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LeesburgToday Li f est yl es
NUMBER 28
JULY 16, 2015
O pi ni on
Educa t io n
C l assi f i ed
VOLUME 27
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OBITUARIES 50
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LETTERS PAGE 52
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LEGAL NOTICES 40
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Cycling In Loudoun: A Case Of Mutual Frustration Sports
County Leaders Say Improvements Are On The Way
Leesburg Today/Danielle Nadler
Tom Bendien rides through Leesburg on Sunday. Law enforcement and county leaders are working to improve the relationship between bicyclists and motorists.
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t’s no secret. Loudoun County is home to some of the most beautiful—not to mention windiest, steepest and most shaded—roads in the Mid-Atlantic. They’ve become a magnet for a growing number of bicyclists who are drawn to the rolling hills and serene vistas that earn the locality the nickname Virginia’s emerald county. But amid the region’s charm is a simmering tension between bicyclists and motorists. While the number of bicycles and cars on local streets continues to tick up, the number of bicycle lanes and shareduse paths has not kept pace. But county leaders say steps are being taken to make more room for bicycles and cars to share Loudoun’s roadways.
“There are a lot more people on the roads here,” said Lt. Rudy Landon of the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office’s traffic safety section. “Most interactions between bicyclists and vehicles are just fine, but when people don’t follow the rules, it creates a problem.” Virginia law treats bicycles as vehicles. They’re allowed to be on the road and must adhere to all traffic laws, including stopping at stop signs and red lights. Drivers, on the other hand, must slow down and give bicyclists at least 3 feet of space when they pass. Nicole Davison, owner of Veloville USA bicycle and coffee shop in Purcellville, considers herself a safe-riding evangelist. She follows the rules of the road, lays them out for her customers and encourages bicyclists she knows to go beyond what the law requires by wearing brightly colored clothing and avoiding
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Danielle Nadler
Loudoun Guardsmen Leave For Southwest Asia Deployment
There’s a reason we’ve been family owned for over 30 years. Ask your neighbors or visit us and find out why?
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“It’s always hard to leave your family, but this is what I volunteered to do, and it’s what I love doing,” said the 30-year-old, who lives in Luray with his wife and two children. “Right now, we’re trying to focus on the training and preparation that we need to make it a successful mission and bring everyone home safe.” The group will conduct training at Fort Continued on Page 30
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panies, including those based in Winchester, Woodstock and Suffolk, are part of the mission. They’ll serve as a security force providing access control, tower guards and other security support. The tour officially begins Sept. 8 and is expected to last about a year. For some, the Southwest Asia mission is their second or third deployment. For Capt. Brandon Price, it’s his fourth.
Permit #78 Springfield, VA
here isn’t any nuanced reason why 19-year-old Briar Woods graduate Mackinley Canan joined the U.S. Army a little more than a year ago. “Ever since I was little, I wanted to serve my country and better my family,”
said Canan, a private. “I feel proud serving this country.” He is one of about 100 troops from the Army National Guard’s Leesburg-based Company C of the 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team who loaded buses on the morning of July 9 to embark on a tour of duty in Southwest Asia. About 450 guardsmen from Virginia com-
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