By Mary Alexander and Nancy Hall: It was cold and overcast this past Martin Luther King Day morning, but that didn’t stop Fairfax County Democrats from coming together (safely distancing themselves) to clean up Jones Point Park at the southeastern tip of old town Alexandria. The Biden Inaugural Committee challenged Virginians to participate in a Day of Service on that…
It’s time for Democratic voters in Fairfax County to decide who will carry the party’s standard at the polls in November for US representative in the 11th Congressional district. To help voters decide, The Blue View asked both candidates – incumbent Gerry Connolly and challenger Zainab Mohsini – to answer the same four questions on critical topics facing our nation…
Ten million tons of carbon would be added to Virginia’s carbon footprint annually if the Virginia legislature approves a bill to permit two new gas-fired power plants in Charles City County, southeast of Richmond. The bill, SB 992, would greenlight the largest fossil-fueled electrical plant in Virginia ever, the Chickahominy Plant, producing 1,600 MW and costing a proposed $1.6 billion.…
By Karen Kirk: Several hundred Democrats turned out for the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) Reorganization Meeting Tuesday night and chose new leaders, revised bylaws and approved a resolution not to support a “flawed” Virginia redistricting plan. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring kicked off the meeting at Madison High School in Vienna by thanking Fairfax County Democrats for all that…
By Brad Swanson: Virginia’s citizen boards will retain control over pollution emitters for at least another year as a bill to transfer this authority to a state agency has been downgraded to require passage by two consecutive annual legislatures. In the interim between the current session and the next, beginning in Jan. 2021, the bill would require the state Department…
By Bob Burnley: A current bill in the Virginia House would seriously weaken environmental protection by transferring power from citizen boards to a state agency. This is a terrible idea. I should know — I am a former director of that agency. When I served in 2002-2006 as director of the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), I willingly followed…
By Brad Swanson: What motivates a man to spend more than two decades – and counting – as a volunteer running a farmers market? In the case of John Lovaas, a manager of the award-winning Reston Farmers Market, the answer is self-evident. “I doubt anyone would work at a volunteer job for 22 years unless it was wildly satisfying and…
By Alicia Plerhoples: Alicia Plerhoples is a candidate for chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in the Democratic primary on June 11. Fairfax County is one of the best educated and wealthiest communities in the country. Fairfax voters are also increasingly progressive in outlook, with a desire to enable equity to provide opportunities for a better future for…
Chris Koerner, Gerald Peters and Monica Billger were endorsed for Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District director by Fairfax County Democratic Committee on Tuesday night, May 21. The three candidates, in the order above, were the top vote-getters in a poll among FCDC members, easing out Richard Clayton. A total of 1,337 members voted through early voting and at…
Candidates for the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District say what motivates them to seek a seat on the board and why they are qualified to serve as stewards of the environment. They made their comments at a recent forum. The FCDC Endorsement Vote is at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, May 21, at Lake Braddock Secondary School, 9200 Burke Lake…
By Brad Swanson: Fairfax County will seek bids shortly to install solar panels at more than 200 school and government buildings, aiming to decrease electric costs and curb greenhouse emissions. Solar panel installers will be asked to propose terms for “power purchase agreements” (PPAs) under which they will install panels and supporting equipment — at their own expense– at sites…
By Trisha Rahman: As a student currently attending a Fairfax County Public high school, I am familiar with many of the issues high school students care about. Yes, we think about test scores, our football team stats, even Ariana Grande’s new song, but we also contemplate problems impacting our schools on a large scale. When public schools all over the…
By Melanie Meren: For the kids, families, and our furry friends we bring to outdoor spaces, it’s critical to remember that it’s the hard work of county officials that preserves our environment and connects us with nature. I want to take that success into all Fairfax County classrooms. Connecting students with their natural surroundings can inspire them to be the…
By Susan Laume: Local governments in northern Virginia and elsewhere in the Commonwealth can now generate up to 30 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy for sale back to the power grid, thanks to recently passed legislation sponsored by state Del. Kathy Tran (D-42). The pilot program allows counties, cities and towns to generate electricity from renewable energy sources at their…