Op-Ed
By Al Van Huyck One advantage, or perhaps disadvantage, of having lived in Loudoun County for 36 years many of which have been devoted to sustaining the quality of life and preserving the unique assets of the County, is you remember the lost battles. In 1991 Loudoun was largely green fields, productive farms, and hosted…
By John Lovegrove, Chairman, Loudoun’s Future PAC Clean, reliable water is something most of us take for granted. In western Loudoun, that assumption is no longer guaranteed. A new groundwater study from the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition confirms what many residents and farmers have already experienced: our wells, springs, and ponds are drying…
By Charles Houston This County-Loudoun Water idea faces near-unanimous opposition, based on survey results and even door-to-door canvassing. Almost every day some new and odious problem pops up. Most recently the groundwater crisis has sounded a countywide alarm. It’s a special problem for this County scheme. I’m finding it hard to write an update given…
By Michael Zuckerman While I admire and firmly support Abigail Spanberger’s forward leaning, detailed platform—to lower costs of healthcare, housing, and energy—it seems equally important that her candidacy promises to restore professional governance, ending the hazardous chaos generated by the grave political whims of the MAGA movement trickling down from Donald Trump’s unbridled childish need…
By Kathie Belrose-Ramey There’s a concept I’ve come to understand that finally gives language to the disorientation many of us have felt in recent years. It’s called a permission structure—the unwritten framework that tells people what they’re allowed to say, feel, or do without being punished or pushed out. It’s not just about laws or…
By Purcellville Mayor Chris Bertaut After the September 9 Town Council meeting, a wave of misinformation has spread—through social media, private forums, and public commentary—distorting what actually happened and misleading the public. This isn’t just political disagreement. It’s part of a broader, ongoing pattern. At the heart of this disruption is a deeper motive: to…
By John Ellis A core principle of public service is that officials should not personally profit from the decisions they make in office. In the early 2000s, the then head of Loudoun’s Planning Commission voted to approve development applications submitted by a firm from which he received substantial personal business. In 2004, a former County…
By Charlie Houston Yes, this is all about me, from way back when to today. About fifteen years ago I was walking my horse to let him—and myself—cool down after a riding lesson, when my trainer said, “You live an interesting life.” I just smiled but that’s been on my mind ever since. A few…
By Charlie Houston Those words popped into my head one morning with a poetic ring—love, death, autumn’s crisp days, tenderness. They seemed rich with meaning. Maybe they could even make me rich and famous. I tried turning them into a song, scribbling stanzas without music to guide me. My wife said that couldn’t work. A…
By Delegate Geary Higgins You’ve probably heard the phrase “parental rights” a lot lately. Maybe you’ve even seen it dismissed by pundits, the school board, or activists as some kind of dog whistle. But here’s the truth: there’s nothing extreme about believing that moms and dads—not bureaucrats, not activists, and certainly not politicians—should be the…