LOUDoun Mouth
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye
Ready your cameras, followers of newspapers' slow and steady descent. I'm a rare species in ... | 4 comments ›› more ...
Blog
The surreal deal
Holy smokes! I think I took part in my very first media circus. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Name on a race car? Ask him about it
Spokesman immortalized | 0 comments ›› more ...
Biz News: One snack for man and beast
Snacks for man and beast | 0 comments ›› more ...
Free haircuts for the unemployed
Free cuts for the unemployed | 1 comment ›› more ...
Two Loudoun Starbucks closing
Some residents will soon have to drive a little farther for their daily latte or cafe mocha. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Mall lands restaurants; Ritz stores closing
Two restaurants recently signed leases for space at Potomac Run Plaza, across from the Northern Virginia Community College Loudoun Campus. | 0 comments ›› more ...
The Donald comments on Lowes Island Club purchase
Below is a statement by Donald Trump on his purchase of Sterling's Lowes Island Club. By looks of it, The Donald has big changes in store for this private golf club. | 0 comments ›› more ...
The Donald in talks with Loudoun country club
Is the Donald eyeing property in Loudoun? | 0 comments ›› more ...
Chamber urges supervisors to steer clear of aircraft tax hike
Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tony Howard today sent the following letter to Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) regarding a plan to raise taxes on aircraft parked in Loudoun. With money in short supply, the Board of Supervisors is looking for creative ways to generate additional revenue. | 0 comments ›› more ...
2008's top business stories in Loudoun
The top business story of 2008? That's a no-brainer: It was the economy, stupid. Still, there were plenty of other stories beyond Wall Street's woes and the messes that are the automobile and housing industries. Here are just a few that transpired in Loudoun. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Window shades back in buses
In the battle over whether window shades should remain in Loudoun's commuter buses, the victory goes to the drivers -- well, sort of. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Blight Patrol finds a historical mess
Not even two centuries of existence or inclusion on state and federal historical registers could keep foreclosure and blight at bay. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Biz bites: Service issues; company expands
Customer service in county government questioned | 0 comments ›› more ...
Board votes down money for Redskins marketing blitz
In a tight budget year, money does not flow so easily out of the clutches of Loudoun's government. | 0 comments ›› more ...
No go on 'Hell's Kitchen' chef; wine bar opens in Leesburg
Biz bites on area restaurants | 1 comment ›› more ...
Supervisor has big issue with big box stores
Big boxes beware; Online sales slumping; Quotable | 0 comments ›› more ...
Effort under way to save strip mall's silo
Loudoun Supervisor Andrea McGimsey (D-Potomac) has started a petition drive to stop a strip mall owner from razing a local landmark. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Local bank chain eyed by national company
Citigroup Inc. has been in talks with local bank chain Chevy Chase about a possible buyout of the Bethesda-based company. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Teen shoppers to the rescue and other Biz Bites
Rejoice retailers! One segment of the population, at least, plans to empty its wallets this Christmas shopping season. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Sterling company underpaid foreign workers
A Sterling-based IT company has agreed to pay $1.7 million in back salaries after the U.S. Department of Labor found that the company underpaid several hundred foreign workers. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Pardon my dust: Business beat under construction
Sorry for the delay in posting, but LOUDoun Mouth has been undergoing some retooling. | 0 comments ›› more ...
A tax worth a mouth full
With money in short supply to keep up with a still-growing school system, members of the Board of Supervisors decided this summer to put a question to voters this fall: Should we increase revenues by taxing that chicken and Havarti sandwich at Sweet Water Tavern and that frothy beer at ... | 0 comments ›› more ...
Board updated on credit crisis and how it is affecting county government
The county government is so far weathering the nation's credit crisis, this according to a letter County Administrator Kirby Bowers sent to the Board of Supervisors this week. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Suggestions for helping Sterling Park
On the heels of a heated community meeting at Park View High School on the recent spat of violence in Sterling Park, Supervisor Andrea McGimsey (D-Potomac) released the following suggestions on how to aid this beleaguered eastern Loudoun community. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Blight Patrol rolls into Sterling
Honk! Honk! The Times-Mirror Blight Patrol is heading your way -- that is if own a dilapidated shack of a building within the borders of Loudoun County. (Click here to learn more about the Blight Patrol series.) | 0 comments ›› more ...
Biden rally: Can I get a shout out?
Like the true politician that he is, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) didn't forget that all politics are local when he campaigned at Sterling's Claude Moore Park Sept. 19. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Obama, McCain Loudoun offices up and running
Barack Obama and John McCain each have campaign offices in Loudoun, and I've visited both. Here's how they stack up against one another. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Public hearings: Tall grass ordinance up for discussion
Tall grass looms large in Monday's public hearings in front of the Board of Supervisors. | 0 comments ›› more ...
'Board members caught keeping secrets' revisited
I own up when I make a mistake, or in this case, go a little too far. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Blight Patrol rolls into Ashburn
Here's a sight not worth seeing (unless you're in search of blight like me). This blighted wreck sits right on busy Belmont Ridge Road in Ashburn just north of Gloucester Parkway. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Wolf sends a letter to Kaine
U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-10th) is throwing his considerable political weight into state affairs. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Board members caught keeping secrets
Why the need for all the secrecy, is what some Loudoun supervisors are asking. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Fairfax eclipsing Loudoun in campaign donations
Apparently, campaign contributions do not flow as freely out of Loudoun County as they do out other nearby localities. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Blight Patrol now rolling; first stop Round Hill
What is Blight Patrol? Actually, it's a who and it's me. My equipment is a camera and a pen and pad of paper. My mission is to find the ugliest, most dilapidated-looking structures in Loudoun and in its seven incorporated towns. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Roads, money and the Republic of Northern Virginia
Traffic is horrendous and the state is broke, yet the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce hosted a discussion early (8 am early) Aug. 6 on the state of Northern Virginia's transportation network. | 0 comments ›› more ...
BOS taking a break, Waters expecting, Delgaudio calls
In case you were about to alter your plans to catch the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, stop everything and rebook that motel in Ocean City because board members are taking the month of August off. | 0 comments ›› more ...
DC United wants 'presence' in Loudoun
Is DC United making a pitch to build a pitch (aka, soccer field) in Loudoun? | 1 comment ›› more ...
Sterling in need of vacation from negative press
Sadly, it has been a tough couple weeks for Sterling. | 1 comment ›› more ...
BOS: Goals, goals, goals
Just going through some old notebooks. Oh, here is one I forgot about from the Board of Supervisors' July 1 meeting. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Channel 9 News: Loudoun is 'a county in crisis'
The camera just loves Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling). And he loves it. | 2 comments ›› more ...
Board acts on contributions, rezoning, gun club and roadside solicitors
What a meeting. My hand is still throbbing from jutting down the host of news items that arose during Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Is that a rezoning I see?
Sound the horn: There is a rare sighting on the agenda for the Board of Supervisors' July 1 business meeting: a residential rezoning. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Delgaudio hits the airwaves; calls Sterling Park 'cesspool'
In case you missed it, our very own Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) was interviewed during Kojo Nnamdi's Politics Hour on 88.5 today. The topic being one of Delgaudio's favorites: illegal immigration. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Kaine, elected leaders and the mystery of Bilderberg
Did you know the governor was in town Wednesday night? Our slate of elected leaders did, and so did someone who had thoughts of a new world order on his mind. | 2 comments ›› more ...
Supervisors take an interest in art
The Board of Supervisors seems to have taken an interest in the finer things in life. In this case, art. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Massage fees: A touchy subject
It will cost masseuses and massage parlors extra to put their hands on others' aching necks and backs in Loudoun. | 0 comments ›› more ...
With their ideas, at least, supervisors regularly come in second
Many of Loudoun's problems are certainly not unique. But neither are some of the solutions being offered by its elected leaders. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Board to give it back; York not running
The Board of Supervisors taketh away then giveth back. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Come out, speak up
Tonight (May 14) is the last in a series of the meetings the county is conducting to get residents' take on how the county can improve the quality of life in eastern Loudoun. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Survey says...Give me more for my tax dollars
The number of people who feel they are getting a good bang for their buck from their Loudoun tax dollars is dropping. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Hillsboro, NVCC road projects in works
How did we let this one slip by? According to Roger Vance, the mayor of Hillsboro, Loudoun's smallest town is finally making headway in addressing its horrendous traffic problem. | 1 comment ›› more ...
County becoming 'Cool'
Go figure, the Board of Supervisors does know what it means to be cool: well, most of its members do. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Going green and money for the Confederacy on tap
There looks to be no blockbuster items on the agenda for Tuesday's business meeting of the Board of Supervisors. And most of what is on tap is on consent agenda, meaning there will be no discussion on those items. | 0 comments ›› more ...
$1.14 it is
The agonizing month of numbers crunching and penny pinching is finally over, as the Board of Supervisors approved April 1 a new budget and a higher tax rate of $1.14. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Dancing around the topic
Budget season seems to get some supervisors' dander up. Tuesday's business meeting was no different. | 0 comments ›› more ...
'Unanimous vote' still part of chairman bill
With General Assembly blessing, the Board of Supervisors' so-called "Chairman" bill now only awaits Gov. Tim Kaine's signature to become law. However, a requirement that a unanimous vote by the board occur to take powers away from the chairman, interestingly enough, remains in the bill. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Where did all the big boys go?
What happened to all the big boys? By big boys, I mean incredibly-large rezoning applications. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Budget cuts by Delgaudio
In case you are one of the few residents of Loudoun not on anti-spender Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio's e-mail list, here are some of the items he wants cut from the county's proposed $1.6 billion budget. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Reporter's query: Bad housing market
Hi all. I need your help. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Supervisors' sinking assessments
Voyeuristic, perhaps. But there is interest in seeing how the members of the Board of Supervisors fared this assessment season. | 3 comments ›› more ...
In a vote of 'NO,' Delgaudio finds support in Miller
New England has its 18-1 team and Loudoun has its 8-1 man in Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, who is often the lone “NO” vote on matters requiring action by the Board of Supervisors. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Going for Braddock Village? Arrive early
Planning to attend the Braddock Village public hearing in Leesburg on Feb. 11? You may want to arrive early because the agenda is loaded with other goodies. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Give Eugene more to do
Pained looks of "how will I find the time to do all this" have been crossing the faces of Loudoun supervisors, who are still early on in their spankin' new four-year term. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Observations from Jan. 15 BOS meeting
Not unlike a Saturday crawl to the local Safeway, Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting was a short trip gone long. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Latest board hearings not without news
The Board of Supervisors made some news during its latest batch of public hearings on Jan. 9. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Observations from board meeting #1
The first meeting of the new Loudoun County Board of Supervisors was a subdued affair for the most part but one not without its interesting tidbits. For one: the seats supervisors decided to occupy. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Transparency is the clear goal
Those pesky Washington Post investigative pieces from a year ago continue to incite change in how things are done in Loudoun government. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Changes to board committees expected
For the most part, members of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors to be sworn into office on Dec. 22 have been tight-lipped about what they have planned starting in January. However, some possible changes are coming to light, especially with respect to board committees. | 0 comments ›› more ...
New leadership for Democrats
In case you missed the news, here is the new leadership of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee. A caucus was scheduled to take place on Dec. 10 to select its new officers. But since everyone ran unopposed, according to outgoing Chairman Thom Beres, the caucus was canceled. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Well, RECUSE me...
Lots and lots of public hearings for the Board of Supervisors Tuesday night. Fourteen to be exact, and of those, Chairman Scott York left the room for one because he used to work for the applicant. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Board in an agreeable mood
Supervisors were in an approving mood for the most part at Tuesday’s business meeting (the second to last for this board). | 2 comments ›› more ...
Sterling Park streets put on notice
Parts of Sterling Park have been put on notice: Clean up your property or expect to see a zoning inspector at your front door. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Vice-chair job: Any takers?
High-ranking Loudoun County government job available in January. Pay is below average, but you'll make more than the last guy did. Hours you set, but try to make it to the office at least three days a month. Main responsibility: Fill in when the guy who sits next to you ... | 0 comments ›› more ...
Loudoun in the national news
Quick news reads on Loudoun from national newspapers…Here’s what the LA Times had to say about Loudoun’s slumping housing market and changing political landscape in a story published on Election Day. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Election Day, in a word, WOW!
My assessment of last night, better known as Election Day: WOW! | 1 comment ›› more ...
Observations from Election Year '07
Here are some things I've seen, read and heard over the last couple months of this election season in Loudoun County: | 1 comment ›› more ...
Firetti's long commute?
Scott York (I), chairman of the Board of Supervisors, is accusing his opponent in next month's election, Mike Firetti (R), of running for office in Loudoun while residing 162 miles away (yes, I mapquested it) in Delaware. | 2 comments ›› more ...
In Loudoun, the FBI is calling the shots
Some Loudouners seem to have unfettered access to the famously tight-lipped FBI. | 2 comments ›› more ...
Supervisors and their love of e-mail
County supervisors continue to be enraptured with reading at each other’s e-mails. | 1 comment ›› more ...
A case of 'not getting it'
The question of are they "getting it enough?” is crass and inappropriate for a newspaper Web site and it will not be addressed here. Sorry. We can’t go there. But in terms of getting it, we now know that Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) will not be getting his request ... | 1 comment ›› more ...
It's our times' baby in a well
It's illegal immigration, stupid. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Next candidate, come on down!
Incumbent supervisors running for reelection enjoy the luxury of mic time at the dais to make their case and defend their actions to voters. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Burton and Mr. Letter Writer
What happened between Sept. 4 and Sept. 7? | 0 comments ›› more ...
Sterling Plaza in very un-sterling condition
Sterling Plaza, where I spent many of my impressionable teen years, appears to be a shell of its former self. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Sheriff draws most of the questions
La Voz of Loudoun should be proud of the sizable turnout it had for its immigration discussion panel held at Ida Lee in Leesburg Aug. 16. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Day-laborer vote; immigration discussion
To satisfy even the hungriest of you immigration-news-heads, there is plenty of votes, discussions and good reads out there this week to feed a Marine brigade. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Board agrees to ask for drought relief
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors agreed 7-0-1-1 to ask Gov. Tim Kaine to declare Loudoun a drought disaster area. Supervisor Jim Clem was absent for the Aug. 6 vote, while Supervisor Steve Snow abstained. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Support for Lowry's heard loud and clear
My goodness, discussions on zoning ordinance amendments is dry matter, but important, especially to the fans of Hamilton's Lowry's Farm Market. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Board to meet; cats abound
After a week in Oregon I'm as relaxed as a piece of steamed asparagus. | 0 comments ›› more ...
I ache for the news
Wow! What a Board of Supervisors meeting on July 17. Newsworthy items were popping up faster than rodent heads on the gopher game at the beach. My aching writing hand is still on ice. | 1 comment ›› more ...
Web and wild in Loudoun
Suddenly Loudoun, the Web is yours. | 0 comments ›› more ...
What's with that building?
How can no one complain, is what Erica Laufer of Potomac Falls wants to know. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Who's mowing them lawns
I recently took a drive through my childhood-stomping grounds of Sterling Park, while working on a story about unruly lawns in this HOA-less community. | 3 comments ›› more ...
Joseph Blalock
Friends and family of Joseph Blalock, the Lovettsville teen who was killed in a single-car crash on June 21, created a memorial blog for their loved one. | 0 comments ›› more ...
The pain of selling
Ouch. Home sellers I feel your pain. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Ready to roll with rail
Loudoun County is going to ante up. Well, there are some conditions that must be met before the county does pay its $240 million share to help extend rail to Dulles airport, a $5.2 billion project. | 1 comment ›› more ...
The Tribe among us
I had an interesting conversation with a fella named Luke Wiseman in Hillsboro last Friday. He has big plans for Loudoun's smallest town: A new farm, an organic food store and a two-level coffee house right on noisy Route 9. His plans sound much needed and much welcomed ... | 0 comments ›› more ...
Drive like a lawman
If you're in the market for a used car, Loudoun County is looking to unload a bunch of vehicles. This Saturday, the county is holding its annual surplus vehicle auction at the Loudoun County Fleet Garage, 42000 Loudoun Center Place in Leesburg. | 0 comments ›› more ...
Long day, short week
Convention Day 2007 was long and hot, but mostly long. I tried to catch Sheriff Simpson on way out the door for a comment or two. But if I did that, then I would have missed who won in Blue Ridge. Hey Republicans: In 2011, how about some food stands ... | 0 comments ›› more ...
That Washington paper
You got to hand it to Bruce Tulloch, the board's vice chair: He is bold. Knowing my name was on A1 of one of the biggest and most powerful newspapers in the country, if not the world. I would have called out sick from my next day of work. In the Board's case, that ... | 1 comment ›› more ...