Opinion
By Kwasi Fraser, Former Mayor of Purcellville A recent editorial in a local newspaper highlighted the vital importance of our town’s utility infrastructure, a sentiment that resonates with all residents of the esteemed Town of Purcellville. However, the editorial insinuated that we have been seeking elusive magic bullet solutions and intentionally keeping rates artificially low. The…
Dear Editor: Beware of politicians who resist embracing innovation and instead claim that our town’s financial challenges stem solely from a lack of revenue. These politicians offer only one solution to their manufactured revenue problem: raising water and sewer fees, even when citizens are already curtailing their usage. Additionally, they prefer burdening our citizens with…
By Charles Houston (Disclaimer: Characters mentioned here are fictional and do not reference any real person.) Appenzell is Switzerland’s most rural and traditional canton. Its best tradition is the annual parade of dairy cows up to Alpine pastures in the spring and back down in the fall. Its second-most appealing tradition is pure democracy, which…
By Kwasi Fraser I would like to express my appreciation for the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors’ efforts in adopting the 2023 Loudoun County Energy Strategy, which undoubtedly holds great promise for our community. However, I find the recent decision by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors to explore landfill gas (LFG) as an energy…
By Charles Houston At the end of 1996 I bought a tumble-down, hardscrabble farm near Waterford. It was to be just a weekend place, after some basic renovations: About $3,000 to rid the house of termites. A similar amount to remove trash and junk from the house and barns. More to change kitchen counters, and…
Dear Editor: I have served in law enforcement for more than 35 years, and as the chief of police in the Town of Middleburg for the past 11 years. I have also been the police chief in three other jurisdictions, and work as a consultant for police departments across the commonwealth. Additionally, in 2021 and…
Dear Editor: I have always wondered why many of my western Loudoun County friends prefer their dirt roads over paved roads. The current discussion around the proposed Rt. 7 and 690 Interchange has helped me understand my friends’ preference for dirt roads instead of paved roads. Dirt roads do two things; they serve as a…
By Charles Houston So said architectural icon Frank Lloyd Wright. Let’s use his lens to examine design in Loudoun County. After all, our ballyhooed new General Plan has an entire chapter titled “Quality Development” which asks, “How does the development exhibit high quality design through shape, materials, finish … ?” Our new zoning ordinance is…
By Kwasi Fraser Western Loudoun County, with its stunning bucolic setting, rolling hills, vineyards, open skies, and farmlands, has been a key contributor to the overall economy of Loudoun. However, the region is currently facing a significant challenge with its electrical infrastructure. The root of the problem is inadequate transmission capacity, which is leading to…
By Charles Houston First Some Yogurt You’ve probably seen the yogurt brands Yoplait, Siggis and Chobani. French, Icelandic and Icelandic, right? Wrong. These labels were just invented as marketing constructs and the words mean nothing. Not so with my favorite yogurt, Oikos. Give credit to its producer, a huge French food products company, for using…