Opinion

Opinion: Richmond’s Monument Avenue: From historic statues to symbolic silence

By Uriah Kiser
The defaced statue of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, was removed from Monument Avenue. [Photo: The Valentine history museum Facebook page]

It was a short drive from her school, and the city provided us with a chance to get to know one another better. Its backdrop was culture, fun things to do, restaurants, and what seemed to be a never-ending number of places where we could peer back into our nation’s both celebrated and troubled past.

I can remember walking along Monument Avenue at night, looking at the illuminated statues, and the gorgeous homes that lined the boulevard. I viewed these monuments, in what had been the capital city of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, not as something glorious or objects to celebrate but as a reminder of how the Civil War tore the country apart and as a reminder of the stain of slavery left on our nation.

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Mayor Derrick Wood invites all to celebrate Dumfries’ 275th Anniversary: Honoring historic roots and embracing a vibrant future

By Uriah Kiser

This year marks a significant milestone for the Town of Dumfries, Virginia — our 275th anniversary. As the oldest continuously chartered town in Virginia, we have a rich history to celebrate and an exciting future to look forward to. This dual focus on our past and future is the cornerstone of our upcoming celebrations, including a gala at the National Marine Corps Museum and a vibrant community festival.

Our Historic Roots and Resilient Spirit

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Manassas City School Board Members call for grading policy reevaluation to boost Metz Middle School performance

By Letters to the Editor
A Manassas City Public Schools teacher and students [Photo: Manassas City Public Schools]

We write to you as individual members of the Manassas City School Board regarding the recent article “Metz Middle scores decline…” and the significant online discussion that ensued.

However, we reject the notion that a high share of ESOL students inevitably condemns Metz to its current level of performance. To move forward, we must thoughtfully and accurately identify the problems facing our middle school, and we firmly believe that our students can achieve at a higher level.

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Opinion: Supervisors should curb appetite after spending $12,500 on food

By Letters to the Editor

It’s easy to spend money when it’s not your own.

At the last Prince William County Board of Supervisors meeting of 2023, I spoke to the board about the massive cost of feeding board supervisors during their meetings. I showed a video of county residents waiting in food pantry lines.

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Opinion: Decision Time for the Future of Prince William County

By Letters to the Editor
[Photo: Markus Winkler/Unsplash]

A Bristow homeowner’s group asked all incumbents and candidates for your Board of County Supervisors to state their positions on five contentious land use cases: Prince William Digital Gateway, Devlin Technology Park, John Marshall Commons Technology Park, Potomac Technology Park and Bristow Campus.

Predictably, five incumbent supervisors declined to respond. They were Ann Wheeler, Kenny Boddye, Margaret Franklin, Andrea Bailey and Victor Angry. These are the same five supervisors who voted against a resolution to prevent “lame duck” land use votes. Do I detect a trend here?

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Opinion: Prince William leaders pit children against each other based on the color of skin

By Letters to the Editor
[Photo: Markus Winkler/Unsplash]

Since then, we have seen our education system destroyed and money wasted on an Equity Department that does nothing but pit our children against each other based on the color of their skin.

We have watched the school board do everything within their power to take parents out of our children’s education while they push gender ideology and anti-racist rhetoric in the classroom.

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Opinion: Under Lateef, parents come last

By Letters to the Editor

“I believe we have one of the greatest school systems in the country, and I’ve been proud to serve as chairman of the school board. We have made significant improvements in student success, safety and security, space and infrastructure, and salaries.”

But, has he and the other Democrats on the PWC school board actually made significant improvements to Prince William County Public Schools?

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Opinion: Wheeler’s accessories are equally complicit

By Letters to the Editor
[Photo: Markus Winkler/Unsplash]

Ann Wheeler’s anxiousness to schedule a vote on the controversial Prince William Digital Gateway rezoning before the Planning Office has even completed its review is hardly surprising. She has been in the tank for this project from the outset, and her blatant subservience to corporate masters was largely responsible for her electoral defeat.

Now shift the focus to her accomplices, who have thus far evaded the same level of accountability.

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Opinion: LaCroix should provide evidence of vandalized signs

By Letters to the Editor
[Photo: Markus Winkler/Unsplash]

Reading his pearl-clutching letter, I couldn’t help but think of the quote from an infamous propagandist: “Accuse the other of that you are guilty.” After all, this is coming from a representative of a political party which has utilized every dirty trick in the book to obtain and hold on to electoral power, even going so far as to personally attack election officials and the very seat of our democracy itself – and has the glass house audacity to accuse by innuendo a political opponent of resorting to vandalism of signs.

His evidence? Her opponent – gasp – has placed signs in the median instead of private property. Well, Mr. Hartwell – since these were on private property and we live in a time of video doorbells and floodlight cameras, I say release this footage of these so-called perpetrators of these vandalisms instead of relying on worthless meaningless accusations.

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Prince William schools should get back to the business of educating, not indoctrinating

By Letters to the Editor

An article was published entitled, ‘You’re literally setting her up for failure’: Parents accuse Prince William Co. schools of neglecting special education responsibilities.‘  In the article, parents are accusing PWC schools of giving good grades in order to pass children through the system rather than educate them.

How many negative reports on Prince William County Public Schools do we have to read to realize it is past time to replace the current school board with more educated-centric leaders and vote out the ‘woke’ crowd who are willing to go along to get along despite the damage it is doing to our children.

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