Thumbs up to Alexandria’s vibrant arts community. There is now statistical evidence to support the long-held belief that our city’s creative elements not only boost our aesthetic quality of life, but also provide a tangible economic benefit. According to Americans for the Arts, Alexandria’s cultural entities generate around $70 million each year. This comes from purchases of tickets, artworks, meals and other items while patrons are in the city. Their patronage also creates tax revenue for the city and jobs for residents. Talk about a win-win!

— Denise Dunbar
Thumbs up to Dr. Marie Steinmetz for reminding us that spring-cleaning is not just for clothes closets but also for our pantries. I do the label reading that Dr. Steinmetz recommends because I have a severely allergic child, but the rest of our family also benefits from eating products without nitrates, dyes and bad fats. However, I’m still working on kicking my habit of Sweet ‘N Low in iced tea habit.

— Denise Dunbar