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 …
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Film kicks off the second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Let's face it. Those of you who are interested in films like "Iron Man 3" and have waited through a year of comic book conventions dressed as your favorite Marvel superhero do not need Cinema Siren to tell you whether to head out to keep one of Hollywood's biggest studio franchises alive and Robert Downey Jr. out of the poorhouse. You already have your tickets. It's the souls who usually stay home with a glass of wine watching "Downton Abbey" and occasionally go to the multiplex only for the most-hyped and well-reviewed blockbusters the studio wants to charm into theaters. ["Iron Man 3" is now playing at Regal Ballston Common 12.] With its mix of magnetic superstar power, exciting action and strong character development, "Iron Man 3" has a…
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Patch is happy to consider opinion articles for publication. We reserve the right to edit for accuracy, clarity and brevity.
The following opinion column was submitted by U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va. Moran is a member of the Congressional Autism Caucus. We recognize the month of April as Autism Awareness and Understanding month. Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is the fastest growing serious developmental disorder in the United States, affecting nearly two million Americans. One in 88 children is on the autism spectrum by age 8, and boys are five times more likely to have an ASD. A new survey by the Centers for Disease Control indicates that the instance of ASD may actually be higher. And here in Northern Virginia, we are experiencing the prevalence of ASD firsthand. Arlington Public Schools released a report showing a 52 percent increase in enrollment of …
Monday, April 22, 2013
As Arlington warms up, so does progress on cycling infrastructure.
Winter not only takes a lot of people off their bikes, it also put a lot of the improvements to cycling infrastructure on pause. Striping is harder to apply, new construction is harder to manage in the cold, and labor is often scarce. But spring brings back the work, and Arlington’s got a number of bike-related projects on tap. Last month, Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) finally expanded to Columbia Pike. This long-awaited expansion will help extend the range of Arlington’s existing CaBi network, providing something of a middle ground between its well-established locations in Crystal City and the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. Two of the new stations are along Columbia Pike, and one is near the Gunston Community Center. As the year progresses, the …
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Elvis, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Alfred Hitchcock fill this Easter collection.
Last month, I got a chance to meet Ben Mankeiwitcz, the Turner Classic Movies host and curator — who is actually from the Washington area and was here promoting this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, which runs from April 25 to 28 in Hollywood. If you haven't heard, they have a festival, and they feature both great movies and great guest stars. This year, they'll include Polly Bergen, Ann Blyth, Mel Brooks, Jane Fonda, Mitzi Gaynor, Tippi Hedren, Max Von Sydow, Eva Marie Saint and Mickey Rooney, just to name some of my favorites. Mankeiwitcz said attendees are some of the most knowledgeable movie fans in the world but surprisingly diverse in age. One fan who expertly quoted stats of actors and actresses of the 1950s was 13 years old, he …
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Patch is happy to consider opinion articles for publication. We reserve the right to edit for accuracy, clarity and brevity.
- OPINION
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Tuesday, March 19
The following opinion column was submitted to Patch this weekend by Ken Robinson, president of the Woodbury Heights Condominium Association, regarding Arlington County's planned year-round homeless service center. Links added by Patch. It’s too bad Arlington undertook this expensive project without a lot of consideration of the alternatives. The county, for example, could have issued a request for quotations to provide homeless services — and contracted with one of the proven, national shelter operations such as the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, or Volunteers of America. Arlington would not have needed to buy and build a shelter and kit-out offices for its preferred vendor, A-SPAN. Arlington could have rehabilitated the existing …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Patch welcomes letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit for clarity, accuracy and brevity.
- OPINION
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Thursday, March 7
The 2013 No Fear in Love Race Committee would like to thank the George Mason University Arlington/Fairfax Campus and the wonderful Arlington community. Because of your kind contribution, we are closer to our goal of awarding a 16- to 24-year-old dating violence survivor a one-year scholarship to attend Mason. We would like to especially thank the Communication Department for sponsoring/advertising the race; Josh Cantor/Transportation Services for donating shuttle services to and from Arlington; Marilyn Clark for marketing the event on both campuses; the Arlington Holiday Inn for hosting the pre-race/reception activities; Cardinal Bank for donating the awesome T-shirt bags; Silver Diner, P.F. Chang’s, Uncle Julio's, and Sport & Health for …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Patch is happy to consider opinion articles for publication. We reserve the right to edit for accuracy, clarity and brevity.
- OPINION
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Wednesday, February 20
The following opinion column was submitted by state Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington. The Virginia General Assembly will soon enact legislation that directs the State Corporation Commission to perform plan management functions for participation in a federal health benefits exchange (HBE) program. The exchange will function as a virtual marketplace where families can shop and compare insurance policies, with the help of a consumer navigator, to find the appropriate policy for their needs. Thanks to new rules, shoppers in the exchange can be assured that any policy they purchase will cover important categories of care, including mental health, pre- and post-natal care, and prescription drug coverage. But, if Governor McDonnell has his way…
Monday, February 18, 2013
Still celebrating Valentine's Day?
Cinema Siren is a big fan of love. There's nothing more wonderful than being around those in love. It brings everyone around them up, even if the experience can be a bit of a sap-fest. Anytime I can play Cupid with a well-recommended romantic comedy, I'm right there for it. Sadly, Valentine's Day is only once a year. That doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared to do the aural equivalent of tossing rose petals at our significant others, or put ourselves in a loving and romantic mood. I've put together a collection of scores very specifically chosen for romantic interludes. For that time you've spirited away to a bed and breakfast or have unplugged your phones and turned in early together… I didn't include scores you couldn't get in their …
Monday, February 11, 2013
Inspired by a weekend trip to London to see 'Macbeth,' Cinema Siren showcases her favorite films influenced by the Bard.
Cinema Siren is writing from London this week and preparing to see James McAvoy in "Macbeth" at Trafalgar Transformed. A fan of his work for years, I jumped at the chance to see a new and exciting version of the play put together by the famous British stage director Jamie Lloyd with production design by Soutra Gilmour, who won the 2012 Evening Standard award for Best Design. It got me thinking about the many cinematic versions of Shakespeare's work in film history. Shakespeare never goes out of style, as witnessed by the recent release directed by Ralph Fiennes, "Coriolanus," in 2012. Joss Whedon is planning to release a home movie version of "Much Ado About Nothing" — no kidding, it was filmed at his house — on June 7 starring his usual …
Dan Sweeney, Jr.
12:38 pm on Monday, May 13, 2013
I believe that Del. Krupicka's forum on this very important subject will be held on Saturday, May 18, starting at 11:30 at the Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St. (west of Route 1 near the Beltway). more ›