Ashburn Magazine | March/April 2023

BLAST OFF: ROCKETRY CLUB FLIES HIGH

THE WOMEN BEHIND OUR BRIGHTEST DATA CENTER

SHE WROTE THE BOOK! VIRGINIA’S HIKING PRO

MARCH / APRIL 2024

DULLES GREENWAY is center of community, controversy

I have two words for Long Covid: The Worst,” shares Dave A. of Ashburn.

While the initial alarm of the Covid-19 outbreak has subsided, the fallout from the pandemic is ongoing Many continue to feel long-term impacts from their infection In fact nearly 23 million Americans (and 100 million people globally) have learned that regardless of the severity of their initial infection they may continue to experience debilitating symptoms for weeks, months, or even years. In a number of these cases, symptoms worsen with time, even turning deadly.

“I got Covid early last year and it was pretty bad,” shares Dave. “I was hospitalized for 9 days and there was a point where I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. I’m still here so I guess God had other plans but months passed and I was still gasping for air. I couldn’t do everyday tasks like cutting the grass or working in the yard, much less enjoy a quick bike ride. And then there was what my doctor called, ‘brain fog’. I’d lose my train of thought midsentence or forget words for stupid things like plates and toilet paper. It felt like I’d had a stroke more than it did a virus.”

Officially dubbed Long Covid, the aftermath of the original virus has taken on a life of its own. Dozens of symptoms have been reported and include everything from shortness of breath and cognitive issues to a sudden onset of diabetes and cardiothoracic conditions

LONG COVID

Local clinic has a modern, medical solution to treat your Long-Haul Covid symptoms and is seeing incredible results!

y p e so welldocumented and common that those suffering now qualify for disability assistance

Unfortunately for Dave and so many others the treatment options thus far have been limited

“I started with my primary care doctor and saw specialist after specialist. A pulmonologist finally told me, ‘This is the best we can do for you, it’s time you start thinking about how you’re going to live with Long Covid ’ Apparently their best was letting me live what felt like half a life ”

Dave wasn’t satisfied with that and decided to do his own research, which is how he ended up at FAW, Firefly Acupuncture and Wellness in Ashburn, VA.

“I fully believe the human body has the ability to heal itself, but sometimes it needs a little push. I’ve used acupuncture in the past to help me through a bout of sciatica and just knew if anyone could help me with this Long Covid business, it was going to be Rachal Lohr.”

You might think that a novel virus needs a novel solution, but if so, you’d only be half right. While the staff at Firefly Acupuncture does use innovative solutions like ATP Resonance BioTherapy™ to combat Long Covid, because it aids in the healing and repair of specific cells and tissues, it’s a much more timetested science that’s getting patients back to living their lives.

“Our O3 ReBoot Therapy™ has all-encompassing and powerful healing capabilities ” shares Ann, a Senior Patient Care Coordinator.

“Ozone therapy has been used since the 1800s and was actually a popular tool for Doctors during the First World War because of its antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties We use it today to inactivate any residual Covid virus, stimulate oxygen metabolism, and activate the immune system The whole treatment takes about 15 minutes and is completely noninvasive.”

As with FAW’s other services, O3 ReBoot Therapy™ requires consistent and repeated treatment to achieve measurable and long-lasting results.

“I’m in my second month of treatment and back to riding my bike and breathing better than before I even had Covid. Everyone [at FAW] has been amazing! I really feel taken care of every time I walk in the door.”

Rachal Lohr, L Ac , FAW’s founder and leading practitioner has been successfully treating chronic pain and complicated conditions for almost two decades. She has pioneered effective protocols to treat seemingly hopeless conditions like peripheral neuropathy, fibromyalgia, and postherpetic neuralgia. When COVID-19 emerged over three years ago, she and her team got right to work researching and developing therapies that would effectively address that complex virus. Based on the testimony of patients like Dave, it seems their efforts have been a smashing success.

For more information, visit FireflyAcuAndWellness com

In an effort to do their part in helping people through this difficult time, they are waiving the $40 new patient consultation fee for Long Covid patients Call (703) 263-2142 to schedule

FIREFLYAcuAndWellness.com to learn more and to take advantage of their New Patient Offer!

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Ashburn Magazine is published every other month and distributed to about 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. ©2024 Rappahannock Media LLC.

IN MEMORIAM

From the Publisher

On the evening of Feb. 16, the Ashburn community lost a neighbor and a hero when Trevor Brown, a member of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Department, was killed in a house explosion.

Brown was an Ashburn resident whose three children attend one of our local elementary schools. He volunteered his time and skills as a firefighter to serve our community.

This issue of Ashburn Magazine is dedicated to his memory – and at the same time, we hope it serves as a salute to all the rest of our neighbors who put their lives on the line so that we can be safe and secure.

RIP, Firefighter Brown.

BRUCE POTTER, PUBLISHER

PUBLISHER@ASHBURNMAGAZINE.COM

Loudoun County Fire & Rescue suggests that to provide ongoing assistance to the Brown family, as well as to the other firefighters injured in the explosion, donations can be made to the Loudoun First Responders Foundation at WWW.LOUDOUNFRF.ORG

Trevor Brown

Rocketing to New Heights

Independence H.S. club is ready to blast off

BY BILL KENT

It starts with the woosh. You imagine it while designing the rocket. You ask yourself what blast-off will sound like as you gather the parts, glue the rocket together and paint it.

You think about it on the 40-minute drive southwest from Ashburn to Great Meadow, a vast, 174-acre Fauquier County field where steeplechases and polo matches play out – except on the one Saturday a month when, weather permitting, rocket kids from all over Northern Virginia gather to send their dreams into the sky.

Isaac Bolden, an Independence High School junior, knows that whooshing sound well. “It was loud the first time I heard it,” he said. Bolden started building rockets when he saw internet clips of them blasting off, but

it wasn’t until he experienced a blast-off for the first time that he felt the rush. “It got to me,” he recalled. “It was like nothing I’d ever heard or seen. This was the real thing.”

Bolden is one of 20 members of the Brambleton high school’s Rocketry club, which is providing them with technical skills, life lessons, a view into the future –and occasional thrills as well.

COUNTDOWN

The club team captain at Independence is Sarah Kravitz. A sophomore who aspires to be a woodworker, novelist and filmmaker, Kravitz’s major concerns were the fins she had painstakingly cut, sanded, sealed and painted that guided the rocket perfectly toward the heavens. She never forgot the moment the tiny

“space craft” became a dot in the sky. Then its parachute popped out, unfurling like a brightly colored umbrella, and, fortunately for Kravitz and her rocket club team, the rocket avoided the trees and landed in a bush.

For Suhani Dondapati, in her first year at Independence, the rocketry club was life-changing. “I realized this was something I really wanted to do,” she said. “I really want to be an aerospace engineer. I’m applying to Virginia Tech. I want to do the hands-on work that’s going to take me into space.”

If this happens, she won’t be the first rocketry student to leave the earth’s atmosphere. In March 2023, mission pilot Warren Hoburg – who built rockets while attending North Allegheny High School in Pennsylvania – flew a SpaceX rocket to the

International Space Station.

Kevin Jones, an aerospace teacher and faculty advisor for the Independence Rocketry club, says he hopes Dondapati makes it. “Rocketry has a way of making things happen, of showing that the goals can be possible.”

PAST TO FUTURE

Craig Beyers is a retired software engineer now living in Ashburn’s Ashby Ponds community with his wife, Samantha. Beyers has seen many changes in rocketry in the half-century since he heard his first woosh. “The materials have improved from the days of cardboard tubes and balsa wood fins. The kids now have 3-D printers that can reproduce fins and nose cones that are stronger and lighter than anything I could do,” Beyers said. “And there is more you

Left: The 2023 American Rocketry Challenge National Finals underway last May at Great Meadow in The Plains. Above: The team from the Independence Rocketry Club, left to right, includes Darshini Kumar, Joshua Hollie (behind in glasses), Somya Mulla, Sarah Kravitz and little sister, Kevin Jones, Abdullah Shah, Cody Kile, Noah Gault, Jonah Bellis and Jack Reinbold.

Considering selling your home for top dollar? Looking for staging advice for highest return?

can do with payloads. You can put a camera in the rocket and see the entire flight live, as if you were in the rocket.”

But between the many “no-fly” air spaces surrounding the District of Columbia as well as the aircraft approaches to Dulles Airport and the amount of development in eastern Loudoun Country — there weren’t many places where launching rockets was allowed.

So, 20 years ago, Beyers joined other regional rocketry grown-ups in forming NOVAAR, the Northern Virginia Association of Rocketry. They helped get launching privileges at Great Meadow and, in 2003, established the American Rocketry Challenge, a national competition that brings together the 100 top qualifying high school rocket teams.

The event also involves a case of US Grade A Large chicken eggs.

COMPETITION

In the early 1960s, when America’s space program was trying to send a human being into space and bring them back safely, the National Association of Rocketry (currently based in Middletown, Va.) established the “egg loft” competition. The goal is to shoot as many as three eggs in a single rocket to a reasonably impressive altitude and have everything survive the return to earth intact.

Independence team member Isaac Bolden cannot describe his disappointment after

Rocketry

A student rocket soars into the sky at the

American

Challenge National Finals at Great Meadow in The Plains.

lower height.

finding “a tiny crack,” in the single egg the Independence team launched a few months ago. “We did another launch that was perfect. If we can do a few more launches where nothing breaks, we can qualify for ARC.”

This year’s American Rocketry Challenge takes place at Great Meadow in May. High school teams from around the country and even American military bases abroad will gather and load their rockets’ payload compartments with eggs. The kids will vie for more than $100,000 in cash prizes, as well as the chance to represent the United States in rocketry at the Paris Air Show later this year.

Representatives of colleges with rocket clubs, as well as local and regional aerospace industries, will also attend the competition.

“Some of them are sponsors,” Beyers said. “Others just want to see what the kids have done, and maybe ask them what kind of educational or employment opportunities some of them see in their future.”

Kevin Jones, who is looking for a sponsor for the Independence club, would be delighted, but not surprised, if Independence qualifies for ARC. “These are good kids. They’ve certainly worked hard and deserve recognition for what they’ve done.”

If Independence wins, Suhani Dondapati predicts a celebration with pizza and doughnuts. If they don’t: “You keep going. You move on.”

Move on – and up. For the Independence Rocketry team, the sky is no longer the limit. 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.

Far left: Somya Mulla, Noah Gault and Sarah Kravitz (left to right) work on the team's rocket while Sarah's little sister assists. Left: A Tiger Mark IV rocket sits waiting to launch. The team from Independence High School chose “Hot Pink Glitter” as the paint color, in part because this provided drag on the rocket that would keep it at a

Fentanyl Strikes Home

Some thoughts for parents

BY DR. MICHAEL OBERSCHNEIDER

According to U.S. government data, fentanyl is the leading cause of death for adults between ages 18 and 45. It is also a surging problem for adolescents nationwide, and Loudoun County is not immune.

In just the past few months, nine students from Park View High School in Sterling overdosed on suspected fentanyl use – with eight of the overdoses occurring within a few weeks.

Since then, two additional non-fatal fentanyl overdoses have occurred in Loudoun Public Schools – the first reportedly at Freedom High School in South Riding and another at an undisclosed school.

In today’s evolving parenting landscape, one of the paramount concerns is the well-being of our children in the face of substance use and abuse. With the legalization of cannabis for recreational use for adults

(currently 24 states have legalized recreational cannabis, with Virginia being one of them) and the constant dissemination of information via social media, fentanyl availability is on the rise.

Fentanyl is being sold via e-commerce platforms and social media. So, essentially any pre-teen or teen with a smartphone can find fentanyl if they try hard enough.

So, what exactly is fentanyl? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, akin to morphine but 50 to 100 times more potent. It’s medically prescribed for the management of severe pain, particularly post-surgical pain or advanced cancer pain. However, its illicit use has surged in recent years, causing a notable public health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl caused 84% of all teen overdose deaths in 2021 and those numbers are only growing. The death rate for teens nearly

tripled from 2019 to 2021.

If fentanyl is so dangerous, why are youth seeking it out? They’re not. While the allure of experimentation, peer pressure or even self-medication for physical or emotional pain can draw teens into the vortex of opioid misuse, most teens ingest the drug unknowingly.

The illicit drug market further compounds the issue. Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs unbeknownst to the user, escalating the risk of overdose. Some counterfeit fentanyl pills are made to look like other drugs such as Xanax, Percocet, Oxycontin and Adderall. Even cannabis can be laced with deadly doses of fentanyl. When misused, even a small amount of fentanyl can be deadly, making it a silent predator lurking in the shadows.

So, what can we do as parents? Be aware and be present. In Northern Virginia, many

When talking with your younger child about drugs, be mindful of what your child is capable of handling before discussing things. Your child’s age, maturity and threshold for worry and anxiety are things to consider before discussing illicit drug use. Just as you would not discuss natural disasters, terrorism or school shootings in the same way with 4-, 8- or 18-year-old children due to devel opmental differences, you should not do the same with the topic of drugs.

For your teens, be more direct and de tailed on the topic of drug use and fentanyl. It’s essential to create a safe and non-judg

IMAGES FROM THE U.S.

DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY

Increased

transparency and improved communication between parents and schools is vital...

Mary A. Corey, D.V.M.

Mary A. Corey, D.V.M.

Establishing a network of support, including mental healthcare professionals, community groups and educational resources, can provide a solid foundation for keeping your teen safe. If, as a parent, you suspect a fentanyl overdose (or a drug overdose of any kind) for your child or teen, immediately call 911 and go to the nearest hospital ER.

E E xotic Care Care

Moreover, our school system, in my opinion, also plays an important role in educating our children and teens about illicit drug use and in working with parents. I was pleased to see that Gov. Glenn Youngkin introduced a bipartisan bill in the Virginia legislature requiring all school districts to notify parents of school-connected overdoses within 24 hours. Increased transparency and improved communication between parents and schools is vital when it comes to helping our children and teens with serious problems such as drug use.

The menace of fentanyl is a pressing issue that necessitates proactive involvement from parents and schools. Understanding the risks, initiating open conversations with your child or teen and arming oneself with the requisite knowledge and resources are pivotal steps in safeguarding our youth from the clutches of this perilous substance.

Through education and support, we can strive to create a safer environment for our children and teens, nurturing them toward a healthy and promising drug-free future. A

Dr. Michael Oberschneider, PsyD, NCCE, NCPC, is the founder and director of Ashburn Psychological and Psychiatric Services. You can learn more at ashburnpsych.com.

Dulles Greenway is center of community, controversy

BY JONATHAN HUNLEY

About the Dulles Greenway

The Dulles Greenway eliminated toll collectors in March 2020 because the road stopped accepting cash payments during the pandemic. It now only takes credit cards and E-ZPass.

At the height of the Greenway’s use of toll-takers, there were 136 collectors, and 26 worked at a time.

avid and Cindy Mayer don’t have to take the Dulles Greenway as much as they used to.

The Broadlands couple both work for Salesforce in Tysons.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, they were on the toll road – usually in separate cars – at least four to five times a week. They estimate they spent more than $2,000 a year on tolls.

Now, the couple works remotely most days, and they avoid the toll road as much as possible.

“I usually take it on the way to someplace,” Cindy Mayer said. “However, I usually will skip the Greenway on the way home unless I am in a rush.”

She skips the Greenway to avoid tolls that

have more than quadrupled since the road opened nearly 30 years ago. “It’s probably good we have an E-Z Pass, where I don’t always think about the cost of the tolls. If I had to use a credit card or cash every time… it would be a painful reminder of how much it was costing me,” said David Mayer, who estimates the family still uses the Greenway 10 or more times a month.

“It’s definitely a love-hate relationship.”

Love and hate. Two sides to the same coin. Love the convenience, the lack of heavy traffic (usually) and how quickly it's cleared after a (rare) snowfall. But hate the ever-rising tolls — that could go higher still.

HISTORY. The Greenway opened in September 1995. It was largely the brainchild of

the late Maggie Bryant of Middleburg. She didn’t want to see development overtake her town, said Greenway spokesman Terry Hoffman, so she figured it would go instead between Dulles International Airport and Leesburg if a road was built there. She and fellow investors got to work.

The $315 million road took four years to build and in the process destroyed 64 acres of wetlands. Bryant, an environmentalist, saw to it that 149 acres of new wetlands were created south of Leesburg to replace them, Hoffman said. She also had the bridge over Goose Creek constructed in such a way that it wouldn’t have any piers that went into the water.

Muhammad Asmat started working at the Greenway as a toll collector way back in June 1995, before the road had even opened.

Now, he is in one of the road’s prominent positions – senior operations manager.

The 72-year-old Aldie resident had no toll experience, but he had been in the army in his native Pakistan and was the coach of the national swim team there for 6½ years. After joining the Greenway staff, he was quickly promoted and has been at the Greenway so long that he calls it a home away from home.

Asmat goes out personally to any wreck on the road involving a lane closure – and he boasts that it has never been shut down because of snow.

“We do not close the road, and we take pride in that,” he said.

On Sept. 11, 2001, when westbound traffic on the Greenway was backed up after the terrorist attacks, Asmat gave the instruction to open the gates and allow cars to travel for free.

“To heck with the toll right now,” he recalled saying, figuring that wasn’t the priority at that moment.

The 14-mile highway, which links Dulles International Airport with the town of Leesburg and cuts through the heart of Ashburn, is owned by a company called Atlas Arteria, based in Melbourne, Australia, and operated by Toll Road Investors Partnership II, also known as TRIP II.

When the Greenway opened, the toll was $1.75. It went down to $1 the next year when traffic didn’t meet projections but has steadily gone up since.

The busiest day ever on the Greenway was June 15, 2005. A total of 81,346 vehicles used the road that day.

The busiest days on the Greenway now generally are Tuesdays through Thursdays.

The road sees an average of 37,000 or 38,000 cars per day.

The fastest speed someone has received a ticket for on the Greenway was 120 mph.

SOURCES: Terry Hoffman, public and customer relations manager for the Dulles Greenway; Muhammad Asmat, senior operations manager for the Greenway

DAVID AND CINDY MAYER

MUHAMMAD ASMAT

PHOTO BY ASTRI WEE OF ASTRI WEE PHOTOGRAPHY

Because the Greenway is a private entity that serves a public purpose, its tolls are regulated by Virginia’s State Corporation Commission.

The Greenway operators are currently seeking SCC approval to raise tolls from $5.25 during off-peak hours and $5.80 at peak times to $6.40 off-peak and $8.10 at peak hours. The increase is necessary to help the operation pay off its debts, which total more than a billion dollars, according to a July filing to the SCC.

Greenway spokesman Terry Hoffman said that rate increases would also “help us operate the road on a day-to-day basis.” For example, asphalt prices, as well as the cost of snow removal, have increased due to inflation, and the Greenway must foot these bills itself because the road is privately owned and not under the authority of the Virginia Department of Transportation.

“Everything’s gone up,” Hoffman said. He also noted that the Greenway has to pay the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for an easement to use the land that the road is on, as well as pay real estate taxes to Loudoun County. The Greenway is one of the largest real estate

taxpayers in the county. The road is valued at roughly $199 million; last year, TRIP II paid more than $1.8 million in taxes, according to county officials.

THE TOLL DEBATE.

Legislation has been filed in the Virginia General Assembly the past three years that would have changed the way tolls were set, but those bills have failed to win approval.

Opponents of Greenway toll increases say the legislation would not necessarily have meant lower rates, or distance-based pricing, which would determine toll prices depending on how far a motorist drove on the road. Currently, drivers pay one price to use the Greenway no matter how far they go on it.

The legislation, sponsored last year by state Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax, and Dels. David Reid, D-Loudoun, and Michael Webert, R-Fauquier, would have allowed the state commissioner of highways, the secretary of transportation and the Transportation Public-Private Partnership Steering Committee to negotiate a new toll agreement with the Greenway under the Public-Private Transportation Act. Reid, who is running for the Democratic

nomination for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District seat, filed a similar bill in this year’s General Assembly session, but it died in the House Appropriations Committee. Following that defeat, the lawmaker said he would seek to have the bill’s language incorporated into the state budget. But that looked to be a tough task and would go against General Assembly norms.

Reid said the legislation would reduce tolls by 25% and implement distance-based pricing.

“It’s time to work toward long-term, meaningful toll reductions to provide cost of living relief to the people of Loudoun County and [Virginia’s 10th Congressional District] who rely on the road for their businesses and families,” the lawmaker said in a statement in January announcing the original bill’s filing.

The idea of distance-based pricing is one that the Mayers are definitely up for.

“If you are traveling from Loudoun County Parkway to the main toll plaza, should that cost the same as from Leesburg to the main toll plaza,” Mayer asked. “A $7 toll from Leesburg and a $1.50 toll from Loudoun County Parkway would

Greenway Gives Back

While most people think of the Greenway as simply a road, like many businesses, it is actually involved in several other initiatives.

For example, in 2005, the Greenway’s wetlands preserve, now managed by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, became home to two bald eagles, and in 2021, two cameras were installed so that viewers can watch the birds and their offspring on a livestream on the Greenway’s website (dullesgreenway. com/eagle-cam).

The Greenway also has engaged with the community by contributing more than

$4 million

to Loudoun County charities over the years.

The roadway’s main fundraising event is its annual “Run the Greenway” race. The event’s third annual incarnation was held last May and welcomed nearly 2,000 runners for 5K, 10K, kids fun run and virtual races. The event raised more than $268,000 for 17 local nonprofits. Over the past three years, Run the Greenway has raised more than $644,000. The event replaced an earlier effort in which the Greenway donated money from tolls on one particular day to local nonprofits.

be a lot easier to deal with. I would use the Greenway more if I was only paying for the distance I traveled.”

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, however, opposed Reid’s bill. Dulles District Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau, a Republican, said a gubernatorial administration essentially would have carte blanche to negotiate any deal it wanted under the new arrangement without getting approval from the General Assembly or the supervisors.

Nothing prevents the Greenway from adding distance-based tolling now, Letourneau said. He pointed out that the highway would be profitable if not for debt service.

“Clearly, they’re struggling,” he added.

Former Loudoun Del. David Ramadan, who has opposed toll increases for years, recalled that former Rep. Frank Wolf, R-10th District, called the Greenway tolls literal “highway robbery.”

He said Reid’s legislation this year would have meant the government bailing out the Greenway

from failed financial decisions.

“This was a bailout bill,” he said.

As the SCC nears a decision on the Greenway latest rate increase, Letourneau and Ramadan are putting their faith in 2021 legislation that provides new criteria the

SCC must use to judge a proposed hike. Under the bills sponsored by state Sen. John Bell, D-Loudoun, who has retired, and Del. Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat who was elected to Bell’s former seat in November, proposed rates must be reasonable to drivers in relation to the benefit obtained, not likely to materially discourage use of the roadway and provide the Greenway no more than a reasonable return.

Subramanyam, who also seeks his party’s nomination in the 10th District, filed another bill this year that would give the SCC the explicit authority to lower tolls if it finds the charges are discouraging use of the Greenway, or that the road is overcharging users.

“The commission must lower tolls if

they’re not reasonable,” the senator said last month.

The SCC held a public hearing on the proposed toll increases Jan. 9 at Freedom High School in South Riding, and has also received written comments.

Among the comments, Yasin Gedik of Ashburn wrote that the Greenway should use distance-based pricing instead of the current practice of charging one rate no matter how much of the highway a driver uses. “This road is very expensive already,” Gedik wrote.

Ashburn resident Anu Koda commented, as well. She uses the Greenway only occasionally – for example, when she’s running late for an appointment. “I drive an extra 10 [minutes] to avoid this toll,” she wrote. “Any increase is more reason to avoid this road completely.”

Michelle Steelman and her husband commute, and the Ashburn residents are against the proposed hike, too.

“We feel the toll now is high enough,” Michelle Steelman wrote. “Traveling on the road each day, any price increase will become a hardship. We will need to go another way if the toll raises.”

The SCC’s staff recommended denial of this year’s requested toll increases, writing in a report that “current toll rates could be interpreted as no longer being reasonable relative to the benefits offered” by using the Greenway.

The SCC was scheduled to hear evidence in the case Feb. 28 through March 1. A decision on the increases was anticipated sometime after that.

Whatever the outcome, the Mayers will continue to use the Greenway judiciously. It’s there when they need it, but they are open to alternatives.

“I definitely have friends that refuse to use the Greenway,” David Mayer said. “They will take Route 7 all the way to Tysons. Now, that takes a lot longer, but they refuse to pay the tolls.” A

Jonathan Hunley is a career journalist and a lifelong Virginian who has written for publications around the state.

DAVID RAMADAN

Left: A 2008 photo shows the Greenway and its bridge where it crossed over Goose Creek. Right: A recent photo of the main toll plaza on the Dulles Greenway.

A Data Center of a Different Color

THREE WOMEN WORK TOGETHER TO DEFY STEREOTYPES

Like many employees who work closely, Alaina Reeverts, Gabrielle Bishop and Lindsay Smith have become friends.

After work, they like to hang out, grabbing dinner, volunteering or even running together in an occasional 5K or half marathon. When Monday rolls around, however, they gear up – with boots, safety vests, and hard hats – and get back to business.

That’s right – boots, vests, hard hats. Together, Reeverts, Bishop and Smith comprise a rare find in the global workforce: an all-female construction management team. The crown jewel of their collaboration is right here in Ashburn, an Equinix data center named DC21. The final phase of the $179 million project was completed in 2023.

The 156,000-square-foot building at Loudoun County Parkway and Waxpool Road is perhaps best known as being the data center that “lights up.” Exterior lighting projects various colors on the facade to mark holidays and community events.

But behind the bright colors is the story of one of the first data centers built under the direction of an all-female construction management team, an anomaly in a predominantly male industry.

“I have not seen that before, where our particular roles, the three or four main roles, are led solely by and entrusted to women, so we are kind of at the forefront of the movement for diversity and inclusion within this industry,” said Bishop, the mechanical, electrical and plumbing coordinator for DPR Construction.

Bishop, who lives in Leesburg, shared construction management responsibilities for DC21 with Smith, a DPR project man-

ager who lives in Arlington, and Reeverts, Equinix’s senior construction manager. Reeverts lives in Illinois but travels regularly to work on-site in Ashburn.

Women constitute only 9.9% of the construction workforce in the United States.

Worldwide, only 8% of the data center workforce is female, and 25% of data center projects involve no women in design or construction.

Buddy Rizer, executive director for Loudoun County’s Department of Economic Development, points to DC21 as a hallmark of forward-thinking.

“Equinix has modeled the fact that leadership is generated from within, not by how you look or where you come from,” he said. “This project is a great testament to this construction team, which has successfully executed on a complex build in the world’s largest data center market.”

BUILDING CAREERS

Reeverts, Bishop and Smith all agree –there are unlimited opportunities in construction for women, but the trick is finding a path. Reeverts initially dreamed of being an architect, but her high school drafting teacher suggested a career in construction management.

“I took a class at a local junior college and then stuck with construction management all the way through graduation from Illinois State University,” she said. “My first job out of college was at a data center, and I’ve been in mission-critical construction ever since.”

Bishop grew up on a farm near Suffolk in southeastern Virginia and always wanted to study engineering, but a dean at Virginia Tech introduced her to construction management. “I didn’t even know it was

Together, (from left to right) Lindsay Smith, Gabrielle Bishop and Alaina Reeverts comprise a rare find in the global workforce: an allfemale construction management team.

an option, but this dean spoke about the field with such passion that it really drew me in,” said Bishop, who graduated with a degree in construction engineering and management.

Smith, originally from Scranton, Pa., earned a degree in architectural engineering at Penn State University.

“I wasn’t planning on construction at all. It wasn’t a curriculum option I was aware of until my fourth year of a five-year program,” she said. “I was pretty far through the program, but it wasn’t feeling like the right fit. Then I tried an internship in construction management, and it just clicked. I fell into it by chance, but construction management was right for me.”

Reeverts said women need to be exposed to opportunities. “It can be intimidating venturing into a world where mechanical and electrical systems are the heart and soul of what you are building, so we need to help more women get comfortable with the idea that they can do this.”

Smith noted that early exposure is key. “My family works in the medical field, so there was a total lack of awareness

LIGHTING UP THE NIGHT

In addition to breaking gender stereotypes, the Equinix data center in Ashburn is also more “colorful” than the scores of other data centers in our area. In September, Equinix flipped the switch for DC21’s unique exterior lighting, which illuminates the building in various bright colors. Several executives with the company came up with the idea after being inspired by the lights at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. There are 60 lights on the west and south

facades of the Equinix building. They are LED and emit red, green and blue light, which can be combined to display the full color spectrum.

The exterior lighting is staggered in two rows, with the row closer to the building a narrow uplight, and the row farther away a wider flood light, said Michelle Lindeman, a company spokesperson. “The variation in lighting size makes different visual effects and patterns possible.”

In 2024, plans call for the exterior to be lighted in color on 102 days. On other days,

white security lights illuminate the building.

There’s no mechanism for local residents to request color schemes, although Lindeman said this could happen in the future. At this time, the “scenes” – as they are called – are programmed for holidays, area sports teams and local high schools.

The process to install the lights started in 2020, and the builders had to get a special exception from the county.

“It was a long process getting it approved by the county, but it’s really nice to see when you drive by,” said Alaina Reeverts, Equinix’s senior construction manager.

Equinix's DC21 data center in Ashburn is lit up in the colors of Stone Bridge High School and Broad Run High School. When the two rivals face each other on the football field, it's known as "The Battle of the Burn."

of what I could do in construction,” she said. “There are so many opportunities, but it’s hard to discover them if you don’t have a specific interest at an early age. Starting in high school, we should help students learn about those opportunities.”

DEMOLISHING STEREOTYPES

The trio believes their friendship strengthened their work relationship and performance, especially during the pandemic, when they were challenged by equipment and material delays. The team developed procedures that have since become company models for other data center projects, including a detailed “scorecard” that kept project stakeholders in constant communication and an “a la carte” menu that offered multiple solutions to specific situations, ranked by cost and risk.

“Any woman in this industry is

going to feel at some point that there’s just more for them to prove,” Bishop said.

“Personally, before I speak up at meetings, I ensure that I’m 100% correct and that I have the information to back up my answers. There’s this underlying pressure to feel like you can never be wrong and have that stigma pressed back on you. But as relationships build, so does trust. Do I feel that now? No, but it was hard when I first started.”

Reeverts said previously it was rare to work with other women on projects. “It’s becoming more common, but we need to work on getting more to join us.”

Building DC21 was an experience the women say they will never forget.

“I’ve worked on other projects, but any time I go on-site and work with Gabby and Lindsay, it’s like a breath of fresh air,”

Reeverts said.

“We each brought different strengths to the job to make it successful,” Bishop said.

“I’m proud to be part of this strong female leadership team, but what is truly significant is that we are good at our jobs. We are highly skilled, experienced and resilient experts who also happen to be women.” A

Jill Devine is a freelance writer and former magazine editor from Loudoun County who writes for a variety of Virginia publications.

Lindsay Smith, Gabrielle Bishop and Alaina Reeverts on the job in Ashburn.

Ashburn Author Writes Children’s Book About Dinosaurs

Wendy Buck, who lives in the Alexandras Grove neighborhood in the Belmont area, is the proud author of a new book called “There’s a Triceratops on My Toe.”

“It introduces dinosaurs, especially some lesser-known ones, to kids in a playful manner. Additionally, the three girl characters in the book are based on my own amazing daughters,” Buck wrote in an email. “I was inspired to write this book after many evenings spent learning about dinosaurs with them. I hope to encourage kids everywhere to fuel their curiosity.”

The book also includes a pronunciation guide to assist in correctly pronouncing the many tricky dinosaur names. “There’s a Triceratops on My Toe” is available from a wide variety of online book retailers.

New Ear-Piercing Studio Opens at One Loudoun

Rowan, a new ear-piercing studio that offers piercing by licensed nurses, is now open at One Loudoun.

Backed by a medical advisory board, each piercing is performed by a licensed nurse to deliver the safest piercing experience for all ages. Their team offers both needle and gentle hand-pressurized device piercings alongside personalized aftercare.

Rowan is part of a nationwide chain. The One Loudoun studio is the first one in Virginia.

Ashburn Firms Among Grant Winners

At least two Ashburn companies were recipients of grants a few months back from the Loudoun County Economic Development Authority and the Department of Economic Development. It was part of the fourth annual Loudoun Innovation Challenge.

The winners were selected from a group of 12 finalists who presented their business ideas to a panel of judges. Among the winners, Mehrdel LLC of Brambleton was awarded $25,000 in the “Clean Energy Innovation” category, and Intalus Inc. won $25,000 in the “Highly Specialized Manufacturing Innovation” category. All told, $150,000 was distributed to five grantees in six categories.

“The Innovation Challenge competition gives us the platform to encourage companies to think outside the box and find creative solutions to modern problems right here in Loudoun,” said Buddy Rizer, executive director of Loudoun Economic Development. A

We feel so blessed when seasoned guests tell us, It just feels different here, like a family”. We are honored so many of you have chosen Ketterman’s to help you find special gifts or jewelry to mark family milestones. We are privileged to preserve family memories through jewelry repair and redesign. We appreciate those of you who have become extended Ketterman ’s family over the years and look forward to meeting many more of you in the future.

Generational

While the Ketterman family and staff are experts in jewelry from appraisals to zirconium, one of the most common remarks we receive from first -time guests is: “I thought it was just a jewelry store.” If you’ve been here, you know...there is so much more.

Ketterman’s is family. Dan Ketterman’s parents opened a store in Vienna in 1951. A chance engagement ring sale propelled Ketterman’s to what it is today.

Dan, Tammi, their six daughters, many grandchildren and seasoned staff consider it an honor to provide Loudoun County and beyond with the best shopping and service available. Outside the store, the immediate family and the staff live and serve alongside our guests as part of the community. We share grocery stores, gyms, salons, restaurants, sidewalks, parks and churches. We delight to know that we have the opportunity to see our customers in the store and around town.

Pets Welcome! Another family endeavor, the Ketterman grandkids are carrying on the tradition of breeding quality Jack Russell Terriers who frequently make appearances in the store as available puppies and well loved adults.

Erin Gifford’s Favorite Local Hikes

Northern Virginia is home to a lot of great hikes, some not as well-known as others. Here are four of my local faves, which I’ve listed from easiest to most challenging (but still manageable).

Bears Den Overlook (1.9 miles)

This easy out-and-back hike in Bluemont takes you on the whiteblazed Appalachian Trail to a rocky overlook with west-facing views. It’s perfect for sunset, but this hike is very popular, and the trail can get quite busy, especially in summer and fall.

Wolf Trap Trail (2.5 miles)

This easy loop hike in Vienna is on the grounds of the music venue, but it is surprisingly quiet and isolated, despite being near the Dulles Toll Road. You’ll cross wooden bridges over Wolf Trap Creek and settle in on a bench for views across Wolf Trap Farm Pond.

Difficult Run to Great Falls (5.1 miles) This easy to moderate loop in Great Falls is one of my all-time favorite hikes, guiding hikers along the Difficult Run Trail and River Trail for plenty of water views. This hike also leads to the scenic overlooks at Great Falls Park. It’s a fantastic – and free –alternative to a start at Great Falls Park.

Erin Gifford is an Ashburn-based writer who recently wrote not one, not two, but three books about hiking in and around Virginia. We thought that was interesting, so we asked Gifford to tell us how she got into hiking and how the books came to be. Plus, she’s sharing some of her favorite local hikes with Ashburn Magazine readers.

e were all changed in ways big and small by the pandemic. For me, it unlocked a love of the outdoors that I had no idea was inside me. Ask any of my friends from college, and they would tell you I was the last person who would be interested in hiking, camping, paddling, any of that.

Yet, barely one month into the pandemic, I was hiking rocky trails in Loudoun County, soon learning that the Appalachian Trail was just 30 minutes from my house in the Broadlands. I had no idea.

But to be honest, what else was there to do? In spring 2020, everything shut down. Even Shenandoah National Park closed for six weeks. Soon, everyone was starting to get better acquainted with the great outdoors.

I was working as a freelance writer, but my focus was on travel. With no one traveling, there were no travel articles to write, and I soon began to get assignments to write articles about at-home spa experiences, dog grooming essentials and how to plan virtual celebrations. It was a strange time.

Raven Rocks (5.1 miles)

This rocky hike on the Appalachian Trail in Bluemont offers one of the most beautiful panoramas in Loudoun County. The overlook is smaller than at Bears Den, but it’s a great spot to settle in on for a snack. The small parking lot can fill up very quickly, so go early on a weekday, if you can.

I’d written a lot about family travel, so with summer quickly approaching, it made sense to pivot from writing about where to go for fun family travel experiences (like cruises and all-inclusives) to how and where to go to get outside as a family (like state parks and campgrounds).

I rallied my kids, and we got outside. I wanted to see what hikes and outdoor adventures that they enjoyed, then I wanted to share those with other moms.

By April 2020, I’d bought a URL at gohikevirginia.com. I started writing about hikes in Virginia, including how long they are, what you’ll see on the way and why they’re fun. I soon had an audience, too.

But first, a baby step back. I grew up in Virginia, in Fairfax County. I went to the University of Virginia and aside from a brief eight-month stint in Atlanta, I have lived nearly my entire life in Virginia. Yet, up to this point, I had seen very little of this state that I call home.

By mid-2020, I was traveling across the state in search of hiking trails. In doing so, I found free-roaming elk, tumbling waterfalls, grassy balds, rail-trails for hiking and biking and the “Grand Canyon of the South,” a scenic five-mile gorge tucked away in Southwest Virginia.

In the past four years, I’ve driven up and

down Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park more times than I can count, hiking hundreds of miles of trails. I’ve visited 33 of our 42 state parks. I’ve also camped on the beach at False Cape State Park in Virginia Beach and backpacked among wild ponies at Grayson Highlands State Park in Mouth of Wilson.

An Anglo-American author, Christopher Hitchens, once famously said, “Everyone has a book inside them.” Soon that was me

as I found myself casually asking Google how to write a book proposal. I sent a proposal off to Falcon Guides in June 2020. Within a month, I had a book deal to write about the best hikes for kids and families in Virginia.

I was soon doing more than hiking trails in Virginia. I needed to hike, map, photograph and write about each of the 52 hikes I had proposed for this book. This first book – “Hiking with Kids Virginia: 52 Great Hikes for Families” – was published in April 2022. It was very exciting.

I still beam with motherly pride when I see two of my kids on the front cover, in a photo taken during our hike to Little Stony Man Cliffs at Shenandoah National Park in June 2020. I didn’t hike every hike in the book with my kids, but the cover allows me to hold onto this moment in time.

From there, I wrote two more hiking guidebooks: “Hiking Coastal Trails of Del-

aware, Maryland, and Virginia” (published in August 2022) and “Virginia Summits: 40 Best Mountain Hikes from the Shenandoah Valley to Southwest Virginia” (May 2023). Now, with a trilogy, or maybe a hat trick, and fresh off a winter fat biking adventure in Canada, I’m pondering my future. I’m still hiking and writing about hiking trails, but I’m back to travel writing too, and I’m always on the hunt for my next big outdoor adventure. A

Ashburn’s TOP TEN

The Big Picture

Home sales declined slightly in the two Ashburn Zip codes combined in January, compared with January 2023. Countywide in January, home sales increased by 15.8% compared with the prior year – the first year-over-year increase in 2½ years.

And more signs of improvement… Pending sales in January were up a whopping 28.9% in the 20148 Zip code and 7.4% in 20147, according to the latest data from the Dulles Area Association of Realtors.

The January Details

Closed sales:

• Down 2.9% in 20147 Zip code

• Down 10.3% in 20148 Zip code

• Combined sales totaled 60, down from 64 a year earlier, in what is typically the slowest month of the year.

Pending sales:

• Up 7.4% in 20147

• Up 28.9% in 20148

Median sales price:

• Down 6.1% to $619,857 in 20147

• Up 19.9% to $845,000 in 20148

Average days on market

(homes sold in January):

• 41 in 20147

• 41 in 20148

Top sales: The five highest-priced homes that sold in each of Ashburn’s two Zip codes between late December and mid-February. Data and photos from Realtor.com.

44663 BRUSHTON TERRACE

$1,500,000

Sold: Feb. 13

4 bedrooms

3½ bathrooms

4,111 square feet

43257 PRESTON COURT

$1,315,000

Sold: Feb. 14

4 bedrooms

4½ bathrooms

5,223 square feet

20745 ASHBURN STATION PLACE

$1,250,000

Sold: Feb. 5

4 bedrooms

4½ bathrooms

4,698 square feet

43755 CARSON COURT

$1,103,000

Sold: Feb. 12

5 bedrooms 4½ bathrooms

4,616 square feet

20194 ASHBURN ROAD

$1,000,000

Sold: Jan. 12

4 bedrooms 3½ bathrooms

4,206 square feet

22757 ORCHARD GROVE DRIVE

$1,361,402

Sold: Jan. 29

6 bedrooms

5½ bathrooms

4,590 square feet

22258 RIVANNA SHORE TERRACE

$1,250,000

Sold: Feb. 2

4 bedrooms

3½ bathrooms

3,606 square feet

21317 SMALL BRANCH PLACE

$1,053,500

Sold: Feb. 15

5 bedrooms

3½ bathrooms

3,696 square feet

21340 MARSH CREEK DRIVE

$975,000

Sold: Jan. 22

4 bedrooms 3½ bathrooms

3,645 square feet

22913 EMBER BROOK CIRCLE

$917,000

Sold: Dec. 29

4 bedrooms 3½ bathrooms

2,813 square feet

‘The One That Wandered Off ’

Ashburn-based group works with homeless populations

BY TRACY OWENS

There is a well-known verse in the Bible –Matthew 18:12 to be exact – that reads, in part: “If a man owns 100 sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the 99 on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?”

That simple concept – that we shouldn’t give up on the lost among us – means a lot to Brian Silvestri. But it took him a while to realize it.

In 2015, Silvestri, who lives on a quiet street off Ashburn Road, was invited to travel to San Diego to camp among the city’s homeless population. His gut reaction: “Absolutely not.”

“I ran away from the concept,” Silvestri said. “It was beyond my comfort zone.”

An engineer and tech startup guru by profession, Silvestri says he is accustomed to looking for solutions to problems. But traveling across the country on a mission trip and sleeping on the streets with homeless people didn’t sound like that.

That first invitation came from Will Cravens, at the time a pastor at Bridge Community Church of Loudoun.

Since 2015, Cravens has been traveling to other cities in America to camp with and share stories with homeless people, and in

The 2024 99 for 1 San Diego team: Will Cravens, Emil Short, John Morales, Peter Hong, Bianca Pinto, Sandra Cravens, Gabriela McCartney, Ricci Ferrao and Michelle Ferrao.

2022 he established a not-for-profit called 99 For 1 – the name taken from the parable of the lone sheep gone astray.

Cravens has 30-plus years of experience in nonprofit and ministry work, including working for Young Life. Recently he and his wife, Sandra, moved with their two young daughters from Ashburn to Englewood, Fla., but the organization’s ties are still in Loudoun.

Cravens’ work with the homeless began in a most personal way. In 2014, his childhood best friend, named Ed, was living in San Diego and working as a custom cabinet maker. Cravens knew Ed was having personal troubles, and then one day Ed’s mother called Cravens and told him that Ed had been evicted. He had thrown his phone away and gone to live on the streets.

It took Cravens time to figure out how to respond, but eventually his faith led him to this: “If I were homeless, how would I want to be loved? I would hope I wouldn’t be forgotten.”

So Cravens went by himself to San Diego that winter to look for Ed. He didn’t

Above: Will Cravens with his wife, Sandra. Cravens is the founder of the non-profit 99 for 1 organization. Right: Kyle, a homeless man in Ocean Beach, Calif.

find Ed that year, but one of the homeless people he met, a man called “Crazy Ted,” dared Cravens to come back and live on the streets with no food and no money.

Cravens returned to his Ashburn church and one day asked, “Who likes camping?”

His parishioner and friend Steve Bowman, who owns Bowman’s Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning Inc., was in.

“It was rough,” Cravens said of his and Bowman’s first experience sleeping on the streets in California. On Ocean Beach, they were awakened by a police officer with his flashlight in their faces. As they struggled with their packs, they saw a news crew there to report on the weather. They showed the crew the picture of Ed and, after the story aired, received a lot of leads.

Those leads took Cravens and his wife to Maui in 2017, where they saw Ed, but he refused to meet with them. They confirmed he was dealing with addiction and mental health issues. But in the meantime, something someone had said to Cravens resonated: “Everyone you meet on the streets is somebody else’s Ed.”

Far left: Sandra Cravens, on left, prays for members of the 2024 99 for 1 team.

Left: Bianco Pinto (left) and Peter Hong (right) pray with a homeless man in California.

Even though he knew his friend wasn’t there, Cravens took another group back to San Diego in September 2017. The group returned every year and rekindled connections.

And Cravens kept asking Brian Silvestri – year after year – to join them. Silvestri listened as participants on the mission trips talked about how some of the people they had met on the streets were changing their lives for the better.

He noticed something else. “I saw how it was impacting the people who were coming back,” he said.

Indeed, the participants had found new purpose in life and renewed energy for serving others and making change in the world.

So, still somewhat unexpectedly, Silvestri heard himself saying yes to a San Diego mission trip in January 2020. Never before had he sat down to a meal with someone he didn’t know, living in terrible circumstances, and simply asked them if they wanted to share a story, nothing else.

In 2021, Cravens, Silvestri and Bow-

Spring is in the air and soon the vineyards will be in bloom.

Barrel Oak is the perfect escape from the hustle

FINE WINE ◊ SENSATIONAL BEER ◊ EXEMPLARY SERVICE ◊ DOG FRIENDLY

The Cottage at Barrel Oak

man traveled to 12 cities, one a month, from Chicago to New York City, from Nashville to Tampa, to meet homeless people and the people who help them. These visits set the foundation for establishing 99 For 1. Silvestri shared his experiences at Ashburn’s Old Ox Brewery at a fundraiser for 99 For 1 in November. It was the second annual gathering for the organization there.

Another will be held this November. One of the people in the crowd, Ashburn Farm resident Michelle Ferrao, was immediately inspired to volunteer for the January 2024 trip.

Her 21-year-old son, Ricci, joined her, and it was an amazing bonding experience for them.

“Will should have warned me that it would change my life,” Ferrao said. “The love we witnessed was truly unconditional love. I walked away with a new family.”

And whatever became of Ed – Will Cravens’ childhood friend? In June 2020, Ed was in a terrible bicycle accident in Hawaii, which eventually led to his coming back to Virginia and being nurtured by Cravens’ faith community in Ashburn. Today, he is in recovery and back in Hawaii working at a not-for-profit farm. A

Tracy Owens is a former magazine editor who writes about arts, businesses and people in the Southeast. Her work has appeared in Salon, Gulfshore Life, Islandia Journal and many other publications.

Dulles Town Center is blooming with family fun! Gather the kids and let the memories flourish.

From March to May, don’t miss out on all the festive spring events at Dulles Town Center.

Above left: Ashburn residents John Morales, left, and Michelle Ferrao, right, with a homeless man and his dog in California.

Above right: Will and Sandra Cravens with Ricci Ferrao, right, of Ashburn Farm while on their January mission to California.

Brian Silvestri speaking about 99 for 1 at Old Ox Brewery in Ashburn last November.

THE BURN

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 and Instagram.

1 BKD BAGELS PLANNING NEW LOCATION IN ASHBURN

The folks at Bkd Bagels will be bringing one of their much-loved bagel shops to the Brambleton Corner Plaza. That’s the small retail development at Evergreen Mills Road and Northstar Boulevard. Bkd will be taking a vacant unit near the Tropical Smoothie. Bkd has locations in Leesburg and Purcellville. The owners say they hope to open before the end of the year.

2 PLANS FOR NEW STEAKHOUSE IN BRAMBLETON FALL THROUGH

A bit of bad news for folks in Ashburn’s Brambleton neighborhood. After months of negotiations, plans to bring Dom Nuzzi’s Italian Steakhouse to the community have fallen through. Chef Jason Maddens, founder of Ahso Restaurant in the Brambleton Town Center, had hoped to open the steakhouse

in a space at the Bram Quarter development off Loudoun County Parkway. But Maddens and the center’s representatives were unable to come to terms.

Maddens says he’s still hoping to find a spot for Dom Nuzzi’s in the Ashburn area.

3 FLAGSHIP CARWASH IN ASHBURN FARM RETURNS TO FULLSERVICE MODEL

Flagship Carwash in Ashburn Farm recently added full interior cleaning back to their menu of services. It was roughly two years ago that the Flagship brand bought the car wash and turned it into an express model. This meant there were no longer any staff members to clean the inside of your car, just vacuums so customers could do it themselves. Now, the car wash in the Ashburn Farm Market Center has reversed course and brought staff back to offer full-service car washes.

4 BOURBON BAYOU KITCHEN CLOSES; AMBIANCE ON THE WAY

A big change is underway at the former Bourbon Bayou Kitchen in Ashburn’s Ashbrook Marketplace center. We say former because the

restaurant closed in early February and at press time was undergoing renovations for a new restaurant to take its place. The new place will be called Ambiance. It will be a combination nightly restaurant and special events banquet hall. Ambiance will reportedly offer a nightly menu of Mediterranean fusion food as well as a line-up of musical and comedy acts. It will also be available for private events, such as birthday parties and wedding receptions.

5 TWO ASHBURN FARMERS MARKETS MOVING TO NEW LOCATIONS

A change is coming to the two big farmers markets in Ashburn – by way of new locations. The Brambleton Farmers Market, currently at the Brambleton Town Center, will move to a new spot at the Barn at Brambleton at the end of March. The Barn at Brambleton is a new event facility inside a refurbished dairy barn that opened late last year. It’s at Evergreen Mills

Road and Belmont Ridge Road. Meanwhile, the One Loudoun Farmers Market is leaving that center and moving next door – just a few hundred feet away – to the parking lot of the Christian Fellowship Church. This move is scheduled to happen effective March 9.

6 NEW ICE CREAM SHOP, CAFE COMING SOON

An artisan ice cream company is planning to open its first retail ice cream shop and cafe

in Ashburn. It’s called Authors Best Selling Ice Creams and is targeting an opening sometime this spring. Authors will be at the University Center on the northside of Route 7. It will serve up premium ice cream, as well as espresso drinks, drip coffee, pastries and more. The company was previously known as Doughboy Creamery but rebranded last summer as Authors Best Selling Ice Creams. A