May’s weeks of heavy rain caused the Potomac River at Great Falls National Park to rise dramatically this week, cresting Tuesday morning. On Monday, spray from the river sometimes hit Overlook No. 1, according to The Washington Post. These photos taken on Wednesday show the river still very high, covering most of the rock formations. Downriver, the Potomac flooded the river…
By Diane Burkley Alejandro: Under the Trump Administration, detention for suspected immigration violations has increased dramatically – not just nationally but right here in Fairfax County. Most deportations are due to Fairfax County law enforcement’s initial detention of these individuals on local charges, mostly for minor offenses. Fortunately, local law enforcement can limit the damage to immigrants by ending its…
Thursday night, Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Northern Virginia’s only LGBTQ+ bar, was filled to capacity for Virginia Del. Mark Levine’s 2nd Annual Rainbow Democrats Extravaganza featuring special guest Va. Del. Danica Roem. Levine, who is one of three openly-LGBTQ+ state legislators representing Fairfax County, kicked things off cheering the recent passage of Medicaid expansion in the state, saying, “Danica…
There was a little something for everyone to enjoy at Viva! Vienna! over the weekend. Rides, games of chance, entertainment, craft booths and a Hunter Mill Democrats’ booth, where volunteers encouraged people to register to vote and sign up to volunteer. The annual Memorial Day celebration and remembrance was held Saturday, Sunday and Monday on Church Street in the heart…
Rain clouds were low but spirits high, as the Springfield District Democratic Committee held its 18th Annual Smoke n’ Roast on Saturday evening, May 19, in Clifton, Va. A sizable crowd enjoyed burgers and ribs, while hearing from elected county and state officials. Four of the six Democratic candidates for the Virginia’s 10th Congressional District seat spoke at the…
Editor’s Note: Another in our periodic surveys of local grassroots organizations, compiled by Holly Hazard. This time: Herndon-Reston Indivisible. Herndon-Reston Indivisible’s mission is to fuel a progressive network to resist the Trump agenda while electing Democrats who support our values of transparency, inclusion, tolerance & fairness. HRI is led by a steering committee: Heidi Zollo, Carrie Bruns, Anne Alston, and Joanne…
More than 100 people took a stand for clean energy in Virginia on Sunday at the 2nd Annual Mother’s Day Climate Rally at Veterans’ Amphitheater in Fairfax, VA, sponsored by the the FCDC National Affairs Committee and the NOVA Climate Movement. Speakers included VA District 34 Sen. Chap Peterson and three Virginia delegates, Carroll Foy, Elizabeth Guzman and Vivian…
By Shyamali Roy Hauth: How does an 18-year old immigrant woman whose parents are both college professors and steeped in a tradition of non-violence end up in the armed forces? I was working three part-time jobs and struggling to pay rent and college costs. A friend mentioned that as a reservist, the Army paid part of her tuition. So I…
Ah, spring! Although by the time you see this, winter might be back. The Yoshino cherry blossoms finally peaked around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., along with every blooming plant and tree in the metro area. Achoo! The colder than average March temperatures delayed the blossoms, which originally had been forecast to reach peak from March 17-20. Around a…
Hundreds of thousands of people showed up for the March for Our Lives on March 24 in Washington, D.C. Led by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas School in Parkland, FL., they carried creatively crafted signs supporting gun control measures, including banning assault weapons. The fervor of the teenage survivors of the school shooting on Valentine’s Day has given new energy to the push to stop…
By Marion Stillson: I love distributing literature to the public, using a wheelchair as I have done full time since I was twenty-three. And I am good at it: good at catching the mood of an oncoming pedestrian, good at just the right amount of deference or assertiveness, good at matching my position–delicately–so they cannot swerve to avoid me. So…
By Linda Liner: Despite the blustery cold, I felt my heart lift watching the students of South Lakes High School in Reston stage a 17-minute walk-out on March 14, exactly one month after the slaughter of 17 students in Parkland, Florida. With a small group of neighbors, I had trekked over to the school, posters in hand, to let them…
By Holly Hazard: VA Democracy Forward (VADF) is a local, progressive group working to turn Virginia blue by connecting people, sharing ideas, and taking action toward a better future. Here, Holly Hazard interviews Chris Le Menestrel, its Co-Lead. Q: Other than the 2016 election results and/or the Women’s March, what was the spark that moved you to create VA Democracy…