Civic Dialogues & Education

Although Virginia voted YES! on the redistricting referendum, the courts interceded, so the vote has not been certified. In April, a Tazewell County judge blocked certification of the “YES” vote. The Virginia Supreme Court heard the appeal and, in a 4-3 split, ruled that the legislative process leading to the redistricting vote was procedurally flawed. On Friday, May 15th. The Supreme Court ruled that the new, popularly accepted redistricted maps cannot be used.” Setting asi

Use the link below to view Caroline Gergel's presentation from the April 18, 2026, DWCNV meeting on environmental issues. In particular, you may wish to open and watch the short video on making good water choices that is linked in slide #19. (Sometimes an ad pops up at the start of the water usage video. If one does, please ignore and then select "skip" to skip the ad. DWCNV does not support any product that may show to preface the water usage video. We do, however, endorse l

The question before us now is this: who is the bigger fool, the fool himself or someone who knowingly follows him? Perhaps Trump has pulled the wool over the eyes of his Cabinet and his MAGA followers, or perhaps the MAGA members are joyfully joining in on the deceptions deployed by the Jester-in-Chief as he tramples legal tradition, leaps into war on a whim, and discards democracy, all the while dancing in deceit, restructuring his realm just to retain power, draining his do

While staying informed about the troubling developments under the current administration is important, if you’re in the mood for something more uplifting, a member suggested taking a look at Good Good Good News at https://www.goodgoodgood.co/

Below is a link to Margaret Fisher's presentation. Please consider contacting PRISM (see last slide) to get more information on how to fight invasives and/or to volunteer to help clear invasive plants from Fairfax County. If you would like to start a PRISM program in your county, the Fairfax PRISM group could likely help direct your efforts. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1v7mcGoGzELz1TZVnO1S4054GwtTK3HSb/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108527162634774447456&rtpof=true&sd=true

If you missed the April meeting, you could review Dr. Kitchen’s presentation at the link below. If you attended and would like to revisit the material, it’s included here as well. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MbeWL0zUXyxUGffZFVFXXB6jp4Mqpgp2/edit?slide=id.p1#slide=id.p1

Below is a link to the presentation by Julie Bolthouse, AICP, Director of Land Use at the Piedmont Environmental Council. If you were unable to attend, we invite you to review the presentation for an overview of these important issues. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HVnpwNJSLrJhrDagt3S9Z1R_jjbqUEtpVWjjQ4kBcks/edit?usp=drivesdk

I just received a nice update from Senator Warner on his efforts around AI, where he said the following: “ We’ve seen the warning signs – big companies are announcing massive layoffs, citing increases in productivity due to AI… and it’s not just the layoffs, I fear. I’m also worried that more and more employers will quietly fail to post new jobs in the first place, pulling the rug out from young adults struggling to find their first job. And it’s not just white-collar work or

On April 9th in Lorton, VA, Indivisible Turning the Tables is launching a working group focused on: Civics 101 – making civic education more accessible Just the Facts – providing clear, factual resources to counter misinformation Adopt a Bill – helping people understand and engage with the legislative process Our goal is to build a community-driven effort that helps move people from feeling overwhelmed to becoming informed and actively engaged.  Sign UP Here

Please join the DWCNV on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the Pohick Regional Library from 3:30 - 5:30 pm in Meeting Room 1. In the spirit of Earth Day, our discussions this month will focus on environmental issues. Guest speakers will include Margaret Fisher, winner of Fairfax’s 2025 Individual Resident Environmental Excellence Award, Dr. Robert Kitchen, retired physician turned environmental advocate, and Julie Bolthouse, co-chair of the Data Center Reform Coalition and me

“Beware the Ides of March” is an expression of foreboding, not because March 15th is a particularly threatening date, but because Caesar was warned to be wary of that day, yet he ignored the warning, and it cost him his life. The election of 2024 could be viewed similarly: all of the signs of disaster were there, yet the voters refused to see them. We were aware of 34 felony convictions. Trump did not hide his character flaws, and he is not the lone Republican failing to demo

Danielle Robay shares the lessons she’s learned from the changemakers who gather in Gloria Steinem's home. By Danielle Robay March 07, 2026 Architects of Change Copy to Clipboard Listen to this article. 0:00 /10:02 1× The first time I hosted a Talking Circle in Gloria Steinem’s living room, I thought everything had to be perfect. This was my maiden opportunity as a Gloria Steinem Foundation Fellow to carry Gloria’s legacy forward. In the 1960s, Gloria Steinem and her peers we

Exciting opportunity to be part of ERA history on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome to attend! Dear Members and Friends, The Golden Flyer is planned to arrive at the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial in Lorton, VA, at 10:30 am on Saturday March 7. Please plan to be there. We are asking that on Saturday, March 7, 2026 you join to be part of events in Virginia showing your support for the Equal Rights Amendment to t

Congratulations again to our new leadership team, Abigail Spanberger , Ghazala Hashmi and Jay Jones ! Many, many thanks to everyone who helped get them elected! Congratulations also to our Fairfax friend and District 11 Delegate David Bulova , who has been appointed Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. We concur and reiterate Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Policy Manager Jay Ford’s statement: “We congratulate Delegate Bulova and look forward to working closely wi

As we consider our best path forward, it may help to start thinking about myriad issues facing us as we approach the 2026 Primaries and eventually, the November 3, 2026 Midterm Elections, starting with issues in our own state. Virginia lawmakers have already begun prefiling legislation they hope to pass in the 2026 General Assembly session. Democrats, who will enjoy a trifecta holding the governor’s office and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, have filed f

Trump weaponized his position to persecute political opponents, including Letitia James, and James Comey, Adam Schiff, and others. Trump pursues political retribution . Censorship abounds as Trump and his wealthy media moguls wage an aggressive war against free speech on television, in classrooms and university lecture halls, in newspapers, and among the people, generally. free-speech at-risk-in-americas-schools . National Parks and the Smithsonian Institution have been c

In ancient Roman times, JANUS was the god of beginnings, transitions, time, duality, and endings. As a god of motion and the overseer of temporal change, Janus looked after passages; Romans believed Janus could initiate actions of his choosing and presided over all beginnings, including the beginning and ending of conflict. Janus was also thought to represent the middle ground between barbarism and civilization. As such, it would be appropriate to consider Janus as a represen

The Loudoun County School Board welcomes comments from Loudoun County residents and believes that strong community engagement and outreach are important components of a successful school system. For information about registering to speak at a School Board or a School Board committee meeting, please visit the Citizen Participation webpage on www.lcps.org . School Board meeting dates and times are subject to change or modification. Notice of any changes will be provided in ac

Business Meetings: First and third Tuesday of the month, 4:00 p.m. Public Hearing: Wednesday of the week following the first business meeting of the month, 6:00 p.m. Dates and times of Board of Supervisors meetings, including those of the Board’s Standing Committees , are posted on the Loudoun County Government Master Calendar . In general, board meetings, public hearings, board committee meetings and workshops are open to the public. However, the Board sometimes schedules ex

Regular School Board meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month during the school year. Meetings are open to the public and begin at 7 p.m. at the Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center, 14715 Bristow Rd., Manassas, VA 20112. Board members and staff have dinner at 5 p.m. and hold a closed session at 6 p.m. before the public meeting. There is Citizen Comment Period during regular Board meetings. School Board agendas are available online in advance of meeting