Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Former West Old Town Citizens Association President Leslie Zupan says the school system must be more accountable.
This week Alexandria’s elected officials past and present presided over the groundbreaking for the new $45 million Jefferson-Houston School. Turning over earth will not bury the serious problems that remain. ACPS continues to dodge questions regarding academics, capacity projections, and the future of PK-8 school transformations. Fifteen years of test data confirms the new school building is little more than a token gesture. The School Board and its enablers disclaim responsibility for their collective social policies -- policies which amount to little more than protecting Alexandria's wealthiest schools. The technique is now polished: blame white parents for alleged racism because they continue to avoid the failing Jefferson-Houston …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Believe it or not, he'll live tweet anything in Alexandria.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
American Cancer Society fundraiser begins Saturday afternoon and will run through the night.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Del. Rob Krupicka says the community, state and country need to face the issues of treating mental illness head-on.
To the editor: We read about the tragic results of untreated mental illness everyday. The mass shootings at Newtown, Tucson, Aurora and Virginia Tech were all perpetuated by students or young people with reported mental health issues. The effects of mental illness are not always so high profile—most people with mental illness are non-violent—but for the one in 17 Americans living with a serious mental illness, the consequences are significant. Our youth are particularly hard hit. Mental illness frequently strikes when people are young. The consequences can be devastating. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for people ages 10-24. More than 90 percent of those who commit suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder. The U.S. Surgeon …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Proving a long-extinct municipality is still honored by the U.S. Postal Service—with a little help from my friends.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Alexandria resident endorses Dana Lawhorne for re-election as sheriff and Bryan Porter for Commonwealth's Attorney.
To the editor, I would like to make all Alexandrians aware of two dedicated, home-grown candidates running for constitutional offices in Alexandria—Dana Lawhorne for Sheriff and Bryan Porter for Commonwealth’s Attorney. They represent the very best of bright, dedicated, and effective Democratic candidates, and I am pleased to support both of them. Dana Lawhorne is the incumbent Sheriff, having been elected in 2005. Dana was born and raised in Alexandria and attended our public schools. Since his graduation from T.C. Williams High School, Dana has served in public safety positions, 27 years as an Alexandria Police Officer before serving as our Sheriff for the past seven years. In my opinion, Dana’s crown-jewel achievement is his leadership …
Monday, April 29, 2013
Kevin H. Posey of the Alexandria Transportation Commission says the city needs a better plan for Landmark Mall.
As some readers may know, I supported the Beauregard redevelopment plan put forward by JBG Properties and other developers because the design called for a first-class pedestrian environment. I even said nice things about the Waterfront plans which also embodied Council’s commitment to less car reliance, though that stance put me at odds with quite a few individuals in the city. So, I’m hardly in the camp of those opposed to any and all development in Alexandria when I say that I oppose the current plan to redevelop Landmark Mall. Let me make it clear that I support redeveloping the old, tired relic of mid-20th century commerce that squats on the site now. It is an antiquated example of car-based, regionally oriented retail shopping that no…
Charles Conway questions state Del. Rob Krupicka's leadership of the Jefferson-Houston transformation.
How harshly do readers have to express their heartfelt distress before getting The Patch’s attention? In an August 18, 2011 entry “Krupicka Believes Agenda Sets Him Apart, State senate candidate says creating local-state partnerships will be critical to future of Northern Virginia” Del Ray Patch editor Drew Hansen suggests the defeated candidate, now State Delegate former City Councilman Rob Krupicka, “believes it is this agenda, one he says has specific plans to boost education in the state and to create state-local partnerships… that sets him apart.” If true why did State Delegate formerly City Councilman Krupicka, who in the same article touts former ACPS School Board Chairman Sheryl Gorsuch’s “personal endorsement,” not have a well-…
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Michael Clem, a recycling program analyst with the city's Transportation & Environmental Services Department, says it's time to rethink trash. Did you know that the average Alexandria household disposes of 46 pounds of trash each week?
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Wednesday, April 24
To the editor: With the momentum of Earth Day and the arrival of spring, our thoughts turn to small ways that we can help the environment. Fill our recycling bin; turn off lights when leaving a room; set the air conditioning thermostat a few degrees higher, take out the trash…. take out the trash? Yes, that’s right. For better or worse, trash, an inevitable byproduct of human civilization, could potentially join wind, solar, and hydro power as a renewable energy source. Consider this: Alexandria transports its trash to the Covanta Energy-from-Waste facility (5301 Eisenhower Ave.), which generates electricity. The average Alexandria household disposes of 46 pounds of trash each week, generating enough kilowatts of energy to drive 38 miles …
Gail G
7:02 am on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
I couldn't agree more and I'm in District B. Mort Sherman hands out contracts like they're candy. We have two new school board members from B who are fair minded, but we're still stuck with holdover Marc Williams, who has a lock on the George Mason precinct. The dirty little secret is that the District B schools aren't all that great either, and all districts feed into the same two abominable … more ›