Loudoun Now for Dec. 8, 2022

‘Not A Single Person Stepped In’

Grand Jury Condemns School Administrators’ Actions—and Inactions—in Sexual Assault Scandal

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Following an eight-month investigation, the report of a special grand jury empaneled to investigate Loudoun County Public Schools’ handling of two sexual assaults committed by the same student was unsealed Monday.

The panel was convened in April at the request of Attorney General Jason Miyares to determine whether criminal conduct occurred in the case in which a

student charged with sexually assaulting a girl at Stone Bridge High School in May 2021 was transferred to Broad Run High School, where he assaulted another girl in October 2021. The investigation was requested by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in an executive order signed on his first day in office.

The jury stated it heard testimony from more than 40 witnesses and reviewed over 100 pieces of evidence that lead to the conclusion.

In the 24-page report, the jury conclud-

School Board Fires Ziegler

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN AND RENSS GREENE agustin@loudounnow.com rgreene@loudounnow.com

Following a two-hour closed session Tuesday night, the Loudoun County School Board voted unanimously and without public discussion to fire Superintendent Scott Ziegler immediately and without cause.

Under the terms of his contract, since he was fired without cause, Ziegler will be paid his full $323,000 annual salary and compensation for the next year in monthly installments. On top of his salary, his compensation

includes perks such as a $12,000 annual vehicle allowance, health insurance and retirement benefits. The School Board had approved a $28,000 raise for Ziegler in July.

The action came 34 hours after the public release of a special grand jury’s report on the school district’s handling of two sexual assaults by the same student, who, after attacking one girl in a bathroom at Stone Bridge High School, was transferred to Broad Run High School where he attacked another girl in an empty classroom. The special grand jury found school administrators prioritized their own best interests over those of the school district and community,

SEE THE GRAND JURY’S RECOMMENDATIONS ON PAGE 31

ed division administrators were “looking out for their own interests, instead of the best interests of LCPS” in their response to public outrage over the incidents.

The jury noted there were several instances where senior division administrators, including the superintendent, could have been transparent, and found that the sexual assault at Broad Run High School could have been avoided had school staff heeded warnings in the years and days

before the attack.

In one case, the jury wrote, they agreed with witnesses in the investigation that Ziegler told a “bald-faced lie” when he said at the tumultuous June 22, 2021 School Board meeting “to my knowledge we don’t have any record of assaults occurring in our restrooms.” After that meeting, at which Scott Smith, the parent of the first victim, was arrested, Ziegler refused to offer School Board members more information when they emailed, saying “[t]his matter is under

blocked transparency to the public, and even attempted to obstruct the jury’s own investigation.

ZIEGLER FIRED continues on page 29

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

30

GRAND JURY REPORT continues on page

Smith Family Says ‘Clean House’

The family of a student who was sexually assaulted in a school bathroom released a statement after the firing of superintendent Scott Ziegler on Tuesday night.

Scott and Jessica Smith, the parents of the first victim, released the following statement via text message:

“It’s unfortunate that it took a special grand jury report for anyone to take action. The firing of Ziegler was way overdue, and we hope this is the first of many firings of all those who failed these young women who now have to deal with what happened to them for the rest of their lives.”

Ziegler was fired Tuesday after the School Board met in closed session for two hours. A report from a special grand jury empaneled to look into how the school division handled two sexual assaults by the same student was released Monday.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Former Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler speaks outside Freedom High School Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021.

Greenway Tolls Battle Could Return in 2023

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Next year’s General Assembly session could bring a renewed battle around tolls on the Dulles Greenway, as state law makers and county supervisors revealed they have been in secretive closed-door meetings with the Greenway and state administration.

Del. Suhas Subramanyam (D-87) during a Nov. 30 meeting between su pervisors and members of the county’s General Assembly delegation, said he has been told the Virginia Department of Transportation is negotiating with the Greenway on extending its deal with the state. It is the state’s only highway governed by the Virginia Highway Cor poration Act of 1988. And currently, the Greenway is set to become public property in 2056.

“We might be told that this is the only way to reduce tolls, but it’s not. In fact, it’s the worst way to reduce tolls, because it doesn’t consider future costs. So any sort of piece of paper they put in front of you, you really have to get a second opin ion,” Subramanyam said.

Loudoun County Attorney Leo Rogers confirmed there had been meetings with Greenway representatives, state Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III, and Virginia Department of Transpor

Ringing in the Season in Middleburg

Thousands of people from across the region once again packed into Middleburg and lined up along Washington Street to see the famous Christmas in Middleburg parade Saturday, Dec. 3.

Morning rain cleared up just in time for early arrivals to see the Hunt and Hounds Review. And shopping, dining and drinks were available all day long.

tation Commissioner Stephen C. Brich in Richmond October and November. County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) added they have also met once in Loudoun. And, they said, they have signed nondisclosure agreements about those meetings, but for now have reached no deal.

“What I can tell you is that no confi dential information’s been shared with us, and we are not moving forward at this point with any substantive terms of an agreement. So as Loudoun sees it, this should not be 2023 legislation,” Rogers said. “Right now, it would be an agree ment to agree, and we want to be able to work through the terms of this very

unique agreement to convert a Highway Corporation Act road to a [Public-Private Transportation Act road], which it was never intended to do, so we think that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done before legislation should be considered by the General Assembly.”

“I want us to be careful that it’s not being said that Loudoun is agreeing to something that might happen, whatever that might be, because that would not be a true statement,” Randall said. “Being in the room and asking for input is not the same thing as agreeing with what eventu ally may come out.”

If the administration seeks a new deal with the Greenway in 2023, it will have

to get a bill passed through the General Assembly.

It is not the first time the Greenway’s owners have sought more concessions from the state, nor to move the Greenway from governance under the Highway Cor poration Act to the Public-Private Trans portation Act. It also highlights a split among Loudoun supervisors and some lawmakers amid more than a decade of effort to rein in the highway’s tolls.

In 2021, Loudoun’s state legislative delegation for the first time succeeded in passing legislation to curb toll increases. That law, championed by Subramanyam and Sen. John J. Bell (D-13), seeks to cre ate measurable standards for evaluating whether proposed toll increases would discourage motorist from taking the road, which is not permitted. Loudoun supervi sors point out drivers are already discour aged from taking the Greenway by toll prices. The bill limits the Greenway to apply for toll increases one year at a time.

It also would allow debt refinancing only when necessary to operate, maintain, or expand the road and would not increase toll rates, seeking to close a loophole that allowed the Greenway to amass around a billion dollars in outstanding debt and count that against its profitability when applying for toll increases.

— Photos by Renss Greene

Middleburg Police Chief A.J. Panebianco leads the Christmas in Middleburg Hunt and Hounds Review Saturday, Dec. 3, for the last time before his planned retirement.

Spectators dressed up for Christmas in Middleburg celebrations lined Washington Street.

Santa rides down Washington Street with a horse and carriage to cap off the the festivities.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

The view looking east along the Dulles Greenway from Sycolin Road, pictured in March 2019.

GREENWAY TOLLS continues on page 27

Loudoun County Board Pitches Mental Health Facility to State Delegation

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Loudoun supervisors have asked state legislators for a new facility to address a crisis in psychiatric hospital beds, among other local priorities, while state lawmakers warned them to temper their expectations during a politically divided General Assembly session.

Last year, the state’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services closed admissions at five of the commonwealth’s eight adult psychiatric hospitals, citing a staffing shortage. According to a report by the county staff, as of September, about 217 state psychiatric beds, about 20% of the state’s beds, are still out of service, with a persistent waiting list for the remaining beds. State law requires beds be available for people under a temporary detention order, and since the state system fell down on its self-imposed responsibility, holding people subject to those orders at hospital emergency rooms, beds or other inpatient facilities has become common.

The county asked state legislators to address the staffing shortage last year; so far the state has not offered any plan to come back into compliance and get those people into psychiatric facilities.

Supervisors on Oct. 6 voted to request $16.1 million from the state to build a new regional Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Facility with an estimated 224 beds for 24-hour assessments and shortterm stabilization. The county estimates hiring a contractor to run the facility will cost $11.51 million annually.

But even if the state funds that facility, county staff members warn it will not be ready soon enough to meet the need. The county government and Community Services Board continue to develop new

mental health and crisis services that may reduce the number of psychiatric beds needed.

Sen. John J. Bell (D-13) said Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s staff has indicated they will submit a budget amendment for $48.6 million to fund five new crisis centers across the state, although he said that number is probably too low.

Supervisors Say Goodbye to State Lawmakers

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Supervisors at a meeting with state lawmakers said goodbye to some of the legislators who have been drawn out of representing Loudoun with the most recent redistricting.

Sens. John J. Bell (D-13), Jennifer B. Boysko (D-33) and Barbara A. Favola (D-31) and Dels. Irene Shin (D-86), Wendy W. Gooditis (D-10) and Suhas Subramanyam (D-87) took part in the meeting; of those, Boysko, Favola, Shin and Gooditis are going to the General Assembly representing Loudoun for the last time in 2023. When the new districts take effect for their next election in 2023, they will no longer live in districts representing Loudoun.

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) thanked those legislators for their work carrying Loudoun’s legislative initiatives, particularly Boysko and Favola.

MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY

continues on page 27

County Offers Free Water Tests in St. Louis

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

Representatives from Loudoun County gathered with the St. Louis Village Task Force last week to discuss the village’s water quality problems.

Those problems were highlighted last year by a developer’s plans to build a new subdivision nearby. Among other concerns, village residents said those homes would have devastating effects on their already poor water quality, with wells drawing from an already taxed aquifer.

That outcry led to supervisors early this year creating the task force to come up with a plan for the village to limit future development and address the problems residents face today.

Jennifer Moore, the project manager

in charge of the St. Louis village plan, notified the task force during the Nov. 30 meeting that the county would fund free water testing for any village residents wanting to participate.

“Free well water testing will be coordinated by the Loudoun Office of the Virginia Cooperative Extension,” she said. “Residents may choose to test their well water for any number of reasons such as, you know, peace of mind, to help identify any concerns, and the results of this well water testing helps to provide useful information for the residents as you’re considering future options for improving water quality in the village.”

Director of Extension Services in Loudoun County Stuart Vermaak presented the Task Force with the details of the free well water study. Virginia

Cooperative Extension runs a well water program twice a year, usually in the spring and fall. Vermaak directs the program and said the testing occurs at a research lab in Virginia Tech. The tests usually cost $65 each, but the county plans to use money from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to cover the costs.

Moore also said there was a possibility for the community to participate in a feasibility study on options to solve those water woes.

“[It] is one step toward determining a possible way for improving the water quality,” she said.

Environmental Division Manager Dennis Cumbie and Environmental

WATER TESTS

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“Over the past year Sen. Boysko and Sen. Favola have carried so much of our legislation. They have been just heavy lifters for us, and this is our last time we will have them,” Randall said. “…That’s kind of heartbreaking. Sen. Favola and Sen. Boysko are two senators who really, in my opinion, have a deeper understanding of local government because they either worked at or were local government officials.”

Favola, of Arlington, has represented Loudoun since 2012, when she first took office in the state senate, having served on the Arlington County Board from 1997 until 2011. Her district currently includes a portion of far northeastern Loudoun, north of Rt. 7 and east of Sugarland Run.

Boysko, of Herndon, has represented Loudoun since 2016, when she took office representing the House of Delegates 86th District. In 2019, after then-state senator Jennifer Wexton was elected to the House of Representatives, Boysko was elected to the state senate. Her district currently includes much of eastern Loudoun between Rt. 7 and Rt. 50. An organizer, she worked in the office of Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust among other appointments. n

County Administrator Tim Hemstreet

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31), Loudoun Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) and Del. Wendy Gooditis (D-10) take part in a Nov. 30 meeting of local and state lawmakers.

“It started out as a normal outing. My wife and I had to run to the grocery store. We were driving down the road casually going over our shopping list when the car ahead of me started to slow down anticipating the yellow light.

I started to move my foot from the gas to the brake as any normal person would do when they see brake lights in front of them but I couldn’t. I couldn’t feel my foot. The car kept moving forward and I just couldn’t get my foot on the brake. And CRUNCH!

I finally came to a stop when I hit the car in front of me.”

This tragic story was shared with us by Dan S an Ashburn resident who has peripheral neuropathy. And while no one was hurt in this accident, Dan S. had suffered almost every day of his life with tingling and burning in his feet until numbness set in and he could no longer feel even the brake pedal beneath his foot.

“The first stage is pain.” shares Rachal Lohr, Acupuncturist of FIREFLY Acupuncture & Wellness. “You feel burning, tingling, sharp pains, or you feel like you’re walking on tacks or marbles. This pain eventually subsides and the numbness sets in Unfortunately the numbness brings with it a whole other host of problems ”

This was the case with Dan “I said I wasn’t going to drive again. What if that had been a pedestrian?”

It is terribly common that peripheral neuropathy and its debilitating symptoms interfere with a person’s ability to live their life. Dan was now reliant on his wife to drive him around, even the simple pleasure of cruising down to play golf or taking her out to dinner was outside his capabilities And even more common, Dan’s general practitioner and several specialists told him there was nothing they could do other than prescribe him pills that would ease the pain of his neuropathy.

That’s where Rachal Lohr and her staff at FIREFLY come in. “About 75% of our current patients come to us suffering from the same condition as Mr. Dan,” tells Rachal.

“They’re in constant pain from neuropathy and it prevents them from not only living their lives but more importantly, it prevents them from enjoying it

Depending on the severity of their nerve damage, we typically see tremendous progress in 3 4 months of treatment

I like to say we’re in the business of making your golden years golden.”

Local clinic has a modern, medical solution to treat your Peripheral Neuropathy and is seeing incredible results!

“I can’t lie,” confides Dan. “I was skeptical at first. The folks down at my pain center told me there was nothing that could be done and then there’s a doctor right here in Loudoun who tells me she can help. Turns out she was right! About three months after treatment I was able to confidently drive myself to my appointments!

My wife and I celebrated by buying ourselves a new car! It’s hard to put into words how incredible this is, quite frankly [Rachal] gave me my life back.”

While FIREFLY specializes in acupuncture and it’s definitely part of their protocols in treating neuropathy, the real secret is in a more modern medical solution called ATP Resonance BioTherapy™ “This technology was originally developed by NASA to expedite healing and recovery” shares Ann, a Senior Patient Care Coordinator at the clinic. “It’s like watering a plant ATP Resonance BioTherapy™ stimulates the blood vessels to grow back around the peripheral nerve and provide them the proper nutrients to heal and repair ”

You can learn more about Rachal Lohr at FIREFLYAcuAndWellness.com. If you’re ready to schedule a consultation call (703)263 2142 and do so quickly.

FIREFLY is a very intimate clinic and the staff takes pride in their ability to take their time with each patient so they are very limited in their ability to take on new patients

ON THE Agenda

County to Expand Body-Worn Camera Program

County supervisors on Tuesday, Dec. 6 were expected to approve a $3.6 million federally-funded program to expand the body-worn camera program in the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.

On Sept. 30, the county was awarded a grant administered by the U.S. Department of Justice to expand the program. Supervisors were scheduled to vote on hiring two new camera technicians in the sheriff’s office and a new paralegal and three new attorneys in the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office to support the growing number of cameras worn by deputies. The county board also has a plan to continue expanding the body-worn camera program into the next fiscal year, with 122 cameras added this fiscal year and 212 added next fiscal year for a total of 439 cameras after Fiscal Year 2024.

The federal grant includes $2.5 million for purchasing, operating and maintaining the cameras and recordings. Absent other outside funding, beginning in Fiscal Year 2025, the county will take on the full cost of program, at an estimated $700,000 a year.

Water tests

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Division Specialist Scott Fincham briefed the Task Force about the details of a feasibility study.

“The feasibility study will be used to understand and document potential water challenges within the community and to determine feasible solutions to address those identified challenges,” Fincham said.

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Shows Photos at Gov’t Center

“Wild About Loudoun!,” an exhibit of 31 photos by seven photographers associated with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, is on display at the County Government Center.

The exhibit also includes bird boxes painted by area artists, and nature journals created by Loudoun County students through Loudoun Wildlife’s Peterson Young Naturalist Program.

The photos capture some rarely-seen residents of Loudoun, including the spadefoot toads recently found at JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary near Lucketts. The photos are accompanied by facts about the subjects of the photos, comments by the photographers and QR codes to learn

Cumbie said the cost of a feasibility study usually ranges from $180,000 to $350,000 but that the county government also would be able to use federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to pay for it. He also said agreeing to participate in the study is not a commitment by residents to follow through with any of the solutions it would recommend.

Solutions for the village have been proposed before—such as when the county Board of Supervisors approved an application for funding for a central water and sewer system, although that project

about getting involved with Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy programs. Learn more at loudounwildlife.org.

The gallery is in the government center’s first-floor lobby, behind a security checkpoint.

County Offers Trash Drop-off After Hauler Closes

Loudoun County is offering temporary trash drop-off service to residents who were customers of Haulin’ Trash. The Leesburg-based waste-hauling company informed customers on Nov. 30 that it would cease operation.

The company has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, some former customers— primarily in the eastern part of Loudoun County—have trash piling up outside their homes, according to an alert from the county government.

The county established a collection center at Park View High School for household and yard waste for those customers on Saturday and will do so again Saturday, Dec. 10. The collection will take place between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. A fee of $7, cash only, will be collected.

The temporary collection program is designed to give affected residents the opportunity to contract with a new hauler. Information about trash service providers is

was delayed for fear that providing public water in the village could also open the door to more development pressure.

To begin the eligibility process, 60% of village residents must sign the application, as well as present the county with what Fincham called a “suitable map.”

“The map is a boundary,” he said, later adding, “It doesn’t matter to us what you’re identifying as the boundary—we want you to define where you think kind of the community problem is.”

Public Affairs and Communications Officer Glen Barbour also attended to of-

posted on the county’s website at loudoun. gov/trashserviceproviders.

Commission on Women and Girls Launches New Survey

The Loudoun Coalition on Women and Girls is seeking responses to the Voices of Loudoun Women Pulse Survey. The estimated five-minute survey is 14 questions long.

The commission periodically conducts surveys to identify and monitor issues impacting women in Loudoun. The responses inform the commission’s work and are shared in published reports.

“Since the onset of the pandemic, LCWAG’s community assessments have provided actionable data on the experiences of women in our community,” commission Chair Angela Mitchell said. “Our research scope continues to evolve in response to the challenges and changes that are disproportionately impacting women and girls.”

The commission’s brief earlier this year based on previous rounds of the Voices of Loudoun Women survey identified child care support, employment connections, and access to health care as the top three challenges faced by Loudoun women.

The survey is open until 11:45 P.M. Saturday, Dec. 31. Take the survey at lwcag.org/2022-survey. n

fer assistance to the task force in getting information out to village residents regarding all next steps, including the next community meeting, the free well water testing, and education about the feasibility study. He invited Task Force members to share their recommendations on how to best communicate with the residents to reach them effectively.

A community meeting will be held on Jan. 31 at Banneker Elementary School to discuss further details and share information with the community. n

Richard Busch • 17642 Canby Rd., Leesburg, VA glenfarmpottery@aol.com • 703-201-0977

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy ‘Wild About Loudoun!,’ a photo exhibit on display at the County Government Center.

Leesburg

Police Department Loses Accreditation

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstery@loudounnow.com

The Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission last week voted not to reaffirm the Leesburg Police Department’s accreditation status.

The department has been accredited since 2006 and was among 104 of more than 300 Virginia law enforcement agencies to have successfully complete the voluntary review.

According to the department, during the latest round of evaluation, errors were identified in four of 191 standards measured in the process. In announcing the loss of the accreditation status, the town characterized the failures as administrative errors that have been corrected and did not impact the department’s day-today functions.

The action came on the final day of Police Chief Gregory Brown’s tenure. He retired Dec. 1.

According to the town’s statement, the errors occurred during previous annual accreditation terms and were reported to

The four standards that the department failed to achieve were:

• Financial audits were not properly completed for two accounts during previous accreditation terms. The audits have since been completed. No funds are missing and there was no evidence of wrongdoing. The department now complies with this standard, the town stated.

• Following the retirement of a backup evidence custodian, a new back up evidence custodian was provided access to the property room prior to a full audit of the evidence room being completed. Subsequent audits have not revealed any discrepancies. The department now complies with this standard, the town stated.

• Policy language was out of compliance regarding the frequency of property room audits and the supervisory personnel assigned to property room audits. The town said personnel of the appropriate rank were assigned and inspections had been completed without revealing any discrepancies. The policy language has been updated and is now in compliance, the town stated.

• Less-lethal shotguns were deployed during previous accreditation terms without the assigned officers completing the required annual requalification for the weapons. The less-lethal shotguns have been removed from service. Department personnel will complete the necessary training in January so they may be redeployed within accreditation standards, the town stated.

the commission after they were discovered early in 2022.

“These administrative errors do not impact the day-to-day operations of the

Leesburg Police Department or the department’s ability to continue to deliver

ACCREDITATION continues on page 9

Dodona Manor Tree Walk Highlights Marshall Plan’s Impact

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

As part of the continuing commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Marshall Plan, the Leesburg home of Gen. George C. Marshall will feature a festive light display throughout December.

The European Recovery Program was a U.S. effort that supplied nearly $13 billion to help finance rebuilding efforts in 17 European nations in the wake of World War II. The Marshall Plan Tree Walk features trees decorated to represent each of the participating nations.

During a ceremony to light the tree Saturday evening, André Haspels, the U.S. ambassador from the Kingdom of the Netherlands spoke about the importance of the Marshall Plan—in the past and in the future.

“I was born in 1962 and I grew up in a world that was shaped by the Marshall Plan,” he said.

“The Marshall Plan gave me the opportunity to live not only in a safe and a secure world, but also in a world where we had

access to food, to healthcare, and to security. And it also allowed me to pursue my education, to grow up in a world that was better than my parents and grandparents knew. For that I will be forever grateful,” Haspels said.

He noted that one of the 53 bells in the Netherlands Carillon, a monument to the friendship between the Netherlands and the U.S. located in Arlington, was named to honor Marshall.

Haspels said the Marshall Plan likely

provides an example to help guide world leaders today following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Although we do not know how this war will end, we do know that at a certain stage there will be a plan for recovery necessary. Of course, you cannot replicate the Marshall Plan from that time immediately to a different country or a different region in a different era, but you can still, I think, use the principles of the Marshall Plan to help build up a country that has been demolished by war, and I hope we will arrive at that time very soon,” he said. “If we want to do that properly, we have to study the Marshall Plan. How was it implemented? How was it received? Were there also disadvantages? Especially, why did it work out so well?”

“I really hope that we will be able to not only stop the war in Ukraine but also to implement a Marshall Plan for the brave Ukrainian people who, like I did when I was young, benefit from the Marshall Plan,” Haspels said.

MARSHALL PLAN continues on page 9

Holiday Parade Planned Saturday Downtown

The Town of Leesburg will hold its annual Christmas and Holiday parade Saturday starting at 6 p.m.

The parade will begin at Ida Lee Drive, continue down King Street and end at Fairfax Street. Downtown street closures will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Parade participation is open to the public, including businesses, civic groups, teams, organizations, and community groups. A registration form can be found online.

For more details go to leesburgva.gov/holidaysinleesburg.

Swearing-in Ceremony Set for Mayor, Council

The next Town Council will begin to take shape Dec. 15 with the swearing-in ceremonies for Mayor Kelly Burk, Council member Neil Steinberg and newly elected council members Todd Cimino-Johnson and Patrick Wilt.

The program will take place starting at 11 a.m. in the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center.

Burk was elected to a fourth two-year term. Steinberg will start his second four-year term. Cimino-Johnson and Wilt were elected to four-year terms which take effect Jan. 1.

1883 Mass Meeting Exhibit at Balch

A new exhibit, “Black Resistance: Delegates of the 1883 Mass Meeting,” is on display in the Mercer Room at the Thomas Balch Library.

The event resulted in 17 delegates from Loudoun’s black communities petitioning Judge James B. McCabe for civil rights guaranteed by the 14th and 15th amendments.

The exhibit showcases how these men resisted Jim Crow conditions imposed on them by advocating their civil rights, forming supportive communities, and inspiring future generations of community leaders.

The exhibit may be viewed through Dec.30 during normal library hours. For more information, go to leesburgva.gov/departments/ thomas-balch-library.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now A tree decorated for Sweden stands along the Marshall Plan Tree Walk at Dodona Manor in Leesburg.

Accreditation

professional high-quality police services to the community. The Leesburg Police Department took immediate actions to correct all errors in order to bring the department back into full compliance,” the town stated.

To achieve accreditation, law enforcement agencies must meet all program standards, maintain their accreditation files on an on-going basis, and provide annual verifications of compliance as required by the commission. On-site assessments every four years by specially trained program assessors assure consistency and full compliance of all accredited agencies, according to the town.

The department plans to immediately begin the process to have its accreditation reinstated and will be eligible for a re-assessment after 12 months.

Interim Chief of Police Vanessa Grigsby said the commission’s decision “will not change the Leesburg Police Department’s high level of professionalism and our exceptional level of customer service that we continue to provide to our community each and every day. In the continued spirit of community trust through transparency, I feel it important to notify the public of the commission’s decision and I will personally ensure that the Leesburg Police Department remains in full compliance with all VLEPSC accreditation standards going forward.” n

Marshall Plan

continued from page 8

The ambassador’s visit to Leesburg came just hours after the team from the Netherlands defeated the U.S. team in the World Cup, knocking the Americans out of the competition.

Tom Greenspon, president emeritus of the George C. Marshall International Center, congratulated Haspels on his country’s victory.

“I appreciate many things from the American people and one of them is their sportsmanship,” Haspels said.

He offered an optimistic outlook for the American team, particularly with the next World Cup, in 2026, to be played in the U.S. “In four years’ time, there will be World Cup soccer here and I’m sure you’ll be even better by then.”

The George C. Marshall International Center operates Dodona Manor—the home of George and Katherine Marshall from 1941 to 1959—as a historic house museum at 312 E. Market St. in Leesburg. n

Leesburg Tree Lighting

The Town of Leesburg kicked off the holiday season Friday night with a Christmas Tree lighting celebration on the Town Green. The event drew a big crowd downtown to listen to Christmas carols performed by The Lost Locals and pose for holiday photos.

— Photos by Norman K. Styer

Education

Schools CFO Warns of Inflation Impacts in Budget

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agusitn@loudounnow.com

The Loudoun County Public Schools’ operating fund for the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 is in the black, but student enrollment levels, state and federal funding and inflation are cause for concern for future quarters.

During the School Board’s Nov. 29 work session, Chief Financial Officer Sharon Willoughby briefed the board on the operating budget and gave a COVID funds update.

Willoughby noted that the division is 800 students under its projections, which will result in less basic aid from the state. However, she said robust state sales tax revenues—which are projected to exceed the division’s budget by 6%—are offsetting enrollment shortfalls, allowing a net increase in state revenue of about $4.1 million.

For expenditures, she pointed out the personnel budget will have a $14.2 million surplus, but noted it’s being impacted by higher-than-expected overtime and part time use. She also said the staff is seeing an increase in retiree health claims, which is paid from the school operating fund. Willoughby said that will be monitored to make sure the budget is sufficient for the rest of the year.

A surplus of $14.5 million is projected in the operations and maintenance accounts, but Willoughby said inflation, with costs going up 34% in some areas, will lead to some shortfalls.

One of those shortfalls, $2.3 million, is projected to take place in utilities. Willoughby said the staff would adjust the

budget using surpluses from other areas to avoid a deficit, but wanted to highlight the significance of what is happening to the School Board.

She said one area they may see a surplus in is contractual services, which includes repairs and maintenance. Early projections show a $4.8 million surplus, but higher costs across the county could bring this down. One strategy being used to save money is renewing maintenance contracts on a shorter term, for example a six-month renewal instead of 12 months.

“The idea behind that is we’re hoping the cost will come down, versus being locked in at a higher rate now for the full year,” she said.

Willoughby said the ending fund balance for the school operating budget is projected to be $21 million.

“I will always mention, $21 million absolutely is a large amount, but it represents 1.3% of our budget so it’s actually

a small margin we are talking about,” she said.

Other areas highlighted by Willoughby included the school nutrition fund and the health self-insurance fund.

She said the school nutrition fund is self-supporting, with expenses covered through meal sales coupled with federal and some state funding. She said the biggest impact they are seeing is the loss of funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that was covering universal meals during COVID. She said they are watching the school nutrition fund closely as the shift returns to cafeteria sales being the primary revenue source. She noted inflation is playing a role in the fund, but they are managing it through excess funds from previous years and using the funds to buy equipment.

School Board Proposes Budget Agreement with Supervisors

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

The School Board last week voted to propose an agreement with the Board of Supervisors to formally establish a local tax revenue split.

The Board of Supervisors, which sets the amount of local tax funding the school district receives, in the next annual budget plans to skip the annual debate over how much to grow the school budget. Instead, supervisors offered to split the year-overyear growth in local tax revenues with the School Board, sending the division 60% of that money plus its current budget allotment.

School Board members have sought a memorandum of understanding with the Board of Supervisors placing more terms around that funding split. But not all School Board members agreed with the proposed revenue sharing agreement.

Many voiced concerns about it putting a cap on the budget, while others were concerned the 60/40 split would give the county board the impression the School Board was agreeing to a maximum amount, instead of a minimum that could

be increased if needed.

Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) said she couldn’t support it because she was concerned it wouldn’t be enough to meet the needs of the school division.

“I think that we are responsible for advocating for the needs of the school division and as of right now, especially because of the lower funding the past two years, we aren’t in a position where we can adequately meet the needs of our students and staff at this split,” she said.

She said over the two years, the county board sent around 50% of net tax revenue to the school division. She said she would be comfortable supporting the proposed agreement if the word “minimum” was added to the language, saying she wanted to make it clear they were agreeing to a floor, and not a ceiling.

The School Board agreed to that change 6-1-1 with John Beatty (Catoctin) opposed, Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run) abstaining and Denise Corbo (At-large) absent.

Beatty also opposed the memorandum, saying the School Board develops its budget needs and then sends that to county supervisors, who then set the tax rate. He

said the memorandum would “hamstring” the School Board.

“Having more flexibility is better in the long run. I appreciate the effort to get clarity … but putting an MOU in place is going to hamstring us. The county is responsible for taxation, our responsibility is to set the budget based on educating children,” he said.

“In the end, the elephant in room at end of day is what tax rate the Board of Supervisors is going to set and that is completely outside anything we can control other than lobbying and outside the scope of this agreement,” Ian Serotkin (Catoctin) said. “But that being said, I think this is an improvement over the current process and puts safeguards in place. I have my doubts as to how much this will help, but I will support it.”

He said the agreement would set a floor for the funding they get, which he noted was higher than what they got in the past two years. He also noted an amendment he proposed that added additional wording to protect money given to the School Board by the state or federal government from being split by the county. It also had wording that prevented the county from

reducing the amount it gave the Board as a result of that funding and that would not result in a change or reduction to the amount given them by the county.

Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn) echoed Serotkin’s comments and said the MOU would help them have a more consistent budget and help the School Board know what the revenue was going to look like beforehand as opposed to going into February or March not knowing. The Board of Supervisors typically adopts a budget in early April.

“Our first cut of this doesn’t mean the Board of Supervisors are going to take and sign off on it. There might be back and forth, but I support it because there are positives in setting this versus being open and not knowing what it’s going to be,” he said.

The Board voted to approve the memorandum of 5-2-1 with Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) and Beatty opposed, Polifko abstaining and Corbo absent. The school district will now send it to the Board of Supervisors.

“Now it goes to the Board of Supervisors, and stand by for heavy rolls, as we say in the Navy,” Morse said. n

Willoughby

School Board Adopts Sexually Explicit Material Policy

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

The Loudoun County School Board last week adopted rules requiring advance parental notification of the use of classroom materials deemed to have sexually explicit content. The new policy was mandated in school districts statewide by the General Assembly.

During the Nov. 29 board meeting, members debated whether to expand the notification requirement, but made no changes before the final vote.

Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run) and Atossa Reaser (Algonkian) voted against the policy.

Polifko said the board was not doing enough to protect students from inappropriate content. She sought to expand the policy to include the notification requirement to include material in school libraries even if not assigned for use by teachers. She also objected to the school division’s policy governing the selection and review of instructional resources.

“We are preparing as a board to pass a policy stating that students shouldn’t be exposed to sexually explicit material in our schools without parental knowledge, but we currently have a policy in place, 5045, which allowed those materials to come into LCPS,” she said. “This is not about Toni Morrison, this is not about ‘A Brave New World’ or sexual orientation. Those are not my concerns. This is about codifying sexually explicit materials in our schools, and I will not support policy that does this because I believe this is like trying to cure cancer with Motrin.”

The school division’s material selection policy is slated for review in the coming months.

Assistant Superintendent Ashley Ellis said Polifko’s requested change would require school libraries to be closed until a

full review of the more than 90,000 books could be conducted.

Ellis said parents already have access to all the library books through LCPSGO—a school-based web application that is accessible from any computer, tablet, or smartphone—and that parents are encouraged to talk with their children about their library choices. She also said the core books used for instructional materials, typically in high school, are posted online for parents to review.

Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) said he would support including library material in the notification policy. He said he wasn’t against any single book but said he was against a lot of different topics referring to a comment Polifko made about books promoting prostitution or teaching children how to have anal sex found in division school libraries.

Referencing passages from books parents have read to the board during public comment periods, Morse said, “It goes back to the statement that here we are as the board having this discussion and yet we can’t even use the language in some of these books up here on the dais without it being bleeped out for public comment.”

Erika Ogedegbe (Leesburg) and Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) both said their experience as parents is that they had been notified before a book with sexually explicit material was to be used in their children’s classroom and did not support the amendment.

According to Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Neil Slevin, that is the current practice in the school division.

Polifko’s amendment failed 3-6, with Morse and Beatty voting for it.

After that vote, Morse said he would support the policy because he viewed it as a step up for parents and their awareness.

EXPLICIT MATERIAL continues on page 12

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now School Board member Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run) and Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) listen to a presentation on Policy 5055, parental notification of sexually explicit materials, on Nov. 29.

Attendance Zone Changes Held to Final Vote

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Discussions about secondary school attendance zone changes are coming to a close, with a total of five plans up for consideration heading into the final public hearing session Dec. 6.

The School Board is scheduled to adopt a plan on Dec. 13. The changes will go into effect at the start of 20232024 school year.

Most of the plans favor moving as few students as possible and focus primarily on alleviating overcrowding in central Loudoun schools, with a few adjustments in Ashburn.

School Board member John Beatty’s (Catoctin) two proposals—Beatty 577 and Beatty 860—are similar, with the addition of an attendance zone known as CL22 in 860. In it, he proposed moving 107 students from Loudoun County High School to Tuscarora High School, and another 142 into Heritage High School; and moving 63 from J.L. Simpson Middle School to Smart’s Mill Middle School and another 93 to Harper Park Middle School.

In eastern Loudoun, he proposed moving 19 students from Park View High School to Riverside High School and 13 Sterling Middle School students to Belmont Ridge Middle School. Those students are in area just west of Rt. 28 which includes the Kincora Village Development, still under development with up to 2,600 multi-family units.

Beatty said he was moving as few

students as possible.

Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles)’s plan also focused on moving as few students as possible while alleviating the overcrowding at Loudoun County High School. His rationale included current enrollment numbers for the proposed boundary changes as well as several years out and focused primarily on numbers at Dominion, Potomac Falls and Park View High Schools.

“I’m not wed to this plan. I wanted a plan that minimized the number of students being moved and unfortunately I didn’t have good coordination with the other board members so I am fully open to adapting someone else’s plan that would also minimize and most of those do that,” he said.

Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn) took Beatty’s 860 plan and adapted it to include some changes to an attendance zone called DN09 that has asked him to keep their zone together as the student’s matriculate from elementary to middle and high school. Newton Lee Elementary School students from this zone currently go to two separate middle and high schools.

He proposed graduating Newton Lee fifth grade students in the 2023-24 school year and beyond move to Belmont Ridge Middle School and Riverside High School.

The fifth plan is the staff plan that was proposed on Oct. 13. Director of Planning and GIS Services Beverly Tate said it has 15 zoning plan changes and focused on fixing enrollment and capacity levels in Eastern and Central Loudoun and Ashburn. n

Inflation warning

continued from page 10

“With school nutrition funds, the USDA allows a maximum three-month expenditure limit and so we have for the last couple of years exceeded that so the resolution to that is then we have to submit a spend down plan and get it approved by [the Virginia Department of Education],” she said.

She said they have been spending down by buying pizza ovens and other equipment for fiscal year 2024.

She said the projected fund balance for the current fiscal year is $20.9 million, which is over the three-month expense limit. Spend down plans are in place for both this and next fiscal year to reach the target fund balance, according to first quarter financial forecast documents.

The health self insurance fund deals with the healthcare plans for employees and their dependents. Willoughby said they are seeing an increase in claims for medical, pharmacy use and workers compensation. She noted an 8% increase in maternity leave from the last year.

She said this fund is expected to go

over budget by about $11 million.

Willoughby said the staff will bring a budget supplemental action to the School Board to increase the budget to avoid overspending. She said the funding source will be the school operating budget, using projected surpluses from other areas to make up the difference.

“We are definitely in a good spot, especially compared to some of our neighbors in terms of being very well ahead of the curve and spending down our funds,” Willoughby said.

Willoughby also updated COVID-related funding awards, saying the division has 24 left totaling almost $85 million. She said they were on track to spending the remaining awards by the end of next fiscal year, noting one award for $16.9 million is being used for HVAC renovations at several schools. The award is part of the FY2024-FY2029 Capital Improvement Plan that will carry over into next year, with the money being awarded in 2024 and the work being completed in 2025.

The first quarter financial review captures activity from July 2022 through Sept. 2022 and gives an indication of what the rest of the year could look like. n

CABINET

“I just think it’s important for us to identify the difference between those books and content in a school and those in a public library and the purpose of a school library and I think it straddles the two,” he said.

“We need to look very closely when we are talking about the content and I’m sorry that we have materials in our schools that are not suitable, I’m really sorry about that and I wish it had never happened. But it happened, and it’s up to

us, it’s up to the board and staff to make sure that we identify those and categorize them so the community will know what they are reading, what their kids are subject to,” Morse said. “I don’t think that is a stretch. Our failure was in not screening those books before they came into our schools.”

Morse said it should be known when something comes into the schools, if it has objectional content and what its appropriate for. He said he hoped the board could make a consistency between the division’s parental notification and material selection policies. n

District Court Launches Veterans Treatment Docket

STAFF REPORT

The Virginia Supreme Court has approved Loudoun County’s application to establish a Veterans Treatment Docket, which is scheduled to launch this month.

The specialized court docket will offer substance use and mental health treatment for eligible defendants. Loudoun’s specialty docket will serve justice-involved veterans of the U.S. military branches who have mental illness or co-occurring disorders.

It is the third special court program offered in Loudoun Courts, along with the Circuit Court’s Drug Court and the District Court’s Mental Health Docket. All three offer personalized treatment and more intense supervision of criminal defendants with the goal of reducing the likelihood for future offenses.

Substance use and mental health treatment will be made available to veterans as an alternative to traditional case processing. Participants will receive regular supervision from a team across public agencies that monitors the defendant’s progress and provides resources tailored to his or her particular needs. Agencies supporting the District Court program include the Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the

Sheriff’s Office, the Office of the Public Defender, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and Virginia Department of Veterans Services.

The program is designed to keep defendants on track toward illness management and recovery and reduce re-involvement in the criminal justice system.

One difference in the veterans treatment docket model that sets it apart from the mental health docket model is the participation of other veterans who will serve as peer mentors.

Defendants eligible for the program will be Loudoun County residents at least 18 years old with prior military service who are charged with a misdemeanor offense or felony that has been reduced to a misdemeanor, and who are experiencing mental health issues meeting the criteria of serious mental illness based on the diagnosis, intensity, and duration, or meet the criteria for a co-occurring diagnosis and assessed at a medium to high risk of recidivism.

The Loudoun County Veterans Treatment Docket was developed through a comprehensive, two-year process that included the creation of a task force whose members conducted a feasibility study and completed implementation training. n

Community Rallies to Erase Offensive Graffiti in South Riding

STAFF REPORT

After white supremacist graffiti was painted around the former Food Lion store in South Riding Town Center on Friday, a group of volunteers worked Sunday to erase it.

After learning of the incident, Loudoun4All organized about 50 area residents to rally against the offensive messages and remove the paint.

“Loudoun4All believes that speech like this is too often used by people who feel empowered by the shock value it elicits. It is important to speak up and show them that words and actions that harm others are cowardly and disgusting, not empowering,” the organization said in a statement. “We will not remain silent in the face of hate. Hate has no home here in Loudoun County.”

Loudoun Interfaith BRIDGES and Equality Loudoun held a vigil outside the former Food Lion Monday joined by Sheriff Mike Chapman, the Loudoun NAACP, and faith leaders.

The Sheriff’s Office is working with station detectives, School Resource Officers, and the FBI and reviewing social media and other potential leads to find a culprit.

District Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) also condemned the graffiti, as well as similar graffiti at the Bed Bath & Beyond at the Dulles Landing shopping center, in an emailed update to constituents.

“The hateful messages displayed in this act of vandalism are disgusting and have no place in our community or any other,” he wrote. n

Politics

Randall Aide Launches Board Campaign, Setting Up Dem Primary

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Laura TeKrony, a longtime aide to County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), is campaigning to represent the new Little River District on the Board of Supervisors, setting up a primary contest with former Loudoun County Democratic Committee Chair Lissa Savaglio.

TeKrony has worked in Randall’s office since 2016, has lived in Aldie for 18 years, and serves on the Aldie Heritage Board among other community involvement. She is also an aide in the office of Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg).

Venkatchalam Announces Board of Supervisors Run

Ram Venkatchalam has announced he will run for a seat on the county Board of Supervisors in the newly created Little River District. He will seek the Republican nomination.

“The first supervisor from Little River should be representative not only of the district, but also of the growing diversity of Loudoun County itself, and I am that candidate,” Venkatchalam stated.

The Little River District was created during the most recent redistricting, a new southwestern district to replace to Blue Ridge District. It includes Middleburg, Aldie, Willowsford and Brambleton. With the new districts in place, there is no incumbent for the seat—Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) lives in Purcellville, which has been drawn out of the district.

A 14-year Brambleton resident, Venkatchalam ran for the Blue Ridge District seat on the School Board in 2019, losing to now-Vice Chair Ian Serotkin. He has served on the county’s Transit Advisory Board since 2017, and as its chair since 2020. Previously he has served as resident

She has not yet formally launched her campaign but has already begun fundraising and establishing an internet presence on social media and a campaign website. She plans a formal campaign and platform unveiling this week.

Her campaign puts her into a primary race with another well-established Loudoun Democrat, Savaglio, who resigned as chair of the county Democratic committee as of Dec. 1 to run for the seat.

TeKrony pointed to her experience in local government.

“As a current legislative aide, I understand constituent services, land use policies and local government. I have the knowledge and relationships needed to best serve our district,” she said.

She also pointed to her involvement in the community as a former PTA volunteer, starting citizens groups over the years, helping get the Arcola School on the National

vice president and director of the Brambleton HOA, and as a Loudoun County election officer.

In his announcement, he wrote the next Board of Supervisors should focus on “common sense solutions” rather than “divisive social issues and national agendas.”

“I am committed to the core purposes of local government, including economic development, education, public safety, and transportation, and to keeping taxes down while improving our quality of life,” Venkatachalam stated.

Venkatachalam, 42, works as an IT consultant for consulting firm Deloitte. His son and daughter attend Loudoun County Public Schools in elementary school.

Music Teacher, Single Mom Announces Ashburn Campaign

Catholic school music teacher Ana Quijano has announced she will run for the Ashburn District seat on the Board of Supervisors, seeking the Republican nomination.

Quijano teaches music at Saint Theresa Catholic School, a kindergarten through eighth grade school in Ashburn, and has

Register of Historic Places, and sitting on two nonprofit boards.

And she said she had considered running eight years ago, before going to work for Randall. Now, with the government experience and her children a little older—she has two daughters in high school and one in college—she said, “it just felt like the right time.”

Savaglio, a Brambleton resident, formally announced her campaign only hours after the November 2022 election, saying she will run on public education, human rights, climate change, along with more locally specific issues such as preserving western Loudoun and solving noise pollution from Dulles Airport.

Savaglio said she and TeKrony were aware of each other’s plans to campaign in advance.

“I’ve been boots on the ground with the people, making sure that issues that are be-

already garnered endorsements from two former supervisors. She is also the single mother to two girls.

“I moved from a condo to a basement apartment due to the increased cost of living in Loudoun,” she wrote in her announcement. “I experience each day what other families are dealing with, such as inflation, taxes, and the high cost of living.”

And she wrote she is a domestic abuse survivor and supports first responders.

“I know how important our first responders are,” she wrote. “I am committed to our law enforcement officers and our combined fire-rescue system. I will be their strongest advocate on the board, whether they live in the county or not.”

She said she opposes “high rise developments,” would work to repeal the county’s plastic bag tax, and supports “smart development growth.”

Former Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Ralph Buona, now living in North Carolina since his retirement, endorsed Quijano.

“She will hold the line on development and taxes. She is committed to strengthening our schools and vocal in her support for public safety. She is committed to Loudoun County’s Law Enforcement and the Combined Fire-Rescue System,” he stated.

She is also endorsed by Mick Staton, who represented the former Sugarland

ing talked about, issues are being raised in the community, no matter what community it is, so I think that I bring that unique perspective to it,” Savaglio said.

And she wants to make sure the primary stays positive.

“Primaries are about the issues, and primaries are definitely left up to the voters,” she said.

“I care about the district, and it’s going to all be about the residents, and existing residents and their needs, what matters to them,” TeKrony agreed.

So far only one Republican is in the race, Ram Venkatchalam.

The southwestern Little River District was created in the most recent redistricting, replacing the larger Blue Ridge District. With current district Supervisor Tony Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) living in Purcellville, which has been drawn out of the southwestern district, there is no incumbent. n

Run District on the county board for one term from 2004-2008. Staton made an unsuccessful bid for the Ashburn District seat in 2019.

“As a working mom, Ana knows how important it is to keep Loudoun on a tight spending leash. She will be a strong advocate for parents and will fight to maintain the family-friendly communities we know and love here in Ashburn,” he stated.

Both serve on her advisory team, along with Leesburg Town Council member Suzanne Fox, and former Republican candidate for Lt. Governor of Virginia Puneet Ahluwalia, and Republican activist Michelle Black-Staton, Mick Staton’s wife and the daughter of longtime Republican state senator Dick Black.

If elected, Quijano would be the first Latina to serve on the county board. According to her website, she was born in Colombia, and adopted and brought to the U.S. as a baby. Her father is also an immigrant from Colombia. She grew up in Leesburg and attended public and private school and was homeschooled, and started learning to play violin at four years old. She holds a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and is working on a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Phoenix.

The incumbent is Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn). n

TeKrony

Venkatchalam

Quijano

Director of Utilities, Engineering Programs Utilities $86,040-$156,137 DOQ Open until filled

Assistant Zoning Administrator Planning & Zoning $72,952-$132,386 DOQ Open until filled

Billing and Collections Coordinator Finance & Administrative Services Department $52,446-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled

Communications Technician (Police Dispatcher) Police $50,000-$88,774 DOQ Open until filled Custodian Parks & Recreation $50,000-$63,626 DOQ Open until filled

Deputy Director of Public Works and Capital Projects Public Works & Capital Projects $93,438-$169,567 DOQ Open until filled Groundskeeper Parks & Recreation $50,000-$81,495 DOQ Open until filled Head Lifeguard (Full Time) Parks & Recreation $50,000-$63,626 DOQ Open until filled

Land Acquisition Manager

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

Maintenance Worker I Public Works & Capital Projects $50,000-$75,040 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

Senior Engineer Plan Review $70,374-$127,560 DOQ Open until filled

Senior Planner (Preservation and Zoning Administration) Planning & Zoning $67,175-$121,947 DOQ Open until filled

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

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

Utility Plant Technician or Senior Utility Plant Technician Utilities $50,000-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled

Wastewater Plant Operator Trainee, I or II Utilities $50,000-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled

Water Meter Operations Supervisor Utilities $61,857-$112,250 DOQ Open until filled

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Towns

County Replaces Soccer Field with Tot Lot, Pickleball Courts in Fields Farm Plans

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

Loudoun County representatives on Nov. 30 attended a meeting with the Purcellville Town Council to address the town’s requests for changes to the county’s plans for a commuter park and ride and athletic complex at Field’s Farm.

At a Nov. 2 meeting, the Town Council told county staff members they wanted to add a playground and possibly pickleball courts to the athletic complex and opposed extending Mayfair Crown Drive to Hillsboro Road. They also asked for some kind of limitation or reduction of lighting for the athletic fields and a bigger buffer between the Mayfair neighborhood and the complex.

On Nov. 30, county staff members presented their updated plans which included eliminating a soccer field in exchange for a tot lot, picnic tables, and pickleball courts.

Loudoun Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure Acting Director Nancy Boyd said that without the fifth soccer field, they were able to move

the Woodgrove High School access road further away from the neighborhood, creating a 120-foot to 140-foot buffer between the Mayfair neighborhood and the road. They also presented an example of what the landscaping, fencing, and buffer could look like. They added that the loss of the fifth soccer field reduced overall

parking by 50 spaces.

Boyd also presented a sketch of the commuter lot showing the addition of canopy and ornamental trees as well as shrubs positioned throughout and around

HILLSBORO

Christmas Market Opens at Old Stone School

The Town of Hillsboro’s free Christmas Market will be held at the Old Stone School this weekend.

“We are delighted to provide another opportunity to showcase our outstanding artisans and give area residents and visitors a place to buy terrific and unique holiday gifts,” Mayor Roger Vance said.

In addition to crafts from area vendors, beer from Hillsboro’s Old 690 Brewing Company and wines from area vineyards, food will be available from Ford’s Fish Shack and Smiling Tummy Thai on Saturday and Uncle Fred’s BBQ on Sunday.

The market will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

FIELDS

FARM continues on page 18

Bush Tabernacle Reopens

After four months renovations, Purcellville’s historic Bush Tabernacle reopened to the public last weekend.

The building was closed in August to allow a contractor to replace the floor of the skating rink, believed to have been installed more than 80 years ago.

On Saturday, the building at the town’s Firemans Field complex will host the annual Holiday Market featuring the works of local artists and crafters from 1 to 6 p.m.

Sunday also features Hillsboro Preservation Foundation’s Historic Hillsboro Homes Tour, offering guided tours with stops at five decorative homes and outdoor spaces, with stops at Hill Tom Market and Market in The Gap Pizza. Tour tickets are available for $15 at oldstoneschool.org.

PURCELLVILLE Holiday Events

Continue Saturday

On Saturday, Dec. 10, the Christmas in Purcellville parade will begin at noon, following a route from Blue Ridge Middle School to 20th Street, Main Street and Maple Avenue.

Other events in town that day include at Holiday Market featuring local artists and crafters at the Bush Tabernacle, photos with Santa and ornament decorations at the Train Station, and a self-guided tour of the town’s best holiday light displays.

For details, go to purcellvilleva.gov.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

The Purcellville Town Council listens as Loudoun County staff members present on their updated plans for Fields Farm Park during a Nov. 30 meeting.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Purcellville residents attend an open house at Bush Tabernacle to see the new floors and other improvements after the town’s Dec. 2 tree lighting ceremony.

AROUND Town

Cannons Seek Intern Help

The Purcellville Cannons baseball team is seeking college students or high school seniors for internships during the 2023 season.

Internships offer an opportunity to develop skills in promotions, marketing, analytics, game day operations, social media, and website management.

For details contact Direc tor of Operations Jim Singhas at coachsing@gmail.com or 540-539-3123.

LOVETTSVILLE

Love Winter Lights Judging

Planned Saturday

Lovettsville will continue its Love Winter events with the town’s Light up Lovettsville contest on Saturday Dec. 10. The light judging will begin at 6 p.m.

Residents may nominate houses and businesses to be added to the judges’ route by filling out the form listed on the town’s Lovettsville Winter Facebook page. Awards will be presented at the Dec. 15 Town Council meeting. n

Purcellville Welcomes Holiday Season with Tree Lighting

Purcellville welcomed in the holiday season Friday night with the annual tree lighting event featuring carols from the Loudoun Valley and Woodgrove high school choirs, a performance from the Dance Academy of Loudoun and a visit from Santa.

Mayor Kwasi Fraser emceed the ceremony calling the crowd the largest he had seen in his eight years of hosting the event.

“There is a quote,” he said. “’Christ mas isn’t a season; it is a feeling.’ Indeed, it is. Let us enter this holiday season feeling hope for the future.”

Purcellville Police Department Chap lain Larry Brooks led the crowd in a prayer, and later in the event Scout Troop 2019 led an interfaith prayer.

For more information on upcoming holiday town events, go to purcellvilleva.gov. n

— Hanna Pampaloni

New Lovettsville Mayor and Council Sworn In

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.com

The Town of Lovettsville on Monday held a swearing in ceremony for new mayor Christopher Hornbaker and new Town Council members Robert “Bobby” Merhaut and Jennifer Reed.

Council member-elect Brandon Davis was unable to attend as his wife was in labor with their second child. A second ceremony will be scheduled prior to Jan. 1 for his swearing in.

Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clem ens administered the oath of office to the new members.

Mayor Nathaniel Fontaine whose term expires Dec. 31, emceed the ceremony and shared words of encouragement.

“As you take your oath as so many folks have done before you, in the town since 1836, remember those before you,” he said with emotion. “Remember our history as the top town of Virginia. Re member the heritage and the story of an independent German settlement. Remem ber that your new goal is to seek counsel and advice from a wide array of citizens, experts and staff … know that you in

these positions have a greater impact on the citizens of Lovettsville than anyone else.”

Hornbaker thanked his wife and daughters for supporting him on his jour ney to mayor as well as council members Tony Quintana and Renee Edmonston for their work on the council. Quintana and Edmonston’s terms end Dec. 31.

“Nothing makes me feel better than knowing that 88% of you all think I did OK for the last four years to keep me

around for the next two as your may or,” Hornbaker said. “And I will always be grateful. … I look forward to a great bright future in the Town of Lovettsville as we welcome new businesses [and] sup port existing businesses.”

Merhaut also thanked the residents who attended the ceremony.

“I’m just very excited to be on this Town Council and serve my town, my county, and my state,” he said.

Their terms begin Jan. 1. n

Lovettsville Lights

Town with Lantern Parade, Christmas Tree

Lovettsville held its annual lantern parade and tree lighting ceremony downtown at Zoldos Square on Saturday night.

Residents gathered to hear the Lovettsville Elementary School Fifth Grade Chorus sing carols, hear Oktober fest Queen Natalie Adlung read “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and visit with Santa.

Mayor Nathaniel Fontaine, whose term expires Dec. 31, greeted the crowd wearing his signature Christmas suit.

“I want to thank you for allowing me to be your mayor for the last four years,” he said. “It’s been a blast.”

Each child who visited with Santa received a book donated by the Lovetts ville Library and wrapped by residents of the town.

Santa

For information on the town’s upcoming winter activities visit their Winter Facebook Page at facebook.com/ LovettsvilleWinter. n

— Hanna Pampaloni

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Mayor-elect Christopher Hornbaker and his family after the town swearing in ceremony on Dec. 6, 2022.

Students from Loudoun Valley High School sing carols at Purcellville’s Dec. 2 Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.

visits and talks to children at Purcellville’s Christmas Tree Lighting event.

Santa visits children and hands out wrapped books donated by the Lovettsville Library at the town’s tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 3, 2022.

Antonio Ford directs the Lovettsville Elementary School Fifth Grade Chorus at the town’s tree lighting ceremony.

the lot. The plan that Boyd presented to the council did not include a connection from Fields Farm Park Road to Mayfair Crown Drive.

The council expressed appreciation toward county staff for the work they had done to accommodate those requests.

Council Member Mary Jane Williams asked Boyd what the long-term impacts would be for western Loudoun if the town

decided to reject the county’s plans.

“Well, as you’re aware, it takes years for these projects to develop, not just in terms of the technical development but in terms of lining up all of the available funding,” Boyd said. “I don’t think I could hazard a guess as to how long it would take to get all the ducks in a row again in the future. It would be years.”

Vice Mayor Christopher Bertaut asked if the county would be presenting a plan for reduced lighting in the athletic fields.

“As I mentioned at the last meeting, having to shut off early like we have

at Franklin Park is very problematic,” Loudoun Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Steve Torpy said. “The extended time that lighting allows does allow for us to deal with some of the field shortages that we are dealing with. The fact that we had eliminated another field just exasperated that, and so we did not recommend a change to that lighting time as far as the shut off. And I think we talked about 10 o’clock last time—from our standpoint would be the best for what we can program for.”

Council Member Joel Grewe asked what kind of utilities the fields would be using to maintain and run the complex.

“In general, for parks like this, any of the restrooms and concession buildings would be on public water and sewer,” Transportation Design Manager Mark Hoffman said. “Irrigation for fields, we always try to use groundwater wells and not public water because that is a really wasteful use of public water. And we are aware and we’ve already had several discussions with town staff about having to do a hydrogeological study to ensure that any groundwater extraction wells that we’d use for irrigation do not affect any of the town public wells.”

Council Member Tip Stinnette asked for some kind of environmental investigation, and that county staff would reconsider a permeable surface road option. And Mayor Kwasi Fraser asked how long the entire project would take to complete.

“That is a multi-faceted question,” Hoffman answered. “And part of the reason why that is multi-faceted is, as we’ve previously discussed, there are essentially four projects on top of each other at this location. And they all have different funding plans, and they all have to go in a certain sequence. So sequentially the Fields Farm Park Road and access road need to be built first because you can’t have any of the facilities without the road. So that would have to go first, then the park and ride most likely, then the park. That’s all based on the current funding plans that are in the county’s [Capital Improvement Program]. So different aspects of these projects would be completed at different times. So, it’s kind of hard to answer that question very specifically other than saying that they will go in a definite sequence and for all four of them to get all designed and built out, you’re probably looking in the seven-to-ten year range.”

The town council plans a Dec. 13 public hearing to hear from the community as well as discuss the issue further.

County staff members have said if the council does not complete long-delayed approvals before the new year, they will recommend pulling state funding for two

of those projects.

The county’s plans also include Route 7 interchanges at Route 287 and Route 690 and a park and ride lot, which are partially funded with state money through a competitive grant process. But facing years of delays from the town government, county staff members have said they will advise pulling state funding for those projects if they do not clear town approvals by the end of the year, citing a threat the county’s ability to win that funding in the future if it is not used in a timely manner. Staff members previously reported they had already received a letter from the Virginia Department of Transportation noting the delay.

With those projects dragging on, county staff members now provide monthly updates to the Board of Supervisors’ finance committee. During the Nov. 10 committee meeting, Supervisors Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) and Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) agreed they wouldn’t want to spend the money on the park if the county wouldn’t be able to make the most of it. And Letourneau said lighted fields near homes, including in more densely populated areas, are common elsewhere in the county.

If the new year comes with no approvals, county staff members have said it will be time to make some decisions, such as whether to cancel or delay the projects.

“We’re trying to work with the town to see what we can do,” Assistant County Administrator Erin McLellan said. “... It could be could be January or maybe February, we don’t have a hard and fast specific timeline, but that’s the timeline where staff feels we’d need to start considering what the longer-term outlook would be on those two projects.” n

“Well, as you’re aware, it takes years for these projects to develop, not just in terms of the technical development but in terms of lining up all of the available funding.”

— Nancy Boyd, Loudoun Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure Acting Director

LoCo Living

Loudoun’s Rising Stars

Young Musicians Showcase Spotlights Local Talent

BY JAN MERCKER jmercker@loiudounnow.com

When 13-year-old Natalie Williams got a guitar for Christmas three years ago, it came with a requirement from mom and dad: three months of lessons. Those lessons sparked a passion. Now, in addition to her work as a full-time middle school student, Natalie has launched a side career as a gigging musician.

Natalie is part of a group of talented young performers featured in the Young Musicians Showcase series organized by musician and teacher Brad “The Guitar Guy” Horan.

The series spotlights talented young people, many in their early teens, from around the region who already boast serious vocal, songwriting and guitar skills.

At a recent open mic night at Old 690

Brewing Company near Hillsboro, where the Young Musicians Showcase was born, the Harmony Middle School eighth grader was sporting a rock ‘n’ roll leather jacket over her sparkly Christmas skirt, ready to serve up some holiday tunes. Natalie was fresh off her paid appearance at the November youth showcase where she performed covers from Eric Clapton, Counting Crows and (her favorites) the alt pop icons Goo Goo Dolls.

“I’m pretty comfortable,” Natalie said. “I sometimes get a little nervous about one song, but I’m usually fine.”

Natalie’s dad, Nathan Williams, a music enthusiast whose love of rock and pop has influenced Natalie’s repertoire, said the open mics and showcases have inspired his daughter’s passion for music, creating motivation and a sense of accomplishment.

“This took her from practicing 15 min-

utes a night to an average of two hours because she wants to. … You need a goal, not just to practice forever,” Williams said. “It’s a great program Brad has created and fostered. For Natalie, it’s been an amazing outlet and has not only increased her love of guitar but has given her a great goal to work towards every month.”

Horan launched the showcase series earlier this year after seeing a wealth of young talent at a series of all-ages open mics he organizes at Old 690 and around the region. The first Young Musicians Showcase launched at Old 690 last spring. The series features a rotating roster of talented youth by audition or invitation. He will be adding an open mic component to the youth showcase series starting in January and plans to launch a similar series at Dynasty Brewing in Ashburn this month.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

‘The Snow Monster’

Friday, Dec. 9, 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 11, 2 p.m.

Village at Leesburg, 1609 Village Market Blvd. SE, Leesburg, #110 Details: aplacetobeva.org

A Place to Be presents an original musical for families about complex emotions and finding home as a young boy in foster care searches for his missing snowman and makes an unexpected connection with the snow monster who stole it. Admission is free.

‘A Christmas Story’

Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 11, 2 p.m. Trillium Gathering Building, 18915 Lincoln Road, Purcellville Details: goosecreekplayers.com

The Goose Creek Players present Jean Shepherd’s beloved story of his life as a boy in the late 1940s and the memorable Christmas when all he wanted was a Red Ryder BB gun. Tickets are $15.

Black Hoof St. Nikolaus Brunch

Saturday, Dec. 10, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Black Hoof Brewing, 11 S. King St., Leesburg Details: blackhoofbrewing.com

Join St. Nicklaus for a German style continental brunch and photo ops. Tickets are $17.50 for adults, $7.50 for children and $37.50 per family with up to four children. A portion of ticket sales go to the Loudoun Marine Corps League Toys for Tots program.

Holly Jolly Breakfast with Santa

Saturday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m.

Bluemont Station Brewery and Winery, 18301 Whitehall Estate Lane, Bluemont Details: bluemontstation.com

Enjoy a hearty holiday brunch and snap photos with Santa. Tickets are $22 for children, $32 for adults. Advance purchase is required.

Hillsboro Holiday Marketplace

Saturday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 11, 1-5 p.m.

Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro Details: oldstoneschool.org

Shop for unique finds from local artisans and crafters. Refreshments will be available for sale.

Christmas in Purcellville Parade

Saturday, Dec. 10, noon

Downtown Purcellville Details: purcellvilleva.gov

It’s a magical afternoon in Purcellville with plenty of holiday activities. This year’s parade theme is Winter Wonderland. Check out the website for more holiday fun.

Clay and Metal Loft Holiday Art Market

Saturday, Dec. 10, 10-5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 11, noon-5 p.m.

The Clay and Metal Loft, 27 Fairfax St., Leesburg  Details: theclayandmetalloft.com Shop for pottery, jewelry, fine art and handcrafted woodworking from top local artists.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

From left, Ryan Franko, Kennedy Dehler, Natalie Williams, and Penelope Adkins share the stage during a Nov. 21 Young Musicians Showcase concert at the Old 690 Brewery.

YOUNG ARTISTS ONLINE

To check out Natalie Williams’ performances, go to facebook.com/ natwilliamsmusic.

For Ryan Franko’s videos and schedule, go to ryanfrankomusic.com.

Young musicians

continued from page 19

“There were always young people who would come out to the open mics who were impressive. … We did [the show case at Old 690], and the kids were such a hit,” he said.

Horan, who performs as Brad the Gui tar Guy, started doing the solo acoustic scene after his daughter, Anna, also a mu sician, was born 16 years ago. “I’d start singing her to sleep and thought, ‘I’m not too bad at this,’” he said.

The Guitar Guy performs solo and as part of the duo Mockingbird Layne at venues around the region and organizes open mics from western Loudoun to Ash burn and beyond. He also teaches guitar, bass, mandolin, and ukulele at Shamrock Music Shoppe in Purcellville and inde pendently. As a dad and music instructor, he wanted to provide opportunities for tal ented young musicians to play in real-life settings. Many of the performers selected for the showcases are students at Sham rock and Loudoun Music Instruction in Lovettsville, which supply a pipeline of talented teens. But as word gets out, the series is drawing regional performers.

Ryan Franko, of Keedysville, MD, got his start playing open mics around the re gion, performing everything from Johnny Cash to Bob Dylan. Ryan’s parents are willing to travel to open mics within an hour’s drive from home, and the Boons boro Middle School eighth grader was featured as a Rising Star at the LoCo Mu sicians Festival in 2021. After performing at an Old 690 open mic night earlier this year, he got an invitation to perform in the youth showcase series.

The 13-year-old eighth-grader, who started classical guitar lessons at age 5, will be auditioning for Washington

To catch an upcoming gig from Penelope Adkins, go to facebook. com/penelopelylamusic.

County’s prestigious performing arts high school, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, early next year.

“I’ve played in front of audiences for so long, I don’t really get nervous any more,” Ryan said. “I like being out in places with audience interaction.”

Penelope Adkins, of Purcellville, who performs as Penelope Lyla, is a 14-yearold homeschool student and an avid song writer who mixes her own work in with indie pop and rock covers at festivals and showcases.

“I usually mix it up a little bit,” Penelo pe said.

Penelope performed as a Rising Star at LoCo Musicians Festival last summer and was featured at the Purcellville Music and Arts Festival. She enjoys the local festival scene but also appreciates the relaxed and upbeat atmosphere and welcoming audi ences at Old 690.

“I always enjoy playing at a brewery because people are so supportive,” she said. “They’re so nice.”

Penelope, who’s been playing guitar for two and a half years, has a musical theater and choral music background but says there’s something special about a solo acoustic gig, an experience the Young Musicians Showcase has allowed her to explore.

“I love being able to have a creative outlet–to perform my music and write songs and challenge myself with learning guitar and singing,” Penelope said. “I love being able to share the music I write with people. I love the people I’ve met.” n

The next Young Musicians Showcase at Old 690 Brewing Company is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. For details about this series and other up coming open mics and youth showcases, go to facebook.com/ bradtheguitarguymusic.

Saturday, Dec. 10, 4 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 11, 4 p.m.

St. David’s Episcopal Church msva.org

THINGS to do

continued from page 19

Lost Rhino Holiday Celebration and Street Market

Saturday, Dec. 10, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn

Details: lostrhino.com

Lost Rhino gets festive with a holiday market, free photos with Santa from noon to 3 p.m. and live music from Summer and Eric from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Christmas at Selma Benefit

Sunday, Dec. 11, 2-4 p.m.

Selma Mansion, 16045 Frost Leaf Lane, Leesburg

Details: loudounmuseum.org

Check out Selma’s gorgeous holiday decor and enjoy a dessert buffet, coffee service, cordials and an open bar with beer, wine and sodas. Proceeds benefit the Loudoun Museum.

Hamilton Mercantile Family Holiday Market

Sunday, Dec. 11, 5-7:30 p.m.

Hamilton Mercantile, 341 E. Colonial Highway, Hamilton

Details: hamiltonmercantile.com

Kids can shop for family members with a special selection of $10 and under gifts and create a handmade gift with Wild Wonder Creators. Admission includes a hot chocolate bar, and s’mores kits will be available for purchase. Tickets are $15 per child and benefit Mobile Hope. Admission is free for adults.

Leesburg Christmas and Holiday Parade

Saturday, Dec. 10, 6 p.m.

King Street, Leesburg

Details: leesburgva.gov

Santa and friends headline this holiday tradition making their way along King Street from Ida Lee Park to Fairfax Street with civic and community groups.

MSVA ‘Sing We Now of Christmas’

Saturday, Dec. 10, 4 p.m., St. James’ Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St., NW, Leesburg and Sunday, Dec. 11, 4 p.m., St. David’s Episcopal Church, 43600 Russell Branch Parkway, Ashburn

Details:

The Master Singers of Virginia’s holiday concert

BEST BETS

Saturday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m.

MacDowell

Saturday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m.

Lucketts

features a stellar program including “Lux Nova” by Eric Whitacre, “O Magnum Mysterium” by Kevin Memley and arrangements of “Ukrainian Bell Carol,” “Betelehemu” and “Sing Noel” by MSVA founder Dr. Erik Jones. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for students ages 6 to 17.

Old Dominion Chorus Christmas Concert Sunday, Dec. 11, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville

Details: odchorus.org

The Old Dominion Chorus is back with barbershopstyle Christmas tunes, performances by local high school choirs and a sing-along. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and active military and $6 for children under 9. Tickets are available online or at the door.

LOCO LIVE

Live Music: Michael Kelly

Friday, Dec. 9, 5 p.m.

Dirt Farm Brewing, 18701 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont

Details: dirtfarmbrewing.com

The Maryland-based singer/songwriter combines storytelling with influences from folk, rock, blues, country and bluegrass.

Live Music: Jessica Paulin Friday, Dec. 9, 5:30 p.m.

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

Paulin tosses in some holiday hits with her usual mixed genre musical fare.

Live Music: Derek Kretzer and Friends Friday, Dec. 9, 5:30 p.m.

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

Derek Kretzer is a multi-instrumentalist most recognized for his banjo, lead vocal and songwriting duties in the popular progressive bluegrass group The Plate Scrapers.

Live Music: Mangione and Benton Friday, Dec. 9, 7 p.m.

Tarbender’s Lounge, 10 S. King St., Leesburg Details: tarbenderslounge.com

Unwind with Friday night jazz from a favorite local duo.

Live Music: Chris Bone Saturday, Dec. 10, 1 p.m.

50 West Vineyards, 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: facebook.com/50westvineyards

Kick back with great tunes from Western Loudoun singer/songwriter and one-man band Chris Bowen of the Bone Show.

Live Music: Adriel Genet Saturday, Dec. 10, 1:30 p.m.

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

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

Live Music: Steve George and Friends Saturday, Dec. 10, 2-5 p.m.

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

Celebrate Saturday with classic rock, country, blues and beyond from a local favorite.

Live Music: Shade Tree Collective Saturday, Dec. 10, 5 p.m.

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

Enjoy traditional bluegrass from a Maryland-based five-piece ensemble.

Rowdy Ace Country Christmas Saturday, Dec. 10, 7-10 p.m.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg Details: macsbeach.com It’s a jammin’ holiday show at MacDowell’s as Rowdy Ace band returns with an energetic country rock performance.

Live Music: Melissa Quinn Fox Saturday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m.

Social House Kitchen and Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn

Details: socialhouseashburn.com

Wammie winner Melissa Quinn Fox brings her signature high-energy blend of rock and country to Social House.

Lucketts Bluegrass: Seth Mulder and Midnight Run Saturday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m.

Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Lucketts

Details: luckettsbluegrass.org

From the gateway of the Great Smoky Mountains, Seth Mulder and Midnight Run are deeply tied to bluegrass music traditions while offering a fresh approach to the high lonesome sound. Tickets are $22 for adults, $5 for youth 5 to 17 and free for children 4 and under.

Live Music: Nightwork Saturday, Dec. 10, 8 p.m.

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg Details: spankyspub.com

Enjoy a fun night of classic rock and barroom boogie from this high-energy five-piece band.

Live Music: Jason Masi Sunday, Dec. 11, 1 p.m.

50 West Vineyards, 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: facebook.com/50westvineyards

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

Live Music: Lost Corner Vagabonds Sunday, Dec. 11, 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 Lost Corner Vagabonds dig deep to reach those places that feel like home.

Winery Comedy Tour at Creek’s Edge Sunday, Dec. 11, 7-8:30 p.m.

Creek’s Edge Winery, 41255 Annas Lane, Lovettsville Details: creeksedgewinery.com

New York Comedian Ben Kirschenbaum leaves the crowd nodding their heads and laughing at his genius. Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 at the door.

SING WE NOW OF CHRISTMAS

ROWDY ACE COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

Brew Kitchen macsbeach.com

SETH MULDER AND MIDNIGHT RUN

Community Center luckettsbluegrass.org

Legal Notices

ARPA GRANT FUNDING APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

The Town of Lovettsville is now accepting applications for ARPA Round 2 Business and Non-Profit Grant Relief Funding. Forms are available on the Town’s website at https://www.lovettsvilleva.gov/ for the following:

1. Town Business Interruption Fund Application for ARPA Funds

2. Town Business Capital Investment Matching Grant Application for ARPA Funds

3. Round 2 ARPA Non-Profit Grant Application

All applications must be submitted to the Town of Lovettsville by Friday, December 30th. 12/8 & 12/15/22

Community Town Hall on Renaming

Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School

The Loudoun County School Board is considering changing some school names that do not reflect the School Board's values of inclusion and diversity and is seeking public comment. The first two school names to be considered are Mercer Middle School and Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School.

A Community Town Hall will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 15, 2022, specifically on Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School’s name. The public meeting will be held in the auditorium of Smart’s Mill Middle School (850 North King Street, Leesburg).

Information on the school name review is provided on the Loudoun County Public Schools webpage (https://www.lcps.org/Page/247047).

Citizens may attend the December 15 public meeting and/or submit comments via LCPSPLAN@LCPS.ORG.

Those who need translation/interpretation assistance or a reasonable accommodation for any disability to participate meaningfully at the December 15 Community Town Hall should contact the Division of Planning & GIS Services at 571-252-1050 at least three (3) business days prior to the meeting. 12/8 & 12/15/22

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS FOR:

SEPTIC SYSTEM MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR SERVICES, IFB No. 571784 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, January 23, 2023.

Solicitation forms may be obtained 24 hours a day by visiting our web site at www. loudoun.gov/procurement. If you do not have access to the Internet, call (703) 7770403, M - F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

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

12/8/22

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.

YR. MAKE MODEL VIN STORAGE PHONE#

2015 HONDA ACCORD

2010 TOYOTA PRIUS

2019 NISSAN SENTRA

1HGCR3F8VF025073

JTDKN3DU7A0092251

3N1AB7AP3KY413688

2000 HONDA ACCORD 1HGCG6690YA122544

2002 FORD EXPEDITION 1FMPU16L82LA91378

1994 NISSAN SENTRA

1N4EB31F3RC740096

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400 12/8 & 12/15/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

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

JJ045875-03-00, 04-00, 05-00

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 with goal of adoption, pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Joseph Kevin O’Brien and Petition for Termination of Parental Rights of Johnette Mae Nickens, mother, and Patrick Kevin O’Brien, father, pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-283 for Joseph Kevin O’Brien. Patrick Kevin O’Brien, father, is 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 his residual parental rights with respect to Joseph Kevin O’Brien. Patrick Kevin O’Brien, father, is hereby further notified that if his residual parental rights are terminated, he will no longer have any legal rights with respect to said minor child, including, but not limited to, the right to visit Joseph Kevin O’Brien; any authority with respect to the care and supervision of Joseph Kevin O’Brien; or the right to make health related decisions or determine the religious affiliation of Joseph Kevin O’Brien. Further, Johnette Mae Nickens, mother, and Patrick Kevin O’Brien, father, will have no legal and /or financial obligations with respect to Joseph Kevin O’Brien, and the Department of Family Services of Loudoun County, Virginia may be granted the authority to place Joseph Kevin O’Brien for adoption and consent to the adoption of 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.

11/24, 12/1 & 12/8/22

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS will hold a public hearing in the BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING ROOM, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Thursday, December 15, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:

VARI-2022-0002

Salman – Feyes Circle

Raied Salman and Athra Khalaf of Herndon, Virginia, have submitted an application for a variance to permit a deviation from the following provision of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in order to permit the construction of a single-family detached dwelling on the subject property located approximately 15.0 feet from the rear property line: Section 3-404(C)(3) – Lot Requirements for Suburban Design Option, Yards, Rear, which requires a twenty-five (25) foot rear yard. The subject property is zoned R-4 (Single Family Residential) under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance and is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contour. The subject property is approximately 0.31 acre in size and is located on the south side of West Church Road (Route 625), approximately 0.1 mile east of the intersection of West Church Road and Morgan Way (Route 1820), and approximately 0.06 mile west of the intersection of West Church Road and Magnolia Road (Route 1525) at 45581 Feyes Circle, in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 032-46-8230.

Full and complete copies of the above-referenced application(s) and related documents may be examined in the Loudoun County Department of Planning and Zoning, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call (703) 777-0246.

All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. If you wish to sign up in advance of the hearing, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing. Speakers may also sign up at the hearing. Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Board of Zoning Appeals, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, MSC #62, Leesburg, Virginia 20175, or by e-mail to stephanie.capps@loudoun. gov. If any member of the public requires a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability in order to participate in a public meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-7770200/TTY-711. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice.

Nan M. Joseph Forbes, Chairman

Legal Notices

Community Town Hall on Renaming Mercer Middle School

The Loudoun County School Board is considering changing some school names that do not reflect the School Board’s values of inclusion and diversity and is seeking public comment. The first two school names to be considered are Mercer Middle School and Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School.

A Community Town Hall will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 8, 2022, specifically on Mercer Middle School’s name. The public meeting will be held in the auditorium of Mercer Middle School (42149 Greenstone Drive, Aldie).

A community meeting to receive comments on the name of Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School will be scheduled in the coming weeks.

Information on the school name review is provided on the Loudoun County Public Schools webpage (https://www.lcps.org/Page/247047).

Citizens may attend the December 8 public meeting and/or submit comments via lcpsplan@lcps.org.

Those who need translation/interpretation assistance or a reasonable accommodation for any disability to participate meaningfully at the December 8 Community Town Hall should contact the Division of Planning & GIS Services at 571-252-1050 at least three (3) business days prior to the meeting.

12/01 & 12/08/22

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING LEESBURG TOWN CODE AMENDMENTS:

CHAPTER 2 (ADMINISTRATION); CHAPTER 6 (AVIATION); CHAPTER 20 (LICENSES, TAXATION AND MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS); CHAPTER 24 (OFFENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) SECTION 24-182 (NOISE ORDINANCE); and CHAPTER 32 (TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES); APPENDIX A – FRANCHISES; and APPENDIX B – FEE SCHEDULE, SECTION 6-25(2)(MONTHLY RENTALS)

In accordance with Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, §§ 2.2-4300 et seq.; 15.2-1102; 15.2-1123; 15.2-1125; 15.2-1427; 46.2-1220; 46.2-1302; 58.1-3921; and 58.1-3924, the Leesburg Town Council will hold a public hearing on:

Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REZONING APPLICATION TLZM-2021-0002 AND SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION TLSE-2021-0002 MEADOWBROOK

NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Rezoning application TLZM-2021-0002 and Special Exception application TLSE-2021-0002, Meadowbrook Neighborhood Center.

The subject property consists of approximately 23.56 acres of vacant land located at the intersection (southeast corner) of South King Street (Route 15) and Evergreen Mill Road. The property is zoned R-1, Single-Family Residential and is further identified as Loudoun County Property Identification Numbers (PIN) 272-10-4379, 272-10-5189, 272-10-8158, 272-10-6609, 272-10-7319, 272,10-8129, 271-10-8839, and 272-10-9649. A portion of the property also lies within the Gateway District (Overlay).

Rezoning Application TLZM-2021-0002 is a request by Traditional Land, LLC to rezone, subject to a Concept Plan and Proffers, approximately 23.56 acres from R-1, Single-Family Residential to:

• PRN, Planned Residential Neighborhood (residential) 6.98 acres

• PRN, Planned Residential Neighborhood (commercial) 4.51 acres

• PRN, Planned Residential Neighborhood (open space) 8.62 acres

• B-3, Community Retail/Commercial 1.44 acres

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ045188-07-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Ashli Martinez-Bonilla

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Maynor Martinez Acosta, putative father, and Unknown Father

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

It is ORDERED that the defendant Maynor Martinez Acosta, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 4, 2023 at 3:00 p.m.

11/24, 12/1, 12/8 & 12/15/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ046150-03-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Marjorie Cruz

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Endenilson Alavarado, putative father & Unknown Father

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

It is ORDERED that the defendant Endenilson Alavarado, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or January 10, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.

11/24, 12/1, 12/8 & 12/15/22

at which time the public shall have the right to present oral and written testimony on: proposed amendments to Town Code Chapters 2, 6, 20, 24, and 32; an amendment to Appendix B-Fee Schedule, Section 6-25(2) (Monthly Rentals); and deletion of Appendix A-Franchises.

The amendments to the Town Code Chapters 2, 6, 20 and 32 will clarify and refine business processes, conform the Town Code to State Code and to current Town operations, and correct inconsistencies and errors. The changes to Chapter 24 (Section 24-182) will clarify application of the amplified outdoor music portion of the noise ordinance.

The proposed ordinance would delete Appendix A-Franchises from the Town Code.

The amendment to Appendix B-Fee Schedule, Section 6-25(2)(Monthly Rentals) would establish the aircraft holdover storage fee referenced in airport hangar and tie-down leases, at $30.00 per day.

A copy of the proposed ordinance is available from the Town Clerk, located in Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.); or by calling Eileen Boeing, Town Clerk, at 703-771-2733.

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

12/1 & 12/8/2022

The application requests 65 residential units (single-family attached) and up to 34,000 square feet of commercial uses, including retail, office and dining uses that may be interchanged. A maximum of 11,000 square feet of dining is proposed. The site is located in what the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan (LLTP) de scribes as an “Area to Enhance” on the Area Based Land Use Initiatives Map (LLTP pg. 72). The property is further designated within LLTP as a “Neighborhood Center” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (LLTP pg. 76). There is no recommended density for residential use or a Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) for commercial uses associated with a PRN within LLTP. The requested residential density for the residential portion of the PRN is 1.53 dwelling units per acre (which includes the 8.62-acre open space parcel of Land Bay F). The proposed commercial F.A.R. of the PRN (Land Bay C) is .17.

The application includes 11 requested modifications to the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance (TLZO) regulations.

Special Exception Application TLSE-2021-0002 is a request by Traditional Land LLC for a gas station (with convenience store) of 5,000 square feet and a car wash of 1,450 square feet on a 1.44-acre portion of the 23.56-acre property (Land Bay G). The F.A.R. for the proposed uses is .10, and there is no F.A.R. requirement for the B-3 district.

Additional information and copies of these two applications are available at the Department of Planning and Zoning located on the second floor of the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting Scott E. Parker, AICP, at 703-771-2771 or sparker@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 Council at (703) 771-2733 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

Legal Notices

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

Case No. CL-21-6494

LOUDOUN COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT 18 East Market St., Leesburg, VA 20176 Commonwealth of Virginia, in re

SOPHIA MARIE CORUAJAL Plaintiffs VS. SOPHIA MARIE LOZADA Defendants

The object of the suit is to: CHANGE NAME OF MINOR It is ORDERED that ARLENE CORUAJAL appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before 01/20/2023 at 2:00PM Honorable J. Howe Brown, Jr. on November 22, 2022

12/8, 12/15, 12/22 & 12/29/22

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.

12/08, 12/15, 12/22 & 12/29/22

VIRGINIA:

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR LOUDOUN COUNTY

IN RE: ESTATE OF FULTON WANT, JR.

Probate File No. 19912

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE AGAINST DISTRIBUTION

It appearing that a report of the account of W. Franklin Pugh, Executor for the Estate of Fulton Want, Jr., and a report of the debts and demands against the Estate have been filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Loudoun County, and that more than 6 months have elapsed since the qualification of the Executor before this Court,

It is ORDERED that the creditors of, and all others interested in, the Estate of Fulton Want, Jr., deceased, do show cause, if any they can, on Friday, December 16, 2022, at 9:00 a.m., before this Court at its courtroom in Leesburg, Virginia, against payment and delivery of said Estate to the Estate's beneficiaries, after payment of remaining administrative expenses;

12/01 & 12/08/22

A message to elderly and disabled Loudoun County residents from

Loudoun County Department of Housing & Community Development Seeks Proposals from Rental Property Owners for Project-Based Vouchers

The Loudoun County Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) is accepting proposals from December 8, 2022, through January 23, 2023, from the owners of rental properties in Loudoun County to contract with the County for Project-Based Vouchers (PBV).

DHCD is responsible for determining the amount of budget authority that is available for a project and ensuring that the amount of assistance that is attached to units is within the amounts available under the Annual Contributions Contract (ACC) [24 CFR 983.6]. DHCD will award no more than 10 units per contract and no more than 20 percent of its budget authority to rental property-owners for project-based assistance. If approved, PBV assistance will be attached to newly constructed and/or rehabilitated rental housing [24 CFR 983.52].

PBV will be awarded to the owners of affordable rental housing which provide additional special housing needs such as fully accessible, 504 compliant housing units, and/or studio and one-bedroom units, as well as others based on an owner’s experience and capability to manage, build, or rehabilitate housing as identified in the proposal. DHCD reserves the right to not award PBV. Proposals will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. The request for proposals, proposal submission requirements, and rating/ ranking procedures are posted at www.loudoun.gov/pbv

For more information about the proposal review process and application procedures, visit www.loudoun.gov/pbv or contact Tandi Butler at (703) 771-5204 or tandi.butler@loudoun.gov

12/8, 12/15 & 12/22/22

Public Notice – Environmental Permit

PURPOSE OF NOTICE: To seek public comment on a draft permit from the Department of Environmental Quality that will allow the release of treated wastewater into a water body in Loudoun County, Virginia.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: December 8, 2022, to January 9, 2023

PERMIT NAME: Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit – Wastewater issued by DEQ pursuant to applicable water laws and regulations.

APPLICANT NAME, ADDRESS AND PERMIT NUMBER: Town of Middleburg, PO Box 187, Middleburg, VA 20118. VA0024775

Robert

S.

Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue

Residents 65 and older or totally and permanently disabled who wish to apply for 2022 Real Property Tax Relief for the first time must submit an application to my office by the January 3, 2023 filing deadline.

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

Leesburg Office 1 Harrison Street SE First Floor

Sterling Office

*New Location as of November 14th* 46000 Center Oak Plaza First Floor

Internet: www.loudoun.gov/taxrelief

Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, M - F

Phone: 703-737-8557

Email: taxrelief@loudoun.gov

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

12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22 & 12/29/22

NAME AND ADDRESS OF FACILITY: Middleburg Wastewater Treatment Plant, 500 East Washington St, Middleburg, VA 20118

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Town of Middleburg has applied for a reissuance of a permit for the public Middleburg Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The applicant proposes to release treated sewage wastewaters from residential and commercial areas at a rate of 0.25 million gallons per day into a water body. Sludge from the treatment process will be hauled to an approved facility for further treatment. The facility proposes to release the treated sewage wastewaters in Wancopin Creek in Loudoun County in the Potomac River watershed. A watershed is the land area drained by a river and its incoming streams. The permit will limit the following pollutants to amounts that protect water quality: bacteria, nutrients, organic matter, and physical & chemical properties. The permit includes monitoring for metals.

This facility is subject to the requirements of 9VAC25-820 and has registered for coverage under the General VPDES Watershed Permit Regulation for Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus Discharges and Nutrient Trading in the Chesapeake Watershed in Virginia.

HOW TO COMMENT AND/OR REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING: DEQ accepts comments and requests for public hearing by hand-delivery, e-mail or postal mail. All comments and requests must be in writing and be received by DEQ during the comment period. DEQ must receive hand-delivery and postal mail by close of business and email and fax comments by 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the comment period. Submittals must include the names, mailing addresses and telephone numbers of the commenter/requester and of all persons represented by the commenter/requester. A request for public hearing must also include: 1) The reason why a public hearing is requested. 2) A brief, informal statement regarding the nature and extent of the interest of the requester or of those represented by the requester, including how and to what extent such interest would be directly and adversely affected by the permit. 3) Specific references, where possible, to terms and conditions of the permit with suggested revisions. A public hearing may be held, including another comment period, if public response is significant, based on individual requests for a public hearing, and there are substantial, disputed issues relevant to the permit.

CONTACT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, DOCUMENT REQUESTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The public may review the draft permit and application at the DEQ-Northern Regional Office by appointment, or may request electronic copies of the draft permit and fact sheet.

Name: Alison Thompson

Address: DEQ-Northern Regional Office, 13901 Crown Court, Woodbridge, VA 22193 Phone: (571) 866-6083 Fax: (804) 698-4178 E-mail: Alison.Thompson@deq.virginia.gov 12/8 & 12/15/22

Notices

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.

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

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that Loudoun County Sanitation Authority dba Loudoun Water (VMRC #2022-1820) is requesting a permit from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to install three (3) horizontal shafts beneath Goose Creek using the drill and blast method, one (1) sanitary force main using an existing casing, one (1) potable waterline using the open cut trench method, 32-linear feet of riprap for bank stabilization, one (1) temporary access bridge, and to subsequently construct one (1) permanent bridge crossing across Sycolin Creek adjacent to the Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Loudoun County.

You may provide comments on this application (VMRC #2022-1820) at https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/habitat/comments/. We will accept comments by the USPS provided they are received within 15 days of this notice to: Marine Resources Commission, Habitat Management Division, 380 Fenwick Road, Bldg 96, Hampton, VA 23651.

12/8/22

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 Public Hearing/Work Session

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

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

*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).

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

Date Time Secondary School Attendance Zone Meeting

Mental health facility

continued from page 4

said part of the problem in Northern Vir ginia is that an existing regional facility has now been opened to statewide admis sions. And Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Development Ser vices Director Margaret Graham said pro viding a facility for the Northern Virginia region could take the pressure off the rest of the state.

“If we could build this out, my belief if we could use none of the state hospital beds, or very, very few … and then state hospitals would have more capacity for other regions,” she said.

Bell and Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31), who serves on the Joint Commission on Healthcare and the Behavioral Health Commission, agreed they’ll wait to see what funding the governor proposes and how to expand it.

“If we have this crisis stabilization, what it means is that a person who is com ing in in a mental health crisis, because they have someplace to sit to become stable, to get the help, they will not dis seminate and get worse, which means that they won’t have to go to a state hospital and overall will cost less money,” Coun ty Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said. “And so, the unit we’re asking for… will save much more money in the end, because now you’re not having someone go to a state hospital and wait for that bed and probably stay for days.”

State Lawmakers Temper Expectations

But state legislators also advised coun ty supervisors to temper their expecta tions with government divided between

Greenway tolls

Republicans and Democrats. Democrats still hold a majority in the Senate, while the governor is a Republican, and Repub licans hold the majority in the House of Delegates.

Bell warned the money could be tight this year.

“The signs are there from various peo ple in administration that the governor is going to ask for more tax cuts. Last year’s reductions were the biggest we’ve ever had with no offsets in the long term, which is a dangerous thing,” he said. “We’re one of 12 states with a triple-A bond rating, and we care about that a great deal, be cause it helps us in many ways. So I think we have to look at that going forward. I think there’s going to be another big bud get fight.”

And Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-33) warned this may not be the year to open up some issues, such as new renter and eviction protections.

“It was advised to me that for us to carry a bill of that nature would possibly open us up to causing some problems,” she said. “… In the current climate, it could be that someone changes the policy in a way that would not be as helpful as you’re hoping.”

And one of the items on the county’s wish list, she said, it already has—au thority to fund a program offering anyone facing potential eviction a right to legal counsel.

It could also be a fraught year for local zoning authority. Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposals to encourage more affordable housing largely through deregulation have some local officials worried the state could try to chip away at local authority.

“When the governor introduced his housing plan he started talking about zon ing, and of course we want to make sure we retain our local control of zoning,”

went into effect July 1, 2021.

And if its owners seek to keep it pri vate beyond 2056, the Greenway must make new financial disclosures and have at least a BBB- bond rating from a major credit ratings agency, the lowest invest ment-grade rating. None of the three ma jor bond ratings agencies rate the Green way that highly.

That was followed by the State Corpo ration Commission’s first-ever decision to deny toll increases on the Greenway, in a case that was not yet governed by the new law but served as an early test of some of the arguments it was based on. The Gre enway so far has not filed for a rate in crease under the new legislation, which

But that same year, Del. David A. Reid (D-32), who co-patroned Subramanyam’s bill, then split with county supervisors and the rest of Loudoun’s state delegation to introduce a Greenway-backed bill to end State Corporation Commission oversight and permit the administration to directly negotiate and execute a new deal with the Greenway. That bill died in committee, but Reid and Sen. Jennifer B. Boysko (D33) filed similar bills in the 2022 session, seeking to relieve the Greenway of those new oversights and further shield the company’s murky finances.

Their bill would have allowed the state commissioner of highways to negotiate a new deal on tolls with the highway own ers unilaterally, which would have placed the road under the governance of the Pub

Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonki an) said. “And frankly, we are working on an Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan and all of those things, and we don’t re ally need the governor messing with our zoning.”

Local zoning authority has been key to many of Loudoun’s strategies to en courage more affordable housing, such as through requiring a number of price-con trolled units during rezoning applications for residential and mixed-use develop ments. It has also been key to Loudoun’s efforts to keep up with the infrastructure demands of those new residents.

“You have to have schools, and roads, and firefighters, and police officers, and green space, and all those things,” Randall said. “So the state deciding that they’re going to do anything with zoning is com pletely inappropriate. They have no idea for counties and localities, municipalities, what their infrastructure looks like. They have no idea, if we build it, if we have room in our school system, on our roads.”

State legislators also said a request to extend from 60 to 100 days the timeframe for the board to hear and vote on a com prehensive plan permit appeal, a Planning Commission decision, is a non-starter. Fa vola said “there’s no way” she could put that 100-day timeframe in a bill.”

“There are folks that have very nefar ious views, and they think that Loudoun somehow would deliberately delay the review of the application and therefore cause developers to spend money unnec essarily, because they’re waiting for this review,” she said.

The warning highlights the power of the development industry and the Home builders Association of Virginia in Rich mond, which has previously vexed county attempts to maintain local authority and steer development, such as with new re

lic-Private Transportation Act, exempting it from local real estate taxes. The coun ty’s 2021 annual financial report showed the Greenway’s owners are the fifth-larg est real estate taxpayer in the county. The Greenway is owned by Toll Road Inves tors Partnership II, itself owned by Aus tralian investment firm Atlas Arteria.

The bill also would have required state and local officials permitted to be present at negotiations to sign a non-disclosure agreement and created a new Virginia Freedom of Information Act exemption specifically for that information about the Greenway’s finances.

Reid and Boysko argued the bill would open the door to discussions about dis tance-based tolling and reductions in tolls, although neither were required in the bill or are forbidden now. That bill was tabled

strictions on proffer agreements in zoning decisions.

And lawmakers questioned the pros pect—and constitutionality—of a request from the county to limit who can run for sheriff in Loudoun. The Board of Supervi sors seeks legislation specific to Loudoun County that candidates must be at least 21 years old, have a high school diploma or GED, and have at least 10 years of “in creasingly responsible law enforcement experience.”

That would make the Sheriff’s Office the only local office—including coun ty supervisor—where legislators have stepped in to limit voters’ choices. Typi cally, anyone who is eligible to vote for an office, meaning at least 18 years old as of Election Day, living in the jurisdic tion, and not having had their right to vote revoked, is eligible to run for that office.

Bell pointed out passing legislation specific to one locality requires a higher vote, and said, “it’s not something I’m willing to carry,” and he would be worried about “unintended consequences.”

He also pointed out the Governor of Virginia—who is only required to be at least 30 years old and a resident of Vir ginia—has authority over the State Police and National Guard.

“You can be governor and be in charge of significant military and law enforce ment personnel and assets and not have these specific qualifications, so I don’t know how we can make that argument, frankly,” Bell said. “… While I complete ly hear what you’re saying, I think it’s go ing to be a dangerous path to go down.”

“The pushback we’re going to get is, they’re elected. The voters can decide,” Favola said. “I’m not even sure we could apply any criteria, to be absolutely hon est.” And she said the idea “may not even be constitutional.” n

in committee until the 2023 General As sembly session.

The county’s 2023 state legislative agenda calls for “opposing any legislation regarding automatic toll increases, and oppose any extension of the Greenway’s operating license, seeking requirements to deploy distance-based and time-based tolling that materially benefits users both peak and off peak prior to any subsequent toll increases, and seeking requirements to deploy additional congestion manage ment improvements beyond those cur rently required, prior to any subsequent toll increases.”

The county also continues to build and seek funding for Greenway alterna tives such as Shellhorn Road and Prentice Drive to reduce congestion and offer com muters cost-efficient east-west routes. n

Opinion

Accountability

School Board members this week reacted quickly after an eight-month special grand jury investigation laid bare facts that should be horrifying to every Loudoun family who trusts the public school system with the stewardship of their children during the educational day.

Thirty-four hours after the graphic and damning report was released publicly, Superintendent Scott Ziegler was fired. The facts uncovered by the grand jury certainly justify that action—and more. They point to a concerted effort to protect the staff rather than the students entrusted to their care.

The process that was bemoaned by critics as a political witch-hunt when it began last spring resulted in an important public service. We now know that the actions and inactions of school personnel from the classroom to the top office on Education Court, the dysfunctions of the county’s court processes, and the impacts of the petty battles of elected office holders would have been left buried had the Attorney General’s Office not stepped in.

This student exhibiting the behavior of a sexual predator did not fall through the cracks. He was not unseen. The pleas of an exasperated mother, a warning from a grandmother, and a panicked alert from at least one teacher all went ignored. Clearly there are points where intervention would have prevented one or both of the assaults. Instead, the lives of three young people and their families have been irreversibly altered.

The evidence, so far, is that School Board members were poorly advised—by the superintendent and other top administrators, their staff attorney, county prosecutors and law enforcement. But given the inexcusable conduct that occurred under their watch and their inability to uncover the facts of the cases—even after contracting a team of lawyers to do so—board members must question their own qualifications.

The public trust they campaigned to hold cannot not be delegated away. They share in the need for accountability. After months of silence and hiding behind shields of legal protection, that, too, needs to be quickly demonstrated. n

LETTERS to the Editor

Reckless Disregard

Editor:

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, in conjunction with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue continue to move forward with their plans for a new fire station located on the Philomont horse show grounds. Their reckless disregard for the voters of Loudoun County is appalling.

This new station will cost taxpayers millions of dollars more than the renovation of the current facility. The BOS and LCFR continue to ignore the suggestions

of county residents. Moreover, there is a level of deceit and misinformation that is difficult for me to comprehend.

As an example, the Philomont Volunteer Fire Department recently issued its Fall/Winter 2022 newsletter. In it, Doug Frost, chairman of the board, writes “the overwhelming majority of Philomont area residents support the construction of a new station at the horse-show grounds.” This is simply not true. A few residents of the Philomont area have circulated a petition calling for renovation of the current facility and not the

replacement on the historical site of the Philomont horse show. This petition was signed by 450 supporters. Only eight folks declined to sign. The majority of these signers pay taxes and vote in Loudoun County. In addition, the results of the 2020 Public Safety bond referendum indicated the majority of households in the Philomont Fire & Rescue Station’s “first-due area” voted no on the ballot measure to design, construct, and equip a replacement facility.

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

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Ziegler fired

continued from page 1

Ziegler did not attend the meeting Tuesday. The School Board immediately adjourned following its vote, and refused further comment outside the building after the meeting.

After the report was released Monday, Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) and Vice Chair Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge) published a statement noting the eight-month probe found no criminal conduct.

“In spite of the recent allegations leveled against Loudoun County School Board (LCSB) members and Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) employees over the past several months, we are pleased that the Special Grand Jury’s extensive investigation found no evidence of criminal conduct on the part of anyone within LCPS, and not a single indictment was filed as a result of this lengthy process,” they stated.

However, they promised action on the report’s findings.

“This broad use of the special grand jury investigative process did, however, yield a Report that contains several criticisms of LCPS employees and processes within the Division that are quite serious. We are placing this on our next Board agenda for immediate discussion to reflect on these recommendations and take action as determined by the full Board,” they wrote.

Loudoun Now before the meeting had also asked each School Board member for comment on the report; only Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) and Denise Corbo (At-Large) responded.

“First and most importantly, my thoughts are with the young women and their families who were hurt by these incidents,” Reaser wrote in an email.

She said in her grand jury testimony that she talked about the need for those with information to do more than the bare minimum “to do everything in their power to collaborate and ensure students would be protected.”

“The report makes it clear that there are multiple parties that can do better; as a Loudoun County School Board member, I will take action where I have the authority to do so,” she wrote.

Reaser said the board has been working on ways to fix the “systemic issues with communication, transparency and responsiveness.” She said she looked forward to expanding on that work with her colleagues.

Corbo said she was still processing the information in the report and getting community feedback and wanted to wait

to give her personal comments until the grand jury had finalized its proceedings. But, she said, “I am concerned with the findings and feel for all those affected.”

A request for comment to Ziegler earlier in the day, before the School Board’s vote, was answered by an email from Public Information Officer Wayde Byard, who wrote that the findings would be discussed at the next board meeting and that “the superintendent would not comment in advance of this being discussed by the School Board.”

Supervisors Call for Action

Shortly before that vote, in a Board of Supervisors meeting happening at the same time, County Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large) had called on the School Board to fire Ziegler.

“Let me say this as clearly as possible: Dr. Scott Ziegler needs to be fired,” she said. “I’m not dancing around this. We had a young woman violently raped and another one assaulted, and this was for all intents and purposes, on his part, a coverup.”

Randall also said “somebody should cover the cost” of the years of therapy the two victims are likely to need.

“They were failed at multiple levels, multiple levels, and if it can happen to them, it can happen to other people as well,” she said. “So School Board, and LCPS, get it together. Get it together. Fire him. Fire him today. Fire him tonight. If you read that report, you can’t come out with anything else.”

Supervisors made their comments from their dais in Leesburg while the School Board was in a closed meeting in the school administration building in Broadlands. Randall’s remarks capped off a section of the county board meeting in which supervisors are given a brief time to comment freely. Other supervisors also expressed outrage with the report and called for action beyond firing Ziegler.

Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) condemned the “victory lap” by School Board members and administrators who pointed out the grand jury leveled no criminal charges, calling

it “unseemly” and “callous.”

And pointing to repeated incidents in the report where warnings from teachers and staff were ignored, Supervisor Sylvia Glass (D-Broad Run), an elementary special education teacher’s assistant, urged the school district to listen.

“I hope that the school administration are realizing that they need to support their teachers, their teacher assistants,” she said. “We’re the ones that are on the front lines. We see what’s going on. We’re close witnesses to students’ behaviors. I hope warnings from teachers do not go unnoticed going forward.”

Supervisor Caleb E. Kershner (R-Catoctin) encouraged the School Board to “look hard at removal or resignation of Superintendent Ziegler and others that might be responsible.”

“I didn’t view the special grand jury as an ideal way to get to the bottom of this, but there simply was never transparency about what actually happened,” Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said. “And so now at least we know the facts about what happened, and honestly, the facts are worse than what I thought they were.”

He also pointed to ignored warnings from teachers, and said “there has to be responsibility” for the many failures outlined in the report.

“I truly believe as a community we cannot restore faith—and I say this also as a parent in the school system—without change,” he said.

Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) said while the report revealed the administration mostly kept School Board members in the dark, “now the shoe’s on their foot” and it’s “a moment of real truth and reckoning for the School Board.”

“The School Board has an obligation morally, ethically and professionally in this county to do something about what this report has revealed,” he said. “The burden now is on the School Board. They can either be only the latest and final in a chain of dropped balls, or they can turn it around and say ‘no more, the buck stops right here and we’re going to do something about this.’” n

Obituaries

Harriet Cooley

Harriet Cooley passed away on November 18, 2022, in Hobe Sound, FL, where she had resided for nine years. She is survived by her sisters Abigail Modjeska of Edmonds, WA, and Hilary Cooley of Harpers Ferry, WV.

Harriet was born in Leesburg, VA, and was a graduate of Loudoun County High School. She went on to graduate from Richmond Professional Institute, which is now Virginia Commonwealth University.

Harriet was a teacher, tutor, property manager and systems analyst in her long career. But she found her true passion when she became the executive director of the Towing and Recovery Association of America. For 13 years, Harriet directed the association which trained and oversaw over 10,000 recovery drivers nationwide. She developed a National Driver Certification program for tow truck drivers and created a program that helped law enforcement, dispatchers, and towers cooperate and be more efficient at accident scenes. In 1990, she received the Ford Leadership Award and Tow Woman of the Year.

Harriet retired in 2013 and moved to Hobe Sound, FL.

Memorial donations may be made to the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

There will be a memorial service in the spring in her memory.

To place an obituary, contact Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or email: sstyer@loudounnow.com

Lives are like rivers: Eventually they go where they must, not where we want them to.

“We had a young woman violently raped and another one assaulted, and this was for all intents and purposes, on his part, a coverup.”

— Loudoun County Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large)

Grand jury report

continued from page 1

investigation by law enforcement, and I am unable to provide an update.”

The jury wrote they believed the Oct. 6 abduction and sexual assault “could have and should have been prevented,” saying administrators were ultimately to blame for the second assault.

“While we strongly believe LCPS bears the brunt of the blame for the Octo ber 6 incident and the transfer of the stu dent from [Stone Bridge High School] to [Broad Run High School], a breakdown of communication between and amongst multiple parties—including the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Court Ser vices Unit, and the Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office—led to the tragic events that occurred,” ac cording to the report.

The jury further stated it found no coordinated cover-up between adminis trators and the Loudoun County School Board—rather, the School Board mem bers were “kept in the dark” about the in cidents. With the exception of a May 28, 2021, email from the superintendent, the School Board had no information about the sexual assaults until after the Oct. 6 assault. And when they did learn the two cases were related, it wasn’t from the su perintendent, but from other public re porting, according to the report.

The grand jury found that more could have been done to prevent both assaults.

The report pointed out that the male student was already on the principal’s radar at Stone Bridge. According to the documents, his mother had been asking for help from the schools for years re garding her son and said the school “en able[d] [his]manipulative capabilities by siding with him and trying to be the fair and neutral party, often discounting my approach and recommendations with re spect to his reasoning and actions,” she said according to the report. “Only after his actions escalated to concerning levels did they choose to listen and incorporate my input.”

The mother also said she talked with the principal after the May assault and

pointed out her efforts to communicate with him throughout the year and only then did he say, “now we are listening.”

The report also included emails from a teaching assistant at Stone Bridge High School about the male student and his be havior. The teacher wrote about concerns she had about the student and said, “if this kind of reckless behavior persists, I wouldn’t want to be held accountable if someone should get hurt.”

The assault happened 16 days later.

The jurors concluded that the second assault at Broad Run High School “should have never occurred.”

“Had any one of a number of individ uals across a variety of entities spoken up or realized a serious problem was brew ing regarding earlier incidents at BRHS then the sexual assault most likely would not have occurred. But nobody did,” they wrote.

Soon after the assailant was transferred to Broad Run, reports of sexual harass ment behavior were known by the pro bation officer, the school resource officer, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and top school division administrators, the report states.

“Not a single person with knowledge of the student’s history or of this current action stepped in to do anything. Instead, discipline was left to the BRHS principal, who did nothing more than issue him a verbal reprimand.”

The male student was sent to the Loudoun County Juvenile Detention Cen ter on July 8, 2021, but released per state law on July 26. As part of his release, ac cording to the document, he could not re turn to Stone Bridge and was transferred to Broad Run High School.

The student had numerous complaints made against him while at Broad Run and several female students asked to be moved away from him in class. While the incidents were reported to the principal, the document said the teacher was not told about what happened at Stone Bridge.

The jury stated weeks went by with more incidents with the student being re ported and that the superintendent, assis tant superintendent and chief of staff were aware of them and that it was the same person who sexually assaulted the student

at Stone Bridge High School.

On Oct. 6, the individual “snatched an unassuming female out of the hallway, abducted her into an empty classroom, nearly asphyxiated her, and sexually as saulted her,” according to the document.

The assailant has been in custody ever since.

The jury wrote its purpose in sharing its findings was to ensure “transparency surrounding the investigation,” and pro vide recommendations to prevent it from happening again.

“While we do not expect this report to be well-received by all sides, the con tents herein are an accurate assessment of testimony received and our collective thoughts regarding that testimony and all other evidence received by this body,” it stated.

The School Board agreed to hire a law firm to conduct an independent review of the district’s handling of the sexu al assaults in October 2021. In January, the School Board announced it would withhold that report entirely—not even releasing a redacted version—citing fam ily privacy, student confidentially and attorney-client privilege.

Title IX

The report disputes the claim by Super intendent Scott Ziegler in the aftermath of the assaults that the school division’s actions—or inactions—were driven by Title IX.

“Title IX is a complicated federal law that few, if any, fully understand. We be lieve LCPS was severely delinquent with its Title IX responsibilities in 2021 and, due to Title IX’s complexity and the pub lic’s lack of familiarity with its nuances, has used Title IX as a shield to fend off criticism for its lack of action regarding the SBHS sexual assault,” according to the report.

“Even a cursory review of document and testimony, however, review those statements are far from the truth. Behind the scenes, the LCPS Title IX procedures were essentially non-existent, the staff was inexperienced, senior officials squab bled, and the superintendent was aware of it all.”

Obstruction Allegations

In addition to criticizing Ziegler’s con duct, the grand jury also highlighted ac tions by division counsel Robert Falconi and Sheriff Michael Chapman as hamper ing the investigations.

“Though LCPS declared in an April 13 statement its ‘inten[t] to cooperate with the lawful requests of the special grand jury,’ we experienced a much different posture behind closed doors,” the report reads.

The jury described Falconi’s con duct as obstructionist, working to con trol or prevent testimony from division employees.

“Unlike federal law, no Virginia statute explicitly addresses witness tampering, and the Virginia obstruction of justice statute does not cover this fact pattern. For those reasons, we are unable to con sider an indictment against the LCPS di vision counsel,” according to the report.

The sheriff was criticized for not shar ing important information with school administrators, to the detriment of public safety.

“The citizens of Loudoun County de serve better than two high-profile individ uals publicly squabbling and refusing to put aside any petty differences. Ultimate ly, the sheriff and superintendent need to put aside any disagreements they may have and recognize the import[ant] rela tionship between their offices. The safety of the students and the community require it,” the jury stated.

“This special grand jury was the epito me of professionalism,” Miyares wrote in a statement. “In the face of intense public speculation, the members were incredibly engaged, worked tirelessly, and spend countless days away from their families and jobs to conduct a thorough investiga tion into Loudoun County Public Schools. I encourage everyone to read their report and look for the positive change in LCPS resulting from their work.”

Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge James E. Plowman ordered the report be unsealed on Dec. 2.

Read the full report at loudoun.gov/SpecialGrandJury. n

LETTERS to the Editor

continued from page 28

I would like to see the support for Mr. Frost’s statement.

It is difficult to be heard in Loudoun County. At BOS meetings, speakers are limited to two minutes, cannot call out members of the BOS and applause from supporters is not allowed. This seems quite draconian to me. A meeting held by Chief Johnson to discuss the relocation of the Philomont Firehouse,

held at a local high school miles away from the Philomont community, was stacked with paid firemen, members of county government staff, and members of the fire fighter’s union, few of which live in the Philomont area. When do the residents of Philomont get a say without being pushed around and ignored?

I am very disappointed with the BOS. If the election were held tomorrow, I would not vote for any of them. I suspect that most residents of the Philomont community (and perhaps all of western Loudoun) agree with us.

— Lloyd & Nancy McCliggott, Philomont

The Grand Jury Recommendations:

Following its eight-month investigation into the Loudoun County Public Schools sexual assault scandal, the special grand jury made eight recommendations based on its findings:

Increase transparency and foster better communication.

The report recommends the school division include as much information as reasonably possible when informing the public about significant events happening on school property, a bus, or a school spon sored event.

The jury found that that school admin istrators’ decision to deliberately omit in formation about the sexual assault in the May 28 email notifying parents about the confrontation with the victim’s father was “emblematic of a consistent lack of trans parency on the part of LCPS.”

Re-examine its transfer process.

The report recommends the division create a formalized protocol for transfer ring students for disciplinary reasons, in cluding improved communication among the principals in the schools involved, cen tral office administrators, and the school resource officer, as well as the Common wealth’s Attorney’s Office, juvenile court authorities and the Sheriff’s Office when relevant.

In this case, the grand jury found that the transfer of the assailant from Stone Bridge to Broad Run “occurred in a

Clean house

continued from page 1

In its 24-page report, the special grand jury found that warning signs available to school administrators that may have pre vented the assault went unheeded, and that they unfairly treated Scott Smith, who was removed from the school on the day of the assault and later faced criminal charges after a scuffle at a School Board meeting.

According to the report, after the assault took place on May 28, Smith arrived at the school and became upset after he learned his daughter had not been assaulted, like he initially thought, but sexually assaulted. He was escorted from the building by the School Resource Officer 15 minutes after arriving. The principal requested a “no trespass letter” against the father from Su perintendent Scott Ziegler.

At that time, the male student who committed the assault was missing for nearly three hours in the school, and was only found at dismissal, according to the documents.

last-minute, haphazard manner,” with crit ical information about the student being withheld from the assistant principal and other faculty. “Throughout our investiga tion it was evident that a misguided and way-too-expansive definition of student confidentiality hampered the communica tion, cooperation, and coordination nec essary to provide a safe and secure envi ronment for student, faculty, and staff,” according to the report.

More involvement needed from the division’s director of safety and security.

The grand jury found that the director’s central concern during the May 28 incident was the report of the disruptive parent at the school and that he was unaware of the sexual assault or that the whereabouts of the assailant was unknown. The director also was not informed about or involved in the transfer of the student to a new school.

Tighten policies regarding the types of apps available to students on school-issued devices.

The investigation showed that the as sailant used the Discord app on a school-is sued Chromebook to communicate with one of his victims and that students use downloaded apps to evade the division’s monitoring through the Gaggle platform that is designed to identify student con versations involving safety threats and suicide. “LCPS needs to impose stricter

“Given the nature of the allegations, we are dismayed at the lack of concern re garding the assailant being at-large in the school for over three hours and believe the school should have been locked down to find the individual,” the report said.

An email to Stone Bridge High School parents, attributed to Principal Tim Flynn but drafted by the Public Information Of ficer and edited and approved by Superin tendent Scott Ziegler, addressed only the incident with the father, and not the sexual assault. The jury wrote the statement “de liberately makes no mention of the sexual assault that took place just hours earlier. Nor does it mention the fact the assailant had gone missing in SBHS for hours after he committed the sexual assault, jeopar dizing the safety of all students.”

The jury wrote LCPS, which has re peatedly cited privacy concerns in with holding information around the sexual assaults, “dropped the ball” in alerting the community.

“There was certainly a way to inform the community about the allegations of sexual assault without sharing information

policies and prohibitions for student down loads and student communication on their Chromebooks for non-educational-related purposes, and ensure any inappropriate content is immediately reported to school authorities,” the report states.

The School Board should limit the use of attorney-client privilege declarations to cloak information on legitimate matters of public concern.

The grand jury criticized eight of the nine School Board members for following the instruction of the division counsel to not answer many questions, citing attor ney-client privilege. The jurors found the claims to be overly expansive. “School board members seem to labor under the belief that every discussion that takes place in the presence of division counsel, whether or not division counsel is even in volved in the discussion, is subject to the attorney-client privilege, whether or not the communication is seeking legal advice or not, and whether or not circumstances of the discussion should even appropriate ly be considered confidential,” according to the report. Attorney-client privilege “should not be used as a shield that im pedes transparency, accountability, and openness, especially when it comes to the operations of a public body.”

Communication, cooperation and coordination across all agencies must be improved when addressing criminal conduct by students, faculty and staff.

about any of the students, or jeopardizing an ongoing investigation, but LCPS chose not to do so. We feel that since LCPS sent an email about the disruptive parent, they should have also sent an email about the incident involving students, which also required the involvement of the [Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office],” the jury wrote.

The grand jury report details commu nications with the assailant’s mother who pleaded for help from the school and a teaching assistant who, just 16 days before the assault, warned that the student was a danger.

“As we process this information again and the public now knows what we’ve known for 18 months it’s grueling, ex hausting and emotionally draining,” Jes sica Smith said in a text message earlier Tuesday.

The grand jury also addressed Smith’s arrest during the June 22, 2021, School Board meeting. Smith testified that he went to the meeting to learn more about a new transgender student policy that was on the agenda and had not intended to speak. According to the grand jury’s report, the

The grand jury found a systemic lack of communication among the school divi sion, Sheriff’s Office, court services unit, and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in dealing with individuals who may pose a threat. “There appears to be little appetite among these entities for sharing critical in formation when a student, faculty or staff member is accused of a crime. All too of ten it appears an overly broad definition of confidentially trumps the sharing of im portant information necessary to protect the safety and security of the school com munity,” according to the report.

Strengthen support and advocacy for faculty and staff who are faced with challenging scenarios that could be dangerous.

The grand jury found that the con cerns raised by a teaching assistant about the conduct of the assailant in the weeks before the May 28 sexual assault were ig nored by her supervisors. The report also cites concerns raised by two elementary school special education teachers who were advised to use a piece of cardboard or wear aprons to prevent students from grabbing their groin area.

The School Board should more closely scrutinize the superintendent’s recommendation for the non-renewal of a teacher’s contract.

The grand jury objected to the school division’s practice of approving staff ter minations on a “rubber-stamped consent agenda.” n

sexual assault took place in the girl’s bath room while the assailant was wearing a skirt. In the crowd, he got into a verbal altercation with a woman he said was bul lying his wife and threatening to ruin his business through social media. A deputy grabbed Scott, and a scuffle ended with his arrest. Ultimately, the charges were dis missed on appeal at the Circuit Court.

The grand jury reported that initially the Sheriff’s Office had not filed charges in the assault, but reversed course following that highly publicized altercation. Charges were issued July 2, 2021.

“We sincerely hope that the grand ju ry’s work is not yet done and that individ uals will be held legally accountable, but the school board should not wait on that. They should clean house in the administra tion and follow that by tendering their own resignations,” the Smith family said in a statement on Facebook on Monday.

The family urged the community to hold the “hyper-politicized administra tors and elected officials” accountable for putting their child and other children in harm’s way. n