Loudoun Now for July 6, 2023

Protestors Push for Long-Delayed Rent Assistance

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

More than a year after county supervisors voted to earmark $12 million in federal funding for housing assistance, community members are still waiting on the first dollar of rental help.

Members of New Virginia Majority protested in the rain outside county government offices in Leesburg Friday to demand action on the long-stalled funds.

Supervisors in April 2022 voted to set aside that money from the county’s last tranche of American Rescue Plan Act funding for preserving affordable housing and offering displacement services, without a specific plan. Organizers with New Virginia Majority worked with the county Department of Housing and Community Development over six months to craft a

rent buy-down program that would send money to landlords to replace part of rent payments.

But those plans first sat unused, then disappeared when on Jan. 10 the Board of Supervisors voted for a different set of programs, including only $5.75 million for rental assistance. Another $1.5 million was targeted for legal assistance for people facing evictions, and $2 million to stay with the county itself to replace a computer system in the Department of Housing. The balance was to go to extending the terms of rent-controlled homes and helping residents of the mobile home park in Lucketts, which was up for sale, to relocate if necessary.

In the meantime, Loudoun has seen a

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Mother Fights for School Support for Disabled Daughter

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

On June 29, Havilah Mitchell, a legally deaf, blind, and nonverbal kindergartener who had missed 28 consecutive days of school and 64 total school days during the year, returned to the classroom for summer school.

It’s a welcome step for Havilah’s mom, Whitney Mitchell, who has been pressing for months for the school division to comply with the terms of

Havilah’s Individualized Education Plan, including providing a private duty nurse.

“They won’t say they don’t want her, but they will say ‘Virginia Department of Education policy is this’ or ‘we aren’t able to do this, so she is unable to come to school,’” she said of the conversations she had with school leaders since Havilah was last permitted to attend school on April 28.

Havilah has myriad health issues including extreme seizures multiple times a day that require a well-trained private

duty nurse accompany her at school. She also needs additional support personnel in the form of speech language pathologists, occupational therapy, and physical therapy among others.

Mitchell said the lack of consistency has caused Havilah to regress.

“She needs to go to school tomorrow, not in a few years,” she said.

On July 2, Mitchell received a letter

EDUCATION SUPPORT

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RENT ASSISTANCE

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Demonstrators organized by New Virginia Majority demand action on a long-stalled rental assistance program outside the county Department of Housing and Community Development Friday, June 30.

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now Whitney Mitchell smiles at her daughter Havilah as she puts her in a device that helps her stand.

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.

All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”

This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.

fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov www.fairhousing.vipnet.org

Money Talks. Now, Teach it to Hug

From personalized family foundations, to memorial funds, to scholarship funds, to donor-advised funds, we can help you make a difference that never ends.

Since 1999, the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties has helped generous donors support a variety of charitable causes in our region. We salute the leaders who wrapped their vision and commitment—and arms—around this community to create and sustain a permanent charitable resource.

Restaurant Trailblazer Malone Remembered for Lasting Impact

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Visionary restauranteur Kevin Malone, who led a transformation of Leesburg’s dining scene over the past four decades, died Saturday. He was 69.

Malone was the founder of Tuskie’s Restaurant Group, which operates Tuscarora Mill, South Street Under, and the Birkby House in Leesburg; Purcellville’s Magnolias at the Mill; and Fireworks American Pizzeria in Leesburg, Cascades, and Arlington.

He began working in the restaurant industry in high school. He was working at a French restaurant in Fauquier County when, in 1984, he was recruited by a group of local businessmen to establish a fine-dining destination in Leesburg to anchor a major redevelopment being undertaken by developer Bruce Brownell. Tuscarora Mill opened at Market Station in 1985.

Just how important Tuscarora Mill was to Leesburg’s dining scene is illustrated in its origin story.

One of those early meetings was held at what Malone was told was the best place to eat in town.

“Someone told me the best kept secret

in town was the food at the bowling alley,” he said in a 2015 Loudoun Now interview as Tuscarora Mill marked its 30th anniversary.

“As he pulled into the parking lot of the bowling alley, he recalls thinking maybe he made a mistake,” his son Colin Malone recalled in April when Visit

Loudoun presented his father with the association’s highest honor for those demonstrating an outstanding commitment to tourism, The Judy Patterson Award.

Tuscarora Mill quickly became not just the town’s gastronomic destination, but its social hub, as well.

“When we opened, people said it was ‘a breath of fresh air,’” Malone said in 2015.

Malone also was an early innovator of the farm-to-table movement, encouraging longtime Executive Chef Patrick Dinh to reach out to area farmers for fresh produce. That proved a challenge at first.

“I found sad potatoes and squirrelly carrots,” he recalled in a 2015 interview. But he started working with thenLoudoun Agricultural Officer Warren Howell to host dinners using local products. “They were a big hit,” he said. And for decades after, local produce was a staple on the menu.

Five years after opening, Malone added a deck at the rear of the restaurant that eventually was enclosed to become the Wharf Room. He also added a private dining room below. In 2001, he created a downstairs bakery, South Street Under, originally intended to supply the restaurant, but it quickly transformed into a popular downtown lunch spot. Next, he opened Magnolias at the Mill in the former Contee Adams Seed Mill in Purcellville—another restoration

MALONE continues on page 16

Broadband Funding Holds Promise for Underserved Families, Businesses

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Just days after the Biden administration announced a $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves visited Loudoun on Thursday morning to hear the concerns of local residents and business.

Joined by Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10) and Del. David Reid (D-32), Graves participated in a roundtable discussion at Hillsboro’s Old Stone School hearing how the lack of reliable, affordable high-speed internet access hampers students, businesses, and veterans.

The BEAD program is part of the broader Internet for All initiative supported through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It allocates $40.5 billion to all 50 states, DC, and five territories. Virginia’s share is $1.48 billion.

Graves said the goal is “to make sure

that every household, every family, every business in every part of the country—not just Silicon Valley, not just Washington DC proper, but every part every quarter of this country—has access to high-speed internet.” The goal is to complete that rollout by 2030.

“It’s not a luxury anymore. We all know this. We saw what happened over the course of this pandemic,” he said.

“I can’t tell you the number of parents I talked to during the pandemic who were having to make the awful, awful decision about deciding which of their kids got to go to school each day because they only had enough bandwidth for one of their kids to actually get educated that day and maybe be able to hear what the teacher was saying or to be able to download the homework and the activities. This is the United States of America. … As of right now, we’re fixing it. We’re bringing every community into the digital age.”

Roundtable participants included

Hillsboro Mayor Roger Vance, who led the effort completed last year to bring a fiber-optic connection to every home in town; Visit Loudoun President and CEO Beth Erickson, who stressed the importance connectivity plays in supporting the commonwealth’s largest tourism market; and representatives of All Points Broadband who are on the frontline of the broadband expansion in Loudoun and throughout Virginia.

Harriet Wegmeyer of Wegmeyer Farms and Bill and Bonnie Hatch of Zephaniah Farm Vineyard talked about the challenges they face in finding enough connectivity to run customers’ credit card payments. Ronnie Ross, a Fauquier County school teacher, said that reliable internet access continues to be a critical need of students and teachers—even after the move away from the virtual classes of the pandemic. Tony Lunn of Warrenton VFW Post 9835 and Liz Wallace of the Loudoun Broadband Alliance stressed

that in addition to providing connectivity to residents and business, affordability is an important concern for veterans, the elderly, others on fixed incomes and lowincome families.

Graves said providing affordable access is part of the plan.

“Clearly, the connection building the infrastructure is the foremost important piece of this, but you can’t forget about the affordability piece. Because you can build that reliable, accessible, high-speed internet, but if they can’t afford it, and they don’t have the skills to use it, then then it’s really useless to them,” he said.

The Affordable Connectivity Program included in the federal infrastructure law provides eligible families with a $30 monthly discount on their internet bill, plus a one-time $100 credit toward the purchase of a laptop, desktop, or tablet

BROADBAND FUNDING continues on page 17

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Kevin Malone speaks to Loudoun Now inside Tuscarora Mill Restaurant in 2015, the restaurant’s 30th anniversary.

County Board to Consider Lower Road Impact Payments for Developers

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

County supervisors will discuss drastically lower standards for the payments developers make to offset their projects’ impacts on the road network.

The proposed new formulas would in most cases be less than half the current standards, and in the case of new apartments would be less than a third as much. That would move more of the cost of county road projects onto taxpayer-funded local, state and federal sources.

When developers apply to rezone land to permit higher-density residential

construction, typically they commit to a proffer agreement detailing the payments and work they will do to offset impacts such as on roads and the environment. Current negotiations on the offset for their impact to the road network start at $6,000 a unit, a standard has been in place since 2014 during some of Loudoun’s most intense development, and during a time when the county government pumped hundreds of millions of dollars a year into road projects to catch up on years of statelevel inaction.

New formulas would call for different amounts based on unit type, including $1,100 per age-restricted apartment

unit, $1,700 per apartment unit, $2,200 per stacked unit, $2,400 per townhouse, and $3,900 per single-family detached home. A county report prepared for the finance committee says those were developed based on average cost per mile for Loudoun to build roads and the number of vehicle trips associated with various housing types.

The proposed changes came from the county Fiscal Impact Committee, chaired by Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn).

Virginia, Loudoun Prepare for America’s 250th

Local, state and national committees are getting ready to celebrate the semiquincentennial—the 250th anniversary—of the American Declaration of Independence. And Loudoun events will highlight the county’s place in Revolutionary War history.

The 13 American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, making Independence Day 2026 its 250th anniversary. Planning and some events are already underway for a celebration expected to continue through 2031, marking the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown, a decisive Continental Army victory that led to peace negotiations and American independence.

In June 1774, in the lead up to the Declaration of Independence, a group of landowning Loudouners passed the “Loudoun Resolves,” a protest of the British government’s taxation and punishments without trial. The newly signed Declaration of Independence was read from the Loudoun County courthouse steps on Aug. 12, 1776.

During the Revolutionary War, hundreds of Loudoun residents served in military capacities while those at home supplied food, labor, goods and livestock. Meanwhile the Continental Army frequently traversed Loudoun’s several 18th century thoroughfares, such as the Carolina Road and Snickersville Turnpike— present-day Rt. 15 and Rt. 7.

Today, the Loudoun Virginia 250 Committee aims to attract tourism, honor the past and enhance local history education. The group includes representatives from the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area, the George C. Marshall International Center, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution District VIII, the Virginia Sons of the American Revolution, the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum, NOVA Parks, the Lovettsville Historical Society & Museum, and the Waterford Foundation.

Loudoun’s Fourth of July celebrations this year kicked off that commemoration with readings of the Declaration of Independence in Lovettsville, Leesburg and Sterling.

Meanwhile the statewide VA250 Commission plans celebrations across Virginia’s historic sites, museums and communities, with events, museum exhibitions and a mobile exhibition that will travel the state.

“Virginia has taken a key leadership role in the nationwide 250th commemoration, as is fitting for the state that is the birthplace of the nation,” Buchanan Del. Terry Austin (R-19), who chairs the VA250 Commission, stated. “Virginia’s rich history extends to every corner of the Commonwealth, and the Commission is committed to a statewide commemoration that includes all, and in which every Virginian can see their story.”

“Virginia will be prepared to show her history through all lenses, telling the stories of all communities and making it possible for every locality and every Virginian to shine and feel proud of our Commonwealth,” Hampton Sen. Mamie Locke (D-2), the commission’s vice chair, stated.

More information about Loudoun County’s plans is online at loudoun.gov/loudounva250, and more information about the state commission’s plans is online at va250.org. n

Fort Johnston Road Renamed

Fort Johnston Road just west of Leesburg has been renamed in two sections, as part of Loudoun County’s ongoing work to rename public facilities named after segregationist or Confederate symbols.

The segment of Fort Johnston Rd. between Alysheba Drive and Leeland Orchard Road will also be named Leeland Orchard Road. The rest of the road, from the intersection with Leeland Orchard Road to its cul-de-sac, will be named “Fort Star” in recognition of the fort’s star shaped construction.

The renaming of Fort Johnston Road will not become official until the fall of 2023. Loudoun County will send each property owner notice by mail 60 days in advance of the official change.

Loudoun’s Fort Johnston was a Civil War, Confederate earthen fort near the road built after the Battle of Balls Bluff. Confederate forces abandoned the fort when the U.S. Army entered Loudoun in 1862, and American troops renamed it Fort Geary in honor of their commander.

More information about the project to rename roads in Loudoun is online at loudoun.gov/roadrenaming.

Affordable Rental Grants for Developers Open

Loudoun County has opened applications for the Affordable Multi-Family Housing Loan Program with the release of the 2023 Notice of Funding Availability.

Affordable housing developers may apply for loans to support developing long-term affordable apartment rentals in Loudoun, to be used in conjunction with the Virginia Housing Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program and/ or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 221(D)(4) mortgage insurance program. The application process is competitive. The program encourages private investment by providing gap financing to address unmet

ON THE AGENDA

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IMPACT PAYMENTS continues on page 5

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Members of the Sgt. Maj. John Champe Chapter of the Virginia Sons of the American Revolution celebrate the 248th anniversary of the Loudoun Resolves in June 2022.

Impact payments

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“The key to this is we are striving for an objective metric to be able to measure the cost of the development on our road infrastructure, and this is the first, I think, really good attempt to do that,” Turner said during a county finance committee meeting Tuesday, June 27.

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said the proffer amounts already aren’t enough to offset some projects in areas where the road network is already overburdened and teetering on failure, particularly in the Rt. 50 corridor. He said current policies mean the county can’t easily ask for more from certain projects in those cases.

“I’m kind of stuck, and I feel like all I can do is just reject something outright because it’s adding to a problem that already exists because I don’t feel like our proffer numbers are adequate to really address it,” he said.

Assistant County Administrator Joe Kroboth said the new figures are meant to produce predictable results, and to separate the additional burden of upzoned development from the baseline congestion of by-right development. And he said the

method for calculating that cost “needed to be defendable.”

“When we went to the Fiscal Impact Committee for the second time in the past decade proposing a solution, what we kept hearing back from the fiscal impact committee is, ‘this sounds good but you’re skirting around your obligation to provide a transportation network to serve by-right development. When you show us how you can separate your obligations from our obligations and cost out our obligations, we’re happy to buy in,’” he said. “And that is what brought us back to the drawing table to try to find a methodology that connects highway construction cost with the land use that’s being rezoned.”

Several members of that committee represent development interests.

The finance committee voted unanimously to send the proposed changes to the full Board of Supervisors for discussion without a recommendation, as well as deciding against sending it immediately to a public hearing, the final step before adoption.

“I think my issue is I don’t like it, I don’t like the fact that the number’s going down, but I don’t have my own methodology that I can come up with on the fly and say that FIC is wrong and staff is wrong,” Letourneau said. n

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ON THE Agenda

continued from page 4

housing needs.

Project applications will receive points for project design, project readiness, development experience, budget and leverage, and consistency with the county’s housing needs, with more points for projects serving a mix of incomes below 60% Area Median Income, longer price control periods and locations close to transportation and jobs.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2.

More information about Loudoun County’s housing programs is online at loudoun.gov/housing.

Supervisors Consider Aid for INMED Families

Supervisors on Wednesday were scheduled to discuss redirecting some American Rescue Plan Act and county nonprofit grant funding to support the families previously served by INMED Partnerships for Children.

INMED formerly offered a range

of programs from the Loudoun implementation of the nationwide Healthy Families early childhood program, to after-school support, tutoring, financial literacy and resources like diapers and clothing. It closed abruptly on June 7, with staff given only two days’ notice.

County staff members recommended supervisors reallocate $200,000 from the ARPA Child Care Fee Reduction Program to Northern Virginia Family Service, to coordinate summer camp options for up to 100 INMEDserved families. They also recommended redistributing the $102,453.33 awarded to INMED in the most recent county nonprofit grants to the next-highest scoring grant applicants, Legacy Farms and ENDependence.

INMED had long been a major recipient of county nonprofit funding; a decision this year to cancel upwards of $200,000 of county-administered federal Community Development Block Grant funding that was supporting the lease for INMED’s Opportunity Center in Sterling contributed to the nonprofit’s sudden collapse. n

Leesburg

Park Planning Continues for Westpark

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Five miles of trails, an 18-hole disc golf course, a dog park, picnic areas, and fishing piers. Those are among the offerings planners envision for the Westpark property, a 134-acre passive park in Leesburg.

Representatives of the county’s departments of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure and Park, Recreation and Community Development last week provided an update during a community meeting.

The concepts are still in the early stages and construction of park facilities is four years away under the current schedule.

The former golf course ceased operation in 2019 as a homebuilder pursued development plans for the property. Those efforts failed to win community or Town Council support and the land was then purchased by the Kuhn family, who placed it under a conservation easement. The county purchased the majority of the property in May 2021.

“The entire property has an existing conservation easement, which preserves the natural landscape while allowing residents and visitors to access department activities within the park be integrated with the proposed environmental features

to create wetlands and remediation of the existing streams. It’s a big task,” said Adam Steiner, a landscape architect with J2 Engineers, during the June 27 briefing.

“In a nutshell, it has the conservation easement putting limits on the amount of impervious area we can have in the park and the size of the buildings. So, while we’re going to develop a park and turn it into a passive park, there are very strict limits on paving and how many buildings

Wolff Retires After 35 Years with LPD

Master Police Officer Bruce “Bill” Wolff retired from the Leesburg Police Department after providing more than 40 years of service.

He began his law enforcement career in Pennsylvania in 1982. On July 5, 1988, Wolff was hired by Chief James Kidwell to join the Leesburg Police Department, where he has served his community for the last 35 years.

At that time, Wolf was one of the department’s 24 sworn officers in a town with 16,200 residents. Today, the department is authorized for 86 sworn police officers and the population is nearing 50,000.

Wolff served in a variety of positions within the agency, including as a field training officer, member of the Truck Inspection Team, liaison for the

Leesburg Police Citizen Support Team, firearms instructor, speed measurement instructor, motor officer, sergeant of the Traffic Management and School Resource Officer Units, and Crash Reconstruction Team member, to name a few. He also had served as a child safety seat technician, a breath operator for the Intoxylizer, the tow truck company liaison, and as a Mobile Command and Communications Center (MC-3) operator.

Kids will remember him as the operator and supervisor of the Leesburg Police Barrel Train.

And many town drivers will remember having been stopped by Wolff for a traffic violation.

“While Officer Wolff was never one for issuing a warning for a traffic viola-

and all this we can do. And it’s pretty tough,” he said. “The whole purpose of it is to maintain it in perpetuity as a natural open space where the people can use, but it’s not going to be developed in six months. … We have four years ahead of us to really get this thing off the ground. The community meeting was attended

WESTPARK PLANNING

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Council Streamlines Proclamation Process

The Leesburg Town Council last week adopted a new proclamation process, allowing members of the public to submit requests online.

The town routinely accepts requests for proclamations from council members, residents, businesses, community organizations serving Leesburg and the greater Leesburg area, and the staff. Typically, several are presented at each Town Council meeting.

However, each proclamation can take four to six weeks for the staff to prepare, according to a staff report on the issue.

Clerk of Council Eileen Boeing proposed streamlining the process using a web-based form that will reduce the amount of time required to research and prepare the documents.

To submit a proclamation request, go to tinyurl.com/leesburgproclamations.

Civil War Artifacts on Display at Balch

A Civil War exhibit with more than 300 artifacts collected by area resident John Creamer is on display in the Mercer Room of Thomas Balch Library through August.

Items include belt buckles, rifles, artillery, and currency, most of which have been found throughout Leesburg and Loudoun County, including items associated with the Battle of Ball’s Bluff.

The exhibit is viewable during the library’s operating hours. For more information, call 703-737-7195 or email balchlib@leesburgva.gov.

The library also is debuting a new Centennial Catalog, which distinguishes it as an independent research library, owned and operated by the Town of Leesburg.

The library has converted from Dewey classification to Library of Congress classification, allowing the library to provide access to all materials, regardless of format, in one catalog.

tion, most motorists drove away with a fond appreciation for Officer Wolff and his professionalism,” the agency wrote in his retirement announcement. n

“This is the most exciting development for Thomas Balch Library,

AROUND TOWN continues on page 7

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Residents look over a concept plan for development of a passive park on the former Westpark golf course property during a June 27 community meeting.

Town of Leesburg Master Police Officer Bruce “Bill” Wolff

AROUND Town

continued from page 6

its patrons, and the Town of Leesburg— bringing the library into the twenty-first century,” Library Director Alexandra Gressitt said. “It opens doors to global access to information on all our holdings. Patron response has been enthusiastic to the more user-friendly interface and the ability to search across our holdings on one platform. Conversion to Library of Congress classification brings us into line with like institutions, opening doors to greater cooperation and the possibility of collaborative opportunities.”

View the Centennial Catalog at thomasbalchlibrary.on.worldcat.org/discovery.

King/Market Work Begins

Shortly after crews clean up from the Independence Day parade, construction is expected to begin on a four-month project to reconfigure the Market Street/ King Street intersection.

Marking the final phase of the Market and King Street Improvement Proj-

Westpark planning

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by more than 60 people, mostly neighbors living adjacent or close to the park, along with representatives of environmental groups and a contingent from the LoCo Disc Golf Club. Steiner and county representatives stressed that planning is in the early stages, and they continue to seek public input on ideas for the park.

Residents raised concerns about the interim maintenance plan in which the county is conducting limited mowing along pathways and neighboring proper-

ect, crews staring July 5 will be relocating storm structures from the corners of the intersection, replacing street lights, installing underground utility conduits, and replacing sidewalks, ramps, and pavement. Work will be conducted overnight from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, with the intersection completely closed and traffic detoured during those times.

The entire project is expected to be completed by October 2023. Learn more at leesburgva.gov/market-and-king.

Griffith Returns to Tree Commission

The Town Council last week appointed Roberta Griffith to a seat on the Tree Commission.

She fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Tom Stokes and was a selection of Vice Mayor Neil Steinberg.

Griffith previously served on the panel, but stepped down because of her busy schedule. Now retired, she hopes to continue her efforts to protect the town’s tree canopy. Her term expires at the end of 2026. n

Loudoun Ideal Chiropractic

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

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

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

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

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

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

ties. Allowing much of the park to grow as tall-grass meadows limits the use of the park, several said. They asked for more areas to be mowed—including a popular community gathering point to view the town’s annual July 4 fireworks display.

The county has earmarked $13.4 million for development of the park, expected to be complete in 2027.

Current concept plans can be viewed at loudoun.gov/westparkproperty. Public comments also are being collected on that website.

The property is open from dusk to dawn with activities restricted to the existing trails. n

Cochran Family Dental

Visit

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

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

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

www.LoudounIdealChiropractic.com

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

571-707-8639

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

Education

School Board Adopts Changes to FY2024 Budget

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

In a 5-3-1 vote the School Board voted Tuesday to approve acting superintendent Daniel Smith’s recommended changes to the fiscal year 2024 operating budget to include an additional $16.3 million in county funding and a reduction in state funding by $13 million and to balance the budget.

With the vote to balance the budget they increased the expenditure budget by $113,171 bringing the new FY24 budget to $1,668,345,179 which is 6.9% more than the fiscal year 2023 budget.

The $113,171 is the difference in the total budget from what the division originally asked the county for and what was eventually given to the division after all the different budget talks, according to division spokesperson Dan Adams. Adams said that money is already accounted for in the form of compensation within the

budget.

The amended budget comes as the division continues to grapple with a state budget shortfall as it waits for the state to finalize its budget.

The County Board of Supervisors on May 16 voted to give the schools an additional $13 million for FY24 to address the state funding shortfall and another $3.3 million to fund collective bargaining administrative costs. The $3.3 million will come out of the division’s fiscal year 2023 year-end fund balance.

Smith in his January budget proposal estimated $3.3 million to fund collective bargaining and an additional 13 positions to manage it.

Chief Financial Officer Sharon Willoughby said raises were a priority.

She said in April when staff began looking at ways to reconcile the budget, they found three main areas to review: compensation, one-time purchases that are eligible for year-end funding, and a broad category called “other.”

“With compensation being 90% of our budget and the main driver of the increase for the FY24 budget, that is where we primarily landed on,” she said. Willoughby said one-time purchases were reviewed but said the budget is very tight and the year-end fund balance that would be returned to the county “continues to dwindle.” She said in the other category they looked for ways to save but said the staff had already made substantial efforts to find savings when they developed the budget and the board had adopted a very lean budget already.

The reconciliation called for step increases for eligible staff. The plan, according to the presentation to the board, is to apply market adjustments to the current salary scale with the School Board’s approval, after the state finalizes its budget and if no more reductions are needed to balance the school budget. Any further pay increases, like cost of living adjustments and strategic scale adjustments, are on hold until the state budget is finalized.

Those will be paid after July but will be retroactively calculated to July 1.

Additional changes to the amended budget include giving one additional day of sick or personal leave to 10- and 11-month employees and to adjust the sick leave payout calculation for eligible employees when they retire. The proposed budget had sick leave for those employees increasing by four days and personal leave increasing by two days.

Tuesday’s meeting was the last School Board meeting for the school year. The earliest the board will be able to meet to discuss further changes once the state adopts its budget is at its first meeting of the new school year on Aug. 8.

“I’m cautiously optimistic we will be able to provide some level of additional pay increase,” Willoughby said.

Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run) opposed the reconciliation plan, and Jeff Morse (Dulles), John Beatty (Catoctin) and Denise Corbo (At-Large) were absent for the vote. n

890 Incidents of Hate Speech, Racial Slurs at Schools Last School Year

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

About 890 incidents of hate speech and racial slurs took place at Loudoun public schools during the 2022-2023 school year, according to a presentation on June 27 to the School Board.

The final two quarters showed the greatest number of incidents.

Between February and the end of school on June 8, 2023, there were 561 total incidents across all three school levels, compared to August through January in which 329 incidents took place.

Division Equity Supervisor Shahid Muhammad said slurs targeting Black students and general incidents of offensive language were the most common types of racist comments in elementary, middle and high schools.

According to the presentation the incidents of hate speech or racial slurs are taking place in the classroom, in the cafeteria and at recess at the elementary school level; in the classroom, during P.E and on the bus in middle school; and in the classroom, in the hallways and at the

stadium, in the gym and on social media in high school.

There were 281 incidents of hate speech or racial slurs at the elementary school level with Sully, Creighton’s Corner and Hovatter Elementary Schools having the highest overall incidents, with 18, 17 and 15.

There were 451 overall incidents at the middle school level by the end of the year with Sterling, J. Michael Lunsford and Harmony Middle Schools having the highest numbers of incidents, with 44, 39 and 38.

Division high schools had the lowest number of overall incidents, with 158

total for the school year. Dominion, Woodgrove, Briar Woods and Broad Run High Schools were the highest, with 15, 14 and 12 at Briar Woods and Broad Run.

Deputy Superintendent Ashley Ellis said there were probably more. She pointed out in the data that some schools reported zero incidents and said she doesn’t think that is accurate and said division administrators are working with school leaders to make sure incidents are brought to the attention of an adult at the school when they happen so they can be accurately tracked.

“I do think streamlining the actual reporting process next year will help a lot. The feedback we’ve been given is its difficult because it’s a separate reporting form from the typical way they report discipline so merging those two things will help streamlining the process,” she said. “And also we will continue to emphasize the importance of doing this, it is a regulation and it’s important to track this data.”

She said she appreciated the board

HATE SPEECH continues on page 11

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now School Board Chair Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge).

Board Approves New Policies for Selecting Classroom, Library Materials

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

The School Board this week approved three new policies governing the selection, review and challenge of supplemental instructional materials and a fourth that deals with family life education in the division.

The three new policies focus on the criteria and selection of supplemental instructional materials, the criteria and selection of classroom library materials, and the review of challenged instructional and library materials.

Policy 5045 deals only with selecting supplemental instructional materials which are used by students under the guidance of teachers and are materials that can be used in extracurricular activities and clubs as well as division approved materials for classes. The policy includes criteria for selecting materials. Policy 5046 deals solely with the selection of classroom library materials and lists who is responsible for selecting both school library materials and classroom library materials and lists what is not allowed. Policy 5047 lists the challenge process to remove instructional materials from a school or classroom library.

The policies center around supplemental educational materials because the division already has a policy about textbooks and core instructional material.

A School Board committee voted earlier this year to break the division’s previous policy, Policy 5045, that dealt with the selection, review and challenge of supplemental instructional materials into three separate policies to clarify several topics.

Policy 5045 came under scrutiny in November after Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run) said the division’s new policy that deals with notifying parents of instructional material with sexually explicit content directly conflicted with it. That policy was created to bring the division into

compliance with state-mandated guidelines. Board members asked in December, then again in January that a review of Policy 5045 be done to make it consistent with the new policy adopted Nov. 29.

Polifko was the only board member to vote against the policies after several attempts to make amendments aimed at increasing controls on materials that might include sexual content or divisive concepts.

Polifko’s first proposed change was to remove the words “if applicable” from a requirement that material with subjects that involve human relationships or values be measured against six criteria. Polifko said she felt the words created more ambiguity.

The amendment failed 2-4-3 with Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn) voting with Polifko and Jeff Morse (Dulles), John Beatty (Catoctin) and Denise Corbo (At-Large) absent.

Polifko then tried to amend the policy further by adding a seventh criteria that “instruction shall exclude inherently divisive concepts” and then defined it “as advancing any ideas in violation of Title 4 and Title 6 of The Civil Rights Act of 1964.” She included in her definition concepts around race, skin color, ethnicity, sex or faith that stated one race or color or sex was not superior or oppressive to another and people of one race, skin color, ethnicity, sex or faith do not “bear the responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, ethnicity, sex or faith.”

Her motion failed for lack of a second.

An effort to insert that language into another part of the policy also failed to find support.

Polifko also sought to amend a policy that deals with the selection of classroom or library materials to clarify that the collections may not include materials that have visual “and or written” instructions about how to engage in sexual conduct.

The policy prohibited books with images of sexual conduct. Polifko referenced a book she brought earlier in June that is in three high school libraries that had both visual and written depictions of sexual conduct. She said it was important that both images and written instructions on how to engage in sexual conduct were not allowed in school classrooms or libraries.

“The inappropriateness of this material is not just limited to what’s in pictures,” she said.

Deputy Superintendent Ashley Ellis said Polifko’s proposal was too broad and could exclude several classics that have been read in schools for decades. The change also would put the policy at odds with the state’s model policies that guided its creation.

“This is not the kind of material we find in the classics. This is not classics,” Polifko said. “This is filth that does not belong in our schools, and it would not be very difficult for anyone in this room to figure that out within a matter of five or 10 minutes. We don’t have a rampant collection of books like this in our schools.

It would not be hard to pull out what is blatantly inappropriate. My proposal here is not to ban books.”

Ellis said she saw Polifko’s point but said a generalized statement could remove more books than Polifko was referencing.

“I also can say that there are thousands of library books in our libraries and if this were to be added to the policy it would take time to review those thousands of titles. I cannot sit here and guarantee you that the book quoted tonight is the only one like it in the libraires. I can promise you if it is brought to the attention of staff through the challenge process it is immediately looked at and would likely be removed from the library for that reason Mrs. Polifko said,” Ellis said. “I just am very concerned about if we were to add language in this policy would it become a ‘gotcha’ for the books that could potentially be in the library that would need to be reviewed.”

That amendment failed on a 2-4-3 vote, with Mahedavi in support and Morse, Corbo and Beatty absent.

Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) offered an amendment to Policy 5047, which deals with the challenge of materials, to include the same language found in the other two policies that a book could not be removed solely because of the topics they cover.

That amendment passed 4-1-1-3, with Polifko opposed, and Mahedavi abstaining.

The Family Life Education policy, or Policy 5048, was amended Tuesday to clarify that parents could opt their student out of all or part of the Family Life Education course. The amendment passed 6-0-3 with Corbo, Morse and Beatty absent.

The Family Life Education policy reiterates state laws and guidelines on what is taught in FLE courses in Virginia. The division did not have a formal policy that dealt with Family Life Education, although it followed VDOE guidelines on it, Ellis said. n

Lunsford Middle School Guitar Ensemble Invited to Perform for VMEA

The J. Michael Lunsford Middle School Guitar Ensemble will perform at the Virginia Music Educators Association’s 2023 Professional Development Conference in November. This is the first year a middle school guitar ensemble was invited to perform at the conference.

The ensemble was selected through a blind audition of submitted recordings

from across the Commonwealth. Invitations to perform are extended to the very best performing ensembles in Virginia, according to an announcement. Students in the 202324 J. Michael Lunsford Middle School Guitar Ensemble will perform for an audience of music teachers and families at the Richmond Convention Center.

The guitar ensemble will join

Brambleton Middle School’s Symphonic Band at the conference as performers.

“We are proud that both the J. Michael Lunsford Middle School Guitar Ensemble and the Brambleton Middle School Symphonic Band will be representing LCPS at the VMEA State Conference,” Fine Arts Supervisor Michael Pierson stated. “Only a small number of ensembles from around the state are

invited each year so this is a significant honor for these directors, students and our school division. This is also further evidence of the high quality of instruction our teachers are providing to students and of the commitment to excellence by our students, parents and the community.”

For more information about the VMEA, go to vmea.com. n

“We don’t have a rampant collection of books like this in our schools. It would not be hard to pull out what is blatantly inappropriate. My proposal here is not to ban books.”

— Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run)

Hate speech

continued from page 8

understanding that the numbers do not 100% reflect what is happening in schools.

She said this was the first full year hate speech and racial slurs were tracked and said the division plans to continue tracking those to better understand the reasons behind the incidents, repeat offenders, what discipline or impact strategies are most effective and ways to improve the data tracking.

She said having more than one year of data will be helpful in comparing multiple years and in understanding spikes in incidents during different times of the year, like the second half of the 2022-2023 school year.

Academies of Loudoun Students Launch AI Project

BY MAGGIE MCCABE

Seven rising seniors at the Academies of Loudoun created an AI software platform called Nivaro, aimed at bringing high school students together to collaborate on AI projects.

The students met through an entrepreneurship class during their freshman year at the Academies of Loudoun, where they were encouraged to pursue their dreams through passion projects. They created their own mock businesses and competed in pitch competitions in that class.

This February, the team of seven students reached out to their entrepreneurship teacher, who helped them start Nivaro.

Within Nivaro, there are currently 3 different AI programs: ScholarAI, StudySavvy, and Code Road. All are aimed at making education more accessible for students in different ways.

“ScholarAI is supposed to guide you in the process of studying, instead of doing all of the work for you,” Nivaro CEO Dylan Ott said. “You put in a broad topic, points to cover, and a word limit. With that, it provides information about that topic that can help you study for a test or complete an assignment.” ScholarAI serves as another teaching mechanism to help students learn and succeed in school.

The Nivaro team also created StudySavvy, an AI-supported studying platform similar to Quizlet. StudySavvy has a personalized AI tutor that provides instant feedback, adjusts to students’ paces, tracks

their progress, and identifies knowledge gaps. It can also create instant flashcards and studying to-do lists, as well as guide students through the Pomodoro study method.

Code Road, Nivaro’s most recent project, was created for young students interested in coding and technology.

“In Code Road, the students are assisted by an AI friend that takes them on a road trip all around the country,” Ott said. “At each stop, they learn different important steps about how to code through different tasks.”

When creating Nivaro and all its AI programs, the team realized their coding skills from school fell short of what was necessary to pursue their goals with Nivaro.

“This is what motivated us to create Code Road,” Nivaro CTO David Lomelin said. “With Code Road, more students are able to learn the basics of coding at a faster pace.”

Nivaro also has an internship program for high schoolers interested in coding, business, marketing, and finance. Right now, they have about 30 interns from around the world.

Ishika Vij, one of the current Nivaro interns, hopes to work in business after college.

“The internship has given me a chance to further my knowledge about business and learn about communications and advertising for Nivaro,” she said.

Nivaro currently has 7,000 monthly users. A few months ago, the Nivaro mar-

keting team posted a TikTok that went viral, pushing their services to their targeted clients.

They have also started a program in Nivaro for consulting to give back to the local community. They are working with the non-profit Student Coders of Virginia to give back to young coders like themselves. They rebuilt the website for Student Coders of Virginia and are planning to give the organization free access to their new projects.

They are also making an e-book about the basics of coding. “We want to help kids get basic skills to have a background in coding so they can use it as a tool to succeed,” Nivaro COO Archit Jain said.

They have also began reaching out to other local businesses, offering to help them with online functions like website design.

Although the Nivaro founders will soon be spread out at different colleges around the country, they hope to use this to the company’s advantage.

“Once we are in college, there will hopefully be more opportunities for investors and advice from professors,” CBO Diego Gutierrez said. “But we will continue to look for new high schoolers to join the team because they are our market. They know what it’s like to be in the school environment.”

For more information go to nivaro.co. n

Chair Ian Serotkin (Broad Run) said he remembered getting data last year about hate speech that showed a similar spike in the third and fourth quarters and asked for a comparison between the two years so the board could better understand why a spike happens in the last two quarters. He also asked about an apparent trend of more incidents in middle schools than in high schools.

“That is something I’m hoping to see improvement on as we go forward,” he said. “We had this presentation a year ago and we are having it now and we can’t wait another year to get answers to some of these issues.”

The Equity Committee presented a summary report of racial incidents and hate speech at the May 24, 2022 School Board meeting. During that meeting 141 incidents were reported from Sept 2021 to May 18, 2022. This year’s number is reportedly five times more than last year, although Ellis noted that reporting may be inconsistent. The figures also showed a spike in the last two quarters.

Vice Chair Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn) asked if the context was known in which the racial slurs or hate speech was used, wondering if they were bullying situations, so administrators know how to best address it.

“Not that there is a good reason to use the language, but what is the context?” he asked.

Ellis agreed that context does matter and said the response may be different based on the context, and emphasized the importance of the school-based administrator being involved so the appropriate response could be made. She agreed to update the board on the data and any more information in the fall. n

Maggie McCabe is a rising sophomore at Davidson College interning at Loudoun Now.

Maggie McCabe/Loudoun Now

Ishika Vij, one of Nivaro’s business interns, and the founding Nivaro team Dylan Ott, Diego Gutierrez, Shayan Varvic, Ani Balaji, Archit Jain, Ryan Ott, and David Lomelin.

Business

Potter Recounts Airports Recovery, Threats Ahead

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority President and CEO Jack Potter outlined the rebound in business at the region’s airports and the challenges ahead at a luncheon hosted by the Committee for Dulles Thursday, June 29.

“Last couple years, all we talked about was, ‘gee, we hope people will come back, we have plenty of room for everybody,’” Potter said. “Our problem now is, where do we put all these people who showed up?”

Traffic at the airports has rebounded to surpass pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, and many of the challenges Potter outlined Thursday were about dealing with the number of passengers coming through Dulles International and Reagan National airports.

Both airports are seeing major construction projects. At Dulles Airport, that includes a new concourse with gates for 14 narrow-body planes or seven widebody international planes, expected to be ready in mid-2026. He said the project to build a massive solar array at Dulles Airport has also won necessary approvals, and construction is expected to begin in

fall or winter.

And he said opening a Metrorail station at Dulles Airport has presented an opportunity to attract more low-cost carriers, “but more importantly, people are now realizing that Dulles is pretty close.”

But some of the airports authority’s toughest challenges come from the federal government. Potter said passengers at the region’s major airports are seeing hours of customs delays—and years of

Last Dulles Toll Road Booth Comes Down

delays for visas.

“Right now, if you come through customs, unfortunately, at certain times of the day you have multiple hour waits,” Potter said. “Believe it or not, I was shocked at the statistics that said we in this metropolitan area have amongst the best wait times in America, but they’re totally unsatisfactory.”

And delays through the U.S. State Department could be choking off some travel from outside the country.

“Believe it or not, our crowds would be much higher except that in certain countries around the world, it could take as much as two years to get a visa,” he said. Both delays are attributable to federal government agencies, with limited ability for the airports to fix the wait.

And he again warned that an effort in Congress to give Delta Airlines long-haul flights out of Reagan threatens both safety and service at that airport, and business at Dulles which hosts transcontinental and international flights today.

“We don’t want to grow Reagan National not because we don’t want to welcome passengers. It’s just because they don’t fit,” he said, pointing out Reagan already has the busiest runway in the country. “The bottom line is, we’re at capacity.” n

Drivers without an E-ZPass device are identified by their license plate and receive an invoice to their associated vehicle registration address. The Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority, which operates the toll road, now also charges an additional $1.60 fee for pay-by-plate transactions. It may be possible to pay a toll before receiving an invoice and additional fee at tollsinvirginia.com.

McEnearney, Atoka Real Estate Firms Merge

Two of Loudoun’s largest independent real estate brokerages have merged.

McEnearny Associates, founded in 1980 in Alexandria, is merging with Middleburg Real Estate/Atoka Properties, which was created in 2008 and absorbed Middleburg Real Estate which dated to back to 1939.

McEnearney President Maureen McEnearney Dunn and Principal Brokers Dave Hawkins and David Howell will be joined by Middleburg Real Estate/Atoka Principals Peter Pejacsevich and Scott Buzzelli. The merger incorporates 16 offices across Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, DC, and is expected to take about six months to complete.

“It was a natural fit,” McEnearney Dunn stated. “Our firm is built on a foundation of trust, which starts with finding the absolute best agents in the business who have the highest standard of integrity and fiduciary responsibility for our clients. Middleburg Real Estate/Atoka Properties is a firm focused not on quantity but quality, and that’s what we look for when partnering with others: common goals for growth and always doing the right thing for our agents and clients.”

Both companies have rebuffed approaches from several larger franchises, according the announcement of the merger.

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

On Thursday crews took down the last toll collection booth on the Dulles Toll Road, as the road switches to pay-by-plate or E-ZPass only.

The last toll booth to come down was at exit 9B onto Rt. 28 north. In total, the Dulles Toll Road staff removed 26 booths.

Toll rates this year went up on Jan. 1 to $4 at the main toll plaza and $2 at the ramps. Manual toll collections ended in April.

The airports authority took over the toll road for 50 years starting in 2008 as part of the deal to build the Silver Line extension into Loudoun. The airports authority projects it will be paying off debt on the Silver Line project through that 50-year period ending in 2058, with toll rate increases expected every five years.

Tolls are higher for vehicles with more axles. For three axles, tolls are $8 at the plaza and $4 at the ramps; for four axles, $9.25 and $4.50; for 5 axles, $10.50 and $5; and for six or more axles, tolls are $11.75 and $5.50. n

“We are and will continue to be the industry’s best,” Pejacsevich stated. “We provide hands down the most support for our agents and clients and can do so because we are not tied to a franchise fee or national ownership.”

McEnearney Associates has supported philanthropic groups including Stop Child Abuse Now or SCAN, Hopkins House, Dunbar-Alexandria Olympic Boys & Girls Club and ACT for Alexandria, while MRE/Atoka has partnered with Tree of Life and A Farm Less Ordinary. n

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority President and CEO Jack Potter speaks at a luncheon Thursday, June 29 hosted by the Committee for Dulles.

Dulles Toll Road Dulles Toll Road staff members take away the last toll booth on the road, at exit 9B onto Rt. 28 north.

Public Safety Nonprofits

Leesburg PD Investigates Parking Lot Shooting

The Leesburg Police Department is investigating a shooting that happened Thursday night in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Evans Ridge Terrace.

According to the report, town dispatchers were alerted just after 11 p.m. June 29 to reports of gunfire, with two Hispanic males seen fleeing the area on foot. Officers arrived quickly but were unable to locate any suspects. An apartment was struck by a bullet, but no injuries were reported.

The shooting into the residence does not appear to be a random act, according to the agency.

The incident remains under investigation by the Leesburg Police Department Criminal Investigation Section. Anyone who has information or who has exterior surveillance of the incident is asked to contact Detective M. Pacilla at 703-771-4500 or at mpacilla@ leesburgva.gov. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call the Leesburg Crime Line at 703-443TIPS (8477).

Dealer’s Stolen Car Recovered at Another Lot

On Friday, June 30, a Leesburg car dealership reported to police that a customer had taken a SUV for a test drive and never returned. On Sunday afternoon, staff at Carmax called the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office to report someone attempting to sell the stolen Ford Explorer.

The suspect in both cases, Ethan T. Huff, 33, now faces three criminal charges. Leesburg Police have charged him with grand larceny. The Sheriff ’s Office filed charges of carrying a concealed weapon and possession of burglary tools.

He was held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center. n

Nonprofits, Families Gather After INMED Closes

Twenty-eight nonprofit members of the Loudoun Human Services Network and county departments joined together last week to host a Family Resource Fair, connecting families formerly served by INMED Partnerships for Children to other services in the community.

In early June, nonprofit INMED Partnerships for Children announced the sudden closure of its Family Opportunity Center in Sterling. Members of the Loudoun Human Services Network, a coalition of 50 human services nonprofits, quickly convened to brainstorm ways they could help ensure the families formerly served by INMED still have access to services. From those discussions, LHSN planned the Family Resources Fair, held June 28 at Women Giving Back.

More than 130 families attended the fair, where nonprofits provided resource guides, opportunities to register for services, and items for families in need. Women Giving Back hosted the event at its Sterling location, providing families an opportunity to receive diapers and clothing through its clothing boutique. Loudoun Hunger Relief distributed 1,100 pounds of fresh produce from JK Community Farm and Piedmont Environmental Council’s

Roundabout Meadows Community Farm to families in attendance. The Loudoun Human Services Network also brought pizza, pupusas, and snow cones, and 60 Women Giving Back volunteers pitched in to offer children’s games and activities.

“We wanted to show the families that our organizations are here for them, and make it a fun experience,” LHSN chair and Loudoun Cares Executive Director Valerie Pisierra said. “It’s important that all of the families know how to connect with our nonprofits when they need help. I’m proud of our nonprofit community for coming together so quickly to plan this event in less than three weeks.”

Families attending the fair also connected with “Transition Navigators,” a team of four former INMED staff recently hired by Northern Virginia Family Service in contract roles, with funding from the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation and 100WomenStrong, a fund of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. The team will work with families throughout the summer to evaluate current and future needs and help with resource planning.

“When we were invited to be part of the transition team, our goal was for fam-

ilies participating in all INMED programs to connect with county organizations and continue to receive the necessary help in different areas such as food, clothing, help financial support and the educational program that were provided,” Transition Navigator Eva Maria Torres Herrera said. “Making this contact with the families was really incredible, some of the families are our neighbors, they attend the church where we participate, or they participate in some community activity. The whole team began to contact the families and the voice spread with 138 families attending this event. It was amazing.”

“Supporting local families and connecting them to the services they need to thrive is at the heart of what we do at Northern Virginia Family Service,” NVFS President and CEO Stephanie Berkowitz said.  “We are proud to stand alongside this vibrant group of partners as we collaboratively meet the critical needs of families in Loudoun County.”

For more information about Northern Virginia Family Service, go to nvfs.org, and for more information about the Loudoun Human Services Network, go to loudounhumanservicesnetwork.org. n

775 Data Center Employees Pledge to Donate Blood

This year, the Data Center Coalition’s second annual virtual blood drive resulted in 775 pledges to donate blood, a 54% increase over last year’s inaugural blood drive.

Sixteen data center companies participated in the 2023 campaign: Aligned Data Centers, Amazon Web Services, Cologix, CyrusOne, Digital Realty, EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, Equinix, Google, Iron Mountain Data Centers, Microsoft, Prime Data Centers, QTS Data Centers, Quantum Loophole, STACK Infrastructure, Vantage Data Centers, and Yondr Group. Equinix registered the most pledges, with 205, followed by Amazon Web Services at 198 pledges and QTS Data Centers at 98.

“The data center industry is commit-

ted to strengthening the communities where their teams live and work,” Data Center Coalition President Josh Levi stated. “We are grateful to have partnered with the American Red Cross and Vitalant on this campaign to provide our members an opportunity to come together and provide potentially life-saving support in communities

across the country.”

The virtual blood drive ran from early may through mid-June, using the American Red Cross’s SleevesUp and Vitalant Virtual Blood Drive platforms to track pledges. Data center companies also held in-person blood drives and reported those donations toward the total.

“By partnering with the Data Center Coalition, hundreds of data center industry employees are committing to help save lives,” American Red Cross of Loudoun and Prince William Counties Executive Director Erwin Stierle stated. “Through the #DataCenterSleevesUp2023 online campaign, nearly 800 units of blood have been pledged to ensure those in need have access to lifesaving blood.” n

‘We’ll Get This Right’ Leaders to Reconsider Development Plans at Mickie Gordon Park

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

The county parks department may be going back to the drawing board in its effort to address the growing demand for cricket facilities.

During a standing-room-only community meeting in Middleburg June 29, neighbors and town leaders laid out strong objections to plans to convert nearby Mickie Gordon Memorial Park into a three-pitch cricket competition center.

“We have heard what you are saying,” Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Steve Torpy said at the conclusion of the 90-minute session at the American Legion Post. “We will go back and work through this … and try to find something that is a win-win.”

For Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton and many of the night’s speakers, that win-win solution has three elements. First is withdrawing the special exception application for the proposed redevelopment of the park. That request had been slated for Planning Commission review this summer, but already has been put on

hold until at least September. Second is for county leaders to accelerate construction of cricket fields at a different location, somewhere closer to the eastern Loudoun neighborhoods where the sport’s players live. Then, community members asked that Mickie Gordon Memorial Park be

given a makeover to restore its baseball fields and other facilities while maintaining it as a chiefly passive park.

The community meeting was the culmination of several weeks of public debate after information about the cricket plan surfaced. Objections have centered on increased traffic, the installation of additional lights, and the higher intensity envisioned for the 99-acre property just east of town.

Several speakers said the cricket project should have started with a community meeting, before money was spent on designs for the proposed complex.

Torpy didn’t disagree.

He said the project started as a relatively simple in-house upgrade to the park but grew in scope to become a larger capital project in the county’s construction list.

“In hindsight that was not a good choice by me, and I want to own that tonight. This was something that I did. But we do want to hear from you. That’s why we paused this,” Torpy said.

“We are big believers in being good

continues on page 31

Purcellville Planners Near End of Zoning Rewrite

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpmapaloni@loudounnow.com

The Purcellville Planning Commission is planning to finish its work rewriting the town’s Zoning Ordinance and hand it off to the Town Council for review by the end of the year.

The commission began the rewrite after completing its work on the town’s Comprehensive Plan that was adopted by the council in June 2020. One of the goals identified in the plan was to update the town’s Zoning Ordinance to implement the land use recommendations outlined in the plan.

At the recommendation of town staff and members of the Planning Commission, the Town Council hired Cincinnati, OH-based ZoneCo to help lead that work, approving a $123,000 contract in December 2021.

ZoneCo worked with the commission throughout 2022 and the first half of this year to produce a draft ordinance, work

that was delayed amid disruptions to the commissions’ schedule as the Town Council sent other issues for its review such as the county’s applications regarding Fields Farm Park and the Rt. 7/Rt. 690 interchange.

ZoneCo presented a final version of the draft ordinance to the commission June 1 at which point their contract with the town expired. Now, the commission is working through the ordinance article by article to ensure that each aspect aligns with the Comprehensive Plan.

The commission underwent a change in January when members Mary F. “Boo” Bennett and Carol Luke were elected to the council and Chip Paciulli’s term expired without him seeking reappointment. They were replaced on the commission by Brian Green, Jason Dengler and Ronald Rise Sr. The town’s then-Zoning Administrator Don Dooley also resigned in January. The town hired Martha Mason Semmes to act as interim zoning administrator. Her con-

tract with the town expires July 31.

Semmes said that the draft that the commission is working on is largely the same as the town’s current plan with necessary updates to reflect population and development changes.

Semmes said a more significant change was the ordinance’s attention to “focus areas” in town that were identified in the latest Comprehensive Plan. The seven listed focus areas are titled: Hirst-West, HirstEast, West End, Downtown-North, Downtown-South, East Main and East End. The Comprehensive Plan describes them as being “areas of Purcellville where opportunities exist to enhance and facilitate development to a level consistent with the town’s vision.”

The commission’s draft zoning ordinance uses overlay districts to promote the desired design character in each focus area:

ZONING REWRITE

continues on page 15

HAMILTON Movie in the Park to Take Place July 28

The town is planning a “Movie in the Park” for July 28 at Hamilton Community Park. The showing of “Super Mario Brothers” will begin at approximately 8 p.m.

The park is located at 31 West Colonial Highway.

LOVETTSVILLE

Town Approved for $8.94M in State Funding

The Town of Lovettsville has been awarded $8.94 million in state funding from the Virginia Department of Transportation SMART SCALE program.

Loudoun County included two of the town’s projects in its application for the funding in January. The first project includes designs for improvements on South Loudoun and Locust streets. South Loudoun Street, north of its intersection with Locust, would be converted to a one-way street to allow for pedestrian improvements on the east side of the street. The second project involves intersection improvements at West Broad Way and Berlin Turnpike. The work will include improvements to both pedestrian and vehicular safety.

“I appreciate the fiscal stewardship of the mayors and town councils of the past three years to take these efforts from the perennial ‘wish list’ to a funded reality,” Mayor Christopher Hornbaker said in an email to constituents June 30.

PURCELLVILLE

Bremseth Starts as Interim Town Manager

The town’s new Interim Manager Rick Bremseth began work

AROUND TOWNS continues on page 15

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Steve Torpy discusses the future of Mickie Gordon Memorial Park during a June 29 community meeting at the Middleburg American Legion.

MICKIE GORDON PARK

Zoning rewrite

continued from page 14

Downtown North – for the purpose of maintaining and promoting a compact walkable district, including housing, office, retail, services, restaurants, and industrial uses at a scale and character that is compatible with Purcellville’s rural town traditions.

Downtown Southeast – for the purpose of maintaining and promoting a compact, walkable, “human-scaled” commercial district, including, office, retail, services, restaurants, and industrial uses at a scale and character that is compatible with the residential character of neighboring buildings.

Purcellville Council Weighs Consequences of 117-Acre Annexation North of Town

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

The Purcellville Town Council on Tuesday heard from JK Land Holdings about plans to build a commerce center just north of the town limits, leaving town leaders with a decision to make—whether to annex the 117 acres.

The project is located on the north side of Rt. 7 east of Purcellville Road, between the Mayfair and Wright Farm neighborhoods.  JK Holdings is planning to submit a rezoning application to the county this week, according to Walsh Colucci Lubely & Walsh Senior Land Planner Michael Romeo. The application seeks a change in zoning from the current JLMA-3, which allows one house per three acres, to PD-IP, which allows for light and medium industrial uses.

Romeo briefed the council on plans for the commerce center as well as the changes that would occur if the council decided to annex the property.

“If we were to rezone under the county’s ordinance and under their polices, we would be required to provide 70 feet of right away width through our entire property known as the North Collector Road,” Romeo said.

The town removed references to a Northern Collector Road from its Town Plan, but the county’s transportation plan continues to show that corridor on the north side of Rt. 7.

He said that the company would also improve the portion of Purcellville Road on the edge of the property to comply with

Virginia of Department of Transportation requirements.

“The improvements that we would provide along the entire front edge would make it a very safe road. We would have left and right turn lanes at each entrance,” Romeo said, adding that they would widen the road as well.

He said that if the town annexed the property, the company would not be required to build the collector road unless the town wanted it.

“We would just have internal roadways,” he said. “We would not look to connect any other property outside of the town.”

Romeo said they would also use the town’s sewer system if annexed.

He said the project would fit in with the existing land use pattern of the town.

“This is the industrial center of the town,” he said. “The Valley Industrial Park is located just across Purcellville Road from the Valley Commerce site.”

Council Member Mary F. “Boo” Bennett asked whether the company would consider not rezoning the area and staying with the by-right use of the land.

Romeo said it was not the company’s preference.

“The opportunity for a business park at this location makes all the sense in the world,” he said.

Mayor Stanley J. Milan asked what type of businesses the company was looking to draw.

“The types of businesses would be a

COMMERCE CENTER

continues on page 31

Downtown Southwest – for the purpose of maintaining and promoting a compact, walkable, “human-scaled” commercial district, including, office, retail, services, restaurants, and industrial uses at a scale and character that is compatible with the residential character of neighboring buildings. This serves as a transition from residential areas to the east to the core of downtown to the west.

East Main – to promote a more pedestrian-friendly retail destination where it is easier to walk between surrounding neighborhoods and commercial uses.

Hirst East – to be developed with green and open spaces, as well as some commercial, office, and light industrial uses that are compatible with the town’s character.

Hirst West – to encourage opportunities for new light industrial and business infill development to complement existing light industrial and business uses in the district through enhanced building design and landscaping standards.

AROUND towns

continued from page 14

last week and attended his first Town Council meeting Tuesday, June 27.

He said in an email to Loudoun Now that he has a full schedule for the next two weeks.

Bremseth is the town’s fourth manager this year and is expected to serve in the position until the town hires a permanent Town Manager. Loudoun Now has contacted the town and Mayor Stanley J. Milan on the status of the town’s search for a permanent manager but they have not responded at the time of this publication.

West End – to encourage a small-scale, diverse, walkable commercial area that acts as a destination for western Loudon County and a transition between the rural countryside and the town environment.

Floodplain – to prevent the loss of life and property, the creation of health and safety hazards, the disruptions of commerce and governmental services, the extraordinary and unnecessary expenditure of public funds for flood protection and relief, and the impairment of the tax base.

Architectural Review – In addition to the regulations of this zoning ordinance, special review and approval by the Board of Architectural Review may be required as established by the Town of Purcellville Code of Ordinances.

The current zoning ordinance has three overlay districts: Floodplain, Historic Corridor and Architectural Control. In the draft ordinance, the Historic Corridor Overlay exists as a subsection of the Architectural Review Overlay to ensure that new development is in keeping with the smalltown character of Purcellville, ensure aesthetic treatment along the entrances to town and promote tourism through historic revitalization. That district would act as a larger overlay under which several of the new overlay districts would exist.

In 2023 alone, the Planning Commission has held seven special meetings regarding the Zoning Ordinance rewrite in addition to its regularly scheduled meetings on the first and third Thursday of the month.

Once the commission finishes its rewrite and the town’s attorney has reviewed it, the commission will hold a public hearing before making final changes and voting to recommend it to the Town Council. n

Police Department to Collect School Supplies

The Police Department will be collecting school supplies July 5 through Aug. 9 to support local students.

The department has curated a wish list of items needed. It can be found at tinyurl.com/4e6dneue.

While the Police Station is undergoing renovations, the Town Hall will provide a box in the lobby to collect donate items. Supplies can be ordered off the list and delivered directly to the Town Hall.

Items can be delivered Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Only new items will be accepted. n

JK Land Holdings

A rendering showing the location of a planned commerce center presented by JK Land Holdings to the Purcellville Town Council.

Purcellville

Loudoun Celebrates

Leesburg

Waterford

Malone

continued from page 3

project created by Brownell. Next was to expand into the former train station building at Market Station with a new concept, Fire Works Pizza, that was replicated in Arlington and Cascades. Most recently, Malone acquired the historic Birkby House in Leesburg to operate as a wedding and events venue.

Visit Loudoun President and CEO Beth Erickson said Malone’s legacy can be seen throughout Loudoun.

“It’s no secret that the tourism and hospitality industry is an ecosystem in which one segment supports another. Over the past four decades, Kevin Malone’s vision, as well as that of his family, has supported numerous Loudoun farmers and producers. But without a quality product and outstanding experience, the ecosystem suffers,” she said. “Kevin created the space

that landed his restaurants and many of his employees on every ‘best of’ list in recent memory. The number of jobs created and careers launched within these businesses is hard to define. But what we know is that Kevin Malone and the Tuskie’s Restaurant Group has helped define Loudoun as a ‘must-visit’ destination for great food and service and for that, the entire industry is grateful.”

Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk agreed.

“Kevin Malone was an institution here

in Leesburg. His commitment and investments in Leesburg helped to make the town what it is today,” she said. “He was a businessman through and through. He loved his family and his little red truck with the dogs in it. Here in Leesburg, we are sad to have lost Kevin, but boy, aren’t we lucky to have known him.”

The family tentatively is planning services for Thursday, July 13, with a public reception to follow at The Birkby House in Leesburg. n

In Leesburg, Independence taking home judged by was followed banners Independence from the Meanwhile, Lincoln, Lovettsville Park hosted neighborhoods

And the festivities sunset, of

— Photos by Hanna Pampaloni

— Photos by Mary Everett

Celebrates the 4th!

Leesburg

Leesburg, crowds thronged historic downtown for a massive Independence Day parade, with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy home Loudoun Now’s Patriot Cup award for best oat, by members of the Leesburg Daybreak Rotary Club. That followed by the unveiling of the town’s new Hometown Hero at Freedom Park and a reading of the Declaration of Independence near the spot where Sheriff Philip Noland read it courthouse steps on Aug. 12, 1776. Meanwhile, more parades were winding through Waterford, Lovettsville and Purcellville while Sterling’s Claude Moore hosted its annual festival. They followed parades in other neighborhoods across Loudoun leading up to the Fourth of July. festivities continued into the night with music and at of course: reworks.

Broadband funding

continued from page 3

so they can get connected in their own home, Wexton noted.

Reid, a member of Virginia’s Broadband Advisory Council, said the additional federal investment will significantly boost a broadband expansion state leaders launched six years ago with plans to

Lincoln

spend $4 million a year.

“I think that we have to keep in the forefront of our mind the fact that broadband actually provides better educational opportunities, which then provides better economic development opportunities, whether or not you’re an existing business, or you want to be able to bring a new business to an area,” Reid said. “One of the things that I’ve highlighted as I’ve traveled around the commonwealth is the fact that with the advent of broadband uni-

Lovettsville

versally available everywhere, jobs that are currently just focused in Northern Virginia—let’s just say cybersecurity, or software development—can now be done anywhere. So, the things that you’re doing could actually bring job opportunities all across the commonwealth that were not previously available to anyone.”

Wexton noted that, in Loudoun, tech businesses provide the world with internet access, but are not able to serve all the homes and businesses in their

community.

“Expanding broadband means kids don’t have to sit in a McDonald’s parking lot to connect to Wi-Fi just so they can do their homework. Expanding broadband means new opportunities for small business owners like the ones here today to grow and innovate their business. Expanding broadband means not leaving our rural communities behind,” Wexton said. n

— Photos by Hanna Pampaloni

— Photos by Mary Everett

— Photos by Norman Styer and Renss Greene

up going to the Waterford Fair each year. It’s a family tradition to walk around the village, check out all the crafts and reenactors and all the people who have come to our small town for the weekend.

WHAT’S A FUN FACT TO SHARE ABOUT LOUDOUN?

There are nearly 300 miles of unpaved roads remaining in Loudoun; I’ve driven a lot of them.

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THE LOUDOUN COUNTY FAIR?

LIVE MUSIC

DANIEL MENSH

5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 6

MacDowell’s Beach, 202 Harrison St. SE., Leesburg. macsbeach.com

JUSTIN SUEDE

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 6

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

SATISFACTION - INTERNATIONAL ROLLING STONES SHOW

8 to 11 p.m. Thursday, July 6

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St. SW., Leesburg. $20 to $30. tallyhotheater.com

TEJAS SINGH

5 p.m. to July 8, 8 a.m. Friday, July 7

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

BERT HUSER

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 7

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

MARK CULLINANE

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 7

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

JIM STEELE

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 7

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

NATE CLENDENEN

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 7

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

IAN VEST

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 7

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

DAVE MININBERG

6 p.m. to July 8, 9 a.m. Friday, July 7

Otium Cellars, 18050 Tranquility Road, Purcellville. otiumcellars.com

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 19

Brandon Hutchison, Demolition Driver

Why We

GETOUT LO VE Loudoun

Brandon Hutchison, 21, a maintenance mechanic at Loudoun Water, grew up on his family’s farm in Waterford. He started driving lawn mowers, tractors and four wheelers on the farm before graduating to demolition derbies at age 16, straight after getting his driver’s license. This year will be the fifth time he has competed in

the wildly popular Demolition Derby at the Loudoun County Fair.

FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT IN LOUDOUN?

I enjoy a good steak at Blue Ridge Grill in Leesburg.

FAVORITE PLACE FOR A CRAFT BEVERAGE?

Harvest Gap Brewery in Hillsboro is a great place to grab a beer and some good food. They usually have live music and there’s always a great view of the farm fields and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

BEST SECRET PLACE IN LOUDOUN?

MooThru Hillsboro – the ice cream truck, which is parked outside the Old Stone School. The truck is there from Wednesdays to Sundays throughout summer and it’s the best ice cream around.

WHAT’S A MUST-SEE PLACE FOR AN OUT-OF-TOWN VISITOR?

Any of the family-friendly wineries or breweries. Take them to one in western Loudoun with a great view.

Favorite event in Loudoun?  I grew

I’ve been going to it with my family since I was a kid. There is something for everyone—fairground rides, animals, rodeo, magicians, music— and the Demolition Derby.

HOW MANY DRIVERS COMPETE IN THE DEMOLITION DERBY AT THE FAIR?

Each year it gets bigger. Last year there were more than 25 participants.

WHEN DOES IT TAKE PLACE?

On Tuesday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 29 at 8 p.m. This year they added a second derby because it is such a popular event.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR IT?

First, I have to find a 4-cylinder car that I can use. I will strip it down by taking out all the seats, interior and glass. After that I chain and reinforce the doors and relocate the battery and fuel tank to inside the car. My favorite part is picking a color to spray paint the car. Once it is painted, the final touch is adding the number.

WHAT CAR ARE YOU BRINGING THIS YEAR?

I will be bringing a Toyota Camry that is painted black with a red 22 on the side. Be sure to cheer for #22!

HOW MANY CARS HAVE YOU TRASHED AT THE DERBY?

I participate in derbies all over the area. Each car usually lasts about two derbies. I have gone through 10+ cars of all makes and models. ASIDE FROM THE DERBY, WHAT OTHER EVENTS SHOULD VISITORS TO THE FAIR CHECK OUT?

The bull riding at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 28. It’s a talented group of guys out there. n

Visit Loudoun strives to bring tourists to the county, but locals can be tourists, too. In this series we ask Loudoun residents to tell us about the joys, secrets and delights of their own backyard. Discover something new and share your local adventure with Visit Loudoun using

Visit Loudoun Brandon Hutchison sits atop his battered machine with his Loudoun County Fair Demolition Derby trophy.

Best Bets

BORN CROSS-EYED

Friday, July 7, 7 p.m. Hillsboro Old Stone School oldstoneschool.org

Northern Virginia’s top Grateful Dead tribute band returns to Hillsboro for the second installment of the Music in the Gap concert series. Free admission.

GET OUT LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 18

CLARK PEKLO

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 7

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

AGAINST THE GRAIN

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 7

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

ROWDY ACE BAND

6 to 10 p.m. Friday, July 7

MacDowell’s Beach, 202 Harrison St. SE., Leesburg. macsbeach.com

CHRIS BOWEN

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 7 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

BRIAN JOHNSON

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, July 7

Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza #145, Ashburn. socialhouseashburn.com

EMO NIGHT LEESBURG

8 to 11 p.m. Friday, July 7

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St. SW., Leesburg. $15 to $35. tallyhotheater.com

SIX SHADES OF GRAY

8 p.m. to12 a.m. Friday, July 7

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

HIGH NOON – SOUTHERN ROCK TRIBUTE

Saturday, July 8, 6 p.m. Tarara Winery tararaconcerts.com

High Noon performs ‘70s classic hits of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws, 38 Special and The Marshall Tucker Band with a deep dedication to the legacy of the timeless music.

HARD SWIMMIN’ FISH

8 to 11 p.m. Friday, July 7

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

FLO RIDA LIVE 9 to 11 p.m. Friday, July 7

Ion Arena, 19201 Compass Creek Parkway, Leesburg. $40 to $80. ionarena.com

THE LOST CORNER VAGABONDS

2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, July 8

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

CALIFORNIA BOB

Noon to 4 p.m

Saturday July 8

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

JILL FULTON

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 8

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

NATALIE BROOKE

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 8

Otium Cellars, 18050

Tranquility Road, Purcellville. otiumcellars.com

CHRIS COMPTON

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 8

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

LINDA ANDERSEN

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 8 Creek’s Edge Winery, 41255 Annas Lane, Lovettsville. creeksedgewinery.com

POLO IN THE PARK

Saturday, July 8, 6 to 10 p.m. Morven Park International Equestrian Center polointhepark.org

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

JEREMIAH PROPHETT

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 8

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

LUCAS MASON

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 8

868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Purcellville. 868estatevineyards.com

CHRIS BONE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 8 Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyard.com

SHANE HINES

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 8

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

SHARIF

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 8 8 Chains N. Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com

CONNOR DALY

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 8 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

LENNY BURRIDGE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 8

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

JULIET LLOYD

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

Juliet Lloyd is an acclaimed singer/songwriter who has garnered comparisons to Patty Griffin, Grace Potter, Carole King and Chris Stapleton for her signature blend of soulful, roots-infused pop. Free admission.

CALEB HACKER

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 8

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

MAMA’S BLACK SHEEP

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 8 Lost Rhino Brewing Co, 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn. lostrhino.com

CHRIS DARLINGTON

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 8 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

MICAH HOWARD

2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 8 Bluemont Vineyard, 18755 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont. bluemontvineyard.com

MELISSA QUINN FOX DUO

2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 8 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

ZAC QUINTANA

2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 8

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

JIM STEELE

3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 8

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

CHRIS TIMBERS BAND

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

ALBERT BOUCHARD’S IMAGINOS

Sunday, July 9, 8 p.m. Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

Founding member and original drummer of Blue Oyster Cult presents the Imaginos Saga live on the Leesburg stage.

KIMBERLY BURKE

5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 8

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

SHADE TREE COLLECTIVE

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 8

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

SELA CAMPBELL

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 8 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchase.com

ROWDY ACE BAND

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 8 868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Purcellville. 868estatevineyards.com

STEPHEN GEORGE & FRIENDS

6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 8

MacDowell’s Beach, 202 Harrison St. SE., Leesburg. macsbeach.com

SIDETRACKED BAND

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 8 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

HIGH NOON - SOUTHERN ROCK TRIBUTE

6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 8

Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Leesburg. $12 to $60. tararaconcerts.com

JUSTIN SUEDE

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 8

The Bungalow Lakehouse, 46116 Lake Center Plaza,

Sterling. bungalowlakehouse.com

JULIET LLOYD

7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 8 Leesburg Town Hall, 25 W. Market St., Leesburg. idalee.org

EMMET SWIMMING

8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 8 Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $30. tallyhotheater.com

LOST LOCALS

8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday, July 8 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

SHARIF

Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 9 Forever Farm and Vineyard, 15779 Woodgrove Road, Purcellville. foreverfarmandvineyard.com

STEEL DRUMMIN’ ON THE BEACH

Noon to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 9 MacDowell’s Beach, 202 Harrison St. SE., Leesburg. macsbeach.com

BAILEY HAYES

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 9 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

STEPHEN MERLIN

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. fabbioliwines.com

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 20

GET

OUT LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 19

CHRIS ELLINGHAUS

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 9 Creek’s Edge Winery, 41255 Annas Lane, Lovettsville. creeksedgewinery.com

NATHANIEL DAVIS

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 9 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchase.com

THE RETRONES

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 9 Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

ANDREW O’DAY

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 9

Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane,

Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyard.com

CHESAPEAKE SONS (DUO)

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 9

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

STANLEY WHITAKER

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 9

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

CHESAPEAKE SONS:

ACOUSTIC DUO

1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 9

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

MELISSA QUINN FOX

2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 9 MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 Harrison St. SE. B, Leesburg. macsbeach.com

MICHELLE HANNAN & ONE BLUE NIGHT

2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 9

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

JIM STEELE

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 9 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

JULIANA MCDOWELL

WITH MIKE AULT

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 9. Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. doukeniewinery.com

ANDY CARIGNAN

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 9 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

MARK CULLINANE

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 9 868 Estate Vineyards,

14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. 868estatevineyards.com

MOXIE

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 9 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

THE COLD NORTH

3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 9 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

WILL BASKIN

4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 9 The Bungalow Lakehouse, 46116 Lake Center Plaza, Sterling. bungalowlakehouse.com

MELISSA QUINN FOX

4:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 9 MacDowell’s Beach, 202 Harrison St. SE., Leesburg. macsbeach.com

ALBERT BOUCHARD’S IMAGINOS

8 to 9 p.m. Sunday, July 9

Post

Town of Leesburg

Employment Opportunities

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

Resumes may be submitted as supplemental only. EOE/ADA.

Regular Full-Time Positions

To review Ida Lee (Parks & Recreation) flexible part-time positions, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs. Most positions will be filled at or near the minimum of the range. Dependent on qualifications.

All Town vacancies may be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel 67 and Verizon FiOS Channel 35.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St. SW., Leesburg. $30 to $50. tallyhotheater.com

NICK MICH

7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 12

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

LAURA FARRELL

5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 13

MacDowell’s Beach, 202 Harrison St. SE., Leesburg. macsbeach.com

WILL BASKIN

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 13

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

HAPPENINGS

HELLO HIVE!

3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 6 Heritage Farm Museum, 21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling. heritagefarmmuseum.org

JK BLACK OAK WILDLIFE SANCTUARY WORKDAY

8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 8

JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary, 14570 Newvalley Church Road, Lucketts. loudounwildlife.org

BIRDING BANSHEE

8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 8 Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, 21085 The Woods Road, Leesburg. loudounwildlife.org

POLO IN THE PARK

6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 8

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

EXHIBITION ON SCREENMARY CASSATT: PAINTING THE MODERN WOMAN

4:30 to 6 p.m. Thurs., July 13 Franklin Park Performing & Visual Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville. $8 franklinparkartscenter.org

Rental assistance

continued from page 1

spike in evictions as protections and rent assistance were allowed to run out, and as apartment rent prices climbed more than 10% each year.

The demonstration Friday was the second time New Virginia Majority organizers showed up to the county offices demanding action, after a previous demonstration in December. Once again, they asked to speak to housing department Director John Hall; once again, although demonstrators were permitted into a conference room as the rain picked up, Hall stayed inside his office.

Single mother of two Heidi Vasquez said during the demonstration outside that she has difficulty between rent, medicine and food for her children, a babysitter, and having to take unpaid time off from work to take care of her daughter.

“Therefore, I am asking for the director to tell us when he’s going to be able to release that money, because every month I have to see where I can get the money,” she said speaking through an interpreter.

New Virginia Majority organizer Liliana Weinberg said the county is taking too long to spend the money.

“The ARPA funds are emergency funds from the federal government, and they were emergency funds during COVID, and I think they need to be ready,” she said. “They need to spend it now.”

The county government provided a written statement to demonstrators, saying funds are expected to be available this fall.

“County staff is working as quickly as possible in a collaborative manner to streamline the availability of resources to the public,” the statement reads. “First, the County must put in place a system to distribute the money. Since the Board approved the funding earlier this year, staff has been working to hire a contractor who will assist with distributing the rental assistance. The advertisement for a third-party contractor(s) is nearing completion for the public to respond. Once proposals

are received and reviewed, the Board of Supervisors will approve the hiring of a contactor or contractors. Unfortunately, this process takes time. We appreciate the community’s patience while we work toward implementing the program.”

The demonstration also came as the county government has scaled back its assistance in the community with another source of federal funding, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grants. Last year, most of Loudoun’s $1.3 million through that program went to nonprofits that collectively proposed to use that money to serve almost 4,000 people, ranging from dental services to job training and placement.

This year, although the county received roughly a $100,000 bump in block grant funding, supervisors voted to keep most of that money for the county itself, distributing less than $400,000 to nonprofits and funneling most of that money into the county’s housing programs.

That also contributed at least in part to the collapse of one Loudoun nonprofit, INMED Partnerships for Children, which formerly had been a major recipient of block grant funds and closed abruptly earlier this month, citing “a perfect storm of financial challenges.”

This year, that money will support nonprofits’ service to an estimated 1,110 people including dental services, job training and placement, and case management and renovations at LAWS domestic abuse shelter. Another $150,000 that stays with the county government is expected to help one family achieve homeownership. And another $772,000 will go to a developer seeking to develop affordable housing in the county, with its impact uncertain. n

Legal Notices

JOINT PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE FY2024-FY2029 SECONDARY ROAD SIX-YEAR PLAN AND FY2024 CONSTRUCTION IMPROVEMENT BUDGET PRIORITY LIST

In accordance with Virginia Code §33.2-331, the BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUDOUN COUNTY and the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION will jointly hold a combined PUBLIC HEARING on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, to consider adoption of the FY2024 - FY2029 Secondary Road Six-Year Plan and the FY2024 Construction Improvement Budget Priority List developed for the secondary roads in Loudoun County.

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

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

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

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

Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings. All members of the public who desire to speak will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Public input may be provided by electronic means at Board public hearings. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, will be accommodated without advanced sign-up during the hearing, however, members of the public are strongly encouraged to signup in advance. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on June 30, 2023, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on July 12, 2023. 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 J. Randall Farid Bigdeli Chair Assistant District Administrator

Loudoun

County Board of Supervisors

Virginia Department of Transportation 6/29 & 7/6/23

NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES

This notice is to inform the owner and any person having a security interest in their right to reclaim the motor vehicle herein described within 15 days after the date of storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody, and the failure of the owner or persons having security interests to exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver by the owner, and all persons having security interests of all right, title and interest in the vehicle, and consent to the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction.

This notice shall also advise the owner of record of his or her right to contest the determination by the Sheriff that the motor vehicle was “abandoned,” as provided in Chapter 630.08 of the Loudoun County Ordinance, by requesting a hearing before the County Administrator in writing. Such written request for a hearing must be made within 15 days of the notice.

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 12, 2023, in order to consider:

COMCAST CABLE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT RENEWAL

The Board of Supervisors shall consider the renewal of the Comcast Cable Franchise Agreement between the Comcast of California/Maryland/Pennsylvania/Virginia/West Virginia, LLC and the County of Loudoun.

Copies of the full text of the Comcast Cable Franchise Agreement, is 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 may also 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 APPROVING THE PUBLIC USE AND NECESSITY OF ACQUIRING CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY AND AUTHORIZING THE ACQUISITION BY EMINENT DOMAIN

Northstar Boulevard Phase 1 (Route 50 to Evergreen Mills Road)

Pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-1901 et seq., the Board of Supervisors shall consider the adoption of a resolution approving the public use and necessity for the acquisition of real property for the Northstar Boulevard Phase I (Route 50 to Evergreen Mills Road) road project in Arcola, Virginia, by eminent domain (condemnation and “quick take”). The subject property consists of portions of 13 parcels located along the planned roadway corridor. The property interests to be acquired include public street fee simple right-of-way, various permanent easements, and temporary construction easements for the construction of the project located on the following properties:

PIN # PROPERTY OWNER ELECTION DISTRICT

203-26-1951-000 Arcola Tech LLC

202-16-1713-000 JK-Racefield Lane LLC

202-15-9451-000 JK-Racefield Lane LLC

203-37-1445-000 Yondr JK2 LLC

203-26-0981-000 Yondr JK1 LLC Dulles

River and Dulles

River and Dulles

River and Dulles

River and Dulles

202-17-7155-000 Yondr JK1 LLC Little River

202-28-2993-000 Yondr JK1 LLC Little River

202-28-5740-000 Yondr JK1 LLC Little River

202-47-2720-000 Northern Virginia Electric Coop Little River

203-47-9574-000 Youngwood Lane LLC Dulles

203-38-1269-000 Briarfield Estates HOA Dulles

203-37-8437-000 Papazian, Edward Y & Judith C Dulles

203-37-7428-000 Papazian, Edward Y & Judith C Dulles

A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed resolution, as well as plat and vicinity maps further identifying the subject property to be acquired, is 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 (703) 777-0200. Documents may also 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”). Project details may also be viewed at the County’s Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure website link: www.loudoun.gov/5789/ Transportation-Projects-Programs.

CREATION OF NEW SECTION TO CHAPTER 6 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY

Chapter 656.

Conduct in WMATA Facilities and Vehicles

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 15.2-1427 and 15.2-958, the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intention to adopt a new Chapter 656, Conduct in WMATA Facilities and Vehicles, of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County. The purpose of this addition is to regulate conduct in Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) facilities and vehicles to provide for the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the County and for the preservation of peace and good order by regulating conduct in and around certain modes of public transportation operated by WMATA. Chapter 656 will be effective upon adoption by the Board of Supervisors.

A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed ordinance amendment is on file and available for public inspection at the Office of the County Administrator, 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 may also 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”).

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE FY 2021-2025 CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND THE FY 2024 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN

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

On February 3, 2023, the Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development was notified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that Loudoun County has met the congressional appropriations threshold to receive HOME funds in the amount of $750,000 for FY 2024.

HOME is the largest federal block grant to state and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households and is regulated in Title 42 of the U.S. Code section 12701 (42 U.S.C. §12701), and Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations (24 CFR Part 92), as amended.

The proposed substantial amendment includes changes to the following components of the Consolidated Plan:

• The Strategic Goals

• Project and activity descriptions

• HOME and CDBG Budgets

• Citizen Participation Plan

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

High Priority Activities:

• Projects that are shovel ready for affordable housing construction

• Acquisition (24 CFR 570.201(a))

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

• Public Facilities (24 CFR 570.201(c))

• Tenant Based Rental Assistance (24 CFR 92.209)

Unallocated CDBG funds to be reprogrammed to the following FY 2024 eligible high priority activities

HOME Investment Partnerships Funds proposed for FY24 eligible high priority activities.

Copies of the draft amendment to the FY 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan and the substantial amendment to the FY 2024 Annual Action Plan will be available and may be examined at the offices of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), 106 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg, VA 20175, Monday through Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm. The draft amendment will be available online at www.loudoun. gov/cdbg through and including July 12, 2023. Members of the Public are invited to comment. Written comments may be submitted to: CDBG Program Manager at the Department of Housing and Community Development, P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, VA 20177 or by e-mail at housing@loudoun.gov by no later than 5:00 p.m. on July 12, 2023.

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Legal Notices

AMENDMENTS TO SECTIONS 209 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY

Voting Precincts and Polling Places

(Affects the Middleburg Precinct in the Little River District)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 15.2-1427, 24.2-306 and 24.2-307, et seq., the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intention to propose for passage amendments to Section 209, Table: Voting Precincts and Polling Places, of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County.

In the Little River District:

1. The polling place for the Middleburg precinct will be moved from the Middleburg American Legion Post 295 located at 111 The Plains Road, Middleburg to the Middleburg Town Hall located at 10 W. Marshall Street, Middleburg, VA 20117.

A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed amendments and maps showing precinct boundaries and polling places are on file and available at the Office of the County Administrator, 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”). In addition, this information is available for inspection at Loudoun County’s Office of Elections website at www.loudoun.gov/vote

AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 209 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY

Voting Precincts and Polling Places

Realignment of Precinct Boundaries

(Affects the Carter and Rock Ridge Precincts in the Sterling District)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-1427 and 24.2-305 et seq., the Board of Supervisors gives notice of intent to propose for passage amendments to Chapter 209, Voting Precincts and Polling Places, of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County. The purpose of the amendments is to adjust the precinct boundary of two precincts to eliminate a split precinct.

In the Sterling Election District:

1. The boundary of the existing Carter and Rock Ridge Precincts will be realigned along the new House District boundary. The Carter and Rock Ridge Precincts will retain their current polling places.

A complete copy of the full text of the above referenced amendments and maps showing precinct boundaries and polling places are on file and available for inspection at the Office of the County Administrator, 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”). In addition, this information is available for inspection at the Loudoun County’s Office of Elections website at www.loudoun.gov/vote

ZMOD-2022-0076

The Human Bean (Zoning Ordinance Modification)

J & P Coffee LLC., of Fairfax, Virginia, has submitted an application for a zoning ordinance modification to allow an increase in the number of signs, along with an increase in the aggregate sign area for an existing drive-through restaurant (The Human Bean) in the C-1 (Commercial-1) zoning district under the 1972 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District, within the Route 28 Optional Overlay District Corridor Office (CO)and partially within the AIOD (Airport Impact Overlay District) between the Ldn 60-65 and within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60, aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 0.85 acres in size and is located on the north side of West Church Road (Route 625) and west of Atlantic Boulevard (Route 1902) in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as 2205 Rail Car Drive, Sterling, Virginia PIN: 044-40-8989-000; Tax Map #/80/R/1CM///3/. 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 a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.

ZCPA-2022-0011

LOUDOUN

WEST

(Zoning Concept Plan Amendment)

Nova 1 Owner LLC c/o TA Realty of Boston, Massachusetts, has submitted an application to amend the existing Proffers approved with ZCPA-2018-0003, Loudoun West, to remove ZCPA-2018-0003 Proffer XII.33 limiting building height in relation to a former property line, and to amend ZCPA-2018-0003 Proffer XIII.34.8 to allow a proposed generator location to be ground level or elevated/stacked, with no resulting change in density. The subject property is located within the AIOD (Airport Impact Overlay District), outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approxi-

mately 94.88 acres in size and is located north of the Dulles Greenway on the south side of Cochran Mill Road (Route 653) and east side of Sycolin Road (Route 625) at 42049 Nova Park Dr, Leesburg, Virginia, in the Leesburg/Little River Election Districts. The subject property is more particularly described as 42049 Nova Park Dr.; Tax Map # /60////////41/; PIN: 193-27-9018-000. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Transition Policy Area (Transition Light Industrial Place Type)), which designates this area for predominantly data center, contractor service establishments, and small-scale assembly production uses at a recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 0.6.

ZRTD-2022-0006

BROAD RUN BUSINESS CENTER

(Zoning Conversion in the Route 28 Taxing District)

BCal PCP PROPERTY II LLC, of Boston, Massachusetts, has submitted an application to zoning conversion of approximately 32.52 acres from the PD-IP (Planned Development - Industrial Park) zoning district under the 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, to the PD-IP zoning district under the current Zoning Ordinance, in order to permit the development of all principal and accessory uses permitted in the PD-IP zoning district 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, the Route 28 Corridor Business Optional Overlay District, the AIOD (Airport Impact Overlay District) within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 noise contour, and partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District) minor floodplain. The subject property is approximately 32.52 acres in size and is located north of Dresden Street (Route 1119), and east of Broderick (Route 1070) in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows:

PIN Tax Map # PROPERTY ADDRESS

044-26-2662-000 /94//28/////2A

22265 Pacific Boulevard, Sterling, Virginia

22341 Dresden Street, Sterling, Virginia 044-26-7923-000 /94//28/////2B

044-16-3380-000 94//28/////2C

22275 Pacific Boulevard, Sterling, Virginia

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Employment Place Type)) that support a broad array of employment uses at a recommended FAR of up to 1.0.

CMPT-2022-0001 & SPMI-2023-0001

DTC SUBSTATION

(Commission Permit & Minor Special Exception)

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

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION PROPOSED MODIFICATION

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

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

The subject property is approximately 8.17 acres in size and is located east of Route 28 and south of Route 7 in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows PIN 02945-5622-000; Tax Map # /80//36/////3/. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)), which designates this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreational uses at recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.

SPMI-2023-0005

Wee Whales Child Care Home (Minor Special Exception)

Cyndi Solbach of Wee Whales Home Daycare, LLC of Ashburn, Virginia, has submitted an application for a minor special exception to modify the Additional Regulations of Section 5-609(A)(14) of the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance regarding Child Care Home uses, in order to allow more than nine children in a townhome located on a lot that is less than 5,000 square feet in size, in the PD-H4 (Planned Development – Housing 4), administered as R-8 (Single Family Residential), zoning district. The proposed use is listed as a Permitted use under Section 3-503 of the Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is approximately .06 acres in size and is located on the north Ashburn Farm Parkway (Route 625) and west of Claiborne

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Legal Notices

Parkway (Route 901), at 43017 Gatwick Square, Ashburn, Virginia in the Ashburn Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as 43107 Gatwick Sq., Ashburn, Virginia; Tax Map # /79/H/2////91/; PIN: 117-45-9969-000.

Unless otherwise stated in the above notices, copies of the proposed plans, ordinances, or amendments for each of the items listed above 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 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. The opportunity for public input via this link will be temporarily unavailable during the upgrade of the County’s online land management system. However, other opportunities for public comment remain available as described below. 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 703777-0246 (option 5).

Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings. All members of

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REZONING APPLICATION TLZM-2022-0005

LEEGATE COMMERCIAL

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, JULY 20, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Rezoning application TLZM-2022-0005, Leegate Commercial.

The Subject Property consists of 8 parcels totaling approximately 101.75 acres (Loudoun County Property Identification Numbers (PIN) 189-10-3080, 189-10-6250, 148-15-1619, 189-19-2882, 19049-8251, 190-49-5275, 190-49-29-18, and 190-20-5775.) A proposed Proffer Amendment affects the phasing plan for residential and commercial uses as well the triggers for certain recreational amenities on these parcels. Portions of two parcels (the Site), ((PINs) 148-15-1619 and 189-10-6250) consisting of approximately 5.28 acres of vacant land bound by Battlefield Parkway, Trailview Boulevard and Fort View Boulevard) are subject to a proposed Zoning Concept Plan Amendment. The Site is zoned PRC, Planned Residential Community and also lies within the Gateway District (Overlay).

Rezoning Application TLZM-2022-0005 is a request by Lidl US, LLC to amend the Concept Plan and Proffers for the subject property to allow for an approximately 30,500 SF grocery store and a second retail/office building of up to 17,000 SF. The phasing plan for residential and commercial uses, and the delivery triggers for certain recreational amenities are also proposed for amendment.

The Site is located in what the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan (LLTP) describes as an “Area to Transform or Evolve” on the Area Based Land Use Initiatives Map (LLTP pg. 72). The property is further designated within LLTP as an “Innovation Center” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (LLTP pg. 76). There is no recommended density for residential use or a Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) for commercial uses associated with a PRC-Planned Residential Community within LLTP. The Site is further designated as “Regional Office” in the Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan. The proposed commercial F.A.R. of the Site is 0.21.

The application includes several requested modifications to the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance (TLZO) regulations. Modifications being requested by the Applicant include:

1. Maximum building sizes in the PRC (TLZO Sec. 9.3.16.A.2),

2. Setback requirements (TLZO Sec. 10.4.5.E.5),

3. Required number of loading spaces (TLZO Sec. 11.9),

4. Buffer and screening requirements (TLZO Sec. 12.8.2 and 12.8.3), and

5. Universal Gateway District Standards (TLZO Sec. 7.12.24).

Additional information and copies of this application are available at the Department of Planning and Zoning located on the second floor of the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting Richard Klusek, at 703-771-2758 or rklusek@leesburgva.gov.

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

7/6 & 7/13/23

the public who desire to speak will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Public input may be provided by electronic means at Board public hearings. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, will be accommodated without advanced sign-up during the hearing, however, members of the public are strongly encouraged to sign-up in advance. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on June 30, 2023, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on July 12, 2023. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing.

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

BY ORDER OF: PHYLLIS RANDALL, CHAIR

LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 6/29 & 7/6/23

Public Notice – Environmental Permit

PURPOSE OF NOTICE: To seek public comment on a draft permit from the Department of Environmental Quality that will allow the release of treated wastewater into a water body in Loudoun County, Virginia.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: June 30, 2023 to July 31, 2023

PERMIT NAME: Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit – Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit – Wastewater issued by DEQ pursuant to applicable water laws and regulations.

APPLICANT NAME, ADDRESS AND PERMIT NUMBER: Town of Round Hill, PO Box 36, Round Hill, VA 20142, VA0026212

NAME AND ADDRESS OF FACILITY: Round Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), 17749 Lakefield Rd, Round Hill, VA 20141

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Town of Round Hill has applied for a reissuance of a permit for the public Round Hill WWTP. The applicant proposes to release treated sewage wastewaters from the Town of Round Hill at a rate of 0.75 million gallons per day into a water body. The sludge will be disposed by dewatering and hauling the dewatered solids to the landfill. The facility proposes to release the treated sewage wastewaters in the North Fork Goose Creek in Loudoun County in the Potomac River watershed. A watershed is the land area drained by a river and its incoming streams. The permit will limit the following pollutants to amounts that protect water quality: bacteria, nutrients, organic matter, solids, inorganics and physical & chemical properties.

HOW TO COMMENT AND/OR REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING: DEQ accepts comments and requests for public hearing {on the draft permit} {on the draft modifications to the permit} by handdelivery, e-mail, fax or postal mail. All comments and requests must be in writing and be received by DEQ during the comment period. DEQ must receive hand-delivery and postal mail by close of business and email and fax comments by 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the comment period. Submittals must include the names, mailing addresses and telephone numbers of the commenter/requester and of all persons represented by the commenter/requester. A request for public hearing must also include: 1) The reason why a public hearing is requested. 2) A brief, informal statement regarding the nature and extent of the interest of the requester or of those represented by the requestor, including how and to what extent such interest would be directly and adversely affected by the permit. 3) Specific references, where possible, to terms and conditions of the permit with suggested revisions. A public hearing may be held, including another comment period, if public response is significant, based on individual requests for a public hearing, and there are substantial, disputed issues relevant to the permit.

CONTACT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, DOCUMENT REQUESTS AND ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION: The public may review the draft permit and application at the DEQ-Northern Regional Office by appointment or may request electronic copies of the draft permit and fact sheet.

Name: Samantha Sifre

Address: DEQ-Northern Regional Office, 13901 Crown Court, Woodbridge, VA 22193

Phone: (571) 866-6047 E-mail: Samantha.Sifre@deq.virginia.gov

6/29 & 7/6/23

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that Virginia Electric and Power Company (VMRC #2023-1395) is requesting a permit from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to attach an aerial fiber optic cable to existing electrical infrastructure and span 174 feet of Goose Creek near Foxcroft Road in the Middleburg area of Loudoun County.

You may provide comments on this application (VMRC #2023-1395) athttps://webapps.mrc.virginia. gov/public/habitat/comments/. We will accept comments by the USPS provided they are received within 15 days of this notice to: Marine Resources Commission, Habitat Management Division, 380 Fenwick Road, Bldg 96, Hampton, VA 23651.

7/6/23

TOWN OF MIDDLEBURG COMMITTEE VACANCIES

The Middleburg Town Council is accepting letters of interest from individuals who wish to be considered for service on the Middleburg Arts Council. MAC is responsible for coordinating the community cultural and art events sponsored by the Town of Middleburg, excluding Christmas in Middleburg. MAC is responsible for staffing the events; for the formulation of the appropriate rules for the events; for organizing any entertainment associated with the events; and, for advertising, promoting and marketing the events. Members are encouraged to have an interest in arts and/or cultural activities; however, members are also needed whose strong suits are administrative related. They are three (3) vacancies - two for full two-year terms and one for an unexpired term. MAC meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month; and, in work session on an as-needed basis.

Anyone interested in serving on any of these committees is asked to send a letter of interest, to include any relevant qualifications, no later than July 26, 2023 to the following:

Mayor and Members of Town Council

Town of Middleburg

P. O. Box 187

10 W. Marshall Street

Middleburg, Virginia 20118

Attn: Rhonda North, Town Clerk

Letters of interest may be included in a public agenda packet. Applicants who do not wish for their contact information to be made public should indicate this in their letter of interest.

7/6 & 7/13/23

TOWN OF HAMILTON JOINT PUBLIC HEARING

The Hamilton Town Council and Planning Commission will hold a joint public hearing in the Town Office at 53 E. Colonial Highway, Hamilton, Virginia on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, beginning at 7:00 p.m. to hear public comment and consider approving ZMAP 2023-01, a rezoning application by the Town of Hamilton to change the zoning category for the Town-owned property at 41 E. Colonial Highway, Tax Map: /37/A/1////34/, PIN 418202769000, Hamilton, VA from R-2 Single Family

Residential to C-2 Retail Sales and Service Commercial District This Zoning Map amendment is authorized by Code of Virginia of 1950, §§ 15.2-2285, -2286 and -2204, as amended, Following the public hearing, the Planning Commission will convene its regular meeting to consider a recommendation to the Town Council. The Town Council will hold a special meeting after the adjournment of the Planning Commission meeting, where the Council will receive the recommendation and consider action on an ordinance to approve ZMAP 2023-01.

Documents regarding the proposed Zoning Map amendment are available for review at the Town Office, 53 E. Colonial Highway, Hamilton, Virginia from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, holidays excepted and on the Town website at hamiltonva.gov. All members of the public are invited to present their views on this matter at the public hearing either in person or remotely, by following the instructions on the Town website Meeting Calendar/Livestream Meetings. The Hamilton Planning Commission meeting and special Town Council meeting will begin immediately after the public hearing.

If you require any type of reasonable accommodation because of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, contact Sherri Jackson, Town Treasurer at 540-338-2811. Please provide three days’ notice.

Daniel Gorman Planning Commission Chairman

Kenneth C. Wine Mayor 7/6 & 7/13/23

Farmwell Road Intersection Improvements Notice of Willingness

Find out about various planned improvements to Farmwell Road (Route 625) intersections between Ashburn Road and Smith Switch Road/Waxpool Road included in the Farmwell Road Intersection Improvements project.

The project proposes adding and modifying turn lanes along Farmwell Road to allow for additional queueing of traffic and safer turning movements. The project scope will provide improvements at the major intersections of Farmwell Road at Ashburn Road, Ashburn Village Boulevard, and Smith Switch Road/Waxpool Road to maximize through and turning traffic movements. A separate westbound rightturn lane at the intersection of Farmwell Road at Hemingway Drive/Dodge Terrace is also provided. For more information on this project, visit: loudoun.gov/farmwellroad.

If your concerns cannot be satisfied, Loudoun County is willing to hold a public hearing. You may request that a public hearing be held by sending a written request to Mr. Mark Hoffman, Project Manager, Loudoun County, 101 Blue Seal Drive, Suite 102, Leesburg, VA 20177 or by email to dtci@loudoun. gov on or prior to August 7, 2023. Please reference “Farmwell Road Intersection Improvements” in the subject line.

Loudoun County ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you require an accommodation for any type of disability or need language assistance, please call 703-737-8624 (TTY/TDD 711).

7/6 & 7/13/23

NOTICE OF ABANDONED BICYCLES

Notice is hereby given that the bicycles described below were found and delivered to the Office of the Sheriff of Loudoun County; if the owners of the listed bicycles are not identified within sixty (60) days following the final publication of this notice, the individuals who found said bicycles shall be entitled to them if he/she desires. All unclaimed bicycles will be handled according to Chapter 228.04 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County.

TOWN OF HAMILTON PUBLIC HEARING

The Hamilton Planning Commission will hold a public hearing in the Town Office at 53 E. Colonial Highway, Hamilton, Virginia on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, beginning at 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of receiving comment and considering a recommendation regarding SUP 2023-01, a special use permit application by T-Mobile to upgrade/install telecommunications antennas and equipment on and adjacent to the Town water tower at 41 S. Rogers Street, Hamilton, VA Tax Map Number /37/A/1////89B; PIN 418299026000. The proposal would replace existing antennas on top of the water tower with new, taller ones and would add additional equipment to the existing equipment pad next to the tower.

Documents regarding the special use permit application are available for review at the Town Office, 53 E. Colonial Highway, Hamilton, Virginia from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, holidays excepted and on the Town website at hamiltonva.gov. All members of the public are invited to present their views on this matter at the public hearing either in person or remotely, by following the instructions on the Town website Meeting Calendar/Livestream Meetings. The Hamilton Planning Commission regular monthly meeting will begin after the public hearing.

If you require any type of reasonable accommodation because of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, contact Sherri Jackson, Town Treasurer at 540-338-2811. Please provide three days’ notice.

Daniel Gorman, Chairperson

Hamilton Planning Commission

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ041604-09-00; JJ043080-05-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Diana Gissel Medina Lainez and Gabriela Medina Lainez, Loudoun County Department of Family Services

7/6 & 7/13/23

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 Diana Gissel Medina Lainez and Gabriela Medina Lainez,

It is ORDERED that the defendant Jose Medina, Putative Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his interests on or before August 2, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. 6/22, 6/29, 7/6 & 7/13/23

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION will conduct a public hearing during its work session on Thursday, July 13, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia. The items proposed for public hearing during this work session are as follows:

ZMAP-2022-0014, ZMOD-2022-0051, ZMOD-2022-0052, & ZMOD-2023-0019

DEFENDER WEST

(Zoning Map Amendment and Zoning Modifications)

JLB Realty LLC has submitted applications for: a zoning map amendment and zoning ordinance modifications for approximately 20.77 acres of land located on the south side of Defender Drive (Route 1279), east side of Elk Lick (Road Route 621), and the west side of South Riding Boulevard (Route 2201) in the Dulles Election District (the “Subject Property”). The Subject Property is more particularly identified as:

ZMAP-2022-0008, SPEX-2022-0024, SPMI-2022-0024, ZMOD-2022-0028, & ZMOD-2022-0083

ALIGNED ENERGY DATA CENTER

(Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exception & Zoning Modifications)

For ZMAP-2022-0014, the applicant seeks to rezone the Subject Property from PD-H4 (Planned Development – Housing 4) zoning district to the R-24 (Multi-family Residential) zoning district to develop up to 262 multifamily attached units at a density of up to 25.3 units per acre. For ZMOD-20220051, ZMOD-2022-0052, & ZMOD-2023-0019, the applicant seeks zoning ordinance modifications for various regulations affecting the Subject Property, including but not limited to: increase the maximum building height from 60 feet to 70 feet; reduce the required active recreation space requirement from 50,000 square feet to 38,155 square feet; and modify the Type 2 Road Corridor Buffer requirements along Defender Drive to permit up to 75 percent of the required landscaping to consist of shrubs.

ZMAP-2021-0010, ZMOD-2021-0039, ZMOD-2021-0040, ZMOD-2022-0003, ZMOD-2022-0072, ZMOD-2023-0004 & SPEX-2022-0025

DOGWOOD FARM STATION (Zoning Map Amendment, Zoning Modifications, & Special Exception)

U.S. Home Corporation and the Board of Supervisors of Loudoun County have submitted applications for a zoning map amendment, zoning modifications, and a special exception for approximately 20.05 acres of land located north of Leesburg Pike (Route 7), west of Bonnie Court (Route 823), and south of Riverside Parkway (Route 2401) in the Algonkian Election District (the “Subject Property”). The Subject Property is more particularly identified as:

057-48-9129-00020052 GARDEN CENTER CT., ASHBURN, VA 20147/63/D/1/////6A

057-49-4102-00020080 BONNIE CT., ASHBURN, VA 20147/63/D/1/////4/

057-39-2064-000 N/A /63/D/1///RA1/ 057-39-3060-000 N/A /63/D/1///RA2/ N/A PORTION OF COUNTY-OWNED RIGHT-OF-WAY N/A

For ZMAP-2021-0010, the applicant seeks to rezone the Subject Property from the A-3 (AgriculturalResidential) zoning district to the R-24 (Multifamily Residential) zoning district to develop up to 485 multifamily units at a density of 24 dwelling units per acre. For SPEX-2022-0023, the applicant seeks a special exception to permit a Child Care Center use in the R-24 zoning district. For ZMOD-2022-0003, ZMOD-2022-0072, and ZMOD-2023-0040, the applicant seeks zoning ordinance modifications for various regulations affecting the Subject Property including but not limited to: permit structures to be erected upon a lot that has frontage on open space; allow access to Riverside Parkway (Major Collector Road) from existing Bonnie Court (Local Road) and Garden Center Court (Local Road); increase the maximum building height from 45 feet to 70 feet without additional setbacks; permit an internal private street to serve a childcare center; reduce building setback from Riverside Parkway from 75 feet to 40 feet; and reduce the building setback from Route 7 from 200 feet to 150 feet and the parking setback from 125 feet to 100 feet.

ZOAM-2020-0002

PRIME AGRICULTURAL SOILS AND CLUSTER SUBDIVISIONS (Zoning Ordinance Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-2204, the Planning Commission will consider proposed amendments to Zoning Ordinance regulations governing the Cluster Subdivision Option in the AR – 1 (Agricultural Rural – 1) and AR – 2 (Agricultural Rural – 2) zoning districts. The proposed amendments will establish new and clarify, revise and/or delete existing regulations and definitions in regard to the preservation of prime farmland soils, rural cluster development design, and uses for the Cluster Subdivision Option. A complete copy of the text of the proposed amendments may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, as described below.

Aligned Data Centers (Relo) PropCo., LLC submitted applications for a zoning map amendment, special exceptions, and zoning modifications for approximately 10.14 acres of land located on the west side of Relocation Drive (Route 869) and north of Executive Drive (Route 885) in the Sterling Election District (the “Subject Property”). The Subject Property is more particularly identified as 22715 Relocation Dr., Sterling Virginia (Tax Map No. /94////////10/; PIN 045-27-9612-000). For ZMAP-2022-0008, the applicant seeks to rezone the Subject Property from the R-1 (Single Family Residential-1) to the PD-OP (Planned Development – Office Park) zoning district to develop a data center. For SPEX-2022-0024, the applicant seeks to increase the Floor Area Ratio from 0.6 to 1.13. For SPMI-2022-0024, the applicant seeks to reduce the building setback from 75 feet to 58 feet from South Sterling Boulevard and to reduce the parking setback from 35 feet to 15 feet from South Sterling Boulevard. For ZMOD-2022-0028 and ZMOD-2022-0083, the applicant seeks zoning ordinance modifications for various regulations affecting the Subject Property including but not limited to: allow a 99.5-foot tall building within the 75-foot setback, remove the required sidewalk along South Sterling Boulevard, replace the Buffer Type 3 and six-foot berm for data centers with Buffer Type 2 along South Sterling Boulevard and Buffer Type 1 along Relocation Drive; and by providing plant types and percentages of plant units required under Section 5-1408(B)(2) in lieu of the required plant types and percentages of plant units specified for data centers.

Copies of the proposed plans, ordinances or amendments for each item listed above may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Office of the County Administrator, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday or call 703-777-0220, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola The opportunity for public input via this link may be temporarily unavailable during the upgrade of the County’s online land management system. However, other opportunities for public comments will remain available as described below. Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the work session at www.loudoun.gov/ pc. For further information, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246.

All members of the public who desire to do so may appear and present their views on any matters scheduled for public hearing. Members of the public are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak during the public hearing portion of the work session. Public comment will be received only for those items listed for public hearing. If you wish to sign up in advance of the work session, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the work session. Speakers may also sign up at the work session. Any individual representing and/or proposing to be the sole speaker on behalf of a citizen’s organization or civic association is encouraged to contact the Department of Planning and Zoning prior to the date of the work session if special arrangements for additional speaking time is requested. Such an organization representative will be allotted 6 minutes to speak, and the Chair may grant additional time if the request is made prior to the date of the work session and the need for additional time is reasonably justified. Written comments concerning any item before the Commission are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, MSC #62, Leesburg, Virginia 20175, or by e-mail to loudounpc@loudoun.gov If written comments are presented at the work session, please provide ten (10) copies for distribution to the Commission and the Clerk’s records.

The public is encouraged to call the Department of Planning and Zoning on the day of the work session to confirm that an item is on the agenda, or, the most current agenda may be viewed on the Planning Commission’s website at www.loudoun.gov/pc. Regularly scheduled Planning Commission work sessions are held on the second Thursday of each month. In the event the work session cannot be conducted on that date due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the work session, the work session may be continued to the third Tuesday of the month. In the event the work session may not be held on the third Tuesday due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the work session, the work session may be continued to the Thursday following the third Tuesday.

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

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

& 7/6/23

Legal Notices

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ046598-03-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Chloe Love

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Shakita Love, Mother, Willie Huff, putative father, and Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a Permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Chloe Love.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Shakita Love, Mother, Willie Huff, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before August 1, 2023 at 2:00pm 7/6, 7/13, 7/20 & 7/27/23

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ046340-04-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Zarabella Tucker

Loudoun County Department of Family Services

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 Zarabella Tucker.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Jason Tucker, putative father, appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before August 23, 2023 at 3:00 PM

7/6, 7/13, 7/20 & 7/27/23

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ038626-17-00; 18-00; 20-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Zachary William Wells Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Unknown Father

The object of this suit is hold a fifth permanency planning hearing and review of foster care plan with goal of adoption, pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Zachary

William Wells and Petitions for Termination of Parental Rights of Tina Lynn Klinedinst, mother, and Unknown Father pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-283 for Zachary William Wells. Unknown Father is hereby notified that failure to appear on the hereinafter noticed date and time may result in the entry of an Order approving a permanency goal of adoption as well as the termination of their residual parental rights with respect to Zachary William Wells. Unknown Father is hereby 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 Zachary William Wells; any authority with respect to the care and supervision of Zachary William Wells; or the right to make health related decisions or determine the religious affiliation of Zachary William Wells. Further, Unknown Father will have no legal and/or financial obligations with respect to Zachary William Wells, and the Department of Family Services of Loudoun County, Virginia may be granted the authority to place Zachary William Wells for adoption and consent to the adoption of Zachary William Wells.

It is ORDERED that Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before July 27, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.

7/6, 7/13, 7/20/23

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS

FOR:

MASTER RENEWABLE ENERGY POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT, RFP No. 632795 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, August 15, 2023.

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

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

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ046599-03-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Briston Love

Loudoun County Department of Family Services

/v.

Shakita Love, Mother

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 Briston Love.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Shakita Love, Mother appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before August 1, 2023 at 2:00pm 7/6, 7/13, 7/20 & 7/27/23

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF LOUDOUN COUNTY

IN RE: ESTATE OF LAWRENCE RENAUD

Probate File No. 19364

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE AGAINST DISTRIBUTION

It appearing that a report of the account of Daniel D. Smith, Administrator of the Estate of Lawrence Renaud, and a report of the debts and demands against the Estate have been filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Loudoun County, and that more than 6 months have elapsed since the qualification of the Administrator before this Court, and on the petition of the Administrator indicating that the Estate is insolvent,

It is ORDERED that the creditors of, and all others interested in, the Estate of Lawrence Renaud, deceased, do show cause, if any they can, on the Friday, August 18, 2023, at 9:00 a.m., before this Court at its courtroom in Loudoun, Virginia, against payment and delivery of said Estate to the creditors, in accordance with Va. Code § 64.2-528.

7/6 & 7/13/23

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: CL-23-3178

Loudoun County Circuit Court 18 East Market St., Leesburg, VA 20176 Forest Village, LLC

/v.

The Unknown Heirs of Ariss Buckner, et al.

The object of this suit is to Relocate Abandon Cemetery ( Parcel ID #250291275000) pursuant to VA Code 57-38.1

It is ORDERED that The unknown descendants of: Ariss Buckner (1771-1847)

Lucy Hooe Buckner (1775-1885)

Spencer Ariss Buckner (1818-1874)

Richard Bernard Buckner (1794-1939)

Ella Alice Buckner (1830-1887)

Phillip Smith (b.1850)

Richard Bernard Smith (b. 1865)

Edward Warren Smith (b. 1865)

Thomas Turner Smith (b. 1866)

Eliza Ariss Buckner (b. 1833)

Louisa Bernard Gallaher

Richard Pratt Buckner (b. 1833)

Louisa Berryman Buckner (b. 1839)

Thomas Hooe Buckner (d. 1871)

Bettie Buckner (1833-1901)

Lyman Aldrich (b. 1868)

Sarah Davenport Aldrich (b. 1873)

Lyman Aldrich Smith (b. 1873)

Frances Elizabeth Smith (b. 1898)

Davis M. Buckner (b. 1841)

Mattie Buckner (b. 1851)

Jessie Buckner Robb

Anna Robb

Helen Robb

Florence Robb

Ida Robb

Joseph H. Robb

Jessie Buckner (b. 1875)

Bernard Hooe Buckner

Margaret Buckner

Jane Augusta Wash. Thornton (1825-1887)

Margaret Buckner Beck (1849-1870)

George Thornton Beck (b. 1856)

James Burnie Beck (b. 1858)

Mary Clark

Susan Clark Thompkins

Richard Clark

Mary Buckner

Caroline Rebecca Buckner

Bettie Blair Spencer Ariss Buckner, II (1871-1960)

John Fitzhugh Buckner (d. 1931)

Arthur Buckner Beall

Any individual buried in an unmarked grave in the Buckner Cemetery

Mary Buckner - Address Unknown

Martha Buckner - Address Unknown

William Buckner - Address Unknown appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before August 25, 2023 at 9:00 A.M.

6/29, 7/6, 7/13, 7/20/23

Education support

continued from page 1

from the VDOE notifying her that they had found the division to be in noncompliance in giving her daughter free appropriate public education, implementing her IEP and doing so in a least restrictive environment.

“A free appropriate public education means special education and related services that, among other things, are provided in conformity with an IEP that meets the applicable regulatory requirements,” according to the letter.

The VDOE gave the division a corrective action plan with an Aug. 1 deadline to get back in compliance. It includes the IEP team coming up with a plan for when a nurse isn’t available for Havilah at school.

Mitchell filed the complaint in May after Havilah missed 64 days of school because there wasn’t a nurse to assist her at school. The school division can appeal the decision within 30 days.

During the 2022-2023 school year the school division went through nine nurses for Havilah. Two quit at the end of March. Mitchell said she was told one was the result of an article in  Loudoun Now about Havilah’s situation. She was told the nurse tendered her resignation at 9 a.m., 30 minutes after the article was published, saying she was “terrified” after reading it. She was told the other quit for family reasons.

“I think them not having a nurse right now and denying Havilah her education is retaliation for speaking to the media,” she said.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004, or IDEA, is a law that gives free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities and ensures special education and related services to those children, according to the Department of Education. An IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, is designed to meet a child’s individual needs and is the main way school divisions provide that education to eligible students. It sets reasonable goals for a child and lists what services will be provided by the school division.

According to Assistant Superintendent Tedra Richardson, the division’s former director of Special Education, there is a range in IEPs for students. Some are more involved and include students with multiple disabilities, intellectual disabilities, or autism spectrum disorder, and are called “lower incidence” disabilities because there are fewer students across the division within this category. Others are considered “high incidence” disabilities

and involve speech language disorders, specialized learning disorders and health impairments.

Mitchell said Havilah’s IEP goals include functional academic skills, which are foundational building blocks meant to help her get to the point where she can get a traditional education.

“You always predetermine competence. The burden of that is on the adults, the school system, the therapist, the teacher, the parents to provide a way for a child to communicate and express themself,” Mitchell said. “LCPS has predetermined incompetence and they don’t give her a chance.”

Richardson said in a large school division like Loudoun, resources are easy to come by for students within the higher incidence category. She said the lower incidence disabilities require a different set of resources and different sets of skills to meet the students in an educational setting.

“We are not just letting anybody into the classroom,” she said.

Mitchell said she only wants the division to find a solution that gives Havilah access to the classroom and all that is included in her IEP, instead she says it is trying to take away services.

She said at Havilah’s annual IEP meeting on April 28 the team proposed dropping Havilah’s full IEP from 58 pages to 38 and described her daughters’ condition as “degenerative” Mitchell said Havilah hasn’t been diagnosed by a medical doctor as hav-

Virginia Department of Education after its Office of Special Education Programs conducted an onsite visit in Richmond to check the state’s compliance after it received an unusually high number of complaints from parents.

The report concluded that Virginia was not meeting federal requirements to support students with disabilities in 2020. And while the VDOE has since resolved some of those issues there are continued areas of concern according to the U.S. Department of Education and the VDOE is still being monitored. There are at least five school districts the department has listed as being inconsistent with IDEA’s regulations, including Fairfax County Public Schools.

Richardson said in her 26 years working in special education she has previously found herself in a position where a school division she was with struggled to find the right person with the right skills for a specific need.

ing degenerative issues and she refused to sign the document. The word was changed to “regressive,” but Mitchell disputed that assessment as well and was advised by Havilah’s medical team to not sign it.

“What is affecting her progress is they won’t let her attend school,” she said. “I’ve sent so many emails saying they are practicing without a [medical] license,” she said.

Mitchell said she has been working closely with Richardson to find solutions to get Havilah back into the building.

“Tedra is doing her best and her hands are tied. She has amazing intentions and creative solutions; I have seen so much good in Tedra. She is so kind and I have high praise for her. I know I’m not the only parent that feels this way,” Mitchell said.

Richardson took over as assistant superintendent of the Department of Student Services on June 1. The division is working to fill her former position.

“Sometimes we get excited because we think we’ve secured a resource, and then we put folks into a real situation with the student present and school happening and people realize it wasn’t what they thought it was going to be, so we go right back to square one,” Richardson said. “But we don’t give up. We keep trying, we keep communicating.”

Other divisions across the state also seem to be struggling with compliance issues with IDEA. In June 2020 the Department of Education wrote a letter to the

“Yes, it absolutely happens. We communicate with families and come back together as an IEP team and talk about what is needed to make the shift,” she said. “We work with students, and we have to from time to time work with families and make a temporary shift to a home-based setting or change the schedule.”

Richardson said she couldn’t comment on the specifics of the Mitchell’s case because of privacy issues but said, “LCPS is working on a daily basis within our resources and reaching out to our various contracted service providers to ensure that we have the skilled service providers to meet the needs of our students across the division.”

Mitchell said after a school year of missed days and uncertainty over when Havilah would be able to start summer school, she reached out to Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons, who got involved.

Not long after she said she received the notification that Havilah could start summer school.

Mitchell said she received a schedule Monday that included Havilah being taught in school and receiving about 100 compensatory service hours as part of 1,200 she is owed by the division for missed time. Mitchell said she hopes the summer school schedule works out but can already see an issue with how inconsistent the nursing schedule is.

School division spokesperson Dan Adams said specifics in the Mitchells’ situation cannot be discussed due to student privacy issues.  n

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Whitney Mitchell helps her daughter Havilah drink from her favorite cup

15

Opinion

Published

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

EDITORIAL

RENSS GREENE Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com

ALEXIS GUSTIN Reporter agustin@loudounnow.com

HANNA PAMPALONI Reporter hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

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TONYA HARDING Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.com

Online always at LoudounNow.com

Editor:

The Board of Supervisors is heading into the home stretch of its term. With eight of its nine members hoping to return for another four years on the dais, their time might be better spent on setting the next board up for success than working through the items still sitting on the to-do list.

The board’s term was largely defined by their leadership in meeting the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, which swept the globe three months after they settled into their seats. Suddenly, the work was no longer focused on forming new development policies, planning public facilities, or debating budget priorities; it shifted to providing emergency services to residents and helping to keep businesses afloat. Not since the real estate collapse that followed the savings and loan crisis in the late 1980s had a Loudoun board faced such potentially

devastating economic conditions. That crisis resulted in fundamental changes to the county’s fiscal policies; the impact of this one was muted by the influx of millions of dollars in federal aid, leaving government operations largely unscathed.

But with the pandemic behind them, supervisors have some big issues on their table—among them, the rewrite of the county zoning ordinance, the push to unionize the public workforce, the promotion of affordable housing options, and the need for thoughtful tax reform to counter the dependence on data center revenue while ensuring other community taxpayers see benefits from the ongoing windfall.

It’s not important that these issues be completed during the next six months. It is important they be done thoughtfully, thoroughly and correctly. n

Community Center and playground.  Bravo Loudoun County; bravo.

— Kurt Aschermann, Leesburg

I am so proud of our county and town for the beautiful job done renovating Frederick Douglass School now Community Center. The construction is beautiful and so are the grounds and I salute these government entities for collaborating on this brilliant project.

But it’s the playground that makes me happiest. Whoever came up with the idea of making this playground reflect African American and Civil Rights history is a genius. Each time a child crosses the “Edmund Pettus Bridge” he or she is sure to ask what it was and in so doing get a history lesson.

When children look at the school bus, they have to ask why it’s there and can hear the story of courageous people that took on Jim Crow.

As a child of the ’60s and a veteran of both the civil rights and anti-war efforts I have tears in my eyes when somebody comes up with something so simple and powerful as our Frederick Douglass

Oversight

Editor:

The recent federal indictment of the Culpeper Sheriff Scott Jenkins on bribery charges highlights the need for civilian oversight of all law enforcement agencies in Virginia.

In 2020 the General Assembly passed legislation that established a requirement for law-enforcement civilian oversight bodies (Section 9.1-601) but exempted elected sheriffs.

In Loudoun County, a report commissioned by the Board of Supervisors and released in 2022 recommended that Loudoun institute a “Public Safety Committee.” Mike Chapman frequently cites this report as evidence of his performance as sheriff, yet has failed to implement most of the recommendations made by the report to include establishing a Public Safety Committee. In fact, Chapman refuses to participate in any

county committee focused on public safety that includes members of the public. By statute (Section 9-178), the sheriff is a required member of the Community Criminal Justice Board. If you check the Loudoun CCJB minutes available on the county website for the past four years, Chapman has not attended a single meeting.

Loudoun needs civilian oversight of the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office to improve transparency and reduce the risk of the same corruption that is occurring in other counties across Virginia. Within Chapman’s current term as sheriff, we’ve had: a deputy (still with the department) pursuing relationships with teenage girls (May 2022), a $5 million lawsuit judgement against Chapman and a detective (still employed) for introducing fake evidence and malicious prosecution (Feb. 2023), and video evidence of deputies in the jail allegedly intentionally torturing an inmate with scalding hot water (Feb. 2023).

— Guy Potucek, Aldie

Online,

Home Stretch

READERS’ poll CHIPshots

LAST WEEK'S QUESTION:

The Board of Supervisors has six months left in their term. What should be their top priority?

• 35.8% Stop approving new development

• 20.9% Get the new zoning ordinance done

• 19.4% Limit data center sprawl

• 11.9% Work on affordable housing

• 11.9% Keep the campaigning out of the boardroom

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

Who is getting it right in Washington?

Share your views at loudounnow.com/polls

Mickie Gordan Park

continued from page 14

neighbors and being partners with the community. Based on the number of people who are here, the number of emails and whatnot we have seen, the signs I pass everyday while I’m commuting to work, obviously I missed the mark on this one,” he said. “I want to come back and make sure we get this right.”

Throughout the community meeting, speakers raised concerns about the impact on surrounding properties, including noise from increased use, light pollution from plans to more and taller lights around the fields, the impacts associated with years of construction, interference with horses on nearby farms and wildlife, and dangers of increased traffic on the area’s gravel and

Commerce Center

continued from page 15

range of different businesses,” Romeo said. “It would be a lot of businesses that are looking for space within town or maybe are looking to relocate to a property that’s got more room for them.”

Milan also asked how big of a development was being planned and how long until construction would begin.

Romeo said they envision about 1.2 million square feet of development and that it could be two to three years before construction would begin.

Mayfair neighborhood residents voiced concerns during the public comment portion of the meeting. The neighborhood’s

rural roads. Plans to build a turn-lane into the park drew concerns about undermining the landmark Rt. 50 traffic calming program the community developed to avoid widening the road.

Concerns also were raised that the cricket complex plan would wipe out the history of the park—especially its legacy as a baseball center for teams with Black players once unable to play on other county fields and for youth who learned the game there playing for Mickie Gordon and other dedicated coaches.

Asbury Lloyd was the night’s first speaker. Addressing the crowd from a wheelchair, he recalled playing on the field when “any kind of stick would do for a bat.” It was at the park where he pivoted dreams to be a catcher, instead learning how to pitch. He went on to win more than 200 games in the Virginia-Maryland

single point of entrance, Mayfair Crown Drive, connects to Purcellville Road directly across from the planned commerce center.

“I hope the council and the developing party here takes into consideration. Having a road connected to Mayfair, to a community road, probably isn’t the best idea,” Daniel Carvill said. “Especially when we start using the words again ‘Northern Collector Road,’ increasing the traffic on Mayfair Crown is terrible idea.”

“It’s my belief that the majority of residents, especially those that live nearby would prefer homes instead of an industrial park complex across the street from their community,” Christine Green said.

“I believe the town residents, and the surrounding residents have spoken loud

Negro league.

Mickie Gordon’s daughter, Debra Gordon Schleith, spoke. The park’s baseball field was dedicated to her grandfather, Pop Gordon, the town tailor who played for the Middleburg baseball team starting in the 1920s. The park was renamed to honor her father, a longtime Babe Ruth coach and member of the county’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, following his death in 1996.

She is disappointed that the park’s main ballfield already has been converted to a cricket pitch.

“It’s very hurtful to our family to see that field no longer serving as a baseball field. My father spent hours dragging that diamond behind his little white truck. It’s very painful to see it right now,” she said.

“If that field is going to be done away with, I want the plaque removed and I want

and clear that they are against the Northern Collector Road,” Wright Farm HOA board member Lydia Clark said. “… That road will go right behind somebody’s house.”

JK Land Holdings CEO Chuck Kuhn said he wanted to preserve western Loudoun County and promised that the aesthetics of the center would far exceed the design in the town’s current industrial park.

“Change is difficult on everyone,” he said. “Change is especially difficult on a community, but we have to advance. We have to move forward. But the same concerns Wright’s Farm is bringing here tonight, the same concerns about traffic that Mayfair is bringing here tonight, are the identical concerns that were brought when their communities were being built here,”

the sign removed because it is no longer my family’s legacy,” Schleith said.

With the county staff returning to Leesburg to reassess the plan, Littleton said he was confident of a successful outcome. He echoed a theme from County Chair Phyliss Randall’s (D-At Large) recent State of the County address—“Loudoun does hard things.”

“We do hard things, and we can have both. The needs of the cricket community are a very important long-overlooked, long under-met need that we need to support. I think everybody in this room fully supports meeting those needs. We’re all equally Loudouners together,” Littleton said. “You have our 100%, undiluted support, commitment, and energy to do whatever is needed to get to a win-win for everybody. This is not us versus them. This is us together pushing for the right outcome.” n

Kuhn said. “I stand here in front of you tonight with this opportunity for the town because residential has been voted down twice on this parcel. … We absolutely will continue, and we’ve done it on a number of occasions, continue to work with the HOAs, the citizens, and the communities here in Purcellville.”

Milan said the Town Council would need to make some hard decisions.

“Unfortunately, if the town does nothing, the county will get their Northern Collector Road. They’re still putting the camel’s nose under the tent,” he said. “How do we prevent that? How do we control that?

Again, we have, like I’ve said before, attacks on our boundaries from the county from 7/690 [planned interchange], the Northern Collector Road, and [Route] 287.” n