n LEESBURG
Pg. 8 |
|n EDUCATION
VOL. 5, NO. 32
Pg. 12 |
n PUBLIC SAFETY
Pg. 16 |
n OBITUARIES
Pg. 24 |
n PUBLIC NOTICES
We've got you covered. In the mail weekly. Online always at LoudounNow.com
The Wave Parade Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company volunteers Jacob Park as Uncle Sam, Alena Lightbody as Lady Liberty, and Danielle Gorsky greet Leesburg residents on the first night of the town’s four-day “Wave Parade.” Since Leesburgers can’t go to a parade down King Street this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty came to them atop a fire engine escorted by Leesburg police and the Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad.
nstyer@loudounnow.com
After several days of increases in the number of new COVID-19 cases in Loudoun, local authorities are urging younger residents to take more precautions. For the first time in more than a
Parents Face July 13 Decision Deadline on School Plans BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@louduonnow.com
new positive tests involved residents age 29 and younger. During the past week, 150 people between the ages of 16 and 18 years old tested positive for COVID-19, representing 58 percent of all patients in that age group since the pandemic began, COVID SPIKE continues on page 33
DECISION DEADLINE continues on page 33
Youth Infection Spike Pushes Loudoun Over 4,000 COVID-19 Cases month, Loudoun last week registered four consecutive days of increased numbers of coronavirus cases. Eighty-four new cases were reported in Loudoun on Saturday, the highest one-day increase since June 7. This week, the cumulative number of coronavirus cases reached 4,000. On Monday, Loudoun County health officials said more than half of last week’s
JULY 2, 2020
The Loudoun County School Board has set the parameters for the start of the 2020-21 school year, endorsing the framework for a hybrid offering of in-person classes and distance learning beginning Sept. 8. The action came just before 1 a.m. Tuesday, at the tail end of a meeting that featured four hours of public comment and a two-hour staff briefing on the plans. Superintendent Eric Williams and division administrators have been working with parents, teachers and students for weeks to develop a safe and effective return to class amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. They ultimately settled on a plan to provide every student with two days of in-school, in-person instruction and three days of distance learning each week. It’s an alternative that has found few fans. In recent weeks, vocal parents have pushed for fulltime in-person classes, with an option for families to opt for fulltime distance learning if they have health or safety worries. Their concerns range from inability to acquire or afford childcare for the three at-home school days each week, a poor experience with
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
BY NORMAN K. STYER
Pg. 26
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FIREWORKS SAFETY ATTENDING A PROFESSIONAL FIREWORKS SHOW MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE THIS 4TH OF JULY, BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE CONSUMER FIREWORKS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE. FIREWORKS CAUSE THOUSANDS OF SERIOUS INJURIES EVERY YEAR. THE LOUDOUN COUNTY COMBINED FIRE AND RESCUE SYSTEM ENCOURAGES YOU TO FIND FUN AND CREATIVE WAYS TO CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY WITHOUT FIREWORKS. IF YOU DO USE CONSUMER FIREWORKS, KNOW THE RISKS AND FOLLOW THESE TIPS!
DON'T use illegal fireworks! DO use only legal fireworks purchased from a stand with a Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office permit.
NEVER use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol! DON'T light fireworks indoors! DO use fireworks a safe distance away from homes, and steer clear of brush, leaves and flammable substances.
NEVER allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks and maintain constant adult supervision. DO light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance.
DON'T light fireworks in your hand! DO Place fireworks on stable ground, never in a container, and ensure it won't tip when firing.
SPARKLERS ALONE CAUSE MORE THAN 25% OF EMERGENCY ROOM FIREWORKS INJURIES!
NEVER point or throw fireworks at anyone! DON'T try to re-light "a dud" or malfunctioning firework! DO soak spent fireworks in water for several hours before discarding into a fire-proof container. Keep the container outside, away from the home. DO Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby in case of fire.
For additional fire and life safety information, visit loudoun.gov/firemarshal or call 703.737.8600.
JULY 2, 2020
ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 3
Daughters of the Confederacy to Reclaim Courthouse Statue BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com
The United Daughters of the Confederacy, one of the organizations that paid the bulk of the cost to erect the monument of a Confederate soldier on the courthouse lawn in 1908, has asked the county government to return its statue, all but sealing its fate after years of controversy. “In recent public statements by the members of the Loudoun Board of Supervisors, a clear majority has expressed their support for its removal,” Steve Price, of law firm McCandlish Lillard, wrote on behalf of the Daughters of the Confederacy to supervisors. “Consequently, the Loudoun Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (“UDC”) have directed me to request the statue’s return. As you may be aware, the UDC, not the County is the owner of the statue.” In in support of the request, the letter is accompanied by historical minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings indicating that the statue belongs to the Daughters of the Confederacy, as well as a letter from the other organization that raised money for it, the Sons of Confederate Veterans. It is signed by A. James Diehl, commander of Clinton Hatcher Champ #21 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. This year for the first time, the Board of Supervisors has the authority to move war monuments on county-owned land, including the statue, after law passed in the General Assembly. As noted in the letter to the board, the majority of county supervisors have expressed interest in doing so. Price said the Daughters of the Confederacy haven’t yet determined what they will do with the statue—for now, he said, it will go
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Protesters gather around the Confederate statue on the courthouse lawn at the “I Can’t Breathe” protest in Leesburg on May 31.
into storage. But the request all but settles the debate on removing the statue. “I’m fine with that, as long as that statue doesn’t ever again appear on public property that taxpayers are paying for,” said County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (DAt Large). “They are welcome to come get their statue.” “The vote is 7-2, everybody knows that,” said Supervisor Caleb A. Kershner (R-Catoctin), an opponent of removing the statue. “And I think that’s the point, that the [Daughters of the Confederacy] understand that the writing’s on the wall, and they see the political reality, and they are right. It’s their statue, they paid for it.” Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge), who said he supported relocating the statue but keeping it somewhere on
courthouse grounds, expressed a similar sentiment—“they want their statue back, then take it back.” However, Kershner said he was “sad” to see the statue go, and that removing the statue—which has been at the center of debate for years—”just brings up the pain of history once again.” Asked if the statue’s presence brings up that pain for Black people walking by it, he said “I don’t know if it does or not.” “We can learn and forgive the past, and the sins of 170 years ago, or we can continue to harbor bitterness about them,” Kershner said. The statue, the “Silent Sentinel,” was commissioned by the Clinton Hatcher Camp Confederate Veterans and Sons, now the Clinton Hatcher Camp of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, and the Loudoun
Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy, now the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which began raising funds for the project as early as 1901. In 1906, the Board of Supervisors agreed to allocate $500 for the project as long as the Sons and Daughters raise the remaining $2,500, and the statue was formally unveiled in 1908, in the height of the Jim Crow era as Confederate monuments were going up across the south. The statue’s sculptor, Frederick William Sievers, also created the Virginia Memorial at the Gettysburg battlefield, as well as the statues of Gen. Stonewall Jackson and Matthew Fontaine Maury, the Confederacy’s Chief of Sea Coast, River and Harbor Defenses, that have been the center of protests on Monument Avenue in Richmond. He also created other monuments to the Confederacy across Virginia and in New York. The Board of Supervisors also contributed $3,300 in 2008 to support the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s 100th anniversary celebration of the statue. The statue’s impending removal from the courthouse may also close out another controversy in Loudoun—what to put around it. Before the General Assembly passed a new law this year allowing the county government to move war monuments such as the statue, county supervisors began work to add a new series of new monuments and exhibits, dubbed “The Path to Freedom,” to the courthouse lawn during work on the new county courthouse. Supervisors voted in January to pursue a National Historic Landmark designation for the historic courthouse and grounds; form a COURTHOUSE STATUE continues on page 35
Confederate-inspired Raiders Removed as Loudoun High School Mascot BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
The appropriateness of Loudoun County High School’s Raider mascot has been debated for decades, but that debate ended Tuesday morning. The School Board voted unanimously to remove the mascot and to direct the school to come up with a new one. The motion was made by Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge) as part of a broader initiative to ensure that Confederate iconography is removed from all school buildings and property. The Raiders mascot was established when Loudoun County High School opened in 1954, inspired by the Confederate cavalry unit Mosby’s Rangers. Until 1980, the mascot was depicted as a mount-
ed soldier carrying a Confederate battle flag. The removal of the mascot comes after weeks of national protests advocating racial justice and the end of police brutality. The movement has targeted the removal Confederate monuments across the country and also prompted the renaming of two Fairfax County schools this week. It also is an element of a district-wide anti-racism campaign presented by Superintendent Eric Williams last week. Serotkin said that, when they first moved to Loudoun, his family lived near Aldie in an area known as a favorite spot for Confederate Col. John Singleton Mosby and his partisan rangers to ambush Union troops. Each day he drove to work on the John Mosby Highway, he noted. He said it was time to stop glorifying those who took
up arms against the United States. Beth Barts (Leesburg) joined the unanimous vote to make the change. She said that many in the Loudoun County High School community don’t know the divisive history of the mascot and noted that efforts over the years to remold the image had failed to erase the hateful history it represents. It was time to move on from it, she said. During a four-hour public comment session earlier in the meeting, the majority of speakers welcomed the change as progress toward pushing racism from the school system, but said there were many more important steps that need to be completed. They urged the board to move forward with the other elements of Williams’ anti-racism plan. (See story, Page XX) Also, some speakers offered suggestions for retaining the Raider brand, such as recasting
it to represent a Union unit or breaking its Civil War links altogether. Under the School Board action, the high school will be tasked to select the replacement mascot, but that process has not been determined. The goal is to have the change in place by the start of classes in September. During last week’s board meeting, when it became clear that a majority of members would support removal of the mascot, Barts sought assurances that the school would not be responsible the cost of changing uniforms and removing Raider iconography from campus. She said the cost could exceed $1 million. While the actual cost is not yet known, Chairwoman Brenda Sheridan (Sterling) said a motion will be prepared to ask the Board of Supervisors for a special appropriation to pay for the changeover. n
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JULY 2, 2020
Loudoun
County Promises Report on Fitz Thomas 911 Calls BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
Under scrutiny over a delayed response to 911 calls for help June 4, the night Fitz Thomas drowned at Confluence Park, Loudoun County government on Monday released an unsigned statement promising a report on its internal review. According to the county’s statement, from the time of the first 911 call—which was routed to Montgomery County, MD—it took 36 minutes for Loudoun first responders to arrive on scene. Loudoun’s dispatchers received their first call at 6:06 p.m., 18 minutes before help arrived. Recordings of those 911 calls obtained by Loudoun Now through a Freedom of Information Act request tell a story of people calling desperately for help, and furious or heartbroken that it wasn’t coming. “They went to the Maryland side of River Creek and we’re on the Virginia side, and someone’s drowning,” the first Loudoun caller said. She was transferred to Montgomery County dispatch anyway. “It’s been over 30 minutes, this kid’s going to die, OK,” said one caller transferred to Loudoun from Montgomery County dispatch, possibly the same person. “I’m just telling you guys, it’s been 30 f—ing minutes.” Since those calls, Loudoun Fire-Rescue Chief Keith Johnson has said that dispatchers will now send units out without
Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now
Dispatchers work at the call center at the Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center handling 911 calls.
worrying first about jurisdiction near waterways. According to the statement, “Loudoun County is currently conducting a thorough review of the incident. We caution
the public not to jump to conclusions until all of the facts are known.” The statement also promises a report will be published after the internal investigation. “We caution the public not to jump
to conclusions until all of the facts are known,” it reads. Listen to the 911 calls and read the county’s full statement at LoudounNow. com. n
400 Loudoun Small Businesses Will Get $5K Grants Loudoun County’s Department of Economic Development last week selected 400 of the county’s smallest businesses at random to win $5,000 grants, totaling $2 million from the county’s COVID-19 Business Interruption Fund. The fund was created in May after a previous round of grants distributed $1.4 million to businesses, selecting 201 grant winners at random from among a pool of qualified applicants. The 201 randomly selected grant winners were also only a fraction of the businesses that made qualifying applications, but the infusion of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security or CARES Act money in May allowed the county to later make grants to
every qualifying applicant. However, those grants were limited to businesses with three or more employees, excluding sole proprietorships and businesses with only one or two employees. To be eligible in the second round, applicants had to show that they had less than $2.5 million in gross annual receipts, had at least a 25-percent loss in revenue attributable to COVID-19, and were an appropriately licensed, for-profit business that was operational in Loudoun County. Winners were picked by a random drawing at the Loudoun County government center in Leesburg. Grants will be disbursed starting next week. “Nearly 1,100 Loudoun businesses
have a better chance of survival thanks to the proactive response of the Board of Supervisors and Economic Development Authority,” stated Loudoun Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer. “The combined $6.85 million in grants will go a long way toward protecting Loudoun jobs and rebuilding our economic future.” One of those recipients is StageCoach Theater Company LLC. “We at StageCoach Theatre appreciate how Loudoun County Economic Development has the interests of our GRANTS continues on page 6
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Loudoun County Department of Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer selects 400 winners at random to receive $5,000 grants from the county’s COVID-19 Business Interruption Fund.
JULY 2, 2020
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PAGE 5
Loudoun County
Catherine Chiang, executive officer at TECRO; Buddy Rizer, executive director of Loudoun Economic Development; County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large); Paul Paohan Wang, senior executive officer at TECRO; and Bob McCollar, international business development manager of Loudoun Economic Development, gather around a donation of masks from New Taipei City in Taiwan, one of Loudoun’s sister cities.
Loudoun Receives 10K Masks from Taiwan The Loudoun County government has received 12,000 face masks, 10,000 from a sister city in Taiwan and 2,000 from local Taekwondo instructor and Grandmaster Eung Gil Choi. New Taipei City, which sent Loudoun 10,000 masks, is one of Loudoun’s international sister cities. Choi, known to most people as Grandmaster Choi, leads the United States Taekwondo Martial Arts Academy, serving both Leesburg and Berryville. “These incredibly generous donations illustrate the importance of Loudoun’s relationships, both within our community and around the world,” said County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large). According to Randall, the masks will be used for elder care facilities and county facilities in Loudoun. The visit from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, or TECRO, was the first official delegation to Loudoun from Taiwan since 2017. “Taiwan cherishes its friendship with Loudoun County, and the Sisterhood relations between Loudoun County and New Taipei City. We hope the surgical masks can help the frontline health care workers in Loudoun,” stated TECRO Senior Executive Officer Paul Paohan Wang. “Taiwan is providing humanitarian assistance against COVID-19, through a program called ‘Taiwan Can Help and Taiwan Is Helping.’” Taiwan has donated more than 50 million facemasks and personal protective equipment around the world, including
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County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) and USTMA Grandmaster Eung Gil Choi take a picture together with his donation of 2,000 masks to Loudoun County.
more than 10 million to U.S. federal and local governments since early April. Choi, a Taekwondo ninth-degree black belt, and a Loudoun business owner for more than 30 years, founded the first school to teach martial arts in Loudoun, USTMA. He has studied Taekwondo for more than 50 years along with several other martials arts and was the Korean Special Forces Taekwondo Champion from 1975-1977. “Loudoun County is my home,” Choi said. “I know it’s a small donation, but I want to do my best for those who work hard to keep Loudoun County beautiful and safe, especially at a time like this. I really love and appreciate Loudoun County with all my heart.” n
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Metro Connection Buses Resume Monday Loudoun County Transit will resume service for Metro Connection Bus Routes 990 and 992 on Monday, July 6, after stopping them in March as the county government began its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. And, for now, bus rides are still free. The buses will get back on the road as Loudoun County moves into Phase Three of the “Forward Virginia” reopening plan, which gradually eases restrictions intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. However, bus service is still reduced. On Route 990, morning service from Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station to Loudoun County has been reduced from seven to four trips. And on Route 992, the afternoon service from Loudoun
County to Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station has also been reduced from seven to four trips. Loudoun County Transit has also changed some rules for riders to match health officials’ guidance for slowing the spread of the virus, including requiring face coverings and six feet of social distancing. Buses are also getting additional cleaning. Bus fares are waived until Aug. 31 on all Loudoun Transit buses. Get more information on bus service and schedule changes at loudoun.gov/ buschanges. For information regarding Loudoun County’s COVID-19 response, including guidance from health officials, go to loudoun.gov/coronavirus. n
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Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
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small business community at heart,” stated co-owner and executive producer Jerri Wiseman. “Since we use contractors, our options for COVID relief grants and loans were extremely limited. This grant will go towards covering our rent and instructor pay. It is money well spent by the county as small businesses will continue to support others in the community.” Clarisse Bethel, Program Director at Clarys Nurse Aide Training Center, said the money will be used toward operational expenses. “This grant will impact my business by helping me to make office rent payments and repaying some obligations such as my payroll,” Bethel said. Eddie Mason, founder and CEO of MASE Training, said he sees a promising revival for the business that he and his
wife, Sonya, run together. “We were overjoyed from the fact that we truly needed it, after having to close our doors due to the impact of the coronavirus on our business,” Mason said. “To now have business interruption funds that will help us bring some of our staff back and pay for operational expenses has truly been a blessing.” County supervisors created the COVID-19 Business Interruption Fund in April, dedicating $1.15 million with another $250,000 pitched in from the Economic Development Authority. When the CARES Act funding came, supervisors put $5.7 million into the fund, including approximately $3.7 million of which went to grants for every eligible applicant in the previous round of grants that was not among those picked by random drawing in the first round of grants. A full list of grant recipients can be found at LoudounBusinessFund.org. n
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JULY 2, 2020
PAGE 7
Congratulations to the Loudoun Laurels Foundation 2020 Laureate
Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now
Kids hit the outdoor pool at A.V. Symington Aquatic Center at Ida Lee Park in Leesburg in 2018.
Ida Lee Outdoor Pool Reopens on Monday BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ
krodriguez@loudounnow.com
One of Loudoun County’s most popular outdoor pools will soon begin its summer season. The A.V. Symington Aquatic Center at Ida Lee Park in Leesburg will reopen to the public Monday, July 6, five days after the state moves into the third phase of reopening. But while the pool will reopen, many of its popular features will remain closed. In order to stay in compliance with Phase Three of Gov. Ralph Northam’s
Forward Virginia plan, all interactive features will remain closed. This includes the water slides, floating snake, and lily pad crossing. The lazy river will be open, but no tubes will be permitted. Deck chairs will also be unavailable. Residents are encouraged to bring a blanket or their own chairs. The pool will open to all town residents beginning at 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 1-7 p.m. for non-residents, seven days a week. For more information, including rates, go to AVSAC.org or call the front desk at Ida Lee Recreation Center at 703-7771368. n
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JULY 2, 2020
Leesburg
Campbell Won’t Campaign for Mayoral Run, But Name Will Stay on Ballot BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ
krodriguez@loudounnow.com
Leesburg voters will still have two options on the ballot for the mayoral race. More than two weeks after the Loudoun County Democratic Committee endorsed the town’s incumbent mayor, Kelly Burk, over Town Councilman Ron Campbell, Burk’s challenger has issued a statement on his campaign plans. In his statement, Campbell pointed to a pledge he made to the LCDC to suspend his campaign if he were not successful in securing the endorsement. Monday, in a letter addressed to his supporters, he said he would honor that pledge. “I share your disappointment that I did not get the endorsement; however, there are still serious issues to address for Leesburg and I pledge that I will use my voice to promote open and civil conversations on Council. I promise to continue to support all Leesburg residents and businesses to the best of my ability over the next six months until my term ends on December 31, 2020,” he wrote.
Campbell
But while Campbell will formally end his campaign, Leesburg voters still have a choice. He ends his letter with a nod to those supporters who encouraged him to run for mayor and helped him gather signatures on petitions needed to be on the ballot. As a testament to them, he said he will not ask for his name to be removed from November’s ballot.
Campbell said he knew seeking the LCDC endorsement given his past history with the organization came with a risk. He sought and received the Democratic endorsement in his first bid for office in 2016, when he was elected to the Town Council for a four-year term. But in 2018 he left the organization after he challenged its rules that require members to sign a loyalty pledge to only support Democratic candidates. He did not seek LCDC endorsement for his first mayoral bid against Burk two years ago, but recently returned to the organization. “I decided to travel this difficult path to seek the LCDC endorsement for Mayor knowing that it was a lot to ask of the local Democrats to fairly hear my voice. However, it was the path I chose so that our town, which is currently facing multi-million dollar revenue deficits as a result of COVID-19 and the recent national unrest facing all communities because of the loss of black lives at the hands of law enforcement officers, would not become embroiled in political divisions and dysfunction because of the campaign process,” he
wrote. “Our town elections should not be decided by political parties. All of us who are elected have an obligation to serve all of the people. The current reality of town elections and how people vote makes it difficult to run without any endorsement, but I saw a small path forward to run a campaign in a more inclusive fashion and change the nature of our local elections to be about people and accountability. While the Town Council is a nonpartisan body, since its elections moved from May to November in 2012, no candidate has been elected to a seat without an endorsement and support from one of the county’s top two political parties. In addition to his time serving on the council, Campbell also founded the Citizens for a Better Leesburg group, which recently held the well-attended “I Can’t Breathe” march and rally through downtown Leesburg. He said he expects the movement to last well beyond his time on the council, and encouraged others to join in. Campbell’s four-year council term expires Dec. 31. n
Town Fine-Tuning Criteria for COVID-19 Support Grants BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com
The Town of Leesburg soon hopes to give its own financial relief to town businesses and nonprofits. Since the Town Council voted to support a staff recommendation to use the majority of its CARES Act federal stimulus funding to provide grants to small businesses and nonprofits, town staff has been working to finalize the eligibility criteria. Last week, a memorandum of agreement between the town and the county’s Economic Development Authority was finalized, as the county receives the funds directly from the federal government and then distributes it to localities. The MOA notes that a little more than $3 million of Leesburg’s $4.7 million in CARES funds will go toward small business grants, as determined by the council. Per the MOA, the screening committee to determine which small businesses are eligible for
funding, and how much they will receive, consists of Deputy Town Manager Keith Markel, Economic Development Director Russell Seymour, Business Development and Retention Manager Melanie Scoggins, Senior Management Analyst Cole Fazenbaker, Management and Budget Officer Jason Cournoyer, Controller Lisa Stillman, and Emergency Management Coordinator Joe Dame. According to criteria endorsed by the council, in-town businesses that employ between up to 50 employees and have annual gross taxable earnings between $25,000 and $100,000 may be eligible for a one-time $2,500 grant. Businesses with annual gross taxable earnings between $100,001 and $1 million may be eligible for a one-time $5,000 grant. To qualify, a business must employ up to 50 employees, show a minimum loss of 25 percent in gross revenue attributable to COVID-19, and be in good standing with the town on all tax payments and related business licenses. Markel said he hopes to have the on-
line application form to apply for a small business grant open by Monday, July 6. The application period is expected to remain open for one week, through July 13. Markel said the staff is testing the online application to ensure it’s working well prior to going live. If more applications are received than the town has funding, Markel said a lottery process will determine the recipients of the small business grants. Priority will be given to those businesses who have not already received funding support from Loudoun County in its grant programs. Markel said he hopes to finish review of applications within two weeks of the deadline, and will then forward the information on small business grant recipients on to the EDA. Per state law, the town government is not able to distribute funding directly to businesses, so the EDA will issue the payments. The application period for nonprofits that serve Leesburg residents is expected to follow closely behind. The council has targeted $1 million of its CARES funding
to be given out to nonprofits that address the medical or financial impacts suffered by town residents because of COVID-19. The council set a cap grant of $50,000 per nonprofit. Markel said a small community selection committee will help to determine which nonprofits receive funding. He said hopes are to have the council approve those nonprofit grants at its Aug. 11 meeting. Applications for both the small business and nonprofit grants will be available on the leesburgva.gov website, which will also have a corresponding information page and Frequently Asked Questions section. Leesburg will use the remaining $772,000 of its CARES funding for government-related expenses related to the pandemic, including technology upgrades, the purchase of personal protective equipment, and facility modifications to adhere to social distancing, to name a few. n
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JULY 2, 2020
PAGE 9
Work Continues on Town Boundary Expansion BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com
Work continues on plans to bring more than 500 acres of county land into the Town of Leesburg. For almost two years both town and county staffs and elected leaders have been working on a boundary line adjustment that will bring the Compass Creek development, located between the Dulles Greenway and Leesburg Executive Airport, into the town’s corporate limits. The development falls within the Joint Land Management Area, where the town and county have historically cooperated on planning policies. It’s a multi-step process, which includes approval of each land transaction by both the Board of Supervisors and Town Council, with public hearings before each body, and property owner consent. The latter part can come with its own set of steps, as some property owners require their own stipulations before consenting to be incorporated into the town. For example, Peterson Companies, the company behind the development, required the approval of a
rezoning and special exception applications on a part of its land that would allow for four drive-through restaurants on the property. Those requests were granted by the council earlier this year. The biggest fish within the development by far is Microsoft, which has purchased 332 acres within Compass Creek for the creation of a campus that will include several data centers. In May, the council conditionally approved the extension of water and sewer services to accommodate phase two of Microsoft’s plans, which includes administrative uses and four data centers, along with one data center identified in phase one. The council approved the phase one plans in November 2019. According to a staff report, Microsoft will pay approximately $7.6 million in availability fees and $1.6 million in water prorate fees to connect to the system in its phase two project. Individual agreements between the town and property owners on water and wastewater service that addresses levels of services provided by the town, including average and peak demand for both water service and sanitary sewer flow, as well as whether more storage for such uses needs
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to be provided onsite, are forged at a later time. An agreement to provide water and sewer service to the Microsoft property was one of the conditions set forth by the global giant in consenting to the BLA. Town Manager Kaj Dentler said the town continues to work cooperatively with the county on the steps needed to bring the parcel into Leesburg. Thus far, approximately 122 acres has come into the town by way of the BLA, with the Loudoun County Circuit Court approving that transaction in April. That land includes 7.5 acres owned by CC Skating, the owners of the ION International Training Center, bringing the rest of the property into town; 8.5 acres owned by the Peterson Companies; and 106 acres owned by the Town of Leesburg, immediately adjacent to the Leesburg Executive Airport. Dentler said he anticipates an upcoming public hearing at the Town Council on bringing the parcel of land owned by AtHome, a forthcoming home decor store in Compass Creek, into town. “Lawyers are getting all documents ready for consideration by the Board of
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Supervisors and council. Hopefully, this parcel will be in the town limits by the end of the calendar year,” he said. Along with AtHome and Microsoft, the Walmart Supercenter and another Peterson Companies-owned parcel next to ION are awaiting incorporation into the town. Although not part of the BLA, the council also recently approved water and sewer extensions to another property within the JLMA, the Tuscarora Crossing development. The project within Land Bay 2 of the property proposes 40 single-family detached homes and 24 townhomes. The applicant, Capretti Land, Inc., projects the flow at 21,200 gallons per day, according to a staff report. The report also notes the expectation that the development will at one point be incorporated into the town via a separate BLA or annexation. No expansions to the town’s utility systems’ capacities have been identified to accommodate any of the properties within Compass Creek, nor for Tuscarora Crossing. Additional utility applications for the properties would be evaluated by staff. n
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JULY 2, 2020
Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now
A few hundred people marched a half-mile down Braddock Road in South Riding on Sunday afternoon during the Loudoun NAACP’s last organized march following the national outcry for racial equity and police reform.
Loudoun NAACP Rallies Across Loudoun BY PATRICK SZABO pszabo@loudounnow.com
After weeks of large public protests, the Loudoun NAACP doesn’t plan to march again until three days before the Nov. 3 General Election. In its final organized demonstrations until then, its community leaders urged attendees in South Riding and Middleburg to prepare for that vote. The Loudoun Chapter of the NAACP held a march and rally in South Riding on Sunday following a national outcry for racial equity and police reform. Hundreds of gatherers marched from Prosperity Baptist Church, a half-mile down Braddock Road, to the Settle-Dean Cabin—a property Thomas Settle willed to Charles Dean, whom he formerly held in slavery, in 1886, and which the county dedicated as an official historic site in 2011. That followed a gathering at Asbury Church in Middleburg on Saturday, where in 1864, a year before American slaves were freed, the church’s white congregation donated the church to the Black Methodist Episcopal congregation, making it the first Black church in Middleburg. It was used continually until 1994 when the congregation merged with the Willisville United Methodist Church. On Sunday, back at Prosperity, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10), County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj, Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy (D2) and Loudoun NAACP President Mi-
Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now
Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10) addresses a few hundred people gathered on the lawn of the Prosperity Baptist Church.
Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now
Prosperity Baptist Church Pastor Carlos Lawson addresses a crowd of a few hundred on Sunday during a Loudoun NAACP rally.
Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now
Hundreds of people held their fists in the air Sunday afternoon as Loudoun NAACP President Michelle Thomas led a prayer during a rally in South Riding.
chelle Thomas addressed the crowd. Randall told the hundreds of people standing on the Baptist church’s lawn they weren’t part of a moment, but a movement—noting that movements change things. She told the crowd they weren’t gathered there just because George Floyd was killed last month, but because his death was the tipping point following the deaths of many other Black individuals in past decades, including Emmett Till in 1955, Trayvon Martin in 2012 and Tamir Rice in 2014. Randall said everyone present at the rally knew that all lives matter, but said that people need to know that Black lives are part of all lives. Randall said she wasn’t in favor of defunding or disbanding the police, but instead in favor of police reform. Biberaj asked rally attendees to look around and see the people standing next to them—people, she said, they were all accountable for. “We are each other’s somebody,” she said. “We have to have that unity. … This is our time and our opportunity to voice up. If we let this opportunity pass us, then we deserve what we don’t get.” Foy, who recently announced that she would run for governor in the 2021 election, told attendees that “black and brown bodies are being murdered on our streets due to racial injustice.” She said voting “is the only way to get that occupant out of the White House.” Foy said that if voting works out in their favor this fall, police brutality will begin to come to an end and the criminal justice system will be reformed. She labeled voting as an “act of faith.” “Vote because we demand change,” she said. Wexton emphasized that voting doesn’t end at the ballot box in November, but that people need to attend Board of Supervisors and School Board meetings. “You need to make your feelings and opinions made,” she said. Thomas said people need to let the School Board know about their experiences with racism in the school district; need to fill the county boardroom on July 7 to support the removal of the Confederate statue on the courthouse lawn; and need to be back in the boardroom on July 21 to address policing in Loudoun. Thomas also invited everyone present to march with the NAACP on Oct. 31— when she said the organization would rally thousands of people to march to the Office of Elections in Leesburg to vote in the Nov. 3 General Election as a group. “Vote like your life depends on it, because it does,” Thomas said. n
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JULY 2, 2020
PAGE 11
Kuhn Says No Residential Interest for Westpark, Purchase Uncertain BY KARA CLARK RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com
With the Leesburg Town Council’s showing waning interest the purchase of the former Westpark Golf Club property, the man behind the deal is also uncertain of how he will move forward. JK Moving Services CEO Chuck Kuhn said he is unsure how, or if, he will proceed with the purchase of the former golf club property, given the lack of a majority on the council in buying part of the land from him. During a June 22 meeting, only three of the six council members expressed an interest in moving forward in exploring the purchase of 134 acres of the land from Kuhn, the contract purchaser on the property. Kuhn said he intended to pursue a conservation easement for that portion of the property before turning it over to the town and would retain eight acres of commercial land on the property. He is asking the town for $3.4 million to pur-
chase the majority of the land from him. “It is undetermined if we will continue the purchase,” Kuhn said last week. “If we do continue with the purchase, we will not place the property into conservation easement if the town does not have a desire to purchase it post-easement for the community’s enjoyment. Post easement would have protected the land and made it significantly more affordable for the town.” Kuhn also said he had no interest in pursuing residential development on the property. That was in response to a suggestion made Monday by Councilman Ron Campbell, who posited that if Kuhn were allowed to develop some housing units the town could acquire the property at a lower price. While Kuhn has been a major land purchaser in recent years, those properties have not been put into development. He has acquired several large rural tracts, placed them under conservation easement and then returned them to community use. Those include the JK Communi-
ty Farm near Round Hill and the JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary, which sold to the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. Council members who have supported acquisition of the Westpark land, which operated as a golf course for more than 50 years until its closure last year, have stated their desire for the property maintained as open space or a new town park. But some on the council dais have voiced concerns with the cost of acquiring the land in the midst of a global pandemic, when town revenues are already down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the council’s work session last week, Mayor Kelly Burk, Vice Mayor Marty Martinez, and Councilman Neil Steinberg were the only ones to voice support for moving forward with exploring the purchase. Whether the council continues to explore the matter may depend on finding a critical fourth vote, with the council expected within the next month to appoint someone to fill the seat left vacant by Josh Thiel’s resignation in May. n
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.
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Education
Superintendent Presents 16-Point Anti-Racism Plan BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
Changing the name of the Loudoun County High School mascot, the Confederate-inspired Raiders, is only a first step of many the School Board and administrators have planned combat systemic racism within the school division. Superintendent Eric Williams on June 23 presented the board with a 16-point plan to address many longstanding concerns about educational inequities faced by minority students and eliminate tolerance for racist behaviors among students and staff members. Eliminating the Raider mascot, which a unanimous School Board voted to do this week, was included in Williams’ initiatives. Others range from having the School Board review and approve a comprehensive equity plan that is being finalized by the Equity Committee to issuing a formal apology for the division’s history of operating segregated schools—even many years after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed them. Many speakers addressed the plan during Monday’s School Board meeting, most expressing a combination of support and frustration. Speakers criticized the board for appearing to focus on only one element of the plan—the Raiders mascot—and for hearing Williams’ presentation in the final minutes of a very lengthy meeting. They also noted that many elements of the plan have been stated priorities for many years, emphasizing it was time to take serious, concrete action to address racial inequities. n
Under the plan, the school division will: • finalize the comprehensive equity plan to guide work throughout the division.
• revise hiring protocols, practices, and resources for managers, to include requirements for racially diverse interview panels.
• ensure staff members complete mandatory professional learning and either self-prescribe or collaborate with their supervisor to participate in optional courses specific to developing racial literacy, raising racial consciousness, and/or delivering culturally relevant and responsive instruction.
• collaborate with the Black community to establish an interpretive display or exhibit such as a statue honoring Black individuals who made significant contributions related to education during segregation. Locations for consideration include the Douglass School and LCPS Administration campuses.
• require members of the superintendent’s cabinet and School Board to participate in personal continued professional learning to build equity literacy and racial consciousness.
• require the superintendent, the superintendent’s cabinet and members of the School Board who are on the Equity Committee to meet biannually with school staff members of color to connect and offer a safe space to listen and learn about their experiences.
• prohibit the wearing/flying of flags, images, or symbols on school property that represent racist or hateful ideology—such as Confederate flags or swastikas—that may cause a disruption to positive school/workplace cultures. • finalize revisions to the memorandum of understanding between the division and law enforcement. • finalize the Protocol for Responding to Racial Slurs and Hate Speech in Schools • implement measures to reduce racial/ ethnicity discipline disproportionality. • implement measures to increase the diversity of the applicant pool and the population of admitted students at the Academies of Loudoun.
• develop and implement a culturally responsive instructional framework and explore the possibility of a legislative action item regarding culturally responsive instruction as part of the 2020 legislative program. • rename the Loudoun County High School mascot, the Raiders. • maintain a list of resources for the consumption of the broader school community on the division’s Equity webpage. • collect qualitative data regarding racial incidents and use social media to amplify student voices. • formally apologize for the history of operating segregated schools.
Work Continues to Promote Diversity at Academies BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@lodounnow.com
The School Board last week was provided more details on one of the Superintendent Eric Williams’ equity priorities— increasing the diversity of the applicant pool and admitted students at the Academies of Loudoun. Complaints that the low number of Black students selected for the courses represented a denial of equal opportunity prompted a Virginia Attorney General’s Office review last fall. Williams said even before that action, the division had hired an attorney nationally known for working on segregation and discrimination issues to help improve
the applicant review process. For the 2020-21 school year, the percentage of Black students applying to participate in the Academy of Science and the Academy of Engineering and Technology was proportional to the percentage of Black students overall in the school system. However, fewer than 10 Black students were selected for admission to either program. Williams said the admission results also showed that economically disadvantaged students made up a disproportionally low percentage of the academies enrollment. He said administrators are looking at changing entrance criteria and testing
requirements and may consider a lottery approach that would give a weighted advantage to economically disadvantaged students. The admission figures show that Asian students, who make up 23 percent of Loudoun’s enrollment, represent the largest portion of the Academies applicant pool—at least 50 percent. At the Academy of Science next year, 103 students will be Asian, 19 will be white and the number of Black students will be under 10. No Hispanic students were admitted among the 51 who applied, according to the presentation. At AET, 82 students will be Asian, 51 white and fewer than 10 Black and Hispanic. n
JULY 2, 2020
SCHOOL notebook Mitchell Named Elementary Education Director The School Board on Monday approved the hiring of the division’s next director of elementary education, but it wasn’t a unanimous choice. Staffing changes proposed by the superintendent are presented to the School Board at each meeting and typically are approved as part of the consent agenda without discussion. During Monday’s session, Denise Corbo (At Large) requested a closed session to discuss the appointment. After an hour-long briefing, the board reconvened in public session and approved the appointment on an 8-1 vote, with Corbo opposed. Rae H. Mitchell, who serves as principal of Dranesville Elementary School in Fairfax County, is expected to begin her new position Aug. 1. While the School Board routinely votes to ratify employment changes, it only holds the power to hire or fire the superintendent, who is responsible for all other division employees.
Purcellville Teacher Selected for C-SPAN Fellowship C-SPAN this week selected Blue Ridge Middle School’s Patti Benalayat as one of five participants in its 2020 Teacher Fellowship Program. She will receive $1,000 and will collaborate with C-SPAN’s Education Relations team for four weeks to create content for C-SPAN Classroom—a free online teaching resource for educators. The fellowship will take place July 6-31. During the conference, Benalayat and the other fellows will describe how they use C-SPAN in their classrooms. Benalayat teaches eighth grade civics and economics at the Purcellville school. She previously taught English language learners in kindergarten through eighth grade. She is a Google certified educator, has led schoolbased training with digital tools and has presented at the Inspire Loudoun professional development conference. She also established the We the People Simulated Congressional Hearings program. SCHOOL NOTEBOOK continues on page 13
JULY 2, 2020
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The Last Grad:
Loudoun Wraps 12 Days of Commencement Ceremonies After three weeks of by-appointment, individualized ceremonies, some 6,239 graduating seniors from Loudoun’s 18 high schools have their diplomas in hand. Potomac Falls High School 2020 graduate Analie Hernandez on June 24 became the final high school graduate in Loudoun to flip her tassel as she walked across the school’s auditorium stage to be greeted by Principal Brandon Wolfe. In response to the continued drive to quell the spread of COVID-19, graduates at high schools across the county were given different time slots to enter the school with a limited number of family members, pick up their diplomas and pose for photos. While the unusual programs seemed to achieve that goal, school administrators announced over the weekend that Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now someone who attended Potomac Falls Potomac Falls High School 2020 graduate Analie Hernandez—the county’s last official high school ceremony on that final day had previ- graduate this year—poses for a few photos for her family during individual, time-slotted graduation ceremonies last Wednesday. ously tested positive for the virus. n
PAGE 13
SCHOOL notebook continued from page 12
Food Distribution Program Serves Millionth Meal On June 23, Loudoun County Public Schools served its one millionth meal since beginning the food distribution program that began when schools closed for the COVID-19 pandemic March 13. Superintendent Eric Williams said the program is an extension of the school district’s “whole child” philosophy. “LCPS has demonstrated a community care approach during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Superintendent Dr. Eric Williams. “Community care includes caring for each and every community member, including those who face food insecurity.” Meal service is provided at 28 school walk-up sites and 245 bus stops. School Nutrition Services has 90 to 95 of its workers providing meal service each week. They are supplemented by 45 custodians and 16 substitute teachers. On the transportation side, 355 drivers and bus attendants, 22 lead drivers, 10 bus driver instructors, six dispatchers and seven office staff take part in the meals program. The average daily miles for the bus fleet delivering food is 1,174.
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PAGE 14
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The Loudoun Laurels Foundation has selected businessman and philanthropist Chuck Kuhn as its 2020 Laureate. An active business leader for over 38 years, Kuhn has worked or lived in Kuhn Loudoun County since 1994. He is well known for his humanitarian, land preservation and conservation, and community-oriented efforts throughout. At the age of 16, while attending W.T. Woodson High School in Annandale, he created JK Moving Services. In 1982, he started his company in the basement of his childhood home with just two employees. Today, JK Moving Services is one of the largest employers in Loudoun, and the largest independent moving company in North America. In 1997, Kuhn founded Capital Relocation Services, which provides global relocation services. As a result of his commitment to preservation of the natural and historic resources of Loudoun, Kuhn has preserved more than 5,000 acres in Loudoun, Fauquier, and Frederick counties through the Virginia Conservation Easement Program. He also established the JK Community Farm, south of Round Hill, to provide fresh, organic produce to Loudoun Hunger Relief and other food pantries. More than 50,000 pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats have been provided to Loudoun residents. He and his wife, Stacy, live on Egypt Farm near Lincoln with their nine children. The Loudoun Laurels Foundation is committed to honoring exceptional community service for the benefit of Loudoun County citizens and to developing future civic leaders through scholarships and mentorships. Each year, the Foundation honors Loudoun County citizens whose commitment to the Loudoun Community through, leadership, community service and philanthropy have helped make Loudoun County a great place in which
to live and work. In addition to honoring exceptional community service for the benefit of Loudoun County residents, the Loudoun Laurels Foundation is committed to developing future civic leaders through scholarships and mentorships. Earlier this year, the Foundation announced the recipient of is 2020 Loudoun Laurels Stewardship Trust scholarship, Breni Portales-Escobar. She is a graduate of Park View High School who will attend the University of Virginia and plans to enter its pre-med program. Each year the Foundation awards one or more scholarships to Loudoun County Public School students who are first generation college attendees who participate in the College Achievement Minority Program for Unique Students (CAMPUS) or the national Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) programs. The scholarships are in the amount of $40,000, disbursed in $10,000 annual increments during the students’ four-year undergraduate studies. Since 2013, the Loudoun Laurels Stewardship Trust has awarded $840,000 in scholarships to LCPS students. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Loudoun Laurels Foundation has postponed its annual gala to honor its 2020 Laureates and scholars. They, together with the 2021 Laureates and scholars, will be honored at the 2021 gala which will be held on Sept. 24, 2021, at Lansdowne Resort. Prior Loudoun Laurels honorees are Childs F. Burden, G. Kimball Hart, Eugene M. Scheel, Karen Hatcher Russell, Paul Ziluca, The Honorable Joe T. May, Lang and Judy Washburn, James P. Roberts, The Honorable Robert E. Sevila, Stanley Caulkins, Fred Drummond, Edgar B. Hatrick, Su Webb, Joe Boling, Dr. John H Cook III, Cate Magennis Wyatt, J. Hamilton Lambert, Margaret Morton, The Honorable Thomas D. Horne, The Honorable Betsy Davis, Bill Harrison, Fred and Karen Schaufeld, Al P. Van Huyck, Kristina Bouweiri and Di Cook. For more information, visit loudounlaurels.org or email info@loudounlaurels. org. n
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Cochran FamilyFamily DentalDental are are committed to providing a comprehensive dental committed toproviding providing a comprehensive office Bank to provide diapers for area families in “Even though the government is releasing committed to a comprehensive dentaldental office office [rules] that landlords are not supposed to need. a caring and gentle style thatserve willserve serve all most with caring andgentle gentle style that will most allofof with aawith caring and style that will most of all Program Manager Cesar Watts said that evict people, among the immigrant comSPECIAL Please present coupon to receive the offer. Mon. & Wed.: 8am 6pm combined w/any other Fri: 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm (Once/month) with every scheduled The Village at Leesburg facing Please present coupon Sat.: 8am -Wed: 1pm (once/month) Mon 8-6pm Mon. & Wed.: 8amyour - 6pm • family’s - Thurs.: 7am - 4pm • Fri.: -to1pm •&24hr Service dental needs under roof. Insurance scheduled cleaning or procedure.to Tues. - 8am Thurs.: 7am -Emergency 4pm Notfacing be combined with anyone other offer. SPECIAL 703-771-9034 with every scheduled The Village Leesburg Leesburg, VA 24hr Emergency Service ofyour Loudoun forTues. 13 years. Use your benefits before the toend receive offer. Not be after the Salvation Army began offering munity, that’s happening on a daily basis, Cochran has provided trusted dental care tothe the citizens family’s dental needs under one roof. Insurance Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm your family’s dental needs under one roof. Insurance Offer Expires January 1, 2016. cleaning or procedure. Route 720175 between Wegmans and 24hr Emergency Service Tues. - at Thurs.: 7am 4pm 1503 Dodona Terrace Use your benefits before the end Please present coupon to w/any receive the offer. combined other Fri:8am 8-1pm • -Sat: 8-1pm (Once/month) of the year and receive a FREE cleaning or procedure. Route 7 between Wegmans and Fri.: 1pm Offer Expires 8/31/16. WHITENING 1503 Dodona Terrace LA Fitness Not to be combined with any other offer. friendly office offering budget wise payment options. Visit our website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com 703-771-9034 meals following the coronavirus outbreak, and this as very fragile population, so they FREE of the year and receive a 24hr Emergency Service of Loudoun for 13 years. Visit our website: TheLeesburgVADentist.com Fri.:Fitness 8am - 1pm Conveniently located in LA Teeth Whitening KitDr. with everyDr. Suite 210 Offer Expires 8/31/16. friendly offering budget wise payment options. Please present coupon toDr. Sat.: 8am 1pm (once/month) Mon & -Wed: 8-6pm friendly office offering budget wise payment options. Teeth Whitening Kitcleaning with every 210office scheduled or procedure. SPECIAL WHITENING TheSuite Village at Leesburg facing Please present coupon to Visit our website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com families who came in for help also asked for will not speak up.” Sat.: 8am 1pm Leesburg, VA 20175 Mon & -Wed: 8-6pm Visit our website: TheLeesburgVADentist.com receive the offer. Not to be Conveniently located in Cochran has provided trusted dental care the citizens Tues &(once/month) Thurs: 7-4pm scheduled cleaning orto procedure. Offer Expires January 1, 2016. 24hr Emergency Service Use your benefits before the end Leesburg, VA 20175 Their main concern, he said, is winding receive the offer. Notto w/any to be the Cochran has provided trusted dental care to the citizens Tues &Village Thurs: 7-4pm Route 7 between Wegmans and Offer Expires January 1, 2016. SPECIAL Please present coupon receive offer. combined other Fri: 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm (Once/month) 24hr Emergency Service The at Leesburg facing diapers. Asking around to other nonprofits, 1503 Dodona TerraceCochran has provided trusted dental care to the citizens of the year and receive a FREE present coupon receive the offer. combined w/any other Not toyour be to combined with any other Fri: 8-1pmRoute • Sat: 13 8-1pm (Once/month) 703-771-9034 Use benefits before the offer. end 24hr Emergency ServicePlease LALoudoun Fitness of for years. up homeless with children. 7 between Wegmans and Teeth Whitening Kit with every Not to be combined with any other offer. 1503 Dodona Terrace Suite 210 703-771-9034 he found they were hearing the same. 24hryears. Emergency Service of Loudoun for 13 of the year and receive a FREE Mon & Wed: 8-6pm LA Fitness scheduled cleaning or procedure. Although the Salvation Army does not Teeth Whitening Kit with every forwebsite 13 years. Suite 210 Visit our at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com Leesburg, VA 20175 of Loudoun “I said, OK, somebody has to step up Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm Conveniently located in Offer Expires January 1, 2016. Mon & Wed: 8-6pm Visit our website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com scheduled cleaning or procedure. require documentation of citizenship or leConveniently located in Leesburg, VA 20175 Please present7-4pm coupon to receive the offer. Conveniently located in Fri: 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm (Once/month) Tues & Thurs: Offer Expires January 1, 2016. and do something,” Watts said. The Village atFri:Leesburg facing Not combined with any other offer. Please present coupon to receive the offer. gal status, families must bring703-771-9034 some sort of located into be8-1pm 8-1pm • Sat: (Once/month) 24hr Emergency TheConveniently Village at7Service Leesburg facing Use your benefits before theoffer. end Not to be combined with any other The Village at Leesburg facing More and more nonprofits, especially Route between Wegmans and 703-771-9034 24hr Emergency Service Use your benefits before the end 1503 Dodona Terrace documentation of the child’s age. That can of the year and receive a FREE Route 7 between Wegmans and The Village at Leesburg facing your benefits before the end a Kit 1503 Dodona Terrace Visit our website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com LAUse Fitness food pantries, have begun branching out of the year and receive FREE Route 7 pediabetween Wegmans and Teeth Whitening with the everyend Use your benefits before be a birth certifi cate, insurance card, Visit our website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com Suite 210 LA Fitness 1503 Dodona Terrace Route 7 between Wegmans and of the year and receive a FREE Teeth Whitening Kit with every Mon & Wed: 8-6pm Suite 210 and handing out more products—includ1503 Dodona Terrace scheduled cleaning or procedure. of the year and receive a FREE trician immunization record’ childcare bill Fitness LA & Wed: 8-6pm Leesburg, VA 20175 MonLA scheduled cleaning or procedure. Tues &Teeth Thurs: 7-4pm Fitness Offer every Expires January 1, 2016. Whitening Kit with ing diapers—as the COVID-19 pandem- Suite Leesburg, VA 20175 Teeth Whitening Kit with or record210 with child’s birthdate or age, state Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm Suite 210 Offer Expires January 1, 2016. Please present coupon to receive theevery offer. Mon & Wed: 8-6pm Fri: 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm (Once/month) scheduled cleaning orNotprocedure. ic has increased the need. The Salvation ID, passport, or any official record with Wed: 8-6pm Please present to receive the offer. Fri: 8-1pmMon • Sat:& 8-1pm (Once/month) scheduled cleaning or procedure. the tocoupon be combined with any other offer. Leesburg, VA 20175 24hr Emergency Service Leesburg, VA Tues20175 & Thurs: 7-4pm 24hr Offer ExpiresNot January 1, 2016. to be combined with anyJanuary other offer. Army, too, has expanded beyond its usual child’s birthday or age. Tues & Thurs:Service 7-4pm Offer Expires 1, 2016. Emergency Please present coupon to receive the offer. Fri: 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm (Once/month) Please present coupon to receive the offer. services, such as rental and utility payFri: 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm (Once/month) Usewith your benefits before the end To ask for diapers, fill out a form online NotService to be combined offer. with Notany to beother combined any other offer. Use your benefits before the end 24hr Emergency Service24hr Emergency ment assistance. Now, two back rooms in at form.jotform.com/201617063727049. the and yearreceive and receive a FREE the Salvation Army’s office in Leesburg are Once a family is approved, they will receive of theofyear a FREE Teeth Whitening Kit with stacked high with diapers in preparation, a text message with the date and time to Teeth Whitening Kit with everyevery Mon & Wed: 8-6pm scheduled cleaning or procedure. with plans to give families around 100 di- pick up the diapers at The Salvation Army& Wed: 8-6pm Mon scheduled cleaning or procedure. apers per child per month. Offer Expires January 1, 2016. Loudoun County Corps Social Services Of-Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm Offer Expires January Watts said the Salvation Army will take fice, 10 Cardinal Park Drive SE,Fri: Leesburg. Please coupon1,to2016. receive the offer. 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm (Once/month)Please presentpresent coupon to receive theother offer. offer. Fri:about 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm (Once/month) in around 40,000 diapers a month. And For more information the diaper Not to be combined with any 24hr Emergency Service Not to be combined with any other offer. he said those may help ease the burden on program, call The Salvation Army Loudoun 24hr Emergency Service people who are worried about making ends County Corps Office at 703-771-3371. n BY RENSS GREENE
W I N N E R
LOUDOUN’S 2018
Family Dental are Dr. Brian Cochran his staff Dr.Cochran Brian Cochran and and his staff at at committed to providing a comprehensive dental office Cochran Family Dental are Cochran Family arethat with a caring and Dental gentle style will serve most all of committed to providing aone comprehensive dental office committed to dental providing a comprehensive dental office your family’s needs under roof. Insurance with aoffice caring and gentle style that serve all of friendly offering budget wise payment options. Dr.most with a caring and gentle style that will will serve most all of Cochran has provided trusted dental care theroof. citizens your family’s dental needs under one Insurance your family’s dental needs under one to roof. Insurance offriendly Loudounoffice for 13 years. offering budget wise payment options. WHITENING friendly office offering budget wise payment options. Dr. Dr. our website: TheLeesburgVADentist.com WHITENING WHITENING Visit Visit our website: TheLeesburgVADentist.com SPECIAL WHITENING Cochran has provided trusted dental care to citizens the citizens SPECIAL Cochran has provided trusted dental careSPECIAL toSPECIAL the of Loudoun foryears. 13 years. of Loudoun forAPPARENTLY, 13
WHITENING WHITENING Conveniently located in Conveniently located in 703-771-9034 EVEN LOVE SPECIAL SPECIAL 703-771-9034 The Village at Leesburg facing The Village at Leesburg facing Visit our website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com Route 7 between Wegmans and 703-771-9034 Visit our website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com 703-771-9034 1503 Dodona Terrace Route 7 between Wegmans and REQUIRES 1503 Dodona Terrace LA Fitness LA TheLeesburgVADentist.com Fitness Suite 210 Visit our website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com Visit our website at: Suite 210 INNOVATION. Leesburg, VA 20175 Leesburg, VA 20175
703-771-9034 703-771-9034
Visit our website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com Visit our website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com BENEFIT Issues Grants to 7 Nonprofits Seven Loudoun County nonprofits have been selected as recipients of 2020 BENEFIT grant funding. BENEFIT, a coalition of Loudoun County musicians and community leaders, stands for Bands Empowering Nonprofits with Engagement and Fundraising Improving Tomorrow. The mission of BENEFIT is to use the unifying power of music to raise funds and awareness for nonprofits that serve children in need in Loudoun County. A total of $10,000 was available to Loudoun nonprofits for grant funding. The money for the grants was raised during BENEFIT’s 2019 Crossroads Music Festival and Hope for the Holidays events. BENEFIT 2020 grant recipients went to: INMED Partnerships for Children, $1,750; Women Giving Back, $1,750; Project Horse Empowerment Center, $1,500; Loudoun Literacy Council, $1,500; Loudoun Cares, $1,500; Ryan
Bartel Foundation, $1,000; and Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice/Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter (LAWS), $1,000. “We are so thankful to have nonprofit organizations such as these working to help the children in our community of Loudoun County,” said BENEFIT co-founder Amy Bobchek. “We thank the musicians, the sponsors and venues, and the community members who participated in our events. These grants would not be possible without them,” added Ara Bagdasarian, co-founder of BENEFIT. “We are excited to be able to provide these funds to support the missions and the work of these Loudoun County nonprofits.” BENEFIT’s 2020 Crossroads Music Festival is planned for Sept. 19. More information about the format of the event will be available closer to the event date. For more information about BENEFIT, go to BENEFIT.live. n
Tribute at One Loudoun 20335 Savin Hill Drive Ashburn, VA 20147 571.252.8292 ThriveSL.com/OneLoudoun
Now offering hosted virtual tours.
Although we’re in this turbulent time known as the COVID-19 pandemic, our innovative spirit keeps us moving forward. It all started with a desire to keep our residents closely connected with their loved ones. Enter Clear Connection — a simple, clear panel that lets residents safely be within mere inches of their visitors. We’re not letting COVID-19 bring us down; in fact, in some ways, it’s bringing us closer together than ever before. Please reach out and let us know how we can help you.
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JULY 2, 2020
Public Safety Missing Man Found Dead in Sugarland Run The body of a Herndon teen who was reported missing June 23 was found in in the Sugarland Run waterway near the Potomac River. According to the Sheriff ’s Office, Logan Leemis, 21, was last seen in the area of the Potomac Lakes Sportsplex around 5:40 p.m. last Monday. A missing person alert was circulated the next day. He was considered endangered because of mental and/or physical health concerns. He was found dead the next morning, June 24. There are no signs of foul play. The investigation continues pending an autopsy report.
Sentencing in Morrisonville Manslaughter Case Delayed The sentencing of Zachary Frye, the 21-year-old driver who struck and killed a woman while walking along Morrisonville Road in January 2019, has been continued Frye to a yet-to-be-determined date. According to Alex Levay, Frye’s defense counsel, the presentence report was not prepared in time for Monday’s 9 a.m. scheduled sentencing. Levay said a new sentencing date should be set sometime this week. In March, Frye pled guilty to aggravated involuntary manslaughter and driving while intoxicated. Under his plea arrangement, the maximum amount of time he will spend behind bars will be capped at 12 years. On Jan. 4, 2019, a little before 7:30 a.m., Frye was traveling eastbound on Morrisonville Road when he struck and killed Lauren McDarby while she was walking along the road. Frye had been drinking, according to blood test results performed more than three hours later.
Sprinklers Suppress Cascades Overlook Apartment Fire Damage from a Sunday night kitchen fire in a Sterling apartment was limited by an automatic sprinkler system, according to Loudoun County Fire-Rescue.
The fire occurred just after 9 p.m. June 28 at a second-floor Ridgehaven Terrace residence in the Cascades Overlook neighborhood. Emergency units from Cascades, Sterling Park, Kincora, Ashburn, and Fairfax County were called to the scene. The fire was extinguished before crews arrived. Two apartment units were damaged by water from the sprinkler system and a total of six residents from the two residences were displaced. The fire was determined to be accidental and a result of unattended food on the stove. According to the Fire Marshal’s Office, the incident illustrates both the dangers of unattended cooking—a frequent cause of house fires—as well as the importance of lifesaving sprinkler systems. “It’s important to educate the public about how automatic fire sprinklers help to contain and prevent fires from becoming more significant emergencies,” stated Fire Chief Keith Johnson. “Fire sprinklers save lives, including those of first responders, and greatly reduce the physical, emotional and financial damages that fires bring to a community.” To learn more about fire prevention and life safety initiatives in your community, go to loudoun.gov/ firemarshalor call 703-737-8600.
Purcellville Police, LCSO Investigate Vehicle Break-ins More than a dozen cars were broken into overnight June 23 in Purcellville. According to the town’s Police Department, 15 vehicles were broken into in the neighborhoods of Old Dominion Valley and Catoctin Meadows the night of June 23 and early morning hours of June 24. The department continues to investigate the incidents with the help of the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office, since the number of incidents is so large. The department is reminding residents to lock their vehicles, not leave keys inside and remove all valuables from their vehicles. Those who suspect their vehicle has been tampered with, and those with personal surveillance video they feel could be evidence, are asked to call the Police Department’s non-emergency dispatch number at 703-777-1021.
ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM
JULY 2, 2020
PAGE 17
Town of Leesburg Employment Opportunities Please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs for more information and to apply online. Resumes may be submitted as supplemental only. EOE/ADA.
See the full job listings at NowHiringLoudoun.com
Regular Full-Time Positions Position
Department
Salary Range
Closing Date
Controller
Finance
$79,227-$135,636 DOQ
Open until filled
Utility Plant Operator: Trainee, I, II or Senior
Utilities – Water Supply
$41,353-$89,790 DOQ
Open until filled
Utility Plant Technician: Trainee, Technician or Senior
Utilities
$44,905-$89,790 DOQ
Open until filled
To review Ida Lee (Parks & Recreation) flexible part-time positions, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs. Most positions will be filled at or near the minimum of the range. Dependent on qualifications. All Town vacancies may be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel 67 and Verizon FiOS Channel 35.
NOW HIRING FLAGGERS Full time, to provide traffic control & safety around construction sites. A valid driver license & clean driving record a must. Starting $13/hr & scheduled raises & bonuses. Company-paid medical & dental premiums.
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Please fill out an application at trafficplan.com or come to our office on Tuesdays or Thursdays (8am-10am) 7855 Progress Ct. Suite 103, Gainesville, VA
HELP WANTED AT FAMILY PRACTICE Large family practice in Loudoun County with 6 locations and 28 providers looking for FT LPN’s or MA’s with a dedication to excellence. New LPN graduates welcome to apply. Pediatric and or family practice experience preferred. EHR experience highly recommended. We offer competitive pay rates, health, dental and vision insurance as well as direct deposit, 401K and many other benefits. Please send your resume to: lgray@lmgdoctors.com or fax to 703-726-0804 attention Lisa
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CLASS A CDL DUMP TRUCK DRIVER & HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR Must Have Good Driving Record & Experience With Various Equipment Loudoun County Based Company Health Ins., Vacation & Holidays Please Call Dave at 703-930-3963 or visit website: LuckettsExcavating.com 10:58 AM
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JULY 2, 2020
Business
BUSINESS Announcements Best Brains Inks Town Center Lease
Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now
Emerging from the pandemic-related closures of his two Leesburg restaurants, Curtis Allred has established a new compensation approach for his team.
Local Restaurateur Moves Staff to Living Wage BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com
Rocket Collective Hospitality, the company that owns and operates Leesburg’s Delirium Cafe USA and Wild Wood Pizza, has moved all of its staff to a living wage. In an announcement on its Facebook
page, company president Curtis Allred said the layoffs at both restaurants during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic encouraged him to make a change—and to make a long-term commitment to employees. Now, all team members will make a minimum of $15 an hour. “Delirium Cafe and Wild Wood Pizza
will no longer have ‘servers’ as you know it. Tipping will now be a personal option for diners and all tips will be pooled and split evenly among the staff,” the statement read. Allred said he publicized the change in the hopes that more companies will look at how hospitality employees are treated and paid. n
Chamber’s Healthcare Heroes Meals Effort Brings 1,300 Meals from 13 Restaurants to Hospitals The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce’s “Feed Loudoun’s Health Care Heroes” brought out 1,300 meals from 13 different restaurants to people at Inova Loudoun Hospital and StoneSprings Hospital Center, while also creating some sales for restaurants feeling the sudden shutdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative was begun to help both healthcare professionals who have been working long hours under high stress, and restaurants that saw business drop off precipitously as the response to the pandemic began, closing them to sit-down dining. The Loudoun Chamber launched a campaign to provide local healthcare workers lunch once a week, also creating some sales for restaurants near Inova Loudoun Hospital and StoneSprings Hospital Center. In two months the effort raised $12,000 in direct donations to buy meals, plus another $5,000 from in-kind donations from participating restaurants.
Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now
Paisano’s Pizza employee Jared Roach delivers 13 pizzas in 54 individual boxes to Inova Loudoun Hospital’s Cornwall Campus in Leesburg as part of the Loudoun Chamber’s Feed Loudoun’s Health Care Heroes initiative.
“The COVID-19 crisis could have been far worse here in Loudoun, were it not for the hard work and sacrifices of our health care professionals and their hospital employers,” said Loudoun Chamber President and CEO Tony Howard. “Feed Loudoun’s Health Care Heroes’ was an ex-
pression of our collective gratitude for all that these heroes have done to care for our sick and help limit the spread of this awful disease.” Purchased from Loudoun Chamber-member restaurants, the meals were packaged and delivered using strict health and safety protocols. Almost all participating restaurants generously contributed additional food and beverages, to feed even more hospital workers. The campaign was created with contributions made by Communicate by Design CBDx and Copy General. Participating restaurants included Bonefish Grill Ashburn, Brew Birds, Buffalo Wing Factory, Chick-fil-A Lansdowne, Clyde’s Willow Creek Farm, Famous Toastery Ashburn, Il Cappero, King Street Oyster Bar, La Villa Roma, Matchbox Pizza, Paisano’s, The Wine Kitchen, and The Zone. n
Nationally franchised learning center Best Brains is the newest tenant of the Brambleton Town Center, signing a lease for a 1,240-square-foot storefront at 42395 Ryan Road, Suite #104. “Brambleton was a perfect location for a new Best Brains for many reasons,” stated franchise owner Ravi Chandra Adusumilli. “There are so many families and schools right here and we believe we will be able to provide an incredible resource to support their childrens’ learning outside of the classroom.” Best Brains has five other locations in Northern Virginia and 150 across the country. “We enrolled our own children in Best Brains and were very impressed with their growth and advancement. When we learned more about the business model, we knew that this concept would be a natural fit for the community of Brambleton and a wonderful resource for families during this uncertain time as we all balance professional and educational obligations remotely,” Adusumilli stated. “Best Brains is a natural addition to Brambleton,” stated Kim Adams, Brambleton’s director of marketing. “Since the onset of COVID-19, Brambleton’s families have been balancing the demands of online learning with their other daily responsibilities. Best Brains will provide our youngest residents with the edge they need to excel and develop essential tools for academic success, which will benefit the community for the long term.” Best Brains is slated to open its doors in early fall.
Ábaco Completes SBA Certification Leesburg-based Ábaco Strategy has been accepted into the United States Small Business Administration’s Business Development Program. Founded in 2014, Ábaco is a professional services and information ANNOUNCEMENTS continues on page 19
JULY 2, 2020
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PAGE 19
Nominations Open for Chamber’s Small Business Awards The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce is looking for nominations for the 26th Annual Small Business Awards, which this year will look a little different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the Small Business Awards, the business community comes together to celebrate the contributions local small businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofits have made to Loudoun County. Typically, the awards gala attracts between 500-600 people. With the COVID-19 crisis still ongoing, and to help slow the spread of the disease, Loudoun Chamber plans to cap the audience size at half that, along with other safety measures. “Since 1994, the Small Business Awards has honored the many outstanding small businesses and entrepreneurs that are creating jobs and economic opportunities right here in our Loudoun County,” stated Loudoun Chamber president and CEO Tony Howard. “Throughout this COVID-19 pandemic, Loudoun’s small
BUSINESS Announcements continued from page 18
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Comfenergy Vice President for Sales and Marketing Justin Dobson accepts the Small Business of the Year award at the Chamber of Commerce’s 25th Small Business Awards in November 2019.
businesses and entrepreneurs have proven how invaluable they are to not only our economy, but to the quality of life in our community. We are prouder than ever to salute these real American heroes, whose vision, work ethic and innovation are needed more than ever to face down new challenges to our prosperity and our safety.” Anyone can nominate a small business, entrepreneur or nonprofit. Nominations are accepted until July 24 at 5 p.m. Fill out a nomination form at loudounchamber.com/
SBA. Finalists will be announced in mid-September, and the winners will be unveiled on Friday, Nov. 13 at The National Conference Center in Lansdowne. Tickets for the 26th Annual Small Business Awards Ceremony are on sale, and sponsorship packages are available. For more information, go to loudounchamber.org, or contact Senior Events Manager Paige Romanow at promanow@ loudounchamber.org or 571-209-9025. n
technology company based in Leesburg’s HUB Zone, at 17 Loudoun St. SE. The nine-year certification allows the company to compete for set-aside and sole-sourced federal contracts and provides assistance from the SBA in navigating federal contracting, guidance in forming joint ventures, and management assistance. “We are excited about this accomplishment and look forward to the opportunity to build new partnerships and expand our operations with the federal government. This certification provides access to resources and support to expand our business while continuing to deliver the high-quality services and support to our customers that Ábaco has become known for,” said President and CEO Estefania Arregui-Gomez. Learn more at abacostrategy.com.
We Care About the Community and the Safety of Our Customers and Our Employees “ We are taking all CDC health precautions to keep your family and our employees safe during these unprecedented times.” Shawn Mitchell, Owner of Modern Mechanical’s family of home services companies Regularly Voted Best HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Company in Loudoun County. Proud Supporter of area High Schools, Segra Field, The Campus and many non-profits! Active Rotarian, Mason, Service-Disabled Veteran.
571-367-7713
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JULY 2, 2020
Our Towns
TOWN notes
Unger Steps Down After 36 Years on Hamilton Town Council BY PATRICK SZABO
pszabo@loudounnow.com
When the Hamilton Town Council holds its next monthly meeting, its longest serving member won’t be sitting at the table. After 36 years of service, John Unger did not seek reelection this year. Unger, 77, was elected to the Town Council in 1984. Since then, he has been re-elected eight times to serve nine consecutive four-year terms. During those nearly four decades, Unger served under seven mayors, participated in about 1,880 Town Council meetings and took somewhere around 7,500 votes. He helped to purchase the property for the community park, prepare close to three dozen annual budgets and provide sewer service to dozens of properties outside the town limits, all while trying to work quietly behind the scenes. But before Unger ever made it onto the Town Council, or moved to the town in 1976, he lived life in places thousands of miles away from, and far different from, the second smallest town in Loudoun. Unger, a Trucksville, PA, native, attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a full-ride scholarship in the early 1960s. After his first year in school, he took time off and moved to Alaska. It was
Town Cancels 2020 Oktoberfest The Town of Lovettsville has canceled Oktoberfest event this year in response to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Allowing 15,000 of our closest friends to gather on the Town Green does not seem possible,” Mayor Nate Fontaine wrote in his June 19 email newsletter. The Lovettsville Oktoberfest has been held every year since 1994 and continuously attracts more than 10,000 visitors to the town each September. It has been named by multiple sources as one of the best Oktoberfests in the world. This year would have marked the event’s 27th annual congregation. Learn more about the event at lovettsvilleoktoberfest.com.
Council Honors McIntyre for 8 Years of Service
Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now
John Unger, a 36-year Hamilton councilman, takes a stroll through his garden in the backyard of his West Colonial Highway home.
then that he decided to forgo a career in electrical engineering and to pursue geology instead. After graduating from MIT, Unger attended Dartmouth College, where he earned his PhD in geophysics. He subse-
quently landed a job with the United States Geological Survey in 1969 and moved to Menlo Park, CA. Later, he moved to Hawaii, where he witnessed three years of UNGER continues on page 34
Purcellville Eyes Creation of Citizen-Led Police Advisory Group BY PATRICK SZABO
pszabo@loudounnow.com
The Town of Purcellville could become the first Loudoun town to create a citizen-led police advisory group in response to nationwide cries for racial equality and changes to policing. Police Chief Cynthia McAlister and Councilman Nedim Ogelman have proposed the town create a Community Policing Advisory Committee made up of residents appointed by the Town Council to promote the relationship between the community and the Police Department. The group, which Ogelman said during the June 23 council meeting was initially proposed by a resident a few weeks ago, would present ideas to the Town Council
LOVETTSVILLE
Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now
Purcellville Police Chief Cynthia McAlister and former Councilman Nedim Ogelman have proposed to establish a Community Policing Advisory Committee to open dialogue between officers and residents.
and help set the Police Department’s strategic goals.
According to a June 23 staff report, “a mechanism to bring the community and police command to the table is needed, but even more than this, a long-standing commitment to the community for open dialogue is needed.” McAlister said the creation of the committee would be vital to the continued relationship between the town’s police officers and residents. “I think having purposeful, meaningful discussions with the community is critical,” she said. “I do not want to see the energy of [the town’s June 7 equality march] stop. I want to see it move forward.” McAlister said the formation of such a committee would finalize a proposal she ADVISORY GROUP continues on page 35
The Town Council on June 18 honored Vice Mayor Jim McIntyre for his eight years of service on the council. McIntyre was first elected to the Town Council in 2012, was re-elected in 2016 and was appointed vice mayor in 2018. In 2012, he became the chairman of the Lovettsville Oktoberfest Committee and is credited with helping to transform the event into one of the top-10 Oktoberfests in the world. As festmeister, McIntyre helped to add the weiner dog races, the royalty competition and the mounted Mariachi band to the event through the years. McIntyre also formerly taught a “Gym with Jim” class at the Lovettsville Community Center and, along with his family, has volunteered with the Lovettsville Cooperative Market. “Vice Mayor McIntyre has served this Town with strength, integrity, and compassion for the past eight years,” Mayor Nate Fontaine wrote in his email newsletter. “We are a better community because of your efforts.”
Town Soliciting Input on Transportation Concerns The Town of Lovettsville and its consultants are looking for residents to provide information on concerns TOWN NOTES continues on page 21
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JULY 2, 2020
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surrounding the town’s transportation network. The Planning Commission and the EPR traffic engineering firm are in the middle of crafting a Transportation Master Plan and are seeking out volunteers to be interviewed on transportation concerns, possible improvements and ideas to ensure the town continues to balance pedestrian and vehicular uses. To volunteer, email Town Manager Rob Ritter at townmanager@lovettsvilleva.gov and Planning Commission Chairwoman Shiva Schilling at sschilling@lovettsvilleva. gov. The master plan, which is costing the town $65,000, should be completed by the end of 2020 and will see EPR recommend vehicular-, pedestrian- and bicycle-related improvements to the Planning Commission.
MIDDLEBURG Town Considers New Standards for Proclamations, Resolutions The Town of Middleburg is evaluating the use of more thorough standards when vetting requests for the Town Council to approve proclamations and resolutions. The Town Council last Thursday night discussed implementing a system that would make the request process clearer for residents, perhaps by having them fill out a half-page request form describing what they’re looking for and a bit of history on the topic. Mayor Bridge Littleton suggested such requests should be legitimate and fairly substantial, noting there might be many requests for proclamations and resolutions involving topics that are well-known to some but new to many—such as Kidney Cancer Awareness Week. Town Clerk Rhonda North said implementing such a process would require more staff time. Currently, all requests go straight to North. If it’s for a proclamation, North forwards it directly to Littleton, who then determines whether to add it to a council agenda. Resolutions get forwarded to all council members, one of whom must sponsor the resolution to add it to an agenda for a vote. There are no restrictions on how many requests the town can receive or add to a council agenda. Last week’s discussion was prompted by a recent request from a resident who sought the council to pass resolutions supporting the town’s black and LGBTQ communities. The Town Council will discuss the matter further at a later meeting, once North
compiles more information.
Council Approves $1M in FY20 Budget Amendments The Middleburg Town Council last Thursday night voted to approve Fiscal Year 2020 budget amendments to account for $1.14 million in projected COVID-19-related spending, charitable contributions and capital improvement projects. The amendments account for $199,250 in spending on the town’s restaurant and retail business support program. Close to $75,000 will come from the town’s allocation in CARES Act funding while the rest of that money will come from the town’s FY20 contingency. Another $110,000 in additional spending in the FY20 budget accounts for contributions to the Middleburg Charter School, the American Legion and the Middleburg Community Center. That is being covered by the FY20 contingency. A $40,000 capital improvement project for the Windy Hill driveway was expected to be spent in FY19 but was rolled over to this fiscal year. That is being covered primarily by the unencumbered General Fund balance and secondarily by the FY20 contingency. The $790,000 west end pump station replacement is also a part of the budget amendment. That money was also expected to be spent in FY19 but was rolled over to this fiscal year. The town will cover that cost via a bond it recently refunded.
PURCELLVILLE Fraser Proposes Support for Area Filmmakers Mayor Kwasi Fraser is urging the town to create a Purcellville Film Office as a component of the Purcellville Arts Council or Train Station Advisory Board to support professional filmmakers, producers, actors and crews living in the 20132 ZIP code. Fraser said the proposal was first presented three months ago to the Economic Development Advisory Committee by a resident of Lincoln. Under the proposal, area filmmakers would be encouraged to place Purcellville locations in their films, like the town’s reservoir property or Fireman’s Field. As an example, Fraser said the Basham Simms Wastewater Facility could be portrayed in a film as an alien spaceship. The town could also host film workshops at the Train Station. Fraser said one person could set up there four or five days a week welcoming guests and providing them with information about films and town history. Fraser said he would work with the Arts Council and Train Station Advisory Board to move the proposal forward.
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Police Department Hires First Admin Lieutenant The Purcellville Police Department has hired Scott Moskowitz as the department’s first administrative lieutenant. He started work on Monday. According to a town statement, the hire will allow the department to better divide its operations and administrative branches, and provide greater oversight to administrative duties and logistical operations. Moskowitz joins the force with more than 27 years of experience with the Fairfax County Police Department. Most recently, he held the rank of second lieutenant and was the supervisor of the Fairfax County Police Canine Section. During his time in Fairfax, Moskowitz received two Bronze Medals of Valor, a Certificate of Valor, a Meritorious Action Award, two Team Excellence Awards and a Life Saving Award. He is a graduate of Kean University and formerly served as an instructor for the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Organization. He is a certified K9 handler, paramedic, firearms instructor, field training officer and tactical rifle instructor.
ROUND HILL Applicants Sought for Town Council, Planning Commission In addition to soliciting applicants for a vacant seat on the Town Council, the Town of Round Hill is also searching for a resident to fill a vacancy on the Planning Commission. Residents who have lived in the town’s corporate limits for at least six months interested in applying to fill a seat on the commission that expires Dec. 31, 2022, should sent a letter of interest, resume and qualifications to Town Administrator Melissa Hynes at mhynes@roundhillva. org and Mayor Scott Ramsey at sramsey@ roundhillva.org by Aug. 1. The Planning Commission meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m., in addition to special meetings as required. The town last month also announced there was a vacancy on the Town Council. While a resident will be appointed to that vacancy soon, a special election will be held Nov. 3 to fill the vacancy until the term expires June 20, 2022. Interested residents should also email Hynes and Ramsey by Aug. 1. The Town Council meets regularly on the first and third Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m., in addition to special meetings as required.
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4th of July Celebrations Across Loudoun The Fourth of July won’t seem normal, since most big events have been canceled because of the coronavirus crisis. But that’s not stopping many towns from celebrating America’s birthday. While some celebrations are taking place throughout the week, most will wait for the actual 4th of July on Saturday. And by then, Loudoun will also be in the third phase of reopenings, meaning residents will have more ability to experience what those towns have to offer. Here’s how Loudoun’s towns are celebrating Independence Day 2020.
Hillsboro Hillsboro is looking to create some sort of virtual commemoration of Independence Day, following the cancellation of its Independence Day the Hillsboro Day celebration, originally planned for June 28. Mayor Roger Vance said the town this week might post a video from last year’s fireworks display, ring the bell in the Old Stone School and/or celebrate in a different, virtual way. For updates, go to hillsborova.gov.
Leesburg Leesburg won’t host its annual fireworks show at Ida Lee Park, but it is putting on a four-night Wave Parade from Monday, June 29 through Thursday, July 2. The parades will begin at 6 p.m. each night and will feature Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty riding atop a patriotic fire truck as it makes its way through town neighborhoods. Detailed routes are available at leesburgva.gov and the town’s social media accounts. Residents can also download the GLYMPSE application to follow the parade route. For more information, go to leesburgva. gov. LOUDOUN 4TH continues on page 34
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JULY 2, 2020
THINGS to do
Loco Living
While county-sponsored Independence Day celebrations are postponed, there’s plenty of socially distanced fun to be had at Loudoun’s wineries, breweries and venues.
HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS Virginia Village 4th of July Saturday, July 4, 8 a.m. Catoctin Circle, Leesburg Details: facebook.com/vavillageleesburg The event kicks off with the weekly Leesburg Farmers Market and features food and drink specials from Deli South and Döner Bistro. The Clay and Metal Loft will host a sidewalk sale featuring pottery, jewelry, art and potted plants from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Adventures in Londa’s Laboratory
Ashburn Village 4th of July Car Parade Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m. Ashburn Village Sports Pavilion, 20585 Ashburn Village Road, Ashburn Details: facebook.com/ ashburnvillagesportspavilion Decorated cars will drive through the neighborhood to celebrate Independence Day. Parade starts and ends at the pavilion. Approximate end time is 10:15. Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Yolanda Latimer with her children Isaiah, Azariah and Savannah outside their home in Ashburn.
Independence Day at B Chord Brewing
Ashburn Mom Celebrates 100 Days of Home Cooking with New Blog
Saturday, July 4, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. B Chord Brewing, 34266 Williams Gap Road, Round Hill Details: bchordbrewing.com Celebrate the Fourth with eight farm fresh beers on tap, wine and cider, wood fired pizzas and American fare and live music all day. Reservations are recommended.
BY JAN MERCKER jmercker@loudounnow.com
100 days since everything changed. 100 days of loss, challenges and silver linings. For one Ashburn mom, an act of family preservation has turned into an unexpected—and unexpectedly successful—creative outlet. When Virginia’s COVID-19 stay-athome orders kicked in in mid-March, Yolanda Latimer knew she had to put her family into lockdown mode to protect her immunocompromised preschooler. What she didn’t know was that it would inspire a culinary awakening. Last week, Latimer marked 100 days with no food prepared outside her home, launched a new food blog and celebrated a rapidly growing social media following. Latimer is a corporate recruiter and single mom of three. Her daughter Savannah, 3, was born at just 23 weeks, weighed just over one pound at birth and spent the first four months of her life at Inova Children’s Hospital in Fairfax. Savannah is now a thriving preschooler but she has Chronic Lung Disease and a compro-
mised immune system. To protect Savannah’s health, Latimer made the decision to move her family to only home-cooked meals once stay-at-home orders were announced. And what started as a necessity has turned into a passion. “It has been absolutely my silver lining,” Latimer said. “My daughter’s journey, and my journey, was a testament of its own. Having it manifest into this, where it’s taking me personally to a different level that I never would have done otherwise.” Latimer’s older son Isaiah, 18, is a student at the University of Kentucky. Like so many Loudoun college students, Isaiah came home for spring break in March and didn’t go back to college in person. 8-yearold son Azariah is a rising third grader. “I let my kids know we weren’t going to be eating any outside food. No takeout, no pizza, no hamburgers,” Latimer said. That meant it was time for Latimer to start getting creative in the kitchen, finding easy but tasty meals for her family—and she realized she loved it. Latimer started picture journaling and sharing photos on social media April 1. It was initially a way to simply document the
experience. But Facebook friends were so impressed, they urged her to start a blog. With limited grocery runs as part of her family’s health protocol, a big part of quarantine cooking is using what’s on hand and adapting, Latimer said. This means finding great recipes on Pinterest and getting creative with her own. “That’s where so many of my creations come from—taking whatever I have in my pantry and my freezer,” Latimer said. The result has been dozens of impressive recipes from shrimp and Old Bay lemon grits to zucchini souffle and a stuffed chicken worthy of a lifestyle magazine. Latimer also has a knack for fun beverages—from coffee to cocktails. Her Bleu Honeydew Margarita, made with fresh honeydew melon, is a refreshing summer favorite. Latimer started out posting on social media for fun but quickly racked up followers: she now has nearly 500 on Instagram and more than 800 on Facebook. Last week, Latimer took things to the next level, launching an LLC and starting a blog. Moving from pretty pictures on Instagram to becoming a full-on food blogger was inspired by Michelle Obama’s “BeLONDA'S LAB continues on page 24
July 4th at Bluemont Vineyards Saturday, July 4, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Bluemont Vineyard, 18755 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont Details: bluemontvineyard.com Celebrate with Bluemont Vineyard wines by the bottle, seasonal sangria, wine slushies and bomb pop sparklers. The food truck will be serving local beef burgers and hand-cut fries. The Larry Thomas Duo performs from 4 to 8 p.m.
Rockwell’s ‘Four Freedoms’ Viewing Saturday, July 4, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Dodona Manor, 217 Edwards Ferry Road, NE, Leesburg Details: facebook.com/dodonamanor Dodona Manor opens its doors for a public viewing of four period posters of Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” series. Social distancing measures will be in place.
4th of July at 868 Saturday, July 4, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. 868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro Details: 868estatevineyards.com Celebrate outside with food and wine at this
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Loudoun is Waiting in the Wings & Ready Take the narrow brick alleyway between SideBar and Brick & Mortar in downtown Leesburg, turn right down a flight of stairs, and you’ll find yourself in a chic basement bar straight out of Manhattan: sleek black concrete counter tops, wooden floors, stone walls, banks of glass filled with hundreds of wine bottles. Welcome to Echelon, the new “urban wine bar” from the owners of popular Lost Creek Winery. Starting a business is always a leap of faith but starting a business in the middle of a global pandemic takes another level of belief. “We had planned to open in March, but then the lockdown came, and we switched to doing takeout bottles of wine and pasta dishes,” said owner Aimee Henkle. “But on the plus side, the extra time allowed us to iron out kinks and keep our managers here and at the winery employed!” Echelon’s grand opening was June 25, and along with small plate dishes—the garlic shrimp is a hit—they offer wine by the glass, by the bottle and retail—as in a wine store—with prices 30 percent off the menu cost. “We have 1,200 bottles in our
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family-friendly, dog-friendly event. Pop-up tents are encouraged.
4th of July at White’s Ferry Manor Saturday, July 4, 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. 42476 Whites Ferry Road, Leesburg Details: whitesferrymanor.com This fun all-day event features lunch and dinner for sale, fireworks and live music from David Goodrum starting at 4:30. Reservations are recommended. BYOB.
July 4th at Harpers Ferry Brewing Saturday, July 4, noon-7 p.m. Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Hillsboro Details: facebook.com/harpersferrybrewing The celebration features a crawfish and shrimp boil by Harpers Ferry Taco Truck while supplies last, Kovi Food Truck all day, Hershey’s Ice Cream Truck from noon to 4 p.m. and live music with Rowdy Ace from 1 to 4 p.m.
4th of July at Forever Farm & Vineyard Saturday, July 4, 1-6 p.m. Forever Farm & Vineyard, 15779 Woodgrove Road, Purcellville Details: foreverfarmandvineyard.com Enjoy all-American offerings of Reddi2Eat food truck from 1 to 6 p.m. while listening to the musical talents of Scott Ross from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
cellar, everything from Chateaux Latour to Uruguayan Tannat, as well as multiple Loudoun wineries, not only Lost Creek,” Henkle said. To put the minds of her customers at ease, Henkle was also an early signatory to Loudoun Is Ready, a pledge campaign launched by Loudoun Economic Development, Visit Loudoun and the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce to prepare local businesses and consumers as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. Participants— restaurants, wineries, gyms, hotels and more—pledge to meet government safety guidelines and in return receive a Loudoun Is Ready sticker, campaign button, and a listing on Loudounisready.com. Another new business—and Loudoun Is Ready signatory—is set to open in downtown Middleburg in July. The brainchild of chef and master sommelier Jarad Slipp, Knead Wine is a boutique retail wine shop with a twist: Slipp will be making and selling gourmet pizza to-go, along with bottles of Pinot, Cab and Chablis he has sourced from lesser known wine regions across the world. “We fell in love with Middleburg and
LOCO LIVE Live Music: Mark Cullinane Friday, July 3, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Hillsboro Details: facebook.com/harpersferrybrewing Acoustic country and classic rock from a local favorite.
Live Music: Chris Bone Friday, July 3, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro Details: old690.com Groovy Americana from western Loudoun’s favorite one-man band.
Live Music: Just South of 7 Friday, July 3, 7 p.m. 14 Loudoun, 14 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg Details: facebook.com/14loudoun Kick off the holiday weekend with spirited guitardriven rock, rhythm and blues.
Live Music: Ricardo Marlow and R.J. Uebersezig Friday, July 3, 7 p.m. Black Walnut Brewery, 212 S. King St., Leesburg Details: facebook.com/blackwalnutbrewery Fabulous flamenco guitar, rhythm and vocals from two world class musicians.
Live Music: River Driven Band Friday, July 3, 7 p.m. B Chord Brewing, 34266 Williams Gap Road, Round Hill
Courtesy of Visit Loudoun
Courtesy of Visit Loudoun
Chef and Master Sommelier Jarad Slipp is serving up gourmet pizza at his new Knead Wine shop in Middleburg.
The owners of popular Lost Creek Winery opened the Echelon wine bar last week in downtown Leesburg.
Loudoun through its wineries,” said Hospitality Director Allie Nault. “There was never a question of us not opening. Now, with Loudoun Is Ready, we’re raring to go.” Over in eastern Loudoun, meanwhile, Asian food fans will be raring to sample the delights of Lee Tai Tai, the sleek new 148-seat Belmont Chase restaurant of vet-
eran chef and developer, Michael Lee. “Things happen,” Lee said of the emergency measures of lockdown. “But people always have to eat, and when we are allowed to open properly, we will feed them something wonderful.” n
Details: bchordbrewing.com Get mellow with Grateful Dead tunes and great American jams along with fun originals from Front Royal.
Live Music: Bill Rose and Laurie Blue Friday, July 3, 8 p.m. King’s Tavern and Wine Bar, 19 S. King St., Leesburg Details: kingstavernandwinebar.com The tavern’s First Friday duo is back with acoustic rock covers and originals.
Live Music: Lee Jones Saturday, July 4, 2 p.m. Otium Cellars, 18050 Tranquility Road, Purcellville Details: facebook.com/otiumcellars Celebrate the Fourth with great vocals on guitar, banjo and ukulele from Lee Jones.
Live Music: Damion Wolfe Saturday, July 4, 2 p.m. Maggie Malick Wine Caves, 12138 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro Details: maggiemalickwinecaves.com Acoustic alternative, pop and folk from across the Potomac.
Live Music: Something’s Brewing Saturday, July 4, 6-9 pm. Bear Chase Brewing Company, 18294 Blue Ridge Mountain Road, Bluemont Details: bearchasebrew.com Classic rock, pop and folk, old and new from some of the area’s best musicians.
Live Music: Justin Trawick and the Common Good Saturday, July 4, 7 p.m.
Courtesy of Justin Trawick
B Chord Brewing, 34266 Williams Gap Road, Round Hill Details: bchordbrewing.com Trawick has been getting national attention for his quarantine concerts. Now’s your chance to catch him in person with his full band serving up their unique twist on Americana. No cover.
Live Music: Gary Smallwood Sunday, July 5, 1-5 p.m. Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro Details: doukeniewinery.com Relax with a solo acoustic show from Loudoun legend Gary Smallwood.
Live Music: Wayne Snow Sunday, July 5, 2 p.m. 868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro Details: 868estatevineyards.com Unwind after the Fourth with indie, folk, pop and rock from Shepherdstown’s Wayne Snow.
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Londa’s lab continued from page 22 coming” documentary, Latimer said. “Right after I watched it, I went online and I made my logo, and that’s when I started my blog. I was like, I’ve got to do it and I’ve got to do it now or I’ll never do it,” Latimer said. “[Obama] worked her way to where she is and it’s such an inspiring story. I know there are people watching me and my story. If I can inspire someone else, I want to pass it on.” Latimer launched her blog June 24— her 100th day of cooking at home. Older son Isaiah helped her come up with the name Londa’s Laboratory. “One day he came up and I was blending and it was kind of like coming into a construction site. He was like, ‘Mom every time I come up here, you’re creating something—it’s like your lab or something.’” Latimer wanted to build a creative but user-friendly blog with healthy, tasty, not too complicated recipes for busy parents like herself. One priority was ditching the seemingly unending narrative that many food bloggers indulge in before getting to a recipe. “The one thing I decided to take away from my blog is the five, six, seven, eight paragraphs before you actually get to the recipe,” Latimer said. Latimer’s focus is on great recipes and gorgeous photos, all her own work. She’s adding Zoom demos and tutorials to the site.
For the Latimers, like so many families, self-isolation has presented challenges. Savannah’s immune system has improved as she’s gotten older, and she was able to start preschool this year. And Latimer was just starting to let down her guard before COVID hit. “I had just begun to take an exhale,” Latimer said. “I didn’t have to be such a mother hen.” The onset of COVID has meant a return to the kind of vigilance the family had gotten used to when Savannah got home from the hospital as an infant. Latimer is working hard to make meals at home fun for her kids—preparing “restaurant-ish” meals so they don’t miss old favorites. She’s recreating fast food chicken sandwiches and fancy coffee drinks from scratch and is on a quest to create the perfect breakfast smoothie. For Latimer, her time in the kitchen, and the creative outlet the blog and social media pages offer, is an important source of stress relief. “Anyone who knows me knows that when I’m upset, I clean. When I’m happy I cook,” she said. “I’m already a homebody by default, but my kitchen is like my sanctuary. I tell Alexa to put on music, and I’m in my zone.” n To check out the Londa’s Laboratory blog, go to londaslaboratory.com. Fans can also follow Latimer on Facebook facebook.com/ londaslaboratory and on Instagram @londaslaboratory.
JULY 2020
On Newstands in July
Reopening with Open Spaces
JULY 2, 2020
Wenzel Releases COVID-inspired ‘Healing Heart’ Like many of Loudoun’s singer-songwriters, Ken Francis Wenzel’s life on the performance stage came to a sudden halt in mid-March. The COVID-19 shutdown closed down the wineries and breweries where he’d typically be playing weekend shows. As Loudoun’s entertainment scene begins its revival, Wenzel emerges from quarantine with a new gift for his audiences. His latest single, “Healing Hearts,” was inspired by life during the pandemic and the strength of the community in fighting through—together. The lyrics became still more poignant as protesters took to the streets seeking to end racial injustice. In the song, the singer laments the deserted streets, learning how to make masks, working to stretch a budget, and the isolation felt by so many. But the chorus celebrates the strong feeling of community that emerged as neighbors work to help each other through the
crisis. Wenzel said the song came to him during the last weekend in April. After playing it a few times during his livestream shows and porch concerts, he headed to Mark Williams’ Sucker Punch Recording Studios in Bethesda, MD, and quickly knocked it out. Friends, including Tommy Gann, on keyboards, recorded parts from their home studios to lay in. “Healing Heart” is available on streaming sites and a video can be viewed on YouTube. n Learn more at kenwenzelmusic.com.
Obituaries David Lee Dodds David Lee Dodds, 83, of Leesburg, Virginia passed away peacefully at his home on June 28, 2020 after an extended battle with Alzheimer’s. David was born February 26, 1937 in Anacostia, Washington, D.C, the only child of Dee L. Dodds and Rose Mary Sebastian Dodds. He graduated from Anacostia High School in 1955 and then served honorably in the United States Navy in both active duty and the reserves for 12 years as a jet engine mechanic. Following the Navy, David worked as a field engineer for the Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO) for 39 years. He married Catherine Whipple, the love of his life, on July 1, 1967 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. David is survived by his wife, Catherine, his four daughters, Katherine (Thomas) Trask of Leesburg, VA; Beverley (Aaron) Hansen
LoudounNow To place an obituary, contact Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or email: sstyer@loudounnow.com
of Lake Forest, CA; Alicia (Erik) Martini of Arlington, VA; and Mary Lea (Michael) Marrow of Quakertown, PA, and his seven grandchildren, Morgen, Noah, Gwendolyn, Celia, Ian, Willa, and Kailey. David was a resident of Leesburg, VA for over 50 years, during which time he was an active member of St. John’s R.C. church and a leader in the Leesburg Host Lions Club, serving as President and in other leadership roles over his 40 active years in the organization. In his free time, David loved to garden, travel extensively, and spend time with his friends and family. His garden was admired widely and was the sight of many happy gatherings with friends and family. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to the Leesburg Host Lions Club at 115 Queen St. NE Leesburg, VA 20176 to honor David’s memory. For funeral service information please visit https://www.loudounfuneralchapel.com/. David will be interred at Leesburg Union Cemetery in Leesburg, Virginia.
Lives are like rivers: Eventually they go where they must, not where we want them to.
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Obituaries Rena Mae Baker Rena M. Baker, 69, died on Friday, June 19th, 2020 at her Lovettsville, VA home with her Husband and youngest child by her side. After a long-time battle with cancer, her family deemed her as “Wonder Woman,” after being given 6 months to live with colon cancer 13 years ago, and again 5 years ago with uterine cancer. While she succumbed to cancer in the end, we agree that for 13 years, she told that cancer who was boss. Rena was born on July 10, 1950 in Oakland, CA to Robert Wilson and Darlynne Vaughn (Ford) Bishop. Moving around from place to place as the daughter of a Navy Chief, she moved across the street from the Baker Family during High School in Warren, NJ. She used to watch “the boy across the street” fix his car and vowed that one day she would marry him. That boy joined the Air Force and upon returning home 4 years later, they were reunited, and he took her to her Junior Prom “as friends.” Later that year, Harold Owen Baker III and Rena Mae Bishop were engaged. Rena graduated from Watchung Hills Regional High School in 1968, and she and Harold married on July 27th, 1968, just 17 days after her 18th birthday. Harold and Rena celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a surprise party thrown by their children in 2018, and with a special certificate from the Pope. Passing just shy of their 52nd wedding anniversary, she and Harold were inseparable until the end, having just traveled on a 3 week cross country trip across the United States in their Pop-Up Camper months prior, and had just spent a week in Hawaii a few weeks prior to her recent relapse. Although she held many jobs over the years, Rena’s favorite occupation, and one that she proudly proclaimed was, “homemaker.” Blessed with four children, Rena spent years as a room mother at school for all four children, as the team mom for various sports teams, as a Girl Scout Leader for both girls over 8 years, and was always willing to chip in when needed. She spent 6 years as an elected School Board Member in Alpha, NJ, and was selected as Alpha Youth Athletic Association’s, “Woman of the Year” for her volunteer efforts. Amidst her involvement in her children’s activities, Rena was also an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary. As a member for 46 years, Harold and Rena were active members of John Dolak Post
446 in Alpha, NJ, Spotsylvania Post 320 in Spotsylvania, VA, and Post 104 in Appomattox, VA. Upon moving in with their daughter in Lovettsville, VA, Harold and Rena also worked tirelessly alongside their daughter and son-in-law as Founders of Lovettsville American Legion Post/Unit 1836, where Rena served as the Founding and Current Unit President. During her years of service, Rena also served as District President for multiple districts, served as a Committeewoman for many Department (state) committees, served as Historian for the Department of Virginia and served as Department Vice President. The American Legion Family was near and dear to Rena’s heart. Rena is predeceased by her parents, Robert and Darlynne Bishop, her brother, Allan Bishop (Michelle), and her sister, Orena Sturm (Frank). She is survived by her siblings, Robert Bishop (Carol), Zena Freeman (Gordon), and Gerry Bishop (Kathy). Harold and Rena were blessed with four children, David R. Baker (Carmela), Joseph Scott “Stump” Baker (Ann), Sarah M. Hardy (David), and Elizabeth “Lizzy” R. Fontaine (Nate). Harold and Rena have 12 Grandchildren, Alyssha Trahey, Dustin Trahey (Aisra), Jessica Harris, Shannon Weltner (Paul), Lindsay Baker, Zachary Harris, Kimberly Baker, James Hardy, Faith Hardy, Grace Fontaine, Joseph S. Baker Jr., and Austin Fontaine, along with 5 Great-Grandchildren, Dominic Trahey, Joseph Sylvia, Alana Sylvia, Lydia Weltner and Kevin Weltner. Rena will always be remembered for her love and dedication to God and Country, to her family, and to her community. She was a proud member of St. James the Greater Catholic Church in Charles Town, WV. She could always be counted on for a warm cup of coffee, and the best cheesecake around. Her favorite things included camping with her Husband, playing with her grandchildren, eating breakfast at Bonnie’s Country Kitchen in Lovettsville, Hallmark movies and watching the Bachelor on Monday nights. She was an avid crafter, and seamstress, and dedicated her final years to ancestry.com. She loved everyone, loved to laugh, lived life to the fullest, and will be greatly missed by all. A funeral mass will be held at St. James the Greater Catholic Church in Charles Town, WV at 2:00pm on Thursday, July 2nd followed by a reception at the Lovettsville Game Protection Association in Lovettsville, VA. In lieu of flowers, Rena has requested that donations be made to Capital Caring Hospice.
Eleanor Louise Costello Hazel Eleanor Louise Costello Hazel of Broad Run, VA died peacefully at her home, surrounded by her loving family, on June 25 after a lengthy illness. The daughter of Thurman Oliver Costello and Esther Louisa Virts Costello, Mrs. Hazel was born at Clover Hill Farm in Waterford, Virginia on February 9, 1933. She and William A. “Bill” Hazel, Sr., were married on April 17, 1954 in the Waterford Presbyterian Church and enjoyed a 58-year marriage. Mr. Hazel later founded William A. Hazel, Inc., now located in Chantilly, Virginia. Raised on a farm and a Fauquier County resident since 1957, Mrs. Hazel served with distinction as a 4-H club leader in Fauquier County for many years instructing crafts and international cooking. Several of her club members went on to win achievement awards at the local, district, and state levels. She was an inductee into the 4-H Hall of Fame and continued to support the Fauquier County 4-H Fair. The Hazels were congregants of the Warrenton Presbyterian Church since 1957 where Mrs. Hazel was a long-time Sunday School teacher. Bill and Eleanor became the second longest attending members of the church. Known for her wit and creativity, Eleanor wrote numerous poems humorously depicting family events including marriages, birthdays and Christmas. She tirelessly drafted thoughtful notes to elderly friends and shut ins. Although she enjoyed travel, her favorite place was home with family. Collectively, the Hazels were known for their dedicated civic involvement in Northern Virginia and throughout the state. Committed to education, Bill and Eleanor Hazel supported numerous colleges and
universities including, locally, George Mason University, Shenandoah University, and Lord Fairfax Community College. Among the secondary schools were Highland, Woodberry Forest, and Flint Hill schools. Mrs. Hazel is predeceased by Mr. Hazel (1935 - 2012), daughter Barbara Joan (1961 - 1963), sister Louisa, brother Thurman Oliver and his wife Jean Douglas Costello, and her brother John Albert Costello. She is survived by her sister-in-law Sue Wenner Costello and five children: Dr. William A. Hazel, Jr. and his wife Cindy of Oakton, VA; his daughters Ruth M. Hazel of Vienna, VA and Jean B. Hazel of Leesburg, VA; his son David L. Hazel of Broad Run and his wife Amanda; and B. Daniel Hazel of The Plains, VA and his wife Leslie. Mrs. Hazel also leaves behind 11 grandchildren: Drew Hazel, Whitney Little, Mrs. Suzanne Rupp and husband Cullen, Jaclyn Little, Christina Benza and husband George, David Little, Catherine Soltesz, Mary Claire Soltesz, Henry Hazel, Andrew Hazel, and Charlie Hazel. Additionally, she departs from her beloved great- grandchildren Bennett, Ellie Grace, and Jack Rupp. The family wishes to thank Mrs. Hazel’s loyal and loving friend Mrs. Alberta W. King, Mrs. Patty Simpson, RN, and the dedicated caregivers charged with sustaining her at home, keeping her safe, and compassionately attending to her well-being. A private celebration of life and interment will be held at Little Georgetown Cemetery near the family farm in Broad Run. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mrs. Hazel’s favorite organizations: Operation Smile Youth for Tomorrow The Fauquier 4-H Club Warrenton Presbyterian Church Online condolences may be made at www. moserfuneralhome.com.
William E. Stewart
Age 81, of Leesburg, Virginia. Departed this life on his ever-cherished cousins, nieces and June 22, 2020. nephews spread throughout the United States. William’s ecosphere of love is encircled by Viewing and visitation will be held his beloved wife of 59 at 10:00 am till time of “Home Going” years, Josie L. Stewart of service 11:00 am on Friday July 3, 2020 at Leesburg, Virginia; his Oak Grove Baptist Church, 22870 Dominadored children, Cloveta ion Lane in Sterling, VA , the Rev. Gregory & Andre McBeth of Miami, Florida, Sonya L. Spurlock, Pastor. Interment will be & Gerard Habimana of Landenberg, Pennheld at Arlington National sylvania, and Donna & Richard Jackson of Cemetery, Arlington, VA. Leesburg, VA; his treasured grandchildren, Arrangements By: Lyles Richard Jackson, Jr of Laurel, Maryland, Funeral Service, Serving Caylin McBeth of Miami, Florida, Kieana Northern Virginia, Eric S. McBeth of Los Angeles, California and Lyles, Director. 1-800-388Briana Jackson of Leesburg, Virginia; and 1913
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JULY 2, 2020
Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2020 in order to consider: AMENDMENTS TO SECTIONS 209 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY Changes to Satellite Absentee Voting Locations Pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 15.2-1427, 24.2-306, 24.2-307, and 24.2-701.2 the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intention to propose for passage amendments to Section 209, Voting Precincts and Polling Places, of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County. The proposed amendment includes the following: 209.56 CENTRAL ABSENTEE VOTER ELECTION PRECINCT: 1. In addition to the Office of the General Registrar the following locations are proposed as satellite absentee/early voting locations; a. Ridgetop Office Building – 21641 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, 20166 b. Dulles South Senior Center – 24950 Riding Center Drive, South Riding, 20152 c. Carver Senior Center – 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville, 20132 For November General Elections the Office of the General Registrar and each satellite location shall be open at a minimum of two Saturdays preceding the election. 2. Additional dates and hours of operation, if any, for the Office of the General Registrar and all satellite absentee voting locations will be determined and published no later than 55 days prior to each November General Election . 3. For all other elections, including Special Elections, Primary Elections, and General Elections in months other than November, the Office of the General Registrar shall be open at a minimum of two Saturday’s preceding the election. Satellite locations to be utilized for the election as well as dates and hours of all absentee voting locations will be determined and published no later than 55 days prior to the election. A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed amendments to Chapter 209 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County and maps showing precinct boundaries and polling places are on file and available for public inspection at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m.. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703777-0200. In addition this information is available for inspection at Loudoun County’s Office of Elections website at www.loudoun.gov/vote.
PROPOSED RESCISSION AND REPEAL OF ORDINANCE ADOPTED ON APRIL 15, 2020 TO ADDRESS CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS DURING COVID 19 PANDEMIC DISASTER On April 15, 2020, the Board of Supervisors, acting pursuant to authority granted by Virginia Code § 15.21413, adopted an Ordinance to Suspend Certain Deadlines and to Modify Public Meeting and Public Hearing Practices and Procedures to Address Continuity of Operations During COVID -19 Pandemic Disaster (“Continuity Ordinance”). In accordance with Virginia Code § 15.2-1427(D), the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intention to rescind and repeal the Continuity Ordinance effective September 1, 2020. Upon the effective date of the proposed rescission and repeal, the County of Loudoun, the Board of Supervisors and other public entities within the County would resume the normal practices and procedures of government, as required by Virginia Code § 15.2-1413. A complete copy of the full text of the proposed ordinance rescinding and repealing the Continuity Ordinance is on file and available for public inspection in the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call (703) 777-0200 to request hard copies or electronic copies. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun. gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).
PROPOSED CONVEYANCE OF COUNTY OWNED PROPERTY FROM BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO BLUE MOUNT NURSERY, INC. The Board of Supervisors on March 11, 2020 previously approved the conveyance of an approximately 0.4537 acre residue parcel located adjacent to and south of Riverside Parkway, as designed, to Blue Mount Nursery, Inc., subject to all easements and right-of-way required for the construction of Riverside Parkway. The residue parcel has been surveyed and platted and the 0.4537 acre residue parcel actually consists of a 0.4248 portion of Tax Map Number /63/D/2////91/ (PIN # 057-49-5583) and a 0.0289 acre portion of Tax Map Number /63/D/2////92/ (PIN # 057-49-6689). The March 11, 2020 action by the Board of Supervisors did not include 0.0289 acre portion of Tax Map Number /63/D/2////92/ (PIN # 057-49-6689). Therefore, the purpose of the public hearing is for the Board to consider the conveyance of the 0.4537 acre residue parcel as correctly described in order to include the 0.0289 acre portion of Tax Map Number /63/D/2////92/ (PIN # 057-49-6689) subject to all easements and right-of-way required for the construction of Riverside Parkway. The property is currently vacant and the proposed conveyance is being considered as partial consideration for Blue Mount Nursery, Inc.’s conveyance of right-of-way and other easements to the County of Loudoun for the construction of Riverside Parkway. The subject property is on the west side of Smith Circle (Route
823) and north of Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7) within the Algonkian Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as being a portion of Tax Map Number /63/D/2////91/ (PIN: 057-495583) and a portion of Tax Map Number /63/D/2////92/ (PIN # 057-49-6689). Copies of the plat(s) illustrating the easement proposed to be granted and associated documents are available for review and may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).
PROPOSED CONVEYANCE OF COUNTY PROPERTY FOR THE NORTHSTAR BOULEVARD (ROUTE 50 TO TALL CEDARS PARKWAY) PROJECT Pursuant to Virginia Code § 15.2-1800, the Board of Supervisors shall consider conveying approximately 30,056 square feet of County owned property to the Commonwealth of Virginia for improvements to Route 50 associated with the Northstar Boulevard (Route 50 to Tall Cedars Parkway) project (“Project”). The Project proposes intersection improvements to include a turn lane from Route 50 southbound onto Northstar Boulevard, and an acceleration lane from Northstar Boulevard eastbound along Route 50. Route 50 in Virginia is part of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT’s) primary system of highways intended to provide regional transportation mobility. As such, VDOT maintains Route 50, and the rights of way for primary highways are owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia (“Commonwealth”). Virginia Code Section 24VAC30-92-130 states that when an existing state maintained road is widened, if the existing right-of-way is titled in the name of the Commonwealth, the additional right of way shall also be deeded to the Commonwealth, consistent with the title of the existing right of way. The right of way associated with Route 50 is titled in the name of the Commonwealth, therefore any additional right of way needed for Route 50 is required to be deeded to Commonwealth. The subject property is located south of Route 50, north of Millstream Drive, and west of the intersection of Stone Springs Boulevard and Route 50 in the Dulles Election District. The subject property to be conveyed is more particularly described as being a portion (0.16787 acres) of Tax Map Number 100////////59B (PIN # 203-15-3714) and a portion (0.52211 acres) of Tax Map Number 100////////50/ (PIN # 204-47-0343). Since the Project is listed as a County transportation project under the Adopted FY 2019 Capital Improvement Program, the County is being asked to waive its right to receive compensation for the right of way being conveyed. Copies of the plat(s) showing the location(s) of the proposed right-of-way conveyance(s) and associated documents are available for review and may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).
PROPOSED RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CONDEMNATION AND “QUICK TAKE” OF FEE SIMPLE RIGHT OF WAY AND TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT EASEMENTS ON THE PROPERTY OF: 41887 Mosby Properties LLC and 41859 Mosby Properties LLC Pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-1901 et seq., and Chapter 3 of Title 25.1 (Sections 25.1-300 et seq.), the Board of Supervisors shall consider the adoption of a resolution approving a proposed public use and directing the acquisition of real property for such public use by condemnation (eminent domain) and authorizing entry onto the acquired property to initiate construction before the conclusion of the condemnation proceedings. The subject property consists of portions of two (2) parcels located along the south side of John Mosby Highway (Route 50) in Aldie, Virginia, Dulles Election District, of Loudoun County, Virginia. The subject property is proposed to be used for public street right-of-way, drainage easements, temporary construction easements, and utility easements required for the Project. The property to be acquired is more particularly described as follows: Property to be acquired from 41887 Mosby Properties LLC: Approximately 17,254 square feet of fee simple right of way; 737 square feet for a temporary construction easement, 4,438 square feet for a permanent storm drain easement; 4,105 square feet for a Verizon easement; and 11,999 square feet for a Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) easement;
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Legal Notices all located on the property of 41887 Mosby Properties LLC, which is more particularly described as a portion of PIN 203-15-7708. Property to be acquired from 41859 Mosby Properties LLC: Approximately 38,368 square feet of fee simple right of way; 6,734 square feet for a temporary construction easement; 5,920 square feet for a permanent storm drainage easement; 512 square feet for a Loudoun Water easement; 7,761 square feet for a NOVEC easement; and 4,647 square feet in fee simple for an uneconomic remnant; all located on the property of 41859 Mosby Properties LLC, which is more particularly described as a portion of PIN # 204-45-3260. A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed resolution, as well as a plat and vicinity maps serving to further identify the subject property, is on file and available for review and may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200 to request hard copies or electronic copies. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).
ORDINANCE TO DECLARE A BLIGHTED PROPERTY TO CONSTITUTE A NUISANCE AND TO ORDER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SPOT BLIGHT ABATEMENT PLAN 20576 ASHBURN ROAD (PIN: 085-47-1204) Pursuant to Chapter 650 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County, Loudoun County Government Administrative Policies and Procedures Number PZ-01 entitled “Blight Abatement Program”, and Virginia Code §§ 15.2-900, 15.2-1427, and 36-49.1:1, the Board of Supervisors hereby provides notice of its intention to propose for passage an ordinance to declare a blighted property to constitute a nuisance and order the implementation of a spot blight abatement plan generated by the Department of Planning and Zoning recommending the demolition and removal of such blighted property. The subject blighted property is located at 20576 Ashburn Road, Ashburn, Virginia, in the Broad Run Election District, and is more particularly identified as PIN: 085-47-1204. The Department of Planning and Zoning issued a Notice of Preliminary Determination of blighted property on August 5, 2019, and the property owner failed to timely submit and/or implement an acceptable spot blight abatement plan. Any costs incurred by the County under the spot blight abatement plan for the demolition and removal of the blighted property shall be a lien on the blighted property that shall bear interest at the legal rate of interest established in Code of Virginia § 6.2-301, as amended, beginning on the date that such demolition and removal is completed through the date on which the lien is paid. On December 11, 2019, this matter was heard by the Board of Supervisors and was continued to the July 15, 2020, Public Hearing in order to allow the owner to either sell the property or obtain historic designation.
ZRTD-2020-0001 BUSINESS COURT
(Zoning Conversion in the Route 28 Taxing District) Pilot Virginia LLC c/o Sackman Enterprises Inc. of New York, New York, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 8.14 acres from the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the 1993 Zoning Ordinance to PD-IP under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, in order to permit all principal and accessory uses permitted in the PD-IP zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance at a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.6 (up to 1.0 by Special Exception). The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District, within the Route 28 Optional Overlay District, and within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, between the Ldn 60-65 aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 8.14 acres in size and is located west of Pacific Boulevard (Route 1036), on the west side of Business Court (Route 1037) and east side of Underwood Lane (Route 866) at 45195 Business Court, Sterling, Virginia, in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 046-38-6144. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Employment Place Type)), which supports a broad array of employment uses at a recommended FAR of up to 1.0.
ZRTD-2019-0006 DIGITAL STERLING PREMIERE
(Zoning Conversion in the Route 28 Taxing District) Digital Sterling Premiere LLC., of San Francisco, California, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 22.07 acres from the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the 1972 Zoning Ordinance, 1993 Zoning Ordinance and Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, to the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, in order to develop all principal and accessory uses permitted in the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance at a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.6 (up to 1.0 by Special Exception). The subject properties are located within the Route 28 Tax District, Corridor Office (CO) Optional Overlay and partially within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, between the 60 and 65 Ldn noise contour and also partially within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contours. The subject properties are approximately 22.07 acres in size and are located on the east side of Pacific Boulevard (Route 1036), on the west side of Sully Road (Route 28) and north of South Sterling Boulevard (Route 846) in the Broad Run Election District. The subject properties are more particularly described as follows:
PIN
PROPERTY ADDRESS
045-29-9249
N/A
045-39-6350
N/A
045-39-6211
N/A
045-49-8712
22590 Relocation Drive, Sterling, Virginia
The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Employment Place Type)), which supports a broad array of Employment uses at a recommended FAR of up to 1.0.
SPEX-2019-0028 ROLLINS PROPERTY (Special Exception)
Robert B. Rollins, III of Middleburg, Virginia, has submitted an application for a Special Exception to permit a data center use in the CLI (Commercial Light Industry) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Section 3904(CC). The subject property is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, within the Ldn 65 or higher and between the Ldn 60-65 aircraft noise contours, and is also located within the QN (Quarry Notification) Overlay District – Chantilly Crush Stone Note Area. The subject property is approximately 9.55 acres in size and is located on the south side of John Mosby Highway (Route 50) and the north side of Eastgate View Drive (Route 3010), at 43735 and 43743 John Mosby Highway, Chantilly, Virginia, in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 09736-1753. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Commercial Place Type)), which designates this area for larger format retail Commercial establishments and smaller Commercial establishments within a “main street” style environment.
ZMAP-2018-0015, SPEX-2018-0037 & SPEX-2018-0038 JK TECHNOLOGY PARK #1 (Zoning Map Amendment Petition and Special Exceptions)
JK Land Holdings of Sterling, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) To rezone approximately 71.56 acres from the R-1 (Residential–1 ), CR-1 (Countryside Residential–1), PD-GI (Planned Development – General Industry), and PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning districts under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to permit the development of all principal and accessory uses permitted in the PD-IP zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance at a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.60 (up to 1.0 by Special Exception); 2) A Special Exception to permit an increase to the maximum FAR from 0.60 to 1.0; and 3) A Special Exception to permit an increase to the maximum lot coverage from 0.45 to 0.60. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and the proposed uses are listed as Special Exception uses under Section 4506(A) and (C). The subject property is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, within the Ldn 65 or higher and between the Ldn 60-65 aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 71.56 acres in size and is located south of Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621) and north of Racefield Lane (Route 877) in the Blue Ridge election district. The subject property is more particularly described as follows: PIN
PROPERTY ADDRESS
202-28-5740
N/A
202-18-8046
N/A
202-26-0981
N/A
202-17-7155
N/A
202-19-2262
41567 Briarfield Lane, Aldie, Virginia
202-29-1015
N/A
202-19-0181
N/A
The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Neighborhood Place Type)), which support primarily Single-Family Residential uses with limited supportive Retail and Service uses at recommended densities of four dwelling units per acre (du/ ac), up to 6 du/ac for infill development, and FAR of up to 1.0 for Non-Residential uses.
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JULY 2, 2020
Legal Notices ZMAP-2019-0008, ZCPA-2019-0014, SPEX-2019-0015, SPEX-2019-0017, ZMOD-2019-0015, ZMOD-2019-0016, ZMOD-2019-0017, ZMOD-2019-0018, ZMOD-2019-0019 & ZMOD-2019-0023 BELMONT GREENE REVITALIZATION (Zoning Map Amendment, Zoning Concept Plan Amendment, Special Exceptions & Zoning Modifications)
Belmont Greene Commercial LLC., of Baltimore, Maryland, and Belmont Greene Development LLC., of Baltimore, Maryland, have submitted applications for the following: [ZMAP-2019-0008] (1) To rezone approximately 10.68 acres from the PD-H3 (Planned Development-Housing 3) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-8 ADU (Single Family Residential-8) Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU) Development Regulations (R-8 ADU) under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop 97 Residential units, consisting of a maximum 30 single family detached units, a maximum of 27 single family attached units and a maximum 40 multifamily residential units, at a density of approximately 9.08 dwelling units per acre; [ZCPA-2019-0014] (2) An application to amend the existing Concept Development Plan (CDP) approved with a ZCPA-2003-0001, Belmont Greene, in order to modify setbacks along Belmont Ridge Road; and [SPEX-2019-0015 and SPEX-2019-0017] (2) two Special Exceptions to permit the modification of the minimum yard requirements for ADU developments in the R-8 ADU zoning district, and to permit an approximately 5,000 square foot Automobile Service Station. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Section 4-204(B).
Reduce the minimum rear yard from 25 feet to 10 feet. §7-803(C)(1)(c) R-8 Single Family Residential District, Lot and Building Requirements, Yards, And Single family detached, suburban and traditional, Rear. Eliminate the minimum rear yard requirement for accessory structures. Reduce the minimum front yard from 15 feet to 5 feet.
§7-803(C)(2)(a) R-8 Single Family Residential District, Lot and Building Requirements, Yards, And Single family attached units, Front. Eliminate the minimum front yard requirement for accessory structures. Reduce the minimum side yard from 8 feet to 5 feet.
§7-803(C)(2)(b) R-8 Single Family Residential District, Lot and Building Requirements, Yards, And Single family attached units, Side. Eliminate the minimum side yard requirement for accessory structures
The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s): ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION
PROPOSED MODIFICATION
§1-205(A) Interpretation of Ordinance, Limitations Allow single family detached structures to be and Methods for Measurements of Lots, Yards and erected on lots having frontage on a Class III road Related Terms, Lot Access Requirements. within the R-8 ADU zoning district. §3-511(A) R-8 Single Family Residential, Allow single family detached structures to be Development Setback and Access from Major erected on lots having frontage on a Class III Road Roads, Private Streets. within the R-8 (ADU) district. §4-205(C)(1)(b) PD-CC Planned Development Reduce building and parking setbacks from 35 feet - Commercial Center, Lot Requirements, Yards, to 30 feet adjacent to Portsmouth Boulevard. Adjacent to Roads, Community Center (CC). §7-803(B)(1) R-8 Single Family Residential Reduce the minimum required lot width for single District, Lot and Building Requirements, Lot family detached structures from 40 feet to 30 feet. width, Single family detached, suburban. Reduce the minimum required building and parking setbacks along Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659), as follows: Within the R-8 ADU Zoning District, decrease the §5-1403(B) Landscaping Buffer Yards, Screening, building setback to 70 feet and Landscape Plans. Road Corridor Buffer and Setbacks Matrix, Other Arterial Roads And In the PD-H3 administered as PD-CC(CC) Zoning District, decrease the building setback to 80 feet and the parking setback to 35 feet §5-1404(A) & (B) Buffering and Screening, Buffer Yard and Screening Matrix, Buffer Yard.
Reduce and/or eliminate the Buffer Requirements between dissimilar uses along the R-8 ADU and PD-H3 Boundary
The modification of the lot and building requirements for affordable dwelling unit developments is authorized by Special Exception under Section 7-803, pursuant to which the Applicant requests the following Zoning Ordinance modifications: ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION
Reduce the minimum rear yard from 15 feet to 10 feet.
§7-803(C)(2)(c) R-8 Single Family Residential District, Lot and Building Requirements, Yards, And Single family attached units, Rear. Eliminate the minimum rear yard requirement for accessory structures. Reduce the minimum front yard from 20 feet to 5 feet.
§7-803(C)(3)(a) R-8 Single Family Residential District, Lot and Building Requirements, Yards, And Multi-family structures, Front. Eliminate the minimum front yard requirement for accessory structures. Reduce the minimum side yard from 10 feet to 5 feet. §7-803(C)(3)(b) R-8 Single Family Residential District, Lot and Building Requirements, Yards, And Multi-family structures, Side. Eliminate the minimum side yard requirement for accessory structures. Reduce the minimum rear yard from 25 feet to 15 feet.
§7-803(C)(3)(c) R-8 Single Family Residential District, Lot and Building Requirements, Yards, And Multi-family structures, Rear. Eliminate the minimum rear yard requirement for accessory structures. The property is located entirely within the Quarry Notification (QN) Overlay District - Luck Note Area. The subject property is approximately 22.73 acres in size and is located east of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659) and south of Portsmouth Boulevard (Route 1937) in the Ashburn Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows: PIN
PROPERTY ADDRESS
PROPOSED MODIFICATION
152-19-4543
N/A
Reduce the minimum front yard for from 15 feet to 5 feet.
152-20-2382
N/A
§7-803(C)(1)(a) R-8 Single Family Residential District, Lot and Building Requirements, Yards, And Single family detached, suburban and traditional, Front. Eliminate the minimum front yard requirement for accessory structures.
152-10-2961
N/A
152-20-4210
42920 Piccadilly Plaza, Ashburn, VA
152-20-4348
N/A
Reduce the minimum side yard from 8 feet to 5 feet.
§7-803(C)(1)(b) R-8 Single Family Residential District, Lot and Building Requirements, Yards, And Single family detached, suburban and traditional, Side. Eliminate the minimum side yard requirement for accessory structures.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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JULY 2, 2020
PAGE 29
Legal Notices The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)) which designate this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreational uses at recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0. Unless otherwise noted in the above notices, copies of the above-referenced amendments, applications, ordinances, and/or plans and related documents may be examined by request at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. This link also provides an additional opportunity for public input on active applications. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”). In addition, for detailed instructions on how to access documents using LOLA, to request that documents be emailed to you, to receive physical copies of documents, or to arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email DPZ@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246 (option 5). All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, members of the public are encouraged to view and/or participate in the public hearing
electronically. Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23, Open Band Channel 40 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/webcast. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. Instructions for remote participation will be forwarded to all individuals who sign-up in advance. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on July 2, 2020, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on July 15, 2020. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing. Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings. BY ORDER OF:
PHYLLIS RANDALL, CHAIRMAN LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
07/02 & 07/09/20
TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 15.2-1800; 15.2-2100 et seq., notice is hereby given that the Town Council of the Town of Leesburg, Virginia, will hold a public hearing on:
Tuesday, July 14, 2020, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA
TOWN OF LEESBURG, VIRGINIA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) VETERANS PARK AT BALLS BLUFF ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES RFP NO. 21203-FY20-53 The Town of Leesburg is accepting proposals from qualified engineering firms to provide engineering design services for the Veterans Park at Balls Bluff project. Proposals must be submitted to the Town of Leesburg, Procurement Division, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176, no later than 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 21, 2020. All proposals must indicate RFP title, number and submittal date on the external shipping material. All questions regarding this RFP must be received in writing by email at CapitalBidQuestions@leesburgva.gov until but no later than 5:00 P.M. on Thursday, July 9, 2020. Interested offerors may download a copy of the RFP from the bid board on the Town’s website at http://www. leesburgva.gov/bidboard. Contact Cindy Steyer at 703-737-2302 or csteyer@leesburgva.gov with questions about obtaining these documents. All addenda issued for this project will only be posted on the Town’s bid board and eVA (https://eva.virginia.gov). Renée M. LaFollette, P.E., Director Department of Public Works & Capital Projects 06/25/20
Town of Leesburg Continues Water Valve Exercise and Maintenance Program Public Notification The Town of Leesburg is continuing a preventative maintenance program to protect the longevity and operation of the water system infrastructure and valves. This valve exercise program requires closing, then opening each main line valve and service line valves in specific distribution areas. The purpose of the program is to exercise main line valves throughout the distribution system to assure reliable operation and maintain water quality. During this program, crews will exercise the valves by operating each valve through a full cycle and returning it to its normal position. Where valves are exercised, a fire hydrant will be flowed to ensure that the water in the main remains clear. During the valve turning exercise, customers may experience some sediment or discolored water for a short period of time. Water is safe to drink and safe to use during this period. If this condition is noticed, we recommend running several cold water taps at full force for a period of 1-2 minutes. It may be necessary to repeat this process after 30 minutes. In addition, the closing and opening of valves may introduce air into water lines which can cause temporary erratic water flow. If this occurs, open your cold water tap until a clear steady flow of water is observed. The valve exercising will occur April through November during the hours of 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Town regrets any inconvenience the maintenance program may cause. If you have any questions regarding our valve exercising program, or have any concerns about water quality, please call the Utilities Department at 703-737-7075. For after-hour emergencies, please call the Leesburg Police Department at 703-771-4500. 6/4, 6/11, 6/18, 6/25, 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23 & 7/30/20
to consider the adoption of the following ordinance: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE A GROUND LEASE AGREEMENT GRANTING THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT AND PRIVILEGE TO LEASE A MAXIMUM OF 2,500 SQUARE FEET OF LAND OWNED BY THE TOWN OF LEESBURG AND LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING FUEL TANK FARM ON THE LEESBURG EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, LEESBURG, VIRGINIA, AND PRESCRIBING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS PERTAINING TO SUCH GRANT. As set forth in Town of Leesburg Invitation for Bid (IFB) number 100710-FY20-49 and Addendum No. 1 thereto, the public is invited to submit bids in writing for the franchise, right, privilege and lease proposed by this ordinance. The proposed term shall be a grant of 20 years. All bids must be in writing and must be submitted not later than 3:00 p.m., on July 14, 2020, to the Town of Leesburg, Procurement Division, 25 W. Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176. 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 reasonable 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. 7/2 & 7/9/2020
LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS FOR: POINT OF SALES (POS) AND PRINT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, RFP No. 251782 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, July 27, 2020. 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. 7/02/2020
ABC LICENSE Knead Wine LLC, trading as Knead Wine, 5 W Washington St, Middleburg, VA 20117 The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine and Beer On and Off Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Jarad Slipp, Managing Member Note: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200. 06/25 & 07/02/20
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PAGE 30
Legal Notices ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316
Case No.: JJ044071-03-00; 04-00; 05-00; 06-00; 07-00 ,
Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Abigail Rivera Hernandez Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v. Nelson Bismarck Rivera Espinoza, putative father, Rosibel Hernandez Zepeda, mother, Unknown Father, and; Unknown Mother The object of this suit is a permanency planning hearing and review of foster care plan with goal of adoption pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1281 for Abigail Rivera Hernandez and Petitions for Termination of Parental Rights of: Nelson Bismarck Rivera Espinoza, putative father; Rosibel Hernandez Zepeda, putative mother; Unknown Father; and Unknown Mother, pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-283, pertaining to minor child Abigail Rivera Hernandez. The following: Nelson Bismarck Rivera Espinoza; Rosibel Hernandez Zepeda; the Unknown Father; and Unknown Mother are hereby notified that failure to appear on the hereinafter noticed date and time may result in the entry of an Order approving a permanency goal of adoption as well as the termination of their residual parental rights with respect to Abigail Rivera Hernandez. Nelson Bismarck Rivera Espinoza, Rosibel Hernandez Zepeda, the Unknown Father, and the Unknown Mother are hereby each further notified that if their residual parental rights are terminated, they will no longer have any legal rights with respect to said minor child, including, but not limited to, the right to visit Abigail Rivera Hernandez; any authority with respect to the care and supervision of Abigail Rivera Hernandez; or the right to make health related decisions or determine the religious affiliation of Abigail Rivera Hernandez. Further, Nelson Bismarck Rivera Espinoza, Rosibel Hernandez Zepeda, the Unknown Father and the Unknown Mother will have no legal and /or financial obligations with respect to Abigail Rivera Hernandez, and the Department of Family Services of Loudoun County, Virginia may be granted the authority to place Abigail Rivera Hernandez for adoption and consent to the adoption of Abigail Rivera Hernandez. It is ORDERED that the defendants: Nelson Bismarck Rivera Espinoza, putative father; Rosibel Hernandez Zepeda, putative mother; Unknown Father; and Unknown Mother appear at the above-named Court to protect their interests on or before August 12, 2020 at 3:00 pm. 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, & 7/23/20
JULY 2, 2020
Resource Directory
ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316
Case No.:
JJ039941-19-00 , Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Andy Anthony Alas Loudoun County Department of Family Services The object of this suit is to hold a foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-282.2 for Andy Anthony Alas. It is ORDERED that the defendant, Maria Alas, mother (aka Maria Luisa Alas), Enoch Rivera, stepfather; and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect their interests on or before July 14, 2020 at 2:00 pm. 6/18, 6/25, 7/2 & 7/9/20
ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316
Case No.:
JJ039889-06-00 , Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Karley Bryner-Kerr Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v. Michael Smith, putative father The object of this suit is to hold a permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Karley Bryner-Kerr. It is ORDERED that Michael Smith putative father appear at the above-named Court and protect his interests on or before July 21, 2020 at 2:00 pm. 6/11, 6/18, 6/25 & 7/2/20
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PAGE 32
JULY 2, 2020
Opinion Setting A Vision Once again, the Leesburg Town Council is struggling with whether it should take control of the former Westpark golf course property as a public asset. Last year, the council debated whether it was worth the trade-off of increased residential density to acquire the property for free. Now, they are faced with the option to purchase the property under the condition that it be preserved as community open space. Both times offers were on the table, it was unclear whether the council saw merit in making any investment into the property as a public recreation space. That also was true when another developer offered to turn over the deed to the Olde Izaak Walton Park to the town, which had been leasing the land. That transaction did go through, but it wasn’t enthusiastically embraced by town leaders. A fundamental problem is that the town lacks a plan for providing parks services to residents in that area of town. For decades, the town has largely focused its recreation investments in the northern quadrants, including the keystone Ida Lee Park. That northern focus was part of the town’s Comprehensive 20-Year Parks, Recreation, Open Space, Trails, and Greenway Master Plan, which provided an innovative road map for meeting residents’ recreation needs during the town’s rapid growth. Unfortunately, that 20-year plan was adopted 18 years ago. While the plan is out of date today, its architects at the time did note the need to preserve open spaces in the southwest as development occurs on large tracts. Interestingly, the plan also suggested the town consider “opportunities to reuse and expand the user population for existing golf courses (e.g., to convert a currently private course to one owned by and serving the public) may provide a source of revenue generation for the town if the location and quality of the facility were optimal.” The town’s Parks and Recreation Commission was asked to weigh in on the Westpark opportunities last fall when the developer’s deal was on the table and recommended the council accept the gift of parkland should they approve the requested rezoning. The question shouldn’t have stopped there. Rather than react to proposals from others, town leader should have a clear vision for how to best serve the recreation needs of those residents and let that dictate whether the Westpark property is suited to help meet them. That doesn’t have to be a long process, but the question should not remain unanswered even if this opportunity falls off the table for a second time. n
Norman K. Styer, Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.com Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC 15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176 PO Box 207 • Leesburg, VA 20178 703-770-9723
EDITORIAL Renss Greene, Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com
LETTERS to the Editor No Ideal Scenario Editor: It is my understanding that a group of extremely vocal parents attended the school board meeting to demand 100 percent in-person schooling. I would like to state clearly that there is an equally large and perhaps larger group of parents who disagree with this demand if it does not meet the health and safety needs of children, staff, and administration. The group of parents who appeared at the school board meeting organized a Facebook page where anyone who disagreed with this 100% attendance at school was belittled or dismissed. I believe a number of parents stayed within the group to monitor the discussion but a significant portion of them do not agree with the position being put forward. An alternative Facebook group was formed yesterday, “Loudoun Parents for Evidence-Based Safe Schooling” -overnight it has accumulated almost 2,000 followers.
Jan Mercker, Reporter jmercker@loudounnow.com Kara C. Rodriguez, Reporter krodriguez@loudounnow.com Patrick Szabo, Reporter pszabo@loudounnow.com
As an initial invitee to the first group, I quickly removed myself when I saw the tone and tenor that was being put forward. Parents who expressed concerns about children with health issues were told, “Keep your kid at home.” When concern was expressed for teachers who might be put at risk, the response was, “They can quit.” All of these demands were justified with comments about “children’s mental health” and some additional points that families who survive on hourly wages will be placed in dire situations if their parents cannot return to work full time. While these things are undeniably important, the observable lack of care and concern for those who disagreed with their 100% school position calls into question the genuine nature of the concern for people who are useful to their cause. I am submitting this letter to emphasize that a significant portion of parents in this community want schools to reopen LETTERS continues on page 33
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JULY 2, 2020
Deadline decision continued from page 1 distance learning during the end of the 2020 school year, and beliefs that students are well equipped to handle the virus should they become infected. Meanwhile, vocal teachers pushed for a 100 percent distance learning model, at least to open the school year. They expressed confidence that the distance learning offerings would be far improved compared with the hastily created program put in place last spring. They also worry about the health risks of in-person instruction, to themselves and their families. Surveys conducted last week of parents and teachers reflected that divide. Just over half of parents favored 100 percent in-person learning, almost half of which would
COVID spike continued from page 1 they reported. “We are taking a closer look at these cases to determine what may be causing the increase in COVID-19 among our younger population,” Health Director Dr. David Goodfriend said in the announcement. “I suspect that many teens and young adults are increasingly participating in activities that involve larger gatherings of people, such as beach week and other celebrations, which has increased their exposure to others outside their families.” Many of the cases were traced back to
LETTERS to the Editor continued from page 32
in a safe and responsible manner, and are willing to work with the school to think around the practices and structures that have bound the school to physical locations and set schedules. We will not find an ideal scenario—there is no ideal scenario. There is, however, likely, an effective one if we can let go of trying to impose normalcy on an abnormal situation. I would invite each and every one of us to open our minds to new possibilities and adapt. It is how the human race has made it this far.
— Betsy Scotto-Lavino, Aldie
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PAGE 33
consider opting out of bus transportation. The majority of teachers favored 100 percent distance learning. Many School Board members also said they wished for fulltime in-person classes. However, administrators said, even if a large number of students choose fulltime at-home learning, that option was not possible without ignoring physical distancing guidelines that could limit some classrooms to a few as 10 students. Three members made a push for a fulltime return to the classroom, with Jeff Morse (Dulles) urging administrators to be guided by the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which advocates having all students physically present in school. Those recommendations differ from the positions of local and state health officials and the CDC guidelines. John Beatty (Catoctin) formally pro-
posed striking the hybrid model to instead offer families options of either fulltime in-school classes or fulltime distance learning. His motion failed, with support from only Morse and Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn). With the approved framework of the plan to offer a blend of in-class and athome learning in hand, administrators will now work to build class and bus schedules, and prepare for teacher training. Starting next week, parents will be asked to make commitments for either hybrid instruction or fulltime distance learning. Their decisions are expected to be binding for the first semester of the school year. Administrators are planning to hold an electronic town hall meeting on July 8 to explain the program to parents and answer questions. Details on that program are to be circulated next week.
Parents will have to submit their decisions by July 13. Teachers also will be asked if they are willing to conduct in-person classes. Once the participation numbers are known, it will take four weeks to build class schedules and another three weeks to schedule the low capacity bus runs that will allow for physical distancing during the trips. Teachers will return in late August for three weeks of training and planning. The School Board also approved a delay in the class start date to Sept. 8, the Tuesday after Labor Day, to provide more time for preparation. To continue monitoring implementation of the program, the School Board scheduled a special meeting on July 21, breaking with the traditional summer recess. n
beach-week activities in the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina that featured crowded houses and large parties. That region also is experiencing a sharp uptick in cases and authorities in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia also experienced new cases from returning visitors to those beaches. While the number of cases is increasing, the pace of testing for the virus has been flat or decreasing. Since June 23, the percentage of positive cases—a measure that largely have been in decline since late April—has been increasing. The increasing caseload and the climbing positivity rate will be closely watched as the commonwealth this week enters Phase Three of relaxing restrictions on
social gatherings. Also important is the number of daily hospitalizations, which decreased over the weekend following a week-long spike. Although 75 percent of Loudoun’s 87 fatal cases of COVID-19 infections have involved individuals age 80 or older, nearly half of the patients requiring hospital treatment are under age 60. A quarter are between the ages of 30 and 59. Three children under the age of 10 are among the 271 residents who have been treated in a hospital. In Loudoun, 10.6 percent of cases involve residents between the ages of 10 and 19; statewide that figure is only 6.8 percent. Health officials cautioned about the
increased risk for exposure in large gatherings, including senior week festivities, beach trips, house parties and this week’s Fourth of July celebrations. “While younger people may feel invincible, it is critical that all of us take the necessary precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19 because the virus is still circulating in our community, particularly staying home and away from others when sick and wearing face coverings while in public,” Goodfriend said. Health officials urge anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 after large gathering to see a doctor and to notify others who were with them so they also can take precautions. n
Play Together
My sophomore year, I moved on to the varsity with a new coach. I also was the starting defenseman. But the new coach called me out constantly, “you’re too slow,” “you passed to the wrong man,” and most cutting of all at a team meeting “you played an awful game.” By mid-season my confidence was shot, my play did deteriorate, and I was benched frustrated and angry. I recall this experience today as I listen to shouting voices calling for resignations, blaming folks for events long ago, or stupid and thoughtless comments made yesterday which in no way reflect on the person’s overall views or body of work in service to the community. It reminds me of my varsity coach. Why can’t we try the way of my
freshman coach and encourage dialogue, offer forgiveness for mistakes even while showing how to correct them, and, above all, stress that the injustices of this world can best be solved if we are all on the team playing together. There was a happy ending to my lacrosse career. When we played RPI away, our star attack man forgot his jersey. Since I knew the coach would never put me into the game, I gave him my jersey and number to wear. A week or so after the game, I got a letter from a girl I had previously dated (before meeting my future wife). She wrote: “I was at the RPI game and saw you play. You were wonderful!” — Alfred P. Van Huyck, Round Hill
Editor: I was the starting lacrosse defenseman my freshman year in college. The coach used to take me aside before each game to let me know I was the guy he was counting on to lead the team and bring home the victory. The fact he did this with most of the starting team didn’t bother me. During the games he would shout “great play Al,” “terrific pass” and when I made a mistake “forget it, you’re playing great.” But he did not forget for in practice he would remind me, show me how I should have made the play, and made me practice it, but he never embarrassed a player in front of the team. I played my heart out for him and never wanted to let him down.
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Unger continued from page 20 non-stop volcanic activity, he said. In fact, he and his wife, Carolyn, and their two kids at the time used to watch the lava flows as entertainment. “It was pretty exciting,” he said. In 1976, Unger and his family grew homesick for seasons other than summer and decided to move to Hamilton, where Unger commuted each day to the USGS headquarters in Reston. Unger said at that time, the town’s average age was much higher than it is today and one of the region’s most vital highways ran past his front yard, before today’s four-lane Rt. 7 bypass had been built. But, Unger said, the scenery in the back portion of his 2-acre property was much the same as it is today. Unger’s first stint on the Town Council came in November 1983, after being appointed to fill a vacancy. He said that appointment followed urging from his neighbor and former Town Councilman Bob Trussell. Unger soon was elected to his first four-year term. He said his desire to run for the council was shaped predominantly by the development of the land surrounding Hamilton. At the time, Purcellville was annexing many acres around its borders and expanding east toward Hamilton’s boundary. Unger said that upset a lot of residents who didn’t want their community to change. “It began to look like Purcellville was trying to urbanize,” he said, adding that he
Loudoun 4th continued from page 21
Lovettsville Lovettsville is inviting residents to share their patriotic photos and videos to be used as part of a video the town will compile and share on its Facebook page on July 3. Submissions—which can include photos and videos of previous parades, fireworks displays, cookouts and more—should be sent to loveamerica@ lovettsvilleva.gov and are due by 5 p.m. Thursday, July 2. While Lovettsville’s annual July 3 Independence Day Parade and fireworks display has been canceled in response to the risk of spreading COVID-19, the town plans to put on its fireworks display on Labor Day in September. For more information, go to lovettsvilleva.gov.
unofficially ran on the slogan of “Don’t Purcellville Hamilton.” “My thing was to keep Hamilton as the people liked it and as it had been,” he said. In 1988, Unger won his first re-election. That was just the start. He won re-election every four years throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and even got a little more time to focus on his council job in 2005 when he retired from USGS. Unger said that, although he served as vice mayor a few times, he never ran for mayor because he felt being mayor was a job for someone who could commit more time in town than he was able to provide. Instead, he focused his leadership skills on the town’s fiscal health, serving as the chairman of the Finance Committee since the mid-1980s. “I thought it was important to keep the town on an even keel financially,” he said. Mayor Dave Simpson, who served alongside Unger as a councilman from 2010 to 2014 and as mayor for the past six years, said Unger was “a wizard” with the town budget. “He would just take care of that with ease,” he said. “He is not going to be replaced.” In his nearly four decades on the council, Unger helped to buy the property for the town to create the Hamilton Community Park, which was a contentious topic because of the amount of money the town spent at the time. More notably, he helped to find financing for and implement a project that hooked up dozens of out-of-town properties, many with failing septic sys-
Middleburg Middleburg will host a vehicle parade, American flag display and patriotic decorating contest this Saturday, July 4. The hour-and-a-half-long vehicle parade will begin at noon and will include fire trucks from the Middleburg and Upperville Fire Departments, antique trucks from the Old Dominion Historical Fire Society, appearances by Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross and the town’s 2020 high school and The Hill School graduates. Police Chief A.J. Panebianco and the Middleburg American Legion Post 250 Color Guard will lead the parade. The Upper Crust will be distributing Cow Puddles along the parade route. The town has also purchased 1,000 18-by-12-inch American flags to display around town. Last week, Boy Scout Troop 2950 scouts dropped those flags off at each home in town and placed more along Washington Street. The town on Saturday will also announce the winners of the Fourth of July
tems, to the town’s sewer system. That project set up the sewer tax district, which to this day provides the town with a sizeable amount of revenue. One of the largest controversies Unger saw—and was a part of—came in more recent years, when a secret write-in campaign yielded the unexpected ouster of two incumbent council members who were on the ballot in that election. Unger was the only incumbent to be voted back in that year. On a lighter note, Unger recalled one of the town’s quirkier annual traditions, in which town leaders would present the oldest man in town with a ceremonial cane. He said that while town leaders were walking to the house of that year’s cane winner, another elderly man met them on the street and exclaimed, “get that damn cane of death away from me!” After experiencing so many rewarding, controversial and comical situations, Unger decided to relinquish his seat on the Town Council this year by not running for re-election. He said he didn’t dwell on that decision and that it was in response to stable town affairs and a desire to do more in his personal life. For one, Unger said he was comfortable stepping away because of his confidence in existing, and newly elected, council members. Councilwoman Rebecca Jones, a certified public accountant, will take over leadership of the Finance Committee. “I felt really good about that,” Unger said. More importantly to Unger, he and his front door and porch decorating contest. Winners will receive $100 gift certificates from local businesses, runners up will receive $50 gift certificates and third-place finishers will get $50 gift certificates. To cap the day off, in-town churches and the Middleburg Museum will ring their bells for two minutes beginning at 9 p.m. in lieu of a fireworks display. For more information, go to middleburgva.gov.
Purcellville Purcellville will host its annual Independence Day Parade from 12-1 p.m. Saturday, July 4, albeit with vehicles only to keep with social distancing protocols. Setup and assembly will begin at 11:15 a.m. at Loudoun Valley High School. The parade will then head south on North Maple Avenue, turn west onto Main Street, then south onto Nursery Avenue and finish at Emerick Elementary School on Nursery Avenue. To apply to participate in the parade, go to the town’s website or
JULY 2, 2020
wife, Carolyn, will now have more time to visit their kids in Houston, San Jose and Vermont, along with their grandchildren. Unger said he felt bad about missing council meetings to make those types of trips in the past. They also plan to visit the volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Range and plan to make a trip to Alaska—where Unger helped a friend build a cabin in 1963. “We want to do a lot more travelling anyway,” he said. But Unger’s address isn’t changing. He’ll still be a Hamilton resident and keep the title of Loudoun’s longest-serving Town Council member—at least for now. Loudoun’s second longest-serving Town Council member is Round Hill Vice Mayor Mary Anne Graham, who was elected in 1984 and again in 1992. She has since served a total of eight full terms, or 32 years. Graham was re-elected in May and will tentatively serve out another four years, at which point she’ll match Unger’s 36 years served, although not consecutively. Loudoun’s third longest-serving council member is Michael Snyder, who served alongside Unger on the Hamilton Town Council for seven full terms, or 29 years, before resigning in June 2019 for a move to Pennsylvania. Unger said he’ll always remember working with fellow council members who loved the town the same as he did, and still does. “That was very rewarding to find that there were people who cared about Hamilton as much as I did,” he said. n email events@purcellvilleva.gov and include a phone number for a return call. ATVs, tractors and similar vehicles are allowed to participate. Floats are permitted but can be occupied only by groups that have quarantined together. Walkers, bicycles, animals are prohibited. A limit of one vehicle per business, organization or group is permitted. Participants are also prohibited from distributing candy or other items. For more information, go to purcellvilleva.gov. n The towns of Hamilton and Round Hill have no official plans to celebrate July 4 this year. Round Hill Town Administrator Melissa Hynes said the town annually does not organize a Fourth of July celebration. Hamilton Mayor Dave Simpson said the town does not have the staff nor infrastructure to put a celebration together, especially during a time of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
JULY 2, 2020
Advisory group continued from page 20 presented four years ago, when she suggested the town create a similar group that would, among other objectives, eliminate the bureaucracy that exists when a resident feels the need to talk with the police chief directly. McAlister said the group would not be an oversight committee, since she feels the Purcellville Police Department is in no need of direct citizen oversight. She pointed out that her officers have used force only once in the past five years. She clarified that “use of force” can mean a plethora of different actions, such as an officer simply drawing his or her weapon. “I think I run a very tight ship,” McAlister said, adding that her officers already do well engaging with the community. McAlister said the committee, if formed, should give its members a chance to talk with her about serious issues, such as the difficulty police departments across the nation are having with recruitment and retention, diversification of the police force and whether it is worth spending taxpayer money on specific upgrades
Courthouse statue continued from page 3 committee to consider naming the historic courthouse, possibly after pioneering civil rights attorney Charles Hamilton Houston; reserve space for a “Path to Freedom” interpretive display; and create a scope and cost estimate for gathering community input on designing and placing memorials commemorating the reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Leesburg courthouse, to Loudoun’s Union soldiers, and its enslaved people. That work may now be moot. “Let me be clear, I’ve never wanted anything but that statue gone, off of taxpayer property and off of the courthouse,” said Randall, who had pushed unsuccessfully in 2017 to ask the General Assembly for authority to remove it, and argued against the statue for years before. “I did not believe that that statue was appropriate, and I don’t believe you can contextualize that statue. Putting a statue of an enslaved person next to a Confederate Statue is like putting a statue of Anne Frank next to a statue of Josef Mengele. You cannot contextualize that, and the very suggestion was incredibly offensive to me.” She said what happens now on the grounds “should be a community conver-
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within the department. She said committee members could also have a chance to review the department’s use-of-force policy. “I would love to have the community’s guidance in where they want their community police department to go,” she said. In general, McAlister said there are certain aspects of community policing that could use some change in this day and age. She said the police academy should be at least a year long and that the 40-hour crisis intervention training officers go through doesn’t make them experts in certain fields, like mental health. “It just needs to be more robust,” she said of the training. If the committee works out, council members would look for residents with strong interests in strengthening law enforcement services and community-police relationships, and in addressing law enforcement concerns. Those residents, according to the June 23 staff report, should have the ultimate goal of ensuring the Police Department reaches high professional standards and is provided the equipment and training it needs. McAlister said the committee would sation.” “We should talk about it, and I want to hear from all people in the community to talk about what that should look like,” Randall said. Buffington said he would wait to see a report from county staff members of the Path to Freedom project. “I think a lot of that was based on this particular statue, and now that this particular statue is going to be removed by the owners, I’m not sure there’s going to be that much interest from the public,” Buffington said. “But if there is, then I will be listening and participating in this process, and waiting to see what folks are waiting to do.” There remains a question of technicalities—the Board of Supervisors may not need to follow the procedure laid out in the new state law on moving war monuments since the statue’s owners are asking that it be returned. Randall said the County Attorney’s Office is still researching that. Either way, the board will vote on the Daughters of the Confederacy’s request on July 7. Neither Price nor Randall expect that technicality to stop the statue from being moved. “It brings about an end an apparent majority of the board wants to happen,” Price said. n
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need to be large enough to represent the community’s diversity but small enough to keep discussions moving along. Ogelman said the town’s “most at-risk populations” need to be represented in the group. The committee could be modeled after similar groups that other towns across the nation have created. Among those listed in the staff report was the Town of Chapel Hill, NC, which, in 2011, set up a Civilian Review Board with nine residents with three-year terms. The Tacoma, WA, City Council in 2005 approved the creation of a Citizen Review Panel consisting of five residents who represent the city’s diverse communities to improve police accountability. The City Council at that time also approved a citizen-initiated police officer conduct complain system. The Oakland, CA, City Council in 2005 created a Community Policing Program to reduce crime and address long-term problems from a block, neighborhood and citywide level. Under direction from Mayor Kwasi Fraser, Ogelman, whose council term expired on Tuesday, will work alongside the resident who originally proposed the committee to develop its structure before
presenting the council with that information. The town already has a Public Safety Committee, although it is inactive with unfilled vacancies. “I’m anxious and looking forward to see what develops,” McAlister said. “The feel right now is right.” In November 2017, Fraser proposed a similar panel, following a unanimous Town Council vote of “no confidence” in McAlister prompted by the findings of an investigation into the chief ’s conduct that have since been discredited. But Fraser’s proposed Office of Police Accountability never made it off the ground. The Loudoun NAACP in May also proposed to create a citizen review board for police and sheriff ’s deputies. Leesburg Police Chief Greg Brown and Loudoun Sheriff Michael Chapman pushed back on that proposal. Chapman said that, because he answers directly to the public, residents by default already make up his citizen review board. Brown said he didn’t see a need for such a review board and that it was important to not take a nationwide narrative and apply it to Leesburg, where officers “are doing good work.” n
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MIDDLEBURG REAL ESTATE
JULY 2, 2020
ATOKA
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