Loudoun Now for June 13, 2024

Gravel Grinder

Draws 1,000 Cyclists

The fifth annual 1725 Gravel Grinder was held Sunday, with more that 1,000 cyclists touring western Loudoun’s rustic, unpaved roads following courses ranging from 40 to 80 miles.

The cyclists gathered at Foxcroft School near Middleburg for the start and finish of the races.

The event, organized by EX2 Adventures, raises funds to support America’s Routes, an organization that promotes the preservation of Loudoun’s historic gravel roads.

Included in this year’s roster of riders was U.S. Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is leading two ongoing investigations into allegations of election interference and the mishandling of classified documents by former President Donald J. Trump. Smith was accompanied on his 80-mile tour by a hard-pedaling security detail. n

Spence Rolls Out Schools Improvement Plan

BY ALEXIS GUSIN agustin@loudounnow.org

After nine months on the job and 19 community listening sessions, Superintendent Aaron Spence on Tuesday presented 15 priority recommendations to the School Board.

Spence

Spence said over the past several months he gathered valuable feedback to

assess the current state of the division’s schools and departments.

Spence’s recommendations begin with ways to help students explore multiple educational pathways and to have them understand how those options can help them graduate; implementing an upcoming instructional framework to provide a rigorous and relevant curriculum; and identifying the most needed workforce development opportunities in concert with community partners.

“We should invite everyone interested in this conversation into the room, identify the opportunities in front of us and

create explicit agreements about the experience that our students will have, all with an eye to expanding these opportunities across our schools and providing pathways for our students to highly skilled, well-paid industries with a demand for labor,” he said.

He also highlighted a need to have clear polices around the use of personal devices, something the board already is debating. Finally, he said there is a need for greater support systems for special

IMPROVEMENT PLAN continues on page 32

Groups Cite Priorities in Power Line Opposition

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Bury new transmission lines. Explain the impact of new power infrastructure on local communities. Stop data center growth.

Those are the priorities listed by Loudoun residents speaking up about the planned transmission line projects by Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy in the county. On Tuesday, the Lansdowne Conservancy, Loudoun Transmission Line Alliance and Piedmont Environmental Council hosted a community meeting to delve into those issues.

The conservancy has been leading the effort to have all or part of Dominion Energy’s Aspen to Golden 500- and 230-kV line project along Rt. 7 in eastern Loudoun undergrounded—a feat Dominion said is not feasible for this location citing the need for larger rights-of-way and large above-ground transition stations, and concerns about a far greater expense.

But conservancy general counsel Bryan Turner said during the meeting that RLC Engineering, commissioned by the organization to study the possibility of

POWERLINE OPPOSITION continues on page 31

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now U.S. Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith joins pack of more than 1,000 cyclists touring Loudoun’s rural roads Sunday for the 1725 Gravel Grinder.

‘Just Do Something’ Summit Focuses on Those Struggling for Financial Survival

BY NORMAN K. STYER nsyter@loudoun.org

County business, nonprofit, and philanthropic leaders gathered Tuesday morning at the Belmont Country Club to learn more about efforts to help working families achieve financial stability.

The annual philanthropy summit was organized by the Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

Foundation President and CEO Nicole Acosta said the event was “an opportunity for dialog about our community’s needs and possible innovations and solutions to help our community thrive. Our goals today are to learn more about what’s going on here at home, maybe deepen our understanding about the economic realities for working families in Loudoun, and to explore how other communities are working together to leverage partnerships in a way that lifts up those in need of assistance.”

Attendees heard from the National Capital Area United Way’s director of research and evaluation, Scott Mengebier; a panel of agency representatives on the front lines of providing family assistance in Loudoun; and two managers who helped roll out the City of Alexandria’s pilot guaranteed basic income program.

The focus of the meeting was on chal-

lenges faced by area residents who live above federal poverty levels but still struggle to cover expenses in the high-cost region. Long known as the working poor, families living paycheck to paycheck increasingly are described by social service managers seeking to identify financial hardship as ALICE—people who are asset-limited, income constrained, and employed. In the region, about 10% of the population falls within the federal definition of poverty, but another 23-25% live just on the threshold of financial survival,

Mengebier said.

ALICE families are ineligible for public benefit programs, but still are not able to afford the basic essentials to make ends meet, he said.

Those households are the focus of a proposed $1.5 million guaranteed annual income program planned to launch in Loudoun County next year. While the concept has been endorsed by the Board of Supervisors for funding, the implementation details have yet to be proposed.

Alexandria launched a pilot program using $3 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Through that ARISE program, 170 people were selected randomly from among more than 12,000 applicants to receive monthly payments of $500 for two years. While recipients are permitted to spend the money, distributed in a debit card, any way they wish, user data shows that buying food is the top category.

“For participants, they’re really saying things like, ‘I get to say yes to my kids for the first time,’ ‘I went to the grocery store and I wasn’t thinking about it,’ and ‘I got to buy meat for the first time in six months.’ There’s another group of people that have had unexpected medical crises, to be quite frank, and have said, ‘I’ve been able to stay in my apartment while I receive like life-saving cancer treatment,’” said Julie Mullen, Alexandria’s economic mobility officer.

“As we all know, there’s always something, right? No matter what income level you’re living at, it’s always something— something in your house, something in your car, somebody who loses a job. So, we’re also learning just those financial shocks are less shocking, and people are kind of able to get through without losing their housing, without being able to give up putting food on the table,” Mullen said.

Brandi Yee is the chief program officer for ACT for Alexandria, the community foundation that helped roll out the ARISE program. She said it took a lot of time and hard work with an assortment of community partners to ensure those in need of the funding were notified about the program and could complete the application process.

“We know that it takes time, and as we thought about leading with equity, we needed to make sure this program was accessible to everyone who might qualify to participate—whether that was making sure it was in their language or in the words and concepts that people understood,” she said. “We know that intentionality takes time and it takes resources. We started this work in the summer of 2021 when things got

PHILANTHROPY SUMMIT continues on page 32

School Board Advances Renaming Talks for Two Schools

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

After an hour-long discussion Tuesday that included several failed amendments, the School Board voted 8-1 to move forward with the potential renaming of nine schools.

The board also directed the staff to create two naming committees at the start of the 2024-2025 school year to consider renaming Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School and Mercer Middle School. The board also requested a timeline for the potential renaming of the reaming seven additional schools.

The nine schools being considered for renaming were identified after the previous School Board in 2020 initiated a review of school names and mascots that could be associated with systemic racism.

Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School is named after a local woman who worked at the Loudoun Times newspaper for 73

years. She was known for her commitment to promoting Loudoun County’s history and was a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy when she was a young woman. Mercer Middle School is named after lawyer and politician Charles Fenton Mercer who was a founding member of the American Colonization Society that advocated resettling those freed from slavery on the west coast of Africa in the period before the Civil War, according to the History Matters, LLC.

The renaming of Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School and Mercer Middle School will begin in August with a community survey, followed by nominations for a renaming committee.

Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg) requested that a new town hall meeting be held as part of the review for Frances Hazel Reid. She said the previous community meeting was not well attended and was not recorded. All School Board members with the exception of Deana Griffiths

(Ashburn) agreed to that request.

Once the naming committees are formed, those panels will bring at least two names for the board to consider. The board is not bound to change the name and may keep it the same name under a policy adopted by the previous School Board, according to Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis.

The whole process is expected to take up to 36 weeks.

Lewis said the division wouldn’t incur any more costs in the process because the histories of the schools had already been compiled.

History Matters was hired in 2020 to look for schools named for Confederate leaders or the Confederate cause, people who lived in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries when slavery was part of the economic, cultural and political systems in Virginia, and any facilities named for individuals or movements that promoted segregation.

The initial name review was divided into three phases. Phase one was any school that might meet the criteria. Phase two was for schools named after a person. Phase three was schools named for places, ideals or inanimate objects.

The nine schools up for potential renaming are Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School, Mercer Middle School, Emerick Elementary School, all named after people; Belmont Ridge Middle School, Belmont Station Elementary School, Seldens Landing Elementary School, Sully Elementary School, Hutchison Farm Elementary School, all named after places affiliated with slavery; and Ball’s Bluff Elementary School, named after a Civil War battle won by the Confederate Army.

The review determined there were no schools in Loudoun named after Confederate leaders or the Confederate cause. However, work by the Black History

RENAMING TALKS continues on page 31

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Brandi Yee, chief program officer at ACT for Alexander, discusses the ARISE guaranteed income pilot project during the June 11 Philanthropy Summit, as City of Alexandria Economic Mobility Program Officer Julie Mullen looks on.

Loudoun

Kaine Visits Loudoun Seniors to Talk Prescription Cost, Access Challenges

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) met with Loudoun County senior residents on Monday to talk about the challenges surrounding access to and the cost of prescription drugs, as well as the work he is doing to lower those costs.

The audience at Lansdowne Woods was welcomed by Supervisor Michael Turner (D-Ashburn). They also had the chance to hear from a panel of speakers including Del. Kannan Srinivasan (D28), Mosaic Pharmacy Service Director of Clinical Services Sapna Patel, Freedom Virginia Executive Director Rhena Hicks and Fairfax resident Irvin Varkonyi.

Kaine said he knows accessing prescription drugs at an affordable price is a challenge, especially for residents using Medicare. In passing the Inflation Reduction Act, the federal government accomplished three goals to address that challenge, he said.

The first allows the government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies over the cost of medications.

speaks with

and accessibility.

“When the Medicare Part D program was established during the early 2000s … one of the legislative traits at the time was the Medicare program could not negotiate bids,” he said. “It had to accept the prices for these drugs charged by pharmaceutical companies, and that has had a huge neg-

ative impact both on your pocketbooks, but also on the federal budget.”

Kaine said allowing that negotiation is

Housing Initiatives Highlighted in 5 Year Plan Update

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Loudoun County supervisors adopted priorities for the upcoming five-year update to the county’s 2019 General Plan, with several focusing on efforts to promote affordable housing during a meeting June 4.

State laws require localities to conduct an update every five years.

The process will address issues identified since the adoption of the 2019 plan, as well as ones identified during the Zoning Ordinance rewrite process. There have been multiple amendments made to the plan over the past five years, including changes to the Airport Impact Overlay District, Rt. 15 North Widening and Safety Improvements, and Red Hill Community comprehensive plan amendments.

A list of priorities was recommended by the board’s Transportation and Land Use Committee during an April 17 meeting.

Those include changes to the alternative criteria for Suburban Compact Neighborhood Place Type; expectations for contributions for attainable housing units in proffers; the definition, description and usage for infill development; integration of the Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan; the county land in lieu of affordable dwelling units policy; repurposing commercial, retail and office buildings to residential use; and updating the implementation matrix chapter of the plan to progress toward the 2019 General Plan goals.

Affordable housing continues to be a challenge for Loudoun residents. During a recent Loudoun Chamber of Commerce

County Seeks Developers in Affordable Rental Housing Financing Program

The county’s Department of Housing and Community Development has issued a Request for Qualifications for the Rental Housing Acquisition and Preservation Loan Program.

The purpose of the RHAP Program is to preserve affordable, multi-family rental housing by making funding available for the acquisition of land for rental housing that is either market affordable or affordable through rent restrictions.

The RFQ will provide Loudoun County with a pool of certified developers who will receive priority consideration for RHAP loans. Project applications will be required to meet county priorities for the program. Once approved by the Board of Supervisors, developers will remain certified for 12 months. Pre-qualification opportunities will be issued annually.

The RFQ closes Aug. 1. Interested developers must submit the required documentation in the RFQ to be considered for certification. For program requirements and guidelines, go to loudoun.gov/multifamilyfinancing.

Library Reading Program Begins Saturday

The Loudoun County Public Library will launch its popular Summer Reading Program, Rock at the Library, on June 15.

event, county Housing and Community Development Director John Hall said nationally a rising number of residents are spending more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities. As inflation worsens, the increasing cost of homes is outpacing income increases, he said.

“In 1985, for example, the median household income in the country was $22,400,” he said. “During that same time, the median sales price of a home was $78,000. Fast forward to current day where the median household income is $74,000 and the median sales price of a home is $433,000.”

When supervisors adopted the 2019 plan, they also adopted the Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan with a goal of

AFFORDABLE HOUSING continues on page 6

Residents may register online at library.loudoun.gov/srp and tune in for books, music-themed events and community fun. The program is open to all ages and reading levels, with challenges encouraging library use over summer break.

Participants who complete 10 challenges by Aug. 16 earn a free book and pair of tickets to select Washington Nationals games (while supplies last).

“This year, we’re featuring 11 top performers, which works out to at least one every week for nine weeks,” Division Manager of Programming and Community Engagement Susan VanEpps said. “Some weeks, there will be a dozen performances around the county.” n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)

some of Loudoun’s senior residents about the challenges surrounding prescription drug costs

KAINE VISIT continues on page 6

Irreversible is not a word you want to hear from your Doctor but it’s a common one if you’ve been diagnosed with ChemotherapyInduced Peripheral Neuropathy or CIPN

John T of Leesburg survived testicular cancer only to be living life in constant pain He felt as though he were walking on pins and needles, becoming weaker and weaker every day “I was beginning to be worried that one day I would be wheelchairbound ”

Nearly half of the patients who undergo chemotherapy will develop ChemotherapyInduced Peripheral Neuropathy or CIPN.

Chemotherapy meds travel throughout the body and attack cancer cells; sadly they can also cause severe damage to healthy nerves CIPN can begin within weeks of starting treatment and can worsen as treatment continues A high number of really unfortunate people will be forced to endure the symptoms associated with CIPN for months, or even years after they’ve completed chemo

When asked how CIPN was affecting his quality of life, he responded, “It was difficult to even walk up and down stairs and do other things we usually take for granted ”

IT'S LIFE CHANGING

Finally! A local Doctor is helping cancer survivors live lives free from the constant pain and suffering associated with Peripheral Neuropathy!

The most common symptoms include: pain, tingling, burning, weakness, or numbness in arms, hands, legs or feet sudden, sharp, stabbing or shocking pain sensations loss of touch sensation clumsiness and trouble using hands to pick up objects or fasten clothing loss of balance and falling

For some, their nerves will recover over time For most, the nerve damage is ‘irreversible ’ John had been told just that by a series of Doctors and specialists Essentially they could cure his cancer but couldn’t fix the damage done by the drugs used to cure his cancer

Then John made a call to Rachal Lohr of FIREFLY|Acupuncture & Wellness right here in Ashburn Rachal and her team are using the time tested science of Acupuncture and a technology originally developed by NASA that assists in increasing blood flow and expediting recovery and healing to treat this debilitating disease

After a series of treatments John was taking stairs with stride!

“We have a beach house and it’s up stairs This morning I walked right down the stairs and got in the car,” John shared

“I remember thinking ‘That’s become mighty easy for me’, I didn’t have to hold on to the handrail or anything! It’s life-changing to have this mobility back!”

Again and again, we meet with patients who were once diagnosed as "untreatable” or “incurable” but after receiving Rachal Lohr’s treatments are now living lives free from pain and suffering For over 17 years she has been reversing the effects of CIPN and other varieties of Peripheral Neuropathy, including that caused by diabetes without invasive surgeries and medications that come with uncomfortable side effects

If you’ve recently beat cancer only to find that you’re living a life in constant pain and discomfort or you’re struggling with the same symptoms as a result of either Idiopathic Neuropathy or Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, Rachal and the incredible team at FIREFLY can help!

Rachal Lohr is now accepting new patients but only for a limited time. In an effort to protect her patients, both current and future, she has made the difficult decision to limit the number of patients seen in her clinic

Only 10 new neuropathy patients will be accepted monthly so call (703)263-2142 now to schedule a consultation.

Kaine visit

continued from page 4

bringing costs down.

The other two gains made through the Inflation Reduction Act are establishing a $35 a month price cap on insulin for Medicare users and capping the out-ofpocket expenses for members at $3,000 a year.

“On Jan. 1, 2025, that $3,000 drops to $2,000,” he said. “And that’s not for one prescription. That’s total out of pocket cost no matter how many prescriptions you take under Medicare.”

But residents said they were still having a hard time affording prescriptions and, at times, even getting ahold of doctors that would accept Medicare.

One 82-year-old resident said she recently began a blood thinning medication that cost her $800 for a three-month supply. She said her doctor told her he could order a generic brand for her from Canada, since the United States does not produce a generic brand, and that he has been giving her free samples until it arrived.

“Why can’t we get this medication as generic in this country? A lot of people

are on it,” she said.

Kaine said, under Medicare Part D, once the resident hits $3,000 of payments, she would not have to pay the $800 cost anymore. But he also said he would look into why there is not a generic brand available in the U.S. and if the medication is on the list of upcoming ones to be price negotiated.

Another attendee said he recently moved back into the state and has been sent to dozens of providers in search of one who will accept Medicare.

“Medicare is not doing me any good if I can’t find a primary physician,” he said. “There are hundreds if not thousands of other primaries in the region. What are we going to do about that in regard to anybody who comes into the state who’s not from Virginia? If you don’t have a primary already, or I myself have lost mine. What do we do?”

Kaine said Congress was working to establish better reimbursement rates so that more providers accept Medicare.

When he asked how many residents had been turned away from a provider because they would not accept Medicare over a dozen of the nearly 85 attendees raised their hands.

How to demystify the

Patel said it also is common for senior residents to have to choose between rent and medications or to take a half dose of their medication to stretch it further before having to buy more.

“I would say about 20% of our patients do not take medications when they come to us because of cost,” she said, adding that the problem is even more common in more rural areas.

“In a lot of little rural areas they have to go like an hour, hour and a half to go see a doctor even. So, imagine how having to do that and then try and figure out and navigate through all the medications that you’re on,” she said.

Kaine said he knows more needs to be done.

“We need to extend some of these price savings to affect the rest of America, not just people who are Medicare eligible but others too,” he said. “And so that’s really the kind of next game going forward—expand the number of drugs that we’re negotiating pricing on under Medicare, but then figure out a way to extend some of these benefits more broadly to benefit other populations.” n

Affordable housing

continued from page 4

creating 16,000 attainable units by 2040. In an attempt to move toward that goal, county planning staff will look into the possibilities of converting commercial units to residential ones.

The board also recently adopted an interim policy that has taxpayers absorbing the impact of new attainable housing on county facilities. Typically, during a legislative application process, developers contribute proffers based on the estimated fiscal impact of their facilities on the county. This change will shift that cost from units designated as attainable from the developer to the county government. The CPAM project plan will integrate that policy into the General Plan.

County planning staff will recommend updates in collaboration with a stakeholder group comprised of supervisors, Planning Commission members, advisory boards, residents and business owners.

The draft changes are expected to appear before the Planning Commission for a public hearing by March 2025 with final adoption by supervisors estimated for June 2025. n

Office of Equity and Inclusion Presents Annual Report

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

A year and a half after county leaders adopted a resolution committing to social and racial equity, the Office of Equity and Inclusion presented its first annual report on advancements toward those goals to the Board of Supervisors last week.

The resolution outlined six priorities on which the office has focused during the last 18 months: strategic planning, education and awareness, county operations, equal employment opportunities, data analytics and reporting, and community equity initiatives.

“Staff have made significant strides toward realizing the county’s goals,” Chief Equity Officer Carl Rush said during the June 4 meeting.

Among those strides has been the introduction of a DELTA framework, an organizational strategy aimed at fostering equity within county government operations. The program includes training and actionable steps to address inequities and promote inclusivity, emphasizes education and skill building to raise awareness of equity gaps and develop strategies for meaningful change.

The office also designed and launched an Equity Ambassadors Program, launched an office intranet page, organized DEI Equity Action Planning Committee, implemented training initiatives, developed policy analysis and budget tools to assist in policy making and budgeting, developed a fire and rescue gender identity inclusion policy, initiated an American with Disability Act self-assessment and participated in regional and local DEIA initiatives.

The office also completed a DEIA assessment and report that Rush said would serve as a “baseline” with which to compare future metrics.

Rush said his team would continue to focus on advancing the DEI program over the next fiscal year by using the information from the assessment in the Loudoun Equity Action Plan, continuing to engage a diverse group of stakeholders, collaborating with regional groups and adhering to the DELTA framework.

“Our DEI initiatives have laid a strong foundation for our continued progress in creating an inclusive and equitable environment within county government,” Rush said. “We’re committed to that ongoing improvement and collaboration.”

“We do try to focus more on inclusivity and doing outreach to multiple different demographics because we cannot benchmark to a quota based off of a population.”

— Jeanette Green LCPS Human Resources Director

Board Vice Chair Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) said she did not see a lot of “hard data” in the report and asked if there were statistics to show if the county’s employee base is representative of the county’s resident demographics.

Human Resources Director Jeanette Green said the county could not establish a “quota” regarding the demographical make up of its workforce.

“We do try to focus more on inclusivity and doing outreach to multiple different demographics because we cannot benchmark to a quota based off of a population,”

she said.

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) asked if the office was collaborating with the school division.

“When you look at the graduation numbers in LCPS, they’re very very good, but the drop out numbers amongst our Hispanic population is almost double that of any other population in the school,” she said. “… Are we sharing any our information, wealth, attention, any of it with [the Minority Student Achievement Advisory Committee] or anyone in the school system?”

She said she rarely hears discussion around the minority graduation rates or the advancement to higher education.

Rush said, while his team has a good working relationship with LCPS and they do share information, they were still focused on internal implementation.

“We have not really ventured so much out externally just yet because we determined that even with the equity resolution, that was very internal focused. So, as we continue to move and integrate these things within in county government, then we can actually reach out a little but more in the community,” he said. n

6 Nonprofits Awarded Grants from Crossroads Music Festival

BENEFIT has awarded $17,000 in grants to six nonprofits serving children in Loudoun County. The funding was raised from proceeds of the 2023 Crossroads Music Festival in downtown Leesburg.

Established in 2017, BENEFIT is a coalition of musicians and community leaders uniting people with music to raise funds and awareness for area nonprofits.

Recipients of BENEFIT grant fund-

ing are: Ryan Bartel Foundation, $2,900; Dulles South Soup Kitchen, $2,900; Food For Neighbors, $2,900; A Hand Up - NOVA, Inc., which operates the Northern Virginia Diaper Bank, $2,800; Loudoun Education Foundation, $2,750; and Loudoun Youth, Inc., $2,750. “The work our nonprofits do here in Loudoun is more important than ever as families face new post-pandemic challenges,” Amy Bobchek, co-founder of

BENEFIT, said. “We are glad to be able to support this critical work and we’re committed to continuing our efforts to raise money and awareness for these vital organizations.”

“We thank everyone who attended our 2023 Crossroads Music Festival, as well as all the musicians, sponsors, venues and volunteers who participated in and helped with the event,” Ara Bagdasarian, co-founder of BENEFIT, said. “Our BEN-

EFIT grant funding would not have been possible without your support.”

BENEFIT’s 2024 Crossroads Music Festival is planned for Friday, Sept. 20, and Saturday, Sept. 21. More information about the event will be available closer to the event dates. Businesses seeking to sponsor the event can find sponsorship information on BENEFIT’s website.

For more information about BENEFIT, go to benefit.live.  n

Leaders Discuss Merits of Airport Growth Plan

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

Members of the Town Council took a deeper dive into the future of the Leesburg Executive Airport during a special work session last week.

During a two-hour joint meeting with the town’s Airport Commission, council members were briefed on the status of current operations, plans to develop operations on the western side, and efforts to address aircraft noise complaints from residents.

According to a briefing by Airport Director Scott Coffman and Economic Development Director Russell Seymour, the airport is home to 275 aircraft with significant waiting lists of aircraft owners seeking spaces there. Since 2019, the number of annual operations—takeoffs and landings—has increased from 55,000 to 89,000. The capacity of the airport is estimated at 200,000 operations per year.

The 300-acre airport provides 232 fulltime and 56 parttime jobs with an average salary of $107,000, according to the presentation. Annual revenues from the airport are expected to reach $1.7 million this fiscal year.

Although the airport is largely at buildout, with only a four-acre lot left for development on the east side, some have ques-

Leesburg

tioned the merits of moving forward with plans to expand airport operations to the 44-acre town-owned property along the Compass Creek center on the west side, where space for data centers or retail uses might be in greater demand.

Seymour and members of the Airport Commission said they see value in retaining the land for aviation uses.

Seymour said he has met with business prospects interested in hangar space and room to develop aviation businesses, such as drone manufacturing.

“We’re not talking about [typical] drones, we’re talking about drones that are

the sizes of car,” Seymour said, adding that government contractors especially need space in Northern Virginia. “These are very well-heeled jobs and organizations that are looking actively as we speak at areas in and around our Leesburg airport.”

The west-side development was envisioned in the airport master plan adopted in 2018. Now the commission is working through more detailed development scenarios for the property with an initial concept of creating space for three hangars with construction phased in over a decade.

Kuhn Aviation Takes Over as Sole Airport FBO

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Nearly two years after securing a contract to operate as a second fixed-base operator at Leesburg Executive Airport, Kuhn Aviation is poised to take over the operations of its FBO competitor ProJet Aviation.

The Leesburg Town Council on Tuesday approved the transfer of ProJet’s FBO lease to Kuhn Jet Center along with its hangar and fuel farm leases.

As an FBO, Kuhn provides aviation management, private and corporate charters, fuel sales, and aircraft maintenance.

“We’ve been at the airport for two years now and I think we’ve done a good job of reaching out to everybody,” said President and CEO Scott Kuhn. “Some of the hanger tenants had an obligation to use ProJet’s services. From now on we’ll be taking over the day to day there.”

Kuhn envisions expanding services offered at the airport along with adding new jobs in his company of 43 employees. That roster is expected to expand with 25 new roles over the next 18 months, he said. The

company also is preparing construction of a new hangar on the airport’s north side.

Importantly, Kuhn said his company can keep Leesburg as a welcoming destination and home for pilots.

“As far as competition is concerned, we’ve been competitive with Manassas Winchester, Gaithersburg from the get-go and that’s not going to change,” he said.

Kuhn Jet Center began operations at the airport in 2018 and secured its FBO contract in 2022. That agreement came over the objections of ProJet, which filed a lawsuit against the town alleging the company was not being held to the same operational standards and raising safety concerns about having two FBOs share operating on the grounds. That still-pending lawsuit is expected to be dismissed as part of the transaction.

ProJet came to the airport as a second FBO in 2010 and took over the operations of its competitor, Landmark Aviation, in 2012. It had been the airport’s sole FBO for a decade prior to the approval of the Kuhn agreement in 2022.

According to the staff report prepared for the Town Council, ProJet advised town

AROUND town

Panel to Take up Brandon Park Playground Plans

The town’s Parks & Recreation Commission will review updated designs for the Brandon Park playground during its June 17 meeting.

The current playground was installed in 2008 and was originally planned to be removed and replaced with an updated structure in March. The project was postponed when some residents raised concerns about the new equipment. The new design resulted from input gathered during three public input meetings and a public survey.

“We greatly appreciate the public’s patience as our Parks & Recreation staff has worked collaboratively with our playground vendor to ensure the updated playground at Brandon Park reflects play features desired by the community,” stated Parks & Recreation Department Director Rich Williams. “The comments we have received from the public over the last few months have been instrumental in helping us reimagine this playground, while still ensuring the amenities are accommodating and inclusive.”

The meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the lower-level banquet hall of Ida Lee Park Recreation Center.

leaders last year that it planned to broker the sale of its business. The agreement to sell its assets to Kuhn Jet Center was worked out last month.

Council member Patrick Wilt voted against approval of the Kuhn leases after questioning whether the airport would still have capacity for a competing FBO to operate.

Kuhn got his start in aviation flying with his father, JK Moving Services owner Chuck Kuhn, as a child.

“Scott was flying airplanes in my lap when he was two years old,” Chuck Kuhn said.

Scott Kuhn got his pilot’s license before he could legally drive a car. He flies planes and helicopters and many of his eight brothers and sisters also are pilots.

He learned the business side of the industry after high school when he took a job in aviation management at Manassas Airport.

“I think it’s going to be great for Leesburg. I think Scott’s going to be able to grow the airport business and provide a much larger breath of services to the aviation community,” Chuck Kuhn said. n

Town Invites Entries for July 4 Parade

The Town of Leesburg is seeking entries for the Independence Day Parade, which will take place on Thursday, July 4, beginning at 10 a.m.

The parade will begin at Ida Lee Park, travel south on King Street, and conclude at Fairfax Street. Civic groups, youth organizations, community groups, families, and others are encouraged to participate in the parade. There is no entry fee, but pre-registration is requested at leesburgva.gov/july4th.

This year’s parade will feature the American Originals with a prelude performance. The parade will also feature the annual Patriot Cup Competition, sponsored by the Loudoun Now newspaper, which will be awarded to the best parade entry. The winner will have their name engraved on the Patriot Cup, which is displayed in the Town Hall trophy case outside the Town Council Chamber.

Talbert & Bright

A proposed construction phasing plan for development of 44 acres on the west side of Leesburg Executive Airport.

AIRPORT GROWTH continues on page 9

Airport growth

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Construction is slated to start in fiscal year 2027 with the building of a new taxiway.

While there is a clear demand for more space for aircraft, especially high-end jets, Airport Manager Scott Coffman said the expansion area could be used to support emerging technologies, including advanced air mobility systems that move people and cargo.

“Basically, that’s the long-term future of aviation potentially. We’ve seen it in DC with electric aircraft and vertical takeoff and landings, unmanned aerial systems, and drone deliveries—all those kinds of things come under the future vision,” he said. “Virginia is kind of leading the charge on Advanced Air Mobility and that is something that maybe our airports should be looking at when we’re looking 20 or 30 years into the future.”

Commission Chairman Hugh Forsythe said the panel sees an important future for the airport’s western land.

“One thing the commission members all pretty much agree upon is we want to try to keep that 40 acres in line with some airport or aircraft usage of whatever it is,” he said. “There’re multiple things we could do. We’d

like to keep that 40 acres aligned with the airport and its usage for hangars or flying or corporations that have ties to aviation.”

The work session also focused on ways airport managers and pilots could better address aircraft noise complaints from residents living just north of the airport.

Coffman said flight path restrictions imposed around Dulles Airport limit how high aircraft can fly in the space, keeping planes about 200 feet lower than at other airports. But he and others at the meeting said a push to change the FAA’s flight rules around the airport would be cumbersome and unlikely to succeed.

To address the concerns, Coffman said they are pushing for more aircraft to takeoff to the south when calm wind conditions allow it and also are using a new pattern for aviation school training that keeps those frequent flights to the east of the airport— away from the Evergreen Mills neighborhood that is the source of most noise complaints.

“I think we would all agree that we appreciate the what the flight schools have an important job that they’re creating our future pilots,” Mayor Kelly Burk said. “We definitely don’t want them to go out of business. We want them to be successful and continue. But we do have the need as elected officials to deal with the constant complaints.” n

Education School Panel Continues Collective Bargaining Negotiations

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

A School Board committee on Friday reached consensus on two more elements in the division’s draft collective bargaining agreement, but some committee members and Loudoun Education Association members walked away from the session feeling frustrated.

The hour-long meeting resulted in agreement of the three-member panel on LEA’s recommendation that the organization, if selected to represent a bargaining group of school employees, not be required to represent non-union members. LEA asked the committee to consider removing the requirement to represent non-union members who do not pay dues from the draft resolution at the May 30 committee meeting.

The committee also agreed to keep the election threshold, which had been removed by the previous board, out of the agreement. The original draft would have required participation by at least 50% of the employees in a bargaining unit to certify an election. The LEA opposed that provision.

Several items were left undecided including several concerns regarding expanding the scope of bargaining including

requested removal of expiration dates from employee authorization cards would be taken up the at the next meeting of the Legislative and Policy Committee on June 20.

“I was hopeful that we could be able to finish this today. I think this has been going on a longtime and I do appreciate that the committee wants to make sure that we do it right and I also I would be devastated if this continued for months. I feel like we are getting closer and closer and comprise feels really possible,” Committee Chair April Chandler (Algonkian) said after the meeting.

LEA President Sandy Sullivan and Vice President Cory Brunet both expressed disappointment that the committee pushed the outstanding issues to yet another meeting.

6 Loudoun Seniors Awarded National Merit Scholarships

Katrina Boland and Peter Delacourt of St. Paul VI Catholic School, Sasanka Sreedevi-Naresh of Briar Woods High School, Shivani Nadella of Freedom High School, Brij B. Bhagat of Thomas Jeffereson High School for Science and Technology, and Alexandra H. Knight, a homeschool student from Purcellville, were selected as college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners.

changing the definition of working conditions, granting union access to teachers at school, better defining confidential employees, and changes to the Evergreen Clause/Impasse language.

The meeting ended with Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg) having to leave for a prior commitment. Anne Donohue (At-Large), who attended the meeting virtually, said she had mixed feelings about continuing the discussion without Shernoff.

Chandler said two additional items concerning working conditions and the

“They didn’t even finish discussing and come to agreement on the six items that they discussed. I think that we’re going to get thrown more curveballs on what’s remaining and I’m real disappointed,” Brunet said adding if they have more time at the next one it could be possible.

LEA has been working to get collective bargaining in the division for over two years and hopes to be able to move the draft resolution to the full board to allow for the formal election of the exclusive bargaining representative this fall. n

School Board Adds Four Teacher Development Days

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

After a month-long discussion over how to help teachers meet new state training requirements the School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to add four more professional learning days to the 20242025 school year calendar.

Under the action, there will be no classes Oct. 4, Nov. 4, Jan. 28 and June 16 when teachers will be provided time to comply with new requirements of the Virginia Literacy Act and train on new math and reading Standards of Learning. The schedule resulted through feedback received after administrators first proposed plan provided the training during 16 days when schools would operate on a twohour delay schedule.

That plan sparked objections from many parents and some School Board members. More than 2,000 responses to the plan were received during the three days after it was proposed to the School Board. Some responses included suggestions on how to solve the problem of the additional training facing teachers. Spence said the four-day training plan was among the suggestions proposed by parents.

Administrators say the new state policies have added unprecedented amounts of training for various teacher groups.

During the May 29 School Board meeting when the four additional days was presented, Chief Academic Officer Ashley Ellis broke down some of the extra training, including 27-54 hours of extra training for kindergarten-eighth grade reading specialists, 18-27 hours for sixth through

eighth grade Language Arts teachers, 9-18 hours for grades six through eighth content teachers and finally specialty and resource teachers are required to complete an additional 1-2 hours. The training modules won’t be available until September. Meanwhile, K-5 teachers must complete 18-27 hours, and Capstone course teachers are required to complete 3-4.5 hours. These modules will be available starting in June.

Ellis broke it down further by giving examples of different grade-level teachers, noting that a new third grade teacher would be required to complete up to 63 hours of training, a new special education teacher would be required to complete 79.5 hours and a returning fifth grade teacher would be required to complete 56 hours of training. n

Over 2,900 students received awards financed by U.S. colleges and universities from among the finalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program this year. The awards range from $500 to $2,000 per year for up to four years of undergraduate school, according to the announcement. College-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners are among more than 6,870 high school seniors who will receive National Merit Scholarships totaling nearly $26 million.

Boland received a National Merit Scholarship from Purdue University and will study Aerospace engineering. Delacourt plans to study software engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Both Sreedevi-Naresh and Nadella received scholarships from the University of Maryland. Sreedevi-Naresh will likely study biomedical engineering, with Nadella likely studying computer science.

Bhagat received a scholarship from the University of Texas at Dallas and will likely study mechanical engineering. Knight received a scholarship from Liberty University and will likely study biochemistry.

An additional group of scholars will be announced in July, bringing the total number of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship recipients in this year’s competition to more than 3,600.

Briar Woods Earns STEM Certification

Briar Woods High School in May became the first traditional

SCHOOL NOTEBOOK continues on page 14

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg) and April Chandler (Algonkian) discuss the draft collective bargaining resolution during the June 7 meeting of the School Board’s Legislative Audit and Policy Committee.

Hillsboro Charter Academy Leaders Press for Upgrades

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

The School Board on Tuesday discussed changes to Hillsboro Charter Academy’s agreement proposed by the school’s board of directors asking for the division to fund upgrades to the school during its five-year renewal, but administrators balked at the idea.

The agreement is only up for renewal and revision every five years.

The original contract was made shortly after the School Board decided to close Hillsboro Elementary School because of concerns over the operational costs of the small school and the cost of modernizing the facility. Hillsboro, like Middleburg Elementary, was taken over by a community-based organization to operate as a public charter school. Under the terms, the school building was provided “as is where is” and with the charter school leaders were responsible for maintaining it.

The school leaders are asking that HCA be added to the division’s Capital Asset Preservation Program and Capital Improvement Program “to maintain the facilities to be on par with other LCPS schools of similar states of repair” and to allow for upgrades and additions to the school to accommodate the student population and growing interest in the school.

The board of directors added a section to the agreement asking for inclusion in the division’s fiscal year 2026 construction plans to add a music and art room, a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math room for teacher training, a counseling office, a gymnasium, a teacher lounge, to ensure the building, grounds and future facilities are Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. In the meantime, they proposed the installation of temporary classroom space in the form of modular trailers.

On Tuesday night, the School Board discussed the request at length, with some in favor of making the upgrades while others agreed with Superintendent Aaron Spence and Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis’ recommendation that the discussion happen in the fall during the development of the CIP and CAPP so board members could do a side by side comparison of projects on the priority list.

The board is scheduled to vote on the charter renewal at its next meeting.

A School Board committees recommendation June 4 to renew the charter came as the school’s board of directors was still trying to negotiate terms with the division to provide upgrades to the 58-year-old building.

“We definitely were blindsided that it moved forward fully,” HCA Board of

Directors Chair Joe Luppino-Esposito said, noting that the school’s representatives had been working to meet with Superintendent Aaron Spence before inking a new deal.

“Overall, we are still happy to see the charter moving forward, ultimately that was our goal, but we are a little disappointed at not having the ongoing negotiations happen,” he said.

Committee members Arben Istrefi (Sterling) and Sumera Rashid (Little River) voted to send the charter renewal to the full board because it was time sensitive. Committee member Kari LaBell (Catoctin) was absent.

If the board approves the draft agreement at its June 25 meeting it will allow the school to open on time this fall, but no upgrades will be paid for by the division unless included in the agreement. Luppino-Esposito is hoping the board will vote to include it and memorialize it with a “good faith” provision that would allow the two parties to continue to negotiate the facility upgrades over the next few months as needed.

Luppino-Esposito said the school has 144 students with a wait list of more than 400. He compared the state of the building to other older schools in the division that have recently received upgrades or soon will, including Banneker and Catoctin elementary Schools. Ultimately, he said the board of directors wants to expand the school to accommodate sixth through eighth grade at the request of parents.

“We do have 144 scholars at our school. They are all LCPS students. All of our teachers are LCPS teachers,” board member Paul Hrebenak said during the April committee meeting in arguing for the division to cover the costs of upgrading the building.

But in discussions over the agreement both in April and on June 4, division ad-

dition of the building during the proposal and acceptance of the original HCA agreement when the division decided to close the school in 2016. Spence said HCA “knowingly” accepted the conditions of the school “as is where is” as well as the responsibility of maintaining and potentially expanding it.

ministrators balked at the request for funding.

“I think maybe a better approach to this is to put this in a framework of risk for the school. So, years ago, the School Board at our recommendation from staff decided that that building was to a point where it was not worth continuing to maintain and bring up to speed. So, we decided to close the building at which point we leased it to the charter school as is, where is,” Lewis said at the committee meeting April 2. “Now, I think what we are hearing is they are confirming it needs a tremendous amount of work and asking the School Board to take back over. which we’ve already made the decision that that risk was not really where we wanted to be.”

Lewis said the School Board took action to lease elementary school buildings in Middleburg and Hillsboro to charter schools because the division was unwilling to spend more money to improve the facilities.

“Certainly, that was the original intent of the agreement when I think HCA became a charter…. obviously, things have very much changed in last 10 or so years and we are now faced with a facility that is really not at the same level,” Luppino-Esposito said in response. “We have another facility like Banneker—with one more student than us—is about to undergo a very major renovation.”

“We think, on the whole, it’s now time for HCA to be brought up to the 21st century. We are a STEAM school and we ‘d really like to get up to that level that we would have for any other special program that we’d be operating here in the district to be at that equivalent level,” he said.

In an email May 9 obtained by Loudoun Now, Spence noted to Luppino-Esposito that the division explicitly cited the con-

“In my assessment, the School Board has met its obligation regarding the lease and agreement and has in no way been negligent in responsibilities acknowledged and accepted by the HCA board regarding the safety and use of the facility. It is also my assessment that the district has not been ‘purposefully ignorant’ with regards to its responsibilities. I am left wondering if HCA has forgotten its acceptance of the facility as ‘where is, as is,’ even while LCPS has continued to support HCA in the maintenance of the school in the conditions under which it was leased,” Spence said citing multiple CAPP projects between FY2019 and FY2029 the division has paid for at the school.

Spence also said the division was not legally obligated to “equalize” charter school facilities to that of other division facilities under state law or under the current agreement with the charter school.

“I hope it is clear that the School Board could not make either of those fiscal commitments outside of the CIP process, which would be contingent upon majority support from the School Board as well as the Board of Supervisors and would likely postpone or replace other projects from the Capital Budget. As such, I would not be able to recommend that this be accomplished in current discussions around this agreement. Rather, I will encourage the Board to adhere to current practice, which is to consider this during CIP and CAPP discussions and not obligate itself to these changes in this agreement,” Spence wrote.

Spence agreed to meet with Luppino-Esposito to further discuss the agreement. Luppino-Esposito said he is expected to meet with Spence on June 26, the day after the item is expected to be voted on by the School Board.

This is the third renewal of the agreement since 2015 when the charter was originally granted.

Luppino-Esposito said with the school’s approach to learning with STEAM and hands on experiences and its wait list they could fill up two more schools in the division.

“We have a school that is going into have radio contact with the International Space Station this fall that at the same time doesn’t have a music room or a teacher’s lounge and is missing stuff that a 20th century classroom should have,” he said. n

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Arben Istrefi (Sterling) and Sumera Rashid (Little River) voted to send the Hillsboro Charter Academy agreement to the full board June 4 while the school’s board of directors was still trying to negotiate terms with the division to provide upgrades to the facility.

Community Gets Update on New Park View High School Design

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

Architects are putting the final touches on the designs for the new Park View High School and area residents last week got the chance to help.

The community on June 6 heard the latest progress report on the plan to build a new high school on the Park View campus in Sterling starting this fall. The new school will come with new programs but also challenges for sports teams during the construction.

Meeting participants were given a sneak peek at what the building could look like and a chance to vote on the exterior building options. The choices were narrowed based on feedback after a February meeting to a grey brick with blue metal panels and a grey brick with red brick accents and grey metal panels instead of an all red brick building.

Phase one of construction begins this fall with the demolition of the football stadium, followed by the building of the new school on that site.

GWWO Architects walked attendees through the site plan and floor plans as well as showed high level drawings of the exterior of the building with several different color schemes. The community is asked to provide feedback on which of the four exterior color schemes they like best.

Mike Devaney, a graduate of the class of 1980, asked that elements of the former school be added to the new school. He specifically requested a large sign made out of tiles and donated by the classes of 1979-1981 be preserved and added to the entrance of the sports stadium to connect the past with the future. Staff members said they liked the idea and would add it to their list of feedback.

The new school will be the first three-story high school in Loudoun County. It will have lots of natural light, over 700 parking spaces, all turf fields, two multi-purpose fields, a marching band observation tower a north/south facing football stadium which was preferred over the current east/west facing one and will keep the three access points to the school.

The $221 million replacement project involves an estimated 295,000-squarefoot building for 1,800 students in ninth through 12th grade and includes the construction of the new school, stadium, and athletic fields.

The new school is expected to open to students in fall 2027. Phase two is the demolition of the existing building and the constitution of the new athletic fields that

are expected to be complete for the 20282029 school year.

Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Neil Slevin presented an update on the new Career and Technical Education programs that will be at the school.

He said, based on feedback from the last meeting, the division has made some changes to the proposed courses

“Everything I am talking about tonight is something that is going to be unique and special for the Park View campus,” Slevin said, adding that all traditional CTE courses currently offered at Park View will still be offered at the school.

New programs include a two-year culinary arts program, including an enhanced culinary space and a traditional kitchen space so more students can access the program; a two-year surgical and sterile processing technician program, which is a new program not only to Park View but to the division; and a four-year electronics and engineering honors program.

A sports medicine program that had been recommend was removed based on community feedback.

“That hands on application opportunities for multiple industrial credentials allows for students to leave park View High School employable, but also set them up with options in terms of two- or four-year degree programs,” Slevin said.

Slevin said, while there isn’t a new special program being announced at the school, what they are putting in the school will give students lots of opportunities.

“We know and are still hearing that you want Park View to be that place that attracts … and we know that we’re going to get there, and these programs are going to help us get to that point,” he said.

Because the student athletes are going to be displaced for about four years, the division has been looking at ways to accommodate the athletics and marching band programs during construction. Those plans involve having teams play at other fields and schools in the division.

The athletic fields at Park View will be operational until Sept. 27, according to Assistant Director of Athletics and Activities Derek Farrey. After that, football practices will be held at Claude Moore Park, with students accessing it through a pathway that will be built behind the school this summer. Farrey said games will be held at Potomac Falls and Dominion high schools and Bill Allen Field. The marching

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Celebrate July 4th

Enjoy the day with family, friends, and neighbors in Leesburg, Virginia

Park View design

continued from page 13

band will continue to practice in its current location until students transition into the new school.

Field hockey will practice at Independence High School on Friday nights or in the gym other times and play at neutral sites. Cross Country will compete at several parks and at Rock Ridge and Woodgrove high schools. Indoor fall sports will not be impacted by the construction.

Farrey said the track team will begin practicing at Seneca Ridge Middle School, where the division plans to build a regulation six- to eight-lane track and possibly bleachers so Park View can host meets.

All winter sports will take place at Park View per the usual with the exception of indoor track which will take place at Dominion High School and Seneca Ridge Middle School.

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high school in Virginia to receive Cognia’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics certification.

Spring sports like baseball, softball and lacrosse will be held at Claude Moore Park, soccer will be at Seneca Ridge, tennis will be at Park View and Dominion High School, and spring track will be held at Seneca Ridge.

There will be a pre-construction presentation to the community in September.

In November 2022, during the FY2024FY2029 Capital Improvement Program presentation, then-Superintendent Scott Ziegler recommended the school be replaced, rather than renovated after months of comments from teachers and students asking that the school be rebuilt.

At the time the 46-year-old school was set to undergo a $42 million improvement project with design funding set for 2023 and construction set to begin in 2024.

The School Board approved the $1.3 billion six year construction budget, with $221.7 million allocated for Park View. The CIP also included funding for renovations for Waterford and Banneker Elementary schools.  n

Mid-Atlantic totaling $3,000.

The three students were selected by the Academies of Loudoun scholarship committee based on enrollment, academic performance and intent to enter the HVAC workforce. Each finalist received a logo tool bag fully outfitted with tools ranging from $1,500 to $500, allowing them to enter the workforce fully equipped on their first day.

The school, with the help of Cognia, a nonprofit that provides schools with accreditation services, partnered with the Chantilly office of Engineering Consulting Services, a company that specializes in geotechnical, environmental and facilities engineering to help the school incorporate STEM into all content areas.

“Briar Woods’ partnership with ECS has allowed Briar Woods’ teachers to include project-based learning with authentic tasks that connect to the real world in their lessons,” Briar Woods principal Sheila Alzate said.

Briar Woods’ connection with ECS, which began last spring, will continue next school year.

Cognia currently certifies 400 institutions globally. Briar Woods was accredited with distinction by Cognia in 2021 and received Cognia’s STEM certification in May.

MATA Grads Earn Scholarships From HVAC Companies

Three graduates from the Monroe Advanced Technical Academy at the Academies of Loudoun in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning May 22 were awarded scholarships from Climactic Heating and Cooling and Carrier

Climactic and Carrier Mid-Atlantic have been partners with the Academies of Loudoun since March 2023 when Sonny Swann, president of Climactic Heating and Cooling and Vice President of Carrier Mid-Atlantic Travis Klein presented a multi-year plan to Principal Tinnell Priddy.

The program was live for its inaugural year with the 2023-2024 senior class. More than 40 students are enrolled in the MATA HVAC Program.

The companies and its vendor partners joined forces to help students within the HVAC trade enter the workforce by providing up to $9,500 in equipment support for the lab systems per school per year, provide no cost essential tools and equipment to top graduates, help facilitate job placement for student with Carrier/Bryant dealers across the region looking to fill open positions and provide damaged and non working inventory to labs as needed.

The two companies fulfilled the equipment scholarship element June 5 by delivering a Comfort Series and an Infinity Series heat pump system with accessories to the school. n

NWS Confirms Leesburg-area Tornado

The National Weather Service confirmed Thursday that an EF-1 tornado touched down north of Leesburg during the June 5 storm.

According to the report, the tornado touched down southwest of Garriland Drive in a wooded area in the Selma Estates neighborhood. The tornado proceeded north/northeast across Garriland Drive, south of the intersection of Garriland Drive and Turning Leaf Lane, where trees were uprooted in different directions and homes sustained damage to vinyl siding and windows. The tornado crossed over Garriland Drive again into a field where there was additional tree damage. The tornado then crossed at London Council Lane where a small tree was uprooted and small branches snapped off. The tornado continued northeast toward Springrun Lane a plastic roof was blown off a small shelter and there was additional tree damage in the nearby woods.

The tornado was classified as an EF-1 storm with estimated peak winds of 95 miles per hour. It’s path on the ground was estimated at 1 mile and 125 yards wide.

Man Charged with Setting Dryer Fires in Leesburg

The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office has arrested a Leesburg man who is charged with setting two fires in an Edwards Ferry Road apartment building.

Jose Hernandez, 28, was arrested June 5 and charged with two felony counts of

Public Safety

Leesburg Man

Arrested on Drug, Weapons Charges

A 28-year-old man initially arrested last week for public intoxication faces additional firearms and drug charges following a search of his Leesburg apartment.

According to Leesburg Police Department, Nicholas T. Roach was detained by officers on foot patrol on Plaza Street on Saturday afternoon after he appeared to be under the influence. He was found with large amount of cash and narcotics.

Officers obtained a search warrant for his nearby residence where additional narcotics, including suspected

burning or destroying a dwelling. He was held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center pending a June 6 bond hearing.

According to the report, on June 2 the county dispatchers received a 911 call for a reported structure fire at the complex. Crews arrived to find a small dryer fire on the second floor. Investigators determined was intentionally set. Damages were estimated at $1,500.

Another fire was reported June 4. Fire and rescue crews found remnants of a dryer fire in the laundry room in the complex. Investigators determined that fire also was incendiary in nature. Damages were estimated at $2,500.

During the investigation, Fire Marshal’s Office investigators identified Hernandez as the suspect and took him into custody without incident.

A District Court preliminary hearing in the cases is scheduled for July 8.

Bond Denied for Suspect in Leesburg Shooting

A bond motion for a Herndon-area man arrested in connection with a May 30 shooting in Leesburg was denied by a District Court judge during a June 11 hearing.

According to the report, officers were called to an Edwards Ferry Road apartment complex just after 7:45 p.m. May 30. Three young adult males were found suffering from gunshot wounds and transported to area hospitals for treatment of injuries described as not life-threatening.

Zeon Garner, 21, is charged with mali-

firearm while in possession of a schedule 1 or 2 controlled substances, two counts of removal of serial number on a firearm, and receipt of a stolen firearm. He was held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

cocaine, was found along with scales, cell phones, two firearms with the serial numbers removed, and a “substantial amount” of cash. It was determined that one of the firearms was reported stolen in Florida.

Roach is charged with distribution of controlled substances, possession of a

cious wounding and reckless handling of a firearm.

According to the arrest warrant, under questioning Garner admitted to discharging a firearm in a public place resulting in serious bodily injury to nearby victims.

A second suspect, Sylvanus Massaquoi, 19, of Sterling, was also arrested and held without bond.

Both are scheduled to appear for preliminary hearings in July.

Man Charged with Impersonating Officer Sent for Mental Health Evaluation

A Leesburg man charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer and assaulting an officer will undergo a mental health evaluation after a hearing June 10.

James Griggs, 70, of Leesburg, was arrested by Leesburg Police on April 4 following a report that he claimed to be a federal officer and was threatening a person at a McLeary Square home. According to the report, responding officers located Griggs outside where the suspect said he had a weapon, became combative, and assaulted an officer trying to take him into custody.

District Court Judge Lori Sinclair Taylor agreed to a motion by Grigg’s attorney to undergo the evaluation and released him on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Griggs is also charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest and a bail violation. He was previously charged with impersonating an officer in 2022 and was fined court costs and mandated 24 hours of community service.

The Leesburg Police Department is encouraging anyone with information about drug distribution or illegal firearms provide information. Tips may be submitted anonymously through the department’s hotline at 703-443-TIPS, through email at PoliceInvestigations@ Leesburgva.gov or through text message; text 274637 (CRIMES) and begin your message with LPDTIP. n

Child Rapist Sentenced for Life

Circuit Court Judge Matthew P. Snow sentenced Brener Mateo Sorto to three life sentences and additional 15 years during a hearing June 6.

Sorto is convicted of two counts of rape of a child younger than thirteen years old, one count of sodomy of a child younger than thirteen years old, one count of aggravated sexual battery of a child younger than thirteen years old, and one count of indecent liberties taken with a child by a custodian.

Loudoun County Sheriff ’s deputies responded to a home located in Chantilly on April 7, 2022, and spoke with residents who had found what was suspected to be a spy camera hidden in a child’s bedroom. It was determined during the ensuing investigation that Sorto had sexually assaulted two children over the course of a two-year period from 2020 through 2022. Sorto was taken into custody on June 15, 2023, tried by a jury, and found guilty of all five charges on Dec. 15, 2023.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their family. We also extend our thanks to the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office, who conducted a comprehensive investigation and ensured that our office had the necessary evidence to prosecute the case. A person who commits these types of crimes should not be able to walk among us, and in this case, justice has been served,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Anderson stated in an announcement. n

Leesburg Police Department

The Leesburg Police Department released this photo of drugs, weapons and cash found during a search of a suspect’s apartment.

Susan Styer/Loudoun Now A downed tree was among the signs of a tornado that touched down north of Leesburg on June 5.

Giving Back

BAPS Charity Walk Support Homeless Shelter

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

Supporters gathered at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chantilly on Saturday morning to participate in the annual Joy of Others walkathon. The event raised money and awareness for The Lamb Center, a drop-in homeless shelter in Fairfax County.

“It’s very important for us to be ingrained in the community, the fabric of the community. So, we did our homework and looked for somebody that would be a great beneficiary,” Samir Bhatt said of the BAPS Charities’ outreach.

The Lamb Center’s development director, Wendy Baird, said the congregation’s support would have a big impact.

“Most of the folks who are coming to us sadly they’re living in the woods or on

the streets right around the facility where we are on Fairfax Circle,” she said. “We are working really hard with folks to get them connected to jobs and to health care and to mental health care and all the things they need to stabilize their lives and move on to a better place. Your support is going to help do all that. Sadly, the need is growing so your funding is going to go to use right down the road helping some folks in real serious need.”

State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam (D-32) joined the group.

“It’s one thing to worship and to look out for your family and get that spirituality,” he said. “It’s another thing to also give back, which is what BAPS has always been about. I’m so glad that we’re doing this for the community.”

More than 300 walkers signed up for the event, which was planned at Hanson Park last month but got rained out. n

What could be easier than giving away money?

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Hundreds participated in BAPS Charities’ June 8 Joy of Others walkathon to support The Lamb Center homeless shelter.

Loudoun Laurels Foundation Scholarships Top $1.1M

The Loudoun Laurels Foundation has awarded two $40,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Over the past decade, the foundation has provided $1.16 million to support the academic careers of 29 Loudoun students.

This year’s recipients are Diego Chavez, a senior at Potomac Falls High School who will be attending George Mason University to major in applied computer science, and Jordan Grandison, a senior at Tuscarora High School who will pursue a course of study in nursing at James Madison University.

Chavez participated in College Achievement Minority Program for Unique Students (CAMPUS) designed to help first-generation college students. Grandison participated in the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program.

This year’s scholarships are supported by the Grant Cain Memorial Fund and the Caimi-Markis Family Fund.

Founded on the principle of honoring exceptional community service for the benefit of Loudoun County residents, the Loudoun Laurels Foundation is dedicated to developing future civic leaders through scholarships and mentorships.

In addition to its scholarship program, the Foundation recognizes residents whose commitment through leadership, community service, and philanthropy have contributed to making Loudoun County a great place to live and work.

The Loudoun Laurels Foundation will hold its an annual gala to honor its laureates and scholarship recipients on Saturday, Sep. 28 at the National Conference Center. For more information on the gala, including sponsorships and tickets, prior Laureate honorees, and the Loudoun Laurels Stewardship Trust scholars, go to loudounlaurels.org or email info@loudounlaurels.org. n

Chavez Grandison

Purcellville Council Votes to Demolish Pullen House

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

After years of debate on what to do with the town-owned property known as Pullen House, the Town Council on Tuesday voted to demolish the structure.

The town purchased the lot adjacent to the Fireman’s Field complex in 2011 for $175,000 and has made several unsuccessful attempts to sell it in the past. The council voted again to sell the property in May 2023, hiring Richard Hampton of Keller Williams Realty in Chantilly to manage the effort last September. But in January the council decided not to sell the property after a public hearing during which community members urged the council to reconsider.

During that meeting, council members Carol Luke and Christopher Bertaut said the council should sell the property citing its long vacancy and continuing deterioration.

On Tuesday, Asset Management Coordinator Joshua Goff told the council a decision needed to be made because the building was becoming a safety hazard.

The town received quotes from four contractors to demolish the old home on the property including disconnecting it from water and sewer utilities, removing asbestos and an underground storage tank, backfilling the foundation and fine

The Town of Purcellville-owned property on South 20th Street known as Pullen

grading and stabilizing the site. The lowest quote was $49,260.

Council member Kevin Wright, Mayor Stanley J. Milan and Vice Mayor Erin Rayner said the land can be used for additional parking at Fireman’s Field, specifically on nights when the Purcellville Cannons baseball team holds home games.

“I was coming down 21st Street and Nursery [Avenue] during the opening night for the Cannons and you could not get an ambulance down that road at all,” Milan said.

But Bertaut disagreed, saying there is enough parking at the field and surrounding proporites such as the community center. Instead of paying to have the building demolished the town could have gained revenue from a sale to be used for other things, he said.

The council voted to allocate the funding from the Parks and Recreation Reserve Fund and demolish the building in a 3-2 vote, with Luke and Bertaut opposed and council members Mary Jane Williams and Caleb Stought absent. n

Lovettsville Council Approves Marketing Plan

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The Lovettsville Town Council last week approved plans for a marketing strategy using grant funding awarded from Visit Loudoun earlier this year.

Community Engagement and Economic Development Coordinator Sara Mosely requested approval of a $10,000 allocation for six marketing priorities compiled by the town’s Commerce and Business Development Committee. Those priorities include 12 hours of professional high-resolution photos, de-

sign of a town map, design of a trifold brochure, printing of the brochure, the purchase of a custom tent with a canopy and branded tablecloth, and 1,000 branded stickers.

Moseley said the $1,000 Visit Loudoun tourism grant came with two caveats—the town must match the $1,000 allocation and the town would need to send marketing materials outside of the county to help bring visitors to the town and surrounding area.

“We are asking for a $10,000 budget to be used for these specific items that have been prioritized among the CBD committee,” she said.

LOVETTSVILLE

Council to Consider Commercial Zoning Standards

After months of working through updates to the town’s housing regulations, the Town Council is set to review recommended changes to the Zoning Ordinance’s commercial uses and standards at its meeting Thursday.

The Planning Commission’s recommendations include changes to the C-1 zoning district development standards and adds the ability to modify standards in all commercial districts. Commissioners also recommend imposing standards to ensure that outdoor food sales, such as event vendors and food trucks, are safe and healthy and have a limited impact on more permanent town businesses.

They also proposed differentiating between age-restricted businesses and general retail uses and how they can develop. There is no age-based differentiation in the current ordinance. However, with the potential for the state government to authorize the retail sale marijuana in coming years, the commission felt the change would be beneficial.

The proposals also include removing the Town Center zoning district’s Fringe Area, which is intended to be a commercial area outside of the designated core area.

PURCELLVILLE

Tickets on Sale for Wine and Food Fest

The town also received a $1,400 tourism grant with American Rescue Plan Act funds, leaving the total request for local funding at $6,600.

Council members expressed concerns about the size of the request.

Mayor Christopher Hornbaker said in 2017 the Town Council authorized a $25,000 marketing strategy that developed logos, fonts and color schemes.

Mosely said those graphics would be used in the development of tangible marketing materials.

LOVETTSVILLE MARKETING continues on page 19

Community members looking forward to the 11th annual Wine and Food Festival can now purchase tickets for the July 20 event. The festival is scheduled from 2 to 8 p.m. at Dillon’s Woods and will feature 40 vendors including local wineries and breweries, food and goods. The stage will host local artists such as the Darby Brothers Bands, Juliana and The Agreeables

AROUND TOWNS continues on page 19

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

House.

Celebrating the AT

Area residents got closer to nature and enjoyed an afternoon of live music during the fifth annual Appalachian Trail Festival on Saturday at Hillsboro’s Old Stone School.

The event celebrates the opportunities afforded by the nation’s longest and oldest marked footpath—the 2,190-mile trail along Loudoun’s western boundary.

Round Hill, Bluemont and Hillsboro are certified AT communities dedicated to supporting and promoting the trail.

—

Photos by Douglas Graham

Lovettsville marketing

continued from page 18

Council Member Brandon Davis said the town is full of creative professionals who might be able to save the town the $1,500 estimated for a professional photographer.

“Did we consider local resources and the local availability we have in doing things that don’t incur necessarily as great a cost as what was outlined?” he asked.

Mosely said they had not.

Hornbaker and Vice Mayor Joy Pritz suggested capping the budget at $5,000 and using $2,000 from the fiscal year 2025 budget leaving only a $600 extra alloca-

AROUND towns

continued from page 18

and the Chris Timbers Band.

Tickets are $5 plus fees in advance and $10 at the gate with drink tickets for beer or wine costing $5.75 plus fees in advance and $6.50 at the gate.

tion from unused funds in the FY 2024 budget.

That motion passed unanimously and will fund $830 for the stickers, $3,328 to design a town map and $502 to print 1,00 brochures.

Town Manager Jason Cournoyer asked how the photos would get taken and who would design the brochure so it could be printed, estimated to collectively cost $3,750.

“The photos and designing of the trifold will be coming from a Lovettsville area photographer who has indicated that he’s willing to put that together utilizing photos that he has already created for the Town of Lovettsville,” Hornbaker said. n

VIP tickets can also be purchased for $275 plus fees which includes a table for six, three bottles of local wine, six souvenir glasses, six drink tickets, early entry, snack for the table and six tickets to a 2024 Cannons regular season baseball game. Buy tickets online at purcellvillewineandfood.com. n

LIVE MUSIC

JASON MASI

5 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 14

Hillsborough Vineyards & Brewery, 36716 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. hillsboroughwine.com

CHRIS BLANEY

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 14

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

SELA CAMPBELL

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13

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

BRAD THE GUITAR GUY

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 14

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

JERRY IRWIN

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 14

Old Farm Winery at Hartland, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwineryhartland.com

BLUEGRASS JAM

5 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 14

Notaviva Farm Brewery & Winery, 13274 Sagle Road, Hillsboro. notaviva.com

GARY SMALLWOOD

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 14

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

DAVE NEMETZ

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 14

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

SELA CAMPBELL

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 14

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

ROBEWWRT MABE & FRIENDS

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 14 Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

ELLA BUETINER

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 14

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

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 22

Elevated but Unpretentious:

Slipp Brings World-Class Training to Loudoun Restaurants

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

“Elevated but unpretentious” are the words chef and restaurant owner Jarad Slipp uses to describe the atmosphere of his Loudoun restaurants and the dishes they serve.

Slipp owns Knead Wine and Tremolo Bar both in downtown Middleburg, and also has a second location for Knead Wine at a winery in Delaplane. Now, he’s moving on to a third location in Purcellville. The idea for the takeout pizza and wine shop was started during the heart of the pandemic as a way for Middleburg residents to still enjoy restaurant quality food during the shutdown in 2020.

Slipp’s culinary background is extensive, including training at the Culinary Institute of America and the Italian Culinary

Institute for Foreigners. He has worked for four Michelin starred restaurants around the world, including Casa Vissani in Italy, Gordan Ramsay in London, Fiamma in New York City and CityZen in Washington, DC.

It’s that background that brings the food and drinks at all of his locations to life.

“God is in the details. Anyone can chop a carrot, but not everyone can make it into perfect little brunoised tiny little cubes. And it’s all about ingredients,” he said, adding that he invests in high quality ingredients for his dishes knowing that diners will be able to taste the difference.

“Are our pizzas expensive? Yeah, it’s because we use expensive ingredients. And if you want a pepperoni pizza, there is not going to be a couple little pieces of meat polka dotting your pizza; it’s going

to be buried,” he said.

Slipp is also one of only 279 master sommeliers in the world—a distinction it took him nine years to gain.

“If you Google most difficult test in the world, two things are going to pop up—this and, weirdly enough, the Indian bar exam,” he said.

But, even with all of that training, Slipp said he’s a big proponent of “eat what you want.”

“I don’t take too much stock in wine pairings. I think it’s kind of dumb. I mean there are some do’s and don’ts. … Even though we don’t carry beer because we don’t have storage for it, there’s nothing wrong with beer and pizza too,” he said.

After leaving the Washington, DC, dining scene, Slipp took a job as executive

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Chef and Master Sommelier Jarad Slipp in the Middleburg location of his Knead Wine takeout pizza shop.

SLIPP

Slipp

continued from page 20

director of RdV Vineyards and for three years commuted from Dupont Circle to Delaplane. He quickly grew tired of the hour-long drive and bought a home on top of Mount Weather and planned to open a steakhouse in Middleburg.

“I didn’t want to leave and so I’ve carved something out here,” he said.

All the details were set and he showed up to sign off on the building in March 2020, when at the last minute he decided to walk away.

“I just realized I probably didn’t want to be opening a restaurant when everything around me was shutting down,” he said.

So, he pivoted to a different but time-proven idea – pizza and wine. Only in this case, they would both be takeout, and the pizza would be more than your standard pie found at a typical takeout pizza place. The pizzas offered at Knead Wine are Neapolitan inspired, but Slipp said he uses American flour because he needs something sturdier since its going in a box and being driven home.

The Purcellville location will offer the same pizza and wine selections as Middleburg but will offer an expanded menu

to include salads, charcuterie, appetizers and frozen yogurt as well as a seating area for 50 to 60 people.

“We got a fancy liquor license just so I can pour fancy Amaros and Chartreuse over soft serve,” Slipp said.

Knead Wine also simplifies the wine choosing experience by offering $20 bottles on one wall and $45 bottles on another to give guests a streamlined experience.

In addition to world class-training, quality ingredients and attention to detail, Slipp said what sets his establishments apart, is his team, many of whom have been with him for years.

“With any new person that I hire, I can teach you the methodology. I can teach you the recipes. I can teach you those things. I can’t teach you poise, polish, grace, drive, work ethic, or passion. You either have it or you don’t,” he said.

On Friday and Saturday nights, diners can find Slipp in the kitchen at Tremolo plating anything from caviar and roasted sea scallops to pork ribs and lamb ragu. On Mondays and Tuesdays, while the rest of the restaurants are closed, Slipp is in Purcellville working on the new location for Knead Wine coming to the Shoppes at Main and Maple, where Vocelli’s Pizza used to be. He expects to open the new location as early as July. n

GET OUT

LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 20

FREDDIE LONG

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 14

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

SHANE GAMBLE

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 14

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

GABE MATTHEWS

7 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 14

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

BEATLEMANIA NOW

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, June 14

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $29. tallyhotheater.com

JUSTIN SUEDE

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, June 14

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

CHAOTIC BLONDE

8 to 11 p.m. Friday, June 14

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

THE REAL INTELLECT

8 to 11 p.m. Friday, June 14

Johnny Ray’s Sultry Soul Food, 101 Executive Dr., Sterling. johnnyraysva.com

SKRIBE

8 to 11 p.m. Friday, June 14

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

VOODOO BLUES

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 15

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

RON HAMRICK

12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Cana Vineyards, 38600 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. canavineyards.com

SIDETRACKED

12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 15

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

ZAC QUINTANA + SAGES

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Fleetwood Farm Winery, 23075 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. fleetwoodfarmwinery.com

BRAD DOGGETT

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. fabbiolicellars.com

BRUCE IN THE USA

Saturday, June 15, 6 p.m.

Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Lucketts.

An unforgettable night of rock and roll celebrating the glory days of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, delivering all the hits and energy that made them legends.

SCOTT KURT

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Otium Cellars, 18050 Tranquility Road, Purcellville. otiumcellars.com

THE BREWED BAND

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

LINDA ANDERSEN AND FRIENDS

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Creek’s Edge Winery, 41255 Annas Lane, Lovettsville. creeksedgewinery.com

THE PETTY THIEVES

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 15 868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. 868estatevineyards.com

MATT BURRIDGE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15

50 West Vineyards, 39060 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. 50westvineyards.com

KEVIN GRIFFITH

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyard.com

SHANE GAMBLE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Bleu Frog Vineyards, 16413 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg. bleufrogvineyards.com

CHRIS COMPTON

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15

8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com

MAMA’S BLACK SHEEP

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Lost Rhino Brewing Co, 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn. lostrhino.com

BEST BETS

POLO IN THE PARK

Saturday, June 15, 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.

HALL VOTE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Firefly Cellars, 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton. fireflycellars.com

JOEY AND THE WAITRESS

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15

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

JASON FRYE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com

LENNY BURRIDGE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15

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

DAN FISK

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

POINT OF ROCK BAND

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

CARLY ROSE RATCLIFFE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Chrysalis Vineyards, 39025 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. chrysaliswine.com

DEAN KERNE & ERIC

SELBY

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Bozzo Family Vineyards, 35226 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. bozwines.com

CECIL DELLOMA

3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Old Farm Winery at Hartland, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwinery.com

TOMMY & KIM

Saturday, June 15, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Leesburg Town Green, 20 W. Market St. Leesburg idalee.org

Pop/rock/folk artists Tommy Gann and Kim Pittinger return to the Summer Jams stage. Pack a picnic and bring a chair or blanket.

ZACHARY SMITH AND THE MARDI GRAS KING

3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 15

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

DAVE MININBERG

4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 15

The Bungalow Lakehouse, 46116 Lake Center Plaza, Sterling. bungalowlakehouse.com

STEVE BOYD & FRIENDS

4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

SHANE GAMBLE

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 15

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

CROSSTOWN FUNK

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

THE WALKAWAYS

5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Dynasty Brewing, 21140 Ashburn Crossing Dr., Ashburn. dynastybrewing.com

POOL BOYS TRIO

5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

BRUCE IN THE USA

6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Leesburg. $25. tararaconcert.com

THE BRUNO SOUND

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 15

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

CHARLES ESTEN

Sunday, June 16, 7 p.m. Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

Best known for his acting roles on CMT’s Nashville and Netflix’s Outer Banks, the singer-songwriter released his first solo album, Love Ain’t Pretty, in January.

KICK IT OUT

7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $15. tallyhotheater.com

ANOTHER FINE MESS

8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

LIBERTY STREET

8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 15

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

BEN REICHARD

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Creek’s Edge Winery, 41255 Annas Lane, Lovettsville. creeksedgewinery.com

ELEMENTS OF KINDRED

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

STEPHANIE BALL

12 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Cana Vineyards, 38600 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. canavineyards.com

MICHELLE AND JASON

HANNAN DUO

12 to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

JOEY HAFNER

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

MIKE LEVERONE

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Firefly Cellars, 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton. fireflycellars.com

BRITTANY FRAZER

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg.

JIM STEELE

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

BOTTLE SHOCK

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchase.com

HUBIE G FROM LOST CORNER VAGABONDS

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Bleu Frog Vineyards, 16413 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg. bleufrogvineyards.com

JEREMIAH PROPHETT

2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Old Farm Winery, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwinery.com

BAREFOOT & SUNSHINE

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

THE LOST CORNER

VAGABONDS

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. doukeniewinery.com

CHRIS HANKS

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com

DAN CRONIN

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16

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

HAPPENINGS continues on page 23

GET OUT

LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 22

ROWDY ACE TRIO

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

DAVE MININBERG

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Forever Farm, 15779 Woodgrove Road, Purcellville. foreverfarmandvineyard.com

BENTON & MCKAY TRIO

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

THE HOKUMS

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16 868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. 868estatevineyards.com

HUME & FRYE

3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

STEVE BOYD & FRIENDS

3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Fleetwood Farm Winery, 23075 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. fleetwoodfarmwinery.com

NOT THE FATHERS

4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 16

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

TED GARBER

4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 16

The Bungalow Lakehouse, 46116 Lake Center Plaza, Sterling. bungalowlakehouse.com

MELISSA QUINN FOX

4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 16

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

RED, WHITE AND BLUES BAND

5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 16

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

MARK CULLINANE

5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 16 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

LUKE JOHNSON

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, June 16, Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

CHARLES ESTEN

7 to 11 p.m. Sunday, June 16

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $45. tallyhotheater.com

TODD BROOKS

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday,

June 19

Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyards.com

DEAN KEARN

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 19

50 West Vineyards, 39060 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. 50westvineyards.com

TRAVIS TUCKER

2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 19 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

SCOTT KURT

5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 19

Lost Rhino Brewing Co, 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn. lostrhino.com

JASON MASI

6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, June 19

The Lost Fox, 20374 Exchange St., Ashburn. lostfoxhideaway.com

WILL BARKLEY & ZACK

MAULELLA

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

JUSTIN SUEDE

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 20 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

HAPPENINGS

FARMER FOR A DAY

1 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13

Temple Hall Farm Regional Park, 15855 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. novaparks.org

SCIENCE ON TAP: JOE

MAY

6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 13 Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn. oldoxbrewery.com

FROM DAIRY FARMS TO DATA FARMS

6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13

Loudoun Museum, 16 Loudoun St. SW., Leesburg. loudounmuseum.org

CAJUN FEST

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Purcellville. $20. breauxvineyards.com

OLD OX 10TH ANNIVERSARY FAMILY REUNION

12 to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn. $30. oldoxbrewery.com

MEET THE WINE MAKER: KENT ARNDT

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 15

October One Vineyard, 7 Loudoun St. SW., Leesburg. octoberonevineyard.com

POLO IN THE PARK

6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Morven Park International Equestrian Center, 41580 Sunday Morning Lane, Leesburg. $40. morvenpark.org

LOUDOUN SYMPHONIC WINDS POPS CONCERT

7:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 15

Potomac Falls High School, 46400 Algonkian Parkway, Potomac Falls. Free. loudouncommunityband.org

SALSA NIGHT

8 p.m. to June 16, 12 a.m. Saturday, June 15

Ion International Training Center, 19201 Compass Creek Parkway, Leesburg. ionarena.com

FIND YOUR BALANCE | BRAIN HEALTH FORUM

9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13

Ida Lee Park Recreation Center, 60 Ida Lee Drive NW., Leesburg. Free. local.aarp.org

LOUDOUN UNITED FC VS. LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC

6:45 p.m. Friday, June 14, Segra Field, Leesburg. loudoununitedfc.com

BURG FAMILY REUNION CELEBRATION

5 to 8 p.m. Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Dr., Leesburg. thebfrc.com

DRAGONFLY WALK

8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, June 16

Bles Park, 44830 Bles Park Drive, Ashburn. loudounwildlife.org

HILLSBORO FARMERS MARKET

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, June 16

Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. oldstoneschool.org

THE FAMILY ONE’S FATHER’S DAY BASKETBALL GAME

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16

Douglass Community Center, 407 E. Market St., Leesburg. Free. thefamilyone.com

JUNETEENTH FREEDOM MARCH & UNITY RALLY

9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Wednesday, June 19

Loudoun County Courthouse, 18 E. Market St., Leesburg naacploudoun.org

LOVE YOUR MOTHER CO ART GALLERY

4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 19

4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 20

Rust Manor House, 802 Childrens Center Road, Leesburg. $8. instagram.com/luvyourmotherco OVERVIEW OF BUTTERFLIES IN VIRGINIA

6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 20

Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Road NW., Leesburg. loudounwildlife.org

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 25, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:

LEGI-2023-0023, GOOSE CREEK CLUB II: ZMAP-2021-0020, ZMOD-2022-0056, & ZMOD-2023-0040 (Zoning Map Amendment & Zoning Modifications)

Kettler Goose Creek Commercial LLC, has submitted applications for a zoning map amendment and zoning modifications for approximately 23.86 acres of land located south of Leesburg Pike (Route 7) on the east and south sides of Golf Club Road (Route 653) and east side of Cochran Mill Road (Route 653) in the Leesburg Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as 43001 Golf Club Road, Leesburg, Virginia, PIN#: 150-40-5648-000, Tax Map # /61/////////3A. For ZMAP-2021-0020, the applicant seeks to rezone the Subject Property to the PD-H4 (Planned Development – Housing 4) Legacy Zoning District administered as the R-8 ADU (Single Family Residential, inclusive of Affordable Dwelling Units) Legacy Zoning District in order to develop up to 90 single-family attached residential dwelling units at a density of approximately 3.77 dwelling units per acre, For ZMOD-2023-0056 & ZMOD-2023-0040, the applicant seeks zoning ordinance modifications for various regulations affecting the Subject Property, including but not limited to: reducing the required minimum size of the PD-H4 zoning district from 25 to 23 acres, and to allow single-family residential dwelling units to front onto and to be accessed from private roads instead of public roads. The application is being processed under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance pursuant to the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Grandfathering Resolution, dated December 13, 2023.

Copies of the proposed plans, ordinances, or amendments for each item listed above may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Office of County Administrator, Information Desk, First Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday or call 703777-0246 (option 5), to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications and land use ordinances may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the hearing at www.loudoun.gov/pc. For further information, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703777-0246 (option 5).

Planning Commission work sessions and public hearings are held in the Board Room of the Government Center. Public hearings and work sessions are televised on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are also are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings

Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views during the public hearing. Public comment will be received only for those items listed for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 (option 5) prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing; however, speakers may also sign-up at the public hearing. Written comments concerning any item before the Commission are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, P.O. Box 7000 Leesburg, VA 20177-7000, or by e-mail to loudounpc@loudoun. gov. If written comments are presented at the hearing, please provide ten (10) copies for distribution to the Commission and for the Clerk’s records. Members of the public may also submit comments on land use items electronically at loudoun.gov/landapplications. Any individual representing and/or proposing to be the sole speaker on behalf of a citizen’s organization or civic association is encouraged to contact the Department of Planning and Zoning prior to the date of the public hearing to request additional time to speak on behalf of such organization.

Regularly scheduled Planning Commission public hearings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month. In the event the public hearing cannot be conducted on that date due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the hearing, the public hearing will be continued to the next day (Wednesday). In the event the public hearing may not be held on that Wednesday due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the hearing, the public hearing may be continued to the first Thursday of the next month.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory, or mental disability to participate in this meeting, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 (option 5). Three business days advance notice is requested.

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

6/13 & 6/20/24

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: 24-0188

Loudoun County Circuit Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Buket Demirci v. Abdulhamid Fatih Ozen

Legal Notices

The object of this suit is to dissolve parties’ marriage via divorce.

It is ORDERED that the Abdulhamid Fatih Ozen appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before August 23, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.

6/6, 6/13, 6/20 & 6/27/24

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING LEESBURG TOWN CODE AMENDMENTS:

CHAPTER 2 (ADMINISTRATION); CHAPTER 20 (LICENSES, TAXATION AND MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS) CHAPTER 22 (NUISANCES); CHAPTER 28 (SOLID WASTE); CHAPTER 30 (STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES); CHAPTER 32 (TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES); CHAPTER 34.1 (UTILITIES); and APPENDIX B – FEE SCHEDULE OF THE TOWN CODE

In accordance with Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, §§ 15.2-1427; 15.2-901; 15.2-913; 15.2927, 15.2-928, 15.2-967.2; 15.2-1100, 15.2-1107, 15.2-1114, 15.2-1115, 15.2-2009, 46.2-1219.3, 46.21220 and Section 3.2 of the Charter of the Town of Leesburg, the Leesburg Town Council will hold a public hearing on:

Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA at which time the public will have the right to present oral and written testimony on proposed amendments to Town Code Chapters 2, 20, 22, 28, 30, 32 and 34.1, and Appendix B – Fee Schedule. The Town Code amendments will make technical corrections, clarify language and reduce confusion, conform the Town Code to State Code, correct inconsistencies and errors, update commission composition, effectuate board and commission compensation changes, authorize town remediation of certain yard waste disposal violations at owner expense, and enact provisions authorizing public use of town-owned electric vehicle charging stations consistent with, and as enabled by, State Code. The amendment to Appendix B – Fee Schedule will specify the electric vehicle charging fee for public use of Town-owned electric vehicle charging stations.

A copy of the proposed ordinance is available from the Town Clerk, located in Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.); or by calling Eileen Boeing, Town Clerk, at 703-771-2733.

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

6/13/24, 6/20/24

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER MINOR SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION

TLSPEX2024-0007 HUNN HOMESTAY, 221 N KING STREET

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Minor Special Exception application TLSPEX2024-0007, Hunn Homestay, 221 North King Street.

The subject of the application is an existing Single Family Detached with a non-conforming accessory structure addressed as 221 North King Street, Leesburg, VA 20175.

Minor Special Exception Application TLSPEX2024-0007 is a request by property owner to allow a homestay within a non-conforming accessory structure pursuant to Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance (TLZO) Section 9.3.11.3, Use Regulations. The property is zoned Historic Residential District (R-HD) and Old and Historic District Overlay (H-1) and is further described as Loudoun County Parcel Identification Number (PIN) 230-18-6010.

Additional information and copies of this application are available at the Department of Community Development located on the second floor of 222 Catoctin Circle, Suite 200, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting Shelby Miller, Planner at 703-737-7183 or samiller@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.

6/13 & 6/20/24

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ045449-02-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Mackenzie Berenize Membreno Membreno Loudoun County Department of Family Services v. Cristino Membreno, putative father

The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-252 for Mackenzie Berenize Membreno Membreno; 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 Mackenzie Berenize Membreno Membreno

It is ORDERED that the defendant, Cristino Membreno, putative father, appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before June 12, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. (Adjudicatory); and July 10, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (Dispositional). 6/6, 6/13, 6/20 & 6/27/24

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF PRIMARY ELECTIONs

June 18, 2024

By order of the Department of Elections of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a Republican Primary has been called for Member, United States Senate, and Member, House of Representatives, District 10. A Democratic Primary has been called for Member, House of Representatives, District 10.

The polls – which are listed below – will open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Officers of Election will take the name of any qualified voter who is in line at the polling place by 7:00 p.m. and all such voters will be permitted to vote.

107 Little River, Little River Elementary School, 43464 Hyland Hills St., South Riding

108 Mercer, Mercer Middle School, 42149 Greenstone Dr., Aldie

*112 Freedom, Freedom High School, 25450 Riding Center Dr., South Riding (Auditorium)

114 Dulles South, Dulles South Recreation & Community Center, 24950 Riding Center Dr., South Riding

119 Arcola, Arcola Elementary School, 41740 Tall Cedars Pkwy., Aldie

120 Lunsford, J. Michael Lunsford Middle School, 26020 Ticonderoga Rd., Chantilly

121 Town Hall, South Riding Town Hall, 43055 Center St., South Riding

122 Hutchison Farm, Hutchison Farm Elementary School, 42819 Center St., South Riding

123 Cardinal Ridge, Cardinal Ridge Elementary School, 26155 Bull Run Post Office Rd., Centreville

124 Liberty, Liberty Elementary School, 25491 Riding Center Dr., South Riding

126 Goshen Post, Goshen Post Elementary School, 24945 Lobo Drive, Aldie

207 River Bend, River Bend Middle School, 46240 Algonkian Pkwy., Sterling

208 Algonkian, Algonkian Elementary School, 20196 Carter Court, Sterling

209 Potomac Falls, Potomac Falls High School, 46400 Algonkian Pkwy., Sterling

210 Cascades, Potowmack Elementary School, 46465 Esterbrook Cir., Sterling

213 Countryside, Countryside Elementary School, 20624 Countryside Blvd., Sterling

214 Sugarland North, Horizon Elementary School, 46665 Broadmore Dr., Sterling

215 Sugarland South, Meadowland Elementary School, 729 Sugarland Run Dr., Sterling

216 Lowes Island, Lowes Island Elementary School, 20755 Whitewater Dr., Sterling

217 South Bank, Potomac Baptist Church, 20747 Lowes Island Blvd., Sterling

218 University Center, GWU Exploration Hall, 20101 Academic Way, Ashburn

219 Galilee Church, Galilee Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Rd., Sterling

220 Mirror Ridge, Sugarland Elementary School, 65 Sugarland Run Dr., Sterling

221 Seneca, Seneca Ridge Middle School, 98 Seneca Ridge Dr., Sterling

307 Middleburg, Middleburg Town Hall, 10 W. Marshall St., Middleburg

308 St. Louis, Banneker Elementary School, 35231 Snake Hill Rd., St. Louis

309 Aldie, Aldie United Methodist Church, 39325, Little River Tpke., Aldie

312 Briar Woods, Briar Woods High School, 22525 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn

313 Pinebrook, Pinebrook Elementary School, 25480 Mindful Ct., Aldie

314 Legacy, Legacy Elementary School, 22995 Minerva Dr., Ashburn

319 John Champe, John Champe High School, 41535

Sacred Mountain St, Aldie

321 Brambleton Middle, Brambleton Middle School, 23070 Learning Circle, Ashburn

322 Buffalo Trail, Buffalo Trail Elementary School, 42190 Seven Hills Drive, Aldie

323 Sycolin Creek, Sycolin Creek Elementary School, 21100 Evergreen Mills Rd., Leesburg

324 Madison, Madison’s Trust Elementary School, 42380 Creighton Road, Ashburn

325 Creighton, Creighton’s Corner Elementary School, 23171 Minerva Dr., Ashburn

*326 Independence, Independence High School, 23115 Learning Circle, Ashburn (Modular Classroom Units)

327 Willard, Willard Middle School, 40915 Braddock Rd, Aldie

328 Hovatter, Hovatter Elementary School, 41135 Collaboration Dr., Aldie

329 Lightridge, Lightridge High School, 41025 Collaboration Dr., Aldie

401 West Lovettsville, Lovettsville Community Center, 57 E. Broad Way, Lovettsville

402 Waterford, Waterford Elementary School, 15513 Loyalty Rd., Waterford

403 Lucketts, Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Rd., Lucketts

409 Clarkes Gap, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 605 W. Market St., Leesburg

411 East Lovettsville, Lovettsville Elementary School, 49 S. Loudoun St., Lovettsville

413 Tuscarora, Tuscarora High School, 801 N. King St., Leesburg

416 Hamilton, Hamilton Elementary School, 54 S. Kerr Street, Hamilton

421 Between the Hills, Between the Hills Community Center, 11762 Harpers Ferry Rd., Purcellville

423 Simpson, J.L. Simpson Middle School, 490 Evergreen Mill Rd., SE, Leesburg (Auditorium)

424 Purcellville, Emerick Elementary School, 440 S. Nursery Ave., Purcellville

425 Round Hill, Round Hill Center, 20 High St., Round Hill

426 Hillsboro, Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro

427 Philomont, Philomont Fire House, 36560 Philomont Rd., Philomont

428 Mountain View, Mountain View Elementary School, 36803 Allder School Rd., Purcellville

429 Round Hill Elementary, Round Hill Elementary School, 17115 Evening Star Dr., Round Hill

430 Harmony, Harmony Middle School, 38174 W. Colonial Hwy., Hamilton

501 West Leesburg, Ida Lee Recreation Center, 60 Ida Lee Dr. NW, Leesburg

502 East Leesburg, Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School, 800 N. King St., Leesburg

*503 Dry Mill, Catoctin Elementary School, 311 Catoctin Circle, SW, Leesburg (Gymnasium)

504 Smarts Mill, Smarts Mill Middle School, 850 N. King St., Leesburg

505 Cool Spring, Cool Spring Elementary School, 501 Tavistock Dr., SE, Leesburg

506 Douglass, Frederick Douglass Elementary School, 510 Principal Drummond Way, SE, Leesburg

507 Greenway, J.L. Simpson Middle School, 490 Evergreen Mill Rd. SE, Leesburg (Cafeteria)

508 Balls Bluff, Balls Bluff Elementary School, 821 Battlefield Pkwy. NE, Leesburg

509 Tolbert, John W. Tolbert Jr. Elementary School, 691 Potomac Station Dr. NE, Leesburg

510 Heritage, Heritage High School, 520 Evergreen Mill Rd. SE, Leesburg

511 Evergreen, Evergreen Mill Elementary School, 491 Evergreen Mill Rd. SE, Leesburg

512 River Creek, Harper Park Middle School, 701 Potomac Station Dr. NE, Leesburg (Cafeteria)

513 Red Rock, Red Rock Community Center, 43131 Lake Ridge Pl., Leesburg

615 Hillside, Hillside Elementary School, 43000 Ellzey Dr., Ashburn

616 Eagle Ridge, Eagle Ridge Middle School, 42901 Waxpool Rd., Ashburn

620 Russell Branch, Ashburn Elementary School, 44062 Fincastle Dr., Ashburn (Multipurpose Room)

621 Dominion Trail, Dominion Trail Elementary School, 44045 Bruceton Mills Circle, Ashburn

622 Farmwell Station, Farmwell Station Middle School, 44281 Gloucester Pkwy., Ashburn

623 Weller, Steuart W. Weller Elementary School, 20700 Marblehead Dr., Ashburn

625 Mill Run, Mill Run Elementary School, 42940 Ridgeway Dr., Ashburn

626 Ashby Ponds, Farmwell Hall, 44755 Audubon Sq., Ashburn

627 Ashbrook, Ashburn Elementary School, 44062 Fincastle Drive, Ashburn (Cafeteria)

628 Moorefield Station, Moorefield Station Elementary School, 22325 Mooreview Pkwy., Ashburn (Gym)

629 Discovery, Discovery Elementary School, 44020 Grace Bridge Dr., Ashburn

630 Croson, Moorefield Station Elementary School, 22325 Mooreview Pkwy., Ashburn (Cafeteria)

631 Marblehead, Ashburn Senior Center, 20880 Marblehead Dr., Ashburn

701 Sully, Sully Elementary School, 300 Circle Dr., Sterling

702 Park View, Park View High School, 400 W. Laurel Ave., Sterling

Legal Notices

703 Rolling Ridge, Rolling Ridge Elementary School, 500 E. Frederick Dr., Sterling

705 Forest Grove, Forest Grove Elementary School, 46245 Forest Ridge Dr, Sterling

707 Claude Moore Park, Claude Moore Recreation Center, 46105 Loudoun Park Lane Sterling

710 Sterling, Sterling Middle School, 201 West Holly Ave., Sterling

711 Guilford, Guilford Elementary School, 600 W. Poplar Rd., Sterling

712 Stone Hill, Stone Hill Middle School, 23415

Evergreen Ridge Drive, Ashburn

713 Carter, Rosa Lee Carter Elementary School, 43330

Loudoun Reserve Dr., Ashburn

714 Rock Ridge, Rock Ridge High School, 43460 Loudoun Reserve Dr., Ashburn

715 Oak Grove, Oak Grove Baptist Church, 22870 Dominion Ln., Sterling

716 Ridgetop, Loudoun County Office Building, 21641 Ridgetop Cir., Sterling

808 Stone Bridge, Stone Bridge High School, 43100 Hay Rd., Ashburn

810 Cedar Lane, Cedar Lane Elementary School, 43700 Tolamac Dr., Ashburn

813 Seldens Landing, Seldens Landing Elementary School, 43345 Coton Commons Dr., Leesburg

814 Newton-Lee, Newton-Lee Elementary School, 43335 Gloucester Pkwy., Ashburn

815 Belmont Ridge, Belmont Ridge Middle School, 19045 Upper Belmont Pl., Leesburg

817 Sanders Corner, Sanders Corner Elementary School, 43100 Ashburn Farm Pkwy., Ashburn (Multipurpose Room)

818 East Broad Run, Broad Run High School, 21670 Ashburn Rd., Ashburn (Room 512)

819 West Broad Run, Broad Run High School, 21670 Ashburn Rd., Ashburn (cafeteria)

820 Belmont Station, Belmont Station Elementary School, 20235 Nightwatch St., Ashburn

822 Riverside, Riverside High School, 19019 Upper Belmont Pl., Leesburg

823 Harper Park, Harper Park Middle School, 701 Potomac Station Dr. NE, Leesburg (Auditorium)

824 Goose Creek, Sanders Corner Elementary School, 43100 Ashburn Farm Pkwy., Ashburn (Cafeteria)

825 Waxpool, Waxpool Elementary School, 42560 Black Angus Dr, Ashburn

Underlined denotes shared voting locations with space designated within the school for each precinct. Precincts listed in bold font and asterisk indicate a change in precinct for the June 2024 Primary Election.

EARLY VOTING

Early Voting – All registered voters are eligible to vote early in-person, no excuse required.

Important Dates for Leesburg Early Voting –Office of Elections – Leesburg – 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite 150, Leesburg 20175

• Early voting hours – Wednesday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• Extended hours –

o Thursday, June 13 – office remains open until 7:00 p.m.

o Saturday, June 15 – the office will be open from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Early Voting Satellite Locations-

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

Claude Moore Recreation & Community Center – 46105 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling 20164

Dulles South Recreation Center – 24950 Riding Center Drive, Chantilly 20152

o Dates and Hours –

 Wednesday, June 12, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 Thursday, June 13, 2024 – 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

 Saturday, June 15, 2024 - - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 15, 2024, at 5:00 pm is the last day upon which one may vote an absentee ballot in person for the upcoming election.

To find more information regarding the upcoming election, visit our website at www. loudoun.gov/election.

MAIL VOTING

All absentee ballots received by mail can be hand delivered to the Office of Elections or any Loudoun County polling place no later than 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, Election Day, to be counted. All absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day (June 18,2024) AND be received by noon on Friday, June 21, 2024.

Inquiries concerning the election and questions regarding registration status may be directed to the Loudoun County Office of Elections, 703-777-0380, located at 750 Miller Dr. SE. Suite150, Leesburg 20175. Please visit www.loudoun.gov/vote for additional information.

Authorized by: Judith A. Brown, Director of Elections Loudoun County Office of Elections

Legal Notices

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. MAKE MODEL VIN STORAGE PHONE#

2001 TOYT SOLARA 2T1CF28P71C505288 AL’S TOWING

703-435-8888

1998 FORD EXPLORER 1FMZU34E7WUA27891 ROADRUNNER 703-450-7555

2020 PORS MACAN WP1AA2A58LLB06253 AL’S TOWING

TOWN OF LEESBURG

703-435-8888 6/6 & 6/13/24

NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING

TO CONSIDER REZONING APPLICATION

TLZM-2021-0012 AND SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION

TLSE-2021-0005

RUSSELL BRANCH RETAIL

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Rezoning application TLZM-2021-0012 and Special Exception application TLSE-20210005, Russell Branch Retail.

The entirety of the subject property consists of approximately 11.6 acres of developed land located at the intersection (southeast corner) of East Market Street (Route 7) and Battlefield Parkway. The property is zoned Community Retail/Commercial (B-3) and is further identified as Loudoun County Property Identification Numbers (PINs) 149-45-9235, 149-45-3326, 149-45-5741, 149-45-7258, 149-45-5613, 149-45-7402. The property also lies within the Gateway District (Overlay), and the Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan (EGDSAP).

Rezoning Application TLZM-2021-0012 is a request by Russell Branch Retail, LC to amend the Concept Plan and Proffers of approved rezoning TLZM-2018-0003. This application proposes a new alternative concept plan layout for Land Bay C (approximately 2.2 acres) that accommodates a restaurant with drive through and retains the previously approved layout which accommodates two retail buildings. Proffers will also be updated to reflect the revised layout and carry forward any unfulfilled proffers.

Special Exception Application TLSE-2021-0005 is a request by Russell Branch Retail, LC for an Eating Establishment with Drive-In Facility within the Community Commercial/Retail (B-3) district up to 2,800 square feet pursuant to Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance (TLZO) Sec. 6.5.2.

The subject property is located in what the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan (LLTP) describes as an “Area to Transform or Evolve” on the Area Based Land Use Initiatives Map (LLTP pg. 72). The property is further designated within LLTP as a “Retail Center” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (LLTP pg. 76). There is no Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) for commercial uses associated with a Retail Center within LLTP. The proposed commercial F.A.R. of Land Bay C is 0.03 under the single building alternative and 0.10 under the two building alternative.

The application also includes two (2) requested modifications to the requirements of the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance (TLZO) regulations related to buffer yards and loading space requirements.

Additional information and copies of these two applications are available at the Department of Community Development 222 Catoctin Circle, Suite 200, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting 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 the Council at (703) 771-2733 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

06/13 & 06/20

TRUSTEE’S SALE OF Lot 258, Phase 2, “WOODSTONE”, located at 46706 Bullfinch Square, Sterling, Virginia 20164 Loudoun County parcel identification number (PIN): 014-36-2708-000 Loudoun County tax map number: /81/Q/2///258/

In execution of a Deed of Trust dated December 6, 2023 from Evelyn M. Drouot and Brian D. Nguyen, securing the original principal amount of $200,000.00, recorded in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, Virginia as Instrument Number 20231227-0051197, the undersigned Trustee will offer for sale at public auction to the highest bidder, on Monday, July 1, 2024, at 1:00 p.m., on the steps of the Historic Courthouse of Loudoun County, Virginia, the property described as follows:

Lot 258, Phase 2, “WOODSTONE”, as the same appears duly dedicated, platted and recorded in Deed Book 1098 at Page 1883 and corrected in Deed Book 1125 at Page 798, among the land records of Loudoun County, Virginia.

Street address: 46706 Bullfinch Square, Sterling, Virginia 20164

Sale will be made subject to the lien of a prior Deed of Trust dated August 13, 2018 from Evelyn M. Drouot and Brian D. Nguyen, to Long and Meyhart P.C., as Trustee, for the benefit of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as beneficiary, recorded in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, Virginia as Instrument Number 20180814-0047633, securing obligations in the original principal amount of $294,500.00, the said prior deed of trust having been assigned to Barclays Mortgage Trust 2022-RPL1, by US National Bank Association, as Indenture Trustee, and Equity Trustees, LLC having been appointed as Substitute Trustee.

Terms: A deposit of Ten Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($10,000.00) shall be required of any bidder, other than the holder of a note secured by either Deed of Trust referenced above, before such bidder’s bid is received. The deposit shall be paid by cash or by certified or cashier’s check payable to Moyes Hanssen Overson, PLLC, Escrow Agent, and shall be refunded to the bidder unless the property is sold to such bidder, in which case it will be applied to such bidder’s credit in settlement. Should purchaser fail to complete the purchase promptly, the deposit shall be applied to pay the cost and expense of sale, and the balance, if any, shall be retained by the Trustee as such Trustee’s compensation in connection with the sale, and the property shall be resold at the risk and costs of the defaulting purchaser

The successful bidder shall be required to close within fourteen (14) days from the date of sale. Time will be of the essence as to the closing date and the payment of the purchase price. Settlement shall be at the office of the Trustee or other mutually agreed location. The balance of the purchase price shall be in cash or its equivalent.

Once a bid has been accepted during the auction, it cannot be withdrawn except by leave of the Trustee. Any bidder who attempts to withdraw such bidder’s bid after it has been accepted by the Trustee may be required to forfeit such bidder’s deposit.

The property and any improvements thereon shall be sold in “AS IS” condition, with all faults and without warranties or guarantees either express or implied. Prospective bidders should investigate the title to the property prior to bidding. The sale of the property is not subject to, or contingent upon, the successful bidder’s ability to obtain title insurance. The successful bidder shall assume all loss or damage to the property from and after the time of sale. Purchaser shall be responsible for all costs of the conveyance, which shall be by special warranty deed, including, but not limited to, the preparation of the deed and the grantor’s tax. Real estate taxes shall be adjusted as of the sale date. The sale is subject to such additional terms as the Trustee may announce at the time of sale. The purchaser will be required to sign a Memorandum of Sale incorporating all the terms of the sale. The Trustee shall not be required to take possession of the property prior to the sale thereof or to deliver possession of the property to the purchaser at the sale.

The Trustee reserves the right to withdraw the property from sale and to reject any bid by declaring “NO SALE” after the last bid received on the property. In the event of postponement of sale, which postponement shall be at the discretion of the Trustee, advertisement of such postponed sale shall be in the same manner as the original advertisement of sale.

Michael J. Overson, Trustee

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael J. Overson, Trustee Moyes Hanssen Overson, PLLC 21 N. King Street

Leesburg, Virginia 20176

Telephone: (703) 777-6800

6/13 & 6/20/24

Legal Notices

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ048585-02-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Carlton Platt Loudoun County Department of Family Services v. Sabrina Whitney, Mother

The object of this suit is to hold a foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282 and 16.1281 for Carlton Platt.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Sabrina Whitney, mother appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before June 25, 2024 at 2:00pm 5/30, 6/6, 6/13 & 6/20/24

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REZONING APPLICATION

TLREZN2023-0004 AND SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION

TLSPEX2023-0005

MEADOWBROOK NEIGHBORHOOD

CENTER, LAND BAY F

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on TUESDAY, June 25, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Rezoning application TLREZN2023-0004 and Special Exception application TLSPEX2023-0005, Meadowbrook Neighborhood Center, Land Bay F.

The entirety of the subject property consists of approximately 23.56 acres of vacant land located at the intersection (southeast corner) of South King Street (Route 15) and Evergreen Mill Road. The property is zoned Planned Residential Neighborhood (PRN) and Community Retail/ Commercial (B-3). and is further identified as Loudoun County Property Identification Numbers (PINs 232-15-2692, 272-109222, 273-40-7863). The property also lies within the Gateway District (Overlay).

Rezoning Application

TLREZN2023-0004 is a request by Traditional Land, LLC to amend the Concept Plan and Proffers of approved rezoning TLZM-2021-0002 to convert Land Bay F (approximately 8.62 acres), which is an undeveloped portion of the subject property, from open space to a childcare center (12,000 SF), Continuing Care Facility (CCF) (175,000 square feet/175 dwelling units), retail (5,000 SF), and office (14,300 square feet) uses. The childcare center is the subject of a separate special exception request.

Special Exception Application TLSPEX2023-0005 is a request by Traditional Land, LLC for a childcare center within the Planned Residential (PRN) district of 12,000 square feet pursuant to Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance (TLZO) Sec. 8.4.3.

The subject 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 LLTP as a “Neighborhood Center” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (LLTP pg. 76). There is no recommended density for residential use or a Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) for commercial uses associated with a Neighborhood Center within LLTP. The requested density for the residential units associated with the CCF portion of the PRN is proposed to be 34 dwelling units per acre. The proposed commercial F.A.R. of Land Bay F is .33.

The application includes five (5) requested modifications to the requirements of the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance (TLZO) regulations which include maximum square footage of a neighborhood retail convenience center, maximum density of a continuing care facility, required amenity spaces for a continuing care facility, play equipment setbacks for a childcare facility, and the number of required loading spaces.

Additional information and copies of these two applications are available at the Department of Community Development 222 Catoctin Circle, Suite 200, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting 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.

06/13 & 06/20

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS FOR:

PEST CONTROL SERVICES, RFP No. 651819 until prior to 4:00 p.m., July 15, 2024.

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

6/13/24

Misc.

VEHICLE AUCTION

MD Repo Vehicles For Public Sale at ADESA Washington, DC. All Makes and Models Running Weekly Details can be found at www.adesawashingtondc.com

Terms: State and local orders will be strictly enforced at the sale, including social distancing and limits on the number of people permitted to gather in certain areas. All attendees must comply with such procedures or will be required to leave the premises. We strongly recommend that all attendees wear face coverings for the protection of themselves and our staff. Bidder agrees to register and pay a refundable $500 cash deposit plus a non-refundable $20 entry fee before the Sale starts. The balance of the purchase is due in full by 5:00pm on sale day. vehicles are AS-IS and are subject to a buy fee based on the sale price of the vehicle. Only cash or certified funds will be accepted. No vehicle will be released until Payment is made in full. Children under the age of 18 are not permitted.

VEHICLE AUCTION

ADESA WASHINGTON DC 705-996-1100 44475 OLD OX ROAD, DULLES, VA 20166

20+Chase repossessions will be offered to the public sale (monthly) on Wednesdays (6/19/24, 7/17/24, 8/14/24, 9/11/24, 10/9/24, 11/6/24, 12/4/24). Auction doors open at 8:00 a.m. Sale starts at 9:50 a.m. ET. Registered persons may preview/ inspect vehicles on the day of the sale before bidding. Bids accepted only when a vehicle is presented for sale. The auctioneer will conclude the sale when bidding stops. All results will be final by 5:00 p.m. Terms: Cash or Certified Check.

Loco Service Providers

CONSTRUCTION

Please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs for more information and to apply online.

Resumes may be submitted as supplemental only. EOE/ADA. Regular Full-Time Positions

To review Ida Lee (Parks & Recreation) flexible part-time positions, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs. Most positions will be filled at or near the minimum of the range. Dependent on qualifications. All Town vacancies may be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel 67 and Verizon FiOS Channel 35.

Powerline opposition

continued from page 1

undergrounding, found it was both feasible and ideal.

Dominion Media Relations Manager Aaron Ruby told Loudoun Now that the transition stations needed for underground lines to be brought above ground would require sites as large as 5 acres.

“That would have a greater impact on neighbors and the environment, which we always want to avoid,” he stated.

RLC said the transition sites would likely only require a single acre.

Undergrounding new transmission lines is an initiative that also is supported by the Board of Supervisors. County Attorney Leo Rogers said in a pre-recorded interview played during the June 11 meeting that burying lines protects “entrance corridors” in the county.

“The county seeks to promote the balance between economic development and mitigating the impact that such development would have on businesses, residents and visitors to the area,” he said. “The county has worked closely with Dominion before Dominion even filed this case, in order to get the grounding of those lines in such a manner that they would limit the impacts they would have on the community.”

The State Corporation Commission will have the final determination on the transmission lines unless the federal government becomes involved through a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor. From a legal perspective, Rogers said it would be important to show the unique impacts the line will have on Rt. 7.

“High voltage transmission lines in the commonwealth are required to be provided so that Dominion can provide electrical service to its customers,” Rogers said. “However, we have to also show it’s feasible to underground those lines, that the cost of doing so is not exorbitant and that it can be done on the same timeframe Dominion needs to provide power to its

Renaming talks

continued from page 3

Committee resulted in a recommendation in 2022 to consider changing the names of 10 schools from the first two phases of the review  including four named for people and six for places. John Champe High School, named for a Revolutionary War cavalryman, was removed from the

constrained area.”

Turner said the impact of building lines with 180-foot-tall towers will be felt by many along the corridor including the Community Church and Virginia Academy, whose director and pastor said the line could cut right through their planned athletic field.

“These are the landmarks that are going to be irreparably harmed if you go above ground,” he said. “We’ve got the Loudoun Freedom Center. We’ve got a scenic asset easement right here. We’ve got Belmont Viewshed Inova Loudoun Hospital and its helipad.”

Turner recalled a past success led by former Del. Joe May to bury 230-kV lines along the W&OD Trail as well as other proposals considered by the SCC.

Zephaniah Farm Vineyard Owner Bill Hatch, Loudoun Preservation and Conservation Coalition Agricultural Work Group Chair John Adams, Loudoun Heritage Commission Chair Robert Pol-

list Oct. 25, 2022, to allow for additional research by the Black History Committee.

The School Board also in October 2022 unanimously amended its school naming policy to, among other things, allow it to move forward with renaming the nine schools and to allow a renaming committee to choose to the keep the school’s name.

Town Hall meetings were held in December 2022 to hear from the Mercer

Adams reiterated Hatch’s point saying that the county’s prime farmland is being lost to development every year at a time when small farms are increasing.

“Unfettered growth requires more energy and more land at the expense of the need to sustain a viable agricultural economy and a local secure food supply,” Adams said. “The number one need of our small farmers is access to prime soil to farm in. That’s the number one request they have.”

Piedmont Environmental Council Senior Land Use Planner Gem Bingol said the increasing number of data centers in Loudoun and the surrounding region is the leading cause of energy demand growth.

lard and LPCC Data Center Work Group Chair Jim Hanna spoke about the impact the proposal for a western Loudoun transmission line could have on rural Loudoun.

Hatch said being a farmer in Loudoun becomes more difficult and more expensive because of increasing land costs, and farmers increasingly are relying more on agritourism, or tourists visiting their farms to bring in additional income.

“To earn a take home of $40,000 a year, hardly a living income in Loudoun County, one must grow, harvest and sell over 80,000 bushels of corn, which would take more than 700 acres of good farmland in Loudoun County,” he said.

Hatch said having transmission lines cutting across rural properties will impact the viewshed, which in turn, will negatively impact agritourism.

“Keeping an income on the land is going to be really the only long-term way to keep rural land the way we like it right now,” he said.

Middle School and Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School communities. The former board discussed appointing a renaming committee in February of last year for the two schools, which included a recommendation to keep the name of Mercer Middle School and create a permanent exhibit at the school to tell the history— both good and bad—of the school’s namesake. The board voted to postpone action until September 2023, but didn’t move

In addition to data centers, electrification is occurring across the region in the form of increasing electric vehicles, household conversion from gas to electric appliances and HVAC systems and the continuing growth of artificial intelligence. In 2014, Loudoun had a total of 214 registered electric vehicles. Recent data from Commissioner of Revenue Bob Wertz, shows that number has increased to 14,078 in 2024.

PEC Senior Land Use Planner Tia Earman said residents should speak up public hearings where data center applications come before the Board of Supervisors.

“A 60-megawatt data center, which is quite common today, uses as much power as 15,000 households,” Bingol said.

She said users across the state would feel the financial impacts of continued infrastructure improvements reflected in their electric bills.

Four new lines are in currently in the works for Loudoun. Dominion Energy has been approved by the SCC for its Wishing Star to Mars line near Broad Run, has submitted an application for its Aspen to Golden line along Rt. 7 and is in the process of routing a Mars to Golden link. NextEra Energy is in the process of routing its MidAtlantic Resiliency Link through western Loudoun. n

forward with it before its term ended.   No schools have been renamed to date; however, Loudoun County High School’s mascot was changed in 2020 from the Raiders—a reference to John Mosby’s Confederate cavalry unit—to the Captains. That change cost the division about $640,000, less than an original estimate of up to 1.5 million provided by staff during a May 7 Finance and Operations Committee meeting. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Leaders at the Lansdowne Conservancy, Loudoun Transmission Line Alliance and Piedmont Environmental Council as well as the county’s community members spoke June 11 about the impacts of proposed transmission lines and strategies to mitigate them.

Improvement plan

continued from page 1

education, English language learners and classroom instruction.

“As we chart a path toward more individual and differentiated learning, we also need to find ways to break down silos that can exist between classroom instruction and specialized support for students, particularly students with disabilities and our English langue learners and newcomers,” he said.

For ways to improve staff, Spence is recommending greater support for teachers by reducing the number of “burdens of administrative tasks,” and helping them find balance within the school day. He said teachers should have more discretion in the way they communicate grading expectations to students.

Spence also cited a need to review practices for addressing student behavior, including adding more behavior analysts in schools.

He also called for improvements in hiring practices and staff retention, along with professional learning that gives each employee a chance to grow. He recommended a compensation study that would focus on how to improve the staff’s ability to live in the community where they work.

“We have to understand retention is not just about pay, it is also about culture and climate. We have a dynamic team of educators. It’s remarkable to see the different they make in our students lives every

Philanthropy summit

continued from page 3

approved. We did the work through the fall of 2022 in order to kind of do work on that messaging and work on engaging community members,” Yee said.

The program kicked off in February 2023. The City Council recently voted to extend the program for an additional five months.

A panel discussion focused on challenges that community safety net agencies are experiencing after COVID.

Loudoun Hunger Relief President and CEO Jennifer Montgomery said that newly released data from Feed America found that the number of Loudoun residents facing food insecurity rose to 6.9% in 2022, up from 4.1%—now potentially impacting more than 30,000 people, most of whom have incomes too high to qualify for gov-

day. So, I think our job is to understand what they need, get them what they need, and remove the barriers in their way and watch them thrive,” he said.

Spence had three recommendations for division-wide improvements, including making sure every school has what it needs for students. This includes making sure each school is sufficiently staffed with “teachers, special educators, counselors, interventionists, teaching aides and more,” and improving school climate and culture to uplift principal, teacher and student voice.

Spence also talked about the need for the division to continue to refine its approach to safety and security and recommended implementing many of the suggestions made by a blue ribbon panel earlier this year. Specifically, he supported adding a digital analysis to all serious threat assessments, ensuring WiFi coverage is available throughout each school, expanding the security operations center but not hiring a full-time person to run it, creating a formal alternative education site for secondary students, creating a basic cybersecurity and social media best practices list, and assessing emergency radio coverage within the schools. He said they will explore adding more security to after school events, but noted large events already have an increased presence.

The panel recommended that school resource officers and members of the United Mental Health team participate in every threat assessment. Spence said that already is required by state law.

However, Spence does not support the

ernment support programs.

She said rising food costs are hitting households particularly hard, noting that in Loudoun the average cost of a meal is $4.86—22% above the national benchmark.

“So, for individuals who are struggling with housing, utilities, and transportation, the additional burden of high food prices can have a significant impact on everyone’s budget,” Montgomery said. “We all feel that right when we go to the store, we’re like, what’s in this cart? We know that this is really affecting the families that we serve.”

Valerie Pisierra, the executive director of Loudoun Cares, saw her organization grow from a staff of two to 12 as it took on more responsibility to help residents avoid evictions and administer other COVID-relief programs for the county government. Since launching a new rent assistance program May 15, more than 650 people have applied for help, she said.

recommendation to add school resource officers to elementary schools. He said the division may consider bringing in more school security officers—unarmed security guards without law enforcement power—during future budget debates. Until then, he recommended first assessing the division’s visitor protocols. He also didn’t recommend turning the Office of Safety and Security into a law enforcement unit.

His recommendations to improve community engagement include renewing efforts for family outreach at each school by adding the Office of Family and Community Engagement and making sure the Office of the Ombuds is understood and used by families and the community.

He suggested the creation of a public dashboard to track progress on the division’s goals.

“In general, an understandable and accessible monitoring system needs to be in place and that data we analyze at the division level should be shard as a through line with the School Board and we should expect our principals to be looking at this data as well,” he said.

Spence also recommended the board create a performance monitoring committee to create clear communication and expectations between the board and the administration about what data is monitored and what the division should do based on that data. The majority of School Board members agreed with this recommendation and wanted to move forward with its creation.

Additionally, to create a “culture of

“People say COVID is over. Why are we still talking about that? How are people still affected by COVID? It’s not about COVID,” Pisierra said. “It’s about the economic situation that happened after that crazy time. The rents have gone through the roof. We have families who come to the end of their lease and their landlords tack on another $1,500 on top of their rent, because now they’re month to month.”

Ryan Harrison, the assistant director of the county’s Public Assistance and Supports Division, said the expiration of COVID response programs is hitting many families—including programs that expanded eligibly for childcare subsidies. Now there are fewer slots available for that program, he said.

“Anyone with small children knows the cost of daycare can be like college tuition,” Harrison said.

While the scope of support programs may be shrinking, Harrison said his staff

trust, openness and accountability,” Spence recommended the board continue to plan meetings that address the division’s biggest challenges.

“We will examine how we provide information in the School Board agenda and meeting packets to ensure that information is accessible by parents and members of the community,” he said.

Spence said this was just the beginning and that his post entry plan was intended to guide the conversation moving forward.

“I just want to say I am very moved by the collective aspirations shard by our community and staff for the future of our school division,” he said. “It’s clear we share a vision of LCPS as a place of dynamic learning, robust support and equitable opportunities for all.”

The more than 30-page report also addressed what community members cited as their expectations for learning opportunities, the division’s climate and culture, and career opportunities, along with areas where they want improvement.

Spence created his entry plan and presented it in September after reviewing feedback provided by community members during the superintendent search. His plan had six objectives: establishing a culture of trust, strengthening the relationship between the superintendent and the School Board, prioritizing school safety and student wellness, supporting a culture of innovation and academic excellence, providing an intentional focus on equitable programing and increasing organization effectiveness and efficiency.  n

is working harder to conduct community outreach to ensure that those who need services know what is available, and also is reaching out to community organizations and volunteers to expand the offerings.

“If you are interested in partnering with us in that effort, that would be a great opportunity to really put your hand to the plow and kind of help us in supporting those who are most vulnerable in our community,” he said.

Many attending the forum stressed that building those community partnerships are critical.

“Food Insecurity is up. Homelessness is up. Housing affordability. We have all these big, big, big issues, and we are not going to solve them unless we work together,” Montgomery said. “So that’s my call to action—just do something. Don’t leave here today and not do anything.” n

BY NANCY SPANNAUS

Commemorating the Loudoun Resolves

On June 15, the Loudoun County Courthouse will be the scene of a public commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Loudoun Resolves, the adoption of which was a significant step in Virginia’s march toward the American Revolution. The event will be hosted by the Sergeant John Champe Chapter of the Virginia Sons of the American Revolution, and involve many chapters of the SAR and Daughters of the American Revolution.

The conclusion of the French and Indian War in 1763 saw a sharp change in British policy toward the American colonies, beginning with the stationing of thousands of troops, closing the western frontier, and an aggressive clampdown against suspected smuggling. The imposition of the Stamp Act in 1765, intended to fund these policies, touched off determined American resistance, which led to the Act’s repeal. Yet the King and Parliament immediately followed up with the Declaratory Act, which asserted their right to enact laws for the American colonies “in all cases whatsoever.” New taxes followed and were resisted, often violently. By 1768, Boston was under de facto military occupation.

In hopes of keeping things under control, the British government repealed all but the Tea Tax, slated to take effect in 1773. Maintenance of that tax inflamed the situation throughout all the port cities. Determined to prevent the tea from landing, the Boston Committee of Correspondence organized the famous Tea Party, dumping tons of tea into the harbor. When the colonists refused to pay for the loss, the Parliament passed the Coercive Acts (March 1774), and shut down Boston’s government and port. Because intense deprivation resulted, the Boston Committee of Correspondence sent out pleas for help. In response, leaders throughout the colonies—many of whom had previously decried the “radical” Bostonians—rallied to their support, reflecting their fear that the British crackdown was a threat to them all. A significant part of that support—a chain of legislative actions that led to the Loudoun Resolves, and ultimately to revolution—began May 30-31, 1774, when the Virginia House of Burgesses convened in Williamsburg to decide how to answer Boston’s pleas for aid. The Burgesses ad-

opted a resolution for a Day of Fasting and Prayer to be held June 1. That action led Virginia Governor Dunmore to dissolve the assembly. Refusing to be dissuaded, the delegates immediately reassembled at a nearby tavern, and forged ahead with a call for a state convention beginning Aug. 1.

The two-month period was provided to permit the Burgesses “an Opportunity of collecting the Sense of their respective Counties” on the issue. That process resulted in the submission of 31 resolutions, including the Loudoun Resolves, to the state convention.

Loudoun County did not delay making its voice heard. Its Resolves were signed at a meeting at the Loudoun County Courthouse on June 14, 1774. In that document, 51 Loudoun citizens asserted their rights to be free of taxation “not imposed … by representatives of their own choosing,” and condemned the British Parliament’s treatment of Boston as “a despotic exertion of unconstitutional power designedly calculated to enslave a free and loyal people.”

The document pledged full support for Boston and promised a boycott of not only East India tea, but all commodities involved in commercial intercourse with Great Britain, until the Parliament’s policy

was “absolutely and positively given up.”

The chairman of the group meeting at the courthouse on June 14, 1774, was Francis Peyton, a planter and member of the House of Burgesses. Another prominent attendee was Leven Powell, also a plantation owner and leading wheat merchant in the county. He is best known as the founder of the Town of Middleburg, and is believed to be related to B. Powell Harrison, founder of the Piedmont Environmental Council, and long-time chair of the Oatlands Council.

An original copy of the Resolves taken at that meeting was found in Leven Powell’s personal papers by his son Burr in the 1820s, leading to speculation that Leven was a primary author. While his authorship can’t be verified, we do know that Powell was an outspoken opponent of British oppression as early as 1770, and that he became a prominent leader of Virginia’s military forces in the Revolution.

Unlike the Fairfax Resolves, the Loudoun document did not specifically condemn the slave trade, although its non-importation provision would have included trade in the enslaved. Indeed, the final document approved at the August 1-6 Virginia Convention in Williamsburg specifically resolved not to purchase or import any slaves from any place, as of

Nov. 1. This pledge was taken up by the First Continental Congress, and strictly enforced for the course of the war.

The public is heartily encouraged to attend the courthouse ceremonies on June 15, where the signing of the Resolves will be reenacted. The public also is invited on June 16 to a grave marking ceremony honoring Francis Peyton at Springwood Cemetery north of Leesburg.

For more information on these events and others around the commonwealth, go to va250.org. n

Nancy Spannaus, a Loudoun resident, is a public historian who has concentrated on the early American republic, and especially Alexander Hamilton. She is the author of two books, “Hamilton Versus Wall Street: The Core Principles of the American System of Economics,” and “Defeating Slavery: Hamilton’s American System Showed the Way.” She is a member of the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution, and has served as an adjunct professor at Long Island University, Johns Hopkins and Frederick Community College. In Our Backyard is sponsored by the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition. For information about the organization, go to loudouncoalition.org.

Courtesy of American Antiquarian Society

Paul Revere’s engraving of the British ships of war landing in Boston harbor in 1768. That was just the beginning.

Published by Loudoun Community Media

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EDITORIAL

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Loudoun Now is mailed weekly to homes in Leesburg, western Loudoun and Ashburn, and distributed for pickup throughout the county. Online, Loudoun Now provides daily community news coverage to an audience of more than 100,000 unique monthly visitors.

Opinion

The Unachievers

Maybe the single thing on which the American electorate might agree is that our representative government in Washington, DC, is failing.

We’ve moved from the traditional gridlock that stems from partisan gamesmanship to a more extreme form that offers no end-game resolution. The players on both sides revel in the stagnation. Legislative foundations— budget processes, shared national goals, the value of compromise—appear absent from the halls of our federal government where the

embarrassments of chaos and inaction are celebrated as achievements.

There is no reason to believe that will change.

But if it is to change, that process starts with this year’s elections when we will choose a new House representative and cast votes for a Senate seat. And the beginning of that selection process wraps up Tuesday with party-affiliated voters who will carve out their selection from a crowded field of candidates.

Will we choose candidates willing to continue that unproductive stalemate? That’s on us. n

LETTERS to the Editor

An Abdication

Editor:

On June 6, the Washington Post reported that Gov. Youngkin plans to withdraw Virginia from the California auto emissions standards. On the front page, the Post reported that each of the past 12 months had broken records for heat. These stories are connected through climate.

The report on the higher temperatures is science—observations and measurements. The declaration by the governor is shallow, short term, political pandering. The governor’s disregard for science is near total.

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia follow the California standards. This is an attempt to slow the seemingly inexorable march to a torrid planet, by reducing the use of fossil fuels, which have caused the problem. This is science working on a solution.

The governor’s plan is based on current cliches and can only make the

problem worse. It is an abdication of leadership and ignores the consequences already seen, fires, droughts, floods, in an attempt to make him marketable in 2028. — F.W. Lillis, Leesburg

Our History

Editor:

Recently, Deana Griffiths (Ashburn) and I were discussing the lack of knowledge in the community regarding our local history.

I reminisced about a course I took as a teacher new to Loudoun County called Loudoun History I. It was taught by Gene Scheel who took teachers on field trips around the county to see and learn about our history. I loved that course so much that I took it all the way through to Loudoun History 7. Every year Mr. Scheel focused on a different theme— the American Revolution, the Civil War, economy, racial relations, growth, religion, etc. We visited all the places that connected them.

We thought it might be a good idea to start an annual Loudoun History Day where students and community members could learn the history of the communities they live in. It might include field trips, newspaper articles highlighting a person, place or event, displays, murals, plaques, etc. … and include all the history of the area, good and bad, because events influence who we are today.

In fact, we’d love to see this become a joint project with the Board of Supervisors, and other local historical groups to help with the development and the funding. Perhaps Mr. Scheel would even consider giving us a hand. We feel that creating such a program is important to recognizing what we, as Loudouners, have overcome and help us focus on moving forward together – Loudoun: The Paths We Walk On.

— Kari LaBell, Lovettsville [The writer is the Catoctin District representative on the School Board.]

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CHIPshots

Active Participation Helps Loudoun Youth Thrive

BY KAREN G. SCHAUFELD

Receiving a participation ribbon has a negative connotation these days— just do a quick search for “participation ribbon.” That negativity is a misnomer for those who participate in making Loudoun County a stronger, safer, and better place to live. The people who lead, support, engage with and volunteer for nonprofit organizations are in a collaborative “business” with government, education, social services and many others across education, shelter, hunger, health, mental health and wellness and more. Their participation creates “blue-ribbon” winners of these organizations and our county.

And these blue-ribbon organizations can’t alleviate hunger, offer shelter, create access to mental health support and provide so many other critical services without their volunteers, other nonprofits, county and state leaders, and many more. Participation is all that matters in making their services available, and we need to embrace, applaud, and encourage it.

Working together, Loudoun County nonprofits and local government have created better access to affordable shelter and food, as well as safe spaces for places that treat those with trauma, substance misuse disorder, or mental health issues.

The summer months offer an opportunity to focus on two critical areas, particularly for Loudoun youth. These are foundational literacy and support for mental wellness.

Viewpoint

Literacy is a building block for success and higher self-esteem. However, in Northern Virginia, many of our youngsters do not get the pre-kindergarten “boost” they need to help them prepare for elementary school. Organizations like All Ages Read Together (AART) fills a gap for many of these children and cites an alarming statistic from the recent Insight Region Report from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia:

In our area, only 29% of low-income children attend pre-K compared to 67% of their higher income peers. This is the largest disparity in the country and has longterm consequences for these children and for our community. Children need the foundation that an early childhood education provides for future success.

In fact, according to Education Hub, there are few skills more important to acquire in today’s world than literacy. “Literacy is a gateway to academic achievement and a significant influence on outcomes as diverse as earning potential and health and wellbeing. High levels of literacy across society are vital to happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.”

Research has shown that children who develop strong early literacy skills are more likely to succeed academically and exhibit higher levels of self-confidence. In addition, reading fosters empathy, promotes social interactions, enhances emo-

tional intelligence and teaches how to successfully navigate social situations.

Together, these capabilities can help them strengthen mental wellness, which is critical given that mental health needs were increasing even before the COVID pandemic, and the isolation that it created for many of our youth is still affecting many of them. It may be years before we realize the full extent of how COVID has impacted us socially, emotionally, and developmentally. During the school year, Loudoun County Public Schools has additional supports and staff to help our youth connect with others and develop coping skills. During the summer, extra support is needed.

We can do that by helping to extend the LCPS student social, emotional learning and mental health initiatives that Jen Evans, the director of mental health services for LCPS, has spoken about in recent months. Starting in our elementary and middle schools, LCPS and its partners offer social emotional learning. For example, A Place to Be and the Loudoun Education Foundation implement a series of musical performances designed to help younger students learn how to be a kind person and classroom curriculum supports this capability. They also learn how to be respectful to one another.

As students move through the upper grades, they learn the signs of suicide and the correlation between mental wellness and substance use. Starting in sixth grade, LCPS students learn about substance misuse trends and risks, which is vitally important today. They also begin

to get the training they need in resilience and self-esteem through the Sources of Strength program, which started with the Ryan Bartel Foundation.

These programs are offered to all students, but—as we all know—many in Loudoun have greater needs to help navigate with anxiety or during a changing family dynamic like divorce. Inova Behavioral Health Services offers mental health interventions and has greatly expanded its reach and access to emergency care over the past decade.

In addition, nonprofits like those mentioned above, as well as Friends of Loudoun Mental Health, LAWS Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services, Loudoun Club 12, Loudoun Therapeutic Riding, Mobile Hope, NAMI, Northern Virginia Family Services, Serenity House, Vine & Fig Tree and Youth for Tomorrow, have great programs that can—and do—provide a safety net for young people who need a stronger foundation in mental wellness.

But it takes participation to make these programs successful, and that starts with each of us. Support these organizations, become a volunteer, donate if you can. Together, we can create a thriving community in which every resident has the opportunity achieve success of any and all kinds. n

Karen Schaufeld is a local philanthropic leader who founded 100WomenStrong in 2008. She is a Loudoun Laurel, an author, a solar activist, a lawyer and a local change agent who believes in supporting organizations that help our community.