Loudoun Now for Aug. 15, 2025

Year 2: Spence Ready to ‘Stomp on the Gas’

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

After a year of settling into his role and listening to community concerns, Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence said he’s excited to move the division forward.

“It was an interesting year and I’m very energized right now. I’m very excited. I think there is so many good things in front of us and I can see the road now. I know where we need to go and it’s not a one-year thing,” Spence said.

Spence sat down with Loudoun Now to talk about his first year and the post-entry plan he presented to the School Board and community in June.

He said he’s learned a lot over the course of a year—from getting familiar with the county, to learning the names of his cabinet members, to getting to know and work with the School Board that hired him in 2023 only to have to do that again with nine new members who took office three months later, and to overcome negative perceptions of the division following years of culture war controversies and a sexual assault scandal that got his predecessor fired.

SPENCE

continues on page 30

Schools Approve Collective Bargaining Rules

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

Loudoun County Public Schools now has a framework to allow collective bargaining. The School Board voted 6-3 Tuesday night to approve the resolution that sets the stage for employees to vote to have union representation.

In a statement made after the vote, Loudoun Education Association President Kris Countryman thanked the board for “making the best situation for teachers, for all educators to have input on our working conditions that directly impacts our students and making LCPS stronger and better.”

Countryman said they knew getting

the resolution passed wasn’t the end of the process, but a step toward the next “adventure.” The next step is to hold the exclusive bargaining representative election this fall. She thanked the community, educators and community partners for their

BARGAINING RULES continues on page 31

Alexs Gustin/Loudoun Now

LEA Vice President Cory Brunet addresses a crowd at a rally outside the administration building Aug 13. LEA members gathered to show their support for the passing of the collective bargaining resolution.

PJM Board Approves Alternate Power Line Route

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The PJM Interconnection Board of Managers has approved a proposed route change for a transmission line that was planned to be built across western Loudoun – a victory for residents, community groups and elected leaders who have opposed the plan over the past year.

The line was proposed by NextEra Energy in response to a request by PJM, which coordinates power across 13 states, to increase the region’s infrastructure as the demand for energy grows exponentially.

Since the board approved the route in December, NextEra has been working to find the best route for the 500-kilovolt line beginning in the Harpers Ferry area and cutting across western Loudoun toward Leesburg.

Instead, the new route is proposed to use existing rights-of-way that cut across the tip of Loudoun toward Maryland and then swing south toward Leesburg. The majority of that project will be undertak-

en by First Energy with portions built by Dominion and Exelon.

A NextEra spokesperson said they agreed the change is the best way to move

forward.

“NextEra Energy Transmission MidAtlantic agrees that the scope proposed at the PJM TEAC meeting on July 9 would

meet the region’s energy needs while minimizing local impacts. This new proposal would not have been possible without extensive technical and engineering reviews, close coordination between PJM and local utilities and continual dialogue with interested regional stakeholders,” according to the statement.

The new plan is expected to cost $167.5 million more than what NextEra originally estimated their route to cost. It will also be built on monopole towers, rather than A-frames. This allows for more lines to be built in the existing right-of-way.

Stakeholders praised the decision, but were cautious about being too hopeful since the project will still need to be approved by the State Corporation Commission and the change does not mean more power line proposals will not be brought up in the next PJM open window which began July 12.

“We have been working on this for the better part of a year, and while our work is

POWER LINES continues on page 29

LVFC Dedicates New Ladder Truck in Honor of Lifelong Volunteer

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Members of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company gathered at the Plaza Street station Aug. 7 to dedicate its new ladder truck in honor of John Pumphrey.

The dedication was kept as a surprise for Pumphrey, who arrived at the station to find a host of family members attending the event. He joined the company in 1969 at age 18 and continued to run calls with duty crews until 2015. He remains an active member providing administrative support serving for two decades on the board of directors. His service is part of his family’s longtime civic leadership with both his father, Jock, and brother, Jimmy, also serving the fire company. In 1979, he received the Fireman of the Year Award and in 2002 was awarded the Tom Donovan Award for extraordinary volunteer service and leadership.

The 2024 Pierce Arrow XL Tractor Drawn Aerial is the second tiller truck in Leesburg’s fleet, allowing the company to increase coverage and have a backup truck at all times. It was purchased through Atlantic Emergency Solutions after three years of planning by the company. The

truck is 60 feet long with a 107-foot heavy-duty ladder and features rear firefighter steering that allows it to navigate the town’s narrow streets.

“When most folks look at fire trucks, they see large, shiny vehicles that make a lot of noise and they can go through traffic lights,” Chief Logan Thrash said. “But when we as firefighters look upon them, we look at them as a battleship that we

trust to take us into our battle and to bear the emotional support that we go through to our calls to and from.”

“This dedication of the fire truck represents great honor and forges the lasting legacy for those named on its doors,” Thrash said, describing Pumphrey as “a leader, a mentor, a great friend.”

Pumphrey said the fire station has always been a home for him and his family.

Maybe there was a regret that he won’t get a chance to get behind the wheel as he did for nearly 50 years.

“I kind of wish I could still run them, you know, but I think it’s better left to the younger generation,” he said. “Thank you all once again. There’s so many memories.”

The dedication concluded with a “push-in ceremony,” a long-time fire department tradition, with Pumphrey and other company member rolling the truck — with a little help from the 605-horsepower Cummins X15 motor — into its bay.

“When I announced that we’re going to have a push-in ceremony, we had a lot of young members come and talk to us about what a push in ceremony is and why do we do it,” Thrash said.

It recreates the duty of firefighters in the 1800s. When crews returned from calls with horse-drawn equipment, the animals were unable to back into the station. Firefighters would detach the horses and push the equipment into the bay by hand. The modern push-in ceremonies pay homage to the service of those early crews.

See a video of the push-in at youtube.com/loudounnow. n

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

John Pumphrey unveils the logo bearing his name on the new Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company ladder truck dedicated in his honor during an Aug. 7 ceremony.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

High voltage transmission lines run from Harpers Ferry toward Lovettsville and into Maryland. A newly approved preliminary plan would use this right-of-way to place new 500 kilovolt lines on monopoles.

Animal Services Plans 'Clear the Shelters' Week

The county’s animal services is hosting a week-long "Clear the Shelters" event beginning Saturday, Aug. 17.

The pet adoption initiative waives fees for all available animals including cats, dogs, rabbits, small pets and livestock. The nationwide program is celebrating its 10th year.

The event will take place at the animal shelter at 42225 Adoption Drive in Leesburg from Aug. 17 to Aug. 25 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

During this year alone, the organization has seen a 20% increase in the number of animals coming into the shelter and a recent influx in dogs has led to setting up temporary kennels to provide extra housing.

ON THE Agenda Loudoun

“We are hopeful this weeklong event will draw our community in to see the amazing pets we have for adoption,” Shelter Operations Manager Melissa Heard stated. “Our facility was not designed to hold this many dogs, so we are counting on adopters to come out help us continue our life-saving mission through adopting a pet!”

Prospective adopters can view available pets online at loudoun.gov/animals.

Cooperative Extension Office to be Closed Friday

The Virginia Cooperative Extension Loudoun office is scheduled to be closed Friday, Aug. 16 while it moves down the hall of its Leesburg location.

The office is relocating from Suite 161 at 750 Miller Drive SE in Leesburg to Suite 131 on the opposite side of the

building.

As a result, beginning in the afternoon on Aug. 15, VCE Loudoun staff will not be available for phone calls or walk-in appointments at the department’s office. This one-day closure is necessary to facilitate the move to the new suite. The office will reopen Monday, Aug. 19.

VCE Loudoun provides research-based educational programs for Loudoun County residents. These programs promote healthy living, improving food systems, youth development and taking care of the environment.

Dulles South Rec Center Closes for Maintenance

The Dulles South Recreation Center will temporarily close portions of its facilities for annual maintenance.

The community center is scheduled to remain closed until Aug. 19. The fitness center will then close beginning Aug. 19 and is set to reopen Aug. 27. There will be no fitness classes beginning Aug. 27.

The competition pool and leisure pools will also close Aug. 19 and will reopen Sept. 2.

During the maintenance, visitors are encouraged to visit the Claude Moore Recreation and Community Center, located at 46105 Loudoun Park Lane in Sterling. Other indoor swimming opportunities for patrons include the Round Hill Indoor Aquatic Center located at 17010 Evening Star Drive, Round Hill. n

Claiborne M. Callahan, MD

STAFF OPHTHALMOLOGIST

A native of Leesburg, Va., Claiborne M. Callahan, MD graduated with distinction from The University of Virginia in 1996. In 2000, she graduated from The University of Virginia School of Medicine. She completed her ophthalmology residency at Tulane University in 2004.

Prior to joining New View Eye Center, Dr. Callahan was in private practice in Virginia, Florida, and Alabama. Her knowledge, experience and patient centered focus allow her to spend quality time with each patient to diagnose, educate and treat them. She understands that patients have a choice with whom to entrust their eye care needs, and she prides herself on adhering to the highest ethical standards in the practice of medicine. Prior to its closing, readers of Leesburg Today newspaper voted her “Best Eye Doctor in Loudoun County”.

Dr. Callahan has performed thousands of cataract surgeries, as well as laser, glaucoma, and eyelid plastic surgeries. She has treated a myriad of eye conditions throughout her career. She is committed to ongoing education and stays current with diagnoses and treatments. She attends several educational and training meetings yearly to remain in the forefront of ophthalmology advancements.

She is a Diplomate of the America Board of Ophthalmology, a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and others.

2024 RUNNERUP LoudounNow

LOUDOUN’S FAVORITE

School Board to Consider Projects for Proffer Funds

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

The Finance & Operations Committee on Aug. 6 was presented with five potential school improvement projects that could be supported by county proffer funds.

Virginia code allows counties to collect monetary proffers and other contributions given voluntarily by developers and property owners as part of a rezoning process to offset the impacts of development. Often proffers have conditions and time frames that determine how and when they may be used. In Loudoun, the county looks at land development applications to determine a project’s impact on county capital facilities, including schools, parks, libraries, fire/rescue stations and other public facilities.

Those proffers can be used for projects associated with capital facilities, including school improvements.

According to Planning & GIS Services Director Beverly Tate, the staff identified available proffer funds earmarked for public school use within specific communities: Ashburn Village, Cascades, Corro Property, Loudoun Station and Moorefield Station. She said staff began working with the principals from schools within those communities to identify potential projects.

Those projects were then submitted to the County Proffer Management team to determine if they were eligible for the funds.

Tate presented the committee with about $530,000 of available county collected proffers. Available funds for school-specific projects include $106,768 for Ashburn Village, $1,981 for Cascades, $17,679 for Corro, $201,258 for Loudoun Station and $203,422 for Moorefield Station.

Twenty-eight schools fall in the communities and are eligible for the funding: Ashburn, Cedar Lane, Discovery, Dominion Trail, Lowes Island, Mill Run, Moorefield Station, Newton Lee, Potowmack, Rosa Lee Carter, Seldens Landing, Steuart Weller, and Waxpool Elementary Schools, Belmont Ridge, Eagle Ridge, Farmwell Station, River Bend, Seneca Ridge, Stone Hill and Trailside Middle Schools, Briar Woods, Broad Run, Dominion, Potomac Falls, Riverside, Rock Ridge, Stone Bridge, and Tuscarora High Schools.

Of the three pages of potential projects at those schools, some asked for music program improvements, others requested enlarging certain classrooms, providing more storage, building baseball and soft-

ball press boxes, and adding tennis court lighting among others. A few schools requested electronic marquee signs, which were deemed ineligible under the proffer terms. According to Tate, the proffer language states that projects need to expand or enhance the capacity of a school.

Tate noted the list included many projects that were identified in the FY2025FY2030 Capital Improvement Program.

“Certainly, the identified monies are not adequate to fund that complete list that you have, but we have identified and offered recommendations for the School Board consideration to use the available funds,” Tate said.

The projects being proposed by support staff include an inclusive playground at Ashburn Elementary School ($225,000), a walking track at Seneca Ridge Middle School ($160,000), outdoor basketball hoops and backboards at Eagle Ridge Middle School (cost TBD), walking tracks at Rosa Lee Carter Elementary School and Stone Hill Middle School ($160,000 each), a Book Break subscription that gives students access to author or illustrator talks ($68,494 for one-year for all elementary and middle schools), a library collection for the Health and Medical Sciences Academy ($6,000) and an expansion of Environmental Science books for all schools.

“Any instance where a proffer fund would not fully cover the project, we would anticipate that balance being made up through the capital budget, using CIP, Capital Renewal Asset budget or support services operating fund,” Tate said.

PROFFER FUNDS continues on page 29

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Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now Finance & Operations Committee members Deana Griffiths (Ashburn) left, and Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) at the Aug. 6 meeting. The committee was presented with five potential school projects that could be funded using proffer funds.

Leesburg

Garden Club Holds Flower Show to Honor Spring Arbor Residents

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

The Leesburg Garden Club honored residents of Spring Arbor on Thursday with a flower show and tea.

The flower show is a way for the club to engage with residents at the assisted living facility and a way for the facility to bring in the community, according to Spring Arbor Marketing Director Susan Balinger.

“That’s been one of our missions since we opened 14 years ago—to be community involved. And that is for groups who need our assistance, but also our neighbors. I always say if your child gets locked out of their house, they are free to come and stay with us. We are a safe haven. So we want to be that good neighbor,” Balinger said.

and were especially excited about this one because two of their own were being honored.

Spring Arbor residents Eeda Dennis and Bill Harrison were longtime garden club members. Aug. 13 also happened to be Harrison’s birthday. The club also honored Harrison’s wife, Polly, another longtime member who died in May. There were eight categories members could enter in the flower show: garden produce, annuals from seed, blooming native plant, best blooms, foliage, herbs, single stem hydrangea, and a pot from a porch. Garden produce was named in honor of the Harrisons. There were also three artistic categories club members could enter: early colonial, Williamsburg Colonial and interpretive using the Potomac River as a theme.

Council Endorses Mediation to Support Arc Lease Talks

The Town Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution declaring its support of the Arc of Loudoun and urging resolution in the lease dispute that could force the children’s charity to move.

The Arc’s current lease to operate its programs supporting children with disabilities on the Paxton campus expires this month. Through several years of talks with the property owners, the Margaret Paxton Memorial for Convalescent Children, the parties have been unable to agree on a new lease or a lease extension.

She said the flower show was the second community event with Leesburg Garden Club. Balinger said residents love the activities

GARDEN CLUB continues on page 7

BAR Members Urge Changes to ‘Overwhelming’ Downtown Project

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Members of Leesburg’s Board of Architectural Review last week sent builder Kevin Ash back to the drawing board as they continue to review the proposal to build two four-story buildings downtown.

The Aug. 8 BAR meeting focused on one of the buildings—one fronting West Market Street and proposed to fill a gap in the streetscape now occupied by a former bank drive-through that will be razed. A second building to be attached to the one at 19 N. King St. will be the subject of a future BAR review session.

The proposals have drawn opposition from neighbors and BAR members because of concerns the structures would overwhelm the surrounding neighborhood.

Ash said the buildings’ heights are in line with other neighboring commercial structures and with other buildings being built in the historic district. But the four-story design continued to be a non-starter for neighbors living along Wirt and Cornwall streets and with BAR members.

Vice Chair Helen Aikman said the design simply was too massive, comparing it to a Carnival cruise ship.

“I’m not saying you can’t get there, but you can’t get there with a cruise liner,” Aikman said.

She recalled a community meeting organized by the property owner, Carl Gustavson, in 2022 when architects from Charleston, SC, were invited provide insight into how the development on the property could incorporate with the historic district. She noted that one of their comments was that Leesburg was rare because there were no “eyesores” of incompatible development within the district.

“What we’re charged with here is making sure there are no eyesores. This is an iconic area of the town. If I participate in approving something that harms the historic integrity of this downtown, I don’t

even feel like I can go on living here. It’s a weighty responsibility,” Aikman said. She said that she has been supportive of other downtown projects Ash has developed.

“I just feel like we have to be extremely, extremely careful with this area. We are the arbiters right now of what’s overwhelming and what’s not overwhelming, and the neighbors clearly think it’s overwhelming. … and I think that what you’re hearing from the arbiters of what’s

DOWNTOWN PROJECT continues on page 7

The council’s resolution highlights that in addition to the nonprofit’s public service role, it is one of the town’s largest employers.

In its resolution, the council calls for “the parties to work together, including the possibility of seeking professional third-party mediation, to negotiate objectively and with open minds in good faith without any preconceived limits or conditions for some resolution of the current dispute with the goal of ensuring long-term stability and freedom to grow for this important nonprofit.”

Town Seeks $44.5M in County Support for Interchanges

The Town Council on Tuesday voted to ask the Board of Supervisors for $45.5 million to support two interchange projects.

The town is seeking $28.5 million in fiscal year 2030 to help pay for the construction of the Leesburg Bypass/Battlefield Parkway intersection. That project is expected to cost $57 million and to also be supported by regional funding through the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.

The town also is asking for the county to earmark $17 million to improve the interchange area at South King Street and the Leesburg Bypass. The project has not yet been added to the town’s

AROUND TOWN continues on page 7

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Leesburg Garden Club Flower Show Chair June Hambrick, Garden Club member Pauline Clark, Program Director Linda MacLean and Spring Arbor Senior Living resident and former Garden Club member Eeda Dennis before the flower show Aug. 13.

Woodwork Architects

A rendering of a proposed building at 10 W. Market St. in downtown Leesburg.

Downtown project

continued from page 6

overwhelming is what you brought us is overwhelming. You need to go back to the drawing board. You’ve done it before,” she said.

BAR member Julie Pastor also highlighted the importance of getting the project right.

“Leesburg is a hot spot because of its historic district. That’s what we’re about, and we are here to protect it. That’s what our job is—to protect it through the use of these guidelines,” she said.

Ash said he agreed with that mission and had worked to implement it.

“I’ve protected it a lot. I’ve executed 75,000 square feet here in town and I’m pretty proud of the 75,000 feet that I’ve

Garden Club

continued from page 6

Winners were selected by club members who served as judges and awarded ribbons.

Organizers said they wanted to show their love for the facility and its residents.

“We do fundraisers in our club, but this isn’t one. This is a community event we

AROUND town

continued from page 6

Capital Improvements Program but envisions safety improvements in the area. The town is asking the county government to contribute half of the cost to design and construct the project, likely in fiscal year 2031.

One-Way North Street to Get Study

A staff study of safety concerns at the intersection of North King Street and North Street may result in a significant downtown traffic shift.

Town Transportation Engineer Niraja Chandrapu on Tuesday briefed the Town Council on the results of a safety assessment that was requested after a vehicle crashed into the front porch of a building at the crossroad. She said there had been 12 crashes at the intersection over the past six years. Most involve eastbound vehicles on North Street trying to cross or turn north on King Street. Lines of cuing traffic and the location of a utility pole obscure sightlines at the crossing.

While the staff will explore the feasibility of moving the pole, the option of converting North Street to a one-way,

done,” Ashe said.

He said was looking for advice on design elements that would better implement the town’s goals.

“We try to apply what we’ve done in the past, what other developers have done the past, and what this board and other boards prior to you, have approved as ways to break that down that were approval. We’re trying to execute that,” he said.

“I’m an ambassador of this town. I’ve invested a lot in this town. I don’t want it to look bad. I don’t want to produce anything that looks bad. So I welcome the comments to help guide us. There are architectural techniques and architectural details that have been successful for bigger buildings here in town,” Ash said.

The BAR is slated to continue review of the projects on Sept. 4. n

wanted to do for the residents because we love Eeda and Bill and Polly,” Program Director of the Leesburg Garden Club Linda MacLean said. “It’s a way to kind of bring joy to the residents.”

The club holds a meeting each month with exhibits created by its members using different themes. This month’s theme was a flower show to honor its former members and the residents of Spring Arbor.

Learn more at leesburggardenclub.org. n

eastbound-only status will be considered. The implications of that option will be incorporated into a broad downtown traffic study that is underway. Safety improvement proposals also could bring recommendations to reduce on-street parking in the area, she said.

The council will receive more information as those studies progress.

Airport Lands $440K Federal Grant for Runway Work

Leesburg Executive Airport is slated to receive $440,9893 to rehabilitate its 5,500foot runway through a federal Airport Improvement Program grant.

The AIP is administered by the Federal Aviation Administration and helps modernize airport infrastructure by constructing new airport facilities, repairing old runways and taxiways, maintaining airfield lighting and signage, and delivering modern equipment needed to operate and maintain airports.

The rehabilitation project, first recommended in 2015, is expected to cost $8 million when complete in 2027. Federal funding is expected to cover $7.3 million of that cost, with the state Department of Aviation contributing $644,000, and the town tapping a $98,000 line of credit, according to the town’s Capital Improvements Plan. n

Education School Grading Policy to Undergo Changes This Year

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

Loudoun County Public Schools’ assessment and grading policy will be going through a significant review process beginning this fall and School Board members, administrators, and Superintendent Aaron Spence have received a lot of feedback about it.

Curriculum and Instruction Committee Chair Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg) asked for a discussion around potential changes to the policy in February after the previous School Board in 2022 sent it back to the panel for further review. Issues stem from the policy’s 50% floor—a concept wheråe students are given at least a 50% grade on tests and assignments—and

issues with how assessments and retakes are done.

“An assessment and grading system must be designed to motivate students and promote growth mindset. Students who receive a grade below 50% often feel they have no chance of recovery and give up on achieving success in a course. For this reason, LCPS supports a floor of 50% when assessing student achievement in quarter and final grades. In high school courses, the floor of 50% does not apply to the final quarter of a course,” the policy states.

The policy allows for a 50% grade for students who make a “reasonable effort” to turn in late work as well as students who repeatedly turn in late work and students who “demonstrate a pattern of disengagement or lack of participation in the

learning process” despite interventions.

During the Aug. 7 committee meeting, Shernoff said the division has received an “overwhelming” amount of feedback on the policy from teachers and that the staff had created a timeline and process to review the policy that will include focus groups made up of teachers, students and parents.

Spence also heard about the need to revise the policy during his community listening sessions and included it in his post entry plan as an action step.

Chief Academic Officer Ashely Ellis said Wednesday that the philosophy of the policy hasn’t been questioned in the discussions that have been had over the past few months or in the informal feedback they’ve received. How to implement the policy has been the issue.

“Most people say they agree with the philosophy, and they struggle with the implementation in their classrooms. So, I think that’s important to note as we move forward,” Ellis said.

Shernoff agreed.

“As I look at the policy, the bones and the structures and the philosophy are really strong. And I don’t think we are really looking at, at least from my perspective, looking at a total overhaul,” Shernoff said. “I think we have a good base. We just need to work on some definitions and some boundaries and parameters.”

Ellis said one of the biggest challenges the division faced with the policy was that it was put in place right at the start of the

GRADING POLICY continues on page 10

Watson Mountain to Pilot New Class Schedule for Sixth Graders

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

When Watson Mountain Middle School opens its doors to students Aug. 22, it will be the division’s 100th school and its 18th middle school. It will be unique among those because during its first year it will only serve sixth graders and it will be a testbed for a new class schedule.

The new schedule was revealed by Principal Lenny Compton, and assistant principals Gela Russell and Kjersti Oliver on Aug. 7 during a meeting of the School Board’s Curriculum and Instruction Committee. It will be an A-E schedule instead of the traditional A/B block schedule found in the division’s other middle and high schools.

Gus Martinez, director of middle schools, said because the school was opening to just sixth graders who had never experienced the A/B schedule, it provided the opportunity to explore other schedule options to see how they could respond to students’ needs differently.

In an A/B block schedule, students’ eight classes are broken up into four classes on separate A and B days. For example, students would attend their A1-A4 classes Monday, Wednesday and Friday and their B5-B8 classes Tuesday and Thursday. The following week that schedule would switch to three B days and two A days.

The A-E schedule uses the A/B schedule but brings in C, D and E days to allow students more time in their classes. It keeps the eight-class idea but instead of breaking it up over two days, it breaks it up over four to allow students more time in each class. A and B days are similar to the traditional A/B block schedule of A1-A4 classes one day and B5-B8 classes the next. C days are all four A-day classes but in reverse order, starting with fourth block and ending with first block. D days use the B-day classes in reverse, starting with block four and ending with block one. A-D days are broken into 82-minute blocks. Lunch and advisory will remain in the middle of the school day, according to the presentation.

An E day is an every class day where students attend all eight classes in equal blocks. E days are considered an anchor day designed to help students when they return from extended holidays and breaks. On an E day, students attend English classes twice. One time they will focus on developing communication and multimodal literacy and research skills and the second class they will use those skills to work on a passion or community project.

Research used to back the pilot shows better engagement by students in class activity and test taking when done in the morning, according to the presenters.

Leaders also are hoping it helps with

attendance and better supports students who are on the multi-tiered system of supports.

The anchor day approach is similar to what is done at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, according to the presentation.

Compton said the schedule has a creative cadence.

“As an example, during a five-day week, you will always see A through E. If there was a four-day week, which we will have, you will always see A through D. And if there is a three-day week, students will have A and B and then they will go to an E day or anchor day. So again, consistent time for every week,” he said.

Compton said the first day after a holiday will be an E day so the students can be prepared through the week.

The new schedule is designed so that every class is seen for the same amount of time per week, with the total number of minutes per class annually at 7,220—versus 7,216 A days and 7,134 B days in the traditional schedule.

“Why is that important? If you look at a two-week scenario in A/B, a student can have an A day twice in one week, and then three times the following week. [It’s] opposite for B days and in this schedule. They have the same amount of time in every class, every week,” Compton said.

Committee members Lauren Shern-

off (Leesburg), Linda Deans (Broad Run) said they were excited to see outside-thebox thinking and looked forward to hearing from the school’s leadership team to see how it was working.

“What I would love to see as part of this committee is sort of a mid-year check in to see some of those data points and observations and maybe even a side-byside with Trailside [Middle School] who is doing a similar different type of schedule and I think we can kind of triangulate the data between the traditional model and these innovative approaches and see where we need to go moving forward for our kiddos,” Shernoff said.

Trailside Middle School is piloting an eight-period school day this fall.

The division moved to the block schedule in 2004. The pilot schedule change at Trailside was proposed to address instructional gaps caused by the block schedule and student holidays added into the school calendar and its impact on students who are getting additional support.

Sumera Rashid (Little River) expressed caution about the idea because it was such a new concept and asked if administrators saw any challenges if they decided to include seventh and eighth grade in coming years.

PILOT SCHEDULE continues on page 9

Claude Moore Grants Loudoun Schools $150K

Loudoun County Public Schools received $150,000 in grants from the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation as part of its 2024 Claude Moore Scholar Program.

The Health and Medical Sciences Academy programs at Briar Woods and Tuscarora High Schools received $104,000, and the Academies of Loudoun received $50,000 for the Claude Moore Health Science Pathways program.

Funding for the HAMSci program will be used to provide courses and occupational training in health science career pathways, continued support for dual enrollment classes, program equipment, instructional materials, credentialling for licensed teachers and help for student credentialing fees. The grants also help schools and healthcare systems bridge funding gaps for healthcare training programs.

For the 2024-2025 school year, the Claude Moore Scholars Program includes 13 grantees covering 52 school systems across Virginia. The foundation has provide more than $2 million as part of its 2024 Scholars Program.

In its 17th year, the Scholars Program supports education and training that encourages students to pursue a career in the field of healthcare and earn

Pilot schedule

continued from page 8

Compton said he believed it could work for the seventh and eighth grades as well but would involve talking with the Brambleton Middle School staff and aligning the two schools’ schedules.

Watson Mountain was built to alleviate overcrowding at Brambleton Middle School. However, in 2022, concerns were raised about potential overcrowding at Independence High School if Watson Mountain opened in 2024 to sixth through eighth grades. To avoid a temporary secondary school attendance zone change between Watson Mountain’s opening in 2024 and the opening of HS-14 fall 2028, a nontraditional school model was adopted Feb. 14, 2023, by the previous School Board. That model has Watson Mountain opening to sixth grade students only for the 2024-2025 school year with Bramble-

certifications in areas such as nursing, pharmacy technology, dental care, emergency care, mental health support and more. CMCF and its partners work to create a pipeline of learners who want a successful career on the “Health Sciences Highway.” The highway concept developed by the foundation describes a journey of lifelong learning and progression in the healthcare sector, according to the announcement.

“One of the goals of the Scholars program is to ensure that high school graduates have marketable skills that allow them to enter the healthcare field upon graduation,” Claude Moore Opportunities CEO William Hazel Jr. said. “Students who have participated in a Scholars Program can continue their education and training on the ‘Health Sciences Highway’ to further their careers, gain additional skills, expand their knowledge and more. We would love to see this program in every public school system in Virginia and will continue to partner with schools to encourage early engagement in STEM.”

To date, more than 22,000 students have participated in a healthcare edu-

CLAUDE MOORE GRANTS continues on page 10

ton serving only seventh and eighth grade students and Independence High School serving ninth through 12th grades.

That model will change for the 20252026, 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years, when Independence will serve students in ninth through 12th grades with a ninth grade annex at Brambleton; Brambleton will serve eighth and ninth grade students; and Watson Mountain will serve sixth and seventh. Once HS-14 opens and a new attendance zone is created, all schools will go back to their traditional grades.

“I’m excited. You are doing something different. You don’t do the same thing and expect different results, so you are doing something different to see what the results are,” Deans said.

Parents and students of Watson Mountain will be given calendars with the new schedule and nightly phone calls once school starts to remind them what the next school day will be. n

Modular Classes Considered for Lightridge, Potomac Falls

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.org

Lightridge and Potomac Falls High Schools could be getting modular classrooms next fall, if the School Board gives its final approval.

During an Aug. 6 meeting of the Schools Board’s Finance & Operations Committee, committee members Arben Istrefi (Sterling), Deana Griffiths (Ashburn) and Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) were presented with a staff plan to add eight additional classes through the use of trailers at both schools.

Director of Construction Joseph Pascarelli said the need was based on student enrollment projections and that both schools are expected to be over capacity for the next six years, starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

Griffiths asked if it would be possible to build additions at the schools, rather than add trailers.

Pascareli said it a was more expensive and timely option.

Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lewis said the addition of trailers was a temporary solution used to address overcrowding without the need to draw new attendance zone boundary lines or per-

Grading policy

continued from page 8

COVID-19 pandemic. She said as a result, the training on the policy wasn’t implemented the way they hoped with inconsistencies occurring across the division.

She said since its implementation, practices have also evolved and said the division plans to be intentional about looking at “current research and assessment and grading practices.”

“I do not begin to guess what changes might be made to this policy. I think you need to trust the process. Like I said I think the philosophy is solid and there are definitely a variety of ways its interpreted and implemented in schools that I think we need to clear up,” she said.

According to the presentation, the revised policy will be in place for the 20252026 school year, but prior to that, it will undergo a hefty process that includes an analysis of the feedback that will be shared with the committee in September; focus groups made up of parents, teachers and students that will meet in October and November to come up with recommendations for a new policy; and research and

manently alter a building.

He said the need was immediate and the schools couldn’t wait for a potentially three-year process to build additions.

Lewis added that Potomac Falls was selected to house the new Accelerated College and Employability Skills, which could bring more students to the school. ACCESS Academy is a lab school launched in partnership with George Mason University, the division, and The Northern Virginia Community College to increase help for at-risk students as they transition from high school to college and high-demand careers.

best practices done by staff and presented to the committee.

Policy revisions will be presented to the committee in December followed by a public review of the draft policy in January. Revisions will be done in February based on the public feedback and a draft policy will go before the board in March. The division plans to train teachers on the new policy in May and it to have it in place by the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

In the meantime and until the policy has been revised and implemented, a guide has been created for teachers that will be available at the start of the school year to help clarify the policy. It includes a frequently asked question page that provides guidance to teachers about retakes and assessments.

“One thing that does come up quite regularly is the concept of retakes and is there ever a point where a student should not be given the opportunity retake an assessment? And so that is addressed and there are certainly opportunities or times when students have clearly taken advantage of the process,” Ellis said.

Committee members Sumera Rashid (Little River) and Linda Deans (Broad Run) agreed that the policy needed to be

He said the school is at 103% capacity and looks to stay that way with the addition of the new academy. He said the trailers would be temporary until they could look at boundary adjustments in the future.

Potomac Falls 2023-2024 base capacity was 1,625. The school is projected to have 1,676 students this fall and that number is expected to grow to 1,724, or 106% capacity by the 2029-2030 school year.

Lightridge is expected to be at 106% capacity during the 2025-2026 school year, with 2,151 students and grow to 117% capacity by the 2029-2030 school

looked at while keeping in mind vulnerable students who may need the extra help the 50% floor offers them and addressing situations where students might take advantage of the process.

“I like the frequently asked questions, ‘can a teacher give less than 50%?’ for example because we do know that there are students out there that don’t really give a concerted effort and then it’s not really genuine, so it does address that matter,” Rashid said. “I think it should be more clarified, more brought to light and I think there could be some I guess training for the teachers or kind of reinforcement on such situations.”

The policy has been revised four times: in October 2019, September 2020, November 2020 and September 2021, according to the February presentation.

The C&I Committee will be presented in September with feedback gathered through teacher and student ThoughtExchanges, the Educator Cabinet and the Superintendent’s Techer Advisory Committee.

Although the policy isn’t up for formal review until 2026, Shernoff said she wanted to begin work on it now. n

year. The schools 2023-2024 base capacity was 2,021. This fall it is projected to have 2,050 students and be at 101% capacity.

“Our goal is for it to be temporary. If it becomes a permanent need than we will be looking at that in the CIP process. Again, this is something that is an immediate need and this is our proposed solution to bring that on and have the capacity that is needed actually now and we won’t have it online until the fall of 2025,” Lewis said in response to Griffiths saying she felt the trailers would stay permanently.

Istrefi asked if boundary changes at both schools were to be expected down the road.

Lewis said there were tools each board has to work with to increase capacity at schools, including building additions to schools, adding modulars and boundary changes. He said a Capital Improvement Plan work session will be held this fall with board members to walk them through the CIP process and to get an idea of what the board’s priorities are so the board can fully understand the depth of the capital budget and tools available to solve issues with it.

The committee is expected to vote on whether to allow the trailers at its next meeting. n

Claude Moore grants

continued from page 9

cation program supported by the Scholars Program, which funds programs in schools and healthcare systems to help fill the thousands of high-demand positions open in Virginia.

Founded in 1987, The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation’s mission is to provide assistance for charitable and educational purposes.  The Foundation has invested more than $19 million in grants for the Claude Moore Scholars Program since the Program was launched in 2007.  The initiative continues to grow partnerships among public school systems, academic institutions, health employers and non-profit organizations.  For more information go to claudemoorefoundation.org. n

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Lightridge High School and Potomac Falls High School could be getting modular classrooms next fall if the School Board gives its final approval.

The Town of Leesburg Parks & Recreation Department would like to say to our Sponsors, Businesses, Residents, & all Participants for their support.

Presented By:

Mid-Atlantic Windows & Doors

Public Safety

19-Year-Old Charged with Fatally Shooting Father

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Jerome Edward Thompson Jr. has been charged with second degree murder and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony in Friday night’s fatal shooting of his father.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. Aug. 9, deputies responded to reports of a shooting on Leanne Terrace in the TGM Moorefield apartment complex in Ashburn. They found Jerome Edward Thompson, 50, suffering a gunshot wound. He died at the scene.

Thompson Jr., 19, was arrested a short time later.

According to court documents, the shooting occurred following a verbal argument with his father. Investigators said he admitted to the shooting.

He was held without bond pending an Oct. 11 preliminary hearing in Loudoun’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

The Office of the Public Defender was appointed to represent Thompson, a recent high school graduate who stated he was unemployed.

Thompson was in Loudoun's JDR Court earlier this year after he allegedly struck his then 16-year-old sister in the face during a Feb. 22 argument over the family vehicle. In that case, an emergency protective order was granted requiring him to not commit acts of family abuse. The criminal case was not prosecuted. The case also resulted in a charge of failure to appear at a court hearing while he was released on a $1,000 unsecured bond. He was found not guilty of that charge.

Investigators ask that anyone who witnessed Friday’s shooting or may have related information, and who has not already spoken to law enforcement, to contact Detective Schmidt at 703-777-1021. Witnesses may submit anonymous information by calling 703-777-1919 or by using the Sheriff ’s Office app. n

Debby’s Rains Restore Potomac River Flow, School Employee Dies in Storm

The remnants of Hurricane Debby brought badly needed rain, but also dangerous storms as it crossed the region last week.

The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in Loudoun County early Thursday morning. According to the report, the tornado hit near Willsville in southwestern Loudoun at 1:19 a.m. Aug. 8 and had winds up to 100 mph. On touch down, its path was up to 100 yards wide and 4.7 miles long. Another tornado was reported in Berkley County, WV.

The strong storm resulted in the death of a Round Hill Elementary School staff member when a tree fell on her home in the Shannondale neighborhood near Harpers Ferry. Stephanie Wishmyer, 36, was pinned under the large oak tree and died at the scene.

From Aug. 8-10, nearly 5 inch-

Leesburg PD Investigates Jewelry Store Break-in

The Leesburg Police Department is investigating a burglary at White and Ivory Diamonds that occurred early Saturday morning.

At approximately 5:10 a.m. Aug. 10, officers responded to an alarm at the Village Market Boulevard store. Upon arrival, they found the front door was damaged and the business had been entered. Nothing from the store appears to have been taken.

The suspect was wearing black pants, black shoes, and a black jacket.

es of rain was recorded at the U.S. Geologic Survey monitoring site in drought-stricken western Loudoun.

That rainfall prompted the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin to suspend its drought monitoring activities. A regional drought alert was triggered last month when the daily flow at Point of Rocks fell below 2,000 cubic feet per second. Last week, the flow had reached 2,600 cfs, up from less than 1,100 cfs earlier in the week. That’s an increase from just under 500,000 gallons per minute to more than 1.1 million gallons per minute.

The low-flow level had triggered a call for voluntary water conservation for much of the Washington, DC, region, including residents and businesses in eastern Loudoun County and Leesburg. The Potomac River is the major source of drinking water for Loudoun Water and the town. n

police officers arrived.

Biro then entered the Loudoun County District Courthouse nearby on Church Street where he was detained by Sheriff ’s Office deputies.

Biro was held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center. The incident remains under investigation.

Court records show Biro previously has been charged with making threats, assaulting a corrections officer, and violating terms of protective orders and probation.

In March, he was convicted of using profane, threatening or obscene language over public airwaves, a misdemeanor, and sentenced to 12 months in jail. That conviction was appealed to Circuit Court. In July, he was released on bond pending a Dec. 9, 2024, jury trial.

Hearing Set in Middleburg Animal Seizure Case

A hearing has been set for September following the seizure of 19 cats and six dogs by Loudoun County Animal Services in a Middleburg-area residence last month.

Patricia Mathis-Burby is charged with a civil violation of abandoning or cruelly treating animals.

The Sam Fred Road residence has housed two dog training and breeding businesses.

The department is asking anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity in the vicinity to contact Detective C. Hill at 703-771-6417, 703771-4500, or at PoliceInvestigations@ LeesburgVA.gov.

Tips may be submitted anonymously at 703-443-TIPS or by text to: 274637 (CRIMES) and begin your message with LPDTIP.

Man Arrested After Making Threats at Public Defender’s Office

The Leesburg Police Department has charged a 22-year-old man with felony burglary with intent to commit murder and felony destruction of property following an altercation at the Loudoun County Public Defender’s Office on Monday afternoon.

According to the report, Riley Biro forcibly entered the Loudoun Street office looking for a specific employee who he threatened to harm. Unable to locate the employee, Biro left the office before

The investigation began on July 25, after the agency received a complaint about the home. Officers found five dead dogs in addition to the other animals living in conditions deemed to pose threats to their life, health and safety.

During a General District Court proceeding Aug. 7, Defense attorney Ryan Campbell said Mathis-Burby had been hospitalized for approximately a week when the seizure had taken place and that the animals had been under the care of another person, whom he believes made an anonymous complaint to LCAS. Campbell said he had been told that the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office was considering bringing felony charges against Mathis-Burby and that he did not believe animal control investigators had “the full story.”

She will appear before the General District Court Sept. 6 at 1 p.m.

SAFETY briefs

continued from page 12

Former Elementary School PTO President Charged with Embezzlement

A 43-year-old Ashburn woman is charged with embezzling $83,200 from the Moorfield Station Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization.

Kimberly Medina turned herself in to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 7 and was released on her own recognizance, according to the agency. She is not an employee of the school division, and no public money was embezzled, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office began its investigation into Medina in December after being contacted by the school principal and members of the PTO board. The investigation determined that Medina had embezzled the funds for personal use between February and September last year.

Medina was elected PTO president in September 2021 and was removed by the PTO board when the investigation began.

She is scheduled to appear in Loudoun County District Court on Sept. 4 for an arraignment.

Deputies Investigate Hill School Swatting Threat

The Hill School near Middleburg was placed on lockdown Aug. 8 after callers initially reported fears that someone with a firearm was on the campus.

The threat was reported at 9:48 a.m. No shots were reported.

Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the campus and inspected and secured each of its eight buildings. Thirty-seven children and 25 adults were moved to shelter during the search.

The search was complete and the students released to parents shortly after 11 a.m.

The case is being investigated as a swatting call—a bogus threat designed to spur a large law enforcement response. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Coderre at 703-777-1021.n

LCSO Seeks Suspect in GOP Office Burglary

The Sheriff’s Office is investigating a burglary at an Ashburn office that houses the local Trump for President 2024 campaign and the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee.

The break-in at the Ashbrook Place office was reported at 9 p.m. Sunday. Investigators say surveillance video shows a white adult male, wearing dark clothing, a dark cap, and a backpack entering the location.

“It is rare to have the office of any po-

litical campaign or party broken into,” said Sheriff Mike Chapman. “We are determined to identify the suspect, investigate why it happened, and determine what may have been taken as well as what may have been left behind.”

Anyone who believes they know the suspect, witnessed the burglary, or has any other information is asked to contact Detective Franks at 571-918-1869. n

Leesburg Man Charged in Gunfire Report Pleads to Brandishing

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

A Leesburg man charged in a June shooting incident pleaded guilty Wednesday in the General District Court to pointing or brandishing a firearm.

Gerald McMurray, 37, was sentenced to time served and fined for court costs of $211.

The charges were related to a June 22 incident when Leesburg Police officers responded to reports of gunfire outside a Plaza Street apartment complex. No suspect was located initially, and no injuries

or property damages were reported.

According to a police report, a witness at the scene identified McMurray from a Facebook profile as a man who aimed a firearm at her and two other individuals and fired twice. She also said that McMurray and one of the men with her had gotten into an altercation at a party earlier that day. McMurray was punched in the face. According to the witness, McMurray made a statement that he would come back and shoot someone.

He was arrested June 26 by the Arlington Police Department and charged with two counts of attempted malicious wounding, discharging a firearm at a

building, brandishing a firearm, reckless handling of a firearm, discharging a firearm in a public place, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office dropped all but the brandishing charge. Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Anderson said the results were not what his office hoped for.

“Sometimes when you prosecute a case you don’t get cooperation from victims and this was one of those cases,” he said. “So, we tried to do the best we could with what we got and that’s the best we ended up with.” n

Alleged 100 MPH DUI Driver Released on Bond

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Daniel Basurto Vargas, who is facing five charges related to a July incident where he was arrested for allegedly driving 100 mph in Leesburg was released on bond last week.

According to the report, on July 30 Basurto Vargas was driving westbound on Rt. 7 shortly before 11 p.m. when an officer conducted the traffic stop and saw an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. The driver refused all sobriety tests but was determined to be impaired.

He is charged with driving while intoxicated (second offense), driving after revocation of license, reckless driving by

speed, refusal of tests, obstruction of justice, and having an open container.

After initially being granted bond by a judge earlier last week, Assistant Public Defender Kyle Barnes filed another bond motion saying that Basurto Vargas remained incarcerated despite the decision.

During a hearing Aug. 7, Barnes said the magistrate’s office was “actively defying” orders from the court and that he believed it was because Basurto Vargas has an ICE detainer and his bond was subject to him wearing a Soberlink device.

He said the magistrate’s office took the position that a person on pretrial release cannot comply with a Soberlink device if they have an ICE detainer, a position Barnes said was “baseless, factually.”

Barnes said that ICE is not required to follow up on the detainer and that the organization often does not.

Although she had opposed the bond motion, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Eden Holmes said, since it had been granted, she agreed with Barnes that Basurto Vargas should be released.

Judge Eric M. Shamis said he did not have the authority to force the magistrate’s office to release someone but agreed to amend the bond motion to make the Soberlink device optional, deferring to the Department of Community Corrections on whether to require it.

Basurto Vargas was released later that afternoon and is scheduled to appear back in court for a trial Oct. 28 at 8:30 a.m. n

Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office

The Sheriff’s Office released this image of the suspect in an Aug. 11 burglary at the Ashburn office that houses the local Trump for President campaign and the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee.

America’s 9/11 Ride Returns Friday

A loud rumble will fill downtown Leesburg on Aug. 16 as hundreds of motorcycles participating in the annual America’s 9/11 Ride will pass through.

The annual event, organized by the Loudoun-based America’s 911 Foundation, raises money to support EMS, fire and police personnel, including offering college scholarships for first responder families.

Over four days, the bikers ride from

the site of the Flight 93 crash in Pennsylvania to the Pentagon to Ground Zero in New York City. The procession is expected to cross Loudoun County in the early afternoon Aug. 16, entering on Rt. 15 at Point of Rocks, passing through Leesburg around 1:45 p.m. and taking the Dulles Greenway east toward Arlington.

Learn more at Americans911foundation.org n

Nonprofit Over 700 Attend Tree of Life Back to School Giveaway

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Community members lined up around Purcellville Baptist Church Saturday morning for the Tree of Life’s annual summer giveaway, held to help parents afford back to school costs.

Director of Communications Jennifer Del Grande said the event was the largest the nonprofit has held so far with 752 people attending – over 300 more than last year.

“We’re so glad we were able to give so many to those in need,” Del Grande said.

The event was run by Regional Director for Western Loudoun Maddy Cockerill and Yvette Perri who managed the clothing portion of the giveaway.

Residents waited in line outside the church, while groups of 75 at a time were taken in to shop the free clothing items, receive a backpack filled with school supplies, pick out Bibles, choose dental supplies and receive a free haircut. Visitors were also given the chance to shop free furniture and extra school supplies and have their blood pressures taken.

All 533 of the prepared backpacks were

given away and by the end of the morning, there were no school supplies left.

“We had a lot of new people,” Del Grande said. “Definitely a lot of people who had never been there before… It was amazing and we were very excited.”

She said the nonprofit receives donations for the annual giveaway from local churches, the Purcellville Police Department, businesses and individuals.

The event is designed to help families face the growing costs associated with sending children back to school in the fall. On average, families spend $875 on clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics for children in elementary through high school each year, according to the National Retail Federation.

K-12 shoppers are budgeting $309 on average for electronics, $253 for clothing

and accessories, $142 for school supplies and $170 for shoes.

This year, national back to school spending is expected to reach the second highest on record at $38.8 billion.

Del Grande said one community member who has attended the event for three years said this is the only guaranteed haircut her children receive each year.

“We gave 70 haircuts,” she said. “That was crazy. We’ve never given that many haircuts.”

TOL typically holds giveaway events in both Leesburg and Purcellville, but this year because of the size and effort to put them on, the organization opted to consolidate into a single day in Purcellville. Del Grande said the event was attended by eastern Loudoun residents despite its western Loudoun location.

“When you look at the whole of Loudoun County it’s just amazing that people would even come from Sterling to get backpacks and things like that. So, I know there’s a lot of need.”

TOL is supporting a similar event that will be held at Sterling Park Baptist Church this Saturday, Aug. 17 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. n

Bartel Foundation Uses New Grant to Continue Fighting Loneliness

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The Ryan Bartel Foundation has been selected as a 2024 Kindness in Community Fund grant recipient from the Born This Way Foundation, cofounded by Lady Gaga and her mother.

Born This Way partnered with fashion and lifestyle brand Cotton On to support organizations in 10 countries.

The grant invested $30,000 in the Bartel Foundation’s Teen Ambassador Program and The Fort, a safe, inclusive community space for teens to destress, connect in person with peers and engage in experimental workshops that help them foster connectedness and learn new skills.

“We are honored to receive a grant from the Kindness in Community grant which is investing in our work and the mental health of our young people,” foundation founder Suzie Bartel stated. “With the help of this grant we can build a kind-

er, braver world together.”

The grant enables the foundation to expand its reach from primarily focusing on western Loudoun to the eastern and southern parts of the county and to offer

The Fort free of charge.

“Starting here in the fall we are bringing The Fort as an after-school program during the week and we will be going into several middle schools who have signed up to have us come as well as the Sterling library,” Bartel said.

The Fort is designed to help fight loneliness in teens, which Bartel said is connected to mental health concerns and suicidal ideations, by using experiential therapy, rather than more traditional talk therapy.

“Experiential therapy is becoming a much bigger in thing the counseling world because they realize now that kids at this age – they’re still forming, they’re still developing, their brains are still developing. And getting them number one to process emotions and feel comfortable to

talk about them is very difficult,” she said.

Instead, The Fort provides activities designed to help the participants make friends with each other.

“Connectedness is critically important for the mental health of everybody, not just kids,” Bartel said.

The Fort is made up of four different modalities, which Bartel said are each supported by an entire curriculum. Those four are creative expression, mindfulness, nature and animals and physical movement.

“[The students] get together and they meet new people that they would never had met anywhere else and they start finding commonalities because they’re doing activities that they like and they realize they have a shared experience,” she said.

The grant funding will also be used to expand the foundation’s new Teen Ambassador Program which recruits and teaches 10-12th graders to become more familiar with teen mental health literacy.

“Once they’ve done their training, they become volunteers inside our programs,” Bartel said. “So, if they’re volunteering at The Fort, they start acting as a peer mentor.”

Learn more about participating in The Fort or volunteering at ryanbartelfoundation.org. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Community members lined up around Purcellville Baptist Church for the Tree of Life’s annual summer giveaway held to help parents afford back to school costs Aug. 10.

Ryan Bartel Foundation

The Ryan Bartel Foundation is expanding its The FORT program which offers a safe, inclusive community space for teens to destress, connect in person with peers and engage in experimental workshops that help them foster connectedness and learn new skills.

Barbe, Lambert, Women Giving Back

Announced as Community Foundation

The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties has announced that Carol Barbe, J Hamilton Lambert, and Women Giving Back will be this year’s honorees recognized during its annual awards dinner in November.

The Community Foundation will establish a $10,000 charitable endowment fund in honor of each winner.

Barbe is president and CEO of Backflow Technology, and has been named the 2024 Philanthropist of the Year. A long-time local business owner and philanthropist, she has served the Loudoun community for years through volunteer work and leadership roles.

Lambert, executive irector of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, has been named this year’s Changemaker of the Year. Born and raised in Leesburg, his career in public administration and philanthropy across the region has spanned decades. He was the county executive in Fairfax County from 1980 to 1990. Since then, he has led the Claude Moore Charitable Foun-

Honorees

dation helping to convert its real estate holdings and other assets valued at $17 million in 1990 into an organization that has provided more than $100 million in community grants as of 2023.

Women Giving Back will be recognized with the 2024 Nonprofit Achievement Award. Founded in 2007 by Northern Virginia volunteers, WGB’s mission is to empower women and children in crisis by providing quality clothing, diapers, school supplies and other essentials at no cost.

The Root & Legacies awards dinner and gala scheduled for Nov. 15 will feature each of the award winners and highlight their work in the Loudoun and Northern Fauquier community. The event will also feature guest emcee, Casey Veatch of Veatch Commercial Real Estate, and will include music, a plated dinner, local wine, celebratory awards, and an auction to raise funds for the Community Foundation’s work.

For information about the Roots and Legacies event, ticket sales, or sponsorships, go to rootsandlegacies.cbo.io. n

Towns

Purcellville Joins Main Street Program, Considers Future of Downtown

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Two dozen business owners, residents, town staff members, and planning commissioners gathered at the Purcellville Train Station on Tuesday afternoon to learn about the Virginia Main Street Program.

The town was accepted into the introductory level of the program earlier this year. VMS helps towns facilitate economic growth and sustainability through their downtown areas by preserving their unique characteristics. They offer a range of services, grants and training resources for communities to use when revitalizing their economies. The Town of Leesburg entered the Main Street program by supporting launch of the nonprofit Leesburg Movement organization.

Tuesday’s planning workshop was led by VMS Program Administrator Blaire Buergler.

“Main Street is heavily reliant on the community members taking ownership of the work and determining where they want to go and how they’re going to get there,” she said.

Buergler said the purpose of the work session was to help the community recognize what they love about Purcellville and develop a plan to preserve it.

Participants said their favorite characteristics about the town included its balance of the old and the new, open spaces and parks, safety, water resources, variety of small businesses, and the W&OD Trail.

“Main Street focuses on sustainability, enhancing what we already have, building up with it, just to create a very viable community,” Buergler said. “So, we’re looking at preserving our historic and built environment. We’re focusing on public private collaboration and participation. If it is successful, you will preserve jobs and businesses, increase tax revenue and public and private investment in the community, and you’re also going to feel more community pride.”

The Main Street approach focuses on four points—organization and securing resources, design, economic vitality through strong businesses and promotion and has three progressing tiers of involvement—that each allow the town more access to resources based on the amount of community involvement.

The first tier of the program requires

the town to reach out to VMS for its resources once a year, a requirement met by Buergler’s presentation, she said. With that qualification, the town has access to apply for two grants and a variety of training materials.

The second tier provides a more targeted organizational two-year training program and requires community leadership and commitment to the program by having a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to steer commercial district revitalization or have a Main Street committee.

To qualify for the second tier, a community must also have the support of its local government through a resolution outlining its commitment to the same goal.

Resident and parttime Town Attorney Marty Kloeden said the town needed some type of hotel for visitors to stay in when visiting, as well as funds to bury utility lines in the downtown area.

Mark Nelis, who owns a business on 21st Street, said the area has remained unchanged for 15 years and needs to be improved.

But former Mayor Kwasi Fraser challenged that citing the opening of Bia Kitchen on 21st Street, investment by Catoctin Creek Distillery, and a town streetscape project.

“The risk is the tendency for us to build things in a vacuum,” he said. “Case in point, if we decide to build a development on the outskirts of Purcellville, it will have an impact downtown, because people will come patronize that business, go to that business, with no need to come downtown. We can build the best down-

AROUND towns

LOVETTSVILLE

Final Movie on the Green Set for Saturday

The final night of the town’s Movie on the Green series is set to take place Saturday night at 8:30 p.m.

The town will be showing “The Princess Bride” at the Walker Pavilion. Community members are invited to bring picnic blankets, lawn chairs and snacks to watch the last film of the season. n

PURCELLVILLE

Registration Opens for Celebrate Purcellville

Registration is open for the fourth annual town-wide Celebrate Purcellville event set to take place the first week in October.

town ever, but that individual will just go and shop on the outskirts. So how do you put the two together?”

Casey Chapman, who owns a stretch of buildings along 21st Street, said the town could not be risk adverse if it wanted to move forward.

“I don’t see how that holds water, that we can continue to base these decisions on fear of what could happen instead of taking action on things that need to happen, and that’s where we’ve been living in this town for the last 20 years,” he said.

Buergler said it is a balancing act and that the Main Street program provides resources to help limit the risk by seeing what has worked for other localities in Virginia.

“From my perspective, failure is whatever you make of it, and in the world of Main Street, it’s really just a learning opportunity,” she said.

Town Economic Development Advisor John Heather said having a master plan of what residents envision for the downtown would be a helpful tool.

Buergler agreed it would be helpful but that the work of revitalizing the area did not need to wait for a plan to be developed.

Vice Mayor and Economic Development Advisory Committee liaison Erin Rayner said she felt the event was a good starting point and that residents’ involvement is vital for the program to be successful.

“I thought today’s meeting was wonderful and a great step forward for us in economic development, moving our town forward in a positive, productive way,” she stated. n

The week-long celebration encourages people to visit businesses, enjoy food and beverage options, tour the town and participate in fun activities.

Businesses with a current license and nonprofits located within the incorporated town limits may register online for free at purcellvilleva.gov. The deadline to register is Sept. 15.

Any organizations participating will be included in the Celebrate Purcellville passport and listed on the town website. Residents and visitors will take their passports to participating businesses to get a sticker. Passports will be turned in during the final fall festival Oct. 12 for a chance to win prizes. n

ROUND HILL

Water Restrictions

Remain in Place

Although the area received up to five inches of rain during last week’s storms, Round Hill remains under mandatory water conservation orders, put in place after weeks of extreme drought conditions.

The town continues to evaluate the recharge rates of its 12 wells and the surrounding groundwater system. Town leaders also are awaiting the new reports from the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, expected later this week.

The Town Council will be re-evaluating water conservation measures at its Sept. 3 meeting. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Purcellville Economic Development Advisor John Heather, left, talks with former mayor Kwasi Fraser during a downtown planning workshop Aug. 13.

Lovettsville Planners Eye Historic Resources Policy

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The Lovettsville Planning Commission is working on developing a town historic resources policy, which could include new design guidelines for buildings within the R-1 district.

The town’s historic district encompasses roughly 90 acres and includes parts of north and south Berlin Turnpike, East Broad Way, South Loudoun Street, South Light Street, South Locust Street, East Pennsylvania Avenue and two cemeteries and a church outside of town. The district includes 181 contributing resources and 83 noncontributing resources on 111 properties.

The item appeared before the commission as part of its 2024 work program which included a directive to look into preserving the resources through tax incentives and grants, amending the subdivision ordinance, expedited zoning and site plan review for adaptive reuse of structures and amending the ordinance to add standards for site design, landscaping and buffering.

However, over the past few months the commission learned a much more thorough review and policy would be needed.

During an Aug. 8 meeting, the commission discussed 10 focus areas of the policy: organization, incentives, updating the district, amending lot and building standards, amending the subdivision ordinance, modifying the C-1 to permit residential and non residential use of historic buildings, amending the zoning ordinance

much for a lot of the effort,” Merrithew said. “So now that we have a community engagement position in the town, the suggestion was that we could enhance that position or use that position to support community outreach.”

Merrithew said that change would require a budget amendment from the council.

Chair Bob Custard said if the commission was going to request funding from the council, they should have a clearer understanding of what the duties will entail first.

A motion by Commissioner Lori Kimball to recommend instead that town staff work with the commission and the Lovettsville Historical Society to develop a plan for community outreach passed 5-0 with Aubrey Torres and Trip Curtis absent.

The commission opted not to vote on a majority of the topics pending a joint meeting with the Lovettsville Historical Society in September.

Kimball suggested the meeting be a special work session and Merrithew said he would find a date that worked for the society at their next meeting. n

to add standards to protect historic resources, evaluating the cost-benefit of undergrounding public utilities, developing a local sign program to identify historic structures, and promoting public awareness of the history of the town.

In May, Planning Manager and Zoning Administrator John Merrithew told the commission that residents said they did not support implementing a historic zoning district like many of the surrounding towns. Instead, the commission is considering adding new guidelines to the R-1 district which encompasses a large part of the historic district.

The guidelines would be implemented with the goal of keeping new construction in line with current designs and styles of the buildings already in place.

They would include retaining existing accessory buildings, using existing driveways, setbacks, protecting existing trees, landscape screens and three-layered landscapes, well-defined outdoor spaces and generally prohibiting privacy boards, chain link fences or concrete walls.

“These would be design guidelines, not requirements,” Merrithew said. “Things that we could talk to applicants about and negotiate with applicants and hopefully come away with a better project.”

The commission also discussed combining the organization, signage and public awareness initiatives into a staff member’s duties.

“One of the issues that has been recognized from discussions with the Historical Society is that we’re relying on them too

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

The Lovettsville Historical Society Museum displays a number of historical items and provides information regarding the town’s past and present. The society serves to preserve and promote the history and heritage of the town and its surrounding area.

LIVE MUSIC

GARY SMALLWOOD

5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15 MacDowell's Beach, 202 Harrison St. SE., Leesburg. macsbeach.com

KIMBERLY BURKE

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchase.com

JUSTIN SUEDE

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15

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

DAVID THONG

6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15 City Tap Loudoun, 20376 Exchange St., Ashburn. citytap.com

BRADLEY RHODES

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16

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

THE BRAHMAN NOODLES

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

MATT HOLLOMAN

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 Dirt Farm Brewing, 18701 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont. dirtfarmbrewing.com

MICHAEL PALMER

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16

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

MICHELLE SWAN AND CHERITH

YULY

5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, 38906 Mt Gilead Road, Leesburg. willowcroftwine.com

MELISSA QUINN FOX DUO

6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchase.com

DISCIPLE OF THE GARDEN

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16

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

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 21

‘Immersive Experience’ Indian Culture Comes to Dulles for Independence Day Festival

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Loudoun County residents will have the chance to get a little glimpse of India—and help feed the hungry—this weekend during an Indian Independence Day Celebration hosted by Anna Sudha Community Kitchens and the Dulles Town Center.

The festival will feature diverse vegetarian and non-vegetarian regional Indian cuisine, Indian classical dance forms, a beer and wine garden, and vendors selling products showcasing Indian culture including handlooms, artwork and jewelry.

“The theme of the festival is to celebrate India through its food festival and dance to highlight the rich heritage and culture of the county,” Anna Sudha founder Napur Panjabi said.

Panjabi said the festival will also feature a Bollywood corner and 360-degree photo booth, showcase the country’s love of cricket and its diverse native languages.

“It’s really a wonderful opportunity for somebody who has never been to India to really get a sort of unique immersive experience into the culture,” she said.

The event celebrates the day India declared its independence from Great Britain on Aug. 15, 1947.

“Just a fun fact, our independence came at the cost of the partition of our county, so Pakistan Independence Day is celebrated on the 14th of August,” Panjabi said.

This year’s Loudoun celebration will be held Aug. 17, since the 15th falls on a weekday, and is the first time Anna Sudha has hosted the event. It is planned to be attended by several elected officials including Del. Kannan Srinivasan, members of the Board of Supervisors, the county’s constitutional officers and Dulles Town Center owner Srinivas Chavali.

Chavali, who purchased the town center in December, said he is proud to host the celebration and hopes to hold many more initiatives that “strengthen our multicultural community at a local level.”

“This event beautifully symbolizes the strong bonds between India and America, showcasing the vibrant Indian-American community that enriches our area,” he stated. “…We hope all attendees enjoy the festivities and take

pride in their heritage and contributions to our local community and the broader American society.

Srinivasan will present a commending resolution from the General Assembly to the nonprofit during Saturday’s festivities.

"I am very much looking forward and humbled to be celebrating India’s Independence Day as the first elected Indian American immigrant - coming from the largest Democracy to the oldest Democracy- to serve in Virginia House of Delegates,” he stated. “This weekend’s event celebrates the rich culture of the Indian community and also welcomes everyone as we are reminded of the shared values of freedom and democracy. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Anna Sudha Community Kitchens for organizing this wonderful celebration and for their tireless efforts to feed those in need.” Anna Sudha operates its kitchen inside the mall.

“Since we’ve been in the mall, we’ve wanted to do events like this to further sort of bring the community all together and showcase our culture and invite the larger community to be a part of it,” Panjabi said.

But the event is rooted in Panjabi’s desire to give back to the community through her nonprofit.

Aside from herself, the kitchen is staffed almost entirely of high schoolers from Loudoun and Fairfax counties. They donate over 6,000 meals a month to local shelters and provide an open pantry

stocked with essential groceries and nonperishables.

The kitchen also sells vegetarian Indian food to fund the programs.

“The reason why we went about setting up Anna Sudha was to bring the Indian community together on one platform to give back locally,” Punjabi said.

The volunteers have been working to get everything ready for Saturday’s festival, she said.

“We have a lot of event decorating that’s happening, they’re ordering and all that’s going on, and all the food prep. … We’ve started preparing the Bollywood Bingo, we are preparing the cricket trivia,” she said.

By hosting the event, Panjabi hopes to spread awareness about Anna Sudha and its mission.

“There is a lot of growing need in terms of whether it’s food insecurity, whether it’s people getting evicted from homes because they cannot pay their rent or whatever,” she said. “So, we just want to, as a community, get together and be able to give back as much as we all can.”

The festival is free to attend but money made from food sales will go toward existing programs that Anna Sudha runs, as well as furthering its reach.

“We have a food truck that we’ve

Contributed

Anna Sudha Community Kitchens operates of Dulles Town Center and provides over 6,000 meals monthly to local shelters. INDIAN

DISCIPLE OF THE GARDEN

Friday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m. Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

Disciples of the Garden (D.O.G.) pays homage to the talents and legacy of Chris Cornell and his bandmates in Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, and Audioslave.

GET OUT

LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 20

TEJAS SINGH

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16

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

MARK CULLINANE

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 Two Twisted Posts Winery, 12944 Harpers Ferry Road, Neersville. twotwistedposts.com

LAURA CASHMAN

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 Fleetwood Farm Winery, 23075 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. fleetwoodfarmwinery.com

SUMMER & ERIC

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

DIAMOND ALLEY

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 MacDowell's Beach, 202 Harrison St. SE., Leesburg. macsbeach.com

JASON TEACH

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

DAVE GOODRUM

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

YOKO SAYS NO

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16

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

TEJAS SINGH

7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16

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

BEST BETS

JIMMY KENNY AND THE PIRATE BEACH BAND

Saturday, Aug. 17, 6 to 9 p.m. Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Lucketts. tararaconcerts.com

Calling all Parrotheads, No Shoes Nation and the Zamily! It’s 5 o’clock somewhere so Let’s Raise ‘Em Up and sing along.

JUSTIN TRAWICK AND THE COMMON GOOD

Saturday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m. Leesburg Town Hall idalee.org

Enjoy an intimate night of Americana music on the Town Green during the free Summer Jams concert.

DYLAN WOELFEL

8 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 Monk's BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville. monksq.com

CHRIS TIMBERS BAND

9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, Aug. 16 Spanky's Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

LENNY BURRIDGE

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. fabbiolicellars.com

LINDA ANDERSEN & FRIENDS

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Creek's Edge Winery, 41255 Annas Lane, Taylorstown. creeksedgewinery.com

JET CAPRIEST

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

TAYLOR LEFEVER

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. 868estatevineyards.com

SCOTT KURT

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Otium Cellars, 18050 Tranquility Road, Purcellville. otiumcellars.com

JASON TEACH

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

Stone Tower Winery, 19925 Hogback Mountain Road, Leesburg. stonetowerwinery.com

DUNLOP AND MABE BAND

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery, 38506 John Wolford Road, Waterford. wheatlandspring.com

SHAG

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts.

vanishbeer.com

SHANE GAMBLE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

ANDY B

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

SPIKE BURTON

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

FREDDIE LONG

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

MELISSA QUINN FOX

12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Boulder Crest Virginia, 18370 Bluemont Village Lane, Bluemont. support.bouldercrest.org

AIRMONT ROAD

2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Lost Rhino Brewing Co, 21730 Red Rum Dr., Ashburn. lostrhino.com

MELANIE PEARL

3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

Chrysalis Vineyards, 39025 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg. chrysaliswine.com

NICK ANDREW STAVER

TRIO

5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

Casanel Vineyards, 17956 Canby Road, Leesburg. casanelvineyards.com

WIDELY GROWN

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

LENNY'S JUKE JOINT

6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Plaza Party Villages at Leesburg, 1602 Village Market Blvd. SE., Leesburg. villageatleesburg.com

THE EXCHANGE PROJECT

6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

MELISSA QUINN FOX BAND

6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Honor Brewing Company, 42604 Trade West Dr., Sterling. honorbrewing.com

JIMMY KENNY AND THE PIRATE BEACH BAND

6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Lucketts. tararaconcerts.com

EYES OF THE NILE

7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg. $15 to $35. tallyhotheater.com

ANDY HAWK & THE TRAIN WRECK ENDINGS

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

RYAN JEWELL

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

ADAM KNUDSEN

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Firefly Cellars, 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton. fireflycellars.com

JOEY AND THE WAITRESS

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. doukeniewinery.com

MELANIE PEARL

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

ERIC CAMPBELL

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com

JIM STEELE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

CALEB HACKER

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

DEANE KERN & ERIC SELBY

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

Bozzo Family Vineyards, 35226 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. bozwines.com

MIKE LEVERONE

3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

GARY SMALLWOOD

3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

DAVE MININBERG

3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

Fleetwood Farm Winery, 23075 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. fleetwoodfarmwinery.com

GARY JAY & THE FIRE

4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

NEW LEGACY BLUES

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

WILL SHEPHERD

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. 868estatevineyards.com

LOST LOCALS

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

DELTA SPUR

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

CHRIS BOWEN

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

MANDATORY RECESS

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn. oldoxbrewery.com

DAVE GOODRUM

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 The Bungalow Lakehouse, 46116 Lake Center Plaza, Sterling. bunglowlakehouse.com

ZAC JONES

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

EYES OF THE NILE

7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

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

JUSTIN TRAWICK AND THE COMMON GOOD

7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Leesburg Town Hall, 25 W. Market St., Leesburg. idalee.org

LUKE GREER 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

LIVE MUSIC

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GET OUT

LIVE MUSIC

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

STARSHIP FEATURING

MICKEY THOMAS

8 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

Ion International Training Center, 19201 Compass Creek Parkway, Leesburg. $40. ionarena.com

SCORPION ROSE

9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Spanky's Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

BEN REICHARD

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 Creek's Edge Winery, 41255 Annas Lane, Taylorstown. creeksedgewinery.com

BRIAN HARRIS

1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 Bleu Frog Vineyards, 16413 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg. bleufrogvineyards.com

PATTY REESE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford.

8chainsnorth.com

MARTIN AND KELLY

3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

National Sporting Library, 102 The Plains Road, Middleburg. nationalsporting.org

THE BRUNO SOUND

12 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

LIBERTY STREET

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

ROOK RICHARDS

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 Firefly Cellars, 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton. fireflycellars.com

SCOTT KURT

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 Fleetwood Farm Winery, 23075 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. fleetwoodfarmwinery.com

JOSH SOWDER

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

DEANE & ERIC

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 Stone Tower Winery, 19925 Hogback Mountain Road, Leesburg. stonetowerwinery.com

FREDDIE LONG

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

CHEVRE BAND

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

LOUDOUN JAZZ JAM

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

The Dell: Food & Brew Hall, 1602 Village Market Blvd. SE., Leesburg. atthedell.com

JANNA AUDEY

2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

VNG DUO

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

DOMINICA KNAPP

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Purcellville. harpersferrybrewing.com

BRITTON JAMES

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

LENNY BURRIDGE

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

JIM STEELE

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

KELLIN LITTLE

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com

KEN WENZEL

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

BRIGIT COOK

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

DAVE MININBERG

3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 Spanky's Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

THE SHORT HILL

MOUNTAIN BOYS

3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

Dirt Farm Brewing, 18701 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont.

dirtfarmbrewing.com

MARS RODEO

4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

ROBBIE LIMON

5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

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

SCOTT KURT

5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21 Lost Rhino Brewing Co, 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn. lostrhino.com

JASON MASI

6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21

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

ADAM PHELPS

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22

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

TEJAS SINGH

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22

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

LIVE MUSIC

continues on page 23

Go Fly a Kite

Hopefully sunny skies and a strong breeze will be on tap for the annual Leesburg Kites and Crafts Festival on Saturday at Ida Lee Park.

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 17, the park will feature arts and craft vendors, food trucks, music and dancing, moon bounces and other kids’ activities— and lots of space to get kites high in the air. Bring your own kite or grab one at the festival. Learn more at chiceventsdc.com. n File photo

Indian culture

continued from page 20

acquired which is going to be a whole new ballgame for us. So, we’re hoping to involve the community in a much bigger way after this event,” she said.

Panjabi, who has lived in Loudoun on and off for nearly 20 years, started the nonprofit three years ago after COVID exacerbated the need for organizations providing help to families facing food insecurity.

“I just live day by day and do my bit and just see miracles happening, whether they are small or big. I just see them hap-

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THE POP CHICKS

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. $20. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

TEJAS SINGH

6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22 Spanky's Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

HAPPENINGS

BOREDOM BUSTERS!

1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15

Heritage Farm Museum, 21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling. $5. heritagefarmmuseum.org

FARMER FOR A DAY

1 to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 15, Aug. 16, Aug. 22

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

pen every day,” she said.

The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. on the second level of the Dulles Town Center near the Regal Cinemas. General Admission is free, but VIP experiences are available only via advanced booking. Preorder options include Indian Sweet Delight, four fusion desserts inspired from both Indian and American cuisines for $15; Buffet, a selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes for $25; and VIP Seating and Buffet, the general selection of dishes as well as additional non vegetarian dishes from all over India and specialized seating for $40.

Book online at dullestowncenter.com/ events. n

GALLERY TALK WITH COLLEEN YARGER

3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15. 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 National Sporting Library, 102 The Plains Road, Middleburg. nationalsporting.org

DISCOVERING TREASURES TOUR

11 a.m. to noon Friday, Aug. 16

The Davis Mansion at Morven Park, 17269 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. $15 to $25. morvenpark.org

MOVIE NIGHTELEMENTAL!

8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 Lansdowne Town Center, Belmont Ridge Road, Leesburg. shoplansdownetowncenter.com

BIRDING BROAD RUN

STREAM VALLEY

8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Stream Valley Park and Trails, Ashburn. loudounwildlife.org

LEESBURG FESTIVAL OF CRAFTS & KITES

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17.

Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Drive NW., Leesburg. chiceventsdc.com

THE BREW MILE

5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, Lost Rhino Brewery, 21730 Red

Rum Drive, Ashburn. $40. runsignup.com

YOUNG BIRDERS WALK

8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

Algonkian Regional Park, 47001 Fairway Drive, Sterling. loudounwildlife.org

KEEP LOUDOUN

BEAUTIFUL CANOE CLEANUP

8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 McKimmey Boat Ramp, Lovettsville. $30. keeploudounbeautiful.org

HILLSBORO FARMERS MARKET

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. oldstoneschool.com

BACK TO SCHOOL BASH

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 Harmony United Methodist Church, 380 E. Colonial Highway, Hamilton. harmonyva.org

LOVETTSVILLE

HISTORICAL SOCIETY MONTHLY LECTURE

2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18

St. James United Church of Christ, 10 E. Broad Way, Lovettsville. lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org

Legal Notices

LOUDOUN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLE

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..

YEAR MAKE MODEL VIN STORAGE PHONE NUMBER

2017 KIA SORENTO 5XYPGDA35HG270843 BATTLEFIELD TOWING 703-378-0059

1992 DODGE RAM 3B7KC26Z2WM275263 AL’S TOWING 703-435-8888

2001 BMW 740 WBAGH83411DP31466 BLAIR’S TOWING 703-661-8200

2005 HONDA CYL 1HFSC55065A103078 BLAIR’S TOWING 703-661-8200

8/15, 8/22/2024

COUNTY OF LOUDOUN, VIRGINIA

AVAILABILITY OF CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT (CAPER) FOR FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024

The Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development has prepared a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024 on the performance of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Programs within the County for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Copies of the draft CAPER for FY 2023-2024 will be made available starting Friday, August 16, 2024, through Friday, September 7, 2024, and may be examined at the office of the Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development, 106 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg, VA 20175, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The CAPER will also be available online at https://www.loudoun.gov/. Written comments on the CAPER may be submitted to the attention of the CDBG Program Manager, Johnette Powell, at johnette.powell@loudoun.gov. For questions, please call 703-737-8755.

8/15 & 8/22/2024

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ048199-03-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Diana Aljanabi

Loudoun County Department of Family Services v. Dalya Alkhkree, 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 and 16.1-281 for Diana Aljanabi.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Dalya Alkhkree, Mother, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before September 10, 2024 at 3:00pm.

8/1, 8/8, 8/15 & 8/22/24

ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: 107CL2400300300

Circuit Court of Loudoun County YADALKIRIS CISNERO v. MICHEL A. SOHO

The object of this suit is to: Divorce. It is ORDERED that MICHEL A. SOHO on 09/27/2024 at 2pm appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before this date.

8/15, 8/22, 8/29 & 9/5/24

A MESSAGE TO ELDERLY AND DISABLED LOUDOUN COUNTY RESIDENTS FROM

Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue

Residents 65 years of age and older OR totally and permanently disabled who wish to apply for 2024 Personal Property (vehicle) Tax Relief for the first time must submit an application to my office by the September 3, 2024, filing deadline.

Please visit our website or contact my office for information or filing assistance.

Leesburg Office 1 Harrison Street SE First Floor

Sterling Office 46000 Center Oak Plaza Internet: loudoun.gov/taxrelief

Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, M - F Phone: (703) 737-8557 Email: taxrelief@loudoun.gov

Mailing Address: PO Box 8000, MSC 32 Leesburg, VA 20177-9804

8/1, 8/8, 8/15, 8/22 & 8/29/24

PUBLIC NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

The Town of Leesburg will accept proposals electronically via the Commonwealth’s e-procurement website (www.eva.virginia.gov), until 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 29, 2024, for the following:

RFP NO. 100313-FY25-11

SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL SERVICES

The Town of Leesburg (the “Town”) is soliciting sealed proposals to establish multiple term contracts to provide snow and ice removal services. A virtual non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held on Thursday, August 15, 2024 at 1:00 P.M. The pre-proposal meeting will be live streamed via Microsoft TEAMS and made available to the public.

For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard 8/15/24

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ028308-07-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Emerson Lopez

Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a status hearing in child in need of services’ matter pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-228 and 16.1-241 for Emerson Lopez.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before September 3, 2024 at 2:00pm.

7/25, 8/1, 8/8 & 8/15/24

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ048304-03-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Gustavo Adolfo Constante Anaya

Loudoun County Department of Family Services

v.

Jose Ricardo Portillo Mejia, 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 and 16.1-281 for Gustavo Adolfo Constante Anaya.

It is ORDERED that the defendants Jose Ricardo Portillo Mejia, putative father, and Unknown Father, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before September 10, 2024 at 3:00pm.

8/1, 8/8, 8/15 & 8/22/24

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ047165-02-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Ivory Green

Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a Foster Care Review hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-282 and 16.1-281 for Ivory Green.

It is ORDERED that the defendant, Unknown Father, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before September 10, 2024 at 10:00am.

8/1, 8/8, 8/15 & 8/22/24

Legal Notices

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: CL24-3989

Circuit Court of Loudoun County

CHELSEA MENJIVAR

v.

STEVE VASQUEZ

The object of this suit is to: Santiago Menjivar to change middle and last name. It is ORDERED that STEVE VASQUEZ appear at the abovenamed court and protect his/her interests on or before September 27, 2024 at 2pm.

8/15, 8/22, 8/29 & 9/5/24

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS FOR:

CONSULTING SERVICES FOR SPACE PLANNING, RFP No. 649819 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, September 16, 2024.

FIREWORKS DISPLAYS, RFP No. 659835 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, September 16, 2024.

OSHA INCIDENT AND VEHICLE/ PROPERTY ACCIDENT MANAGEMENT

SOFTWARE, RFP No. 660833 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, September 5, 2024.

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

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

08/15/2024

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case Nos.: JJ049277-01-00; JJ049278-01-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Aydan Allaberg and Abram Allaberg

Loudoun County Department of Family Services

v.

Dildora Ali and Malika Sultanova

The object of this suit is to hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-281 for Aydan Allaberg and Abram Allaberg.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Dildora Ali and Malika Sultanova appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before September 18, 2024 at 1:30 pm.

8/15, 8/22, 8/29, & 9/5/24

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE MIDDLEBURG PLANNING COMMISSION

The Middleburg Planning Commission will hold public hearings beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 26, 2024 to hear comments on the following:

Zoning Text Amendment 24-01 - AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ARTICLES II, VIII, X AND XII OF THE MIDDLEBURG ZONING ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO DEFINITIONS; PERMITTED AND SPECIAL EXCEPTION USES, LOT REQUIREMENTS AND BUILDING HEIGHT IN THE R-2 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT; NONCONFORMING LOTS OF RECORD; AND PERMITTED EXTENSIONS INTO REQUIRED YARDS

Special Use 24-05 - Request of Aleco Bravo-Greenberg for a special use permit for self-storage at 104-106 S Pendelton St zoned C-3 General Commercial District.

Special Use 24-06 Request of Salamander Resort, LLC to modify existing Special Use Permit 06-03 for a rural resort at 500 N Pendleton St zoned A-C Agricultural Conservancy District. The modification would entail the enclosure of 1700 square feet of additional space on the north side of the resort building.

Special Use 24-07 Request of Margaret Fortier for a special use permit for a Short-Term Rental at 609 Martingale Ridge Dr zoned R-3 Residential District.

The hearings will take place at the Town Hall, 10 W. Marshall Street, Middleburg, Virginia. The application materials may be reviewed online at www.middleburgva.gov/313/Public-Hearings or in the Town Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excepted. Questions may be directed to Deputy Town Manager Will Moore at (540) 687-5152 or by email at wmoore@middleburgva.gov

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

08/15 & 08/22/24

VEHICLE AUCTION

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

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

VEHICLE AUCTION

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

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

Loco Service Providers

Published by Loudoun Community Media

15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176

703-770-9723

KURT ASCHERMANN Executive Director kaschermann@loudounnow.org

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

EDITORIAL

ALEXIS GUSTIN Reporter agustin@loudounnow.org

HANNA PAMPALONI Reporter hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

ADVERTISING

SUSAN STYER Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.org

TONYA HARDING Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.org

VICKY MASHAW Account Executive vmashaw@loudounnow.org

CRYSTAL MONNINGER Account Executive cmonninger@loudounnow.org

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

Focusing on the Main Streets

It is encouraging to see the Purcellville community’s early exploration of entering the Main Street program.

The vision for the future of the historic downtown core is a topic of frequent debate, almost always driven by the town’s sharply polarized political environment. And that dysfunction largely has left the area in limbo.

There is little doubt that debate will continue—and will continue to be polarized. However, an important feature of standing up a Main Street program is its potential to shift the conversation, and some of the control, from Town Hall to the community.

Leesburg entered the process last year. Already,

LETTERS to the Editor Opinion

the residents and business leaders who have joined in organizing the effort have experienced a greater sense of engagement and enthusiasm for the impact they can have. They are excited by opportunities further built upon the increasing vitality evident on downtown streets.

As in Leesburg, the success of the program in Purcellville will depend on two important actions by the town government. First, it should be willing to support early steps needed to get it rolling—even committing to write a check or two. Then, perhaps a more difficult step, it should get out of the way.

It’s time to give other creative thinkers a chance to reenergize this important community asset. n

Beholden?

Editor:

Local attacks on public education and educators often center on “The Teachers’ Union.” Those critical of our public schools claim the School Board is in the pocket of the Loudoun Education Association.

The LEA PAC, which is not funded by association dues, did contribute to the campaigns of some current school board members. The amount, however, is much lower than the teacher bashers would have you imagine.

April Chandler and Sumera Rashid each received $500 from the LEA PAC. That $500 was about 0.01% of the money they raised. If $500 is enough to purchase the loyalty of a politician, then I for one know what I am doing with my next paycheck.

Anne Donohue received $750 from the LEA PAC. That amount is 0.005% of the money she raised.

Deana Griffiths received the same percentage (0.005%) from Fight for Schools, one of the primary organizations behind the Critical Race Theory scam. Griffiths also received 0.01% of her funds from Governor Youngkin’s PAC, Spirit of Virginia. Additionally, 0.02% of her funds came from Juan Pablo Segura’s PAC, Renew Virginia.

Kari LaBell must scoff at $500 donations. The Republican Party bankrolled 66% of her funds with a contribution of more than $20,000.

As for Lauren Shernoff, she received more than $20,000 from her family—and that was only 22% of the money she received.

And so, having refuted the notion that some School Board members are beholden to a group of educators, let’s discuss why most School Board members support collective bargaining. They know that LCPS educators are invested in the success of our students, school system, and community. They know that students win when their educators are heard and respected.

— Andrea Weiskopf, Ashburn Scare Tactics

Editor:

Republican-backed School Board member Deanna Griffiths lied to the public on Aug. 7 in a futile attempt to kill an all-but-finalized collective bargaining resolution.

The resolution was crafted in good faith by members of the School Board’s Legislative, Audit, and Policy Committee with input from the LEA. Griffiths used scare tactics to incite her Facebook followers by posting misinformation and

lies about collective bargaining, and then based on the lies, asked them to attend the Aug. 13 School Board meeting and oppose the resolution. The resolution will be brought up for a vote at the meeting.

Griffiths had no problem lying to parents and students saying, “…With a Collective Bargaining Agreement Schools will … lose instruction time during potential strikes due to contract negotiations, which will impact every student, especially those with IEPs and special needs.”

She had no problem lying to teachers, as well, saying “With a Collective Bargaining Agreement … teachers may not realize that, in spite of pay raises, they will be losing money in their paychecks.”

Ms. Griffith did not explain how those things would happen … and couldn’t because they are not true.

Fact 1. Collective bargaining will not reduce paychecks, rather it will ensure that teachers receive the salary and benefits they are due which normally coincides with other school systems in Northern Virginia. Pay raises negotiated with LEA will benefit ALL teachers, regardless of whether they are LEA members or not. Those teachers who have joined LEA, can choose to have their dues taken from their paychecks. Those who are not members will receive their full paycheck. This is in accordance

READERS’ poll

There are just a few days of summer vacation left. What’s on your priority list?

• 38.2% Just more chillin'

• 31.5% Enjoying my congestion-free commute

• 21.3% One more trip

• 5.6% Getting the wake-up schedules adjusted

• 3.4% Back-to-school shopping

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:

Will collective bargaining improve Loudoun’s public schools?

Share your views at loudounnow.com/polls

LETTERS to the Editor

continued from page 28

with the Virginia Right to Work law which states that workers do not have to join workplace unions.

Fact 2. It’s well-known that public employees in Virginia do not have the right to strike. Virginia Code, Article 2, section 40.1-55. says that any public employee who “… strikes or willfully refuses to perform the duties of his employment shall, by such action, be deemed to have terminated his employment and shall thereafter be ineligible for employment in any position or capacity during the next 12 months….” It’s hard to believe that Ms. Griffiths does not know this.

Adding insult to injury, Ms. Griffiths chastised her colleagues saying they don’t know enough about collective bargaining or unions.

Using lies, divisive scare tactics, and insults in the political arena harms civil discourse and erodes democratic norms.

— Steven Meyer, Leesburg (The writer is a member of the Loudoun Education Association Board of Directors)

Power lines

continued from page 3

CHIPshots

— By Chip Beck

cluding approval from the SCC and the Maryland Public Service Commission.

“We’re very, very excited. … This is exactly what we should have been doing –using existing transmission line ROWs,” PEC Senior Land Use Planner Tia Earman said, but she agreed there is still work to be done.

Proffer funds

continued from page 5 not finished, I am incredibly pleased that there will not be new right of way through Western Loudoun,” Del. Geary Higgins (R-30) stated. “Now, we will work with Dominion to minimize impact to landowners along the existing right of way and keep the new line within the easement. I also plan to work on real solutions in Richmond to fix our lack of power generation.”

“The current route still has several steps in the process, including state approval, but I am thrilled to see that the new route has received PJM approval,” Sen. Russet Perry (D-31) stated. “I am actively engaged with stakeholders and the utility companies to ensure existing rights-of-way are prioritized and that western Loudoun is protected from unnecessary encroachment. I will do everything I can, including using legislative and regulatory means, to utilize the best-available technology and the most efficient process possible.”

Higgins and Perry have been working with the Loudoun Transmission Line Alliance and Piedmont Environmental Council to have the line re-routed which also received support from the Board of Supervisors.

LTLA founder Sue Manch said she’s “cautiously optimistic” about the future but admitted there are still challenges in-

“The window is open for new proposals for the power that continues to be necessary as long as data center alley continues to expand and Loudoun County continues to approve data center growth,” she said

A long-term load forecast released by PJM at the beginning of 2024 predicts electricity demand growth will increase by 1.7% annually for summer peaks and 2% for winter peaks.

Total energy use throughout the PJM region is expected to increase nearly 40% by 2039 from 800,000 gigawatt-hours to about 1.1 million.

“Rising energy demand in the region PJM serves, is increasingly driven by the development of data centers throughout the PJM footprint, combined with the accelerating electrification of transportation and industry,” according to a PJM release.

FirstEnergy, Dominion and Exelon will begin conducting routing studies and present final routes to the SCC for approval. n

Tate noted the Book Break subscription, HAMSci library collection and expansion of science books associated with the Moorefield Station proffer was unique and would be an operating line item because books and subscriptions are not covered through the capital budget.

Tate reiterated it was ultimately up to the School Board to decide how to use the funds. Once that decision was made, the Board of Supervisors would need to approve the use of the funds.

Deana Griffiths (Ashburn) asked why other items on the list—like fine arts storage, sound and lighting system improvements, a P.E. cardio and workout room and overall building improvements— weren’t being considered.

“Some of these schools have poor lighting for the shows or have poor audio systems. So would that be a one time, can we look to that as a one-time thing proffer funds?” Griffiths asked.

Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis said a lot of the items from the list and mentioned by Griffiths wouldn’t be eligible through the proffer because of the specific parameters, but rather should be funded through the Capital Asset Preservation Plan or the CIP and said those would be addressed when they work on the CIP budget this fall.

The committee will finalize its recommendations Sept. 3. n

Spence

continued from page 1

“And I really was just truly trying to think through with the team here, ‘OK, how can I learn as much as I can, as fast as I can’ so that we can start making decisions about the experiences we want our kids to have together,” he said.

Spence said there were some bumps along the way with getting to know the new board but said he has appreciated the candid conversations about their expectations and his experiences with other boards.

“I think we have come a really long way. I feel really good about where we are with our board right now. I just see so many positive things in the future with them. I love our team, I guess the best way to say it is we’ve got the forces marshaled on the side of the field and we are ready to start marching and I feel really strongly that that’s kind of where we are,” Spence said. “It feels like we’re ready to take a big step off together. It’s not about we were doing something wrong before; it’s about taking everything that we were really good at and strong at and then just kind of pushing forward with a really clear vision together of what we want kids to do and the experiences we want them to have. I just feel like we’re ready to start moving.”

Spence noted that one of the challenges he faced as he stepped into the role last September was to take it slow.

He said with 14 years of experience as a superintendent in two other school divisions, he wanted to hit the ground running but knew he needed to pull back.

“Every time you go somewhere else you have to think about how do you come in to a new place and be supportive without flipping over every apple cart and own and accept it’s not your place—it’s everybody else’s place. You are trying to become a part of that and understand that so you can move forward together,” he said, adding that he knew he needed to listen to what the community wanted.

“And it wouldn’t have been right for me to come in and say, ‘we got to do this and we got to do that.’ The big dilemma in leadership for me has always been when to stomp on the gas and when to pump on the breaks. So, I was riding the breaks a lot last year because I wanted to make sure that what I think is also what the community thinks. This isn’t my school division; this is Loudon County’s school division. And now I think together, hopefully collectively, we are ready to just kind of stomp on the gas and get some great things done.”

He said the biggest challenge he faced this past year was overcoming the perception that the division wasn’t being transparent.

“I think it was probably more about how people felt before and less about the reality of the situation,” he said.

“The big dilemma in leadership for me has always been when to stomp on the gas and when to pump on the breaks. So, I was riding the breaks a lot last year because I wanted to make sure that what I think is also what the community thinks.”

— Aaron Spence (Superintendent)

Spence said he worked with administrators to push through the negativity and do what was right for the students.

Spence spent the first nine months on the job holding listening sessions with the community and created a post-entry plan that he presented to the School Board in

more transition and planning time.

Asked if he felt collective bargaining would help teachers with finding a balance, Spence said he didn’t know.

“I’m going to be completely honest; I don’t know. Its brand new for me. Its brand new for our association. It’s band new for our School Board. I think we’re all going to have to walk this road together,” he said.

“I think if we all approach it with a positive mindset and we approach it with an idea that we can improve conditions for our teachers by working together, that we can improve outcomes for kids by working together, then good things can happen. I’m just really hopeful that we all can take that approach to it,” he said.

The School Board was updated Tuesday on the special instructional pathways currently available within the division and new ones the staff hopes to implement down the road. He said his goal is to help students interested in careers outside a two- or four-year college path have the opportunity to pursue passions while they are within the division.

June with 16 priority recommendations. He said the plan isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s connected to the broader strategic plan.

“We’ve taken the work at the senior leadership level and we have broken it into a project management plan. I’ve got ownership amongst the cabinet and everybody on my cabinet is owning those recommendations,” he said.

Beyond that he said there are interdepartmental teams working with cabinet administrators to develop metrics for success and timelines to report to the School Board and community whenever a goal has been met.

Some of those priorities include helping teachers find balance within the school day and reducing the number of “burdens of administrative tasks,” exploring more educational pathways for students, and continuing to build public trust.

Spence said teachers asked to give fewer student assessments. He said he supports the state’s decision to allow local divisions the choice between giving the MAP or Virginia Growth Assessment instead of administering both.

“I still think there is more we can do here but [it’s] an early win,” he said.

Other ways they are looking to ease the burden on teachers is to incorporate AI tools to help with lesson planning and other administrative work, and adjusting the elementary school schedule to provide

In the efforts to address the perception of public mistrust, Spence said he thinks they’ve come a long way in a year, but there is more work to be done.

“I recognize there is this kind of old adage that trust is broken in an instant and it’s gained in years. And I think that is what we are up against,” Spence said. “But I also think we’re doing the right things in terms of our communications, in terms of our openness, in terms of our willingness to tell our story, and be honest and quite frankly sometimes push back against things that we don’t think are true,” he said.

As for accomplishments over the year, Spence said, although the post-COVID recovery effort is still taking place, administrators are seeing improvements in test scores and other data. One of his recommendations was to create a School Board-level Performance Monitoring Committee to track and evaluate student data on a regular basis and to assess where extra help is needed. He also said as, of Aug. 7, the division had hired 615 new licensed staff, 200 of whom are brand new teachers. He said the division is poised to have at least a 97% fill rate for positions when classes open next week.

“We’ve got good people on the team who want to do it. We’ve got principals who understand where we want to go and we’ve got the right staff to do it,” Spence said. “We have amazing educators across LCPS so I don’ t know why I wouldn’t be excited. Anybody in my seat should be excited.” n

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Superintendent Aaron Spence

Bargaining rules

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support in getting LEA to this point.

During the near hour-long discussion Tuesday night, Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg) unsuccessfully tried to amend the resolution six different times. Shernoff, a member of the Legislative Audit & Policy Committee that created the Joint Collective Bargaining Committee earlier this year to discuss seven items of concern raised by LEA in a December 2023 letter to the former School Board, said her amendments focused on issues that were still concerning to her.

“While I brought up individual concerns in committee, our process did require consensus, and we did not all three agree on everything,” Shernoff said. “And I appeal to the full board for their consideration of these items.”

Shernoff said she relistened to all the meetings and discussions and reflected on them during the board’s summer recess.

Her amendments centered around clarifying and tightening up language around working conditions, the board retaining its authority, controls of union access to schools for group meetings, and the duality of the authorization cards teachers signed saying they wanted to unionize and wanted the LEA to be their exclusive bargaining representative. Shernoff’s amendment would have required LEA to reach back out to all teachers who signed the cards to make sure at least 30% wanted the association to be their exclusive bargaining representative.

Anne Donohue (At-Large) also proposed an amendment that would have allowed the exclusive bargaining representative access to division facilities for group meetings without having to submit a request and get approval from campus administrators and to remove a sentence that states requests for such meetings couldn’t be unreasonably denied.

Her amendment caused Superintendent Aaron Spence to weigh in saying it was “completely unworkable.”

“Because there are so many things that are happening at any given time, any given day in the school to say the administrator of a building has no say whatsoever about when that happens, when they show up, it’s just completely unworkable,” Spence said. “Having been a high school principal for nine years, I just think it’s a step too far in the administrative perspective to eliminate any kind of conversation between the principal and the bargaining representative.”

Donohue said she had been advocating for the position since April and it was no secret. She said union representatives didn’t want to be turned away from using a school by a principal who was against unions.

Spence argued the resolution says that couldn’t happen.

The amendment failed 1-8 with only Donohue in favor.

The overall resolution was approved on an 6-3 vote with Shernoff, Deana Griffiths (Ashburn) and Kari LaBell (Catoctin) opposed.

Several people spoke both in favor of collective bargaining and against during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Division teacher Yolanda Lemon said many of her colleagues were unaware of the discussion around it and asked the board to vote against it.

Judd Wallace said collective bargaining was “a thinly veiled invitation to corruption” and argued the School Board didn’t need a third party to speak to teachers.

Former LEA president Sandy Sullivan urged the board to pass the resolution without amendments because it contained compromises on all sides. She noted it had taken two years, 11 months, three weeks and two days to get to this point.

Other speakers said Loudoun was the last division in Northern Virginia to approve collective bargaining.

The resolution came to the full board after months of review by the LA&P Committee, including two four-hour meetings from the Joint Committee on Collective Bargaining that consisted of LEA leadership, School Board members, division teachers and a principal, and representatives from Human Resources and the Business and Financial office. The LA&P Committee took up the talks once again after LEA walked away from the discussions in May, claiming the division was using stall tactics. The panel reached consensus on June 20 on the final language of the resolution.

An attempt to push for a vote by the full board fell short of the required twothirds majority vote June 25.

During the June meeting, Sumera Rashid (Little River) tried to get the board to vote on the information item by making a motion to suspend the rules. That motion failed with Deana Griffiths (Ashburn), Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg) and Kari LaBell (Catoctin) opposed and Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) and Arben Istrefi (Sterling) absent for the meeting. Five votes were needed to advance the resolution.

The previous School Board on March 28, 2023, voted to allow collective bargaining in the division and voted Dec. 12 to remove a previously self-imposed deadline to do so.

The panel’s work focused on work to

address concerns raised by the Loudoun Education Association in a letter to the former School Board in December. That list included removing a 24-month expiration date on employee authorization cards, several suggestions to expand the scope of bargaining including changing the definition of working conditions, granting union access to teachers at school, better defining confidential employees, and changes to the Evergreen Clause/Impasse language.

An eighth item—requiring at least 50% participation in an election to choose an exclusive bargaining representative—was removed by the previous board shortly after LEA sent its letter. The Legislative Audit and Policy Committee on June 7 agreed to keep the election threshold out of the agreement. The original draft would have required participation by at least 50% of the employees in a bargaining unit to certify an election. The LEA opposed that provision.

The panel also agreed June 7 to LEA’s recommendation that the organization, if selected to represent a bargaining group of school employees, not be required to represent non-union members. LEA asked the committee to consider removing the requirement to represent non-union members who do not pay dues from the draft resolution at the May 30 committee meeting. n

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

LEA President Kris Countryman leads LEA members into the School Board

6-3 to approve the collective bargaining resolution.

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