Loudoun Now for Nov. 5, 2020 by Loudoun Now

n LEESBURG

Pg. 6 | n PUBLIC SAFETY

VOL. 5, NO. 49

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Pg. 14 | n OBITUARIES

Pg. 18 | n PUBLIC NOTICES

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Loudoun Backs Biden, Wexton Amid Record Turnout LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

On the wave of significant support among more than 153,000 early and absentee votes, Joe Biden took 61% of the Loudoun vote in Tuesday’s presidential election. It was the biggest win by a presidential candidate in Loudoun since 1988, when George H. W. Bush took 66% of the vote

in his defeat of Michael Dukakis. A record 221,967 Loudouners cast ballots according to unofficial results. It also reflected the vote statewide, which was called for Biden by national news outlets soon after polls closed. Complete vote tallies across the state will not be available until at least Friday, however, which is the last day that mailed absentee ballots will be accepted.

President Donald J. Trump and other Republican candidates led the voting in the in-person Election Day tallies, but Democrats were swept into office with strong performances in the unprecedented level of early voting. In the end, Biden outperformed Hillary Clinton’s race four years ago, when she beat Trump with 54.8% of the Loudoun vote. Biden also was the top vote getter

among other victorious Democrats on the ballot, demonstrating success in attracting Republican crossover votes. Loudoun voters backed incumbent Democrat Jennifer Wexton in the 10th District congressional race. She got 59% of the Loudoun vote in her race against RECORD TURNOUT continues on page 21

Burk Wins Handily in Leesburg Mayor’s Race

A Battleground No More

Cummings, Bagdasarian, Nacy Join Council

BY NORMAN K. STYER

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

nstyer@loudounnow.com

krodriguez@loudounnow.com

In a bizarre election year, Tuesday’s results were an affirmation for Leesburg’s now three-term mayor. With some absentee ballots still outstanding, Burk had a more than 10,000vote margin of victory over her challenger, Councilman Ron Campbell, with 67% of the total vote. “I think the message the voters sent was they want the town to be represented by someone who is willing to work with people and get things done,” she said. “They don’t want someone who is an obstructionist who has their own agenda.” On her victory, which will bring her total years of elected public service to 18 at the end of the new term, she said she is honored to represent the town for another two years. “I really appreciate the fact that the community supports me in that effort. I will continue to work with the community to move forward, especially in this really

was not enough to stop Burk from securing a third mayoral term. With his council

For the past three presidential elections, Virginia has been a battleground state. And since 1932, as Loudoun goes, so goes the commonwealth. That put Loudoun square in the spotlight of all the recent campaigns. In 2008, Barack Obama held the largest political rally in county history at Ida Lee Park. On Election Day eve four years ago, thousands of supporters gathered at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds waiting until after midnight to be part of Donald J. Trump’s final pre-election rally. Also during the past decade, Joe Biden, Mike Pence, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, and Hillary Clinton all made campaign stops in Loudoun. However, Loudoun wasn’t on any-

LEESBURG ELECTION continues on page 21

BATTLEGROUND continues on page 35

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk, left, watches results come in at a small, masked gathering outside Tuscarora Mill Restaurant in Leesburg, while TV coverage the presidential race is projected over the gathering.

difficult time,” Burk said. It was Campbell’s second time in as many years challenging Burk for the mayor’s seat, and while he received significantly more votes in this head-to-head battle, it

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Volunteers Sound Warning on Fire-Rescue Schedule Change BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now

Purcellville Police Chief Cynthia McAlister shows the evidence lockers in the police headquarters in 2018 which, she said, lack in terms of capacity. McAlister is hoping her department will move into a new headquarters by 2026.

After Years of Studies, Delayed Decisions Loom for Purcellville Town Council BY PATRICK SZABO pszabo@loudounnow.com

Last month, the Purcellville Town Council voted to re-up its Police Department lease at an undersized space with security concerns. It again postponed advancing construction of a permanent police headquarters first recommended years ago. And it rejected the request of the town manager and financial advisor to open a low-interest line of credit to get utility projects moving. It was the latest in a years-long pattern of the town’s elected leadership discounting—or distrusting—the advice of its professional staff and hired consultants in favor of charting their own course. From July 2019 to September 2020, the Town of Purcellville spent more than $160,000 for consultants to study and make recommendations on matters ranging from ways to achieve structural balance within the town utility funds to how to meet the needs of the Police Department. Prior to the start of FY 2020, the town spent $70,000 to pay another consultant to review and recommend improvements to the town’s governmental structure, and $392,000 to pay a law firm to investigate the investiga-

tion into since-discredited allegations of mismanagement against the police chief, which resulted in a series of recommendations to improve that agency’s operations. By not heeding the advice of those paid professionals, the town could be stuck paying more than its leaders originally bargained for—given inflation, rising interest rates the pressing need to bolster utility funds, and moreover, the price the town paid its consultants for their suggestions in the first place.

Council Delays Utility Rate Vote From FY 2019 to FY 2020, the town’s water and sewer funds shrunk by 39% and 16%, respectively. The town also faces an obligation to pay off about $30 million in sewer debt and finance $13 million in utility fund projects before FY 2030, according to an October 2019 Water Capital Improvement Program Risk Analysis. In December 2018, The Novak Consulting Group recommended 48 actions the town take to improve its government functions, following a five-month organizational assessment for which the town paid $69,800. One of those recommendations

was for the town to perform a utility rate study and simplify its rate structure. Less than a year later, Stantec, the town’s utility rate consultant, advised the town that it would need to raise water and sewer rates—with sharp or moderate hikes this year and annual increases of between 4% and 9.25% through the decade—to alleviate its utility-related financial burdens. The council didn’t act on those recommendations. Without formal direction, Town Manager David Mekarski initially proposed modest 5% rate hikes, but ultimately dropped them from the final FY 2021 budget in an effort to help customers through the pandemic. “It was very difficult to put together a budget not having the definitive direction from the council on the rates,” Mekarski said during his March 18 budget presentation. Mekarski, and two teams of consultants, had previously recommended the council abandon the town’s 17-tier water rate structure and adopt a four-tier utility rate structure, which, Mekarski said, DELAYED DECISIONS continues on page 34

Changes to the shift schedules of Loudoun’s career firefighters could threaten volunteer and rescue companies, warned the president of one of the county’s largest volunteer departments. But the system chief— and other volunteer firefighters— don’t agree. As they wrapped up work on a massive overhaul of the county’s payscales and job descriptions, county supervisors directed Combined Fire-Rescue System Chief Keith Johnson to work toward putting all career firefighters on the same schedule, with the 24-hour shifts common in the region. Loudoun is moving toward career personnel at all stations working 24-hours-on, 48-hours-off. According a February 2019 Fairfax County study of compensation across regional fire departments, every Northern Virginia jurisdiction works some version of the 24-hour shift schedule. At one time, Loudoun had as many as three different schedules in the fire-rescue system, depending on where a firefighter or EMT was stationed. Some firefighters were working 12-hour daytime shifts to better accommodate volunteers who come in to work nights. That proved a problem for recruiting and retaining firefighters, who are expensive to train. Being transferred from one station to another—and one schedule to another—could upend a firefighter’s life as they rearrange their personal lives, childcare, classes or other considerations. “The feeling was … if I offer you a job in Fairfax and in Loudoun, and our pay is somewhat equal, they’re going to pick Fairfax, or Arlington, or Alexandria because they’re not working day work, they’re working a 24-hour shift,” Johnson said. FIRE-RESCUE CHANGE continues on page 35

PAGE 4

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

ON THE Agenda

Loudoun

Supervisors Lay Out New Vision Statement BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Loudoun supervisors during their long-delayed strategic planning retreat on Monday crafted the bones of the vision statement which—they hope—will guide their current term. The strategic planning retreat is normally one of the first things a new Board of Supervisors does upon arriving to the dais following an election, but this board’s term has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the scramble to address it. But supervisors finally got together for the daylong meeting Oct. 26. After several drafts throughout the day, supervisors arrived at the foundations of a new vision statement, with the caveat that there will some more grammatical wordsmithing: “While appreciating and acknowledging our history and planning for a prosperous future, Loudoun strives to ensure a high quality of life in a safe, sustainable and inclusive community where everyone can be proud to live, work, learn and play.”

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Strategic planning retreat moderator Terrie Glass leads supervisors through a debate on the board’s new vision statement.

That compares to the previous vision statement, written at the previous board’s strategic planning retreat in 2016: “By honoring its rich heritage as well as embracing the robust opportunities of a new day, Loudoun County maintains the high quality of life it has achieved, shapes a future that represents the best of both worlds, and creates a place where its residents are proud to live, work, learn, and play.”

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said she would meet with Supevisors Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn), Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian), and Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) to fine tune the way the new vision is written. Briskman is a professional writer as a former journalist and communications professional, Buffington wrote the final draft of the new vision statement at the planning retreat, and Randall said of Turner “I’ve literally never met a better writer.” But with the pieces of the new statement in place, the foundation of the board’s mission—things like acknowledging the county’s history and creating an inclusive community—is laid. “I think the past vision statements were more focused on the past, and this one’s more focused on the future, which is what you want” Randall said. “It’s not called a reflection statement.” She in particular cheered the new emphases on inclusivity. “We never had that before,” Randall said. “We want to just say, we are a welcoming county, we want you to be here, we welcome you here.” n

Friendship House Staffers Raise Awareness for Mental Health BY PATRICK SZABO pszabo@loudounnow.com

Characters from the Disney film “Inside Out” visited downtown Leesburg last Wednesday morning to show others that it’s OK to have emotions. Staff members from the Loudoun County Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services Psychological Rehabilitation Program, which operates the Friendship House, raised awareness for mental health by visiting Raflo Park dressed as characters from the animated Disney movie, which portrays the emotions that live inside the main character’s head and guide her through life. The World Health Organization’s designated World Mental Health Day was observed Oct. 10.

Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now

County Budgets for Selma Flooding Buyouts Loudoun supervisors have voted to put $3.4 million toward mitigating the conditions that have caused repeated flooding of homes in the Selma Estates neighborhood north of Leesburg, starting work to clean up developer Stanley Martin’s project that has caused stormwater flooding since 2013. After years of complaints from residents—and close calls that put at least one life in danger, as a home’s first floor flooded with an elderly person inside—a study by the Federal Emergency Management Agency found that the floodplain around a creek was much larger than records indicated, and included 25 properties and homes on Farnborough Place, Osterly Lane, Trongate Court, Berkhamstead Place, and Saxon Shore Drive. The company that designed the infrastructure in that area that led to the repeated flooding, christopher consultants, proposed several options to mitigate that flooding. An independent consultant hired by the county government analyzed those proposals and found problems with all of them, recommending only one: a buy-out program for the affected homes. County staff members have approached Stanley Martin and christopher consultants about helping pay for that; so far, according to a report to supervisors, neither company will commit. So supervisors have planned for $3.4 million in local tax dollars toward a buyout program in Fiscal Year 2022, with the hope of bringing in another $4.6 million in federal grants. County staff members are applying for those grants now; however, a grant decision is not expected until January 2022. Supervisors voted unanimously.

Staff members from the Loudoun County Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services Psychological Rehabilitation Program dressed as characters from the movie “Inside Out” to raise awareness for mental health last week.

Stafford’s Espinosa Named County Budget Chief

The staffers last week talked about their characters’ emotions—like anger, disgust, sadness and fear—before walking a 5K down the W&OD Trail through downtown Leesburg to further publicize their message. Their visit to the park was

After a national search, Loudoun County Administrator Tim Hemstreet has appointed Alexandre A. Espinosa as Loudoun County’s chief financial officer and director of the

prompted by county leaders, who encouraged the Friendship House staff to get out and move to raise awareness for different mental health issues last month. n

ON THE AGENDA continues on page 5

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

Zoning Committee Appointments Made The first appointments in the newly organized Zoning Ordinance Committee, which replaced the Zoning Ordinance Action Group, have been made. Under the new ZOC structure, rather than supervisors making all appointments, selected organizations in the county have a seat reserved on the committee, and supervisors merely confirm appointments made by those organizations. Supervisors still also appoint some other seats on the committee. While the organization of the committee and to whom it reports—now the Planning Commission rather than the county board—has changed, it is meant to fill a similar role to the Zoning Ordinance Action Group that it replaced. The Zoning Ordinance Committee has provisions to let the ZOAG members who were serving when the committee was created finish their terms, and the organizational appointments to the new committee are mostly the same people who were on ZOAG already. On Oct. 20, supervisors voted to confirm appointments from several organizations. Those include development and land use attorney Colleen Gillis of Cooley LLP from the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce; IT firm founder Ben Keethler from the Loudoun Coalition of Homeowners and Condominium Associations; Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton from the Coalition of Loudoun Towns; and longtime planner John Merrithew from the Planning

Commission. Supervisors also appointed architect Kevin Ruedisueli, a former planning commissioner, as the architect representatives on the committee, and county planner Jean Ault as the urban planner representative. Meanwhile, developer Michael Capretti and former commercial developer and current rural conservation advocate Charles Houston were appointed to the two at-large seats on the committee. Farmer Tia Walbridge was nominated to represent the Farm Bureau on the committee, and is expected to be confirmed Nov. 5. The organizations that have seats on the committee include the Planning Commission, the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, the commercial real estate developers’ association NAIOP, the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association, the Dulles Area Association of Realtors, the Coalition of Loudoun Towns, the Farm Bureau, the Rural Economic Development Council, the Loudoun County HOA Coalition, the Economic Development Advisory Commission, the Piedmont Environmental Council, and the Loudoun County Conservation and Preservation Coalition. Some of the people appointed to the committee have in fact applied to ZOAG; some may also have to give up some other advisory board seats. Under the new rules, members can serve on no more than one other county committee. n

ON THE Agenda

street stated. “Mr. Espinosa’s more than 25 years of experience in finance and budget and accomplishments in local government stood out among a pool of exceptional candidates.” As CFO, Espinosa will oversee the county’s financial strategy and operations under the direction of the county administrator and the guidance of the Board of Supervisors. As director of the Department of Finance and Budget, he will oversee planning, directing, coordinating and supervising the county’s budgeting, capital improvement planning, long-term financial planning, accounting, auditing, cash flow, capital financing, payroll and procurement. The department also supports county agencies and Constitutional Officers by managing internal, organization-wide processes. Espinosa holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University and a master’s in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

continued from page 4

Department of Finance and Budget, effective Jan. 7. Espinosa will replace Erin McLellan, who was named assistant county administrator in April. In the interim, the position has been covered by Deputy Director Janet Romanchyk and Caleb Weitz, who took the assistant director job after serving as the county’s chief of staff. Espinosa comes to Loudoun from Stafford County, where he held the same job in that county government. He previously worked in Mongtomery County, MD, for more than 20 years, also working in county budget and finance and rising to director of the Department of Finance in 2016. He has also worked as a budget analyst in Miami-Dade County, FL. “We are very pleased to find such a highly experienced professional to serve the residents of Loudoun County,” Hem-

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

AROUND Town

Leesburg

Freeze Your Gizzard Goes Virtual

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Leesburg IT Director Jacob “Kuba” Jedrzejczak works at his desk in the town office.

Leesburg Gov’t Celebrates Internet Independence from County BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

krodriguez@loudounnow.com

For the first time since the dawn of the internet, the Town of Leesburg is independent of Loudoun County’s network. County leaders informed the town in 2017 that Leesburg had five years to find a new internet service provider, as Loudoun would discontinue providing that service

effective June 2022. Not only had the county been serving as the town’s ISP, but also provided the online security services, town IT Director Jacob “Kuba” Jedrzejczak said. The decision by the county to separate the town from its network may have been driven by the town’s growth, Leesburg Public Information Officer Betsy Arnett said, given that the town government now has 17 different facilities connected in its network.

Since the county delivered the news to the town, both town staff and the Technology and Communications Commission, in an advisory role, have been working to make the transition to their own network. “It’s been an example of great collaboration,” Jedrzejczak said. In January, 2019, the Technology & INTERNET continues on page 7

Coffman Lauded for Airport Leadership

Longtime Employees Recognized

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Leesburg Executive Airport Director Scott Coffman was presented with a restored taxiway light by a group of airport tenants during last week’s Leesburg Town Council meeting. The group sought to highlight a list of recent accomplishments at the airport that were completed under Coffman’s leadership and will little staff. Those include the initiative to secure a second fixed-base operator, the establishment of the remote control tower system, and new taxiway markings and a lighting upgrade. The lighting project replaced 40-year-old incandescent lights with brighter LEDs, which reduced the airport’s electric bill by over 70%. As the lighting upgrade project neared completion, the group took one of the old taxiway lights, stripped it, repainted it, wired it, and mounted it on a wooden base for presentation to Coffman. n

Runners will have to freeze their gizzard by themselves this year. The Town of Leesburg announced Monday that the 18th annual “Freeze Your Gizzard” Cross Country 5K will be a virtual event this year, because of precautions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants are encouraged to pick a course to run or walk in place of the traditional in-person event, which typically is held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving at Ida Lee Park. A run or walk can be done in a neighborhood, on a trail, at a park, or on a treadmill between Nov. 21-28. Registration costs $25 per person, or $80 for a family of four, which can be done online at prraces.com. Registration will close at midnight on Nov. 28. All pre-registered runners will receive a commemorative long-sleeved shirt and custom race bib in their race packet, which will be mailed to runners in mid-November. The town will once again partner with Loudoun Hunger Relief. In lieu of non-perishable food donations, participants are asked to consider a monetary donation, which can be done by clicking on the donation link on the registration page. For more information, call 703777-1368 or go to idalee.org.

Airport Commission Chair Dennis Boykin

Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk and airport tenant Tom Saxon present a restored taxiway light to Leesburg Executive Airport Director Scott Coffman as a thank you for the recent runway lighting upgrade.

Employees who have worked for the Town of Leesburg for five, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years were recognized during the month of October as part of the annual Employee Service Awards. Town Manager Kaj Dentler presented certificates of appreciation to 40 employees. Among them were three who have worked for the town government for 30 years. They are Delane Parks with Planning & Zoning; and William Brown and Karl Konopa, both with Streets & Ground Maintenance. “The Town of Leesburg is pleased to recognize our employees not only for their years of service, but to acknowledge them for their dedication TOWN BRIEFS continues on page 7

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

AROUND Town continued from page 6

to our residents, businesses, and visitors,” Dentler stated. The Town of Leesburg is currently recruiting for a variety of full and part-time positions. If you are interested in working for the town go to leesburgva.gov/jobs for information about current openings, employee benefits and the application process.

Internet continued from page 6 Communications Commission endorsed a new IT Strategic Plan, which was then adopted by the Town Council. At the time, funds were put aside for a study on how to separate from the county’s ISP, and Jedrzejczak joined the town staff a few months later. Not long after that, the town staff realized that much of the work for the transition could be done in house, and the study was scrapped, saving the town more than $200,000. Both Segra and DISYS provided support on the private sector side. Doing most of the work in house also

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

Leesburg at Leisure Now Online The Parks and Recreation Department will no longer be mailing the “Leesburg at Leisure” activity guide to town residents and annual pass holders. Instead, all issues will be posted electronically four times per year. Online registration will remain the same, via WebTrac, or by calling Ida Lee Recreation Center at 703-777-1368. To view the activity guide, go to idalee.org and click on the green “Leesburg at Leisure” button. saved about 18 months in implementation time, Arnett said. Another benefit was an existing contract. “One of the things that saved us time is we were able to ride an existing state contract with Segra for the internet service provider. The procurement process is really lengthy so that saved us quite a bit of time to be able to find a contract,” Arnett said. In addition to now operating its own ISP and security services, Leesburg was also switched to a managed services provider model and co-located the town’s equipment to a professional database. In total, the town spent $188,900 to achieve all three of its goals. n

PAGE 7

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

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The race to the top of the class will come to an end starting with next year’s freshman class. The Loudoun County School Board last week voted to replace class rankings with the Latin honors system. Starting in 2025, graduates in the top 5% of their class will earn a summa cum laude designation. Those in the top 6-10% will be magna cum laude and 11-20% cum laude. There won’t be valedictorians or salutatorians. The action follows regional and national trends away from class rankings, which administrators say have a declining impact with college admissions offices. By moving to a tiered system, school division leaders hope to reduce student stress, encourage course exploration, and improve mental health. The change had been proposed to take effect with next year’s rising juniors, but Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) won support in

a 6-3 vote to push the implementation back to incoming freshmen. The majority said high schoolers already are experiencing too much change and uncertainty as classes have moved online during the pandemic and they didn’t want to add more into that mix. On the dissenting side, Beth Barts (Leesburg), Denise Corbo (At Large) and Harris Mahedavi (Dulles) advocated making the change as soon as practical, noting that class ranks aren’t calculated until students enter their junior years. Jeff Morse (Dulles) cast the lone vote against moving away from class rankings. He was worried about students who would fall just below a cut line and who would be grouped into a lower category. And, he said, the Latin honors system likely would do little to reduce stress of students competing to perform at the top of the class. n

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

PAGE 9

Daughters of the American Revolution Mark Carter Graves BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

The Ketoctin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on Saturday, Oct. 31 held a ceremony near Berryville on Saturday to mark the restoration of the graves of Charles and Elizabeth “Betty” Carter, relatives of both George Washington and Meriweather Lewis. Betty Carter was the daughter of Betty Washington Lewis, George Washington’s only sister to live to adulthood, and Fielding Lewis, a Revolutionary War colonel and member of the same family as the famous explorer Merriweather Lewis. From 1807 to 1813, Charles and Betty Carter lived at North Hill Estate, overlooking the Shenandoah River and what today is the Rt. 7 bridge. The Carter family, one of the wealthiest families in early American history, has ties across the state, including in Loudoun particularly at Oatlands, which was formed in 1798 by George Carter. They were heirs to the fortune in both land and enslaved people of Robert “King” Carter, who when he died in 1732 left his family 300,000 acres— more than 468 square miles—of land and about 3,000 enslaved people.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

The Sons of the American Revolution fire a musket salute at a ceremony marking the restoration of the graves of Charles and Elizabeth “Betty” Carter.

George Washington, too, has close ties to the area. Legend has it that he stayed at North Hill during his work as a surveyor in the area. Today North Hill is owned by Tim Lindsey, who has been at work restoring the property which has also belonged to such historic notables as Supreme Court Justice James Mercer, Edward Snickers who lent

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his name to Snickersville gap and other places in the area, and James Castleman for whom Castleman’s Ferry is named. The Fort Loudoun chapter of the Daughters of the Daughters of the American Revolution has cared for the site where Betty was buried since before 1927, according to DAR records. Charles died at a different property, but has since been rein-

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terred at North Hill. Ketoctin Chapter DAR member Gina Blake was Lindsey’s neighbor when the grave markers were discovered. Lindsey and the DAR brought in eighth-generation Loudouner Ken Fleming to restore and conserve the burial site. Fleming has restored more than 100 graves of veterans and their families. His work over two years included reconstructing the vaults with brick taken from a local building dating to the 1790s and cleaning and repairing the marble capstones. Fleming also installed memorial monument stones for the three Carter children who died at an early age at North Hill, although the exact site of their burials is lost. And Lindsey installed a wrought iron fence around the memorials. “This has been an incredibly rewarding effort for all of us involved,” said Kecia Brown, Regent of the Ketoctin Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. “Speaking for my fellow daughters, we are so very proud that we can continue to preserve the legacy and culture of the American Revolution.” The ceremony was also marked with a musket salute by the Sons of the American Revolution. n

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Wright Sentenced to 21 Years in Bluemont Man’s Shooting Death BY KARA RODRIGUEZ

krodriquez@loudounnow.com

A Charles Town, WV man will spend the next two decades in prison after accepting a plea agreement for second-degree murder in the March 2019 shooting death of Jeffrey B. Evans. Wright had initially been charged with first-degree murder. On Monday morning in Clarke County Circuit Court, Dale Lee Wright, 51, accepted a plea for the lesser charge of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony for his role in Evans’ death. Judge Alexan-

der Iden sentenced Wright to 43 years and eight months for the second-degree murder charge and three years for the firearm charge, but suspended all but 21 years and 8 months. According to testimony presented during a December 2019 preliminary hearing, Wright made arrangements to meet with Evans, his former boss and friend, on the morning of March 17, 2019, in a gravel parking lot off Rt. 7, just west of the Loudoun/Clarke border. Statements to investigators indicated that Wright may WRIGHT SENTENCED continues on page 11

SAFETY notes Suspect Sought in Algonkian Park Exposure Case Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office detectives have released a composite sketch of the suspect in an indecent exposure incident that happened in Algonkian Regional Park on Tuesday. The victim report- Sketch of suspect ed that a man followed her while she was exercising on a trail that runs parallel to the Algonkian Golf Course. At one point the victim turned around and the man exposed himself. The victim screamed and he ran away. The suspect is described as a Black man, in his mid-20s, approximately 5-feet, 11-inches to 6 feet tall, wearing large silver earrings in both ears, a black long-sleeved shirt, black shorts, and shoes with red accents. Anyone with any information regarding his possible identity is asked to contact Detective R. Burnett at 703-777-1021. You may also submit a tip through the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office app.

Deputy Shoots Own Leg at Ashburn Training Center A deputy with the Alexandria Sheriff ’s Office was hospitalized Friday morning after he unintentionally discharged a round from his duty weapon into his leg at the

Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy. The shooting, which was not training-related, occurred at 8:16 a.m. Oct. 30. The academy staff rendered first aid until medical crews arrived and transported the deputy to the hospital. The injury was reported as non-life-threatening.

Witnesses Sought to Pedestrian Hit and Run The Sheriff ’s Office is seeking witnesses to a Friday night incident in which a pedestrian was struck while crossing Algonkian Parkway. The crash happened at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 30 near Hardwood Forest Drive in the Great Falls Chase neighborhood. The pedestrian, who was not in a crosswalk, sustained injuries described as serious. The driver did not stop at the scene. Deputy First Class N. Potter is seeking to talk with anyone who witnessed the incident. He can be reached at 703-777-1021.

Airbag Thefts Reported in Sterling The Sheriff ’s Office is investigating a series of airbag thefts from vehicles parked near the Chatham Green neighborhood in Sterling on Oct. 29-30. Some of the vehicles had broken windows to gain access. The thefts were reported on Woodson Drive at Clarion Terrace, Eaton Terrace, Shady Point Square, and Penny Oak Terrace.

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

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Wright sentenced continued from page 10

PAGE 11

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2020 Welcoming new patients! committed to providing a comprehensive dental Dr. Brian Cochran and his staff at office What weall offer FAVORITE 1503 Dodona Terrace #210 have told Evans he would be arranging an FAVORITE Conveniently located in with aCochran caring andFamily gentle style that will serve most all of Dental are • Cheerful, serene, Cochran state of theLeesburg, artand officehisVA 20175 Dr. Brian staff at introduction that morning between Evans your family’s dental needs under one roof. Insurance The Village of Leesburg • Digital x-rays (reduces radiation by 90%) to providing a comprehensive dental office committed 703-771-9034 and someone he knew who was selling an Cochran Family Dental are friendly office offering budget wise payment options. Dr. 1503 Dodona Terrace #210 • We file all dental benefi t claims withhasa provided caring and gentle that serve most all of Cochran trusted dentalstyle care to thewill citizens antique trailer. Evans, who owned Lenah committed to providing a comprehensive dental Leesburg, 20175 Dr. Dentistry Brian(veneers, Cochran and hisVA staff at oneoffice • Cosmetic whitefamily’s fifor llings, Zoom Whitening) of Loudoun 13 and years. your dental needs under roof. Insurance Auto Body in Aldie, was an antique car HOURS: WHITENING SPECIAL withand a caring gentle style that will serve most all of WHITENING 703-771-9034 • Crowns Bridges, Family alland phases of Implants, Root Canals and Dentures Conveniently located in FREE Teeth Whitening Kit Cochran Dental are friendly office offering budget wise payment options. Dr. enthusiast. Mon. & Wed.: 8am - 6pm SPECIAL with every scheduled The Village at Leesburg facing your family’stherapy dental needs under one roof. Insurance • We offer periodontal to restore your oral health as well as oral cancer screening. Tues. Thurs.: 7am 4pm Once at the parking lot, a confrontaUse your benefits before the end has provided trusted dental care to the office citizens cleaning or procedure. 7providing between Wegmans 1503committed Dodona Terrace Route toCochran aandcomprehensive dental of the year and receive8/31/16. a FREE Fri.:Fitness 8am - 1pmwise Offer Expires LA friendly offering budget payment options. tion ensued between Wright and Evans, Teeth Whitening Kit with everyDr. Suite 210office Conveniently located in the Village of Leesburg of Loudoun for 13 years. Please present coupon to Sat.: 8am 1pm (once/month) Mon & -Wed: 8-6pm HOURS: Dale Lee Wright scheduled cleaning or procedure. WHITENING SPECIAL with a20175 caring and style that will Leesburg, with Wright fatally shooting Evans. Afreceive the offer. Not to bemost all of Cochran hasTerrace provided trusted dental care the citizens TuesEmergency & Thurs: 7-4pm Service 1503VA Dodona #210 •gentle Leesburg, VA 20175 • to 703-771-9034 WHITENING Offer Expires January 1,serve 2016. 24hr Conveniently located in FREE Teeth Whitening Kit Please present coupon to receive offer. Mon. & Wed.: 8am 6pm combined w/anythe other Fri: 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm (Once/month) Mon. & Wed.: 8am 6pm • Tues. Thurs.: 7am 4pm • Fri.: 8am 1pm • 24hr Emergency Service ter briefly driving off and then crashing, Notfacing to be combined with any other offer. SPECIAL 703-771-9034 with every scheduled The Village at Leesburg 24hr Emergency Service of Loudoun for 13 years. your family’s dental needs under one roof. Insurance Tues. Thurs.: 7am 4pm Use your benefits or before the end cleaning procedure. Evans would ultimately succumb to his the scene of the gravel lot that morning, Route 7 between Wegmans and WHITENING 1503 Dodona Terrace Visit ourwebsite: website at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com of the year and receive8/31/16. a FREE Visit our TheLeesburgVADentist.com Fri.: 8am 1pm Conveniently located in with some saying Wright approached EvOffer Expires LA Fitness friendly office offering budget wise payment options. injuries. A report by the medical examinTeeth Whitening Kit with everyDr. 210 at Leesburg SPECIAL TheSuite Village facing Please present coupon to Sat.: 8am 1pm (once/month) Mon & Wed: 8-6pm ans, and others saying the opposite. Th ere scheduled cleaning or procedure. er stated that Evans was shot three times, Use your dental benefits before the endthe Leesburg, VA 20175 receive offer. Not to be Cochran has provided trusted care to the citizens Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm Route 7 between Wegmans and Offer Expires January 1, 2016. 24hr Emergency Service Dodona Terrace the descripthe year and receive a combined FREE once each in the chest, lower lip and the were also inconsistencies in1503 Please present coupon to w/any receive the offer. other (Once/month) LA FitnessFri: 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pmof every with any other offer. Not towith be combined Suite 210 703-771-9034 tion of the person meeting Evans. WilEmergencyTeeth ServiceWhitening Kit of Loudoun for 1324hryears. back of the head. Mon & Wed: 8-6pm scheduled cleaning or procedure. Leesburg, satisfiVA ed 20175 Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm at: TheLeesburgVADentist.com Offer Expires January 1, 2016. Wright was identified as a person of liams said Evans’ family was also Visit our website Conveniently located in present coupon to receive the offer. Conveniently located in 8-1pm (Once/month) Please Fri: 8-1pm • Sat: interest after dash cam footage from a with the terms of the plea deal. Not to be combined with any other offer. 703-771-9034 24hr Emergency Service The Village at Leesburg facing Under questioning by Iden, Wright passing car the morning of the shooting The Village at Leesburg facing Use your benefits before the end andbenefits of the pleaTerrace Route 7 between Wegmans showed a car at the gravel lot matching said he understood the terms Use your thereceive end a FREE 1503 Dodona thebefore year and Route 7 between Wegmans and LA Fitnessof the year andof agreement Terrace and admitted guilt to both 1503 Dodona one that belonged to him. Investigators receive a FREE Teeth Whitening Kit with every Suite 210 LA Fitness charges. Upon his release from prison, Mon & Wed: 8-6pm also said Wright had been to Evans’ shop Suite scheduled cleaning or Teeth Whitening Kit with everyprocedure. 210 Leesburg, proVA 20175 Offer Expires January 1, 2016. earlier that week, and a search of his and Wright will be placed on supervisedMon & Wed: 8-6pm Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm or procedure. Please present coupon to receive the offer. Fri: 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm scheduled (Once/month) cleaning bation VA for 1520175 years, or until he reaches age Leesburg, Evans’ phones showed contact between Tues & Thurs: 7-4pm Offer Expires January 1, 2016. Not to be combined with any other offer. 24hr Emergency Service 80. the two in the days leading up to the murPlease present coupon to receive the offer. Fri:and 8-1pm • Sat: 8-1pm (Once/month) Members of both Evans’ Wright’s der. A search of Wright’s car at his sister’s Not to be combined with any other offer. 24hr Emergency Service West Virginia home produced a 32-cali- families were present in the courtroom Historic Downtown Leesburg | 312 E. Market St. ber pistol and ammunition, and a bullet Monday morning, both weeping occafound in Evans’ body was determined to sionally. Sarah Evans, the victim’s daughter, read aloud a victim impact statement have been fired from that type of gun. After Wright initially denied meeting where she called her late father her “warOffer Expires January 1, 2016. Evans that day, he changed his story to rior” and said she had always been the investigators several times, before finally quintessential daddy’s girl. She said her Please present coupon to receive the offer. admitting he shot Evans, but claiming it heart was shattered forever when authorNot to be combined with any other offer. ities told her that her father had passed was in self-defense. Investigators believe there may have away. “When my dad didn’t have my hand, been a financial motive behind the crime, as court documents found in a search of he had my back,” she said. “He was a beauhis property showed Wright was $40,000 tiful human being with the most generous behind in child support payments, and heart. He was the one person everyone had a court date on that arrangement could truly count on. I’ll never be able to scheduled for that week. If he was unable fathom how such a man could be taken to produce $5,848 to the court that week, from us. I’m left with a gaping hole to Wednesday, November 11, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. he faced a 180-day jail sentence, according which I see no end. To have such a beauto Clarke County Commonwealth’s Attor- tiful life be tainted by violence will forever The George C. Marshall International Center, the Town of Leesburg ney Anne Williams. Evans was known to haunt me.” and Loudoun County invite you to join us in honoring Evans said, although the pain of her carry large amounts of cash, sometimes our veterans for their courage and commitment. into the thousands of dollars, and a search father’s loss is still “unimaginable,” she of his car that morning produced approx- prays everyday to “find a road to forgiveKeynote Speaker: ness” for Wright. imately $7,000 in a pouch. Rear Admiral Thomas C. Lynch, USN (Ret.) Wright declined to make a statement Wright was arrested and has been incarcerated since two days after Evans’ ahead of his sentencing. As part of the plea agreement, he agreed to meet prideath. Williams said Wright has never spec- vately with Evans’ family, with only deified exactly what happened between fense counsel present. Iden emphasized This event is free, open to the public and will be held on the grounds of Dodona Manor. he and Evans that morning. She said that any statements made by Wright Guests are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing. the commonwealth was comfortable in during that meeting about his interaction RSVP’s are required at events@georgecmarshall.org offering the plea deal to avoid a possi- with Evans on the day of his death could Call 703.777.1301 for more information. ble self-defense claim by the defendant. not be used against him in a future legal EVENT PARKING: Loudoun County Parking Garage access 1 block west on Loudoun St. SE or free Williams also pointed out the inconsis- proceeding, even if they would support a metered street parking in the area. Handicap drop off behind Dodona Manor at 312 East Market St. tent statements given by witnesses on first-degree murder conviction. n

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PAGE 12

Loudoun Habitat Dedicates 2 Homes in a Week

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Nonprofit

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Loudoun Habitat for Humanity recently dedicated homes for two families in the same week through its Homeownership Program. The Schwartz Family got the keys to their new home in Lovettsville, and the Solares family were welcomed home in Leesburg. “As a county employee, my job is to assist others with looking for resources to help people get where they need to be,” Sarah Schwartz said. “Being able to tell my children that we were buying a home and telling them about the Habitat for Humanity program was amazing.” Loudoun Habitat for Humanity has been at work for 27 years partnering with homeowners based on a homeownership model that focuses on a need for a safe, stable home, a willingness to partner through what the nonprofit calls “sweat equity,” and the ability to pay an affordable mortgage. “The Habitat model provides a hand up, not a hand out,” said Therese Cashen, Loudoun Habitat for Humanity executive director. For her part, Claudia Solares has been working with Loudoun Habitat for Humanity for a year and a half preparing for

Loudoun Habitat for Humanity

The Schwartz family moves in to their home in Lovettsville.

homeownership. After finishing the seven-week homebuyer education series that is required of all future homeowners, she met regularly with her Loudoun Habitat financial advisor, learning how to save

money and prepare for the purchase of the home. “I’m super excited that I get my own room for the very first time and a backyard to play in,” said her younger daughter, who

is 12 years old. To learn more about how to support families through the Habitat homeownership program, go to loudounhabitat.org or call 703-737-6772, extension 101. n

FACETS of Help Loudoun Chefs Josh Miller, of Lost Rhino, and Jessica Brunetto have pitched in to help FACETS and its faith community partners meet the growing need for food in Fairfax County. FACETS’ daily hot meals program supports those who are homeless or facing food insecurity. Since COVID began, they have served nearly 40,000 meals. The nonprofit works to prevent and end homelessness in the greater Fairfax community. Learn more at facetscares.org. Contributed

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Chamber Foundation Opens Grant Applications LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

The Loudoun Chamber Foundation is accepting applications from area nonprofits seeking financial support for their work in our community. The foundation is the charitable arm of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce and all Chamber nonprofit members are eligible to apply. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on Nov. 23. Since it was launched in 2014, the

Foundation has awarded $116,000 to 32 local nonprofit groups focused on issues as diverse as education, health care, hunger and mental health. In 2019, through both the Foundation and other fundraising activities, the Chamber generated more than $40,000 for Loudoun-based nonprofit organizations. “The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed just how much Loudoun County relies on our nonprofits to support our families and neighbors in need. It

is inspiring to see Loudoun’s nonprofit community meet the epic challenges that this pandemic has created and do so with tireless compassion and care. That is why the Loudoun Chamber is more committed than ever to support these outstanding organizations and bring attention to their important work in our community,” Chamber President Tony Howard said. Learn more and apply at funding. communityfoundationlf.org/. n

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Show Loudoun some love. Spend your dollars locally this holiday season. loudounnow.com

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PAGE 14

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Business

New Faces, Same Mission Cowbell Coming to King Street BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com

From a food truck to farmers markets to Market Street, Cowbell Kitchen’s next expansion is right up the road in downtown Leesburg at 26 N. King St. Since starting out as a food truck concept by Cheryl “Cher” Strasser in 2012, the past few years have held some big changes for Cowbell Kitchen. Strasser and business partner Kaeley “KK” Brady opened their Market Street storefront in the fall of 2017, after gaining notoriety for years at farmers markets throughout the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The goal was to finally have their own commercial kitchen space and offer grab-andgo food while also fulfilling custom orders and creating all the goodies to sell at farmers markets. Tragedy struck in May 2018 when Brady unexpectedly died at 23 after a brief illness. That’s when Bre Grant, Brady’s older sister who had introduced her to Strasser, moved back to the area from California. In addition to being business partners, Strasser and Brady were the best of friends, and Grant would report back to Strasser on her sister’s condition in the weeks leading up to her death. “When KK was sick we never really thought she was going to die. I said to her ‘don’t worry, I’m going to help with Cowbell Kitchen’,” Grant recalled. “After KK died me and Cheryl just as friends talked a lot, and then I started helping out. Now we’re partners.” “I think it’s kind of a really unique friendship Cher and I have,” she said. “We do Cowbell in KK’s memory. We’re very passionate about it. It was her dream to have a shop.” In addition to keeping the restaurant running, Grant and her family began the Love, KK Foundation in memory of her sister. The goal is to support small busi-

Contributed

Intern Constance Pemberton, owner Bre Grant Owner, baker Susannah Lisk, owner Cheryl Strasser, and salesperson Brittany Pilarski are getting ready for the opening of the new Cowbell Kitchen storefront on North King Street next week.

nesses and farmers, both passions of Brady’s, and several initiatives have already reported great success. Cowbell is now set to bring on its first intern in support of the mission of the foundation, Constance Pemberton. Pemberton, who is pursuing a degree in baking and pastry, will initially be rolling out vegan pastry boxes at the new shop, with all proceeds from its sales going back to the foundation. A food drive run by the foundation has also been a success. Beginning directly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit stateside this spring, the foundation has supported two food pantries in the Leesburg and Lucketts area that feed 50 to 80 families a month, according to Lore Brady, KK’s mother and president of the foundation. Since April, the foundation has provided 1,595 pounds of produce, 85 dozen eggs, 279 pounds of cheese, 490 loaves of bread, and 95 quiches to the Faith Chapel Lucketts Community Food Pantry. “What is unique about our farm and small business to food pantry is we use our funds raised through donations and grants to purchase food from farmers and small businesses and in turn supply the food to the food pantry,” Brady said, particularly singling out support through

Contributed

An assortment of Cowbell Kitchen’s delectable pastries.

a CARES Act grant from the Town of Leesburg. “Cowbell is a huge help as they do all the ordering and accept delivery of the food. Love, KK picks up the delivered food and brings it to the pantry.” In addition to Cowbell, Franklin Sustainable Farm, Lyon Bakery, South Mountain Creamery, and Teague Farm have all provided goods and support to the food

drive. Looking forward to their new space on King Street, Grant said the former insurance office has about the same square footage as Cowbell’s former Market Street space, but a better layout. As one can imagine, it’s been a comprehensive remodel to put a commercial kitchen into the building, she said. The completely open kitchen will allow visitors to see pastries and food in full production. The restaurant is meant to be more grab-and-go style, though a porch and back patio will offer ample outdoor seating when the weather allows. For now, Cowbell has gotten out of the farmers market rotation, but has picked up wholesale accounts in the past few months. They will also continue to offer custom baked goods for weddings and special events. Many of Cowbell’s fan favorite items, largely vegan and plant-based, will carry over to the new restaurant, but Grant said they are also looking to offer more meat products to the menu. Hopes are to have the restaurant open to the public next week. For more information about Cowbell Kitchen, go to cowbellkitchen.com. To learn more about the Love, KK Foundation, go to kkbrady.com. n

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

PAGE 15

NHLEmployerCard2.pdf

9/3/19

10:58 AM

Town of Leesburg Employment Opportunities Please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs for more information and to apply online. Resumes may be submitted as supplemental only. EOE/ADA. Regular Full-Time Positions Position

Department

Salary Range

Closing Date

Controller

Finance

$79,227-$135,636 DOQ

Open until filled

Maintenance Worker I

Public Works & Capital Projects

$38,075-$65,186 DOQ

Open until filled

$56,956-$97,512 DOQ

Open until filled

$41,353-$89,790 DOQ

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Utility Inspector II

Utilities

Utility Plant Operator: Trainee, I, II or Senior

Utilities: Water Pollution Control

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. MY

CMY

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Please send your resume to lgray@lmgdoctors.com or fax to 703-726-0804

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PAGE 16

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

TOWN notes

Our Towns

Hamilton Town Offers Colonial Hwy. House for Rent The Town of Hamilton is renting out a 1,248-square-foot house it owns for $1,600 a month at 41 E. Colonial Highway. The town purchased the property from the Hamilton Volunteer Fire Department in November 2015 for $70,000. The house was built in 1934, according to the county’s parcel database. For more details on the offer, or to schedule a walk-through of the house, call the town office at 540338-2811 or email info@hailtonva. gov.

Lovettsville Holiday Art Tour Still on at Limited Capacity Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now

Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton in his Oct. 29 State of the Town address outlined the town government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, its healthy finances and multiple planned projects.

Littleton Outlines COVID Response, Healthy Finances in Middleburg State of the Town Address BY PATRICK SZABO pszabo@loudounnow.com

The Town of Middleburg’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been admirable, its finances are healthy and its projects are moving right along, Mayor Bridge Littleton said in his second annual State of the Town address last Thursday night. Close to two dozen people logged in to hear the town’s first-ever virtual mayoral address. Littleton’s hour-long presentation touched on the town’s drive to help businesses and residents amid the pandemic, the town’s financial savings through refinancing, the status of the new town office project, and what the town has planned for 2021. Littleton outlined the town’s response to COVID-19 and the subsequent state of emergency and state-mandated restrictions, emphasizing that the town “responded admirably” in creating programs to benefit residents and businesses. The town provided $200 credits to all utility customers, set up a retail support

program in which it reimbursed businesses a portion of the value of the merchandise they sold during sales, is hosting a housing assistance program with up to $50,000 in rent and mortgage assistance through the help of the Windy Hill Foundation, is providing direct financial support and permitting help for restaurants as they prepare to set up outdoor seating in the winter months, and provided a restaurant support program in which it sent all in-town households more than $230,000 in meal vouchers to spend at participating restaurants. Littleton noted that many residents donated those vouchers to charities to distribute to others more in need than themselves. “That really shows the strength of the community that we have here,” he said. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on town finances, Fiscal Year 2020 revenues accounting for property tax, business licenses, meals tax and occupancy taxes came in at the same levels as Fiscal Year 2018, at about $6.5 million. Littleton noted that the town also refinanced half of

its debt at a 1.8% interest rate, as opposed to previous interest rates that ranged from 2.5 to 4.6%, saving the town more than $375,000. Littleton clarified that most of that was 20-year debt within the town’s utility systems. In Fiscal Year 2020, the Town Council also adopted a new Comprehensive Plan, which outlines residents’ desires for the town to create more open and green space and welcome in more attainable housing options. Littleton pointed out that the median price of a single-family home in town is $500,000 while the median income of a Middleburg family is $54,000. “That makes it incredibly expensive for young families … to be actually able to afford to live in the town they live and work in,” he said. Littleton said the town has also moved forward with many different projects, including one that will see a new town office built next to the existing one. He assured residents the new office TOWN ADDRESS continues on page 20

The Catoctin Holiday Arts Tour is still on for its 10th anniversary this year, just at a limited capacity. There is no physical tour this year, but some artists will still open their studios by appointment while others will have their work available for purchase online. In total, 16 artists have been busy this year creating original works in paint, wood, clay, glass, metal, fiber and more. Learn more at catoctinart.com/ directory.

Elementary PTO Preps for Virtual Bazaar The Lovettsville Elementary PTO Bazaar will go virtual this year Nov. 7-21. Each day of the bazaar, a different vendor will take over the LOV PTO Virtual Holiday Bazaar Facebook page to showcase their products. Week one will see Pampered Chef take over on Nov. 7, Zya Active on Sept. 8, LOV PTO on Sept. 9, Beautycounter on Nov. 10, Kreate with Kim on Nov. 11, Thirty-One Gifts on Nov. 12, Holiday Bakers on Nov. 13 and Color Street on Nov. 14. Week two will see Momtography take over on Nov. 15, Glass by Manda on Nov. 16, Usborne Books on Nov. 17, Favorite Grampy Travels on Nov. 18, MylenesBombs.com on TOWN NOTES continues on page 17

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

TOWN notes continued from page 16

Nov. 19, Beachbody on Nov. 20 and Norwex on Nov. 21. Find out more at facebook.com/groups/ lovptoholidaybazaar.

Middleburg American Legion Post 295 to Host Rummage Sale American Legion Post 295 will host its first annual rummage sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 at the post’s building at 111 The Plains Road. Community organizations and individuals are encouraged to attend and/or rent a table to display goods for sale. Tables will be available for $10. For more information, contact George Martel at 540-687-6408. Learn more about the post at middleburglegion.org.

Purcellville Council Takes November Recess The Purcellville Town Council won’t meet again until Dec. 8.

It will not meet in November, since it met all through August, when it normally takes a month-long summer break. The council will next meet on Dec. 8. The town hall will also close Nov. 11 for Veterans Day and Nov. 25-27 for Thanksgiving. For more information, call the town at 540-338-7421.

Council Appoints Mekarski as Interim Zoning Administrator The Town Council voted unanimously last week to appoint Town Manager David Mekarski as the town’s interim zoning administrator following the August retirement of Director of Community Development Patrick Sullivan. The town is looking for a new director of planning and economic development. That person will be responsible for managing and implementing community desires for managed growth with a focus on economic development, and will review land use, site development and the comprehensive plan. He or she will also serve as the zoning administrator. Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning and bring with them eight years of experience. A master’s degree in urban and regional planning, public administration or a relat-

PAGE 17

ed field may be substituted for up to three years of experience. They must also hold a certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners or secure that certification at an upcoming exam date. The town staff will recommend to the Town Council a candidate to appoint as permanent planning director within the next three months. The selected individual will be paid up to $120,000. To apply for the position, go to purcellvilleva.gov/jobs.

Town Plans for Nighttime ‘Static’ Christmas Parade The Purcellville Town Council came to a consensus last week on plans to host a nighttime Christmas parade in December that will see floats remain in place while cars drive past. The town will plan for floats to line up along the westbound lanes of Hirst Road as spectators drive past in the eastbound lanes. Floats will be stationary along the road from 6-8 p.m. that day. According to town leaders, the “static” parade will pose little risk for the spread of COVID-19 and will close only a portion of one road, which will have little adverse impact on businesses along Main Street. The Town Council is expected to discuss

and finalize the specifics of the parade at its Dec. 8 meeting.

Round Hill Mayor, Cub Scouts Celebrate Arbor Day with Virtual Event Mayor Scott Ramsey and scouts from Cub Scout Pack 961 celebrated Arbor Day on Oct. 17 with a virtual tree-planting event in Neils Poulsen Park. After Ramsey read a proclamation committing the town to support the mission of Arbor Day, which falls on April 30 next year, the cub scouts planted a River Birch tree along the path in the park. Watch the video of the event at roundhillva.org/ home/news/virtual-arbor-day-celebration. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, which was founded in 1972, more than a million members, supporters and partners have helped to plant more than 350 million trees in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests across the world. The foundation’s vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to issues like air quality, water quality, deforestation, poverty and hunger. Learn more about Arbor Day at arborday.org.

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PAGE 18

Obituaries Kimberly Baca Cheshire

Kimberly Baca Cheshire, 49 of Leesburg, Virginia passed away surrounded by loved ones on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 after a hardfought battle with cancer. Kim was born Friday, November 13, 1970, in Fairfax, Virginia. She is survived by her loving husband of 21 years, Eric Cheshire; their children Nicholas Owen and Jordan Paige; parents Ron and Betty Baca; mother-in-law Judy Cheshire (Pete, decd.); siblings Ronnie, Debbie (Tim), and Julie (Mark); brother-in-law Geriel; many nieces and nephews who love their Aunt “Kimmy” dearly; and countless family and friends who will all miss her warmth and smile. Kim grew up in Sterling, Virginia and graduated from Broad Run High School in 1988. Shortly after, she began working at Ferguson Enterprises, where she met her husband Eric. After Nicholas was born in 2001, Kim began her most fulfilling career motherhood.

Kim had a passion for her family and friends, and she was a beacon of strength to them, along with countless others who met her. She loved listening to music, especially country; going to concerts; spending time picking crabs with all her family on the water in Colonial Beach; family vacations in the Outer Banks; and watching sports with family and friends, whether at the stadium or on TV. It was at the softball fields watching Jordan, band competitions or crew for Nick, or at Nationals games with Eric and the kids where she was happiest. Kim was the best wife, mother, daughter, sister, in-law, and friend one can have, and her vibrancy and kindness will be greatly missed by all. The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Thursday, November 5, 2020, at Loudoun Funeral Chapel, 158 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg, Virginia. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.loudounfuneralchapel.com In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org or P.O. Box 22478 Oklahoma City, OK 73123

Shirley Ruth Fishback Crosen

July 8, 1935 – October 28, 2020 the Ladies Board at Loudoun Hospital. Shirley Fishback One of her biggest loves after retirement Crosen passed away peacefully in her sleep, was traveling. She and Jimmy visited every State Capital in the U.S., except for New with her husband by Mexico and many Foreign Countries. her side, in her home Although they travelled great distances, in Hamilton, VA on her favorite places were Williamsburg, October 28, 2020 and woke up in Jesus arms. Virginia and Ocean Isle, NC. She always had a great passion for U.S. History, and She had courageously fought a lengthy battle Williamsburg was her second home. Shirley is predeceased by her parents, Maloy and with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was born Ruth Fishback; daughter, Carolyn Crosen in Alexandria, VA on July 8, 1935 to Mary Ruth Fishback and Charles Maloy Fishback. Quesenberry {Kevin}; sister, Charlene She grew up in Hamilton and Leesburg, VA. Fishback Rogers. She is survived by her husband, James A. Crosen of Hamilton. Shirley graduated Leesburg High School in Daughters: Susan Crosen Reimann {Rick} 1953. She also met the love of her life there of Sarasota, FL; Cathy Crosen Kennan in the eighth grade, Jimmy Crosen, and the {Tim} of Leesburg, VA; and Sarah Crosen two of them were married in December Wiley {Michael} of Winchester, VA. Twelve 1954. They were married for over 65 years. Grandchildren and Nine Great-GrandchilTheir four daughters, and all who were dren. Very Special Friend, Colleen Wilmoth close to them were very blessed to witness {George} of Hamilton, VA. Visitation will this part of their life with them. Shirley be at Colonial Funeral Home in Leesburg went on to attend Longwood College and received her BS in Teaching in 1956. She re- VA on Sunday, November 1, 2020 from tired from Loudoun County Public Schools 1:00 to 3:00. A Celebration of Life Service in 1991. The majority of her teaching career will be held at Hamilton Baptist Church on was spent at Hamilton Elementary School Monday, November 2, 2020 at 12:30. Burial teaching third and fourth grade students. will be at Union Cemetery in Leesburg, VA. After retiring, she also worked with FEMA Officiants will be Pastor Josh Miller, Greg in the call center helping people get aid Wilmoth and Colleen Wilmoth. In lieu of after being affected from a disaster. Shirley flowers, the family has requested that memorial donations be made to The American was an active member of Harmony United Alzheimer’s Association or the Salvation Methodist Church up until her illness. She enjoyed volunteering at the Church and Army of Loudoun County.

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

State Accepting Comments on Developer’s Remedial Actions Through Nov. 30 BY PATRICK SZABO

pszabo@loudounnow.com

Anyone with concerns surrounding a developer’s impact on wetlands when working on a now-stalled 30-home subdivision in the village of St. Louis has until the end of November to comment on the remedial actions the state will require the developer to take. Last year, the Mojax development company began work on a 30-home subdivision called Middleburg Preserve in the village, across two parcels of land totaling 21.3 acres. In doing so, crews drilled 16 of 27 planned wells, which sparked concern among neighbors who claimed that new residents pulling from those wells would adversely impact their water levels. They also were concerned about development affecting the flow of surface waters in the community. On Oct. 6, the county Board of Supervisors voted to purchase 16.4 acres of the Mojax-owned land for $1.5 million to place it in conservation easement and set up a park for passive recreation. County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said on Oct. 28 the county has yet to ink that deal but should soon. Still, Mojax faces requirements from the state to remedy the 0.63 acres of wetlands which the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality found it had impacted when drilling wells. In spring 2019, DEQ staff was notified via an individual complaint that Mojax crews had impacted wetlands. That April, after an inspection, DEQ staff determined Mojax had indeed impacted 0.63 acres of wetlands without first obtaining a Virginia Water Protection permit. DEQ subsequently issued Mojax a violation notice and a consent order to remedy the impact done. That order mandated Mojax pay a $27,500 fee and purchase wetland credits, among other remedial actions. A second complaint of unauthorized re-impacts of wetlands in March 2020 led DEQ to once again investigate and find that Mojax had impacted another 0.01 acres of wetlands within the same 0.63 acres it had previously impacted. DEQ staff then issued the developer a second violation notice and renegotiated the terms of the original consent order. Mojax signed the proposed order in September, which requires the company to pay a $32,275 civil penalty and take corrective actions to include wetlands restoration and the purchase of 0.6 acres of wetlands credits. But the order is not yet finalized and won’t be until DEQ reviews public comments on the proposed consent order. Residents have from Oct. 31 to Nov. 30 to

Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now

The Mojax project site in St. Louis.

submit comments. When asked during an Oct. 26 State Water Control Board public meeting how much Mojax will pay for the 0.6 acres of wetland credits, DEQ Regional Virginia Water Protection Program Manager Trisha Beasley said one acre of wetland credits typically costs at least $150,000 in Northern Virginia, and can reach as high as $500,000. DEQ Regional Enforcement Specialist Jim Datko said the finalization of the consent order will depend on the amount of feedback DEQ receives. He said that if DEQ finds that the order is adequate, it could be executed within the first few weeks of November, but “there’s no guaranteed date of execution.” In an Oct. 23 email to area residents, Friends of St. Louis civic organization President Job Woodill, who also lives across the street from the Mojax property, wrote that the community “must continue to pressure both the developer and county to ratify the purchase” of the property. “The Friends of St. Louis has taken the stance that MOJAX MUST restore the wetlands, VS just paying a fine,” he wrote. “Anything short of full restoration does not address the violations and simply paves the way for permitting.” To submit comments on the proposed consent order, email Datko at james.datko@deq.virginia.gov or DEQ Regional Enforcement & Pollution Response Manager Mark Miller at mark.miller@deq.virginia. gov, or mail the DEQ Northern Regional Office at 13901 Crown Ct., Woodbridge, VA 22193. Commenters should include their name and contact information. In addition to being required to remedy the 0.63 acres of wetlands it has already impacted, Mojax in April this year also applied for a Virginia Water Protection permit to impact 1.8 acres of surface waters, or less than 1,500 linear feet of impact to stream channels. That application was submitted to DEQ, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Virginia Marine Resource Commission. Beasley said DEQ has not yet deemed that application complete and won’t until the “full resolution of the consent order.” n

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

PAGE 19

HeroHomes Volunteers Pitch in to Help Marine Family BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Volunteers for HeroHomes got to work helping one of their future neighbors on Saturday, clearing an overgrown lot that will soon be home to a war-wounded U.S. Marine veteran and his family. A crew ranging from teenagers to U.S. Marine Corps vet Rob Jones, who lost his lower legs in a 2010 IED explosion in Afghanistan, gathered along Yatton Road south of Round Hill to begin the first steps of building a new home for Jimmy and Pat Ochan. It will be the fifth home constructed for wounded veterans by the Loudoun-based charity. The Ochans grew up in Uganda, then ruled by Idi Amin. Jimmy escaped to the United States as a 14-year-old refugee. He enrolled in high school, became a U.S. citizen and was attending college in Washington, DC at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He enlisted in the Marine Corps three days later. He was deployed three times, twice to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and once to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. During his deployment in Iraq, Ochan’s unit was hit by an IED blast and he sustained multiple injuries that required several surgeries. Combat injuries left him with TBI/PTSD, migraines, back pain and knee problems. He medically retired from the military in 2015 after 11 years of service and later returned to complete his college work, earning a degree in criminal justice. During his long recovery, Ochan’s wife, Pat, became a champion for the spouses of wounded warriors whose caregiving responsibilities gave hiring managers pause and made it difficult to find work. She was

One Smile At A

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

HeroHomes founder Jason Brownell talks with Jimmy and Pat Ocham about plans to build their house on Yatton Road just south of Round Hill.

his primary caregiver for four years and didn’t know if she would ever return to work. “You apply for so many jobs and nobody cares. So, we decided to make some noise about it,” she said. That started with meeting with other spouses in the hospital hallways and learning of their shared obstacles. “We need to get these jobs because maybe our guys will not be able to get back to work. Then the wives, we need to step in because we have this education,” said Pat, who earned a law degree in Uganda. “We can do something. We have to fend for the family; it is so expensive to live out here.” They soon found support, sharing their stories with former first lady Michelle Obama and benefiting from the national advocacy of the Elizabeth Dole Founda-

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itary veterans, including spouses, parents and other family members. “It has been a very rewarding journey. At first it was going out and helping other people and now people are coming to help us,” she said. The Ochans are looking forward to their move from Arlington, where their apartment building’s frequent fire alarms often disturb Jimmy’s much-needed sleep. They also have plans to grow their family, hoping to adopt a brother or sister for their son, William. Looking around at the scene of volunteers wielding chain saws, cutting brush and maneuvering bobcats, HeroHomes founder Jason Brownell said the Ochans would find a warm welcome in western Loudoun. “The community is definitely ready and willing to help,” he said. HeroHomes is a 501(c)3 not for profit foundation established to build houses for those who have fought for the preservation of freedom and democracy for others. The goal is to provide veterans with a foundation for their future and the dignity of an independent life in Loudoun’s smalltown community setting. n

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PAGE 20

Town address continued from page 16 would not only provide the town staff with a new governmental headquarters, but would also offer residents a location to conduct business and come together for events. He said the new office will have conference rooms for the general public and a green space to host farmers’ markets, concerts, the town’s July 4 celebration and other events. “Our broader community needs have just outstretched the capacity of this

three-room building,” Littleton said of the existing town office. “This is your town hall … and it’s really a community hall.” The town has requested funding help from the county government for that project and is reviewing architectural and design firms to lay out the schematics of the new town office. Littleton said the town staff expects construction to begin late next year. In the last fiscal year, the town also completed the west end sewage pumping station, which increased the town’s sewage pumping capacity ten-fold, Littleton said; completed repairs to well 4, which is helping to better filter town water; and completed repairs to sewer mains, which

has reduced rain inflow by about 50,000 gallons. Moving into November and December, Littleton gave residents hope that although the town has canceled its traditional Christmas in Middleburg event, the town is committed to hosting multiple, smaller events from Thanksgiving to Christmas to celebrate. Littleton said the town would also plan for 2021 as if it’s happening as usual but would plan events on a month-by-month basis. He also announced that he would work as the representative for Coalition of Loudoun Towns—a non-legislative group comprised of Loudoun’s seven

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

mayors that meets to share suggestions and collaborate on challenges their towns face—on the county’s Zoning Ordinance Committee. That committee will advise the county Planning Commission on zoning laws following the June 2019 adoption of the 2019 Comprehensive Plan. He said he would not only represent the Town of Middleburg, but all of western Loudoun in that process. Littleton closed by asserting that town businesses are “the most important part of our town” and called those who logged in to listen to his State of the Town address, and generally all residents, “the reason why we are here.” n

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Leesburg election continued from page 1 term expiring Dec. 31, Campbell said he had no regrets in running in the mayor’s race, rather than running for re-election for his own seat. “Some of the expectations we had of getting votes just didn’t happen. This is the way the votes came down. I’m absolutely proud of my service for my four years. I absolutely believe we did the right things in representing the people. This wasn’t about anything other than trying to do more from a leadership perspective,” he said. Joining Burk are three new faces on the Town Council dais—Zach Cummings, Ara Bagdasarian, and—barring a surprise in the small number of outstanding ballots— Kari Nacy. Like Burk, both Cummings and Bagdasarian were endorsed by the Loudoun County Democratic Committee. Though the Town Council is a nonpartisan body, political party endorsements and support have become a common—or even essential—part of a council race since Leesburg

Record turnout continued from page 1 challenger Aliscia N. Andrews, of Aldie. During a watch party at her Sterling office, Wexton spoke to a group of about a dozen of her supporters and staff a little past 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night, noting that her work on Capitol Hill is “far from finished.” Wexton said that while it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the news in this day and age, she is filled with “great hope.” “We’ll take another big leap forward,” she said. “I’m honored and forever grateful that you’ve given me this opportunity,” she told her constituents in the 10th Congressional District on a live broadcast from her office. “I can’t wait to get back to doing what I love to do—fighting for the families of Virginia 10.” Virginia Sen. John Bell (D-13) called the 2020 election “monumental” and called Wexton a “warrior” and a “leader we need in Congress.” Incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D) won a third 6-year term with a victory over Republican Daniel M. Gage. In Loudoun, Warner got 61% of the vote, a significant improvement over his 2014 race against Ed Gillespie when he only won 48% of the Loudoun vote. With up to 12% of absentee ballots still outstanding on Tuesday, Loudoun is only a

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moved its elections from May to November almost a decade ago. Cummings was the top vote-getter in the council race, receiving 19.09% of the vote, followed by Bagdasarian at 16.33%. While it will be his first time sitting on the Leesburg Town Council dais, Tuesday’s victory marks a return to elected office for Cummings who, in his early 20s, was elected to a council seat in his hometown of Dover, OH. It was a “totally different” experience the second time around, and Cummings said he was eager to get to work. “My new hometown has taken me in and I’m ready to get to work for them,” he said. The second time was the charm for Nacy, who found herself in the winning column following a fifth-place finish in her first council bid two years ago. The lone candidate in the council race to be endorsed by the Loudoun County Republican Committee, Nacy received 14.76% of the vote. Early returns, prior to absentee ballots being tallied, showed Nacy out to a commanding lead over the other three council fraction of a percentage point of breaking its previous turnout record, according to numbers reported by the Loudoun Office of Elections. As of Tuesday night, Loudoun had seen 78.64% turnout, with 221,967 ballots counted. More ballots will likely come in, as mailed absentee ballots are accepted until noon Friday as long as they were postmarked by Election Day. The previous record for turnout in this millennium was in 2008, when 77.92% of registered voters cast ballots. But Loudoun was also smaller then, and that only accounted to 179,320 people voting that year. Loudoun with its ever-growing population had already broken the record for total number of ballots cast by lunchtime Tuesday. According to the Loudoun County Office of Elections, as of 1 p.m., 201,956 ballots had been cast. Only a relatively small part of that was actual Election Day voting—at that point, only 47,891 people voting had ventured to the polls Tuesday. The previous record for number of voters casting a ballot was in 2016, which saw 76.77% turnout and 183,870 votes cast— about 38,000 fewer than have been counted this year so far. Loudoun came into Election Day with more than half of registered voters having already voted. Turnout on Monday, before election day had even arrived, stood at 53.26%. n

candidates. She admitted that throughout Tuesday evening she had to keep herself busy as she waited for large number of early voting and absentee ballot totals to be announced three hours after polls closed Tuesday night. “I’m definitely humbled and honored that the citizens of Leesburg voted me in this time and I’m really excited and looking forward to representing them on council,” she said. Bill Replogle appeared to be the odd man out, finishing 367 votes behind Nacy, with 14.27% of the vote. As mailed ballots can still be accepted through noon Friday, election results are not accepted to be official until later in the week, if not early next week. The new Town Council, which includes

PAGE 21

returning council members Vice Mayor Marty Martinez and council members Suzanne Fox and Neil Steinberg, takes office Jan. 1. Bagdasarian said he is hopeful the new council can work together, something that has been a challenge at times for the current council. “Obviously it’s a new decade and a very new time in not only our local situation but our global situation. I hope we can work together to get through the pandemic and get through this entire period and come out even stronger on the other side,” he said. “I know the Town Council had challenges in the past and we’re going to have three new members. Hopefully we can work together to achieve a better outcome for the town.” n

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Loco Living

The Show Must Go On Bringing Back High School Theater Safely BY JAN MERCKER

jmercker@loudounnow.com

Woodgrove High School drama director Addie Schafer Benko is on a mission to get theater kids back to doing what they love. It means finding creative workarounds and lots of extra effort to meet COVID safety protocols. But with help from the school’s theater boosters and local theater company, she’s found a way to get students back on stage. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it at the end of the day. I think of myself as a high schooler. … Theater was one of the few things that kept me going through some of the hard times,” Schafer Benko said. “This is their outlet. I want to be able to provide that to them if I can do it safely.” Through an innovative partnership with StageCoach Company, Schafer Benko and her students are producing a film version of the original play “Moonshine Murders,” written by StageCoach co-founder Terry Smith. The production involves socially distanced in-person rehearsals with a virtual participation option for kids who aren’t comfortable coming in. The “Moonshine Murders” movie will be shown at a pair of drive-in screenings

THINGS to do LOCO CULTURE Scary Spectacle Drive-In Haunted House Thursday, Nov. 5, Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7, 5-7 p.m. Between the Hills Community Center, 11762 Harpers Ferry Road, Neersville Details: facebook.com/v4larts Visitors can drive in one car at a time (windows rolled up) and be scared! The spectacle features flashing lights, loud noises and strobe effects, and guests may not leave their cars. Suggested donation is $5 per car.

Live Music: Quentin Walston Trio Saturday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Bethany Folks, in costume, helps out with camera tests as Makenna Buhler and other production crew members try to sort out lighting a face through a mask.

at the school in mid-December and will also be available on YouTube for the first half of 2021 for a one-time fee. While the production is made up of Woodgrove cast and crew, it’s not an official WHS production. The Woodgrove Music and Arts Association (the school’s fine arts boosters) and StageCoach are renting the school’s facilities, just as churches and other

Lane, Purcellville Details: franklinparkartscenter.org Jazz pianist Quentin Walston returns to Franklin Park Arts Center with bassist Benjamin Rikhoff and drummer Daniel Kelly II for an evening of original music including new works. Socially distanced seating is limited and masks are required in the lobby and concert hall. Tickets are $20 in advance.

‘Dial M for Monsters’ Saturday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m. StageCoach Theatre Company, 20937 Ashburn Road, Suites 115 and 120, Ashburn Details: stagecoachtc.com Catch the last performance of StageCoach’s new production of “Dial M for Monsters.” Classic movie monsters (the Count, the Mummy and friends) are no longer in demand as Zombies hog the spotlight. How can they strike back? Tickets are $25 in advance and shows are expected to sell out. The company is also

non-profits do on a regular basis outside school hours. Scahfer Benko came up with the idea this summer after seeing how challenging virtual theater can be for students in the county’s rural west, where internet connections are often lacking. “I realized how unstable the internet connection was for a majority of

offering live streaming for the Nov. 7 show. Check the website for details.

John Bullard: Bach, Banjos and the Hero’s Journey Thursday, November 12, 7:30 p.m. Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville Details: franklinparkartscenter.org John Bullard uses the concept of the hero’s journey to tell his own story and introduce a captivating program of classical music on the banjo. Social distancing will be maintained and face coverings are required. Tickets are $10 in advance.

Woodgrove students. When I looked into livestreaming and other options to do virtual theater, it just didn’t seem to be working out,” Schafer Benko said. Schafer Benko, who has worked with StageCoach as an actor for the past six years, was also influenced by her role in the company’s innovative production of “Clue” in September. The show was one of the county’s first in-person theater productions, with a socially distanced live audience and actors in clear face masks and face shields. “In a lot of ways, we were pioneering how theater would come back,” Schafer Benko said. “It was a great experience and it gave me a good understanding of where I was comfortable pushing the boundaries and trying things out with students.” StageCoach sold Schafer Benko’s group the rights to produce and film “Moonshine Murders” at a reduced price and gave them permission to adapt the show as needed to fit the needs of a high school production “They gave us a lot of creative reign because they feel passionate about bringing the arts back to the schools,” Schafer Benko said. HIGH SCHOOL THEATER continues on page 24

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg Details: tallyhotheater.com Fronted by vocalist Mark Schenker of KIX, Sun Dogs pays tribute to 40 amazing years of Rush. Tickets are $20 for each fully seated show.

Live Music: Steve George and Friends Saturday, Nov. 7, 12:30-3 p.m. The Barns At Hamilton Station, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton Details: thebarnsathamiltonstation.com Rock, country, blues and beyond from a local favorite. The Barns shows always draw a crowd with plenty of space to spread out.

Live Music: The Bone Show

LOCO LIVE Live Music: Sun Dogs: A Tribute to Rush Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 7, 1:30 50 West Vineyards, 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: facebook.com/50westvineyards Great

THINGS TO DO continues on page 24

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

PAGE 23

Trumpets in the Shower

Moving Forward with Loudoun’s Symphonies BY JAN MERCKER jmercker@loudounnow.com

Like other performing arts organizations around the country, the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra and Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra hit a wall last March. This fall, each organization is focused on doing what it can to keep symphonic music alive in Loudoun. “We decided to focus on what music we could create,” said Karen Knobloch, Executive Director of Loudoun Symphony Association, Inc. which oversees the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra and its youth orchestral component. The youth orchestra has resumed in-person practices this fall with social distancing measures and a virtual option for students who choose it. One big development for the youth orchestra is a new rental agreement on a 3,400-square-foot rehearsal space in the Virginia Village shopping center in a storefront that formerly housed an ABC store. The organization built special “shower stalls” for wind and brass musicians using PVC pipe and clear shower liners and uses special instrument covers to prevent saliva droplets from flying. String

Courtesy of Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra

The Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra has resumed in-person rehearsals with special “shower stalls” and instrument covers for brass and wind instruments.

players are socially distanced and wear masks, Knobloch said. The youth orchestra also has a handful of young musicians who participate in rehearsals via Zoom. “Rehearsals look very strange, but it seems to be working beautifully,” Knobloch said. “The sound is not as pure but it works just fine.” The youth orchestra hired a new director, Hayden Denesha, last month. And while the current group has been sitting together for less than two months, they’re already making plenty of progress, Knobloch said. The youth orchestra can’t do in-person

concerts but have been doing concert-style recordings to motivate members. “We decided we were going to have the kids focus on repertoire a little differently. Rather than focusing on a long symphony with several movements, we chose themes and music that would support these themes,” Knobloch said. Meanwhile, the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra, which includes a number of senior musicians in the vulnerable category for COVID, has not yet resumed rehearsals or scheduled performances. Instead, Loudoun Symphony Orchestra musicians have been producing music virtually as individuals or in smaller groups. Earlier this year, the group created a Loudoun Symphony Orchestra Musicians Showcase with individual members recording performances using the Acapella app. The symphony shared the 20-minute “A Little Mozart” virtual concert earlier this fall. Meanwhile, the symphony’s small Second Winds ensemble presents a free virtual Veterans Day concert featuring music from the ensemble and stories by music director Dr. Nancia D’Alimonte. The concert takes place Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. at loudounsymphony.org. n

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PAGE 24

High school theater continued from page 22 “Moonshine Murders” is a murder mystery set in a 1920s speakeasy. Schafer Benko and student producers have added and changed up characters and added music and content to the show, including original songs and public domain material from the early 20th Century. Students and volunteers have to adhere to 20 pages of safety protocols, but for Schafer Benko and her students, the extra layers are worth it to provide an outlet during stressful times. Schafer Benko meets with 30 to 40 students in-person twice a week at the school, while a smaller group of students participate virtually. “That’s the beauty of making a film,” Schafer Benko said. “When we get to your scene or your role, we’ll just Zoom you in.” For the young actors and crew members, the production is a chance to reconnect with their theater community, with the bonus silver lining of being able to work on a film. Last year’s lavish school production of the musical “Little Shop of Horrors” was abruptly shut down by the COVID closures in mid-March after a

THINGS to do continued from page 22

tunes from western Loudoun singer/songwriter and one-man band Chris Bowen.

Live Music: Shane Gamble Saturday, Nov. 7, 2 p.m. Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro Details: breauxvineyards.com Rising country music star Shane Gamble has several hit singles under his belt and a new EP on the horizon.

Live Music: Melissa Quinn Fox Duo Saturday, Nov. 7, 2 p.m. Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn Details: lostrhino.com Fox is taking the LoCo music scene by storm, blending the spirit of rock and Americana with the candor of country music for a sound all her own.

Live Music: Dave Goodrum Saturday, Nov. 7, 2 p.m. Loudoun Brewing Company, 310 E. Market St., Leesburg Details: loudounbrewing.com Acoustic music at its most fun--covering a range of genres from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and today.

Live Music: Saxsquatch Saturday, Nov. 7, 3 p.m. B Chord Brewing, 34266 Williams Gap Road,

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

successful opening weekend. “It was obviously a huge heartbreak to lose our second weekend. Day one when they arrived, I saw hope and light in eyes that I haven’t seen since the beginning of March, and that’s been really heartwarming,” Schafer Benko said. Sophomore Averie Gannon is the show’s producer and a member of the film crew who has performed past shows at Woodgrove. For Averie, who wants to work in film for Disney, returning to the stage after months of distance learning and stress has been a much-needed respite. “It can be a little bit like Groundhog Day, so it’s really nice to go in person and refresh with people that want to do this as much as I want to,” Averie said. For Averie, making the transition to film has been a new experience and with surprising upside, including a chance to make deeper connections with student actors. “I like it just as much as I like doing the onstage productions. You get the best of both worlds. You get to know everyone and work with these scenes and see all this talent,” she said. “We can do [scenes] as many times as we need to get what we want...That’s really important to learn, es-

pecially with the career I have in mind... It’s very exciting, it’s very new and I think it’s going to be great.” Sophomore Mary Gutshall switched from marching band to theater after the fall band season was canceled and earned a plum role as the comedian Slow Pickins in her first high school role. Mary has made Terry Smith’s character her own, even writing an original comedic monologue in rap form. For Mary, the new production offers a chance to move from the ensemble-oriented vibe of marching band to standing out in a featured role. It’s also been a chance to make new connections in isolating times. “It’s nice to not only meet new people and friends who are in different social groups. I’m no longer surrounded by the same four people. I can actually talk to people outside my family,” Mary said. For first-year Woodgrove students Dani Holsing and Evelyn Phan, getting involved with the production has been a way to forge connections in a new school. “Even with the whole social distancing aspect, it’s still been a way to get to know people and meet people,” Dani said. “Theater is something that’s important in a lot of people’s lives, and it’s really important

despite the precautions.” For Evelyn, a member of the sound and set crew, the film offers a chance to meet new people and also explore technology in production. Her team has been using a green screen to add visual effects for some of the sets and putting in sound effects post-production. “We can be a lot more flexible in what we’re doing,” she said. For Schafer Benko, despite the challenges, the new production offers opportunities students might not have had in a standard high school production. “It’s going to be this beautiful collaborative piece, which is actually something I’ve wanted to do for a while,” she said. “The standard has been churning out these big productions, which is good and fine. But this if forcing us to be a little more collaborative, creative and innovative.” Drive-in screenings of “Moonshine Murders” are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 10 and Saturday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. at Woodgrove High School. Tickets are $10 per person. The film will also be available for unlimited screenings via YouTube for a one-time $30 fee. For tickets and information, go to whsva.booktix.com. n

Round Hill Details: bchordbrewing.com The silky-smooth sax player known as Saxsquatch has become a social media phenom and cult icon—and he’s coming to Loudoun. Herb & Hanson and The Woodshedders open. Tickets are $25 in advance.

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights Details: facebook.com/harpersferrybrewing Southern Virginia native Josh Marlowe plays country classics, familiar rock tunes and originals with a unique sensibility. Catch his HFB debut.

Torre spans the decades with classic and contemporary favorites on acoustic guitar.

Live Music: Todd Brooks and Pour Decisions

Saturday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. American Legion Post 293, 112 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: facebook.com/americanlegionpost293 Guitar-driven rock ‘n’ roll featuring hits and B-sides from the ’60s through the ’90s.

Saturday, Nov. 7, 3-6 p.m. Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro Details: harvestgap.com Brooks and company serve up a heavy helping of classic rock along with favorites from the ’80, ’90s and 2000s.

Live Music: Marc Allred Saturday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m. Social House Kitchen and Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn Details: socialhouseashburn.com Check out Allred’s big talent and top-notch songwriting with influences from Sublime to Johnny Cash.

Live Music: Pool Boys Saturday, Nov. 7, 3 p.m. Crooked Run Brewing, 22455 Davis Drive #120, Sterling Details: crookedrunbrewing.com Alt rock from the ’90s and early 2000s from The Pool Boys.

Live Music: Josh Marlowe Saturday, Nov. 7, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Live Music: SideTracked

Live Music: Beltway Rockers Saturday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. Black Walnut Brewery, 212 S. King St., Leesburg Details: facebook.com/blackwalnutbrewery This high-energy band plays classic rock hits from the Stones, Beatles, Kinks and other favorites.

Live Music: Borrowed Time Sunday, Nov. 8, 1-4 p.m. The Barns At Hamilton Station, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton Details: thebarnsathamiltonstation.com Mark Wood and Sara Carlin serve up a highenergy mix of classic rock, country, pop, oldies and folk.

Live Music: Brian Torre Sunday, Nov. 8, 2-5 p.m. Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights Details: facebook.com/harpersferrybrewing

Live Music: The Brahman Noodles Sunday, Nov. 8, 2 p.m. Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro Details: breauxvineyards.com Enjoy an afternoon of jug funk and “jamcoustic” sounds from the Brahman Noodles with new songs along with old favorites from Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and more.

LIBATIONS Dirt Farm Low Country Boil Saturday, Nov. 7, noon-5 p.m. Dirt Farm Brewing, 18701 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont Details: dirtfarmbrewing.com Chef Justin Garrison prepares a classic southern favorite with shrimp, sausage, potatoes, and corn simmered in a special blend of seasoning spices. Cost is $18 per plate while supplies last.

Power and Elegance Wine Tasting Sunday, Nov. 8, 1-2:30 p.m. Lost Creek Winery, 43285 Spinks Ferry Road, Leesburg Details: lostcreekwinery.com In the last installment of its For the Love of Wine tasting series, Lost Creek pours red wines from around the world exploring profiles from big bold powerful flavors to subtle elegance. Tickets are $65. Advance purchase is required.

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

PAGE 25

Take Loudoun Home for the Holidays BY VISIT LOUDOUN Special to Loudoun Now

At the height of COVID, Franklin Park Arts Center Managing Director Elizabeth Bracey treated herself to a GlobeIn Subscription Box—a monthly delivery of art and artisan products sourced the world over by global online marketplace GlobeIn. It dawned on Bracey that she was working in a county where many local artists and artisans were struggling because of lockdown and could use a bit of support themselves. Thus was born the Franklin Park Arts Center Artisan Gift Box—a three-box monthly subscription, available December through February, that gives subscribers access to decorative art, music and artisan products made entirely by Loudoun creatives. “Each gift box contains hand-made items and is curated around a different theme each month,” said Bracey, who developed the concept with colleague Kellie Goosen, program specialist at Franklin Park. “December is ‘Relaxation and Selfcare,’ and while I don’t want to give away the surprise, it will include a CD by local musician Tristan Welch, an original watercolor by artist Steve Loya, a book by a Loudoun author, a piece of pottery, a jar of local honey and more.” January’s box is themed “New Beginnings,” February’s “Love and Joy” and the three-month subscription costs a mere $180. “We need art to keep us connected to our community right now,” said Bracey. “When the pandemic is over, I want to make sure there are artists and artisans out there who survive.”

Contributed

The Hot Chocolate Gift Kit from The Conche is one of the locally produced holiday favorites for the gift-giving season. Contributed

The Franklin Park Arts Center Artisan Gift Box subscription program offers decorative art, music and products made entirely by the Loudoun creative community.

While the artisan box is a wonderful gift for this holiday season, it’s not the only way to support local makers. For the past few years the Take Loudoun Home campaign has promoted the purchase of local produce and products, be it homemade bread, cheese, jams, organic meats and charcuterie from Loudoun farmers to pottery, jewelry and sheep’s wool hats and gloves made by locals artisans. Visit the online marketplace loudounfarms.org to order. Talking wool and artisans, Lovettsville-based fiber artist Susan Trask hand dyes alpaca fiber and yarn, along with other fabric, to create gorgeous fleeces and felted scarves—what she describes on her site as, “art you can wear.” Purchase her pieces

(and learn about her alpacas, garden and family farm) at earthwindandfleece.com. Over in Leesburg, meanwhile, The Conche has all hot chocolate lovers covered. Purchase the Hot Chocolate Gift Kit for when the holiday snow starts to fall. Kits include a ‘chocolate bomb’ (chocolate ganache and marshmallows inside), a whisk, a Conche mug and a recipe on how to put it all together. Of course, no holiday is complete without a craft beverage. In October more than a dozen local wineries were recognized at the annual Loudoun Wine Awards. Winning vintages for discerning drinkers to look out for include October One Vineyard’s 2019 Albariño, Maggie Malick Wine Caves’ 2019 Viognier and Bluemont Vineyard’s 2017 Bordeaux blend, Ascent. For spirit lovers, send Catoctin Creek Distillery’s cocktail kit, complete with a bottle of whiskey, bitters, mixers and a recipe card. n

V Show

Loudoun some love. Spend your dollars locally this holiday season.

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Mordern Food Group LLC, trading as Urbano Modern Italian, 21430 Epicerie Plz, Sterling, VA 20164-6636 The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine and Beer on premises and Mixed Beverage Restaurant license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. William Downes, member Tisha Bastedo-Downes, 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. 10/29 & 11/5/20

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Zorba LLC, trading as Opa! Mezze Grill, 44110 Ashburn Shopping Plaza, Unit 170, Ashburn, Loudoun County, Virginia 20147-3999

Sabores Del Sur Inc, trading as Sabores Del Sur, 6366 Village Center Dr. Bealeton, Fauquier, Virginia 22712-9316

Grey Goose Guys LLC, trading as Hammer and Nails Grooming Leesburg, 1610 Village Market Blvd Ste P125, Leesburg, Loudoun, Virginia 20175-5100

The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine and Beer on & off premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine and Beer on premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

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VIRGINIA

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF LOUDOUN COUNTY

CATHARINE A.T. NORTHRIP a.k.a.CATHARINE A.T. ROEMER, Plaintiff, v. FLOYD L.S. NORTHRIP, Defendant

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

) ) )

CL NO. 20-6937

ORDER OF PUBLICATION THE OBJECT OF THIS SUIT is for the Plaintiff, CATHARINE A.T. NORTHRIP, to obtain a divorce a vinculo matrimonii from the Defendant, FLOYD L.S. NORTHRIP, on the grounds of the parties having lived separate and apart without cohabitation and without interruption for a period of time in excess of one (1) year. IT APPEARING by Affidavit that the Plaintiff has used due diligence to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendant without effect, and therefore IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Defendant appear before this Court on or before the 15 day of January, 2021 at 2 p.m. and protect his interests herein. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the above paragraphs be published once a week for four (4) successive weeks in Loudoun Now, a newspaper of general circulation in Loudoun County, Virginia. Loudoun Now is located 15 North King Street, Suite 101, Leesburg, VA 20176. The Clerk of this Court shall post this Order at the front door of the Courthouse, and shall mail a copy of this Order to the Defendant at his last known address at 106 Lester Dr. Camdenton, MO 65020. 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, & 11/19/20

TO CONSIDER ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TLOA 2020-0007, TO ESTABLISH THE GATEWAY DISTRICT DESIGN GUIDELINES Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176 to consider incorporation of proposed Gateway District Design Guidelines into the Leesburg Zoning Ordinance, as referenced in TLZO Section 7.12.4. The Gateway District is an overlay district and includes properties along five major corridors leading to the historic downtown including portions of East Market Street, West Market Street, North King Street, South King Street and Edwards Ferry Road, as established in TLOA Section 7.12.2. As set forth in TLZO Section 7.12.4, the Gateway District Design Guidelines will replace the H-2 Corridor Design Guidelines, will further define the design criteria set forth in TLZO 7.12.6, and will be used by the Preservation Planner and the Board of Architectural Review in evaluating Certificate of Appropriateness applications for properties within the Gateway District. The Gateway District Design Guidelines document includes the following chapters and key sections as noted for each chapter: 1. Chapter I. Introduction - to provide an overview of the Gateway corridors within Leesburg; the purpose of the Guidelines; the role of design review; guiding principles; the scope of the Gateway District; State Code of Virginia authority to establish the guidelines; local review authority in the district; and guidance on how to use the Guidelines for development projects which require a Certificate of Appropriateness. 2. Chapter II. Site Design Guidelines – guidance for building orientation and placement; parking; public spaces, screening, landscaping, utilities and service areas, lighting, and site design for attached housing. 3. Chapter III. Building Design Guidelines – guidance for architectural compatibility; alterations, additions or demolition of existing structures; and all aspects of new construction. 4. Chapter IV. Sign Design Guidelines – guidance for signage serving buildings and sites in the Gateway District. 5. Glossary – terms used in the Guidelines.

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION TLSE-2019-0009, LCPS CATOCTIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXPANSION Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the Leesburg Town Council will hold a public hearing on Tuesday November 10, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Special Exception application TLSE-2019-0009, LCPS Catoctin Elementary School Expansion. The subject property is situated at 311 Catoctin Circle SW, measuring 17.53 acres, and is zoned R-4 – Single Family Residential District. It is further described by Loudoun County Parcel Identification Number (PIN) 231-15-4538. Special Exception Application TLSE-2019-0009 is a request by Loudoun County Public Schools to construct a one-story 6,000 square-foot addition to the existing one-story 76,800 square-foot school. This expansion is intended to accommodate three classrooms, a resource room, an office, and storage space. The planned addition will accommodate an increase of the school’s base capacity from 658 students to 743 students. Additional information including copies of the full text of this proposed Special Exception application may be reviewed either electronically, or in person at Town Hall by appointment. To view the amendments electronically, please go to the Leesburg Interactive Applications Map (LIAM) on the Town of Leesburg website found at the following address: https://www.leesburgva.gov/government/departments/planning-zoning/current-planningzoning-projects/liam-interactive-applications-map In accord with current Covid-19 health and safety procedures, if you wish to review hard copies, please contact Christopher Murphy, Senior Planning Project Manager, at 703-737-7009 or by email at cmurphy@leesburgva.gov to schedule an appointment during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The copies can then be inspected at the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 during the scheduled appointment time. At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations at the meeting 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. 10/29 & 11/05/2020

The Town Plan designates the properties along East Market Street as part of the Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan; properties along West Market Street are designated as Low Density Residential; properties along North King Street are designated as Open Space, Major Institution, or Low Density Residential; properties along South King Street are designated as Low Density Residential, Open Space and Community Office; and properties along Edwards Ferry Road are designated as Downtown, Regional Retail, Community Office, and Low Density Residential. The proposed amendment proposes no changes to the uses or allowed density range in the Town Plan or as permitted by the current base zoning district of any property included in the proposed Gateway District (Overlay). Additional information regarding the full text of this proposed Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment may be reviewed either electronically, or in person at Town Hall by appointment. To view the amendments electronically, please go to the Town of Leesburg website at the following address: https://www.leesburgva.gov/government/departments/ planning-zoning/current-planning-zoning-projects/gateway-project. In accord with current COVID-19 health and safety procedures, if you wish to review hard copies, please contact Lauren Murphy, Preservation Planner at (703) 771-2773 or by email at lmurphy@ leesburgva.gov to schedule an appointment during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The copies can then be inspected at the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 during the scheduled appointment time. This Zoning Ordinance amendment application is identified as case number TLOA-2020-0007. At this hearing all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Clerk for the Planning Commission at (703)771-2434, three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/ TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711. 11/5 & 11/12/20

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

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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 Monday, November 16, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:

SIDP-2020-0004 HARTLAND SIGN DEVELOPMENT PLAN

244-27-1160

N/A

244-27-0849

N/A

(Sign Development Plan) HEDR Hartland LP of Washington, District of Columbia, and Hartland Community Association of Ashburn, Virginia, have submitted an application for a Sign Development Plan to request alternative sign regulations for permitted signs in order to modify regulations in regard to the total aggregate sign area, maximum number of signs, maximum area of any one sign, maximum area of mounted background structure, illumination permitted, minimum setback from right-of-way, maximum height, sign type permitted, and allowance for double-sided signage. The subject property is being developed by-right in the Transitional Residential-1 Upper Broad Run and Upper Foley (TR-1UBF), Transitional Residential-3 Upper Broad Run and Upper Foley (TR-3UBF), Transitional Residential-2 (TR-2) and Rural Commercial (RC) zoning districts under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and pursuant to Section 5-1202(E) alternative sign regulations for permitted signs may be requested with the submission of a Sign Development Plan. The subject property is located partially within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, between the Ldn 60-65 aircraft noise contour, and outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contour. The subject property is approximately 791 acres in size and is located on the west side of Fleetwood Road (Route 616), north of Route 50 in the Blue Ridge Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows: PIN

ADDRESS

244-27-2454

N/A

244-27-3072

N/A

244-36-8224

23583 Fleetwood Rd, Aldie, Virginia

244-37-0788

N/A

244-37-3597

N/A

244-37-5249

N/A

244-37-6561

N/A

244-38-2031

N/A

244-38-2661

N/A

244-47-7397

N/A

245-15-3140

N/A

245-15-4099

N/A

245-26-5476

N/A

245-45-9645

N/A

246-45-1654

41226 John Mosby Hwy, Aldie, Virginia

246-45-2778

N/A

285-10-4331

N/A

285-10-8373

23930 Lenah Farm Ln, Aldie Virginia

285-19-9317

N/A

285-29-6818

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 Comprehensive Plan (Transition Policy Area (Transition Large Lot Neighborhood Place Type and Transition Community Center)), which designate this area for low-density Residential uses with substantial open space with target densities of 1 dwelling unit (du) per acre or 1 du/3 acres and pedestrian-focused Retail Centers with small footprint Retail uses with a recommended floor area ratio (FAR) of up to 0.3.

ZMAP-2020-0005, ZCPA-2020-0008, ZMOD-2020-0020 & ZMOD-2020-0026 GOOSE CREEK OVERLOOK (Zoning Map Amendment, Zoning Concept Plan Amendment &, Zoning Modification) Goose Creek Overlook LLC of Reston, Virginia, and Good Works Development, LP of Middleburg, Virginia, have submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone approximately 46.06 acres from the R-1 (Single Family Residential) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the PD-H4 (Planned Development-Housing 4) administered as R-8 (Single Family Residential) and R-16 (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop a maximum of 136 single family attached residential units and 40 stacked multifamily units, and 75 multifamily affordable housing units; and 2) to amend the existing proffers and concept development plan (“CDP”) for approximately 9.2 acres that are currently subject to ZMAP-2003-0009, Goose Creek Village South, in order to revise open space tabulations and allow for development of a parking area and trail access. The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s): ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION

PROPOSED MODIFICATION

§5-1102, Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements, Number of Parking and Loading Spaces Required, Table 5-1102, Parking Spaces Required.

To reduce the parking space requirements for Multi Family Dwelling Units from 2 spaces per dwelling unit for 2- and 3-bedroom units to 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit.

§1-205(A), Interpretation of Ordinance, Limitations and Methods for Measurements of Lots, Yards and Related Terms, Lot Access Requirements.

To permit frontage of single family attached and multifamily units on open space rather than the required frontage on a Class I, Class II, Class III road, or private access easement as specified in the individual district regulations.

The subject property is located partially within the QN (Quarry Notification) Overlay District – Luck Note Area and partially within the Reservoir Protection Area. The subject property is approximately 55.26 acres in size and located south of the Dulles Greenway (Route 267), on the east side of Goose Creek, and on the northern and southern side of Sycolin Road (Route 625), in the Ashburn and Blue Ridge Election Districts. The subject property is more particularly described as follows: PIN

PROPERTY ADDRESS

154-45-5373

20776 Sycolin Road, Ashburn, Virginia

154-45-1833

N/A

154-45-3829

N/A

41038 John Mosby Hwy, Aldie, Virginia

154-45-9680

N/A

285-30-4849

N/A

154-35-8154

N/A

285-39-5280

23620 & 23651 Lenah Farm Ln, Aldie Virginia

153-16-3488 (portion of)

20810 Sycolin Road, Ashburn, Virginia

285-48-7020

N/A

154-45-5980

N/A

244-47-8789

N/A

244-47-7684

N/A

244-47-6587

N/A

244-37-5471

N/A

244-37-4563

N/A

244-37-3853

N/A

244-37-3243

N/A

244-37-2415

N/A

244-37-2503

N/A

244-37-2392

N/A

244-37-2081

N/A

244-27-1670

N/A

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Neighborhood Place Type)), which support primarily Single-Family Residential uses with limited supportive Retail and Service uses at recommended densities of four dwelling units per acre (du/ ac), up to 6 du/ac for infill development, and FAR of up to 1.0 for Non-Residential uses. 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

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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 audio-visual equipment will be requested. Such an organization representative will be allotted 6 minutes to

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

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:

ERIC COMBS, CHAIRMAN LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION 10/29 & 11/05/20

Loudoun County Public Schools

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES’ SALE 301 East Marshall Street, Middleburg, VA 20117

Fall 2020 Elementary School Attendance Zone Change Process

In execution of a certain Purchase Money Deed of Trust, Security Agreement and Assignment of Contracts, Leases and Rents dated July 31, 2018 (the “Deed of Trust”), granted by Orion Portfolio Management LLC, a Florida limited liability company, as grantor and borrower, securing the repayment of a loan in the original principal amount of $325,000.00, which Deed of Trust was recorded on August 2, 2018 among the Land Records of Loudoun County, Virginia as Instrument No. 20180802-0045240, and subsequently assigned by virtue of a certain Collateral Assignment of Deed of Trust dated July 6, 2018 and recorded on August 17, 2018 among the Land Records of Loudoun County, Virginia as Instrument No.20180817-0048324, a default having occurred in the payment of the Promissory Note thereby secured and at the request of the holder of said Note, the undersigned Trustees will offer for sale at public auction at the entrance of the Circuit Court building for Loudoun County (18 E. Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20178), on

Elaine E. Thompson Elementary School (ES-23) and Hovatter Elementary School (ES-29) are scheduled to open in fall 2021, with the start of the 2021-2022 academic year. Elaine E. Thompson Elementary School is sited within the Arcola Center development at 24200 Pissarro Drive in Sterling. Hovatter Elementary School is co-located on the Lightridge High School site at 41135 Collaboration Drive in Aldie.

November 13, 2020, at 10:00 o’clock AM the Property described in said Deed of Trust, located at the above address and described as: 3,214 Square feet, more or less, as more particularly shown on plat entitled “Boundary Survey, Land of Keith E. & Deborah P. Douglas,” prepared by Ken W. Erikson L.S., dated March 22, 1985 and attached with Deed recorded in Deed Book 868 at Page 1338 and Plat Cab D, Slot 105 at Page 5 among the land records of Loudoun County, Virginia,

In establishing attendance zones for the two new schools, the current attendance boundaries for Aldie, Arcola, Buffalo Trail, Cardinal Ridge, Creighton’s Corner, Goshen Post, Hutchison Farm, Legacy, Liberty, Little River, Madison’s Trust, Pinebrook, Rosa Lee Carter, and Sycolin Creek Elementary Schools will be reviewed. The Loudoun County School Board has scheduled a series of meetings to facilitate the necessary attendance zone changes. Elementary School Attendance Zone Meetings

Date Wednesday, October 14, 2020

School Board Attendance Zone Overview

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

School Board Attendance Zone Work Session

TERMS OF SALE:

Monday, November 9, 2020

Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

A deposit of $30,000.00 or 10% of the sale price, whichever is less, cash or certified check, will be required at the time of sale. Settlement shall be by cashier’s check or wire transfer of immediately available federal funds and shall occur within thirty (30) days from date of sale, TIME BEING OF THE ESSENCE. The Trustees reserve the right to extend the date of settlement as may be necessary to complete arrangements for settlement. The deposit, without interest, shall be applied to the credit of the successful bidder at settlement. If the successful bidder fails to complete settlement the deposit shall be forfeited and the Trustees may resell the subject Property at the risk and cost of the defaulting purchaser. The Trustees reserve the right to cancel the sale, postpone the sale or remove any or all portions of the Property from sale at any time before the sale is announced as final for any reason, to reject any and all bids, waive deposit requirements, extend time for settlement, and announce additional terms of sale. Terms of sale announced at the public auction will supersede all advertised terms of sale. All closing costs, including the preparation of the Trustee’s deed and the grantor’s tax, shall be paid by the successful bidder. In addition, at settlement, the successful bidder shall pay all current and past due assessments, sewer or water charges, and real estate taxes, and any penalties and interest due on any of the foregoing, with respect to the Property. The risk of loss or damage to the Property shall be assumed by the successful bidder from and after the bid strike-down at the time of sale. The Trustees will not deliver possession of the Property to the successful bidder, who shall be solely responsible for obtaining possession of the Property.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

School Board Attendance Zone Work Session

Tuesday, December 1, 2020*

School Board Review of Elementary School Attendance Zone Recommendations

Monday, December 7, 2020

Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

Tuesday, December 15, 2020*

School Board Adoption of Elementary School Attendance Zones

Parcel ID No.:

538292993000

Subject to any and all covenants, conditions, restrictions and easements, if any, affecting the aforesaid Property.

The Property and all personal property applicable thereto shall be sold “AS IS, WHERE IS, WITH ALL FAULTS” and subject to any and all (i) senior deeds of trust, judgment liens, tax liens, lis pendens, (ii) outstanding homeowner association assessments, (iii) existing housing and zoning code violations, (iv) filed or unfiled mechanic’s and materialmen’s liens, and/or (v) tenants, leasehold interests and other parties in possession, if any. Neither the Trustees nor the holder of the Note, nor their respective agents, successors, and assigns, make any representations or warranties with respect to the Property including, without limitation, representations or warranties as to the structural integrity, physical condition, construction, workmanship, materials, habitability, fitness for a particular purpose or merchantability of all or any part of the Property. The purchaser recognizes and agrees that any investigation, examination, or inspection of the Property being sold is within the control of the owner or other parties in possession and their agents and not within the control of the Trustees, the holder of the Note, or their respective successors or assigns. Immediately upon the conveyance by the Trustees of the Property to the purchaser at foreclosure, all duties, liabilities and obligations of the Trustees, if any, with respect to such Property shall be extinguished. Should Settlement not occur for any reason on the part of the Trustees, the purchaser’s sole remedy, in law or equity, shall be the return of the deposit without interest. Trustees: W. Martin Williams, Esq., 201 North Washington Highway, Suite 203, Ashland, Virginia 23005 (Tel: 804-362-4501, Email: wmwilliams@offitkurman.com); Alfredo Acin, Esq., 8000 Towers Crescent Drive, Suite 1400 Tysons Corner, Virginia 22182 (Tel: 703-745-1827, Email: aacin@offitkurman.com). INTERESTED BIDDERS are encouraged to contact Trustees for additional information and materials concerning the Property; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, all such information and materials will be provided without any representations or warranties whatsoever. 4837-1519-9694, v. 1 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, & 11/05/20

*Regular School Board Business Meeting All attendance zone meetings will be held at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building (21000 Education Court, Ashburn) and begin at 6:30 p.m. The meetings will 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). In-person comment will be accepted at the identified public hearings. Speakers may sign up in advance by contacting the Superintendent’s Office at 571-252-1020 or sending an email to public.comment@lcps.org, in which case the sender will receive a reply with a link to complete an online Citizen Participation/Public Comment registration form. All speakers must sign-up prior to 5:00 p.m. the day of the School Board attendance zone public hearing. 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 571-252-1020 at least three (3) days prior to the meeting. Beverly I. Tate, Director Loudoun County Public Schools Department of Support Services Division of Planning Services 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia 20148 Telephone: 571-252-1050 Email: lcpsplan@lcps.org

LoudounNow.com

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Legal Notices

PAGE 29

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE OF AND ORDER TO ABATE A NUISANCE Address of Affected Property: 107 Meadows Lane, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 Parcel Number: 188179649000 Property Owner: Kirk C. Noll NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Leesburg Town Code Section 8-3 that the following conditions constituting a nuisance exist at the real property located at 107 Meadows Lane in Leesburg, Virginia: Deterioration of the rear wall of the town home located on the property, rendering the interior of the structure open to the environment and causing significant accumulation of debris in the back yard, both of which constitute a menace to the health and safety of the occupants of the structure and the public. YOU ARE HEREBY ORDERED to ABATE and correct said nuisance within thirty (30) calendar days after service of the Notice of and Order to Abate a Nuisance by undertaking the following: Reconstruct the back wall of the residence such that the interior of the structure is enclosed and is secured from the weather; Assure that the exterior materials used are of a quality and nature that they can withstand ongoing exposure to weather; Assure that windows and gutters are properly installed, resistant to weather and properly channel water away from the structure; Remove accumulated debris from back yard. NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN pursuant to Town Code Section 8-3 that failure to timely abate the nuisance in the manner specified will result in Town representatives entering the property and undertaking the minimum work required to abate the nuisance at the property owner’s expense. The property owner will be provided with an invoice itemizing the expenditures. If the invoice is not paid in full within 15 days of receipt, the unpaid balance will constitute a lien on the property on par with and collectible in the same manner as unpaid real estate taxes. 11/5 & 11/12/20

TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO ZONING ORDINANCE ARTICLES 9 AND 18 TLOA-2020-0008 – VENDING KIOSK Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, November 19, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176. The purpose of this text amendment is to create a new accessory use called Vending Kiosk. The proposed amendments affect following sections of the Zoning Ordinance: 1. Sec. 9.4 Accessory Uses 2. Sec. 18.1 Terms Defined Copies and additional information regarding each of these proposed Zoning Ordinance amendments are available at the Department of Planning and Zoning located on the second floor of the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by calling 703-771-2765 and asking for Michael Watkins, Zoning Administrator. This zoning ordinance amendment application is identified as case number TLOA-2020-0008. At this hearing all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Clerk to the Commission at (703) 771-2434, three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711. 11/05 & 11/12/20

PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, December 9, 2020 in order to consider:

PROPOSED REPLACEMENT OF WORLD WAR I MEMORIAL PLAQUE LOUDOUN COUNTY COURTHOUSE GROUNDS

Loudoun County Public Schools

Fiscal Year 2022 – 2027 Capital Improvement Program Fiscal Year 2022 – 2027 Capital Asset Preservation Program The Loudoun County School Board has scheduled a series of meetings for the Fiscal Year 2022–2027 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and Capital Asset Preservation Program (CAPP) budgets. Date

School Board Meeting Topic

Tuesday, November 10, 2020*

Superintendent’s Recommended FY2022FY2027 CIP & CAPP Presented to School Board

Monday, November 16, 2020

School Board FY2022-FY2027 CIP & CAPP Public Hearing/ Work Session

Monday, November 30, 2020

School Board FY2022-FY2027 CIP & CAPP Public Hearing/ Work Session

Tuesday, December 15, 2020*

School Board Adoption of FY2022-FY2027 CIP & CAPP

*Regular School Board Meeting All meetings will be held at the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Administration Building (21000 Education Court, Ashburn) and begin at 6:30 p.m. The meetings will be broadcast live on Comcast Channel 18 and Verizon Fios Channel 43, as well as viewable via simultaneous webcast on the LCPS website (www.lcps.org). In-person comment will be accepted at the identified public hearings. Speakers may sign up in advance by contacting the Superintendent’s Office at 571-252-1020 or sending an email to public.comment@lcps.org prior to 5:00 p.m. on the day of the School Board hearing. ‘No Contact’ walk-in speaker registration will also be accepted in the lobby of the LCPS Administration Building beginning 30 minutes prior to the meeting, until 5 minutes before the start of the meeting. 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 571-252-1020 least three (3) days prior to the meeting. Kevin L. Lewis, Assistant Superintendent Loudoun County Public Schools Department of Support Services 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia 20148 Telephone: 571-252-1385 Email: lcpsplan@lcps.org 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, 11/26, 12/3, 12/10/20

18 East Market St, Leesburg, VA Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-1812 et seq., the Board of Supervisors shall consider removing and replacing the plaque affixed to the World War One memorial on the Loudoun County Courthouse grounds in order to affix a new plaque containing a single, unsegregated, alphabetical list of all veterans from Loudoun County who died during World War One. The subject property is located at 18 East Market Street, Leesburg VA within the Leesburg Election District. Documents associated with the above item will be available for review 72 hours in advance of the public hearing and may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”). Unless otherwise noted in the above notices, copies of the above-referenced amendments, applications, ordinances, and/or plans and related documents may be examined by request at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. This link also provides an additional opportunity for public input on active applications. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”). In addition, for detailed instructions on how to access documents using LOLA, to request that documents be emailed to you, to receive physical copies of documents, or to arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email DPZ@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246 (option 5). Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic this public hearing may be conducted as an electronic meeting. Members of the public are encouraged to view the public hearing electronically; however, the Board Room will be open for any members of the public who wish to attend in person with appropriate physical distancing. Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23, Open Band Channel 40 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/webcast. All members of the public who desire to speak will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. Instructions for remote participation will be forwarded to all individuals who sign-up in advance and who would like to provide their comments remotely. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on November 20, 2020, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on December 9, 2020. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing. Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings. BY ORDER OF:

PHYLLIS RANDALL, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 10/29 & 11/05/20

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 30

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Legal Notices ORDER OF PUBLICATION

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS/ QUALIFICATIONS FOR:

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104 Case No.:

CL20-4819

Loudoun County Circuit Court

Misc.

Lisa Monita Garett v. Kenneth A. Lewis The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce and serve the Complaint for Divorce. It is ORDERED that Kenneth A. Lewis appear at the above-named Court to protect their interests on or before December 11, 2020 at 2 PM. 11/5, 11/12, 11/19 & 11/26/20

ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL CONVERSION FROM SHERIFF’S OFFICE TO POLICE DEPARTMENT, RFP No. 333786 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, November 20, 2020. ROUTE 50 AND TRAILHEAD DRIVE ROUNDABOUT, RFQ No. 300782 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, December 21, 2020. This is a Design-Build project. A Project information Meeting will be held virtually using GoTo Meeting software on November 10, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. for clarification or questions on the Request for Qualifications. You should pre-register to participate in the Project Information Meeting by sending an email to PROCUREMENT@loudoun. gov.

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FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO SCHEDULE A WALK-THROUGH OF THE PROPERTY PLEASE CONTACT THE TOWN OFFICE.

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11/05/2020

10/29 & 11/5/20

NOTICE

TOWN OF LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL MEETING Remote Public Participation Available Members of the public who wish to speak during the petitioners’ section and/or public hearing of the November 10, 2020, Leesburg Town Council Meeting can do so remotely. Information on how to participate remotely can be found on the Town of Leesburg’s website www.leesburgva.gov/agendas or on the agenda that will be posted outside of the Clerk’s Office and in the lobby of Town Hall (25 West Market Street) by close of business on November 4, 2020. If you need more information, contact the Clerk of Council at eboeing@leesburgva.gov or 703-771-2733. 11/5/2020

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ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.:

JJ044218-02-00,

Loudoun 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 foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282 and 16.1-281 for Isabella S. Montenegro. It is ORDERED that the defendant Jeffrey Wayne McGowan, putative father appear at the above named Court and protect his or her interests on or before December 2, 2020 at 2:00 pm 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, & 11/19/20

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PAGE 32

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

LETTERS to the Editor

Opinion Our Choice

Rebuilding the Country Our national political roller coaster in recent elections has brought us promises of hope and change, and then pledges to drain the swamp of Washington and build the border wall. Both have left us more divided, more frustrated and more fearful. Our newly elected leaders, and those continuing their public service, must focus on rebuilding the country. That starts with the economy, which starts with the pandemic response. They will be intertwined in the months ahead. That mission also calls for a focus on areas of common concern, rather than working to push ahead with policies viewed as extreme by the other half of the electorate. The voters issued no national mandate on Tuesday. We can’t continue to have one political party viewed as representing urban and suburban interests and another the priorities of rural residents. We have a gridlocked government that lacks fiscal discipline, a fragile healthcare system, a broken immigration policy, and an unclear vision of our role on the international stage, among many other challenges. Those problems won’t be solved by members of either party alone with solutions dictated by razor-thin votes. Somehow we need to begin reversing the trend of intensifying partisanship, listen to the concerns of our neighbors, and build on

Editor: Loudoun taxpayers deserve the right to decide whether to provide county employees with full collective bargaining rights. The implications of this decision are far too great for the Loudoun Board of Supervisors to decide this issue without securing prior taxpayer approval. Last week, Democrats on the county board voted to allow unions with more than 100 members to hold an “Open House” twice a year on county property, as well as place union materials in new hire packets. Presumably, allowing these actions would give unions the chance to recruit new members with the ultimate goal of requiring Loudoun county to negotiate contracts with certain county employees. Imagine the backlash if Republican board members had voted to allow the NRA to act as the bargaining agent for county employees, or gave the NRA the right to hold membership meetings with county employees on county property and place promotional material in new hire packets. The law requires taxpayers to have a say when large financial obligations are placed on them. For example, if the Loudoun Board of Supervisors wanted to float a new bond, it would be required to secure prior voter approval. Without question, the dollar value of any single

municipal employee labor contract will far exceed the value of most county bond offerings that would require prior taxpayer approval. As such, Loudoun county taxpayers deserve an advanced say before Democrats on the board (for all practical purposes) permanently lock taxpayers into higher cost collective bargaining. The long-term implications of a policy change of this magnitude demands the prior consent of the governed. — Henry Eickelberg, Leesburg

Thank You Editor: I would like to thank you for carrying Ben Lenhart’s column on The People’s Constitution. The column on Oct. 29, 2020, regarding the Supreme Court’s decision in Bush v. Gore, was so timely in light of the anticipated legal contentions regarding this year’s presidential election. Mr. Lenhart explained in a simple, factual manner what the Supreme Court decided and why and how this precedent might apply in the upcoming election. In this incredibly uncivil and partisan time, it is refreshing to read something civil, factual and unbiased regarding the election. — Julia Graves, Leesburg

the common ground that can benefit our entire community—and our county. Let that be the direction our leaders take from another deeply divided national election. n

Readers’ Poll

LAST WEEK'S QUESTION: What most motivates your vote this year?

Norman K. Styer, Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.com

Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC 15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176 PO Box 207 Leesburg, VA 20178 703-770-9723

EDITORIAL Renss Greene, Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com Jan Mercker, Reporter jmercker@loudounnow.com Kara C. Rodriguez, Reporter krodriguez@loudounnow.com Patrick Szabo, Reporter pszabo@loudounnow.com

Loudoun Now is delivered by mail to more than 44,000 Loudoun homes and businesses, with a total weekly distribution of 47,000.

ADVERTISING Susan Styer, Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.com Tonya Harding, Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.com

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

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NOVEMBER 5, 2020

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PAGE 33

Transportation, Public Safety Top Bond Approvals As expected, all four county bond referenda—authorizing a total of $308 million in new borrowing—received approval from voters Tuesday, with public safety projects leading the way and parks and recreation projects finding the lowest level of support. County supervisors grouped the borrowing requests into four categories: school projects, public safety projects, parks and recreation projects, and transportation projects. The highest level of support—

73.9% of voters—approved issuing $29,516,000 in bonds to finance projects including expanding the Fire and Rescue Training Academy and building a Philomont Fire and Rescue Station—a project that has drawn controversy from the community, and for which the department will now study alternatives such as renovating the current station. Transportation projects came in second, with support from 73.6% of voters. A total of $151,210,000 was

approved to build sections of Braddock Road, widening Loudoun County Parkway between Ryan Road and Shellhorn Road, improving Rt. 15 between Montresor Road and the Point of Rocks Bridge, building a new road between Rt. 50 and Rt. 28 at Tall Cedars Parkway, installing a roundabout at Rt. 50 and Trailhead Drive, installing sidewalks along River Creek Parkway, and other projects in the county’s ongoing Sidewalk and Trail Program. At total of $123,755,000 was ap-

proved for renovations to the Douglass School, for school facility upgrades, alterations and security improvements, and for installing a welcome center at Sterling Elementary School. The school bond was supported by 66.4% of voters. The smallest bond request was for $3,825,000 to finance park projects such as ongoing work on Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park near Leesburg and Scott Jenkins Memorial Park near Hamilton. That won support from 65.8% of voters. n

Is Now the Time to be Building New Public Facilities? BY SAM FINZ

If you are like me, you must be wondering whether things will ever get back to normal. Will people get back to work? Will office buildings and commercial centers open again? Will the roads be filled with cars and truck and buses? Will schools open and will children and young adults get back to the classrooms? Will there be a whole new population of people who will now work at home? Will the county government’s land use and development landscape change or will it take years to recover from the pandemic, leaving office buildings vacant, commercial centers empty, and retail outlets and stores abandoned? Will it ever be “business as usual” with the hustle and bustle of everyday activities, once part of the thriving Loudoun County economy? And, if the recovery takes years, what impact will this have on the provision of county services, and at what expense? Will housing prices fall as families experience the inability to afford higher priced housing, the result of lower family income and the depletion of family savings? Will property values fall, and will real estate assessments be lowered? Will county services be cut or in some cases eliminated entirely? Will property taxes and fees rise to offset the loss of county revenue? If it is true that many county residents are out of work, that salaries and wages have been reduced for some workers, that families are having difficulty paying their mortgages and property taxes and in some cases affording food to feed their families, what is going to become of the real estate

“Will it ever be ‘business as usual’ with the hustle and bustle of everyday activities, once part of the thriving Loudoun County economy?”

market in this county? Will building come to a halt; will new developments cease to exist? Will vacancies increase? And what will happen to those empty buildings? None of us can predict the future with 100% accuracy, not even top economists. Notwithstanding the inability to predict the future with absolute certainty, I say now is the time to re-evaluate the county’s land use and development priorities. Now is the time to assess the economic reality of the impact of the COVID pandemic, and now is the time to reflect upon those realities in planning for the future. Recognizing the state of the local economy and the changes that will likely occur during and after the COVID pandemic, now is the time to consider whether public facilities provided by the county at the taxpayer’s expense are adequate to meet the needs of the existing population, and not the population of the future. Now may not be the time to fund and build new facilities or purchase new equipment. Now

is the time to act, before new developments are started, before new and additional commercial centers are built, and before new and additional office buildings are located. Do we have adequate public facilities in place to serve our existing population? Metro revenues are down considerably. Metro is already altering transit services, a sign of lower demand. If that trend of lower ridership continues, will the offices and commercial developments planned around Metro stations be needed? Certainly not needed in the short run; but maybe needed in the long run as the economy stabilizes? There is a planning concept that has been around for a long time referred to as adequate public facilities. As a legislative matter, an adequate public facilities ordinance is a method to tie public infrastructure to growth and development. Adequate public facilities include schools, water and sewer facilities, roads, and other capital facilities the government is typically responsible to provide. I fully appreciate that adequate public facility legislation has its opponents. Legislating growth can be troubling to free enterprise advocates. But assessing the current infrastructure, analyzing needs, and identifying practical solutions, instead of just building more during a pandemic, should be far less threatening to the opponents of legislation, and far more realistic under the circumstances. Because of the uncertainty in our economy, and the uncertainty as to what the future holds for Loudoun County in

terms of revenue, I implore the county to consider the adequacy and availability of existing public facilities before borrowing and initiating new capital projects. Rather, I would like to see the county make use of existing public facilities, and if necessary, expand, refurbish, and renovate existing facilities at a far lower cost. Now is not the time to seek bonding authorization for issuing bonds and expending millions of dollars on new capital facilities to serve a future population, nor is it the time to be incentivizing new development. Undoubtedly, the county will argue that not building capital facilities will discourage new development and reduce future tax revenue, putting pressure on elected officials to raise county taxes and fees. If that is the case, I say that commensurate with pulling back on building new capital facilities, the county should make cutbacks in unnecessary services to compensate for the potential loss of revenue. The fact is that delaying new capital facilities and infrastructure expenditures will lower debt service payments and reduce expenditures even further. By comparison, the private sector is cutting costs to face the effects of the COVID pandemic, bearing the inherent cost of economic survival. Maybe the county should do the same. n Sam Finz is a long-term resident of Loudoun County. He has served as a former county, city and town manager in several jurisdictions and as the former deputy county executive for planning and development in Fairfax County.

PAGE 34

Delayed decisions continued from page 3 would have made the budget process easier. The council later that night, after Mekarski had presented his proposed budget, voted to adopt the simplified rate structure. At the March 10 Town Council meeting, Mayor Kwasi Fraser asked who should be blamed for the council’s failure to provide the town staff with a decision on a utility rate structure. “Did we miss something?” he asked. “… No one reminded me of the need to place it on the agenda, management nor council members.” Councilman Tip Stinnette said he had been trying to get a discussion of the utility rate structure placed on the Town Council meeting agenda for a few meetings by that point. Councilman Joel Grewe said he didn’t feel the blame should be placed on individual council members, but that “it’s a recurrent fault this council has.” “We try to go faster than we are capable of running, regularly,” he said. The Town Council’s most recent indepth discussion on ways to regain structural balance within the town’s utility funds was during a Sept. 28 meeting with Stantec. The only council members present for that discussion were Vice Mayor Mary Jane Williams and Councilmen Christopher Bertaut and Stanley Milan— all newly elected members who started their terms in July with no previous experience in town government. Stantec Principal David Hyder informed the three council members that if the council does not raise water rates, the water fund balance will drop below target levels beginning in FY 2025 and will begin operating at a deficit by FY 2027. If the council does not raise sewer rates, the sewer fund balance will drop below target levels beginning in FY 2023 and will begin operating at a deficit by FY 2026. “The clock is ticking to some degree,” Hyder said during the Sept. 28 meeting. “There’s some significant challenges that the town is facing.” Council members continue to voice support for a strategy Mayor Kwasi Fraser has championed since taking office six years ago: That the town can create new revenue streams from its utility properties to offset the need for rate hikes. So far, none of those initiatives have demonstrated a significant impact on town finances. Fraser has not responded

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to emails or calls responding to questions about Town Council priorities. During the Oct. 21 Town Council meeting, Stinnette said the council and staff should push ahead projects to generate revenue for the town, such as applying for more grants, bringing in a firm to sell nutrient credits or install a solar field on the Aberdeen property, finding a firm to construct a new cell tower so the town can lease spots to cellular carriers, selling reclaimed water, and pursuing options to bring online a new, large utility user to provide the town with added revenue in the forms of one-time utility tap fees and ongoing water and sewer payments. Those projects have been discussed frequently over the past few years. But Bob Lazaro, who served as mayor from 2006 to 2014 and as a Town Council member from 2004 to 2006, said the utility operations are “just a function of math” and that the Town Council has been “stealing out of the piggy bank” by draining reserves. Lazaro said that from his point of view, the Town Council has stalled on many professional recommendations because some members are willing to make hard, unpopular decisions. “If you want to be a popular person, don’t run for local office because you have to make decisions that are not just for the present, but for the long run,” he said. In all of FY 2020 and the first four months of FY 2021, the town has paid Stantec $74,521 for its consulting services, according to the town’s monthly check registers.

Council Delays Decision on Police HQ Relocation The need to build a new Police Department headquarters has been cited as a priority for at least the last five years, at which point the town originally intended for officers to move out of its existing space and into a more permanent headquarters. On July 30, 2018, the law firm of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, along with retired police chief Timothy Longo, Sr., released a 25-page report of their months-long investigation into a prior investigation prompted by now-discredited allegations of mismanagement against Police Chief Cynthia McAlister. That report outlined 13 recommendations to “enhance the professionalism and effectiveness of the [Police] Department as a whole,” which included a recommendation for the department to relocate to a more secure and functional headquarters.

“The current facility is within a commercial strip mall which lacks the necessary prerequisites for a safe, secure, and functional police facility,” the report reads. “We recommend a location that is more central to the Town, provides high visibility to community and visitors, allows for the safety and well-being of critical staff, has the infrastructure to secure equipment, resources, property, and evidence, and has the secure technology infrastructure commensurate with best practices.” McAlister has said the 4,300-squarefoot office police have leased in the Lowers Risk Group building off Hirst Road is cramped and not as secure as it should be. Over the past two years, the Town Council has discussed location, timeline and financing options to build a new headquarters, as well as location options for different temporary headquarters locations. But on Oct. 27, the council voted unanimously to authorize the town staff to negotiate a new, five-year lease with Lowers. The town staff will spend up to $1.5 million to both execute the lease and perform security-related improvements there. Less than a week before that vote, the council resolved to table talks of a permanent headquarters until Davenport & Co., the town’s financial advisor, returns with debt restructuring options on Dec. 8. According to estimates by Moseley Architects, the town could be stuck paying $4.5 million more if it waits until 2030 to build a new police headquarters. McAlister said she was disappointed in the Town Council’s vote to negotiate another five-year lease in the existing space, although she said she knows that council members understand the department’s need to move into a new headquarters. McAlister said she was told during her hiring interview more than five years ago that one of the first projects she would help facilitate was the construction of a new headquarters. “Unfortunately, I saw that kind of dwindle,” she said of the project. “It seemed to me that a new facility for law enforcement was a top priority.” She said she is hoping her department will move into a new building in five years and that in the meantime, she’ll continue to work with Moseley on safety improvements to the Lowers space. “I really hope that I can depend on the council to have a firm commitment that we will be progressing to a new building,” she said. “Our budget is small, but we will … get the most space out of this building.” Councilman Ted Greenly said the police headquarters project is the biggest

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

project town leaders are working through and that he’s worried that project could get pushed more than five years out. “We seem to agree that its needed but we’re not really in agreement as to when,” he said. In all of FY 2020 and the first four months of FY 2021, the town paid Davenport $78,189 and Moseley $7,367 for their services, according to the town’s monthly check registers.

Council Rejects MoneyBorrowing Recommendation The council voted unanimously on Oct. 21 against authorizing the town staff to take out a $3 million line of credit with a 1.81-percent interest rate to help finance 16 water projects totaling $15.5 million. Mekarski for weeks had been pressing the council to authorize his team to borrow that money, given the market’s historically low interest rates and the town’s potential future need to pull money from its utility fund reserve accounts. Stinnette said the council voted against taking out the line of credit because it would be unwise to borrow money during a pandemic. He said it would be smarter for the town to get into the bond market once the world pulls through the crisis a bit more. According to Mekarski’s Oct. 21 staff report, the top four critical water supply and distribution and water main replacement projects total $6.3 million and need attention before June 2024. Without borrowing money to help pay for the projects, the town could be forced to pull $8.5 million from the $12.4 million that rests across the water and sewer fund cash reserve accounts, leaving only $3.9 million in those reserves.

The Novak Recommendations In March 2019, Mekarski told the Town Council how much the town staff determined it would cost to implement all 48 of Novak’s recommendations: $3.8 million. Although the Town Council has yet to take action on a majority of those recommendations, Stinnette pointed out that town leaders have already reviewed about half of Novak’s recommendations to some degree of detail and that the town staff continues to do so. Eventually, the town staff will bring proposed actions to the Town Council for votes—perhaps at a slower pace than what residents might DELAYED DECISIONS continues on page 35

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Delayed decisions continued from page 34 want to see. Stinnette attributed that delay to the limitations the towns staff is facing amid a pandemic and the various projects now on the table, like the nutrient credit ides on the Aberdeen property. The election of three new council members in June also has set the council back a few months as it works to bring those three up to speed, Stinnette said. Still, Stinnette said town leaders need to make some “conscious, prioritization decisions” and that those decisions should be discussed in greater detail during the FY 2022 budget talks. “You can’t stop doing the business of the town to do the Novak report or the police report—it’s going to take a period of time,” he said. Greenly also said the Town Council and staff has talked through many of the recommendations. He noted that they’re still moving forward, but the Town Council has not done a good enough job in informing taxpayers how much money it will cost the town to implement them. “I think everybody is in agreement,” he said about the drive among council members to implement the recommendations. “It’s going to come down to dollars and cents.”

The Wilson Elser Recommendations McAlister said her department has accomplished nine of the Wilson Elser law firm’s 13 recommendations, or is in the process of doing so. Some have even been set into motion by an October 2018 Town Council vote to approve the spending of $235,300. That money was set aside to hire a deputy chief and accreditation manager, pay consultants from the Virginia Association of the Chiefs of Police to review the department’s General Orders Manual and implement policy changes, purchase a subscription to Lexipol to update the Department’s policy manual, purchase heavy-duty lockers for officers and purchase ammunition. The town also has also hired a police operations commander, implemented a recurring 12-month training program for officers, audited the headquarters building and continues to perform frequent audits of critical tasks. n

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PAGE 35

Battleground continued from page 1 one’s schedule in 2020. And as pundits prepare for the nation’s most unusual election, none are particularly concerned about the Old Dominion this year. This time, Virginia is viewed as a solidly blue state. It’s a transition three decades in the making. In the 1980s, Virginia was a solid red state and support in Loudoun was a sure bet for Republican candidates. Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter by 12.7% of the vote in 1980 and then trampled Walter Mondale by 25.2% four years later. George H.W. Bush landed 20% more of the statewide vote than Michael Dukakis in 1988. In each of those three presidential elections, Loudouners backed the Republican candidates by 2-to-1 margins. Loudoun’s and Virginia’s support for the GOP continued through the ‘90s, but the margins narrowed significantly. Bush won Loudoun by 12% over Bill Clinton in 1992 and won Virginia by just 4.4% in 1992. Bob Dole secured 52% of the Loudoun vote in his 1996 bid to unseat Clinton and won the statewide ballot totally by 1.9%. In 2000, 60% of Loudoun voters backed George W. Bush over Al Gore. Bush won the state by 8%. Those results held four years later when Bush got 55% of the Loudoun vote and won the state by 8.2%. It was Obama’s 2009 campaign that flipped the state. For the first time since

Fire-Rescue change continued from page 3 More recently, Loudoun has simplified things to two schedules, and supervisors’ direction in November 2019 set the department on track to just one. But Ashburn Volunteer Department President Josh Townsend told county supervisors at their meeting Oct. 20 that the schedule change threatens Loudoun’s long history of volunteerism. Volunteers generally don’t work 24-hour shifts—they often have day jobs. “We’ve seen that happen in neighboring jurisdictions,” Townsend said. “… Similar changes were made, if not the same changes were made, and the volunteer contingent was pushed to the side and relegated to running second-out, or not at all, an auxiliary at best. That does not enable us to be neighbors helping neighbors, as we say in Ashburn.” The next day, the Ashburn volunteer department published a press release with the same warning. “The concern is that if career staff are assigned to a 24-hour schedule, and there’s

From Red to Blue 2020

DONALD J. TRUMP

2016

DONALD J. TRUMP

2012

MITT ROMNEY

2008

JOHN MCCAIN

2004

GEORGE W. BUSH

2000

GEORGE W. BUSH

1996

BOB DOLE

1992

GEORGE H.W. BUSH

1988

GEORGE H.W. BUSH

1984

RONALD REAGAN

1980

RONALD REAGAN o

JOE BIDEN

61.2%

36.8% 38.2%

HILLARY CLINTON

55.1% 47.0%

45.4%

BARACK OBAMA

53.7% 55.7%

43.6%

JOHN KERRY

56.1%

40.9%

AL GORE

52.1%

46.4%

66.3% 68.0% 58.9% 20

BARACK OBAMA

51.5%

40.4%

BILL CLINTON

34.8%

BILL CLINTON MICHAEL DUKAKIS

32.7%

WALTER MONDALE

31.5%

JIMMY CARTER

32.7% 60

100

Over the past three decades, Loudoun has moved from a Republican stronghold in presidential elections to a solid Democratic base. The chart shows the percent of Loudoun votes going to the winning candidate in past presidential elections.

Lyndon Johnson’s victory in 1964, Virginia and Loudoun backed the Democratic ticket. Obama got 53.5% of Loudoun’s vote and won the state by 6.3%. He continued to win over more than half of Loudoun voters in

his re-election bid four years later, but the statewide margin narrowed to 3.9%. In 2016, nearly 55% of Loudoun voters backed Hillary Clinton over Trump. She won the state by 5.3%. n

nowhere else for them to go, that they will be assigned to stations that are currently staffed by volunteers,” Townsend said in an interview. He said at that point, if stations are over-staffed, one of two things may happen: The career staff may take calls in place of the volunteers, or they may be paid to hang around the station while the volunteers run calls. Those claims set off a furor among leaders of other volunteer departments, including some who were angered with Townsend. “Purcellville Volunteer Fire Company does not agree with what Ashburn did,” said Purcellville Volunteer Fire Chief Scott Maple, one of the system’s other volunteer chiefs. “Ashburn does not represent nor speak on behalf of Purcellville Volunteer Fire Company, nor do they speak on behalf of the volunteer system.” Townsend’s warning also caught the system chief off guard. Johnson said he has met with volunteer companies many times, and assured them that they may continue to keep whatever schedule they wish. Firefighters who are on duty at a station when the volunteers come in may head to anoth-

er station, he said. And he said the change comes with a cost savings to taxpayers, as some career staff will be working more hours at 48 hours a week. And Townsend said that was good to hear. “Chief Johnson has told me as long as volunteers continue to staff, we’re not going to displace you,” Townsend said. But he said he also wants the Board of Supervisors to invest in the volunteer system, including a marketing campaign to recruit for the volunteer departments. He also asked for more recognition for volunteers on county social media. “What the volunteers have asked is not for simple lip service thanking us for our service,” Townsend told supervisors. “We want to serve, as I said. We want to lead services in this county. We ask that the Board of Supervisors instruct the system chief to build a workgroup of volunteer and career staff to benchmark successful combined staffing practices of other jurisdictions.” “There’s a lot to lose,” Townsend said in the interview. “We take a lot of pride in being in the position that we’re in, and to see that threatened is very concerning to us.” n

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PAGE 36

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

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