As one who cries easily, last month’s inauguration festivities were a two box of tissues day for me. Of course, many of my tears were the result of watching the history-making vice president. How could I not be moved by watching a black-Asian woman become vice president of the United States?
Recently, I was asked to consider serving on LCPS’ equity committee. The committee’s representatives provided background information and reading materials to catch me up on the committee’s progress. It was very informative. Unfortunately, it was clear there is little room here for diverse op…
Since 2019, many Loudoun County residents and advocates like myself have been petitioning for expanded inclusivity and accessibility to our county’s programs in hopes of better supporting our immigrant community. 2020 was a challenging year for homeowners and tenants across Virginia. Many fa…
I would like to respond to the assertion, expressed in these pages, that Option A of the 2021-2022 Calendar Proposal Options released by the Loudoun County School Board on Nov. 5 is the only equitable option that doesn’t violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In fact, all of t…
Many of my friends have said the Donald Trump view of the world “isn’t who we are as Americans.”
On Nov. 5, the Loudoun County School Board released its 2021-2022 Calendar Proposal Options for public comment. Option A models the current school calendar with 180 student days; Options B and C (proposed by Harris Mahedavi, Ashburn District) include the religious holidays of Yom Kippur, Diw…
“When the community speaks that loudly, that is the position of a board member … to support the community.”
Of the many reasons I enjoy living in Loudoun County, one of the most significant is the great ethnic and religious diversity found here. We are able to celebrate the power inherent in the belief that all people are created equal and are endowed with unalienable rights through one of the mos…
I am a mom, wife and professional who lives with mental illness. My bipolar disorder emerged in my mid-20s, and I live with it every day. I have experienced many struggles, happy times, stable years and, yes, a few hospitalizations for mania related to my condition. Through it all, I have pr…
As members of the Times-Mirror prepared this week to remember and reflect on 9/11 during its 19th anniversary, it dawned on me our youngest reporter was just 4 years old on that fateful day in 2001.
Oh, Mokomandy. Where do I even begin with how many beautiful nights and bites I’ve had with you? You were my go-to place to take friends and family, knowing that you would outdo yourself every time. Not in a showing off kind of way, but in a “what dish will leave us wanting more — but not to…
As has been widely reported, the town of Purcellville is considering selling its utility system to Aqua Virginia, which is a subsidiary of publicly traded firm Essential Utilities. The town received an unsolicited proposal from the company.
Loudoun County’s strategy for preserving its rural areas is based on a false premise. The 2019 Comprehensive Plan asserts that, if we cluster rural housing in low-density residential subdivisions — “clustered subdivisions” — then the land surrounding those subdivisions will be preserved for …
What should stand where the rebel soldier stood on the Loudoun County Courthouse grounds? I suggest a statue of Charles Hamilton Houston.
This was the editor's letter from the summer 2020 issue of Loudouner magazine.
After a contentious public hearing on July 27 that lasted more than three hours, the Middleburg Planning Commission voted unanimously to delay its decision to approve or reject Banbury Cross Reserve, a development of 38 homes on 570 acres located near the town’s eastern boundary. An estimate…
Loudoun County Public Schools will now be 100 percent distance learning in the fall. This was a no-win situation for the School Board, but the basic fact is they can’t guarantee the safety of the children, teachers and administration. We are seeing it everywhere — schools cannot open safely.
In general, I believe that positions that make policy should be elected, and positions that don’t, and are more administrative in nature, should not be. Loudoun County has a very traditional form of government that elects “constitutional officers” — the commonwealth’s attorney, clerk of the …
Hang on to your wallets, Loudoun County commuters — the owners of the Dulles Greenway are at it again.
This letter is to Supervisor Caleb Kershner (R-Catoctin) regarding your answer to the Loudoun Times-Mirror on whether you believe the Confederate monument in front of the county courthouse in Leesburg is appropriate in 2020 America and if you support removing and/or relocating it. I want to …
Supervisor Kershner, your suggestion that the Confederate statue on Loudoun’s courthouse grounds is “solely a tribute placed by loving family members to remember their fallen” is incredulous. If that was the sole purpose of the statue, it would have been placed in Union Cemetery, near their …
We know a lot more now than we did in March when we started dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. We also know that it has always been “easier to criticize than it is to create” and many people have used this opportunity to criticize the steps taken by Gov. Ralph Northam (D). It’s also very di…
I was born and raised in Lovettsville in the 1980s. I’m 45 years old. At the time, it had a population of 600 people, two gas stations, three stores and a couple churches. No fast food, two restaurants, a community center, and farms everywhere.
For many Americans, “space” means leaving the Earth’s atmosphere and exploring the galaxy. They think of this weekend’s SpaceX launch. Or going where no one has gone before on “Star Trek.”
In these sad and anxious times, it is difficult to focus on the future. Despite the challenges, however, our county government continues to move forward as best as it can on important long-term issues, including the fate of Loudoun’s rapidly diminishing rural areas.
In 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave our war-torn nation one of the mightiest speeches ever delivered. The Gettysburg address commemorated those who gave their “last full measure of devotion,” at a time when our nation was ripping itself apart. In his eulogy on the slain president two years later, …
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