Blue Ridge Leader

Should I quit my job?

December 1, 2021

Ask Dr. Mike By Michael Oberschneider, Psy.D. The Great Resignation, a term coined by organizational psychologist, Dr. Anthony Klotz, characterizes the trend in which large numbers of employees have quit their jobs from Spring of 2021 to the present.  It’s believed that the trend is due to many factors in response to COVID-19 including burnout,…

Too much ice cream

December 1, 2021

By Charles Houston Hallstatt, Austria is often listed as the world’s prettiest village. Hallstatt is small – 760 or so residents – and sits on a ledge where the towering Dachstein Massif plunges to the HallstatterSee.  The 16-th century houses are quaint, built in Alpine style and with geranium-filled window boxes everywhere. Church spires, narrow…

Methodist Churchyard

December 1, 2021

Just like nothing (else) on earth By Tim Jon This time, my bench was gone; the one landmark I rested my memory upon all these years had disappeared, but much of the physical reliquary remained as I’d been picturing (and feeling) it in the intervening time.  I used to visit this site long before even…

Longing for a parent’s love

December 1, 2021

All a child really wants is to be loved by their parents. Unfortunately, sometimes that love remains just out of reach.  “Steve doesn’t love me,” Lisa Brennan-Jobs tells her mother as a teenager. Lisa is Steve Jobs’ oldest child, and she writes about her heartbreaking experience as his daughter in the New York Times bestseller,…

Purcellville Town Council decides on two big Capital Improvement projects

December 1, 2021

By Valerie Cury At the Nov. 17 Purcellville Town Council Work Session, Council decided, in the end, on two large projects to fund with the American Rescue Plan Act monies. The needed projects are the replacement of two main water lines installed in 1960, and a new fresh water storage tank that would go on…

Court enters Order of Abatement for Gable Farm: owner to level fill dirt

December 1, 2021

The Loudoun County General District Court has entered an Order of Abatement in the case of County of Loudoun v. Gable Family Limited Partnership, which requires the owner of the Gable Farm property to correct violations of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. Order of Abatement The Gable Farm property is located west of Leesburg, off Colonial…

New Historic Preservation Overlay Zone proposed for Purcellville

December 1, 2021

By Valerie Cury On Nov. 18 the Purcellville Planning Commission held a public hearing on the creation of a new Historic Preservation Overlay Zone.  This new proposed district is part of the Commission’s work on bringing the current zoning ordinance in line with Purcellville’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, which recommends that the Town expand protection of…

Loudoun has historical records intact

October 6, 2021

On July 27, Ketoctin Chapter, NSDAR Regent, Kecia Brown and chapter members joined Gary Clemens, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, on the steps of the old Courthouse for a press conference. Also present were Circuit Court Historic Records manager Eric Larson and others from his department and Al Van Huyck representing his…

Purcellville voters are not fooled and will surely say so on Nov. 2

October 6, 2021

View from the Ridge There’s a special election in Purcellville on Nov. 2. The choice for voters – how to fill the Town Council seat vacated by Ted Greenly. Erin Rayner, who lost a Town Council bid in 2020, is running against Sean MacDonald. Whoever wins will complete a short Town Council term ending in…

Career Change Checklist: Are You Prepared?

October 6, 2021

If you’re considering a job or career change, it’s important to do some homework before you make the leap. Many benefits from your current position could be tied to specific dates and time frames. Gathering the right information can help you strategically time your exit and set yourself up for greater success. Consider these steps…