Letter to the Editor: New Leadership For Alexandria
To The Editor: Imagine this as a platform of "accomplishments" on which to run for City Council:
Letter to the Editor: Good Candidates, Good Government
Securing Alexandria's Future (SAF) is a political action committee made up of engaged and knowledgeable residents and many prominent local leaders.
Letter: Help Keep Alexandria Family Friendly
As a resident of Alexandria for the past 55 years, I am deeply concerned about the City's future and I applaud those City Council candidates who are seeking to maintain a livable Alexandria.
Letter: A Voice of Reason
Allison Silberberg, a Democrat running for City Council, at the debate Monday night, clearly demonstrated her command of the issues, as well as her capacity to understand the broad concerns that affect all of us in Alexandria.
Letter: Mayor’s Vision for Waterfront Is Mostly about Development
Mayor Bill Euille’s plan for the waterfront is a delight if you are developer, or an investor seeking new business on the banks of the Potomac River a la National Harbor. But, to call this waterfront plan eco-friendly, as the Mayor does in a recent opinion piece, is to pervert the meaning of the word 'ecological,' or 'green.'
Editorial: Primary Voting
Statewide primary on Tuesday, June 12.
On Tuesday, June 12, Virginia will hold a statewide Republican primary for U.S. Senate, plus numerous more local primaries for U.S. House of Representatives and localities.
Column: Haven’t I Learned Anything?
I’m not going to beat myself up too badly; after all, I do have terminal cancer. However, I am disappointed in my behavior of late, especially as it relates to my status as a still-active (thank God!) cancer patient/survivor undergoing treatment.
Commentary: Helping To Restore Identities in Missing Persons Cases
Each year, Inova Alexandria Hospital’s Radiology Department conducts more than 30,000 computed tomography (CT) scans that help our physicians, nurses and staff diagnose, treat and heal the many patients who seek our expertise. Our dedicated staff of 16 CT employees and technologists scan injuries from trauma, stroke, sports or chronic disease. They have pretty much seen it all; but a call for help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) changed all that and launched a partnership that NCMEC has encouraged other hospitals to follow.
Commentary: Taylor Run
HILLTOP PARTY Those party-loving people on Hilltop Terrace celebrated Memorial Day with a large gathering. Clam and Amy Lorenz, aided by children Charlie and Jay, and the Shriver family — Elaine Gort and Alex Shriver with Jake and Josh — organized the party.
Letter: Deserves Support
To the Editor: Historically Alexandria has always been a City at Crossroads. However, rather than talk about polar bears, icebergs and trips to exotic places, as independent mayoral candidate Andrew Macdonald likes to do, we'd rather talk about how Alexandria has actually been guided through its crossroads by our current Democratic mayor, Bill Euille, and why Mayor Euille has the experience, vision and commitment to continue leading Alexandria forward.
Letter: Vision for The City
To the Editor: Some have questioned why Andrew Macdonald, the independent candidate running for Mayor of Alexandria, resigned his Vice-Mayor position in 2007. And can we count on him to remain in office if he is elected. The answer is plain and simple. As Mr. Macdonald stated then and continues to say, he voluntarily stepped down because he needed to take care of his elderly mother as well as other family matters. Being his mother’s sole caretaker, Mr. Macdonald felt his family responsibilities would take his attention away from his obligations as a City Councilmember. I believe that stepping down was the responsible thing for Mr. Macdonald to do.
Letter: Visit Local Schools
To the Editor: The fact that a superintendent of a small school district has to advertise school system information as "No Politics, Nothing Personal, No Rhetoric" should be a cause for concern in itself. Here are a few counterpoints to the "ACPS facts":
Letter: Value Those Bicyclists
To the Editor: I am writing to respond to a letter, "Bike Share Now Needs City Money," printed in the May 24 Alexandria Gazette Packet. As chair of the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), I was asked to attend the Waterfront Commission Meeting where the Capital Bikeshare station options were discussed. For me, this letter raises three concerns.
Letter: Bikes Reduce Traffic
To the Editor: In a lengthy letter published in your May 24 issue, Townsend A. Van Fleet presents arguments against the Bike Share program planned for Alexandria. Among his various objections, a central theme is that Bike Share will somehow exacerbate “traffic problems in the Old and Historic District.” This seems a rather curious point of view. Van Fleet makes much of what he terms Alexandria’s “narrow streets already crowded with pedestrians, tour buses, metro buses, dash buses, delivery trucks, trolleys, garbage trucks, skate boarders, joggers, and cyclists.” What is remarkable about this impressively comprehensive list (“garbage trucks” to “pedestrians”) is that it omits the word “automobiles.” It may be helpful to reflect for a moment on the fact that a primary objective of the Bike Share program is to reduce the number of automobiles on our city streets. As I am sure most fellow residents recognize, cars remain the principal source of congestion on the streets of Old Town. While I appreciate Mr. Van Fleet’s frustration at being impeded in his driving by the growing number of pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists on our city streets, programs like Bike Share that aim to reduce downtown traffic can only enhance Alexandria’s reputation as an exceptionally friendly and livable community.
Letter: What’s Best For the City
To the Editor: It is clear that an antidevelopment bloc has developed among the Democratic candidates running for City Council.