Letter to the Editor: We Need Candidates Who See Alexandria as More than a Dot on a Map

To the Editor:

I am a 26-year-old Alexandrian. Like many who call Alexandria home, I did not always have the privilege; it took but one trip into Old Town a few years ago, however, for my wife and me both to fall hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with the city cited by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as “one of the most culturally rich destinations in the country.” Alexandria is a community, simply stated, with singularly inimitable character.

Of the 12 candidates running for City Council, three rise above the rest in their appreciation for — and commitment to conserving — this character: Frank Fannon, Alicia Hughes and Bob Wood. Together with former Vice Mayor Andrew Macdonald, who is running to replace the incumbent Mayor Bill Euille, all have earned my vote as the leaders and stewards our city requires at this critical juncture. Each of the four understands that new development in a historic setting is a question that demands a thoughtful answer. Each is aware that Alexandria is more than another dot on the map; it is someplace special, a one-of-a-kind American landmark where preservation is part and parcel of our economic progress. And each knows that Alexandria’s unique character, once lost, will be lost forever.

Finally, it seems self-evident that a city so blessed with character would merit a congressman similarly endowed; at present, however, Alexandria can lay claim only to an infamous character in Congress — hardly one and the same. Colonel Patrick Murray, who served our country in uniform for more than two decades, has demonstrated during his campaign both a thorough grasp of the democratic ideals he once defended abroad and a devotion to representing Virginia’s 8th Congressional District with class and with dignity. In these and in many ways, Colonel Murray would be a far better reflection of our fair city on the Potomac than its current emissary to Capitol Hill. His election this November would represent a welcome change for Alexandrians of all political stripes.

Mark P. Coombs