condition of the Eastern seaboard will be on Election Day, Nov. 6. Absentee voting in person had been cancelled for Monday, and most government offices were closed in anticipation of the storm. What will this mean for voter turnout, for access to voting places on Election Day? We don't believe that there are significant numbers of undecided voters in Northern Virginia. There are voters who know who they would vote for if they did vote, but they might not be committed to voting if circumstances are difficult. The outcome of the national election, both who will be president and which party controls the U.S. Senate and by what margin, could depend on voter turnout in Virginia. Make a commitment to have your vote counted, no matter how many days you might be without electricity. We are not endorsing candidates for elected office this year. We do recommend that voters support local bond questions for investments in libraries, schools, transportation, parks, stormwater management and public safety.
Letter: What’s Next?
The first public meeting to kickoff “What’s Next Alexandria”, the city’s ambitious campaign to drive more citizens to a web-based engagement process and to help restore trust between the city and its residents was probably a wash.
Letter: Balance Learning With Socializing
I don’t think inclusion classes should be eliminated, but maybe reducing the amount of time per day in these classes from 80 percent to 50 percent would be beneficial.
Editorial: Be Part of Children's Gazette Packet
Deadline approaches for special edition.
During the last week of each year, The Gazette Packet devotes its entire issue to the creativity of local students and children. The results are always remarkable. It is a keepsake edition for many families.
Column: The TC Transformation Story: Past, Present and Future
Many have long believed the excellence of T.C. Williams to be a fact. However, in March 2010, our community received a very different message from the U.S. and Virginia departments of education. Referring to end-of-course Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments from the 2007-09 school years, the U.S. Department of Education designated T.C. Williams High School as a Persistently Lowest Achieving (PLA) school, among the lowest 5 percent of Title I eligible schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia.