News and notes from Reston (tm).

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Targetville Is Back, But Its Namesake Retailer Reaches Out to Its Residents

photo-1.jpgAfter a pre-winter cleanup, Targetville has returned to its former glory, its motley and distinctly non earth-toned collection of tarps and tents clearly visible through the thinned foliage along Sunset Hills Road.

Given the incredible cold snap of late, a cynic might see this as a sign of an uncaring society, unwilling or unable to help those who might need it the most. But nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, on the same "fact-finding" mission which led us to verify the re-emergence of Reston's signature community of homeless people, we visited the nearby Target from which the encampment gets its name. (After all, those 24-packs of Michael Graves-designed, BPA off-gassing plastic cups weren't going to buy themselves!) And all we had to do was walk through the front door to see immediate proof that the giant retailer is trying to "reach out" to its less fortunate neighbors, giving them the respect and support they deserve:

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That's right -- hobo bags. And reasonably priced to boot!

Know hope.

29 comments:

  1. Finally, Mugatu's "Derelicte" line of fashion has made its way to the mainstream.

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  2. Guess that means winter will soon end.

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  3. Many Reston citizens are volunteering at Saint John Newman Catholic Church on Lawyers Rd this week for Hypothermia week. We try in such efforts to prevent hypothermia in our homeless population. We serve food and talk and play games and being on call through the night. Welcome to drop in between 6 and 8 and meet a homeless, many of whom are quite interesting and pleasant to get to know. Some bring their dogs as a kind of canine to cheer the homeless up others bring games or most prized is old VHS or maybe a DVD player and movie. Many people do come by who are not themselves homeless to visit.

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  4. SCOTT BROWN !!! YEAH

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  5. The Convict in the GulagJanuary 20, 2010 at 10:24 AM

    Scott Brown lives in Targetville? How can he be the new Senator of Massachusetts if he lives in Targetville?

    I'm so confused....

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  6. The people have spoken-

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  7. if only we could get Obama to come here and campaign for Hudgens when she runs next

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  8. The Convict in the GulagJanuary 20, 2010 at 5:22 PM

    Palin in 2012? Sure. Why vote for competence when you can vote for a great pair of legs?

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  9. Actually, that encampment isn't very close to Target. It should be called 'SAIC-ville.'

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  10. Dred Scott Brown v. Board of EducationJanuary 20, 2010 at 9:41 PM

    Following up on the comments of Anon 9:59, 10:25, and 10:34:

    Invest now in shares of Botox -- Nancy Pelosi's going to be using tons of it to get all those new frown lines and worry wrinkles off her face.

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  11. Brown is already seeming to backtrack a bit on his fervent anti-healthcare-reform campaigning. He's also pro-life and pro-environment. Those of you who worship Palin might not like a lot of that. He's not exactly the predictable right-wing nut that I think some are assuming.

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  12. The Convict in the GulagJanuary 21, 2010 at 10:17 AM

    I'm not so much concerned with Mr. Brown being a wingnut as I am about him marching in lock step with the rest of the Rethugs, just for the sake of doing namely so. I will give the Rethugs that they have very good discipline in the ranks, considering how little difference of opinion there seems to be about most matters of import.

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  13. barry is one termer! yee-haw!

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  14. Palin may be too busy being an "analust" on fixed news

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  15. hooray obamacare is done!

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  16. Hope there's something in the works... Just got my bill for co-payment and not-covered items for surgery... oyyy

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  17. Hickory Cluster Knuckle DusterJanuary 22, 2010 at 12:22 AM

    With 30% of Americans not covered by healthcare and those that are who are not lucky enough to have thier work cover it are paying through the nose. Added to that the insurance industry's ability to have thier own death panels to deny coverage, it leaves me flabbergasted why tea-baggers (many of whom are on government healthcare called Medicare or VA benifits) woud oppose health care reform.

    The system is broken and an imoerfect solution is better than what we currently have.

    I'm hoping the democrats grow some balls and either threaten the republicans with the 'nuclear option' like they did with the federal judge appointments, OR get practical and the house sucks it up and votes for the Senate plan as-is.

    Since when does the minority party with a scant 40% in the Senate run the entire country?!

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  18. RE: "...Since when does the minority party with a scant 40% in the Senate run the entire country?!..."

    Since the majority of voters in the US read their news at the check-out line, and believe Rush and Glenn run the Party, and are looking out for their interests...

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  19. The Convict in the GulagJanuary 22, 2010 at 12:05 PM

    Frankly, HKCD, I welcome this turn of events. Now the Dems don't have to worry about the filibuster option because they Reps are going to do it no matter what the Dems put on the table. Furthermore, since they don't have the 60th vote, there's no need to placate the 52nd through 59th votes either. They only need a simple majority in order to pass the bill.

    The Dems should write the plan that they want, pass it in the House and then put the exact same bill before the Senate. The Reps are then faced with the unenviable situation of either passing the bill as written (which will definitely not be vetoed by the Prez) or going to a filibuster. Once the filibuster is on, the govt effectively comes to a screeching halt. How long can the Reps keep this up? Theoretically, forever. Practically, maybe a few months, if that.

    I'm thinking about the last time that the Reps shutdown the govt because they didn't like a spending bill. It seems to me that their intransigence blew up in their faces. I could see that happening in 2012, if the Reps manage to maintain the filibuster into the 2012 campaign season.

    But, then, that assumes the Dems can stomach playing hardball politics for an extended period of time, which is very doubtful.

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  20. bo is one timer...thank you mass.

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  21. Der HickoricheClustenerKnukielDustenerJanuary 22, 2010 at 3:43 PM

    Convict:
    I agree with your assessment and think that would be an ideal turn of events, but as you point out, the Dems don't have the stomach for it.

    One thing: All the teabag crazies should opt out of medicare coverage or any VA benefits they get because that is also socialism.

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  22. The Convict in the GulagJanuary 22, 2010 at 9:42 PM

    Naw, the Vets should keep their benefits. The contract is clear: they provide service in exchange for certain benefits and when that service is up, they get certain benefits. To change that on them now, especially those who are currently doing this nation's heavy lifting or who have already dedicated a significant portion of their working lives to the military, would be unfair to them. I do think, however, that we need clearer thinking about Vet bene.s going forward considering the horrible cost to the taxpayers of these benefits.

    The whole military retirement program is a defined benefits pension program, reminiscent of the type that was popular prior to the '90's, and certainly not reflective of the type of retirement program that the vast majority of Americans recieve today or will recieve.

    The key idea to keep in mind here is that our members of the military are just federal government employees. There are no conscripts; nobody is compelled into service; everybody is there voluntarily. That is, they all signed a contract freely in order to get in and every few years, they have to renew that contract. sure, they get sometimes get sent places that they might not want to be and have to do things that might not want to do, but that's an inherent part of the job that they voluntarily signed up for.

    However, as federal employees, I believe that they should be offered the same retirement benefits as every other government employee. Even under the current schedule, that is not an unsubstantial slate of benefits that most Americans would be happy to have as part of their compensation packages. I would add one caveat, however. Because of the special nature of military service, any member of the service who sustains an injury during their service should recieve treatment consistent with that injury and related conditions until either that condition is remedied.

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  23. El Dustero Knuckleo del Clusterino HickoryJanuary 22, 2010 at 11:27 PM

    Convict,

    I was making a 'modest proposal.'

    I'm making a point that the teabaggers who loathe the idea of healthcare reform, yet they are mostly older people who will gladly accept medicare, a government healthcare entitlement.

    If they hate the idea of a government health care program so much, they should opt out of medicare.

    Nor do I have a problem with VA benefits. I do have a problem with a vet complaining about the notion of healthcare reform, while accepting the very benefits they condemn.

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  24. The Convict in the GulagJanuary 23, 2010 at 8:27 AM

    It does seem to be a bit hypocritical, doesn't it? I would be sympathetic with them if they didn't have any alternative other than Medicare/Medicaid. However, just because you're retired and no longer qualify for the company's health plan doesn't mean that you can't privately buy health insurance, or even do without. In keeping with the Repuke theme of "personal responsibility", if they failed to adequately save in order to provide for their own health needs in their old age and are unable earn enough in order to buy health insurance, why should I foot the bill? I suppose from the Repub point of view, it's better that they just get it over with even if that means they die from reasonably preventable and/or treatable conditions.

    But then, who am I to talk? I've got one parent on Medicare and another on Medicaid.

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  25. Just one year and the nonsense called health-care "reform" is dead. Thank GOD!

    Stupid arrogant democrats thinking they can do all for everyone and tax the "rich." What pure poison. Remember the great society program? What did we get from that? Low-income hutches that we can't now seem to blow up fast enough.

    And, Reston stuffed full of section-8, county owned and HUD properties and a homeless shelter and the best the democrats can do is Target Ville?

    So, where is hudgins during this "incredible" cold snap? Hello? It's January and it's quite to be expected and credible to be cold this time of year!

    hudgins is just a few blocks away designing her many thousands of dollars rain garden for her office. Pathetic!

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  26. 'Great Society'
    Civil Rights Act of 1964
    Voting Rights Act of 1965
    Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
    Social Security Act of 1965
    Medicare and Medicaid
    Corporation for Public Broadcasting
    Department of Transportation

    Yeah all a bunch of "pure poison"

    You are an idiot Mr. Troll.
    Macaroni Grill it calls for thee. Stuff your fat stupid face with some pasta.

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