Monday’s inauguration of President Barack Obama for a second term was historic for many reasons – a man of color took the oath of office for a second time; the vice presidential oath was administered by Latina Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor, a gay poet read a narrative poem for [...]

A dinner-time telephone caller wanted to know, first, if I was a registered voter, and then if I supported President Obama, was worried about the fiscal cliff, opposed choice, or favored the Tea Party. The tagline identified the call from something nebulous with 2012 in the title. The respite from [...]

The New Year is already a week old, as the busyness of the holidays is replaced by the business of returning to our normal routines, interspersed with the occasional sports event, watching the winter weather reports (so far, so good), and finishing off the last of the holiday goodies. If you are looking for some special, and free, community activities, here are a few suggestions.

Happy New Year! A new calendar is much like a blank canvas – a surface just waiting for the strokes that highlight our lives – depth, color, and perhaps, perspective. Birthdays, anniversaries, pay days, school vacations, and medical appointments might get first listing on the family calendar; business meetings and [...]

Where did 2012 go? The year has flown by too quickly, but a glance backward reveals a lot of activity in Mason District during the past 12 months. The Seven Corners Transit Center opened in late January, making transit easier for passengers, bus drivers, and the shopping public, with reinforced [...]

Just when families should be celebrating the holiday season, Newtown, Connecticut families are plunged into grief and despair after 20 of their young children were gunned down in a rage of violence that is difficult to understand.

When the fire station has a fire, it’s appropriate for everyone to review fire safety, especially during the holidays when Christmas trees, fireplaces, and candles become part of many homes’ décor. For Station 28, near Seven Corners, the fire last weekend was quite small, caused by a malfunctioning pump on [...]

A Residential Permit Parking District, or RPPD, is a program designed to help residents address parking problems in their neighborhoods. Through the process, signs prohibiting parking by non-residents may be installed in designated blocks. Such districts normally are created near high schools, colleges, and transit stations, locations that often are [...]

Now that Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are behind us, our focus can turn to more mundane items, like water, child care regulations, and planning for the next election. All three were on last week’s Board of Supervisors’ meeting agenda, and prompted lively debate. Well-known by [...]

Happy Thanksgiving! An early look at the weather report forecasts a nice day, perfect for raking leaves, watching football, and gathering with family and friends around tables laden with good food and fellowship.