Op-Ed
By Joe LaFiandra The events in Texas last month show how vulnerable the electric power grid is. At one point over two million homes were without power. The cause was a relatively rare ice storm that knocked out at least 20 percent of the state’s generating power. The main reason for this loss of power…
By John P. Flannery Whatever one thinks of capital punishment, there must be general agreement that the state should never execute an innocent man or woman. Our criminal justice is so badly broken, no one should be sentenced to death. I’ve argued in and out of court to abolish capital punishment. Many have fought…
By Joe LaFiandra The new president has implemented a series of progressive executive orders. Other actions are in the wings, including asking Congress to enact an increased minimum wage of $15 an hour, from the $7.25 (in Virginia) an hour presently in effect. What I am going to present in this article are the consequences…
By Charles Houston ZOC – pronounced “zock” – is the County’s new Zoning Ordinance Committee, which is charged with helping to write a new zoning ordinance for the county. It’s important to you and I’ll explain why. Zoning Matters Zoning is generally a vague concept for people. They might be totally unaware of Loudoun’s 1,025-page…
Loudoun County’s rural villages are irreplaceable, and yet, somehow, we seem determined to let the present destroy their past. “Their buildings and settings document Loudoun County’s history, through war and peace, growth and decline, changes in commerce, agriculture, and transportation. The social and cultural heritage they represent, and their vitality today, make them a vital…
By Charles Houston Every publication will have a lengthy year-end retrospective on COVID and on 2020. This is a different story. Bubba was my father’s first cousin, and hence my second. Bubba had no siblings, no wife, no children. As a bachelor, his closest relations were my two brothers and me. We were very close.…
By Joe Lafiandra If you are a Democrat or Trump hater, don’t bother reading any further; this piece doesn’t apply to you. If you are a Conservative, Republican, or independently minded person who wants to see and hear the truth from the press and visual media, read on. Freedom of the press is guaranteed in the First Amendment to…
By Andrea Gaines Life in a small Town. As with life on an old farm, it can be both beautiful and sad. The beautiful part is represented by the things that many of us recognize as “the way it used to be.” Old farms, cows mooing at you over the fence, homes, walkable communities, people…
By Joe Lafiandra If you own or are thinking of buying an electrically powered vehicle (EV) there is lot you should know about the battery that powers the car. The bad news about EV batteries is they are prone to burst into flames if not treated “gently.” The auto manufacturers know this and are doing…
By Charles Houston Earlier this month I wrote this story about my memories of the Blue Ridge for the Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountain’s newsletter. FBRM is a great conservation group with an arrow-like mission: protecting the Blue Ridge in our region. I couldn’t talk about trekking the Appalachian Trail since I haven’t and…