Ashburn octogenarian was once a star of the doo-wop world
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that had a hit single and performed with Frankie Avalon, Paul Anka and many other stars of the mid-20th century.
Elsewhere in the magazine, our “Neighbors” feature (Page 22) is a Q&A with Robyn Gatens, a fellow Farmwell Hunt resident who is director of the International Space Station for NASA. Yes, that space station.
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When we started Ashburn Magazine four years ago, one of our stated goals was to better connect our community by introducing you to your neighbors –people you may know only because you say “hi” to them while walking your dog or taking the trash out in the evening.
You’ll also meet Mike DeMeo of Ashburn Village, whose unique apparel business, Rhinohouse, also supports a good cause. His story starts on Page 8. And then there’s the Perez family of Brambleton, whose teenagers turned a bread-baking hobby begun during the pandemic into a family business, Bread by Blanca. Check out Page 30 for some mouth-watering photos of their creations.
So we’re pretty sure we’ve only scratched the surface of interesting people with fascinating stories here in Ashburn. If you have a story idea you think we should pursue, please reach out. Our email addresses are in the box on the left side of this page.
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Ashburn Magazine is published every other month and distributed to over 13,000 selected addresses. While reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to Ashburn Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to any such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. While ensuring that all published information is accurate, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any mistakes or omissions. Reproduction in whole or part of any of the text, illustrations or photographs is strictly forbidden.
Editor Chris Wadsworth started out with a long list of possible stories but, to be honest, I was worried that one day we might run out. Ashburn isn’t that big, after all. But as we begin our fifth year of publication, it’s clear my concerns were misplaced. Even though we’ve published 24 issues, Chris’ list of story ideas has only become longer. There’s an old saying that “everyone has a story to tell,” and this issue is evidence of that.
In our cover story, starting on Page 16, Chris introduces us to Neil Arena, who golfers may know as a starter at Belmont Country Club. But in his teens, Arena toured the country as a member of a doo-wop group, The Mello-Kings,
©2023 Rappahannock Media LLC.
Finally, as I write this, we are in the final days of voting for our Best of Ashburn 2023. We will again set a record this year for the number of votes received – over 71,000 already. Our team will notify winners in mid-March, and the full results will be published in our May/June issue.
We’re excited that, for the first time, we’ll hold a public event to recognize the Best of Ashburn winners, during the Loudoun United soccer game June 9. More details on that event to come, but in the meantime, we hope you enjoy reading this issue and getting to know a few more of your neighbors.
BRUCE POTTER, PUBLISHER
PUBLISHER@ASHBURNMAGAZINE.COM
So, what really happened during that first lunar landing in 1969? While the world watched Neil Armstrong taking his giant leap for mankind — could something else have been happening just beyond the view of the camera? Like maybe a rhinoceros hanging out with some little green men at a hotdog stand?
This fanciful vision just popped into Mike DeMeo’s head one day. The Ashburn Village resident is the founder of Rhinohouse Surf & Snow — a small boutique apparel company — and the “Hotdog Stand on the Moon” is just one of its 14 unique designs.
“The ideas just come to me,” DeMeo said. “When you overthink, your best ideas don’t come to you.”
The concept of Rhinohouse started when DeMeo visited a surf shop in Ocean City, Md. He noticed a demand for specialty shirts that made a statement about a lifestyle rather than just featuring some famous logo.
“I want people to have fun with Rhinohouse,” he said. “Rhinohouse shirts are different, and a little quirky.”
He launched Rhinohouse in 2010, and it’s been a slow but steady rise ever since.
While his day job in sales with a local printer may keep the lights on, DeMeo says his apparel company has sold more than 7,000 shirts, hoodies and other items online.
Some of the whimsical designs are limited editions — such as his signature hoodies that feature a unique production number printed on the sleeve. Nearly 200 of these numbered hoodies have sold.
Other designs are sparked by things DeMeo sees and stories he hears. News events as diverse as the war in Ukraine and the
Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” have led to new t-shirts.
The ideas are filtered through a “rigorous” selection committee comprised of his board of directors. This includes his fiancée, Dr. Anita Vincent, a local anesthesiologist, and her two sons. DeMeo likes to say their three dogs, three cats and a ferret also give him honest feedback and suggestions.
DeMeo is the idea man, but he is not an artist. For the brand’s unique design style, he relies on a man named Jerry Emerson.
In a sign of this modern “virtual” world we live in, DeMeo has never met Emerson in
person, never spoken to him on the phone and doesn’t even know where he lives. All communication is by email.
DeMeo sends Emerson his general idea, and Emerson sends him artwork. They collaborate on what to change and what to keep, and somehow it just works.
“Jerry won’t pick up the phone if I call,” DeMeo said. “I found his work online and liked his style. His preference for just working through email works for both of us. We go back and forth until we nail it.”
Emerson said in an email with Ashburn Magazine that he has offered caricature and cartoon design services online for about 28 years. “Over that time, every design requested by a client was thrashed out only by email communications,” he wrote.
According to Emerson, his greatest challenge with Rhinohouse is to tell each funny story with just enough characters, background and action to focus on the central figure of the Rhino that he and DeMeo affectionately call “Our Guy.”
DeMeo didn’t choose the rhinoceros as his mascot by chance. He says he’s committed to doing his small part to help protect endangered rhinos from extinction.
On the Rhinohouse website, he dedicates space to educate visitors about rhinos and features links where donations can be made to rhinoceros protection groups. One of the charities is a nonprofit called the
Black Mambas. It’s the world’s first all-female anti-poaching unit with 26 young African women who patrol thousands of acres of a nature preserve in the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The combination of cool design and helping rhinos has attracted an eclectic fan base. “Baywatch” actress and Playboy model Erika Eleniak has been spotted with a Rhinohouse tee. So has Mike Love of The Beach Boys.
Among Rhinohouse’s fans is Dayna Grant, who runs a school in New Zealand for stunt performers and has appeared doing stunts in various TV shows and films, including the movie “Wonder Woman.”
“I can wear my favorite shirt to my stunt trainings while raising awareness to save the rhinos at the same time,” she said. DeMeo said poaching of rhinos is a serious problem.
“Rhinos may look really mean, but they are some of the gentlest creatures on earth,” he added. “I want Rhinohouse to be about more than just cool-looking apparel. I want the brand to make a difference, too.” A Colleen Reynolds is a communications specialist and a freelance writer who has written numerous articles for newspapers and websites.
You can check out the line-up of Rhinohouse apparel as well as learn more about protecting endangered rhinos at the brand’s website: rhinohousesurf.com.
Ashburn resident Kenneth Nixon Jr. is the author of a new book called “Born into Crisis” that is scheduled to come out May 2. It’s a fitting name because Nixon says he was quite literally born into crisis. On the day he was born, his father found him wrapped in newspaper on the floor of their apartment while Nixon’s mother sat in the corner of the living room, amidst a struggle with mental illness. Nixon’s new book examines his life watching and coping with his mother’s mental health issues and calls attention to the need for systemic change in our country’s mental health system.
Early reviews have called the book “a breathtaking, heartfelt, honest account” and said Nixon’s “courage and candor are certainly impressive.”
“Born into Crisis” will be available from online booksellers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
The Patch Boys, a growing drywall and ceiling repair service brand, has recently expanded into the Ashburn market. Whether it’s just a small ding in a wall or a gaping hole in a ceiling, The Patch Boys can repair it. Local entrepreneur Lennol Absher is the franchisee bringing The Patch Boys brand to Ashburn. As a veteran who spent two decades in the U.S. Army, Absher brings project management experience to his new role.
“Coming from a military background, I understand the importance of delivering results and paying sharp attention to detail,” Absher said. “These skills have subsequently transferred to this role, and I could not be more thrilled to begin this journey.” A Learn more about Absher’s services at thepatchboys.com/ashburn-silver-spring.
Anew clothing line with roots here in Ashburn hopes to bring stylish clothing to women while also protecting their skin. It’s called Low Ultraviolet (L.U.V.), and the company behind it wants to create safe and fashionable apparel that is also UPF 50+. Clothing that helps block dangerous ultraviolet rays can play a role in keeping skin younger looking and potentially preventing skin cancer.
Snigdha Sangisetti is one of the founders. She has lived in Ashburn since 2004 and is a graduate of Rock Ridge High School and Virginia Tech. She teamed up with fellow Hokie Erica Sullivan Feggeler, who lives in Alexandria, to create L.U.V. Feggeler’s mom was diagnosed with skin cancer and was the inspiration for the brand.
“Our goal is to become the ‘go-to’ of UPF clothing and provide a marketplace that makes UPF 50+ clothing affordable and attainable for women, and eventually, men and children,” Sangisetti said. You can learn more about L.U.V.’s products at lowultraviolet.com.
End-of-life care is a critical topic for individuals and families who want to face this delicate phase with dignity. That’s why Blue Ridge Hospice is expanding its services into a large portion of eastern Loudoun County, including Ashburn.
Blue Ridge Hospice has served points west of Leesburg for decades, but there have been calls for them to offer more services to a wider geographic area. Now, they are answering that call.
The hospice provider has launched a new care team — Loudoun East — and has begun serving residents of longterm care communities in Ashburn and at Inova Loudoun Hospital. The goal is to eventually expand into home care and someday serve all of Loudoun.
Find out more about Blue Ridge Hospice and its new services at brhospice.org.
Saturday, March 11, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Lost Rhino Brewing Company, 21730 Red Rum Road No. 142, Ashburn
One of Ashburn’s most popular breweries is celebrating with their Shooter McMunn’s Irish Stout – a smooth and roasty stout. There will also be live music, traditional Irish dance, food specials and more.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Sunday, March 12, 8 a.m. to noon
AVFRD Station 6, 20688 Ashburn Road, Ashburn
Support the AVFRD with a delicious stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, juice, tea and coffee.
Tuesday, March 14, 7 to 10 p.m.
Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant, 19870 Belmont Chase Drive, Ashburn
This event explores everything Cuban –from fiery mambo beats to authentic street food –all paired with Cooper’s Hawk wines. Enjoy an evening made for Fedora hats, swirly skirts, and fine cigars, set amid tropical splendor that will awaken all your senses – Havana style.
Saturday, March 25, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
St. David's Episcopal Church and School, 43600 Russell Branch Parkway, Ashburn
Inspirational program featuring Aaron Copland's acclaimed “Appalachian Spring” and Florence Price's “Adoration.”
Sunday, March 25, 11 a.m.
Morven Park, 17269 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg
Explore all the nooks and crannies of the Westmoreland Davis mansion with Jana Shafagoj, Morven Park’s director of preservation and history. The 60-minute tour is limited to 12 people, but Morven Park offers regular tours on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays each week. Scan the QR code or visit InsideNoVaTix.com to make your reservations.
Saturday, April 15, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, April 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Downtown Leesburg at Market Street and King Street
The streets of historic downtown Leesburg will be filled with incredible landscape displays and vendors selling flowers and live plants, gardening supplies, and everything imaginable involving outdoor living.
For a complete list of events around Northern Virginia, visit InsideNoVa.com/calendar
Saturday, April 29, 8:30 a.m. Broadlands Marketplace, 43170 Southern Walk Plaza, Ashburn
Calling all serious runners, occasional joggers, and weekend walkers of all levels. Van Metre invites you to participate in the annual 5K Run supporting Children’s National Hospital. A
ust about everyone at Belmont Country Club knows Neil Arena. At least all the golfers do. Arena has been a starter at the club since it opened more than two decades ago –greeting golfers, keeping them organized and getting them to the right tee at the right time to keep play moving smoothly.
But not everyone knows that the man sitting in his golf cart with a clipboard and pencil is a bona fide international celebrity, a pop star who once entertained screaming audiences and received fan mail from around the United States as well as Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and other far-flung lands.
In fact, he had a hit with the first single he and his pals cut.
BY ASTRI WEE OF ASTRI WEE PHOTOGRAPHY“It was crazy,” Arena recalled. “We didn’t know much about [the] Cashbox [music charts]. We didn’t know much about Billboard. We just knew the guy who wrote the song was sitting outside the record company – Herald Records. He stopped us and said, ‘I wrote you guys a hit.’ He picked up Billboard Magazine and said, ‘Your song is No. 9 in 10 major cities.’”
Sure enough, a song that Arena and his buddies in the fledgling doo-wop group “The Mello-Kings” had recorded a few weeks back in that summer of 1957 was making waves on radio stations and music charts across the country.
It was called “Tonite, Tonite,” and it may have only reached No. 77 on the national charts according to “The Billboard Book of American Singing Groups: A History 1940-1990,” but it went much higher in individual cities such as Boston, New York and Washington. It even made it to No. 1 in Philadelphia.
Arena loved music from a young age — and quickly discovered others did, too.
“I started singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the girls in grade school and they got a big kick out of it,” he said. “My teacher Miss Cochran called me aside and said, ‘Don’t you know that you have a good voice? One of these days you’re going to be able to use that voice for good purposes.’”
It seems Miss Cochran was prescient. A few years later – during
Ashburn octogenarian was once a star of the doo-wop world
Arena’s sophomore year at A.B. Davis High School in Mount Vernon, N.Y. – a friend told him about some fellow students, brothers Bobby and Jerry Scholl, who were forming a music group and holding auditions.
Arena went along – he thinks he performed “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers for his audition – and the next thing he knew, he was in.
“They said, ‘See you Monday at 7 o’clock at the Boys Club. We’re going to start rehearsing,’” Arena said. Arena was just 15 and in the 10th grade when the group formed. For the next two years, he would live a lifetime of experiences and create the memories that form the foundation of a new book, “Tonite, Tonite: The Story of
the Original Mello-Kings,” he authored along with writer Ben Stephens.
Larry Chance, a musician who occasionally played drums with The Mello-Kings back in the day, before going on to form his own group, The Earls, said Arena “is a brilliant musician who taught us so much.”
“[Neil’s book] has brought to life a bygone era when every neighborhood had kids singing on the streets,” Chance added.
The Mello-Kings, a quintet, was originally signed by Herald Records, a small record label of the 1950s and 1960s. A staff writer at the company gave the teens “Tonite, Tonite” to perform and they went into the recording studio.
“We were so fine-tuned by the musical director. Note by note, one at a time, one guy at a time, one note at a time, then hitting it all together. It was just phenomenal,” Arena said.
“Something told me that I was doing something special. How special, I didn’t really know.”
The record spent more than 10 weeks on the pop charts and led The Mello-Kings to record a handful of additional singles that met with more modest success. And then — despite still being in their teens — they hit the
road touring.
Modern concert goers are used to seeing one main headliner and perhaps one or two opening acts. But in the mid-20th century, as pop bands proliferated, concerts would often feature anywhere from five to 10 acts – sometimes more. The Mello-Kings may not have received top billing themselves, but they toured with some of the biggest names of the era.
“We got on a tour with Jerry Lee Lewis,” Arena recalled. “The man was phenomenal. The whole auditorium was shaking. He was the headliner – the closer. We would go into the wings and watch him.”
Then there was the time in Youngstown, Ohio, when The Mello-Kings met famed musician and actor Bobby Darin just before he became a household name.
“We came out of the elevator at a hotel,” Arena said. “He had on a gray overcoat, and he called us over and
said, ‘I heard you and you guys are great.’ He said, ‘My name is Bobby Darin. You don’t know me now, but you will later.’ Not long after that — guess what came out: ‘Splish Splash.’”
That song went on to be Darin’s first million-selling single and made him famous across the country. “Just meeting him and shaking his hand has stayed with me to this day,” Arena added.
There must be something about elevators. Arena also bumped into iconic singer and actor Dean Martin in an elevator and the teen was so starstruck, he couldn’t utter a word.
Other acts the group toured or performed with included Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, Andy Williams and The Del-Vikings.
But despite the fans and fun, Arena found touring difficult. Constant travel. In and out of hotels every night. Bad food. Trouble keeping up with schoolwork. Another member of The Mello-Kings left the group, and Arena made a similar decision soon thereafter. He dropped out and went back to Mount Vernon to finish high school.
“Too bad we were so young and
got beat out of a lot of money. I think we could have been smarter, and I would have stayed longer,” Arena said ruefully. “Tough lifestyle.”
He was good at basketball – really good – once scoring 33 points in a game. He played for a local community college, hoping he might get scouted
by a bigger school. But that didn’t happen. Arena ultimately went on to a career in the insurance industry. He married, divorced, raised his young son and daughter, then remarried – and through it all The Mello-Kings were a happy, but ever more distant, memory. The group went on without him, and with a variety of new members over the decades has continued to perform on the oldies circuit right up to the present day.
Today, Arena is 82. He came to Loudoun County in the 1980s and moved into the Potomac Green neighborhood in Ashburn about 15 years ago. He has sung to the ladies at the pool. He has sung to friends while playing cards. He even was part of a rockand-roll group with local residents.
His doo-wop pop star past was never a secret, but with the publishing of his recent book, Arena says he is approached a lot more by folks wanting to talk about it, including Belmont Country Club members who approach him in his starter’s cart.
“All of a sudden people are coming around – they come over to me and
say, “I just got a scoop on you. I didn’t know about this,’” Arena said.
Member Tony Keyes, who lives in Ashburn, first found out about Arena’s past more than a decade ago. “My mind was blown,” he said.
The two men bonded over a love of music. “I would come to the club for my tee time, and I would sing a short phrase from a song and Neil would complete it,” Keyes said. “Over the years, he told me many stories about his life on the road and the people that he worked with.”
Looking back, Arena knows he was part of a unique time in American history – the postwar boom, the rise of teenage culture and the proliferation of pop music. And his spot in one of those pop music groups – no matter how fleeting – is a special memory and a claim to fame that he still loves to reminisce about.
“I would do it all over again.” A
You can find music from Neil and the Mello-Kings on the internet. If you would like to hear their biggest hit, go to: tinyurl.com/mellokingstonite.
Copy & Subheads: Montserrat (all weights)
FIRST OFF, WHAT IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION DOING IN ASHBURN? WHY AREN’T YOU IN HOUSTON OR FLORIDA?
Local woman helps lead one of NASA’s most high-flying projects
BY CHRIS WADSWORTH
Robyn Gatens just can’t turn off the science. In her free time, she’s fiddling around with an old wine fridge at her home in Ashburn’s Farmwell Hunt neighborhood. She’s trying to find the perfect balance of temperature and humidity to help ripen her homemade
cheeses — wheels of feta, cheddar and camembert.
And then, when the workweek resumes, she heads into Washington and NASA’s headquarters. Because besides being an absolute cheesemonger, Gatens is also the director of the International Space Station.
“I never could have really planned this,” Gat-
ens said of her position with the space agency. “If you try to map out your career, it usually doesn’t turn out that way. It zigs and zags.”
Gatens was born in Delaware and lived in Iowa and Texas before landing in the Atlanta area to finish high school and attend nearby Georgia Tech. She studied chemical engineering, which — through various
twists and turns — led her to NASA. Up the ranks she rose until, two years ago, she was named the director for the ISS.
It’s been a fascinating journey — and space seems to fascinate almost everyone — so Ashburn Magazine interviewed Gatens to learn more about her job and her life. Here are excerpts from our conversation.
“NASA headquarters — which is my duty station — is in downtown Washington. Ten years ago, when I came up to do the headquarters role with the space station division, I relocated from Huntsville, Ala., to the D.C. area. Initially, I was just on a short-term detail, and we lived in an apartment, but then when the position became permanent, we started looking at buying a house. We liked Northern Virginia and … Ashburn was attractive to us. I knew the Metro was coming eventually – thank God it’s finally here – it makes my commute a whole lot better. We love the community. We love the neighborhood. We love the horse and wine country.”
“The space station program is run by a gentleman named Joel Montalbano. It operates out of Houston at the Johnson Space Center. He’s got a thousand people that manage and operate the day-to-day
operation of the space station. That’s where Mission Control is. That’s where the astronauts are. The senior leadership is at NASA headquarters at a building downtown [in Washington]. I want to say we have a thousand employees representing all the mission directorates at headquarters. What we do at NASA headquarters is overall policy, overall strategy, for the program. We work with the White House and the administration and the Office of Management and Budget. We talk quite frequently with Congress.”
“We do have a small operations center at NASA headquarters, and we can listen as the space station operators talk to the crew. We have screens that we can watch what is going on. We particularly watch launches and
EVAs. [Editor’s Note: EVA means “extravehicular activity” outside the space station such as space walks.] The reason we have this is so we can inform our stakeholders if something happens – then we communicate with the NASA administrator and the White House. [The control center] is the most interesting thing at NASA headquarters.”
“I’m responsible for the overall policy and strategy for the ISS and the overall budget. That’s the shortest way I can describe it. One of the initiatives that I was responsible for was to give briefings to the administration and the White House and Congress about why it would be a good idea to extend the ISS life to 2030. We had been authorized to go to 2024, but we needed – for lots of good reasons – to extend the life of the station to 2030, so in my role I put that story together. I did those briefings and ultimately gained support from the admin-
“I studied chemical engineering. I liked math and science in school. I actually liked chemistry – I was a little weird that way. When I came out of school, my first husband had interned with NASA’s Marshall
Space Flight Center in Huntsville [and we were headed there]. There are no chemical plants in Huntsville, so I was trying to figure out what I was going to do, and long story short, I was fortunate enough to also be hired by the Marshall Space Flight Center.”
“It was 1985. The space station was in its early design stage, and the Marshall Space Flight Center had just gotten the responsibility for the life support systems. Life support systems are a bunch of chemical processes – recycling water, turning carbon dioxide back into oxygen. It was a great fit for a chemical engineer. So, I made that my technical specialty and … worked on the early design of the life support systems for the space station.”
“I do. Even though I don’t talk to the crew while they are on station like mission control does, we have a lot of astronauts who are either getting ready for their mission or have completed their mission who help us and have active roles in the space station mission. We have a lot of former astronauts who are in leadership positions.”
SAW “LOW-EARTH ORBIT ECONOMY” MENTIONED AS ONE OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
“Right now, we have a government-owned and -operated international space station. It’s not going to last forever – as much as we would like for it to. We got approval to extend to 2030. Our intent is not to leave low-earth orbit even though we are doing Artemis missions to the moon, and ultimately Mars and then the solar system. Right now, we are enabling other commercial companies to develop and build commercial space stations in low-earth orbit.
And then NASA – instead of owning and operating the platform – will buy services from these commercial space stations.”
WHY IS NASA GOING IN THIS DIRECTION –LETTING COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES TAKE THE LEAD?
“The reason NASA is moving in this direction is that we like to do the next hard thing that the commercial industry might not be ready to do. We’ll do it and bring industry along with us. There are commercial companies that have learned how to operate space stations alongside us and now that they are ready, we turn it over to them, and then – as the government – we go and do the next hard thing, which is Artemis.”
AND ARTEMIS IS GOING TO TAKE US BACK TO THE MOON.
“It’s named after the sister of Apollo. We say we are going to land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon.”
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST ISSUES OR CHALLENGES FACING THE ISS THAT YOU’RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW?
“It is a very busy place. We have seven crew living aboard the ISS at any one time. We have cargo missions coming and going and all kinds of activities. The biggest challenge is actually a good problem – our demand is exceeding our capacity. We have more users and more projects that want to fly to the space station than we have vehicles and space to accommodate. Our house is getting full.”
“I mean sure – who wouldn’t? But would they send me? Probably not. I’m quite happy staying here on earth and enabling other people to fly, but sure, I would love to go if I had the opportunity.”
“My life with NASA is very scheduled as you can imagine, so I just love the quiet and the unscheduled time at home. We like to visit wineries – Fabbioli Cellars up in Leesburg is one we are members of. We also have a boat. We keep it down on the Washington channel, and the boat is great because I can spend some time on it and then walk to work.”
“I started making cheese. I guess it was the chemical engineer in me. Having that kind of outlet is great. I joined a herd share over the holidays that allows me to get raw milk. Right now, I have a cheddar and a French Tomme wheel in the ‘cave’ – it’s
actually a converted old wine fridge. I’ve made camembert. I’ve made feta. I’ve tried different stuff. The real trick is the aging. Once you’ve made the cheese, you have to age it and it's tricky. It wants to be at 55 degrees, but at 85% humidity. It’s hard to mimic those conditions.”
“I’m always looking for opportunities to give back to the next generation. I’ve really enjoyed the past couple of years – more students have reached out from my alma mater. I have spent some time on campus talking with students and engaging with faculty. I’m going to be going to Virginia Tech and spending a day there. I’m mentoring a group of young women from Purdue University. I love human spaceflight, so anything I can do in my current role or any future role that can contribute to human spaceflight is what I want to do.” A
Celebree School of Ashburn Farm
JOIN US FOR AN Egg Hunt
US FOR AN Egg Hunt
March 25, 2023
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
March 25, 2023 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Celebree School of JOIN US FOR AN Egg Hunt
Celebree School of Ashburn Farm
Celebree School of Ashburn Farm JOIN US FOR AN Egg Hunt
JOIN US FOR AN Egg Hunt
Celebree School of Ashburn Farm JOIN US FOR AN Egg Hunt
March 25, 2023 10:30 AM - 12:30
March 25, 2023
March 25, 2023
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March 25, 2023 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
To RSVP, call or email ann.camet@celebreeschool.com
To RSVP, call or email 703-879-2452 ann.camet@celebreeschool.com
To RSVP, call or email 703-879-2452 ann.camet@celebreeschool.com
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Family turns mom’s recipes into sweet success
BY CHRIS WADSWORTH
everyone has probably heard the term “eye candy” – meaning something that is pleasant to look at. It’s a term that comes to mind when you visit the Instagram page for a local bakery called Bread by Blanca.
Row after row of warm toasty pastries and buttery-looking breads. It’s a sight (and a site) to behold, and the folks behind Bread by Blanca have an interesting tale, too.
Back when the pandemic first began in 2020, Vanessa and Jamie Perez – high-schoolers at the time – found themselves stuck inside their Brambleton home and bored stiff. Their mother, Blanca Perez, stepped in and started teaching the teens to bake some of her favorite recipes to pass the time.
“Life was always so busy, it was difficult to find time to bake,” Blanca said. “So, when the pandemic started, we had different nights – like movie nights – and then we started a baking night.”
The kids shared their creations with friends and neighbors and – after receiving rave reviews – decided to start a little home-based business. Thus, Bread by Blanca was born. (They wanted to honor their mom with the name, plus they liked the alliteration.)
The aforementioned Instagram page was created. So was a website for their new bakery. Soon, orders were rolling in.
“With limited space in the kitchen, it can be very hectic at times, but we’ve gotten good at working with – and around – each other,” Vanessa said. “The biggest challenge is trying to not be hungry when the house always smells like freshly baked bread.”
Jaime, who had just obtained his driver’s license, needed practice behind the wheel, so he became the official delivery driver for Bread by Blanca – carting boxes, bags and lots of loaves of bread to customers around the area.
One of those customers is Tina Rosenthal, who lives in the Birchwood at Brambleton neighborhood. Her daughter knew the Perez family and told her about their bakery business. Rosenthal was new to the area and started ordering. She quickly became a regular.
“They are just so nice,” Rosenthal said. “They come over and deliver it. They were amongst my first friends in this neighborhood.”
The menu at Bread by Blanca is heavily influenced by the family’s Mexican heritage. Blanca and her husband, Jaime Sr., grew up in Mexico, and Blanca learned many of the recipes from her maternal grandmother.
“We have met many Mexican people who have tried our [baked goods] and said they are the best they have had,” Blanca said. “It’s so cool that we are doing my grandmother’s recipes here and people are liking them. She passed away at age 96 just before the pandemic, and it feels like she is here with me.”
Two of the house specialties are conchas and milk bread. “Concha” is Spanish for “seashell,” and this type of sweet bread is made with flour, sugar, butter, milk, yeast, salt, eggs and then vanilla or chocolate.
Milk bread is a simple recipe with milk as a main ingredient along with sugar, butter, yeast, flour and salt. It’s then egg-washed –to give it a lovely color.
“It’s braided too, so it looks beautiful when it comes out of the oven,” Vanessa said. “It’s the type of bread that can be eaten daily for sandwiches or French toast or served
a side during a dinner party.”
Other treats baked up in the Bread by Blanca kitchen include garlic knot bread, brioche buns, apple cider donuts and even keto-friendly pound cake and cheese bagels. And of course, what type of Mexican family wouldn’t include fresh flour tortillas
in their lineup?
“Right now, I’m on a kick where I like to get their tortillas,” Rosenthal said. “I’ve been having them for breakfast. I toast them up and put some avocado or some eggs on it. They’re wonderful.”
Bread by Blanca also offers seasonal
baked goods such as orange Bundt cakes and herb bread in December and the wellknown Mardi Gras king cakes in February.
Bread by Blanca sold out of king cakes this year and had to stop taking orders. It seems the tiny bakery’s reputation has only grown since the dark days of 2020.
The Perez family likes to fantasize about growing their burgeoning brand. Right now, Blanca is the head baker, and Vanessa, now a sophomore at Boston University, and Jamie Jr., now in 12th grade at St. Paul VI Catholic High School, help whenever they can. Jaime Sr.’s main job is working for a local technology company, but he’s been known to lend a hand during busy baking moments as well.
“Expansion is obviously the next step, but to where?” Vanessa said. “We would love to one day be able to sell to restaurants, grocery stores and farmers’ markets. But ultimately, our dream is to have our own little bakery that serves coffee and bread – a place for people to enjoy the sweetness of life.” A
You can learn more about the baked goods from Bread by Blanca as well as ask questions and place orders online at: breadbyblanca.com.
Solar power grows in popularity here, but may not be right for everyone
with a chance of savings
It was Laura Ellsworth’s idea. While working on her master’s degree in sustainability from Harvard University, the Ashburn Village resident thought it might be a good idea to convert the sunshine that fell on her home into electricity.
Her husband, Patrick, ran the numbers, found an installer and, on a bright morning last August, the couple turned on the solar panels for the first time. They quickly saw the kilowatts they drew from Dominion Energy drop to zero.
What does that mean? It means the panels on their home’s roof were providing enough power to light the lights, air condition every room, run all the appliances, power their technology and gadgets and even recharge their two hybrid automobiles.
“I’m sure we’ll have days when our usage goes higher,” Patrick Ellsworth said. “We’ll go through periods when there’s a thick cloud cover that would reduce what the panels produce, but our electric bill has gone so far down that we’ve had weeks when the [extra] electricity we make… went back into the [local] power grid.”
And if the Ellsworths’ panels generate more power than the couple uses, Dominion will actually pay them for the excess power they send back to the grid. When the couple includes their savings from government solar tax credits and exemptions, they expect the cost of their solar installation will be paid off in seven years – possibly less.
The Ellsworths are among many Ashburn homeowners who have gone solar in recent years. The Brambleton community alone reports more than 100 solar installations in the past two years.
Among them are Mike and Jessamyn Turicchi, who went solar in November.
“We’ve seen the writing on the wall,” Turicchi said. “Energy prices keep going up, and the solar-generating technology has improved to the point that it’s affordable. Add the tax credits and it’s hard to say no.”
Last August, the U.S. Congress raised the Federal Solar Tax Credit to 30% of the cost of installing a residential solar power system. The cost includes contractor fees, necessary structural repairs or upgrades, permitting and the financing of a loan if needed. Congress also extended the time that a homeowner can take advantage of the credit to 2032.
That means if the full bill for installing a solar power system is $30,000, homeowners can deduct as much as $9,000 from their income tax. The state of Virginia offers benefits for going solar as well.
For the Turicchis, their 40-panel array has cut their electric bill by about 65%. They expect to have the system pay for itself in about 10 years.
“We were hoping for 80%, and we still may get it, but we’re happy with the results,” Mike Turicchi said.
Right now, the price range for an Ashburn residential solar power installation is about that of a moderately priced car –from $20,000 to $60,000. That’s according to BrightSuite, a division of Dominion Energy that sells and installs solar equipment in some parts of Virginia.
Timothy and Sharon Giebel came in significantly below that for a 10-panel installation on their Ashburn Village townhome.
“We face south and get sun all the
time. When we ran the numbers, it made perfect sense,” Tim Giebel said.
Rick Thrutchley owns RNR Energy Solutions, a Leesburg company that installs solar panels. He said there has definitely been an increased interest in going solar. This is driven in part by the government tax credit, but also by the growth of the electric car market.
“The electric vehicle market and the solar market go hand in hand,” Thrutchley said. “The interest in one generates interest in the other. If you have an electric vehicle and solar, you can eliminate two bills – your gas bill and your power bill.”
The trend isn’t strictly residential.
Brambleton plans to add solar panels this year to a new maintenance building. Last year Ashburn Farm put up solar panels on its Windmill Drive community center and Breezy Hill recreation building. At the Windmill Drive center, nearly every section of the building’s roof is covered with large, dark photovoltaic rectangles. Installed in two phases from May through September, the system is expected to save the community at least $15,000 a year.
While the advantages of solar power can be appealing, it is not for everyone. In some locations, tall trees and nearby structures
can put a home in shade for most of the day. Among other factors to consider are the direction a house’s roof faces. South is best; east or west are good; north may be problematic. Then there’s the size and kind of roof. The more panels that can fit on a roof, the more electricity they can generate. A broad, gable-type roof free of dormers, skylights and utility vents is ideal. And there’s the condition of a roof. Adding solar panels will complicate any repairs a roof may require. Some roofing materials will support the added weight of the panels better than others. So, a new roof may be necessary before the panels go up. Finally, there is the cost. Most of the roughly half-dozen solar installers currently working in Ashburn will help homeowners qualify for a loan to pay for the panels, the permitting, any physical upgrades to their roof and the added technology their home will need to manage the system. With federal, state and local tax credits, as well as a reduction in electric bills, the cost for the upgrade should be at or below what a homeowner currently pays for electricity so that the system will pay for itself in seven to 10 years.
Unfortunately, not everyone will qualify to go solar at their home, even if they really want to. RNR Energy’s Thrutchley says solar companies follow a formula of sorts to determine whether a potential client will benefit. In many cases, perhaps the majority, solar isn’t right for the homeowner. The factors mentioned above can actually mean going solar will cost more rather than less.
Loudoun county resident Dawn R. had been experiencing the painful side effects of Peripheral Neuropathy, “my feet and legs were extremely painful and my doctor told me there was nothing they could do. That I would have to take Gabapentin for the rest of my life.”
Then she met Ashburn's very own Rachal Lohr, L.Ac.
Peripheral Neuropathy is the pain, discomfort, and numbness caused by nerve damage to the peripheral nervous system. Dawn explained that daily tasks like opening doors and using the bathroom were overwhelmingly painful.
“How can you live for the next 30 years when you don’t even want to get out of bed to do simple things?”
She was experiencing the burning, numbness, tingling, and sharp pains that those suffering from neuropathy often describe. “The way that I would describe it, it’s equivalent to walking on glass.” Dawn hadn’t worn socks in five years and was wearing shoes two sizes too big so that nothing would ‘touch’ her feet
Unfortunately, Dawn’s story is all too familiar for the over 3 million people in the U.S. suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy.
If you’re unfortunate enough to be facing the same disheartening prognosis you’re not sleeping at night because of the burning in your feet. You have difficulty walking, shopping or doing any activity for more than 30 minutes because of the pain You’re struggling with balance and living in fear that you might fall. Your doctor told you to ‘just live with the pain’ and you’re taking medications that aren’t working or have uncomfortable side effects.
Fortunately, two months ago
Dawn read an article about Rachal and the work she was doing to treat those suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy, without invasive surgeries or medications.
Rachal Lohr, founder of Firefly Acupuncture and Wellness, in Ashburn, is using the time tested science of Acupuncture and a technology originally developed by NASA that assists in increasing blood flow and expediting recovery and healing to treat this debilitating disease.
“Now when I go to bed at night I don’t have those shooting pains. I don’t have that burning sensation. I don’t have pain coming up my legs,” Dawn enthusiastically describes life after receiving Rachal Lohr's treatments.
“I can wear socks and shoes!”
Dawn and her sister now operate a successful dog walking business, sometimes covering up to 5 miles a day
“It’s life altering.
As far as I’m concerned Rachal saved my life!”
Rachal has been helping the senior community for over 15 years using the most cutting edge and innovative integrative medicine. Specializing in chronic pain cases, specifically those that have been deemed ‘hopeless’ or ‘untreatable’, she consistently generates unparalleled results.
What was once a missing link in senior healthcare is now easily accessible to the residents of Northern Virginia.
If you’ve missed too many tee times because of pain or you’ve passed on walking through the town centers with friends because you’re afraid of falling it’s time to call Rachal and the staff at Firefly.
It’s time you let your golden years BE GOLDEN!
Rachal Lohr, L Ac is once again accepting new patients. And for a limited time will be offering $40 Consultations so call (703)263-2142 before May 1st to schedule a consultation.
“There are a lot of people who can’t go solar,” he said. “The numbers don’t lie. There has to be a clear path to savings.”
Ashburn Realtor Bob Caines is not a solar enthusiast when it comes to his line of work. To Caines, residential solar power is like a swimming pool.
“If you really want a house with a pool, and you see a house that has one, you may go for that house, even if it isn’t exactly the kind of pool you may like, because it’s easier and cheaper to have the pool in place than to go through the cost and trouble of having a new one put in,” he said.
Among most of the buyers looking in Ashburn that Caine has met, solar panels are not a major factor in a home-buying decision.
“I can see how it would be for a person who would advocate for the environment,” Caine said. “But if you ask me if a solar installation would increase the value of an Ashburn home right now, I’d have to say no.”
Nevertheless – for a multitude of reasons – solar panels continue to pop up around Ashburn.
The Giebels found the installer they wanted when a sales representative knocked on their door. Meanwhile, the Ellsworths took a more methodical approach. They spent nearly a year interviewing five installers they found online, as well as speaking with neighbors who had gone solar.
“You have a lot of things to think about, and a lot of things you can learn before settling on an installer,” Patrick Ellsworth advised. “Some of it is asking the questions you would have for any contractor doing a major renovation on your house.”
For the Ellsworths, the Giebels and the Turicchis – and their fellow Ashburn homeowners who qualified for solar and have taken the plunge – the future looks sunny indeed. A
Bill Kent is a prolific writer and author whose articles have appeared in The New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kirkus Reviews and elsewhere.
January was one of the slowest months in years for residential real estate sales in Loudoun County, although the Ashburn market fared slightly better. Closed sales countywide fell 33.1% compared with January 2022, but they were down just 21% in the two Ashburn Zip codes combined, according to data from the Dulles Area Association of Realtors. The housing market has been declining
since last spring as interest rates have risen. In Ashburn, closed sales were the same as the prior year in the 20147 Zip code, but fell 37% in the 20148 Zip code. Total sales for the month in the two Zip codes were just 64, down from 81 a year earlier. However, pending sales were higher in January than December, indicating perhaps the beginning of a turnaround in the market. New listings also declined less than in recent
months: down only 9.1% in the 20147 Zip code and 16.4% in 20148. Median sales prices rose, although based on a smaller number of sales. In the 20147 Zip code, the median sales price rose 17.7% to $660,000. In 20148, sales prices rose 12.7% to $705,000.
The average number of days on market for homes that sold increased dramatically from January 2022 to 40 in the 20148 Zip code and 37 in the 20147 Zip code. Highlighted below are the five highest-priced homes that sold in each of Ashburn’s two Zip codes between late December and late February, along with the sales price and other key information. Data and photos from Realtor.com. A
29231 LAUREL CREEK WAY $2,200,000
22804 PORTICO PLACE
8,143 square feet
20418 NORTHPARK DRIVE
$1,550,000
PADDOCK GATE PLACE
3,976 square feet
20585 WILD MEADOW COURT $1,311,000
Dec. 29
HEATHER MEWS DRIVE
Himalayan Blue Poppy, rarely seen outside the Asian mountain range.
fountains, lakes, meadows, heritage forests and historic buildings. According to Jourdan Cole, public relations manager at Longwood Gardens, the attraction welcomed a record 1.6 million guests last year, assisted by more than 400 employees and 500 volunteers.
Wowing visitors with over-the-top natu-
ral displays has been Longwood Gardens’ priority since its earliest beginnings in 1906, when American industrialist Pierre S. du Pont bought a small farm near Kennett Square to rescue a grove of historic trees from being sold for lumber.
At the time, du Pont jokingly called his purchase as an “attack of insanity,” but he dedicated the rest of his life – when he
Just three hours away, a magnificent garden leaves visitors in awe
BY JILL DEVINEAllison Simpson claims she doesn’t have much of a green thumb, but that doesn’t stop her from loving plants. It was an intense passion for one particular blossom – the rare Himalayan blue poppy – that led the Ashburn mom to an astonishing horticulture wonderland known as Longwood Gardens.
“I love poppy flowers so much that I have one tattooed on my arm,” said Simpson, who lives in the Broadlands with her husband, Andrew, and their toddler son, Daniel. “My mom saw on Instagram that the Himalayan blue poppies were on special
display at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, so I had to go.”
Thousands of visitors came to see the blue poppies last year, which are rarely viewed outside of their natural habitat in the Himalayas.
“To see those vibrant blooms planted alongside rows of bright foxgloves, another favorite of mine, was definitely worth the trip from Ashburn,” Simpson said.
Located just three hours from Ashburn in Chester County, Penn., Longwood Gardens is one of the most visited public gardens in North America and presents one of the largest horticultural displays in the world. This includes a dazzling, species-packed conservatory constructed of glass and 1,100 acres of take-your-breath-away gardens,
wasn’t managing the family-owned DuPont chemical company or General Motors Corp. – to the farm, creating and publicly sharing a collection of increasingly grand and elaborate indoor and outdoor spaces to showcase jaw-dropping displays of floral, plant and landscape artistry.
Du Pont modeled his intricate gardens and magnificent fountains after those he saw while traveling the world, including England’s Sydenham Crystal Palace, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and multiple Italian villas and French chateaux. He also incorporated the performing arts throughout Longwood’s landscape.
Longwood’s Open Air Theatre, inspired by an outdoor theater near Siena, Italy, has hosted more than 1,500 performances since it opened more than 100 years ago. In 1923, du Pont added the elegant walnut-paneled Music Room at the axis of the main greenhouse, where visitors today can listen to the massive 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ.
In 1929, du Pont built a 61-foot-tall
stone Chimes Tower, designed after one he had seen in France. Tucked beneath a glade of evergreens, the fairytale-like structure today houses a modern 62-bell carillon crafted in the Netherlands.
In 1946, Longwood Gardens began operating as a public space with tax-exempt status. Du Pont, who had no children, died at age 84 in 1954, but his dream of creating an internationally recognized horticultural center continues.
Longwood Gardens is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The first visit to Longwood Gardens is a knock-your-socks-off experience. Imagine the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington multiplied by 12 and pumped up on steroids, and you might get a sense of what to expect.
Where else can you wander in a topiary garden of expertly clipped oversized creatures or climb enormous treehouses for a birds-eye view of the lakes and meadows?
Music-accompanied evening light shows, floating lanterns, wisteria arches, seasonal floral displays – think enormous dolls made entirely of chrysanthemums – and a Christmas hall to write home about are just a few treats that await, depending on the season.
“I fell in love with Longwood Gardens [on] my first visit, and now we go often,” said Stevie Kraft, who lives in Ashburn Farm with her husband, Mike, and
Longwood Gardens is undergoing renovations, meaning some exhibits are closed or relocated. Fountains also may be closed during winter months. For the latest information, visit longwoodgardens.com.
Make sure you download a map or get one at the visitor center. The grounds are expansive, so read up in advance on which areas you most want to explore.
Buy your tickets in advance. Tickets often sell out, so timed tickets are usually required.
Dress in layers for the weather. Comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, hats and sunglasses are recommended. The children’s areas have fountains where kids may get wet, so bring a change of clothes for the ride home. Casual meals are available at The Café and Beer Garden. Fine dining is available in the 1906 restaurant – named after the year Pierre S. du Pont bought the property. Reservations strongly recommended for 1906 via OpenTable. Food from home may be eaten in the designated picnic area.
There was a time when the thought of living off MREs did little for your appetite. But those days are done—at Falcons Landing, you’ll find the MRE replaced by culinary delights ready for your enjoyment. Whether you’re looking for something quick and convenient, a cocktail with friends or something more elegant, our three dining options are sure to keep you coming back for more.
daughters, Lorraine, 7, and Brielle, 4. Kraft’s first visit was to see an orchid festival in 2014. “I was just really blown away, and my jaw was on the floor. I had never seen anything like this, and the conservatory just seemed to keep going on forever. We spent so much time inside, we didn’t even realize how many other cool things there were to see outside.”
Some of Kraft’s favorite exhibits are the rose garden, the ponds filled with enormous lily pads and the topiary garden.
“When we were there, it had an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme, with hedges trimmed like giant teapots and cups,” she said. “I love that the plants change every season, so each visit is a new experience.” A
Jill Devine is a freelance writer and former magazine editor from Loudoun County who writes for a variety of Virginia publications.
For the latest information, visit longwoodgardens.com
A historic Presbyterian chapel has been the spiritual home to generations
BY JILL DEVINEAbout two years ago, Randy Poland put on his Sunday best and drove to a little historic chapel on Ashburn Road to attend his daughter’s wedding. The venue wasn’t a random rental, however. It was the place his family had worshiped for generations – Ashburn Presbyterian Church.
The wedding released a flood of memories for Poland, a 67-year-old retired Loudoun County teacher.
“I grew up in that church,” said Poland, who recalls hot Loudoun summers and no air conditioning. “When I sat in the pews, the varnish would stick to the back of my damp shirt so much I had to peel it away… I remember watching the wasps fly around nests in the ceiling, hoping they wouldn’t swoop down.”
Winters could be challenging. “The thin windows let in cold air, so we sat close to the old heat registers between the pews,” he said. Those old registers are still there in the floors.
Ashburn Presbyterian was founded in 1876 as an offshoot of the Leesburg Presbyterian Church. Upon completion of construction in 1878, the tiny chapel – 33 feet wide by 50 feet long – opened to 23 charter members, and the church has been holding regular worship services for the 145 years since.
“Until the first addition was added, the only bathroom was an outhouse in the back that was heated with a little stove,” Poland recalled. “My [Sunday school] class had about 10 kids, and we met in the basement, which smelled just as musty then as it does now.”
Ashburn Presbyterian is one of the last churches in the Carpenter Gothic style to survive in Northern Virginia. A September 1878 deed states that church trustees purchased the 10.3-acre rectangular shaped parcel of land on which the church and its adjoining cemetery sit from the estate of George Lee for $231.50.
The frame church was constructed of cypress wood and has a steeply pitched gable roof. Electricity was added in 1925. Original plank floors – now covered by carpet –
show markings of two long-gone potbelly stoves, which were replaced by ventilated heating systems.
Some original furniture, including a settee, two chairs and a table, remain in place.
The pine pews and most of the window panes date back to original construction. The structure’s stone wall foundations are visible both outside and in the basement.
As Ashburn grew, so did the church –with new additions for classrooms, offices and multipurpose spaces. A new, larger sanctuary was added in 2002.
Today the old chapel is used only occasionally – usually for things like weddings and Scout meetings.
“You can’t talk about Ashburn Presbyterian without mentioning my great aunt Ruth,” said Poland, referring to longtime parishioner Ruth Judd who passed away in 2003.
Ruth Judd was a dear friend of Patti Krzywicki, who lives in Ashburn’s Courts and Ridges neighborhood.
“Ruth usually sat in the pew three rows from the front on the right side, and we called her the ‘Lady in Red,’ because she always came to church dressed in bright red clothing,” said Krzywicki, who has been a member of the church for 22 years. “I will never forget the sight of Ruth driving her tractor from her house down Ashburn Road every other Saturday to cut the church’s grass.”
Judd was one of the leading proponents behind having the church listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Along with Poland and others from the congregation, the paperwork was pulled together, submitted and success! Ashburn Presbyterian Church was officially listed on the registry in 1999.
Wrought iron style steps and railings lead up to the red front doors of the original chapel at Ashburn Presbyterian Church.
At the same time, Judd co-authored a short history of the church. The dedication on the booklet is a bit of foreshadowing:
“It is the author’s intent . . . that future generations will know and preserve the legacy of the Ashburn Presbyterian Church. As a key part of that legacy, it is vital that the historic sanctuary be maintained in its original state.”
Keeping the original chapel in its original state is easier said than done.
“Our resources are stretched serving the community and members in many ways,” said pastor Robert Zemke. “We would love to make better use of the chapel down the road, and opinions of how we should do that vary, but right now we would be happy
to at least keep up with basic care.”
The church recently applied for a grant to have the chapel exterior painted. But the grant was denied because the estimate to do the job was deemed too high at $25,000.
“Because it involves the removal of lead paint, the project requires specialized equipment and a level of expertise that exceeds what volunteers or youth can do,” Krzywicki explained. “Without funds, we can’t begin improvements… there’s a special beauty in this place, so I think it will just stay the way it is until we can figure out what to do.” A
Jill Devine is a freelance writer and former magazine editor from Loudoun County who writes for a variety of Virginia publications.
A round-up of the latest restaurant, retail, and other cool news from Ashburn and beyond. Check out The Burn at TheBurn.com and follow it on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Ashburn’s newest Five Guys restaurant has opened its doors to customers – serving burgers, skin-on French fries and thick, creamy milkshakes. The new location is off Loudoun County Parkway next to the big Flagship Carwash. That’s across the street from One Loudoun. The restaurant opened in February and seats about 64 people inside. Other new restaurants coming to the same small retail center include a Dunkin’ doughnut shop and an Italian restaurant called Corso 63.
A popular Sterling pizza restaurant has opened its second location –this time in Ashburn. It’s called Rai’s Pizza, and you’ll find it inside the Ashburn Ice House
at Farmwell Road and Smith Switch Road. Rai’s took over the space that was previously the home of Pomodoro Pizza. The Rai’s team has given the space a complete makeover. Guests can dine in, carry out or get their fresh-baked pie via delivery. The owners behind Rai’s also own a bar – what they coin a “pour house” – in Sterling and another in Herndon.
Popeyes continues its domination of the Loudoun County fried chicken scene. Work has started on a new Ashburn location, one of at least two new Popeyes coming to the area. The Ashburn spot is kitty corner from One Loudoun at the Commonwealth Center development. That’s at the intersection of Loudoun County Parkway and Russell Branch Parkway. The Popeyes is going in next door to the CVS and the Silver Diner restaurant. A Popeyes is also planned for a new retail development along Route 50 in southern Loudoun. When these two open, we should have eight Popeyes restaurants in the county.
At long last, Thaitastic Thai Cuisine has opened for business in the Ashbrook Commons shopping center in Ashburn. That’s at Ashburn Village Boulevard and Route 7. The tiny Thai restaurant is tucked away in a breezeway behind the Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop. Thaitastic offers signature dishes such as Crispy Basil Chicken, Volcano Shrimp and something called Seafood in Wonderland. There are also appetizers, soups, curry and noodle dishes and more. The restaurant has a small dining room and also offers carry out and delivery.
Loudoun County’s first Ted’s Bulletin restaurant has opened at One Loudoun. With seven locations in the greater Washington market, the Ted’s brand has gained
quite a following. It’s perhaps most famous for its homemade Ted’s Tarts – they’re not allowed to say they’re like Pop-Tarts, but we are. Ted’s has moved in, taken over and renovated the spot vacated by the restaurant known as b One Loudoun. That’s kitty corner from the Barnes & Noble bookstore. Ted’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also has a full bar.
A new restaurant and bar is coming to the Lansdowne community offering a food and drink menu with some unique twists. That’s why it’s going to be called the Twisted Cat Tavern. Twisted Cat will be coming to Lansdowne Square, a small retail center immediately adjacent
EatLoco Farmers Market at Loudoun Station will feature approximately 80 vendors offering seasonal produce, meats, dairy products, artisanal baked goods, family events and more.
March 26 - November 19 • Sundays • 9am-1pm
to the Lansdowne Town Center. (If you didn’t know better, you would think it’s all one shopping center.) The new tavern is taking over the spot where Sugar Shack Donuts used to reside. While the menu is still being finalized, the owners say to expect unique twists on old favorites, as well as craft cocktails and a planned 16-tap beer system with a rotating selection of brews. A
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Exclusive to Compass, our Concierge program is designed to prepare your home for sale. From staging to landscaping, we’ll assess every opportunity to elevate your home’s value. Once the necessary improvements have been determined, Compass will cover all costs, collecting payment for the services rendered at the time of the property’s closing. By investing in your home’s potential, we aim to provide a swifter, more profitable sale.
