‘We Will Never Forget’ Incident Review Report Released for Sterling Home Explosion
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
Loudoun County Fire-Rescue on Tuesday released the detailed investigative report examining the February 2024 Sterling home explosion that killed one volunteer firefighter and injured 13 other people.
The 211-page Significant Incident Report includes 51 observations and 87 recommendations after investigators conducted a thorough nine-month review of events leading up to, during, and following the incident. The report was requested by Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Combined System Chief Keith Johnson and conduct-
ed by Frederick County, MD, Fire and Rescue Services Chief Tom Coe.
On Feb. 16, 2024, firefighters from the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company responded to a report of a gas leak at a home on Silver Ridge Drive. Less than an hour later the home exploded killing one firefighter and injuring 11 other first responders and two civilians. The explosion trapped multiple firefighters in the basement of the home, resulting in several Mayday calls.
The report is intended to provide recommendations that could be considered by fire-rescue systems across the country to improve the safety and quality of the services they provide.
“This report is not intended to place blame or identify any single action performed on the scene. The goal is to identify, learn and improve our daily operations,” according to the report.
The SIR determined several factors that contributed to the sequence of events that occurred at home. Those include risk assessment, event escalation, communication challenges, resource allocation and command structure.
A key element identified in the case was the time it took to realize the severity of the situation, Johnson said.
“Key indicators were ignored during the initial and on-going size-ups of this
incident, which resulted in the safety of on-scene personnel being compromised,” according to the report.
The gas leak stemmed from a buried 500-gallon tank, which had been refilled with 125 gallons of fuel earlier in the day.
“The propane company then left the scene, and at some point we were called to the scene to handle this emergency. So, this incident started several hours before we even got a call, so we were behind the eight ball the entire time, trying to catch up with the data and analysis of what was
Community Unites to Build Memorial Park for Fallen Firefighter
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
Last February one firefighter was killed and 13 other people injured during a catastrophic home explosion. Now, community members are joining together to build a permanent memorial at the site.
Trevor Brown was a volunteer firefighter with the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company and had been a member of the combined fire-rescue system since 2016. He was killed after responding to a call for a gas leak stemming from a buried tank at 347 Silver Ridge Drive. Brown also was a husband and father of three.
The home on Silver Ridge was completely leveled during the incident. After months of clean up activities, today the
site is a vacant lot, with only a tree or two and what remains of the paved driveway, and sits as a reminder of the tragic event.
Steve and Cheryl Honard live just a few doors down from the lot. They were watching TV the night of Feb. 16, 2024, when they heard a loud noise and felt their house shake.
“I thought a plane had crashed somewhere nearby. And literally, I walked outside, and we saw the light. I mean, there were two by fours in that yard there,” Steve said, pointing at a home neighboring the site of the explosion. “The A-frame was in that tree. All these trees had clothes and stuff in them.”
ROOF
LOUDOUN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
O ce of Student Mental Health Services
ONE LCPS UNITED FOR WELLNESS
Mental Health and Wellness Conference & Resource Fair
Learn strategies to support your student’s mental health, academic and social engagement and overall wellness at the United for Wellness Conference and Resource Fair.
Saturday, January 25, 2025 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Watson Mountain Middle School 41480 Steeplechase Loop Dr., Leesburg
Scan to view schedule and to register
After Firing of Town Manager, Purcellville Residents Speak Out
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
After the newly elected Purcellville Town Council majority to replace Town Manager Rick Bremseth with former mayor Kwasi Fraser during a Jan. 8 during a special meeting, residents packed Town Hall on Tuesday voicing their frustration throughout the council’s ruckus-filled first full meeting.
The council has operated for several years with a philosophical split among its members on many key issues. The November election brought in a new mayor and two new council members who shifted the majority from the bloc that held the controlling votes on the previous council.
The motion to fire Bremseth came after an approximately 40-minute closed session at the beginning of the Jan. 8 meeting and was approved on a 4-3, with Council Members Erin Rayner, Kevin Wright and Caleb Stought opposed.
conducted on the dais, Mayor Christopher Bertaut said private interviews had been conducted individually over a period of months.
“It’s not taken lightly, and it was not undertaken in any sort of spirit of retribution or anything of the sort,” he said. “We just wanted to individually, and upon consultation individually, we decided that this was the best path forward in order to achieve our goals and objectives which we stated to the public when we ran for election.”
Bremseth asked for a moment to address the room, largely filled with town staff members and department heads.
“I’ve been associated with some outstanding, really outstanding teams in my life that were the best in the nation, and you guys are right up there with them. It’s been an honor and a privilege, and I salute
The motion, made by newly elected Council Member Ben Nett, offered no reason for Bremseth’s termination. When
pressed by Stought on how a conclusion by the majority of council had been reached prior to the meeting when it had not been
RESIDENTS SPEAK continues on page 9
Superintendent Presents $1.96B School Budget Preview
BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org
Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence on Tuesday presented his fiscal year 2026 budget estimate to the School Board on Tuesday night laying out the need for a $123.4 million increase in local tax funding.
Spence outlined plans for a $1.96 billion budget, a 7.2% increase over the current year. Most of the budget increase, $99.1 million, is for staff compensation increases averaging 6.5%. As outlined Tuesday, the school division will add more staff positions than new students next year.
Although enrollment is projected to remain relatively flat, 376 additional fulltime equivalent positions will be proposed, bringing the staff to 13,463 FTEs. While the staff estimates the addition of 372 students next year, total enrollment of 81,629 would remain below the 83,038 estimate used for the current budget.
“Our operating budget will increase even with no new positions or programs. In addition, there are typically increases in benefits costs as well as health care, which becomes more expensive, and there are other fixed costs that grow despite level or declining enrollment. These are things like fuel and utility costs that we do not
dards. The division would need 282.6 additional teaching, teaching assistant and other support positions, representing 75% of the proposed new positions.
Additionally, 40 new specialized programs will be launched for these students, he said.
The rest of the budget increase is based on other programs marked as School Board priorities.
workforce.
control. This concept is important to understand as we go through this budget,” Spence said.
The increase of compensation for staff members includes $26 million for annual step increase, $55.4 million for scale and cost of living adjustments, $16.1 million for the employer share of health insurance premiums, and $1.6 million stipends and other salary changes.
The growth of special education students is expected to be 5.2% and the growth of English learner students is expected to be 2.8%. An extra $23.2 million will be needed to address the needs of those students and maintain staffing stan-
An additional $19.7 million is proposed for new student programs, including an after school pilot program, hiring athletic trainers and behavior specialists, establishing a recovery school, and expanding English learner welcome centers. Those programs will require an additional 149.1 FTEs.
School system investments will increase by $8.4 million and require 25.5 more staff positions. These include safety and security enhancements, community engagement supports, the new enterprise resource planning system and division counsel.
“The proposed operating budget provides us with the resources needed to run the school division every day, and also allows us to offer a competitive salary and benefits package to our employees,” Spence said. “Our ability to offer attractive salaries and benefits packages bolsters our ability to recruit and retain an exemplary
Local tax funding is expected to make up 71% of the budget, with 27.7% from the state and 1.3% from federal sources. The money coming from the federal government is not projected to change from the FY2025 budget. The state funding is expected to change by $8.4 million, based on compensation support and Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed support to English learner students.
The state funding estimate is based on Youngkin’s proposed budget and that could change during the General Assembly’s work. Spence noted the efforts of some state legislators to increase school funding in the wake of a 2024 Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report documenting that state funding lags behind the national average and the of surrounding states.
The projection of a $123.4 million increase in local funding exceeds the amount currently earmarked for schools in the county government’s projections, $100.4 million. Spence said that the school system will ask for the additional $23 million during their presentation to the board of supervisors.
The School Board will begin its budget review Jan. 21, with up to three work sessions planned before a Feb. 4 public hearing. n
Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now
Purcellville Mayor Christopher Bertaut, right, and Vice Mayor Ben Nett, left, speak during a council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Amber Lucas/Loudoun Now Superintendent Aaron Spence presents the fiscal year 2026 Estimate of Needs to the School Board on Jan. 14.
Loudoun
Input Sought on Plan to Expand Arts Opportunities
BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org
How can Loudoun leaders increase economic opportunities for artists and arts organizations? That’s the question being posed starting this week in a series of public input sessions designed to help develop a new vision for arts and culture in the county.
The creation of a Comprehensive County Arts Plan kicked off in the fall with a team from the Design Local consultant group interviewing dozens of arts community members, government leaders and economic development professionals. They also conducted an online survey with 1,100 responses.
Starting Monday night, sessions in Purcellville and Sterling in-person meetings kicked off to solicit broader public input.
“We’re talking about providing community engagement opportunities that are arts-based just like this is tonight with our artists,” Amanda Golden, co-founder and managing principal of the Designing Local consulting team, told an audience of 40 people gathered at the Franklin Park Arts Center on Monday night. “It’s important that all the places that we’ve gone to that we think are doing it well—those places have likely planned for arts and culture to be a core component of their identity and a core component of their investment portfolio as municipality, and that’s what we are doing today here in Loudoun.”
The planning team hopes to have a final report to county supervisors by April
with the hope of getting immediate funding for the initial steps of what is expected to be a 10-year vision.
“Your input tonight is really going to shape what the plan says and really provide us kind of a direction and in-depth kind of mandate as to where we go for the next statements that we work on in the community,” she said.
Early input found that most people attend ticketed or free performances. There also is strong interest in the county’s gal-
leries and museums, as well as outdoor spaces. The research also found that marketing of the county’s art offering could use a boost.
“I’m saying there’s probably not a lack of offerings. It’s probably just a not great marketing push, right?” Golden said. “We live in a world where everything is being marketed to us at all times and so it’s difficult to capture anybody—that’s anywhere in the country. No one is doing it all.”
During Monday’s discussion, partic-
ipants raised concerns about collecting input from a more diverse group of residents, providing more access to arts programs and classes, and providing new facilities.
County supervisors already are advancing one of those elements.
The board’s finance committee on Tuesday is scheduled to review the recommendations of a separate consultant study on the feasibility of establishing an art center in Eastern Loudoun. That exercise resulted in a recommendation to pursue a “scaled performance and visual arts facility” that would have a performance hall with up to 900 seats, a smaller blackbox theater, an art gallery, and workshop space. Such a center would be about 112,000 square feet with a $181 million construction costs and $4.7 million in annual operating costs.
While brick-and-mortar needs also are included in art plan study, Design Local’s work will focus on broader art opportunities. Workshop participants were asked to provide input on possibilities for new programs, how to develop and support art organizations, how to remove barriers to self-expression, and how to best use available funding.
Following community meetings this week Purcellville, Sterling, Leesburg and South Riding, virtual meetings are scheduled for Jan.30, Feb. 3 and Feb. 5 to continue that outreach.
For details on those meetings and more information about the arts plan, go to loudoun.gov/6057/Comprehensive-Arts-Plan. n
Supervisors Approve Purchase of Sterling, Aldie Buildings
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
During their first meeting of year, county supervisors approved spending $43.8 million to purchase a vacant Sterling office property and a former Aldie childcare center.
The motion to purchase 14.63 acres of the former Montessori school in Aldie, allocating $17.25 million, passed unanimously Jan. 7. Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles), whose district includes the property, said the land could be used for some future school activities.
“There are a variety of purposes that the county and the school system could have for this site, and it is essentially
a ready-made structure for several of those that could lead to long-term cost savings,” he said.
The school closed suddenly in August amid financial troubles from its parent company, Guidepost Montessori. The property is assessed at $3.8 million and was sold to the company in 2009 for $8 million.
The second purchase was approved on a 6-3 vote, with County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) and Caleb A. Kershner (R-Catoctin) opposed.
The 7.4-acre lot is located on Ridgetop Circle in Sterling and will cost $26.5 million. The property was identified by Supervisor Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling)
to be acquired “for future county use.” It is assessed at $3.2 million.
Umstattd said she opposed the purchase because no specific use has been planned for the land.
“At present, I am not aware of the Board having a definitive idea of how the County could best use the property,” she told Loudoun Now in an email. “As a result, I am not convinced that we have an essential need for the property. So, in my opinion, the use of taxpayer dollars to purchase it was not the best use of County resources and the cost to buy it is considerable.”
The land is zoned Planned Development Industrial Park and currently allows data centers as a by-right use.
“The County’s purchase of the land would likely prevent the development of that land for a data center,” Umstattd stated. “As existing residents generally don’t like to be next to data centers, the Board majority’s decision to buy the property for another, albeit not fully determined, use would likely be preferred by the nearby residents. The high purchase price of $26,500,000 is the equivalent of about 1.8 pennies on the real property tax rate, so we’re talking real money here that will not be available for other more pressing uses.”
Randall and Kershner’s offices did not respond to a request for comment on why they opposed the purchase. n
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
Participants in a Jan. 13 public input workshop at the Franklin Park Art Center place dots on displays to indicate their priorities for new investments in arts and culture programs.
Perry Leads Data Center Legislation for 2025 Session
BY HANNA PAMPALNOI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
As expected, following a report on the impact of data centers in Virginia, legislators are planning a session focused on the industry and how best to regulate energy consumption, water usage and noise while protecting the economic benefits to the commonwealth.
During a Tuesday morning press conference, led by Sen. Russet Perry (D-31), Sen. Kannan Srinivasan (D-32) and legislators from across the state gathered to announce specific legislation planned to tackle what they’re calling “four pillars of key reforms” for the industry. Those are protecting families and businesses, enhancing transparency, responsibly managing resources and incentivizing efficiency.
“Virginia has become the center of the global data center industry,” Perry said. “… While this industry has brought economic growth, it’s rapid expansion is outpacing the state’s ability to manage its impact on energy, water and communities.”
Perry said legislation is needed to address that.
“Let me be clear, we aren’t here today to talk about reform, because there are no laws to reform,” she said. “The data center industry has largely grown unchecked. Today we are here though to present a framework for responsible growth.”
She is co-patroning a bill with Sen. Richard Stuart (R-25) that would direct the State Corporation Commission to determine if energy expenses are fairly distributed among ratepayers. The goal is to protect residents and businesses from subsidizing infrastructure costs needed for data centers.
The same bill is being introduced by delegates Michelle Maldonado (D-20) and Michael Webert (R-61) in the House.
“What we have seen, at least in my district, is that we are going to inherit quite a bit of infrastructure due to our growing energy needs and my constituents are very, very much concerned about that,” Webert said.
The Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission report stated that to date, regular ratepayers have not been subsidizing the data center industry, which is paying appropriate rates.
“However, data centers’ increased energy demand will likely increase system costs for all customers, including non-data center customers, for several reasons,” according to the report.
A second bill, led by Srinivasan, would have the Department of Environmental Quality track and publicly report on water usage and emissions from high energy facilities using more than 30 megawatts of uninterrupted capacity. It would also re-
quire those facilities to file annual updates with the DEQ of significant changes.
That bill is being patroned in the House by Del. Shelly Simonds (D-70).
“We just want the information so we know what it is we’re doing and how we can plan for the future,” Simonds said.
Del. Josh Thomas (D-21) is leading a bill that requires high-energy facilities using more than 100 MW applying for local development permits to provide the locality with a noise assessment of their impact on nearby residential areas and schools. Localities may also require that the site assessment examine impacts on water, agriculture, parks, historic sites and forests. The bill would further enable localities to require electric utilities serving the facility to provide information on new generating units, substations and transmission infrastructure needed to serve the project.
Thomas is also introducing a bill that creates a State Corporation Commission approval process for facilities using more than 25 MW. The evaluation would assess grid reliability, cost impacts, economic contributions and compliance with Virginia’s energy and environmental policies.
Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-11) and Del. Rip Sullivan (D-6) are each introducing bills that link state tax exemptions to energy efficiency and renewable energy procurement standards.
Data Center Coalition President Josh Levi released a statement in response to the press conference Tuesday afternoon referencing the JLARC report and stating that it “fundamentally validates Virginia’s leadership in attracting and nurturing the data center industry over the past 15 years and the extraordinary contributions the industry makes to Virginia’s economy and local communities.”
The report mentions multiple agencies at each level of government that oversee data center policies and regulations, he said.
“DCC is in the process of reviewing legislative proposals, some of which reflect JLARC’s recommendations and findings. We look forward to engaging with legislators during the 2025 session to ensure continued responsible growth of this essential industry,” he stated. n
Keirce, Miller to Lead Planning Commission
The county’s Planning Commission, which advises the Board of Supervisors on issues of land development, comprehensive planning, future land use policies and the Capital Improvement Program, will be led this year by commissioners Clifford Keirce (Sterling) and Mark Miller (Catoctin).
Keirce garnered unanimous support from the body to chair the commission during its first meeting of the year Jan. 9, replacing Michelle Frank (Broad Run).
Keirce served as the Dulles District representative in 2010 and 2011 and the Broad Run District from 2009 to 2010 and again from 2016 to 2019. He served as chair of body in 2018 overseeing the commission’s work on the new Comprehensive Plan.
“I will do my best to earn your respect in this position,” Keirce told his fellow commissioners. “And also, very much my thanks to the outgoing chair and vice chair for their leadership during our first year together. I think they did an
excellent job.”
Miller earned six votes to serve as vice chair with himself, Robin-Eve Jasper (Little River) and Dale Polen Myers (At Large) abstaining. He replaces Eric Combs (Ashburn).
Miller was first appointed to the commission in 2020, after retiring from chair of the library’s Board of Trustees.
Water, Wastewater Assistance Program Opens
The county is accepting applications for assistance with community water and wastewater projects.
The program is designed to support communities experiencing issues with deficient or non-existent utility systems by providing funding and other resources. To be eligible a community must have issues with their water or wastewater, identify two coordinators and submit only one application which contains at least 60% of the total occupied homes and provide a map of the community.
Applications will be accepted through March 31 and may be mailed or delivered to the Department of General Services at 801 Sycolin Road, SE, in Leesburg. n
PERRY
Leesburg
Council Members Discuss Tourism Growth, Development Review During Strategy Session
BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org
The Leesburg Town Council kicked its new term Saturday with a strategic planning retreat to establish its priorities for the next two years.
After spending much of the morning session discussing its strategy for using data center revenues, council members took deep dives into planning downtown development, and improving organizational efficiency. They also briefly discussed affordable housing, the town’s water system, and the approaching retirement of Town Manager Kaj Dentler.
Deputy town manager Keith Markel presented an update on planning efforts in the downtown Historic District. The council generally decided they wanted to see continued growth in downtown tourism, but couldn’t find consensus on what percentage of growth they wanted to achieve or which metrics to use to monitor their progress.
The council debated over whether to use meal tax revenue as a measure of visitorship. Vice Mayor Neil Steinberg pointed to a national trend of Americans eating out less, and the council seemed to land on hotel data as a more reliable source. They agreed to plan a future meeting with representatives from the town’s Economic Development team and Visit Loudoun to discuss the options.
Council Member Zach Cummings said the town should set a goal quickly, whether that be 5% annual growth moving forward or 10% or more, and try to achieve it.
“I’m a huge proponent of getting the data to measure, but I don’t know if we need to set a goal having that data in hand today,” he said. “If we’re looking to set a goal of, OK, we know we don’t want to maintain visitorship. We want to see it increase. I think we shouldn’t let that data move our goal. Our goal should be set, and then the data is used to say, hey, you guys are in good shape. That goal we wanted, you’re actually already there. Or maybe, the goal is going to be a five-year plan.”
Council member Kary Naci agreed.
Council Member Patrick Wilt asked if the town already has achieved its maximum benefit from downtown visitors and questioned the need to invest more into the downtown infrastructure to attract more.
Council Member Nicholas Krukowski said it was important to support downtown business, especially those just starting up.
“You know the town staff does a
tremendous job with what they have,” Krukowski said. “At the same time, getting doors open, ribbons cut quickly, whatever we can do to facilitate that. … especially for smaller businesses. Imagine you suddenly took your whole life savings and you’re trying to open this business, the next thing you’re like oh my god, I’m a year into this, and I don’t have the doors open.”
“Is there a way that we can balance the preservation of historic downtown, meeting zoning requirements, meeting these BAR requirements, getting through that process, but also getting them to open their doors, give us tax revenue and feed customers in America?” he asked.
The conversation foreshadowed the discussion on ways to improve organizational efficiency. That briefing went over topics including the community development process, use of technology through the town, citizen engagement, increased communications, and capital project planning.
In revisiting concerns about the town’s approval processes raised by Krukowski, Council Cummings said that improving speed would improve community development.
“I’ve had conversations with private folks dealing with the town’s process, both in the historic district and out, and I’ve had conversations even with nonprofits who are trying to do business in the town,” Cummings said. “The general consensus of those conversations are that Leesburg’s process is tedious, longer than it needs to be, and requires way more detail than any other neighboring locality, and it costs them more months. From the standpoint of affordable housing, you can’t build it.”
He said site plan reviews typically take two years on major projects and said engineers complain that there’s no reason to present their best plans for initial review
Feds Approve More Funding for Airport
Leesburg Executive Airport is receiving nearly $800,000 in federal funding.
Most of the money, $430,000, will be used to continue planning for the construction of a control tower, a project expected to take seven years and $15 million to complete. The funds also will support additional parking area for planes, mitigating traffic and aircraft congestion.
“These investments are a major win for Leesburg and its airport, ensuring safer, more efficient skies,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) said. “These critical upgrades are not only improving the airport’s infrastructure, but also creating new opportunities for local businesses, supporting job growth, and strengthening our economy for the long term.”
because they know the town staff will require numerous revisions.
Town Manager Kaj Dentler said that in his experience facilitating conversations with developers that sometimes it’s “50/50” in terms of making a fast and efficient process.
“Everyone has to do their part, and how do you reduce the regulations? I’m fully on board with that,” he said.
Dentler said that he has faced similar challenges moving town projects through the review process. “Many times I was a developer. I had my own battles with the town staff,” he said. “If every project I submit takes four to seven submissions every time, well that’s the process. Then if I turn in a good site plan, it should be two to three. If I turn in a crappy one, it’s six, seven, eight, nine.”
The council showed support for engaging an outside consultant or ombudsman to streamline efficiency processes.
The council spent extra time during the retreat to discuss affordable housing, the town’s water system, and Dentler’s future retirement.
They discussed the difficulty of creating affordable housing in the town with the Zoning Ordinance’s amenity requirements and the slow approval process.
Discussion whether to expand the town’s water treatment system, which is reaching capacity, led to a consensus that it was too early for the conversation. Ideas were floated about whether to upgrade the existing system or seek support from Loudoun Water.
Cummings said that he saw Loudoun Water as being in a growth mindset as opposed to Leesburg’s utility system, which
STRATEGY SESSION continues on page 8
Subramanyam’s predecessor, Jennifer Wexton, was critical in securing funding for a temporary control tower after the FAA ended a pilot program that used remote tower technology.
After negotiation, the FAA agreed to establish a mobile tower at the airport and pay for the equipment and staffing. Leesburg picked up the $10,000 a month lease expenses as part of that agreement.
That mobile tower will continue to operate until a permanent tower is complete in 2030, under the current schedule.
Arts Orgs Encouraged to Apply for Grants
COPA invites local nonprofit arts organizations to apply for funding that will support the arts in fiscal year 2026.
The town will apply for $4,500 of state funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts’ Creative Communities Partnership Grant, and match it with $5,500 of local funds.
The $10,000 total will be distributed to independent arts organizations to support art activities within the town.
Interested organizations should submit an online application via the town website, outlining the amount requested, what the funding would support, the audience(s) that will be served, and a description of the organization.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28. COPA will make recommendations to the Town Council after review in March.
The deadline to apply for the grant is April 1. For more information go to arts.virginia.gov/grants. n
William Timme/Loudoun Now
The Leesburg Town Council gathered in Ida Lee Park Recreation Center on Saturday for a strategic planning retreat.
Leesburg Council Plans for Data Center Money Management
BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org
Leesburg Town Council spent the initial hour of its planning retreat Saturday discussing the best ways to plan future allocations of data center revenues as the Compass Creek Campus is folded into the town.
The 400-acre annexation, which took effect Jan. 1, includes a Microsoft data center campus planned to have five buildings, and two other data centers under construction by STACK Infrastructure.
The general consensus was to focus that money—which could grow to more than $10 million annually—on one-time payments, such as capital improvement projects, at least until more revenue data becomes available. Members also said they were open to exploring tax relief options in the future. That cautious approach follows the advice Assistant Town Manager Owen Snyder and Budget Officer Tamara Keesecker presented during the session, warning that data center revenue is volatile and inconsistent.
The depreciation of computer equipment assets is one of the main drivers of this volatility, they said.
“We know data centers are coming. We know they’re installing computer equipment,” Keesecker said. “What we don’t know and can’t pinpoint exactly is how quickly that computer equipment will go into each of those places. … If you think it’s going to happen sooner than it actually does, you’re going to take some revenue shortfall surplus, so it’s all about building guardrails.”
Keesecker presented a chart showing budget variances as a percentage of Loudoun County’s budget on computer equipment tax revenue from FY15 to FY24. In fiscal year 2022, the county over projected the revenue by 15%.
Keesecker said that a budget variance of positive 20% in 2019 was significantly more impactful than previous positive budget variances because revenues shot up by $200 million or $300 million. Consequently, aggressive budget forecasting paid off in 2020 with a low variance, an approach the county paid for in 2022, Keesecker said.
Keesecker said that for Leesburg the first round of information on data center revenues would appear roughly a week after council adopts its FY26 budget, meaning the town won’t fully understand what revenues will be while the budget is being developed.
Snyder and Keesecker both urged caution and patience, taking lessons from Loudoun County. As per those lessons, Keesecker re-examined old revenue predictions.
Budget forecasting in 2020 predicted $10 million to $12 million in annual revenues from the Compass Creek data centers at full buildout, but Keesecker pointed out that only three of Microsoft’s planned five
“That could be some sort of tax cut for somebody that’s 60% less [Area Median Income] or something like that,” Krukowski said. “We’re a pretty well-off county and well-off town, and we have a lot of people that if you own a $750,000 home, $80 tax break, you probably don’t even recognize it. … But we do have a working-class community as well that could benefit from that $80 or $160, it can mean a lot more for those people.”
Council Member Zach Cummings added that putting the revenue toward a vehicle tax break could serve as a similar relief for low-income families.
“Looking at AMI or some sort of, you know, the three-Tesla house, do they need a vehicle tax break, versus someone who’s just trying to get by?” he said. “They deserve the vehicle tax break.”
Cummings also included that he wanted to see some of the funds go into a budget stabilization fund that could help offset recent declines in meals tax revenue.
buildings have been constructed. Current forecasts sit at $1 million to $2 million in revenue during FY 2025, rising to $11-16 million by 2030, according to presentation.
“It’s not just year to year,” Snyder said. “We’re looking every year kind of out five to 10 years, what decisions are we making now? ... We have an unassigned fund balance. We have a debt service reserve, revenue stabilization reserve. We can do more of that. We can establish a reserve for data center funds depending on the revenue, establish policies to say we’d like to maintain a certain level of that money being set aside each year.”
With the analysis in mind, the council members began to exchange ideas.
Vice Mayor Neil Steinberg questioned the value of using the funds for recurring tax rebates.
“I did some quick math,” Steinberg said. “A $750,000 home, if we reduce the tax rate, I think the average homeowner would receive a check of $80. My view is that the residents would much rather see a new park, or paved roads, or public investment in infrastructure, architecture, and Market Street. These are maybe not entirely sexy, but these are things that people see and go ‘the town is running well.’”
Steinberg’s line of thinking was consistent with the staff recommendations to avoid recurring expenses, at least initially, but to instead assign the funds toward onetime payments, such as capital projects.
Mayor Kelly Burk said that the town has heard from residents for nearly 30 years that the roads “aren’t in the best shape.” She said some residents feel that conditions impact the value of their homes.
Council Member Kari Nacy said that her ultimate goal is to give the revenue back to residents in some form of tax relief, but that she was interested in using the money toward one-time projects as more time is needed for incoming data.
She acknowledged that accelerating the town’s street paving program would be popular.
“My street got repaved after 25 years and it is amazing,” she said.
Newly elected Council Member Nicholas Krukowski raised the idea of exploring tax cuts specifically for low-income residents.
“We need to try to preserve at least the level of service we’re providing today for the future,” he said.
If the consensus reached during the retreat holds, the FY2026 will not include significant revenue from data center property taxes. After the budget year ends, the council would meet to discuss how to best use any funds available from those sources. n
William Timme/Loudoun Now
Development continues on STACK Infrastructure’s data center campus in the Compass Creek development near Leesburg.
Strategy Session
continued from page 6
he saw as being in a maintenance phase.
Mayor Kelly Burk cautioned that allowing access to another utility system would wrest some control over the development process.
“Your water system is going to determine what can be built, when and where, and so if you want to continue to have control over what gets built, you need to be able to control the water,” she said.
Dentler, who has served as town manager since 2014 and a town employee since 1996, told the council he is planning to retire within the next six months to 2 years.
The council reviewed ideas to identify an interim manager to allow some overlap working with Dentler before bringing on someone more permanent.
“I think the biggest question that has come up at least when I talk with other council members about it is timing,” Naci said. “When do we start the process?”
Retreat Facilitator Stephanie Davis said the process for finding a new manager would likely take six months at minimum.
She added that Leesburg is an “attractive town” and will be well positioned for finding the next manager. n
Town Information Technology Department Plans Network Upgrade
BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org
The Town of Leesburg’s Technology and Communications Commission is eyeing a major upgrade in the government network infrastructure.
During a Jan. 7 briefing, Director of Information Technology Scott Varner told the panel the IT Division plans to reduce its reliance on dark fiber in favor of an SD-WAN system. SD-WAN, an acronym for software defined wide area network, would allow the town’s network to prioritize critical systems over lower priority tasks like email and remove dependency on dark fiber to build exclusive networks to remote sites, he said.
The switch also would reduce system threats attributable to a single point of failure, he said.
“The nice thing [about SD-WAN] is we can have more redundancy than we have today,” Varner said. “The Town Hall
is a single point of failure. Well, with an SD-WAN system, if say the town goes down, [Police Department] is not down and out in the water. So all these sites, and we have a lot of sites, it’s going to give us better redundancy.”
Varner also said he favors the option because it is cheaper than leasing dark fiber.
“When we plan for the exclusivity of dark fiber, it just comes at a higher cost,” Varner said. “That’s a lot to put on the taxpayers.” He added that rather than paying more for laying and sparking fiber, SD-WAN achieves the same level of exclusivity while also being “a lot smarter.”
A five-year license for SD-WAN software will cost the town $89,786 according to the FY 2026 Budget Meeting with Town Manager PowerPoint presentation. The presentation also provided an estimate that the one-time cost of improving computer hardware to adopt SD-WAN would be $123,410.
Dark fiber, or unlit fiber, refers to the physical fiber optic cable the town uses for point to point connections. Over a Microsoft Teams call, Varner explained that while the fiber can handle high capacities, it comes with drawbacks such as dependency on another vendor and complex management and maintenance. There are also spots in town where dark fiber connections aren’t available, which forces the town to rely on other systems to get connections, Varner said.
“We don’t have to pay the premium to have our dedicated fiber lines, and our fiber is aging,” he said. “The technology has improved to a point now where we can take advantage of current ISP infrastructure and still it works a lot like, if you will, your dark fiber as far as security goes.”
Varner said that the IT Division is in the process of requesting the SD-WAN project go-ahead for the upcoming fiscal year. Approval would require another meeting with the tech commission. n
Residents Speak
continued from page 3
you,” he said.
Much of the room gave a standing ovation as Bremseth joined his wife and left the council chambers.
On Tuesday, residents said Bremseth was well-liked and that they were concerned about the lack of transparency in appointing Fraser as interim manager.
Former mayor Stanley Milan called the council members “puppets” and “lap dogs,” spurring a loud round of applause from the crowd.
“This is the worst Town Council I think we’ve ever had,” Harvey Flynn said. “I cannot see you guys working to get along. It’s like five of you against three, and there’s no way that you’re going to look out for the citizens.”
Christy Morgan said the council had “completely lost touch with reality.”
“Every single one of you campaigned on transparency as a top priority. Yet what occurred last week was the exact opposite of that. Before you met in secret to the predetermined removal of a well-respected and well-liked town manager. You then replaced him as someone whose poor decisions have already cost our town millions, yes, millions of dollars,” she said to applause.
Another resident spoke in favor of the council’s actions on Jan. 8, specifically thanking them for voting against an annexation request by JK Land Holdings.
“That application has been a dark cloud over the Mayfair community since I moved there,” Mike Parish said.
Bremseth was hired as an interim manager in June 2023, following the firing and
resignations of three prior town managers. He was hired as a permanent manager one month later.
His contract stipulates that he serves at the pleasure of the council but also says the Town Council must give him 60-day notice of termination. According to the contract, he is also entitled to six months of severance pay, which for Bremseth’s starting pay of $190,000 is estimated to be at least $80,000 in addition to health benefit costs during those six months.
The town would not need to pay the severance if the employee is terminated for failure to perform duties, fraud or embezzlement, a felony conviction, illegal use of drugs, intentional or willful misconduct that may subject the town to criminal or civil liability, breach of contract or insubordination, according to the contract.
Bremseth, who lives just outside of the town limits, is a retired U.S. Navy veteran, the former commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group THREE, and former commanding officer of SEAL Team EIGHT.
Fraser served four two-year terms as Purcellville’s mayor before deciding not to seek reelection in 2022. The terms of his contract remain undecided as a motion to approve it failed to pass during Tuesday’s meeting.
Most council members said they had not had the chance to review the contract prior to the meeting and were not prepared to vote on it.
Nett said the contract was based on Bremseth’s contract.
“I think the town attorney, I would trust him to give us an accurate synopsis of the details of it, and we have enough information from that to proceed,” he said.
The motion to approve the contract failed 2-5 with only Nett and Bertaut supporting it.
The council majority is moving quickly on campaign promises made to residents including efforts to provide relief for high utility rates.
During the Jan. 8 meeting, the council voted to allocate 50% of the revenue received by the meals tax to the Utility Fund as part of a plan to lower utility bills after the previous council increased water and wastewater rates by 16% and 18% for fiscal year 2025.
The sharp increases were based on recommendations by the town’s financial team and advisors who said prior councils had “kicked the can down the road” when it came to incremental rate increases. Those rate increases were needed to pay debt service obligations that are increasing after being refinanced years ago.
Failing to increase the rates would mean the town’s Water Fund reserves will be depleted by FY2028, Stantec Consultant David Hyder told the council last March.
The council also appointed Nett as vice mayor.
Wright raised concerns with Nett’s appointment to vice mayor because of his position as a town police officer. Without a town manager in place, the mayor assumes the responsibilities of running the town. If the vice mayor were to step into that role, Nett would become the supervisor of his boss. That is a conflict of interest, Wright said.
Nett said his appointment permitted under state code. He also objected to a recent update made to the employee handbook that prohibits town employees from serving on the council.
“I view [this] as an apparent attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election by forcing a member of his body to choose between his livelihood and his
position as a duly elected official,” he said.
He cited Virginia Code Section 15.21512.2, a law that says a locality may not prohibit an employee of the town from participating in political activities while off duty, out of uniform and off the premises of their employment.
During Tuesday’s public comment period, residents said they had expected Nett to resign from the Police Department if he was elected.
“It’s on your website that you were planning on resigning if you won, and those are the words that you used to other people,” Joan Lehr said. “If not the words, they were the intent that people everyone heard.”
Nett said he welcomed the resident turnout, even if he disagreed with them.
“What motivated me was the threat of $1,000 plus water bills for our families in town, which I believe is unsustainable, and I will stick with that to the end,” he said. “You know, our salary here is about $5,500 a year. I’ll happily turn that over to somebody else at any time and spend more time with my children.”
“Go for it” one resident said, while another shouted “resign.”
Another set of votes removed Rayner from her position as council liaison to the Economic Development Committee, replacing her with Nett and removed Stought from position as liaison to the Parks, Recreation and Advisory Board, replacing him with Council Member Susan Khalil. Wright, Rayner and Stought walked out leaving the dais during discussion after Stought asked whether the three of them were needed at all. n
Subramanyam Appointed to Technology, Oversight Committees
BY HANNA PAMPALONI
hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
As his first week in the U.S. House of Representatives came to a close, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) learned he will spend much of the coming year focusing on science, technology and accountability issues after receiving his committee assignments Monday night.
He was appointed to the Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Oversight and Accountability Committee.
“I want to make sure that we have a strong economy, and promote economic development in our region and I’ll fight for our constituents and these are two committees that will position me to do that,” he said.
The Science, Space and Technology Committee has jurisdiction over several federal agencies including NASA, the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Subramanyam said because of his background as an advisor to former President Barack Obama and the number of technology companies within the 10th District, the assignment is a good fit for him.
“I think it’s important to have more technology expertise in Congress. Which is, I think, one of the reasons why my constituents sent me there, so I want to make sure we have a voice for all the tech companies, tech agencies and tech workers who touch the federal government or just want to start their own
business,” he said.
The oversight committee is the main investigative panel in the House, charged with ensuring efficiency in the government and operating as a safeguard within it.
Subramanyam said he is happy to be serving on it as President-elect Donald Trump rolls out the Department of Government Efficiency.
“If the DOGE effort is about making government better and more efficient and delivering for the people, then I’m going to be excited to work on those efforts,” he said. “If the DOGE effort and some of the rhetoric is about firing federal civil servants and contractors and replacing them with loyalists to the president, then I’m going to fight that in this committee.”
Subramanyam said as a commit-
tee member, he would also oppose any efforts to move federal agencies away from the region.
“I think its unnecessary. I think it’s bad for our country and I think it’s costly to taxpayers and it’s certainly bad for our economy here and the region,” he said.
On Jan. 7, Subramanyam also cast his first vote on legislation supporting the Laken Riley Act. That bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain certain non-U.S. citizens who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting and authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement.
The bill passed in the House 264-159, with 11 members not voting. n
SCHOOL notebook Education
Loving Elementary Top Pick for Francis Hazel Reid Renaming
Adult Education Policy Changes Approved
Changes to the school division’s Adult Education programs were approved at Tuesday’s School Board meeting.
The changes include formally removing the nursing program, which was previously abolished, and changing the credit requirements for the Adult High School Program.
Adult High School will now only accept adults who have six or fewer credits left to earn their diploma, a reduction from 10. Adult students with more than six credits will instead be advised to join the General Education Development program to earn their certifications.
Board Designates Jan. Awareness Days
The School Board on Tuesday recognized Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day and proclaimed Jan. 20-24 No Name Calling Week in Loudoun County Public Schools.
BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org
The committee appointed to recommend a new name for Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School in Leesburg completed its deliberations Jan. 8, picking Loving Elementary as its top choice.
The name would honor Mildred and Richard Loving, the couple whose marriage sparked the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia that made interracial marriage legal in all 50 states.
The committee also put forward two alternatives. The first would retain the current name in honor of Frances Hazel Reid, a longtime community journalist who worked at the Loudoun Times-Mirror. The second alternate is Limestone Elementary, referencing a common rock formation in the area.
The choices were decided through a weighted voting system in which each committee member picked their first, second, and third choices from a list of 18 names. First choices gave the name three points, second choices two, and third
choices one point.
Loving received more than twice the number of points than the next highest selection, Frances Hazel Reid. Because of this, the committee voted to also present the weighted totals along with the names to show that there was a strong consensus on the first choice.
The decision to also present Frances Hazel Reid as a suggestion was heavily debated. The name was flagged by consultants who were hired in 2020 to identify names of school facilities that could be associated with systemic racism, the Confederacy and slavery. That report highlighted Reid’s role in establishing a chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, an organization that had associations with the Ku Klux Klan.
Committee member Don Chudzik argued that neither of Frances Hazel Reid’s grandfathers, both privates in the Civil War and rich enough to own slaves, ever owned another human being. He said that Reid started the chapter to help local veterans.
He said that Reid did so much good for the community that she shouldn’t be
penalized for not supporting every single group. “If you donate to the heart association, that’s great, I’m not going to come after you for not for not donating to the alumni association,” Chudzik said.
Committee member Heather Salberg disagreed, saying that only a fraction of what the UDC was doing at that time helped veterans. Most of what they were doing at the time of Reid’s involvement was raising money for confederate monuments and the infamous Stone Mountain, the revival place of the KKK in 1915, she said.
“It’s not fair, and it’s not right, and we know better now,” Salberg said.
Committee Chair Larry Roeder called the UDC a “terrorist organization” in the 1920s.
The next step for the renaming process is a presentation to the School Board on the history, context, and any committee discourse on the recommendations and a public hearing.
According to the School Board policy on renaming schools, there must be sufficient investigation into each name to prevent the concerns in the future. n
International Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the 80th anniversary of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp liberation. It is also a day to remember the six million Jewish people and other groups killed during the Nazi regime. Schools will teach about the danger of antisemitism and hatred towards others.
No Name Calling Week is meant to be a time to create dialogue around bullying and its long-lasting effects on students. LCPS urges students, parents, and community members to avoid any name calling during this week and to participate in activities and conversations that promote kindness.
Klippel Hired as Elementary Executive Principal
Brian Klippel, Goshen Post Elementary School principal in Stone Ridge, has been appointed the executive principal of elementary school in Loudoun County Public Schools. He will oversee all the elementary school principals in the county. n
Amber Lucas/Loudoun Now
Committee members narrow down a large list of name suggestions to 18 before participating in weighted voting to pick the new name suggestion for Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School on Jan. 8.
Mansfield Re-elected as School Board Chair
BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org
Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) will continue her role as chair of the Loudoun County School Board for 2025 after being reelected by her fellow board members Jan. 9 during their annual organizational meeting.
This is the second year of a four-year term for the board, the first comprised of entirely new members since 1995. Mansfield was nominated by April Chandler (Algonkian). The vote passed 6-3, with Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg), Kari LaBell (Catoctin) and Deana Griffiths (Ashburn) opposed.
“I continue to be humbled by your confidence in me a year ago. I hope to build bridges between board administration and with our families and community and together as a board, we have worked toward that goal of building bridges by listening to our community,” Mansfield said.
• Certi ed Invisalign Provider
Anne Donohue (At-Large) nominated Shernoff for chair, however a vote was not held after a majority supported Mansfield.
Initiatives the board led last year with Mansfield at the helm included adoption of a cell phone policy that banned their use during the school day, revisions to the school reassignment policy intended to provide clarity to families, and accelerating construction of inclusive playgrounds.
Mansfield also served on the Student Services Committee, Finance and Operations Committee and Performance Monitoring Committee, also implemented last year.
Donohue was chosen as vice chair. She was nominated by Linda Deans (Broad Run). The motion to elect her passed 7-2, with Griffiths and LaBell opposed. She is taking over from Arben Istrefi (Sterling), who served in the post last year.
Shernoff was also nominated for the vice chair position, but that again failed
to garner enough support after a vote was held on Donohue’s nomination.
Last year, Donohue chaired the Student Services Committee, which was responsible for the updates to the school reassignment policy. She also served on the Human Resources and Talent Development Committee and the Legislative, Audit and Policy Committee.
Chandler will be the School Board’s representative to the Virginia School
Board Association. Kari LaBell was chosen as alternate. Chandler will represent Loudoun County’s school board during the VSBA delegate assembly, held in Richmond during the association’s conference on Jan. 28 and 29.
The board also approved the calendar for the coming year that maintains its meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, except for May and December when they will be held on the first and third Tuesdays to accommodate graduation ceremonies and holidays.
The board also approved Spence’s designees to represent him in the event he cannot attend meetings. They include Chief of Staff Marc Bergin, Chief Academic Officer Ashley Ellis, Chief Financial Officer Sharon Willoughby, Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis, Chief Human Resources Officer Lisa Boland and Assistant Superintendent Tedra Richardson. n
health as well as oral cancer screening.
Conveniently located in the Village of Leesburg 1503 Dodona Terrace #210 • Leesburg, VA 20175 • 703-771-9034 Mon. & Wed.: 8am - 6pm •
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.
All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”
This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753. fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov www.fairhousing.vipnet.org
MANSFIELD
BENEFIT Opens Nonprofit Grant Application Process
BENEFIT, a coalition of Loudoun County musicians and community leaders, will begin accepting grant applications beginning Monday, Jan. 20. Nonprofits that serve children in Loudoun County are encouraged to apply.
The mission of BENEFIT is to unite people with music to raise funds and awareness supporting the work of community nonprofits. Money for the grants was raised through the organization’s annual Crossroads Music Festival in downtown Leesburg.
This year, the nonprofits selected for BENEFIT grants will receive two grant awards.
The funding for the first grant awards was raised from a portion of the proceeds from BENEFIT’s 2024 Crossroads Music Festival. A total of $30,000 will be award-
ed in March. Funds will be distributed in varying amounts — with a minimum of $3,000 — among the organizations selected.
In addition, the grant recipients will receive awards from a portion of the proceeds of BENEFIT’s 2025 Crossroads Music Festival to be held in September. Those grants will be awarded in November.
“In the past, BENEFIT held two annual events — one in the fall and one during the winter holidays,” Ara Bagdasarian, president and co-founder of BENEFIT, said. “We would then combine the proceeds raised and award the grant funding after an application process in spring of the following year. Starting in 2025, BENEFIT has decided to focus energy on hosting one annual event and align the
African American Community Alliance Awarded $12K Grant
The African American Community Alliance received a $12,000 Community Sponsorship Award from Google Cloud Supply Chain & Operations. The unrestricted gift will help the Ashburn-based nonprofit’s efforts to expand its community programs in Loudoun County and surrounding areas.
The Google CSCO Community Sponsorship Award seeks to foster impactful community partnerships.
AACA programs support underserved and underrepresented communities through educational outreach and providing vital resources. The grant could be used to expand youth development programs, offer support to local families or strengthen the service efforts of its 18 member organizations.
“We are incredibly grateful for this partnership with Google CSCO and their unwavering support of our work to advance equity, education, and opportunity,” AACA Board President Pastor Michelle C. Thomas stated in the announcement. n
distribution of grant funding in the same calendar year the event takes place. So, as the first year of aligning funding with the annual event, the nonprofits selected for grant funding in 2025 will have the opportunity to receive grants from both the 2024 and 2025 events. Then, moving forward, the nonprofit organization selection and grant funding award distribution will be aligned with that specific year’s event.”
To qualify for the BENEFIT 2025 grant awards, nonprofit applicants must:
• be a 501(c)(3) organization that provides services to children in Loudoun County
• complete the online application form found at BENEFIT.live no later than 5 p.m., Feb. 14.
• submit a 30-second video that captures the mission and work of their
organization (non-professionally produced video preferred)
Grant applications will be reviewed by a panel of BENEFIT volunteers. The panel will review the applications and videos to select the grant recipients and to also decide on the amount of funding that will be awarded. The nonprofits selected as grant recipients will be contacted in March. After the grant recipients have been announced, their application videos will be shared by BENEFIT throughout the year on its social media platforms in order to raise awareness and support for the nonprofit’s mission, as well as the greater mission of BENEFIT. Grant recipients will also be encouraged to collaborate with BENEFIT in its 2025 fundraising efforts.
Learn more at BENEFIT.live. n
You’ve Got Maids Launches Sweeping Change Fund
You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia has created the Sweeping Change Fund, an initiative aimed at supporting nonprofits in Loudoun and Fairfax counties.
The Sweeping Change Fund is designed to engage the community and amplify the work of nonprofits making significant impacts.
Through the program, the community can nominate nonprofits to compete in a quarterly fan vote for a $1,500 award.
“This community has given me and my business so much over the years, and the Sweeping Change Fund is a way of giving back, making a tangible difference where it’s needed most,” stated Natasha Magrath, president and CEO of You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia.
Each quarterly grant cycle starts with nominations in the first month, followed by two rounds of public
MAGRATH
voting, and concludes with the fund award to the nonprofit with the most community support.
For the first round, the nomination period will close Jan. 31. Nominations may be made at sqr.co/sweepingchangeq125. n
Business
Ashburn Analytics Firm Targeted by Hackers, FTC
BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org
A month after being hit with a Federal Trade Commission complaint alleging it sells highly detailed personal location data collected from smartphones without adequate consent, Ashburn-based Gravy Analytics may now be the victim of a significant theft putting that information into the hands of hackers.
Gravy Analytics is a pioneer of the global location intelligence industry that collects personal data for use by advertisers, government agencies and others.
The purported data theft was disclosed Jan. 5 in a Russian-language post on the XXS website popular with cybercriminals that claimed that 17 terabytes of data had been acquired. The posting included a 1.4 gigabyte sample that provided location data with latitude and longitude coordinates, timestamps, and other information, according to industry media reports.
According to the Dec. 3, 2024, FTC filing against Gravy Analytics and its Herndon-based subsidiary Venntel, the firms claim to “‘collect, process and curate’ over 17 billion signals from approximately a billion mobile devices on a daily basis.”
“Gravy Analytics builds audience segments about practically every aspect of a consumer’s life, including their employment, personal habits, and retail activity. For example, Gravy Analytics has offered audience segments such as “Early Risers,” “Sports Betting Enthusiast,” “McDonald’s Breakfast Diners,” “Healthy Dads,” “Restaurant Visitor during COVID Quarantine,” and “Lingerie Retail Shoppers,” according to the FTC filing.
The FTC complaint alleges the operations violate consumers’ privacy rights and could subject them to discrimination, violence, emotional distress and other harms.
The company’s website has been down for more than a week and as of Tuesday, the company has not publicly commented on the situation. However, industry media point to a disclosure filed with the Norwegian government by Gravy parent company Unacast that acknowledged the location data hack.
More than 30 million data points are believed to be involved in the informa-
tion theft in which hackers appeared to have gained access to the firm’s Amazon Web Services servers. Among the data is information collected from smartphone apps that share the precise location and movements of users.
A proposed consent order, which was subject to a 30-day public comment period before the FTC takes final action, would impose a series of conditions aimed at limiting the sale of geolocation data without consent of individual consumer and requiring other privacy controls. n
Inova Loudoun Hospital Opens New 6th Floor Pediatric Unit
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
Many of the county’s healthcare and business leaders gathered in Inova Loudoun Hospital’s North Tower Jan. 10 to celebrate the opening of the new sixth floor unit that includes a new pediatric care unit.
The floor features 12 pediatric beds, with six additional rooms available for overflow, 36 adult-sized medical beds, three “patient safer” rooms for adults and two for children, eight nursing stations, and child-friendly spaces including a children’s activity room.
Pediatric Medical Director Dr. B. Jill McCabe said the opening is especially exciting following shifting community needs over the past five years. When COVID hit, the number of children who needed in-patient services declined, while the number of adults needing in-patient care increased.
“The people who needed our care were the adults of this community, and even though it wasn’t necessarily what all of us pediatrics people would have chosen to do at the time, Inova did the right thing and stepped up and used our pediatric unit to create additional critical care space to care for the critical adults that needed to be cared for,” McCabe said.
McCabe said the prior 14-bed pediatric
unit was easily transitioned into a place to provide critical adult care because of its state-of-the-art features.
“Within a couple months they found us space within the hospital, so we’ve never stopped caring for kids during this time, but we were in an older unit that we had to make the best of,” she said.
The new 42,000-foot-square foot unit has many advanced features including iPads installed outside each room, online tracking systems that locate patients from their wristbands, enhanced security tele-visit services, concealed overhead lifts and entertainment systems.
Child Life Specialist Melissa Manzo, who has worked for Inova Health System for seven years, said her primary job is to help reduce patients’ anxiety about being at the hospital. While the entire new pediatric unit will help with that, the new playroom is a special benefit.
“Having a playroom again is huge for the new pediatric ward,” she said. “Not only do we have innovative play concepts and digital concepts in the space for them to interact with, it gives us the ability to get them moving again — co-treating with [physical and occupational therapy].”
Having the communal space allows students to recognize they are not alone and give them a break from their rooms.
nity to play during daylight,” Manzo said. The expansion comes at a time when many hospitals are closing their pediatric in-patient units, according to Inova Pediatrics Service Line President Dr. Steve Narang.
“In 15 years, 35% of community hospitals have closed their pediatric units, and there’s plenty of data saying that those who most need care are the ones who have now the least access and the higher morbidity and it leads to poor outcome for our future, our children,” he said.
Inova Loudoun President Susan Carroll said that is all the more reason for the health system to continue expanding its services.
“Kids are not meant to be cooped up in their room, so it’s all about normalizing and creating those developmentally appropriate spaces and opportunities for the kids while they’re here to reduce stress and anxiety,” Manzo said.
The playroom has games, toys, a large screen TV and one wall entirely of windows providing a view over part of the county, and plenty of natural light.
“This helps kids keep natural schedules, but also it’s just healthy for their brains, their development, to have that opportu-
“There are only two hospitals from here to Richmond that service pediatric [in-patients], and that’s Fairfax Hospital and Loudoun Hospital,” she said. “… Hence the reason why we need to continue to grow, not just from the population that we serve in Loudoun County, but also because we are a referral center for many other counties for the pediatric patients. This project represents the hard work, dedication and vision of countless individuals, our team members and leadership partners, who made this expansion a reality.”
The new sixth floor unit will open to patients on Wednesday, Jan. 22. n
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
Gravy Analytics lists a coworking space in One Loudoun as its headquarters location.
Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now
A crib bed is one of the features in Inova Loudoun’s new pediatric care unit.
Public Safety California Dealer Sentenced to 12 Years for Vanload of Marijuana
A 38-year-old California man was sentenced on Jan. 9 to 12 years in prison after being arrested with 1,500 pounds of marijuana in Leesburg.
Leonid Mordan was charged with possession with the intent to distribute more than five pounds of marijuana, after a joint investigation by Virginia State Police and the Blue Ridge Narcotics and Gang Task Force into drug distribution in the region led to his arrest.
After executing a search warrant on a Leesburg property in December 2023, task force members saw Mordan loading a large box into a cargo van. He was arrested after driving the van off the property. Law enforcement officers found over 30 cardboard boxes, each filled with vacuum sealed bags containing marijuana. The total street value of the drugs was estimated at over $4 million. Officers also found approximately $10,000 in cash.
“This case highlights the necessity for these specialized task forces and the importance of interagency collaboration to combat these large-scale regional operations. The trafficking of drugs, especially on this scale, will not be tolerated in Loudoun County,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Anderson stated in an announcement Monday.
Plowman said the amount of marijuana Mordan was found with indicated that he was not “an ordinary driver” and chose not to suspend any of the 12-year sentence.
The Blue Ridge Narcotics and Gang Task Force is composed of law enforce-
ment personnel from the sheriff ’s offices from Fauquier, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Orange, and Madison Counties, the Culpeper, Warrenton, and Orange Police Departments, and the Culpeper Field Office of the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. n
Electrical Malfunction Cited in Leesburg House Fire
Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office investigators say an “unspecified electrical event” in the ceiling caused a Jan. 10 fire in a home south of Leesburg.
They credit smoke alarms with alerting residents and providing time to safely escape. A pet dog died.
The fire was reported just after 9 p.m. Friday. Fire-rescue units from Arcola, Aldie, Lansdowne, and Moorfield responded to Springfield Lane home and found active fire and smoke coming from the second story and attic. A Rapid Intervention Taskforce and a Tanker Taskforce were established to support firefighting operations. The fire was extinguished within approximately 30 minutes.
One resident was evaluated for smoke inhalation at the scene.
The two adult residents were displaced from the home.
Loudoun County Fire-Rescue recommends residents have working smoke alarms on every level of their home and outside sleeping areas. The agency offers free home safety inspections to all residents and the replacement or installation of additional alarms as necessary. Learn more at loudoun.gov/smokealarms. n
Loudoun Fire-Rescue Pulls Dog from Icy Reservoir
Fire-rescue crews for Moorefield Station were credited with life-saving work Sunday when they pulled a dog that was unable to escape the icy water of Beaverdam Reservoir.
According to a Loudoun County Fire-Rescue posting on X, crews were dispatched to the reservoir just before 4 p.m. Jan. 12 after receiving a 911 call reporting a dog stuck in the water.
Kona was approximately 12 feet from the shore with the owners trying to reach the dog.
Crews from Engine 623 used ladders and pike poles to break the ice to get the dog back to shore before rescue personnel equipped with ice rescue suits arrived from Leesburg and Kincora, according to the posting.
Kona was uninjured and reunited with his owners. n
Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
A 38-year-old California man was arrested in Leesburg in December 2023 for having a van load of marijuana worth more than $4 million.
Towns Councils Consider Eliminating Vehicle Fees After County Grant Proposal
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
After county supervisors moved last November to reduce the $25 vehicle fee to zero, town leaders are weighing options to implement the same change.
Supervisors have said they are able to forgo the $8 million they collect from vehicles because of increased data center tax revenue and that the action would pass some of that benefit on to residents.
However, the fee waiver would only apply to vehicle owners outside of the seven incorporated towns, which collect their own vehicle fees.
On Dec. 3, the town’s mayors, with the exception of Hillsboro, signed a letter to
the supervisors asking for funding to subsidize the amount lost if the towns were to also reduce their vehicle fees to zero. Town residents should not be excluded from the relief just because they are within town limits, according to the letter.
“The seven Towns would have to overcome a $1.2154 million gap in aggregate within their collective General Fund budgets,” according to the letter.
Of that total, $934,000 comes from Leesburg, $181,000 from Purcellville, $53,000 from Lovettsville, $17,000 from Middleburg, $16,000 from Round Hill and $14,200 from Hamilton. Hillsboro collects its own vehicle fee and distributes town tags itself, independently from any county involvement. Mayor Roger Vance said the town will continue to do so, and that the
income from the fee totals approximately $2,000.
An attempt by Supervisor Caleb A. Kershner (R-Catoctin) to provide relief to all of the western towns, which would exclude Leesburg, did not garner support on the board. However, a proposal by Supervisor Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River) to provide a one-time grant to all the towns who reduce their fee to zero dollars, passed.
An email from County Administrator Tim Hemstreet to the seven towns Jan. 8 said the councils have until the end of February to decide whether to eliminate the fee and accept the one-time county grants.
“This Grant-in-Aid program is approved for Tax Year 2025, and the Board of Supervisors has stated that this year
will be the only year that this Grant-inAid program will be funded,” Hemstreet stated. “The purpose of the Grant-in-Aid program is to provide [fiscal year] 2025 relief to any Town in Loudoun County that currently levies the Vehicle License Fee and eliminates it during Tax Year 2025. Since this action would be off-cycle from the annual fiscal year budget process, the loss in revenue was likely not anticipated by the Towns as part of your FY 2025 budget process.”
While Hemstreet’s email specifies that towns may either eliminate the fee or reduce the charge to zero dollars, he adds that the board expects that the towns
continues on page 18
Middleburg Approves Tree Removal for Madison St. Improvements
BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
In advance of a longer-term streetscape improvement project, the Middleburg Town Council last week approved the removal of two trees along South Madison Street to improve pedestrian access.
The action is the first step for the project that will rebuild the brick sidewalks, plant smaller street trees, and install lighting in the block between Washington and Federal streets.
Currently, roots from the large street trees have upended bricks and caused bulges in the sidewalks, creating walking hazards. Additionally, the sidewalk in the east side of the street is narrow, with the trees limiting pedestrian access.
Town leaders hope to complete the larger improvement project in 2027 and are seeking funds from the county government to support it.
The interim steps are intended to address the most pressing concerns by removing unhealthy trees and installing a temporary Flexi-Pave treatment around the trees to smooth surfaces and improve permeability. The Flexi-Pave surface has been used along Washington Street and more recently on a sidewalk in the Town of Hamilton to improve safety around tree roots.
During its Jan. 9 meeting, the Town Council debated the scale of interim improvements to be pursued, including the possibility of removing all seven trees from the street.
The staff recommended removing three trees, two along the narrow eastern sidewalk and one in front of the Thomas & Talbot office on the west side because of its deteriorating health.
While approving the removal of the trees in front of the buildings at 5 and 11 S. Madison St., the council agreed to keep the willow oak tree on the west side for now.
Punkin Lee, president of the Middleburg Business & Professional Association, urged the council to save the Thomas & Talbot tree after a recent assessment by an arborist found the life of that tree could be extended with trimming, the removal of bricks around its base, and additional nutrients. While business leaders agree with the safety concerns on the east side of tree, the west side has wider sidewalks and fewer hazards.
The cost of the interim work is estimated at $35,000.
The council also agreed to evaluate an unsolicited proposal under which an area resident would take the large stone pavers that comprise the sidewalk at the southern end of the block and pay for the installation of bricks. n
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
The tree in front of 5 S. Madison St. will be removed to create a wider, smoother sidewalk under a plan approved by the Middleburg Town Council.
VEHICLE FEES
Hornbaker Vetoes $3,600 Memorial Plaque Replacement
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
Lovettsville Mayor Christopher Hornbaker last week exercised his authority to veto a decision made by the majority of the Town Council to spend $3,600 to replace five plaques at the town’s veterans’ memorial.
The request came from American Legion Post 1836 Commander Nate Fontaine, a former town mayor, after the two newest plaque installations did not match the look of the previous five.
Each of the original five plaques are dedicated to a branch of the military —the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. The two new plaques – dedicated to prisoners of war and missing in action service members, and the Space Force – were installed last fall.
Town Project Manager Charlie Mumaw said the new plaques are slightly thicker and have a browner color than the originals.
“Military, as you all know, they like uniformity, so they asked what we could do,” Mumaw told the council Jan. 9.
However, the new plaques were crafted by a different company, which resulted in the variations. The previous company is no longer in business.
Replacing the original plaques would cost approximately $3,600 including a 10% discount offered by the company until the end of January. That funding could come from either leftover funds from the Town Square project or from the town’s paver program.
“Post 1836 feels strongly that the foundry responsible for the new POW MIA and Space Force emblems should take greater responsibility in correcting the inaccuracies in inlay colors and the design. The inconsistencies detract from the otherwise impeccable upgrades of the memorial,” Fontaine said.
The council voted 4-1, with mem-
bers Brandon Davis opposed and David Earl absent, to replace the five plaques with new ones ordered from the same company that made the most recent two.
Davis and Hornbaker, who does not vote on council items, opposed that decision saying more due diligence should be done to see if another company could create plaques for the two new categories that would match the originals.
“Is there any possibility that we can simply state, ‘here’s the plaque,’ not a picture of the plaque but, ‘here’s the plaque, can you custom match this for two items,’?” Hornbaker asked.
Mumaw said that was possible if the council wanted to remove the installed plaque and send it through the mail to a company.
But Council Members Ann Arena, David Smith, Tom Budnar and Stuart Stahl said they were concerned that the plaques could be lost in the mail, still not match the old ones, or would delay the process past May’s Memorial Day ceremony, which takes place at the veterans’ memorial.
Smith first made a motion to pursue a third company to see if one could guarantee matching two new plaques to the original five by the council’s next meeting on Jan. 23. If not, town staff would move forward with replacing all five of the older ones. However, he later withdrew that motion and moved to simply replace all five immediately.
“Listening to the discussion and understanding the importance of the memorial to myself as a veteran and understanding attention to detail and uniformity that is consistent with military standards, I’d rather just go ahead and make sure that to the extent as possible, everything matches and looks good,” he said.
PLAQUES
continues on page 18
Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now
A side-by-side comparison shows the differences in appearance of the old Lovettsville veterans’ memorial plaques, left, and the new ones, right.
Vehicle Fees
continued from page 16
would plan to address their revenue loss in their future budgets.
Round Hill Mayor Scott Ramsey said during last week’s Town Council meeting that it was important that town residents share in the benefits of data center revenue, but raised concerns about the county’s one-year commitment to replace the town’s revenue. He said the county would “look askance” at towns who re-implemented the fee in subsequent years.
Round Hill collects $16,000 annually from the fee.
“I didn’t feel comfortable giving the county any positive feedback or not. It’s going to be up to you,” he told the council.
Council member Isaac Pacheco said, while the fee waiver could offer significant savings for residents, the action is not a big expense for the county government. “They’re currently running a massive surplus and if they cut this $25 fee they’ll still be running a massive surplus,” he said.
Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton also briefed his Town Council on the one-time rebate proposal last week, saying it would be discussed at an upcoming
meeting. For Middleburg, the fee brings in about $15,000 annually.
Lovettsville council members were the first to indicate they wanted to pursue the grant and eliminate the fee during their strategic retreat Jan. 4.
“It affects our budget,” Mayor Christopher Hornbaker said. “It’s a little over a penny, a penny and a third, 1.2 cents of our personal property tax.”
The consensus of the council was to accept the grant this year and work to find the revenue or cut expenses elsewhere.
“The budget talks later this month, is that correct?” Council Member David Smith said. “I think at that point we can look at other places where we might be able to make up that revenue.”
The Hamilton Town Council is also hoping to find a way to eliminate the fee after a brief discussion during its Jan. 13 meeting.
Purcellville council members were briefed by staff Tuesday night on the issue. They will continue discussions at their next meeting, Jan. 28.
Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk said the council will discuss which direction to pursue during its Jan. 27 work session and likely take action during the Jan. 28 regular meeting. n
AROUND towns
HAMILTON
Soska Sworn into Council
The town’s newest council member, Thomas Soska, took his oath of office, administered by Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens, on Monday evening, directly before taking part in his very first council meeting.
Soska was elected to the office through write-in ballots after no candidate chose to run for the seat vacated by longtime council member Greg Wilmoth. Wilmoth received the most write-in ballots but declined to fill the position again. Soska earned the next highest number of votes at seven.
Plaques
continued from page 17
Davis and Hornbaker said the council had a responsibility to look for the most efficient ways to use taxpayer dollars.
“We could have done, via the motion that was abandoned, both our due diligence to address the concerns which are rightfully raised and then the fallback option to do the whole resolution,” Davis said. “… I don’t think we’re insulting American Legion Post 1836 when we say, ‘hey, maybe we should do our due diligence.’”
The council indicated during its Jan. 4 retreat that it wanted to pursue eliminating the $25 vehicle fee which totaled $53,000 of revenue for the town last year, after county supervisors voted to do the same. If that goal is going to be met, council members will need to be even more fiscally responsible, Davis said.
“We all discussed the need to probably show a little fiscal restraint, and the first opportunity we have, we’re looking to
LOVETTSVILLE
Town De-escalation Training
The town is hosting a de-escalation training by the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office in the council chambers Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m.
The presentation will include ways to effectively defuse tense situations through communication, teach tools to navigate conflict with confidence, and cover how to create safer interactions at home, work and in the community.
The class is available to residents and business owners.
The council chambers are located at 6 E. Pennsylvania Ave. n
spend the money,” he said.
After the motion passed, Hornbaker said he would veto the decision, an allowance provided in the Town Charter, which provides mayor a vote only in cases of a tie but gives the seat the authority to veto any decision. A two-thirds majority on the council may override the veto.
“It’s going to be twisted as I don’t support veterans and everything else … but I would not be doing my job, and I certainly wouldn’t be able to sit here and say that any opportunity I get, I find the fiscally responsible way to actually get the objective done and not sit here and state that this is the most fiscally responsible way to get that done,” Hornbaker said.
The item will appear back on the council’s Jan. 23 agenda, providing the council members an opportunity to override the veto.
The most recent veto was implemented by Hornbaker last March after the council majority voted to spend $16,500 to hire a professional tree cutting service to trim trees owned by the town. The council did not override that decision. n
Obituaries
Nancy Elaine Collins, 66 of Lovettsville, Virginia passed on Wednesday, December 25, 2024. Born Thursday, April 17, 1958, in Cheverly, Maryland. Nancy was a daughter of the late Hugh and Louise Gudger. Growing up in Woodbridge, VA, Nancy was a smart child. She was promoted from kindergarten to second grade. Her family moved to Lovettsville, VA in the 1960’s. She was employed with Xerox, which became the National Conference Center. Nancy worked as a reservationist until retiring during Covid, in 2019. Nancy is survived by her husband of 49 years, Stacy Ray Collins, Jr.; her cousins, Laura Brecher of Fairport, NY, Lisa Wertz of Rockville, MD, Greg Columber of Frederick, MD, and Kelli Banfield of Rockville, MD. A memorial service will be held for Nancy by zoom on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at 2 pm. For additional information on how to log into the zoom service and share condolences with the family, please visit www.LoudounFuneralChapel.com.
Elizabeth Williams
Elizabeth C. Williams, 93, of Lovettsville, VA passed away peacefully at her home on December 21, 2024, with her loving family by her side. She was the beloved wife of the late Selby L. Williams of Taylorstown, VA for 53 years. They met at the Picnic Woods in Lovettsville, VA at a Church picnic and were later married in Frederick, MD in 1949. Born May 28, 1931, in Silcott Springs, Purcellville, VA; she was one of five children of the late Charles Lester Cole and Marcia Virginia Bramhall Cole Nuckles. She was preceded in death by two sisters, Evelyn Painter and Ruth Lee Payne and one brother, Fred Cole. She is survived by two daughters, Peggy Wenner (Ron) of Berryville, VA and Debbie Ridgeway (Terry) of Lovettsville, VA and one brother Shirley Lester Cole of Marshall, VA. She was Mom Maw to her four treasured grandchildren: Bill Wenner (Katie Marks), Brett Ridgeway (Ashley), Beth Dunn (Jeff ) and Darren Ridgeway (Tracy). Mom Maw also leaves behind five great-grandchildren, Julia and Kayden Wenner, Claire and Brody Ridgeway, and Madison Dunn. She’s also survived by Christian and Kiera Pulley and many nieces and nephews. Elizabeth was an active member of Mt. Pleasant Church in Taylorstown, VA for 75 years. She was known for her unwavering faith and devotion and was a true prayer warrior, lifting countless hearts in prayer. Her life was a testament to her deep relationship with God and her dedication to serving others. Prior to her retirement, she was employed as a Data Analyst at National Geographic in Gaithersburg, MD for 21 years. After retirement, she enjoyed traveling and dining out with friends. She was an active member of the Home Demonstration Club for 45 years. She served as the treasurer and enjoyed doing many crafts and attending luncheons with the group. After retirement she was a Pink Lady volunteer at Loudoun Memorial Hospital. The family will receive friends at Mt. Pleasant Church, Taylorstown, VA on Sunday, January 26, 2025, from 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm. A Celebration of Life will begin at 2:00 pm. Burial will be held at Mt. Pleasant Church Cemetery in Taylorstown. Reception following at the Lovettsville Game Club, Lovettsville. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mt. Pleasant Church at 13266 Taylorstown Road, Leesburg, VA 20176. Share condolences with the family: www.LoudounFuneralChapel.com
Thomas Shinal
January 9, 2025. Born Wednesday, January 13, 1943, in Broomall, PA; he was a son of the late Stephen Shinal and the late Mary Drozda Shinal. He was the husband of the late Mary Bauer Shinal.
Tom had a very interesting life and many careers, starting as a printer's "devil" while working with his father on their home printing press, enjoying being an active Boy Scout, and becoming a HAM operator at only sixteen years of age. He graduated high school from Saint Anastasia in Newtown Square, PA, and from there beginning many careers, starting as a teen as an apprentice shipboard electrician at the United States Naval Shipyard. He followed that with becoming a fireman with the Manoa Fire Company #5 in Havertown, PA.
He was drafted into the Navy and served on the USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam war, where he was an air traffic controller/air operation supervisor, specializing in aviation antisubmarine warfare, serving two tours of duty, and afterwards remaining in the US Naval Air Reserve. While onboard ship, he took a correspondence course and taught himself calculus.
Tom then married Mary Bauer, whom he met on a blind date, and became his lifelong love, much cherished, and very much missed when she passed. As a young couple, they moved with their three young children from Fairfax to Lovettsville, VA and built a home together with plans they bought from Ridge Homes. From there, he went on to work at AT&T Long Lines, as a representative to Defense Communications Agency (classified). During these careers, he attended night school at three different universities.
Afterwards, he went on to start many companies, where he worked for the military with high-energy physics instrumentation; fabricated, installed, and maintained computers for many three-letter organizations; and was the principal investigator of military programs. Tom consulted, lectured, and worked with NOAA; NORAD; ARMY; NAVY; Air Force; DOD; Dept’s of Agriculture, Commerce, and State; AT&T Long Lines; CIA; NSA; ASA; solid waste management; and Night Vision Weapons Systems.
He then became a Loudoun County Magistrate, during which he lobbied the state legislature and increased the magistrates’ pay by 30%, instituted a Life Skills Program for those previously incarcerated, and developed a videoconferencing system on his own time and using no funds from the county. He was once magistrate of the year.
He holds three patents, and was a member or chaired many organizations, including the steering committee of DECUS (Digital Equipment Corp. Users Group), the American Legion, VFW, Rotary Club, Paul Harris Fellow, National Military Intelligence Association, Loudoun County Criminal Justice Board, and Mensa.
As an adult, he enjoyed being a scout leader in western Loudoun, being on the board of the local PTA, and had many, many interesting hobbies, including astronomy, astrophotography, building a sundial, making his own liqueurs and cheeses, making rings out of quarters, and woodworking, to name just a few.
He leaves his family to cherish his memory including his son, Matthew, daughters, Gina Mary Kilgour of Brunswick, MD and Kelly Shinal; 5 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends for a visitation on Sunday, January 19, 2025, from 2 to 5 pm at the Loudoun Funeral Chapel. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 am on Monday, January 20, 2025, at the funeral home, located at 158 Catoctin Circle, SE Leesburg, Virginia 20175.
Inurnment will be held at Arlington National Cemetery columbarium at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to VFW Post 1177 401 Old Waterford Road Leesburg, VA 20176.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.loudounfuneralchapel.com
Nancy Collins
Loudoun Sketch Club at 80 Artists Continue to Inspire the Creative Community
BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org
SONGWRITER NIGHT
5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16 Notaviva Farm Brewery & Winery, 13274 Sagle Road, Hillsboro. notaviva.com
TEJAS SINGH
5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16
Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com
JUSTIN SUEDE
6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com
SIX FEET UNDER
7 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16
Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $25. tallyhotheater.com
DAVID ANDREW SMITH
4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17
Three Creeks Winery, 18548 Harmony Church Road, Hamilton. 3creekswinery.com
JOEY HAFNER
5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harbestgap.com
CARY WIMBISH
5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com
ELIJAH MYERS
5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com
SHANE GAMBLE
5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17
Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com
LAURA CASHMAN
6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17
Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com
JUMPTOWN
6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17
The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. $25. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com
LIVE MUSIC continues on page 21
The Loudoun Sketch Club is celebrating its 80-year history—and the enduring spirit and creativity of its members—with a new exhibit that opened this month at Leesburg’s Thomas Balch Library.
The club traces its beginnings to a day in 1944 when Evelyn Marshall, Vinton Pickens and Betty Tiffany offered their artwork at the Waterford Fair, according to the club website. The trio called themselves “the hot sketches” and began meeting weekly on Tuesdays to sketch and encourage one another in their artistic pursuits. That work continues a staple tradition of the club today.
Artist and club member Vicki Garrison described the group’s weekly Tuesday paint-out gatherings as something of a personal love and joy.
“Boy, those hours go by quick,” she said.
The weekly paint-outs are done en plein air, a form of outdoor painting. Garrison said the club finds places all over the county, including homes, farms and wineries. The group often braves “the wind and the bugs and the sun,” she said, but added the experience makes the painting all the more fun. Inclement weather and other conditions can bring an unpredictability and authenticity to the paintings, said Garrison, who recounted a time she painted in the rain resulting in a warped and distorted work that turned out “pretty cool.”
The communal aspect of the club is also a major appeal.
“When I first joined the sketch club, I’m not a trained artist, I didn’t go to college for it and all that kind of stuff,” Garrison said. “It took me a long time to sign up because I thought, ‘Oh I’ll be so intimidated and everybody else knows what they’re doing’ and that sort of thing. But it’s not like that at all.”
Club President Pam Furneaux said the group welcomes newcomers and people at all levels in their art journey.
“We’re inclusive in terms of the type of art that people do,” she said. “Anyone at any phase of their career with a passion in art, and especially I would welcome people who are just starting to explore art as a career or business opportunity.”
The “80 years of the Loudoun Sketch Club” exhibit on display at Balch through the end of March celebrates that community.
The exhibit features paintings of familiar Leesburg locales, including the Oyster Bar on King Street by Garrison, the historic Oatlands property by Amy Mann, and a depiction of Morven Park by Pat Whittle.
“I walked all over town and took pictures every which way, and that one, that view just struck me,” Garrison said of her Oyster Bar piece.
Some of the paintings depict nature
MLK March: Open the Possibilities
The community will gather in downtown Leesburg on Jan. 20 for the 34th annual march and celebration of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
The theme of this year’s celebration is “Open the Possibilities” (Reading, Writing, Empowering Through Education) with a focus on the dream of achieving racial equity and harmony.
The event begins at 10 a.m. Monday with a gathering on the courthouse lawn. From there, participants will march to the Douglass Community Center, which until
scenes and animals including roosters, foxes, and owls.
“This exhibit is a homecoming of sorts for Loudoun Sketch Club,” Furneaux said. “All of the club’s important records and historic photos are in the care of the library’s preservationists. This is the one location we can visit to look back and reconnect with our past.”
Residents can view the exhibit during the library’s operating hours, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Friday.
In keeping with the spirit of inspiring artists established by the Hot Sketches eight decades ago, the club also hosts workshops for members. Furneaux said they’ll be opening an upcoming workshop to the public, as well.
On Jan. 21, the Sketch club will offer a Business of Art workshop, something Furneaux said is a big undertaking for the group.
“We have a wide range of speakers on the business of art and how to read topics broadly about how to start an art business,” Furneaux said. Working artists from the club Anne Stein and Sharon West will also attend the event and answer questions, she said.
Artist Cheryl Wayne will address the practical aspects of maintaining records for a business, and Leesburg’s Assistant Director of Economic Development Melanie Scoggins discuss share resources for artists in Loudoun County who want to establish a business.
Furneaux foresees the event leading to more specific workshops from the club, covering a range of topics in social media and marketing for artists. Club members are at different stages of their careers and Furneaux said the information would be helpful to new and veteran artists.
“I am thrilled to open this up to people in the community for anyone who’s curious about exploring an art career, and what that might be,” Furneaux said.
Folks interested in joining the Loudoun Sketch Club or learning more can visit their website https://loudounsketchclub.com/. n
1968 served as the last segregated high school in Loudoun County. The afternoon program will feature musical performances, presentations, speakers and inspirational offerings will be made by members of the community, with a keynote address by County Chair Phyllis J. Randall. Attendees are encouraged to participate in a collection drive to benefit Loudoun Hunger and Mobile Hope with the donation of nonperishable food items, gloves, scarves, coats, and hats. Drop off area will be at Frederick Doug-
lass Elementary between 7:30 and 9 a.m. This celebration, one of the oldest and largest in the region, is organized by the nonprofit MLK Diversity-Engagement Foundation. Learn more at mlkleesburg.org. n
William Timme
Tracy Burk A member of Loudoun Sketch Club Paints "en plein air" during a club paintout.
BEST BETS
DISCOVER THE ORCHESTRA: SAFARI!
Saturday, Jan. 18, 4-5 p.m. Woodgrove High School loudounsymphony.org
Enjoy a live full-orchestra concert in a setting that is perfect for young children. Arrive early at 3 p.m. for face painting, craft making and instrument petting zoo.
GET OUT
LIVE MUSIC
continued from page 20
THE BEATOLDS
6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17
Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn. oldoxbrewery.com
NOT THE FATHERS
7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17
MacDowell’s Beach, 202 Harrison St. SE., Leesburg. macsbeach.com
ARI VOXX
7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17 wldwst, 2B Loudoun St. SW., Leesburg. facebook.com/leesburg.movement
LEXA NOELLE DUO
7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17
Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn. socialhouseva.com
BRIAN JOHNSON
7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17
Social House Kitchen & Tap, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, South Riding. socialhouseva.com
GIRLFRIEND IN A COMA
7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17
Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $15. tallyhotheater.com
WHOLE LOTTA ROSES
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17
Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com
ZACH JONES
1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. fabbiolicellars.com
AGAINST THE GRAIN
1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com
ANDREW O’DAY
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyard.com
STRANGE SOULS
Sunday, Jan. 19, 7 p.m. (doors) Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com
Strange Souls breathes new life into the catalog of one of rock’s most influential bands, capturing the essence of The Doors groundbreaking blend of rock, blues, jazz, and experimental sounds that defined the psychedelic rock genre.
RYAN SILL
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com
MO & MARY MAC
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
50 West Vineyards, 39060 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. 50westvineyards.com
SHANE GAMBLE
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com
DAVE NEMETZ
2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com
FRAN SCUDERI
2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Old Farm Winery at Hartland, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwineryhartland.com
ACOUSTIC SOUL
2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Two Twisted Posts Winery, 12944 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. twotwistedposts.com
JILL FULTON BAND
2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com
SCOTT KURT
2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com
DAVID MININBERG
2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com
BRITTON JAMES
3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com
TEJAS SINGH
4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
The Lost Fox, 20374 Exchange St., Ashburn. lostfoxhideaway.com
MELISSA QUINN FOX TRIO
4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com
KEVIN HENNESSEY
4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Lost Rhino Brewing Company, 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn. lostrhino.com
EMILY WOODHULL
6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com
SIDETRACKED
6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn. oldoxbrewery.com
RIKI J & BLUE RHYTHM
7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive, Sterling. crookedrunfermentation.com
LUCAS MASON
7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn. socialhouseva.com
ZAC JONES
7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Social House Kitchen & Tap, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, South Riding. socialhouseva.com
POP UP AUDIO BAND
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com
PERSONAL MOOSE
1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com
GARY SMALLWOOD
1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com
ROOK RICHARDS
1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com
LOUDOUN JAZZ JAM
1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
The Dell, 1602 Village Market Blvd. SE., Leesburg. atthedell.com
BRIAN JOHNSON
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
50 West Vineyards, 39060 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg.
50westvineyards.com
JOE DOWNER
2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com
JON G
2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com
LUKE JOHNSON
2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com
CHRIS HANKS
2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com
MIKE TASH, MARY SHAVER AND BOB MALLARDI
2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com
MEISHA HERRON DUO
4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com
EMO NIGHT KARAOKE
6 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
Dynasty Brewing, 21140 Ashburn Crossing Dr., Ashburn. dynastybrewing.com
GET OUT LIVE MUSIC
continued from page 21
STRANGE SOULS: THE DOORS REIMAGINED
7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg. $15 to $35. tallyhotheater.com
CHRIS BONE
1:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20
50 West Vineyards, 39060 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. 50westvineyards.com
MATT MILLER
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20 Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyard.com
WAYNE SNOW
2 to 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com
GARRETT MABE
6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22
City Tap Loudoun, 20376 Exchange St., Ashburn. citytap.com
TEJAS SINGH
6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23
Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com
HAPPENINGS
FAMILY DISCOVERY DAYS
1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Farm Heritage Museum, 21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling. $5. heritagefarmmuseum.org
WOMEN’S SELF DEFENSE SEMINAR
3 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Mastery Jiu-Jitsu, 161 Fort Evans Road NE., Leesburg. Free. masteryjj.com
LOUDOUN SYMPHONY:
DISCOVER THE ORCHESTRA SAFARI!
4 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Woodgrove High School, 36811 Allder School Road, Purcellville. $5 to $20. loudounsymphony.org
COMEDY NIGHT BY THE DC IMPROV
Early Show, 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Late Show, 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18
Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg. $20 to $32. tallyhotheater.com
BIRDING ALGONKIAN
8 to 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 19
Algonkian Regional Park, 47001 Fairway Drive, Sterling. loudounwildlife.org
THE ART OF LEATHERWORKING
2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19 Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Road NW., Leesburg. loudoun.gov/Rust
RUE MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL 2025
6 to 10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20
Walsh Family Wine, 16031 Hillsboro Road, Hillsboro. smallmouthsoundco.com
SWING DANCING
6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22
Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com
LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS/ PROPOSALS FOR:
COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL HOME CORE SERVICES, RFP No. 670848 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, February 12, 2025.
CORE DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE SERVICES, RFP No. 670847 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, February 11, 2025.
FREE OR REDUCED FEE
INDEPENDENT LIVING SUPPORT SERVICES, RFP No. 670849 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, February 14, 2025.
SCRAP METAL COLLECTION AND RECYCLING SERVICES, IFB No. 671848 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, February 4, 2025.
Solicitation forms may be obtained 24 hours a day by visiting our web site at www.loudoun. gov/procurement . If you do not have access to the Internet, call (703) 777-0403, M - F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
WHEN CALLING, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT
1/16/25
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316
Case No.: JJ048910-03-00
Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Andrea Isabel Benitez
Loudoun County Department of Family Services v. Wasnat Mojamet, putative father and Unknown Father
The object of this suit is to hold a permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Andrea Isabel Benitez
It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Wasnat Mojamet, putative father, and Unknown Father, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before February 25, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.
1/16, 1/23, 1/30 & 2/6/25
Legal Notices
ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316
Case No.: JJ048304-04-00
Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Gustavo Adolfo Constante Anaya Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.
Jose Ricardo Portillo Mejia, putative father, and Unknown Father
The object of this suit is hold a second permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Gustavo Adolfo Constante Anaya.
It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Jose Ricardo Portillo Mejia, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before February 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.
1/2, 1/9, 1/16 & 1/23/25
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316
Case No.: CL 24-7038
Loudoun County Circuit Court 18 E. Market St. - Leesburg, VA 20176
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Pro Se Divorce Terry Lynn Caban v. Jose Caban
The object of this suit is to Divorce by Publication.
It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Jose Caban appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before February 28, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.
1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6/25
Jw’s Fish and Biscuits LLC, trading as Jw’s Fish and Biscuits, 101 Executive DR Ste A, Sterling, VA 20166. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Restaurant, Wine, Beer, Mixed Beverages, Consumed On and Off Premises.
Note: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices.
Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
1/9 & 1/16/25
TOWN
OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2024 - JUNE 30, 2025
Pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 15.2-2507 and 15.2-1427, notice is hereby given that the Town Council of the Town of Leesburg, Virginia, will hold a public hearing on:
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Town Hall 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA
At which time the public shall have the right to provide written and oral comments on a proposed budget amendment that will increase the budget by more than one (1) percent of the currently adopted budget. The proposed amendment will amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2030 Capital Improvements Program and increase the Fiscal Year 2025 budget of the Capital Projects Fund by $4,000,000 to add the South King Street and Route 7/15 Bypass Interchange Improvements capital project. The proposed funding will be derived from a $2 million contribution from Loudoun County and $2 million of debt financing to initiate planning level documents.
A copy of the proposed resolution is available from the Town Clerk, located in Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.); or by calling Eileen Boeing, Town Clerk, at 703-771-2733.
At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Clerk of Council at 703-771-2733, three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.
1/9, 1/16/25
PUBLIC NOTICE
The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.
PLAT-2024-0365
Tillett’s View Phase 2
Mr. Christopher Spahr, of Pulte Home Company LLC, of Fairfax, VA is requesting Preliminary Plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately 18.60 Acres, into one hundred fifty (150) single family attached lots with accompanying right-of-way, civic space, and associated easements. The property is located north of Waxpool Road (Route 900), west of Claiborne Parkway (Route 901), south of Truro Parish Drive (Route 2119), and east of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659). The property is zoned R-16 Townhouse and Multifamily Residential, under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as MCPI #156-26-4485-000 and MCPI #156-36-3643-000 in the Broad Run Election District.
Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http:// www.loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2024-0365. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Vaughn Bynoe at vaughn.bynoe@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by February 13, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).
1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, & 2/13/25
LOUDOUN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
NOTICE OF ABANDONED BICYCLES
Notice is hereby given that the bicycles described below were found and delivered to the Office of the Sheriff of Loudoun County; if the owners of the listed bicycles are not identified within sixty (60) days following the final publication of this notice, the individuals who found said bicycles shall be entitled to them if he/she desires. All unclaimed bicycles will be handled according to Chapter 228.04 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County.
1/16 & 1/23/25
Legal Notices
PUBLIC HEARING
The LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:
LEGI-2023-0074, BELMONT COVE REZONING: ZMAP-2023-0006, ZMOD2023-0032, ZMOD-2023-0056, ZMOD-2023-0057, & ZMOD-2024-0008 AND BELMONT COVE APPENDAGE: ZCPA-2024-0004 (Zoning Map Amendment, Zoning Modifications, and Zoning Concept Plan Amendment)
Rooney Properties, LLC has submitted applications for a Zoning Map Amendment, Zoning Modifications, and a Zoning Concept Plan Amendment for 8.19 acres of land located west of Russell Branch Parkway (Route 1061), east of Belmont Manor Lane, and South of Leesburg Pike (Route 7) in the Ashburn Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject property is more particularly described as:
083-36-3675-000 N/A
083-36-5250-000 N/A
083-36-5928-000 N/A
/62AB/1/////D/
/62AB/1/////C/
/62AB/1/////B/
For ZMAP-2023-0006, the applicant seeks to rezone the Subject Property from the Planned Development – Office Park (“PD-OP”) zoning district to the R-16 ADU (Townhouse/ Multifamily Affordable Dwelling Unit) Zoning District to permit 78 single family attached dwelling units. For ZMOD-2023-0032, ZMOD-2023-0056, ZMOD-2023-0057, and ZMOD2024-0008, the applicant seeks zoning ordinance modifications for various regulations affecting the Subject Property including reducing building setbacks and landscape buffers along Russell Branch Parkway, allow residential units to front onto open space, modification to the landscape buffer, and to modify tree canopy requirements. ZMAP-2023-0006, ZMOD2023-0032, ZMOD-2023-0056, ZMOD-2023-0057, and ZMOD-2024-0008 are being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the ZOR Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023. For ZCPA-2024-0004, the applicant seeks to reduce the required building setback and eliminate the required parking setback on a portion of the Subject Property. ZCPA-2024-0004 is being processed under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance
LEGI-2024-0011, COMMONWEALTH CENTER COMMERCIAL:
ZCPA-2024-0005 (Zoning Concept Plan Amendment)
CWC Shops, LC has submitted an application for a zoning concept plan amendment for approximately 3.382 acres of land located at the southeast intersection of Russell Branch Parkway (Route 1061) and Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607) along Heron Overlook Plaza in the Broad Run Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as:
040-45-0894-000 20500 Heron Overlook Plaza, Ashburn
040-45-3498-000 N/A
040-35-0972-000 N/A
/80/P/1/////2/
/80/H/1///3A1/
/80/H/1/////3B
For ZCPA-2024-0005, the applicant seeks the removal of nonconforming status of setbacks in the Commercial Center – Small Regional Center (CC-SC) Zoning District under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance
LEGI-2023-0114, FRANKLIN PARK WEST:
ZMAP-2023-0016, CMPT-2023-0017, & SPEX-2023-0049 (Zoning Map Amendment, Commission Permit, and Special Exception)
The County of Loudoun, Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure, has submitted an application for a zoning map amendment, commission permit, and special exception for approximately 130.02 acres of land located south of Leesburg Pike (Route 7), east of Tedler Circle (Route 2859), and west of Tranquility Road (Route 782) in the Catoctin Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as 17749 Lakefield Rd Round Hill, Virginia; PIN’s 556-37-6024-001 and 556-27-6937-000; and Tax Map #’s /34//////65-1/ and /43////////59B. For ZMAP-2023-0016, the applicant seeks to rezone portions of the Subject Property from the Planned Development – Housing 3 (PD-
H3) and Joint Land Management Area – 3 (JLMA-3) Zoning Districts to the Agricultural Rural – 1 (AR-1) Zoning District under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. For CMPT2023-0017, the applicant seeks a commission permit to establish a County park. For SPEX2023-0049, the applicant seeks to permit a Park, Regional Use in the AR-1 Zoning District.
LEGI-2024-0033, LCPS STUDENT WELCOME CENTER: CMPT-2024-0006 (Commission Permit)
The Loudoun County School Board has submitted an application for a commission permit to establish a public school student welcome center, categorized as an “Office,” on an approximately 1.347 acre property, located northwest and southeast of Enterprise Street (Route 1484) and northeast of Commerce Street (Route 1523) in the Sterling Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as 101 Enterprise Street, Sterling, Virginia, PIN: 022-16-5897-000 and Tax Map # /81/F10////16/ and is zoned Planned Development-Housing 3 (PD-H3) administered as Commercial Center-Community Center (CC-CC) under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance
Copies of the proposed plans, ordinances, or amendments for each item listed above may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Office of County Administrator, Information Desk, First Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday or call 703-777-0246 (option 5), to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications and land use ordinances may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc. Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the hearing at www.loudoun. gov/pc. For further information, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-7770246 (option 5).
Planning Commission work sessions and public hearings are held in the Board Room of the Government Center. Public hearings and work sessions are televised on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40 and are also are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings.
Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views during the public hearing. Public comment will be received only for those items listed for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-7770246 (option 5) prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing; however, speakers may also sign-up at the public hearing. Written comments concerning any item before the Commission are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, P.O. Box 7000 Leesburg, VA 20177-7000, or by e-mail to loudounpc@loudoun.gov. If written comments are presented at the hearing, please provide ten (10) copies for distribution to the Commission and for the Clerk’s records. Members of the public may also submit comments on land use items electronically at loudoun.gov/landapplications. Any individual representing and/or proposing to be the sole speaker on behalf of a citizen’s organization or civic association is encouraged to contact the Department of Planning and Zoning prior to the date of the public hearing to request additional time to speak on behalf of such organization.
Regularly scheduled Planning Commission public hearings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month. In the event the public hearing cannot be conducted on that date due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the hearing, the public hearing will be continued to the next day (Wednesday). In the event the public hearing may not be held on that Wednesday due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the hearing, the public hearing may be continued to the first Thursday of the next month.
Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory, or mental disability to participate in this meeting, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 (option 5). Three business days advance notice is requested.
BY ORDER OF: MICHELLE FRANK, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
1/9, 1/16 & 1/23/25
Legal Notices
NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION Town of Leesburg
PUBLIC AUCTION OF ABANDONED AIRCRAFT
DESCRIPTION: In accordance with the Code of Virginia § 5.1-2.25. Abandoned or derelict aircraft; disposal, the Town of Leesburg is offering the following aircraft for public auction: 1969 Piper PA-28R-200 / Serial no. 28R35635/ FAA Registration Number N3074R
LOCATION: Leesburg Executive Airport, 1001 Sycolin Road SE, Leesburg, Virginia. See auction site for information regarding viewing the aircraft and other questions.
PUBLIC AUCTION WEBSITE: Interested bidders may bid on the item online at http://www.publicsurplus.com.
TERMS: Bidders must accept the Terms and Conditions for Derelict Aircraft as described on the auction website.
AUCTION END DATE: The auction end date is February 15, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.. The auction may be extended at the discretion of the Town of Leesburg.
1/16/25
NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION Town of Leesburg
PUBLIC AUCTION OF ABANDONED AIRCRAFT
DESCRIPTION: In accordance with the Code of Virginia § 5.1-2.25. Abandoned or derelict aircraft; disposal, the Town of Leesburg is offering the following aircraft for public auction: 1969 Piper PA-28R-200 / Serial no. 28R35635/ FAA Registration Number N3074R
LOCATION: Leesburg Executive Airport, 1001 Sycolin Road SE, Leesburg, Virginia. See auction site for information regarding viewing the aircraft and other questions.
PUBLIC AUCTION WEBSITE: Interested bidders may bid on the item online at http://www.publicsurplus.com.
TERMS: Bidders must accept the Terms and Conditions for Derelict Aircraft as described on the auction website.
AUCTION END DATE: The auction end date is February 15, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.. The auction may be extended at the discretion of the Town of Leesburg.
1/16/25
LOUDOUN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLE
This notice is to inform the owner and any person having a security interest in their right to reclaim the motor vehicle herein described within 15 days after the date of storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody, and the failure of the owner or persons having security interests to exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver by the owner, and all persons having security interests of all right, title and interest in the vehicle, and consent to the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction.
This notice shall also advise the owner of record of his or her right to contest the determination by the Sheriff that the motor vehicle was “abandoned,” as provided in Chapter 630.08 of the Loudoun County Ordinance, by requesting a hearing before the County Administrator in writing. Such written request for a hearing must be made within 15 days of the notice.
YEAR MAKE MODEL VIN STORAGE PHONE NUMBER
2006 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 1J4GS48K56C178462 ROADRUNNER 703-450-7555
2013 HONDA ACCORD IHGCR2F56DA218642 LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400
2013 FORD FOCUS 1FADP3K28DL233146 LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400 1/16 & 1/23/25
TOWN OF LEESBURG
NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REZONING APPLICATION TLREZN2023-0001 OAKLAWN LAND BAYS A, C, AND MUC 2
Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on TUESDAY, January 28, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Rezoning application TLREZN2023-0001 Oaklawn Land Bays A, C, and MUC 2.
The Subject Properties are in the Oaklawn development and consist of five parcels totaling approximately 37.2958 acres and are further identified as Loudoun County Property Identification Numbers (PIN) 233-38-8942, 233-30-4276, 233-29-6254, 233-29-6822, and 233-30-1486. The Subject Properties are zoned PEC (Planned Employment Center District) and PRN (Planned Residential Neighborhood District) and are subject to the H-2 Historic Corridor Architectural Control Overlay District (Proffered).
Rezoning Application TLREZN2023-0001 is a request by Oaklawn LLC to revise the concept plan and proffers of TLZM-2014-0004 for Land Bay A and Land Bay C, and to revise the concept plan and proffers of TLZM-2015-0001 for Land Bay MUC 2 to allow the following:
Land Bay A: Permit development of up to 450,000 square feet of data center uses and a 3.7-acre dedication to the Town of Leesburg for a public park.
Land Bay C: Permit dedication of approximately 5.2 acres to the Town of Leesburg for a public park.
Land Bay MUC 2: Permit development of up to 184 multi-family affordable dwelling units.
All three land bays are located in an area described by the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan (Town Plan) as an “Area to Transform or Evolve” on the Area Based Land Use Initiatives Map (Town Plan page 72). The property is further designated as a “Innovation Center” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (Town Plan page 76). There is no recommended density for residential use or a Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) for nonresidential uses associated with an Innovation Center. The requested density for the residential units associated with Land Bay MUC 2 is approximately 33 dwelling units per acre. The proposed maximum commercial F.A.R. of Land Bay A is approximately 0.39. Land Bay C is a land dedication for a public park, so no commercial use or F.A.R. is proposed there.
Modifications: The application includes three (3) requested modifications to the requirements of the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance regulations for buffer yards, outdoor lighting, and open space.
Additional information and copies of this application are available at the Department of Community Development, 222 Catoctin Circle, Suite 200, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting Christopher Murphy at 703-737-7009 or cmurphy@leesburgva.gov.
At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodation at the meeting should contact the Clerk of Council at (703) 771-2733 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.
1/9 & 1/16/25
PLAT-2024-0350 Arcola FarmsPhase 1
Ms. Angela Rassas of Toll Mid-Atlantic LP Company, Inc. of Reston, VA is requesting preliminary/ record plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately fifty-five (55.07) acres into forty-six (46) residential lots, three (3) open space lots, and accompanying right-of-way dedication and easement creation. The property is bounded by Ryan Road (Route 772) to the north, east of the intersection of Ryan Road (Route 772) and Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621). The properties are zoned Residential – 4 (R4) under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The properties are more particularly described as Parcel Identification Numbers 199-25-1135-000, 199-25-3525-000, 119-25-6408-000, 119-15-7187-000, 119-15-5059-000, 242-10-8536-000, and 242-10-2937-000 in the Ashburn and Little River Election Districts.
Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http:// www.loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2024-0350. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Eric Blankenship at Eric.Blankenship@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to the Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by February 13, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).
1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6 & 2/13/25
Legal Notices
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
VA. CODE § 8.01-316
Case No.: JJ047156-04-00, -05, -06
Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Aleszandra Bywater
Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.
Anika Bywater, mother and Unknown Father
The object of this suit is to hold a second permanency planning hearing and review of foster care plan with goal of adoption, pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Aleszandra Bywater; Petition for Approval of Entrustment Agreement signed by Mother, Anika Bywater, pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-277.01; and Petition for Termination of Parental Rights of Unknown Father, pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-283 for Aleszandra Bywater. Unknown Father is hereby notified that failure to appear on the hereinafter noticed date and time may result in the entry of an Order approving a permanency goal of adoption as well as the termination
of his residual parental rights with respect to Aleszandra Bywater. Unknown Father is hereby further notified that if his residual parental rights are terminated, he will no longer have any legal rights with respect to said minor child, including, but not limited to, the right to visit Aleszandra Bywater; any authority with respect to the care and supervision of Aleszandra Bywater; or the right to make health related decisions or determine the religious affiliation of Aleszandra Bywater. Further, Unknown Father will have no legal and/or financial obligations with respect to Aleszandra Bywater, and the Department of Family Services of Loudoun County, Virginia may be granted the authority to place Aleszandra Bywater for adoption and consent to the adoption of Aleszandra Bywater.
It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Anika Bywater, mother and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before February 18, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.
1/16, 1/23, 1/30 & 2/6/25
VEHICLE AUCTION
MD Repo Vehicles For Public Sale at ADESA Washington, DC. All Makes and Models Running Weekly Details can be found at www.adesawashingtondc.com
Terms: State and local orders will be strictly enforced at the sale, including social distancing and limits on the number of people permitted to gather in certain areas. All attendees must comply with such procedures or will be required to leave the premises. We strongly recommend that all attendees wear face coverings for the protection of themselves and our staff. Bidder agrees to register and pay a refundable $500 cash deposit plus a non-refundable $20 entry fee before the Sale starts. The balance of the purchase is due in full by 5:00pm on sale day. vehicles are AS-IS and are subject to a buy fee based on the sale price of the vehicle. Only cash or certified funds will be accepted. No vehicle will be released until Payment is made in full. Children under the age of 18 are not permitted.
VEHICLE
AUCTION
WASHINGTON DC
20+Chase repossessions will be offered to the public sale monthly on Wednesdays. Auction doors open at 8:00 a.m. Sale starts at 9:50 a.m. ET. Registered persons may
vehicles on the day of the sale before bidding. Bids accepted only when a vehicle is presented for sale. The auctioneer will conclude the sale when bidding stops. All results will be
Loco Service Providers
Windows & Power Washing
Town of Leesburg Employment Opportunities
Please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs for more information and to apply online. Resumes may be submitted as supplemental only. EOE/ADA.
Regular Full-Time Positions
To review Ida Lee (Parks & Recreation) flexible part-time positions, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs. Most positions will be filled at or near the minimum of the range. Dependent on qualifications.
All Town vacancies may be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel 67 and Verizon FiOS Channel 35.
OFFICE COORDINATOR
Loudoun Now has an opening for an Office Coordinator. The part-time position includes flexible hours for general office and administrative assistant functions. We’re looking for a detailed-oriented self-starter to join our team. Proficiency in Excel needed, experience with Sales Force a plus.
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Loudoun Now, Loudoun County’s nonprofit, independent newspaper seeks an experienced fundraising professional to support its efforts to raise money for operations. 3-5 years experience required. 5-20 hours/week
Published by Loudoun Community Media
15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176 703-770-9723
KURT ASCHERMANN
Executive Director kaschermann@loudounnow.org
NORMAN K. STYER Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.org
EDITORIAL
AMBER LUCAS Reporter alucas@loudounnow.org
HANNA PAMPALONI Reporter hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
WILLIAM TIMME Reporter wtimme@loudounnow.org
ADVERTISING
SUSAN STYER Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.org
TONYA HARDING Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.org
VICKY MASHAW Account Executive vmashaw@loudounnow.org
Loudoun Now provides daily community news coverage to an audience of more than 100,000 unique monthly visitors.
Opinion
The Old Approach
The new majority of the Purcellville Town Council is moving quickly to return to a governing approach rooted in some sort of alternative reality.
With a bloc of four votes on the seven-member body, the majority immediately ousted the town manager. With a year and a half in the seat, he was the longest serving of the last three town managers—and the first of those to succeed in creating an atmosphere of stability amid a culture of chaotic council leadership.
Leaving no question about their new direction, the group appointed as his replacement, a former mayor who continues to champion a series of policy concepts that never panned out during his four elective terms and then it began to rehash a list of decade-old grievances.
Is it good public policy to open the reservoir that serves as a primary town water source as a hunting ground? That’s probably not a current best practice recommendation of Homeland Security. Can you make the town’s treasured baseball stadium complex a profit center? Most municipal parks operate as community assets that require far more in maintenance than is charged to the Little Leaguers who play there.
This is the approach to governance that in recent years has alienated the county government, discounted the views of the business community, ignored professional advice of hired consultants, berated the staff, and embraced revenue and taxation philosophies that ignore fiscal realities.
At the heart of the debate about the direction of the government is the town’s high, and increasing, utility fees. Already, the majority has approved the fiscally flawed move to shift money from the General Fund to subsidize its utility operations. Next, the council can be expected to resume its pursuit so-far-elusive “new” and “creative” revenue streams they believe can offset residents’ bills.
In reality, the utility system costs what it costs. In the years ahead, it will only cost more.
If the council’s goal is to avoid adding new users—allowing growth of some scale—that increased cost will be borne by the larger bills to the stagnant user base. It is not complex economics.
Valuing Live Entertainment
Editor:
Think back to the most memorable live performance you’ve ever attended.
Was it at a cozy local venue under a glowing marquee? Perhaps it was an outdoor festival that brought the whole community together, or maybe it was an intimate show in a small club where every note felt personal. These are the spaces that create lifelong memories. But the independent venues, festivals, and stages that host these magical moments are facing unprecedented challenges.
Even as we recover from the pandemic, independent live entertainment spaces remain critical to local economies. They provide jobs, attract tourists, and generate significant tax revenue. Yet, they’re grappling with rising costs, growing competition from large corporations, and sustainability challenges that threaten their survival. This is where the National Independent Venue Association comes in with its groundbreaking national economic study, “State of Live.” This initiative aims to measure the contributions of independent venues and offer the data needed to advocate for their continued support.
In Loudoun, venues like Tarara and festivals such as the Tarara Summer Concert Series do more than delight
LETTERS to the Editor
fans; they’re vital to the local economy. When you attend a show at Tarara, you’re supporting more than just the venue. You’re helping the coffee shop you visit beforehand, the local artist who designs the event poster, and the diner where you celebrate afterward. This ecosystem depends on the survival of independent live entertainment spaces.
Despite their significant economic impact, these venues are often overlooked in discussions about economic development. That’s why NIVA’s “State of Live” study is so crucial. For the first time, this sector is coming together to gather data on its economic and cultural value. The goal isn’t just to keep venues afloat; it’s to ensure live entertainment receives the recognition it deserves in public policy, funding, and development conversations.
But this issue goes beyond numbers. These venues are where culture happens— where a band plays their first gig, a comedian refines their signature joke, and neighbors connect over shared experiences. If these spaces vanish, we lose more than just physical stages; we lose the beating heart of our communities.
Every fan has a role to play. If you’ve ever belted out your favorite song in a packed room or felt chills during an encore, this fight is for you. You can help by attending shows, spreading the word
about why these venues matter, and advocating for their survival.
To protect these spaces, start by sharing your story. Talk about the venue that feels like home, the festival that changed your perspective, or the promoter who brings world-class talent to your town. Let your elected officials know why independent live entertainment is essential. Support efforts like the “State of Live” study, which aims to highlight and value the contributions of these spaces. Learn more about it at nivassoc.org/stateoflive.
Live entertainment is more than just a night out. It’s an economic engine, a cultural landmark, and a source of joy that unites us all. By demonstrating its impact, we can ensure that these spaces continue to thrive for future generations. Let’s work together to safeguard the places that create the moments we cherish forever.
— Rusty Foster, Promoter Tarara Summer Concert Series
From Taxation to Tyranny
Editor:
“It's not real money.” – Loudoun County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) speaking about the $259 million of leftover funds from fiscal year 2024.
Loudoun Now is mailed weekly to homes in Leesburg, western Loudoun and Ashburn, and distributed for pickup throughout the county. Online,
READERS’ poll
Remote working may be ending for many employees this year. What’s your view?
Long overdue
Unnecessary
Will be less efficient
It is time
Will be more efficient
THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
It's the start of a new presidential term. What is your expectation?
Share your views at loudounnow.com/polls
LETTERS to the Editor
continued from page 28
Beware the tax collectors, folks. Can you imagine anything more appalling to hear from an elected official about the forced collection of taxes from Loudoun citizens? It was real money when Loudoun County collected it from the citizens.
It only becomes not “real money” when Randall and her fellow progressives start mismanaging it. Don’t let their use of accounting and budget terms like “fiscal reserves,” “revenue stabilization,” and “capital program” fool you. They’ll claim there are legal, administrative, and policy considerations that prohibit it. Don’t believe them. Those are weak assertions masquerading as a compelling argument for not refunding the excess they collect in taxes back to the citizens who pay the largest portion.
Make no mistake, if Loudoun citizens told Loudoun County government officials we were not paying a portion of our taxes due to our family prioritizing our own “fiscal reserves,” “revenue stabilization,” and “capital program” you’d see how quickly it becomes forced collection – at gunpoint by law enforcement, incarceration and garnishment of your family’s financial resources. The government would be looking for your “real money.”
Taxation becomes tyranny when these
progressive, Marxist government officials in Loudoun County collect more than they need from their citizens and refuse to refund it back to the citizens from whose pockets they took too much. Refuse to get comfortable with this abuse of power.
We need real change in Loudoun County, and it will take common sense Republicans and Democrats voting to make it happen. Unfortunately, many of our fellow voters in Loudoun County still suffer from Stockholm Syndrome and are identifying too closely with their captors.
Stop voting for leaders who take too much of your family’s hard-earned money and don’t have the common courtesy to refund it when they are in power and easily could. They don’t care about you. Don’t empower them with your vote.
— Scott Goodspeed, Leesburg
Creating Division
Editor:
I appreciate Kurt Aschermann’s nice tribute to Jimmy Carter, whom I voted for twice, and have no regrets. Carter, age 100, was not one of our most successful presidents, but was among the best human beings in the Oval Office.
On Facebook, Loudoun Board Chair Phyllis Randall wrote: “President Carter's life was one of service and sacrifice. Even those who didn't agree with his political decisions readily admit that he was a good man, of high character, and a kind heart.”
In another Facebook Post, Pastor
— By Chip Beck,
Michelle Thomas called Carter a “healer.”
I could not agree with them more.
One such example of Carter being a “healer” came in 1978, when he signed a Senate resolution that restored U.S. citizenship posthumously for Confederacy President Jefferson Davis – yes, the same Jefferson Davis whose name has been removed from Route 1 in Arlington and Alexandria and a host of buildings in Virginia and other states.
In signing that resolution, Carter said: "Our Nation needs to clear away the guilts and enmities and recriminations of the past, to finally set at rest the divisions that threatened to destroy our Nation and to discredit the principles on which it was founded. Our people need to turn their attention to the important tasks that still lie before us in establishing those principles for all people." Read more here: presidency.ucsb.edu/.../restoration...
In later years, Carter spoke out against displaying the Confederate Flag, but on monuments and buildings named for Confederates, he said: “ I can understand African-Americans' aversion to them, and I sympathize with them. But I don't have any objection to them being labeled with explanatory labels or that sort of thing.”
But today, in Loudoun County, there has been a concerted campaign by aggressive activists to remove the name from any school, building or road that involves someone associated with slavery, the Confederacy or racism.
Case in point, Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School in Leesburg, named in honor of a former Loudoun Times education reporter, because she was an official with the Daughters of the Confederacy, and Mercer Middle School in Aldie, which was named for the former Mercer Magisterial District that was named for 19th century Loudoun County congressmember and War of 1812 general Charles Fenton Mercer. His “crime” was owning slaves and supporting their repatriation to Africa, according to the Dec. 10 letter from Tim Rush.
A politically appointed citizens advisory group—of which Thomas is a member—just last month voted to rename Mercer to Gum Springs Middle School. What’s lost in all this is that the renaming of roads and schools, or tearing down of monuments, really doesn’t move the ball one bit for African Americans living today, and just creates division and angst in the community.
If President Carter could forgive the traitor Jefferson Davis, why is it that the Loudoun decision-makers who control the names of buildings, schools and roads cannot look at the totality of the lives of the people for whom they are currently named and “turn their attention to the important tasks that still lie before us,” as the president said. God rest his soul.
— Ken Reid, Falls Church
Incident Report
continued from page 1
occurring,” Johnson said.
As firefighters worked to identify and mitigate the impacts of the leak, as well as to evacuate two residents and their pets from the home, the clock was ticking, he said.
“Our job is to not say we could have or we should have, because we weren’t there, and our 10 firefighters certainly had a heck of a time trying to figure out what was happening, trying to formulate a plan, and ultimately they ran out of time and the house exploded. So, there were challenges with risk assessment,” Johnson said.
The report also found that while the original call seemed like a routine gas leak, the incident escalated quickly catching responders off guard. The command structure also faced challenges managing the rapidly evolving incident, which made coordinating rescue efforts difficult.
“There were issues with resource allocation and coordination, particularly ensuring an adequate water supply, and managing rescue operation of trapped personnel,” according to the report.
Firefighters called for assistance, but that arrived the home exploded.
“All of our folks were there doing individual tasks, trying to operate, to find out what was going on, and ultimately ran out of time,” Johnson said.
Communication was also a challenge faced by those responding to the situation. Unlike cell phones, radios only allow
Memorial Park
continued from page 1
It wasn’t until months later when the property went up for sale and Cheryl, whose father was a firefighter, had the idea to build a park on the property.
“We didn’t want to see another house built here, because we weren’t sure what somebody might try to put in,” Steve said. “It could be a developer or builder trying to build a house and they might not know what happened.”
The couple reached out to the property owner before it was listed on the market in an effort to avoid a bidding war, and ended up buying the property out of pocket.
After becoming the new owners of a second property, the Honards connected with K&H Landscape and Grounds Maintenance President and CEO Kris Hjort.
“We heard about the memorial park being talked about and so we thought that would be a great way for us to give
one person to talk at a time. When multiple people attempt talk at once, the radio marks a “reject.”
“The report speaks of 136 radio rejects,” Johnson said adding that many attempts at once is a difficult challenge to manage.
The report also identified actions taken that favorably impacted the outcome including training, Emergency Communications Center management and coordination, and technical rescue expertise.
Training, specifically the Mayday rescue training conducted during at the firefighting academy, helped prepare first responders for the incident, the report found.
Sterling Volunteer Fire Company Chief David Short said the firefighters who became trapped when the home collapsed specifically cited the county’s mandated Mayday training for their responses.
“We can draw a straight line from this training to the positive outcome of getting those two firefighters out of the basement alive. So, we’re really proud of the fact that we had this training in place before the incident happened,” he said.
The report describes the trapped firefighters’ experience in detail. Four were trapped, two with the burning debris near them.
“I’m trapped in a basement under heavy debris. I’m in a void space, however I’ve got fire going on down here, and it’s slowly making its way towards me. I am unable to make my way out. I need you guys to get down here and put this fire out, ASAP,” one call came through on the radio.
Another firefighter sent a call announcing he had a third of a tank of oxygen left, and was going to try to tunnel his way out.
back because obviously we’re a landscape company and if they want to build a park, we’re a pretty good person to do that,” Hjort said.
Hjort also lives a short distance away from the small neighborhood.
“We heard it that night, my wife and I,” Hjort recalled with emotion. “We didn’t know what it was, but then we heard all about it.”
Hjort reached out to Steve to see what kind of help was needed.
“He actually emailed me back right away,” Hjort said. “It was kind of funny. He goes well, ‘I go to settlement on the property tomorrow. So, I would love to talk to you.’ It was kind of just, I don’t want to say, fate. Yeah, it was kind of fate that everything took place.”
The two formed a committee that included representatives from The Real Husbands Of Loudoun County, the Ster-
“As T611 OIC was assessing their time and as their air was running out, they saw a small tunnel opening and decided to consume all remaining air and attempted to navigate through the opening. T611 OIC removed their helmet, took their last two (2) breaths from the [self-contained breathing apparatus], unhooked their regulator, ripped their facepiece off, held their flashlight with their arms forward and wormed through the opening,” according to the report.
All of the trapped firefighters were rescued.
Additionally, the Fire and Rescue Emergency Communications Center staff provided crucial support to crews operating on the scene during the response.
“There were numerous critical radio transmission not acknowledged or missed by Command. The LCFR-ECC did an excellent job keeping track of those items and ensuring Command was provided with the information in a timely manner,” according to the report.
Two technical rescue units that arrived on scene quickly after the explosion used their expertise to develop and execute a removal plan for trapped firefighters.
“The SIR underscores the need for continuous improvement in emergency response protocols, training, and communication strategies to mitigate risks and enhance the safety of responders in high-pressure situations. By implementing the recommendations outlined in this report, agencies can better prepare for, and respond to, similar incidents in the future, ultimately saving lives and safeguarding communities,” according to the report.
Johnson and Short said they and the combined system as a whole continue to send thoughts and prayers to the Brown family and said the impact of the explosion continues to have a deep impact on the first responder community.
“Those that are injured still continue to heal physically, and our whole department continues to try and heal psychologically from this, to include Chief Short and I. We deal with this, so that’s where our thoughts and prayers have been and continue to be at the forefront,” Johnson said.
Johnson and Short presented the report first to Laura Brown, Trevor’s widow, then to system leaders, members of the Board of Supervisors, and the entire combined fire-rescue system.
Next steps are already being pursued. Johnson said he has dedicated a full-time battalion chief to implementing the recommendations made in the report.
“It is that important to both Trevor Brown’s honor, the Brown family and to all my firefighters, to dedicate a full-time battalion chief level position to oversee the recommendations and implementing those recommendations in this report,” Johnson said.
Several of the recommendations have already been implemented, he added.
“We will never forget Trevor. We will never forget those that were injured, just as we never forget anybody else that passed in the line of duty,” Johnson said. “… I want to get this done. I want to see every single aspect of this after action done. That’s our commitment to the system.” n
K&H Landscape and Grounds Maintenance
A rendering by K&H Landscape and Grounds Maintenance shows approved plans for a memorial park honoring Trevor Brown.
A Loudoun Moment
Memorial Park
continued from page 30
ling Volunteer Fire Company, and Capretti Land. Laura Brown, Trevor’s widow, is also an unofficial member of the committee and has been involved at every stage of the process, Hjort said.
“I went over the design with her and she approved it. It’s going to be amazing what we create over there,” he said.
Once the design was approved by Brown and the committee, it was submitted to the homeowners’ association for final approval. That was received Sunday evening.
“The focal point [of the park] will be where Trevor was found,” Hjort said. “There’s going to be a massive boulder there with a plaque on it and then there will be a bench for Laura and the chil-
dren,” Hjort said.
Surrounding the memorial stone and bench will be extensive foliage, walking paths and additional benches.
“It’s more of a peaceful park. It’s not a kid’s park. There’s no swings. It’s a peaceful, I would say, mediation park,” he said.
Steve agreed.
“Come in and just enjoy it. The idea is to have some quiet, green space,” Steve said.
He said while county government representatives did not have an interest in purchasing the park and maintaining it in perpetuity, they were providing some help.
“Loudoun Water looks like they’re going to allow us to have a meter here, but we don’t have to pay the minimum charge, only usage to help irrigate,” he said.
Cleanup of the property is mostly complete, with, finally, all of the debris being
picked up, damaged trees being cut down and remaining trees being trimmed. What remains before the park construction can begin is removal tree stumps and the remaining driveway.
“Then we start with the grading process,” Hjort said. “Michael Capretti is working with Loudoun County on that. If we need permits etc. He’s going to take care of that.”
Planting is expected to begin this spring, when the weather warms up.
Much of the work up to this point has been done by the committee members. Now that the design is finalized, Hjort said it’s time to bring in more people to help.
“Now we will start in earnest reaching out to community and looking to businesses to get involved in the project and start getting some substantial donations,” Hjort said.
A casino night fundraiser and a golf tournament are being planned for the spring and a charity walk in September.
So far there are two for individuals and businesses to donate money to. The first is a GoFundMe account managed by the Honards. The second is through The Real Husbands Of Loudoun County Foundation. Those donations are tax deductible.
“The big picture on that is to eventually make Steve whole on the money that he spent to buy the land and his settlement costs and some other miscellaneous costs. And we’re looking to raise, hopefully in the next year, $300,000 or $400,000,” Hjort said.
The grand opening is scheduled for July 26, Trevor’s birthday.
Also, a candlelight vigil will be held at the site on the one-year anniversary of the explosion, Feb. 16. n
Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now
Loudoun’s second winter storm of the year put down about 2 inches of light fluffy snow in the Blue Ridge mountains at higher elevations near Bears Den.
2
