Loudoun Now for Nov. 10, 2022

Dems Hold Fast in Loudoun

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Loudoun County voters on Tuesday night returned incumbent Democrat Jennifer Wexton for a third term in the House of Representatives, as Republicans sought to take control of the House in a midterm red wave.

Republican-endorsed candidates picked up one seat in Loudoun, and as of Wednesday morning were leading in another race still too close to call. In Leesburg, Republican-endorsed candidate Patrick J. Wilt won a seat on the Town Council. And on the School Board, the subject of intense national focus and campaigning, Republican Broad Run District candidate Tiffany Polifko finished Tuesday night only 135 votes, less than a percentage point, ahead of Democrat

Ogedegbe Takes Leesburg School Board Seat, Broad Run Too Close to Call

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounow.com

Democrat Erika Ogedegbe has won the Leesburg District School Board seat Tuesday, defeating Independent Lauren Shernoff and Republican Michael A. Rivera.

Although School Board races are nonpartisan, both races had a Republican-endorsed candidate, a Democrat-endorsed candidate and an independent candidate.

Ogedegbe was endorsed by the

Loudoun County Democratic Committee, while Rivera had been endorsed by the Loudoun County Republican Committee.

“I’m a parent and I’m stepping up for my kids and I’m stepping up for the community,” Ogedegbe said after her win. “I’m just really excited to have this opportunity to serve the community.”

She recalled the moment she decided to run. She said she read a newspaper article in October 2021 that the Leesburg School Board member was stepping down amid a lot of pressure and “a lot of bullying.” She

said she decided to step up.

“We cannot be truly excellent unless we are inclusive at all levels, and in schools this is so important,” she said.

Ogedegbe received 6,185 votes or 40.30% of the vote; Rivera received 4,819 votes or 31.4%; and Shernoff received 4,286 votes or 27.9% with 12 of 13 precincts reporting, according to preliminary numbers Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, voters in the Broad Run

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Erika Ogedegbe, the projected winner of the Leesburg School Board seat, speaks at a victory party on Nov. 8

DEMS HOLD LOUDOUN continues on page 34

OGEDEGBE WINS

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10) celebrates her second reelection with supporters on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at Old Ox Brewery in Sterling.

After Hazing Death, Family Works for Change

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Adam Oakes was just 20 years old when he died in a hazing incident on February 27, 2021, while attending VCU during his freshman year of college. As a Delta Chi pledge, Adam attended what is called a big/little reveal night where he was told to drink a bottle of Jack Daniels. He died later that night form alcohol poi soning.

His family was devastated.

“His death changed everything,” Courtney White, Adam’s cousin, said. “Like literally everything. It changed ev erything. I feel like I shifted as a person but also as a leader, I lead differently in my job. I look at things so differently in every avenue now.”

While dealing with their heartbreak, his family wanted answers, but more than that they wanted to prevent others from going through the same heartbreak. White and Adam’s dad, Eric, created the Love Like Adam Foundation to spread aware ness and education to hazing. They have spent the past 18 months bringing aware ness to hazing deaths in Virginia through legislation like “Adam’s Law,” which cre ates an increased punishment for hazing someone to the point of death and requires

each college and university in Virginia to maintain and publicly report any act of hazing or sexual violence on its campus and provide hazing prevention training, and provides immunity to bystanders who seek medical attention during a hazing in cident. Now, they are bringing awareness to students in Loudoun County through education.

White, an educator for the past 17 years, had just started her doctoral degree in January 2021. She had been brain storming her dissertation when Adam died, and she said it changed her entire outlook.

“I was devastated. And I think I thought, ‘how can I, number one, figure out what happened but also, two, make

sure it doesn’t happen again?’ So, I shift ed, and all my professors were like, yes, do this,” White said.

She said at first, she tried to dismantle hazing and figure out what kept it going. But she realized her strengths were else where and, driven by the desire to stop more hazing deaths, she decided to create an anti-hazing educational curriculum.

“It’s something I’m passionate about, it’s someone I love, and that is how I came up with it. It hasn’t really been work, it’s been therapeutic and a passion,” she said.

Oakes and White said they were pleased with the passing of Adam’s Law and what it means for college students, but they both felt more needed to be done. They started to look at teaching kids about hazing at a younger age.

“When we first started to experience everything, we thought ‘if we hit them there [in college] it’s too late.’ They need to identify it when they are in mid dle school or high school, when they are young and very impressionable. That made a lot of sense to us,” Oakes said.

They had a plan: to take the curriculum Courtney had created and teach it to high school students in Loudoun, where Adam grew up.

LOVE LIKE ADAM continues on page 35

Insight Into Action Named Loudoun Small Business of the Year

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Ashburn-based mental health clinic Insight Into Action Therapy was crowned Loudoun’s Small Business of the Year at the Loudoun Chamber’s 28th annual Small Business Awards on Nov. 4.

The business, which offers outpatient mental health, addiction treatment, psy chological and psychiatric services, was selected from among the winners in six small business categories. They won in the health and wellness business cate gory, placing them in competition with the winners in the virtual business, des tination business, nonprofit organization, main street business, and superior service business categories.

Co-founders Craig James and Cyndi Turner said while they founded Insight Into Action in 2014—putting their homes up as collateral to finance the business— they have worked together for more than 20 years.

“Being a therapist is not what you go

to school for, you’re born with it,” James said.

“Craig and I have, I think, one of the best jobs in the world—we get to help people in our community,” Turner said.

FreshEye Innovative Solutions found er Jaclyn O’Brien Gardner was also

honored twice, both as Loudoun’s Top Entrepreneur of the Year, and when her Ashburn-based bookkeeping firm was named Virtual Business of the Year. She said the business was born out of her own struggles with Lyme disease. She decid ed to try opening her own business while coping with the disease. And she recalled her newborn daughter, now a toddler, spending her first 10 months of life in the hospital fighting through five open heart surgeries. She said the reason it worked out is “because of God, and that was the path that I was supposed to be on.”

“When you focus on relationships and you’re on the right path, things just start to naturally align and to work out,” she said. “And they’re not always easy. Don’t get defeated. Just keep pushing through.”

And Hamilton-based Watermark Woods Native Plants, in addition to win ning Main Street Business of the Year, won the People’s Choice Award after online public voting. Loudoun Chamber President and CEO Tony Howard said the public voted for their favorite finalist in each category, this year casting more than

16,600 votes.

Watermark Woods owner and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy President Julie Borneman said she started the business because there was no other place nearby to buy quality, pesticide-free plants native to Northern Virginia.

“I think the People’s Choice Award also speaks to the fact that we have great people—both our customers and the peo ple who work for Watermark Woods that keep the customers coming back and spending countless hours with them, and counseling them on plants and what’s the best thing to do for their yard, their wild life, and good for the ecology,” she said.

Morven Park was named this year’s Destination Business of the Year. Exec utive Director Stacey Metcalfe said she likes to call it “Loudoun County’s back yard,” and credited her “small but very mighty team” who seek to keep alive the vision of Marguerite Davis and the West moreland Davis Memorial Foundation to

SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS continues on page 35

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Courtney White and Eric Oakes hold a picture of Adam Oakes, who died in a hazing incident in February 2021. White and Oakes have been building an educational curriculum to bring awareness to hazing.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Insight Into Action Therapy founders Craig James and Cyndi Turner are showered with confetti after their business was named Small Business of the Year at the Loudoun Chamber’s 28th annual Small Business Awards Friday on Nov. 4. The business was also named Health and Wellness Business of the Year.

Loudoun

Supervisors Zone Dulles to Allow Solar Farm

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Loudoun supervisors have voted to rezone Dulles Airport from a long outdated residential use to an industrial district, a step toward permitting an 835-acre, 100-megawatt solar array at the airport.

They showed less interest in a push from environmental groups to build most of those solar panels atop existing structures, sparing the nearly 80 acres of wetlands and hundreds of acres of old-growth forest in the area targeted for the project..

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Dominion Energy plan the solar array alongside a 50-megawatt battery system, switchyard, and substation, along with plans for a smaller solar system on the economy parking directly powering the airport and new electric buses and fleet vehicles at the airport.

The Piedmont Environmental Council, the Loudoun Wildlife Foundation and other groups have urged county supervisors and the MWAA to get as many of those solar panels as possible over buildings, parking garages and parking lots, citing the airports authority’s estimate that it could generate about 80 percent of the 100-megawatt plans that way. They argue

that could greatly reduce the footprint of the ground-mounted solar arrays planned on the undeveloped southwestern area of airport property.

Supervisors argued the solar arrays would still be a net positive despite the loss of the forest.

“I do think that what PEC brought up was good to know, and I certainly hope that there is a willingness to do tree plantings in other areas … but I also know that

there is more than one way to address environmental concerns,” County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said.

“I appreciate there was a lot of discussion about the trees. I would just point out that the airports authority can take down trees whenever it wants to on its own property as it is today,” Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said.

Supervisors To Consider Food Composting Drop-Off at Landfill

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

County supervisors during this year’s budget talks will consider a pilot program to let residents compost food waste at the county landfill, and expand its yard waste program.

County staff members estimated the two programs—one for vegetative waste and one for food waste—would cost $105,000 to start up and $35,000 annually. Supervisors will weigh those costs against other priorities in what is expected to be a tight budget year.

For food waste, supervisors will consider emulating programs in Fairfax County and Falls Church, which just adds a new fenced-in area for food waste bins, and hires a contractor to carry the waste off and compost it. County staff members also advised that would be the easiest program to scale up to offer drop-off at other locations if the pilot program is successful. It also avoids obtaining a new

food waste composting permit from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, which would be required to legally do that composting at the landfill.

For yard waste, supervisors will consider scaling up the existing vegetative waste program at the landfill, a program that is already growing with the closure of the county’s major vegetative composting business, according to a staff report.

County ordinances require major private waste collection companies to offer curbside vegetative waste collection, such as picking up fall leaves. Until June 2022, Loudoun Composting in Chantilly was the destination of choice for all private waste collection companies, with tipping fees almost half the price at the county landfill. But with that company closing its doors, waste companies have had to find other options for that waste, and at least one major hauler has turned to the county landfill.

Loudoun Composting had created high-quality mulch and compost with that

waste, which required a more intensive process. The county landfill uses most of what it makes from its smaller mulching and composting program to offer free non-commercial-grade mulch to the public, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, and Loudoun County Fair, and uses the rest for on-site work such as landfill topsoil. Annually the county distributes approximately 2,500 tons of mulch to the public.

The county is assessing how much of an impact Loudoun Composting’s closure will have on demand at the landfill.

Vice Chair Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling), who raised the composting conversation, said if the pilot programs are successful at the landfill, the county could expand them around the county, including food waste curbside pickup.

Supervisors on Nov. 1 voted unanimously to send the pilot program to this year’s budget talks, for possible inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget that begins July 2023. n

ON THE Agenda

COG Hears Regional Housing Goals, Amazon Investment Report

On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Board of Directors was slated to hear a report on the development of a Regional Housing Equity Plan, as well as the Amazon Housing Equity Fund’s spending so far.

The plan, a collaboration among eight regional jurisdictions including Loudoun to achieve unified goals around fair housing, represents the first time in 25 years that the region’s localities have come together to address disparities in access to housing opportunity.

The plan sets out seven broad goals, such as increasing the supply of housing affordable for low- and moderate-income families, reforming zoning and land use policies to increase the development and geographic distribution of affordable housing, implementing policies to preserve existing affordable housing, protecting the housing rights of individuals, increasing community integration and reducing discriminatory housing barriers for people with disabilities, and making public transportation more accessible and affordable.

Those are supported by a variety of strategies such as offering grants and low-interest loans to homeowners to build affordable accessory dwellings on their property, making a housing equity analysis part of reviewing rezoning proposals, or offering free bus transportation to low-income households. Some of the strategies, such as local housing trust funds, Loudoun County is already doing.

The board is scheduled to vote on a resolution recommending the Regional Housing Equity Plan to local governments.

Amazon Housing Equity Fund Director Catherine Buell and Principal Senthil Sankaran will provide an overview of the fund’s grants and loans in the region to increase the availability of affordable

ON THE AGENDA continues on page 6

DULLES SOLAR continues on page 6

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

A view from the Dulles Airport Terminal.

IT'S LIFE CHANGING

Irreversible is not a word you want to hear from your Doctor but it’s a common one if you’ve been diagnosed with Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy or CIPN.

Tom S. of Leesburg survived testicular cancer only to be living life in constant pain. He felt as though he were walking on pins and needles, becoming weaker and weaker every day. “I was beginning to be worried that one day I would be wheelchair bound.”

Nearly half of the patients who undergo chemotherapy will develop Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy or CIPN.

Chemotherapy meds travel throughout the body and attack cancer cells; sadly they can also cause severe damage to healthy nerves. CIPN can begin within weeks of starting treatment and can worsen as treatment continues. A high number of really unfortunate people will be forced to endure the symptoms associated with CIPN for months, or even years after they’ve completed chemo.

When asked how CIPN was affecting his quality of life, he responded, “It was difficult to even walk up and down stairs and do other things we usually take for granted ”

The most common symptoms include:

pain, tingling, burning, weakness, or numbness in arms, hands, legs or feet sudden, sharp, stabbing or shocking pain sensations loss of touch sensation clumsiness and trouble using hands to pick up objects or fasten clothing loss of balance and falling

For some, their nerves will recover over time. For most, the nerve damage is ‘irreversible.’ Tom had been told just that by a series of Doctors and specialists Essentially they could cure his cancer but couldn’t fix the damage done by the drugs used to cure his cancer

Then Tom made a call to Rachal Lohr of FIREFLY|Acupuncture & Wellness right here in Ashburn Rachal and her team are using the time tested science of Acupuncture and a technology originally developed by NASA that assists in increasing blood flow and expediting recovery and healing to treat this debilitating disease.

After a series of treatments Tom was taking stairs with stride!

“We have a beach house and it’s up stairs. This morning I walked right down the stairs and got in the car,” Tom shared.

“I remember thinking ‘that’s become mighty easy for me’, I didn’t have to hold on to the hand rail or anything! It’s life changing to have this mobility back!”

Again and again, we meet with patients who were once diagnosed as "untreatable” or “incurable” but after receiving Rachal Lohr’s treatments are now living lives free from pain and suffering. For almost 15 years she has been reversing the effects of CIPN and other varieties of Peripheral Neuropathy, including that caused by diabetes without invasive surgeries and medications that come with uncomfortable side effects

If you’ve recently beat cancer only to find that you’re living a life in constant pain and discomfort or you’re struggling with the same symptoms as a result of either Idiopathic Neuropathy or Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, Rachal and the incredible team at FIREFLY can help!

Rachal Lohr is now accepting new patients but only for a limited time. In an effort to protect her patients, both current and future, she has made the difficult decision to limit the number of patients seen in her clinic.

Only 10 new neuropathy patients will be accepted monthly so call (703)263 2142 now to schedule a consultation.

Finally! A local Doctor is helping cancer survivors live lives free from the constant pain and suffering associated with Peripheral Neuropathy!

Dulles solar

But the county may still seek some en vironmental oversight of the project. Su pervisors so far have not passed another change to county zoning that would allow the solar array by-right; under the new zoning, it would be permitted as a special exception, a process that requires approval from the county board. Those approvals often come with other agreements geared toward reducing a project’s impact on pub lic resources like roads and schools or on the environment.

A possible change to the industrial zoning district to allow utility-scale solar by-right on parcels of at least 500 acres is slated for discussion in committee.

The airport and its zoning have never matched, but that hasn’t been a problem before—state law exempts the airports authority from local zoning oversight for purposes of operating the airport. The air ports authority argued the solar project also is exempt from zoning oversight, but Loudoun County attorneys and zoning of ficials say it is, pointing out it would feed into Dominion’s larger grid.

Supervisors approved the rezoning unanimously on Nov. 1.

Solar

Array Could

Offset Carbon Impact Within a Year

Federal reports on energy industry emissions and United Nations estimates of how much carbon forests absorb and store indicate the solar array could offset the carbon dioxide impact of losing the forest in its first year.

The U.S. Energy Information Adminis tration calculated that in 2020, solar arrays in Virginia generated 22.6% of their list ed capacity. At that rate, a 100-megawatt solar array would generate 197,976 mega watt-hours a year with close to no carbon emissions beyond those associated with in stallation. Over a normal 30-year lifespan it would generate more than 5.9 million megawatt-hours, or 5.9 terawatt-hours.

The EIA also calculated that in 2020, Virginia’s power grid emitted 679 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour gen erated. At that rate, generating 197,976 megawatt-hours with the state’s current mix of sources instead of solar would emit about 60,975 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Estimates for how much carbon forests absorb and store vary widely. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is on the low end, calculating an average acre of U.S. forest absorbs 0.84 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, or about 701.4 metric tons across 835 acres such as the airport project.

Figures from the United Nations Inter

governmental Panel on Climate Change indicate globally, temperate forests such as those in Virginia store about 62 metric tons of carbon per acre, about one-third of that in vegetation and two-thirds of that in the soil. Based on that estimate, 51,770 metric tons of carbon are stored on the land Do minion is eyeing for the project.

Based on those most recent figures, with a net carbon savings of more than 60,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, even Dominion’s less space-efficient solar array plan is likely to offset the carbon impact of losing the forest within its first full year of operations.

That does not consider other environ mental effects such as destruction of wet lands and wildlife habitats.

How much of the forest’s carbon is released when the forest is cut down de pends on what happens to it after it’s re moved; the IPCC notes the potential for using wood products from those forests to keep more of the carbon they store locked away. The U.S. Forest Service timbers or thins forests and allows them to regrow as part of its management strategy, allowing the forest to absorb more carbon as new trees grow. The Forest Service notes that the carbon stored in those harvested trees stays locked away for longer if they wind up being used in furniture, construction materials or in a landfill. n

ON THE Agenda

continued from page 4

housing. Virginia Realtors reported HQ’s announcement in late 2018 was marked with a sharp bump in al ready-rising housing costs in Arling ton in 2019; an April 2022 Washing ton Post study of the equity fund’s investments found only 6% of that funding went to the poorest renters. Find meeting materials and watch the meeting at mwcog.org.

Overnight Rt. 7 Lane Closures in Sterling Begin Nov. 10

Loudoun County plans overnight lane closures on Route 7 in Sterling beginning Thursday, Nov. 10, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Crews will be installing perma nent crosswalks at the Lakeland Drive and Potomac View Road in tersections as part of the county’s Route 7 Pedestrian Improvement Project. Work is expected to contin ue for several days, weather permit ting. Full closures of Route 7 are not expected. n

Leesburg

Burk Withstands Fox Challenge

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Leesburg voters returned Mayor Kelly Burk for a fourth two-year term Tuesday night.

Burk turned back a challenge from council member Suzanne Fox, garnering 57.5% of the vote, according to preliminary totals.

Incumbent Neil Steinberg was the top vote-getter in the council races with almost 9,500 votes. He’ll be joined on the council by two first-time candidates— Todd Cimino-Johnson and Patrick Wilt. John Spence and Colin Doniger finished out of the running for the three seats.

Burk, Steinberg and Cimino-Johnson ran with the support of Loudoun Democrats while Wilt, Spence and Doniger were backed by the Loudoun County Republican Committee.

Cimino-Johnson and Wilt will fill the seats held by Fox and Vice Mayor Marty Martinez, whose terms end Dec. 31.

Speaking to supporters gathered at the

Jingle Jam’s Return is a 3-Show Sellout

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounow.com

A crowd gathered early Friday morning to stand in line for tickets to Leesburg’s Jingle Jam Christmas Show, which returns to the Tally Ho in December after a two-year pandemic hiatus.

It’s lucky they did. Tickets for shows on Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10 sold out quickly. A third show—a matinee on Saturday—was added and those tickets also were snapped up. In just two and a half hours, all three shows were sold out.

The first person in line arrived at 2 a.m. to wait seven hours before the ticket stand opened at 10 a.m. Rusty Foster said this was some of the better weather he’s braved in his 10 years of attending the show.

“It’s tradition. I’ve been coming since the very first concert,” Foster said. “Being born and raised here means you get to experience local talents and that was

Döner Bistro on Tuesday night, Burk and Martinez lamented the negative tenor of the mayoral campaign. Martinez said Burk faced “mistruths and flat out lies.”

“We came above that. I refused to let that be the narrative,” Burk said. “Our

narrative is that Leesburg was a great place to live because it is a great place to live. … It doesn’t happen that way unless you have a mayor and council working to make that happen.”

Steinberg said the mayor’s race was critical this year.

“For me, keeping Kelly in the mayors chair was almost more important than me winning my race—almost,” he said to laughter of supporters.

Fox, who served two terms on the council, including a stint as vice mayor, said she represented those who wanted change in the town government.

“I ran a race I am very proud of. There were people out there who wanted some change and I felt that from the get-go and people invested in this and people helped out,” she said. “I was willing to step up and do it and it didn’t turn out the way most of us wanted.”

It was the third election in which

LEESBURG RESULTS continues on page 34

just something about the downtown Leesburg, Christmas time, especially when everything is decorated. It’s just very picturesque.”

Others behind him arrived early as well, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.

“There’s two concerts you don’t want to miss. One is Bono, and the other is the Jingle Jam,” another eager fan said.

The line continued down the sidewalk and around the side of building, filled

with people waiting to buy tickets, with one person commenting that in the past, tickets had sold out in a few hours.

Organizers are keeping a waiting list for those who missed out on buying tickets last week.

For more information go to facebook.com/jinglejamband or follow the event on Instagram at @jinglejamleesburg. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Rusty Foster arrived at the Tally Ho box office at 2 a.m. Nov. 4 to be the first in line and secure his tickets for this year’s Jingle Jam concerts.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Mayor Kelly Burk addresses supporters during a Tuesday night election party.

(92% of precincts reporting)

(92% of precincts reporting)

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Godfrey’s Daughter, Granddaughters Speak at Leesburg Rotary

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Leesburg Rotarians got a behind-thescenes look at one of Loudoun’s most famous residents, radio and television broadcaster Arthur Godfrey, from his daughter and granddaughters last week.

Patti Godfrey Schmidt recalled memories of her dad and his airplane as he flew to New York for his radio and TV programs on Mondays, and typically returned on Thursdays to his Beacon Hill estate using the small Leesburg airport he founded, today Leesburg Executive Airport. Then, he called it “Leesburg International Cow Pasture.” And she recalled her dad regularly riding his horse from his Beacon Hill home to nearby Waterford to get his haircut at the gas station/barber shop.

She also told stories of the many animals on the more than 1,000-acre property

Leesburg Police Dispatchers Get Automatic Alarm Info

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

The Leesburg Police Department Emergency Communications Center has implemented the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol, or ASAP, showing dispatchers immediate information from alarm systems.

With ASAP, the department aims to improve response times, eliminate miscommunication and reduce unnecessary calls.

Previously, alarm companies called the Emergency Communications Center to report a burglar or fire alarm, with dispatchers manually entering information from the alarm company into the department’s Computer Aided Dispatch system. With ASAP, that information

west of Leesburg that Godfrey established as a nature preserve, especially the baby elephant Molly who once picked up their car and tossed it in the air. Buffalo, elk, bear, and wild boar roamed the property, as well.

Granddaughters Mary Amons and Laura Godfrey Dunlop added other family stories of their “Pop-Pop,” who they knew was famous, but weren’t sure why. They said he made sure his celebrity life did not interfere with his family life.

Godfrey is best known for his daily radio and later television morning shows, “Arthur Godfrey Time,” and the weekly “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” which aired on CBS until 1956. He was a regular on radio until 1972. He died in 1983 and is buried at Union Cemetery in downtown Leesburg. The panel discussion was moderated by Tom Edmonds. n

will be populated directly into the dispatch system.

There is no registration required and no additional charge for residents, businesses, or their alarm companies to use the program.

The department is the 117th ECC in the United States, and the 21st agency in Virginia, to implement ASAP.

Leesburg brought the system online Nov. 3, working with Vector Security, Rapid Response Monitoring, Stanley Security, Tyco (Johnson Controls), Brinks Home Security, Affiliated Monitoring, the National Monitoring Center, Securitas, Guardian Protection, Protection One, United Central Control, Security Central, Vivint, and ADT. Residents or business owners who are unsure if the new program will work with their alarm system should contact their alarm company provider. n

Hon. Joseph D. Kernan Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy, (Ret.)

Contributed

Arthur Godfrey’s daughter and granddaughters speak to the Rotary Club of Leesburg in a discussion moderated by Tom Edmonds.

NOW STAFF REPORT

The Town of Leesburg on Monday began repairs to the Town Hall parking garage in the heart of downtown. That means disruptions for users, but parking will be free for the available spaces.

This week, the basement level will be closed entirely. Then work will move to

other areas of the structure. The project is expected to continue through January.

Typically, the town offers free holiday parking downtown starting on Thanks giving and continuing through Jan. 2.

While garage parking will be free starting this week, free on-street parking will not begin until Nov. 24. n

Loudoun College Entrance Exams Scores Drop, But Above Average

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Although their scores dropped from last year, Loudoun students taking the ACT and SAT scored higher on average than other students in Virginia and across the country, according to a press release from the school division.

The news comes as the nationwide class of 2022’s ACT scores are the lowest they’ve been in 30 years.

The national average ACT composite score for the high school class of 2022 was 19.8, according to data released Oct. 12 by ACT, the nonprofit organization that administers the college readiness exam.

According to ACT, five-year trends show a steady decline in composite scores nationwide, starting in 2018 with a nationwide composite score of 20.8, 20.7 in 2019, 20.6 in 2020, 20.3 in 2021 and 19.8 in 2022. The ACT is scored out of 36.

Loudoun’s ACT scores are higher than the national and state averages.

The average composite score for Loudoun County Public School class of 2022 graduates was 25.5, according to ACT, about 5.7 points higher than the national average and about 0.9 points higher

than the state average of 24.6.

ACT test takers from Loudoun’s Class of 2022 scored higher in every subject area, scoring the highest in English with 25.8 points, about 1.2 points higher than the state average and 6.8 points higher than the national average. In math, the average score for division students was 24.3, 0.8 points higher than the statewide average and 5 points higher than the nationwide average. Reading scores were 0.6 points above the statewide average of 25.7 and a 5.9 points above from the nationwide average of 20.4. 2022 Loudoun County Public Schools graduates earned 25.1 in science, 0.8 points higher than the rest of the state and 5.2 ahead of the national average.

But compared to Loudoun’s class of 2021, division graduates from the Class of 2022 scored slightly lower in every subject, scoring 0.7 points lower in reading, 0.8 lower in math, 0.5 lower in English and 0.4 lower in Science.

There were also about 54 fewer students taking the ACT in 2022 than in 2021, according to the release.

According to ACT, the proportion of seniors nationwide meeting none of the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks has

also continued

to rise. The ACT College

Readiness Benchmarks show the minimum scores required in order for students to have a greater chance of success their first year of college.

Among the class of 2022, nationwide 22% of students met all four ACT Benchmarks and 42% met none. In Loudoun County, 72% met 3 or 4 College Readiness Benchmarks on the ACT, compared to 65% for the state, according to Loudoun County Public Schools Information Office Wayde Byard.

ACT CEO Janet Godwin said the downward trends are worrisome, saying they started long before the COVID-19 pandemic and have persisted.

“The magnitude of the declines this year is particularly alarming, as we see rapidly growing numbers of seniors leaving high school without meeting the college-readiness benchmark in any of the subjects we measure,” she stated. “These declines are not simply a byproduct of the pandemic. They are further evidence of longtime systemic failures that were exacerbated by the pandemic. A return to

Schools Look to Support SWAM Businesses with New Policy

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Loudoun County Public Schools is one step closer to implementing a new policy that supports business owned by women, minorities, and veterans with service-connected disabilities.

Policy 4360 was created to ensure the division is making efforts to support those businesses small women-owned and minority-owned, or SWAM, businesses, along with those owned by service-disabled veterans. The policy defines what constitutes a small business—an independently owned business with fewer than 250 employees and brought in $10 million or less over the previous three years—defines each SWAM category, and provides guidance on yearly report-

ing of the amount of business done with those businesses, as well as training to increase purchases and guidance on how to promote the use of them throughout the division. The division will rely on the

certified vendors listed on the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity Directory, according to the policy.

The School Board’s Finance & Operations Committee voted 3-0 Nov. 1 to recommend adopting the policy, sending it to the full board for consideration.

The committee discussed the policy earlier this year and voted to send it to the full board. On March 8 the board sent it back to committee after questions were raised regarding sub-contract impacts and the next steps of its implementation. The policy has been updated since March to remove individual minority definitions to be in alignment with the Virginia Public Procurement Act’s definitions of minorities.

The policy is scheduled to go before the full board on Nov. 15. n

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

School Board Finance and Operations Committee

Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) at a meeting of the Joint Board of Supervisors and School Board Committee Monday, Nov. 7.

3 Schools to Get New Roofs

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Cedar Lane, Horizon and Lowes Island elementary schools are slated to get new roofs after the School Board’s Finance & Operations Committee approved contracts at its Nov. 1 meeting, pending the full board’s approval. The contracts are scheduled to go before the full board as a consent item on Nov. 15.

The three roof renovations together will cost approximately $5.8 million.

Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis told the committee the contracts reflects the rising costs of inflation, but said all

three came within budget.

Simpson Unlimited Inc. won the bid on Lowes Island and Horizon Elementary Schools. Chu Contracting Inc. won the bid for Cedar Lane. Each project had three bidders.

Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) asked if there was a concern whether Simpson Unlimited could do two roofs on a tight summer deadline. Lewis said the company does multiple roofs every summer and there was no concern.

The cost for Cedar Lane’s roof replacement is $1,929,000, Horizon’s replacement is $2,090,975 and Lowes Island’s replacement is $1,764,575. n

Cochran Family Dental

Exam scores

the pre-pandemic status quo would be insufficient and a disservice to students and educators. These systemic failures require sustained collective action and support for the academic recovery of high school students as an urgent national priority and imperative.”

Additionally, the Loudoun County Public Schools release says Loudoun students outscored their state and national counterparts on the SAT exam, with 2022 graduates scoring on average 1178, 54 points higher than other Virginia graduates and 128 points higher than other students nationwide. The SAT has a total of 1600 possible points across two sections, evidence-based reading and writing or ERW and math.

Nationwide SAT test scores showed a decline for 2022 graduates. For 2022 school division test takers there was an average total score drop of four points from 2021. Statewide there was a total average score decrease of 27 points and a

nationwide drop of 10 points.

The data also shows a disparity in the scores for minority students in Loudoun.

In 2021, 211 Black students took the SAT, scoring 544 in ERW and 525 in Math for a total of 1069. In 2022, only 41 more Black students took the SAT, dropping four points in ERW and 14 points in Math for a total score of 1051, a total drop of 18 points from Black students in the Class of 2021.

Four fewer Hispanic students, 434 students, took the SAT in 2022. They scored 550 in ERW, five points lower than 2021 students, and 531 in math, two points lower for a total of 1081, seven points lower overall.

According to the release, 146 more Asian students took the SAT in 2022, up from 1,011. Overall scores for division Asian students remained the same between 2021 and 2022 at 1274.

Among white students, 24 more took the SAT in 2022, up from 2,067. Overall, Loudoun white students scores dropped 10 points from 2021 to 2022 for a total of 1159. n

Alexis Gusitn/Loudoun Now

Cedar Lane Elementary School in Ashburn is one of three elementary schools slated to get new roofs this summer.

90 Middle and High School Students Selected for Regional Orchestra

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Ninety Loudoun County Public Schools orchestra and band students have qualified for the 2022 North Central Virginia Regional Orchestra. Students from 23 school divisions across northern Virginia auditioned for a seat

Ogebegbe wins

continued from page 1

District School Board race will have to wait a little longer to find out who won that seat.

Preliminary numbers on Tuesday night showed Republican Tiffany Polifko in the lead with 6,663 votes or 35.2%, and Democrat Nicholas Gothard with 6,528 votes or 34.5%—a difference of 135 votes.

Independent incumbent Andrew Hoyler had 5,561 votes 29.4% of the vote.

in the orchestra.

The orchestra will perform Nov. 11 and 12 at Brooke Point High School in Stafford. The Junior Regional Orchestra will be directed by renowned international composer and educator Kirt Mosier. The Senior Regional Orchestra will be directed by Mathias Elmer, di-

rector of orchestras at Virginia Tech.

J. Michael Lunsford Middle School orchestra director Adrienne Carava, and Broad Run High School orchestra director Carrie Albers will chair the event.

For more information about the orchestra and upcoming events go to www.ncvro.org. n

Tuesday night. “I am hoping to take a breath and reassess in the morning.”

He pointed out there are still provisional and outstanding mail-in ballots that need to be counted.

“We’ve spent the last couple of months fighting for every Loudoun family and we are going to keep doing that even if it takes a week more. We are going to keep doing that to make sure every voice is heard, and every vote is counted,” Gothard said.

“It’s a tight, tight margin and we are within the recount margin,” Gothard said

A call to Polifko was not immediately returned. n

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

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

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

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

“It’s a tight, tight margin and we are within the recount margin.”

— Nick Gothard

Public Safety

Obituaries Judge Dismisses Brambleton Murder Conspiracy Case

Private inurnment at Mount Hebron Cemetery will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contribu tions may be made to the Braddock Street United Methodist Church, 115 Wolfe Street, Winchester, Virginia 22601. Online condolences may be left at www.jonesfuneralhomes.com

Kay-Jo Turner Combs

Kay-Jo Turner Combs, 84, of Win chester, Virginia passed away Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at Lynn Care Center in Front Royal, Virginia.

She was born on August 6, 1938, in Romney, West Virginia to the late Lloyd W. Turner and Blanche Hamilton Turner. Kay-Jo was a graduate of Romney High School and attended Nurses Training at Winchester Memorial Hospital. Kay-Jo and her late husband, Don, were found ers and owners of Electrical Contractors, Inc. in Winchester.

She was a member of the Girls Athletic Association, Ki-Wives of Winchester, Wednesday Morning Bowling League, Mended Hearts, and Shenandoah Region Antique Automobile Club. Kay-Jo was a member of Braddock Street United Methodist Church for over 60 years.

Kay-Jo married Don Combs on August 5, 1957 in Hamilton, Virginia. Don pre-deceased her on November 14, 2010.

Kay-Jo is survived by her children, D.B. Combs, II and his wife, Barbara, of Res ton, Virginia, and Cristi Combs Kimmel and her husband, Mike, of Clarksville, Virginia; her grandchildren, Wills Combs and Kristina Coyle of Potomac Falls, Virginia, Andrew Combs of Clearwater, Florida, Meghan Kimmel of Dallas, Tex as, and Kristen and Tom Mathews, also of Dallas, Texas; her great-grandchildren Jackson and Charlotte Combs, and Kate and Jorie Mathews. Kay-Jo is also sur vived by her brother Bill Turner and his wife Kay, of Romney, West Virginia.

In addition to her husband and parents, Kay-Jo is pre-deceased by her grandson, Donald Bryan “Tripp” Combs, III, and her brother, Lee Hamilton and his wife, Joyce.

A funeral service will be held at 3:00 pm on Monday, November 14, 2022 at Jones Funeral Home, Winchester, VA by Reverend Kirk Nave, of Braddock Street United Methodist Church, Winchester, VA.

The family will receive friends from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. prior to the service at Jones Funeral Home.

Joan Theresa Adams Jasinski

Joan Theresa Adams Jasinski passed away peacefully in her home in Blue mont, Virginia on November 2, 2022, with her loved ones by her side. Joan was 72 years old. Joan was born on March 8, 1950, in New York, NY. In 1959 she moved upstate New York to Ulster Coun ty where she attended school. She then moved to Pearl River, N.Y. and started her career in hairdressing. She married her beloved husband, Anthony Jasinski, Jr. formerly from Nanuet, N.Y., in 1976. They relocated to Virginia in 1978. They were married for 46 years. Their son Tory was born in 1985 and their grandson, John, was born in 2016. She was an ex ceptional wife, mother and grandmother. She enjoyed gardening at her home. Joan also enjoyed her trips to Scotland, En gland and France with family and friends. Joan was preceded in death by her par ents, John and Vivian Adams and bother John. Joan is survived by her husband Tony, son Tory and grandson John, sister Carol Pucci, brothers Robert and wife Pat Adams, James and wife Lindy Adams, sisters-in-law, Mary Jo and husband Syd Smith, Meg Hermann, Claire Jasinski and husband Luis Carrascal and Janet Swinn ich, brothers-in-law. Vincent Jasinski and wife Maria, John Jasinski and wife Judy. Many nieces and nephews. Funeral Ser vices will be held at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville, VA on Friday, November 11, 2022, at 10:00 am. Interment will be at Ebenezer Cemetery in Round Hill, VA immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that any donations be sent to: Blue Ridge Hospice 333 West Cork St., #405 Winchester, VA 22601 540-3139200

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Circuit Court Judge James E. Plowman on Nov. 3 dismissed the case against a man accused of aiding the suspect charged with first-degree murder in the fatal December 2021 shooting of Najat Chemlali Goode in her Brambleton home.

The ruling came during the fourth day of a scheduled 10-day jury trial for Abdul Waheed.

Plowman granted the motion by defense attorney Kelly King to strike the case, finding county prosecutors had not provided the jury with the evidence they would need to arrive at a guilty verdict.

That action came just over a week after the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office

opted to pursue a more serious—and more difficult to prove—charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder against Waheed and dropped a previous charge of being an accessory after the fact.

Waheed had originally been charged with being an accessory to murder before and after the fact, with investigators saying he drove the suspect, Furqan Syed, to and from the scene of the crime. During a preliminary hearing in District Court, prosecutors narrowed that charge to being an accessory after the fact. Just days before that trial was scheduled to begin, prosecutors dropped that charge and secured a direct indictment on the conspiracy charge. The trial was delayed one week

SAFETY Briefs

Preschool Staffer Charged with Abuse, Assault

A 19-year-old Ashburn resident has been charged after two alleged assaults at a Sterling childcare center.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the agency was notified on Oct. 26 by Child Protective Services that a staff member of the Karter School on Springlake Court was accused of assaulting a child at the school on Oct. 21. Detectives determined that a staff member pushed a child, causing her to fall backward and strike her head on a chair.

Investigators also determined that on Oct. 18, another child had been assaulted by the same employee.

On Nov. 4, Mariah Clara Prieto was arrested and charged with cruelty and injuries to children for the first incident and assault for the second incident. She was taken to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center and released on a $1,500 bond.

Leesburg Police Step Up Patrols After School Threat

Following a “rumored threat” involving Cool Spring Elementary

School, the Leesburg Police Department this week increased patrols at the campus on Tavistock Drive.

According to a statement by the agency Monday morning, the threat was referenced in an online chat. The school resource officer assigned to Cool Spring and the department’s Criminal Investigation Section investigated the matter.

“At this time, we do not believe this to be a credible threat,” Public Information Officer Michael Drogin stated.

Reckless Driving Charges Filed After Multiple Stops

A Delaware woman faces two felony charges following traffic stops by a Loudoun deputy on Rt. 15 in Leesburg on Saturday.

The Sheriff’s Office reported that a deputy responded to the area of James Monroe Highway and Tutt Lane on Nov. 5 for a report of a disabled vehicle. The driver reported she was lost, then drove away.

Case dismissed

because the lead prosecutor on the case was out with COVID-19.

To secure a conviction, prosecutors were required to prove that Waheed had advance knowledge of Syed’s plans and agreed to participate in the crime—elements Waheed denied in the videotaped interrogation with investigators that was shown to the jury.

During his interview, Waheed admitted to driving Syed to and from the Goode’s home but repeatedly denied he knew Syed planned to kill her.

Waheed said he was asked by Syed to drive him to his girlfriend’s house on the night of Dec. 30, 2021. He said during video interview that Syed acted normally on the drive to and from Goode’s house.

When asked why he didn’t call police after he learned of the murder, he said because he was “scared.” Investigators contacted him three weeks after the murder and brought him in for questioning.

During an earlier motions hearing, Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Shaniqua Clark Nelson said the new charge stemmed from recorded statements believed to have been made by Syed while he was in custody in the United Arab Emirates in March after fleeing the U.S. after the shooting. She said her office did not yet have that evidence, which was expected to be released in January.

Waheed had been held in jail without bail since his arrest in January and a longer delay in the trial could have violated his constitutional right to a speedy trial.

Following the dismissal of the case, Sheriff Michael Chapman using official

SAFETY Briefs

continued from page 14

The deputy located the vehicle again stopped in the middle of the road, and turned on his emergency equipment for a traffic stop, and the driver drove away again. She stopped a short distance later, then drove away again, eventually ending

county information channels criticized the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office.

“Our detectives, analysts, digital forensics examiners, and crime scene investigators poured their hearts and souls into this investigation, working countless hours to ensure that Najat’s family received justice. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office provided the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office with a detailed, thorough, and compelling case for trial. We are extremely disappointed with the performance of the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, especially regarding such a serious crime, and are heartbroken for her family,” Chapman stated. “Our community deserves better.”

Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj also issued a statement. “Our office is disheartened by the outcome of the Waheed trial, but respect Judge Plowman’s ruling. We will learn from this experience and continue to approach every case we handle with the utmost dedication and professionalism. The Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office is focused on protecting the community and will continue to be diligent in that endeavor,” she wrote.

Syed, 40, is charged with first-degree murder, armed burglary, and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. After fleeing the country, he was arrested in Dubai following an international effort by the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Abu Dhabi Police, and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office detectives. His trial is scheduled to begin in April. n

up in a fast-food drive-through where she was arrested. The Sheriff’s Office alleged she resisted multiple times.

Victoria D. Agbakey, 47, of Bear, DE, was charged with reckless driving/disregarding a police command to stop, assault on law enforcement, and obstruction of justice. She was held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center pending a Nov. 9 bond hearing. n

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Nonprofit

Sterling Resident Makes Hats in Memory of a Life Cut Short

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Sterling Park resident Jen Lofquist has been knitting for over 30 years. You can often find her knitting while watching a game or traveling for work. So when she heard about the passing of Zoe, her co-worker Sam Ahn’s infant daughter, after being born at 24 weeks, her way of offering comfort to Sam and his wife Elaine was to knit a shawl for them.

But she didn’t stop there. The experience touched her, and she wanted to do more. She decided to start knitting hats for the babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the hospital where Zoe was cared for.

“I’m a big believer that it’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness when something bad happens,” Lofquist said.

She posted in the Sterling Park Neighborhood Exchange, a local Facebook group, what she was doing and asked for volunteers to help her make hats.

With the help of volunteers, she donated 87 to Inova Children’s Hospital in 2018. The following year, she increased that to 437, hats and in 2020 she nearly tripled her 2019 numbers by donating 1,248 hats. In addition to the hats that year, she said they also donated six blankets, six pairs of booties, 66 ear savers to help with the discomfort of wearing a mask and eight octopus toys.

In 2021, she had 1,710 hats and had

expanded her delivery to seven other hospitals including Reston Hospital Center, Stone Springs Hospital Center, Inova Loudoun Hospital, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, Inova Alexandria Hospital, George Washington University Hospital and Virginia Hospital Center. She said due to COVID-19 restrictions they weren’t able to deliver all of the hats, so she added them to this year’s tally. In their official fifth year they will be delivering 2,110 hats to hospitals in Northern Virginia and Maryland.

She said the pandemic brought new challenges for their operation, including finding ways to continue to do it safely for everyone involved. That was when they decided to wrap each hat individually after it was washed to keep them sanitized as they wait to be delivered.

In addition to all the volunteers who have made hats, some mailing them from other states, she credits her friend, Terri Morgan, with helping her keep the operation going for the past five years.

Another person she said she couldn’t

do it without is her husband, Andrew Lee. She said he has taken on the job of being the “official hat washer.”

“Every hat is washed, dried, and checked for quality to make sure nothing will fall off,” she said.

Lee washes every hat in hypoallergenic soap inside a pillowcase so the yarn doesn’t get pulled. Once dried, each hat is put into a sandwich bag, then 10 prebagged hats are put into a gallon-sized bag ready for delivery.

“We’ve got a process—it only took four years to figure out,” she said, laughing.

She said they will get calls from various hospitals requesting special hats, like Christmas-themed ones or even to use them for a different purpose.

She said one year Inova Children’s Hospital asked her if it would be OK to use the hats for babies who died.

“They said ‘we know this isn’t necessarily your mission, but would you be OK with it?’ I said our mission is to provide comfort to anyone going through a difficult time. This is completely in our mission,” Lofquist said.

Although they have donated other items, she said she wants to stick with hats and not expand too much.

“It just feels right to give hats. Having something homemade by someone and created for your child just makes you feel

‘Scouting for Food’ Seeks Non-Perishable Food Donations from Doorsteps

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Many Loudouners have come home recently to find a note from the Scouts as they gather donations during the holiday season for area food pantries.

The Scouting for Food notes have information about food items needed to replenish the stockrooms of local food pantries. Each November, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venture Scouts, and their leaders at the Goose Creek District of the National Capital Area Council take to the neighborhoods of Loudoun County to seek out those donations.

The scouts will return to front doors

across the county on Saturday, Nov. 12 to pick up bags of non-perishable items and deliver them to Loudoun food pantries.

“These donations could not come at a better time each year,” said Loudoun Hunger Relief President and CEO Jennifer Montgomery. “Often, we are able to start using the Scouts’ food the very next week to restock items such as cereals, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, and meats, such as tuna.”

The Scouting for Food service project began in 1988. Today, the Scouts are responding to an ever-growing demand for assistance with basic needs, going

door-to-door to collect those donations and often volunteering additional hours to unload vehicles and bags and sort donations.

Loudoun Hunger Relief, the county’s largest hunger nonprofit, has served the community since 1991. In 2020, the nonprofit distributed more than 2.6 million pounds of food. Today they report serving around 600 families each week, and also act as a central point of distribution for other food pantries around the county. For more information go to loudounhunger.org.

To find help with food, go to loudounfeeds.org. n

Courtesy of Jen Lofquist

NICU nurses at Stone Springs Hospital Center hold hats donated by Hats for Zoe.

Loudoun Now file photo Volunteers sort donations at the Loudoun Hunger Relief collection site for Scouting for Food in Leesburg.

HATS FOR ZOE

Hats for Zoe

less alone. Seeing a baby filled with tubes and wires and then seeing a handmade hat on their head, it makes it a little less scary,” Lofquist said.

She’s making hats for all the friends Zoe didn’t get to meet, she said tearfully.

“I’m glad we are filling a need. And it’s an easy need. We aren’t changing the world. We are just giving a little light, and that is good,” she said.

She said in her experience with the Hats for Zoe project, she has learned that people love to be helpful.

“If you give them an opportunity to help, they will. So we provide that op portunity by giving links to patterns, the rules and the way,” Lofquist said.

She said Sam Ahn gets excited when he finds out how many hats have been donated and is grateful because it’s help ing to keep his daughter’s memory alive.

“I can have a bad day and come home and find a box or bags of hats on my doorstep and I don’t care how bad the day was, it makes me feel better. I think ‘it’s going to be ok’ because some stranger is making hats for people they will never meet,” she said. “How can you feel bad about the universe when someone says, ‘I’m going to knit hats for babies?’”

She said delivering the hats to each hospital is one of her favorite things to do other than making them.

“They get really excited to see us,” she said.

Lofquist said this year, thanks to a do nation from Tina Cross with McCabe’s Printing Group, Ahad and Sammad Gar dezi, and Leslie Recinos, every hat will have a printed note explaining who made the hat and why.

Lofquist added that they are always looking for hospitals to donate hats to and said the biggest hang up is finding contacts at hospitals to talk to them about the donations.

She said making the hats brings her so much joy that she will probably do this until the end of time.

“If people keep giving me hats, I will keep washing them and bagging them and I will give them away. If I have to send them to other places, I will. It may not make everything better, but it will make them smile,” Lofquist said.

Lofquist is collecting hats through the month of November with plans to deliver them in December. For more information on Hats for Zoe and ways you can help visit facebook.com/babyhatsforzoe. n

SCAN Honors 100WomenStrong at Annual Gala

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Stop Child Abuse Now or SCAN of Northern Virginia, a child abuse preven tion nonprofit organization, recognized its Loudoun nonprofit 100WomenStrong with the 2022 Cleary Award at the annual Toast to Hope Gala at Army Navy Coun try Club on Oct. 28.

The evening also set a new record for the fundraising gala, doubling SCAN’s goal with a surprise gift. Title sponsors and longtime supporters Tim and Jenni fer Gale announced that night they would

match all donations made during the night.

The Cleary Award recognizes peo ple and organizations whose dedication to children and families stand out and make a positive difference in the lives of children.

“We are more than honored to be rec ognized by SCAN of Northern Virgin ia,” 100WomenStrong founder Karen G. Schaufeld stated. “Since its inception, 100WomenStrong has focused on the strategic investment in organizations and programs that enrich the lives of Loudoun

County residents. SCAN has been one of our recipients six times because of its fo cus on prevention, education and advoca cy in support of all children, regardless of race, faith, citizenship status, ability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We are proud supporters of SCAN’s unique family and community programs and equally proud to be a part of their 2022 Toast to Hope Gala.”

Proceeds from the event support SCAN’s programs and services to pre vent child abuse and neglect in Northern Virginia. n

AROUND Towns

MIDDLEBURG

Milan Beats Grewe for Purcellville Mayor

Stanley J. Milan Sr. on Tuesday beat Joel D. Grewe in the race between two incumbent council members to replace Kwasi Fraser as Purcellville’s mayor.

Fraser did not seek reelection after serving four two-year terms.

Preliminary tallies Tuesday night showed Milan earned 53.8% of the vote with Grewe coming in at 42.7%.

Milan said he’s looking forward to moving into the role of mayor.

“I feel really good and am looking forward to starting on this path to lead the Town of Purcellville with the new council members,” he said. “We shall listen to the citizens and maintain the small-town character that we have. It’s been a long hard three to four months with our team.”

He also said he’s looking forward to working with the entire council and focusing on the town’s debt and infrastructure.

“We all live together, and we all have to get along. We all have the same aspirations: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” he said.

Milan and Grewe campaigned as part of competing slates in the election.

From Milan’s slate, Mary F. “Boo”

Bennett was the top vote-getter in the council race and Carol A. Luke finished third. Both serve on the town Planning Commission.

Incumbent Erin K. Rayner, who campaigned with Grewe, finished second in the balloting to win a four-year term.

“I’m grateful for the support showed by the voters of Purcellville and am proud to have won re-election to Town Council. Congratulations to the other elected council members. Over the next few years, I’m looking forward to working together with them to ensure that we approach change with positivity, and continue to represent the best interests of our residents and businesses.” Rayner said in a statement.

Milan’s other slate member, Ronald Rise, finished in fourth place, followed by Grewe’s teammate Caleb J. Strought. Incumbent Tip Stinnette, also on the Grewe slate, finished last in the race.

The terms of Grewe and Stinnette end Dec. 31, 2022.

Milan’s council term expires June 30, 2024. After he takes the mayor’s seat in January, the Town Council will

be required to appoint a replacement until a special election can be held.

Hamilton Goes for Incumbents

Faced with the town’s largest roster of candidates in memory, Hamilton voters on Tuesday opted to stay the course.

Incumbent Mayor Ken Wine and three sitting council members were all elected to new four-year terms.

Wine is a veteran council member who was appointed mayor earlier this year, following the retirement of David Simpson, who served three four-year terms.

In a three-way race, Wine took 160 of the 287 votes cast, according to the preliminary tally. Vaughn Stanford was second with 92 votes and Brian Daskalovitz finished third with 20.

In the council races, incumbents Rebecca Jones, Cathy Salter, and Craig Green were reelected, outpacing challengers Am Barden and Elena Boras.

TOWN ELECTIONS continues on page 34

Purcellville Council Opposes Rt. 690 Connection

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

Purcellville Town Council members last week told Loudoun County government representatives they want a playground but no Mayfair Crown Drive extension at the Fields Farm property where eight lighted ballfields and a 260-space commuter parking lot are proposed.

In continuing to negotiate over the scale and design of the county’s plans, council members said they did not want to connect to Mayfair Crown Drive to Rt. 690, following the results of a survey recently sent to residents in the Mayfair neighborhood. There was discussion during the Nov. 2 meeting on whether to provide an access road for emergency vehicles since there is only one point of ingress and egress to the neighborhood.

Council Member Erin Rayner, who lives in the subdivision, expressed con-

cern over not having the emergency access in the event of an accident that shuts down the Rt. 611 entrance to the neighborhood for multiple hours.

“I would like to see it just have that emergency point at least as an option,” she said.

The council also expressed concern over what an emergency access gate would look like and sought to limit the damage to the environment is an emergency access was added—concluding that the town should take responsibility of putting an access road rather than have the county do it.

Loudoun Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure Acting Director Nancy Boyd said the county could work with the town to have the gate surrounded with rural landscaping.

The final decision on that gate is not yet made. The council will wait for the county to present a plan with more details on what the emergency access gate will

look like versus what the town could do itself and present both options to the public for input.

The council members also said they would like to see the road that is planned to provide a connection to the Woodgrove High School campus moved further west and more vegetation added between the planned sports complex and the Mayfair neighborhood. Boyd said that likely was possible.

“I think we can commit to seeing how far we can shift that and provide as much buffer as we can while also being able to accommodate the kind of the layout of the park,” she said. “I think there is some wiggle room.”

She also offered an alternative fencing with something more solid than the planned chain link fence, which the council indicated they would like to see.

FIELDS FARM continues on page 19

Littleton Touts Town’s Successes

Mayor Bridge Littleton last week presented his annual state of the town address, looking back on a year in which hospitality and tourism businesses continued to boost the town’s fortunes.

Speaking to a crowd that included community members, the town staff and County Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large) at the Middleburg Community Center, Littleton highlighted the town’s strong financial position following a year when the council reduced the real estate tax rate—actually cutting the bills for most residents—and ending the fiscal year with a $1.2 million surplus. In Middleburg, 85% of the town’s revenue is generated by business, meals, and hotel taxes. Because of the potential volatility in the tourism industry, the council set a requirement to maintain a reserve of at least 125% of annual expenditures, far more than other municipalities that rely primarily on property tax income.

That fiscal health has helped advance several projects with long-lasting impacts, including the construction of a new town hall building expected to open in February, the conversion to wireless water meters that allow for the real-time detection of leaks and a new plan to restore the Asbury Church and keep it in town ownership.

Those successes, he stressed, were attributable in large part to the work of the town’s staff and the community’s strong corps of volunteers.

PURCELLVILLE

Lions Prepare for Bland Music Contest

Every year the Lions Clubs of Virginia holds the Bland Music contests for Virginia students ages 8 to high school seniors.

The Lovettsville and Purcellville Lions Clubs are planning the local competition, which will be held Feb. 12 in Purcellville.

Vocal and instrumental entrants must perform from memory. The per-

AROUND TOWNS

Fields Farm

Council members agreed they would like to see a playground added to the county’s plans. They also noted the concerns expressed by the residents through the survey regarding the lighting of the athletic fields.

“Our standard is to light any new field that is built,” Loudoun Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Steve Torpy said. “And that is simply because of the deficit that we have for the number of teams and people that are using [fields], particularly youth participants. And just to give you an indication of scale, between 2009 and 2019 we had 20,000 additional youth participants added to the rolls of who is participating in league play in Loudoun. Now in ’19 and ’20, with COVID, we did have a drop off, but we are scaling back up very, very quickly on that.”

He noted that western Loudoun has several fields that are not lit, and many of the ones that have lights have time restrictions, often resulting in games having to be ended before they are finished.

Council members also discussed the planned commuter park and ride lot.

Boyd said the county’s federal funding dictates that there be a minimum of 250 parking spots. However, when asked by council member Joel Grewe whether those spaces could be dual purpose, she said they could, serving both the commuter lot and nearby sports fields.

Council member Tip Stinnette also expressed a desire to have the aesthetic of the parking lot match the town. He said he is a park-and-ride user who commutes to Washington, DC, every day.

“Is there a way that we can reduce the overall parking footprint out there? And not have a separate park and ride with shelters and bike places and electric charging stations and yada yada yada, and think something different than the Dulles North [Transit Center Park and Ride], Leesburg [Park and Ride] template. And if there is a way to get to something that is more rural and more consistent with the character of the town, yeah,” he said.

“What I do think we’re talking about is trying to configure something that is consistent with our rural character out here, and not transplant it from Ashburn, Leesburg or points east,” he said.

Boyd pointed out that Metro will open the Silver Line extension into Loudoun next week, and the plan eventually would be to have buses running from the park and ride lot to a Metro station.

Council members Stanley J. Milan and

Rayner expressed concerns about the uptick in traffic that the commuter lot would bring to the surrounding area from those buses.

Mayor Kwasi Fraser said he didn’t feel the people of Purcellville should be responsible for providing a park and ride lot if most of the users would be from West Virginia and taking the buses to the Silver Line.

“We love our friends in West Virginia, but we do not feel obligated to have them, to make the parking lot for West Virginia,” he said.

Boyd said the West Virginia Eastern

Panhandle Transit Authority is planning on offering direct bus service to the Silver Line.

Loudoun Assistant Director of Transportation Jim Zeller also noted that the buses will help limit traffic by consolidating commuters to fewer vehicles.

“I just have to point out that a single occupant automobile taken off the road is a benefit to the corridor, whether that vehicle originates in West Virginia, Maryland or here in Purcellville,” he said.

The county will take a few weeks to put together a plan after taking the council’s concerns and comments into ac-

count, staff members said. They plan to return to meet with the Town Council on Nov. 30. There will also be a public hearing on Dec. 13 to allow Purcellville residents to share more of their comments and concerns.

The town and county are on the clock to come to an agreement. County officials have warned continued delays to the project could threaten the county’s ability to win state transportation grants and have advised returning state funding for the projects if the town government does not sign off on those plans by the new year. n

formers receive an evaluation from profes sional music instructors.

The winners in the local contest will move up to a regional competition.

Betty Hedges is the chair of the local competition. For rules and registration, con tact her at chuckandbetty@verizon.net.

ROUND HILL

Gray Recognized for Historical Records Collection

The Town Council last week gave special recognition to Pete Gray for his contribu tions to documenting the town’s history over the past 35 years.

Last month, he donated his collection of more than 100 historic photos, newspaper clippings and other records to the town.

Gray was born in Round Hill in 1936. He served on the Town Council from 1988 to 1999.

A formal resolution honoring Gray stat ed his contributions will be vital to helping future residents of the town learn its history.

Council: What About the Wall?

As of last week, there remined some 160 items on the punch list to fully complete the Main St./Franklin Park Trail project, as con tractors continue to test and tidy up the work done over the past two years.

However, it is an item not on the list that has the Round Hill Town Council’s attention.

As part of the county government’s Franklin Park Trail project, a guardrail along Loudoun Street near the Evening Star Drive intersection was replaced with a con crete wall to prevent pedestrians using the new sidewalk extension from tumbling into Goose Creek.

The structure, completed last month, has drawn criticism for its plain Jersey-barri er-like appearance. Council members are hoping it can become—if not a distinctive entrance feature—less of an eyesore.

Town Manager Melissa Hynes and Town Project Manager Rob Lohr said there are several options under discussion, includ ing working with the masonry students at the Monroe Advanced Technical Academy to come up with some concepts, making it a public arts project, or finding a funding source to add more decorative treatments.

“One thing is for sure, nobody wants to leave it the way it is,” Lohr said during last week’s council meeting.

Hynes said she would compile some formal recommendations for the council’s review. n

Deputy

Aquatics

Assistant

Parks

Planning

$95,178

$72,952-$132,386

Parks & Recreation $50,000-$63,626 DOQ Open until filled

Public Works

Parks & Recreation $50,000 - $81,495 DOQ Open until filled

$93,438-$169,567 DOQ Open until filled Groundskeeper

Land Acquisition Manager

Maintenance Worker I

Management Analyst (Sustainability & Resiliency)

Town Attorney $72,952-$132,387 DOQ Open until filled

Public Works & Capital Projects $50,000-$75,040 DOQ Open until filled

Emergency Management $67,175-$121,947 DOQ Open until filled

Police Detective Police

$68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Police Officer Police $62,000-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Police School Resource Officer Police $68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Police Traffic Officer Police $68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Project Manager Utilities $76,426-$138,530 DOQ Open until filled

Senior Engineer

Senior Planner (Preservation and Zoning Administration)

Stormwater and Environmental Manager

Transportation Engineer

Plan Review

Utility

Wastewater

$70,374-$127,560 DOQ Open until filled

Planning & Zoning $67,175-$121,947 DOQ Open until filled

Public Works & Capital Projects $82,999-$150,445 DOQ Open until filled

Public Works & Capital Projects $82,999-$150,445 DOQ Open until filled

Utility Inspector II Utilities $56,956-$103,363 DOQ Open until filled

$50,000-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled

$50,000-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled

‘Loud, Dirty, Gritty Art’

Meet Loudoun Blacksmith Greg Metzler at the Catoctin Holiday Art Tour

LoCo Living

BY JAN MERCKER jmercker@loudounnow.com

Greg Metzler is a techie, an artist, and a history buff. His work as an artisan blacksmith satisfies all three.

“It’s loud, dirty, gritty art, and it’s fun. It’s a great stress reliever, and I can get creative,” said Metzler, a traditional artisan blacksmith who specializes in decorative and architectural work.

Metzler, who operates his shop in a restored barn on his family’s 20-acre farm near Lovettsville, is one of 18 artists participating in this weekend’s 11th annual Catoctin Holiday Art Tour. Metzler’s Creek Hollow Forge is a must-visit stop on the tour, which showcases Lovettsville area artists and guest artists in a range of media. At Creek Hollow, shoppers can snag unique gifts, including dinner triangles, copper bracelets and rings, candlesticks, bottle openers, napkin rings and metal handles that turn mason jars into beer mugs.

Metzler, who served for 21 years in the U.S. Navy and now works as a cybersecurity professional, has always had both a passion for technology and an artistic side. He grew up in southwest Pennsylvania near historic Fort Ligonier, a reconstructed French and Indian War fort featuring living history and reenactments. When his naval career brought him to Virginia, he got his history fix in Colonial Williamsburg. Blacksmithing was always a source of fascination. But the push to take up the craft himself came in the form of a Christmas gift from his wife Natalie: blacksmithing classes at the famed Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing in Waynesboro, where Metzler studied with noted blacksmith Dale Morse. Metzler enrolled in the school’s artistic blacksmithing certificate program, spending one weekend a month at the school learning classic techniques.

“That’s where I fell in love with it,” Metzler said.

When the family moved to their Lovettsville farm, a significant part of the property’s appeal was its outbuildings, including the barn Metzler restored for his shop. Putting down roots on the farm gave Metzler a chance to explore and develop his skills on the utilitarian side of

blacksmithing. The family bought the previous owner’s tractor and other equipment as part of the sale. When the tractor had a bent drawbar, Metzler fixed it himself, taking pride in an old school repair. He has since helped rural neighbors repair bush hogs and other farm equipment.

Metzler started his forge with a small German anvil and a stack forge made from bricks. Since then, it’s grown into a barn full of the tools of the trade.

“From there it’s just grown, and it’s not done,” he said.

He loves mixing the antique and contemporary when selecting his equipment, from historic European anvils and vises to a modern power hammer, a hydraulic press and both gas and coal forges.

Metzler also emphasizes making his own tools when possible.

“Most of the things in here are ‘need a tool, make a tool.’ If I need a hook to hang

something, I make it,” he said.

As a self-described “gadget person,” the tools of blacksmithing are a passion for Metzler, and his studio is full of cool equipment. But when it comes down to it, he says, you can start with the basics.

“If you want to be a blacksmith, all you need is fire, a surface to hammer on, a hammer and whatever material you’re working with,” he said. “That’s really all you need.”

Metzler has accumulated an impressive collection of hammers over the years, but his favorite remains a one-kilo German Peddinghaus from his early days in the craft.

“It’s the hammer that I learned with … I always come back to it,” he said.

Along with the utilitarian side of his craft, Metzler also has a passion for the artistic side of blacksmithing, making detailed jewelry and fine decorative pieces,

including delicate copper flowers.

That artistic side will be on display at the CHAT tour, with jewelry and decorative pieces in steel, copper and silver and popular items from his Etsy site including coat hangers and dinner triangles.

“When it’s practical and old-school, that’s the best of both worlds,” Metzler said.

For Metzler, having an artistic outlet is an important stress reliever for someone with a high-pressure day job.

“This is my escape,” he said. “I love what I do [for a living], but I like working with my hands.”

The fascination of working with metal is also a big part of the draw: it’s tough and rugged, but malleable and fluid when heated.

“Once you heat it up, it’s like playing

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Blacksmith Greg Metzler will open up his Creek Hollow Forge to visitors for the Catoctin Holiday Art Tour Nov. 12 and Nov. 13.

Sterling Playmakers to Present ‘If It’s Monday, This Must Be Christmas’

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Theater lovers looking for something different in a holiday show may take in the comedic mystery of a detective trying to solve the mystery of a stolen payroll—and Santa Claus’s kidnapping— on Christmas Eve from the Sterling Playmakers.

Tickets are on sale for “If It’s Monday, This Must Be Christmas” by Pat Cook, to be performed Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for two weekends, opening Nov. 11 and closing Nov. 20.

The play tells the story of down-andout detective Harry Monday, short on

Blacksmith

continued from page 22

with Play-Doh,” said Metzler, who uses actual modeling dough to show newbies the principles of the craft.

The annual CHAT tour is a chance to help neighbors find unique gifts, and also an opportunity to give guests a look at a working blacksmith’s shop.

“I want to make things that people will want to share with the people they care about,” he said. “I enjoy showing people the craft. How many people have actually stood in front of a blacksmith and watched them do things? I love it when people come through and they’ve got their kids with them and they’re asking questions. … I want them to come in and see what

cash, and resorting to walking dogs when his mother, the store manager, hires him to find the stolen payroll for Harrigan’s department store. On top of that, Santa Claus has been kidnapped, and Monday has only one day, Christmas Eve, to solve the case. The whodunit stars Glen Bartram as Monday, Julia Forman as his mother Loretta Mondello, Bob Thompson as store owner Titus Harrigan and Tyler Cook as his sidekick Louis Grandville.

Shows will be Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., at Seneca Ridge Middle School in Sterling. Tickets are online at sterlingplaymakers.org. n

a modern blacksmith’s shop looks like.”

This year, Metzler will donate proceeds from the CHAT tour to two charities supporting Ukrainian troops and civilians, a priority for this veteran who has served in conflict zones. One nonprofit delivers medical supplies and body armor to frontline troops, and the other focuses on evacuating families from combat zones to western Ukraine.

“At the end of the day, I’ve been very fortunate, and there are people who need it,” Metzler said. n

The Catoctin Holiday Art Tour takes place Saturday, Nov. 12 and Sunday, Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at studios in and around Lovettsville. For more information and a map of participating studios, go to catoctinart.com.

BECK (USNR COMMANDER RET.)

Dr. Chip Beck has experienced 25 wars, revolutions, conflicts, and political upheavals as a combatant, advisor, intelligence officer, peacekeeper, and even combat artist. Offering a veteran’s perspective like few others, join us for a fascinating evening of unique insights into American history—and service to our country.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Some of the many tools of the trade, including anvils and a dizzying array of hammers, sit in Greg Metzler’s Creek Hollow Forge blacksmith shop near Lovettsville.

THINGS to do

LOCO LIVE

Live Music: NRBQ

Thursday, Nov. 10, 8 p.m.

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

The New Rhythm and Blues Quartet has been rocking audiences for more than 50 years led by founding member Terry Adams. Tickets are $40-$50.

Live Music: Nathaniel Davis Friday, Nov. 11, 5 p.m.

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro

Details: harvestgap.com

With his top-notch vocal and guitar work and inventive approaches to both classic and popular music, Davis is a Loudoun favorite.

Live Music: Gary Jay and the Fire Friday, Nov. 11, 5 p.m.

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

Gary Jay Hoffman serves up country, bluegrass and folk with his red-hot band.

Live Music: Gary Smallwood Friday, Nov. 11, 6 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com

Gary Smallwood returns to Flying Ace with his locally famous classic rock, country rock and blues.

D.C. Improv Comedy Friday, Nov. 11, 6:30 and 9 p.m.

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

D.C. Improv returns to Tally Ho for two shows featuring top DMV comics. Tickets are $22-$32.

Live Music: Johnny Artis Legacy Band Friday, Nov. 11, 6:30 p.m.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg Details: macsbeach.com

The legacy band pays tribute to the late D.C. musician Johnny Artis with a smooth blend of rock, soul and rhythm & blues.

Live Music: Ginada Pinata Friday, Nov. 11, 8 p.m.

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

Shepherdstown-based Ginada Pinata taps the influences of jazz, funk, rock, fusion, trance and drum and bass and blends them to create an organic vibe.

Live Music: Anna p.s. Saturday, Nov. 12, noon

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights Details: facebook.com/harpersferrybrewing

With indie artist Anna p.s., grace lurks around the corner on tunes that layer delicate vulnerability over the hearty grit of the songwriter’s spirit.

Live Music: Wayne Snow

Saturday, Nov. 12, 1 p.m.

Two Twisted Posts Winery, 12944 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro

Details: twotwistedposts.com

Wayne Snow is a singer/songwriter based out of Shepherdstown, WV with a fun repertoire of indie, folk, pop and rock songs.

Live Music: Freddie Long

Saturday, Nov. 12, 1 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace

Lane, Lovettsville

Details: flyingacefarm.com

Long is part introspective singer/songwriter, part bluesy classic rocker for a fun Saturday afternoon vibe.

Live Music: Liberty Street

Saturday, Nov. 12, 2-5 p.m.

The Barns At Hamilton Station, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton Details: thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

Kick back with soft rock favorites from Eric Stanley and Doug Wall.

Live Music: Cazhmiere Trio

Saturday, Nov. 12, 2-5 p.m.

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro

Details: harvestgap.com

Cazhmiere cranks out party hits from the 80s and 90s to today’s current pop, dance, new country and modern rock radio hits.

Live Music: Jason Masi

Saturday, Nov. 12, 2 p.m.

Doukénie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hilsboro Details: doukeniewinery.com

Enjoy a mellow afternoon of acoustic soul and R&B from local favorite Jason Masi.

Live Music: Juliet Lloyd

Saturday, Nov. 12, 5 p.m.

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

Singer/songwriter/pianist Juliet Lloyd returns to Lost Barrel with signature pop, rock and classic soul favorites.

Live Music: Just Stones

Saturday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg Details: macsbeach.com

Just Stones returns to MacDowell’s with the best of the Rolling Stones.

Lucketts Bluegrass: The Price Sisters

Saturday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.

Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Lucketts

Details: luckettsbluegrass.org

The traditional music community is buzzing about these twin sisters from Ohio. Lauren Price on mandolin and Leanna Price on fiddle front a band of accomplished musicians. Tickets are $22 for adults, $5 for youth 5 to 17 and free for children 4 and under. Online ticket sales are available.

Live Music: Four Horsemen Metallica Tribute Saturday, Nov. 12, 8 p.m.

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

The Four Horsemen return to the Tally Ho with their album-quality Metallica tribute. Tickets are $15.

Live Music: Ken Wenzel

Sunday, Nov. 13, 1 p.m.

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

Wenzel returns to Lost Barrel with his signature rootsrock, country-jazz take on love, learning and life in America.

Live Music: Jason Teach

Sunday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m.

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro

Details: breauxvineyards.com

Longtime singer/songwriter Jason Teach returns to Breaux with honest, heartfelt songwriting.

CATOCTIN HOLIDAY ART TOUR

Saturday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Various wester Loudoun studios catoctinart.com

BEST BETS

Legal Notices

Loudoun County Public Schools

Fiscal Year 2024 – 2029 Capital Improvement Program Fiscal Year 2024 – 2029 Capital Asset Preservation Program

The Loudoun County School Board has scheduled meetings for the Fiscal Year 2024 - 2029 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and Capital Asset Preservation Program (CAPP) budgets.

Date Time School Board Meeting Topic

Tuesday, November 15, 2022* 4:00 p.m. Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2024-FY 2029 CIP & CAPP Budgets Presented to School Board

Monday, November 28, 2022 6:30 p.m. School Board FY 2024-FY 2029 CIP & CAPP

Hearing/Work Session

Monday, December 5, 2022 6:30 p.m. School Board FY 2024-FY 2029 CIP & CAPP Public

Hearing/Work Session

Saturday, Nov. 12, 2-5 p.m.

Doukénie Winery doukeniewinery.com

Tuesday, December 13, 2022* 6:30 p.m. School Board Adoption of FY 2024-FY 2029 CIP & CAPP

*Regular School Board Business Meeting

Budgets

The meetings will be held at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building (21000 Education Court, Ashburn) and 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 (https:// www.lcps.org/webcast).

Detail on how to sign up to speak at the hearings is provided at https://www.lcps.org/Page/223425. In-person sign-up will also be available between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., on the evening of each 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 the 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.

Kevin L. Lewis, Chief Operations Officer

Loudoun County Public Schools, Department of Support Services 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia 20148 Telephone: 571-252-1385 Email: LCPSPLAN@LCPS.ORG

11/11/2022, 11/18/2022, 11/25/2022, 12/2/2022, 12/9/2022

MARIKA BOURNAKI

Saturday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m. Barns of Rose Hill barnsofrosehill.org

THINGS to do

continued from page 24

Live Music: Adriel Genet

Sunday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m.

Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro

Details: doukeniewinery.com

Franco-American musician Adriel Genet performs original songs inspired by revival folk, retro, rock, classical and contemporary pop.

Live Music: Acoustic Soul

Sunday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville

Details: flyingacefarm.com

Acoustic Soul brings rock, rhythm and soul to Flying Ace.

Live Music: Lost Corner Vagabonds

Sunday, Nov. 13, 2-5 p.m.

The Barns At Hamilton Station, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton

Details: thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

Whether it’s rock, country, R&B or a heartfelt ballad, The Vagabonds dig deep to reach those places.

THE FOUR HORSEMEN

Saturday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m. (doors) Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES

This notice is to inform the owner and any person having a security interest in their right to reclaim the motor vehicle herein described within 15 days after the date of storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody, and the failure of the owner or persons having security interests to exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver by the owner, and all persons having security interests of all right, title and interest in the vehicle, and consent to the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction. This notice shall also advise the owner of record of his or her right to contest the determination by the Sheriff that the motor vehicle was “abandoned,” as provided in Chapter 630.08 of the Loudoun County Ordinance, by requesting a hearing before the County Administrator in writing. Such written request for a hearing must be made within 15 days of the notice.

LOCO CULTURE

Eat, Drink and Be Literary! Veterans Salute Friday, Nov. 11, 6 p.m.

Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro

Details: oldstoneschool.org

Hillsboro’s popular speaker’s series features Chip Beck, a former U.S. Navy commander, combat soldier and intelligence agent. Beck reflects on his lifetime of service to America and support for freedom around the world. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door and include light hors d’oeuvres.

Purcellville Turkey Trot 5K

Sunday, Nov. 13, 8 a.m.

Loudoun Valley Community Center, 320 W. School St., Purcellville

Details: facebook.com/lvccturkeytrot

Starting and finishing at Loudoun Valley Community Center, the beloved 5K and fun run benefits LVCC’s programming and financial assistance fund.

Registration is $35 for the 5K, free for the fun run.

YR. MAKE MODEL VIN STORAGE PHONE# 2011 INFINIT G37X JN1CV6AR5BM356165 D&M TOWING 703-777-7300 2003 FORD F-550 1FDAF56PZ4EA67238 BLAIR’S TOWING 703-661-8200 2015 KIA OPTIMA 5XXGM4A71FG482197 AL’S TOWING 703-435-8888 2008 TOYT CAMRY 4T1BE46KX8U226833 AL’S TOWING 703-435-8888 11/10 & 11/17/22

Public Notice

The Town of Leesburg Board of Zoning Appeals

The Town of Leesburg is soliciting resumes and letters of interest for an appointment to serve on the Board of Zoning Appeals. This position is appointed by the Loudoun County Circuit Court to fill a former member’s unexpired term ending December 31, 2023.

The Board of Zoning Appeals meets as necessary the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA. Additional information concerning this quasi-judicial board is available from the Clerk of Council during normal business hours (Mon – Fri 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) at 703-771-2733 or eboeing@leesburgva.gov, or the Town of Leesburg website at www.leesburgva.gov

Please submit your letter of interest and resume materials by 5:00 p.m., Friday, December 2, 2022, to the Clerk of Council, at the Town of Leesburg, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176 or via email to eboeing@leesburgva.gov. All interested parties will be forwarded to the Loudoun County Circuit Court for consideration.

11/10, 11/17, 11/24, 12/1/22

JASON MASI

Public

Legal Notices

VIRGINIA:

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF LOUDOUN

PAYAM NIKOUEIH Complainant, V. HELLIA BEHROUZ Defendant.

Civil Case No. _________

AFFIDAVIT

FOR SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

COMES NOW the Complainant, Payam Nikoueih, and being duly sworn, upon oath deposes and states that to the best of Complainant's knowledge, information and

1. The last known place of abode of the above named Defendant, Heilia Behrouz is 8421 Broad Street, Tysons, Virginia 22102 where Complainant, and Defendant lived; and

2. The Defendant is not a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, nor has he been such within the past thirty (30) days, nor is he a member of the United States Public Health Service; and

3. The Complainant sent multiple correspondences to find the whereabouts of the Defendant but never received a response. The complainant has attempted to contact the Defendant through legitimate and diligent efforts but has been unsuccessful.

4. The Defendant in the above case is believed to be a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

11/10/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.: JJ030702

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Aislan Trevor McCall

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Dyana Elizabeth Guaraldi, mother

The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing regarding child protective order pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-253 for Aislan Trevor McCall, and; hold a dispositional hearing regarding child protective order pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-278.2 for Aislan Trevor McCall.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Dyana Elizabeth Guaraldi, mother appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before November 16, 2022 at 2:00pm (adj) and December 12, 2022 at 10:00am (disp).

11/10, 11/17, 11/24 & 12/01/22

PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

The Town of Leesburg will accept proposals electronically via the Commonwealth’s e-procurement website (www.eva.virginia. gov), until 3:00 p.m. on November 30, 2022 for the following:

RFP No. 100420-FY23-34

ABC LICENSED BEVERAGE & EVENT SERVICES

The Town of Leesburg is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licensed vendors to recruit breweries and/or wineries for Town events.

The specific needs will vary depending on the event, but generally the successful offeror will assist the Town in organizing alcohol vendors and sales for the event including, but not limited to, pre-event logistics, set-up, event day operations and event breakdown for the Annual Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival, TASTE Leesburg and the Leesburg Airshow.

For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard 11/10/22

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF PURCELLVILLE TOWN COUNCIL

FIELDS FARM PARK APPLICATIONS FOR REZONING, SPECIAL USE PERMITS, & COMMISSION PERMITS

PARCEL NUMBERS 522-29-5928 & 522-29-6381

OWNER: LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

The Town Council of the Town of Purcellville will conduct a public hearing on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2022, at 7:00 PM for the purpose of receiving comments on, considering, and possibly voting on the following applications:

The County of Loudoun has submitted 5 applications, proposing to rezone parcel numbers 522-295928 and 522-29-6381 (“the Property”) so that it may be developed with two special uses: a Commut er Parking Lot, and an Outdoor Lighted Public Recreational Facility consisting of 8 athletic fields, all as follows:

PUBLIC NOTICE INVITATION FOR BID (IFB)

The Town of Leesburg will accept bids elec tronically via the Commonwealth’s e-pro curement website (www.eva.virginia.gov), until 3:00 p.m. on December 13, 2022 for the following:

IFB NO. 17016-FY23-30

MARKET STREET AND KING STREET INTERSECTION IM PROVEMENTS RE-BID

The Town is soliciting bids from qualified con tractors to provide construction services for the Market Street and King Street Intersection Im provements project. Work includes excavation, storm drainage, waterline improvements, curb, gutter, brick sidewalk, installation of electrical and communication conduits, traffic signal upgrades, audible pedestrian signals, paving, maintenance of traffic, miscellaneous site work, and all incidentals related thereto.

For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard 11/10/22

(1) One Rezoning application (“RZ 20-01”), which proposes to amend the zoning designation of the Property from the existing “X - Transitional” designation, to the “Institutional and Public Use District” designation (“IP”). The existing X-Transitional zoning district is the zoning district assigned by the Town to land when it is annexed into the Town’s corporate limits, and therefore has been the zoning designation of the property since it was annexed into the Town in 2008. The proposed “IP” zoning designation is described by the Town Zoning Ordinance as follows: “[The “IP”] district is intended to permit the location and growth of public and private educational, institutional, public, and semi-public uses in areas appropriate for such uses. The district is intended to encourage the retention or adaptive reuse of larger public and institutional uses on sites identified for such uses in the adopted compre hensive plan.” The zoning amendment is necessary in order to obtain the two Special Use Permit applications, described below.

(2) Two Special Use Permit applications (“SUP 20-01” and “SUP 20-02”) for the following special uses:

(a) One Commuter Parking Lot with up to 260 parking spaces, and

(b) Eight (8) Lighted Outdoor Public Recreational Fields.

While the entire Property to be rezoned to “IP” consists of about 226 acres, the portion of the Property to be developed with the two Special Uses consists of approximately 69 acres, and is shown in yellow on the map associated with this advertisement (“Special Use Area”). The Special Use Area currently has 2 existing soccer fields, with the remainder of the land being currently vacant. The Special Use Area is located north of Route 7, between Routes 690 and 611. The Special Use Area is immediately south of Woodgrove High School, and abuts the west side of the Mayfair residential and industrial subdivisions. The Special Use Area is proximate to the future interchange planned to be constructed at Route 690 and Route 7.

A full and complete copy of the proposed applications and all related documents are available for review on the town’s website at https://www.purcellvilleva.gov/1017/Fields-Farm-Park-Projects, and also in-person at the office of the Town Clerk, or at the office of the Planning Department, both located within the Purcellville Town Hall, 221 S. Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, holidays excepted. For questions, please call (540) 338-7421.

At this public hearing, all persons desiring to present their views concerning this matter will be heard.

Remote Participation Through “GoToMeeting” -- If you have already installed the GoToMeeting app and wish to comment during the hearing but cannot attend in person, please join the Public Hear ing remotely by going to the following:

POSTPONED

Town Council Special Meeting Nov 15, 2022, 7:00 – 10:00 PM (America/New_York)

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto.com/456056709

You can also dial in using your phone. Access Code: 456-056-709

United States: +1 (571) 317-3122

Email Your Comments: In addition, all persons have the option of sending an email to the Town Clerk, at townclerk@purcellvilleva.gov, with written comments or questions concerning the proposed project. Emails sent by 6:00 PM the day of the Public Hearing will be part of the written record for the public hearing and project, but may not necessarily be read aloud into the record at the public hearing. 11/10/22

Legal Notices

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION TLSE-2022-0003 COMPASS CREEK MINI-WAREHOUSE

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 17, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Special Exception application TLSE-2022-0003, Compass Creek Self Storage.

The subject of the application is a vacant 3.008 acre parcel in the Compass Creek Shopping Center located at 585 Compass Point Plaza SE. The property is zoned B-3, Community Retail/Commercial, and is further described as Loudoun County Parcel Identification Number (PIN) 234-39-1457.

Special Exception Application TLSE-2022-0003 is a request by Leesburg Commercial, L.C. for a Special Exception to allow a 120,000 square foot mini-warehouse (self-storage) facility, pursuant to Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance (TLZO) Section 6.5.2, Use Regulations

In addition, the Applicant is requesting two (2) zoning modifications. The Applicant seeks to modify Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance (TLZO) Section 6.5.3, Density/Intensity and Dimensional Standards and Section 12.8.3 Buffer Yards

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

At these hearings, all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations at the meeting should contact the Clerk of the Commission at (703) 771-2434 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711. 11/03 & 11/10/22

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to Virginia Code § 15.2-1800, the LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL will hold a Public Hearing on:

TUESDAY, November 15, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Town Hall 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia

to consider renewal of a license agreement authorizing Lumos Networks, Inc. to use certain Town rightsof-way and publicly owned property for telecommunications purposes to install, operate and maintain fiber optic cable, for a term of five years, upon certain terms and conditions.

Copies of the proposed Resolution, the proposed Renewal of License Agreement for Telecommunications Facilities between the Town and Lumos Networks, Inc., and additional information regarding the proposed renewal agreement, are available from the Clerk of Council, located in Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.); or by calling Eileen Boeing, Clerk of Council, at 703-771-2733.

At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Clerk of Council at 703-771-2733, three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

11/03 & 11/10/22

NOTICE OF JOINT PUBLIC HEARING BY THE TOWN OF HILLSBORO, VIRGINIA

Notice is hereby given that the Planning Commission and Town Council of the Town of Hillsboro, Virginia (the “Planning Commission” and “Town Council”) will hold a joint public hearing on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at 7 p.m., to receive public comment and to consider adoption of an ordinance amending the Hillsboro Zoning Ordinance to modify signage requirements and add new fencing regu lations. A summary of these Amendments is provided below. Complete copies of the amendments are available for review on the Town website at: www.hillsborova.gov and also by appointment at the Town office at 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, VA, 20132 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excepted.

Summary of draft Zoning Ordinance Amendments:

1. Amend ARTICLE IX, Signs, to clarify and add new requirements relating to signage. These amendments, in summary, add detail to and update: definitions; procedures for requesting a sign permit, including comprehensive sign plan applications; and identification of sign types excluded from regulation, are prohibited, or are permitted. The amendments modify the existing general sign standards, add new standards for specific sign types, and add standards when there are unusu al site constraints or the presence of a floodplain. Changes to the requirements for nonconforming signs, sign maintenance, and removal of unsafe or obsolete signs are also proposed.

2. Amend ARTICLE X, Regulations Applicable to All Districts, to add new requirements for fences and walls. These regulations, in summary, will require permits for fences and walls and add new requirements, to include height limits depending on the location of the fence or wall within the front, side, or rear yards, and prohibition of some building materials for fences in residential areas. Additional requirements for decks, porches, stairs, and landings attached to principal structures are also proposed.

The public hearing, which may be continued or adjourned, will be held before the Town Council and Planning Commission on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, at Hillsboro Old Stone School located at 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, VA, 20132. Any person interested in the Amendments may appear at the public hearing and present their views. The Town Council may set time limits on speakers and other rules and procedures for the conduct of this public hearing.

Written comments regarding the Amendments may be delivered prior to the public hear ing in care of the Mayor at 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, Virginia 20132, or e-mailed to mayorvance@hillsborova.gov

All comments received will be presented to the Town Council and Planning Commission during the public hearing.

TOWN OF HILLSBORO, VIRGINIA Roger L. Vance, Mayor

TOWN OF LOVETTSVILLE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

11/03 & 11/10/22

LVZA 2022-0002 AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE 42, ZONING, TO AMEND Article 42-I, IN GENERAL, TO ADD A DEFINITIONS OF LIVESTOCK AND FOWL ARTICLE 42-VIII-2, ADDITIONAL STANDARDS, TO ADD SECTION 42-306, KEEPING LIVESTOCK AND FOWL

The LOVETTSVILLE TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 6 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Lovettsville, Virginia to consider the following amendments to the Zoning Ordinance.

The purpose of the amendment is to create definitions for “livestock” and “fowl”, and to establish standards for keeping certain livestock and fowl in Lovettsville. Proposed standards would limit the type and number of livestock and fowl, set minimum lot sizes and setbacks from neighboring properties, and establish requirements for storing feed, disposing of waste, and constructing enclosures.

All persons desiring to speak will be given an opportunity to do so at this meeting. Written comments can be submitted to clerk@lovettsvilleva.gov by 3:00PM on the day of the meeting. Members of the public may access and participate in this meeting electronically.

The proposed zoning amendment is available for review on the Town website at: www.lovettsvilleva.gov. You may also request a copy be sent to you via email by contacting John Merrithew, Planning Director at (540) 822-5788 between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm weekdays, holidays excepted. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened on the next regularly scheduled meeting at the same time and place.

11/3/22, 11/10/22

TO CONSIDER RENEWAL OF A LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH LUMOS NETWORKS, INC. FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES WITHIN TOWN RIGHTS-OF-WAY

Legal Notices

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER SUBDIVISION VARIATION REQUEST TLSV-2022-0003

BIRKBY HOUSE

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 17, 2022, at 7:00 p.m., in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176 to consider a Planning Commission Subdivision Variation request, TLSV-2022-2003. This variation request is made on behalf of the applicant, The Birkby House, LLC. The variation request is associated with the pending Site Plan application TLPF 2022-0016 for the Birkby House Conservatory.

The applicant is requesting the Planning Commission’s approval of a Subdivision Variation to the Town of Leesburg’s Subdivision and Land Development Regulations (“SLDR”) Section 4.02(g) related to required road frontage improvements along Royal Street in conjunction with the re-development of a parcel of land identified in the Loudoun County Land Records as PIN# 231-37-5254.

The Subdivision Variation requests that the required frontage improvements of The Birkby House be waived with the re-development of this property, as any frontage improvements constructed by the ap plicant at this time would remove existing parking from Royal Street, create an unsafe pedestrian route at the southeast corner of the site where sidewalk would end abruptly mid-block, and would likely need to be removed and reconstructed at taxpayer expense when a future Capital Project is designed for this portion of Royal Street.

Copies and additional information regarding the Variation Request are available at the Department of Plan Review located on the second floor of Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) or by contacting William R. Ackman, Jr., P.E., Director of Plan Review at 703-669-3161.

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

11/3/22 & 11/10/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.: JJ046599-01-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Briston Love

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Emanuel Cobb, putative father, and Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-252 for Briston Love; and hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-278.2 and 16.1-281 for Briston Love.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Emanuel Cobb, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before October 19, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. (Adjudicatory); and November 16, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. (Dispositional).

10/20, 10/27, 11/3 & 11/10/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.: JJ046340-02-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Zarabella Tucker

Loudoun County Department of Family Services

The object of this suit is to hold a foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282 and 16.1-281 for Zarabella Tucker.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Jason Tucker, putative father, appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before December 7, 2022 at 3:00 PM 11/3, 11/10, 11/17 & 11/24/22

ABC LICENSE

Sri Prai Thai LLC trading as Red Bar Sushi & Best Thai Kitchen, 4 E Federal St, Middleburg, VA.

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

Matta Metzger, 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. 11/10 & 11/17/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ045875-03-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Joseph Kevin O’Brien

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v. Patrick Kevin O’Brien

The object of this suit is to hold a permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Joseph Kevin O’Brien.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Patrick Kevin O’Brien appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before December 13, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. 11/3, 11/10, 11/17 & 11/24/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2229, and 15.2-2230 of the 1950 Code of Virginia, as amended, the LOVETTSVILLE TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at 7:00PM in the Town Council Chambers, 6 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Lovettsville, Virginia to consider revisions to the Town of Lovettsville Comprehensive Plan .

The Lovettsville Planning Commission has conducted its 5-year review of the Plan, and recommends revisions to the Plan’s text, policies, and maps. The proposed amendment rewrites, removes, and adds text to various chapters, which:

• Clarify goals and values

• Organize subtopics within chapters that align with policies

• Add more protection to the environment and infrastructure

• Reflect changing land use practices, and changes in the economy and demographics

• Introduce new policies concerning housing

• Modify, as appropriate, transportation goals

• Modify planned land uses on several parcels

Persons wishing to speak will be given an opporunity to do so at this meeting. Written comments may be submitted to clerk@lovettsvilleva.gov by 3:00PM on the day of the meeting. Members of the public may access and participate in the meeting electronically.

The proposed comprehensive plan amendment is available for review online at www.lovettsvilleva.gov/ government/planning-commission or at the Town Office between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm during weekdays or by special appointment, holidays excepted. You may also request a copy be sent to you via email by contacting John Merrithew, Zoning Administrator for the Town of Lovettsville at (540) 755-3004 or by email at jmerrithew@lovettsvilleva.gov. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened at the next regularly scheduled meeting at the same time and place.

11/3/22 & 11/10/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ041604-05-01; JJ043080-03-01

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Diana Gissel Medina Lainez, Gabrielle Medina Lainez

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Jose Medina, Putative Father

The object of this suit is to hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-278.2 and 16.1-281 for Diana Gissel Medina Lainez & Gabrielle Medina Lainez,

It is ORDERED that the defendant Jose Medina, Putative Father appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his interests on or before November 28, 2022 at 10:00 a.m 10/27, 11/3, 11/10 & 11/17/22

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ046598-01-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Chloe Love

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Willie Huff, putative father, and Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-252 for Chloe Love; and hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-278.2 and 16.1-281 for Chloe Love.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Willie Huff, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before October 19, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. (Adjudicatory); and November 16, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. (Dispositional).

10/20, 10/27, 11/3 & 11/10/22

TOWN OF LOVETTSVILLE TOWN COUNCIL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO THE TOWN OF LOVETTSVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

Legal Notices

PUBLIC AUCTION

This proceeding is for the judicial sale of real properties located in Loudoun County, Virginia, for payment of delinquent taxes pursuant to the provisions of Virginia Code §§ 58.1-3965, et seq. Pursuant to Orders entered by the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, Virginia, the undersigned Robert J. Sproul, Special Commissioner of Sale of said Court, will offer the real properties described below for sale at public auction to the highest bidder in front of the Loudoun County Courthouse, at 18 East Market Street, in Leesburg, Virginia on: December 6, 2022 3:00 p.m.

TERMS OF

SALE:

RAIN OR SHINE Registration Starts at 2:30 p.m.

1. The sale of any real property is subject to the approval and confirmation by the Circuit Court of Loudoun County.

2. The Special Commissioner of Sale reserves the right to withdraw from sale any property listed and to reject any bid by declaring “NO SALE” after the last bid received on a property.

3. Any person who wishes to bid on any property during the auction must register with County staff before the start of bidding. As part of the registration process, potential bidders must: (i) have suf ficient funds on hand to pay the Minimum Deposit required for each parcel on which they want to bid; and (ii) sign a form certifying that they do not own any property in Loudoun County for which any delinquent taxes are due, or for which there are zoning or other violations.

4. The Minimum Deposit required for each parcel is specified below, as part of the property descrip tion. The full amount of the Minimum Deposit must be paid by cashier’s or certified check made payable to Gary Clemens, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, at the time the auctioneer declares the sale.

5. In lieu of attending the auction, bidders may submit written bids to Robert J. Sproul, Special Commissioner of Sale, at the address listed below. All written bids must be accompanied by the applicable Minimum Deposit, which shall be paid by cashier’s or certified check made payable to Gary Clemens, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County. Written bids must also be accompanied by a certification that the bidder is not the owner of any property in Loudoun County for which delinquent taxes are due, or for which there are zoning or other violations. A written bid form, which includes the required certification, can be obtained from the Special Commissioner of Sale or the Treasurer’s website.

6. Written bids (with the required deposit and certification) will be received by the Special Commis sioner of Sale at any time prior to the date of auction and held under seal until the date of the auc tion. If a written bid exceeds the highest live bid received from the audience during the auction, the audience will have an opportunity to bid against the written bid. If a higher bid is not received from the audience, the Special Commissioner of Sale may declare the sale to the proponent of the highest written bid or may reject all bids by declaring “NO SALE.”

7. If either a written bid or a live auction bid is approved by the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, the balance of the purchase price must be paid in full within 30 days after Court approval.

8. Once a submitted written bid or a live bid has been accepted during the auction, it cannot be with drawn except by leave of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County. Any bidder who attempts to with draw his/her bid after it has been accepted by the Special Commissioners of Sale may be required to forfeit his/her deposit.

9. Properties are offered “as is”, with all faults and without warranties or guarantees either expressed or implied. Prospective bidders should investigate the title on properties prior to bidding. The sale of the properties is not subject to the successful bidders’ ability to obtain title insurance. The sale of the properties is made free and clear only of liens of defendant(s) named in the respective judicial proceeding, and of those liens recorded after the County filed a lis pendens with the Circuit Court of Loudoun County.

10. All recording costs (including but not limited to any grantor’s tax/fee) will be at the expense of the purchaser. All property will be conveyed by Special Warranty Deed from the Special Commissioner of Sale.

11. Announcements made on the day of sale take precedence over any prior verbal or written terms of sale.

The Special Commissioner of Sale represents that information regarding the property to be offered for sale, including acreage, type of improvements, etc., is taken from tax and/or land records, and is not guaranteed for either accuracy or completeness. Bidders are encouraged to make their own investigation to determine the title, condition of improvements, accessibility, and occupancy status of each property and to bid accordingly. The sale will be made subject to matters visible upon inspection, and to restric tions, conditions, rights-of-way and easements, if any, contained in the instruments constituting the chain of title. Any costs incurred by a bidder to inspect or investigate any property are the bidder’s respon sibility and are not reimbursable. The owner of any property listed below may redeem it at any time before the date of the auction by paying all taxes, penalties, interest, costs (including the pro rata costs of publishing this advertisement and attorney’s fees) incurred through the date before the auction. Below is a brief description of each property to be offered for sale at the auction. More detailed information may be obtained by examining the files in the Clerk’s office of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, or by contacting the Special Commissioner of Sale at (703) 777- 0307; or N. Rebekah Long, Deputy Treasurer for Collections at (703) 771-5656.

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THE COUNTY OF LOUDOUN v. NANCY J. LANG, et al. CIVIL ACTION NO. CL 22-4464

LOUDOUN COUNTY TAX MAP NO. 100/P/1P6A-401 PIN 204-25-9192-025

Robert J. Sproul, Special Commissioner of Sale Minimum Deposit Required: $38,730.00

Residential condominium located at 41895 Cathedral Valley Square, Unit 401, Alide, Virginia, and described of record, among the land records of Loudoun County, Virginia as:

Condominium Unit No-A-401, Phase 6, Building A, Centre Park at Stone Ridge Condominium, together with the use of the limited common elements appurtenant thereto, including the use of limited common element garage unit no. A-401, and parking space 28, established by the condo minium instruments recorded on February 26, 2014 as Instrument No. 20140226-0009257, with plat and plans recorded as Instrument No. 20140226-0009258, and as amended in Instrument No. 20141031-0061717, and any and all supplemental declarations and/or amendments recorded subsequent thereto, among the land records of Loudoun County, Virginia.

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THE COUNTY OF LOUDOUN v. UNKNOWN OWNERS. CIVIL ACTION NO. CL 22-5089

LOUDOUN COUNTY TAX MAP NO. /68///4////UK/ PIN 688-45-3782-000

Robert J. Sproul, Special Commissioner of Sale Minimum Deposit Required: $4,271.87

Unimproved land containing 13.22 acres, more or less, with no situs address and otherwise described as being located in the southwest corner of the County, between Trappe Road and Blueridge Mountain Road, bordered to the north by a parcel identified as PIN 693-208-837-000 with a current owner shown as Spurlock Family LLC, to the west by a parcel identified as PIN 693-196-566-000, also with a current owner shown as Spurlock Family, LLC, to the south by a parcel identified as PIN 688-455-304-000 with a current owner shown as Victor E. Ferrall, Jr., and to the east by a parcel identified as PIN 688-379-524-000 with a current owner shown as Barbara Balfanz Allbritton.

***************************

Robert J. Sproul

Special Commissioner of Sale

Office of County Attorney

1 Harrison Street, S.E. P.O. Box 7000

Leesburg, Virginia 20177-7000 (703) 777-0307

11/10, 11/17, 11/24 & 12/01/22

Loudoun County Public Schools Fall 2022 Secondary School Attendance Zone Change Process for Ashburn, Central Loudoun and Eastern Loudoun

The Loudoun County School Board has scheduled a series of meetings to facilitate the review of Ashburn, Central Loudoun and Eastern Loudoun area secondary school attendance zones. The current boundaries for Broad Run High School/Farmwell Station Middle School, Dominion High School/Sen eca Ridge Middle School, Heritage High School/Harper Park Middle School, Loudoun County High School/J. Lupton Simpson Middle School, Park View High School/Sterling Middle School, Potomac Falls High School/River Bend Middle School, Riverside High School/Belmont Ridge Middle School, Stone Bridge High School/Trailside Middle School and Tuscarora High School/Smart’s Mill Middle School will be reviewed in the attendance zone process.

Date

Time Secondary School Attendance Zone Meeting

Thursday, October 13, 2022 6:30 p.m. School Board Attendance Zone Overview

Tuesday, October 18, 2022 6:30 p.m. Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

Tuesday, November 1, 2022 6:30 p.m. School Board Attendance Zone Work Session

Wednesday, November 9, 2022 6:30 p.m. Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

Monday, November 14, 2022 6:30 p.m. School Board Attendance Zone Work Session

Tuesday, November 29, 2022* 6:30 p.m. School Board Review of Secondary School Attendance Zone Recommendations (Information Item)

Tuesday, December 6, 2022 6:30 p.m. Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

Tuesday, December 13, 2022* 6:30 p.m. School Board Adoption of Secondary School Attendance Zones

*Regular School Board Business Meeting

The meetings will be held at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building (21000 Education Court, Ashburn) and 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 (https:// www.lcps.org/webcast).

Attendance zone information and data, as it becomes available (including potential attendance zone plans being considered or reviewed by the School Board), will be posted on the ‘Fall 2022 – Secondary School Attendance Zone Change Process’ webpage (https://www.lcps.org/Page/246406).

Detail on how to sign up to speak at the hearings is provided at https://www.lcps.org/Page/223425. In-person sign-up will also be available between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., on the evening of each 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 the 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 Division of Planning & GIS Services 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia 20148 Telephone: 571-252-1050

Email: LCPSPLAN@LCPS.ORG

10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 11/24, 12/1 & 12/8/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.:

JJ045837-04-00, 05-00; JJ045838-04-00, 05-00; JJ045839-04-00, 05-00; JJ045840-04-00, 05-00; JJ045841-04-00, 05-00; JJ045842-04-00, 05-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Zubayer Ekren, Sumeyyah Ekren, Asiyeh Ekren, Khadija Ekren, Fatima Ekren and Osama Ekren Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Unknown Mother and Unknown Father(s)

The object of this suit is to hold a permanency planning hearing and review of foster care plan with a goal of adoption, pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Zubayer Ekren, Sumeyyah Ekren, Asiyeh Ekren, Khadija Ekren, Fatima Ekren and Osama Ekren; and Petition for Termination of Parental Rights of Unknown Mother of Zubayer Ekren, and Unknown Father(s) of Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-283. Unknown Mother of Zubayer and Unknown Father(s) of Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren are hereby notified that failure to appear on the hereinafter noticed date and time may result in the entry of an Order approving a permanency goal of adoption as well as the termination of residual parental rights with respect to Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren. Unknown Mother of Zubayer and Unknown Father(s) of Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren are hereby further notified that if their residual parental rights are terminated, they will no longer have any legal rights with respect to said minor children, including, but not limited to, the right to visit Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren, any authority with respect to the care and supervision of Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren, or the right to make health related decisions or determine the religious affiliation of Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren. Further, Unknown Mother of Zubayer Ekren and Unknown Father(s) of Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren will have no legal and /or financial obligations with respect to Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren, and the Department of Family Services of Loudoun County, Virginia may be granted the authority to place Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren for adoption and consent to the adoption of Zubayer, Sumeyyah, Asiyeh, Khadija, Fatima and Osama Ekren,

It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown Mother and Unknown Father(s) appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before November 16, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.

Opinion

Crossing the Divide

Another campaign season is in the books (pending a few more days of vote counting) but the message of voters and the challenge facing those elected to office remain largely unchanged. So, please pardon the post-election repetition in this space.

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 still feeling the impacts of the global pandemic response, with the added challenge of war in Europe.

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 supporters of one party vilify the concerns of the other simply as a political strategy.

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.

Somehow, we need to begin reversing the trend of intensifying partisanship, listen to the concerns of our neighbors, and build on the common ground that can benefit our entire community—and our country. Let that be the direction our leaders take from another deeply divided election. n

LETTERS to the Editor

Lost Track

Editor: Recently, your publication has brought to light the funding dilemma facing Loudoun County taxpayers. As the Board of Supervisors develops the future budgets for the county, revenues are projected to stagnate or even disappear, resulting in higher tax bills for county residents. The BOS continues to approve massive development within the county (One Loudoun comes to mind) with the cost of infrastructure passed off to existing taxpayers through higher taxes. This has to stop.

One area of unnecessary expenditure rests with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. Rather than use existing facilities, and purchase vehicles that fit the roads and driveways of western Loudoun,

LCFR continues to demand new, luxurious facilities be built and buy oversized vehicles. A prime example of this is the proposed new fire station for the Philomont firstdue area.

This proposed new station was designed by architects based upon specifications provided by LCFR without community input, and contains such things as a barbecue patio, exercise patio, and drivethrough bays. Bill Ridge, a resident of Philomont, has reviewed the Lemay Erickson Willcox feasibility study, dated May 17, 2021, and has determined that renovating the current firehouse would fulfill all of the requirements of Loudoun County Fire and Rescue while saving county taxpayers millions of dollars. Mr. Ridge has spent the past 30 years working as an architect, and as chief of the Architecture and

Engineering Branch at EPA.

There is no practical reason for a replacement station in Philomont. Public safety is not hindered in any way with the existing structure.

The current station is modern by every standard, fully capable, and perfectly adequate for emergency services in our western Loudoun region. In fact, considering the call volume is less than one call per day (0.6), is spending $22 million in taxpayer funding a prudent use of tax revenues in this current difficult time frame?

It appears the employees of Loudoun County, as well as the county board, have lost track of who they work for. They are more interested in building empires with plenty of photo ops than in spending taxpayer money wisely.

— Lloyd McCliggott, Philomont

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

EDITORIAL

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Correction

The Nov. 3 edition on page 14 incorrectly reports Foggy Mountain Pasta sources eggs from North Carolina; they are sourced from Whiffle Tree Farms in Warrenton, VA. Loudoun Now regrets the error.

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LAST WEEK'S QUESTION: How often will you use the Silver Line?

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

Based on the election results, how do you feel about the direction of the nation? Share your views at loudounnow.com/polls

N U R C R

O BA AYKD

A Challenge

THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS:

A Friend at Risk

BY LARRY MALONE

We challenge you to stop thinking of the Blue Ridge Mountains as just the pretty background against which we in Loudoun live our lives. Do not take for granted their continued existence as they are today. They need help to persist in helping us.

We all need to realize the Blue Ridge is essential to the financial and environmental health of the county, and critical to the physical health of its residents.

Think of the Blue Ridge as a big blue machine. What does this machine do?

It takes in much of the carbon dioxide produced by Loudoun’s 400,000 residents and 12,000 businesses and stores it in plants and soils. And—if we are lucky—it will help clean the polluted air to be generated by the Rockwool factory in Jefferson County, WV, adjacent to Loudoun.

Over the next 30 years, it is likely there will be more pollution-emitting installations built in our region. We will depend on the Blue Ridge Mountains to scrub those pollutants from our air. If current growth trends continue, we will see thousands more cars on our roads, and hundreds of thousands more miles driven over the next few decades. Even considering the advent of electric vehicles, we will continue to rely on our beautiful mountains to help clean that polluted air—a job better left to the Blue Ridge than to our lungs.

How does this wondrous machine accomplish this task? Trees. Cut down the trees and the machine stops working.

What else does the big blue machine do for us? How about cleaning the water that flows down its slopes and eventually finds its way into our wells, our reservoirs, and the Potomac. Again, trees and related vegetation are the key to this action. Tree leaves break up raindrops, so they are more likely to soak into the soil rather than eroding it. As storm water runoff flows through the root mass, the water is further slowed and at least some pollutants are captured in the soil, where many decompose or are broken down by bacteria. The longer the runoff stays within the root mass, the better the pollutant removal outcome.

In fact, local governments around the country are spending millions of dollars to build artificial bioswales which mimic the action of the mountains in cleaning our water. So, the big blue machine cleans our air and our water and does so for free.

As a further bonus, the mountains provide habitat for a vast diversity of plant and animal life. For example, the beautiful cerulean warbler, which is in decline over its entire range, nests in the Blue Ridge, but not in the valleys to the east or west. Hundreds

of broad-winged hawks migrate every year along the Blue Ridge (over 2,000 in 2022), as well as many other birds, and even monarch butterflies.

Anything else? Yes. It creates wealth for us all. Many jobs in Loudoun are attributable to the mountains. The county constantly highlights the strength of our tourist industry and its sizeable number of employees. We have a wonderfully robust wine, beer, and spirits industry. The beautiful settings for our vineyards and beer gardens keep the industry thriving even in tough times. The clean air and water, courtesy of the Blue Ridge, are vital to the health and viability of the grapes, hops, and grain, and indeed to our agriculture industry overall.

Mountain Overlay District Regulations

Loudoun is in the process of writing a new zoning ordinance to implement the recently adopted comprehensive plan.

If all we have are the currently proposed regulations, the big blue machine in our backyard will break down with frightening speed. Over the next 30 years, we will lose hundreds of thousands of trees. Erosion will increase dramatically. The mountains will stop cleaning our water for free, requiring us to construct bioswales and other filtration systems at great expense. There will be negative impacts on local jobs and careers in tourism: How many people will be attracted to schedule weddings, corporate retreats, and family reunions at the foot of the mountains when they look up and see barren, eroded slopes and a built landscape?

What can you do? Right now, you have a direct and powerful voice to influence the decisions of what can be built in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where structures are located, and importantly, what cannot be constructed on the fragile slopes. FBRM and other organizations have submitted, and will continue to submit, detailed information and suggestions about these concerns, and specific wording changes, but the county needs to hear directly from its individual citizens. For your sake and on behalf of your children and grandchildren, do not let this moment pass without acting. For more information, visit the Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains website at friendsofblueridge.org n

Larry Malone is the executive director of Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and a frequent hiker on the Appalachian Trail. He can be reached at lpm.redc@gmail.com. In Our Backyard is sponsored by the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition. For more information about the organization, go to loudouncoalition. org. Send emails to info@loudouncoalition.org.

The Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains and other conservation groups have grave concerns about the inadequate protections for the Blue Ridge Mountains provided by Loudoun’s current draft of a new zoning ordinance.

Leesburg election

from page 7

Burk faced a challenge from sitting coun cil members. Two years ago, she defeat ed Ron Campbell by winning 72% of the vote. In 2018, she won 59% of the vote in a three-way race against Campbell and then-council member Tom Dunn.

It was Cimino-Johnson’s first run for elective office.

“It was a great experience. It was a lot of work—a lot of work they don’t tell you about,” he said. “It’s been great knocking on doors and meeting people and talking to them about Leesburg and what their concerns are.”

He said he plans to continue to be out there and talking with people in prepara tion for taking his seat Jan. 1.

While hosting the election night watch party for the Republican-supported can didates at his Black Walnut Brewery Tuesday night, Wilt declined to comment on the election. n

Dems hold Loudoun

continued from page 1

Nicholas Gothard with some votes yet to be counted.

Wilt’s victory may also be breaking even—while Town Council member Su zanne Fox did not seek a political par ty’s endorsement this year, in 2019 she has campaigned for state Senate as a Republican.

About 50% of the county’s registered voters cast ballots during weeks of early voting or on Election Day, according to the Loudoun County Office of Elections and Voter Registration.

Wexton turned back a challenge from Republican Hung Cao. Both candidates are from Loudoun—Wexton from Lees burg and Cao from Purcellville—which forms the core of the newly redrawn district.

Although it was her closest race yet for Congress, Wexton won by just over six points, defeating Cao by approximately 53% to 47% of the vote. That finish was roughly three points behind the 2018 vic tory that first took her to Congress, and three and a half behind her previous re election in 2020. In Loudoun, Wexton garnered just over 57% of the vote, win ning by a large enough margin to offset Cao’s leads in other areas of the district.

With 198 of 209 precincts in the

Town elections

continued from page 18

50 Cast Hillsboro Votes

Hillsboro voters went to the polls Tuesday to elect a mayor and five Town Council members.

Following the town’s tradition, the election was conducted entirely by writein ballots.

According to the preliminary tallies, 50 votes were cast, however the results of the write-in counts were not announced by election officials before the newspa per’s deadline.

Lovettsville Elects Mayor, 3 Council Members

Lovettsville residents have elected Christopher M. Hornbaker as mayor along with three new Town Council members.

The four ran unopposed in Tuesday’s election.

Robert M. “Bobby” Merhaut, Brandon A. Davis and Jennifer K. Reed will be filling the seats left vacant by Hornbaker, who currently serves as vice mayor, and council members Tony Quintana and Re nee Edmonston who did not run for elec tion. Incumbent Mayor Nate Fontaine did not seek reelection after two terms in the seat.

Hornbaker said his first priority as mayor will be helping the new council members settle into their roles.

“The biggest thing is just getting the new council members up to speed with where we’re at,” he said.

After they’re settled in, he wants to continue the work the council has been doing, including the update to the town plan.

“I’ve been part of the [town’s] com prehensive plan for two revisions at this point, starting in 2017,” he said. “We’re not looking to make any radical or sig nificant changes. It’s just continuing and fostering economic growth as we grow in the county and around town.”

Hornbaker said other priorities in clude continuing to use the town’s ARPA funding to support nonprofits and small businesses, continuing work on the East Broadway and South Church Street im provements and providing quality ser vices and utilities to residents.

Council members Joy Pritz, David Earl, and Buchanan Smith were not up for reelection. Their terms will end Dec. 31, 2024.

Pacheco Elected in Round Hill

Months after being appointed to fill a vacant Round Hill Town Council seat, Isaac D. Pacheco was elected to serve for another year.

He fills the unexpired term of Melissa Hoffmann, following her resignation in April.

His term expires Dec. 31, 2023. n

Manassas Del. Danica Roem (D-13), who until the most recent redistricting lived in the 10th Congressional District, said Wexton’s performance stood out.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

“As someone who’s lived in the 10th District my entire life, I have never ever been better represented than by Jennifer Wexton in our Congress,” she said. “If the numbers hold up tonight, the first thing that we have to take a look at here is, what’s made her race different than ev eryone else?”

district reporting Tuesday night, Wex ton had tallied 151,412 votes to Cao’s 134,165. Some precincts, such as those for recording mailed ballots and provi sional ballots, may not finish counting un til days after the election.

After her race was called, she was greeted by a screaming crowd at an elec tion night party at Old Ox Brewery in Ashburn. She touted the major bills of the past term like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and said “I’m not done yet.”

“That means doing the tough work to defend our democracy and strengthen our electoral process, and ensure every vote counts and every voice is heard,” she said. “To overcome this challenge before us, we need to come together. I’ve seen too many times those in power spreading

hate and seeking to divide us, and a dan gerous rise in political violence. We need to come together as Americans, and as Americans remember what unites us, not what divides us.”

Before Wexton appeared, the elec tion night party featured other elected Democrats.

“We know that this year that women’s reproductive rights were on the ballot. We know that the fate of our democracy was on the ballot. We know that continued investment in infrastructure and health care—all of those things were on the bal lot, and right here in Loudoun County we have sent a message that we’re going to continue to support those initiatives back to Washington, DC,” Del. David Reid (D-32) said.

And as the results neared certainty,

Roem, a trans woman, celebrated Wex ton, the first person to hang a transgender pride flag outside her office in the halls of Congress.

“It’s for the kids. It’s for the people who feel defenseless. It’s for the people who feel vulnerable. It’s for the people who are scared, and they see politicians hurting other people, and are saying, are they coming for me next?” she said. “They get to look at Jennifer Wexton and say, ‘I’m safe here.’”

The final days of their campaigns had been bolstered by star power, with First Lady Jill Biden and Gov. Glenn Youn gkin joining their party’s candidates at Loudoun rallies Monday, and House Mi nority Leader Kevin McCarthy joining Cao on Tuesday, including a stop at Tam my’s Diner in Round Hill.

As of press time early Wednesday morning, the majority in Congress was still undecided. n

Gov. Glenn Youngkin joined congressional candidate Hung Cao during a campaign rally at the Elysium Axe bar in Purcellville on Monday.

Love Like Adam

White said it made sense because five of the boys who were criminally charged in Adam’s death came from Loudoun County Public Schools, and four others there that night had grown up in the coun ty’s school system.

White said the curriculum is re search-based using interviews with for mer fraternity, sorority and military mem bers. They offer large group presentations for high school students; hazing preven tion workshops intended for student or ganizations; advisor, coach and school leader workshops; and a parent and care giver presentation. Each presentation was launched with testing groups. White said they used the feedback from the test groups to make the final product the best it can be, and each one is also adaptable so as new information or data becomes available, they can add it to their presen tations. White said she used educators she knows and trusts, and together they cre ated an eight-day curriculum that can be added into a health or P.E. class.

She said she knows there are other anti-hazing programs out there, and that drove her to be more intentional in creat ing this one. She said she wanted to make it stand out.

“I’m a firm believer in, if you want a different outcome, you’ve got to do things differently,” she said.

The Love Like Adam anti-hazing pre sentations show an 18-minute video of what happened to Adam created by Dan iel Catullo III, a well-known director and producer and creator of “Breathe, Nolan, Breathe,” the story of Nolan Burch who died in a hazing incident in 2014 in West

Small business awards

continued from page 3

open the property to the community.

“I would like to dedicate this award to my team, and actually to our families who miss us when we’re working those long hours, but they know that we have crazy passion and love for our happy place,” Metcalfe said.

Philanthropic fundraising and giving circle 100WomenStrong was named Non profit Organization of the Year. Founder Karen Schaufeld said this year, the group passed $3.5 million in funding for Loudoun nonprofits since its creation.

“The reality is, we all have a beauti ful voice, we’re all working hard in the community, we all care about it—it’s col

Virginia. During the video, audiences are introduced to the five boys who were in volved in Adam’s hazing. At the end there is a question-and-answer session where the boys stand up from various seats in the audience and come forward.

Oakes said it was part of the boys’ plea deal to spread awareness.

Oakes and White launched their Haz ing Prevention Student Workshop in Loudoun County to the Positive Expe rience in Educational Relationships, or PEER, group on Nov. 1 to more than 200 students, counselors, social workers and mental health workers from Loudoun County Public Schools.

During the workshop with the PEER group, students were given the task to identify a driver that leads to hazing and then create a goal or action step they can take back to their school and implement it. White said one of the ideas students came up with to educate their peers was to implement the organization’s eight-day course into students’ advisory classes, which would enable them to get 20 min utes of hazing prevention every day for nine weeks.

She said it was her favorite idea.

“I was emotional, not only because of what we were doing, but to see it come to fruition and see these kids take charge and say, ‘this is what we are going to do and why we are going to do it.’ So all of the stuff, 18 months preparing, planning and creating and doing all of this, to see it all come full circle and see these kids present and get what you want them to get, and then become agents of their own learning and the learning of others, was so cool,” White said.

White said high schools across the county can sign up now on the foundation website to have the large group presen tation. She said so far four high schools,

Briar Woods, Woodgrove, Loudoun County and Potomac Falls High School— Adam’s alma mater—have signed up. Schools may also sign up to have a par ent/care giver presentation in the evening. White said it’s similar to the student one, but through a different lens and they give parents five talking points to get the con versation going with their children.

“We haven’t charged for this because its important to us, we want kids to get this. We want to raise awareness so they can understand it, identify it and if they see something they can do something with the bystander training from the cur riculum,” she said. “That ultimately is the end goal, to decrease the amount of haz ing incidents that are occurring and the number of deaths.”

White said the bystander training and immunity put into Adam’s Law is a safety net so people can help each other if they recognize hazing and get help without facing a punishment or prosecution. The exception is if the caller is the direct haz er—that person will be charged whether they call 911 or not.

They said they were told by the med ical examiner in Adam’s death that if anyone had called 911 that night, Adam would still be alive

White said their hope is to bring this education to as many groups of people as possible so there is no excuse going for ward. She said they are up against peo ple who have normalized hazing, or who think Greek life is just fine the way it is.

“We have to shift the mindset that hazing is OK, shift the mindset that ev erything that happens in Greek organiza tions and athletic teams is all OK because it’s within that organization. We need to make big changes, empower kids, em power their voice, empower them to real ly become change agents in this with us,”

she said.

Oakes said every time they hear of a hazing death it’s like they are back at day one, learning of Adam’s death all over again.

White said four days after Adam died, a boy in Ohio died in a hazing incident. She said for several months they heard of one after the other in several states.

“I didn’t feel like we were moving fast enough. All these were just snowballing and more and more and more … it was like experiencing it with Adam all over again,” White said.

White and Oakes hope to expand to Fairfax and then Prince William County in the future then to other states.

“If we can save one life, we have done what we came to do. That’s the way I see it. If we can save one person’s life or give someone the tools to step in at least once then we have done everything we have come to do,” White said.

“Adam was reserved. He didn’t put himself out there, he didn’t put himself in vulnerable situations. He joined this fra ternity because his friends were, and they would look after each other. For this to happen to him is a wake-up call for every body that this could happen to their child and to take this seriously,” Oakes said.

White said they are hoping to present at every high school in the county and as incentive to get more to sign up they are offering a scholarship from the Love Like Adam Foundation to a student at every school that has a presentation. They are also working now on legislation for K-12 schools similar to Adam’s Law, but shift ed to a high school perspective.

To learn more and sign up, go to lovelikeadam.com. n

lective,” she said. “And we get to support wonderful nonprofits that are all doing col lective work as well.”

And You’ve Got Maids was named the Superior Services Business of the year. Owner and Loudoun Literacy Council board member Natasha Magrath said her company goes beyond cleaning—among other things, they also do food drives for Loudoun Hunger Relief, a children’s book drive for the Loudoun Literacy Council, and once a quarter close the office for a day while the whole company goes out to volunteer.

“All the finalists tonight, remember, we are all winners and achievers. Each one of us is unique in what we do,” she said. “This award that I am holding in my hand tonight does not belong to me. It belongs to all my employees.”

“I have so much love and respect for our small business community. It is an honor to be here to help celebrate our small business award finalists and winners,” co-host and Business Brand Ambassador founder Erica Rowe said.

“Everyone here is, in my eyes, truly a winner here tonight,” Howard said.

All of the four finalists in each category were honored during the event Friday night in a ballroom at the Washington Dulles Marriott.

Virtual Business of the Year finalists included ARM Consulting, Lifecycle Sher lock, and BB Insurance.

Destination Business of the Year final ists included EatLoco Farmers Market, Es cape Room LoCo, and Stone Gables Bed and Breakfast.

Nonprofit Organization of the Year final

ists included Legacy Farms, the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and P.A.S.T.A., Peers and Students Taking Action.

Main Street Business of the Year final ists included The Difference Baker, GAM Graphics and Marketing, and SpeedPro Northern Virginia.

Superior Service Business of the Year finalists included the CEO Consulting Group, Dulles South Chantilly Automo tive, and Toth Financial.

Health and Wellness Business of the Year finalists included Athari Biosciences, Dulles Life Smiles, and The Dental Co. of Leesburg.

And finalists for Loudoun’s Top En trepreneur of the Year included Text P2P founder Greg Armfield, CEO Consulting Group founder Tina Johnson, and Cork & Keg Tours founder Renee Ventrice. n