Op-Ed
“Gaslight” was a film of the 1940’s in which a husband tried to convince his wife through the flickering of the ominous gas lighting that she was going mad; “losing it,” in today’s vernacular. The term has made it into the present-day to mean a manipulation the purpose of which is to make people believe…
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By Charles Houston Ceremony Everyone expected the April 10 Board of Supervisors’ Public Hearing to be brutal. There were at least four contentious items and every seat in the Board Room of the Government Center was filled. Most estimates were that the meeting would continue until at least 3 a.m. Chair Phyllis Randall was pessimistic…
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By Purcellville Council Member Chris Bertaut Purcellville is in budget season and the outlook is not good for the town’s residents. For the first time since 2012, millions in new debt is being proposed that will reverse progress made, with $12 million of our inherited town debt having been eliminated since 2012. The FY25 budget…
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By John Ellis Loudoun citizens’ frustrations continue to rise as breakneck growth and development overwhelm our roads, schools, neighborhoods, and countryside. And that’s even before we start to consider how much it costs us as taxpayers; which is a lot. Congested roads and crowded schools have direct impacts on County spending. The County needs to…
Read more...By Charles Houston Abridged conversation: Citizens: “We must reduce housing density in the county.” Big easement donor and a developer: “That’s downzoning and is illegal. If you enact it, we won’t do anything more in Loudoun.” This person is wrong, and selfish. Abridged conversation: Citizens: “We must reduce housing density in western Loudoun.” Department of…
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By Kwasi Fraser Citizens of Purcellville, let me clarify my position on the Rt. 7/690 Interchange. I once supported this proposed project based on the Loudoun County Interchange Justification Report (IJR) design. I envisioned relief for Hirst Road congestion as documented in the IJR. My endorsement was based on an earlier design presented in the…
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By Charles Houston Time to nerd out a bit. At the end of this piece there’s a two or three-line, italicized bio. Yes, I was a developer and yes, I handled millions of square feet of major office buildings, from Miami to Louisville, and from New Orleans to Richmond. My biggest building was 1.2 million…
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By John Lovegrove When you think about Loudoun County and why you settled here, what comes to mind? Is it the Western Loudoun countryside filled with horses, rich Fall foliage and sweeping views? Is it the vibrant economy of Eastern Loudoun, the state-of-the-art schools, or the beautiful suburbs and mixed-use communities? For members of our…
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By Charlie Houston I usually write about the imperative to save western Loudoun and address land use issues. A recurring theme has been populism – the county belongs to its people, not businesses or promoters. This, though, is about a particular person. Quality of Life Everyone seems to know what “quality of life” means, but…
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By Charles Houston Eons ago in Asa Minor, King Midas was in his rose garden when he came across the wise satyr Silenus, badly hungover and still somewhat drunk. Midas helped Silenus clear his head, fed him and returned him to the Greek god Dionysos, the satyr’s master. (Satyrs had the body of a man,…
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