Op-Ed
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…
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…
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,…
By Kwasi FraserFormer Mayor, Town of Purcellville It’s crucial to address the concerns raised regarding the allocation of taxpayers’ funds towards the proposed floodplain mitigation project tied to the construction of the Rt. 7/690 Interchange. The decision-making process regarding this initiative demands precision and a broader perspective on both the immediate and long-term implications to the citizens…
By Tim Stinnette There is a saying about other people’s money and it goes like this: “Three groups spend other people’s money: children, thieves, and politicians. All three need supervision.” “OPM” is the shorthand for “other people’s money” and when it comes to OPM it is the decisions of those who manage OPM that drive…
By Adam Stevenson I imagine that every place has its own comparative advantages and pleasures, both subtle and obvious, that let it grow up in a person’s affections until one’s identity is inseparable from the beauty and bounty of the place one knows best. This is both simple and complicated. It’s simple in how natural…
By Charles Houston No more candidate mailers clogging my mailbox. No more questionable ads on social media. No more candidate photos popping up when I use Google. Rejoice Yes, be happy those irritants are gone, but rejoicing at the election results is up to your opinion about the results. The most notable thing is that…
By Ron Rise Sr. On the northwest edge of the Town of Purcellville quietly rests a 14.2 acre-green open space with forested wetlands with life-giving waters of the South Fork Catoctin Creek, all nestled quietly along N 21st Street. In 1996, Bruce Brownell approached the Town of Purcellville during the design and development of his…
By Charles Houston Many simple ideas would make our lives more pleasant, and I’ve listed some. I also delve into politics and land use issues, inter alia. I’ve ignored practicality and difficulty, so this list is aspirational. I’ll start with a slam dunk: Daily Life Call centers must be located within the US, preferably in…
By Charles Houston Right now, I don’t have time to write a proper column myself, so I’ve cheated, putting ChatGPT to work on two related topics: Sprawl, and the benefits of rural living. I’ve never fiddled with artificial intelligence until now. An intriguing thing about ChatGPT is that you can adjust the reading levels of…