Archive for 'Columns'

Free advice is available to local entrepreneurs

Free advice is available to local entrepreneurs

Small businesses and nonprofits often face situations in which it makes sense to get expert guidance to avoid costly mistakes. At the very earliest concept for a business venture, there are resources that can provide objective [...]

Hobie and Monk: College pal wants help covering up troubled past

Hobie and Monk: College pal wants help covering up troubled past

Dear Hobie & Monk, I have a friend from college whom I like a lot and see socially, but she has some personality issues that make it difficult for her to stay in any one job [...]

The Old Club served up fine dining 
in a city hungry for choices

The Old Club served up fine dining 
in a city hungry for choices

Alexandria’s restaurant scene is an epicurean’s dream, so it is hard to imagine that dining options in the mid-20th century were few and far between. Aside from small luncheonettes and cafes near City Hall, quick, chain [...]

Margaret Thatcher deserves her due

The reaction to last week’s death of Margaret Thatcher, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, has been fascinating. Love her or hate her, she was the most important woman of the 20th century. Paul [...]

Moving toward better transitional care

Recently it seems that we see or hear this phrase — “transitional care” — in reference to health care, but what does it mean? And more importantly, what does it mean to you and your loved [...]

Out of the Attic: From trash to ash

Out of the Attic: From trash to ash

In the early 1950s, increasing development in Washington’s suburbs prompted Alexandria officials to almost double the city’s size by annexing the land west of Quaker Lane from Fairfax County. Through the introduction of new infrastructure, this [...]

My View: Mayor Bill Euille, don’t tear our homes down

My View: Mayor Bill Euille, don’t tear our homes down

By, Veronica Calzada, 
Margaret Kanu and 
Kidere Seman You may not give much thought to where your janitor lives, ponder how your nursing assistant makes ends meet or contemplate where your taxi driver’s children go to [...]

Pet Matters: Diagnosing common health and behavioral problems

Pet Matters: Diagnosing common health and behavioral problems

By Isabel Alvarez Our pets often behave in ways we find annoying, disgusting or burdensome, but we can’t seem to correct it despite a great deal of effort. For some reason, telling them to “stop it” [...]

Hobie and Monk: Should I stay or should I go now?

Hobie and Monk: Should I stay or should I go now?

Dear Hobie & Monk, I’m in my early 30s and have a good job that I’ve enjoyed for eight years. Although I have no immediate intention of finding another job, I don’t see myself in my [...]

My View: Developing Potomac Yard without cyclists in mind would be a mistake

By Jonathan Krall I often hear that the future of Alexandria depends on transit. Indeed, our 2008 transportation master plan sets a goal of successfully integrating walking, biking and other transit options. This plan — we [...]