Loudoun Now for June 7, 2023

Spence Priorities: Restore Trust, Build Relationships

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Aaron Spence Tapped as Next Schools Superintendent

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Aaron Spence from Virginia Beach City Public Schools has been named the new Loudoun County Public Schools superintendent.

He was hired with a 6-2-1 School Board vote Friday afternoon.

Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run) and John Beatty (Catoctin) opposed the motion and Denise Corbo (At Large) was absent.

The announcement wraps up the division’s search for a new superintendent that began after the board fired former superintendent Scott Ziegler in December after a special grand jury investigation

conducted into the division’s handling of a pair sexual assaults by the same student at two schools.

Spence has been the superintendent for Virginia Beach City Public Schools, a division with over 65,000 students and 10,000 employees, since 2014. Prior to that, he was the superintendent of Moore County Public Schools in North Carolina for two years and held various administrative and teaching positions.

He was named the 2018 Virginia Superintendent of the Year by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents and the Empower Digital Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in 2021.

“My personal highest priority during this process was to find a superintendent who was experienced, accomplished and successful at running a large, complex school division. Dr. Spence fits the bill perfectly,” Chair Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge) said.

Spence saw growth in the division that included the implementation of full day kindergarten, and the highest graduation rate on record in Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) thanked

Loudoun County Public Schools’ newly hired superintendent Aaron Spence said he decided to make the switch to Loudoun because, after being in Virginia Beach City Public Schools for nine years, he was ready for a new challenge.

“I can’t think of a better place than Loudoun County,” he said in an interview Monday. “It’s an incredible school division. It has its challenges, but it’s the highest-performing school division in the state with incredible groups of educators, wonderful students, deeply committed families and parents. Loudoun deserves to be a nationally recognized school division.”

He said he plans to make that happen by building on the positive aspects of the division,

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SPENCE SPEAKS continues on

Spence

NEW SUPERINTENDENT continues on page 32

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Members of the School Board voting on June 2 to hire Aaron Spence as the new superintendent.

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‘Embarrassing:’ Purcellville Manager Wrote Frank Emails Before Resigning

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

Recent status reports sent by Purcellville’s second interim town manager, Glen Adams, to the Town Council display his rapid shift from optimism for success in his new post to helpless frustration with council leadership.

“The Town of Purcellville can be the shining star in a shining star county, but right now we are the punchline,” he wrote in his final report, and “I honestly don’t know why I am here!”

Adams submitted his resignation last week, effective June 6.

After being hired as the third town manager since January, Adams began sending weekly reports of his activities to the Town Council by email. Loudoun Now obtained the reports via a Freedom of Information Act request.

The first report outlined Adams’ first week on the job and noted he was committed to working toward being the town’s permanent manager. He said that he turned down an interview for a city manager position in a larger community in Arkansas.

“I say this to demonstrate my commitment and ask that you consider this as you read the hard truths coming,” he wrote, even while noting he was “professionally and personally being stretched.”

Adams wrote his opinion that staff morale was low and senior staff members were worn out. That assessment, reached during his first week on the job, matches the conclusions shared by the previous

Purcellville Town Council Names Bremseth

Interim Manager

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

The Purcellville Town Council on Tuesday voted to offer Loren “Rick” Bremseth a job as the town’s newest Interim Town Manager.

Bremseth would be the town’s third interim manager since the departure of former town manager David Mekarski.

The motion, made by council member Mary F. “Boo” Bennett, stipulates that the appointment would last until such a time as a permanent town manager is appointed by the Town Council and came on the same day that former Interim Town Manager Glen Adams’ resignation took effect.

interim town manager, John Anzivino, who served in the role for two months after the resignation of Town Manager David Mekarski in February.

“I talked to John Anzivino for a long time Friday afternoon/evening and his concerns on morale match my own,” Adams wrote.

He noted the town’s 12.05% turnover rate and said his experience was that 3-5% is normal for a well-run organization.

Adams also raised concerns about the town’s relationship with the county after months of friction over the Fields

Farm sports complex, a planned Rt. 7/ Rt. 690 interchange and other projects. The county canceled decades-long plans for the new park after years of delay in getting land use approvals from the town. Talks are continuing over the interchange project.

Adams indicated that Purcellville’s battles with the county could have far-reaching impacts on other towns as well.

“I have a meeting right now with Tim

PURCELLVILLE EMAILS continues on page 35

The motion does not specify when Bremseth will be starting as interim manager. Mayor Stanley J. Milan in an email to staff Tuesday said he will assume the duties of the town manager until the new interim manager is in place. Under state code, in towns with no manager, those duties may be carried out by the mayor, to include ensuring that all ordinances, resolutions, directives and orders of the governing body are faithfully executed, making reports to the governing body, giving directions to all heads of offices, departments and boards, executing the budget, and keeping the governing body advised on the locality’s financial condition.

Bremseth, 72, who lives just south of town limits, is a retired U.S. Navy veteran, the former commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group THREE, and former Commanding Officer of SEAL Team EIGHT. Bremseth was the keynote speaker during the town’s Memorial Day ceremony in 2015, and at the town’s 9/11 remembrance in 2020.

Loudoun Now contacted Milan for comment but received no answer. n

Former Purcellville Priest Sentenced to Prison for Child Sexual Abuse

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Rejecting a probation-only recommendation derived from the commonwealth’s sentencing guidelines, Circuit Court Judge James E. Plowman today sentenced a former priest at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville to eight years in prison for the 1985 sexual assault

of a teen at his parish.

Scott Asalone, 66, was 29 years old when he was a Capuchin friar working at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church and befriended the 14-year-old victim. That their relationship included sexual conduct came to light in 1992, when the victim wrote a letter to Asalone detailing the impact that abuse had on his life, including substance abuse and a lasting

distrust of others.

After that letter, Asalone was transferred from the parish and the victim was awarded a civil settlement. According to a 2019 report of past sexual abuse allegations released by the Diocese of Arlington, Asalone was ordained in 1983, removed from public ministry in 1993 and dismissed from his religious order in 2007.

In 2018, Virginia State Police inves-

tigators contacted the victim as part of a broader investigation by the State Police and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office into allegations of criminal sexual abuse of children in Virginia’s Catholic dioceses, and whether leadership in the dioceses may have covered up or abetted such

ASALONE SENTENCED

continues on page 33

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Purcellville Interim Glen Adams attends a council meeting May 9, 2023.

Loudoun

Loudoun Homeless Count Doubles

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Loudoun County more than doubled over the past year, outpacing the increase across the region and marking an accelerated increase in that figure locally.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ 2023 pointin-time count found in Loudoun, the total number of people experiencing homelessness increased from 105 in 2022 to 220 in 2023, a 110% increase.

It was also enough to reverse the five-year downward trend in Loudoun homelessness. According to the report, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Loudoun has increased by 30% in the last five years, from 169 people in 2019 to 220 in 2023. As of last year’s report, the five-year change had been a 26% decrease.

Across the region, a total of 8,944 individuals were identified as literally

homeless, an 18% increase from 2022. It was a 9% decrease since 2019.

The Point-in-Time Count is a oneday snapshot of people experiencing homelessness across nine jurisdictions, which contributes to the Homelessness in Metropolitan Washington report, a comprehensive analysis of the state of homelessness in the region. The Loudoun County Continuum of Care conducts the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Pointin-Time Count of people experiencing a housing crisis or literal homelessness every January.

“The rise in homelessness from 2022 highlights the challenges that members of our community continue to face,” Loudoun County Department of Family Services Director Ina Fernández said “We continue to provide year-round support services to anyone in our community who may be experiencing a

housing crisis and wants to accept our assistance.”

Loudoun has a variety of programs to help people in need through the Department of Family Services; Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services; and the Loudoun Continuum of Care, a partnership between local government, nonprofit agencies, the public school system, health care providers and faith-based organizations. Anyone who may be facing a housing crisis can contact the Department of Family Services’ Information & Referral Coordinated Entry program at 703-777-0420.

For more information about Loudoun County’s homeless services, visit loudoun.gov/HomelessServices or contact the Department of Family Services at 703-777-0353. n

Chapman Reorganizes Office, Hires Former Fauquier Sheriff Mosier

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman has reorganized his agency following recommendations in an International Association of Chiefs of Police study last year.

The Sheriff ’s Office will expand from two bureaus to three: Field Operations, Investigations, and Administrative and Corrections. Chapman said the reorganization would better position the agency to decentralize and strengthen its patrol operations.

“This realignment places the LCSO in a stronger position to serve Loudoun County now and in the future,” Chapman stated. “It will be accomplished within LCSO’s approved budget, with no additional costs to taxpayers.”

He said he expects to announce additional initiatives after the realignment is in place.

The office will also hire a third lieu-

tenant colonel, rather than naming a new under sheriff, a position that has been vacant since the departure of Col. Mark Poland last fall.

That will be former Fauquier County Sheriff Robert “Bob” Mosier, leading the Administrative and Corrections Bureau.

“Bob is a highly respected professional with outstanding leadership skills and a lifelong commitment to public service. He will be an immediate asset to Loudoun County and the LCSO, complementing the forward-looking leadership of Lt. Colonel Christopher Sawyer and Lt. Colonel Gun Lee,” Chaman stated.

Mosier comes to Loudoun with more than 30 years of experience in federal, state, and local law enforcement, most recently as secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security for Governor Glenn Youngkin, who also appointed him to serve on the Virginia Substance Abuse Services Council and Criminal Justice Services Board.

He came up through the ranks of the Fauquier County Sheriff ’s Office, serving

as commander of Special Operations, the Patrol Division, and the Criminal Investigations Division. He was twice elected Fauquier sheriff, resigning two years into his second term in 2022 after being appointed secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security. He resigned from that position effective June 1.

He has also worked for the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Defense and for the International Justice Mission, a human rights nongovernmental organization.

Alongside Mosier will be Lt. Col. Christopher Sawyer over the Field Operations Bureau and Lt. Col. Gun Lee over the Investigations Bureau. The sheriff ’s office restructure is effective July 6.

Sawyer joined the Sheriff ’s Office in 2005 and oversees the Operations Bureau, which is seeing the most significant restructuring. He has previously worked as major of the Criminal Investigations

Library Summer Reading Program Begins Friday

Loudoun County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program returns this Friday, June 9.

Participants can pick up a challenge card at their local library branch with this year’s theme, “Voyage Through Time,” to track their progress in travel-themed programs, writing workshops and challenges all summer. Completed cards can be submitted online by Monday, Aug. 14 for a pair of tickets to see a Washington Nationals game and an entry for a grand prize raffle.

The nine-week event marks the Summer Reading Program’s return to library branches after moving offsite and online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are thrilled to bring LLF-sponsored programs back to the branches for the first time since 2019,” Division Manager of Programming and Community Engagement Susan VanEpps said. “As precautions have lifted, Summer Reading Program is a perfect way to encourage customers to make coming to the library a regular part of their routine again.”

Find more information and register online at library.loudoun.gov/srp starting Friday, June 9.

Fishback Honored for Historic Courthouse Records Volunteering

John Fishback, the first ever Historic Records Manager under the Clerk of the Circuit Court, has been recognized for his years of service.

Fishback joined the Clerk of the Circuit Court in March 1988, serving under three Clerks of Court

ON THE AGENDA continues on page 7

The Brambleton Library

Chapman

“It started out as a normal outing. My wife and I had to run to the grocery store. We were driving down the road casually going over our shopping list when the car ahead of me started to slow down anticipating the yellow light.

I started to move my foot from the gas to the brake as any normal person would do when they see brake lights in front of them but I couldn’t. I couldn’t feel my foot.

The car kept moving forward and I just couldn’t get my foot on the brake. And CRUNCH!

I finally came to a stop when I hit the car in front of me.”

This tragic story was shared with us by Dan S. an Ashburn resident who has peripheral neuropathy And while no one was hurt in this accident, Dan S. had suffered almost everyday of his life with tingling and burning in his feet until numbness set in and he could no longer feel even the brake pedal beneath his foot.

“The first stage is pain.” shares Rachal Lohr, Acupuncturist of FIREFLY Acupuncture & Wellness. “You feel burning, tingling, sharp pains, or you feel like you’re walking on tacks or marbles This pain eventually subsides and the numbness sets in. Unfortunately the numbness brings with it a whole other host of problems.”

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This was the case with Dan. “I said I wasn’t going to drive again. What if that had been a pedestrian?”

It is terribly common that peripheral neuropathy and its debilitating symptoms interfere with a person’s ability to live their life Dan was now reliant on his wife to drive him around, even the simple pleasure of cruising down to play golf or taking her out to dinner was outside his capabilities. And even more common, Dan’s general practitioner and several specialists told him there was nothing they could do other than prescribe him pills that would ease the pain of his neuropathy

That’s where Rachal Lohr and her staff at FIREFLY come in. “About 75% of our current patients come to us suffering from the same condition as Mr. Dan,” tells Rachal.

“They’re in constant pain from neuropathy and it prevents them from not only living their lives but more importantly, it prevents them from enjoying it.

Depending on the severity of their nerve damage, we typically see tremendous progress in 3-4 months of treatment. I like to say we’re in the business of making your golden years golden.”

“I can’t lie,” confides Dan. “I was skeptical at first. The folks down at my pain center told me there was nothing that could be done and then there’s a doctor right here in Loudoun who tells me she can help. Turns out she was right! About three months after treatment I was able to confidently drive myself to my appointments!

My wife and I celebrated by buying ourselves a new car! It’s hard to put into words how incredible this is, quite frankly [Rachal] gave me my life back.”

While FIREFLY specializes in acupuncture and it’s definitely part of their protocols in treating neuropathy, the real secret is in a more modern medical solution called ATP Resonance BioTherapy™ “This technology was originally developed by NASA to expedite healing and recovery” shares Ann, a Senior Patient Care Coordinator at the clinic. “It’s like watering a plant. ATP Resonance BioTherapy™ stimulates the blood vessels to grow back around the peripheral nerve and provide them the proper nutrients to heal and repair.”

You can learn more about Rachal Lohr and FIREFLY at FIREFLYAcuAndWellness com If you’re ready to schedule a consultation call (703)263-2142 and do so quickly

FIREFLY is a very intimate clinic and the staff takes pride in their ability to take their time with each patient so they are very limited in their ability to take on new patients.

Plans In Place for Extended Rt. 9 Eastbound Ramp onto Rt. 7

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Loudoun supervisors on Tuesday approved plans to extend Rt. 9’s ramp onto eastbound Rt. 7, a project expected to help with morning rush-hour backups at the interchange.

The Virginia Department of Transportation’s previous Route 7 Truck Climbing Lane Project, which completed in October 2015, constructed a third westbound lane from Leesburg to Rt. 9; built new acceleration and deceleration lanes; built two new roundabouts where the ramps from Rt. 7 meet Rt. 9, Colonial Highway and Dry Mill Road; and relocated the W&OD Trail through the Rt. 9 interchange.

But the project did not include any improvements to eastbound Rt. 7. After that work, VDOT launched a Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions, or STARS, study, which was complete in 2017. That study recommended improvements at the Rt. 9 roundabouts and extending the acceleration lane onto east-

LCSO reorganized

continued from page 4

Division, major of the Administrative and Technical Services Division, captain of the Criminal Investigations Division, and 1st lieutenant in the Field Operations Division.

Lee joined the Sheriff ’s Office last year after 29 years of service with the Fairfax County Police Department, and oversees the Administrative and Corrections Bureau. During his tenure with Fairfax, he commanded patrol, major crimes, and in-

bound Rt. 7. Supervisors have approved plans to extend the acceleration lane by approximately 650 feet. The county expects to fund about $2.2 million of that project’s $2.7 million cost.

Another of the study’s recommendations, an extended merge from westbound Rt. 7 onto South King Street, was completed in December 2021. The county funded approximately $3 million of that work.

The county still has plans to widen Rt. 7 from the Dulles Greenway to Rt. 690, but that work is still years away. The county has budgeted $44.7 million over the next six years just to design and prepare for that work, including bridge work and acquiring right-of-way. Funding to actually begin construction in the first phase of that work, widening eastbound Rt. 7 from Rt. 9 to the Dulles Greenway, is beyond the county Capital Improvement Program’s six-year horizon and estimated at $87.9 million to $92.3 million. All four phases of the project to widen Rt. 7 to Rt. 690 are estimated at as much as $341.9 million together. n

ternal affairs, and spent his final four years as deputy chief of Police for Administration. In that capacity, Lee was responsible for the Criminal Justice Academy and the Administrative Support, Information Technology, and Resource Management bureaus.

Loudoun’s agency is the largest full-service sheriff ’s office in the state, with approximately 650 sworn and 200 civilian personnel. Last month, the Board of Supervisors approved 40 new deputy positions, with 36 of them assigned to patrol, one new School Resource Officer, and three co-responder deputies. 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

ON THE Agenda

continued from page 4

and showing a passion for preserving the courthouse’s remarkable historic court records. In 2004, Clerk Gary Clemens appointed Fishback as the office’s first-ever historic records manager.

Fishback retired in June 2014, but by August 2014 was back in the office volunteering in the historic records division. As of April 24, he has provided more than 5,000 hours of volunteer service to the office.

Fishback was recognized with a ceremonial resolution from the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, June 6.

“Mr. Fishback’s numerous contributions and volunteer efforts have assisted the Clerk of the Circuit Court with providing essential preservation of documents which empowers the Clerk and the Clerk’s Historic Records Division to provide Loudoun County residents with an improved experience and easier, quicker access to valuable historic court records and Loudoun history,” the resolution notes.

St. Louis Community Meeting Set June 26

Loudoun County will host a community meeting for the Village of St. Louis Monday, June 26, at 6:30 p.m. at Banneker Elementary School, 35231 Snake Hill Road.

The meeting will feature results of the community survey conducted earlier this year and an update on the St. Louis Village Plan. Members of the St. Louis Village Plan Task Force and representatives of Loudoun County are scheduled to be present at the meeting.

The St. Louis Village Plan, which was initiated by the Board of Supervisors in 2022, is intended to help St. Louis maintain its unique character, support the community’s goals and address a range of issues related to land use, development and quality of life. Following a community meeting in January, St. Louis residents were asked to provide feedback on three focus areas identified by the St. Louis Village Plan Task Force: History and Heritage; Land Use, Development, and Infrastructure; and Water.

For more information and to sign up for updates go to loudoun.gov/stlouis.

VDOT Seeks Input on Old Ox Road Study

The Virginia Department of Transportation is seeking feedback on a Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway

Solutions or STARS study on potential safety, accessibility and operational improvements on Old Ox Road between the Dulles Greenway and Rock Hill Road.

The study covers about three miles of road, which on average sees about 33,000 vehicles a day.

Survey feedback will be considered while developing potential improvements to the road, which will then be presented with another opportunity for public comment expected this winter. The study is expected to be complete in spring 2024. It does not set construction dates for any

improvements, but proposes improvements that localities can then pursue for funding.

Th online survey is open through June 19 at virginiadot.org/oldoxstars. Comments to meetingcomments@vdot.virginia.gov or to Kimberly McCool, P.E., Virginia Department of Transportation, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Online Fatherhood Skills Training Begins July 11

The next session of the program sponsored by Loudoun County to help fathers

build skills to become stronger dads begins Tuesday, July 11. All fathers are welcome to attend the free, 12-week, virtual program.

The National Fatherhood Initiative’s 24/7 Dad program is meant to strengthen fathers’ relationships with their children. The virtual workshops will take place weekly on Tuesdays from 6 – 8 p.m. starting July 11. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited.

For more information and to register, go to loudoun.gov/fatherhood. n

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AROUND Town

Douglass Center Playground Puts Focus on Black History, Contributions

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

The formal dedication of the new Douglass Community Center playground last week celebrated a community gathering point that will serve as a reminder for the struggles and accomplishments of Black Americans through history.

Built on the grounds of the recently renovated building that served as the county’s high school for Black students until the end of segregation, the facility features the latest trends in playground equipment—from a two-story slide tower to a musical instrument zone—and offers history lessons at nearly every turn.

During the May 31 dedication ceremony, Department of Parks and Recreation Director Steve Torpy described the project as an “exceptional, one-of-a-kind facility, which is a true destination playground, and one of the nation’s top social, culturally conscious playgrounds.”

He credited his staff with pushing to make the playground a special place. Among the project’s leaders were Assistant Director for Centers Rameir Martin and two longtime department employees, Wayne Hyatt and Douglass Community Center Manager Jon Mattia.

Their efforts to create a playground with a Black history theme is unique, he said.

“That is something that had not been done in this county. It had not been done in this state. And, to this degree, was not something that had been done in this nation,” Torpy said.

Martin said, for him, the project has its roots in his high school experience when he was a member of his school’s Success Club—started in 1960s to help students navigate through civil unrest and racism.

“We learned and studied the contributions of Black people in America. We felt empowered and had pride in being Black. We learned that the legacy of Black people is more than just surviving enslavement and the Civil Rights period in American history,” he said.

He recounted that when the club planned a special Black History Month assembly, white students—including many

longtime friends—objected and planned a walk out. As the conflict moved toward violence, Martin said teachers and community leaders encouraged the students to win with their minds, not their fists.

The theme of that assembly was “Our Gifts to the World”—a theme reflected throughout the playground. Among the special features is a replica of the three-position traffic signal patented in 1923 by

Garrett Morgan, the first Black resident in Cleveland, OH, to own a car.

“This project screams America. This project is American history—American history viewed through the lens of contributions made by Black people,” Martin said.

He also cited County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) as an inspiration with her commitment to do “hard things,” the theme of her most recent State of the County address.

Randall, along with Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg), joined in the dedication ceremony, which county leaders noted drew the largest crowd ever for a playground project.

She led the gathered students, county staff, members of the Douglass High School Alumni Association, and families in a call and response cheer of: “Frederick Douglass, Playground, Hard Things.”

A formal ribbon-cutting was followed by a rush of children to the playground to explore their new recreation area.

There are still a few elements that will be added to the facility.

Coming soon are two 8-foot-tall bronze statues of Barack Obama and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., intended to represent hopes and dreams. n

Free Document Shredding Offered

Gather up your boxes of records for a special community document shredding event Saturday, June 17 at Tuscarora High School.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It could close earlier if the shredding vehicles fill up.

Organizers will be collecting food donations for Loudoun Hunger Relief during the program.

For a list of items acceptable for shredding and details of the food drive, go to leesburgva.gov/shredevent.

HOPE Quilts Displayed at Town Hall

COVID-19 HOPE Quilts are on display on the first floor of Town Hall through August.

The community-based art project is organized by portrait artist and philanthropist Diane Canney through her nonprofit, Art of the Matter. The campaign was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to use art to express gratitude and hope during a time of isolation and uncertainty.

Each signature quilt honors frontline workers while commemorating those who were affected by the pandemic. More than 800 panel blocks were created by children and adults located across the nation, including several local and national artists such as Alex Carr, Rusty and Kaeley Boyle, Jeremy Chew, Namchi Dao, and John Deckert.

Quilts selected for the exhibit honor Leesburg’s frontline workers who risked their lives to keep the local government up and running.

Canney hopes to create permanent memorials in America to put a face on statistics and to capture the stories of dedication and remembrance.

An open house will be held on Friday, July 7, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

The exhibit may be viewed during normal business hours. Learn at hopequilt.org.

AROUND TOWN continues on page 9

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Kids climb the rope bridge at the new Black history-themed playground at Douglass Community Center in Leesburg.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Blocks at the new Douglass Community Center playground display images of influential Black Americans.

AROUND Town

continued from page 8

Construction Projects Bring Street Closures

Work to complete storm sewer improvements on Edwards Ferry Road will require daytime detours through June 23.

The work is being done between Harrison Street and Woodberry Road 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily on weekdays.

The work is part of preparations for an upcoming sidewalk and drainage project.

Also closed this month will be Lassiter Way next to the Town Hall parking garage.

Excavation work is related to electrical conduit installation and is expected to continue weekdays, from 7 a.m.to 5 p.m., through June 30. Parking in the work zone will be prohibited during construction. n

Business

Huber Joins BCT Bank Board

Michael Huber has joined the board of directors of Potomac Bancshares, Inc., the holding company of BCT-Bank of Charles Town, effective June 1.

“We are pleased to welcome Mike to the board of directors,” board Chairman Keith Berkeley stated. “His experience in building successful businesses from the ground up will provide insightful perspectives for our strategic oversight, especially for Northern Virginia. We’re also excited to have Mike’s notable community commitment that is a perfect fit with our principle of neighbor helping neighbor.”

Huber is the founder and CEO of Belfort Furniture. Since 1987, the Sterling company has grown into one of the largest home furnishings retailers in the nation delivering up to 5,000 pieces of furniture a week to over 200 homes a day. In 2009, Huber founded Stone

Tower Winery, one of the most visited wineries in the region and a sought-after wedding venue.

In addition to his work with the family-owned businesses, Huber serves on the Route 28 Commission Advisory Board and previously served on the Loudoun CEO Cabinet and a board member of the Oatlands Historic House & Gardens. To promote green sustainability, Huber has contributed over 468,000 tree seedlings to the Virginia reforestation initiatives. He has also championed the funding of 4,822 local children to attend YMCA summer camp programs as well as 263 YMCA full-year after school programs. Additionally, Huber helped raise over $2.8 million to support cancer research through the Virginia Vine

“Jimmy V” charity by hosting auction galas at his Stone Tower Winery. He

was awarded the International Home Furnishing Association’s Spirit of Life Award for outstanding professional and philanthropic contributions.

Founded in 1871, BCT - Bank of Charles Town, also known as The Community’s Bank, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Potomac Bancshares, Inc. With approximately $792 million in assets as of March 31, 2023, the company conducts operations through its main office, an additional eight branch offices, and two loan production offices. BCT’s offices are located in Jefferson and Berkeley counties in West Virginia, Washington County, MD, and Loudoun and Stafford counties in Virginia. n

Loudoun Ideal Chiropractic

Miok Hyoun, D.C., is a holistic chiropractor and health care practitioner serving patients at Loudoun Ideal Chiropractic in Lansdowne, Virginia.

Her specialties include treating poor posture, scoliosis, whiplash, herniated discs, chronic back pain, sports injuries, and prenatal chiropractic care.

Dr. Miok has made caring for people through comprehensive chiropractic care a life-long study.

She graduated Magma Cum Laude from the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, and has attended numerous trainings and seminars to build her practice and create a holistic wellness clinic for her patients.

Dr. Miok also specializes in advanced chiropractic techniques such as Gonstead and Chiropractic Biophysics. She focuses on nding and treating the root cause of the problem rather than covering the pain and symptoms.

Her ability to connect and analyze the patient’s body and provide the relief from pain extends to other so tissue treatments modalities such as Dry Needling, Graston and Functional Movement Pattern analysis which she uses in tandem with chiropractic

care to o er the best possible individualized treatment plan for her patients.

Dr. Miok is also a certi ed Yoga instructor and frequently incorporates Yoga Asana, breathing methods (Pranayama), and Meditative Mindset to help patients to understand their body and mind connection through their spinal posture rehabilitation protocols to create the long-lasting spinal health and wellbeing in their lives.

No matter the technique, Dr. Miok’s goal is always the same for her patients: To express the best version of themselves ful lling goals and purposes in life with freedom and con dence in their health to create Transformations through the spark of lifeforce in their spine.

www.LoudounIdealChiropractic.com

19301 Winmeade Dr. Suite 214, Lansdowne, VA. 20176

571-707-8639

Clinic Hour: Mon, Wed, and Thurs, 8:30am to 12:00pm, and 3:00pm to 5:00pm.

Michael Huber, Founder and CEO, Belfort Furniture

Education

Seniors, 4th Graders Write History Together

BY MAGGIE MCCABE

Students at Loudoun County High School and Evergreen Mill Elementary School teamed up to turn chapters from the fourth-grade history textbook into their own illustrated and published storybooks.

The books are for sale on Amazon, and all profits go to purchase copies of the books for the Evergreen Mill Elementary School and Loudoun County High School libraries.

The project was created in 2017 by Tracy Cody, a high school government teacher, and her daughter, Kathryn Hicks, a fourth-grade teacher.

“We were just talking one night, and we realized we were teaching the same thing for 12th and fourth grade, just on different levels, and so we brainstormed and decided we should do a book because the curriculum overlaps,” Cody said.

After a forced break during the pandemic, they resumed the project and expanded it by adding high school teacher Nancy Thomas’ sections of the same government class that Cody teaches.

This year, four fourth-grade classes and five high school senior government classes worked to create five history books, six chapters each, based on the fourth-grade history curriculum.

This project was a major graded assignment for the high school seniors. Each high school student was given the parameters of the project, their fellow group members, and their assigned chap-

ter. From there, it was completely up to the students to work together to develop the final product—a story chapter modeled off a chapter from the history textbook. The project took a lot of time and meetings from the high schoolers, who

served as leaders guiding the younger kids through the project.

“Every person in the group had a piece, they were all accountable and all working for it. There wasn’t one person who didn’t work,” Thomas said.

Alexis

“We saw students who didn’t typically engage be really engaged,” Cody said. After meeting with their elementary

WRITING HISTORY

continues on page 12

Student Fight Club Discovered at Lunsford Middle School

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

A mid-May fight among students and posts on social media led school administrators at J. Michael Lunsford Middle School in Chantilly to discover a fight club created by students being held both on and off campus.

Division spokesperson Dan Adams said in an email that Principal Carrie Simms sent a message to parents via her weekly newsletter in response to a fight

at school and the social media activity.

Adams said he couldn’t comment more because the matter involves student discipline.

Simms said in the message to parents that some of the student-created clubs are elaborate with “brackets, betting and challenges,” and said many parents are aware of their child’s participation, and said some parents were even hosting the fights in their garages or basements.

Some students had tried to have fights on school grounds, according to

Simms in the letter.

“We cannot tell you how to parent, but when your children create TikToks and Instagram pages using Lunsford’s name, and then attempt to hold these fights in our hallways and bathrooms, we will take action,” she said.

Simms said the fights lead to a “reset” on the morning of May 19 that meant students were not given 20 minutes of free time to walk around the school and socialize with friends. Instead, they were told to report directly to

their advisory class.

“Unfortunately, some students created a very unsafe situation for all and we needed to be able to start our education for the day in a calm manner,” Simms said. “Violent behavior, fighting and its promotion on social media have no place in our school community.”

Sheriff ’s Office spokesperson Michele Bowman said in an email that the department “continues to investigate the matter,” and said, “at this time no charges have been obtained.” n

Gustin/Loudoun Now

Bryan Mora, Ellison Taliaferro, Tracy Cody, Nancy Thomas and Sofie Steel show off the books they helped create with fourth graders from Evergreen Mill Elementary School.

Writing history

continued from page 10

school counterparts, the high schoolers came up with stories based on the fourthgrade history textbook—some more concrete, and others more allegorical—while the fourth graders drew pictures to represent each step of the story.

“At first it was a little bit weird because when we first joined the Google Meet call there was one kid that would talk and the others were hiding,” Ellison Taliaferro, a senior, said describing some of the challenges of meeting with her group online. “A lot of it was you starting the conversation at first and asking them questions, but then they got more comfortable and started talking … but it was stressful figuring out how to get them to talk.”

Each group took different methods to convert the textbook chapter into a history story. One group told the story from the perspective of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison’s quills, while another group used ducks and geese to describe the story behind the Declaration of Independence.

After developing rough drafts of all the chapters, the Loudoun County High School students took a field trip to visit the fourth-grade classes at Evergreen Mill. They spent time working hard at editing their chapters in groups and competing in an online history quiz game called Blooket, but also playing together outside during recess and enjoying ice cream at lunch.

“It was a lot harder than I thought,” high school senior Sofie Steel said about playing Blooket with fourth grader Hudson Reilly. “He ended up giving me the job to just look at the board and tell him if he

Brambleton Middle School Symphonic Band Honored

The Brambleton Middle School Symphonic Band has been invited to perform at the Virginia Music Educators Association’s 2023 Professional Development Conference in November, the first middle school band from Loudoun to be invited to perform at the conference.

Under the direction of Martin Blount, Samantha Charriez and Colson Meekst, the band will perform for an audience of music teachers and families at the Richmond Convention Center.

The VMEA selection committee chose the school’s symphonic band through a blind audition of recordings submitted from across Virginia.

“This is a significant honor, and we are so proud of the work going on at

Brambleton Middle School. The recognition is the result of a recipe for success that includes outstanding instruction and leadership of the directors, the hard work of the students and support from the Brambleton Middle School administration and community,” Loudoun County Public Schools

Fine Arts Supervisor Michael Pierson said.

The purpose of the VMEA is to promote quality music education throughout the Commonwealth by providing leadership, instructional resources and professional development opportunities for Virginia’s music educators.

For more information, go to vmea.com. n

was in first place or not.”

Bryan Mora, a student in one of the Academic Government classes who participated in the project, also attended Evergreen Mill Elementary School. He said it was a little emotional to go back to his elementary school and see his former teachers.

“I was thinking ‘I was once in their shoes.’ I know how it is to look at older people and be like ‘oh wow.’ It was crazy to be the older kid in that scenario,” he said.

Siblings Kamdyn Perley, a senior, and fourth grader Summer Perley said they enjoyed having lunch together after working on the project.

After the field trips, Cody and Thomas compiled the material into five books. All five books have the same basic content but

use different methods of organizing and explaining the facts. They made final edits and uploaded them to be published and sold on Amazon.

Cody and Thomas said they hope to turn the project into a yearlong one and possibly get community sponsors for the books to be placed in community spaces like doctor’s office waiting rooms. They also want to team up with a Spanish class at the high school to help translate the books to make them accessible to more students.

Cody and Thomas said doing the project renewed their love of teaching, commenting after the field trip “this is why we do this.”

“The big kids got the little kids to come up to the next level, and everyone was able to come up to a different level than what they were used to producing, and that is really important,” Cody said.

The senior students said the project heightened their interest in government and history. Steel said she probably got a better grade this year than in years past thanks to Cody’s passion and the history book project.

“The project gave me more of a passion for learning about government,” Mora said. “Going into it, I thought ‘I don’t know how this is going to be,’ but Mrs. Cody, she’s passionate, and I saw that and it made me take a personal interest in it.”

Find the books on Amazon: Creation of American Democracy—Our Interpretation, by Mrs. Cody’s and Mrs. Hicks’

classes; Our Interpretation of the Creation of American Democracy, by Mrs. Cody’s and Mrs. Ferranti’s classes; Our Interpretation of the Creation of American Democracy, by Mrs. Cody’s and Mrs. Nazionale’s classes; Our Interpretation of the Creation of U.S. Democracy, by Mrs. Thomas’ and Mrs. Ater’s classes; and American Democracy: A Story, by Mrs. Thomas’ and Mrs. Hawes’ classes. n

Maggie McCabe is an intern at Loudoun Now and a rising sophomore at Davidson College majoring in political science.

Contributed by Tracy Cody Sisters Summer and Kamdyn Perley eat lunch together during the Loudoun County High School field trip to Evergreen Mill Elementary School. The sisters worked together on the history book project between the two schools.

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

The five history books created by fourth graders at Evergreen Mill Elementary and seniors in several government classes at Loudoun County High School.

Contributed by Tracy Cody Fourth grader Hudson Reilly and Loudoun County High School senior Sofie Steel play Blooket, a history quiz game together at Evergreen Mill Elementary School.

Politics

Democratic Primary Voting Underway in 4 Races

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Early voting in the June 20 primary is well underway as Democratic voters finalize their picks for party nominees in the November general election.

Voters now are voting in Democratic primaries in the 26th House of Delegates District between Kannan Srinivasan and Sirisha Kompalli, the 31st Senate District between Zach Cummings and Russett Perry, in the 32nd Senate District between Del. Suhas Subramanyam (D-87) and Ibraheem Samirah, and for Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney between incumbent Buta Biberaj and Elizabeth Lancaster.

Republicans face no primary elections in Loudoun this year. On the School Board and town council, candidates are not nominated by political parties, although

the parties often make endorsements.

Early voting in the primaries began on May 5. Polls are open on primary election day, June 20, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Other deadlines for primary voters are also coming up. Friday, June 9 is the last day to request a ballot be mailed, and Saturday, June 17 is the last day to vote early in person.

Loudoun County has also implemented new state and local election districts along with some changes to voting precincts following the most recent redistricting. Find your polling place at loudoun.gov/197/ Where-is-my-Polling-Place.

Come November, the county will see elections in every House of Delegates and state Senate district and every county-level office, including the Loudoun Clerk of the Circuit Court’s eight-year term, along with some town council and mayoral seats in Loudoun towns. At the county level that includes all nine seats on both

the Board of Supervisors and the School Board along with the five constitutional officers, the Clerk, Sheriff, Treasurer, Commissioner of the Revenue and Commonwealth’s Attorney.

That means Loudoun voters will vote in at least 14 races: a House of Delegates district, a state Senate district, all five county constitutional officers, a district and at-large seat on both the School Board and Board of Supervisors, and up to three candidates for Soil and Water Conservation District director. With Town Council seats on the ballot in Middleburg, Purcellville, Lovettsville, Hamilton and Round Hill, some town residents will vote for more.

Without another change to Loudoun elections, there will never be as many county races on the ballot again—this year, School Board members elected in the Broad Run, Algonkian, Dulles, Leesburg and Sterling districts will serve only

Lancaster Struggles with Campaign Finance Disclosures

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Elizabeth Lancaster, a Democratic primary candidate for Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney, has filed legally required campaign fundraising disclosures more than a month late, and with information missing from every donor listing.

The deadline to file that disclosure, which lists all campaign donors who gave more than $100 and covers fundraising from Jan. 18 to March 31, was April 17. According to the Virginia Department of Elections, Lancaster filed that disclosure on Friday, June 3.

The filing also came as early voting in the primary, which began May 5, is already well underway. The next deadline to file is a week away, on Monday, June 12. That filing will cover fundraising from April 1- June 8.

Lancaster’s filing shows $4,735 in

fundraising and no campaign spending. Only three of Lancaster’s 10 donors giving more than $100 are in Loudoun: Leesburg attorneys Sarah Bruns and Wayne Kim, and Loudoun County Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg), who all gave $250. Other donors listed addresses in Springfield, Reston, Clifton, Herndon, Great Falls and Alexandria, with the largest donation coming from Karew Weber—likely a mistranscription of Karen Weber—of Vienna, who gave $1,000. Lancaster reported no campaign expenses during the period.

Every one of Lancaster’s donors is noted to have incomplete contact information, possibly because none of those listings include information about their employment.

In the same time period, Lancaster’s primary target, incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj, reported $108,762 in contributions from 64 donors, and $145,432 in campaign spending. Her largest donor was Hasan Biberaj, of New York, NY, of Morgan Barrington Real Estate, who gave $25,000 in that period, for a total of $50,000 to date. He was followed by Bob

Biberaj of Manassas and A Advantage HVAC, and Edna Felix of New York and real estate management firm One Fifty Fifty Seven Corp, who both gave $5,000. The legal consequences for failing to file those disclosures are light. Late filing is a civil penalty with a fine of up to $100—the minimum donation that requires a named disclosure. If the late filing is found to be a willful violation, it becomes a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. The late filing considered willful if the failure to file continues for more than 60 days after actually receiving a written notice through certified mail.

Lancaster did not respond to a request from Loudoun Now for comment on the missing disclosure left Thursday—one day before the report was filed. Umstattd, who endorsed Lancaster at the launch of her campaign, said she is not worried by the late filing.

“She [Lancaster] indicated she was just overwhelmed with law cases and she’s a single mom, so I can understand how things can slip through the cracks,” Umstattd said.

two-year terms as the School Board begins staggered elections for their four-year terms.

There are 66 candidates running for office in Loudoun so far this year, according to records provided by the Loudoun Office of Elections and Voter Registration, although some of those candidates still need to finish their paperwork. Four of those candidates will also likely drop out when they lose their party primary race.

There is still time for more candidates to jump into the November race. June 20 at 7 p.m. is also the deadline to file as a candidate for the November local elections, and for political parties to nominate a candidate. Candidates for the House of Delegates and state Senate have an extra week, until June 26, to file.

Learn more about voting in Loudoun at loudoun.gov/vote. n

“Of course, it’s always concerning when there’s a problem with paperwork, but what really concerns me is Buta’s inability to hold on to competent staff, her letting a murderer go, her letting a rapist go—those things concern me because they impact the entire community,” Umstattd said.

Biberaj has hammered Lancaster on campaign finance as weeks passed with no filing. Last week, her campaign launched a website, whatislancasterhididing.com, questioning “What donations is Lancaster hiding from voters by refusing to file her campaign finance report?” Virginia’s campaign finance laws are particularly lax. Candidates are allowed to spend campaign funds on personal use—something banned at the federal level and in most other states—and bills to tighten the laws around campaign money have been defeated in the General Assembly year after year. Current law only prohibits converting that money to personal use when a campaign committee is dissolved. Typically, candidates keep their campaign committee open throughout their term in office, creating a rolling bank account.

Find campaign finance disclosures at elections.virginia.gov. n

Lancaster

Smith Appeal of Disorderly Conduct Conviction Heads to Jury Trial

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

The case of Scott Smith, the man whose arrest at a Loudoun County School Board meeting in June 2021 garnered national attention, will appeal his conviction for disorderly conduct at a jury trial in September.

He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors, following an argument with another attendee of the June 22, 2021, School Board meeting. Smith’s daughter was the victim of a sexual assault in a high school bathroom, the first of two girls assaulted by the same student, resulting in a long-running scandal, an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General, and led to the School Board firing Superintendent Dr. Scott Ziegler.

Smith in August 2021 was convicted in General District Court of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and sentenced to 10 days in jail, all suspended contingent on a year of good behavior. Smith ap-

pealed, and the charge of resisting arrest was subsequently dismissed because of an error in paperwork.

On Thursday, Smith’s attorney, William Stanley, who represents the 20th Senate District in the General Assembly, sought to have the disorderly conduct charge thrown out before the appeal is argued.

Stanley argued Smith’s actions leading up to his arrest no more tended to violence than many other people’s behavior

at that raucous meeting, and so did not meet the legal standard for disorderly conduct. Stanley pointed to testimony that the woman with whom Smith argued approached him first, calling his daughter a liar and threatening to ruin his business. Smith leaned toward the woman, clenching one fist at his side, and called her an expletive.

Stanley said that amounted to protected free speech.

“While Smith was at an intense School Board meeting that was discussing a policy issue that had a direct impact on the School Board policy that caused the harm to his daughter, he was no agitator, but rather he was only responding to a provocateur who was saying horrible things to him about his family,” Stanley’s motion argues.

The motion to dismiss the case noted a deputy’s testimony that other attendees “cheerfully encouraged physical altercations.”

“Smith cannot be convicted of disorderly conduct simply because he had a heated disagreement with a woman in

public,” Stanley wrote.

Judge James Howe Brown denied that motion, sending the appeal to trial set for Sept. 25. Smith has requested a jury trial.

“I think he’s lucky he didn’t get slapped, never mind arrested,” Brown said.

“The problem with our justice system across our land is it’s no longer fair. It’s not fair,” Smith said after the hearing. “I’ll keep fighting this and I will win. But in the meantime, it’s just more pain on me and my family. It just holds back our healing, it’s ridiculous, our governor needs to step up and do something.”

“How the f— does a judge say I deserve to be slapped?” he added.

“Enough is enough. They need to stop attacking us. We did nothing wrong,” Smith’s wife Jessica said. “All we did was speak out because our daughter was raped at school and nobody did anything.”

Stafford County Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Olsen is prosecuting the case after Circuit Court Judge James E. Plowman disqualified Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj. n

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Scott and Jessica Smith speak outside the Loudoun County courthouse after a hearing on Thursday, June 1.

Droumavalla, Flying Ace Owners’ Co-Defendants Take Pleas in Federal Fraud Case

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

The co-defendants in a multi-million-dollar federal fraud case have filed sealed pleas, as Droumavalla Farm owner Edward Walsh Vaughan and Flying Ace Farm Distillery and Brewery owner Hadi Akkad, and one other defendant head toward trial next year.

If Vaughan is convicted, the federal government could seize Droumavalla.

Vaughan, Akkad and four others were indicted in July 2022 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, based on allegations about their credit card payment processing company Electronic Transactions Systems Corporation. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges from 2012 to 2019 the company defrauded approximately 7,000 merchant clients out of millions of dollars, attaching a hidden markup to nearly 87 million credit card transactions.

Also indicted were Jill Hall Mandichak, 43, of Virginia; Sean Lynch, 50, of Virginia; and Katherine Nguyen, 38, of North Carolina. All three filed sealed plea agreements on Dec. 15, 2022. They have also signed documents agreeing with prosecutors’ key allegations in the case, and the court ordered Nguyen forfeit a 2017 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450.

Vaughan was the company’s president

and Akkad its executive vice president. Their remaining co-defendant, Gina Ellingsen, of Minnesota, was titled “payment industry expert,” according to the indictment. Prosecutors allege Vaughan and Akkad used the scheme to enrich themselves with multimillion-dollar bonuses, luxury vehicles, private aircraft and high-end real estate. ETS was sold in 2018, with Vaughan receiving approximately $107 million, and Akkad receiving approximately $33 million.

The Justice Department is seeking to seize assets they bought during that time, including Droumavalla. They are also seeking to seize Akkad’s house near Leesburg and condo in Georgetown, and Vaughan’s house near Leesburg, condo in Reston, two houses in Pebble Beach, CA, and a house in Malibu, CA. They could also face up to 30 years in federal prison.

Justice Department filings also indicate Vaughan brandished a gun at a process server attempting to serve him, and that he faces allegations of harassment, intimidation, and sexual assault from eight potential witnesses in the case, including two co-defendants.

Meanwhile, the prosecutors and the defense have agreed to more time to prepare for a trial. A jury trial is scheduled for April 1, 2024. The case is being tried in the U.S Eastern District of Texas, in Sherman, TX. The City of Sherman is one of the clients allegedly defrauded. n

Investment Advisor Jailed for Fraud

A Brambleton man was sentenced June 6 to serve two years in prison for an oil, gas, and energy investment fraud scheme.

According to court documents, between January 2014 and August 2019, Ryan Riley, 50, a registered investment advisor, defrauded at least nine investors of approximately $434,100 by making false promises about oil, gas, and energy investments.

Riley made false statements about promised returns, supposed partners, and specific wells and leases that had been identified for the projects he was pitching. He told investors that their

funds were going to be used for oil, gas, and energy related projects. Over time, Riley told those victims that certain deals fell through, but that the victims’ investments would be converted to new oil, gas, and energy projects. However, Riley routinely transferred the funds to his personal accounts, using the money to pay at least $149,000 toward his mortgage and making risky stock trades, which resulted in substantial losses, according to the Department of Justice.

As part of his sentence, Riley was ordered to pay $434,100 in forfeiture, with $388,750 in restitution. n

Johnson, Parker Selected as Loudoun Laureates

The Loudoun Laurels Foundation has selected Sheila Johnson and Lewis Parker as its 2023 Loudoun Laureates. Since 2008, the program has recognized community leaders who exemplify characteristics of selflessness, integrity, creativity, wisdom, and courage.

This year’s laureate selections were drawn from a pool of candidates, nominated by the public, who contribute their time, energy, and resources to make the county a better place.

The foundation also announced the award of new $40,000 scholarships to Elizabeth Portillo Morejon of Loudoun County High School and Josmar Hernandez Chavez, of Woodgrove High School. Since 2013, the foundation’s efforts to develop future civic leaders through scholarships and mentorships has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to 25 Loudoun County high school graduates.

Sheila Johnson is the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television and is the only African American woman to have ownership in three professional sports teams—the Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, and Washington Mystics. She is also founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, including the resort

Nonprofits

and spa in Middleburg that is a Forbes Five-Star-rated hospitality destination.

Her philanthropic work includes promoting arts and education to underserved communities. She has served as a global ambassador for CARE, a humanitarian organization that combats poverty around the world through the involvement of women. She also spearheaded the formation of WE Capital, a venture capital consortium dedicated to supporting and investing in female-led enterprises.

Lew Parker’s careers in two industries have had lasting positive effects on

Loudoun County’s economic base and overall prominence in Virginia and nationally.

In the role of engineer, technologist, and business executive, Parker’s contributions in the medical device arena have improved the lives of millions of individuals. K2M, founded by Parker and his son-inlaw Eric Major, grew into global leaders in the development of medical devices aiding individuals suffering from debilitating orthopedic conditions and became a leading high-tech employer in the region.

Parker also is the founder of Willowcroft Farm on Mount Gilead, the first winery established in Loudoun County that paved the way for an industry that now includes nearly 50 wineries in the county. The Willowcroft Foundation endows science-based scholarships through the Community Foundation and the Loudoun Education Foundation.

The foundation’s scholarship program provides $40,000 grants, dispersed in $10,000 annual increments during a student’s four-year undergraduate study at a Virginia state institution of higher learning.

Morejon will attend George Mason University, where she plans to major

in nursing.

Hernandez Chavez will attend the University of Mary Washington to pursue a course of study in international business.

Both scholars participated in Loudoun Public School’s College Achievement Minority Program for Unique Students (CAMPUS) program before graduating.

Johnson, Lewis, and the 2023 Loudoun Laurels Scholars will be honored at the foundation’s annual gala to be held on Friday, Sept. 22 at Lansdowne Resort.

Previous Foundation Laureates are Childs F. Burden, G. Kimball Hart, Eugene M. Scheel, Karen Hatcher Russell, Paul Ziluca, Joe T. May, Lang and Judy Washburn, James P. Roberts, The Honorable Robert E. Sevila, Stanley Caulkins, Fred Drummond, Dr. Edgar B. Hatrick, III, Su Webb, Joseph L. Boling, Dr. John H. Cook, III, Cate Magennis Wyatt, J. Hamilton Lambert, Margaret Morton, Thomas D. Horne, The Honorable Betsy Davis, William Harrison, Fred and Karen Schaufeld, Al P. Van Huyck, Kristina Bouweiri, Di Cook, Chuck Kuhn, Punkin Lee, and Sandy Lerner.

For more information, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the gala, go to loudounlaurels.org. n

Johnson Parker

Loudoun Student Senior Project Raises $2K for Local Nonprofit

Loudoun County High School seniors

Alexander Seymour and Brennan O’Donnell raised $2,000 for Backpack Buddies Foundation of Loudoun by organizing a car show as part of their senior capstone project.

The event, Cars for a Cause held May 27 at Ion Training Center in Leesburg was a community driven event aimed at bringing two things Seymour was passionate about together, cars and helping others.

The car show brought in 40 cars as well as car enthusiasts from all over. Car owners paid $25 to enter their car into the show.

All proceeds from the vehicle registrations will go to Backpack Buddies Foundation of Loudoun, an organization committed to combating food insecurity among school-aged children in Loudoun County.

Seymour and O’Donnell were supported by local car group Nova JDM and NOVA JDM member Dakota Smith who helped organize the event and lent their expertise and resources. Nova JDM also hosted a 50/50 raffle for attendees.

Seymour hopes to eventually expand the event to include other car groups and host a “Cruises For a Cause” event. He also would like to turn Cars for a Cause into a monthly event.

“Right now, we are just starting with

the most simple concept—a car show,” Seymour said.

Backpack Buddies Foundation of Loudoun Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, grant writing organization that provides financial support to individual programs throughout Loudoun County that provide weekend food for students in need. n

Contributed/Backpack Buddies Foundation of Loudoun Kids gather around one of the cars on display at the Cars for a Cause car show organized by Loudoun County High School seniors Alexander Seymour and Brennan O’Donnell. The car show benefits Backpack Buddies Foundation of Loudoun.

Contributed/Backpack Buddies Foundation of Loudoun Cars for a Cause organizers Alexander Seymour and Brennan O’Donnell. The two Loudoun County High School seniors organized the car show to benefit Backpack Buddies Foundation of Loudoun for their senior capstone project.

Round Hill and Hillsboro Join Forces to Celebrate the Appalachian Trail

Four years ago, the Town of Round Hill launched a day-long celebration of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail as part of a campaign to encourage residents to get outdoors more.

This year, the June 10 Appalachian Trail Festival takes on a more regional feel with the Town of Hillsboro joining the project.

On Saturday, the grounds around Hillsboro’s Old Stone School will feature live music, trail talks, kids’ activities, food and vendors. Representatives from environmental/hiking groups—including the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, American Hiking Society, Sierra Club and the Appalachian Mountain Club—will be on hand to discuss their programs and other outdoors enthusiasts will offer hands-on learning from trail cooking to yoga for hikers. The concert lineup includes Mink’s Miracle Medicine, Justin Trawick & the Common Good, and the Short Hill Mountain Boys.

Spanning 2,190 miles of mountain ridge lines from Maine to Georgia, the AT crosses 14 states—and generally tracks along Loudoun County’s western border, part of the popular “roller coaster” section of the trail.

The inaugural festival in 2019 celebrated Round Hill’s official designation as an A.T. Community, recognizing the trail as a community asset and pledging to support ongoing Trail stewardship. This month, Hillsboro and the village of Bluemont also have secured that designation.

As part of Saturday’s festival, there will be a formal ceremony celebrating Hillsboro’s A.T. Community status, starting at 10:45 a.m.

“We are proud to be an official Appalachian Trail Community and intend to launch a robust program to support, protect and maintain the Trail and welcome the thousands of thru- and section-hikers,” Mayor Roger Vance

said. “Our Hillsboro Appalachian Trail Committee includes four members who have each hiked the entire trail and whose guidance will be invaluable.”

A new festival feature this year will be a Friday evening talk by Jeff Ryan as part of the Hillsboro’s Eat, Drink & Be Literary series at the Old Stone School. Ryan, the author of numerous books about America’s trails and public lands, will discuss the “Secrets of the AT.” The ticketed event will begin at 7 p.m. June 9. Tickets are available at oldstoneschool.org.

Another addition to the event is “Wild Beauty,” an Appalachian Trail-Inspired Invitational Art Show, that displays Appalachian inspiration through the eyes of artists. Explore “Wild Beauty” through paintings, fiber arts, photography, ceramics and prints. Art will be available for purchase during festival hours, with the artists on hand throughout the day to talk about their work. Artists include Nick Garnhart, Jill Jensen, Joan Gardiner, Megan Caldwell, Amy Oliver, Kathleen Howsare and Johlene Hess.

For full festival details, go to roundhillat.org. n

HAMILTON

Free Exercise Classes Take Place on Saturdays

Free exercise classes are planned every Saturday in June from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the Hamilton Community Park.

Yoga enthusiasts will gather on June 10, cross-fitters on June 17, and those interested in high-intensity interval training on June 24.

LOVETTSVILLE

Love Summer Schedule Released

Lovettsville’s Summer on the Green is in full swing after the kick-off showing of “The Sandlot” following the town’s Mayfest event. The schedule is:

• JUNE 10: Community members will have the chance to get free s’mores when they bring a nonperishable food item to the showing of “Troop Beverly Hills.”

• JUNE 24: The movie is undecided for this date.

• JULY 15: The first annual Lovettsville Blues, Beer and BBQ festival will showcase live music and start at 3 p.m.

• JULY 29: Starting at 7 p.m. residents can come to hear from local treasures about the town’s history and a showing of “National Treasure.”

• AUGUST 1: National Night Out will be a celebration of the town’s local heroes with live demonstrations and games.

• AUGUST 5: The town’s first Bluegrass Festival will feature live music, drinks, food and a showing of “O’Brother Where Art Thou.”

• AUGUST 19: A showing of “The Princess Bride” will close out the final night of Love Summer.

All events will take place at the Town Green.

AROUND TOWNS continues on page 19

Contributed

Visitors to last year’s Appalachian Trail Festival talk with representative of the American Hiking Society, one of many outdoors organizations who participate in the annual event.

Author to Hold Signing of Purcellville History Books

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

Author and Purcellville resident Jack Barrett will hold what he says is likely to be his final book signing at Twigs boutique Saturday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A passionate historian, Barrett has written six books and co-authored a seventh. Four focus on Loudoun County— three of those books outline Purcellville’s history in detail. Barrett said he tells people the importance of writing down their memories even if they seem insignificant.

“You don’t realize today is a history day. Every day is a history day,” he said.

“Purcellville: A Journey from a Wilderness to a Rural Town, Vol. I” explains the phases of growth of the Purcellville area from a wilderness to farmland; farmland to a crossroad settlement; a crossroad settlement to a rural village and finally to an incorporated area.

“Purcellville: A Journey from a Wilderness to a Rural Town: 1910 to 1940: Vol. II” continues to reveal the people, events, organizations and businesses of Purcellville, the fires of 1911 and 1914, World War I, the roaring Twenties and the Great Depression.

“Purcellville: A Journey from a Wilderness to a Rural Town: 1940 to 1970: Vol. III” continues to tell the story of Purcellville during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. This volume includes six map sketches, over 150 photos, 200 news articles and advertisements and over 2,000 names of the people who experienced this time period.

Barrett grew up in Purcellville and said when his family moved into the town its population was only 500. He became a history teacher at Longfellow Middle School in McLean, and after retiring from that career opened Quality Pool Company in Annandale, which he ran for the next 26 years. After retiring for the second time,

AROUND towns

continued from page 18

MIDDLEBURG A Taste of the Bubbly

Over the weekend, some town residents reported having “milky” or

Barrett, his wife and their daughter moved back to Purcellville.

While president of the Loudoun Golf and Country Club, Barrett started his journey as an author when he co-authored “History of Loudoun Golf and Country Club: Seventy-five Year Perspective.” The book covers the years of course beginning in 1927 to 2002.

He discovered that his love of history was an asset as an author and said he spends a significant amount of time researching for each book he writes, with each book taking two to three years from start to finish. Barrett said he does a lot of his research at Thomas Balch Library and by conducting in-person interviews with residents who lived in Purcellville at the time.

“bubbly” water.

While air bubbles occur naturally in the town’s well water that is pumped into the system, they dissipate as the water comes to atmospheric pressure.

Late last week, the town replaced a failed pump at Well 3 on East Marshall Street. When the new pump was activated, water initially was pumped at a higher rate than the previous one, which may

He said even though the work can be tedious and at times unrewarding, finding new and lost information makes it worth it.

“There’s times you go a whole day and find zero,” he said. “And then boom—you find something, and you get all excited … I get all pumped up and then that kept me going.”

Even though he said age is slowing him down physically, Barrett has never been good at doing nothing. He said the next book he plans to write is a sequel to the book that started his authorship in the first place. Loudoun Golf and Country Club will turn 100 years old in 2027, and Barrett said they have asked him to write another book bringing its written history to a more current date. n

have introduced additional air bubbles into the system, according to the town. The town’s utility contractor is investigating options to minimize the amount of air introduced into the system the next time Well 3 is activated.

The water remains safe to drink and in accordance with all health standards, the town noted. n

Rosanne Eleanor Durand, 64 of Leesburg, Virginia passed on Monday, May 29, 2023.

Born Saturday, August 23, 1958, in Brooklyn, New York. She was the daughter of the late Anthony Mongelli and Concetta Dalia.

Rosanne arrived in Leesburg in 1996 and had been active as President of the Loudoun chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Association and member of the Loudoun County Disability Board. She was a graduate of Brooklyn College and taught Physics and Chemistry at St. Joseph by the Sea High School in Staten Island, Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, and Kingsborough Community College. Rosanne loved Cooking, Knitting, Needlepoint, and Dancing.

She leaves her family to cherish her memory including her husband, Thomas H. Durand, her daughter Victoria and son-in-law Matthew Flory, son Frankie Durand brother Anthony Mongelli, along with numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

The family received friends from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, June 3, 2023, at Loudoun Funeral Chapel, 158 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg, Virginia.

Additional funeral services were held by the family in New York.

Rosanne was interred with her parents and grandparents in St. John Cemetery and Mausoleum, Middle Village, Queens, NY

This is the link for video montage photos on Google Drive

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QaSwDfoYvdRtU1nCx8DiJUAr5I3lVMCA

Share condolences with the family www.LoudounFuneralChapel.com

To place an obituary, contact Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or email sstyer@loudounnow.com

Rosanne Eleanor Durand

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Author Jack Barrett poses for a photo at his Purcellville home.

GETOUT

LIVE MUSIC

BETHANY GATES

Thursday, June 8, 6 to 10 p.m.

Velocity Wings Potomac Falls, 20789 Great Falls Plaza, Sterling. velocitywings.net

JUSTIN SUEDE

Thursday, June 8, 7 to 10 p.m.

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

BRYAN WILLIAMS

Friday, June 9, 5 to 8 p.m.

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

GARY SMALLWOOD

Friday, June 9, 5 to 8 p.m.

Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

JUSTIN BERDEGUEZ

Friday, June 9, 5 to 8 p.m.

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

FAST EDDIE

Friday, June 9, 5 to 8 p.m.

Dirt Farm Brewing, 18701 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont. dirtfarmbrewing.com

AGAINST THE GRAIN

Friday, June 9, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

BRENT FUNKHOUSE

Friday, June 9, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com

SHARIF

Friday, June 9, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

CHRIS ELLINGHAUS

Friday, June 9, 6 to 9 p.m.

Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 21

Loudoun Symphony Orchestra and Ion Arena Collaborate for Ice on Fire

BY DANA ARMSTRONG

Loudoun Symphony Orchestra will be hitting the ice this month to play live alongside some of the world’s best ice skaters at Ion Arena—including Olympian figure skater Gracie Gold.

The June 10 performance, titled “Ice on Fire,” will feature the LSO playing a selection of music with fiery, emotive dance themes. This extremely rare collaboration of live music and ice skating has been in the works since before Ion International Training Center’s 2019 opening.

Ion Chief Operating Officer Mitra Setayesh discovered the LSO through their regular performances at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Ashburn. She quickly became a fan and approached Michael Egan, the late president emeritus of the Loudoun Symphony, to offer the arena as a performance space for the orchestra.

At first, the idea of filling the 3,500seat Ion Arena with an audience was a startling proposition for Egan. But it was one they agreed would be mutually beneficial for expanding the reach of Ion and the LSO to both ice skating and classical music fans.

“When I took on this performance … I instantly saw a connection between the artistry and athleticism involved in ballet to ice dancing and ice skating,” said Hayden Denesha, LSO’s conductor for Ice on Fire, who also serves as musical director and conductor of Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra.

“Though I frankly don’t know really anything about ice skating, as a conductor working some with ballet in my background, I noticed crossover in the repertoire choices. When you turn on the Olympics and watch them, a lot of Olympic skaters will choose some of these pieces I have on our program,” Denesha said.

Pieces such as Danzón No. 2 by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez, the main theme from “Chariots of Fire,” the Firebird Suite from Stravinsky’s ballet (a favorite among the orchestra’s musicians), and more make the list.

True to form, the Russian Olympic team will skate to a collection of Tchaikovsky’s waltzes from the ballet Swan Lake. Plus, ice skaters from Ion’s top ranked ice dance academy in the nation and members of the US Olympic team will perform choreographed routines to the orchestra’s live music.

The night is headlined by leading figure skaters Olympian Gracie Gold, “Quad King” Ilia Malinin (the first skater to land a quadruple axel), and Canadian champion skater Keegan Messing.

“A 60-piece orchestra in an ice rink

ICE ON FIRE continues on page 25

Contributed

Olympic skaters Gracie Gold (inset), who won a gold medal in the 2014 games, and Keegan Messing are among the performers slated to perform in Saturday’s Ice on Fire concert at the Ion Arena.

Best Bets

KELLY BELL BAND

Saturday, June 10, 6 to 9 p.m. Tarara Winery tararaconcerts.com

The winery will be rocking Saturday night as this Baltimore blues band brings the party to every show. $20

GET OUT LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 20

JIMMY LEE

Friday, June 9, 6 to 9 p.m.

Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

MEISHA HERRON DUO

Friday, June 9, 6 to 9 p.m.

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

THE BREAKAWAYS

Friday, June 9, 6 to 9 p.m. Village at Leesburg, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. villageatleesburg.com

HILARY VELTRI

Friday, June 9, 7 to 10 p.m.

Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn. socialhouseashburn.com

HOMER’S DONUT

Friday, June 9, 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. Spankyspub.com

ROWDY ACRES

Friday, June 9, 8 to 11 p.m.

Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville. monksq.com

LAST RESORT: REGGAE BLOCK PARTY

Saturday, June 10, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Lost Rhino Brewing Co, 21730 Red Rum Drive #142, Ashburn. lostrhino.com

DAVE MININBERG

Saturday, June 10, 12 to 6 p.m. Forever Farm and Vineyard, 15779 Woodgrove Road, Purcellville. foreverfarmandvineyard.com

MATTHEW MILLS

Saturday, June 10, 12 to 4 p.m.

POLO IN THE PARK

Saturday, June 10, 6 to 10 p.m. Morven Park International Equestrian Center polointhepark.org

Pack a picnic and join the Saturday night party watching Morven Park’s fast-paced arena polo series. Reserve your car pass.

Cana Vineyards and Winery, 38600 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg. canavineyards.com

SHARIF

Saturday, June 10, 1 to 5 p.m. Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

CLARK PEKLO

Saturday, June 10, 1 to 4 p.m. Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. fabbioliwines.com

STEVE GEORGE & FRIENDS

Saturday, June 10, 1 to 4 p.m. Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts vanishbeer.com.

KERRY MCCOOL

Saturday, June 10, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. 8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com

LAURA CASHMAN

Saturday, June 10, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyard.com

DARRYL MARINI

Saturday, June 10, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

JASON MASI

Saturday, June 10, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. 50 West Vineyards, 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg. 50westvineyards.com

CONNOR DALY

Saturday, June 10, 2 to 5 p.m. Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

DENNIS WAYLAND

Saturday, June 10, 2 to 5 p.m. Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com

LOST LOCALS

Saturday June 10, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Leesburg Town Green idalee.org

The Town of Leesburg’s free summer concert series features an acoustic performance by the Lost Locals performing rock and funk. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Picnics welcome. No alcohol or pets. Free.

SUMMER & ERIC DUO

Saturday, June 10, 2 to 5 p.m. Firefly Cellars, 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton. fireflycellars.com

SCOTT KURT

Saturday, June 10, 2 to 5 p.m. Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. doukeniewinery.com

ROWDY ACE

Saturday, June 10, 2 to 5 p.m. Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

JULIANA MACDOWELL AND MIKE AULT

Saturday, June 10, 2 to 5 p.m.

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

LENNY BURRIDGE

Saturday, June 10, 3 to 6 p.m. Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

ALTERNATE CROSSING

Saturday, June 10, 5 to 8 p.m. Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

HUCKLEBUCK

Saturday, June 10, 5 to 8 p.m. Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

DEREK KRETZER & FRIENDS

Saturday, June 10, 5 to 8 p.m. Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

ANDY CARIGNAN

Saturday, June 10, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Purcellville. breauxvineyards.com

PAT

TRAVERS

Monday, June 12, 8 p.m. Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

The powerhouse rock guitarist performs on the Leesburg stage just weeks before his induction into Nashville’s Rock Godz Hall of Fame. Tickets $35-$75.

KELLY BELL BAND

Saturday, June 10, 6 to 10 p.m. Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Lucketts. tararaconcerts.com

JULIET LLOYD TRIO

Saturday, June 10, 6 to 9 p.m. Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

CHAD LAUGHIN

Saturday, June 10, 6 to 9 p.m. Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

THE BIG BAD JUJU

Saturday, June 10, 6 to 9 p.m. Village at Leesburg, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. villageatleesburg.com

ON EASY STREET

Saturday, June 10, 6 to 9 p.m. 868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. 868estatevineyards.com

GABE MATHEW

Saturday, June 10, 7 to 10 p.m. Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn. socialhouseashburn.com

LOST LOCALS

Saturday, June 10, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Leesburg Town Hall, 25 W. Market St., Leesburg. Idalee.org

TEJAS SINGH

Saturday, June 10, 7 to 11 p.m.

Social House Kitchen & Tap, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, South Riding. socialhousesouthriding.com

RULE G

Saturday, June 10, 8 to 11 p.m. Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville. monksq.com

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 23

Western Loudoun Artists Welcome Studio Visitors

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

The 16th Annual Western Loudoun Art and Studio Tour took place over the weekend with more than 40 artists showcasing their work.

Presented by the Franklin Park Arts Center, Round Hill Arts Center and The Friends of Franklin Park Arts Center, the tour offered stops in Waterford, Lovettsville, Bluemont, Purcellville and Leesburg.

The tour was open Friday, June 2 through Sunday, June 4 and shoppers had the opportunity to meet many of the artists along the way. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Ceramics on display by Carol Clay-Ward on the Western Loudoun Art and Studio Tour.

Visitors shop handmade items at a studio along the Western Loudoun Art and Studio Tour on Friday.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Mary Everett/Loudoun Now Jewelry made by Lori Demark and displayed along the Western Loudoun Art and Studio Tour.

Mary Everett/Loudoun Now A drawing on display by artist Bob Friedenberg along the Western Loudoun Art and Studio Tour.

GET

OUT LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 21

JUSTIN SUEDE

Sunday, June 11, 2 to 6 p.m.

Bluemont Station Brewery & Winery, 18301 Whitehall Estate Lane, Bluemont. bluemontstation.com

WAYNE SNOW

Sunday, June 11, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

2 OF THE FOUR

Sunday, June 11, 1 to 5 p.m. Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

NATHANIAL DAVIS

Sunday, June 11, 1 to 5 p.m.

Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

GREG RYMAN

Sunday, June 11, 1 to 4 p.m.

Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. fabbioliwines.com

GUNNER HEATH

Sunday, June 11, 1 to 4 p.m.

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

BRUCE EWAN

Sunday, June 11, 1 to 5 p.m.

Creek’s Edge Winery, 41255 Annas Lane, Lovettsville. creeksedgewinery.com

ANDREW O’DAY

Sunday, June 11, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyard.com

KEN WENZEL

Sunday, June 11, 2 to 5 p.m.

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

SUMMER & ERIC

Sunday, June 11, 2 to 5 p.m. Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

MIKE RICHARDS

Sunday, June 11, 2 to 5 p.m. Firefly Cellars, 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton. fireflycellars.com

MEISHA HERRON BAND

Sunday, June 11, 2 to 5 p.m.

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

DEANE KERN & ERIC SELBY

Sunday, June 11, 2 to 5 p.m.

Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. doukeniewinery.com

SHANE HINES

Sunday, June 11, 2 to 5 p.m. Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

JOE DOWNER

Sunday, June 11, 2 to 5 p.m. Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

JASON MASI

Sunday, June 11, 2 to 6 p.m., 8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com

SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE

Sunday, June 11, 3 to 7 p.m.

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

PAT TRAVERS

Monday, June 12, 8 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $35 to $75. tallyhotheater.com

JASON MASI

Wednesday, June 14, 6 to 10 p.m. The Lost Fox, 20374 Exchange St., Ashburn. thelostfox.com

LENNY BURRAGE

Wednesday, June 14, 7 to 10 p.m. Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. Spankyspub.com

JUSTIN SUEDE

Thursday, June 15, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Leesburg Moose Lodge 1041, 43 Catoctin Circle SE., Leesburg. facebook.com/LeesburgMooseLodge

WILL BASKIN

Thursday, June 15, 7 to 10 p.m. Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

ON STAGE

ICE ON FIRE

Saturday, June 10, 6 to 10 p.m. Ion International Training Center, 19201 Compass Creek Parkway, Leesburg. $45 to $70

Ionarena.com

COMEDY NIGHT PRESENTED BY THE DC IMPROV

Saturday, June 10, 6:30 p.m. & 9 p.m. Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St. SW., Leesburg. $22 to $32. tallyhotheater.com

BLUE SKY PUPPET THEATRE: PIG TALES

Wednesday, June 14, 10 to 10:45 a.m. Franklin Park Performing & Visual Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville. $5 franklinparkartscenter.org

HAPPENINGS continues on page 25

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.

Ice on Fire

continued from page 20

is a pretty Herculean task, but we’re going to get it done and it will be good,” Denesha said.

He will be conducting the orchestra from a stage laid over the top of a portion of the ice.

“I have played in venues ranging from small churches to some of the biggest theaters in the country, but an ice rink? That’s the most interesting by far,” said Nicholas Bulgarino, a trombonist for the LSO and player representative on LSO’s Board of Directors.

“There are a lot of challenges in performing in a space not designed primarily for an orchestra. Some instruments are very climate sensitive, as you can imagine. Everything in the venue will affect how we sound: the height of the ceiling, all the rigging and other audio equipment we will use, the number of people in the audience, and especially the ice.”

Although the stage on the ice will provide some insulation from the cold, orchestra members are already planning other ways to keep themselves warmed up.

“Finding ways to keep our fingers warm enough to tackle some of the technical repertoire might be tricky. I plan to keep hand warmers in my pockets,” said Michelle Rippey, a flute

GET OUT HAPPENINGS

continued from page 23

ALGONKIAN SUNRISE & BIRDING

KAYAK PADDLE

Saturday, June 10, 9 a.m. to noon

Algonkian Regional Park, 47001 Fairway Drive, Sterling. novapark.com

2023 5KK FOR LOVE KK FOUNDATION

Saturday, June 10, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Far Bungalow Farm, 42517 Farm Lane, Leesburg kkbrady.com

LOUDOUN 1725 GRAVEL GRINDER

Sunday, June 11, 8 a.m. to noon

22407 Foxhound Lane, Middleburg. $80 to $100. ex2adventures.com

3RD ANNUAL FORTUNATE FEW CAR AND BIKE SHOW

Saturday, June 10, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg.

and piccolo player and vice president of LSO’s board of directors.

“I suspect the audience energy in such a large venue will be thrilling for us. The opportunity to partner with professional ice dancers is very exciting and has the potential to really showcase the orchestra and expand our reach within the community,” she said.

After nearly a year of back-andforth meetings between the Ion and LSO teams and countless hours of practice for both the ice skaters and orchestra members, all are excited to see this innovative show come to life.

“Overall, this is a massive community-wide collaboration, and there’s certain symbolism within that. Loudoun County has so much innovation in it from the school system to the tech industry to the arts, but I rarely see a lot of people working together to create something really big like this,” Denesha said.

“Maybe it will generate the interest of some young people who want to pursue music and make it a part of their life.” n

Ion Arena and the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra’s show, Ice on Fire, occurs at 6 PM on Saturday, June 10. The address is 19201 Compass Creek Pkwy SE in Leesburg. For details and tickets, go to ionarena.com.

spankyspub.com

ROUND HILL/HILLSBORO

APPALACHIAN TRAIL FESTIVAL

Saturday, June 10, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hillsboro Old Stone School roundhillat.org

DRAGONFLY WALK

Saturday, June 10, 12 to 2 p.m. Morven Park Grounds, 17339 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. loudounwildlife.org

POLO IN THE PARK

Saturday, June 10, 6 to 10 p.m. Morven Park International Equestrian Center, 41580 Sunday Morning Lane, Leesburg. $40 to $250. polointhepark.org

DRAGONFLY WALK

Sunday, June 11, 12 to 2 p.m., Bles Park, 44830 Bles Park Drive, Ashburn. loudounwildlife.org

TEE OFF FOR CHILDREN’S LITERACY GOLF TOURNAMENT

Wednesday, June 14, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club, 41601 Raspberry Drive, Leesburg. $160. allagesreadtogether.org

Legal Notices

Democratic Party

Primary Election

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

THIS IS ONLY A DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR:

Virginia Senate District 31 and 32

House of Delegates District 26

Commonwealth’s Attorney

SAMPLE BALLOTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE

MAIL ABSENTEE VOTING

Request an absentee ballot online: www.loudoun.gov/voteathome

Absentee ballots ARE counted.

Friday, June 9: Last day to request an absentee ballot by mail. Applications must be received in the Loudoun County Office of Elections by 5 p.m.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023: Election Day ALL DROPPED OFF Absentee voted ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. (Virginia time) to be counted.

Friday, June 23, 2023: ALL MAILED Absentee voted ballots must be postmarked on or before ELECTION DAY and be received by the Loudoun County Office of Elections by NOON. (Virginia time) to be counted.

BALLOT DROP OFF LOCATIONS

Your marked ballot can be dropped off at these locations during the hours of operation noted below.

• Loudoun County Office of Elections

750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite 150, Leesburg, VA 20175

• Claude Moore Park Recreation Center 46105 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling, VA 20166

• Dulles South Recreation Center 24950 Riding Center Drive, South Riding, VA 20152

• Carver Senior Center 200 E. Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville, VA 20132

SATELLITE ABSENTEE (EARLY) VOTING LOCATIONS

Office of Elections

750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite 150, Leesburg, VA 20175

Regular Hours: Monday – Friday – 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 10, 2023 – 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Extended Hours:

Tuesday, June 13 and Thursday, June 15 – 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 17, 2023 – 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Claude Moore Park Recreation Center 46105 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling, VA 20166 And Dulles South Senior Center 24950 Riding Center Drive, South Riding, VA 20152

Early Voting begins Saturday, June 10, 2023

Saturday, June 10, 2023 – 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023 – 12:00 noon – 7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 – 10 am – 5 p.m.

Thursday, June 15, 2023 – 12:00 noon – 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 17, 2023 – 9 a.m. – 5 p.m

Saturday, June 17, 2023: Last day to vote an In-Person (early) absentee ballot. Carver Senior Center 200 E. Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville, VA 20132

Saturday, June 10, 2023 – 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Saturday, June 17, 2023 – 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

No weekday hours at this location

Saturday, June 17, 2023: Last day to vote an In-Person (early) absentee ballot.

Judith A. Brown, Director of Elections & General Registrar 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite 150, Leesburg, VA 20175

TELEPHONE: 703-777-0380 FAX: 703 777-0622 TDD: 711

Legal Notices

PUBLIC HEARING

The LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Tuesday, June 27, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:

ZMAP-2022-0016, SPEX-2023-0018, ZMOD-2022-0058, ZMOD-2022-0059, ZMOD-2022-0061, ZMOD-2022-0062, ZMOD-2023-0029, ZMOD-2023-0033, ZMOD-2023-0034, & ZMOD-2023-0035

COMMONWEALTH CENTER RESIDENTIAL

(Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exception, & Zoning Modifications)

The subject property is approximately 35.48 acres in size and is located south of Route 7 on the east side of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607), and both the north and south sides of Russell Branch Parkway (Route 1061) in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows:

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION PROPOSED MODIFICATION

§1-205(A), Interpretation of Ordinance, Limitations and Methods for Measurements of Lots, Yards and Related, Terms, Lot Access Requirements.

§3-708(A), R-24 Multifamily Residential, Additional Development Standards, Active Recreation Space.

§4-202(C), PD-CC Planned Development –Commercial Center, Purpose, Size and Location of Individual Districts, Small Regional Center (SC).

§4-206(D), PD-CC Planned Development –Commercial Center, Building Requirements, Vehicular Access and

§4-206(D)(3), PD-CC Planned Development

– Commercial Center, Building Requirements, Vehicular Access, Small Regional Centers.

§4-207(B), PD – CC Planned Development –Commercial Center, Use Limitations, Landscaped Open Space.

§4-207(C)(3), PD – CC Planned Development

– Commercial Center, Use Limitations, Site Planning – External Relationships.

§5-1102, Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements, Number of Parking and Loading Spaces Required.

§5-1404(B), Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Buffer Yards, Use Buffer Yard Matrix, Table 5-1404(B).

§3-702(A), R-24 Multifamily Residential, Size and Location.

§3-707(B), R-24 Multifamily Residential, Building Requirements, Building Height.

§5-1403(B), Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Buffer Yards, Use Buffer Yard Matrix, Table 5-1404(B).

Allow access from a private access easement for the remaining parcels located in the PD-CC (Planned Development – Commercial Center) zoning district.

Reduce the required on-site active recreation space to 7,000 square feet.

Reduce the minimum size of the remaining PDCC (Planned Development – Commercial Center) zoning district to 11.8 acres.

Allow primary access to the remaining PD-CC (Planned Development – Commercial Center) zoning district through residential streets.

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)), which designates this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreation uses at recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.

ZCPA-2021-0011, SPEX-2021-0055, SPEX-2021-0056, & SPEX-2023-0001, BROADLANDS, SECTION 104

(Zoning Concept Plan Amendment, Special Exceptions)

Broadlands Commercial Development LLC of Fairfax, Virginia has submitted applications for the following: 1) to amend the proffers and concept development plan (“CDP”) approved with ZCPA-19940005 and ZMAP-1995-0003, ZCPA-1997-0004, ZCPA-2001-0006, ZCPA-2002-0011, ZCPA-20110002, ZCPA-2011-0004, ZCPA-2015-0009, ZCPA-2015-0010, ZMAP-2019-0005 and ZCPA-20190006 in order to administer the property under the R-16 ADU (Townhouse/Multifamily Affordable Dwelling Unit Regulations) zoning district in order to allow a maximum of 136 dwelling units, including a maximum of 45 single family attached units, a maximum of 27 multifamily stacked units, and a maximum of 64 multifamily attached units, to be developed at a maximum of 13.33 dwelling units per acre; and 2) a Special Exceptions to permit the modification of the minimum yard requirements for the ADU developments in the R-16 ADU (Townhouse/Multifamily Affordable Dwelling Unit Regulations) zoning district. 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-16 ADU (Townhouse/ Multifamily Affordable Dwelling Unit Regulations) zoning district is listed as Special Exceptions under Section 7-903(C)(3). The subject property is approximately 10.2 acres in size and is located west of Claiborne Parkway (Route 901) on the north side of Broadlands Boulevard (Route 640) and west side of Van Metre Drive (Route 2343) in the Ashburn Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows:

Reduce the required open space for the parcels remaining in the PD-CC (Planned Development –Commercial Center) zoning district.

Allow the required landscape buffer for the remaining PD-CC (Planned Development –Commercial Center) zoning district to be located on the outside perimeter of both the remaining PD-CC zoning district and the R-24 ADU zoning district.

Revise the required parking for Affordable Dwelling Units (ADUs) to be 1.2 parking spaces per ADU.

Eliminate the required landscape buffer between the remaining PD-CC (Planned Development – Commercial Center) and the R-24 ADU (Multifamily Residential Affordable Dwelling Unit Regulations) zoning districts.

Allow for access to lots created after the rezoning to be provided by Category A and B private roads.

Allow a 60-foot building height without additional setback requirements for a height over 45 feet.

Allow for a ten foot building and parking setback along Commonwealth Center Drive.

CWC Shops LC of Fairfax, Virginia has submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone approximately 28.45 acres from the R-24 ADU (Multifamily Residential Affordable Dwelling Unit Regulations) and PD-CC-SC (Planned Development – Commercial Center (Small Regional Center)) zoning districts under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-24 ADU (Multifamily Residential Affordable Dwelling Unit Regulations) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop up to 625 residential units at a density of 21.97 units per acre; and 2) a Special Exception to permit the modification of the minimum yard requirements for the ADU developments in the R-24 ADU (Multifamily Residential Affordable Dwelling Unit Regulations) zoning district. The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District, the AIOD (Airport Impact Overlay District), within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contours, and partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District), major floodplain and minor floodplain. The proposed modification of the minimum yard requirements for ADU developments in the R-24 ADU (Multifamily Residential Affordable Dwelling Unit Regulations) zoning district is listed as Special Exceptions under Section 7-1003(C)(4). The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s): (More detailed descriptions of each modification are available upon request.)

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)), which designates this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreation uses at recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.

ZMAP-2022-0005, SPEX-2022-0017, SPEX-2022-0018, SPEX-2022-0019, SPEX-2023-0013, SPMI-2022-0005, ZMOD-2022-0017, ZMOD-2022-0070, ZMOD-2022-0071, ZMOD-2022-0084, ZMOD-2022-0085, ZMOD-2022-0086 & ZMOD-2023-0018

OLD ARCOLA RESIDENTIAL

(Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exceptions & Zoning Modifications)

Capretti Land, Inc., of Sterling, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone approximately 31.67 acres from RC (Rural Commercial) and GB (General Business) zoning districts under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R8 (R-8-Single Family Residential) and R16 (R-16Townhouse/Multifamily Residential) zoning districts under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop 228 residential units comprising 14 single-family detached units, 81 single-family attached units, and 133 multi-family units; and 2) Special Exceptions to modify yard and lot requirements, and one minor special exception to modify recycling container setbacks. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed uses are listed as Special Exception uses under Section 5-607(A)(9), Section 7-803(C)(1)(c), Section 7-803(C)(3) and Section 7-903(C)(2)(b) and (c). The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modifications:

Legal Notices

§5-1404(B) and (D), Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Buffer Yards, Use Buffer Yard Matrix Table 5-1404 (B), and Buffer Yard Widths and Plant Requirements Table 5-1404(D).

§5-1404(B) and (D), Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Buffer Yards, Use Buffer Yard Matrix Table 5-1404 (B), and Buffer Yard Widths and Plant Requirements Table 5-1404(D).

§7-903(C)(2)(a), R-16 Townhouse/Multi-family District, Lot and Building Requirements, Yards, Multi-family structures, front.

§7-803(F), R-8 Single Family Residential District, Lot and Building Requirements, Other Regulations.

§5-200(A)(2) and (6), Permitted Structures in Required Yards and Setbacks, In all yards or setbacks, including a front yard.

§5-1407(B)(1), Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Parking Area Landscaping and Screening Requirements, Peripheral Parking Area Landscaping.

§3-508(B)(2), R-8 Single Family Residential, Building Requirements, Building Height.

To allow no buffer yard requirement and no required plantings.

To allow no buffer yard requirement and no required plantings.

To reduce the front yard requirement for corner lots from 25 feet minimum to 10 feet minimum.

To allow single family attached units and multifamily units to front on private streets.

To allow for no maximum height for patios or decks and to allow for porches, enclosed or unenclosed, to not extend closer than 10 (10) feet to a lot line.

To allow for all required plant unit types within the Type-A Buffer Yard requirement for peripheral parking lot landscaping to be located on the adjacent County property.

To allow for single family attached buildings in the R-8 Zoning District to be a maximum height of 50’.

The subject property is located within the AIOD (Airport Impact Overlay District between Ldn 6065 aircraft noise contour and the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District) Major. The subject property is approximately 31.67 acres in size and is located along Stone Springs Blvd (Route 659), south of Arcola Mills Drive (Route 651), and north of Lee Jackson Memorial Highway (Route 50) in the Dulles (formerly Blue Ridge) Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as:

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type), which designates this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreational uses at recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.

CMPT-2022-0009

PRENTICE DRIVE SUBSTATION (Commission Permit)

Dominion Energy, of Richmond, Virginia, has submitted an application for Commission approval to permit the installation of a Utility Substation (Distribution) in the PD-OP (Planned Development - Office Park) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and the proposed uses require a Commission Permit in accordance with Section 6-1101. The subject property is approximately 75.7 acres in size and is located on the south side of Shellhorn Road (Route 643) and west of Route 28, in the Sterling Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows:

The area is governed by the policies of the Revised General Plan (Urban Policy Area (Urban Employment)) where a range of employment uses included office, research and development, and data center uses are envisioned at an Floor Area Ratio of 1.0.

SPEX-2022-0039

3 DOG FARM (Special Exception)

Gina Schaefer, of Purcellville, Virginia, has submitted an application for a Special Exception to permit a dog kennel use in the AR-1 (Agricultural Rural – 1) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Table 2-102 in Section 2-102. The subject property is located within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District) Major Floodplain and contains Moderately Steep Slopes. The subject property is approximately 23.02 acres in size and is located north of Shannondale Road (Route 714), and west of Edgegrove Road (Route 716), at 15268 Shannondale Road, Purcellville, Virginia, in the Catoctin Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 550-46-7353. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Rural Policy Area (Rural North Place Type)) which designate the area for agricultural, agricultural supportive, and limited residential uses at a recommended density of up to one dwelling unit per 20 acres or one dwelling unit per five acres equivalent for optional residential clustering in large-lot subdivisions.

ZMAP-2022-0015, ZMOD-2022-0053, ZMOD-2022-0054, ZMOD-2022-0055 & SPMI-2022-0017

CASCADES MARKETPLACE

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Employment Place Type) which designates the area for the development of office, production, flex spaces, and warehousing uses. The Suburban Employment Place Type is 100% non-residential at up to a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.

CMPT-2022-0001 & SPMI-2023-0001

DTC SUBSTATION

(Commission Permit & Minor Special Exception)

Dominion Energy, of Richmond, Virginia has submitted an application for Commission approval to permit development of one Utility Substations (Distribution) in the PD-OP (Planned Development - Office Park) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and requires a Commission Permit in accordance with Section 6-1101. The subject property is located within the AIOD (Airport Impact Overlay District), within one (1) mile of Ldn 60-65, aircraft noise contours, and located within the Route 28 Taxing District. The subject property also contains moderately steep slopes. The modification of the Additional Regulations applicable to the proposed Utility Substations is authorized by Minor Special Exception under Section 5-600, Additional Regulations for Specific Uses (the Minor Special Exception application is not subject to consideration by the Planning Commission and requires approval only by the Board of Supervisors), pursuant to which the Applicant requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s):

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION

§5-616(D), Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, Utility Substations.

PROPOSED MODIFICATION

Substitute the required Type 4 buffer yard with a 12’ tall 95% opacity architectural screen wall.

The subject property is approximately 8.17 acres in size and is located east of Route 28 and south of Route 7 in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows:

(Zoning Map Amendment, Zoning Modifications, and Minor Special Exception) Cascades Marketplace LP and Cascades Park Place LP of Bethesda, Maryland, have submitted an application to rezone approximately 33.79 acres from the PD-H4 (Planned Development – Housing 4) zoning district administered under the PD-CC(CC) (Planned Development – Commercial Center(Community Center)) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the PD-TC (Planned Development – Town Center) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop a maximum of 800 dwelling units, consisting of a combination of between 700 multifamily attached units and 180 single family attached and/or multifamily stacked units, at a density of approximately 23.68 dwelling units per acre. The applicant is also requesting a Minor Special Exception to reduce the minimum building setback requirements in the PD-TC zoning district from 75 feet to 35 feet from Cascades Parkway. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and the proposed modification of the minimum building setbacks requirements for the PD-TC zoning district is listed as a Minor Special Exception under Section 5-1409(B)(1).

The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s):

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION PROPOSED MODIFICATION

§4-802(A), PD-TC Planned Development – Town Center, Size, Location and Components, Town Center Core.

§4-806(B)(1)(b), PD-TC Planned Development – Town Center, Building Requirements, Building Height, Town Center Core, Minimum Height.

§4-806(B)(2)(a), PD-TC Planned Development – Town Center, Building Requirements, Building Height, Town Center Fringe, Maximum Height.

§4-808(A)(2), PD-TC Planned Development –Town Center, Land Use Arrangement, Generally.

§4-808(A)(3), PD-TC Planned Development –Town Center, Land Use Arrangement, Generally.

To reduce the size of the Town Center Core from 10 acres to approximately 6.08 acres in size.

To reduce the minimum building height from 24 feet to 18 feet in the Town Center Core for existing retail buildings and a minimum building height of 20 feet in the Town Center Core for new retail buildings.

To increase the maximum building height in the Town Center Fringe on Block A from 60 feet to 70 feet.

To reduce the size of the required town green from 40,000 square feet to approximately 12,000 square feet.

To increase the maximum total gross floor area devoted to residential use to from 50% to 85%.

Legal Notices

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION PROPOSED MODIFICATION

§4-808(A)(4), PD-TC Planned Development –Town Center, Land Use Arrangement, Generally.

§4-808(A)(9), PD-TC Planned Development –Town Center, Land Use Arrangement, Generally.

§4-808(B)(1), PD-TC Planned Development

– Town Center, Land Use Arrangement, Town Center Core.

§4-808(C)(1), PD-TC Planned Development

– Town Center, Land Use Arrangement, Town Center Fringe.

To eliminate the requirement for 3% of the total gross floor area within the district that is devoted to civic uses and/or other public uses.

To reduce the density of street trees within the district from 1 canopy tree per 40 lineal feet to 1 canopy tree per 55 lineal feet.

To increase the maximum perimeter of blocks from 1,600 feet to 1,900 feet in the Town Center Core.

To increase the maximum perimeter of blocks from 1,600 feet to 2,250 feet in the Town Center Fringe.

The subject property is approximately 33.79 acres in size and is located on the east side of Cascades Parkway (Route 1794), south side of Palisade Parkway (Route 1795) and north of Leesburg Pike (Route 7) in the Algonkian Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as:

Southbank St., Sterling, VA 20165

Southbank St., Sterling, VA 20165

Cranston St., Sterling, VA 20165

Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the hearing at www.loudoun.gov/pc. For further information, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246.

Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. If you wish to sign up in advance of the hearing, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-7770246 prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing. Speakers may also sign up at the hearing. Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, MSC #62, Leesburg, Virginia 20175, or by e-mail to loudounpc@loudoun.gov. If written comments are presented at the hearing, please provide ten (10) copies for distribution to the Commission and the Clerk’s records. All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Any individual representing and/or proposing to be the sole speaker on behalf of a citizen’s organization or civic association is encouraged to contact the Department of Planning and Zoning prior to the date of the public hearing if special arrangements for additional speaking time and/or audio-visual equipment will be requested. Such an organization representative will be allotted 6 minutes to speak, and the Chairman may grant additional time if the request is made prior to the date of the hearing and the need for additional time is reasonably justified.

Citizens are encouraged to call the Department of Planning and Zoning on the day of the public hearing to confirm that an item is on the agenda, or, the most current agenda may be viewed on the Planning Commission’s website at www.loudoun.gov/pc. Regularly-scheduled Planning Commission public hearings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month. In the event the public hearing cannot be conducted on that date due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the hearing, the public hearing will be continued to the next day (Wednesday). In the event the public hearing may not be held on that Wednesday due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the hearing, the public hearing may be continued to the first Thursday of the next month

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area) in the Suburban Mixed Use Place Type, which designate this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreational uses at recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.

Unless otherwise noted above, full and complete copies of the above-referenced amendments, applications, ordinances and/or plans, and related documents may be examined in the Loudoun County Department of Building and Development, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia, from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday or call 703777-0220, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. The opportunity for public input via this link will be temporarily unavailable during the upgrade of the County’s online land management system. However, other opportunities for public comments remain available as described below.

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS/PROPOSALS FOR:

GROUP TOUR SERVICES (SUPPLEMENTAL) FOR SENIOR ADULTS, RFP No. 625792 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, July 3, 2023.

PURCHASE OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLES & MAST ARMS - TWO INTERSECTIONS, IFB No. 588784 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, July 11, 2023.

WESTERN LOUDOUN BROADBAND EXPANSION, RFP No. 604791 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, July 7, 2023.

Solicitation forms may be obtained 24 hours a day by visiting our web site at www.loudoun.gov/procurement. If you do not have access to the Internet, call (703) 777-0403, M - F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

WHEN CALLING, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT.

6/8/23

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISISON PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO ZONING ORDINANCE

ARTICLE 18 PURPOSE OF REVISING THE DEFINITION OF “INN”

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 15, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176 to consider Zoning Ordinance Amendment TLZNOA-2023-0004, a revision to the following articles of the Zoning Ordinance:

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings at all other locations. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246. Please provide three days’ notice.

BY ORDER OF: MICHELLE FRANK, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

VA CODE §§ 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104

Case No. CL23-3025

LOUDOUN COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

18 East Market St., Leesburg, VA 20176

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re

MICHELLE LYNN BAIDOO-DAVIS

V. ISACC BAIDOO

The object of the suit is to file for divorce.

It is ORDERED that Isacc Baidoo appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before July 21, 2023 at 2:00:PM.

6/1, 6/8, 6/15 & 6/22/23

ABC LICENSE

Dabel Corporation trading as CDMX Bar and Grill, 16 E Washington St., Middleburg, VA 20117.

The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine and Beer on & Off Premises, Mixed Beverage license sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

David Ayala Ayala - President

Note: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

6/8 & 6/15/23

1. Article 18 Definitions – to revise Section 18.1.86, the definition of “Inn”.

Copies and additional information regarding this proposed Zoning Ordinance amendment are 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 703-771-2765 and asking for Mike Watkins, Zoning Administrator. Mr. Watkins can also be reached by email at mwatkins@leesburgva.gov.

At this hearing all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodation should contact the Clerk of Commission at (703) 771-2434, three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711. 6/1 & 6/8/23

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENTS TO THE 2021-2025 CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND THE FY2024 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN

Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.

On April 14, 2021, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved the County’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2025 Five-Year Consolidated Plan (Consolidated Plan), which requires the submission of an Annual Action Plan (AAP) for each year. A substantial amendment to the FY 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan is now required to add the HOME Investment Partnerships Fund (HOME) grant award and to amend high priority funding activities, and to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 AAP to enable reprogramming of funds.

On February 3, 2023, the Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) was notified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that Loudoun County has met the congressional appropriations threshold to receive HOME funds in the amount of $750,000 for FY 2024. HOME is the largest federal block grant to state and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households and is regulated in Title 42 of the U.S. Code section 12701 (42 U.S.C. §12701), and Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations (24 CFR Part 92), as amended.

The proposed substantial amendment includes changes to the following components of the FY 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan:

• The Strategic Goals

• Project and activity descriptions

• HOME and CDBG Budgets

• Citizen Participation Plan

• Adding The Loudoun County Fair Housing Plan/Analysis of Impediments

High Priority Activities:

• Projects that are shovel ready for affordable housing construction

• Acquisition (24 CFR 570.201(a))

• Projects that promote energy efficiency and conservation through rehabilitation or retrofitting of existing buildings

• Public Facilities (24 CFR 570.201(c))

• Tenant Based Rental Assistance (24 CFR 92.209)

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE MIDDLEBURG PLANNING COMMISSION

The Middleburg Planning Commission will hold a public hearing beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, June 26, 2023 to hear comments on the following:

Zoning Text Amendment 23-03 - AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ARTICLES II, XI AND XVI OF THE MIDDLEBURG ZONING ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO THE DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONAL OFFICE AND ASSOCIATED REGULATIONS THEREOF

The hearing will take place at the Town Office, 10 W. Marshall Street, Middleburg, Virginia. The application materials may be reviewed online at www.middleburgva.gov/313/Public-Hearings or in the Town Office from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excepted. Questions may be directed to Deputy Town Manager Will Moore at (540) 687-5152 or by email at wmoore@ middleburgva.gov

The Town of Middleburg strives to make its hearings accessible to all. Please advise of accommodations the Town can make to help you participate in the hearing.

PUBLIC NOTICE

6/8 & 6/15/23

Notice is hereby given that Virginia Power and Electric Company (VMRC #2023-0429) is requesting a permit from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to reconductor an electric distribution line on existing poles across South Fork Catoctin Creek at three locations adjacent to Hillsboro Road in Loudoun County.

You may provide comments on this application (VMRC #2023-0429) athttps://webapps.mrc.virginia. gov/public/habitat/comments/. We will accept comments by the USPS provided they are received within 15 days of this notice to: Marine Resources Commission, Habitat Management Division, 380 Fenwick Road, Bldg 96, Hampton, VA 23651.

6/8/23

Copies of the draft Substantial Amendment to the FY 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan and the substantial amendment to the FY 2024 Annual Action Plan will be available June 9, 2023, through July 12, 2023, and may be examined at the offices of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), 106 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg, VA 20175, Monday – Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm. The same Substantial Amendment will be available June 9, 2023, online at www.loudoun.gov/cdbg through July 12, 2023.

All citizens and organizations are invited to present their views and comments. Written comments may be submitted to the attention of the CDBG Program Manager at the Department of Housing and Community Development, P. O. Box 7000, Leesburg, VA 20177 or by e-mail at housing@loudoun.gov by not later than 5:00 p.m. on July 12, 2023.

A Board of Supervisors Public Hearing to consider the Substantial Amendments to the FY 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan and the FY 2024 Annual Action Plan will be held on July 12, 2023, at the Loudoun County Government Center Board Room, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia at 6:00 pm

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 accommodation may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings.

6/8, 6/15 & 6/22/23

NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES

This notice is to inform the owner and any person having a security interest in their right to reclaim the motor vehicle herein described within 15 days after the date of storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody, and the failure of the owner or persons having security interests to exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver by the owner, and all persons having security interests of all right, title and interest in the vehicle, and consent to the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction. This notice shall also advise the owner of record of his or her right to contest the determination by the Sheriff that the motor vehicle was “abandoned,” as provided in Chapter 630.08 of the Loudoun County Ordinance, by requesting a hearing before the County Administrator in writing. Such written request for a hearing must be made within 15 days of the notice.

YR.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that Virginia Electric and Power Company (VMRC #2023-0346) is requesting a permit from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to install one (1) aerial fiber cable to existing utility poles across a 38-foot section of South Fork Catoctin Creek adjacent to Charles Town Pike in Loudoun County.

You may provide comments on this application (VMRC #2023-0346) athttps://webapps.mrc.virginia. gov/public/habitat/comments/. We will accept comments by the USPS provided they are received within 15 days of this notice to: Marine Resources Commission, Habitat Management Division, 380 Fenwick Road, Bldg 96, Hampton, VA 23651.

6/8/23

Legal Notices

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ047405-01-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Acquyea Najet Bettie

Loudoun County Department of Family Services

/v.

Jill Dann, mother and Richmond Bettie, father

The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-252 for Acquyea Najet Bettie; and hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-278.2 and 16.1-281 for Acquyea Najet Bettie.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Jill Dann, mother and Richmond Bettie, father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before June 28, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. (Adjudicatory); and July 26, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. (Dispositional).

6/8, 6/15, 6/22 & 6/29/23

Shop LoCo

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

VA. CODE § 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104

Case No.: CJ22-126 through CJ22-128; CJ22-130 & CJ22-131; CJ22-133 & CJ22-134; CJ22-136 & CJ22-137; CJ22-139 & CJ22-140; CJ22-142 & CJ22-143;

Loudoun County Circuit Court

18 East Market St., Leesburg, VA 20176

Loudoun County Department of Family Services

/v.

Allison Fluke-Ekren

The object of this suit is to hold a permanency planning hearing and review of foster care plan with a goal of adoption, pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren; and Petition for Termination of Parental Rights of Unknown Mother and Unknown Father of Zubayer Ekren, and Allison Fluke-Ekren, mother of Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren, pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-283. Unknown Mother and Unknown Father of Zubayer Ekren, and Allison FlukeEkren, mother of Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren, are hereby notified that failure to appear on the hereinafter noticed date and time may result in the entry of an Order approving a permanency goal of adoption as well as the termination of residual parental rights with respect to Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren. Unknown Mother and Unknown Father of Zubayer Ekren, and Allison Fluke-Ekren, mother of Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren, are hereby further notified that if their residual parental rights are terminated, they will no longer have any legal rights with respect to said minor children, including, but not limited to, the right to visit Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren, any authority with respect to the care and supervision of Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren, or the right to make health related decisions or determine the religious affiliation of Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren. Further, Unknown Mother and Unknown Father of Zubayer Ekren, and Allison FlukeEkren, mother of Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren will have no legal and/or financial obligations with respect to Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren, and the Department of Family Services of Loudoun County, Virginia may be granted the authority to place Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren for adoption and consent to the adoption of Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren.

It is ORDERED that Unknown Mother, Unknown Father and Allison Fluke-Ekren appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before July 10-11, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS will hold a public hearing in the BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING ROOM, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:

APPL-2023-0002

18822 Woodburn Road-McCarter - Small Business Uses

Nicholas J. McCarter of Leesburg, Virginia has submitted an application for an appeal of the March 21, 2023, Zoning Administrator determination, ZCOR-2022-0328, which found that, pursuant to Article 8 and Section 5-614(A)(2) of the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, Chartis Consulting Corporation d/b/a Chartis Federal and Periscope Aviation LLC are not permitted to operate on the subject property as a “Small Business” use under Section 5-614, as Chartis Federal and Periscope Aviation LLC do not comply with the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance definition of “Small Business” nor do they meet the intent of a “Small Business” use in accordance with Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance Section 5-614(A)(2). The subject property is zoned AR-1 (Agricultural Rural-1) under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and is located partially within the MDOD (Mountainside Development Overlay District) (Somewhat Sensitive Areas). The subject property is approximately 12.901 acres in size and is located approximately 0.43 miles north of Harmony Church Road (Route 704) on the east side of Woodburn Road (Route 769) addressed as 18822 and 18826 Woodburn Road, Leesburg, Virginia, in the Catoctin Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 312-46-3720.

Full and complete copies of the above-referenced application(s) and related documents may be examined in the Loudoun County Department of Planning and Zoning, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call (703) 777-0246.

All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. If any member of the public requires a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability in order to participate in a public meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200/TTY-711. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice.

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REZONING APPLICATION TLZM-2021-0006; HAMBLET PROPERTY

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on JUNE 13, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Rezoning application TLZM-2021-0006, Hamblet Property.

The subject property consists of approximately 6.44 acres of vacant land located along Route 7, with property access provided from Bow Lake Place, N.E. within the Potomac Station neighborhood. The property is zoned R-E, Residential Estate and is further identified as Loudoun County Property Identification Numbers (PIN), 149-38-2764 & 149-38-3136. The property also lies within the Gateway District (Overlay).

Rezoning Application TLZM-2021-0006 is a request by Carrhomes, LLC to rezone, subject to a Concept Plan and Proffers, approximately 6.44 acres from R-E, Residential Estate to R-8, Medium-Density Attached Residential District.

The application requests 25 single family attached residential units. The application also proposes rehabilitation of an existing structure referred to as “the Stone House” located on a .42- acre parcel that is part of the site. The Hamblet property is located in what the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan (LLTP) describes as an “Area to Enhance” on the Area Based Land Use Initiatives Map (LLTP pg. 72). The property is further designated within the LLTP as a “Residential Neighborhood” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (LLTP pg. 76). There is no recommended residential Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.). The proposed density is approximately 3.89 dwelling units per acre.

The subject property is further identified as “Opportunity Area Number 3, Eastern Gateway District” on page 200 of the LLTP. This subjects the property to further guidance by the Eastern Gateway Small Area Plan (EGSAP) of the Town Plan. The property is also part of the Gateway Design District (Overlay) for architectural control.

Additional information and copies of the application are 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 contacting Scott E. Parker, AICP, at 703-771-2771 or sparker@leesburgva.gov.

At these hearings, all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations at the meeting should contact the Clerk of Council at (703) 771-2733 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

Nan M. Joseph Forbes, Chairman 6/8 & 6/15/23

New superintendent

continued from page 1

the parents and community members who served on the community panel that participated in the selection process.

“Your voice was overwhelmingly positive for this candidate. You were markedly certain of his qualifications, and I just want you to know we heard you and appreciate the work that you did,” she said.

Polifko disagreed with the selection and said she did not believe the current School Board should be selecting the next superintendent for the division.

“I understand that we need to heal and we need to move on, but right now we have a gaping wound in our school system. And this current board is not the one, in my view, who is going to fix that wound,” she said. “I will work respectfully with anyone, but it is my sincere belief that in order to choose the proper leader for the school division we need to have the proper leaders in place on the School Board to execute that decision and in my opinion, we do not have that right now.”

Reaction in the community has been mixed since the announcement.

Loudoun Education Association President Sandy Sullivan said in a press release that the association looks forward to working with Spence to advance public education in the county.

“Our union firmly believes when educators, administration, staff and School Board members work together, we achieve greatness. I look forward to working in collaboration with Dr. Spence as we enter a new chapter of LCPS history,” she wrote. “The future holds the opportunity to unite our community and lead our school division forward to truly be ONE LCPS.”

According to school division spokesman Dan Adams, as of Monday an employment contract for Spence had not been finalized. Spence is expected to be paid a salary in the range of $375,000, he said. Duration and other terms were unknown.

Meanwhile, two School Board candidates, Broad Run candidate Chris Hodges and Little River candidate Joe Smith, released statements raising concerns.

Hodges suggested Spence be given a trial run—one-year contract to “allow the new 2024 School Board an opportunity to see whether he is more of the same or worthy of a longer-term deal.”

“Let’s see what his priorities are. Let’s see if he is supportive of parents’ rights, if he is transparent by having consistent town hall meetings, see what he believes

Spence speaks

continued from page 1

listening to every voice, putting students first and improving communication and transparency.

“Transparency seems complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s communication, communication, communication,” he said.

He said there needs to be a world-class communication program built around key stakeholders and the media. He said twoway communication was important and that he wants to build on it.

when it comes to special education and EL students, if he has a political agenda, and let’s see if he can take pressure off our teachers and improve their morale.”

Smith wrote that the timing of the appointment and motives behind it are “troubling” based on friction between Spence and the Virginia Beach School Board.

Spence was in the news in 2019 for filing a complaint against two Virginia Beach City Public Schools School Board members alleging he experienced “abusive conduct” that led to a hostile work environment. The two School Board members said in an article they believe he filed the complaint because he was unhappy with a performance evaluation and social media posts made by the two board members. There were also concerns raised by the two board members and a third that a meeting held to discuss the complaint violated closed meeting laws.

Spence’s contract with VBCPS was set to expire this year.

“This raises doubts about his ability to handle conflicts and disagreements effectively, traits crucial in a leadership role,” Smith wrote.

Meanwhile, Supervisor Kristen Umstattd (D-Leesburg) had praise for acting superintendent Dan Smith.

“I’ll look forward to eventually meeting the new superintendent of schools. I have been very impressed with Dr. Smith, the interim superintendent,” Umstattd said. “He is very easy to work with, he is easy for our staff to work with, and I’m hoping the new superintendent Dr. Spence is also easy for [County Administrator] Tim Hemstreet and our budget folks to work with.”

Dan Smith said Friday he didn’t apply for the superintendent position and said his goal all along was to set up the next superintendent for success by holding

listening sessions among other things. Smith said he is looking forward to going back to being the division’s chief of staff once Spence takes the superintendent job.

Spence, who was unable to attend the meeting Friday, sent his regrets and thanked the board in a statement read by Serotkin.

“I am honored to be chosen as the next superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools. I want to thank the board for entrusting me with the responsibility of continuing to build on the already solid foundation of academic excellence in LCPS,” he said.

He pledged in a press release that his goals would be to build trust, create greater transparency, recruit and retain world class educators and strengthen the division by building on the relationships with families and stakeholders.

As a result of the special grand jury investigation, Ziegler was charged with three misdemeanors: false publication, prohibited conduct and penalizing an employee for a court appearance. The false publication trial is set for Aug. 14-15, his other two are combined and are scheduled for Sept. 25-26.

Corbo attempted to use a medical exemption to attend both the special School Board meeting and the closed session but wasn’t allowed to due to a lack of second when she asked to attend virtually.

The board went into a closed session after the announcement of Spence’s hiring to discuss Ziegler’s three cases and get legal advice from division counsel Robert Falconi.

Polifko opposed the motion to go into closed session saying she was uncomfortable taking legal advice from Falconi after the May 30 order by Circuit Court Judge James P. Fisher that said there were potential Freedom of Information Act violations in previous closed sessions. n

“We need to know what people need and what they want and be responsive to that. We need to hear from the people we serve, what their hopes and aspirations are for their children,” he said.

He said his first six months in the job will be devoted to listening, and he will hold community input sessions like ones held by Acting Superintendent Dan Smith but also smaller ones that include key leaders in the community, business leaders, parents and other key stakeholders. He said he wants to learn from the community and hear their experience. Spence said there is much about the division that sets it apart from others, including the resources that are available to students, the commitment to developmental opportunities for learning, and preparedness for after students graduate.

Spence said he wants to bring the voices to the table that aren’t always heard and get their perspective, instead of only hearing from the extreme sides.

“Everyone’s point of view has value,” he said. “It’s the superintendent’s job to avoid politics and find what we agree on, then tamp down on where we don’t agree and move forward. Most people in the middle will agree and appreciate that. Those on the extremes will also appreciate it.”

He said no matter which side they’re on, there are a few things parents can agree on all the time when it comes to their children. Those include student safety, knowing that children are learning in thoughtful and engaging ways, and making sure children feel like they belong and feel a sense of connection with the teachers and staff.

Spence, a father of six, said it will become clear early on to Loudoun that his politics are children.

“I’m not a Pollyanna. I know some issues are super divisive and maybe intentionally political perhaps, and there are some wicked challenges and sometimes

SPENCE SPEAKS

continues on page 33

“I am honored to be chosen as the next superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools. I want to thank the board for entrusting me with the responsibility of continuing to build on the already solid foundation of academic excellence in LCPS.”

— Aaron Spence

Future Superintendent, Loudoun County Public Schools

Asalone sentenced

continued from page 3

crimes.

On March 14, 2020, Asalone was arrested in Asbury Park, NJ, following an indictment issued by a Loudoun County grand jury as a result of that investigation.

Following Asalone’s arrest, then-DC City Councilman David Grosso issued a statement acknowledging that he was the victim in the case.

Just before the start of a planned five-day jury trial in the case in December, Asalone entered an Alford plea, acknowledging prosecutors have sufficient evidence to win a conviction but not admitting guilt.

The felony charge of carnal knowledge of a minor between 13 and 15 years of age carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Based on a psychological evaluation and Asalone’s lack of criminal history, the state’s sentencing guidelines recommended no incarceration for the crime that occurred 38 years ago.

During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Plowman heard testimony from psychologist Mark Hastings who conducted the evaluation. He found that Asalone presented a below average risk of recidivism and that there was no diagnosis of sexual deviance disorder or other mental health issues.

Spence speaks

continued from page 32

you can’t fix it. But you can hear everyone, and they will know how and why you made that decision,” he said.

Spence also noted that he feels it’s important to be honest and admit when you make a mistake.

“Superintendents aren’t saviors. It’s not my job to fix the problems. It’s my job to work with the community to solve the challenges,” he said.

Spence said his job is also to make sure meetings happen between stakeholders who bring up an issue and his administrative team.

“People have to see that they’ve been heard, and when they see ‘I’ve been heard’ and you are making an action plan, that is how you build trust and overcome divisive issues,” he said.

He said it was premature to say what changes he plans to make in Loudoun before getting here. He plans to take time to assess the situation and see how things are

The sentencing consideration also was complicated by the commonwealth’s parole policies in place at the time of the crime—before the General Assembly abolished discretionary parole for felonies in 1995. A Department of Corrections representative was called to testify about the system that required first-time offenders to serve as little as 25% of their sentence and the workings of good behavior credits.

Prosecutor Phillip O. Figura, of the Attorney General’s Office, requested Plowman impose the maximum sentence, noting a 10-year sentence would be expected to result in less than five years in prison and as little as one year and eight months.

Defense Attorney Barry Coburn

run and where changes need to be made once he gets here.

He said he plans to use his experience as an educator for the past 30 years and as a superintendent for the past 12 to do that in Loudoun.

“I think I have a demonstrated record of good judgment and sound judgment,” he said. “I’m known for my integrity and my desire to lift people up and make people better. That is going to be my focus from day one and every day.”

Spence said he wants to build on the division’s reputation as being a great school and to change the negative perception of it, which he said is not fair to the teachers, parents, students or community.

“I know that the community, the School Board, the teachers, and the educators want us to move past the negative conversations about LCPS and help us see the good that is happening every day in the school division. I made a promise to work to build trust and build relationships,” he said.

He added that he wants to highlight what is being done on a day-to-day basis

objected, saying it was “extraordinary” to seek a maximum sentence after Asalone had demonstrated his ability to change his life and had been a law-abiding, contributing citizen for decades.

“It was an abhorrent thing. He knows that,” Coburn said.

Grosso did not attend the hearing, but submitted a statement to be read to the judge.

He said his family moved to Purcellville, just two doors down from the Main Street church, after his father abandoned them and his mother had to sell their Lovettsville farm. He described “Father Scott” as the young, hip and cool priest. They played basketball together. The relationship shifted over time. The priest suggested they take showers together to save water. He started massages, which evolved into full body massages in his bed, and then to oral sex.

“I was only 14 and my family was in disarray,” Grosso wrote.

In the aftermath of that relationship, the victim said he struggled in school, quit sports and could not find success in life. He turned to alcohol and drugs and quit college to work in a DC bar. He continued to struggle as he wrote his letter to Asalone in 1992.

“You f—ed up my life,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Grosso noted, Asalone went on to a successful business career and a stable family life, marrying his husband 25 years ago.

to change the negative perception of the division by emphasizing the bright spots so every student who walks through the doors of a school knows they are getting a world-class education and that they are prepared for the workforce or college when they graduate.

Spence, his wife and two kids at home—one a rising sixth grader, the other a rising high school freshman—plan to be in Loudoun by the end of summer. Until then, Smith will stay in the role of acting superintendent.

Spence said he’s been in contact with Smith, whom he worked with in Virginia Beach when Smith was a high school principal in the division and Spence was superintendent.

“We’ve been having great conversations already. I’m very appreciative of him and his work to build bridges and address concerns and I’m looking forward to coming in and continuing to build on that,” he said.

Spence said his family is anxious to get to Loudoun and get settled and are excited to learn more about the county, to ride

“I can only imagine what I could do if Father Scott had supported me during the toughest years of my life,” Grosso wrote.

In addressing Plowman, Asalone said he has felt shame his whole life for his action. He said he was disappointed to be unable to apologize to Grosso in person. “I know I can’t say I’m sorry enough,” he said.

“That same day lives in me,” he said. “That one fatal moment. I hurt him permanently.”

Plowman wrestled with the impact the passage of time has had on the two men.

“This is a difficult case. There is a lot to balance here,” he said.

He said he believed Asalone was truly remorseful, in contrast to other defendants he encounters who regret getting caught.

However, Plowman said Asalone benefitted from escaping accountability for nearly 40 years. His life would have been different if punishment was handed down when he was in his 20s rather than in his 60s, Plowman said.

He also said it was hard to overlook the breach of trust by a community spiritual leader and its association with broader context of child sexual abuse cases in the Catholic Church.

“There’s a balance that needs to be struck,” Plowman said before announcing his eight-year prison sentence.

Asalone was remanded into custody at the conclusion of the hearing. n

bikes on the W&OD Trail, and to discover the mountains and vineyards. He said not only has Virginia Beach been his family’s home for the past nine years, but he grew up and graduated from high school there and his parents and brother live there.

“It was a really difficult decision. I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t believe it was the best move for me and my family,” he said.

Asked what he wants the Loudoun community to know, he said to understand how grateful and excited he is for the opportunity.

“I want them to know I am going to work harder than anybody and do everything I can to ensure LCPS is the best school division in the world and that we are going to be a safe place for kids. I want to make sure kids know when they come to school that they are safe, that they are going to learn something important and that they have a deep sense of belonging. I won’t rest until every classroom in every school in the division looks like this,” he said. n

“I can only imagine what I could do if Father Scott had supported me during the toughest years of my life.”

— David Grosso

15

Opinion

Published

A Reset

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

NORMAN K. STYER Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.com

EDITORIAL

RENSS GREENE Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com

ALEXIS GUSTIN Reporter agustin@loudounnow.com

HANNA PAMPALONI Reporter hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

ADVERTISING

SUSAN STYER Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.com

TONYA HARDING Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.com

VICKY MASHAW Account Executive vmashaw@loudounnow.com

The appointment of a new superintendent brings the opportunity for a reset in the divisive rhetoric that has dominated the School Board meeting room for the past three years.

We recognize it’s an opportunity that those with the loudest voices are unlikely to embrace, however it offers a platform for a productive community dialogue during the summer break—as well as an informative foundation for voters who will head to the polls in November.

It won’t be for this lame-duck School Board to strike out new policy initiatives in the few

months remaining in its term; it must simply keep the ship afloat until turning over the helm to the next group of elected leaders.

In effect, the hiring of a new superintendent should be the start of a community conversation about the future of the division and actions needed to achieve the goals. That same conversation should help voters establish the qualifications they will seek from candidates.

What they’re likely to find is that the actual community priorities are not the same ones the elected leaders and their critics have been battling over. Making that discovery would be a great place to start the rebuild. n

LETTERS to the Editor

Divisive

Editor:

While Board of Supervisor Chair Phyllis Randall wishes to present  Loudoun County as some sort of a Lake Wobegon paradise in her State of the County address, the reality is quite different.

Loudoun is as safe as it is because of its educated and law-abiding citizens and its just and vigilant Republican sheriff.

Still, there is plenty wrong here. With Randall at the helm, Loudoun County is not at peace. Though she calls for unity, she is the most divisive Loudoun County politician in decades.

Her administration has sexualized children while attacking parents who dare to protect their children’s innocence. Under a twisted redefinition of “equity,” Randall and her Democratic Party colleagues divide the county based on race, making what once was a civil society

uncivil. They turn a deaf ear to those who disagree with them, projecting their own politics of “hate” onto their opponents.

Randall forces her racist views on government operations that should be representative of the entire county. Her race-baiting tactics divert attention from fundamental problems such as the persistent traffic congestion on Rt. 15 North. For her, it is 1862 every day. She holds a grudge against America even though most citizens want a color-blind society.

Randall brought in labor unions that make the government more expensive and less accountable, increasing our debt, and using racist ideology to deny qualified people access to public life and government services. Her Democratic administration has helped give Northern Virginia the third-highest cost of living in the nation.

Unchecked, one-party rule has made Loudoun County infamous. In

the school system, instead of English and math, Democrats promote gender confusion and pornography. In place of merit, achievement, and excellence, they foster mediocrity in the name of “equity.” Make no mistake, when Randall says she supports education, she seeks autocratic education giving parents little say in how the system operates. The Democrat-dominated school board does whatever it wants.

We need GOP participation across Loudoun institutions to instill a sense of fairness and balance in the administration. This fall, county residents will have an opportunity to consider an alternative to the leftist agenda and to vote for accountability, common sense, and a clean government. n

— Scott Pio, Chairman Loudoun County Republican Committee

READERS’ poll CHIPshots

LAST WEEK'S QUESTION:

What’s in the future for this year’s high school graduates?

Purcellville emails

continued from page 3

Hemstreet the County Administrator,” he wrote in the May 6 update. “I will let you all know if we are successful in conducting any more. Please feel free to reach out yourself to mend fences as well. Because at this point I am told nobody will meet with me if there is an elected official with me. I was further informed that the county is officially changing policies that they will no longer support [towns] within [town] boundaries and will place future facilities in the county areas.”

“I find it unfortunate that the County Executive found it necessary to limit his engagement with the elected officials of the Town of Purcellville,” Purcellville Mayor Stanley J. Milan wrote in response. “To me that is poor governance and leadership on their part.”

The mayor said tensions between the town council and staff predated the current council term.

“The council and Staff relationship has been an issue from as far back as I can remember, 8 years or more, and it will not be corrected until people decide enough is enough!” Milan wrote.

“Try not to believe all that you read and hear. Anzivino left because he wanted to! There is more to that story than what is said,” he added.

Adam’s second report, on May 13, gives a detailed report of the work of the town staff and current projects updates.

Adam’s final update, sent May 21, lays

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

What should be the top priority for Loudoun’s next schools superintendent?

County, as they will no longer execute projects that require a Town’s support,” he wrote.

Adams wrote that two council members were in charge, three were researching and making informed decisions, and two were blindly following the two members in charge.

Until that balance changes, Adams warned the problems would continue.

“I can only trust that the two council members that are not actively involved with things to make the change. Because without their efforts to change, nothing will change,” Adams wrote.

And, he told council members, “you have lost trust.”

out a series of management frustrations.

“The Town Council is not attempting to follow their own published priorities and nor is Council trying to accomplish what we agreed, not to mention what we should be doing as a Leadership Team,” Adams wrote.

“The way this Council has conducted business the last 4.5 months is, in my opinion, embarrassing,” Adams wrote. “And if you aren’t as embarrassed as your citizens are, then something is really wrong! Talk to them – they are! I define the Council’s behavior as toxic and deliberately setting the conditions for a negative outcome.”

Adams further wrote that some council members were deliberately portraying the town staff as incompetent.

“At this point, the County’s elected leaders are so tainted on our governance that we are affecting all the towns in this

“You only need to talk to citizens and they know,” he wrote. “Talk to the volunteers on your Boards, Committees, and Commissions. Talk to businesses. Talk to your staff !”

Milan wrote in a response to Adams’ May 21 email two days later saying he had, “grossly misinterpreted the members of Town Council.”

“There are no enemies on council toward the staff. It is unfortunate I don’t feel that way in my direction,” Milan wrote. “I am not concerned if people like me or respect ME, however, I believe they must respect the office I hold. … You have been here for almost a month and your weekly reports have been way out of the norm I was expecting from a [town manager], but not a surprise since it is perceived that certain members of council are out of control, which is the farthest thing from the truth I know of.” n

“The way this Council has conducted business the last 4.5 months is, in my opinion, embarrassing.”

— Glen Adams Former Purcellville Interim Town Manager