This week was all about hope, nationally and locally. With vaccine eligibility now open to everyone 16+ (PSA: I encourage you to try both vaccinefinder.org or the CDC’s VAMS site to book a shot), additional loosening of COVID restrictions this week and more next month because just over half of […]
It’s been a busy week with lots to share. The big takeaways: (1) Starting this Sunday, everyone 16+ is eligible for a COVID vaccine, so that is long-awaited, welcome news. However, note that the Fairfax Health Department’s registration system will be decommissioned, so vaccine appointments will have to be made […]
I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine and sense of hope and renewal that spring (and vaccines!) brings. The beginning of April also marks the halfway point to the annual budget process. We had a long work session this week, with several more meetings and one more town hall before […]
Thank you for the kind notes the past week. I read a poignant tweet that we know we’re returning to “normal” when the mass shootings have also returned to the headlines. While it’s unlikely national gun reform will happen anytime soon, I’m glad we exercised the limited authority granted by […]
Before getting to city business, I have to address the horrific murders in Atlanta earlier this week, six of which were against Asian American women. In addition to the official statement from all of City Council, as a Chinese American and mother of three biracial kids, it’s incumbent on me […]
A year ago was such a scary, surreal time that it’s hard to believe we’ve reached this anniversary. It’s been a heavy reminder of the lives lost and a year we’ll never get back. I hope this week’s warm weather and continued good vaccine news have created space for hope […]
With the arrival of longer days, warmer temps, kids settling into school, and more vaccine progress – this week offered real signs of hope and normalcy. I hope you felt it too. The first few weeks of the month are packed with meetings for me, so this week’s post will […]
Another week of exciting news for affordable housing: I’m thrilled to share that the City has won a grant for $3.75M as part of Amazon’s commitment in bringing HQ2 to the area. This third piece of good news in a month is great momentum for one of our top priorities. […]
For the first time in 11 months, we had a tech glitch that prevented us from holding our City Council meeting this week. (Tech issues aside, this article argues that virtual meetings may be the best thing that’s happened to local government!) Luckily it was a work session, with no […]
Typically, this time of year offers a little bit of a lull in city business, right before the annual budget process in March-April. Not this year. After our vote on affordable housing this week, we’ll be quickly pivoting to several big items. Items of interest for you: update on the […]
We are almost a year into this new pandemic world, and if you’re like me, still figuring out how to manage the rollercoaster of news and emotions. One minute we have grim COVID-19 death milestones, then we have vaccines, then worries of new variants to dash our hopes. For fellow […]
Two big topics this week: vaccines and the Broad and Washington project. I am fielding a lot of questions about vaccines; I share your frustration and have been trying to seek answers too. We had a representative from the Fairfax Health Department in our meeting this week, and there are […]