n LOUDOUN
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VOL. 6, NO. 47
Pg. 8 | n EDUCATION
Pg. 10 | n OBITUARIES
Pg. 22 | n PUBLIC NOTICES
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OCTOBER 14, 2021
Hoyler Tapped for School Board Seat BY HAYLEY BOUR
hbour@loudounnow.com
Hayley Bour/Loudoun Now
Scott Smith said that after his daughter was allegedly sexually assaulted at Stone Bridge High School, he was unable to get answers about the investigation from the school district.
Parents, Students Press for Reform in Schools’ Handling of Sexual Assaults BY HAYLEY BOUR
hbour@loudounnow.com
Photos of Loudoun County father Scott Smith being led away bloodied and in handcuffs made national news when the June 22 School Board meeting erupted into chaos amid the culture war protests of parents battling then-proposed transgender protections and fears about Critical Race Theory. The boardroom was cleared after Chairwoman Brenda Sheri-
dan (Sterling) determined the crowd was too rowdy to continue with public comment. But, Smith said, amid the high-profile battle between conservative and progressive parents playing out in the boardroom, his altercation and ultimate arrest had little to do with the School Board’s agenda for the meeting. Smith, a Leesburg-based plumber, was attending his first School Board meeting with his wife, Jess. Less than a month
prior, on May 28, the Smiths say their daughter was sexually assaulted in her Stone Bridge High School bathroom by a fellow student. “I went at the spur of the moment after I finished up a work job down the street, to go see the circus I’ve been seeing on the news. We weren’t going to protest or anything,” Smith said. Smith said the student who assaulted ASSAULTS continues on page 13
The School Board has appointed Andrew Hoyler, the late Leslee King’s opponent in her previous election, to fill her Broad Run District seat. Hoyler in a 2014 graduate of Briar Woods High School, and spent 12 years as a student in the district. “I think I bring a fresh voice. This board has been through a lot these last couple months and I think [I’m] someone who comes in with a fresh mind, fresh ideas, someone who’s a voice of compromise,” Hoyler said after taking the oath of office Tuesday night. “Hopefully bring some of the different opinions together HOYLER continues on page 33
Hayley Bour/Loudoun Now
Andrew Hoyler has been appointed to fill the Broad Run District seat on the School Board.
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Leesburg Council Adopts Vaccine Mandate for Town Staff BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
All Town of Leesburg employees will have until mid-January to be vaccinated against COVID-19, under a policy adopted by the Town Council on Tuesday night. Employees with medical or religious exemptions will be permitted to continue in their positions, but will be required to undergo weekly testing for the virus. The requirements are to take effect within 90 days of the Oct. 12 vote. The mandate, put forward by Councilmen Zach Cummings and Neil Steinberg, passed on a 4-3 vote. Councilmembers Suzanne Fox and Kari Nacy said that vaccinations should be left as individual decisions. Councilman Ara Bagdasarian advocated a policy that would align with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration policies, which currently recommend that large employers require testing for workers who are not fully vaccinated. Town Manager Kaj Dentler estimated there were 200 unvaccinated employees. Under the program, those with exemptions requiring testing will have to pay the cost
of those test. Dentler recommended the town join the testing program being established by the county government, which has adopted a weekly testing requirement for unvaccinated employees. That program is expected to be up and running by late November. Through the end of the year, FEMA will cover the costs, about $125 per test. Starting in January, FEMA will require localities to cover 25% of the cost. The Town Council’s motion stated the unvaccinated employees would be required to pay those fees. Those supporting the mandate said it was needed to better protect staff members and members of the public who come in contact with them—whether being pulled over by a police officer or paying a utility bill in Town Hall. “I believe that our duty is to the people, to the public,” Cummings said. “And that means folks should not have to worry when they are interacting with people who work for the Town of Leesburg whether their safety is at risk.” Mayor Kelly Burk said the virus continues to be a danger to the community, noting she attended the funeral of an unvaccinated
friend on the previous day. “We are not safe as long as we continue to look at ourselves as individuals. … We have a pandemic that is all around us and if we don’t do something, we’re going to be here two years from now still wearing masks.” In opposing the policy, Fox pointed to the area’s high vaccination rate and low infection levels, saying Loudoun County was among the safest places in the country. She noted the area was not under a health emergency declaration that would perhaps justify such extraordinary action. Nacy suggested an alternative to the mandate could be to offer incentives, such as bonuses or extra time off, for those choosing to get vaccinated. She said she was worried about losing good town workers, especially police officers who are difficult to recruit train and retain. Concerns about the impact a vaccine mandate could have on the Police Department have been central to the debate. During the council’s previous discussion of the proposal, several officers spoke publicly to oppose the measure. Last week, eight other officers wrote the council expressing support for a mandate.
The officers pointed out that there are already a number of vaccines that are mandatory by the town for their employment and that adding the COVID-19 vaccine to that list “will not dismantle the police department as it was described to you on Sept. 28.” “In fact, if an argument must be made, it should be that a vaccine mandate would save officers’ lives as COVID-19 was the leading cause of law enforcement deaths in the first six months of 2021,” the letter stated. Another point of debate Tuesday night was how quickly to impose the requirement. Dentler said it would take 30 days to craft the policy and then 90 days to allow employees to comply—a timeline that would push enforcement to February. The council settled on a 90-day deadline to complete both steps. While some sought to move as quickly as possible, Vice Mayor Marty Martinez said he didn’t want the employees who may face termination for noncompliance to have to face that decision during the December holidays. n
Virginia’s First Lady Briefed on Loudoun’s School Mental Health Programs BY RENSS GREENE Rgreene@loudounnow.com
Virginia’s First Lady Pam Northam last week toured two Loudoun public schools to learn about the pioneering programs those schools run to support student mental health needs. Northam, a former pediatric occupational therapist and teacher, visited J. Michael Lunsford Middle School and Freedom High School on Oct. 6, two schools that have been on the leading edge of mental health programs both locally and nationally. In 2019, Freedom High School was among eight schools in the country picked by the National Council on Behavioral Health and Lady Gaga’s Born this Way Foundation to pilot the Teen Mental Health First Aid program. That program, which trains teens to identify friends who may be developing a mental health problem and how to help them, now runs alongside a variety of other programs at the schools, which range from pairing disabled and non-disabled athletes, to musical programs, to other support systems with both peers and school employees. The Loudoun School Board also has given mental health resources repeated budget boosts, with mental health teams for each school including school psy-
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Virginia First Lady Pam Northam speaks outside of Freedom High School after her visit Wednesday, Oct. 6.
chologists, school social workers, student assistance specialists, school counselors, school nurses, and administrators. Those are further bolstered by recent state and federal funding, and the schools have a systemwide Mental Health Taskforce to find out where the resources fall short. Northam complimented what she called the schools’ gestalt approach to taking care of students’ mental health needs. “Young adults here at high school, when they’re speaking, they’re speaking
from a place where they know that they’re valued and cared for that, they feel safe and secure and that they’re really ready to learn,” Northam said. Students during her visit told Northam about coming back to school after being away for so longer during the COVID-19 pandemic—both the apprehensions they had about returning, and the joys of being back together. Student Council Association President Aaron Weidner told her about organizing the first homecoming
week back. “Obviously at the beginning of the year, we weren’t sure really how all that was going to look with COVID and everything,” Weidner said. “But it was amazing, and I think just the school spirit all around was really on a whole other level.” Other students echoed that sentiment, that they were glad to be able to get back together—but also that there were some lessons learned from remote learning during the pandemic. Weidner said having Mondays off from class gave him a chance to take the weekend off and do schoolwork on Monday. And while Weidner said he was half-joking, school counselor Darlene Adu-Gyamfi also said that’s an important perspective. “We know that in the United States, we tend to be a little more overworked than a lot of developed nations,” Adu-Gyamfi said. “It’s a real point that the students are making when they’ve had this experience of one year … which is still is a five-day workweek for most of our students, they’re working hard on Mondays, our staff as well, so that flexibility was amazing.” Northam said she would take the exNORTHAM continues on page 11
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million in state funding to expand rural broadband access, and county staff members on Oct. 5 said they’re optimistic about its chances. The county and two companies are hoping to use that money toward an estimated $71,975,000 project to run fiber optic cable along existing power lines, expanding broadband access to unserved and underserved areas of the county. They applied for the state’s Virginia Telecommunication Initiative grants. According to the application filed with the state, the project would put in place 663 miles of fiber to around 240 square miles of the county. That is expected to reach 8,855 new addresses, including 8,185 homes along with rural businesses like bed-and-breakfasts, Great County Farms, Bluemont Vineyard, Dirt Farm Brewing, Homestead 1870 Farm Market, the Stone Manor Boutique Inn, Catoctin Apiary, Georges Mill Farm Bed & Breakfast and Farm Artisan Cheese, among many others. It would also connect Bluemont Community Center, the Philomont Community Center, and the Between the Hills Community Center. And county staff members told supervisors at their meeting Oct. 5 that between the many letters of support from businesses, town governments and lawmakers, and the higher than required local fund-
discussions with All Points, a company Fri: 8-1pm • Sat: that has experience in similar projects, it 8-1pm (Once/month) was decided that the funding the Board of 24hr Emergency Service Supervisors has put forth sets Loudoun’s application apart. The Board of Supervisors in July allocated $12.425 million of its American Rescue Plan Act fund allocation toward the project. The state’s requirements also brought a bit more good news for Loudoun residents—previously, All Points planned to charge extra for bringing service more than 500 feet from the nearest line, for example up long driveways. Thanks to requirements by the Department of Housing and Community Development, All Points now will not charge extra for the first year after it begins offering service in a neighborhood. All Points plans to charge a $199 installation cost to each new customer; previously, according to a county staff report, they had estimated they would be charging extra to as many as two-thirds of new western Loudoun customers. Customers will still be able to request that the fiber be buried underground, rather than following aerial power lines; in that case, they would be charged for time and materials plus 10%. Decisions on the grants are expected in late December. n
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Board Leans Toward Horseshow Location for Philomont Fire Station BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com
County supervisors were inclined to stick with their plans to build a new Philomont fire station on the old horse show grounds, rather than requests from area residents to renovate the existing fire station. After outcry from the community over plans to build a new fire station on the grounds of the former Philomont horse show, county leaders agreed to commission a feasibility study on renovating the current station between the village’s general store and community center. That study found that such a fire station was feasible and safe, however the project would cost more. Renovating and adding on to the current station would cost an estimated $26.9 million, while tearing it down and building a new station on the same spot would cost an estimated $27.8 million. The county had budgeted $21.9 million for the project, assuming they would be building a new fire station on the horse show grounds, which the volunteer fire department currently owns. The county’s budget item includes all expenses—such as fit-out and furniture—while the reno-
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
County supervisors now seem unlikely to change course from plans to build a new Philomont Fire Station on the former grounds of the Philomont Horse Show.
vation or replacement study’s estimates do not. The volunteer department also has since told the county it would charge $2 million for the current fire house property, more than five times its assessed value at this year, $383,120 according to county records. They have offered to donate the horse show grounds. Volunteer department leaders have backed plans to use the
horse show grounds. And even the proposals to renovate and expand the old station, or tear it down and build on the same site, did not satisfy the voices opposing the county’s plans to build one on the horse show grounds. County and fire-rescue staff members have also been skeptical of plans to use the current, smaller site; it would not allow the standard, one-story, 5-acre design
for a Loudoun fire-rescue station. The current fire-rescue station is not safely usable by modern standards. According to Loudoun Fire-Rescue, the equipment bays are too small for modern gear and vehicles; the layout does not allow for proper decontamination, while cancer is the biggest killer for firefighters; it has inadequate sleeping, administrative and exercise space; there are no separate showers and locker rooms for men and women; and, perhaps most ironically for a fire station, it has an inadequate fire protection system. The higher costs for using the current site dissuaded supervisors during a briefing at their meeting Oct. 5. Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) said the majority of public input his office has received has been in favor of using the horse show grounds, despite the push from residents for reusing the current site during two public input meetings on the project. John Myers, president of the Loudoun Career Firefighter Association, has also spoken repeatedly in favor of the horse show grounds station, citing firefighter safety. The horse show, which the volunteers hosted as a fundraiser since 1957, was retired last year. n
Supervisors Move to Allow Alcohol at Some Hanson Events BY RENSS GREENE Rgreene@loudounnow.com
Loudoun County will work to pass an amendment to local ordinances that would allow alcohol sales for some events at two spots in the massive new Hal and Berni Hanson Regional Park. The regional park is under construction now, planned for completion by spring 2022. Among plans for the 257-acre park are The Lodge events center, and Championship Plaza, a sports complex with two turf fields, stadium seating, and a plaza in between the fields. In the case of the event center, said Loudoun Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Steve Torpy, the department envisions allowing large scale events, meetings, and weddings. Meanwhile at Championship Plaza, Torpy said he envisions a place for fairs, festivals and concerts, something Loudouners asked for during the work to revamp the parks and rec master plan—
”no other setting in our inventory has this specific type of setup, which is we feel very conducive to holding these types of events.” Alcohol would not be available during youth sporting events. In all cases, the contracted vendors for events would hold ABC licenses and
the associated responsibilities. No county staff members would handle alcohol. This mirrors the practice at the two other county-owned parks where alcohol is permitted, Segra Field and the Loudoun Farm Museum. Supervisor Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad
Run) also asked whether there could be an emphasis on local breweries and wineries at those events. Torpy said locals were featured at the recent Autumn Apple Festival at the Loudoun Farm Museum. Supervisors last week voted to send the proposed ordinance to the next step, a public hearing, 7-0-2, with County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) and Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) absent for the meeting. The discussion was also the latest test for supervisors’ preparedness for meetings. Although meeting materials are provided to supervisors roughly a week in advance, some supervisors were unclear going into the meeting whether alcohol would be served through all of Hanson Park, or at how many locations. That information is laid out in five places in the three-page staff report prepared for the meeting, including in the first and second sentences, as well as the attached proposed ordinance, where it is in bold, underlined and colored red. A reference map is also provided. n
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Leesburg
Town Leaders Push Economic Development on Varied Fronts BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com
There’s the phrase “too many irons in the fire” and then there’s the workload Leesburg Economic Development Director Russell Seymour finds himself juggling. Just last week, Seymour led a public input session on redevelopment options for the town’s Liberty Street parking lot. It’s an underused part of the downtown historic district that has been of interest to several developers in recent years, and has been the subject of at least one unsolicited proposal to the town this year. Seymour said the 40 to 50 residents in attendance at the Oct. 7 meeting had lots of questions about potential for the land’s redevelopment, and also voiced some concerns on the possibility of adding more residential to the area. However, there was lots of support for facets of a plan submitted by local attorney Peter Burnett. His proposal envisions a conference center, theater, restaurant, parking structure, and more than 100 units of age-restricted senior housing. Seymour said he has already begun inputting feedback from the meeting and from comments received via the leesburgva.gov/liberty-lot webpage, which he expects will remain open for at least another week or so, into a spreadsheet to hand off to the Town Council. “I think there was a real focus on bringing people to downtown and keeping people downtown. I think people were starting to see when you have more of that how that benefits other businesses,” Seymour said of feedback. Seymour’s charges for the next year are focused on the entire town, not just the downtown. In a recent work session discussion with the Town Council, Seymour went over a litany of projects he is embarking on, not the least of which is further exploring whether Leesburg should consider becoming a Main Street community. With the council recently voicing support to move into Tier 2 exploration
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
Leesburg Economic Development Director Russell Seymour leads an Oct. 7 public input meeting on redevelopment options for the town’s Liberty Street parking lot.
phase of the Main Street program, which does not yet commit the town to any financial investment, but gives opportunity to further scrutinize whether the program is a good fit for the town, Seymour was planning to put that application in the mail this week. An economic development strategic plan is expected to be a major time commitment for Seymour this year. He told the council at its Sept. 27 work session that the town has amassed or engaged in a fair amount of studies over the years that deal with facets of economic development, from the nighttime economy to
performing arts center feasibility to how to help the retail market and more. “I really see a lot of bits and pieces studied but not a comprehensive approach in all of this,” Seymour told the council. His vision for an economic development strategic plan for the town would focus on Leesburg as a destination for business, consumers and visitors. “The plan would identify goals, needs and how to accomplish them,” he said. “The plan must be flexible, adaptable to change, and utilize input acquired from local businesses.” In addition to the local business community, Seymour said he also would work closely with the Economic Development Commission and town departments. He expects to have a draft plan ready for presentation to the council within 12 months and, at present time, does not believe he will need to utilize an outside consultant to see it from start to finish. An important component of the document will be a tourism plan, he added, and that leads to another goal for Seymour, of establishing a tourism zone in Leesburg. Having both a tourism plan— which would be accomplished within the economic development strategic plan— and a tourism zone opens the town up to grant opportunities from the state, and could serve as a recruitment tool for new businesses, or offer incentives for current businesses to expand. Seymour said he has not yet narrowed down what area could encompass a tourism zone in Leesburg, but said it could cover a specific area or even an entire locality. “Typically what you don’t want to do with any type of incentive, you don’t want to incentivize an area that businesses can’t go into. We’re looking very closely at zoning; these are really good opportunities not only to incentivize businesses but direct them and build up areas again,” he said. Seymour said he expects to offer his recommendations on a tourism zone for Leesburg following completion of the economic development strategic plan. n
OCTOBER 14, 2021
Police Task Force Convenes Next Week BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com
A task force of Leesburg residents will begin its review of Leesburg Police Department policies and procedures next week, and help to determine whether an advisory commission may be of benefit to both the force and the Town Council. The council voted in July to form the task force after multiple rounds of debate over the past year on what role residents could play in providing a level of oversight or advise to the Police Department. It comes after a year of nationwide racial reckoning in the wake of several high-profile instances of police brutality in other parts of the country. Last fall, legislation signed into law by Gov. Ralph Northam created authority for civilian oversight bodies with direct regulatory authority over police agencies—a phenomenon that has become more prevalent throughout the U.S.—but the authority does not extend to towns, only cities and counties. Leesburg does, however, have the ability to form an advisory commission, which will be the primary study of the task force once convened. The seven-member task force includes the most recent council appointee, Enrique Gonzalez, who is Vice Mayor Marty Martinez’s nominee. Gonzalez retired in 2011 after 40 years’ service with the federal government with both the FBI and CIA. Each member of the task force was required to have experience and/or familiarity with police policies, procedures, law enforcement operations, and/ or a legal background. Gonzalez joins a panel that includes another former FBI employee, Paul Gomez (Mayor Kelly Burk’s nominee); attorney Amy Harber (Councilman Ara Bagdasarian); and military veteran Brian Owens (Councilman Zach Cummings). The task force also includes three former police officers— retired U.S. Capitol Police officer Frank Holtz (Councilwoman Kari Nacy) and two former members of the Leesburg Police Department, Clagett “Skeeter” Moxley (Councilman Neil Steinberg) and Pat Daly (Councilwoman Suzanne Fox). The task force’s first meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, at Leesburg Police Department headquarters on Plaza Street. The task force is expected to return to the Town Council within six months with a final recommendation. n
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The Walking Man Shares His Mission with Leesburg VFW BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
The members of VFW Post 1177 on Wednesday hosted a visit by Danny Garcia, the U.S. Marine Corps veteran who has walked around the globe to support veterans, children, and world peace. The adventures and message of the 76-year-old minister—including his meetings with world leaders ranging from Queen Elizabeth to Mother Teresa—are featured in his new book “Marines Don’t Cry: Delivering the Message at All Cost,” publishing in December. He began walking in 1996 from California, responding to a calling from God, he said. “This walk around the world has been challenging, I’ll tell you that,” he said. “I’ve walked over snakes that bite and can kill you, mudslides, snow up to your knees in France in the cold weather. … I’ve been abducted by Palestinians,” he said. He recalled the pain of visiting the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC. “It took me seven years to get to the
Contributed
Danny Garcia and his wife Jackie Charsagua Garcia pose with members of VFW Post 1177 during their Oct. 6 visit to Leesburg.
wall. I couldn’t get to the wall. I couldn’t touch it,” he said, recalling the names of
his buddies who didn’t make it back. “Today, I walk for them and I walk for their
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children.” Much later, he learned from a VA doctor that his trouble sleeping and other ailments were caused by PTSD. “I didn’t have time to think about that because I was so busy thinking about my buddies who I lost and the children I see being abused and killed around the world,” he said “And I hurt because of the division I see in my country, the way I see people hurt our flag, step on it and burn it. It just doesn’t make me happy at all, so I walk for all of that.” He said he typically walks 50 miles a day, sometimes with a Forrest Gump-like following. He said he doesn’t plan to stop until God calls him home. In the Philippines and other places, Garcia said he is known as the walking man. “People are touched when they see the walking man walking because it is the spirit of God walking to try to bring us together, not just as a nation but as a people.” “Marines Don’t Cry,” co-written with his wife Jackie C. Garcia, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, is available for pre-order at Amazon, Books-A-Million and Barns & Noble. n
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LOUDOUNNOW.COM
OCTOBER 14, 2021
Education
SCHOOL notebook
Contributed
Megan Tucker
Hillsboro Charter Academy Teacher Wins Air Force Association Honors
Contributed
Freshmen Claude Moore Scholars from the Academies of Loudoun were celebrated during a white coat ceremony on Oct. 6.
Freshman Scholars Celebrate White Coat Ceremony BY HAYLEY BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com
As the nation faces a shortage in healthcare workers, ninth grade students in Loudoun represent a beacon of hope. Freshmen Claude Moore Scholars, Academies of Loudoun students who pursue healthcare certifications, were honored during a white coat ceremony on Wednesday evening. The Claude Moore Foundation has funded the program in the county since 2007. Students pursue medical pathways and certifications in Biomedical Technology, Health informatics, Medical Laboratory Technology, Pharmacy Technology, Licensed Practical Nursing, and Radiolo-
gy Technology. During the ceremony, student names and photos were shared on a video, and students were asked to recite the Academies of Loudoun honor code. “Your passion for STEM education is the reason why the Academies of Loudoun exists. And I am so glad that you are all a part of our legacy of teaching and learning,” Academies of Loudoun principal Tinell Priddy told students. “I appreciate the flexibility, dedication and support you all have demonstrated this year.” The students received a short white coat that symbolizes a stepping stone into the medical profession. Jennifer Chang, the director of the program, said the ceremony is a celebra-
tion of students’ pursuit of a challenging course of study. “It also serves as a welcome to you from your community of support, your classmates, fellow students, parents, teachers and counselors. Most importantly it is a solemn occasion where you’re committing to honesty, tolerance, compassion, integrity, and to the Academies of Loudoun honor code,” Chang said. The program aims to address the healthcare worker shortage experienced nationwide. Prior to the pandemic, a study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health reported that there will be a shortage of over 500,000 registered nurses by the year 2030. n
McConnell Cites School Board in Opposing FBI Threat Probe BY HAYLEY BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com
The Loudoun County School Board is once again in the national spotlight. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) pointed to the embattled School Board in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, criticizing Garland’s directive that the FBI investigate threats from parents against School Board members. “In your very backyard of Virginia,
there have been shocking efforts by public officials to organize for the intimidation and harassment of parents who have the temerity to want a better education for their children,” McConnell wrote in the letter. “One Loudoun County School Board member participated in a Facebook group that compiled a list of parents opposed to Critical Race Theory and discussed hacking their websites. It’s a situation where legal accountability is difficult because the Loudoun County Prosecutor was also a member of the group seeking to ‘doxx’
concerned parents.” McConnell is referencing School Board member Beth Barts (Leesburg) who is facing a removal effort in Circuit Court over her involvement in the group Anti-Racist Parents of Loudoun County, where members allegedly compiled lists of people openly opposed to the school district’s racial equity work. The issue of violence against School Board members reached new heights MCCONNELL continues on page 11
Hillsboro Charter Academy teacher Megan Tucker earned Air Force Association Teacher of the Year honors for inspiring students to pursue STEAM subjects. Tucker has taught for 17 years, and has worked to cultivate the instructional programming at HCA since it opened its door five years ago. “Being selected for this honor has been a humbling experience and really a culmination of 17 years of passion for aerospace and STEAM,” Tucker said. “I’m excited to continue to spread the aviation fascination across the nation with the support of the Air Force Association and Rolls Royce as well as the encouragement of my rock star colleagues and the pod of future engineers and innovators that we are growing at Hillsboro Charter Academy.” HCA is a tuition-free public charter school in Hillsboro for students in grades K-5.
Three Named PTA Schools of Excellence The National Parent Teacher Association has named Cool Spring Elementary, Lucketts Elementary, and Sanders Corner Elementary National PTA Schools of Excellence. According to the National PTA’s website, the School of Excellence program seeks to “open the lines of communication and critical thinking within school communities to make data-driven decisions that yield positive, long-term results.” n
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
OCTOBER 14, 2021
McConnell continued from page 10 when the National School Board Association asked President Joseph R. Biden for “immediate assistance” for School Board members who’ve faced threats over mask mandates and Critical Race Theory. Following the NSBA’s request to Biden, Garland directed the FBI and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to address the growing trend of threats against School Boards. Loudoun School Board members have shared on social media threats and hateful messages received online from parents. Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian), one of five School Board members facing a removal effort, shared on her Facebook page a message she received in April. “Don’t be surprised when you low-IQ, poorly educated, and morally bankrupt pinko traitors are dragged from your beds in the middle of the night and hanged by the neck until dead by the righteously angry parents of your community,” the message said. Last week, Michael Biron, the man who signed the removal petition representing the petitioners against Barts, sent an email to the full School Board referencing Reas-
er’s sharing of an article about the NSBA request. The article suggested that some parents might be considered “domestic terrorists.” “So this monkey face is calling me a domestic terrorist?!” the email said, which included a photo of Reaser. While the email is not signed, it matches the email address presented in documents included in a subpoena response from Barts’ attorney. The court filings in the removal case against Barts also show dozens of emails between Biron and School Board members, ranging from sharing concerns over masking protocols, to saying to Barts, “You are pathetic, next time you send someone pictures of yourself … pick a pig.” In response to the outrage from members of the public, School Board meetings this year have featured far more restricted access for the public. The public is not permitted to enter the boardroom during public comment. Commenters also must be either students, parents of students, or business owners in the county. Sept. 28’s meeting saw an increased deputy presence, including a K-9 unit outside of the administrative offices. People entering the building were screened by security and not permitted to bring bags inside. n
PAGE 11
Northam continued from page 3 perience back to Richmond as a success story. “We fought for additional counselors in our schools, and it almost brings me to tears to see five counselors in a school and be able to say, ‘hey, not only is this working on the ground, but this was so important through this devastating last year, year and a half,’” Northam said. “So to see it here, to see it working on the ground, to take this back to our legislators and say ‘thank you’ for prioritizing education.” And, after the visit, the former high school biology teacher said it was hard to leave. “I want to be with the students again. It just makes me so happy to see the educators back where I know they love to be, close to their students, making those connections and relationships that we heard the theme of over and over again today,” Northam said. “It is so important. You cannot teach without having those kinds of relationships.” Freedom Principal Neelum Chaudhry said the keys to making their programs successful is building connections with the students, and support at the county level.
“The programs are fairly easy to put together, but unless you have that human connection with people, it makes it difficult for the program to be successful,” Chaudhry said. “And I think the other thing is that our county also really believes in it. So, whenever we come up with a program, we know that if we speak to the right people, there’s always support at the county level for how to help students.” Northam’s visit was also covered by student journalists from Uncaged, Freedom High School’s newsmagazine, who asked her what her favorite part of the visit was. “My favorite experience has to be talking to the students. They were incredible after what we’ve all been through in this last year, year and a half. They were really able to speak so eloquently about what it was like to be at home, how isolating that was in so many ways, although they were able to keep with their learning because of the terrific things that the teachers were doing here to help them during that time,” Northam said. “But how much more joyful and excited they were to be back in class back with their friends, back with their teachers and have that great peer support again.” n
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OCTOBER 14, 2021
Public Safety Three Charged in Homecoming Night Assault in Lovettsville BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
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A 19-year-old from Rockingham County was charged with assault and two others with drunk in public following a Saturday night altercation in which a group of homecoming-bound teens were accosted with racial slurs and inappropriate sexual comments. According to reports by the Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police, three 19-year-old men were leaving the Velocity Wings restaurant in Lovettsville around 7:15 p.m. Oct. 9 when they encountered a group of teens heading to Loudoun Valley High School’s homecoming dance. The older teens harassed the younger group and a physical altercation ensued between. An older adult male—an off-duty federal law enforcement officer—who was in the area stepped in to break up the brawl and was struck by one of the 19-year-olds. A Virginia State Police trooper was the first to arrive on the scene and charged Adam Simmers, 19, of Rockingham County, with assault of the federal officer, who was not injured. Two other older teens left the scene but were tracked down by Loudoun deputies. All three suspects were charged with being drunk in public, as well. The family of the juvenile who was involved in the fight declined to pursue charges, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Simmers is scheduled for a Nov. 15 trial in Loudoun County District Court.
Reports of the incident on social media sparked outrage, although there are differing accounts about whether the altercation was primarily spurred by sexual harassment or the racial slurs by the suspects. “Hate has no home in Lovettsville. These boys were 15 and going to homecoming, Racism doesn’t belong here. Hatred, violence and that kind of behavior doesn’t belong in Lovettsville,” one resident wrote in a widely shared post about the incident. “I was there. Right at the scene. And it was my daughter and her friends who were involved. Somehow, what was truly sexual assault is being turned into a race issue. It makes me, my daughter, and her friends really upset that people who weren’t even there would twist this away from what these young gentlemen (her friends) were trying to defend — a teenaged girl who was being disgustingly, verbally assaulted by an adult male. Thanks for making the female/victim feel unseen,” a witness wrote on Facebook. Uproar over the incident also prompted the owners of Velocity Wings to issue a statement denouncing “racism, violence and even unkind words.” “We follow the rules of common human courtesy. There is no place here for anything other than good. Not today, not last night, and not ever. Violence should not happen to anyone, anywhere, ever. That is our position and has been since we opened our doors at our first restaurant more than 30 years ago,” they wrote. n
SAFETY briefs Teen Charged with Sexual Battery at Ashburn High School
15 Catalytic Converters Stolen in Sterling
A teenage boy has been charged with sexual battery and abduction of a fellow student at Broad Run High School, according to the Sheriff’s Office. According to the report, on the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 6, the 15-yearold suspect forced the victim into an empty classroom where he held her against her will and inappropriately touched her. The victim immediately reported the incident to a School Resource Officer. The suspect was held at the Loudoun County Juvenile Detention Center.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, thieves made off with 15 catalytic converters from vehicles parked on four Sterling properties between Oct. 8 and Oct. 11. At lots on Underwood Lane and Bryant Court, 10 converters—five at each location—were taken between Sunday and Monday. Four more were taken from work vehicles parked on Powers Court during the early morning hours of Oct. 8. Another SAFETY BRIEFS continues on page 14
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
OCTOBER 14, 2021
Assaults continued from page 1 his daughter is male and identifies as gender-fluid. And he said he was provoked during a meeting by a woman he knew personally, who made comments about his daughter, discounting the alleged assault. Deputies attempted to restrain Smith, and he was dragged to the floor. Smith was later charged with two misdemeanors and convicted by Judge Thomas J. Kelley. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail, all suspended, contingent on a year of good behavior. His attorney, Elizabeth Lancaster, argued for a moderate fine and no jail time, pointing to Smith’s largely clean record, his long residency as a small business owner in Leesburg, and his anger about the assault of his daughter. Smith is appealing the verdict to the Circuit Court, where a jury trial is scheduled for March 12, 2022. After another sexual assault was reported last week, this time at Broad Run High School, Smith decided to speak out. According to the report on the incident, on the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 6, the 15-year-old suspect forced the victim into an empty classroom where he held a student against her will and inappropriately touched her. The victim immediately reported the incident to a School Resource Officer. The suspect was charged with sexual battery and abduction. During the public comment session of Tuesday’s School Board meeting, dozens of parents alleged that the assailant from the Broad Run report was the same as from the Stone Bridge incident. Parents charged that administrators allowed the student to transfer within the district after the incident, putting students at a new school at risk. “What are you doing to protect my daughters and every LCPS student from being sexually assaulted at school?” one mother said. “You allowed a student who is currently charged with sexually assaulting a girl to be quietly transferred to another school. The same high school my twin daughters attend…Why did you put my daughters in every 14- to 18-year-old girl at Broad Run at risk of being sexually assaulted?” “Your moral compasses are busted. You Dr. Ziegler and our School Board, everyone of you, are complicit in these crimes against our children,” Carrie Michon said. District spokesman Wayde Byard said neither he nor School Board members could comment on the alleged assaults. Although doing so would not risk revealing any students’ identities, Byard also said the district could neither confirm nor
deny that the assailant was the same student in both incidents. The Sheriff’s Office did not release any information about the cases, citing Virginia code that seals cases involving minors. After the second alleged assault, Smith said he decided to speak out about the process he said he and his wife have endured since the incident with their daughter. Smith said the school called him in after their daughter reported the assualt, giving little information about what had transpired. “The day of the incident, the [School Resource Officer] and the principal made it very clear that they had to do their investigation and that we weren’t to talk about anything. … The school counselor was in the room with my wife and daughter and told my daughter and my wife they’re not supposed to talk about anything,” Smith said. The principal continued to ask Smith questions, he said. “I just kept saying ‘no, this is not acceptable, where’s the police? Where’s the ambulance?’” Smith said. He said grew frustrated that the school resource officer, a deputy assigned to the school, was not providing the answers Smith was looking for. Still, to this day, the Smiths say that they don’t have clarity on the investigation. “The school said it was handed off to the Sheriff’s Office, and they don’t know what is going on. My wife has done so much. ... She’s tried to get paperwork and restraining orders. It’s a mess,” Smith said. The school district said much of the LCPS response protocol is dictated by law enforcement agencies, and the administrators must not intervene in such investigations. The school district did not comment on the specific incident. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a two-month investigation was conducted of the alleged assault and a case remains pending in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, although no details were shared.
Empowering Students Concerns about the school division’s handling of assaults also is a concern of a group of Woodgrove High School alumni who say they experienced sexual assault, harassment, or violence during their years at the school. They are working to change the culture at their alma mater to protect current and future students with their organization, Be Better Woodgrove. Four young professionals dispersed throughout the country found themselves once again back in their hometown of Purcellville during the pandemic. During
that time, anonymized accusations of sexual assault began to surface on popular twitter accounts, and the group of friends was struck to see a pattern of Woodgrove alumni sited as assailants on the pages. Seeing those accusations, they said, was a time warp to their own traumatic experiences, which, they realized, were emblematic of larger problem not just at their high school, but perhaps at schools everywhere. One of the organizers said she was sexually assaulted by student off campus when she was a freshman. When rumors of the incident reached administrators, the victim was questioned in what she described as an interrogatory way. As a 15-year-old, she said, she didn’t have the vocabulary or understanding to articulate to the administrators that she had been assaulted. The incident was never followed up on after the initial investigation. “If you don’t tell me anything, I can’t help you,” she remembers the school counselor telling her before dismissing her. She said she wishes to empower and inform youth to know when they’ve been assaulted or harassed, and what kind of reconciliation they’re entitled to. “Reliving those experiences just felt really lonely,” one of the group’s organizers said. “We knew we had to do something.” The women crafted and shared a survey for current Woodgrove students and alumni across social media, asking about adverse experiences, harassment, and sexual assault. “We released it without any real intention,” one of the organizers said. Within 10 days, they’d received over 300 responses. The results, they said, were startling: 82.5% of the respondents felt that not enough is done to prevent sexual harassment and assault at the school. Of the respondents who went to the administration for help, nearly 90% felt that not enough action was taken in response to their experiences. School districts are required to provide Virginia Department of Education statistics on incidents that are reported in schools. The VDOE reporting database only goes back to incidents that occurred during the 2016-2017 school year. There were fewer than 10 sexual assault and harassment incidents reported in Loudoun schools during both the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years. There are no reported incidents from the other years. The women launched the website for Be Better Woodgrove and sought guidance from groups including Know Your IX, which empowers students to stop sexual violence and educates on rights under Title IX, the Loudoun Abused Women
PAGE 13 Shelter (LAWS), and the Virginia Action Alliance. While groups such as LAWS provide informational programing in schools to teach about consent and healthy relationships, Executive Director Judy Hanley and the Be Better Woodgrove team agree that such resources aren’t abundantly available. “It’s not as coordinated as we would probably like. Our community is growing so quickly that it is often difficult to keep up with all of the schools,” Hanley said. The group created a list of demands for Woodgrove, ranging from implementing sexual education measures for students, to doing away with coerced mediated conversations between victims and assailants. The group engaged in a series of meetings with school administrators, and met with School Board member Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge). While the group members felt supported by Serotkin, the meetings with administrators, they said, were not productive for Be Better Woodgrove. The organizers said administrators spent most of the meetings discussing current sexual assault response protocols, without giving sufficient consideration to the group’s experiences and demands. “Those meetings were about 80% listening to the administrators,” a Be Better Woodgrove member said. The school district said that the group worked to inform the revisions of Policy 8270, the student dress code, and Policy 8035, dealing with sexual discrimination and assault. Be Better Woodgrove, though, said that the group wasn’t asked to assist in writing policies. Serotkin, who is on the School Board’s Discipline Committee, said that Be Better Woodgrove’s cause hits close to home. “It’s personal for me because Woodgrove is where my kids will go to high school in a couple years. I look out my back window and I see the school every day,” Serotkin said. “The members of the Be Better Woodgrove community, some of them are neighbors, and friends, so it is personal for me. So, I really take it seriously and have done my best to take their input on informing our policies.” The group remains frustrated on the districtwide front. Wayde Byard, the district’s spokesperson, said that LCPS has already met most of the group’s list of demands. The group demands an apology “reflecting on past errors in addressing sexual assault and harassment and holding themselves accountable for change,” according to their website. “Be Better Woodgrove has never revealed the specifics of the supposed errors by staff, which makes the need for such ASSAULTS continues on page 14
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OCTOBER 14, 2021
Assaults continued from page 13
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an apology unclear,” Byard said. In their meetings with administrators, the group kept most accounts of harassment and assault anonymized to protect their survey respondents, many of whom are current Woodgrove students. The apology, the organizers would say, would represent an acknowledgement of the culture at the school and a commitment to changing it. “If you make students feel more comfortable, you’re going to make it a healthier environment overall,” one of the women said. Be Better Woodgrove also is pressing the school division to make students more aware of their Title IX rights and how to report violations, including adding that information to the student handbook; and to develop a survivor-centered
response protocol to prevent subjecting students to uncomfortable interrogative conversations with authority figures after an incident. Be Better Woodgrove launched an Instagram account to inform current students about their rights, sexual assault awareness, and the LCPS reporting process. The group also recommends that students and parents familiarize themselves with the Loudoun County Abused Women’s Shelter. Hanley said students need to be informed about issues such as sexual assault and consent early. “In the past, we have waited until high school to teach about these things, but it really needs to start in elementary school,” Hanley said. “I think working with community partners to make sure the prevention information is provided, as well as beefing up their Title IX enforcement will also help by educating people what Title IX is.” n
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Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter Executive Director Judy Hanley said students need to be taught about issues like sexual assault and consent early.
SAFETY briefs continued from page 12
was taken from a vehicle at a Woodland Road property also in the early morning of Oct. 8. The cases remain under investigation.
State Warns of Hunting, Fishing License Scammers
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Call 703.698.4488
The Department of Wildlife Resources last week issued an alert warning residents to purchase hunting or fishing licenses only through the department’s official websites. According to the warning, the department has noticed several online sites claiming to sell DWR fishing and hunting licenses. The sites charge fees and
then send fraudulent licenses or nothing at all. DWR has taken actions against the companies and requests the public’s help identifying other scammers. The department listed seven websites as operating scams: vafishinglicense. com, fishinglicense.org, fishandgamelicenses.org, recreationallicenses.org, licenses.org, hunting-license.org, and vafishingdwr.com There are only two official websites where fishing and hunting licenses may be purchased: gooutdoorsvirginia.com and dwr.virginia.gov. Licenses may also be purchased on the Go Outdoors Virginia mobile app or at a local vendor. n
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
OCTOBER 14, 2021
PAGE 15
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YMCA Loudoun County’s Youth Development Center has moved to the Lowes Island community in Sterling.
YMCA Debuts New Location Saturday BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ
krodriguez@loudounnow.com
The YMCA Loudoun County has moved its Youth Development Center to a new neighborhood in Sterling and is inviting the community to check out its new digs this weekend. The nonprofit will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony during its annual fall fes-
tival Saturday, Oct. 16. The ribbon-cutting will kick off the festivities at 10 a.m. Until 1 p.m. attendees can enjoy a trunk or treat, photo booth, tours of the facility, giveaways, and more. Rob Blakely, associate executive director for YMCA Loudoun, said the nonprofit’s lease at its Sterling Park youth
Among the distribution of more than $1.3 million in American Rescue Plan funding for construction and renovation projects at local community health center, $637,808 has been allocated for the Loudoun Community Health Center. The funding is targeted to strengthen primary health care infrastructure and advance health equity in underserved communities, including through projects that support COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination, according to her office. “COVID has exposed long-standing inequities in our health system,” Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-10) stated in announcing the grant. “I’m proud that this American Rescue Plan funding will help us tackle those inequities head on and better serve those most in need during this pandemic and long into the future. Upgrading the infrastructure of our community health
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centers is key to expanding access to high-quality health care for every Virginian.” The Greater Prince William Area Community Health Center, Inc., will receive $711,255, bringing the total in the 10th District to $1,349,063. Virginia will receive $15.8 million for 25 community health centers across the commonwealth. That money will be used for COVID-related capital needs, building new facilities, renovating and expanding existing facilities to enhance their pandemic response, and buying new equipment including telehealth technology, mobile medical vans, and freezers to store vaccines. The funds are awarded to health centers that serve medically underserved and other vulnerable populations and communities, which have been disproportionately affected by COVID and other health conditions. n
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Junior Woman’s Club Donates Mobile Playroom to Loudoun Hospital BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
The Junior Woman’s Club of Loudoun has donated a second mobile playroom to Inova Loudoun Hospital. JWCL donated the first playroom, a mobile unit on wheels which is fully stocked with toys and activities, in 2018 and has been saving funds over the past couple years to purchase a second playroom. “They say they’ve been using the first one a lot so we’re really excited to get the second one for them,” JWCL President Lacy Hurst said. “Playing allows a child to escape from their reality, to be anyone they want and to go anywhere they want to go, even if it is for a moment. We are so happy and grateful that JWCL has the opportunity to provide these moments of play for the pediatric patients at Inova Loudoun,” JWCL past president Francesca Jacobini said. Child Life Specialist Cindy DeFrancesco said the mobile activity station is used both in the pediatric section and in the emergency rooms to help children through their hospital experience. “We’re kind of in charge of providing age-appropriate activities and prizes when they have to go through a stressful situation. So, it is really nice to have this so conveniently available, even if kids are stuck in their room, because it can come right to them, they get a choice of something they like—it’s not just whatever is available is given to them,” DeFrancesco said. The mobile playroom is being purchased from The Oscar Litwak Foundation. The Foundation’s goal is to improve the quality of life of sick children while hospitalized by providing entertainment and resources for them to enjoy in their room. Supporting the hospital team members, pediatric patients and their families just one of the community philanthropic projects undertaken by the club, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary. For more information, go to jwcl.org. n
YMCA continued from page 15 development center was ending, prompting the move to the former Chesterbrook Academy building in Lowes Island. YMCA Loudoun’s administrative offices remain in Leesburg. Blakely said they are happy to stay in the Sterling community and moving to a more residential area like Lowes Island provides access for more families to use its services, which include preschool and extended care, afterschool programming,
and summer camps. Students also will still be bussed to the center. The layout at the new building works better for the nonprofit, Blakely said, and offers the opportunity to expand programming. “We’re hoping to expand on the current programming we do have and introduce new STEM-based programming. We’re hoping to grow in that and work with community partners to bring in coding programs, housing summer camps there. We have a couple classrooms dedicated to school-age children from kindergarten through fifth grade. We’re going to start
OCTOBER 14, 2021 offering more extracurricular activities like evening clubs, weekend programming, and begin tapping into our community members, allowing some outside organizations to come use some of the rooms or hosting community partnership events. Not that we weren’t able to do that before, just the layout is a little bit more suitable to do things like that,” he said. The YMCA Loudoun Youth Development Center is located at 20733 Great Falls Plaza. For more information on YMCA Loudoun County, go to ymcadc.org or check out YMCA Loudoun County on Facebook. n
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OCTOBER 14, 2021
PAGE 17
Loudoun Economic Development Wins Top Nat’l Honor
Business
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
Chef Chris Rieloff attaches a to-go box to a quadcopter during an Oct. 7 aerial delivery test.
Food Flight: Roots 657 Explores the Future of Restaurant Deliveries
BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
On Thursday morning, Chef Chris Rieloff attached a to-go box with one of Roots 657’s signature brisket sandwiches and a side of mac and cheese to the tether of a long-endurance quadcopter and watched as it was flown to a neighboring field and lowered it to the ground from 100 in the air. It was a demonstration of things to come—someday relatively soon. As federal regulators continue to develop the rules that will govern commercial use of the uncontrolled airspace—below 400 feet—innovators are exploring the opportunities that advances in drone technology offer. The Oct. 7 test flight involved three such partners: the chefs at Roots 657 in Lucketts; the team from Xelevate, the new unmanned systems flight facility located nearby; and a contingent from Michigan-based drone manufacturer Vayu Aerospace. Roots 657 co-founder and Chef Rich Rosendale said the project grew from an informal conversation with members of the Xelevate team. “They came down to the culinary lab
and we were talking just as neighbors in business, and obviously being customers here at Roots, about how we can do more stuff together,” he said. “We had so many synergies. We wanted to have a strategic partnership from a food level,” Xelevate President and Co-founder Marcy Eisenberg said. “And recognizing what Chef Rosendale and their team have—they are the equivalent in the culinary arts the Xelevate is in unmanned systems—both innovators, both using technology to make their industry more efficient, but still create great solutions. This was natural way for us to move forward together.” “We started talking about social media and we said it would be kind of cool to do a drone delivery or something like that. And they were like, ‘we can make that happen.’” It was no simple feat. Poor weather forced a scrub of the scheduled flight on the previous day, and Vayu President TK Eppley and members of his flight operations team developed a delivery plan that addressed the challenges of weight and wind, and used a second, higher drone to ensure the test ended with a pin-point drop-off. “We just want to show that it can be
done safely, smartly with the right level of love in it,” Eisenberg said. She noted there are still significant regulatory hurdles to clear before area residents will see drones making drops in their yards. Thursday’s flight was from one side of the Roots property to another. Rules that will allow out-of-sight, overthe-horizon flights that will be critical to the industry are still on the drawing board. “We have some clients right now who are getting their FAA certifications to deliver organs and vaccines and things that will help everybody expedient and move forward rather than being stuck in traffic,” she said. “Drones, at the end of the day, are game-changing technology. Root 657 co-founder Muriel Sarmadi doesn’t doubt that there will be a demand for the service. In just the few days since word of the test flight began to circulate, she said the restaurant phone has been ringing with neighbors asking if they could get an aerial delivery. The community will have the opportunity for a closer look at the latest in unmanned aircraft systems Oct. 20 when Xelevate holds a grand opening event for its “USA Center of Excellence” along Taylorstown Road near Lucketts. Learn more at xelevateus.com/grand-opening. n
The Loudoun County Department of Economic Development was presented Tuesday with the coveted Gold Award for “Economic Development Organization of the Year” by the International Economic Development Council at its annual conference in Nashville. The award recognizes the top organization working in communities between 200,000 and 500,000 residents that successfully demonstrates excellence in categories such as program innovation and continuity, leadership quality and consistency, measured metrics and performance benchmarks, and community interaction and impact. Loudoun Economic Development’s Executive Director Buddy Rizer credited the county’s long-term vision for strategic economic development as a key factor in the resilience Loudoun has shown over the past two years. “Loudoun’s ongoing commitment to economic development starts with the stewardship of our Board of Supervisors, the leadership of our County Administration and the hard work of each of our county departments and partners. It is this commitment that guides everything we do,” Rizer stated. “I’m also fortunate to work with an incredible team of talented economic professionals who have dedicated themselves to our mission of creating a diverse and sustainable economy.” According to Loudoun Economic Development’s Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report, released the same day, Loudoun Economic Development worked with 2,043 total businesses, successfully attracting or retaining 145 business projects, 4,239 total jobs, $6.55 billion in new commercial investment, and 3.71 million square feet of commercial space. “I’ve said for years that Loudoun is the best county in the country, and the way our community rallied around our local businesses during the pandemic is further proof of that fact,” County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) stated. “A diECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT continues on page 18
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Economic Development continued from page 17 verse and resilient economy is essential to building desirable places to live, work, learn and play. I couldn’t be prouder of the Loudoun Economic Development team and the collaborative work they do to strengthen our community.” Signature projects for Fiscal Year 2021 included the retention of the Raytheon Technologies’ Intelligence & Space campus; the announcement of 3,000 new jobs for United Airlines; the successful attraction of international health AI startup Zasti Inc.; the addition of Virginia’s first farm brewery, distillery and restaurant at Flying Ace Farm; and the relocation of commercial kitchen and food business incubator Frontier Kitchen to Loudoun. “I’m extremely proud of the work that our Department of Economic Development has done to establish itself as one of the premier agencies in the nation, and I’m glad that our team is receiving the recognition they deserve,” stated Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles), chairman of the county board’s finance and economic development committee. “Loudoun County continues to lead, thanks to our highly-educated workforce, proximity to the nation’s Capital, connectivity to the world through Dulles International Airport, and investments in infrastructure. With Metro’s Silver Line coming to Loudoun in 2022 and the focused efforts of our team to diversify our economy and leverage our position as one of the top technology hubs in the world, I’m just as optimistic about the future.” Loudoun Economic Development also launched a number of programs including workforce development program Work In Loudoun, the Regional Minority-Owned Business Report, COVID-19 Business Relief Grants, and the FireUP Business Mentor and Coaching Program. “Loudoun has had record economic years before, and we never take that success for granted. But what made this year award-winning is the measurable impact on workers and small businesses, as well as the inclusion of women-, veteran- and minority-owned businesses,” Loudoun County Administrator Tim Hemstreet stated. “These new programs addressed feedback from the community, were marketed to diverse audiences, and are built to deliver on our promise of an equitable economic future in Loudoun County.” To see Loudoun Economic Development’s annual report, go to biz.loudoun.gov/AnnualReport. n
OCTOBER 14, 2021
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innovative technology to improve mission performance remains unwavering,” John Wood, Telos’ CEO and chairman, said. “We’re excited to expand on our longstanding relationship and enhance cyber risk management for the U.S. Air Force.” Telos’ Xacta suite of enterprise cyber risk management and compliance automation solutions helps organizations meet the complex challenges of
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OCTOBER 14, 2021
PAGE 19
Our Towns
Lovettsville Cooperative Celebrates Start of Construction BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
By next summer, Lovettsville residents can expect to have fresh produce and other groceries only a short walk away. On Saturday, members of the Lovettsville Cooperative Market held a groundbreaking celebration at the location of the Lovettsville Town Commons shopping center right off the town square. Helping to throw the first shovels of dirt at the site was Pamela Baldwin, who with her late husband, Malcom, help launch the concept of bringing a community-owned grocery store to Lovettsville a decade ago. The shopping center will be built by Eco Developers, a firm that specializes in sustainability in its projects. Features at the Town Commons will range from rainwater collection and reuse to solar panels and solar pavers. “We’re hoping to be in the ground in November. It will take eight or nine months
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
Founding member Pamela Baldwin is flanked by Lovettsville Town Council member David Earl and Co-op Finance Committee Chairwoman Caroline Ahern during the Oct. 9 groundbreaking ceremony for the Lovettsville Cooperative Market.
to finish the project. And there’s been great interest in the other buildings, so we’re
very excited to be here today and to kick this thing off,” Gary Large, Eco Developers
principal, said. The groundbreaking celebration featured many of the local vendors: Snickers Run Farm, Potomac Point Apiary, Long Stone Farm, Georges Mill Farm Artisan Cheese, Parsonage Soap, Greenstone Fields, Green Dragon Microfarm, Baltispore, The Dinner Belle’s Kitchen and Catering, Hanging Rock Hay and Grain, and Walsh Family Wines. The co-op also continues to sign up new members, with the organization now totaling 766 member owners. Profits from the community-owned and member-governed full-service store will go back into the community through support for local farmers, producers, and vendors as well as employment and taxes. Plans include a deli and grab-and-go meals. Organizers have raised $1 million dollars to date from members. The money will be used to hire a general manager, design and construct the store, purchase equipment, and provide working capital. Learn more at lovettsville-grocery.com.n
AROUND towns HAMILTON Artist’s Work Displayed at U.S. Embassy in Jordan Three paintings from Leanne Fink’s ‘Cradle of Life: The Treasures of Jordan’ Collection have been installed in the Ambassador’s Residence at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan as part of a new exhibition. Fink, an artist from Hamilton, paints vibrant contemporary landscapes in oil and cold wax. Her work can be found in galleries, corporate offices, and private collections in the U.S. Fink was contacted by a representative of the Art in Embassies program run by the U.S. Department of State and invited to participate in the program. She visited Jordan in 2019 and spent a year creating new works. “Jordan’s exotic sights and sounds permeated my senses,” she said. “I wanted this collection to reflect the beauty I perceived in its rugged and sun-bleached landscapes. The hospitality of the Jordanian people is wonderful and the country has an abundance of timeless antiquities. One of my
goals for the Cradle of Life Collection has been to exhibit part or all of it at the US Embassy in Amman. I am truly honored to have my art chosen in this internationally recognized program as a way to foster visual diplomacy.” Her work will be on loan for a period of two years. Learn more at leannefinkart.com.
MIDDLEBURG Christmas Event Parking Passes are Hot Sale With several weeks to go before the popular Christmas in Middleburg event, more than one quarter of available parking passes already have been sold. Town leaders agreed to limit parking to 1,000 vehicles as the most effective strategy to keep down the event crowd size amid COVID-19 safety concerns. The Dec. 4 event, this year themed Have a Dickens of a Christmas,” includes the Middleburg Hunt & Hounds Review in the morning, a Christmas Parade in the afternoon, and holiday activities through the town all day.
For details—and parking tickets—go to christmasinmiddleburg.org.
ROUND HILL Extended Work Hours Eyed for Downtown Construction Crews working on the Franklin Park Trail/Main Street Enhancement Project will have more time on the job site each day, but a request to allow nighttime work is off the table. At its Oct. 6 meeting, the Town Council was expected to consider a request from contractor Highway and Safety Services to allow crews to work in the overnight hours—9 p.m. to 5 a.m.—to complete drainage and sidewalk improvements along Loudoun Street. Town Project Manager Rob Lohr told the council that the contractor, working with county and VDOT officials, instead expects to be authorized to start earlier and end later in the evenings Mondays through Saturdays. The state generally limits road work to 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to limit the impact on school bus trips and rush-hour traffic. The contractor is hoping to begin at 7 a.m.
and continue until 4 or 5 p.m., Lohr said. Work on the project has slowed in recent weeks during negotiations with a subcontractor, but general contractor has remobilized in the downtown area and Lohr said the project remains on schedule.
Council Advances Sale of Unneeded Reservoir Lot The Town Council last week affirmed its intent to sell its 12.84-acre property that includes the town’s large reservoir. Over the past several decades, the town has shifted to a system of groundwater wells and state regulators have steered localities away from surface water sources. The council decided to sell the property two years ago, but the effort stalled. Following a discussion its Oct. 6 meeting, the council agreed to await a recommendation from the town staff and Town Attorney Maureen Gilmore on how best to proceed, with issuing a request for proposals or listing the property with a real estate agent as the leading options. The property is located north of town, along Tree Crops Lane. The reservoir is a spring-fed impoundment. n
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Aldie-Area Farm Placed Under Conservation Easement The Land Trust of Virginia announced Oct. 6 that Jolee Farm has been placed into permanent conservation easement by owners Joe Keating and Tiffany Lee. The 87.8-acre property is located along Snickersville Turnpike north of Aldie. According to the announcement, both had visited the area many times since childhood and, upon moving to Middleburg they sought to ensure the preservation of the qualities that drew them to the area in the first place. “We found it important to play our part in conserving property in Loudoun County,” Keating stated. “We learned about the value of conservation easements while looking for properties to purchase, and we hope to inspire other landowners to take these steps to preserve our finite natural and historical resources.” According to the trust, the property’s more than half mile of frontage on Snickersville Turnpike, a designated Virginia Byway, and its high elevation made the property an important conservation piece to maintain the scenic agricultural vista of the area. Three neighboring properties also are protected by conservation and open-space easements, including one held by LTV at Dresden Farm. The property also includes a portion of the site of the Civil War Battle of Aldie, now preserved with a No Build Area. The battlefield land allowed for reduction of easement donation costs because of contributions from LTV’s Deborah Whittier Fitts Battlefield Stewardship Fund, established in 2009. “This is just our first step in protecting and improving the conservation values of our property,” Lee stated. “We have plans to plant a significant number of trees to increase our forest cover and we hope our friends and family will join us by planting a tree with us when they visit. These trees, planted in their honor, will create special memories over the years.” Jolee Farm is the 208th easement completed by the Land Trust of Virginia “Jolee Farm protects a significant portion of the viewshed as you drive along Snickersville Turnpike,” said LTV Executive Director Sally Price. “The public benefit from this easement is undeniable and furthers our goal of keeping western Loudoun County rural and agricultural.” For more information about the work of the trust, go to landtrustva.org. n
OCTOBER 14, 2021
Teen Performers Sought for Loudoun’s Battle of the Bands
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.
LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT
The entry period is open for performers interested in competing in the 2021 Loudoun Battle of the Bands, to begin with preliminary rounds Dec. 3. The program is a joint venture among the Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, Loudoun Youth Inc., and the Loudoun County Youth Advisory Council. The battle is open to middle and high school students, including soloists, vocalists, instrumentalists, and DJs/producers. At least 71% of performers in ensemble acts must be in middle or high school. At least 25% of performers in ensemble acts must be Loudoun County residents. Students younger than 11 or older than 19 will not be permitted to compete. For the past decade, the competition has provided a free platform for teen musicians to play for live audiences with professional sound mixing and constructive criticism by a panel of in-
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE
dustry professionals serving as judges. Preliminary rounds will be held Dec. 3, Jan. 21, and Feb. 25, at the Franklin Park Performing and Visual Arts Center near Purcellville. Winners from the preliminary rounds will compete in the final battle April 1 at the Tally Ho in Leesburg. Prizes are awarded to the winning acts. Event organizers will follow COVID-19 guidelines and the competition is envisioned as a livestreaming event with limited in-person capacity. For more information and to apply, go to loudoun.gov/teens or call 703-737-8335. n
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
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OCTOBER 14, 2021
PAGE 21
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
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
Maintenance Worker I
Public Works & Capital Projects
$40,000-$65,186 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
Senior Management & Budget Analyst
Finance
$72,952-$124,893 DOQ
Open until filled
Senior Zoning Analyst
Planning & Zoning
$61,857-$105,896 DOQ
Open until filled
Systems Analyst/Infrastructure & Asset Management
Public Works & Capital Projects
$70,374-$120,339 DOQ
Open until filled
Utility Plant Maintenance Worker
Utilities
$41,353-$70,792 DOQ
Open until filled
Utility Plant Technician: Trainee, Technician or Senior
Utilities
$44,905-$89,790 DOQ
Open until filled
Utility System Trainee or Technician
Utilities
$41,353-$76,882 DOQ
Open until filled
Wastewater Plant Operator: Trainee, I, II or Senior
Utilities
NHLEmployerCard2.pdf 1 $41,353-$89,790 DOQ Open until fi9/3/19 lled
• Accounting/Bookkeeping • • Parts Counter Sales • • Tire Repair Technician • • Road Service Technician • 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 10:58 AM
Regular Part-Time Position Position Assistant Outreach Program Coordinator
Department
Hourly Rate Parks & Recreation
$23.03-39.43 DOQ
Closing Date Open until filled
To review Ida Lee (Parks & Recreation) flexible part-time positions, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs. Most positions will be filled at or near the minimum of the range. Dependent on qualifications. All Town vacancies may be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel 67 and Verizon FiOS Channel 35.
FULL TIME FLAGGER C
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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. MY
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DRIVERS NEEDED Regular & CDL Call 703-737-3011
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If interested please fill out an application at 7855 Progress Court Suite 103 Gainesville, VA on Wednesdays from 9 am to 12 pm or online at www.trafficplan.com
See the full job listings at
NowHiringLoudoun.com
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 22
OCTOBER 14, 2021
Obituaries Scarlett Beard Lucas Scarlett Beard Lucas, 74, of Ashburn, Virginia, passed away on October 8, 2021. Scarlett was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, to Herbert Glenn Beard and Olive Abbott Beard on October 19, 1946. Following graduation from E.C. Glass High School, she attended Radford College (now known as Radford University). While at Radford, she met the love of her life, Robert (“Bob”) Cormell Lucas, a student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Scarlett and Bob married on December 29, 1967. After spending time in Germany while Bob served in the U.S. Army, Scarlett and Bob moved to Northern Virginia and eventually settled in Sterling, Virginia to raise their family. In addition to serving as the primary caregiver to her children and supporting Bob in his various professional and civic endeavors, Scarlett gave much of her time to organizations in Sterling and Loudoun County, including the Sterling Jaycees, youth sports organizations and cub scouts. And many surely remember her as dressing up for school events, even portraying the SNL character Rosanna Rosanna Danna (some say just as good as Gilda Radner). Scarlett was a member of Beta Sigma Phi, a community-based sorority. As a member of Beta Sigma Phi, Scarlett built many lifelong friendships and participated in numerous social and volunteering activities. Scarlett was also an avid bridge player starting in her
college years and was a member of many bridge clubs in Loudoun County and beyond. She loved the fellowship, conversations and joke-telling that came with it, even if she did not get the best cards that day. A member of Sterling Park Baptist Church for many years, Scarlett was a youth Sunday School teacher and also was a teacher in the Mothers’ Day Out preschool program. In that capacity, Scarlett touched many lives and kept in contact with many of her former students. After raising her two sons, Scarlett began working for the British American Business Association (BABA), a business forum for British and American companies. At BABA, she worked on membership initiatives and on the planning and execution of a variety of networking and other events for members. Scarlett retired from BABA in 2014, allowing her to spend more time with her grandchildren, who were the light of her life. Scarlett loved life and she loved people. She was a friend to many and would do anything for anyone, even a stranger. Even when dealing with the health issues she faced at the end of her life, her focus and concern was on the well-being of others. She will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by her family and many friends. Scarlett is survived by her husband, Bob, her sons Brent (Karin) and Brad (Michelle), her brother George Glenn Beard, and her grandchildren Bryce, Brock, Lauren and Aubrey. Information regarding funeral services can be found at loudounfuneralchapel.com.
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The analyst/assistant will help the entire project team complete the project within its planned scope, schedule and budget, while serving as a liaison for the project’s technical, functional and non-functional teams. Part-time to fulltime, and internship positions available immediately. Individual initiates, coordinates, and executes administrative and project support to the project manager/team. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS • Education: Pursuing Bachelor’s Degree in the following fields: Business Management, Project Management & Civil Engineering. CONTACT INFO Kathy Hicks 208 South King Street Suite 303 • Leesburg, VA 20175 www.meridiengroupllc.com • khicks@meridiengroupllc.com • Office: (703) 777-8285
for
2020 Report to the Community
Local philanthropy is essential to a vibrant, healthy community. You can touch it, track it, and see it.
Learn more with our Report to the Community at CommunityFoundationLF.org
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LOUDOUNNOW.COM
OCTOBER 14, 2021
Loco Living
‘Out of the Water’ Secrets and the Power of Love in Loudoun Author’s New Novel BY JAN MERCKER jmercker@loudounnow.com
Is it better to know the truth? That’s the question at the heart of Loudoun author Ann Marie Stewart’s second novel, “Out of the Water.” The new book, slated for release Oct. 19, focuses on adoption and family secrets across generations. Anchored by a cast of strong and complex women, Stewart’s ambitious novel moves from World War I Europe to 1980s Seattle with multiple interwoven stories along the way. “Out of the Water” tells the stories of five mothers with five secrets— interconnected by the common thread of adoptions over several generations. Stewart says the seed for the novel came from adoption stories in her own extended family, expanded with lots of research and creative storytelling. “I knew I wanted to do something Renss Greene/Loudoun Now about adoption and seeking out a biolog- Waterford music teacher Ann Marie Stewart taps the adoption stories in her own extended family as ical parent. What I didn’t know was how inspiration for her second novel. many other stories were going to become town, hides a traumatic secret from her de- resilient Siobhan perseveres through trauentwined,” Stewart said. “It takes a very voted husband. ma, sustained by classic works of literature strong woman to think of your child and Much of the novel is set in the Pacif- sent to her by a beloved friend. In Deer have to give it up. ... I think a lot of the ic Northwest and Mountain West. Stew- Lodge, Siobhan’s world intersects with women in this book made the right choice art, a Seattle-area native who has lived Genevieve, a former World War I nurse under really hard circumstances.” in Loudoun for more than two decades, married to the town doctor and mourning In 1980s Seattle, Claire Ellis search- brings the region’s vibrant scenery to life. her inability to have a biological child. es for her biological mother with support The novel follows Siobhan, a pregnant, In the 1980s, Genevieve’s granddaughfrom her adoptive mother Erin. Mean- unmarried teenager in 1919, on her jour- ter Claire struggles with her own need while, Claire’s grandmother Genevieve ney from Boston to the West Coast, when to find her biological mother, supported has a secret of her own, entwined with the a twist of fate brings her to Deer Lodge, along the way by her adoptive mother Erin tumultuous life of Irish immigrant Siobhan Montana, a real-life town dominated for in an era when adoptions were often secreKildea. And Anna Hanson, a music teach- decades by fortress-like Montana State er in a small western Washington logging Prison. After marrying a local farmer, the STEWART continues on page 24
It’s Fall Farm Tour Weekend The Loudoun Fall Farm Tour is back and in-person this weekend as Loudoun Economic Development invites residents and visitors to join a self-guided, family-friendly excursion into the countryside. Founded in 1993 as the Loudoun Fall Colors Tour, the event has shifted to encourage shopping for top-quality, local products during Loudoun’s har-
vest season. This year’s tour features more than two dozen locations that offer everything from pumpkin patches to alpacas and vineyards to farmers markets. The featured farmers range from eighth-generation family farmers to former financial professionals that started just last year. New this year is a scavenger hunt
app that rewards participants for visiting locations and completing challenges. This year’s tour also features the ability to donate fresh produce to food-insecure families by visiting the Northern Virginia Wholesale Growers location. All locations provide an educational component for visitors, and most will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. For specific details on specific farm hours, go to LoudounFarmTour.com. n
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THINGS to do LOCO LIVE Live Music: Joe Downer
Friday, Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m. Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: lostbarrel.com Downer brings a skilled energy to the alternative and neo-folk music scene, taking inspiration from Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty, Muddy Waters and other greats.
Live Music: Hilary Veltri
Social House Kitchen and Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn Details: socialhouseashburn.com Veltri’s repertoire of covers and originals spans generations and genres from Bob Dylan to Beyonce.
Live Music: Blue Oyster Cult
Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg Details: tallyhotheater.com The iconic heavy metal pioneers return to the Tally Ho for an evening of head-banging yet intelligent music. Tickets are $55.
NYC Comedy at Vanish
Friday, Oct. 15, 8 p.m. Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts Details: vanishbeer.com Vanish Brewery presents a night of stand-up comedy from some of the funniest up and coming comedians from NYC. Tickets are $10-$15.
Live Music: The Junior Bryce Band
Friday, Oct. 15, 8 p.m. Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com An in-demand saxophone sideman in the DC region for years, Bryce has launched his own ensemble serving up groove and hippie funk with some jazz and R&B flavor.
Live Music: Jim Steele
Saturday, Oct. 16, 1-4 p.m. The Barns At Hamilton Station, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton Details: thebarnsathamiltonstation.com Winery circuit favorite Jim Steele returns to the Barns for an afternoon of fun covers and originals.
Live Music: Brandy Station
Saturday, Oct. 16, 2 p.m. Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Brandy Station returns to Flying Ace with Americana, bluegrass, rock, country, and folk from Remington.
Live Music: Greg Ward
Saturday, Oct. 16, 2 p.m. Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn Details: lostrhino.com Solo reggae artist Greg Ward returns to Lost Rhino for an afternoon of great tunes.
Bluegrass In The Gap
Saturday, Oct. 16, 3- 10 p.m. Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro Details: oldstoneschool.org It’s an evening of great bluegrass from four
THINGS TO DO continues on page 24
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THINGS to do
OCTOBER 14, 2021
BEST BETS
continued from page 23
local favorites: Furnace Mountain Band, Ernie Bradley and the Grassy Ridge Band, Circa Blue and Dunlap & Mabe. General admission is free. Table reservations are $35-$45.
Live Music: Fork In The Road
Saturday, Oct. 16, 5 p.m. Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts Details: vanishbeer.com Fork In The Road brings country and classic rock covers and originals to Vanish.
Live Music: Eddie Pasa
Saturday, Oct. 16, 5 p.m. 868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro Details: 868estatevineyards.com This well-known DMV drummer also rocks guitar and vocals for his solo acoustic shows.
Live Music: Mandatory Recess and Not The Fathers
Saturday, Oct. 16, 6:30-11 p.m. Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive #120, Sterling Details: crookedrunbrewing.com Crooked Run welcomes Mandatory Recess to the Nectar Stage from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Not The Father from 9 to 11 p.m.
Live Music: Enya Agerholm
Saturday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. Social House Kitchen and Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn Details: socialhouseashburn.com This rising star from Fredericksburg covers a range of genres with her voice and a Martin guitar.
Live Music: Foreplay: A Tribute to 70s Rock
Saturday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg Details: tallyhotheater.com It’s a ’70s rock party with covers from Boston, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Heart, Kansas, Led Zeppelin and other favorites. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $35 for VIP seats.
Live Music: Chris “Curly” Hennessy
Saturday, Oct. 16, 8 p.m. Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com This veteran singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, formerly with the band Cowpoke, brings his solo show to Monk’s.
Stewart continued from page 23 tive and information difficult to access. “Erin has her own strength because she can allow her daughter to explore this,” Stewart said, adding that she intentionally avoided a contemporary setting because of the easy flow of information in the age of DNA testing and online family searches. “I firmly believe in open adoption, and I believe there’s no way to have a closed adoption any longer, which is one of the reasons I had to set [the novel] when I did,” Stewart said. “I had to have a physical way for Claire to go look for her mother.” Stewart, a Waterford-based private music teacher, is known locally for helping
BLUE OYSTER CULT Friday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m. (doors) Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com Live Music: Josh Sowder
Sunday, Oct. 17, 1 p.m. Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro Details: breauxvineyards.com Sowder plays tunes from a range of genres from the 50s through the 2000s.
Live Music: Juliana MacDowell
Sunday, Oct. 17, 1-4 p.m. The Barns At Hamilton Station, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton Details: thebarnsathamiltonstation.com MacDowell’s earthy vocals and moving originals connect her with listeners in unique and memorable ways.
Live Music: Jessica Paulin with Lillian Hackett
Sunday, Oct. 17, 1:30 p.m. 50 West Vineyards, 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: facebook.com/50westvineyards Jessica Paulin brings covers from the 60s through today. She’s joined by teen rising star Lillian Hackett whose country and bluegrass repertoire has Loudoun’s music scene buzzing at 3 p.m.
LOUDOUN CARES ART AUCTION Saturday, Oct. 16, 5-10 p.m. Center for Innovative Technology loudouncares.org Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com This four-piece band from Pennsylvania brings bluegrass tunes to Flying Ace.
Live Music: Jupiter Coyote Duo
Sunday, Oct. 17, 4:30 p.m. B Chord Brewing, 34266 Williams Gap Road, Round Hill Details: bchordbrewing.com This free show features mountain rock tunes from Matt Mayes and John Meyer of Jupiter Coyote.
LOCO CULTURE Loudoun Fall Farm Tour
Saturday, Oct. 16 and Sunday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Details: loudounfarms.org The 28th annual fall farm tour features two dozen locations with everything from pumpkin patches to alpacas and vineyards to farmers markets. Admission is free for this self-guided tour. Visit the website for a map and list of participating venues.
Walk 4 Mountains
Sunday, Oct. 17, 2 p.m. Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace
Saturday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Walker Pavilion, 11 Spring Farm Drive, Lovettsville Details: walk4mountains.org Western Loudoun’s annual breast cancer walk is
young choral students find their voices, but writing has been a passion since her teens. She grew up in Kenmore, Washington near Seattle and taught music in public schools in the Pacific Northwest before meeting her husband Will, a Fairfax County native, and moving east. Stewart taught in public schools in Fairfax County before moving to Loudoun in the late ’90s. The Stewarts raised their two adult daughters on a small sheep farm near Waterford where Stewart runs her music school. “I’ve always been a storyteller,” she said. For her first novel, Stewart returned to a short story she had written during graduate school. That story became “Stars in the Grass,” which tells the story of a year in the life of a family who has lost a child
from the point of view of 10-year-old Abby. Stewart says the novel explores the “healing and the questioning” that come with the loss of a child, including from Abby’s minister father who experiences a loss of faith and struggles to return to the pulpit. Published in 2017, “Stars in the Grass” won a Christy Award for excellence in Christian fiction. And while she’s since published two novels, Stewart’s first writing project is still a work in progress four decades later. While still in college, Stewart began researching her mother’s fascinating family history. Stewart’s maternal grandparents were members of Russia’s little-known German Mennonite community who fled to the U.S. during the Stalin regime in 1929. As a college student, Stewart spent months
Live Music: Dead Horse Revival
LOUDOUN JAZZ JAM Sunday, Oct. 17, 1-4 p.m. Chefscape Leesburg loudounjazzsociety.org back. The walk along scenic backroads is followed by live music, food, local beer and wine and mobile mammograms. Registration is $40 per person, $85 per family and $10 for breast cancer survivors.
COMING UP Loudoun Museum Hauntings Friday, Oct. 22 and Saturday, Oct. 23 Leesburg Town Hall, 16 Loudoun St. SW, Leesburg Details: loudounmuseum.org The Loudoun Museum takes attendees on a downtown walking tour with ghostly stories about the historic homes and their inhabitants from the past. Tickets are $30. Advance purchase is required.
Railroad Earth at B Chord Friday, Oct. 29-Sunday, Oct. 31 B Chord Brewing, 34266 Williams Gap Road, Round Hill Details: bchordbrewing.com The nationally touring jam band Railroad Earth returns to B Chord for a weekend of groovy shows. Tickets are $50 per show, $150 for a three-day pass.
interviewing her grandparents and documenting their stories. Now those stories are the basis of her next work, which she’s currently wrapping up under the working title “Remnant.” Stewart said that while that book has been brewing for decades, it took 21st century tools to allow her to bring it home, pulling together family interviews together with historical research. But this fall, the focus is on the launch of “Out of the Water,” on curious Claire and plucky Siobhan and the fascinating and unexpected ties that bind them. n Ann Marie Stewart’s “Out of the Water” is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with a release date of Oct. 19. For more information about the author, go to annmariestewart.com.
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OCT 1 6 & 1 7, 202 1 Visit LoudounFarmTour.com for more details
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OCTOBER 14, 2021
Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:
ZRTD-2021-0002 THAYER ROAD
(Zoning Conversion in the Route 28 Taxing District) Nokes Plaza, LLC of Sterling, Virginia, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 9.82 acres from the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the 1972 Zoning Ordinance, to the PD-IP zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, in order to permit the development of all principal and accessory uses permitted in the PD-IP zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance at a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.45 (up to 0.60 by Special Exception). The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District. The subject property is approximately 10 acres in size and is located east of Sully Road (Route 28) and on the south side of Nokes Boulevard (Route 1793) and east side of Atlantic Boulevard (Route 1902) at 45564 Thayer Road, Sterling, Virginia in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 030-46-5708. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)) which designate this area for compact, pedestrian-oriented environments with opportunities for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural, and Recreational uses at a recommended FAR of 1.0.
ZMOD-2021-0018 BROADLANDS ASHBURN METRO SECTION 204 (Zoning Ordinance Modification)
Van Metre Broadlands Metro Apartments, of Fairfax, Virginia has submitted an application for a Zoning Ordinance Modification in the Planned Development – Transit Related Center (PD-TRC) zoning district to request the following Zoning Ordinance modification: ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION
PROPOSED MODIFICATION
§5-1403, Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Road Corridor Buffers and Setbacks, General Provisions, and Road Corridor Buffer and Setbacks Matrix, Table 5-1403(B).
To eliminate the required 75-foot building setback and required 35-foot parking setback along Moorefield Boulevard.
The subject property is being developed pursuant to ZMAP-2016-0010, Broadlands Ashburn Metro, in the PD-TRC zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is located partially within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contour. The subject property is approximately 11.57 acres in size and is located along the east side of Mooreview Parkway (Route 2298), and south of the Dulles Greenway (Route 267), in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows: PIN 119-19-3412 119-19-7523 119-19-2497
PROPERTY ADDRESS N/A 43442 Moorefield Boulevard, Ashburn, Virginia N/A
The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Urban Policy Area (Urban Transit Center Place Type)), which designate this area for a range of Residential, Retail, Office, Entertainment, and Community Activity uses at a recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 2.0.
ZMAP-2016-0011, SPEX-2016-0037, SPEX-2020-0002, SPEX-2020-0003 ZMOD-2021-0010, ZMOD-2021-0011, ZMOD-2021-0012, ZMOD-2021-0013 ZMOD-2021-0014 & ZMOD-2021-0048 AVONLEA II (Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exceptions & Zoning Modifications)
Avonlea Investments LC of Fairfax, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone approximately 15.54 acres from the PD-CC(SC) (Planned Development – Commercial Center (Small Regional Center)) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-24 (Multifamily Residential-24) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop up to 447 attached multifamily residential units, at a density of approximately 28.8 dwelling units per acre; and 2) Special Exceptions to permit a 300,000 square foot continuing care facility containing up to 220 beds, an automobile service station in the PD-CC(SC) zoning district, and to develop office uses which exceed 20% of the PD-CC(SC) zoning district. These applications are permitted by Special Exception under Section 4-204. The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s): ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION
PROPOSED MODIFICATION
§4-202(C) PD-CC Planned Development – Commercial Center, Purpose, Size and Location of Individual Districts, Small Regional Center (SC).
To allow a PD-CC(SC) district size less than 20 acres.
§4-205(C)(1)(c) PD-CC Planned Development Commercial Center, Lot Requirements, Yards, Adjacent to Roads, Small Regional Centers (SC).
To reduce parking setback from thirty-five (35) feet to twenty (20) feet from private streets in the PDCC(SC) zoning district.
And
And
§4-205(C)(2) PD-CC Planned Development Commercial Center, Building Requirements, Lot Requirements, Yards, Adjacent to Agricultural and Residential Districts and Land Bays Allowing Residential Uses.
To reduce building and parking setbacks in the PDCC(SC) district from one hundred (100) feet to allow building and parking no closer than 20 feet from the R-24 zoning district.
§4-206(C) PD-CC Planned Development Commercial Center, Building Requirements, Building Height.
To permit a building in Landbay 4 to be erected to a maximum height of 75 feet without an additional increase in yards or setbacks.
§3-702(A) R-24 Multifamily Residential, Size and Location.
To allow access from private roads.
§3-707(B) R-24 Multifamily Residential, Building Requirements, Building Height.
To permit a continuing care facility to be erected to a maximum height of 60 feet without an additional increase to yards.
§3-710(A)(1) R-24 Multifamily Residential, Development Setback and Access from Major Roads, Private Streets.
To allow private streets to serve commercial uses in R-24 Zoning District and to allow private streets to serve a continuing care facility.
The subject property is approximately 28.81 acres in size and is located on the south side of James Mosby Highway (Route 50), east of Pinebrook Road (Route 827) and southwest of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 606) in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 163-17-6609 and PIN: 163-17-5121. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area) in the Suburban Mixed Use Place Type which designate this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreational uses at recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.
ZMAP-2020-0015 DULLES 28 TECHNOLOGY PARK (Zoning Map Amendment)
Long Drive Land Company LLC of Washington, DC, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 39.817 acres from the PD-CC(RC) (Planned Development-Commercial Center (Regional Center) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and PD-CH (Planned Development -Commercial Highway) zoning district under the 1972 Zoning Ordinance to the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. The proposed Zoning Map Amendment would allow up to 531,060 square feet of data center uses on the proposed Landbay 1, and up to 154,344 square feet on the proposed Landbay 2 of either 1) up to 100% of any by-right PD-IP district uses other than office and auxiliary service uses, or 2) up to 49% office uses and the balance being any by-right PD-IP uses other than office and auxiliary services uses. The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District, the Route 28 Corridor Business Optional Overlay District, the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60, aircraft noise contours, and partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District). The subject property is approximately 39.83 acres in size and is located on the north side of Waxpool Road (Route 625) and on the west side of Pacific Boulevard (Route 1036) at 45128, 45130, and 45136 Waxpool Road, Sterling, Virginia, in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows: PIN 043-37-2508
PROPERTY ADDRESS N/A
043-27-3683
N/A
043-27-4656
N/A
043-27-5728
N/A
043-17-8099
N/A
043-17-5778
N/A
043-17-2630
45128, 45130 & 45136 Waxpool Road, Sterling, Virginia
043-16-9304
N/A
044-47-0591
N/A
The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area) in the Suburban Mixed Use Place Type which designate this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreational uses at recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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OCTOBER 14, 2021
PAGE 27
Legal Notices ZMAP-2020-0013, SPEX-2020-0009, ZMOD-2020-0030 ZMOD-2020-0031 & ZMOD-2021-0019 COMMONWEALTH CENTER RESIDENTIAL (Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exceptions & Zoning Modifications)
CWC Overlook LC of Fairfax, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone an approximately 23.03 acre portion of a larger parcel from the PD-CC(SC) (Planned Development – Commercial Center (Small Regional Center) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-24 Affordable Dwelling Unit (Multifamily Residential with Affordable Dwelling Units) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop 507 residential units, consisting of a maximum of 222 stacked multi-family units and a maximum of 285 attached multi-family units, at a density of 22.01 dwelling units per acre; and 2) Special Exception to reduce the minimum front yard from 25 feet to 10 feet and reduce the minimum side yard from 10 feet minimum and 25 feet minimum on corner lots to 10 feet for corner lots for Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU) developments in the R-24 zoning district. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. The modification of the lot and building requirements for affordable dwelling unit developments is authorized by Special Exception under Section 7-1003. The Applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modifications: ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION
PROPOSED MODIFICATION
§3-707(B) R-24 Multifamily Residential, Building Requirements, Building Height.
Allow for building heights of 60 feet without additional setback requirements for a height over 45 feet for both the attached and stacked multifamily buildings.
§5-1403(B) Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans; Road Corridor Buffers and Setbacks; Road Corridor Buffer and Setbacks Matrix, Table 5-1403(B).
Reduce the minimum building and parking setbacks for All other roads in nonresidential districts from 25 feet (parking) to allow for 10-foot building and parking setbacks along Commonwealth Center Drive.
§3-702(A) R-24 Multifamily Residential, Size and Location.
Modify requirement that access in locations abutting arterials and major collectors be provided only via minor collector roads to allow for access to lots created after rezoning to be provided by Category A & B private roads.
The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District and within the Route 28 Corridor Business Overlay District and is also located partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District) and minor floodplain. The property is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 noise contours. The subject property is an approximately 23.03 acre portion of a larger parcel and is located on the east side of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607) and the south side of Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7) in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as a portion of PIN: 040-35-9407. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area), in the Suburban Mixed Use Place Type which designate this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreational uses at recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.
TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
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 703-777-0246 (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. To arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email dpz@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246, or you may view the file electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. 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). Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the hearing at www.loudoun.gov/pc. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, 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. Planning Commission public hearings are available for viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23, Open Band Channel 40, and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/webcast. All members of the public 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. If you wish to sign up in advance of the hearing, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing. Speakers may also sign up at the hearing. Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, MSC #62, Leesburg, Virginia 20175, or by e-mail to loudounpc@loudoun.gov. Any individual representing and/or proposing to be the sole speaker on behalf of a citizen’s organization or civic association is encouraged to contact the Department of Planning and Zoning prior to the date of the public hearing if special arrangements for additional speaking time and/or audiovisual equipment will be requested. Such an organization representative will be allotted 6 minutes to speak, and the Chairman may grant additional time if the request is made prior to the date of the hearing and the need for additional time is reasonably justified. Citizens are encouraged to call the Department of Planning and Zoning on the day of the public hearing to confirm that an item is on the agenda, or, the most current agenda may be viewed on the Planning Commission’s website at www.loudoun.gov/pc. In the event that the second Thursday is a holiday or the meeting may not be held due to inclement weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend, the meeting will be moved to the third Tuesday of the month. In the event that Tuesday is a holiday or the Tuesday meeting may not be held due to inclement weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend, the meeting will be held on the following Thursday. The meeting will be held at a place determined by the Chairman. Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings at all other locations. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246. Please provide three days’ notice. BY ORDER OF:
FOREST HAYES, CHAIRMAN LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
10/14 & 10/21/21
Notice of Public Hearing Town of Lovettsville Town Council
LEESBURG TOWN CODE AMENDMENTS: CHAPTER 22 (NUISANCES); CHAPTER 28 (SOLID WASTE); CHAPTER 30 (STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES); AND CHAPTER 32 (TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES) OF THE TOWN CODE
The Lovettsville Town Council will hold a public hearing on the following item at their meeting at 6:30 pm on October 21, 2021, at the Lovettsville Town Office located at 6 East Pennsylvania Avenue.
In accordance with Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, sections 15.2-901; 15.2-927; 15.2-928; 15.21102; 15.2-1115; 15.2-1427; 15.2-2024; 33.2-802; 46.2-113; 46.2-830; 46.2-889; 46.2-1209; 46.2-1220; and 46.2-1300 the Leesburg Town Council will hold a public hearing on:
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.
Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA at which time the public shall have the right to present oral and written testimony on proposed amendments to Town Code Chapters 22, 28, 30 and 32. The amendments to the Town Code will streamline processes consistent with State Code, conform to current Town operations, clarify language, correct inconsistencies and errors, and reduce confusion, conform to 2021 amendments to the State Code, align with the County’s addressing and 911 response requirements, and enact certain traffic infractions and parking violations consistent with and authorized by State Code. A copy of the proposed ordinance is available from the Town Clerk, located in Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.); or by calling Eileen Boeing, Town Clerk, at 703-771-2733. At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Clerk of Council at 703-771-2733, three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711. 10/14 & 10/21/21
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.
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. The meeting is contingent on the Planning Commission completing their review. 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. 10/14/21
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 28
OCTOBER 14, 2021
Legal Notices Public Notice
JOINT PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
The Town of Leesburg Board of Zoning Appeals
ZOAM-2021-01 Round Hill Town Council and Planning Commission
The Town of Leesburg is soliciting resumes and letters of interest for an appointment to serve on the Board of Zoning Appeals. This position is appointed by the Loudoun County Circuit Court for a term to end December 31, 2026. The Board of Zoning Appeals meets as necessary the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA. Additional information concerning this quasi-judicial board is available from the Clerk of Council during normal business hours (Mon – Fri 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) at 703-771-2733 or eboeing@leesburgva.gov, or the Town of Leesburg website at www.leesburgva.gov. Please submit your letter of interest and resume materials by 5:00 p.m., November 5, 2021, to the Clerk of Council, at the Town of Leesburg, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176 or via email to eboeing@leesburgva.gov. All interested parties will be forwarded to the Loudoun County Circuit Court for consideration. 10/14, 10/21 & 10/28/21
The Round Hill Town Council and Planning Commission will conduct a joint public hearing in accordance with Sections 15.2-2204, 15.2-2280, 15.2-2285, and 15.2-2286 of the Code of Virginia, as amended, on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Round Hill Town Office, 23 Main Street, Round Hill, Virginia, for the purpose of receiving comments and possibly taking action on proposed text amendments to the Round Hill Zoning Ordinance Articles 2, 12, 15 and 25. The purpose of the proposed text amendments is to add Public Facility as a permitted use in the R1A residential zoning district; to add associated Use Standards to Article 25, Use Standards; to define terms added to the Zoning Ordinance and to change the required parking for the new uses. The proposed amendments to Article 15, R1A Low Residential District add “Public Facility” as a permitted use. Article 2 amendments propose to define “Community Use”, “Community Room” and “Public Facility”. Article 12, Section 12.3(2) draft text amends required Public Facility parking spaces to 1 per 250 square feet of administrative offices, 1 per 250 square feet of community room space; and adds “Community Uses” to Section 12.7 General Design Standards. The proposed text amendments under Article 25, Section 25.3.13, Public Facilities Use Standards are as follows: a.
Architecture: The preliminary site plan for a new public facility shall include an Architectural Concept Sheet that shows the front, side and rear elevations. The overall architecture shall include design elements from contributing buildings or houses that are listed on the Round Hill National Registry (2009).
b.
Design Compatibility: The Town Zoning Administrator and the Applicant will work together to seek improvements in design. The Town Zoning Administrator and Applicant will collaborate to seek human-scale design that avoids excessive uniformity and will be compatible with the architectural character of the surrounding homes and buildings.
c.
Building Materials: Building materials used shall be durable, natural materials or synthetic materials that realistically reproduce the look and feel of natural materials. Approvable building materials include brick, wood (does not include T-111 or particle board products), fiber cement siding that are paintable and that realistically replicate wood, decorative masonry block, and stucco (true cement plaster stucco using lime, aggregate/cement, sand, and water – EIFS is not acceptable). Metal sheeting or panels can be appropriate as an accent material but should not be a primary exterior material.
d.
Community Room: A public facility building shall include a community room with a minimum size of at least 1,000 square feet or 10% of the total square footage of the principal public facility building, whichever is greater.
e.
Pedestrian Connections: The public shall be able to walk to the public facility using a sidewalk connected to the public sidewalk/trail system or to the edges of the existing property lines for future connection to the existing public sidewalk/trail system.
f.
Hours of Operation: Community events at a public facility shall not occur earlier than 7:00 am and shall end by 10:00 pm.
g.
Storage & Trash: Trash storage areas, dumpsters, storage yards, and exterior work areas shall be screened. The screening shall be a 6-foot-tall enclosure to ensure that that the area is not visible from the street, and not visible from any home within five hundred (500) feet. The screening shall be solid and opaque. The screening must be constructed out of brick, stone, wood, or some other appropriate material that is compatible with the primary structure. Chain-link fences, even with slats, are not permitted.
h.
Rear and Side Setback from Lot Lines: Structures associated with public facilities shall have a side yard and rear yard setback of a minimum of 100 feet from all lot lines. A side yard and/or rear setback may be reduced to a minimum of 60 feet from a lot line if the width of the required buffer yard is extended 10 feet along such lot line (see Section 14.4 for buffer yard requirements).
i.
Front Yard Setback from Lot Lines: Structures associated with public facilities shall have a minimum front yard setback from the public road equal to the average front yard setback of the nearest adjacent residential properties fronting the public road.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS will hold a public hearing in the BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ROOM, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Thursday, October 28, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:
VARI-2021-0003 Catoctin Creeks Lot 47B1 and 52A Michael F. Canney and Diane M. Canney as Trustees for both the Michael F. Canney Revocable Trust and the Diane M. Canney Revocable Trust, of Purcellville, Virginia, have submitted an application for a variance to permit a reasonable deviation from the following provisions of the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to allow for a boundary line adjustment between two contiguous parcels of land so that an existing building that currently straddles a zoning district line can be located entirely on the parcel it serves: 1) Section 2-304(A), Lot Requirements, Size, which requires a minimum lot size of ten (10) acres in the A-10 zoning district. The subject properties are more particularly described as PIN: 414-26-3724 (Lot 47B1) zoned AR-1 (Agricultural Rural-1) and PIN: 414-26-5856 (Lot 52A) zoned AR-1 and A-10 (Agriculture). The proposed boundary line adjustment will adjust approximately 1.931 acres of land (1.666 acres zoned AR-1 and 0.2644 acre zoned A-10) from PIN: 414-26-5856 into PIN: 414-26-3724. PIN 414-26-3724 is approximately 9.241 acres in size and is located on the east side of Berlin Turnpike (Route 287), west of Hampton Road (Route 738), and south of Charles Town Pike (Route 9) at 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville, Virginia, and PIN: 414-265856 is approximately 12.279 acres in size and is located east of PIN: 414-26-3724 on the west side of Wenner Farm Lane, approximately .31 miles north of the intersection of Winsome Trail Lane and Wenner Farm Lane at 15865 Wenner Farm Lane, Purcellville, Virginia ; both parcels are in the Catoctin Election District. Full and complete copies of the above-referenced application(s) and related documents may be examined in the Loudoun County Department of Planning and Zoning, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call (703) 777-0246. All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, members of the public are encouraged to view and/or participate in the public hearing electronically. 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. If you wish to sign up in advance of the hearing, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing. Speakers may also sign up at the hearing. Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Board of Zoning Appeals, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, MSC #62, Leesburg, Virginia 20175, or by e-mail to stephanie.capps@loudoun.gov. If any member of the public requires a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability in order to participate in a public meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200/TTY-711. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice. Nan M. Joseph Forbes, Chairman
10/14 & 10/21/21
The Town Council and Planning Commission will conduct the joint public hearing in person. The Town of Round Hill has instituted a mask mandate for all persons entering the Town Office. Members of the public may attend this meeting in person or remotely using the Zoom link or call-in number posted on the Town website at roundhillva.org. In the event of cancellation of the October 27, 2021, Joint Public Hearing, it will be rescheduled for November 3, 2021, at the same time and location. Complete copies of the proposed text amendments are available in the Town Office; on the Town website; or by emailing mhynes@roundhillva.org. All interested persons may appear in person or remotely and present their views at the above time and place. If a member of the public cannot attend, comments may be submitted by mail to PO Box 36, Round Hill, VA 20142; by fax to (540) 338-1680; or by email to hwest@roundhillva.org. Comments received by Noon on the day of the hearing will be distributed to Commission and Council members and made a part of the public record. Anyone needing assistance or accommodations under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act should call the Town Office at (540) 338-7878. Immediately following the public hearing, the Planning Commission will hold a special meeting where it may consider a recommendation to the Town Council regarding the proposed amendments. The Town Council will hold a special meeting immediately following the public hearing. Manuel Mirabel, Chairperson, Round Hill Planning Commission Scott T. Ramsey, Mayor, Round Hill Town Council
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GetOutLoudoun.com
10/14 & 10/21/21
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OCTOBER 14, 2021
Legal Notices
PAGE 29
Loudoun County Public Schools Elementary School Attendance Zone Change Process Elaine E. Thompson Elementary School (ES-23) is scheduled to open in fall 2022, with the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. The school is located within the Arcola Center development at 24200 Pissarro Drive in Sterling.
TOWN OF LEESBURG BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS PUBLIC HEARING
In establishing an attendance zone for Elaine E. Thompson Elementary School, the current attendance boundaries for Arcola, Creighton’s Corner, Goshen Post, Legacy, Madison’s Trust, Rosa Lee Carter and Sycolin Creek Elementary Schools will be reviewed.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held by the Town of Leesburg Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, second floor in the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 W. Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176, to hear the following item:
The Loudoun County School Board has scheduled a series of meetings to facilitate the necessary elementary school attendance zone changes.
BZA Case number TLZV-2021-0002 – Keil Ritterpusch, Applicant, requests a Variance of 8 feet to the 100 foot building setback from a limited access highway yard area for a swimming pool (swim spa). The residence is located at 119 Dizerega Court, SW, Leesburg, Virginia, 20175. The property subject to this request is further identified as Loudoun County Parcel Identification Number (PIN#) 271-49-4472.
Date
Full and complete copies of the above-referenced application and related documents may be examined in the Leesburg Department of Planning and Zoning in the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 W. Market Street, 2nd floor, during regular business hours 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by calling (703) 771-2766 and asking for Mike Ruddy, Assistant Zoning Administrator or Debi Parry, the Secretary to the Board of Zoning Appeals. At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views regarding this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Secretary to the Board three days in advance of the meeting date at (703) 771-2765. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711. 10/07 & 10/14/21
NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES
MAKE
MODEL
VIN
STORAGE
PHONE#
TOYOTA
4 RUNNER
JT3HN86R1X0257885
AL’S TOWING
703-435-8888
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
7:00 p.m.
School Board Attendance Zone Overview
Monday, October 18, 2021
7:00 p.m.
Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing
Thursday, October 21, 2021
7:00 p.m.
School Board Attendance Zone Work Session
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
7:00 p.m.
Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
7:00 p.m.
School Board Attendance Zone Work Session
Tuesday, November 30, 2021*
6:30 p.m.
School Board Review of Elementary School Attendance Zone Recommendations
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
7:00 p.m.
Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing
Tuesday, December 14, 2021*
6:30 p.m.
School Board Adoption of Elementary School Attendance Zones
All attendance zone meetings will be held at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building (21000 Education Court, Ashburn). The meetings will also be broadcast live on Comcast channel 18 and Verizon FIOS channel 43, as well as viewable via simultaneous webcast on the Loudoun County Public Schools website (www.lcps.org).
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. 1999
Elementary School Attendance Zone Meetings
*Regular School Board Business Meeting
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.
YR.
Time
In-person and virtual comment will be accepted at the three designated public hearings. Detail on how to sign up to speak at an attendance zone public hearing is posted on the LCPS webpage (https://www.lcps.org/Page/226240). Individuals may sign up to speak, in advance, by emailing Public.Comment@lcps.org or calling 571-252-1030; walk-up speaker registration will also be accepted at the LCPS Administration Building beginning at 6:30p.m., until five minutes before the start of the meeting, on the day of each attendance zone public hearing.
10/14 & 10/21/21
Those who need translation/interpretation assistance or a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, in order to participate meaningfully in School Board meetings or public hearings, should contact the Superintendent’s Office at 571-252-1030 at least three days prior to the meeting.
LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS FOR:
Beverly I. Tate, Director Loudoun County Public Schools Division of Planning Services 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia 20148 Telephone: 571-252-1050 Email: LCPSPlan@lcps.org
CONSTRUCTION OF THE ASHBURN RECREATION AND COMMUNITY CENTER, IFB No. 402782 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, December 8, 2021. The plans and specifications for this project can be obtained by sending an email to the Invitation for Bid point of contact. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held virtually using GoTo Meeting software on October 14, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. for clarification of any questions on the drawings, specifications, and site conditions.
10/14/21 10/07/21
JANITORIAL SERVICES AT FRANKLIN PARK ARTS CENTER AND MAINTENANCE BUILDING, IFB No. 442784 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, November 12, 2021. Solicitation forms may be obtained 24 hours a day by visiting our web site at www.loudoun.gov/ procurement. If you do not have access to the Internet, call (703) 777-0403, M - F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. WHEN CALLING, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT.
LoudounNow.com
10/14/21
ABC LICENSE
Tremolo Bar LLC, trading as Tremolo Bar, 19 E Wasthington St., Middleburg, Loudoun, VA 20117
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.
Phone Number
Description
Case Number
Recovery Date
Recovery Location
Red bicycle with small engine attached
SO210014952
9/13/2021
Enterprise St/E Maple Ave Sterling, VA
703-777-0610
Blue Kent High Roller bicycle with green bell attachment, black bike lock and pink X
SO210015870
9/26/21
969 Holborn Ct. Sterling, VA 20164
703-777-0610
Blue Genesis Krome 2.0 20” boy’s bicycle
SO210015940
9/27/21
E Juniper Ave/Scott Dr
703-777-0610 10/14 & 10/21/21
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. Jarad Slipp, Member Note: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200. 10/14 & 10/21/21
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 30
Legal Notices ORDER OF PUBLICATION
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
Case No. CL-21-2265
Case No. CL-21-2993
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE §§ 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE §§ 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104
LOUDOUN COUNTY Circuit Court
LOUDOUN COUNTY Circuit Court
18 EAST MARKET ST., LEESBURG, VA 20176
18 EAST MARKET ST., LEESBURG, VA 20176
STEPHANIE VILLALOBOS
GEORGINA MENDOZA
v.
v.
FRANKLIN O. CORDOVA
EWVIN NAJERA
The object of this suit is to:
The object of this suit is to:
UNCONTESTED DIVORCE ONE YEAR SEPARATION
UNCONTESTED DIVORCE SIX MONTH SEPARATION
It is ORDERED that Franklin O. Cordova appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before 11/19/2021 at 2:00 PM.
It is ORDERED that Ewvin Najera appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before 11/19/2021 at 2:00 PM. 10/07, 10/14, 10/21 & 10/28/21
10/07, 10/14, 10/21 & 10/28/21
ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.:
JJ044218-04-00
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court 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.
ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.:
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Anthony Rodriguez Castro Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v. Carlos Barnica, putative father hold a foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282 and 16.1-281 for Anthony Rodriguez Castro. It is ORDERED that the defendant Carlos Barnica, putative father appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before November 16, 2021 at 2:00 p.m 10/14, 10/21, 10/28 & 11/04/21
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OCTOBER 14, 2021
Opinion Set A Standard Throughout the pandemic localities have wrestled to find the best ways to
protect their communities from a rapidly spreading, frequently evolving, and often deadly virus.
Mask mandates, school closures, and business restrictions varied from
town to town, county to county, and state to state. Too often these policies
differed, not because of the level of infection within the jurisdiction, but the political leanings of the elected leadership. Nearly two years later, we’re still at it.
Just a few weeks ago, the county government adopted a policy requiring
unvaccinated employees to undergo weekly testing. This week, the Leesburg Town Council followed a similar path, but with a far narrower allowance for the testing option. Some unvaccinated workers who don’t qualify for medical or religious exemptions could be looking for new jobs as result.
Other local governments haven’t taken any such action. Businesses in the community also vary broadly in their employee requirements.
The protection of public health should not be a willy-nilly affair. It’s
inexcusable at this point in the crisis response that there is not firm and consistent guidance on a federal level to ensure safety standards are
LETTERS to the Editor
established and enforced. That doesn’t mean there should be a blanket
national policy mandating vaccines, or not. Response standards should
be targeted to address the conditions on the ground in a responsible and predictable manner.
In the case of our community—which has responded well to the
challenges of the virus—a clerk sitting in one government office shouldn’t be facing termination while a clerk in another government building just a
few blocks away is offered a weekly testing option. The public health threat is the same in both environments; the standards for response likely should align.
n
Norman K. Styer, Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.com
Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC
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Consequences Editor: I want to lend my support to a letter written by Shawn Mitchell in your Sept. 16 issue. Recently, I’ve been speaking out about the need for attainable housing in Loudoun County because economic diversity provides so many tangible and intangible benefits to our wonderful community. I now would like to add some context from my life as a small business owner dependent on a healthy business environment. Like many other small businesses in our county, my livelihood depends on the success of other local enterprises. If we fail to address the growing housing affordability problem, I can envision a future in which new and growing businesses will have to find other locations that can more affordably house their employees. And while no one
will feel bad for the loss of one small business like mine, many will mourn the loss of the local businesses who support our daily needs, the restaurants that support our social souls, and the medical offices ensuring our health. I, for one, don’t want to find myself needing to wait hours for a restaurant table, days for a plumber, or weeks for a doctor’s appointment. Having seen the impact of the current pandemic-related labor shortages on many small businesses, I don’t think I’m being hyperbolic. Yes, the challenge seems overwhelming; there’s no denying that it will be a heavy lift to find the land, money, and support for the types of units the staff has identified as necessary. But please don’t get hung up on finding a perfect solution. There won’t be a perfect solution. But LETTERS TO THE EDITOR continues on page 33
Correction In the Oct. 7 edition of Loudoun Now on page 39, the article “No Vax, No Job? Employers and Employees Grapple with Vaccine Mandates” states that the Loudoun County government has a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for employees. Loudoun County requires employees to undergo weekly testing, for which they can be exempted if they provide proof of vaccination. n
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
OCTOBER 14, 2021
Readers’ Poll
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
LAST WEEK'S QUESTION:
What factor is primarily driving your votes in this year’s state office elections?
The Board of Supervisors is updating the county government’s energy strategy. What should be the top priority?
LETTERS to the editor continued from page 32
the units that can come out of a comprehensive, community-wide effort will seem perfect to the families who call them home. — Kirsten Langhorne, Ashburn
Affordable Ownership Editor: The Board of Supervisors is out of touch with its attempts at central planning of Loudoun’s housing options. We don’t need the same tired policies of the past. For example, when considering the issue of “attainable” housing, the board should look beyond old policies and consider creative strategies that have been employed successfully in other local jurisdictions. There is a strong preference for more “for sale” homes that our first responders and others can actually afford to purchase rather than “for rent” apartments. I urge the board to move past the thought that “for-rent” apartments are the sole solution to the affordability issue.
Hoyler continued from page 1 and get more compromise in some of the policies that have been frustrating to community members over the past couple months.” The motion to appoint Hoyler passed unanimously at the Oct. 12 School Board meeting. Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge) moved to appoint Hoyler, which was seconded by Beth Barts (Leesburg). Atoosa Reas-
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They aren’t and not everyone wants to live in an apartment. Home ownership needs to be at the forefront of the board’s affordable housing objectives. — Mitch Turner, Hamilton Editor: As a Reagan Republican, I read Mr. Brubaker’s letter in your past issue. He stated his opinion on quite a few issues as factual, rather than his opinion. I, like Mr. Brubaker, had three kids go through Loudoun County schools. I moved to Loudoun in 1987. I agree with him that the teachers and administrators are outstanding, I disagree with Mr. Brubaker’s opinion in which he states “LCPS has been caught implementing an agenda that is way out of line with what most citizens and parents know to be right” to books being lewd and obscene in the schools. He states that “most of” Loudoun’s parents agree with Mr. Brubaker’s opinion. There is no evidence that “most parents’ agree with Mr. Brubaker’s opinions. If you do not like the current School Board, we have democratic process called elections every four years, vote
them out. That is called democracy. You are welcome to run yourself or vote against any person on the board you do not like. You go on to state, “Clearly, we are in a culture war. Those on the Democrat side seem to insist that kids should be exposed to sexually explicit content from an early age and taught to see the world through Marxists and CRT glasses.” There is no evidence or facts that the current School Board or our schools are teaching our kids Marxism, Critical Race Theory, or sexually explicit content. Stating that people you do not agree are Marxists or are teaching Critical Race Theory in our schools, does not make it a fact. You are merely stating your opinion, which in my opinion, the facts don’t agree with your opinions. The facts are, well, facts. Loudoun County Public Schools have never, has no plans to, and has never taught Critical Race Theory. This whole concept of Loudoun County School teaching CRT to our kids is a disinformation campaign started by the Radical Right that Mr. Brubaker has bought into. Factually, it is not true. If you want to get the facts, go
to the source, call our school administrators at 571-252-1000. Lastly, just because traditional Republicans, Independents and Democrats are not in agreement with you does not make us Marxists or Socialists. I know the GOP I joined back in 1980 were pro community. We were inclusive of all races, gender, religion, and shortcomings. We would never join an insurrection, sack our capitol, bludgeon our police officers, spout the “Big Lie” about our last election. We are fiscal conservatives; we would never increase our national debt by a record of 40% ($7.8 Trillion) in 4 years like Trump. Our democracy is built on trust in that our elections are fair (they are) and trust in our elected officials to do the right thing. When we lose an election by over 7 million votes, we do not cry out “fraud” when there was none. We learn to run better candidates in our next election. The Republican party I joined may disagree with our opponents, but we would never denigrate our fellow Americans by calling them Marxists or Socialists they are not.
er (Algonkian) then moved to appoint Katrece Nolen, the candidate formally endorsed by the Loudoun County Democratic Committee. That motion failed 3-5. The board went on to give Hoyler unanimous support. He took his seat on the dais after being sworn in by Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens. In 2019, King received 61% (7,522) of the vote, defeating Hoyler who received 37% (4,559). This School Board is facing criticism for its handling of school closures during
the pandemic, its racial equity work, often inaccurately as Critical Race Theory, and the implementation of Policy 8040, which provides protections for transgender and gender fluid students. Hoyler said he thinks his presence on the dais will bring down the temperature. “When I ran for the seat back in 2019, I wanted to stay far away from politics. That’s just who I am as a person, I don’t believe that party politics belong in the schools,” Hoyler said. “My hope is that this board appointing me will help show
a desire to fix some of the partisan issues that have been plaguing the schools the past couple of months. Hoyler will serve as an appointee until a special election is held for the seat in November 2022. The winner of that election will serve until the end of King’s term in November 2023. Hoyler was selected from among applicants Nolen, Paul Chen, Daniel Eistert, Cliff Keirce, Marjo Mitsutomi, and Samuel Yan. n
Facts are Facts
— Eric Cuthbert, Leesburg
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LOUDOUNNOW.COM
• IN
Part 1 of a 2-part series
The WCTU and the PEA in Loudoun County The Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), founded in 1873 in Hillsboro, Ohio, was particularly strong in Loudoun. Beyond its links with Prohibition, the actual focus of the WCTU was temperance in all things in life—not just liquor. It strongly opposed the use of tobacco, advocated a vegetarian diet, and actively promoted many humanitarian causes. Note that in the poster, the heroine brandishes an axe, but modestly rides sidesaddle, mixed metaphors reflecting women’s evolving societal roles at the time. Local chapters of the WCTU were called unions. While unions worked closely with the state and national organizations, they were largely autonomous, and could choose to work for reforms they believed would be beneficial in their local communities. Loudoun County was home to several WCTU unions: The Lincoln WCTU founded in 1878, the first local union in Virginia; the Young Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Hamilton in 1894;
YA R D
he people of Loudoun County have had a robust relationship with the alcohol industry for centuries. In 1774, two years before the start of the Revolutionary War, George Washington signed a deed allowing John Mercer to operate a distillery as a part of his mill in Aldie. Recognizing the financial success of the Aldie distillery, Washington built his own near Mount Vernon. Of course, farmers and settlers in Loudoun brewed their own beer and hard cider, and distilled their own liquor long before 1774. Remember, at the time, alcohol in its many forms was often a safer alternative to the available water, and even potable water could not be safely transported. In 1620, the Mayflower put ashore at Plymouth Rock instead of Chesapeake Bay as planned, because they were running out of beer. They weren’t throwing raging keggers; they just needed something safe to drink. Despite the long history of liquor production in Loudoun—or perhaps because of it—the county’s relationship with the alcohol beverage business occasionally has been a rocky one. In the early 20th century, pro-Prohibition groups were exceedingly active in the county, and were a major force in Virginia becoming a “dry” state in 1916, three years before the 18th Amendment to the Constitution—Prohibition—was adopted, outlawing the production, sale, and distribution of alcohol across the nation.
OU R
C BA K
T
BY LARRY MALONE
OCTOBER 14, 2021
People also came on horseback, in buggies and carriages, and by stage. Meetings lasted from a few days to a week or more. In 1903, the Bush Meeting Tabernacle, now on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed by Round Hillbased contractor Arch Simpson in Dillon’s Woods to accommodate the annual rally. Purcellville’s Bush Meetings attracted some of the most prominent politicians and evangelists of the time. William Jennings Bryan, one of the best-known political speakers of the early 20th century, gave a version of his famous “Cross of Gold” speech here in 1913 when he was Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson. Sen. Harry Byrd and Gov. Westmoreland Davis of Morven Park were frequent orators. Oregon Evangelist Dr. E. J. Bulgin was a particularly popular speaker. In his early life he had been an agnostic, but now preached all over the country. He visited the Bush Meeting in 1924, offering stirring and powerful words to both intimidate and engage the faithful.
National Prohibition
The Checkered History of Alcohol in Loudoun With this and similar posters the Women’s Christian Temperance Union hoped to usher in a noble new world of national sobriety
and the Purcellville WCTU in 1913. The Lincoln WCTU was the most active union in Loudoun, and one of the most active in the State, remaining so until 1965. The Virginia statewide WCTU was organized in September 1882 in Richmond. Sarah Hoge, a member of the Lincoln WCTU, was a founding member and elected president of the Virginia Chapter, remaining president until 1938. Over time, she grew the statewide WCTU membership from fewer than 1,000 to close to 11,000. The WCTU was not the only pro-Prohibition force active in Loudoun. In 1878, while Mrs. Hoge was forming the Lincoln WCTU, her husband, Howard M. Hoge, a minister of the Society of Friends at Lincoln, established, and was elected president of, the Prohibition and Evangelical Association (PEA) of Loudoun County. Unlike the WCTU, membership in the PEA was open to both genders. As the first order of business, Mr. Hoge and the PEA in 1878 organized a temperance rally in Dillon’s Woods, just south of the main business district in Purcellville. This rally became an annual summer event
known as a “Bush Meeting.” In the early years, stakes were driven into the ground, crossbars installed, and bushes put on top to form the roof, hence the name “Bush” meeting. At the time, the local paper announced that “The Good Templars of Loudoun County held a Bush Meeting in Dillon’s Woods at Purcellville…,” with the group proclaiming, “We shall endeavor to make this a Grand Religious Temperance Demonstration.” Each summer, thousands of people gathered near the Purcellville train station to participate in a multi-day rally, intending to foster public pressure to outlaw the production and consumption of liquor. The Purcellville rally eventually became the largest such event in Virginia. According to a 2009 monograph by Debbie Robison in Northern Virginia History Notes: Thousands of people came to the bush meetings in Purcellville. Crowd estimates were often in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 visitors. Many came by train from Washington, D.C. In 1894, it cost $1.55 round trip to take the train from D.C. to Purcellville. Special rates and excursion trains were provided for the event each year.
Of course, Prohibition activities in Loudoun and Virginia were just part of the much larger national movement. On Jan. 16, 1919, when Nebraska became the 36th state to ratify the 18th Amendment, the rest of the country joined the “Noble Experiment” that Virginia began three years earlier. Virginia ratified the 18th on Jan. 11, 1918, becoming the second State to do so; Mississippi ratified it four days earlier. The experiment did not go as anticipated. Violence, corruption, hypocrisy, disregard for the law, and moral outrage ensued across the country, Virginia, and Loudoun County. Additionally, there was an intentional legal gap. The 18th Amendment and its enabling legislation, the Volstead Act, outlawed the production, transportation, and sale of liquor, but not its possession or consumption. Consequently, some wealthy individuals and private clubs were able to purchase sufficient supplies before Prohibition became effective to legally serve cocktails to their guests and patrons during the 14 years before Repeal. Well before Prohibition, many farm families in Loudoun and throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains operated small breweries and distilleries for their own needs, and to sell to friends and neighbors. With Prohibition’s arrival, some of these operations grew much larger to meet a growing demand for a suddenly outlawed product. According to Eugene Scheel’s article, Mountains Full of Moonshine, published by loudounhistory.org, a favorite location for selling the local product was the Broad Run Tollhouse, which can still be ALCOHOL continues on page 35
OCTOBER 14, 2021
Alcohol continued from page 34
glimpsed as one crosses Broad Run on Rt. 7 near the Dulles Town Center. Before the tolls were removed in 1924, every car and wagon crossing the one-lane bridge had to stop and pay the toll. If a thirsty traveler wanted to pay an extra $2, it just might have been possible to find a pint jar to help smooth the journey. An extra $8 or $9 would bring a full gallon of refreshment. On the ridge above Bluemont, an entrepreneur named Jess Tomblin made a strong corn whiskey and stronger apple brandy. So many people complained about the business to Leesburg Judge J.R.H. Alexander, the judge was forced to send the sheriff to investigate. However, as the judge himself was a frequent and loyal customer, he warned Tomblin before the raid to have only a few gallons on hand. The fine then would be about $10 and the business could continue with minor interruption. According to Mr. Scheel’s article, Tomblin’s business continued into the early 1940s. Not unexpectedly, Prohibition brought homicides, some of them in Loudoun. On the early morning of Aug. 29, 1931, Lertie Holsinger killed his partner, 78-year-old Amos Jenkins, at the Broad Run Tollhouse. According to an October 2020 article by Mathew Annis in Ashburn Magazine, while the two men scuffled in Holsinger’s room, Holsinger shot Jenkins twice. At his trial, Holsinger claimed self-defense. The only witness to the shooting was the housekeeper, Janie Shugars. Her testimony substantiated Holsinger’s story, and the jury found Holsinger not guilty of murder. Archival records show that Holsinger subsequently divorced his wife and married Janie Shugars. In another Loudoun incident, J.D. Lambert, a Leesburg-based Inspector for the Virginia Department of Prohibition Enforcement, was shot and killed in 1923 while raiding a still in the forest at Belmont Plantation in Ashburn. The shooter, known as “Mr. C,” was convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Between 1918 and 1932, at least six additional Virginia enforcement agents were killed in the line of duty.n — In Part 2: Women’s suffrage and the end of Prohibition Larry Malone is executive director of Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and vice chairman of the Loudoun County Rural Economic Development Council. In Our Backyard is compiled by the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition. For more information about the organization, go to loudouncoalition.org.
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