n LOUDOUN
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VOL. 6, NO. 44
Pg. 6 | n EDUCATION
Pg. 8 | n POLITICS
Pg. 14 | n PUBLIC NOTICES
We've got you covered. In the mail weekly. Online always at LoudounNow.com
Pg. 31
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Supervisors Seek Study of School Segregation Harm BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com
time Virginia at large picked the Democrat since voting for Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Virginia has voted blue in every presidential election since 2008. When Democrat Jennifer Wexton in 2018 flipped 10th Congressional District, a longtime Republican stronghold, it was
County supervisors voted Tuesday to work with the School Board “to study the harm caused by Loudoun County’s discrimination of Black students and seek out ways to rectify disparities.” The project was proposed by Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian). While her Sept. 17 announcement and board item did not lay out details about the form that study Briskman should take, Briskman said that was intentional to leave space for the Joint School Board-Board of Supervisors Committee to have that discussion, and suggested a “truth and reconciliation committee.” Her office’s proposal cites examples around the country such as city mayors committing to pay reparations for slavery, Georgetown University paying reparations to the descendants of 272 slaves the university sold in 1838 to save itself from bankruptcy, and House Bill 1980 passed this year introduced by Loudoun Del. David A. Reid (D-32) establishing the Enslaved Ancestors College Access Scholarship and Memorial Program. That bill requires five state universities to identify and memorialized enslaved people
BELLWETHER continues on page 38
SEGRATION HARM continues on page 39
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) visited Catoctin Creek Distilling for a ribbon cutting Monday, Sept. 20. In 2005, before getting elected to the Senate, he was the first Democrat governor to win Loudoun since 1989.
Still a Bellwether?
Loudoun’s Long-held Sway in Governor’s Races BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com
Over the past 50 years, with only two exceptions, whoever Loudoun voted for became governor of Virginia. It is a trend that is reflected in races at both the state and federal level: as goes Loudoun—and other exurbs like Prince
William County or Henrico County—so goes the state. And while cities and large counties like Fairfax are often talked about as the Democratic strongholds, in recent history, it was when the exurbs voted Democrat that Virginia flipped blue. Loudoun and Prince William first voted blue for Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign, and that was the first
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 3
Driver Shortage Leave Students Waiting at Stops BY HAYLEY BOUR
Hbour@loudounnow.com
The nationwide school bus driver shortage is hitting Loudouners hard, leaving students waiting at bus stops for their lift to school for up to an hour on Sept. 17, and the school district is pulling out all stops to bring new drivers onboard. Last Friday morning was the perfect storm for transportation chaos in the district—an unusually high number of bus drivers called out of work, straining an already waning driver staff and forcing the district to reshuffle schedules. According to the district’s public information officer Wayde Byard, about 30% of the general education and Thomas Jefferson High School bus runs were 45 minutes late, and Academies of Loudoun routes ran up to an hour behind schedule. When drivers call out of work in the morning, the staff is under a time crunch to find alternative drivers for routes before students head out their doors and down to the bus stop. When enough of those absences DRIVER SHORTAGE continues on page 11
Witness In Domestic Abuse Trial Sent to Jail BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
A Loudoun County Circuit Court judge is under fire from county prosecutors after he jailed the alleged victim during a domestic abuse trial when she admitted smoking marijuana before taking the witness stand. On Sept. 7, Judge James P. Fisher held the 33-year-old Fredericksburg woman in contempt of court after he stopped her about 90 minutes into her testimony to question whether she was intoxicated. During the exchange, she acknowledged smoking marijuana earlier in the day,
but was not asked when or how much. Fisher declared her in contempt for misbehavior and “voluntary intoxication” and sentenced her to 10 days in jail—the maximum sentence permitted. Fisher also declared a mistrial in the case against James Paige Phillips, who is charged with felony assault and battery of a family member, third or subsequent offense. He is accused of punching the woman twice in face while she was driving on Rt. 15 in July 2020. He has pleaded not guilty. A conviction carries a sentence of one to five years in prison. The alleged victim was removed from the witness box by deputies, ordered
transported to an emergency room to draw a blood sample, and then taken to the Adult Detention Center where she was held until released on $1,000 bail two days later. Both her attorney and the Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office filed motions seeking to overturn the contempt conviction. Prosecutors also filed a motion opposing the declaration of a mistrial. While a hearing is scheduled for Sept. 23 to hear motions related the next steps in Phillips’ case, Fisher wrote in an order that his contempt ruling was final and would not be reconsidered. The chal-
lenge has been filed with the Virginia Court of Appeals. The alleged victim’s attorney Thomas K. Plofchan’s motion to overturn the contempt conviction stated the judge had no authority to issue a summary contempt order “based on the minimal facts presented.” Fisher’s actions “violated and denied the woman’s rights and involved an unconstitutional investigation” without providing his client Maranda rights, he wrote. In a brief supporting that motion, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Elena JAIL TIME continues on page 13
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LOUDOUNNOW.COM
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Loudoun
ON THE Agenda
Meetings Set on Rt. 7, Rt. 50 Renaming BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
Loudoun County will host two sessions of a public input meeting on the shortlist of possible new names for Rt. 7 and Rt. 50, after supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the finalists. The public input sessions will be the public’s second chance to help choose the future names of Loudoun’s two major highways, which the county board is working to rename away from segregationist Harry Byrd and Confederate John Mosby. Previous public input opportunities allowed members of the community to offer up suggestions for new names; this time, they will have the chance to pick favorites or offer feedback from among a shortlist of options selected by a renaming committee and approved by county supervisors. The names supervisors approved on Sept. 21 were whittled down from 752 suggestions online, 714 of them coming from within Virginia, according to a county report to supervisors. Twenty-eight more suggestions came from Maryland, three from West Virginia, two from Pennsylvania, and one from Washington, DC. Two people with apparently particularly long commutes weighed in from Alabama and Michigan.
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Route 7, Harry Byrd Highway, is one of two highways that Loudoun citizens are helping rename.
For Rt. 7, the renaming committee recommended Potomac Gap, Loudoun Trail, Potomac Heritage, Catoctin Valley and Leesburg. For Rt. 50, the committee recommended choosing from Middleburg, Piedmont Heritage, and Little River. The committee recommended Virginia Piedmont, Loudoun Heritage and Piedmont Gateway for either. Some names come with complications. Longer names can cost more—replacing the signs is estimated to cost $621,000 to $3,204,000, depending on whether the names are long enough to require larger
signs, more than 16 characters. Some of the options raise the possibility of coordinating with Fairfax County, which is also currently renaming some highways, including Rt. 50. In Fairfax, that highway is named Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway. Fairfax is not renaming Rt. 7, which across the county line is named Leesburg Pike, however Loudoun could also change the road’s name to Leesburg Pike. Deciding to coordinate with Fairfax on Rt. 50 would delay the project. And under county ordinances, which do not permit duplicate road names, if the county renamed Rt. 7 to Leesburg Pike, two other streets in the county will have to be renamed. Additionally, if the county opts to rename Rt. 50 as Little River Turnpike, it will likely also have to rename Little River Lane, a privately owned and maintained road near Aldie. But Leesburg Pike and Little River Turnpike also emerged as favorites among county supervisors during their meeting, since they are both the historic names of those roads. “I was clear that I would not support any names that require new poles and signage that drive the cost of this exercise into the millions, but I am encouraged by RENAMING continues on page 5
County to Run Fiber to Neersville, Philomont, Bluemont BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com
Loudoun County superivsors on Sept. 21 unamimously approved a contract to run fiber optic cable to six government facilities in the rural west: Bluemont Community Center, Bluemont Public Safety Radio Tower, Philomont Community Center, Philomont Fire and Rescue Station, Loudoun Heights Fire and Rescue Station, and the Loudoun Heights Public Safety Radio Tower. It is the latest step in the board’s work not only to connect county facilities, but also to expand broadband internet access into the rural reaches. Segra—the same company that gives it name to Segra Field at Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park—was the only company to respond to a request for proposals for the project. For $4.57 million, the company proposes to install
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
The Philomont Fire and Rescue Station is one of six buildings in Loudoun’ west that will be conneted by fiber optic cable, bringing broadband internet closer to those communities.
that fiber optic cable and lease it to the county for eight years. The hope is that this work will allow last-mile providers to connect to the fiber optic cable linking those government facilities, bringing broadband service clos-
er to underserved homes and businesses. According to county staff members, Segra has committed to install additional fiber capacity along those routes and provide fair, consistent, and competitively neutral terms and prices to last-mile providers. The contract is in addition to another, larger contract the company won from the county in December 2019, when supervisors approved a $15.5 million contract to lay fiber to more than 110 county facilities, also installing additional capacity to build private broadband access from a backbone network connecting county schools. The fiber cable to the Between the Hills facilities will bring fiber optic cable closer to Neersville, at a time when residents in that area and in Lovettsville are fighting a proposal by AT&T to put a cell phone monopole atop Short Hill Mountain. AT&T has argued that project would provide better hotspot coverage. n
Randall Gets Office Budget Increase The office of the county chairat-large will get a budget boost of $45,000 per year after a vote by the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 8. The money for this year will come out of the $1.7 million that was left unallocated at the end of the Fiscal Year 2022 budget process—revenues that the county expects to make this fiscal year, but which is not yet dedicated to another expense. It increases Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large)’s office budget from $290,182 to $335,182. That money is separate from the salary Randall makes, which in 2021 is $82,722. According to a meeting item prepared by her office, Randall asked for the office budget increase to hire a new staff member who will focus on constituent services and her work on regional, state and national bodies. Supervisors voted 8-0-1 to approve the budget increase, with Supervisor Caleb E. Kershner (R-Catoctin) absent.
Rt. 9 Safety Study Virtual Meeting Set Loudoun County will host an online meeting to gather feedback on the Route 9 Safety and Operational Study on Wednesday, Sept. 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend to learn about the county’s corridor study and to ask questions about this stretch of road, which includes 13 miles along Rt. 9 from the West Virginia border to Rt. 7. To speak during the event, attendees are required to sign up in advance by noon on Tuesday, Sept. 21. Online participants may also send questions to the project team as chat messages, which will be answered during the meeting as time allows. The Route 9 Safety and Operational Study is meant to identify safety and traffic operational issues and present recommended solutions for consideration by the Board of Supervisors. Login information, meeting materials and more information are online at loudoun.gov/route9 and loudoun. gov/remoteparticipation. ON THE AGENDA continues on page 5
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
ON THE Agenda continued from page 4
Kasprowicz Reappointed to VDOT Board Gov. Ralph Northam has reappointed Middleburg’s E. Scott Kasprowicz to the Commonwealth Transportation Board. The board oversees the Virginia DepartKasprowicz ment of Transportation, and includes the state Secretary of Transportation, the VDOT Commissioner, the director of the
PAGE 5
Department of Rail and Public Transpor- Loudoun Fire-Rescue as a community engagement tool,” stated tation, and 14 citizen members appointed Joins Instagram Fire Chief Keith Johnson, “Instagram’s auby the governor to four-year terms. dience is primarily under the age of 35 and Loudoun County’s Combined Fire and Kasprowicz, a technology entrepretends to be much more diverse than othneur, aviator, and conservationist, served Rescue System has opened an account on er social sites. This will help us to better under then-Gov. Tim Kaine as deputy Instagram featuring CFRS fire and rescue secretary of Transportation, including news and happenings, open houses, vid- communicate important safety messagduring planning the Dulles Rail project. eos of training, public education events, es and build relationships with younger more diverse groups in our community.” He now begins his third term on the CTB. and safety messages. Find the fire-rescue service at InstaThen-Governor Terry McAuliffe appointThe account offers a behind-the-scenes ed him to the panel in 2014 and reap- view of the fire-rescue system. gram.com/lccfrs. Instagram should not be pointed him in 2017. “We see the tremendous value in Ins- used to request emergency services. In an Among the issues that will come before tagram as both an educational tool as well emergency, call or text 9-1-1. n Kasprowicz on that board are two that are close to home: Loudoun County’s proposals to rename Harry Byrd Highway, and Welcoming Welcomingallallnew newpatients! patients! John Mosby Highway. The authority to 2020 Dr. Brian Cochran and his staff at 2021 FAVORITE Welcoming allallnew patients! Welcoming new patients! Conveniently located name those highways rests with the ComFAVORITE Cochran Family Dental are in The Village of Leesburg monwealth Transportation Board. Welcoming all new patients! to providing a comprehensive dental Dr. Brian Cochran and his staff at office What we offer committed
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WHITENING Conveniently located in 703-771-9034 SPECIAL to receive the offer. TheFri:Village at8-1pm Leesburg facingPlease present coupon 8-1pm • Sat: (Once/month) Not to be combined with any otherbefore offer. the end 703-771-9034 Use your benefits Visit our website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com 24hr Emergency Service the proposed names. Route 7 between Wegmans and Renaming 1503 Dodona Login Terrace of the year and receive a FREE information and meeting LA TheLeesburgVADentist.com Fitness materialsour are online at loudoun.gov/ continued from page 4 Visit website at: Teeth Whitening Kit with every Suite renaming7and50 210 and loudoun.gov/ Mon & Wed: 8-6pm scheduled cleaning or procedure. remoteparticipation, including a speaker the fact that Leesburg PikeLeesburg, and Little River VA 20175 Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm Offer Expires January 1, 2016. Turnpike could be moved forward without sign-up form. To speak during the event, scheduled cleaning or procedure. Teeth Whitening Kit with every Suiteguinea 210 pigs, chickens, sters, rabbits, Leesburg, VA 20175 Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm Offer Expires January 1, 2016. Mon & Wed: 8-6pm or procedure. other small and livestock. n Please present coupon to receive the offer. Fri: 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm scheduled (Once/month) cleaning Leesburg, VA pets 20175 Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm Offer Expires January 1, 2016. Not to be combined with any other offer. 24hr Emergency Service
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needing that,” said Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles). County staff members are also looking into a stipend program for people and businesses affected by the name change. According to a county staff report, there are approximately 360 addresses assigned from Harry Byrd Highway, with about a quarter of those business addresses. There are approximately 305 addresses on John Mosby Highway. The online public input meetings will be Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend either of the virtual meetings to hear an overview of the project and comment on
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LOUDOUNNOW.COM
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Leesburg
Council Approves Union Street School Rezoning BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com
A historic Black school will soon be a museum memorializing the students and teachers who worked there, with recent action by the Leesburg Town Council allowing those plans to move forward. The council unanimously approved a rezoning and text amendments for the 20 Union St. NW property, along with endorsing its inclusion in the town’s Old & Historic District. The property served as the center of education for the county’s Black students from the early 1880s to 1958—first as the Leesburg Training School, then the Leesburg Colored School, and later as Douglass Elementary School. The slightly less than one acre property contains the former school building, which has been used on and off as storage for the school division for years, and an adjacent office building that houses Loudoun County Public Schools’ Child Find program. A little more than two years ago, Loudoun County Public Schools transferred the property to the Board of Supervisors. Both the Douglass Alumni Association and the Loudoun Freedom Center
have expressed interest in repurposing the former school as a museum and/or cultural center honoring Black heritage, although no curator for the property has been selected. That is expected to be considered by the Board of Supervisors in the coming months. Current plans by the county include restoring the building to reopen it as a museum, displaying artifacts of Black education in Loudoun, and a “Hall of Fame” that tells the stories of the teachers who taught at the school and the students who attended. A potential two-story addition of the north side of the former school building is contemplated in the plan. The long-term vision for the property, according to documents submitted by the county government, also includes retrofitting the facilities to promote STEM activities, developing programs on how to grow food as part of the educational outreach of the museum, and establishing a DNA lab at the site to process materials that may be found at slave cemeteries, an area that has been of particular interest to the Loudoun Freedom Center. For the plans to proceed, town and county government staffs working together determined the best way to move forward would be to consolidate the prop-
erty into the G-C (Government Center) District and the Old & Historic District, and to do so concurrently with zoning text amendments that support the addition of the property in those zoning districts, according to a staff report. The property is split zoned between the R-HD and R-6 zoning districts, as well as between the H-1 and Gateway districts. The G-C District allows a museum as a by-right use, and adding the property fully into the historic district helps ensure that the buildings on site will be preserved. Eugene Scheel, a historian and mapmaker who lives across the street from the property, noted that Loudoun County Public School teachers had regularly visited the building since the 1970s. During the last visit, a decade or so ago, questions about the structural integrity of the building’s floor caused teachers to confine their visits to the exterior of the building. “It’s an extremely important building and I’m all for its preservation,” he said. “It’s one of the few old African-American high schools that’s still in pristine condition in Virginia. It was once known as Loudoun County High School among the Black community because it was their high school. There’s more to the building than one can see.” n
‘Please Help Us’: Mobile Home Residents Plead with Council BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ
krodriguez@loudounnow.com
Days after residents of Leesburg Mobile Park marched to the Board of Supervisors and pleaded with county representatives to save them from potentially being evicted after an $11 million offer to buy the land, residents turned their pleas to town leaders. Dozens turned out for the petitioner’s section of the Leesburg Town Council’s Sept. 13 meeting. They shared memories of the years they have called the community home, and of the spirit of togetherness that pervades there. They also expressed their fears that a plan to purchase, and potentially redevelop the property could mean the days of it being a mobile home community are numbered, and their futures in doubt. Beatriz Perez, a single mother of three
girls, spoke of the years she spent working long hours, sacrificing time with her daughters, to be able to afford to pay $1,800 rent at a previous residence. Upon discovering Leesburg Mobile Park, she borrowed money from her brother to buy a trailer and has since raised her family there. She called it a “blessing” to be able to live affordably and spend her time with her children. “It’s a very quiet place. We all know and support each other. I ask you to please help us so we can continue living here as a community,” she said in addressing the council. Beatriz’s daughter Emily said she and her sisters are worried about their mom if they have to move from the community. “We know that my mother will have to work more to pay rent,” Emily Perez said. “She already works a lot cleaning houses.” It was a similar refrain echoed by
some of Perez’s neighbors—living in the mobile home park allowed them to live more comfortably, save money, or have some money for discretionary expenses. Emma Ortiz said she was looking forward to having extra money to be able to save for her young son to go to college one day. Now, with the possibility of them being forced to move, she said she does not want to have to uproot her family to move to an apartment. “I want my son to have a better future,” she said. “Please help us. Please preserve Leesburg Mobile Park.” Jose Mario Turcios, a resident of the mobile home park for more than 10 years, said just two years ago he and his family invested $30,000 to make improvements to their trailer. “We bought this trailer with the hope MOBILE HOME PARK continues on page 7
Loudoun Now File phto
A stunt flying demonstration from the 2019 airshow.
Airshow Takes to the Skies Over Leesburg Saturday LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
The popular Leesburg Airshow returns to town skies Saturday. Following a COVID-imposed hiatus, the airshow will be held Saturday, Sept. 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Leesburg Executive Airport. Gates for the airshow will open at 11 a.m. Admission is free. The airshow’s static display area, located on the airport’s parking ramp, features a variety of experimental and antique aircraft. Other tarmac attractions include aviation-related displays, exhibits, an inflatable for the kids, and a variety of food and beverage vendors. The skies come alive at 1 p.m. with aerobatic performances. Featured performers include the Commemorative Air Force, Paul Dougherty, The Flying Circus, Kevin Russo and the Jersey Jerks, Mark Meredith, and Scott Francis. This year’s announcer will be Howdy McCann with David Schultz Airshows. Event parking will be available at Heritage High School, 520 Evergreen Mills Road; and Segra Field, 42095 Loudoun United Drive. Free shuttle buses will run continuously from 10:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Parking at the airport terminal will be reserved for attendees with a DMV-issued handicapped permit. This year’s top airshow sponsor is Toth Financial, a Leesburg-based business and longtime supporter of the town’s airport. For more details about the performers and the airshow schedule, go to leesburgairshow.com. n
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 7
Crossroads Rocks Downtown
Mobile home park continued from page 6
Contributed
The Lovettsville Co-Op Market
Come Take a Look; I'll Be Here Next Year! One Lucky Winner Gets a Gift to Shop Here!
Groundbreaking Celebration
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Square South, for a groundbreaking event welcoming a full-service Community owned grocery store. Meet the board, neighbors and future shoppers. See the new Co-op store, drawn in place with field paint, with each virtual department representing fresh local products. Stroll around our tents and enjoy the store departments, including prepared foods, bakery, beverage, produce, wellness, floral and meats. Products will be available for purchase from local Northern Virginia and Maryland producers. for information: www.Lovettsville-grocery.com Gift Certificate (name)
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that it would be our home for the rest of our days. We have dreamed of seeing our grandchildren growing up,” he said. “Receiving the letter that this property will be sold, we are filled with sadness. It is you who must protect us as a people.” Sofia Saiyed, an organizer with the New Virginia Majority, which has been assisting community members, said they understand that the Town Council cannot interfere with a private sale, but said there are things they can do. She said the town could include the mobile home park in its Crescent Design District master plan and commit to no more upzoning of the property. The area of the mobile home park is listed in the plan as a place for high-density residential development. Saiyed said the council could also address the future of the mobile park in its Legacy Leesburg Town Plan update. At the conclusion of the petitioner’s section of the meeting, Mayor Kelly Burk said she received a copy of a letter that the potential purchaser would be sending to residents, and an indication that “nothing would be done for at least a year” after the sale of the property closes, expected by the end of 2021. Loudoun Now obtained a copy of the letter, which was signed by Crescent Mobile Partners LLC. That company formed Sept. 9 and is based in Ashburn, according to State Corporation Commission records.
The letter to residents promises clear communication throughout the of the purchase process and said there should be no change in the day-to-day operations of the mobile home park for the time being. “If we acquire the Mobile Home Park, our goal will be to make the transition from the current ownership to our ownership as smooth as possible and with minimal immediate effects on the residents of the Mobile Home Park,” the letter stated. But the letter does not shed much light on what the future will hold for the mobile home park or its residents. “[..] We are still in the process of conducting our due diligence inspections and reviewing property documentation as we determine our eventual intentions for the Mobile Home Park. If we take ownership of the property in December, we expect to continue with business as usual for the Mobile Home Park for a minimum of 12 months while we evaluate and decide what changes may occur that might affect you and the other tenants of the Mobile Home Park,” the letter stated. At the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting, Vice Mayor Marty Martinez asked the town staff to explore what options the council had for protecting the property, “to give residents some confidence they won’t be kicked out of their home.” He suggested exploring options like a zoning text amendment or rezoning of the property. The council unanimously supported directing the staff to conduct the research and return to the council with a report. n
Favorite Child performs at Schmidt’s Barbecue during Saturday’s Crossroads Music Festival.
Lovett sv
The historic district’s music venues were filled Saturday night for the second Crossroads Music Festival. Organized by BENEFIT, the event outperformed its 2019 version in raising money to support charities serving Loudoun children—and the fundraising will continue through Friday. Throughout the night, 25 performers or groups played on night stages in the downtown area. “This year’s performances represented the widest range of genres ever, with folk, Americana, country, classic rock, progressive and even heavy metal artists. Every participating venue was full of energy and we were really happy to see so many people enjoying themselves. I think having all of the bands and artists perform outdoors was key to the turnout,” BENEFIT co-founder Amy Bobcheck said.
“Our team of volunteers, musicians and community leaders made big strides toward our mission of creating a culture of giving here in Loudoun County with this year’s festival,” said co-founder and Leesburg Town Councilman Ara Bagdasarian. “We saw a huge increase in optional ticket sales, both in advance and on the day of the event, and individual contributions to our impact fund. That’s a very positive sign of community awareness and engagement in helping our local nonprofits meet the needs of children and families. We’re excited to keep the momentum going with future events Online donations for the event will be collected through Sept. 24 at benefit.live/ donate.html. Funds raised from Crossroads Music Festival and other 2021 BENEFIT events will be distributed through a grant process in the spring. n
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PAGE 8
Education
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.
fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov • www.fairhousing.vipnet.org
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Student Dress and Professional Policy Changes Go into Effect BY HAYLEY BOUR
Hbour@loudounnow.com
The School Board last week enacted revised policies for student dress code and professional conduct of staff members—in different senses establishing standards for freedom of expression for teachers and students. Revisions to the policy for professional conduct have been in the works since 2019, although the rules governing teacher speech came under scrutiny last May when a Leesburg Elementary School teacher, Byron “Tanner” Cross, spoke out against the district’s proposed protections for transgender students. Cross, who told the School Board that enforcing the policy would violate his Christian faith, was placed on administrative leave after an outcry from parents of students in Cross’ class. Cross sued for his reinstatement and was awarded an emergency injunction to return to his teaching position, Judge James E. Plowman ruling that Cross’ right to free speech had been violated. The school district appealed, but the state Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision. The case will next be tried in Circuit Court.
Loudoun Now File photo
School Board Member Jeff Morse (Dulles).
This revised policy reaffirms that, while teachers have a right to free speech, they are expected to heed the district’s commitment to “equitable treatment.” The policy states that “employees of the school division must recognize that they are in a position of public trust.” In the policy, employees are told that they should report instances of violations DRESS CODE continues on page 10
School Board Sets Friday Deadline for Broad Run District Applicants Those interested in being appointed to the Broad Run District School Board vacancy have until Friday to submit their applications. The board is selecting a replacement for Leslee King, who died Aug. 31 of complications from a heart procedure she underwent earlier in the summer. Those interested in the interim appointment must file with the School Board prior to noon on Sept. 24, providing a résumé, a statement of interest including qualifications, and a sworn and notarized affirmation that they are qualified both as a registered voter and a resident of the Broad Run District. School Board members plan to dis-
cuss the applicants during an Oct. 5 hearing that will include an opportunity for public comment on the candidates. The selected appointee will serve as an interim School Board member until a special election is held. Under state law, the election will be held no later than the next General Election on Nov. 8, 2022. The board may petition the Circuit Court to hold the election earlier. Individuals interested in consideration for the vacancy must submit the required materials to Shari Byrne, Clerk of the School Board, at 21000 Education Court, Ashburn VA, 20148, or via email at shari.byrne@lcps.org. n
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
PAGE 9
Oct. 5 Hearing Set for Barts Recall; Judge Denies Recusal Motion BY HAYLEY BOUR
hbour@loudounnow.com
Circuit Court Judge Jeanette A. Irby has set an Oct. 5 hearing date for attorneys to present their arguments in the recall petition filed against School Board member Beth Barts (Leesburg). A removal petition was filed against Barts on Aug. 25, signed by 1,860 registered Leesburg voters, alleging she violated the guidelines for elected officials in Loudoun. During a brief hearing last Wednesday afternoon, Irby denied a motion by Bart’s attorney Charlie King seeking to have the local judges recuse themselves from the case and to have the state Supreme Court appoint one from another jurisdiction. During the first court hearing Sept. 13, Judge Stephen E. Sincavage announced he would recuse himself from the case, citing having children in the school system as his reason. Irby said she would not recuse herself from the case. She said that she does not know any School Board members and that she does not have any children who have
attended Loudoun County schools. She said that granting such a motion might encourage judge shopping in the future. In his argument, King referenced previous instances of local judges stepping aside, including the unsuccessful removal case against then-county supervisor Eugene Delgaudio when the entire panel of Circuit Court judges recused themselves. “My concern isn’t about the quality of the verdict, it’s about the perception of the public,” King said. “I think it is generally a better practice, when the witnesses are going to involve elected local officials or candidates for office, involving election issues, that the matter be considered by a court outside of the community. That way, the public will not have reason to have a question about the verdict.” King said witnesses in the case would likely be other School Board members, members of the Board of Supervisors, and the superintendent of schools. David Warrington, the attorney representing the petitioners, will argue a motion for Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj to recuse herself from the case. Fight for BARTS RECALL continues on page 10
IT’S AMAZING WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER!
THANKS TO ALL WHO DONATED! Your generosity filled over 8,600 backpacks with food to help food-insecure children in our local communities.
PRESENTS THE
2021
$43,000 was raised, 100% going directly to backpack programs in our local communities.
thank you
to all the musicians, sponsors, venues, volunteers, and supporters who made our festival a huge success. See you next year!
mybct.bank
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 10
COVID Quarantine Period in School District Drops from 14 Days to 10 Days BY HAYLEY BOUR Hbour@loudounnow.com
The quarantine period for students, teachers, and staff exposed to COVID-19 will be shortened from 14 days to 10 days, Superintendent Scott Ziegler announced last week. The school division’s COVID dashboard reported that as of Sept. 21, there were 102 active cases among students, and 16 among teachers. A further 12 staff and 241 students were quarantining after having been designated as close contacts. “Based on the extremely low number
Barts recall continued from page 9 Schools, the group that spearheaded the removal effort against six School Board members, claims Biberaj has a conflict of interest in the case, because she was involved in the private Facebook group
of student cases, we will continue to follow the Virginia Department of Health guidance, which allows for shorter quarantine durations as acceptable alternatives in K12 schools to allow prioritization of school attendance,” Ziegler said in a statement. “For a lot of children and their families, quarantining for 14 days is a hardship, economically and in regard to their mental health. This is especially true in grades kindergarten through six, where students are not yet eligible to be vaccinated.” Fully vaccinated close contacts who have no COVID-19 symptoms are not required to quarantine. n where Barts’ allegedly engaged in inappropriate behavior. King also submitted motion to void the pleadings filed on behalf of the Citizens of Leesburg by Michael D. Biron, because he is not an attorney. All motions to be considered for the hearing must be filed by both parties no later than Sept. 27. n
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Dress code continued from page 8 of the policy to their direct supervisor. Jeff Morse (Dulles) said that the revisions made to Policy 8270, Student Dress Code, represent the most substantial rewrite of any policy during his decade on the School Board. “This addresses the need to provide equality in the dress code for male and female. The expectation is that the way a child dresses will never be held against them,” Morse said. Under the policy, students may not wear hoods over their heads during classroom instruction, or tube tops. The hood restriction will not apply to religious headdresses and attire. During a committee meeting in June, board member Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge) said that he wanted the policy to limit student’s freedom of expression to the least extent possible. Morse introduced a motion, supported by John Beatty (Catoctin) to include bare midriffs in banned attire. Though the motion failed, Morse said that he had spoken to six female teachers who supported his stance.
“This addresses the need to provide equality in the dress code for male and female. The expectation is that the way a child dresses will never be held against them.” — Jeff Morse (Dulles) “It is not my attempt to body shame or enforce an unrealistic standard,” Morse said. “We’re in an educational environment and we have to have some level of consistency.” Morse called the policy otherwise very open and student-friendly. Beatty moved to ban clothing bearing profanity. That motion passed 8-0. n
100,000 more cars ... Really? Based on current zoning, developers are expected to build 10,000 more houses in rural Loudoun. This would increase local traffic volume by 100,000 vehicle trips per day.
Don’t we already have enough traffic congestion out in the country?
Speak out while there’s still time! Tell your County supervisors:
“Save rural Loudoun! Reduce the zoning density of rural cluster subdivisions!”
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 11
Driver shortage continued from page 3 occur, district staff members with commercial driver’s licenses will step in and cover routes. The issue has plagued the district since before the pandemic began, and partially to blame is the nature of the job. “Driving a school bus is a highly technical job that requires extensive training, background check, drug testing, etc. … Additionally, it’s not a full time, 8-hour job with most drivers working three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon with a mid-day break, thus resulting in a smaller paycheck than a normal eight-hour position, even if that position pays a lower wage,” Byard said in an email to Loudoun Now. The district has gone to great lengths to entice new bus drivers. The starting wage was increased to $22.16 per hour, and drivers are given a $2,500 signing bonus. Drivers are also being guaranteed an increased number of hours. To appeal to parents, the district allows drivers to bring their children along on their routes. There are hiring events twice a month at the district’s training center.
“Driving a school bus is a highly technical job that requires extensive training, background check, drug testing, etc. …” — Wayde Byard, LCPS Public Information Officer
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School districts across the nation face similar shortages, as drivers retired or found other work when schools closed during the pandemic. In Massachusetts, members of the National Guard are training to drive school buses. Such a measure isn’t an immediate fix, as training for a commercial driver’s license can take several weeks. The district uses the app, Here Comes the Bus, for families to track their buses’ arrival times and possible scheduling changes. Information about bus driver positions is available at lcps.org/Page/217574. n
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One Smile At A
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One Smile At A Time
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Public Safety Husband Charged with Attempted Murder in Hammer Assault
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attempted murder, aggravated malicious wounding, and violation of a protective order following a domestic violence assault Sunday afLollobrigido ternoon at the Stone Springs Apartments. According to the Sheriff ’s Office, deputies responded to a Glascock Field Terrace apartment around 3:30 p.m. Sept. 19 where the suspect, Peter J. Lollobrigido, 49, allegedly assaulted his wife, striking her with a hammer. Both the victim and the suspect were located inside the apartment. The woman was transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries described as life-threatening. She was listed in critical condition, according to the
Sheriff ’s Office. Lollobrigido was held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
Sterling Park Shooting Under Investigation The Sheriff ’s Office is investigating a shooting that happened early Sunday morning in a Sterling Park neighborhood. According to the report. shortly before 1 a.m. Sept. 19, a resident on West Nettle Tree Road saw a gathering of several individuals in the roadway. A short time later, several residents reported hearing several gunshots and multiple vehicles leaving the scene. Deputies searched the area, finding shell casings and indications that one of the vehicles was damaged by the gunfire. There have been no injuries or victims reported. Investigators are asking residents along the street with home cameras to review PUBLIC SAFETY continues on page 13
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Jail time continued from page 3 R. Ventura wrote that Fisher violated the woman’s rights to due process, stating the “independent investigation” conducted by the judge is prohibited by the judicial canon of ethics. Fisher is a former prosecutor in Loudoun and Fauquier counties who was appointed to an eight-year term on the bench in 2019. Also, prosecutors refuted Fisher’s characterization that the witness appeared intoxicated, noting that two detectives who interacted with her before she took the stand did not notice any indications of that. They described her as nervous and anxious, as she had been in their previous encounters with her. Ventura said the woman’s testimony was similar to her preliminary hearing appearance in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, when she appeared anxious and nervous and “at times was non-responsive, circuitous and hyper-active.”
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
In that hearing, Judge Avelina S. Jacobs agreed to send the case to a grand jury, but noted it was “a close call” on whether there was evidence to support the felony charge. Phillips and the woman had been living together in Prince William County hotels, and one of Phillip’s two prior abuse convictions involved an altercation with the same woman that occurred just weeks prior to the Loudoun case, according to court filings. In the Circuit Court trial, Fisher’s questioning occurred as the woman was subject to “intense and assertive questioning focused on drug addiction and infidelity,” Avelina wrote. As the questions became
more “harsh and personal,” the woman’s “anxiety increased, and she grew visibly frustrated,” according to the brief. “In the middle of a difficult and artful cross [examination], she was detained, investigated, arrested, and removed from the courtroom,” Avelina stated in the brief. Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj has been criticized for handling of domestic abuse cases, with an activist group citing those concerns among other reasons in an announced recall effort. Avelina’s motion states the judge’s action is likely to make prosecution of such cases even more difficult. The witness “was not treated with the
PAGE 13
respect, sensitivity, or dignity required by law. She was not afforded privacy regarding the results of a drug screen obtained in violation of her Constitutional rights,” Avelina wrote. “Most critically, the court by these actions may create a chilling effect surrounding victims’ willingness to testify in cases of domestic violence, an area of law already replete with victims recanting and/or refusing to cooperate due to the extreme trauma domestic violence victims experience through the cycle of power and control, which especially increases when the victims have mental health concerns, as did [the witness] in the case at bar.” n
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PUBLIC safety continued from page 12
their exterior surveillance camera images for suspicious activity around 1 a.m. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective R. Reed at 703-777-1021 or submit a tip through the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office app.
SALE Middleburg | $647,000 11 S Liberty Street Wynter Graham 703.303.1729 WynterGraham.com
CONTRACT PENDING Round Hill | $989,000 18022 Yellow Schoolhouse Road Kaaren Lofgren 703.862.9194 KaarenLofgren.com
CONTRACT PENDING Chantilly | $705,000 24860 Durham Field Terrace Connie Street-Jager 301.312.9647 ConnieJager.com
CONTRACT PENDING Ashburn | $579,400 21314 Lord Nelson Terrace Ashley Hughey 703.819.0056 VirginiaHomesByAshley.com
CONTRACT PENDING Basye | $264,900 28 Locher Rd The Remuzzi Team 703.609.8462 RachaelRemuzzi.com
SOLD - REPRESENTED BUYER Waterford | $1,150,000 14670 Creek Lane Jo-Ann Hoovler 703.862.9426 JoAnnHoovler.com
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SOLD Paris | $695,900 20631 Blueridge Mountain Road Dwyane Humphrey 703.738.8263 CallDwayne.com
SOLD Winchester | $295,000 2601 Cornerstone Circle Alice Shank 540.303.1112 AliceShank.com
Sheriff’s Office Seeks Mall-Area Purse Snatcher The Sheriff ’s Office is investigating a strong-armed robbery that happened Saturday night outside the Dulles Town Center mall. According to the report, shortly before 8 p.m. Sept. 18, a woman was seated outside of the Macy’s Store when someone grabbed her purse. After a brief struggle, the man ran from the area. The victim was not injured. The suspect was described as a Black male, 5-feet, 9-inches to 5-feet, 10-inches tall, and was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and was carrying a black backpack. Detectives are reviewing surveillance video in the area in an effort to identify him. Anyone with information about the case or who witnessed the incident and have not already talked with law enforcement, is asked to contact Det. R. Reed at 703-777-1021. You may also submit a tip through the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office app. n
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PAGE 14
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Politics Siker Talks Rural Preservation at Meet and Greet BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Democratic challenger for the House of Delegates 33rd District Paul Siker speaks during a meet-andgreet Saturday, Sept. 18.
SIKER continues on page 15
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Purchase of Development Rights programs, two topics that have been often discussed in Loudoun, Siker said there could be other options like tax abatements to incentivize people to keep green space green. He pointed to his professional experience in helping large organizations hire executives, and his service on the boards of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties and the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter. Siker said he decided to run after watching the growing political divide. “As 2020 unfolded and I witnessed, as did all of you, the real contentious political environment that we were living in, I began to wonder if maybe I could do something to make a difference,” Siker said. “And as the year unfolded to its completion, and we found ourselves in January confronting that momentous day, Jan. 6, like all of you, I was shocked, surprised, stunned, incredibly dismayed, incredibly
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Siker continued from page 14 disappointed. And that became a tipping point for me, particularly when I realized that my challenger not only promoted that event, but participated.” He also attacked the incumbent, Del. Dave LaRock (R-33), for opposition to COVID-19 vaccinations and on having one of the weakest records for passing bills in the General Assembly. Particularly since 2020, when Democrats took control of both houses, while most legislators of both parties get some bills through, LaRock has introduced 50 bills—setting aside ceremonial resolutions—and seen none of them pass. Of 140 legislators in the General Assembly, in the 2021 regular session LaRock was one of only 13 legislators to pass no bills, and in 2020 one of only seven. Those legislative “batting averages,” charted annually by the Virginia Public Access Project since 2018, have limits to their value—for example, they can favor a legislator who only introduces ceremonial or routine bills that they know will pass. “We have a legislator who can’t get things done,” Siker said, who described himself as a “pragmatic centrist.”
“It frankly wouldn’t matter if I was a Democrat or Republican. I’ve always been someone who’s little more fiscally conservative, and a little more socially moderate,” Siker said. “And I tell people all the time, stack your values up against mine versus those of Dave LaRock, and I’m pretty sure you’re going to agree that we have more in common, because I want to treat people with respect, I want to treat people with decency, and fundamentally, I don’t care what your party is, I promise I will always lend you an open ear and an open mind.” Siker acknowledged his campaign faces an uphill climb against a four-term incumbent. “It’s an audacious challenge, but I really believe we can do it,” Siker said. LaRock has posted commanding leads in electoral results. In 2019, LaRock, whose district covers northwestern Loudoun, northern Clarke County and northeastern Frederick County, won handily over his Democratic challenger, bringing in 56.8% of the vote to her 43.1%, a difference of nearly 14%. “We’re getting traction and getting momentum. This district is incredibly gerrymandered. It means there a lot of people, they’re recognizing there is a much better choice than Dave LaRock,” Siker said. n
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
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THANK YOU to the Real Husbands of Loudoun County for giving us our largest single donation to date. Your $70,000 donation will help us support our first responders.
Dulles Greenway
A view of the nest of a pair of bald eagles on wetlands conserved near the Dulles Greenway. The eagles are expected to return to the nest in November.
Greenway, Wildlife Conservancy Install Live Eagle Nest Cam LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
The Dulles Greenway’s owners have partnered with the American Eagle Foundation, the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, and livestreaming company HDOnTap to install a webcam overlooking the nest of a pair of bald eagles. The bald eagles are expected to return to the nest just south of Leesburg in November, when they will begin the nesting process. “We appreciate the Dulles Greenway’s efforts to bring the awe and wonder of
wildlife into people’s homes with this new eagle cam,” stated Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Executive Director Michael Myers. “This is an incredible opportunity to connect people in a new way to bald eagles living in the heart of Loudoun County.” The livestream camera is online at dullesgreenway.com/eagle-cam. There are two views, and a moderated chat to comment and ask questions about the eagles. The Dulles Greenway Wetlands area has been home to two bald eagles since EAGLE CAM continues on page 18
Girl emPower Summit Planned Saturday LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
Loudoun First Responders Foundation (LFRF) serves our county by providing the community an opportunity to support local heroes with financial assistance in their time of need and the first responder scholarship program.
LFRF.org/donate | Become a partner: LFRF.org/partner
The Loudoun Coalition on Women and Girls will hold its second annual Girl emPower Summit as a virtual event Saturday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The free leadership event designed for young women ages 12-18 years old and is sponsored by Amazon Web Services and Backflow Technology. The theme for this year’s summit is “Into the Future” and features a keynote from LaDavia Drane, director of Global Inclusion, Diversity & Equity at AWS. Other speakers include Daniela Pierre Bravo, booking producer at MSNBC’s “Morning Joe;” Lorraine Rise, career coach at Career UpRising; Dr. Suzanne Nixon, an integrative behavioral therapist at Integrative Counseling and Re-
lationship Therapy; and Kleo Curry, a financial advisor at UBS. “The Girl emPower Summit is all about empowering young women to find their passions and ensure a bright and healthy future,” said event organizer Mahsa Riar, a high school freshman who won the Young Professionals category of the Community Leadership Awards earlier this year. “I hope that this year’s attendees will center in on their strengths and take the next steps toward their goals.” Register to attend the Girl emPower Summit at LCWAG.org/register. Additional event sponsors include Orblynx Academy, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, and Fortessa Tableware Solutions/Sterling Restaurant Supply. n
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
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Food for Neighbors volunteers collect and sort donations for River Bend, Sterling, and Seneca Ridge middle schools and Park View, Potomac Falls, and Stone Bridge high schools during a Sept. 11 event.
Volunteers Collect 8.5 Tons of Food for Local Students LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
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Food For Neighbors kicked off the 2021-2022 school year on Sept. 11 with huge food collections and sorting events at five Northern Virginia locations, including Sterling. The nonprofit collected more than 17,000 pounds of food from over 1,100 households. The donations will be distributed to students in 24 schools in Fairfax County and Loudoun County. During the event, Food For Neighbors Co-founder Karen Joseph recognized the nonprofit’s five-year anniversary and thanked the many Sterling-area volunteers, organizations, and participating schools for their support. “We knew we had to make this happen,” said Liz Campbell, who serves as the Sterling area manager and oversees a leadership team that includes Jennifer Cave, Sara Farbry, and Meridith and Mike Blake. “We were fortunate to have the steadfast support of wonderful volun-
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2005. In 1995, the Greenway’s then-owners established the private 149-acre wetlands preserve during the construction of the highway to mitigate the loss of roughly 64 acres of federally protected wetlands. The property is managed by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and used
teers and organizations, including Riverside Presbyterian Church and the Sterling Rotary, both of which do so much in the community.” The Sterling Area has grown to include 12 volunteer drivers collecting food from up to 182 households. The Sterling team is supporting students at six middle schools and high schools: Sterling, Seneca Ridge, and River Bend middle schools, and Park View and Potomac Falls and Stone Bridge, high schools. At these schools, social workers, counselors, and/or parent liaisons connect food insecure students with the collected and sorted supplemental food as well as with grocery store gift cards. Community members may make monetary contributions, sign up to donate food, and express interest in volunteering at foodforneighbors.org/get-involved. Businesses and organizations interested in becoming Food For Neighbors partners, may contact Renee Maxwell, renee@foodforneighbors.org. n for wildlife education. “We are excited to offer our local community the opportunity to experience the beauty of the Wetland’s majestic bald eagles,” stated TRIP II CEO Renée N. Hamilton. “The Dulles Greenway is dedicated to actively caring for our local community and environment through our key sustainability initiatives, including the protection and support of the wetlands and its wildlife.” n
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Business
Catoctin Creek Celebrates $1M Expansion BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
Business leaders and lawmakers from the local through the federal levels were on hand Monday to help Catoctin Creek Distilling founders Scott and Becky Harris celebrate a $1 million expansion that tripled the distillery’s capacity to turn out Virginia’s favorite spirits. Their Roundstone Rye is Virginia’s most-awarded whisky, and their brandy, gin and whisky have won fans and awards here and around the world. And in a few years, after the next batches are done aging, there will be plenty more of those good spirits to go around. The Harrises were both engineers before deciding to follow their dream to open a distillery, the first in Loudoun since Prohibition—legally, at least—and one of only a handful in the state at the time in 2009. That journey took them from working with the county to start a business for which there was no precedent, to today
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Owners Becky and Scott Harris inside Catoctin Creek Distilling, which just finished a $1 million expansion that tripled their capacity.
selling in 40 states, Mexico, Canada, Singapore and six European countries. “In order to keep providing whisky to all these places, we have to be sort of fortune tellers.” Scott Harris said. With the years it takes for a whiskey to be ready to sell, distillers like Catoctin Creek have to anticipate where the market will be four or five years in advance. “So, it’s a little bit of skin, it’s a lot of bit of a scary thing, to basically build something for a market that’s not actually there yet.” The distillery also uses all American or even local products as much as possible— from the grain, to the white oak barrels, even down to the glass bottles. Getting the bottles from Pennsylvania, while pricey to set up, turned out in their favor when the COVID-19 pandemic began and shipping lanes from China and Mexico, where many other glass bottles come from, shut down. “The prosperity of any society or comCOTOCIN CREEK continues on page 23
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Construction Begins on 3 More Ashburn Crossing Buildings LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
St. John Properties held a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 9 for Phase II of its Ashburn Crossing property, a 61acre mixed-use business center located at the intersection of Gloucester Parkway and Loudoun County Parkway. The company is developing three more R&D/office/flex buildings comprising more than 135,000 square feet of space, as well as a retail pad site. “Every type of business is located within Ashburn Crossing from a dance studio to a brewery to professional services companies, and this type of diversity is what makes the Loudoun County economy thrive,” County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At-Large) said. “What St. John Properties has done here and what they are doing today is incredible and we fully support them.” The property is located at the epicenter of Loudoun’s data center market and is one of the last undeveloped parcels in the area with the connectivity, power, water, and zoning requirements for data centers. While the company received numerous offers from data center developers, St. John’s Regional Partner Matt Holbrook said the company chose to continue with the construction of its prototypical R&D/ office/flex buildings. “It seems counterintuitive to many that we would build our speculative flex buildings on such hyper-priced data center land. But we aren’t looking to cash out of Loudoun,” he said. “Instead, we are looking to invest more and for the long-term. We have been part of the Northern Virginia community for over 20 years, and we want to continue to grow our presence, one building at a time.” He pointed to the lack of available spaces for flex-type small business users in the wake of the data center boom. “This land is irreplaceable and we are in the business of creating quality places for businesses. To expand our portfolio and to continue to serve the growing needs of our clients, we have to build more leasable commercial space in Loudoun County. Otherwise, these companies will take their business and jobs elsewhere,” he said. Currently, Ashburn Crossing has six buildings totaling approximately 220,000 square feet of R&D/office/flex space. The buildings have LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Contributed
From left, St. John Properties Regional Partner Matt Holbrook, County Chair Phyllis J. Randall, and Department of Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer pose during the Sept. 9 groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of the Ashburn Crossing business campus.
The new construction will entail the construction of three single-story R&D/office/flex buildings, two of which will be 46,080 square feet of space each. The third will consist of 43,620 square feet. All three buildings are designed to earn LEED certification. “Our sustained leasing velocity, combined with the strength of the Northern Virginia economy, provides us with
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ASHBURN CROSSING continues on page 22
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tremendous confidence to proceed with this next-phase of our speculative development strategy,” Holbrook said. “Each of our Northern Virginia business communities are performing extremely well and operating close to full capacity. The corporate mission of St. John Properties is to remain ahead of leasing demand and anticipate the emerging needs of our current and future clients. Our single-story product, with its flexible building configuration, high ceilings and free parking, is designed to meet the varied needs of
multiple industry sectors. We have already generated significant interest in the R&D/ office/flex buildings and the available pad site location.” “Without the variety of real estate product available, such as what St. John Properties is developing in Northern Virginia, we lose deals,” stated Buddy Rizer, executive director of the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development. “We intend to help St. John Properties lease these buildings either before they are delivered, or soon after. St. John Properties builds places for businesses and this is exactly what we need.” Learn more at sjpi.com. n
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A rendering of Ashburn Crossing along the west side of Loudoun County Parkway.
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Catoctin Creek continued from page 20 munity is measured by how long it takes one dollar to circulate and leave that community,” said Purcellville Mayor Kwasi Fraser. “You make it difficult for a dollar to leave the Town of Purcellville, and we thank you for that.” The Harrises were advocates for making permanent a previously temporary reduction in federal excise taxes on alcohol, which became reality in 2021. And Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), with whom the Harrises worked for overseas sales, pointed out they accomplished their growth amid not only a pandemic and economic slump, but a trade war sparked when the previous presidential administration’s tariffs against Europe sparked retaliatory tariffs on American goods—including on whiskey. “You guys are not only selling great whiskey everywhere, you’re helping local farmers stay in business, and what a great thing, because we know of the development and other pressures that can take small family farms and make them not economically viable,” Kaine said. “So something like you’re doing is keeping an industry alive, and a way of life alive, that we would miss very terribly if it were to go away.” State Sen. John J. Bell (D-13) thanked Catoctin Creek for leading during the pandemic—which ranged from pivoting to making hand sanitizer for healthcare workers and first responders in the early days of the pandemic, to today when all of their staff are vaccinated against COVID-19. “This is the way forward, so thank you for leading on that and allowing your business to prosper,” Bell said. “Thank you for being just a great example.” “It you think about entrepreneurs and their success, there’s no such thing as to overnight success. Instead, there’s a lot of hard work, there’s a lot of vision, there’s a lot of sleepless nights, and a lot that goes into this success,” said Loudoun Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tony Howard. “So here today, celebrating today’s expansion, we’re really celebrating the last 12 or 13 years of the guts and the vision, the hard work, and everything that you have poured into this great, now Loudoun County institution.” Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10) congratulated the Harrises on making their dream a reality—and on teaching the world to pronounce “Catoctin.” n
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
Golinowski Named Next Dulles Manager Richard Golinowski will assume the roles of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s vice president and manager of Dulles Airport, effective when current Airport Manager Mike Stewart departs later this month. A 26-year veteran of the Airports Authority, Golinowski has served in a variety of roles, most recently serving
as vice president of Operations Support since April 2020. After earning an engineering degree from Virginia Tech in 1987, Golinowski served in a number of engineering roles Golinowski with companies Acquisition Dynamics, Inc. and Law Engineering, before
PAGE 23
joining the Airports Authority’s engineering and maintenance department in 1995. From there, he served in various positions within the department, assuming a managerial role at Reagan National Airport in 2006, where he led a team of more than 200 in the daily operation and maintenance of the airport. He was named acting vice president of the Airports Authority’s newly created Operations Support function in February 2019. n
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Our Towns
TOWN notes HAMILTON County Approves Town Expansion The Board of Supervisors last week approved a boundary line adjustment to bring an 8.2-acre parcel Hamilton owns inside the town limits. The Town Council in May requested the expansion to incorporate the land, which is next to the town’s wastewater treatment plant and located off Peach Tree Court at the northeastern boundary. The boundary line adjustment process required public hearings and approval by the Town Council and the Board of Supervisors. The county board held its hearing Sept. 14. There were no speakers and supervisors voted unanimously to approve the request. The next, and final, step is an order by a Circuit Court judge completing the change.
LOVETTSVILLE Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
The Purcellville Town Council is working to sell the Pullen House property on South 20th Street, but wants the new owner to preserve the massive oak tree on the lot.
Purcellville Lands 3 Pullen Property Purchase Offers House May Go, but Council Seeks to Save Massive Oak
BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
The Town of Purcellville received three bids on its proposal to sell the Pullen house and its half-acre lot by Monday’s deadline. Purchase offers range from a high of $303,000 to a low of $101,000. The third bid was in the middle, at $233,950. The town purchased the South 20th Street property, which is adjacent to the Bush Tabernacle and the Fireman’s Field complex in 2011 for $175,000. The current council moved to sell the property to generate revenue. The staff will review the bids and make a recommendation to the Town Council. Monday’s deadline was one week extension, prompted by concerns from potential bidders about a proposed town ordinance that would expand and tighten restrictions on the demolition of build-
ings deemed to contribute to the town’s historic district designation. The ordinance change, begun after a developer announced plans to raze two Hatcher Street homes to build apartments, is under review by the Planning Commission. The proposal has raised homeowner concerns that under the proposed ordinance, they could be required to wait for up to a year—or even be forced to offer their property for sale—before being permitted to take down structures on their properties. Following a July public hearing where the concerns were aired, the commission has been refining the approach. Staff members told the council that potential bidders who toured the property anticipate that the home, which has been vacant since the town bought it in was purchased by the town in 2011, is too dilapidated to save. Before submitting bids, some sought assurance that they would
not be prevented from tearing it down or face long delays because of the expanded preservation efforts. Faced with a decision to offer a specific exemption to the Pullen property ensuring the new rules would not apply, council members agreed the “optics” would not be good in the public. The council concluded that the property should comply with any town procedures for demolition that are in effect, with Mayor Kwasi Fraser noting that the once-fast-tracked ordinance change may now take years to reach adoption. While the council expressed no concern about preserving the home, members agreed to require bidders to submit plans to protect the large oak tree on the lot. That could require bidders to work with an arborist to determine how the demolition and redevelopment could be accomplished without threatening the long-term health of the tree. n
Co-op to Celebrate Longawaited Groundbreaking The community organizers behind the decade-long effort to establish a co-op grocery store in Lovettsville will hold a ground-breaking ceremony starting at noon Saturday Oct. 9. The layout of Lovettsville Square South, a full-service, community-owned grocery store, will be drawn in place with field paint, with each virtual department representing fresh local products. Visitors may stroll around tents and enjoy the store departments, including prepared foods, bakery, beverage, produce, wellness, floral and meats. Products will be from Northern Virginia and Maryland producers. For details, go to lovettsville-grocery.com.
Light Testing Planned at Community Park Loudoun County has rescheduled the light level testing at the TOWN NOTES continues on page 25
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
TOWN notes continued from page 24
Lovettsville Community Park for the evening of Oct. 5, weather permitting. During the testing, lighting for the three rectangular fields and the four baseball diamond fields will be turned on and off and dimmed. Crews will begin testing at dusk and will continue for several hours. If inclement weather delays testing, plans call for the test to be rescheduled to the next evening, Oct. 6. The light level testing is part of the ongoing construction at the 90-acre park located near the intersection of East Broad Way, Lovettsville Road and Milltown Road. Construction is scheduled for completion this fall. For more information, go to loudoun.gov/lovettsvillepark.
tions within the federal deadline to use the funds. The council approved the switch, although Mayor Kwasi Fraser openly questioned the staff ’s recommendation and reasoning. “I’m not buying what you’re selling,” he said.
to the treatment plant. During the Sept. 14 meeting, Town Manager David A. Mekarski recommended a pivot to take $500,000 from that plan to instead purchase a new SCADA system. That came on the recommendation of Wastewater Superintendent Barry Defibaugh, who said the current system, installed in 2001, has been deemed obsolete by the manufacturer. In addition to missing many of the capabilities of modern systems, the outdated equipment also leaves the town vulnerable to hacking attacks, the staff members said. Additionally, Mekarski said it would be difficult for the town to complete $750,000 worth of I&I correc-
Public Briefing Set for G St. Sidewalk Project Town leaders will hold a public information meeting on the proposed G Street Sidewalk Improvements on Tuesday, Sept. 28 starting at 5 p.m. The meeting will be held at Town Hall and online via the GoTo-
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Meeting platform. The Town Council is planning to seek a federal Safe Routes to School grant for the sidewalk project. During the session, copies of the conceptual design documents will be available for review, and staff members will be available to answer questions. The project is to construct a missing section of sidewalk along East G Street, between East E Street and 604 G Street where existing sidewalk terminates. The proposed sidewalk borders Blue Ridge Middle School, allowing pedestrians to safely reach the school or simply make the connection between E Street and Maple Avenue. n
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The Lovettsville Lions Club has announced that the annual James Bland Youth Music Competition will be held on Sunday Feb. 13, 2022. The competition is open to Virginia students up through 12th grade, who sing or play an instrument. They will be evaluated by professional music instructors, and the winners will advance to a regional competition. The competition will be held at Bethany Methodist Church in Purcellville, with a snow date of Feb. 20. For more information and registration forms, contact Betty Hedges, 703-9992580 or chuckandbetty@verizon.net.
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The Town Council last week continued to debate how best to use its anticipated $10.5 million award through the federal America Rescue Plan Act, agreeing to allocate $500,000 to replace the town’s two-decade-old utility management system. The Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system monitors the distribution and treatment function of the town’s water and wastewater systems. Last month, the council earmarked $750,000 of the first allocation of the ARPA money—half of the total allocation has been distributed and the other half is expected next year—to reduce inflow and infiltration of the town’s wastewater pipes to reduce the amount of stormwater running
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Stoneleigh Water Line Break May Prompt Additional Study of System BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
After a broken water line quickly drained the storage tank serving Round Hill’s Stoneleigh neighborhood last week, the Town Council is discussing options to shore up the system. Residents living in the 150 Stoneleigh homes lost water Sept. 14 when a line along McKnight Court cracked. Although crews worked quickly to make the repairs, residents were ordered to boil water un-
til operators were sure contaminants had been removed, and asked to conserve water as the system’s wells worked overtime to refill the 90,000-gallon storage tank. The Stoneleigh water system operates independently from the wells and pipes serving neighborhoods on the main town system. During the emergency, the Town Council discussed whether to enact voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions, but Town Attorney Maureen Gilmore said town ordinances would require the restrictions be imposed on all users, not just those on the Stoneleigh system.
As of Tuesday, the town staff was still requesting residents to conserve water, especially on weekends, while the aquifer continues to recover. Town Utility Supervisor Mary Feltner told the Town Council the next night that the pipe likely had been slowly leaking for a period of time—even up to a year—before it split. Feltner said he had noticed a change in the Stoneleigh system in the days before the break and had identified a few high-volume users. The system especially was seeing higher levels of weekend use.
Capital Projects Manager Rob Lohr said the pipe break was very unusual, one he’s never seen in his 35 years of experience. He and Feltner agreed that it was related to flaws in the installation of the pipes 15 years ago. They said the council should consider hiring a company to check the system for additional similar leaks. Feltner also recommended the town consider building a second or larger storage tank to support the Stoneleigh system. n
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES • Accounting/Bookkeeping • • Janitor-Part time • At Western Loudoun’s largest equipment service organization. Experience required. Full benefits package with healthcare and 401k.
BROWNING EQUIPMENT, INC. Purcellville, VA 540-338-7123 sales@browningequipment.com Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
Fair Days in Bluemont Town of Lovettsville, VA has two open Employment Opportunities in the Utilities Department: Utility Supervisor:
Annual salary based on qualifications of up to $75,000
Water Operator (Trainee):
Annual salary based on qualifications of up to $42,000
Benefits: The Town offers competitive compensation, affordable health insurance coverage, participation in the Virginia Retirement System, an optional 457(b) retirement plan with a Town matching contribution, flexible spending accounts, voluntary benefits, employee assistance program (EAP), and generous paid time off. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://www.lovettsvilleva.gov/careers/
Visitors to the 2021 Bluemont Fair enjoyed ideal fall weather and a host of family activities during the two-day community celebration. After a COVID-related cancellation last year, the event returned with all the fair favorites as well as an expanded exploration of Native American culture.
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
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Bar Manager Needed: Purcellville Blue Ridge Eagles 4368
$18.00hr • Min 20 Hrs per week
FULL TIME FLAGGER
Responsibilities Include but not limited to: • Working with multiple vendors to place orders and receive deliveries
DRIVERS NEEDED Regular & CDL Call 703-737-3011
Traffic Plan seeks FT Flaggers to set up and control traffic around construction sites. A valid drivers license is a must, good pay, and benefits.
• Manage Bartender schedules and Time cards back fill when necessary • Bar and Register set up
If interested please fill out an application at 7855 Progress Court Suite 103 Gainesville, VA
• Coordinate Events and Club rental • Assist with Food and Event Set up
on Wednesdays from 9 am to 12 pm or online at www.trafficplan.com
If interested please email resume to blueridgeeagles@yahoo.com
NHLEmployerCard2.pdf
1
9/3/19
10:58 AM
Town of Leesburg Employment Opportunities Please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs for more information and to apply online. Resumes may be submitted as supplemental only. EOE/ADA. Regular Full-Time Positions Position
Department
Salary Range
Closing Date
Lead Groundskeeper
Parks & Recreation
$48,295-$83,085 DOQ
Open until filled
Police Officer
Police
$53,233-$89,590 DOQ
Open until filled
Senior Buyer/Contracts Administrator
Finance
$67,175-$115,044 DOQ
Open until filled
$72,952-$124,893 DOQ
Open until filled
$61,857-$105,896 DOQ
Open until filled
$70,374-$120,339 DOQ
Open until filled
$52,446-$89,790 DOQ
Open until filled Open until filled
Senior Management & Budget Analyst
Finance
Senior Zoning Analyst
Planning & Zoning
Systems Analyst/Infrastructure & Asset Management
Public Works & Capital Projects
Training and Development Coordinator
Utilities
Utility Plant Technician: Trainee, Technician or Senior
Utilities
MY
$44,905-$89,790 DOQ
Utility System Trainee or Technician
Utilities
CY
$41,353-$76,882 DOQ
Open until filled
Wastewater Plant Operator: Trainee, I, II or Senior
Utilities
CMY
$41,353-$89,790 DOQ
Open until filled
C
M
Y
CM
K
Regular Part-Time Position Position Assistant Outreach Program Coordinator
Department
Hourly Rate Parks & Recreation
$23.03-39.43 DOQ
To review Ida Lee (Parks & Recreation) flexible part-time positions, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs. Most positions will be filled at or near the minimum of the range. Dependent on qualifications. All Town vacancies may be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel 67 and Verizon FiOS Channel 35.
Closing Date Open until filled
See the full job listings at NowHiringLoudoun.com
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
THINGS to do
Loco Living
Live Music: Delfest Days at B Chord
Friday, Sept. 24, 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, 12:30 p.m. B Chord Brewing, 34266 Williams Gap Road, Round Hill Details: bchordbrewing.com It’s not time for the legendary Delfest, but many favorite acts from the festival gather at B Chord for three days of great tunes. Friday’s lineup includes Dirty Grass Players, Cabinet and Cris Jacobs Band. Saturday features Pictrola, The Woodshedders, Cris Jacobs Band and Cabinet. Sunday wraps up with the Clendenen Brothers Bluegrass, Pictrola, Hawktail and The Davisson Brothers. Tickets are $40 per day.
Live Music: Gary Jay Hoffman
Friday, Sept. 24, 5 p.m. Dirt Farm Brewing, 18701 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont Details: dirtfarmbrewing.com TGIF with excellent Americana from singer/ songwriter Gary Jay Hoffmann.
Live Music: Ghost Pepper
Friday, Sept. 24, 5:30 p.m. Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Fun, high-energy covers from Ghost Pepper keep audiences on their feet all night long.
Live Music: Shawn Owen Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
The Waterford Concert Series Board of Directors gathers in front of the Waterford Old School, which for 26 years has hosted world-class classical music performances.
‘There’s No Substitute for Live Music’ The Waterford Concert Series Is Back
BY JAN MERCKER
jmercker@loudounnow.com
The innovative Houston-based wind quintet WindSync was slated to perform at the Waterford Concert Series in the spring of 2020—in what turned out to be the performing arts season that wasn’t. Instead, the past 18 months have been “a time for learning new skills as an ensemble, exploring new artistic ground,” said WindSync’s bassoonist Kara LaMoure. But WindSync is back on the Waterford series program this November—part of an eclectic and exciting mix of worldclass musicians who will perform in the tiny western Loudoun village this fall and next spring. The series kicks off Saturday, Sept. 25 with a performance by the in-demand string ensemble The Dover Quartet. For both organizers and musicians, the series is a long-awaited return to the infectious joy of playing and listening to live mu-
Music returns to Waterford’s Old School The Waterford Concert Series kicks off Saturday, Sept. 25 at 5 p.m. with a concert from the Dover Quartet. The WindSync concert is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults ($40 for the April concert) and $15 for
sic. It also underscores the importance of small, intimate concerts as social experiences—a chance for music lovers to spend time in community. LaMoure said the group has been ramping up its live performances since the spring and recently performed a show similar to the Waterford program in Oregon.
students. Season subscriptions are $150 for adults and $50 for students. Early purchase is recommended as seating is limited. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours is required for admission. At-home tests will be accepted. Masks are also required. To view the full season and purchase tickets, go to waterfordconcertseries.org.
“It felt fantastic to be back, there’s no substitute for live music,” she said. Now in its 26th season, the Waterford Concert Series has been bringing worldclass classical music to Waterford Old School for nearly three decades. The series focuses on chamber music from small inWATERFORD CONCERTS continues on page 29
Friday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m. Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com Owen brings his distinctive reggae/jam/ska/ party vibe to Monk’s for an evening of mellow fun.
Live Music: The Bone Show
Saturday, Sept. 25, noon-3 p.m. 1836 Kitchen and Taproom, 34 E. Broad Way, Lovettsville Details: 1836kitchenandtaproom.com Kick back with great tunes from Western Loudoun singer/songwriter and one-man band Chris Bowen.
Live Music: Brian Torre
Saturday, Sept. 25, 1 p.m. Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights Details: facebook.com/harpersferrybrewing Torre serves up acoustic guitar covers from yesterday and today featuring more than 150 artists.
Live Music: Jason Teach
Saturday, Sept. 25, 1 p.m. Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro Details: breauxvineyards.com Longtime singer/songwriter Jason Teach returns to Breaux with his signature honest, heartfelt songwriting.
Live Music: Bobby Thompson and Friends Saturday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m. Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn Details: lostrhino.com WAMMIE-winning blues musician Bobby Thompson returns to Lost Rhino.
THINGS TO DO continues on page 30
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Waterford concerts continued from page 28 strumental groups, but organizers also include opera and solo piano performances in the mix. “At a time when things have been so isolating for so many people, our goal is to increase accessibility to these world-class artists and performers. It offers an incredible opportunity to see some of the world’s best performers for very reasonable prices in this intimate setting. It’s something that people will not get in other places,” said Waterford Concert Series president Susan Sutter. Many of the ensembles on the schedule for the upcoming season are groups that were scheduled in 2020, Sutter said, with a few exciting new additions. The Dover Quartet is the perfect group to kick off the season: it was slated to launch the Waterford season the second weekend in March 2020. Like performances around the globe, that show was canceled abruptly when everything came to a screeching halt just a few days before. “[Dover] is one of the most sought-after quartets in the U.S. right now and we’re very lucky to get them,” Sutter said. Organizers picked a Saturday evening concert for the September series launch, but concerts for the rest of the season take place on Sunday afternoons. Performances include the Grammy-nominated Hermitage Piano Trio in October and the WindSync show in November. After a two-month winter break, the series resumes in March with pianist Alessio Bax, followed by The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Wind Ensemble with Piano in April, then wraps up with an opera program from Italian bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni in May. Sutter said the variety and versatility of the series is reflected in its two bookend wind ensembles. “It’s a wonderful contrast: you have WindSync, this young group, very energetic, very interactive programming. Then we were amazed we were able to book the Academy of St Martin in the Fields which is a very traditional wind [ensemble],” she said. WindSync’s eclectic November program includes a high-energy piece inspired by Turkish folk music and a Beethoven quintet that highlights the social nature of chamber music. “I think what audiences are keying into about this program so far is how it is such a broad journey through space and time and all around the world,” LaMoure said. “[The Beethoven] piece comes from
LOUDOUNNOW.COM when chamber music for winds was really coming into its own as an art form. At the time, it was music for social events. That kind of circles back to what we’re doing in the pandemic era: outdoor concerts and smaller audiences that feel more intimate and social. It’s kind of special that that music has now come back to its original purpose.” While its programming is innovative, WindSync is a traditional wind quintet with an instrumental lineup that has existed for 200 years: flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon. “These instruments are all so different from each other that we have an incredibly wide range of colors available to us,” LaMoure said. Introducing new audiences to the wind ensemble—and capturing the attention of younger listeners is one of WindSync’s missions—and also a priority for Waterford organizers. LaMoure and her fellow members came out of school band programs and are also educators, so reaching young audiences is a priority. “Coming out of public schools for the most part—using school instruments and relying on ourCOLOR: educators to get us to the Right click level of artistic excellence where we can be
PAGE 29
Contributed
WindSync joins the 2021 Waterford Concert Series lineup with a performance in November.
going on tour and be professionals—that’s keeping concerts accessible as they gain a special to us,” LaMoure said. “We love regional audience. “These are the same performers who hearing from audience members if they did clarinet or flute in their school band. perform at the Kennedy Center, Wolf I think it’s something that resonates with Trap. ... The price makes [the series] very accessible,” Sutter said. a lot of people” For more information about WindSync For Sutter, keeping ticket prices low and to explore recorded performances, go through sponsorships from area donors swatch, and find and replace with correct color and foundations is an essential part of to windsync.org. n
HAPPINESS IS
Knowing their best friend can be right by their side. Life in the Key of Beautiful® at Tribute at One Loudoun
CONTACT US TODAY
ASSISTED LIVING MEMORY CARE
To learn about our exciting free event this month.
Call to schedule a tour (571) 799-9511 • TributeAtOneLoudoun.com 20335 Savin Hill Dr, Ashburn, VA 20147 Tribute operates by state and local health guidelines.
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 30
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
BEST BETS TICKETS ON (703) 777-1665 SALE NOW! wwww.TallyHoTheater.com
VAN HALEN NATION 09/25/21 DOORS: 7PM SHOW: 8PM
COWBOY MOUTH
THE WAILERS
UFO
GAELIC STORM
FEB 1
FAREWELL TOUR
FEB 13
FEB 21
10/01/21 DOORS: 7PM SHOW: 8PM SOUL ASYLUM WITH LOCAL H
FEB 22
LIVE WIRE:
UNCLE KRACKER
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19 W Market St., Leesburg, VA
10/02/21
For a full schedule please visit
BROTHERS IN ARMS TOUR
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www.TallyHoTheater.com DOORS: 7PM
SHOW: 8PM
THE UNLIKELY CANDIDATES W/ BROTHER MOSES 10/07/21 DOORS: 7PM SHOW: 8PM
WALK FOR HOPE Raise Awareness for Mental Health Saturday, Sept. 25, 9 a.m.-noon Raflo Park, Leesburg loudounnow.com/walkforhope2021
THINGS to do continued from page 28
Live Music: Just South of 7
Saturday, Sept. 25, 5:30 p.m. MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg Details: macsbeach.com Just South of 7 gets fans jamming on the sand covering five decades of rock.
80’S NIGHT WITH
THE REAGAN YEARS
10/08/21 | DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
PASSAFIRE
WITH OF GOOD NATURE, JOE SAMBO 10/09/21 DOORS: 7PM SHOW: 8PM
Live Music: Gary Smallwood
Saturday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m. Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Celebrate Saturday with Gary Smallwood’s locally famous classic rock, country rock and blues rock.
Live Music: Berlin Calling
Saturday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m. Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts Details: vanishbeer.com It’s 80s party night with great tunes from Berlin Calling.
Live Music: Tropical Attitudes
EVERCLEAR
10/13/21 | DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
BLUE OYSTER CULT 10/15/21 DOORS: 7PM SHOW: 8PM
FOREPLAY:
A TRIBUTE TO THE 70’S ROCK 10/16/21 DOORS: 7PM SHOW: 8PM
Saturday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m. 868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro Details: 868estatevineyards.com Celebrate the island vibe in the Blue Ridge with Tim Campbell and Tropical Attitudes.
Live Music: Ted Garber
Saturday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m. Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive #120, Sterling Details: crookedrunbrewing.com Singer/songwriter Ted Garber returns to Crooked Run with his genre-bending, multi-instrumentalist approach to what he calls BluesAmericanaRock.
Live Music: Moxie
Saturday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m. Saigon Outcast, 44921 George Washington Blvd., Ashburn Details: saigonoutcastva.com Moxie returns to Saigon Outcast with uplifting acoustic favorites.
HIGH NOON Southern Rock Tribute Saturday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m. Tarara Winery, Lucketts tararaconcerts.com
Tarara Summer Concert Series: High Noon
Saturday, Sept. 25, 6-9:30 p.m. Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Lucketts Details: tararaconcerts.com Tarara wraps up the season with High Noon’s tribute to Southern Rock favorites from Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers and other greats. Tickets are $20 for adults 21 and over, $10 for people under 21. Admission for children 7 and under is free.
Live Music: Van Halen Nation
Saturday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m. Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg Details: tallyhotheater.com This tribute to Van Halen’s David Lee Roth era is your ticket back to the 80s.Tickets are $15 for general admission, $35 for VIP seats.
Live Music: The Short Hill Mountain Boys
Saturday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m. Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com Enjoy old-time picking and singing from a local favorite.
Live Music: Mark Cullinane
Sunday, Sept. 26, 1 p.m. Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights Details: facebook.com/harpersferrybrewing Cullinane is back with acoustic classic rock tunes for a fun afternoon.
Live Music: Eric Selby and Billy Thompson
Sunday. Sept. 26, 1 p.m. Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro Details: breauxvineyards.com Funky blues-based vocalist Billy Thompson and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Eric Selby join forces for an afternoon of excellent local music.
Live Music: Blaskapelle Alte Kameraden
Sunday, Sept. 26, 2 p.m. Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Flying Ace gets into the Oktoberfest spirit with traditional Alpine wind music from the Alte Kameraden band.
VAN HALEN NATION Saturday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m. (doors) Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg tallyhotheater.com
Live Music: Robbie Limon
Sunday, Sept. 26, 5 p.m. MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg Details: macsbeach.com Robbie Limon returns to the beach with favorites from 70s-era songwriters including The Eagles, John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Roy Orbison, The Doobie Brothers, Jim Croce and Willie Nelson
LOCO CULTURE Leesburg Airshow
Saturday, Sept. 25, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Leesburg Executive Airport, 1001 Sycolin Road, Leesburg Details: leesburgairshow.com Check out skydiving and aerobatic performances along with a display of experimental and antique aircraft. Food and drinks will be available for sale. Parking is available at Heritage High School and Segra Field with shuttle service to the event. No parking on site. Admission and shuttles are free.
Comedy Cult at Franklin Park
Sunday, Sept. 26, 6:30-8 p.m. Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville Details: franklinparkartscenter.org Join the spontaneous and talented crew of Loudoun Valley High School Comedy Cult improv team as they take audience suggestions and create theatrical scenes and stories on the spot. Tickets are $8. Coffee is included.
COMING UP Waterford Fair
Friday, Oct. 1-Sunday, Oct. 3 Village of Waterford Details: waterfordfairva.org The Waterford Fair is back in-person with favorite juried crafters, property tours, art, children’s activities, food, and wine. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $15 for students, and free for children 12 and younger.
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Science Center Plans Advance with $1M Donation LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
The Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation announced Tuesday that Dominion Energy has signed on as the first Title Partner and Gallery Sponsor for the Northern Virginia Science Center, planned for construction in the Kincora development in eastern Loudoun. The $1 million sponsorship brings the Launch the Future capital campaign to
91% of the funds needed for the $75 million project. The Science Center is planned to be a place of discovery, innovation and fun that incorporates themes of sustainability, innovation, data science, STEM career connections and integration of the arts into the educational experiences. It will be built on donated property at Kincora, with more than 200 acres of stream-valley parkland immediately adjacent to the property. The Dominion Energy Gallery will be located off the main entrance of the Science Center and will house “Flow,” an exhibition that takes guests on a tour of science and natural phenomena expressed
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through motion and art. The Title Partner announcement was made Sept. 21 at the Children’s Science Center Lab in Fairfax where Dominion sponsors the Experiment Bar and experiences focused on environmental education. “We’re excited to add our name to the world-class Northern Virginia Science Center where guests can learn about energy with an emphasis on sustainability and innovation. We are especially proud of the planned Dominion Energy Gallery which will house exhibitions that will be a powerful and unique demonstration of STEM concepts,” said Hunter Applewhite, president of the Dominion Energy Charitable
Foundation. “This vibrant new science center will spark curiosity and a love of STEM learning in children and visitors of all ages, inspiring them to help solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.” The new regional science center is designed to serve over 300,000 guests annually and will operate as a division of the Science Museum of Virginia, benefitting from shared resources and expertise from the museum’s four decades of delivering STEM learning experiences at its locations in Richmond and Danville. Learn more about the center at novasci.org. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, go to novasci.org/support. n
PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, October 13, 2021 in order to consider:
PROPOSED 2022 LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM Each year, the Board of Supervisors adopts a Legislative Program, indicating its priority issues and initiatives for the upcoming session of the Virginia General Assembly. As part of this Legislative Program, the Board requests the Senators and Delegates representing Loudoun County to introduce specific legislation of importance to the County. The Board is seeking input from the public on the 2022 Draft Legislative Program. All members of the public are welcome to speak before the Board and provide feedback on the proposed 2022 Legislative Program. A copy of the Board of Supervisors’ 2022 Draft Legislative Program is available for review and may be examined at Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday thru Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www. loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).
AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 252 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY EMPLOYEES Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-1427 and 15.2-1508, the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intent to amend Chapter 252.02 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County, “Bonuses.” The proposed amendment will add an additional basis upon which the Board of Supervisors may pay a monetary bonus to County employees and officers, namely, “hazardous duty.” A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed ordinance is on file and available for public inspection at Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).
ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A NEW CHAPTER OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY NEW CHAPTER 259 LABOR RELATIONS Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-1427 and 40.1-57.2, the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intention to propose for passage an ordinance establishing a new chapter of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County to be titled “Labor Relations.” The proposed ordinance will be known as the Loudoun County Collective Bargaining Ordinance and authorizes collective bargaining for eligible County of Loudoun employees. The provisions of the ordinance include: defining which County employees are eligible to collectively bargain and identifying the bargaining units; providing for certain rights to be enjoyed by employees, the County and its Board of Supervisors, and employee organizations; providing for a labor relations administrator to administer the ordinance and perform certain duties; providing for a process to certify and decertify exclusive bargaining representatives and the process for interested employee organizations to intervene in elections; providing for collective bargaining and impasse resolution; providing for labor-management dispute resolution procedures; and identifying prohibited activity by the County and employee organizations. A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed ordinance is on file and available for public inspection at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 7770200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public
hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).
SPMI-2020-0003 WATERFORD PEARL (Minor Special Exception)
Khuram and Amna Rashid of Paeonian Springs, Virginia have submitted an application for a Minor Special Exception to permit a Bed and Breakfast Inn use in the CR-1 (Countryside Residential-1) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Minor Special Exception use under Section 2-504(A). The subject property is located within the Paeonian Springs Village Conservation Overlay District and partially within the Flood Plain Overlay District (FOD). The subject property is approximately 5.74 acres in size and is located on the North Side of Charles Town Pike (Route 9) and on the east side of Clarks Gap Road (Route 662) at 16882 Clarkes Gap Rd, Paeonian Springs, Virginia, in the Catoctin Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 307-46-2321. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Rural Policy Area (Rural North Place Type)), which designate this area for mostly agricultural and agricultural supportive uses with limited residential uses. Unless otherwise noted in the above notices, copies of the above-referenced amendments, applications, ordinances, and/or plans and related documents may be examined by request at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. This link also provides an additional opportunity for public input on active applications. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”). In addition, for detailed instructions on how to access documents using LOLA, to request that documents be emailed to you, to receive physical copies of documents, or to arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email DPZ@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246 (option 5). Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic this public hearing may be conducted as an electronic meeting. Members of the public are encouraged to view the public hearing electronically; however, the Board Room will be open for any members of the public who wish to attend in person with appropriate physical distancing. Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings. All members of the public who desire to speak will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. Instructions for remote participation will be forwarded to all individuals who sign-up in advance and who would like to provide their comments remotely. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on October 1, 2021, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on October 13, 2021. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing. Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings. BY ORDER OF:
PHYLLIS RANDALL, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
09/23 & 09/30/21
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Legal Notices Notice of Public Hearing Town of Lovettsville Planning Commission
NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES This notice is to inform the owner and any person having a security interest in their right to reclaim the motor vehicle herein described within 15 days after the date of storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody, and the failure of the owner or persons having security interests to exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver by the owner, and all persons having security interests of all right, title and interest in the vehicle, and consent to the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction.
The Lovettsville Town Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the following item at their meeting at 7:00 pm on October 6, 2021, at the Lovettsville Town Office located at 6 East Pennsylvania Avenue: LVCU 2021-0003, Application for a Conditional Use Permit to Allow a Dumpster to be Located Within 35 feet of a Property line in the T-C Town Center Planned Development Zoning District Core.
This notice shall also advise the owner of record of his or her right to contest the determination by the Sheriff that the motor vehicle was “abandoned”, as provided in Chapter 630.08 of the Loudoun County Ordinance, by requesting a hearing before the County Administrator in writing. Such written request for a hearing must be made within 15 days of the notice. YR. 1990
MAKE
CHAPARRAL
MODEL
BOAT
VIN
STORAGE
HULL #FGBV0757G990
To consider an application for a Conditional Use Permit filed by the property owner, Lovettsville Square South LLC, to construct a dumpster enclosure closer than 35 feet of a public road as required by Section 42-238(k)(4) of the Lovettsville Zoning Ordinance. The exception is permitted under Chapter 30, Section 30-33. The proposed enclosure would be located approximately 18 feet from the right of way for Berlin Turnpike. The subject parcels front on Hammond Drive, Town Center Drive, Berlin Turnpike, and Wood Aster Lane and are further identified as Loudoun County Parcel Identification (PIN) Numbers: 369-10-2939, 369-10-1827, 369-10-1433, and 369-10-1039.
PHONE#
BATTLEFIELD
703-378-0059
09/16 & 09/23/21
The application is available for review online at www.lovettsvilleva.gov or at the Town Office between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm during weekdays or by special appointment, holidays excepted. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened on the next regularly-scheduled meeting at the same time and place.
A message to Loudoun County Property Owners regarding the Land Use Assessment Program from Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue The Land Use Assessment Program provides for the deferral of real estate taxes on property that meets certain agricultural, horticultural, forestry, or open space use criteria.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact John Merrithew, Zoning Administrator for the Town of Lovettsville at (540) 755-3004 or by email at jmerrithew@lovettsvilleva.gov.
Real property owners who wish to apply for land use assessment for the first time must submit to my office an application along with the required fee by the filing deadline. Forms are available online, in my office, or can be mailed to you.
09/23 & 09/30/21
Owners of real property currently enrolled in the land use assessment program must renew their land use status every 6th year by submitting a renewal form along with documentation corroborating the qualifying land use along with the required fee by the filing deadline. Renewal forms will be mailed the first week of September to those currently enrolled who are up for renewal. You may check your renewal year online at www.loudoun.gov/parceldatabase by entering the property’s address or parcel identification number and selecting the LAND USE STATUS tab. Properties renewed in 2016 are up for renewal this year.
Notice of Public Hearing Town of Lovettsville Planning Commission The Lovettsville Town Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the following item at their meeting at 7:00 pm on October 6, 2021, at the Lovettsville Town Office located at 6 East Pennsylvania Avenue:
An additional deferral of taxes is available to current program participants if they sign and record an agreement to keep the property in its qualifying use for more than 5 but not exceeding 20 years. The commitment must be filed with my office by November 1, 2021 and recorded in the Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court´s office by December 15, 2021.
LVCU 2021-0002, Application for a Conditional Use Permit to Allow a building floor area greater than 6,500 square feet in the T-C Town Center Planned Development Zoning District Core. To consider an application for a Conditional Use Permit filed by the property owner, Lovettsville Square South LLC, to construct a commercial building with a floor area greater than 6,500 square feet in accord with Section 42-238(k)(5)(d) of the Lovettsville Zoning Ordinance. The proposed building is intended for retail sales and services, and the proposed floor area is 13,840 square feet. The subject parcels front on Hammond Drive, Town Center Drive, Berlin Turnpike, and Wood Aster Lane and are further identified as Loudoun County Parcel Identification (PIN) Numbers: 369-10-2939, 369-10-1827, 369-10-1433, and 369-10-1039.
Please visit our website or contact my office for information or filing assistance.
DEADLINES
First-time Land Use applications and Renewal applications must be submitted to the Commissioner of the Revenue by Monday, November 1, 2021. Applications submitted after the deadline; November 2, 2021 through December 6, 2021, are subject to a $300 per parcel late filing fee in addition to with the standard filing fee. No first-time applications or renewal applications will be accepted after the December 6th deadline.
The application is available for review online at www.lovettsvilleva.gov or at the Town Office between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm during weekdays or by special appointment, holidays excepted. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened on the next regularly-scheduled meeting at the same time and place.
FILING FEES
For submissions received or postmarked by November 1, 2021 -$125 plus $1 per acre or portion thereof For submissions received or postmarked between November 2, 2021 and December 6, 2021 $125 plus $1 per acre or portion thereof plus a $300 per parcel late filing fee Online: www.loudoun.gov/landuse Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, M - F Phone: 703-737-8557 Email: trcor@loudoun.gov Mailing Address Overnight Deliveries PO Box 8000 1 Harrison Street, SE, MSC 32 MSC 32 Leesburg VA 20177-9804 Leesburg, VA 20175-3102
Leesburg Office 1 Harrison Street, SE 1st Floor Leesburg, VA 20175
If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact John Merrithew, Zoning Administrator for the Town of Lovettsville at (540) 755-3004 or by email at jmerrithew@lovettsvilleva.gov. 09/23 & 09/30/21
Sterling Office 21641 Ridgetop Circle, Ste 100 Sterling, VA 20166
ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316
09/09, 09/16, 09/23, 09/30, 10/7, 10/21 & 10/28/21
Case No.:
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
NOTICE OF ABANDONED BICYCLES Notice is hereby given that the bicycles described below were found and delivered to the Office of the Sheriff of Loudoun County; if the owners of the listed bicycles are not identified within sixty (60) days following the final publication of this notice, the individuals who found said bicycles shall be entitled to them if he/she desires. All unclaimed bicycles will be handled according to Chapter 228.04 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County.
Description
Case Number
Recovery Date
Recovery Location
Black Stromer ST1 Electric bike 16.5” frame
SO210014442
9/4/2021
39048 Old Stage Pl. Waterford, VA
JJ044218-04-00
Phone Number
703-777-0610 09/16 & 09/23//21
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Isabella S. Montenegro Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v. Jeffrey Wayne McGowan, putative father The object of this suit is to hold a 2nd permanency planning review hearing pursuant to Va. Code Sections 16.1-282.1, 63.2-906 and 63.2-910.2 for Isabella S. Montenegro. It is ORDERED that the defendant Jeffrey Wayne McGowan, putative father appear at the above named Court and protect his interests on or before October 26, 2021 at 3:00 pm. 09/23, 09/30, 10/07 & 10/14/21
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
PAGE 33
Legal Notices ADVERTISEMENT LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
Notice of Public Hearing Town of Lovettsville Planning Commission
NOTICE OF VACANCY AND PUBLIC HEARING BROAD RUN DISTRICT
The Lovettsville Town Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the following item at their meeting at 7:00 pm on October 6, 2021, at the Lovettsville Town Office located at 6 East Pennsylvania Avenue:
The Loudoun County School Board hereby gives notice of a vacancy in the School Board seat from the Broad Run District for the term set to expire December 31, 2023. The School Board will fill this unexpired term by appointment of a qualified person in accordance with School Board Policy 2120 and state law. Any person interested in filling this interim vacancy through December 31, 2022, must file with the School Board, on or before 12:00 noon, September 24, 2021: (1) a resume; (2) a statement of interest that outlines such person’s qualifications and reasons for desiring appointment to the Loudoun County School Board; (3) a sworn and notarized affirmation that such person is a qualified voter and a bona fide resident of the Broad Run District (the form located at https://www.elections.virginia.gov/media/formswarehouse/ campaign-finance/2018/candidates/SBE_501_4-rev7-18.pdf may be used to satisfy this requirement); and (4) any other information such person wants considered by the School Board. Submitted information may be subject to disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. These documents must be filed with Shari Byrne, Clerk of the School Board, Administrative Building, via mail at 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia 20148 or via email at shari.byrne@lcps.org. Notice is further given of a public hearing to be held before the Loudoun County School Board on the 5th day of October, 2021, at 6:30 p.m., in the School Board Meeting Room, Administrative Building, 21000 Education Court, Room 100, Ashburn, Virginia 20148 during a special meeting for the purposes of consideration of candidates to fill the unexpired term as a school board member from the Broad Run District and to receive public comments regarding the same. BY AUTHORITY OF THE LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary/record plat of subdivision for the following project.
SBPR-2021-0008 East Chase Mr. Mike Sell, of K. Hovnanian Homes of Chantilly, Virginia, is requesting Preliminary/Record Plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately seventy-three (73.32544) acres into twenty (20) single family detached lots, open space parcels, road right-of-way and accompanying easements. The property is located along the south side of John Mosby Highway (Route 50), just east of its intersection with Everfield Drive (Route 3423). The property is zoned AR-1 (Agricultural Rural 1) and TR-3 (Transitional Residential 3) under the provisions of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as Tax Map /90////////60E (MCPI #324-20-7896), Tax Map /99////////31A (MCPI #324-20-3256), Tax Map /99//12/////1/ (MCPI #324-10-5538) and Tax Map /99//12/////2/ (MCPI #324-19-7948) in the Blue Ridge Election District. Additional information regarding this application may be found on the Loudoun Online Land Applications System www.loudoun.gov/LOLA by searching for SBPR-2021-0008. Complete copies of the above referenced application(s) are also available for public review at the Loudoun County Department of Building and Development, Land Development File Room, 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical public access to the file may be interrupted. You may contact the project manager to arrange for alternative access to the file if necessary. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Eric Jewell at eric.jewell@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development, 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by October 28, 2021. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary/record subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.09 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO). 09/23/21
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
CA 20-36
The application is available for review online at www.lovettsvilleva.gov or at the Town Office between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm during weekdays or by special appointment, holidays excepted. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened on the next regularly-scheduled meeting at the same time and place. If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact John Merrithew, Zoning Administrator for the Town of Lovettsville at (540) 755-3004 or by email at jmerrithew@lovettsvilleva.gov. 09/23 & 09/30/21
Notice of Public Hearing Town of Lovettsville Town Council The Lovettsville Town Council will hold a public hearing on the following item at their meeting at 6:30 pm on October 7, 2021, at the Lovettsville Town Office located at 6 East Pennsylvania Avenue. Written comments regarding this item can be submitted to clerk@lovettsvilleva.gov by 3:00PM on the day of the meeting. Members of the public may access and participate in this meeting electronically.
LVSA 2020-0001
Amendment to Chapter 30, Subdivisions.
Consideration of an amendment to the Subdivision Ordinance for the purposes of correcting grammar and punctuation and clarifying existing requirements, and further amending the following sections as described below: Section 30-66. Construction drawings: Adds the Fire Marshal’s Office to the list of agencies to which the plans must be forwarded for review. Adds to the information required to be included on construction drawings all applicable information required for site development plans (Sec. 30-97). Section 30-67. Final subdivision plats. Adds to Paragraph (1) specific information required to be included on final plats. Section 30-91. Applicability: Amends the types of construction activities and developments for which a site plan is required. For new construction, the thresholds above which a site plan will be required are: 1. 2. 3. 4.
One thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor area (for establishment of one or more uses of an existing building); One thousand (1,000) square feet of building footprint area (for construction of one or more buildings, or expansion of one or more existing buildings); Five thousand (5,000) square feet or more of land disturbance (for establishing a new use of land, or expanding the area of a parcel of land devoted to an existing use); or Developments in which at least sixteen (16) new and/or additional off-street parking spaces are required to be provided.
The amendment to this section also amends the types of construction activities and developments that are exempt from the requirement for a site plan by adding the following exemptions: 1.
Modifications, renovations, and alterations for the purpose of converting the use of an existing building to a new or different use, provided that the same do not require modifications to the site pursuant to the zoning and subdivision ordinances, do not require modifications to the site that meet or exceed the thresholds described above, or do not require a Loudoun County building permit; and Construction or expansion of one or more government buildings exceeding a building footprint area of 2,500 square feet.
Section 30-97. Required contents of final site plans: Adds that areas of environmental contamination, remediation, and other adverse environmental conditions of the property be identified on the plan.
Loudoun County Circuit Court 18 East Market St., Leesburg, Va 20176
Section 30-127. Tree preservation and landscaping: Amends the requirement for tree preservation to require that only existing trees lying adjacent to existing streets and existing or proposed common areas and public parks are required to be retained.
Robert Goodson v. Brian C. Daniels The object of this suit is to adopt Jasmine A. Daniels by Robert Goodson, her stepfather (in re: Adoption of Jasmine A. Daniels
09/16, 09/23, 09/30 & 10/07/21
The exceptions are permitted under Chapter 30, Section 30-33. The proposed enclosure would be located approximately 16 feet from the right of way for Berlin Turnpike. The subject parcels front on Hammond Drive, Town Center Drive, Berlin Turnpike, identified as Loudoun County Parcel Identification (PIN) Numbers: 369-10-2939, 369-10-1827, 369-10-1433, and 369-10-1039.
2.
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE §§ 1-211.1, 8.01-316, -317, 20-104
It is ORDERED that Brian C. Daniels appear at the above-named Court and protect his interests on November, 19 2021 at 2:00 pm.
To consider an application for a Conditional Use Permit filed by the property owner, Lovettsville Square South LLC, to construct a dumpster enclosure closer than 35 feet of a public road as required by Section 42-238(k)(4) of the Lovettsville Zoning Ordinance and to permit an accessory building to locate closer than 60 feet from the front of the lot as required by Section 42-290, Uses And Structures Permitted In Required Yards.
09/23/21
PUBLIC NOTICE
Case No.:
LVCU 2021-0003, Application for a Conditional Use Permit to Allow a Dumpster Enclosure to be Located Within 35 feet of a Property line in the T-C Town Center Planned Development Zoning District Core.
Never miss a show
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The proposed subdivision ordinance amendment is available for review at the Town Office between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm during weekdays or by special appointment, holidays excepted. Call (540) 755-3004 for more information or contact John Merrithew, Planning Director at jmerrithew@ lovettsvilleva.gov. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened on the next regularly-scheduled meeting at the same time and place. 09/23 & 09/30/21
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PAGE 34
Legal Notices
Resource Directory
County of Loudoun
SECOND HALF PERSONAL PROPERTY Tax Deadline H. Roger Zurn, Jr., Treasurer
Bobcat BOBCAT
October 5, 2021
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The deadline for payment of the second half personal property tax is October 5, 2021. Payments received or postmarked after October 5, 2021, will incur a 10% late payment penalty. Additional interest at the rate of 10% per annum will be assessed. In addition to the late payment penalty for Personal Property Taxes, if the taxes remain unpaid for 60 days after the original payment due date, the taxpayer shall incur an additional 15% penalty of the total amount due. The due date will not be extended for bills where assessment questions have been filed with the Board of Equalization. For Your Safety and Convenience, please consider making payments online, by phone or mail.
CONVENIENT PAYMENT OPTIONS AND LOCATIONS Online: www.loudounportal.com/taxes Pay using electronic check, VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Pay your taxes through your mobile device: Link2Loudoun app is available for free from the iPhone App Store and the Google Play Store. The app allows access to www.loudounportal.com/taxes to pay your taxes. By Telephone: 24-hour line 1-800-269-5971 703-777-0280 during regular business hours. Pay using electronic check, VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover
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A 24 hour drop box is located outside each office. Please contact the Loudoun County Treasurer's Office at 703-777-0280 or email us at taxes@loudoun. gov with questions or if you have not received your bill. Stay up to date on tax information by subscribing to the Tax Notices category of Alert Loudoun at www. louduon.gov/alert. You can also text the word “TAXES” to 888777 to receive text messages about tax-related information, including upcoming deadlines. For information regarding Personal Property Tax Relief for the Elderly or for Disabled Persons, please contact the Tax Relief Division of the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office at tcor@loudoun.gov by phone 703-737-8557 or visit www.loudoun.gov/taxrelief. 09/23 & 09/30
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Hornitos Mexican Restaurant Inc, trading as Hornitos Mexican Restaurant Inc, 44110 Ashburn Shopping Plz Unit 182 Ashburn, VA 20147-3999, Ashburn, Loudoun, VA 20147-3999 The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine & Beer On Premises/Mixed Beverage Restaurant license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Gerson E. Morales, President Note: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200. 09/23 & 09/30/21
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PAGE 36
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Opinion No Rush Although Election Day is still more than a month away, voters already are casting their ballots. Voting opened Friday, 45 days before the races will be decided. The commonwealth’s embrace of early voting is a significant shift from its previous narrow allowances for absentee ballots in cases when voters would be unable to make it to the polls during the designated 13-hour voting period on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Only three states offer longer early, in-person voting periods. In Alabama, voting started 55 days out. It’s 50 days in Pennsylvania. Minnesotans get a 46-day head start. South Dakota matches Virginia’s 45-day schedule. In Maine, they can start as early as 45 days, if the ballots have been finalized. Most states limit early voting to two or three weeks. While convenient, the long early voting period has drawbacks. Not the least of those is that voters are surrendering the time afforded to better know the candidates and what they stand for— the opportunities to look beyond the party labels, and 30-second television spots, and the latest social media post. Campaigns rarely gear up before Labor Day, knowing there’s little focus on politics during the summer vacation season. Debates and candidate forums, when voters can hear the exchange of ideas among their choices, typically happen in the fall, although Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates did square off for the first time last week just hours before the voting period began. The change may bring more voters to the polls and may shorten the Election Day lines, but those benefits do not outweigh the need for an informed electorate. n
Norman K. Styer, Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.com
Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC
EDITORIAL Renss Greene, Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com
15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176
Jan Mercker, Reporter jmercker@loudounnow.com
PO Box 207 Leesburg, VA 20178 703-770-9723
Kara C. Rodriguez, Reporter krodriguez@loudounnow.com Hayley Milon Bour, Reporter hbour@loudounnow.com ADVERTISING Susan Styer, Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.com
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LETTERS to the Editor We Have a Choice Editor: On Aug. 3, mobile home owners at the Leesburg Mobile Park received notices informing them of an offer to purchase the park for $11 million by an undisclosed buyer. The park is located in the Crescent District just a 10-minute walk from downtown Leesburg. It is home to 75 families, who are predominantly working class, Latin American immigrants. Upon receiving this notice, the residents responded by informing the park owner of their desire to stay on the land, in their homes, where some have lived for over 20 years. As a coalition of community organizations, nonprofits, and Loudoun residents advocating for housing justice, we firmly support the mobile home owners at Leesburg Mobile Park and are extremely concerned about the possibility of displacement. Mobile homes are one of the few options for working class families to live with some degree of independence and stability in Loudoun County. If the mobile home owners were to be displaced, the reality is that many would have nowhere to go. Affordable housing in Loudoun is extremely limited. Existing housing programs have waiting lists hundreds of names long. Tenants face
constant rent increases, forcing them to move frequently in search of more affordable rent. For many, staying in Loudoun requires doubling up with relatives, or subletting rooms in larger homes. Turning mobile home owners into renters would be a step in the wrong direction. This is why our state legislators recently passed HB 2175, requiring localities to incorporate manufactured housing into their comprehensive plans as a source of affordable housing. The Leesburg draft Town Plan envisions a complete transformation of the Crescent District, where the park is located. In the illustrations depicting the future Crescent District area, the mobile park disappears, and new condos and townhomes have taken its place. Let’s call this what it is: gentrification. This wouldn’t be the first time that communities of color and working-class families are displaced to build homes for other people. But we have a choice here. We can choose not to displace families. We believe that the Town of Leesburg and Loudoun County must come together, working in collaboration with the mobile home owners, to preserve the affordable housing at Leesburg Mobile Park. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR continues on page 37
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
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We’re down to eight name choices for the Washington Football Team. What’s your favorite?
LAST WEEK'S QUESTION: The Board of Supervisors has approved a new cigarette tax. Do you support it?
LETTERS to the editor continued from page 36
We appreciate that housing has been a top priority in Loudoun this year. The county unveiled its Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan, laying out strategies and targets to address Loudoun’s housing crisis over the next five years. Meanwhile, real estate prices have skyrocketed, making Loudoun less and less affordable for many. As it becomes increasingly challenging to construct new affordable housing, particularly in urban hubs, let’s work together to preserve what little affordable housing already exists. — Loudoun Housing Justice Coalition #BlackWallStreet Loudoun League of Women Voters (LWV) Loudoun County Climate Project Loudoun County NOW Mobile Hope North American Somali Women’s Association New Virginia Majority Raj Khalsa Gurdwara, Sikh Temple of Sterling The Activated People Virginia Political Cooperative Virginia Muslim Political Action Committee Women Giving Back
Great Concern Editor: Thank you to Kara Rodriguez for writing her article “Paxton Campus Vision Faces New Test.” (September 9, 2021). We have been actively following the Paxton INMED application, and its potential significant impact on The Arc of Loudoun and our neighborhood, but
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we learned a few key things in Ms. Rodriguez’s article that greatly concern us. We are part of the active petitioners of 170 homeowners opposing the Special Exception submission to the Town of Leesburg for seven acres of Paxton, SPX TLSE-2020-0001 INMED at Paxton Campus for a massive 27,371 SF commercial-grade industrial greenhouse complex, with commercial-size fish farming, which is not appropriate for a residential zoning district, or the Leesburg Historic District. Conversely, The Arc’s operations, and strategic plan, provide a size and activity level that is right for the space and its surrounding residential community. We are surprised to learn that the Paxton Trust now has a new plan that involves “not just The Arc, not even just INMED. It won’t be one tenant any longer to maximize to the highest and best use of the value of the property across the board.” Pursuant to the Last Will and Testament of Rachel A. Paxton, the Margaret Paxton Memorial for Convalescent Children was created for the purpose of supporting and maintaining a home for convalescent children. Home connotes one organization. This new aggressive growth plan has multiple negative potential consequences for adjacent homeowners. This would be too intensive for a residential zoning district, and has potential negative consequences due to traffic and other considerations. The pasture, and the habitat it supports, is what the Town Council intended to protect when it approved adding the parcel to the Leesburg Historic District. Established in 1967, The Arc of Loudoun was relocated to Paxton Campus to rectify the long lapse of compliance by the trustees of the Margaret Paxton Memorial Fund for Convalescent
Children to achieve the 21st century interpretation of Mrs. Paxton’s Will. This was further affirmed by the Trust in 2014 in their Loudoun County real estate tax exemption application, dated 4/1/14: Soon after ceasing operations of the Paxton Child Development Center, the Trustees of the Paxton Memorial Charitable Trust began working and negotiating with … the Arc of Loudoun with the end purpose and goal of ultimately leasing ALL of the Paxton Campus, and for the purpose of using all other building and open Paxton lands for ARC’s other charitable community outreach programs. Those efforts…were successfully concluded by the signing of a long-term lease of ALL of the Paxton real estate to the ARC for the nominal annual rental of One Dollar ($1.00) per year. The lease runs … with options to continue renewing…, in perpetuity. Why doesn’t the Trust simply focus its limited resources on The Arc and let it thrive and grow? We have been frustrated by the misinformation, constantly changing information, and perceived conflicts-of-interest. For example the billboard standing on the Paxton property states: “What is Happening Here.” There is no mention of the required special exception process inviting public input during the Leesburg Town Council legislative due process. The billboard also states: “The Paxton Trust is pleased to Partner with INMED…” The INMED U.S. Director submitted the special exception as the Trust’s owner representative. We have been told that Trust intends to build and to operate INMED’s new proposed structures, requiring a capital campaign. Proposing additional new structures is another example of misaligned Trust priorities. A primary responsibility, as landowner, is to renovate the historic Carlheim mansion to
avoid Demolition of Neglect. A capital campaign should focus on the historic mansion and the existing buildings supporting the Arc’s operations. Mrs. Paxton is no longer here, but she is our neighbor in spirit. Our united community has made a difference in the past when the Trustees intended to a homebuilder to get the “best and highest value” from Mrs. Paxton’s land. We ask that you please join us to support The Arc of Loudoun on Paxton. To stay informed, and to join the active effort, please email: PreservePaxton.StopInmed@ gmail.com — Rich and Katie Hammler, Leesburg
Today’s Challenges Editor: In a recent issue, Mr. Robin (a retired attorney) wrote “Who Can You Trust?” The last line of his opinion piece attempts to quote Founding Father “Benjamin Franklin “It’s a democracy if you can keep it.” The “truth” is that Benjamin Franklin said “It’s a republic if you can keep it.” The United States exemplifies the varied nature of a constitutional republic—a country where some decisions (often local) are made by direct democratic processes, while others (often federal) are made by democratically elected representatives. This mischaracterization also reflects the failure of our public school system to properly teach civics (i.e., the rights and duties of citizenship) over the years and has manifested itself into the challenges that we have today with being good stewards of what the Founders bestowed to us. — Peter Lierni, Leesburg MORE LETTERS continues on page 38
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Bellwether continued from page 1 part of seizing a majority in the House of Representatives from Republicans who had held it since 2011. At the election night party, former governor Terry McAuliffe declared “we are a blue state today, folks.” And when Loudoun flipped the county board majority to Democrat in 2019, it also helped hand the 13th State Senate District to a Democrat, John Bell, for the first time since Republican Frederick M. Quayle took the district in 1991, along with winning control of the state senate for the first time since the 2007 election. That was also part of Democrats seizing control of both state chambers. This November, Loudouners will again answer the question: is the county still a battleground? Election results show a steady trend, favoring Democrats more strongly each year, but statewide polling going into early voting shows a tight race between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin. “I tell people all the time: there’s not been a more dramatic political turnaround in the United States than Virginia in the last 20 years,” said U.S. Senator and former Virginia governor Tim Kaine. “And the heart of that turnaround is Loudoun and Prince William, and Henrico and Chesterfield, and then down in Hampton Roads, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Chesapeake. Because these were all jurisdictions that were very Republican, who now are quite willing to vote for Democrats in statewide races, and that turnaround has been the key to the Virginia turnaround.” That is also probably why Loudouners have become accustomed to campaign stops from candidates for both gover-
LETTERS to the editor continued from page 37
Time for Change Editor: The failures of both USA Gymnastics and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to appropriately address the sexual offenses of Larry Nassar enabled his crimes. This is institutional abuse, and it is not a new story. Organizations routinely side with employees and people in positions of power over the allegations of children, prioritizing their reputation over the safety of the children in their care. The time for change is now, across the
Former Governor Terry McAuliffe (D)
Businessman Glenn Youngkin (R)
nor and president. Already in the 2021 race for governor, McAuliffe has been to Loudoun twice and Youngkin three times, once during the primary. Consultant, professor and former Republican state delegate David Ramadan said a place like Loudoun isn’t important just for its votes—it’s also important as a test market for messaging. “In a year like this, when you’re talking about a gubernatorial campaign, when you know that the turnout is going to be lower than a presidential campaign, it really becomes a game of turnout of the base,” Ramadan said. “And in order to test the base and make sure what is going to turn out the base, you’ve really got to test these counties like Prince William, like Loudoun County, and work on issues that are exciting the base at that time. … They’re bellwether counties.” Kaine said the Democratic wave in Loudoun has also been the result of candidates campaigning in places previously thought unwinnable—a strategy still reflected in today’s run-everywhere campaigns.
“When I won Loudoun when I ran for governor in ’05, I think the last Democrat to win Loudoun in governor’s race had been 20 years before,” Kaine said. “And that had convinced some candidates, ‘oh, it’s probably not worth spending all the time.’ You have to invest and spend the time, and then when you have the chance, you have a to govern in a way that people say, ‘oh, well I’m glad we took a chance on that guy.’” Loudoun’s blue turn and importance in elections have also been reflective of Loudoun’s meteoric growth in population. Before picking Kaine, the last Democrat Loudoun voted for in the governor’s race of Doug Wilder, in 1989, in a year when Loudoun had only 21,645 votes to give. In the most recent 2017 gubernatorial election, Loudoun cast more than four times that many votes, 117,486. And in the 2020 election, Loudoun cast roughly twice as many votes as that, 224,862. Loudoun may not be up for grabs for a Republican, Ramadan said, but the question is how many votes a candidate adds to their statewide count. “It will turn out to be Democratic
U.S. and here in Northern Virginia. We know sexual abuse occurs in youth-serving organizations, but when we choose to ignore that it’s happening in our community, we enable this abuse to continue. Organizations that blame individuals as “bad apples,” fail to believe children’s disclosures of abuse, or simply encourage an abuser to retire or “relocate” instead of addressing the issue are the problem. As one survivor said, “Do we blame the alligator—or the person who keeps feeding it children?” We believe it is the responsibility of every organization, and every adult, to protect children. SCAN of Northern Virginia stands with survivors. We know institutional
harm is a second betrayal. We don’t want apologies, excuses, or damage control statements; we want action and change. SCAN’s new Institutional Abuse Prevention program plans to make institutions accountable, adults better prepared, and children safer in all the spaces they occupy. While we prepare to launch in Loudoun County this fall, know that our first and only priority is to make our community safe for all children, and we will not stop working and pushing until we succeed in Northern Virginia. — Leah Fraley, Executive Director SCAN of Northern Virginia
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
county, but the question is going to be who turns out more, how excited is the base,” he said. But Ramadan, a staunch Republican who crossed the aisle to endorse McAuliffe after being chased out of the party by conspiracy theories about election fraud, said he doubts the spurious Critical Race Theory allegations on the right would sway the general public. “This is not a general campaign issue. It is purely a red meat issue that they’re trying to use to get excitement in an offyear election, but it’s not an important issue to the populace.” Stand out front of a grocery store in his old district, he said, and people will talk about things like vaccines, getting their kids safely in-person in school, and traffic. Loudoun’s streak of presidential candidate visits began in 2008, when Obama hosted the largest political rally in county history at Ida Lee Park. “I was really close to that campaign, and I told then-Sen. Obama, ‘look, you can win Virginia, but it’s going to be the Loudouns and Prince Williams that are going to be important,’” Kaine recalled. Every major party candidate for president since has been to Loudoun, except John McCain—and the McCain campaign sent the candidate for vice president, Sarah Palin. Donald Trump also passed on visiting Loudoun during his 2020 reelection bid, although he made two stops here during his successful 2016 run. When Kaine was a candidate for vice president in 2016 under Hilary Clinton they, too, campaigned in Loudoun. Obama concluded his 2008 campaign with a massive rally in Manassas, the day before winning the first of two terms in the presidency. “He understood that this part of the state is the battleground of the battleground, or the key to the battleground,” Kaine said. n
Find a Fair Outcome Editor: In the current dispute between Rockland owners and the new Whites ferry owner, the latter is trying to use eminent domain to seize private land from Rockland for the Virginia side landing. This dispute should be negotiated between the two parties and a compromise reached. Eminent domain has no place in this situation. Although opening Whites Ferry does have public benefit, this is a dispute between farm owners and a for-profit entity. The only fair outcome is negotiated compromise. — Frank Volberg, Purcellville
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Segregation harm continued from page 1 who worked at those schools, and provide “a tangible benefit such as a college scholarship or community-based economic development program for individuals or specific communities with a demonstrated historic connection to slavery that will empower families to be lifted out of the cycle of poverty.” Briskman called rectifying Loudoun’s racial disparities “a moral imperative.” At the Sept. 21 board meeting, County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) identified one specific topic to tackle and seek to rectify: the history of the Douglass School. There, the Black community came together to buy land for school, but the local School Board refused to build on land they didn’t own, forcing the group to sell property they’d bought for $4,000 to the school district for $1. Even then, the School Board repeatedly declined to appropriately construct and outfit the building, leaving Black families once again struggling to get their children an education. Addressing the Douglass School experience won unanimous support from supervisors, but Briskman’s more general proposal to send the commission to the joint committee was approved on a 6-3 vote, with all three Republicans opposed. Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said he wants to have the discussion, but struggled with the vague intent, while Supervisor Caleb E. Kershner (R-Catoctin) denied there is systemic racism. “I want to do the right thing, I’m just struggling with it process-wise, because the motion doesn’t give any direction,” Letourneau said. “I think Loudoun County has in large part overcome this. I think in large part it has,” Kershner said. “And obviously there are pockets, but not from a perspective of a systematic problem.” That drew rebukes from other supervisors, particularly the Black members of the board. “There is nothing like one of my colleagues dispelling the myth of systemic racism,” said Supervisor Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad Run). “We don’t have to go back 40 or 50 years. I can go and talk to my sons about the experiences that they had at their high school.” Vice Chair Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling) pointed to a report from the state Attorney General identifying issues of systemic racism in Loudoun’s school system today, along with experiences his own son has
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had in school. And Randall said the effort was not about placing blame on people today—it’s about understanding that life is more difficult for some people because of the color of their skin. “I find it really incredible with the same people who think we should never take down statues because we shouldn’t forget history are the same people who think that every town, city, hamlet and village should not be having a tough conversation about the history of race and race relations,” Randall said, likely referencing Kershner’s arguments last year defending the statue of a Confederate soldier that then stood on the courthouse grounds.
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The Douglass School story is only part of the history of Loudoun, one of the last school districts in the country to desegregate. Loudoun Schools were integrated in 1968, 14 years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education ruling that declared separate public schools based on race to be unconstitutional. The county board fought integration, including supporting a state constitutional amendment that would allow it to help pay for white students to go to private schools, avoiding integrated public schools; withholding work on Douglass Elementary School and Douglass High School unless “reasonable assurance was given by the
parents of colored children of the County that they conform to the opinion that their education be promoted better by their continued school attendance on a segregated basis,” and joining the effort to defund schools rather than integrate. During that time, the School Board was appointed by the Board of Supervisors. “The purpose of a truth and reconciliation committee is to hold public hearings to establish the scale and impact of a past injustice, typically involving wide-scale human rights abuses, and make it part of the permanent, unassailable public record,” according to Briskman’s proposal. n
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