Loudoun Now for May 26, 2022

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VOL. 7, NO. 27

Pg. 8 | n EDUCATION

Pg. 10 | n OBITUARIES

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MAY 26, 2022

School Board Cuts $21M in Final Budget

BY HAYLEY MILON BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com

Hayley Milon Bour/Loudoun Now

From left, Loudoun Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian), School Board members Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) and Brenda Sheridan (Sterling), and Loudoun NAACP President Michelle Thomas hold a press conference on May 23 following the dismissal of removal petitions against Reaser and Sheridan.

Board Removal Petitions Dismissed

BY HAYLEY MILON BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com

The effort to remove School Board members appears to be over following a Circuit Court hearing Monday morning during which the petitions against Brenda Sheridan (Sterling) and Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) were dismissed for lack of substance in front of a packed courtroom.

The School Board and administrators remain under the microscope as a special grand jury investigates the handling a of a school sexual assault scandal. On May 19, the division sued for an emergency

injunction against the panel, arguing it threatened student privacy.

Vindication After Procedural Delay Monday’s two-hour hearing punctuated a year-long effort to remove School Board members for their involvement in a private Facebook group and support of progressive social policies in schools. The removal petitions garnered national interest as education became a flashpoint political issue during the 2021 gubernatorial election.

Retired Judge Thomas Padrick Jr. of the Second Judicial Circuit in Virginia

Beach was designated to hear the cases in April after all Loudoun judges recused themselves in February. Padrick’s ruling marked the end of months of uncertainty for the two board members, which the Loudoun County Democratic Committee critiqued as unfair.

“Both duly elected officials have been caught in limbo by the recall petition effort orchestrated by a small group of culture warriors seeking to make Loudoun a national test case to deny majority-control PETITIONS DISMISSED continues on page 38

Donating 10% of May sales to Tree of Life

The School Board reconciled the $1.456 billion fiscal year 2023 budget on Tuesday, closing a $21 million funding gap while facing uncertainty about the state’s budget with a unanimous vote.

The final budget includes $2.4 million for fine arts stipends, cause for celebration for the two dozen supporters of the performing arts who waited in the boardroom for the budget to be adopted.

The budget also allows for a continency plan with considerations for possible outcomes from the state’s yet-to-be completed budget process.

The biggest question remains teacher raises, which were slated to be an average of 5% through costof-living adjustments and step increases. The staff recommended the elimination of a 2.5% cost of living adjustment, leaving teachers with only a step increase. Step increases would be an average of 2.5%, and teachers at the top of their scales would receive a one-time 1% bonus.

Superintendent Scott Ziegler said during the board’s May 19 work session that it is likely that once the state finalizes its budget, the COLA will be BUDGET CUTS continues on page 39

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PAGE 3

Cao Wins 10th District Republican Primary

BY HAYLEY MILON BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com

Retired Navy captain and Purcellville resident Hung Cao on Saturday won the Republican Party nod to run against Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10) for the 10th Congressional District seat in November.

Cao won by an 18-point margin on a ranked-choice distributed caucus ballot from among 11 candidates. The victory came in the ninth round of balloting, when he achieved 52.8% of the 15,174 votes cast. Prince William County Supervisor Jeanine Lawson finished second followed by Brandon Michon.

Cao said he wasn’t surprised by his win, but was taken aback by his victory margin.

Cao, a combat veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, who was a child when his family fled Vietnam as refugees, blames the progressive caucus for illegal immigration, inflation and supply chain issues. He called education the “final straw.”

“We shouldn’t have been pushing

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Republican nominee for the 10th Congressional District Hung Cao takes part in a pre-primary debate in April 2022 at Patrick Henry College in his hometown of Purcellville.

CRT and mask mandates. Kids are being kicked out of school because they’re not wearing masks, back a few years ago if a kid misses more than 10 days of school it’s called truancy. But now you’ll kick a kid out of school because they came close to somebody who had COVID,” he said.

“It’s really taken a wrong turn where the federal government has overreach. So what I want to do in Congress is make sure there’s not overreach.”

While mask mandates in Loudoun schools were dropped months ago following a judge’s order, Cao said seeing other states returning to COVID mitigation protocols worries him. He cites funding for new ventilation as a wiser measure for mitigation.

While investigations and prosecutions following the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol cast a heavy cloud over most of Washington, he said what concerns him most is that perpetrators who left explosive devices outside of the DNC and RNC headquarters the day before are still at large.

Cao also nodded toward the longCAO WINS continues on page 38

Loudoun Faith Leaders Hold Vigil for Buffalo Victims

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

Leaders in Loudoun’s interfaith community gathered alongside a crowd of mourners Friday night in Leesburg to hold a vigil for the victims of the mass shooting in Buffalo, NY, and to protest the continued racist violence in America.

Faiths ranging among Christian denominations, Jewish, and Muslim to Baha’I and Unitarian Universalist gathered in both prayer and calls for action in front of Leesburg United Methodist Church, followed by a candlelight march to the county courthouse.

Pastor and NAACP President Michelle Thomas warned the same sentiments that led to the mass shooting in Buffalo are present in Loudoun. The shooter in the case cited “replacement theory,” the conspiracy theory that nonwhite people are being brought to the U.S. to replace white people, as motivation for the mass murder.

“As I think about the theories, I

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Loudoun NAACP Vice President Christian Yohannes speaks at a vigil in front of Leesburg United Methodist Church Friday, May 20.

think about the theory that we fight in Loudoun County every day—it is the ‘Critical Race Theory.’ It’s the same

thing, and if you don’t get that, you’re not awake in this county,” she said. “If you don’t get that Critical Race Theory

could be the thread that causes a shooting in our area, in our grocery stores, and at our school board—or at least in the parking lot—oh, they don’t want to hear about it, but that’s OK.” Conservative attacks on the Loudoun County Public Schools have used the banner of “critical race theory” to push against teaching about systemic racism and anti-racist curriculum in the school system.

Loudoun NAACP Vice President Christian Yohannes said people in his teenage generation have grown up desensitized to the violence against Black people—learning to dress a certain way and act a certain way to try to survive when stopped by police or just going about their lives. He reeled off a list of names in some of the most high-profile of killings of Black people in recent years, such as Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Freddie BUFFALO VICTIMS continues on page 39

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MAY 26, 2022

Loudoun

ON THE Agenda

Board Approves True North Data Centers Changes

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

County supervisors last week approved changes to plans for a data center complex on Sycolin Road and Goose Creek, with the majority arguing those changes improve one of the most controversial approvals from the last board’s term.

In 2018, the county voted to approve a 750,000-square-foot data center complex on 106 wooded acres, raising intense protest, especially from environmental groups. The complex is both next to the river and threatened a rare ecological community called the Northern Piedmont mafic barren. It was one of the most hotly contested votes of that board’s term.

The developer, Compass Datacenters, later returned with a request to revise that application, removing the two proposed buildings closest to the Dulles Greenway, one of which is also the closest to the river, and creating an option to combine three 35-foot buildings in the center of the property into a single 56-foot building. That would bring the campus down to 625,000 square feet of data center development. They also offered to protect more open space and to protect the mafic barren, which has not yet been destroyed.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Cranes stand over the construction site at the True North data center development. County supervisors have approved new changes to that controversial development.

The developer’s representative, Cooley LLP attorney Colleen Gillis, told supervisors after the 2018 approval, the market changed, requiring the shift in plans to develop the site.

During the May 17 meeting, Supervisor Caleb E. Kershner (R-Catoctin) said the changes now make the existing approval better, and make “a lot of sense.”

Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg), who supported the original

application in 2018, said at that time it was “probably the most environmentally application that we had seen for data centers at the time.”

“This applicant has worked very hard to make this even better, and I know it has been a really tough and long process for them,” she said. “I really want to thank them for their dedication and commitTRUE NORTH continues on page 6

Supervisors Mark Gun Violence Awareness in Split Vote

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

Supervisors on May 17 adopted a resolution marking National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 3, following what has become an annual debate on the county dais.

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) first brought a resolution marking the day, which was first recognized nationally in 2015, to the previous board in 2016. After backlash from Republicans, she attempted to avoid a political battle removing reference to The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the Loudoun County Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, but the Republican majority on the board at the time stopped it nonetheless—preventing even discussing the resolution with an unusual motion to table the resolution indefinitely.

But the observance returned to the county boardroom with the new Democratic majority, passing resolutions in 2020 and 2021, and now with another split vote this year.

This year’s debate was overshadowed by the most recent headline-grabbing mass shooting of 13 Black people in a grocery store in Buffalo, NY on May 14 by a teenaged white supremacist, armed with a modified civilian version of the military AR-15. It was also the first day of the trial of the man accused of shooting a sheriff’s deputy and two loss prevention employees in a Sterling Walmart, hospitalizing the deputy for 42 days and multiple surgeries.

Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) said she was “really sad and disappointed that one of our colleagues decided to be petty and pull this item off of consent,” a package of non-contested

items that the board passes at the same time typically by unanimous consent. She cited the much higher rate of gun death and homicide in the U.S., as well as polls showing broad support among Americans for measures like background checks and an assault weapons ban.

The resolution’s two opponents, Supervisors Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) and Caleb E. Kershner (R-Catoctin), argued the resolution was really a step toward more gun control.

“I’ve never seen a gun load itself, pick itself up, point itself at anything and shoot itself. Humans do that for guns,” Buffington said. “They use guns and they do that.

Humans are violent. You change this to Human Violence Awareness Month. I’m happy to agree with it and sign on to it.”

“Guns are not really the problem. Evil GUN VIOLENCE continues on page 6

Rt. 15 North Plans Set for June 21 Supervisors’ Vote At its June 21 business meeting, the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider a comprehensive plan amendment related to plans for work on Rt. 15 north of Leesburg.

If supervisors approve the comprehensive plan amendment, the county can move forward with planning major changes to the road and pursuing outside funding for that work. Those plans include widening the road to four lanes from between Montresor Road to the Village of Lucketts, a median divide from Stumptown Road to Saint Clair Lane, and a bypass around the village.

The vote comes after years of studies and contentious public hearings. Some safety improvements are already planned without the comprehensive plan amendment, including widening the road to four lanes from Leesburg’s King Street to Montresor Road and a roundabout at Spinks Ferry Road.

More information is at loudoun.gov/5550.

Bond Rating Agencies Reaffirm Triple-A Rating The nation’s three major bond rating agencies have again affirmed Loudoun County’s triple-A rating on its general obligation bonds, noting the county’s sound operating performance, the size and diversity of its tax base and strong management.

Loudoun County has held the AAA rating from Moody’s since 2004 and AAA from Fitch Ratings and S&P Global since 2005. The three ratings agencies also affirmed Loudoun’s AA+ and Aa1 ratings on the upcoming sale of public facility revenue bonds through the Economic Development Authority, as well as outstanding lease revenue and revenue bonds.

The county’s triple-A rating keeps financing costs for capital projects down by enabling the county to sell its bonds at lower interest rates. More information on Loudoun County finances and its triple-A status is online at loudoun.gov/bondratings. n

MAY 26, 2022

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Gun violence continued from page 4 is the problem. Evil is with us constantly in this world and will continue to be constantly,” Kershner said.

“To use an analogy, we could suggest that, you know, cars killed millions of—thousands, hundreds of thousands of people every year. A car has never once started itself and run over somebody, or gone out on the road and driven recklessly or driven while under the influence. No, it’s people who have made unwise, wrong or evil decisions,” he added.

Randall said she agreed with the car analogy.

“So how about we treat guns like we treat cars?” she said. “Let’s register them.

If you’re going to operate—have a gun, let’s license you. If you’re going to sell your car from one person to another like you sell your gun from a person to another, let’s put that in the books. If we’re going to make that example of cars and guns, let’s treat guns like we treat cars.

Why not?”

She also disagreed that “evil” was the problem.

“Is the assumption Americans are

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

more evil than anybody else in the world?

Because we certainly have a lot more gun violence than anybody else,” she said.

She said the difference in America is the prevalence of gun ownership.

“We’re not inherently bad in this country. We don’t have more people with mental health issues in this country—and by the way, mental health issues are not the reason this happens. None of that’s true.

But what’s true in America is, people are dying from guns at a much higher rate than anything else. So if you take everything else and assume everything else is even, we assume we’re not more evil…. the only variable is the guns, then you know what, the problem is the guns,” she said.

Supervisor Sylvia R. Glass (D-Ashburn) said she had recently spoken to a friend from Buffalo, whose grandmother and sister live two blocks from the grocery store site of the shooting and who shop there frequently. She said her friend is heartbroken, and she is devastated for the people who lost friends in the shooting.

“I don’t know them personally, but I just can’t imagine losing a husband, or your grandmother, or someone from your church who you looked up to. And the

MAY 26, 2022

comments that I’ve heard, I’m sure those would not be said to those families,” she said.

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) once again abstained on the resolution, as he has in years past. But, he said, he didn’t want to abstain without acknowledging the sentiment.

“I do completely stand against gun

violence, as we all should. I question the efficacy of the Board of Supervisors passing a piece of paper and acting like we’ve actually done anything, and that’s what we do here,” Letourneau said.

The resolution passed 6-2-1, with Buffington and Kershner opposed and Letourneau abstaining. n

True North

Randall also said after previously being told that the developer had a deal in place, to later be told it was a handshake deal that fell through, said she will vote against because she does not trust the applicant.

She also challenged supervisors Umstattd and Glass.

“How anyone could ever say the data center helps the environment in any way—it could be a data center that is less harmful than other data centers, that’s possible, that’s possible, but it can’t be a data center that actually helps the environment,” Randall said. “You’re not going to improve the environment by building a data center on the Goose Creek.”

Supervisors voted 7-2 to approve the changes to True North plans. n

continued from page 4 ment to the county. They are helping us grow our economy in an environmentally neutral and even beneficial way.”

“The application that we have up for a vote now does help reclaim and protect some of the vital environmental aspects of our county,” said Supervisor Sylvia R. Glass (D-Ashburn).

Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) and County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), who both were on the board and voted not in 2018, once again voted against. Buffington cited his continued opposition to data centers in the county’s Transition Policy Area south of the Greenway.

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

MAY 26, 2022

County, Region Celebrate Exceptional Foster Parents In May, Foster Care Month, Loudoun County is celebrating local foster parents, including Loudoun’s Foster Parents of the Year Richard and Ashley Harper.

The Harpers were recognized during a May 19 event hosted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

The regional council recognized the Harpers for serving as “exemplary foster parents” to thirteen children in Loudoun over the past 7 years, noting that their “graceful demeanor has helped to create bridges between children in foster care and their biological families, promoting growth and healing.” And according to their citation, despite their own goal to grow their family through adoption, the Harpers have consistently prioritized the biological family’s needs over their own goals, fully supporting reunification or placements with relatives.

“The parents in our foster care program provide many young people in our community with guidance, stability, support and care,” stated Loudoun County Department of Family Services Director, Ina Fernández. “Foster parenting is a commitment unlike any other and we are so incredibly proud of, and thankful to, each and every one of our foster parents

PAGE 7

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The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments partners with local and state child welfare agencies from 10 jurisdictions in the region to recognize outstanding foster parents annually. A video featuring the Harpers is online at vimeo.com/708282655.

The Loudoun County foster care program is currently supporting 40 children ranging in age from birth to 21 years old. Find out more about foster parenting and how to become a foster parent at loudoun.gov/fostercare. n

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MAY 26, 2022

Aquatic Center Pool Opens Saturday at Ida Lee Park

Leesburg

Leesburg PD Reports Crime Decline, but Traffic, Staffing Challenges

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Crime continues to decline in Leesburg, but the Police Department faces challenges with traffic safety and staffing.

Police Chief Greg Brown on Monday presented to the Town Council a report of the town’s 2021 crime statistics that continue to depict Leesburg as one of the safest communities in the region.

Calls for service dropped for the third consecutive year in 2021, and crimes and arrests in most categories declined or held steady compared with 2020.

While the pandemic likely contributed to those trends, state police reform legislation is having a significant impact.

Drug violations and arrests decreased sharply following marijuana legalization measures and restrictions on probable cause traffic stops, such as driving at night with headlights turned off, approved by the General Assembly. In 2021, the department reported 26 drug-related arrests, down from 97 the previous year.

“The hands of law enforcement have

been tied in lots of areas because of legislation that has been passed at the state level,” Councilwoman Kari Nacy said.

She asked if the crime rate would be higher without those changes.

“Those types of things have really stifled us and not given us the tools that we can really address public safety. So a hypothetical yes, but from a professional perspective and experience I would say a definite yes,” Brown said.

Brown said the biggest public safety problems in town are related to traffic.

He cited an increase in speeding, noting the recent citation for a driver clocked at 133 miles per hour, which the department believes is a new record.

“I’m going to say it: speed kills. It’s a very dangerous thing. We do not want to see an increase in fatalities on the roads of Leesburg,” Brown said.

Authority to install speed enforcement technology, such as cameras, could help with that, he said. Currently, the General Assembly permits such devices only in school and construction zones.

But traffic enforcement also is being limited by the department’s staffing vacancies, currently at 21 positions—the highest number of job openings since

Brown was hired in 2016. The situation was exacerbated by a wave of departures in January when the Town Council imposed a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all town staff members.

“Right now, personnel is our biggest issue,” Brown said.

Staffing is a challenge for law enforcement around the region and across the country, but Brown said the town’s higher salary levels and reputation for professionalism provide an advantage even as competition for highly qualified officers escalates.

Brown said one thing he won’t do is reduce his hiring standards.

“I’m holding steadfast to our current requirements. There is a reason why the Leesburg Police Department reports such low numbers for internal and external complaints. It’s because we are professionals and we give them the right training and then we hold them accountable through policy,” Brown told the council.

“I’m not going to lower our standards.

That bring a whole host of problems that we actually experienced in the ’90s in this profession and I’m not willing to return there.” n

Police Update Most Dangerous Intersection List Once again in 2021, the East Market Street/Cardinal Park Drive intersection ranked at the top of the Leesburg Police Department’s list for having the most crashes. The East Market Street/Fort Evans Road intersection jumped from fifth place in 2020 to second in 2021. The Leesburg Bypass/Edwards Ferry Road intersection dropped from second in 2020 to third. Rounding out last year’s most dangerous intersections were East Market Street/Battlefield Parkway and Battlefield Parkway/Miller Drive. n

The A.V. Symington Aquatic Center will open for the summer season on Saturday.

During Memorial Day weekend, May 28-30, the pool will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Town residents will be admitted at 11 a.m. each day.

Through June 15—while Loudoun County Public Schools remain in session—the pool will be open on Saturdays and Sundays only.

Beginning June 16, the aquatic center will be open daily from noon to 8 p.m., with Town residents admitted at 11 a.m.

The outdoor pool will be closed on July 4.

For more information, regarding hours, rates, passes, and rentals, visit to AVSAC.org or call 703-779-5390.

Virginia Village Music Mural Submission Sought The town is seeking design submissions for the installation of a mural on the exterior wall of Maverick Bikes, located at 32-C Catoctin Circle SE in Virginia Village Shopping Center, as part of the Private Property Mural Pilot Program approved by the Town Council in March.

The mural area is approximately 100 feet long and 24 feet high. The design of the mural should be relevant to the approved theme, “Celebrating Music in Leesburg.”

The call is open to all artists and artist teams in the Washington, DC metro region.

There is no requirement for previous public art experience.

Submissions will be reviewed by an ad-hoc committee and the property owner. A final recommendation will be sent to the Leesburg Commission on Public Art, which will review the recommendation prior to presenting it to the Town Council.

Deadline for submissions is May 31.

Guidelines and details are available at leesburgva.gov/publicartnews.

Inra Exhibits at Balch Library

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Drivers takes the exit from East Market Street onto Cardinal Park Drive.

A new mixed media art exhibit by artist Ligia Inra, “A Botanical Garden,” is on display at Thomas Balch Library.

Born in Acapulco, Mexico, she lived in New York City for over 30 years and has lived in Loudoun County for the past 20 years.

Her work has been exhibited in local juried shows including Art at The Mill, Artists in Middleburg, the Tryst Gallery, Waterford Art & Craft Fair, and local libraries.

It has also been a part of private collections throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This exhibit will be available to view through June in the library’s lower level meeting room. n

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

MAY 26, 2022

PAGE 9

live

WELL Helping older adults and caregivers improve their quality of life.

For information on COVID-19 testing

and/or vaccines, call the Loudoun County Health Department’s COVID-19 information line: 703-737-8300 For information about programs and services for older adults in Loudoun County, call the Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging: 703-777-0257

Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging

PAGE 10

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

Education

SCHOOL notebook

School Board Sells Independence High School Stadium Naming Rights

BY HAYLEY MILON BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com

The School Board on Tuesday approved an offer by Loudoun-based Prince Movers to sponsor the Independence High School athletic stadium.

Principal John G. Gabriel reported to the School Board that the proposed $242,000 sponsorship would span 10 years. The first year would bring in $50,000, while years two through nine of the agreement would bring in $24,000 each. The 10th year would have no cost attached.

Garbriel said the funds could be used for campus enhancements such as flags and landscaping, instructional enhancements, a lacrosse wall, a batting cage, athletic equipment, and/or providing staff

with professional development.

“In addition, we might also see what the staff feels is needed based on a needs assessment we will deliver for our accreditation this year. I am sure we will continue to come up with items with each passing day, and I am confident that there would be no shortage of ideas,” Gabriel wrote.

“It’s a very generous offer to the school and the School Board will benefit for a period of time with respect to the donation being made by the company Prince Movers to the school. I think it’s a winning operation for the school and I’ll support it,” Tom Marshall (Leesburg) said before the vote.

The School Board’s Finance and Operations Committee endorsed the proposal with a 3-0 vote.

For a school to rename a facility, it must receive permission from the School Board.

Prince Movers is based in Sterling and serves the Washington, DC area. Independence High School first opened in 2019 and serves Ashburn and Brambleton.

The division has approved numerous facility sponsorships in the past, including over $4 million in sponsorships of Claude Moore Foundation Labs at the Academies of Loudoun. Corporate facility sponsors include General Dynamics Information Technology, Holder Construction, Raytheon Corporation, Stantech, and F.H. Furr.

The largest sponsorship deal is Raytheon’s sponsorship of three lab facilities at the Academies of Loudoun for $520,000. n

Lightridge High School Students Create Pandemic Remembrance Quilt

BY HAYLEY MILON BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com

While quarantined during the darkest days of the pandemic in 2020, Loudoun teens came together to make a “Hope Quilt” to honor first responders, essential workers, and lives impacted by COIVD-19. Two years and thousands of miles traveled later, that quilt is on display at Lightridge High School.

Then 15-year-old Lightridge High School student Bella Scott Lavino urged her art teacher Jim Haller to organize a therapeutic project for her classmates.

They each designed panels to capture the challenges the world was facing, recognizing the heroism of healthcare and essential workers.

Diane Canney, founder of nonprofit The Art of the Matter, worked with Lavino and Haller to have the panels sent to renown quilter Susie Wong based in Sugarland, TX. Canney said the panels captured students’ hope and resilience and will serve of a memento of their fortitude and positivity.

“It’s like a time capsule. They created a visual time capsule for themselves.

MAY 26, 2022

Contributed

Lightridge High School student Bella Scott Lavino with her school’s Hope Quilt.

Quilts capture a moment in history,” Canney said.

The quilt made a journey around the country, making a stop at the Houston International Quilt Show.

This past March, it was featured at the candle lit vigil, “A Pandemic Remembrance,” held at the Lincoln Memorial.

Lavino, now a junior at Lightridge High School, represented her school at the event.

“I am proud that LHS was able to contribute something meaningful to people who are still grieving. It seemed important to allow this time and beautiful space to really acknowledge how hard the pandemic was for everyone and especially to those who had lost someone,” Lavino said.

Canney said that the students’ work gives her hope for the future.

“Each panel is so uniquely different, and how they responded to the pandemic in their own lives but then put together they make such a beautiful quilt,” she said. “young people can use power in many ways and using the power of art to express how they feel and to thank and honor those who mean a lot to them is you know is inspiring.”

The quilt is now in a display at Lightridge High School.

Students from Riverside High School also made a Hope Quilt, with the assistance of Art of the Matter. n

Coast Guard Academy Grad Follows in Father’s Footsteps Jeremiah Kim, a Rock Ridge High School alum, graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on May 18, 30 years after his father graduated from the academy.

His father, Peter Kim, is an economics teacher at Rock Ridge High School, and said he’s proud of his son’s accomplishment.

Jeremiah will teach mathematics to cadets over the summer, before reporting to flight school in Pensacola, FL. He is planning to become a Coast Guard aviator.

Discovery’s Odyssey of the Mind Team Heads to Finals Discovery Elementary School Odyssey of the Mind students and coach Bill Prochazka will head to Iowa State University to compete in the World Finals of the creative problem-solving competition.

The team competed in the regional showcase on April 30 at Loudoun Valley High School, alongside 26 other teams from the division.

Prochazka said the showcase was “a wonderful opportunity for the team to feel what a competition day would feel like.”

“They felt the rush of getting things set up and the excitement of performing in front of strangers.

Most importantly, the team experienced challenges that they had not faced prior and, we think, learned so much about themselves in the process,” he said.

The team will compete on May 28 in Ames, IA.

Board Set to Modify School Entrances The School Board is set to approve a $6.3 million contract to modify security vestibules for 12 elementary schools. The contract is part of the board’s May 24 consent agenda.

Mclean-based FHP Tectonics Corp. won the bid for the project.

Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis reported that the project will cost roughly 20% more than originally identified because of the costs of labor and materials. The shortfall will be addressed in the Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Improvement Projects process. n

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MAY 26, 2022

PAGE 11

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Data prepared by the Office of Equity for the School Board illustrates a significant increase in reports of hate speech and racial slurs.

Reports of Hate Speech and Racial Slurs on the Rise in Schools LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Reports of use of racial slurs and hate speech in Loudoun’s public schools have risen drastically since the fall, according to the district.

From September 2021 to January 2022, there were 21 reported incidents.

Since February, there have been 120 incidents. Middle schools have experienced the most incidents since February, with 54 reports.

The data was requested by School Board member Andrew Hoyler (Broad Run) and was set to be presented to the full board during its Tuesday meeting.

The Office of Equity compiled a report, including actions taken by the division in response to the surge.

It’s possible that the high volume of reports has been triggered by outreach from the Office of Equity to inform school administrators of the process to report incidents. In March, office leaders attended forums for elementary, middle, and high school administrators, sharing information on reporting protocols. n

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MAY 26, 2022

Public Safety Health Officials Warn of Measles Exposure After an unvaccinated child contracted measles during international travel, health officials in Northern Virginia last week issued a warning to other families who may have been exposed, out of an abundance of caution.

According to the Virginia Department of Health, the child was in stable condition and improving. Health officials are coordinating efforts to reach people who may have been exposed at the Pediatric and Adult Emergency Health Departments at Inova Fairfax Hospital and at Kaiser Permanente Ashburn Medical Center in Ashburn.

People who have never received a measles containing vaccine nor had a documented case of measles may be at risk of getting measles from this exposure.

People who were at the Ashburn office between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on May 13 are advised of a potential exposure. Exposure may have also been possible at the Fairfax hospital on May 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 2

a.m., and on May 16 from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Anyone with additional questions or who may have been exposed at the Loudoun County location should call the Loudoun call center at 703-737-8300, or at the Fairfax hospital, 202-851-9616.

They should also immediately call their primary health care provider or health department to discuss further care, and call ahead before going to the medical office or the emergency room to tell them about the measles exposure.

Father, Son Charged with Animal Cruelty Following an investigation by Loudoun County Animal Services’ Humane Law Enforcement Division, two South Riding men have been charged with animal cruelty.

The investigation began earlier this month when the agency was contacted by the Humane Rescue Alliance, concerning SAFETY BRIEFS continues on page 13

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Tell them you saw it in Loudoun Now.

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MAY 26, 2022

SEFETY briefs continued from page 12

a severely injured dog whose owner resided in Loudoun. The dog had been brought to a veterinary hospital in Washington, DC, with life-threatening injuries of a suspicious nature.

Investigators allege that the small lap dog, a 5-year-old female Shih Tzu type named Izzy, was cruelly treated by an 18-year-old Loudoun resident and his father. The dog suffered a traumatic brain injury, broken femur, broken vertebrae, broken rib, dislocated tail, and vision loss, among other injuries. Additionally, the dog’s owner did not seek immediate veterinary care. The dog remains hospitalized under the care of HRA. Quentin Fischer is charged with felony animal cruelty and Henry Fischer, 65, is charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty.

ADC Medical Team Awarded at Wellpath Conference The contractor medical team at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center was presented with Facility of the Year honors for the Northeast Region during the Wellpath Health Service Administers Conference in Durham, NC. The team was recognized for its efforts to provide exceptional service and compassionate care throughout the pandemic. Under a $5.4 million annual contract, Wellpath provides dental care, optical care, on-site care, substance abuse/detox

PAGE 13

programs, behavioral health services, comprehensive health appraisals, radiology and laboratory services, medically necessary diet programs, special needs and chronic care, continuity of care and discharge planning, patient health education and awareness programs, emergency and hospitalization arrangements, pharmaceutical supply, and medication management.

Wellpath is one of the largest correctional providers of medical care and mental healthcare treatment in jails and prisons operating in 34 states. n

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The Sterling man charged with shooting photos under the stall wall of a ladies’ bathroom at Dulles Town Center mall entered a no contest plea during a District Court hearing on Tuesday.

Alexander R. Mobasser, 22, was sentenced to six months of supervised probation and required to pay $91 in court costs.

The incident happened May 25, 2021, in the bathroom outside the Macy’s store.

Mall security officers were notified and they contacted the Sheriff’s Office.

Mobasser was charged following a two-month investigation.

Bomb Squad Called to Independence High School The Sheriff’s Office is investigating a suspicious device found Monday at Independence High School that left burn marks on the sidewalk. They found it was used for an unapproved science project.

The incident that caused the burn marks occurred on Saturday. Investigators have identified students involved.

The county Bomb Squad and Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the school this morning. The building was evacuated for approximately 30 minutes until the device was rendered safe.

The incident is under a joint investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office and the Sherriff’s Office, in coordination with the school division.

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MAY 26, 2022

Business

BUSINESS briefs

CartWheels Seeks to Expand Shuttle Service

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

The Leesburg Town Council will consider another expansion of the boundaries for CartWheel’s golf cart transport services following a public hearing planned in June.

Launched in 2018 by Asa Rusk, the service was started to shuttle visitors to the restaurants and breweries in the downtown area. Reflective of the town’s growing nightlife scene, he said he gets pick-up requests from residents outside his current service zone and has customers wanting to visit establishments beyond his boundaries. As while the service is geared to entertainment and hospitality venues, Rusk said some customers ask for trips to the doctor or other errands.

The council created a special ordinance to permit the golf cart service to operate on the public streets within narrow parameters. The original service area covering the downtown core was expanded in 2019 to provide rides down South King Street to the Virginia Village shopping center and to the Crescent Place neighborhood along Harrison Street.

This time, Rusk is seeking to branch out into three more neighborhoods, Exeter, Ida Lee Park and the Leesburg Plaza shopping center area; Virginia Knolls;

Town of Leesburg

The proposed expanded service area sought by the CartWheels transportation service.

and Prospect Hills. The carts would only travel on roads with speed limits of 25 miles per hour or lower.

In a presentation to the council Monday night, town Traffic Engineer Calvin Grow recommended more study of the operation before expanding the service boundaries. Because the service has not

been as active during the pandemic, Grow suggested studying the operation through the summer to gauge ridership and safety concerns. He noted that, so far, no negative impacts have been reported.

Police Officer Ryan Martin raised CARTWHEELS continues on page 16

Girl Scouts Give Cookies to Hospital Hometown Heroes LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Girl Scouts Troop 70224 delivered boxes of cookies to Inova Loudoun’s Lansdowne hospital May 17, calling them their “Hometown Heroes.”

The scouts had fundraised from local businesses including Mudskippers Pottery and the local John Deere dealership to provide the cookies. The scouts also donated cookies to their schools in appreciation of their teachers.

“We were thinking about more hometown heroes, so we decided that since doctors were working hard to keep people safe from COVID-19 that we would give them something to snack on,” said Scout

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

The Girl Scouts of Troop 70224 deliver cookies to Inova Loudoun Hospital.

Charlotte Lilienkamp.

“It was incredibly thoughtful of the Girl Scouts to honor our hard working team,” said Amira Letona, Clinical

Director, Intermediate Care Unit at Inova Loudoun Hospital. “We are grateful for the recognition and, of course, we are thankful for the cookies.” n

Job Fair Tailgate Planned The Loudoun Workforce Resource Center will host a Loudoun Job Fair Tailgate with area employers Thursday, June 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Franklin Park near Purcellville.

The event will feature employers with full-time, part-time and temporary job openings in Loudoun County and the region. Hiring employers will be on-site alongside their vehicles, where they will meet with job candidates.

Employers attending include Amazon; Anthony’s Italian Cuisine; Books International; Capital City Nurses; Home Helpers of Leesburg; Loudoun County Government (including the following departments: Juvenile Court Service Unit; Fire & Rescue; Fire & Rescue – Volunteers; Parks, Recreation, and Community Services); Loudoun County Public Schools; Plexus Scientific; Primrose Schools of Ashburn and Broadlands; and Reston Limousine.

To help job seekers get the most out of the job fair, the Loudoun Workforce Resource Center is hosting a virtual preparatory workshop entitled “Ready, Set, Go to the Job Fair” on Thursday, June 2, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Register at loudoun.gov/wrcworkshops.

Lansdowne Resort Hires New Food, Director Kevin Blake returns to Lansdowne Resort as its new director of Food and Beverage.

The chef, certified sommelier, and food and beverage execBlake utive comes to Lansdowne with more than 30 years of experience, most recently working at Creighton Farms. He also worked as a chef with Congressional Country Club and front of the house as director of Food and Beverage with Fairmont Hotels, Destination Hotels, Lansdowne Resort, Salamander Resort and Spa, Boar’s Head Inn and Wild Dunes Resort.

BETTER TIES continues on page 16

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

MAY 26, 2022

PAGE 15

Post your job listings at NowHiringLoudoun.com 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 Position

Department

Salary Range

Closing Date

Assistant Aquatics Supervisor

Parks & Recreation

$50,000-$76,882 DOQ

Open until filled

Biosolids Operator: Trainee, I, II, or Senior

Utilities

$50,000-$97,512 DOQ

Open until filled

IT Help Desk Technician II

Information Technology

$54,944-$93,954 DOQ

Open until filled

Police Officer

Police

$62,000-$89,590 DOQ

Open until filled

Project Manager

Utilities

$76,426-$130,688 DOQ

Open until filled

Small Business Development and Tourism Specialist

Econoic Development

$67,175-$121,947 DOQ

Open until filled

Stormwater & Environmental Manager

Public Works & Capital Projects

$82,999-$141,929 DOQ

Open until filled

Utility Inspector II

Utilities

$56,956-$97,512 DOQ

Open until filled

DRIVERS NEEDED Regular & CDL Call 703-737-3011

9/3/19

10:58 AM

Utility Plant Operator: Trainee, I, II, or Senior

Utilities

$50,000-$97,512 DOQ

Open until filled

Utility Plant Technician or Senior Utility Plant Technician

Utilities

$50,000-$89,790 DOQ

Open until filled

Utility Systems Technician Trainee

Utilities

$50,000-$76,882 DOQ

Open until filled

Summer Positions Position

Department Maintenance Worker

Hourly Rate Utilities

Closing Date

$15.00

Open until filled

Flexible Part-Time Position Position

Department

Hourly Rate

Closing Date

Parking Enforcement Officer

Finance

$16.86-$28.85 DOQ

Open until filled

Senior Engineer

Plan Review

$55.00-$70.00 DOQ

Open until filled

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.

Financial Administrative Assistant Position (Part-time) The Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District (LSWCD) is seeking a part-time Financial Administrative Assistant for 20 hours each week. The District office is located in Leesburg, VA. The District Financial Administrative Assistant performs professional work for the preparation and maintenance of District financial records.

Financial Administrative Assistant Position (Part-time) EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

The Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District (LSWCD) is seeking a part-time Financial Administrative Assistant for 20 hours each week. The District office is located in Leesburg, VA. The

District Administrative Assistantwork performs professional Microsoft Office and Quickbooks proficiency required. An associate’s or Financial higher degree with course emphasis in work for the preparation and maintenance of District financial records. business and/or accounting; supplemented by three years previous experience in financial management; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides theAND requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to EDUCATION EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Office and Quickbooks proficiency required. An associate’s or higher degree with course work perform this job. Quickbooks certification preferred.

REPORTER

emphasis in business and/or accounting; supplemented by three years previous experience in financial

management; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the Starting salary: $28-$32/hr. depending on education and experience.

Limited benefits are offered with this position. requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform this job. Quickbooks certification preferred.

Employment is conditional upon completion of a federal background check. There will be a six month probationary Loudoun Now Starting salary: $28-$32/hr. depending on education and experience. Limited benefits are offered with period for the chosen applicant. A full job description is available upon request.

has an opening for a reporter providing in-depth coverage of government, community and business Candidates must submit an application packet that includes: 1) completed District job application; 2) one-page narrative news.

Fast-paced newsroom committed to community summarizing their experience and 3) cover letter. Resumes will notCandidates be accepted in lieuanofapplication a completed job 1) completed District must submit packetDistrict that includes: job application; 2) one-page narrative summarizing their experience and 3) cover letter. Resumes will not be accepted in application. Applications that say "see resume" and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Job application journalism and investigative enterprises. Photo/video lieu of a completed District job application. Applications that say "see resume" and incomplete and narrative form is available at: lswcd.org and must be mailed to: LoudounwillSWCD, Attention:Job Suzanne Brown, Districtform is available at: lswcd.org and applications not be considered. application and narrative be mailed Loudoun Attention: Suzanne Brown, Manager, 30 experience preferred.

Operations Manager, 30 Catoctin Circle, SE, Suite 218; Leesburg, must VA 20175 or to: emailed to SWCD, suzie.brown@lswcd.org . District Operations this position. Employment is conditional upon completion of a federal background check. There will be a six month probationary period for the chosen applicant. A full job description is available upon request.

Catoctin Circle, SE, Suite 218; Leesburg, VA 20175 or emailed to suzie.brown@lswcd.org . Application Application packets must be postmarked by May 27, 2022. The Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District is an packets must be postmarked by May 24, 2022. The Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District is an Send résumé, equal opportunity employer. equal opportunity employer.

clips to editor@loudounnow.com.

PAGE 16

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

MAY 26, 2022

CartWheels continued from page 14 safety concerns about use of the vehicles on the public streets and recommended against the expansion. He based his concern on a crash study of low-speed vehicles published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2010.

While council members agreed safety should be the top priority, a majority expressed support for allowing the expanded service area during the summer months and reviewing the performance this fall.

Mayor Kelly Burk noted that many of the communities she has visited have similar shuttle services.

BUSINESS briefs continued from page 14

StoneSprings Hospital Nurse Wins DAISY Award Becky Morrill, a nurse at StoneSprings Hospital Center was presented the DAISY Award, an honor given to extraordinary nurses to celebrate skillful and compassionate care.

“I have used them. They are great to get around,” she said.

Burk also noted that the staff and the Police Department opposed the service when Rusk first proposed it, but no safety issues have emerged in the years since that vote.

“We’re a tourist town. People want to go from one restaurant to another or from home to a restaurant and back safely,” said Councilman Zach Cummings.

The staff was directed to prepare an ordinance to permit the service area expansion for consideration following a June 28 public hearing. Meanwhile, council members plan to ride with Rusk, with a police escort if required, on the routes he is seeking. n “Becky was given the DAISY Award for her skilled and compassionate care during a stressful delivery,” said Amy Paratore, StoneSprings Hospital Center chief nursing officer. “Her nomination is typical of her patient care every day. Her kindness and caring set the standard for nursing care that all patients can expect at StoneSprings.”

Morrill has earned this DAISY award twice during her tenure at StoneSprings Hospital Center. n

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LOUDOUNNOW.COM

MAY 26, 2022

Nonprofit

JK Community Farm Holds Annual Plant-A-Thon

BY MAX VILLEGAS

JK Community Farm near Purcellville held its fourth annual Plant-A-Thon this weekend, where volunteers planted roughly 30,000 seedlings that are expected to produce 230,000 pounds of organic produce for low-income families.

The nonprofit provides fresh produce and protein to those in need through food pantries and other local food groups.

With only two staff members, the farm is heavily reliant on volunteers to support the farm and ensure food is delivered to the roughly 90,000 people in Northern Virginia. On average, JK Community Farm anticipates 4,500 volunteers per year to make this possible. That makes it the largest volunteer-based and chemical-free farm in the United States.

Executive Director Samantha Kuhn acts as the voice for the farm, organizing how the farm interacts with the public and spreading food education throughout the community.

“Everyone is so incredible,” Kuhn said.

She said she is impressed by all of the volunteers, and appreciates their commitment to helping the community. Because of their efforts, the farm has 20 acres in production compared to only four at the beginning of

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Max Villegas/Loudoun Now

Volunteers work Saturday during JK Community Farm’s annual Plant-A-Thon.

the farm’s establishment.

After working at a community farm in college, Kuhn had a difficult time knowing that food pantries did not have fresh food.

To Kuhn, access to fresh food is a human right.

The Loudoun School for Advanced Studies was one of the many organized

groups at the Plant-A-Thon on Saturday.

Their community service club votes and decides on different activities in Northern Virginia. Yasmine Lahiri, 13, organized the club’s effort to help JK Community Farm PLANT-A-THON continues on page 19

Tree Of Life Sponsors Health Fair Tree of Life Ministries on May 21 hosted its first Dental Clinic and Community Health Fair in Leesburg at Crossroads Baptist Church.

In collaboration with The Dental Company of Leesburg and Cardinal Park Family Dental Care, free dental care was provided to 34 children and five adults.

The children were selected with the help of parent liaisons at area schools and the adults through ongoing outreach.

In addition, local health care vendors, including Inova Community Health, the Loudoun Free Clinic, and the Loudoun County Health Department were on site to offer free health information and resources to the community, as well as free flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.

Through community donations, TOL also offered free haircuts, free clothing and entertainment.

Learn more at tolministries.org. n

Land Trust Begins Leadership Transition

Contributed

Thirty-four children received free dental care during the May 21 Community Health Fair organized by Tree of Life Ministries.

The Land Trust of Virginia announced that Ashton Cole will replace Executive Director Sally Price, following her retirement at the end of the year.

Price joined the organization in 2017. Cole is the trust’s director of conservation and Stewardship.

Over the past five years, Price is credited with leading the trust through a period of strong growth across all facets of the organization.

The staff has grown from three to 10 members with a diversified skillset to better carry out the group’s mission to preserve open space.

Price also developed the trust’s signature event, Bike the Gravel: Tour de Conservation Easement.

Now in its fifth year, the event attracts nearly 500 cyclists on a special one-day-only tour along beautiful rural roads and through numerous conserved properties to highlight the importance of conservation easements in preserving farms, forests, and historic resources. Price secured strong donor support during the pandemic when its biggest annual fundraising events were canceled.

“Sally has been a wonderful addition to LTV and we wish her all the best in her retirement,” said Childs Burden, chairman of the LTV Board of Directors. “She came to us with immense knowledge about nonprofit structure and helped us to develop a team that is highly professional and dedicated to our mission, along with boosting our fundraising efforts to improve our organization’s financial health.”

As the land trust’s longest-tenured employee, Cole has played a role in all aspects of its work. He started as a recent college graduate in 2007 as the trust’s stewardship coordinator.

In 2016, he was promoted to director of conservation and stewardship and is responsible for having negotiated LAND TRUST continues on page 19

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

MAY 26, 2022

Plant-a-thon continued from page 18 again this year. They came back to “build a relationship with the farm,” according to club sponsor Rita Lahiri. Lahiri hopes the students will create a tradition of volunteering at the farm during the Plant-A-Thon.

“I want to help... and I like the mission,” said Joseph Caldwell, 17, from Loudoun School for Advanced Studies. When he learned of the opportunity, he wanted to go. He knows food pantries do not always receive the healthiest options from his experience with scouting for donations with Boy Scouts.

The Plant-A-Thon is not the only volunteer event, although it happens to be the largest one the farm offers. JK Community Farm plants most of its produce for the sea-

Land Trust continued from page 18 and drafted over 75 of the 220 easements the trust holds. In addition, he was a part of LTV’s accreditation by the Land Trust Alliance’s Accreditation Commission in 2009 and renewals of their accredited sta-

son during the Plant-A-Thon. To keep local communities in mind, the farm sends out a survey that asks what people want. The most popular food item: peppers.

Last year, the Plant-A-Thon was held over two days, and 16,000 seedlings were planted. With the pandemic still raging a year ago, the farm was supporting quadruple the amount of people they did during pre-pandemic times.

Loudoun Hunger Relief and DC Central Kitchen act as the hubs for fresh food. Smaller food pantries across Northern Virginia can go to the larger pantries and stock up on produce for smaller communities. n Max Villegas is a Freedom High School senior completing his senior capstone project at Loudoun Now. tus in 2014 and 2019.

As part of the transition plan, Amanda Scheps has been hired as LTV’s new director of conservation. She spent 15 years working with both the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and Department of Forestry in their easement and stewardship programs.

Learn more at landtrustva.org. n

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PAGE 19

Obituaries Ronald E. Baca Ronald E. Baca Sr., 78, of Ashburn, VA passed away on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Ron was born on July 7, 1943 in Raton, New Mexico. He served four years in the Marine Corps, and graduated from George Mason University, where he then went on to work at Bethesda Sheet Metal Company until retirement.

Ron was preceded in death by his daughter, Kim Cheshire; and his brother, Larry Baca. He is survived by Betty, his loving wife of almost 54 years; son, Ronnie; son-in-law Eric; daughters Debbie (Tim) and Julie (Mark); eight grandchildren; Nick, Jordan, Ayden, Emmy, Gavin, Maddox, Bennett, and Amelia; siblings Alan, Donnie, Kathy, and Gina; and numerous family and friends.

Ron’s biggest source of pride was his family, and his happiest times were spent with them in Colonial Beach, VA, eating crabs and listening to country music.

His other passions were his friends, local sports teams - especially the Redskins and the several cats that became part of the family.

We will miss his sense of humor, his kindness, and his love. Our hearts are broken, but will heal with wonderful memories and the love and support of family and friends. In lieu of a service, the family will hold a celebration of life at a later date.

Howard Willis

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Howard Mott Willis, Jr., 80, passed away peacefully on May 12, 2022. He was born January 10, 1942 in Washington, DC to the late Howard M. Willis, Sr. and Virginia S. Willis.

He is survived by his children, Mark Julian and his wife, Kelly, of Germantown, MD; his daughter, Heather Swart and her husband, Ike, of Leesburg, VA, and his son, Ryan Willis and his wife, Tara, of Leesburg, VA; his grandchildren, Kristen St. Louis, Katie Julian, Garrett Julian, Abbie Swart and Jeremy Willis. He is also survived by his sister Nancy Rich and her husband, Jim, of Willoughby, OH; four great-grandchildren, three nieces and one

nephew. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret E. Willis.

Howard was raised in Chevy Chase, MD and graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in 1961. In the late 1960’s, while working for American Oil Company, he relocated to Leesburg, VA where he first began his volunteer career with the Loudoun County Rescue Squad.

He volunteered with the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company for over 20 years; as a longtime volunteer, there were always good stories to be told. He enjoyed portraying Santa on the LVFC Santa firetruck rides through the Leesburg neighborhoods during the first few years of its inception. Howard became a police officer with the Leesburg Police Department in the early 1970’s before going into business as co-owner of Village Bakery and American Caterers. He continued to work in a part time capacity with the police department until 1980 when he was elected to the Leesburg Town Council.

He went on to own Village Vittles, which he expanded into Howard’s, Just Good Food. Howard worked for the Loudoun Chapter of the American Red Cross doing transportation and was deployed for disaster relief in several states during his time there. While working for the Red Cross, he also owned Sweet T’s Ice Cream and Deli in Purcellville. Howard was also a lifelong devoted fan of the Washington Redskins. Even in recent years, he never lost his faith in them and continued to wear a knit beanie that he purchased at RFK stadium in the early 1960’s. He eventually made his home in Chincoteague, VA, where he enjoyed semi-retirement, driving a tour bus for the Museum of Chincoteague and a school bus for the local elementary schools. In the years he lived on the Eastern Shore, he would return to Leesburg each year to cater the Lions Club fundraiser dinner up until 2020. He had a fantastic sense of humor and was never one to miss an opportunity for a sarcastic comment. Howard had an incredible love for people and never met a stranger.

Please join in his Celebration of Life on June 25, 2022 at 1pm at the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company, 215 Loudoun Street, SW, Leesburg, VA 20175. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company.

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MAY 26, 2022

Towns

AROUND towns LOVETTSVILLE Oktoberfest Committee Plans Public Briefing

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

To address long-term flooding problems along Main Street in Round Hill, the sidewalk on the east side of the road is being elevated, by more than two feet in some areas. That means some homes fronting the street need new steps or ramps to compensate for the elevation change and it has created some unexpectedly very steep driveways.

Round Hill Council Approves Tweaks to Main Street Project

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

The designs were laid out a decade ago, but now that Round Hill’s Main Street improvements are under construc-

tion many residents are looking for a Plan B. The Town Council is working to make that happen.

In addition to streetscape improvements, a key element of the project to better control the stormwater that drains into

the downtown corridor, often flooding lawns and basements. To fix that the sidewalk on the east side of the road is being MAIN STREET continues on page 23

Middleburg Revamps Art in the Burg The Middleburg Arts Council and the Town of Middleburg gave Art in the Burg a fresh face for 2022.

On top of the art on display like paintings, pottery, sculptures and photography, this year the event also included the Art in the Ox pop art exhibit inside Old Ox Brewery, a fashion show, the Hunt Country Music Festival, local chefs offering cooking demonstrations, and short musicals throughout the day.

And once again schools, businesses and others were invited to take part in “Art CAN Help!,” creating food can sculptures to go on display, with visitors voting with cash donations. The highest donation denoted the “CANS” Art Festival Award. n

Town volunteers are gearing up to for a full-scale return of the annual Oktoberfest celebration Sept.

23-24.

Planners will host two community meet and greet sessions, June 6 and June 7 at Town Hall to present their event timeline, musical lineup, public safety plan, and list of street closures among other details. They will have a presentation on how businesses, individuals, and community volunteer groups can become involved. There also will be representatives from Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services on hand to showcase the new Lovettsville Community Park.

The sessions should last about an hour and are open to the public. Learn more at lovettsvilleoktoberfest.com.

New Traffic Study Planned The Loudoun County Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure plans to conduct a new June 6-8 on Berlin Turnpike and E. Broad Way near the Community Center.

This data will help determine whether traffic calming measures are needed and comes in response to a push from residents to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety, especially near the new Community Park and the community center.

PURCELLVILLE Groundbreaking Set for Bike Park Town leaders and the Caudill family will gather for a groundbreaking ceremony for Adam’s Bike Park at 6 p.m. June 1.

The park is being constructed near the North Maple Avenue Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Andy Lavin decided to exhibit and sell his sketches—which he said he creates during long meetings and down time—for the first time at Art in the Burg, getting a positive response to his artwork.

AROUND TOWNS continues on page 21

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MAY 26, 2022

AROUND towns continued from page 20

water tower. It is intended to honor Adam Caudill who died in 2021 at the age of 15.

The ceremony, which will be held on his 17th birthday, will include a blessing of the land, remarks from friends and family, the groundbreaking, and a chance for guests to share a message on a banner that will be displayed at the park.

When completed, Adam’s Bike Park will be accessible from North Maple Avenue and from the W&OD Trail. The park will include ramps and pathways for non-motorized, 2-wheeled bicycles.

Parking for the ceremony is available at Loudoun Valley High School. Attendees are encouraged to wear Adam’s favorite color, red, to the ceremony.

ROUND HILL Pool Fill-up Causes Water Scare The filling of the pool at the Stoneleigh Golf and Country Club created a water panic for the neighborhood last weekend.

The Round Hill Town Council was briefed on the incident May 18.

According to the report, crews at the club began refilling the 120,000-gallon pool over the previous weekend, but apparently disregarded the direction of the town’s utility staff to add the water in phases. As water continued to run into the pool throughout the day and night, an alert that the Stoneleigh water storage tank was draining prompted a call to shut off the flow.

The water system serving the Stoneleigh neighborhood—several groundwater wells and a storage tank—operates separately from the main system serving the town and surrounding neighborhoods.

Staff members believe that about 30,000 gallons of water flowed into the pool before the shutdown was ordered.

That’s about the same volume the neighborhood uses daily. The incident caused the wells to pump longer hours than is typical and also triggered a temporary spike in chlorine levels in the system.

Following an emergency caused by a broken line in the Stoneleigh system last fall, the Town Council is moving ahead with plans to build an additional tank to increase water storage there. n

The Disposable Plastic Bag Tax Starts July 1

Prepare Your Business Get ready at Biz.Loudoun.gov/bags

PAGE 21

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MAY 26, 2022

Father-daughter team Makena and Mike McLaughlin this year opened Stonehedge Flower Farm near Hillsboro, selling their flowers for the first time at Gardens in the Gap.

Monday, May 30th, 10:00am Loudoun County Cour thouse Special Guest U.S. Ar my Lieutenant General (Ret.) Br uce T. Crawford Accessible parking available for those who need assistance, all others please use Town Garage.

For more information, call 703.777.1368 or visit www.idalee.org.

In the event of rain, the ceremony will be held at the Leesburg Senior Center, located at 102 North St. NW, Leesburg, VA

Hillsboro Celebrates Spring with Gardens in the Gap The Town of Hillsboro celebrated the warm spring weather Saturday with the return of Gardens in the Gap at the Old Stone School. Visitors enjoyed food, drinks, crafts, musical performances and “Eat, Drink & Be Literary,” a lecture by Chef Nora Pouillon.

— Photos by Renss Greene

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Rich Corpe, owner of Red Truck WoodWorks in Purcellville, displayed a guitar made of local wood.

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MAY 26, 2022

PAGE 23

Main Street continued from page 20 elevated, by more than two feet in some areas. That means some homes fronting the street need new steps or ramps to compensate for the elevation change and it has created some unexpectedly very steep driveways.

In a May 18 update to the Town Council, Project Manager Rob Lohr noted that many of the residents who lived in the homes when the new sidewalk was designed have moved—16 of 29 houses have different residents—and others have gotten older, finding that a ramp would be a better solution than the earlier planned steps. He and the town staff have been working with each property owner to address their concerns and proposed a package of project tweaks.

Lohr said that while some residents were frustrated and worried about the work, none made unreasonable demands in their request for alterations. “Everybody is working together and helping their neighbors,” he said.

The construction cost of the changes is estimated at $20,000, with at least that much required for additional survey work and easements. The council on

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

The Round Hill Town Council is working to accommodate concerns about raising sidewalks to alleviate flooding, which could also mean some homes need steps or ramps to the sidewalk.

Wednesday night approved an allocation of up to $75,000 from the $3.5 million project’s contingency fund to accommodate the changes.

Council members applauded the staff’s efforts to address the concerns.

Mayor Scott Ramsey noted the approved work isn’t likely to make everyone happy, but said that the fact that the council chambers have not been filled with complaining residents was a credit to the outreach efforts. n

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

You are invited to our Virtual Community Meeting Learn about the Altair Electric Transmission Project scheduled to begin construction this summer in Loudoun County. This project will improve electric reliability for all customers in the region.

Use your phone’s camera or QR reader app to visit the project page directly.

Join us live online on Thursday, June 2 at 5:00 p.m.

You can find event details at DominionEnergy.com/altair

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MAY 26, 2022

THINGS to do

Loco Living

LOCO LIVE Notaviva Bluegrass Jam

Friday, May 27, 5-9 p.m.

Notaviva Craft Fermentations, 13274 Sagle Road, Hillsboro Details: notavivavineyards.com Enjoy the best in local live bluegrass every fourth Friday. Admission is free.

Live Music: Todd Brooks and Pour Decisions Friday, May 27, 5:30 p.m.

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: lostbarrel.com Brooks and company serve up a heavy helping of classic rock along with favorites from the 80s, 90s and 2000s.

VAL Plaza Party: Dave Mininberg Duo

Friday, May 27, 6-9 p.m.

Village At Leesburg, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg Details: villageatleesburg.com Well known for his work with the band 7th Son of WV, Mininberg brings a unique blend of originals, classic rock, blues and country.

Live Music: Frayed Knots

Friday, May 27, 6 p.m.

Chefscape, 1602 Village Market Blvd. # 115, Leesburg Details: chefscapekitchen.com Celebrate Frayed Knots “Loose Ends” EP release with special guest Chris Timbers.

Live Music: Rob Hoey

Friday, May 27, 6 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Hoey serves up covers spanning genres and generations–from Clapton to Coldplay and everything in between.

Middleburg Concert:The Crooked Angels

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Artist Patricia Taylor stands in front her artwork at the upcoming Elysium Axe Bar in Purcellville.

Lighting Up the Room The Luminous Landscapes of Artist Patricia Taylor

BY JAN MERKCER

jmercker@loudounnow.com

Purcellville artist Patricia Taylor is the woman behind the wings.

Taylor’s whimsical wing murals and glowing faux finishing work are creating a buzz at businesses around her hometown and beyond. Taylor is also a fine arts painter with an upcoming solo show in Frederick, MD. But with decades of theater, film and television production work under her belt,

she considers herself a designer at heart.

“I’m more interested in transforming the experience, the environment. … I’m interested in making you feel something when you walk into a room,” Taylor said.

Taylor’s luminous decorative painting and “Drunken Flight” wings mural, made from gilded cork and maple, have helped give the new Purcellville hotspot Bia Kitchen its inviting vibe. And her impressive soon-to-be unveiled Viking wings at the new Elysium Axe Bar will likely be

turning up on Instagram accounts all over Loudoun in coming months.

After a decade working in theater and television production design in New York, Taylor has adapted her artistic talents as her family moved for her husband’s career over the past 20 years. Their latest move brought them to Purcellville in 2017, and Taylor has immersed herself in the local arts scene.

TAYLOR continues on page 26

Friday, May 27, 6-8 p.m.

Middleburg Community Center, 300 W. Washington St., Middleburg Details: middleburgcommunitycenter.com Middleburg opens its pool with an outdoor concert from husband and wife duo Jamie and Amy Potter. Admission is free. Food, wine and beer will be available for sale.

Live Music: Chris Timbers Band

Friday, May 27, 8 p.m.

Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com Kick off the holiday weekend with alternative soul tunes from a local favorite.

DC Improv Comedy Night

Friday, May 27,9 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg Details: tallyhotheater.com It’s a great night of comedy featuring Ross Benoit, Peter Sullivan, Liz Barlow, Kandace Saunders and Matt Bergman. Tickets are $22$32 with assigned seating.

Live Music: Stealing Dawn

Saturday, May 28, 1 p.m.

Doukénie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro Details: doukeniewinery.com Stealing Dawn return to Doukénie with blues, jazz, rock, pop and beyond.

THINGS TO DO continues on page 27

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MAY 26, 2022

Christina Andreyko, a member of the Alpaca and Llama 4-H Club of Loudoun County, stands with Vicki Vale, an alpaca, at Double 8 Alpaca Ranch in Neersville.

Spring Farm Tour Returns Loudoun’s Spring Farm Tour returned last weekend with dozens of local farms, ranging from the traditional to the brandnew, opening their doors to visitors.

It was a chance for visitors to meet the farmers, see how farms work, and maybe even play some games or buy some local goods. There were also farm tour prizes for high scores on Loudoun Farm Tour challenges, with prizes such as gift baskets of Loudoun-made products and family four-packs of passes to the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum.

— Photos by Renss Greene

Cannabreeze Hemp Farm Director of Cultivation Justin Everhart displays a jar of CBD distillate, a purified form of CBD oil.

Hemp plant seedlings sprout inside Cannabreeze Hemp Farm near Lovettsville, a stop on the 2022 Loudoun Spring Farm tour.

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Taylor continued from page 24 Taylor was born in Panama, the daughter of a Panamanian father of Scottish descent and a Colombian mother, and grew up in Panama and Bogota. Taylor earned her bachelor’s degree in studio art at Florida State University and went on to earn a master’s degree in set and costume design from the University of Michigan. Taylor knew she wanted to work in production design even as a teenager.

“Film has always been my first love,” she said. “I love the idea of telling stories through pictures.”

Taylor grew up with a passion for history and architecture and inherited a love of fashion, design and decor from her mother and grandmother. When a high school friend brought her an article about the legendary designer Patrizia von Brandenstein, the first woman to win an Academy Award, for her production design for the 1984 classic “Amadeus,” it was a lightbulb moment and the beginning of an exciting career path.

Her design work on the Sundance-nominated student film “The Four Corners

of Nowhere” during her MFA program brought Taylor to New York in the mid’90s and launched a successful career in theater and television. Taylor worked with Broadway legend Julie Taymor on multiple shows and worked on props and sets for Jim Henson Productions.

Taylor met her husband Rick Holz on a trip to Colorado and moved to Denver in the early 2000s. The couple moved multiple times around the country, before moving to Purcellville in 2017. Taylor has shifted gears from her NYC days and adapted her work with each new location.

“I’ve learned to reinvent myself and channel my skills to the economy of wherever I’ve moved,” she said. “What can I contribute? What can I show through my filter?”

With her artist’s eye and design sensibilities, Loudoun’s hunt country has embraced Taylor’s work. She has made her mark in countless homes as a color consultant for Purcellville’s The Paint and Paper Place. Taylor has collaborated with fellow Loudoun artist Penny Hauffe on several projects, including dramatic largescale equestrian murals at a private residence and at the Masters of Foxhounds Museum in Middleburg.

MAY 26, 2022

Collaboration with fellow artists is something Taylor has always valued.

“I think that comes from working in production design and theater. I’m used to working in teams,” she said. “I’m interested in the final product being the best it could be rather than me trying to do it all by myself. I think it enriches things when you have different energies.’’

Taylor’s charming dragonfly wing bench created for Purcellville’s “Take a Seat” arts fundraiser in 2020 was a local hit. Her work at Bia Kitchen drew accolades for creating a warm European bistro ambiance. Taylor also worked with the owners of Purcellville’s new Elysium Axe Bar, slated to open in coming weeks, to create a selfie mural that reflected the Viking vibe the group wanted to create.

Taylor drew up plans for a giant pair of shimmering wings made up of medieval weapons, doing extensive research including a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s armory wing. The mural is complemented by textured silver faux finishing that creates the look of burnished steel blades.

Taylor brings a Caribbean-inspired sense of color and elements of magic realism to her fine arts work. Her “Mind-

scapes” show at District Arts in Frederick, which runs June 1 through July 2, is a series of bas-relief nature studies of landscapes real and imagined, from pastoral Loudoun scenes to the Madrona trees of Western Washington to Martian landscapes captured by the Perseverance rover.

“They’re the landscapes in my mind— memories of places I’ve seen and places that I’ll never see,” Taylor said.

Taylor’s pieces are full of texture and metallic elements, including iron, oxidized copper and gold leaf.

“It’s really beautiful when you mix the rustic with the elegance of the metal. These pieces are about contrast, about including natural raw materials,” Taylor said. “I want the painting to have topography, to have a sensory quality to it beyond the visual. I don’t like perfect smooth surfaces. I try to corrupt the surface, give it scars, give it texture—because life is not perfect.”

Check out Patricia Taylor’s work at pthvisualarts.com. n For more information about Taylor’s “Mindscapes” show opening June 1, go to districtarts.com.

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D A R G A E T A L U

T A R G N CO

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BEST BETS

THE BILL PAPPAS PROJECT Saturday, May 28, 6-10 p.m.

MacDowell’s Beach macsbeach.com

THINGS to do continued from page 24

Live Music: Rowdy Ace Band Saturday, May 28, 1 p.m.

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts Details: vanishbeer.com Kick back with a fun mix of country and rock tunes from Rowdy Ace.

THE REFLEX Saturday, May 28, 6 p.m.

Tarara Summer Concert Series tararaconcers.com

Live Music: Jason Masi

Saturday, May 28, 1:30 p.m.

Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville Details: sunsethillsvineyard.com Enjoy a mellow afternoon of acoustic soul and R&B from local favorite Jason Masi.

Live Music: Chris and Kerry

Saturday, May 28, 5 p.m.

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: lostbarrel.com

It’s a fun evening with tunes by the Dave Matthews Band, Tom Petty, The Avett Brothers and other favorites.

Live Music: Clark Peklo Saturday, May 28, 5:30 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Peklo returns to Flying Ace with cool, unexpected covers and a strict No Eagles policy.

ZOSO Saturday, May 28, 8 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

VAL Plaza Party: Jagged Edge Saturday, May 28. 6-9 p.m.

Village At Leesburg, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg Details: villageatleesburg.com With a repertoire of top 40, country and classic covers, Jagged Edge is on a mission to entertain audiences.

THINGS TO DO continues on page 28

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MAY 26, 2022

Remembering the Fallen on Memorial Day While Memorial Day weekend will be a time for picnics and pool parties for many, several community events are planned to put the focus on the lives lost in military service.

The largest event is the annual Memorial Day Observance in Leesburg, which will begin at 10 a.m. Monday, May 30 on the Loudoun County Courthouse grounds.

Lt. Gen. Bruce T. Crawford, U.S. Army (retired) will be the keynote speaker. Mayor Kelly Burk also will make remarks before placing a wreath at the war memorials in honor of all soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.

The public is encouraged to attend.

In the event of rain, the event will take place at the Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North Street, NW.

Lovettsville Gather at the Lovettsville Veterans Memorial on the Zoldos Square for the town’s annual Memorial Day Ceremony to honor military personnel who we have lost in the service of their country. This

THINGS to do continued from page 27

Live Music: Something’s Brewing

Saturday, May 28, 6 p.m.

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro Details: harvestgap.com Classic rock, pop and folk, old and new from some of the area’s best musicians.

Live Music: The Bill Pappas Project

Saturday, May 28, 6-10 p.m.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg Details: macsbeach.com The Bill Pappas Project brings a unique high-energy fusion of blues, rock, funk and jazz, taking audiences on a musical road trip from Texas to Chicago and beyond.

Old Ox Comedy Show

Saturday, May 28, 7-9 p.m.

Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn Details: www.oldoxbrewery.com It’s a double headliner comedy show featuring national touring comedians Janet Williams and Joel Lindley. Tickets are $20.

Live Music: Zoso: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience

Saturday, May 28, 8 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg Details: tallyhotheater.com Zoso returns for a fun evening of Zeppelin favorites.

year’s ceremony will be Monday, May 30th at 11 a.m.

Purcellville The town will honor fallen veterans during a ceremony beginning at 11:45 a.m. Monday at Town Hall. Sergeant Eric M. Wilson, U.S. Army (retired) will be the guest speaker. The crowd will then walk to the tear drop for a wreath-laying, 21-gun salute and playing of Taps.

Taylorstown The annual Taylorstown Memorial Day ceremony, including the firing of salutes with period firearms, will be held at the Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church cemetery, 13266 Taylorstown Road, starting at 11 a.m. Monday. Lunch is available for purchase. Donations will be devoted to cemetery upkeep.

Round Hill Round Hill’s Memorial Day service will be held at the town park at 10:45 a.m. Saturday, as part of the day-long Hometown Festival. The program includes speeches and a wreath-laying ceremony. n

Tickets are $15-$35.

Live Music: Cowpoke Band

Saturday, May 28, 8 p.m.

Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive #120, Sterling Details: crookedrunbrewing.com Cowpoke is a unique trio that performs an eclectic mix of originals and covers spanning genres including country, folk, pop and rock.

Live Music: Mercy Creek

Saturday, May 28, 8 p.m.

Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com Mercy Creek returns to Monk’s with their signature earthy, edgy, aggressive folk-rock.

Steel Drummin’ on MacDowell’s Beach

Sunday, May 29, noon -3 p.m.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg Details: macsbeach.com Get into the island spirit with Caribbean steel drum music at Mac’s Beach.

Loudoun Now file photo

Phil Rusciolelli, Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk and the Rev. George Mink place a wreath at the World War I memorial during the town’s 2021 Memorial Day ceremony.

Details: flyingacefarm.com Mabe is a stellar banjo player and singer/songwriter from the hills of North Carolina. His unique style covers a wide range of music from bluegrass to jazz, Irish and roots tunes.

Live Music: The Brahman Noodles

Sunday, May 29, 2 p.m.

Two Twisted Posts Winery, 12944 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro Details: twotwistedposts.com It’s a fun afternoon of jug funk and “jamcoustic” sounds from the Brahman Noodles with new songs along with old favorites from Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and more.

Live Music: Sidetracked

Sunday, May 29, 2 p.m.

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro Details: harvestgap.com Celebrate Sunday with guitar-driven rock ‘n’ roll featuring hits and B-sides from the 60s through the 90s.

Live Music: Gary Smallwood

Sunday, May 29, 1:30 p.m.

Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville Details: sunsethillsvineyard.com Gary Smallwood returns to Sunset Hills with his locally famous classic rock, country rock and blues.

Live Music: Robert Mabe Band

Sunday, May 29, 2 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville

Esmeralda, a dancer living in the gutters below the cathedral. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for students. Performances also run June 10-12.

LOCO CULTURE ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’

Friday, May 27-Sunday, May 29, 7:30-10:30 p.m.

Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville Details: jupitertheatercompany.com Jupiter Theater Company presents a theatrical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel featuring Quasimodo, the bellringer of Notre Dame, and

Round Hill Hometown Festival

Saturday, May 28, all day Downtown Round Hill Details: hometownfestival.org Round Hill’s best day of the year is back. The day kicks off with a 5K run at 8 a.m., followed by a parade at 9:30, a Memorial Day ceremony, live music starting early and running throughout the day, children’s activities and more. Check out the website for a full schedule.

Purcellville American Legion Open House

Saturday, May 28, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

American Legion Post 293, 112 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: facebook.com/americanlegionpost293 Post 293 hosts an open house to showcase plans for their building renovation and raise funds in support of local veterans. Enjoy lunch from Spanky’s Shenanigans and check out this non-profit service organization.

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MAY 26, 2022

PAGE 29

Legal Notices JOINT PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE FY2023-FY2028 SECONDARY ROAD SIX-YEAR PLAN AND FY2023 CONSTRUCTION IMPROVEMENT BUDGET PRIORITY LIST In accordance with Virginia Code §33.2-331, the BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUDOUN COUNTY and the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION will jointly hold a combined PUBLIC HEARING on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, to consider adoption of the FY2023 - FY2028 Secondary Road Six-Year Plan and the FY2023 Construction Improvement Budget Priority List developed for the secondary roads in Loudoun County.

All projects in the Secondary Road Six-Year Plan that are eligible for federal funds will be included in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which documents how Virginia will obligate federal transportation funds.

Citizens are invited to be present and express their views regarding the above-mentioned documents.

COUNTY OF LOUDOUN FIRST HALF REAL PROPERTY TAX DEADLINE H. Roger Zurn, Jr., Treasurer JUNE 6, 2022 The deadline for payment of the first half real property tax is June 6, 2022.

Payments received or postmarked after June 6, 2022, will incur a 10 percent penalty and interest. Any such penalty, when assessed, shall become part of the tax with interest accruing on both the tax and penalty at a rate of 10% annually. The due date will not be extended for bills where assessment questions have been filed with the Board of Equalization. Taxpayers who are having financial difficulties should contact our Collections Team at 703-771-5656 who stand ready to assist.

For your safety and convenience, please consider making payments online, by phone or mail.

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The list of highway improvement projects in the proposed amended Six-Year Plan, and the proposed amended annual Construction Improvement Budget Priority List, taken from the Six-Year Plan, are available for public inspection at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call (703) 777-0200, and at the Virginia Department of Transportation Leesburg Residency Office, 41 Lawson Road, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call (703) 737-2000.

Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings. All members of the public who desire to speak will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters.

Public input may be provided by electronic means at Board public hearings. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, will be accommodated without advanced sign-up during the hearing, however, members of the public are strongly encouraged to signup in advance. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on June 3, 2022, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on June 15, 2022. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings.

BY ORDER OF:

CONVENIENT PAYMENT OPTIONS AND LOCATIONS Online:

www.loudounportal.com/taxes Pay using electronic check, VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover

Pay your taxes through your mobile device: Link2Loudoun app is available for free from the iPhone App Store and the Google Play Store. The app allows access to www.loudounportal.com/taxes to pay your taxes.

By Telephone:

24-hour line 1-800-269-5971 703-777-0280 during regular business hours.

Pay using electronic check, VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover

Please note: There is a convenience fee added to a Credit Card transaction.

There is no fee for electronic checks (e-check).

By Mail:

County of Loudoun P.O. Box 1000 Leesburg, Virginia 20177-1000 TREASURER’S OFFICE HOURS AND LOCATIONS 1 Harrison Street, S.E. 1st Floor Leesburg, Virginia 20175

21641 Ridgetop Circle Suite 104 Sterling, Virginia 20166

24-hour depository boxes are located outside each office.

Regular Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM

Phyllis J. Randall Chair Loudoun County Board of Supervisors

Farid Bigdeli Assistant District Administrator Virginia Department of Transportation 5/26 & 6/2/22

Stay up to date on tax information by subscribing to the Tax Notices category of Alert Loudoun at www.louduon.gov/alert. You can also text the word “TAXES” to 888777 to receive text messages about tax-related information, including upcoming deadlines.

For information regarding Real Property Tax Relief for the Elderly or for Disabled Persons, please contact the Tax Exemption and Deferrals division of the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office at taxrelief@loudoun.gov by phone 703-737-8557 or visit www.loudoun.gov/taxrelief.

Notice of Hearing Seizure of 26 chickens In accordance with the authority set forth in §3.2-6569 of the Code of Virginia, on Thursday, 05/19/2022, the Loudoun County Department of Animal Services seized 26 chickens, ages 9 weeks to 1 year old, females and males, two white birds and 24 black/green birds, poultry that was found abandoned at the intersection of John Mosby Highway and New Mountain Road in Aldie, Virginia. A hearing to determine whether the chickens have been abandoned, cruelly treated or have not been provided with adequate care will be held on Wednesday, 06/01/2022 at 10:00AM in the General District Court of Loudoun County, located at 18 E. Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176.

5/26/22

LoudounNow.com

Please contact the Loudoun County Treasurer's Office at 703-777-0280 or email us at taxes@loudoun. gov with questions or if you have not received your bill.

5/26 & 6/2/22

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Leesburg Department of Public Works and Capital Projects (VMRC #2022-0350) have requested a permit from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to replace a low water bridge crossing Tuscarora Creek adjacent to Lawson Road in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Send comments/inquiries within l5 days to: Marine Resources Commission, Habitat Management Division, 380 Fenwick Road, Bldg 96, Hampton, VA 23651 or jpa.permits@mrc.virginia.gov.

5/26/22

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

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MAY 26, 2022

Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, June 15, 2022, in order to consider: ZMAP-2020-0012 & SPEX-2021-0020 MOUNTAIN VIEW RESIDENTIAL

ZMOD-2019-0051 DULLES 28 CENTRE SIGN PLAN

43500 Mountain View Dr LLC, of Brambleton, Virginia, and 43474 Mountainviewdr LLC, of Chantilly, Virginia, have submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone approximately 6.33 acres from the CR-1 (Countryside Residential - 1) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-8 ADU (Single Family Residential - 8, ADU Development Regulations) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop 41 Single Family Attached residential units, at a density of approximately 6.5 dwelling units per acre; and 2) A Special Exception to permit the modification of the minimum yard requirements for ADU developments in the R-8 ADU zoning district from 15 feet to 10 feet. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and the proposed modification of the minimum yard requirements for ADU developments in the R-8 ADU zoning district is authorized

by Special Exception under Section 7-803(C)(4). The subject property is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, between the Ldn 60-65 aircraft noise contours and is also located within the QN (Quarry Notification) Overlay District, Chantilly Crush Stone Note Area. The subject property is approximately 6.33 acres in size and is located on the north side of Mountain View Drive (Route 834), west of Poland Road (Route 742) and south of Savoy Woods Court (Route 2290) in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as:

Dulles 28 Centre Retail Group LLC of Rockville, Maryland, has submitted an application to modify the applicable provisions of Section 523 of the 1972 Zoning Ordinance to implement a Comprehensive Sign Package pursuant to Section 700.2 of the 1972 Zoning Ordinance which proposes changes to the total aggregate sign area, maximum number of signs, and maximum area of any one sign for building mounted signs for an approximately 13.07-acre property located in the PD-CH (Planned Development – Commercial Highway) zoning district under the 1972 Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is being developed pursuant to ZMAP-1989-0021, Dulles 28 Centre, Concept Development Plan Amendment in the PD-CH (Planned Development Commercial Highway) zoning district under the 1972 Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District. The subject property is approximately 13.07 acres in size and is located in the northwest quadrant of the intersection of Sully Road (Route 28) and Waxpool Road (Route 625) at 22000 Dulles Retail Plaza, Sterling, Virginia in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 044-49-3578. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)), which designate this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural, and Recreational uses up to a 1.0 Floor Area Ratio (FAR).

(Zoning Map Amendment & Special Exception)

PIN

PROPERTY ADDRESS

128-39-9805

43500 Mountain View Drive, Chantilly, Virginia

128-39-6515

43474 and 43494 Mountain View Drive, Chantilly, Virginia

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Neighborhood Place Type)) which designate this area for predominately Residential uses on medium-to-large lots with a residential density up to four dwelling units per acres, or up to six units per acre for infill development, and a total non-residential Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.

ZMAP-2021-0004 & SPEX-2021-0007 COLONNADE (Zoning Map Amendment and Special Exception)

DTC Partners, LLC of Rockville, Maryland has submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone approximately 4.15 acres from the PD-CC(NC) (Planned Development – Commercial Center (Neighborhood Center)) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-16 ADU (Townhouse/ Multifamily Residential – 16, Affordable Dwelling Unit Development Regulations) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop up to 61 single-family attached dwelling units at a density of 14.7 dwelling units per acre; and 2) a Special Exception to reduce the front yard setback from 15 to 10 feet for rear-loaded single-family attached dwelling units in the R-16 ADU zoning district and the proposed modification of the minimum yard requirements for ADU developments in the R-16 ADU zoning district is authorized by Special Exception under Section 7-903(C)(1)(3). The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District. The subject property is approximately 4.15 acres in size and located in the northeast corner of the intersection of City Center Boulevard (Route 1345) and Stefanie Drive (Route 2879). The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 029-28-5117. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)), which designate this area for a mix of residential, commercial, entertainment, cultural, and recreational uses at up to 1.0 floor area ratio (FAR).

SPEX-2021-0025 SCOTT JENKINS MEMORIAL PARK (Special Exception)

The Loudoun County Department of Transportation & Capital Infrastructure, of Leesburg, Virginia, has submitted an application for a Special Exception to modify the conditions of approval and Special Exception plat associated with SPEX-2009-0004, Scott Jenkins Memorial Park, which currently govern the subject property, in order to amend Condition #5 to allow lighting for the existing ballfields on site in the AR-1 (Agricultural Rural – 1) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is located partially within the Sensitive Mountainside Overlay District and is also located partially within the Somewhat Sensitive Mountainside Overlay District. The subject property is approximately 34.21 acres in size and is located on the south side of Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7) and on the north side of East Colonial Highway (Old Route 7), at 39464 E Colonial Highway, Hamilton, Virginia, in the Catoctin Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 346-35-3765. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Rural Policy Area (Rural North Place Type)), which designate this area for mostly Agricultural and Agricultural Supportive uses with limited Residential uses.

(Zoning Ordinance Modification)

ZMAP-2019-0016 JK TECHNOLOGY PARK #3 (Zoning Map Amendment)

JK Land Holdings LLC of Sterling Virginia, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 21.23 acres from the RC (Rural Commercial) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop by right uses including office and data center uses in the PD-IP zoning district up to a 0.6 Floor Area Ratio (FAR). The property is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, within the Ldn 65 or higher and located partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District), major floodplain. The subject property is approximately 21.23 acres in size and is located on the west side of Stone Springs Boulevard (Route 659) and south of Arcola Mills Drive (Route 621) at 24393 Stone Springs Blvd, Sterling, Virginia in the Blue Ridge Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 203-29-5737. The area is governed by the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Employment)), which supports primarily Office, Production, Flex space, and Warehousing uses as well as startups and established businesses with limited Retail uses at a FAR of up to 1.0.

APPROVAL OF A BOUNDARY LINE AGREEMENT TO CHANGE THE BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN LOUDOUN COUNTY, VIRGINIA, AND THE TOWN OF LOVETTSVILLE, VIRGINIA Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-3106 et seq., the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors hereby provides notice of its intention to approve a Boundary Line Agreement with the Town of Lovettsville, Virginia, (“Town”) to change the existing boundary line between Loudoun County, Virginia, (“County”) and the Town. The proposed boundary line change would incorporate into the municipal limits of the Town a land area containing 30.3815 acres, more or less, being all of the property identified as Loudoun County Parcel Identification Numbers (PINs) 371-49-5463 (Wheeler & Wheeler, Inc., d/b/a West End Motors) and 37139-4189 (One Family Brewing), plus a 999-foot section of Berlin Turnpike (Route 287) from the current Town boundary on the north (“Subject Property”).

The new location of the boundary line between the County and the Town would correspond generally to a line extending southeasterly from a point located along the Town’s eastern boundary, which point also is located along the northeastern corner of a parcel owned by the Lovettsville District Fire and Rescue Company, Inc., southeasterly across Route 287 to the northwestern boundary of land owned by Wheeler and Wheeler Inc., then generally southeasterly and southerly along the southern right-of-way of Lutheran Church Road (Route 676) and northern boundaries of land owned by Wheeler and Wheeler Inc. and One Family Brewing LLC (PIN 234-49-1255 and 234-50-6397), then curving northeasterly to a point and then southeasterly and southerly, then northwesterly and then southwesterly, then westerly along the southern boundary of One Family Brewing LLC to the eastern right-of-way of Route 287, then proceeding northeasterly to a point along the western boundary of One Family Brewing LLC and then crossing Route 287 to the western right-of-way of Route 287 and southeastern corner of a Lovettsville District Fire and Rescue Company, Inc. parcel, then heading northeasterly to the northeastern corner of the Lovettsville District Fire and Rescue Company, Inc. property. The Subject Property to be incorporated into the Town is located adjacent to the southeast side of the current municipal limits of the Town, in the Catoctin Election District, and is depicted on the below map.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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MAY 26, 2022

PAGE 31

Legal Notices A copy of the draft Boundary Line Agreement may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).

Unless otherwise noted in the above notices, copies of the above-referenced amendments, applications, ordinances, and/or plans and related documents may be examined by request at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. This link also provides an additional opportunity for public input on active applications. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”). In addition, for detailed instructions on how to access documents using LOLA, to request that documents be emailed to you, to receive physical copies of documents, or to arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email DPZ@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246 (option 5).

Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings. All members of the public who desire to speak will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Public input may be provided by electronic means at Board public hearings. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, will be accommodated without advanced sign-up during the hearing, however, members of the public are strongly encouraged to sign-up in advance. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on June 3, 2022, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on June 15, 2022. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice.

FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings.

BY ORDER OF:

PHYLLIS RANDALL, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

5/26 & 6/2/22

TOWN OF LEESBURG

PUBLIC NOTICE INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) The Town of Leesburg will accept bids electronically via the Commonwealth’s e-procurement website (www.eva.virginia. gov), until 2:00 p.m. on June 23, 2022 for the following: IFB NO. 100417-FY22-45 IDA LEE PARK RECREATION CENTER INDOOR POOL WHITE COATING

Create Local Jobs Shop LoCo

The Town of Leesburg, Virginia (“Town”) is requesting sealed bids from qualified Bidders to furnish all equipment, materials, and labor for the necessary preparation and application of white plaster/whitecoat surface to the main and auxiliary indoor pools at the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center Indoor located at 60 Ida Lee Drive NW, Leesburg., VA 20176.

For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard 5/26/22

NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT TO ZONING ORDINANCE ARTICLE 9 USE REGULATIONS RELATING TO MOBILE FOOD UNIT PARKING/ STORAGE ASSOCIATED WITH A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN 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 PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176 to consider Zoning Ordinance Amendment TLOA-2021-0013 revising the following Section of the Zoning Ordinance: 1. Sec. 9.5.4.F Mobile Food Unit on Private Property in the I-1 District, the Planned Employment Center (PEC District) and within the B-2, B-3 and B-4 Zoning Districts, and the CD-C and CD-CC Sub-Districts of the Crescent Design District to establish parking/storage requirements for mobile food units working out of a commercial kitchen Copies and additional information regarding this proposed Zoning Ordinance amendment is available at the Department of Planning and Zoning located on the second floor of the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by calling 703-737-7009 and asking for Christopher Murphy, Senior Planning Project Manager. This zoning ordinance amendment application is identified as case number TLOA-2021-0013.

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 the Commission at (703) 771-2434 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

5/19 & 5/26/22

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

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MAY 26, 2022

Legal Notices Town of Round Hill, Virginia Proposed FY2023 General Fund & Utility Fund Budget (July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023) Pursuant to Section 15.2-2506 and Section 58.1-3007 of the Code of Virginia: Round Hill, Virginia gives public notice of its proposed budget, tax rates, fees and charges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022 and ending June 30, 2023. A public hearing on the proposed budget, tax rates, fees and charges will be held by the Town Council on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 7:30PM. The public hearing will be held in person at the Round Hill Town Office 23 Main Street, Round Hill, Virginia 20141. It will also be held via Zoom and can be accessed at the link posted on the Town’s Website, www.roundhillva.org. Any person interested in the FY2023 Budget may attend the public hearing electronically (or in person) and present his or her views. The Town Council intends to adopt a budget, tax rates, charges, utility and zoning fees by ordinance at its June 15, 2022 regularly scheduled meeting. A regular Council meeting will commence immediately following the public hearing. Written comments regarding the FY2023 Budget can be submitted to townclerk@ roundhillva.org by 3:00PM on the day of the meeting. All comments received will be presented to the Town Council during the public hearing. Copies of the detailed budget are available for inspection and copying on the Town’s website (www.roundhillva.org) or at the Town Office, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9 AM – 4 PM (holidays excluded). If this public hearing is postponed, it will be rescheduled for Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at 7:30 PM. The following is a brief synopsis of the budget:

REVENUES

EXPENDITURES Year Ending 6/30/2022 Appropriated

Year Ending 6/30/2023 Proposed

Year Ending 6/30/2022 Appropriated

General Fund Local Revenues

General Fund $788,199

$878,214

$38,113

$34,113

Total General Fund Operating Revenues

$826,312

$912,327

Grants & Fees

$487,364

Reserve Funds

$363,789

Total General Fund CIP Revenues

$851,153

$599,055

$1,677,465

$1,511,382

$972,157

$1,002,965

$1,408,778

$1,496,536

Intergovernmental Revenue

Total General Fund Revenues

General Operating

Wastewater User Fees & Connection Fees Other Revenues Total Utility Fund Operating Revenues

$800,312

Grants

$26,000

Total General Fund Operating Expenditures

$826,312

$912,327

$395,055

General Fund Capital Projects

$851,153

$599,055

$204,000

Total General Fund CIP Expenditures

$851,153

$599,055

$1,677,465

$1,511,382

Water Operations

$649,011

$776,151

Wastewater Operations

$773,110

$818,527

Combined Water & Sewer Operations

$722,526

$714,482

Transfer to General Fund

$309,502

$335,680

$2,454,149

$2,644,840

Total General Fund Expenditures Utility Fund

$73,214

$145,339

$2,454,149

$2,644,840

Total Utility Fund Operating Expenditures Water & Wastewater Availability Fees (Taps)

$190,861

$740,000

$0

$3,117,600

Virginia Resources Authority Capital Projects

Reserve Funds

$2,020,539

$1,247,500

Total Utility Fund CIP Revenues

$2,211,400

$5,105,100

Total Utility Fund Revenues

$4,665,549

$7,749,940

TOTAL BUDGET REVENUES

$6,343,014

$9,261,322

Virginia Resources Authority Loans

$886,327

$26,000

Utility Fund Water User Fees & Connection Fees

Year Ending 6/30/2023 Proposed

Debt Retirement

$409,000

$405,000

$0

$3,117,600

Utility Fund Capital Projects

$1,802,400

$1,582,500

Total Utility Fund CIP Expenditures

$2,211,400

$5,105,100

Total Utility Fund Expenditures

$4,665,549

$7,749,940

TOTAL BUDGET EXPENDITURES

$6,343,014

$9,261,322

PROPOSED FY2023 TAX RATES AND FEES (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2023)

Real Estate (authorized by Virginia Code §58.1-3200, 15.2-2503)

Tax Year 2022

Tax Year 2023

Tax Year 2022

Appropriated

Proposed

Appropriated

Proposed

$0.096 per $100 of

$0.08 per $100 of

$1.15 per $100 of

$1.15 per $100 of

assessed value

assessed value

assessed value

assessed value

Year Ending 6/30/22

Year Ending 6/30/23

(16.667% decrease)

Personal Property (authorized by Virginia Code §58.1-3500, 15.2-3203)

Year Ending 6/30/22 Year Ending 6/30/23 Business License (authorized by Virginia Code §58.1-3703, 15.2-2503) Cigarette Tax (authorized by Virginia Code §58.1-3840, 15.2-2503)

Appropriated

Proposed

Rates per category/

Rates per category/

value of gross receipts value of gross receipts (no change) $0.40 per pack

$0.40 per pack (no change)

Motor Vehicle License (authorized by Virginia Code §46.2-752, 15.2-2503) Zoning Fees (authorized by Virginia Code §15.2-2286)

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Tax Year 2023

(no change) Appropriated

Proposed

$25.00 Automobiles

$25.00 Automobiles

$25.00 Motorcycle

$25.00 Motorcycle (no change)

(no changes in Zoning Fees from FY2022)

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

MAY 26, 2022

PAGE 33

Legal Notices Town of Round Hill PROPOSED FY2023 UTILITY RATES AND FEES (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2023) Water User Rate Authorized by Virginia Code 15.22111, 15.2-2119, 15.2-2143 In Town - Per 1,000 gallons

Sewer User Rate Year Ending 6/30/22 Appropriated

Year Ending 6/30/23 Proposed

$7.17 per 1000 gallons

$7.39 per 1000 gallons

Authorized by Virginia Code 15.22111, 15.2-2119, 15.2-2143 In Town - Per 1,000 gallons

Year Ending 6/30/22 Appropriated

Year Ending 6/30/23 Proposed

$10.75 per 1000 gallons

$11.09 per 1000 gallons

(3% increase) Out of Town - Per 1,000 gallons

$10.75 per 1000 gallons

$11.09 per 1000 gallons

(3% increase) Out of Town - Per 1,000 gallons

$16.13 per 1000 gallons

(3% increase) In Town - Minimum Charge

$14.34 (2000 gals)

Min Ch - $14.78 (2000 gals)

(3% increase) In Town - Minimum Charge

$21.51 (2000 gals)

(3% increase) Out of Town - Minimum Charge

$21.51 (2000 gals)

Min Ch - $22.18 (2000 gals)

(authorized by Virginia Code 15.22111, 15.2-2119 and 15.2-2143)

Rate based on meter size

Rate based on meter size

Min Size 3/4" - $11,550.42

Min Size 3/4" - $11,898.00

Out of Town Rate is 150% of above rate

Out of Town Rate is

Out of Town - Minimum Charge

$21.51 (2000 gals)

Sewer Availability Fee (authorized by Virginia Code 15.22111, 15.2-2119 and 15.2-2143)

150% of above rate

(authorized by Virginia Code §15.2-2119)

$75

$320 (426% increase)

$33.28 (2000 gals) (3% increase)

Rate based on meter size

Rate based on meter size

Min Size 3/4" - $13,897.79)

Min Size 3/4" - 14,315.00)

Out of Town Rate is

Out of Town Rate is

150% of above rate

150% of above rate

(3.0092% increase) Customer Initiated Meter Request

$22.18 (2000 gals) (3% increase)

(3% increase) Water Availability Fee

$16.64 per 1000 gallons

(3% increase) Availability Fee for Consent Decree

$7,281.60

(Consent Decree, Paragraph 14)

$7,500.05 (1% increase) 5/19 & 5/26/22

TOWN OF LEESBURG DEPARTMENT OF UTILITIES NOTICE OF WATER MAIN FLUSHING

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TOWN OF HAMILTON, VIRGINIA

The Town of Leesburg will conduct controlled flushing of water mains throughout the Town beginning April through June 30th, 2022. This preventative maintenance program is essential for maintaining the Town’s high standards of water quality.

Pursuant to Code of Virginia, as amended, Section 15.2-2507, the Hamilton Town Council will hold a public hearing at the Hamilton Town Office, 53 East Colonial Highway, Hamilton, Virginia, on Tuesday, June 13, 2022, beginning at 7:00 p.m. to receive comment on the proposed budget amendment. The proposed amendment to the Hamilton FY 2021/2022 budget is to accept into revenue the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Program Grant for replacement revenue and projects yet to be determined.

Water mains are flushed by opening fire hydrants and allowing them to flow freely for a short period of time. The flushing cleans out sediment, removes air which may accumulate in the water mains and restores chlorine levels in areas of limited use, thereby, reducing the potential for bacteriological contamination.

REVENUES SLFRF Grant first tranche

$ 326,299

TOTAL REVENUES

$ 326,299

EXPENDITURES Water line repairs Water Tower repairs Chemical cost increases Repaving for water line repairs Pump and Haul services exceeding budget Tax Consolidation Contingency Projects (to be identified)

$ 42,000 4,425 20,000 18,120 10,000 2738 29,930 199,300

TOTAL EXPENDITURES

$326,299

Water is safe to drink and safe to use during flushing. However, flushing may result in temporary discoloration and sediment in the water. If discoloration or sediment is evident, the Town recommends residents avoid doing laundry until the discoloration subsides. Flushing may also introduce air into the water, which may temporarily cause erratic flow. If this occurs, open your cold water tap until a clear steady flow of water is observed.

Some residents and businesses may experience lower pressure during the flushing in their neighborhood.

The Town regrets any inconvenience the flushing operation may cause.

Please call the Utilities Department at 703-737-7075 for further information. For after-hour emergencies, call the Leesburg Police Department at 703-771-4500.

4/7, 4/14, 4/21, 4/28, 5/5, 5/12, 5/19 & 5/26/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE §§ 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104 Case No. CL21-3853 LOUDOUN COUNTY Circuit Court 18 EAST MARKET ST., LEESBURG, VA 20176

The regular Town Council meeting will begin immediately following the Public Hearing where the Town Council intends to adopt the amendment.

Kristen Werner-Cabello v.

More Than Cheer-Loudoun, LLC, et al The object of this suit is to: personal injury lawsuit against More Than Cheer-Loudoun, LCC It is ORDERED that More Than Cheer-Loudoun, LLC appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before June 13, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

5/5, 5/12, 5/19 & 5/26/22

Information regarding the proposed budget amendments is available at the Town Office, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm.

Kenneth C. Wine, Mayor pro tem Town of Hamilton 5/26/22

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 34

Legal Notices

MAY 26, 2022

Misc.

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT TO ZONING ORDINANCE ARTICLE 3 REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCEDURES RELATING TO FISCAL IMPACT ANANLYSIS SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Trust Local Expertise Shop LoCo

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 PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176 to consider Zoning Ordinance Amendment TLOA-2022-0004 revising the following Section of the Zoning Ordinance: 1.

Sec. 3.3.6.J Fiscal Impact Analysis to specify how to submit a Fiscal Impact Analysis as part of an application for rezoning

Copies and additional information regarding this proposed Zoning Ordinance amendment is available at the Department of Planning and Zoning located on the second floor of the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by calling 703-737-7009 and asking for Christopher Murphy, Senior Planning Project Manager. This zoning ordinance amendment application is identified as case number TLOA-2022-0004.

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 the Commission at (703) 771-2434 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

5/19 & 5/26/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

Case No.:

Case No.:

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Virginia Code § 8.01-316

JJ046150-01-00

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Virginia Code § 8.01-316

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Marjorie Cruz Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Unknown Father

JJ041604-05-00; JJ043080-03-00; JJ043081-03-00; JJ043082-03-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Diana Gissel Medina Lainez, Gabrielle Medina Lainez, Adrienna Medina Lainez, and Karen Elizabeth Medina Lainez Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Jose Medina, Putative Father

The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing regarding child protective order pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-253 for Marjorie Cruz, and; hold a dispositional hearing regarding child protective order pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-278.2 for Marjorie Cruz.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before June 2, 2022 at 10:00a.m. (Adjudicatory) and June 27, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (Dispositional).

The object of this suit is to hold a status hearing in Child in Need of Services matters pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-228 and 16.1-241 for Diana Gissel Medina Lainez, Gabrielle Medina Lainez, Adrienna Medina Lainez, and Karen Elizabeth Medina Lainez. It is ORDERED that the defendant Jose Medina, Putative Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his interests on or before June 22, 2022 at 3:00 pm.

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Opinion From Under the Cloud Monday’s Circuit Court ruling removed an ominous cloud hanging over the School Board.

Now the question is: Can School Board members move out of their bunker and more directly focus its efforts on true educational issues?

The dismissals of the recall cases were not surprising. In Virginia, it is extremely rare for a petition drive to result in the removal of an elected official. The ongoing probe to determine whether there was criminal conduct by administrators related to the sexual assault scandal also faces a high bar to advance.

While efforts have featured divisive,

partisan battles for months, the community should be united behind efforts to help students overcome the impacts of two years of classroom disruptions. Does that require specialized courses or new curricula? Should higher testing standards be adopted? Is it time to take another look at the merits of year-round classes? As much as innovation helped school divisions keep up the lessons while students were at home, innovation also will be needed to catch these students up and carry them forward.

The School Board is undertaking a strategic planning process designed to examine those issues, as well as to reset its relationship and

credibility with the community.

It is important that the final report be more than a jargon-filled public relations pitch. It needs to be a clear, actionable plan that will ensure the school division delivers on its muchtouted commitment to excellence—and that the students, staff and taxpayers can hold its leaders to account in fulfilling that obligation.

School Board members have endured months of heavy criticism and fought to stay in their positions believing they had the capabilities to lead educators facing unprecedented challenges.

It’s time to prove it. n

LETTERS to the Editor Standing Tall Editor: Memorial Day to me is the most precious of all our national holidays— the day we set aside to honor those who sacrificed their precious lives so that this nation—conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men and women are created equal—could survive. On Memorial Day all across the land patriotic people gather to march in parades that invariably include many people in uniform honoring our country.

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But this Memorial Day I believe comes at an unusually propitious moment in world history as we watch from afar the people of Ukraine fighting valiantly to defend their independence and freedom. To our credit we are providing them with the arms and support they desperately need to succeed. Were it not for the threat of a mentally disturbed

dictator wielding nuclear weapons I have little doubt we would also have troops on the ground in Ukraine.

As always there are a few dissenters in our midst who oppose our support of Ukraine, but that is the nature of freedom. Democracy does not depend on unanimous votes. If it did, ours would have disappeared a long time ago. It is not human nature for everyone to fall in line when tough decisions are required.

We call World War II “the good war” because it was a time of uncommon unity, but even then there were many Americans who withheld their support. Some were conscientious objectors. Some felt our involvement in World War II was a mistake. Others were simply recalcitrant.

Still, when the chips were down, the “greatest generation” stood tall.

In my considered opinion, the most persuasive statement of our democratic values was not Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence or Abraham

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, but rather Patrick Henry’s retort to a political opponent in the Virginia House of Burgesses during a debate about the American Revolution: “I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

That is a tough requirement in the best of times, but it is a core component of our democracy that is often neglected and in many cases simply not understood. The brave patriots in Ukraine are reminding us—at a critical time when we really need reminding—what freedom is all about. We have many brave patriots among us who carried our banner of freedom and democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq, and who still bear the scars of those conflicts. Let us all pause from our labors and honor them as we honor the heroes of Ukraine. Wherever people put their lives on the line for freedom, we must always have their backs. The Ukrainians are thousands of miles away and speak

a different language, but they are us and we are them. As long as brave people stand tall, freedom will live.

— David W. Walker, President and CEO Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes

Judicial Integrity Editor: The attacks on the Loudoun County School Board have become national theater, promoted, in part, by far-right political operatives’ ambitions to overturn the elections of all Democratic Committee-endorsed school board members.

The two-day court trial of Rafalski v.

Loudoun County School Board on April 28-29, 2022, is one recent example of a court proceedings’ attempt to discredit the school board. The testimony presented at this trial and Judge James PlowLETTERS TO THE EDITOR continues on page 37

Norman K. Styer, Publisher and Editor - nstyer@loudounnow.com EDITORIAL

Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC

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PO Box 207 Leesburg, VA 20178 703-770-9723

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ADVERTISING Susan Styer, Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.com Tonya Harding, Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.com Vicky Mashaw, Account Executive vmashaw@loudounnow.com

Loudoun Now is delivered by mail to more than 44,000 Loudoun homes and businesses, with a total weekly distribution of 47,000.

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

MAY 26, 2022

Readers’ Poll

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: The recall cases are closed. The budget is adopted. What should be the School Board’s top priority now?

LAST WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the best plan for Rt. 15 north of Leesburg?

LETTERS to the Editor continued from page 36

man’s ultimate findings are enlightening.

In Rafalski v. Loudoun County School Board, the plaintiffs, Megan and Adam Rafalski, and Megan Clegg, alleged that the Loudoun County School Board had violated their civil rights under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The plaintiffs claimed these violations occurred on June 22, 2021, when the School Board shut down a volatile and, at times, vitriolic public comment session. The plaintiffs alleged their rights were further obstructed when constraints were placed on public comment speakers at subsequent school board meetings.

Following testimony and the viewing of videos depicting the public disruption of the June 22, 2021, comment session, in addition to a representation of the egregious threats issued to school board members thereafter, Judge James Plowman dismissed all charges against the school board of violating the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Judge Plowman asserted the School Board did not limit the public’s access to its comment sessions, the public limited their access through their actions.

Judge Plowman found the school board violated a legal statute when it failed to reopen the business portion of the June 22 meeting following a twohour period of police negotiated clearance of public comment participants. He awarded a judgement and court cost in the amount of $11,500 to Megan Clegg, the only plaintiff present on that night.

However, Plowman declined to impose the “extraordinary” measures requested

PAGE 37

Share your views at loudounnow.com/ polls

by the plaintiff in the form of fines and a court-imposed injunction against the School Board’s ability to limit speakers and exclude the public from future meetings.

Considering the partisan political pressures being exerted to discredit the Loudoun County School Board, Judge Plowman’s judicious rulings on April 29 provided optimism concerning the integrity of our legal system. While the School Board made a mistake, Plowman recognized the perpetration was performed under extraordinary circumstances and without malice or ill-intent. The public’s guilt in creating such circumstances was also considered.

This week, Judge H. Thomas Padrick presided over the recall hearings of Democratic Committee endorsed school board members, Brenda Sheridan and Atoosa Reaser. On May 23, judicial integrity was again maintained under the presence of partisan coercion when Judge Padrick quashed these cases due to a lack of reasonable and factual basis.

As a resident of Loudoun County, I can only say well done and that I am grateful to the judiciary system for defending our elected officials and upholding our democracy. Thank you.

— Tammy Cummins, Leesburg

Your Voice Editor: Three years ago, on May 17 and 18, 2019, hundreds of Virginians united in common cause to oppose unjust and unneeded fracked-gas pipelines, and to stand in solidarity for environmental justice and the climate. On May 17, the Stand with Appalachia: Progress Not Pipelines rally was held in Rich-

mond. On May 18, a rally was held in Leesburg, Attorney General Mark Herring’s hometown.

Since then, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, ACP, has been defeated, but climate disaster Mountain Valley Pipeline, MVP, is still active. Last year on the second anniversary of these anti-pipeline rallies, Del. Chris Hurst wrote an Op-Ed in the Roanoke Times – Hurst: Mountain Valley Pipeline is not the Future Virginia Needs. He reminisced “what I shared with the crowd that day in Leesburg still rings true: There is no need for the MVP and it should be cancelled.”

Both pipelines were permitted in December 2017 by misusing/abusing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit 12, NWP 12, to fast track these fracked gas pipelines through rural Southwest Virginia. The original intent of NWP 12 was to streamline the permitting process for utility lines, not 42” diameter gas pipelines. As a result, these pipelines caused: • irreparable harm to the environment and ecosystems

• irreparable damage to private property • negative impacts to landowners’ livelihood • wasted public and private fiscal resources and time

Pipeline builders clearcut 125-foot wide swaths along hundreds of miles for both pipelines routed through rural southwest Virginia. The routes traverse steep terrain, cut into fragile limestone bedrock, and cross over 1,000 streams. Natural gas pipelines have never been built in such steep terrain. Sediment and erosion control devices deployed are inadequate.

The MVP violated Virginia’s Water Quality Standards hundreds of times. In December 2018, Virginia’s attorney general filed suit against MVP, citing over 300 water quality violations. Because the NWP 12 does not require project specific National Environmental Protection Act, NEPA, or Clean Water Act, CWA, review violations continue to this day every time it rains.

Multiple lawsuits against the ACP and MVP overturning Federal Agency Permits clearly demonstrates the misuse of NWP 12. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline, ACP, prior to its cancellation, had eight permits rescinded by a federal court or a regulatory agency. Recently, the MVP received significant defeats: this February, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down, for the second time, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service approval to cross the Jefferson National Forest, and the Bureau of Land Management permit was struck down as well.

Fracked gas pipelines exacerbate climate change. Upon the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutierrez declared on 09/08/2021 “code red for humanity.” It is obvious that fossil fuels, particularly the extremely potent greenhouse gas methane, aka “natural gas,” must stay in the ground. Rescinding NWP 12 is critical.

Written public comment can be made at: regulations.gov/document/COE2022-0003-0001. You can view other comments received to help develop your own. The last date to submit your comments is May 27. Use your voice.

— Natalie Pien, Leesburg

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 38

Cao wins continued from page 3 debunked conspiracy theories that fueled that day’s attack on the seat of American democracy.

“It’s very hard to understand how a person who hid in their basement the entire time got more votes than Barack Obama. It’s just very hard for me to understand that,” Cao said. “You’re telling me you’re too scared for your life to have somebody certify an absentee ballot? There’s definitely a lot of anomalies and a lot of rules that were not followed.”

Despite multiple lawsuits and inves-

Petitions dismissed continued from page 1 of the county’s education system,” the group said in a statement.

Padrick ruled that because special prosecutor Joseph D. Platania found no evidence of neglect of office, the motion to quash the petitions was granted.

Platania, a prosecutor from Charlottesville, was appointed the special prosecutor for case against Reaser in April after Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj recused herself.

“By the way, there was no one really interested in being the commonwealth’s attorney in these cases,” Padrick joked.

Padrick ruled that Platania would handle both cases because the petitions were identical.

He also denied motions from both Fight for Schools, the group that organized the removal effort, and the Loudoun NACCP to intervene in the cases.

“Fight for Schools and the NAACP are not elected officials. They come from good organizations,” he said, “But they’re advocacy groups.”

Fight for Schools’ attorney David Warrington argued that the group should be permitted to enter the case because prosecutors are elected officials and might themselves be targets of such removal efforts.

Following the ruling, Reaser and Sheridan were met with hugs from fellow School Board members Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn) and Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge), county Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian), state Sen. Jennifer Boys-

tigations there has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

As Democrats raise their voices for gun control in response to the 198 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, Cao falls in line with the stance of many GOP officials.

“Gun control has never stopped anyone. Most people get bludgeoned to death and stabbed to death then they get shot. I mean it’s a tragedy, it’s an absolute tragedy. But if it’s not guns, it’s going to be with pipe bombs, or knives or hammers,” he said. “It’s just evil. There’s a lot of evil in the world, and we’re not going to stop it with gun control.”

As for infrastructure, Cao said not

ko (D-33), and Loudoun NAACP President Michelle Thomas.

Reaser and Sheridan delivered emotional remarks outside of the courthouse.

“I will never be able to put into words the toll that this process took on my family, and the families I serve. What I will tell you is this type of malicious court filing has a chilling effect on democracy,” Reaser said. “It discourages good people from stepping up and serving their community.”

Sheridan thanked the two dozen School Board supporters present, calling the removal effort a “horrible abuse of the system.”

“It’s time to get back to work, so let’s do that,” she said.

Thomas said that justice prevailed during the hearings.

“Today, we saw the law in action and the peoples’ resistance against unfounded voter suppression and action as well,” she said.

Ongoing Investigation While School Board members celebrated vindication in Circuit Court, the special grand jury is in its second month investigating the division’s handling of sexual assaults in Ashburn high schools.

The panel is a part of Attorney General Jason Miyares’ investigation, which was requested by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in an executive order.

The division sued for an emergency injunction against the special grand jury last week, calling the executive order “no ordinary exercise of gubernatorial authority.

Instead, it is an unprecedented attempt to vest broad prosecution power in the polit-

enough focus is being devoted to roads or broadband.

“A lot of the bill handles charging stations for the electric vehicles that not many of us own. It goes to Critical Race Theory issues,” he said. “We need to make progress there. Especially down in Rappahannock, those poor guys, you can’t even get cellphone service down there.”

Rappahannock County is the southernmost portion of the new 10th district, which was redawn after the 2020 Census. Instead of reaching east and west, the district now reaches from Loudoun south through Fauquier and Rappahannock counties, Manassas, Manassas Park, much of Prince William Coun-

ical offices of the state government”.

Judge James E. Plowman, who is overseeing the special grand jury, granted broad authority to investigate any matter related to the school division. Several students’ records were subpoenaed, including those of transgender students.

Division spokesman Wayde Byard said that the scope of the investigation is “overly broad and holds significant potential to invade the privacy of our students, staff, and families.”

“LCPS also believes the investigation violates our locally elected School Board’s constitutional authority to govern,” Byard said in an email. “For these reasons, LCPS has filed a complaint for a temporary injunction to limit the scope of the Attorney General’s investigation.”

Division Counsel Steven Webster, of Webster Book LLP, also charged that Virginia state law does not grant the governor nor the attorney general the right to convene a special grand jury, arguing that authority lies with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

The filing said: “Permitting this Special Grand Jury to continue in its present form places LCPS’s 15,000 employees, 80,000 students, and their families under an investigation with no boundaries in time, scope or subject matter, and facing subpoenas demanding records and testimony regarding sensitive, personal information without any regard for whether that will lead to evidence of a crime.”

Critics charge that the School Board and Superintendent Scott Ziegler knowingly endangered students by allowing a student accused of sexually assaulting a student to transfer to another school

MAY 26, 2022

ty and a part of southwestern Fairfax County.

Following Cao’s nomination, Wexton released a statement, doubling down on her track record on infrastructure and post-pandemic economic recovery.

“I’ve fought hard during my time in Congress to help families and small businesses weather the COVID crisis, enact legislation to create good-paying jobs by rebuilding our infrastructure, deliver key federal investments for our district through my role on the Appropriations Committee, author bills to support victims of abuse and domestic violence, and hold the Chinese government accountable for their human rights atrocities,” she shared. n

where he assaulted a second student; Ziegler contends that his administration complied with Title IX requirements.

Fight for Schools Executive Director Ian Prior said that his group would likely wait for the conclusions of the panel before taking further action against the School Board.

Group Eyes a New Fight Prior said that his group next will pivot its focus to the race for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, seeking the ouster of Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10).

“We’re in the process of filing with the Federal Election Commission to start spending money to defeat Wexton,” Prior said outside the courtroom. He said those filings would be completed later in the week.

“For our purposes, we’ve seen and made our displeasure with the School Board known. … We’re going to look at candidates who are most vociferously against the Loudoun County School Board. That goes for the Board of Supervisors as well.”

The group will continue to focus on the role of Ziegler and his administration in the handling of the sexual assault scandal.

In his ruling Monday, Padrick pointed to administrators’ potential culpability in the assaults, which were listed as grievances against School Board members on the petitions. He leveled a metaphor using police officers and city council.

“If a police officer negligently shoots somebody, the city council members aren’t going to get sued,” he said. n

MAY 26, 2022

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 39

Budget cuts

Sheriff’s Office Plans Increased School Patrols After TX Shooting

continued from page 1 added back into the budget.

“Most scenarios are the state would provide enough,” he said, “we’re just waiting for the final numbers there.”

Chairman Jeff Morse (Dulles) interpreted the recommendation as an effort to achieve funding equality among activities.

“We’re trying to fix the tides for all boats. We can’t fix the tide for some boats and not the others. They’re both going to change, so it’s a dynamic situation where you can’t solve half of the equation,” he said.

Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn) expressed his frustration with the gap between the school district’s request and funding from the county government. The school division had requested $1.08 billion in local tax funding, a $75 million increase over the current fiscal year. The Board of Supervisors funded a $53.7 million increase.

“We could have done the 5% if we were funded properly from the Board of Supervisors, and here we are in this challenging situation here,” he said.

The staff also recommended the elimination of 25 new elementary teacher positions, which Chief Financial Officer Sharon Willoughby reported would not significantly impact student to teacher ratios, and would slash $2,378,263 from the budget. Part-time first grade teacher assistant positions were also removed, saving $1.5 million.

Buffalo victims continued from page 3 Gray, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd.

“This is how I’ve grown up. This is what I was taught. Each time a new headline comes about, it feels the same to me.

It feels like nothing, like it’s second nature. How could it not be when it’s all that I’ve been taught to expect? All I’ve known is to say, ‘OK and comply.”

But the shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, he said, was different.

“How am I supposed to manage not going out in public? How can I be at risk, at true danger, by simply leaving my home?

By going to the grocery store?” Yohannes said. “I live in a white community, but the bottom line is, if a man walked into my neighborhood Target looking for a Black

Hayley Milon Bour/Loudoun Now

From left, School Board members Jeff Morse, Ian Serotkin and John Beatty debate last minute budget cuts during the May 24 meeting.

“We’re trying to fix the tides for all boats. We can’t fix the tide for some boats and not the others.”

— Chairman Jeff Morse (Dulles)

man to kill, I can code switch my plea to survive as much as I want, but I would be gone. What precautions can someone take for that? There’s none. So, this cannot go longer.”

He and Thomas called also for new gun regulations, such as banning the type of weapon used to murder people in the Buffalo shooting. And Loudoun NAACP Vice President Amanda Tandy read a statement from the group in response to the shooting.

“Don’t simply offer thoughts and prayers but engage and find out how we all work together to eradicate hate, bigotry, discrimination, and white supremacy by actively promoting the understanding of racial intolerance, equity and equality at our homes, families, schools, and playing fields, workplaces, and even our prayer spaces,” she said. n

The presentation identified the removal of $1,000 stipends for special education teachers and assistants as potential savings, totaling $707,261.

A number of cuts to the English Learner department saved over $2 million, including 16 EL teachers.

Although the possibility of the funding shortfall was identified in February, board members and Ziegler pointed to the state holding up the process.

“The commonwealth has put us and every school division in a very difficult place as far as adopting budgets. I appreciate all of their work and all of the work they’ve done projecting,” Ziegler said. n

Loudoun’s elementary school campuses may see a heightened law enforcement presence in the coming days, the Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday, hours after 19 students and two adults were gunned down in a Texas school.

“In light of the horrific shooting at Robb Elementary school and as we grieve with the City of Uvalde, Texas and the nation, #Loudoun residents will see an increased LCSO presence at elementary schools in the county to ensure that our community feels safe in their schools,” the agency posted on Twitter.

The extra patrols are precautionary.

“Although there is no connection to Loudoun County and no known threats, the increased presence is being conducted in an abundance of caution over the next several days,” the agency stated. n

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

NAACP members and interfaith leaders lead a candlelight march through Leesburg Friday, May 20.

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

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MAY 26, 2022

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