Opinion

Middleburg opposes 185-ft tall cell tower

May 27, 2021

Loudoun County School Board: Brenda Sheridan, Chair; Atoosa Reaser, Vice-Chair; Denise Corbo, At-Large Member; Harris Mahedavi, Ashburn District; Ian Serotkin, Blue Ridge District; Leslee King, Broad Run District; John Beatty, Catoctin District; Jeff Morse, Dulles District; Beth Barts, Leesburg District: Dear Madam Chair and Members of the Loudoun County School Board, I am writing on…

We need a distributed energy system

May 20, 2021

Dear Editor: The May 7 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline reveals challenges not only to the U.S. cyber defenses, but also to the vulnerability of our energy system. A centralized system for delivering fossil fuels, generating electricity, and for distributing electricity is not secure. This ransomware attack reveals just one of many potential weaknesses. A distributed energy…

St. Louis is under threat

May 13, 2021

Dear Editor: The village of St Louis is under threat. We need help from the Board of Supervisors. The subdivisions that are in the plan would increase the housing numbers in the community by 30 percent, and the current zoning could double the houses in the community.  We would suffer from many negative impacts. If…

Chapman endorses Glenn Youngkin

May 5, 2021

Dear Editor: Virginia is at a crossroads when it comes to the safety of our citizens, the education of our children, and our economic recovery. Glenn Youngkin has the leadership qualities, conservative values, and policy skills to succeed at all three as Governor. Most importantly, Glenn Youngkin understands the importance of protecting our most vulnerable…

Charlie Houston’s Greatest Hits

May 5, 2021

By Charles Houston  My Op-Eds have almost always been about protecting western Loudoun County, often taking a circuitous route to make my points. What if all the columns were distilled to their land-use essence? Have I been right?  2017 May: A survey says 69 percent of Loudoun citizens think that too much growth, and too…

Do you know how big a trillion dollars is?

March 31, 2021

By Joe Lafiandra With the passage of the $1.9 trillion dollar stimulus and the current $28 trillion national debt, don’t you think it would be important to really understand how much a trillion dollars is and why it is important to understand what these numbers mean?  A trillion dollars is a lot of money by…

Dinner for Four

March 31, 2021

By Charles Houston “What are you going to serve them?” Robert Rood asked his wife. “Barbecue. Collard greens. Black eyed peas. Pecan pie from Mom’s,” Byne answered. “They served us a Lyonnaise salad, consommé, lamb chops in cognac, leeks …There’s no way I’m trying to match that. Let’s eat outside. You go set the table.”…

Thank you for giving to GiveChoose.org

March 23, 2021

Dear Editor: This starts with a heartfelt “Thank you” to every reader and member of our community.  Together, we raised $820,000 through a 2021 GiveChoose.org  campaign.   This charitable community-based “crowdfunding” event has become a high-impact source of spring funding for many nonprofits serving our community. (Did you know that, for most nonprofits, 30 to 80…

Glad to know the Hamilton Mercantile will remain– You forgot to mention Eva

March 18, 2021

Dear Editor: I, like everyone else for miles around, am delighted to know that the Hamilton icon will remain an organic food store, and even enhance and expand its services.  I wish the new owners much success and satisfaction, and want to thank Sue Phillips for taking it over when she did, along with her…

LaFiandra’s opinion divides Americans on renewable energy

March 14, 2021

Dear Editor: You’ve published another “opinion” article by Joe LaFiandra full of lies and misdirection that support the fossil fuel industry and divide Americans on renewable energy. Look practically at energy. Burning fossil fuels creates pollution. Extracting, storing, moving, and burning it causes some environmental damage. So would it be better if we could generate all energy…