Loudoun Now for March 30, 2017 by Loudoun Now

LoudounNow LOUDOUN COUNTY’S COMMUNITY-OWNED NEWS SOURCE

[ Vol. 2, No. 21 ]

[ loudounnow.com ]

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017 ]

Inside: Spring Real Estate Guide

One Loudoun Gets More Homes BY RENSS GREENE

ounty supervisors last week approved One Loudoun’s application for more residential units, bringing to a close months of negotiations that saw the application turned down and reconsidered. Ultimately, One Loudon’s developer, Miller & Smith, won approval to build 200 additional residential units, less than a third of the number originally sought. The revised application includes 40 townhomes and 160 apartments—a reduction from 685 apartments and 40 townhomes when supervisors first saw it. When the request was voted down in February, it was down to 40 townhouses and 260 apartments. The application had first been filed in July of 2015. Miller & Smith Vice President Bill May said the changes to One Loudoun since it was originally rezoned as a town center—10 years ago in January—have been to respond to market demand and bring the One Loudoun vision to fruition. The project is serving as a model for other large town centers that are in the early stages of development, including Kincora to the

east along Rt. 28 and The Hub near the Dulles Toll Road. “I think we’ve done a terrific job of creating the place and getting it to the level that it is now,” May said. “There’s over 750,000 square feet of office and commercial that’s been permitted and built, but there’s a lot more to do when it comes to the town center itself.” He said he’s not yet ready to go into detail about plans for a “high-end entertainment use” that required a reduced setback from Rt. 7 or ongoing work to bring a baseball team to an already approved stadium at One Loudoun. Overall, One Loudoun was originally approved for 3 million square feet of office space, more than 700,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space, and 1,040 residential units. County board Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn), who had earlier voted against the rezoning, made the motion to reconsider the application and last Thursday made a successful motion to approve the revised application. He said voting on residential applications is about “maximizing our opportunity in our economy.” “This is kind of what we want to ONE LOUDOUN >> 47 Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The view along Thorndike Street at One Loudoun. The mixed-use community recently won approval to build 160 new apartments and 40 new townhouses after a nearly two-year application process.

Census: County Growing by 31 Residents a Day Loudoun County has been bumped from the top echelon of the national list of fastest growing counties, but that doesn’t mean people have stopped moving here. According to U.S. Census figures re-

leased March 23, Loudoun’s estimated population growth rate between 2015 and 2016 was 3.03 percent. The county added 11,386 new residents, about 950 each month. While the population increase is a bit

smaller— and the growth rate is a bit slower—than previous years, Loudoun maintained its rank as Virginia’s fastest-growing large county. (Technically, New Kent County recorded a higher growth rate. At 3.5 percent, its 723 additional residents ranked only 22nd statewide in total population growth.) Since the 2010 census, Loudoun County has added 73,609 new residents, a 23.6 percent increase, according to the U.S. Census figures.

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Who is setting the pace of growth nationally these days? In Maricopa County, AZ, the population increased at a rate of 223 per day over the past year, now totaling 4.2 million people. With Phoenix as its county seat, the county is Arizona’s largest and the fourth most populous in the U.S. Other growth hotbeds include Harris County (Houston), TX; Clark County (Las Vegas), NV; King County (Seattle), WA; and Tarrant County (Ft. Worth), TX.

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INSIDE

Board vice chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) and county Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) with County Administrator Tim Hemstreet’s proposed budget after the last straw poll vote was cast.

BUDGET SPOTLIGHT BY RENSS GREENE

upervisors have wrapped up straw poll votes, and unless unforeseen changes are made before their formal adoption vote Tuesday, Loudoun has its fiscal year 2018 budget in hand. The Board of Supervisors is set to adopt a real estate tax rate of $1.125 per $100 of assessed value, a 2-cent tax cut from this year. At the same time, the county’s operating budget grew by $126.7 million, or 7.9 percent, over last year, to $1.728 billion. That means the annual tax bill for a home assessed at $400,000 will be $80 lower at the new rate. County leaders have attributed the revenue growth in large part to surging business investment and commer-

cial taxes. County Administrator Tim Hemstreet noted that growth in computer equipment tax revenues alone has brought in more than $154 million, an increase of 15 percent over last year, mostly thanks to the continuing data centers boom. So what does that buy?

The Schools’ Budget Supervisors will send the public schools 7.65 percent more in local tax funding than last year, $5.5 million less than the School Board asked for. The $5.5 million cut was the largest part of a $7.6 million budget reduction needed to bring the real estate tax rate down another penny. Supervisors had been working from a $1.135 tax rate, a 1-cent tax rate below this year. The board’s three Democrats, County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) and supervisors Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) and Koran T. Saines

(D-Sterling) voted against the school funding reduction. That brought the county’s total transfer to the schools to $748 million. The total schools’ budget—counting some funding for school buses, which will come from the county’s capital budget instead of from the schools’ budget to allow some financing flexibility—comes to $1.119 billion, 99.51 percent of its $1.124 billion request, and 88.5 percent higher than the current year. The budget for the county’s school system is a contentious issue almost every year. Some supervisors have cast the county board’s budget direction as a historic increase for the schools’ budget. Supervisor Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run) said he was disappointed in how the budget was covered in the press. “We’ve gotten some praise from some folks saying this is one of the smoothBUDGET >> 46

Makers movement flourishes

Mental illness: a mother’s account

Brewer Accepts Offer to Return as Dominion Principal BY DANIELLE NADLER

year, Williams petitioned the state to revoke Damron’s license, writing that more allegations had come to light, including that the teacher stayed in a hotel room multiple nights with that same student and that he sexually harassed several other students at Dominion. It’s unclear how much Williams or Brewer knew about those allegations against Damron in late 2014. Three board members supported Williams’ recommendation to fire Brewer: Eric Hornberger (Ashburn), Brenda Sheridan (Sterling), and Jill Turgeon (Blue Ridge). They have declined to comment on their vote. School Board member Debbie Rose (Algonkian), whose district includes Dominion High School, explained her position to reinstate Brewer in a statement released Tuesday. “After careful consideration of the entire hearing record, I concluded that BREWER >> 45

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INDEX Loudoun Gov..................... 4 Leesburg .......................... 8 Public Safety .................. 14 Education ....................... 16 Biz ................................. 20 Nonprofit News ............... 22 Our Towns ...................... 24 LoCo Living .................... 26 Real Estate ............... 29-38 Obituaries ...................... 39 Classifieds ..................... 40 Opinion .......................... 44

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For the first time since John Brewer was suspended four and a half months ago, the beloved principal will walk back into Dominion High School on April 17. He confirmed on Tuesday that he will accept the School Board’s offer to return as the school’s leader. In doing so, he agrees to a long list of conditions. Superintendent Eric Williams had recommended Brewer be fired. The majority of School Board members voted last week to overturn that recommendation and instead follow the guidance of an independent hearing officer to reinstate him as principal, but with disciplinary measures. The board technically voted to terminate Brewer and then rehire him for the same position on a probationary period, with contracts to be renewed annually, for three years. The stipulations also require the principal to comply

with a “plan of improvement” as set forth by Williams. The superintendent has not publically stated why he moved to fire Brewer, but it appears to stem from a letter of Brewer recommendation the principal wrote for former Dominion band director Brian Damron, which helped him secure a job in Duval County, FL. Damron is accused of making sexual advances toward a 15-year-old student there. He took that job in August 2015, seven months after he resigned from Dominion High School following allegations that he supplied alcohol to an 18-year-old student while at a conference in Norfolk. Two years later, in January of this

What’s in the Budget?

Ellis convicted in daughter’s death

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

Budget casualties: parking study, splash pad

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Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management Deputy Chief Matt Tobia and Chief W. Keith Brower.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Settled for $10K

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The building at the corner of Hay Road and Ashburn Road, which plans filed with the county call to demolish.

Old Ashburn Residents Hear Clock Ticking on Townhome Plans BY RENSS GREENE

esidents of Old Ashburn turned out to the county board’s meeting last Thursday to urge supervisors to hurry along a rezoning change to cap the residential density in rural commercial districts. People in the neighborhood are worried about paperwork filed with the county to build 135 townhouses around Old Ashburn, 26 of which have already been approved. During debates over a proposed public-private partnership to convert the Old Arcola School into affordable housing last year, the county discovered that its rural commercial zoning district has no limit on residential density—essentially meaning that property owners and developers have the right to pack in as many townhouses as they can fit on that property. The county is working on an amendment to the zoning rules that would cap residential units at four per acre—similar to other rural districts with single-family homes. But several site plans have already been filed with the county and are awaiting approval.

“We’re basically in a race with the administrative process,” said Tim Stone, president of the Ashburn Station Homeowners Association. “If Wellers Two and Trail View are approved before this occurs, it’s a moot point, and I just want to emphasize how important that it is to our community.” The Wellers Two application is to build 47 townhomes at Hay Road and Ashburn Road; Trail View is an application to build 46 townhomes along Jenkins Lane. Some property owners in the area are asking the county not to change the rules on them, because they have made significant investments in the planned townhome developments. “If we don’t do anything there, it’s going to stay the same,” said Tim Saville, whose father Harry Saville has plans to build 16 townhomes near the Ashburn Colored School. “The 7-Eleven’s been robbed three times.” Saville has said his father has poured his life savings into what he called an “investment property” purchased in 1970. Supervisors show every sign of approving the residential cap, but the deci-

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Governor Announces WMATA Study Headed by LaHood BY RENSS GREENE

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

sion has been delayed by at least a month because of a mistake by county staffers. An oversight by the county staff meant legally required notifications only started going out the day before the public hearing. The county will hold more public hearings at the planning commission April 10 and, again, two days later, at the Board of Supervisors meeting April 12. Board Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn), who was chairing the meeting in the absence of County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), said a vote on April 12 is possible, but unlikely. To vote at the public hearing, the board would have to suspend its own rules of order. In the normal course of business, the board would vote on the zoning change at its meeting April 20. “The Board of Supervisors, while it’s not a written policy, generally, we do not take action on an item in a public hearing if there is any controversy whatsoever about the item at the public hearing,” Buona said. “Could it happen April 12? Yes.” However, he said it is “extremely likely” the vote would occur at the April 20 meeting.

Virginia will pay for an independent review of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority headed by former U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Governor Terry McAuliffe made the announcement last week. LaHood headed the Department of Transportation during the time of negotiations around the Silver Line extension and met personally with county leaders to shepherd the idea. “We all know WMATA has faced some very serious problems over the past few years, and we need to take a hard look at where we can reform the agency to better support the region’s

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) during a visit to the All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Sterling on February 3.

residents and its economy,” McAuliffe said in a statement. “I have the utmost confidence in Secretary LaHood and I will support the recommendations that result from this topto-bottom independent review. It’s

long past time to make smart reforms that ensure WMATA’s financial stability and long-term success.” Metro has been the subject of many studies in the past, and many members of the region’s congressional delegation recently requested another study by the General Accountability Office. U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10) did not sign on to that request. Her spokesman cited “a running list of nearly 40 different reports on Metro from the last ten years.” But this study, said Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles), may be different. “This, I think, is more of a broader WMATA STUDY >> 7

The county has settled a $3.35 million wrongful death suit against Fire-Rescue Chief W. Keith Brower for $10,000, bringing to a close an almost four-year court battle. The case stems from a conflict between professional crew and the now-defunct Middleburg Volunteer Fire Department on July 13, 2011. According to a county staff report, Brower sent career staff on duty at the Middleburg station to the Aldie station as a result of hostilities between the volunteer crew. In the early morning hours of July 14, 79-year-old Nathan Smith suffered a heart attack in Upperville. His grandson called 911. The overnight volunteer crew at the Middleburg station had been suspended, so the career staff at the Aldie station responded, transporting Smith to a hospital, where he later died. Two years later, in July 2013, Smith’s daughter, Nannie Lewis, brought a suit against Brower, the Middleburg Volunteer Fire Department and its president John Brad Draisey. She argued that Brower’s decision to move the career staff out of the Middleburg station delayed the department’s response and resulted in Smith’s death. The insurer for Middleburg Volunteer Fire Department settled with Lewis in October 2016. “While the Chief had several excellent defenses had the case gone to trial, and we are confident that he would not have been found liable, the costs to try this case, including fees to expert witnesses, could have easily consumed the remaining $25,000-$30,000 in the County’s retention,” reads a report from the offices of the county administrator and the county attorney. “A settlement of $10,000, with no admission of liability, seemed a prudent cost saving for the County.”

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Months Later, Supervisors Still Wrestling with Sign Rules

SIGN RULES >> 6

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The county board is still trying to figure out how it wants to regulate temporary signs, almost a year after it started work. Supervisors opened the debate over temporary yard signs last April, hoping to get work done before the presidential election. The county’s sign regulations, which provide different rules for temporary construction signs than other types of signs, were deemed unenforceable following a 2015 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. That meant that the county couldn’t Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now crack down on noisome campaign signs. Now, the work has been sent back to Campaign signs greet voters in Waterford on Election Day 2016. the May meeting of the board’s Transsigns, at the issue’s second public hear- proximately 521.5 square miles accordportation and Land Use Committee. ing to the Loudoun County Office of The latest draft of proposed rules ing. “On we go.” It’s also an issue requiring supervisors would allow the total area of all signs on one property to be up to 32 square feet to regulate themselves—whatever rules and up to eight feet high. One temporary they pass will apply to campaign signs sign per applicant would be allowed on for local office. Some of county zoning lots less than 10 acres in size, and two staff ’s proposed rules have gotten backwould be allowed on larger lots. Zoning lash from supervisors—particularly a staff members explained that political requirement to have signs down within signs would be considered off-site signs, 24 hours after the event ends, in this case permitted under the candidate’s name an election. Board Vice Chairman Ralph rather than the property owner, mean- M. Buona (R-Ashburn) said it would ing multiple candidates could be adver- be “ridiculous” to expect candidates for office to collect thousands of yard signs tised on the same property. Family & Cosmetic Dentistry “If we’d have started out with just go- within 24 hours of polls closing. 44135 Woodridge Parkway, Suite 280 • Lansdowne,VA 20176-1244 “I’ d have to call out the Virginia Naing from four feet to 20 feet and that tional Guard to do that, ” Buona said. would have been the end of it, we’d have solved the problem and been done and Other supervisors agreed that rule www.lansdownedental.com gone a year ago,” said Supervisor Geary would be unrealistic—including Blue M. Higgins (R-Catoctin), referring to Ridge Supervisor Tony R. Buffington Jr. (R), whose 236-square-mile district the difference allowable between 3.30.17in Avie LN HalfPg size (CS).pdf 1 3/23/17 3:46 PM construction signs and other temporary comprises nearly half of the county’s ap-

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

Mapping and Geographic Information. Many supervisors also showed interest in a recommendation by the Dulles Area Association of Realtors to regulate the number of signs on a property by road frontage rather than acreage. Buona also expressed concern at the idea of allowing eight-by-four-foot signs. “If every developer who wants to sell their houses starts putting these eightby-fours up all the time, I know we’re going to get a huge public backlash,” Buona said. Conversely, County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) worried that allowing only one sign per 10 acres would be a problem for people selling their homes.

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State Issues Drought Watch for Northern Virginia BY RENSS GREENE The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has issued a drought watch for Loudoun County and other Northern Virginia jurisdictions, citing abnormally dry conditions from November through February and low groundwater levels. According to the DEQ alert, the watch is meant to make the public aware of “conditions that are likely to precede a significant drought event and to facilitate preparation for a drought.” The watch affects only water systems reliant on groundwater. Loudoun Water and the Town of Leesburg primarily pull water from the Potomac River, which is not subject to the alert. The DEQ warns that while public and private water supplies are in good shape right now, conditions could deteriorate in the spring and summer. The agency has cautioned well owners and water suppliers to minimize nonessential water use, review local water conservation and drought contingency plans, and aggressively find and repair leaks. Loudoun Water has reported lower than normal water flow in Goose Creek, from which it draws some of its water supply, although spokesperson Sue Crosby said recent rainfall has swelled the creek closer to its

Sign rules << FROM 5

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

The Goose Creek spillway. Loudoun Water has reported slightly lower flows for this time of year on Goose Creek.

normal range for this time of year. Crosby said the authority can completely meet its needs with water drawn from the Potomac River and purchased from Fairfax Water, even if it draws no water from Goose Creek. Loudoun Water is also gearing up its own program to draw water from the Potomac. The next stage after a “drought watch” is a “drought warning,” which would be required if a significant

drought is imminent. According to DEQ, water conservation and contingency plans would begin to be implemented. In accordance with the state’s Drought Assessment and Response Plan, water conservation activities at the drought watch stage would generally be voluntary, but this does not preclude localities issuing mandatory restrictions. rgreene@loudounnow.com

“If you have a piece of land that is that large, you need more than one sign just for drive-by traffic to know that you are trying to sell your house,” Randall said. Transportation and Land Use Committee Chairwoman Suzanne M. Volpe (R-Algonkian), whose committee has worked on the ordinance several times already, said the sign rules are “a complex issue.” “This has become much, much more complicated, and I am very concerned that we’re actually going to start impeding people’s freedom of speech,” Volpe said. “And on the other hand, no one has said a word about certain signs that are up all over the county, and even zoning enforcement—nobody wants to say anything, VDOT doesn’t want to say anything, because let’s just say it’s for a beloved principal.” Volpe was likely referring to signs posted in support of John Brewer, the Dominion High School principal at the center of a months-long controversy. “I just want to say, thank God the gentleman doesn’t live in my district, because he would kick my hm-hm if he ran against me,” Volpe said. Virginia has elections every year, so supervisors have a chance to get it done before the November 2017 elections for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and half of the seats in the Virginia House of Delegates. rgreene@loudounnow.com

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LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

look at the type of structural reforms that Virginia would want to see in order to increase its commitment to Metro and potentially get on board with whatever sort of solution might be coming down the pike,” Letourneau said. Letourneau serves on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, which is currently producing another report on Metro, and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. “I think this one’s probably going to

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have a little bit more gravitas because of Secretary LaHood’s position, and he really is uniquely qualified to do this,” Letourneau said. He added that LaHood “had a lot of direct involvement and learned a lot about the system and the players.” The WMATA board on Thursday approved a budget that includes fare hikes and reduced service, and board members have warned in the past that the 2019 budget could be even more dire without major changes to funding from Maryland, Virginia, DC and the federal government. McAuliffe’s office said it is expecting a final report in November.

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Cars make their way in and out of the Town Hall parking garage in downtown Leesburg.

BUDGET SPOTLIGHT

Leesburg Council Nixes Main Street Funding, Parking Study, Splash Pad BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ y the time Monday night’s budget mark-up session was over, several line items in Leesburg's proposed fiscal year 2018 budget had hit the cutting room floor. Town Council members last week had narrowed their budget debate to a dozen items up for further scrutiny, addition, or possible removal. Several more were introduced by council members Monday night. All the votes taken were non-binding straw votes, meaning even if something was proposed for addition or removal, that can still be changed up to the budget’s adoption, planned for Tuesday, April 4. In their votes Monday, council members trimmed $87,350 from the proposed $107 million budget, resulting in a potential reduction of the real estate tax rate to 18.48 cents. That’s down slightly from Town Manager Kaj

Dentler’s proposal to maintain the current 18.6-cent rate next year. The largest cut was to remove funding to start a Main Street program in downtown Leesburg. The program, run through the National Main Street Center, would have turned over duties for event promotion and the management of other downtown improvements and activities in the hands of a nonprofit. Dentler had earmarked $110,000 in the budget for the program’s start-up cost, including hiring an executive director and getting office space and equipment, but had emphasized that a community-wide discussion of the proposal was needed first. In an initial straw vote, council members had agreed to keep the funding in abeyance until the business community could work to form a nonprofit. But that motion was later reconsidered at Councilman Tom Dunn’s urging and ultimately the funding was deleted from the budget completely. “I feel much better about Main Street

Town Looks for Solutions to Parking Garage Woes

Although it appeared as of Monday night that Leesburg Town Council members were not quite ready to pull the trigger on a downtown parking study, one issue will be coming up for study this coming fiscal year: What to do about the Town Hall parking garage? Town Manager Kaj Dentler has emphasized to council members in recent years that the garage’s fee collection equipment is not only somewhat antiquated, but aging. The fiscal year 2018 budget includes a $250,000-line item, within the Capital Asset Replacement Fund, to improve the garage’s automation. Dentler said hiring a parking industry consultant would be a critical start to the research. There are many options out there to bring the garage to today’s technology, including the installation of Smart Parking Meters throughout the garage, and/or the use of payment by smartphones such as ParkMobile. That app was rolled out by the town last year for its on-street meters and the town’s new Church Street lot. Dentler also said another technology to consider is LED lighting in the garage for directions and safety, along with

being grassroots-run than government-directed,” Dunn said. He had the support of Vice Mayor Suzanne Fox and council members Ken Reid and Hugh Forsythe in deleting the Main Street allocation. One downtown initiative that did find majority support on the council was the addition of a holiday decor package, at $85,000. The package includes decorations that can be hung throughout the downtown on public property, such as Mervin Jackson Park and the alleyway next to the Town Hall parking garage. Also on the chopping block Monday was a $100,000 downtown parking study proposed by Mayor Kelly Burk. The money for the study would have come out of the town’s parking fund, which collects money from downtown developers who can’t provide required parking spaces on their own property. “This will help us meet the future BUDGET CUTS >> 10

lights that indicate to drivers whether a space is available. Council members have long pressed to move away from having employees stationed in the garage’s Market Street exits to collect fees. Dentler said those staff members could instead focus on enforcement. This is a task they already perform, but at times they have to leave their post and leave the garage gates open while they monitor the streets, meaning a loss in revenue. What to do about downtown parking supply, as it relates to demands placed on those developing commercial and residential projects in the area, will also soon be up for discussion. The council has asked to examine its payment-in-lieu program, which allows developers to make payments to the town parking fund instead of providing otherwise-required parking on their property. The fund, which must be used only for public parking, has a balance of more than $220,000. Council members and business leaders have criticized the program as ineffective—failing to provide additional parking spaces and serving as a disincentive to development downtown. Dentler said he expects to have at least initial discussion on how to move forward with the payment-in-lieu program at the council’s April 24 work session. — Kara C. Rodriguez

The Friends of Leesburg Public Arts is putting out a call for artists for its inaugural Arts in the Alley event. Set for Saturday, July 29, the event is designed to liven up the alleyway alongside the Town Hall parking garage, and spill over to Mervin Jackson Park and the Town Green. There will be 82 spaces for visual artists and crafts people to sell and demonstrate. A prime location space, suitable for a 10x10 tent, runs $60. Other spaces in and around the garage will cost an exhibiting artist $40. Or, wares can be hung on the railing of the garage for $30. Those who would like to demonstrate and sell can have one of several spaces available for $25. Event organizers are also seeking all types of performing artists or street performers for the Main Stage on Town Green and other locations throughout the venue area. There will be an area for children’s activities and other fun activities. To apply to be an artist or performer at Arts in the Alley, or for more information, go to admin569034.wixsite.com/alley. Inquires may also be directed to FOLPA President Sue Stipek at 703-864-5174 or admin@leesburgpublicarts.org.

Got a Favorite? Sculpture Voting Underway Visitors to Raflo Park sculpture garden are encouraged to cast a vote for their favorite piece during a promotion by the town’s Commission on Public Art. The trail winding through Raflo Park along Harrison Street is home to five modern steel sculptures. The project, ArtsPARKs, was created by the Commission on Public Art in collaboration with The Friends of Leesburg Public Arts. The current collection of sculptures will remain on display for one more year and will be available for sale to art patrons before a new round of sculptures is installed in 2018. Residents are invited to tour the exhibit and vote for their favorites in the People’s Choice Award. The winner will be announced at the Leesburg Flower & Garden Show on April 22. Coming into the park from the W&OD Trail, the first sculpture is “Sproutman” by Brian D. Kirk, which portrays the appearance of a growing plant ripe with fruit. The next piece, Kirk’s “Unity,” unites sweeping circular shapes drawing the viewer’s BRIEFS >> 11

McLister Sees Untapped Opportunities in Downtown

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Mike McLister stands on the second floor of one of his latest projects on Loudoun Street in downtown Leesburg.

But he kept hearing pleas from those working, or with a vested interest, in the downtown area that what it really needed was some nice, yet affordable, places for people to live. His residential projects have been equally successful, and he proudly reports that all of his current apartment and office space downtown is 100 percent occupied. Filling the need in the downtown residential market was about making available units that attracted “a diversity of income.” McLister notes the attractive apartments are ideal for everyone from school teachers to restaurant workers to firefighters to young professionals and more. And he hasn’t skimped on the details in creating his projects, of which he has done five in the past four years. Granite countertops, laminate flooring, stainless steel appliances, and in-unit washers and dryers, are just some of the features that come in every apartment unit built by McLister. The office units come just as nicely furnished. And he

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For downtown property owner Mike McLister, there’s beauty in the details. He proudly shows off his treasured projects. Handsome offices on King Street. Another office on Loudoun Street, in the former Eiffel Tower Restaurant space. Apartments nearby that seek to attract young and old who have thus far been priced out of downtown Leesburg’s small residential market. And he rolls out plans for another apartment complex, as yet unapproved, on Wirt Street. McLister just got into the business of buying, renovating, and leasing properties within the past decade. After enjoying early retirement for about a dozen years following the successful sale of his company, McLister got antsy and decided to scope out an office space in downtown Leesburg to start a consulting business. But the 26-year town resident didn’t like what he saw. “I found there was a void in downtown Leesburg of very nice, professional offices,” he said. So McLister got to work, and started his first office project, which was quickly leased out. He got approval from his bank to do another office project, which was also successful.

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Budget cuts << FROM 8 needs of parking as we continue to grow,” Burk said in defending the study. “We cannot continue to do piecemeal solutions. We need to have a broad, comprehensive plan for parking in Leesburg.” Councilman Ron Campbell made the motion, ultimately passed, to put off the study until a strategic review of the Town Plan takes place. “I’m not against studies. I’m against studies in a vacuum,” he said. “We talk about a comprehensive plan and it needs to be looked at. I’m asking for the proper conversation in the proper order.” Fox, Forsythe, and Dunn supported Campbell’s motion. Spared from removal from the budget was the town’s contribution to the School Resource Officers in Leesburg middle and high schools. Currently, the seven positions, which include one supervisor, are funded 70 percent by the Loudoun County government, with the town picking up the remaining 30 percent of personnel costs plus all vehicle and equipment costs. Town Council members over the years have asked the Board of Supervisors to increase the financial contribution to the positions, even at one point asking the county to foot the entire bill. But supervisors have maintained that if they cover the costs, they would fill the positions with county deputies rather than Leesburg police officers. Leesburg Police Chief Gregory Brown and Deputy Chief Vanessa Grigsby have been vocal about the importance of

keeping town officers in the schools, noting the positive relationships that develop between officers and students have ripple effects that boost community policing efforts. And that sentiment was not lost on the council. “The SRO program is something you can’t put a dollar figure on,” Forsythe said. “It means a lot to have a Leesburg police officer in the school system. It reaps benefits we will not gain having county personnel.” Reid was successful in finding support to add an unfunded “placeholder” to the Capital Improvements Program for 2020-2021 for an Interchange Justification Report for the intersection of Battlefield Parkway and the Leesburg Bypass. No funding source has been identified for the $2 million study. “We have to ask for funds and it doesn’t hurt to start early,” said Dunn, who along with Fox and Forsythe supported Reid on the motion. “It’s not too early to at least put it in as a placeholder. It sends a message to Richmond and the other forces that be that it is an important issue for us.” Town staff had recommended against the inclusion of the study in the CIP, noting that a county project aimed at eliminating a rush hour chokepoint on Rt. 15 north of town could make the study obsolete. One capital project that got the ax was the splash pad in Mervin Jackson Park, next to the Town Hall parking garage along Loudoun Street. The $275,000 project would not have used tax funds, as the town planned to use proffer funds from developers to pay for it. Former Town Council member and mayor David Butler had originally introduced the project, but it did not move forward after the Board of Architectural Review recommended that the town first develop a comprehensive plan for use of the entire Town Hall property. That master plan project is expected to kick off this spring. Other items addressed Monday was the capping of money for a consultant to look at Leesburg’s H2 zoning guidelines at $20,000, down from the originally proposed $40,000; the deletion of the Leesburg Listens citizen engagement tool on the town’s website, saving $7,200; a reduction in funds to Visit Loudoun to $60,000, down from the originally proposed $90,000; and doing away with the town’s membership in the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership, at $5,150. Motions by Reid to cap the pay for performance raises for town staff at 3.5 percent, and to reduce the town’s newsletters from three to two, were not successful. Dunn did not find any council support to eliminate the five staff positions proposed by Dentler as new additions to the budget. One item that looks to come back up for debate, likely following budget adoption, is the town’s funding arrangement for the Mason Enterprise Center building lease. Campbell noted that some of the original assumptions spelled out in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the town, Loudoun County, and the Mason Enterprise Center have not panned out, and Leesburg continues to be on the hook for a substantial contribution to the lease. Further scrutiny is needed ahead of the fiscal year 2019 budget cycle, he said. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

[ BRIEFS ]

<< FROM 9 points to the extensive work done before walls are up—new electric, plumbing, and HV/AC units run on natural gas. He has relied on a team of industry experts to grow his business—local Realtor Gwen Pangle, who serves as his property manager, and builder Paul Reimers. His proposed project on Wirt Street, between Loudoun and Royal streets, would create an urban infill project on a piece of property that McLister notes hasn’t contributed to town tax rolls since 1758. If approved, the three-floor, nineunit apartment building would bring up to $1 million in annual revenue to the

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The town’s Parks and Recreation Department will host the 25th Annual Easter Egg Hunt from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at Ida Lee Park. The Easter Bunny will be hiding more than 15,000 eggs filled with candy and special prizes for children ages one through seven. The hunts will be held by age groups: 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, and 6 & 7-year-olds. One parent will be allowed to assist children ages 2 and under. All other age groups will hunt without parents. Each hunt will have one grand prize egg and the lucky hunter will receive a basket full of candy, prizes and toys. After the hunt, family-oriented amusements and photos with the Easter Bunny begin. Amusements include unlimited rides on moonbounce houses, inflatable obstacle courses and inflatable slides, as well as face painting and the Half Moon Petting Zoo. Families are invited to bring lunches to enjoy a picnic at their favorite spot in the park. Food vendors will also be on site. Children are encouraged to bring a basket to collect their eggs, and parents should bring cameras to capture those special moments. Tickets can be purchased in advance in person at Ida Lee Park Recreation Center, online at idalee.org or by phone at 703-777-1368. Tickets are $10 per child in advance or $15 at the gate. The price of admission includes all attractions except food vendors. Parents pay no admission fee and children over the age of 7, who are not hunting or participating in amusements, will be admitted free. Children not hunting but wanting to participate in amusements can pay $5 at the event gate to receive a wristband. Pre-purchasing tickets is recommended in order accelerate access through the event gate. The Easter Egg Hunt will be held rain or shine. Parking will be available in the front fields located off North King Street. For more information, or to register, call Ida Lee Park Recreation Center at 703-777-1368.

Ida Lee Hosts Annual Egg Hunt

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

eye upward. Peter Wood’s sculpture, “The Artist,” is just across the walkway. This work makes use of the light and natural setting through patterns cut into the form. “Trail Blazer,” also by Wood, invokes the essence of motion inspiring viewers to continue their journey. Finally, at the south end of the park is “Birdhouse #6,” by Michael M. Clay. This work explores the dichotomy between nature and architecture. The five steel sculptures were chosen by a jury of art professionals in 2015. All the sculptures are available for purchase. Twenty percent of the proceeds from the sales will be invested in the ArtsPARKs program, paving the way for new artists to exhibit their work in subsequent years. To vote for the People’s Choice Best Sculpture Award, or for more information about purchasing one of the sculptures, got to artsPARKsLeesburg.info. The deadline for voting is April 20.

Downtown

erty’s assessments increased 56 percent. And he’s not complaining. “This is what the town can have [in terms of tax revenues] by improving and restoring our core assets,” he said. For the longtime business owner, building and restoring downtown properties was never a trade he imagined he’d get into. But the pride he gets from the outcomes keeps him motivated. “It’s neat because you can see [the projects] and touch them and feel them,” he said. “You can see that the businesses are doing so well, and can see that residents are happy and comfortable and enjoy that they were able to find a beautiful place to live in downtown Leesburg.”

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

<< FROM 8

town, he estimates, by way of tax payments, business/professional/occupational licenses, and meals taxes paid by the residents who would frequent downtown restaurants. McLister is hopeful that the Town Council will look at changing the parking regulations placed on downtown developers. He said the high fees charged when parking spaces can’t be provided on-site can hamstring projects before they get off the ground. He recently made a public plea to the Town Council to scrutinize the regulations and find a better solution that would generate more projects like his from other property owners. He holds up a tax assessment to make his point, showing that one of his prop-

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

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

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Leesburg Man Convicted in 2014 Death of Infant Daughter BY NORMAN K. STYER

fter hearing eight days of testimony, a Loudoun jury on March 23 found a 24-year-old Leesburg man guilty of causing the death of his infant daughter in October 2014. Diamante Travon Ellis was convicted on charges of second-degree murder, child abuse and neglect, and felony murder. Before the jury considered its sentencing recommendation, prosecutors dismissed the second-degree murder charge, which carries the same punishment range as felony murder.

The maximum sentence on the homicide charge was 40 years in prison. The jury recommended he serve eight years for the homicide conviction and Ellis five years on the abuse charge. Circuit Court Judge Jeanette Irby is scheduled to hand down final sentencing May 31. The investigation began the night of Oct. 2, 2014, when Ellis and his

grandfather brought the unconscious infant to the emergency room at the Inova Loudoun Medical Campus in Leesburg. The child then was flown to Children’s National Medical Hospital in Washington. After three days on life support, Devyn died Oct. 5. When questioned by Leesburg Police detectives, Ellis gave differing stories about what caused her injuries, finally saying that he dropped her onto a bathroom floor. A year after her death, Ellis was charged in the case. He has been jailed since October 2015. In the central part of the circumstantial evidence case, jurors were asked to wade through days of doc-

tors’ testimony concerning evidence of severe head trauma, broken ribs and leg fractures. Prosecutors said their findings confirmed that the devastating and massive injuries could not have resulted from a fall onto a tile floor, but only from abusive behavior. Defense attorneys argued it was unclear when the injuries occurred and whether some could have been sustained while the 9-month-old was in the care of her mother or other family members before the baby was dropped. nstyer@loudounnow.com

[ SAFETY BRIEFS ] 2 Died on Loudoun Roads The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office is investigating two fatal crashes that happened last week. The first occurred March 22 on Rt. 15 north of Leesburg. According to the report, the driver of a 2008 Ford F-150 pickup crossed the center line of the road south of the Montresor Road intersection. The truck collided with a northbound 2013 Subaru Impreza. The driver of the Subaru, Michael A. Larrick, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene. The pickup driver declined treatment. The second fatal crash happened Saturday evening south of Purcellville. The Sheriff ’s Office reported that around 6:15 p.m., a motorcyclist was riding a 2014 Harley Davidson southbound on Silcott Springs Road when he lost control and struck a tree near Woodmar Farm Drive. He and a passenger were thrown from the motorcycle. The driver, Craig D. Morrison, 44, of Purcellville, died from injuries sustained in the crash. The passenger was transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries described as non-life-threatening. Both crashes remain under investigation.

Ashburn Man Pleads Guilty of Assaulting Girlfriend A 35-year-old Ashburn man arrested last fall after shooting his girlfriend at a Brambleton home pleaded guilty to two charges on Tuesday. Investigators said Alejandro Delbrey held his girlfriend at gunpoint and then shot her during an argument at an Olympia Drive home Sept. 9, 2016. The victim fled to a nearby home and called police. She was taken to a hospital for treatment. Delbrey was later apprehended during a traffic stop near the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard. He was charged with malicious wounding, use of firearm during the commission of a felony and abduction, and faced a five-day trial that was scheduled to begin Monday. On Tuesday morning, Delbrey

pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of assault and battery and brandishing a weapon. The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office agreed not to pursue prosecution of the abduction and firearms charges. He was sentenced to one year on the assault conviction and a suspended six-month sentence on the brandishing charge. In addition to the jail time, Delbrey was required to surrender the Glock 9mm used in the assault and to have no contact with the victim in the future.

FBI

Boston’s ‘Incognito Bandit’ Nabbed at Dulles Airport

Ashburn Assault Suspect Sought Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office detectives have released a composite sketch of a suspect in a March 17 assault in Ashburn. Around 10:15 p.m. that night, the victim said she was assaulted by a male suspect in a parking lot on Blossom Hill Terrace in the Grove at Flynns Crossing neighborhood. She was treated for injuries described as serious, but non-life-threatening. The assailant fled with a passenger in a dark colored four-door passenger car. The suspect was described as a black male in his late 20s or early 30s; approximately 5-feet, 9-inches to 5–feet, 10-inches tall, with a slender build. He may have long black hair pulled back in a bun or have been wearing a stocking cap. He was wearing black thin-rimmed oval glasses, a black longsleeve shirt and black jogging pants,

The suspect in at least 16 Massachusetts bank robberies was arrested at Dulles Airport on Saturday as he attempted to board a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Known as the Incognito Bandit, Albert Taderera, 36, of Brighton, MA, is suspected of a series of bank robberies since 2015. The most recent was March 5 in Acton, MA. In February 2016, the federal task force investigating the thefts doubled the reward offered for information leading to his arrest to $20,000. In most of the robberies, the suspect was dressed in a dark hooded sweatshirt, dark gloves, dark clothes and kept his face covered by a mask and sunglasses. He will be extradited to Massachusetts for trial. and black high top sneakers with white lined soles. The passenger was described as a Hispanic or Asian male, approximately 27-years-old, 5-feet, 7-inches to 5-feet, 8-inches tall, with a muscular build and short dark brown hair. He was wearing a white tank-top and blue gym shorts with two white stripes up the side of the shorts. Anyone with any information regarding the possible identity of the suspect is asked to contact Det. M. Grimsley at 703-777-0475.

2 Women Report Groping Assaults in Cascades The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office is investigating assaults on two women in the Lowes Island/Cascades area of Sterling that happened March 21.

The first victim reported she was walking her dog in the area of Saulty Drive around 8 p.m. near Wilmington Drive when a male approached her, groped her, and ran away. A second victim reported said she was walking her dog around 8:05 p.m. on a path in the area of Whitewater Drive and Fathom Place when a male grabbed her before letting go and running from the area. In both cases, the suspect was described as a light skinned male, possibly high-school age, 5-feet 8-inches to 5-feet 10-inches tall and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with athletic pants with three white stripes going down each side. Anyone with any information regarding the cases should contact Detective D. Orr at 703-777-0475.

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Kevin Murphy receives applause during last week’s Loudoun County School Board meeting.

Murphy Named Little River Principal

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Students welcome visitors to Dominion High School on Monday for the opening ceremony of the sixth annual Loudoun International Youth Leadership Summit.

International Summit Unites Youth for Global Change BY DANIELLE NADLER

hen a few Dominion High School students were told by their teachers that they could change the world if they just put their mind to it, they believed them. So seven years ago, after they returned home from a trip to India, they set out to do just that. The result was the creation of the Loudoun International Youth Leadership Summit. In its first year, in 2012, the event welcomed students from five countries, and it’s only grown from there. The sixth annual summit kicked off Monday with an opening ceremony that welcomed 97 students from 22 countries. “This is the most countries—the most students—we’ve ever had participating. It’s multiplied every year,” said Matthew Traenkle, president of Dominion’s Glob-

al Ambassadors club, which puts on the event. Global peace will be a major topic of discussion throughout the 10-day summit. Under the theme, “Reconcile the Past, Shape the Future: Building Peace Within and Among Nations,” the students will take part in discussions and activities that examine internal conflicts in countries around the world, including the United States’ civil rights movement. The final panel discussion of the week will be on how to bridge racial and ethnic divisions. “We want to take our very tangible differences and be able to discuss them and find ways to connect,” Traenkle said. “We think it’s important for the younger generation to build these connections now, so that when we’re running the world, we’ll already have these relationships,” said Meghan Grove, vice president of Dominion’s Global Ambassadors club. “That’s why this is so important to

us.” Several of the international students said they came to the summit because they wanted to do their part to tackle big, global problems and that starts by getting to know people with different backgrounds. Erasmo Mkhago traveled to Loudoun County from Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. The 18-year-old said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the U.S. “I want to make friendships with people from other countries, learn from them, and then return to share a piece of those different cultures with people at home,” he said. Students from Dominion, Park View, Potomac Falls, Broad Run, Rock Ridge and John Champe high schools are hosting international students and their sponsors. dnadler@loudounnow.com

Charter’s Contract Request Naysayers

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

BY DANIELLE NADLER Middleburg Community Charter School is looking to extend and tweak its contract with Loudoun County Public Schools, but it’s getting some criticism from a few School Board members. The kindergarten through fifthgrade school opened as the first charter school in Northern Virginia in 2014. Its board of directors, made up of parents and other community members, signed a three-year contract with the Loudoun school system. This goaround, the board of directors requested a five-year contract that provides CHARTER CRITICISM >> 18

Little River Elementary School will have a familiar face in the administration office. This week, the School Board appointed Kevin Murphy as its new principal. Murphy has spent most of his educational career at Little River Elementary in South Riding. He started teaching there in 2006. He became an administrative intern at the school in 2010 and was named its assistant principal in 2012. “It’s surreal, in a positive way, that I have the opportunity to take the school to the next step, as they gave me my first step,” Murphy was quoted in a Loudoun County Public Schools article. He noted that two of his mentors from his first year of teaching at Little River are still there. “Little River is home. It feels comfortable.” He replaces Julie Gross, who has moved to a school support role as mentoring, coaching and evaluation supervisor.

Gov. Vetoes LaRock’s School Voucher Bill Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) vetoed a bill Friday that would have provided public school students with a voucher to be spent on private school tuition. The General Assembly had narrowly passed the bill, HB 1605 sponsored by Del. David LaRock (R-10), who represents western Loudoun. The legislation would have allowed parents of public preschool through high school students to apply for a “one-year, renewable Parental Choice Education Savings Account” in a similar amount to what the state would spend on the child in a public school setting. For Loudoun families, that’s about $4,000 a year. LaRock called the proposal a “win-win,” saying that it would improve educational access and opportunities for students and give parents more flexibility over their children’s education. In an emailed statement, he said, “I’m disappointed that Gov-

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Susan McGroddy, who works in the front office of Middleburg Community Charter School, checks on a student as classes line up for recess. The school opened in 2014 as the first public charter school in Northern Virginia.

SCHOOL NOTES >> 18

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Charter criticism << FROM 16 flexibility for it to one day expand to a middle school and enroll as many as 150 students. As a charter school, MCCS operates as a school of choice under the umbrella of Loudoun County Public Schools, but it has more flexibility in how it meets state and federal standards than a typical public school. Two School Board members who were not on the board when the charter school was approved three years ago raised questions last week about the benefits of operating a charter school in Loudoun. “What does this school provide that a traditional school in Loudoun County is not providing?” Tom Marshall (Leesburg) asked his colleagues at Tuesday’s board meeting. “I don’t see things happening here that other schools couldn’t do,” Joy Maloney (Broad Run) added. She pointed out that in the school’s first year, MCCS failed to meet accredi-

tation standards when its students’ pass rate in science was 14 points shy of the benchmark. School leaders have said that rocky first year can be explained in part by unstable leadership. The first principal was off campus part time to earn her Virginia school administration license, and she ultimately had to resign just five months after the school opened because of a lapsed visa. Under a new principal, the school has worked with school improvement coaches to boost students’ test scores. Last year, it tallied some of the highest scores in the county. “I’m not as easily discounting that first year,” Maloney said. “This is our first chance to look at this and say did this work, and to me one out of the two years we have data for, it didn’t. That is my concern.” The School Board’s charter committee has recommended that the full board renew the charter school’s contract. The board was scheduled to take a final vote on the contract Tuesday. Eric Hornberger (Ashburn), who chairs that committee, said the committee recommended a compromise to the school’s request to sign on to a five-

year contract. Committee members suggested making it a five-year conditional charter, provided that the school can meet accreditation standards this year. The testing for that is underway this spring and the test results will be released in September. Committee members have also asked MCCS to submit its request to eventually be allowed to enroll sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students as a supplemental proposal, separate from the contract under review. In response to Marshall and Maloney’s concerns, Hornberger noted that MCCS offers curriculum and a management model that is unique to that school. It also provides an extended year calendar, with two-week intersessions in October and March. He suggested the board members visit the school and meet with parents of students who have attended to learn more. Chairman Jeff Morse (Dulles) said the increased enrollment at the school over the years is one indication that MCCS’s model is working. Middleburg Elementary School closed in 2013 with an enrollment of 59 students and, since

the charter school has moved into that building, enrollment has more than doubled, to 131 students. “It’s an optional program, so we’re obviously meeting a need or there would be no one attending the school,” Morse said. The School Board heard from a few of those satisfied families at its March 21 meeting. Val Walters told them she’s never regretted pulling her two daughters out of another Loudoun County elementary school to put them on a bus for 30 minutes each day to attend MCCS. “It was a place where they were challenged and encouraged to think independently. They were embraced with learning differences and they were in a community that fostered giving back to the community, all while fostering a love of learning,” she said. “I think sending kids to MCCS was the best option for our kids, and we hope other families have that same opportunity.” Read an update on the board’s vote at LoudounNow.com/ education. dnadler@loudounnow.com

[ SCHOOL NOTES ] << FROM 16 ernor McAuliffe would turn his back to children whose educational needs are not being met in the public school setting. Constituents have told me how public schools are failing to meet the

federally mandated requirements of their child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Wealthy families already have school choice, but this bill would have expanded that freedom and opportunity to thousands of vulnerable kids.”

Students Win At Marshall Film Festival Four students took home awards from the George C. Marshall International Center’s 2017 Youth Film Festival, held Sunday at REHAU Inc. The film competition for C.S. Monroe Technology Center students had 12 entrants, and a second competition for students in the Marshall center’s Student Partnership Exchange Program had three entrants. The SPEP students’ films highlighted the exchange program, and the films by the students in Monroe Center’s TV production and digital moviemaking program spotlighted Marshall’s global impact and the importance of the living museum created at his former home, The Marshall House in Leesburg. Monroe Center students Jack Fox and Zack Goldman, won first place for their film, “A Glimpse of History.” Monroe Center students Lance Spurlin and Nicki Stuva placed second with their film, “A House Worth Remembering.” Student Maria Proano placed first in the SPEP category for her film, “France 2016.” SPEP student Journay Clinch placed second with her film, “Marshall’s Impact on Germany.”

Foundation Awards Good Neighbor Grants Lansdowne-based Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has awarded $225,000 in Good Neighbor Grants to eight nonprofit organizations to support academic and arts enrichment programs. A total of 152 nonprofits applied for 2017 grants, which range from $10,000 to $35,000. The grants that will support Loudoun County programs include: $35,000 for the Loudoun Education Foundation to support the launch of EDGE Plus, an 18week afterschool program for 90 fourthand fifth-grade students who exhibit po-

tential for high achievement; $29,000 for 30 low-income students to participate in Rock Ridge High School’s dual enrollment College Now Project; $10,000 to provide scholarships to 16 low- and moderate-income middle school students for two-week summer sessions at the history immersion program Extreme Journey Camp.

Loudoun Students Head to State Bee Eighteen Loudoun County Public Schools elementary and middle school students will take part in the Virginia Geography Bee on Thursday at Longwood University. They will compete against 100 students from around Virginia, and the winner will go on to represent the commonwealth at the National Championship in May. That competition will take place at the National Geographic Society Headquarters in Washington, DC, and will be broadcasted on the National Geographic Channel.

Student Organize Clean Up Day Lacey Tanner, a sophomore at Rock Ridge High School, invites the public to attend a Clean Up of Beaverdam Creek Reservoir from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 1. Tanner is holding the clean up event as part of the Step Up Loudoun Youth program, a competition that provides young people with grants to solve local problems. Volunteers should register at 22377 Belmont Ridge Road in Ashburn. Parking is available near the registration station. Volunteers should wear a hat, sunscreen and bug spray, and bring a reusable water bottle and work gloves. Follow Tanner’s clean up efforts at facebook.com/preserve.the.resi.

Mar. 30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Apr. 5, 2017

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Makerspace Expands on Two Fronts as Popularity Grows BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

he factory is coming to us. That’s the hallmark of the makersmith movement and Loudoun County is on the front lines of this budding industrial revolution. As Leesburg’s Makersmiths prepares to celebrate its second anniversary on Lawson Road, it also is setting up a new shop in Purcellville and looking to expand its Leesburg operations. The nonprofit, founded by Pat Scannell and Mark Millsap, recently completed a Kickstarter campaign for its Purcellville location, which will set up in a building leased from the town government on South 20th Street. A summer opening is expected. The search for a bigger space in Leesburg continues, as it appears the South King Street location previously under consideration may not be a possibility. The Makersmiths operation on Lawson Road has attracted a wide variety of users, from a brewer opening a new space, to local educators, artists and even large corporations. Leland Rogan, one of the owners of Crooked Run Brewing Company, came to the makerspace when he was looking for a way to make tap handles for the brewery’s new Sterling location. Usually, handmade tap handles cost $30 to $40. He encountered Brad Hess, a founding member of Makersmiths, in his brewery and Hess told him about the laser cutter available for use there. Armed with a background in construction and love of building, Rogan’s first time at the makerspace was not his last. In addition to the tap handles, Rogan made the pallet benches and tables, and flight paddles that can be found in the Sterling brewery. The table donated by Makersmiths to the brewery will be emblazoned with its logo, and Rogan is hoping to be able to raise awareness of the makerspace among his customers. “I want to make sure other people

Kara C. Rodriguez/Loudoun Now

Crooked Run Brewing Company co-owner Leland Rogan shows off some of the products he has been able to make for his new Sterling brewery, all at Leesburg’s Makersmiths.

know I built all this stuff at Makersmiths,” he said. “This place is really a hidden gem.” Some of the equipment at the facility cost tens of thousands of dollars and may be out of reach for individuals or even small businesses to purchase. Makersmiths provides it for a monthly membership of $100, plus access to valuable expertise from individuals skilled in various trades. Round Hill resident David Painter was perhaps one of the original makers. He jokes that they used to be referred to as “hobbyists.” Painter has a fairly extensive shop at his home, but has used the makerspace to take classes on things like Arduino—manufacturing and programming microcontroller boards—and is looking forward to learning more about computer-controlled equipment. Noting that home workshops, and the availability of skill courses in schools, are becoming things of the past, he has hopes that the next generation of young makers will thrive with the growth of

makerspaces. “I think it’s an overdue movement. They probably will learn more skills that will be useful to them throughout their life than by staying at home and playing on a computer,” he said. “No matter what catches your fancy there’s someone in the organization who knows something about it and is willing to share.” Focusing on engaging teens in the maker movement is of keen interest to Andrea Cubelo-McKay. When she found out about Makersmiths, she was already in the process of starting her own alternative learning center, called the Embark Center. She reached out to Scannell “to find out if there was a way we could work together and create connective space over our shared mission.” Scannell was on board, so the students who use Embark will also have access to Makersmiths, she said. “It’s a natural marriage,” to partner the two centers, Cubelo-McKay said.

Inova Loudoun CEO Walters Retires

agement, LEAN, organization re-engineering, strategic planning, physician engagement and population health. “I welcome the opportunity to serve the Loudoun community,” Addo stated. “With the expansion of Inova Loudoun Hospital underway, meeting the demand of a growing community requiring more acute and sophisticated healthcare services, I very much look forward to seeing Inova’s investment in the community assuring the high quality and accessibility of care to our Loudoun families, friends and neighbors.” Also announced Tuesday was the promotion of Senior Vice President Susan Carroll to regional executive officer over Inova Alexandria and Inova Mount Vernon Hospitals; and Dr. Don Brideau as interim CEO of Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. The selection process for the next CEO of Inova Alexandria Hospital is underway, the release states. “Clearly these appointments demonstrate our strong commitment to each of the communities we are privileged to serve,” Stauder stated.

Inova Loudoun Hospital CEO H. Patrick Walters announced Tuesday that he is retiring after five years at the hospital’s helm. Walters has had a long career in health care. Prior to joining Inova, he served as president and CEO of Alexandria Health Services Corporation and as administrator of Alexandria Hospital from 1992 to 1997. Following the merger with Inova, Walters led both Inova Alexandria and Inova Mount Vernon hospitals as its regional vice president. He also filled the role as interim CEO for Inova Fairfax Hospital, Inova Children’s Hospital and most recently CEO of Inova Loudoun Hospital. “Pat’s contribution to the advancement of excellent care throughout the entire region cannot be overstated,” Inova President and COO Mark Stauder stated. Deborah Addo has been tapped as Walters’ replacement. Addo came to

Walters

Addo

Inova in June 2014 with nearly 30 years of leadership experience in health care operations and management. She previously served as the COO and senior vice president of Meritus Health in Hagerstown, MD. Prior to that, she was vice president of Patient Care Services at Washington County Health System, a 300-bed hospital that was voted a top 100 hospital in the country. Addo’s areas of expertise include financial man-

MAKERSPACE>> 21

Shoe’s Names New Manager Shoe’s Cup & Cork has a new manager in Gina Burgess, whose worked at the coffee shop and restaurant since 2014. She quickly moved into management to become the front-ofhouse supervisor in 2015 and assistant manager in 2016. Burgess’ parents owned a restaurant, so she has been around the business since her earliest days. “My parents opened a restaurant in West Virginia two weeks before I was born, so my earliest memories are of being behind the counter there,” she said. “My dad has been a chef since his 20s, and he worked for Sysco before he retired, so I have insight into all facets of the food industry.” Cindy Schaufeld, Shoe’s managing partner, said Burgess was an obvious choice for manager after Curtis Allred purchased the Delirium Café franchise that will open on Loudoun Street this spring. “As sad as we were to lose Curtis, we knew that Gina was our best choice for his replacement,” Schaufeld said. “She knows the staff, she understands every aspect of the business and she is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. We anticipate that with the opening of Delirium and other new attractions, downtown Leesburg will attract new visitors, and we hope to provide a great experience for them.” Shoe’s Cup & Cork is at 17 North King Street in downtown Leesburg. Learn more at shoescupandcork.com.

Integrity Home Mortgage Welcomes New Team Members of The Fusaro Group have joined Integrity Home Mortgage Corporation’s team of mortgage specialists. Andrew Fusaro, Tim Fusaro and Danny DeGroat bring with them an abundance of experience and knowledge of loan programs to assist their clients in finding a home loan that suits their current financial needs. “Our mission is to help out clients with a mortgage experience that is as smooth and hassle free as possible from application to closing,” Fusaro stated. Integrity Home Mortgage Corporation opened its doors in 2005 and promises to be the lender that gets loans closed on time, and it considers The Fusaro Group a welcomed addition to the family. Contact a member of the team at 540-229-6184 or info@fusargroup.com.

Kiddie Academy Hosts Summer Camp Fair Kiddie Academy of Ashburn BIZ BRIEFS >> 21

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Makerspace << FROM 20

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She borrows one of Scannell’s favorite phrases for the best use of a makerspace—”hang out, mess around and geek out.” “One of the things we know is opportunities for that are becoming fewer and fewer,” Cubelo-McKay said. “Kids are getting more and more structured, schools are more test driven. We’ve created a whole movement around STEM and STEAM, but it’s with a particular outcome. But the most important part and the most exciting part is the process.” Giving teens the opportunity to make mistakes along the way—and thus learn something new—while working with their hands, is an invaluable opportunity, she said. While makerspaces can create new opportunities for children, schools and learning centers like Cubelo-McKay’s, large corporations are also tapping in to makerspace operations. In Leesburg, REHAU and K2M have agreements to allow their employees to work in the Makersmiths shop. It’s an effort to encourage creativity and innovation among their employees, company representatives said. About 16 REHAU employees have been using Makersmiths, which academy training manger Max Rohr appropriately refers to as a “tinkerer’s parade.” One project they have recently been brainstorming is how to renovate its Academy Training Center space.

“We’ve developed better ways to make the training center more of an interactive, almost children’s museum-type space,” he said. This has been accomplished by bringing in employees from different divisions within the company who may not normally brainstorm together, and use an offsite space that encourages thinking outside the box. Prototypes can easily be developed at Makersmiths with its plethora of high-end tools, not to mention inhouse expertise. “To go over to an offsite property to talk about innovation is against all the rules of corporate culture,” he noted. “The extra faces in the crowd [at Makersmiths] is kinda fun. That atmosphere is very, very creative. It’s a very innovative climate.” Two engineers at K2M, Chris Straight and Nicole Huang, have used Makersmiths through a corporate membership. They use the space for non-work projects, and Straight said K2M employees are encouraged to patronize Makersmiths to be creative not just at work but on their own time. “I think it helps people to realize they really can come up with neat ideas and make things and then can apply that [thinking] to the business,” Straight says. Huang used the makerspace to make gifts for family and friends, and that creativity has helped her with her role at K2M, she said. “It’s great way to just exercise the mind outside of work.” For more information about Makersmiths, go to makersmiths.org.

PROVIDING CLEANING SERVICES

Inova Loudoun Hospital will hold an open house at its Ladies Board Birthing Inn and the Natural Birth Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 1. Those considering pregnancy, expecting, or in search of an OB/GYN or midwife are invited to attend to get to know Inova Loudoun’s obstetrics services. The event will include personalized tours of the facilities, a chance to meet physicians and midwives, mini massages and free prenatal and babyand-me yoga classes. It will also feature breakout sessions on: pain management in labor, pregnancy after 35, optimizing your health during pregnancy, and breastfeeding for success. Register and see the full schedule of events at inova.org/OBopenhouse. The open house will take place in the Conference Center at the Lansdowne campus, 44045 Riverside Parkway.

The first CareNow clinic in Northern Virginia will open in Sterling on April 4. The clinic, CareNow Urgent Care-Sterling at Cascades, will be part of a network of clinics in Northern Virginia and in several other U.S. markets. CareNow clinics are walk-ins, but they provide web check-in at CareNow.com, an online preregistration process that triggers a call from CareNow staff to tell the patient when the provider will be ready to see them. Knowing when they should come in, and having pre-registered, the patient can wait anywhere and arrive just before the estimated time. This practically eliminates wait time in the clinic waiting room. “Our goal is to continuously provide our patients with high quality care every step of the way; and, partnering with CareNow gives our patients access to that level of care throughout Northern Virginia,” stated John Deardorff, president and CEO of Reston Hospital Center and HCA’s Northern Virginia Market. The CareNow clinics are set to serve the community as additional access points for acute care, bridging the gap between a visit to the doctor and a visit to your local HCA Emergency Room. Partnering with HCA facilities in Northern Virginia such as Reston Hospital Center and StoneSprings Hospital Center allows patients to access convenient care quickly within a trusted network. More information is at CareNow.com.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Inova Birthing Inn Holds Open House

CareNow Clinic Opens in Sterling

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

<< FROM 20

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[ NONPROFIT ]

Psychiatric Program Gives Young People a Lifeline BY DANIELLE NADLER

t was about a year ago that Loudoun County began to see a noticeable rise in suicides, especially among teenagers. That’s when community leaders looked for ways to improve the mental health safety net. They found one, called Turning Point, in neighboring Fairfax County that had seen some success. The Loudoun County Community Services Board and McLean-based nonprofit Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services Inc. teamed up to launch a similar program here, called Linking Individuals & Managing Care. LINC is an intensive, two-year mental health program to help young people experiencing psychosis find hope and recover. Now, just more than a year in, the Loudoun County program has helped 18 individuals, has 16 enrolled now, and has space for more. One western Loudoun mother credits LINC to giving her son the hope of recovery from his dark mental illness. She wanted to share his story to spread the word to those who have friends or family experiencing psychosis that help is available. “I want to give hope to other people, and I want programs like LINC to continue because they’re meeting a need that would otherwise go unmet in our community,” said Beth, who requested her last name not be published to protect her son’s identity. Her son’s journey with mental illness

started in June of 2014. The Loudoun Valley graduate returned home from college for summer break changed. He wasn’t his typical outgoing, social self. He was experiencing hallucinations, hearing voices, and felt paranoid about his and his family’s safety. He stopped eating, drinking and sleeping.

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“He couldn’t be around people, where as before, he couldn’t not be around people,” his mother said. “At times, he would be awake for days and days and days.” At first, she hesitated to call law enforcement. Just months earlier, 17-year-old Christian Sierra had been

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fatally shot by a Purcellville Police Department after his friends called for help because he was threatening suicide. “This made the decision to call for help more frightening and difficult,” she said. “… When my father had Alzheimer’s, we could call an ambulance to get help for him. But when my son was psychotic, we had to call the sheriff ’s department. That’s really frightening.” He was treated at a Loudoun County hospital for 28 days. He was discharged while he was still psychotic and with no clear continuing treatment plan, other than an appointment with a psychiatrist. He returned to the hospital three months later for another 28-day stay after police officers found him wandering the streets of Purcellville in a catatonic state. Two months later, he transferred to John Hopkins Hospital, where he received a month of inpatient care and a month of outpatient care. Beth said her son made big strides there, but again left without a comprehensive long-term treatment plan, other than direction to attend psychiatrist and therapy appointments, of which often refused to attend because it meant overcoming his intense fear of leaving the house. That’s when her family discovered LINC. In March 2016, she read about the program in a Loudoun Now article. She called Lisa Beran, LINC’s primary clinician, who said her son would likely be a good fit. She assured Beth to not worry about convincing him to leave the house; she would come to him. “I got off the phone and cried,” Beth said. LINC provides a treatment team for each client: a therapist; a work and education specialist, a care manager and a peer support member, someone who is in their own mental illness recovery process. Together, with the client, they come up with goals and a plan of how to meet them. The 19-year-old is halfway through the two-year program, and has seen major progress. He’s successfully completed a college class. He has a parttime job in woodworking and landscaping. He’s involved in his church. And he has friends, a key to recovery after so many of his relationships had been strained during his darkest moments. “He has so much more than I could have hoped for, and I am confident that is he going to progress,” Beth said. “Now he would say, and he has said, how much he appreciates the LINC team and how much they have done for him.” The founders of LINC chose to focus specifically on treating psychosis because there was such a gap in care for people experiencing the mental disorder that, by definition, is so severe it impairs a person’s grip on reality. “A lot don’t get the services they need so they’re unfortunately living with these very serious symptoms,” Beran said. And in the past, without the right care, the expectations for recovery LIFELINE >> 23

[NONPROFIT NEWS ]

Lifeline << FROM 22

Beat the Odds Holds Fundraiser Thursday The Beat the Odds scholarship pro-

gram will hold a fundraiser from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30, at Smokehouse Live in Leesburg. Beat the Odds awards scholarships to young people who have succeeded despite significant obstacles, such as homelessness, abuse, economic hardship, substance abuse and mental illness. The fundraising event includes a police car ride-along, an interactive use of force demonstration, and a silent auction. Items up for auction include autographed NHL and NFL memorabilia. Smokehouse Live is located at 1602 Village Market Blvd. Ste. 120. Learn more at btoloudoun.org.

years, she and her family have discovered a world they never knew existed. One that, when her son’s first psychotic episode crept into their lives, they felt that they were alone in it. “We are so much more aware now. … If you understand that 20 percent of 13 to 18 year olds are going to suffer from a mental health crisis, then we’re talking about a lot of people impacted,” she said. “It would be dishonest to say that we are not all touched by this. We’re not alone in this. So many lives are impacted.”

were not high for people with psychotic disorders, Beran said. “They can be in and out of hospitals, lose connections with friends and family, and end up going to a group home,” she added. “But if they get these services quickly, the outcome is outstanding. They can return to work or school, rebuild relationships and live independent, normal lives. That’s what I love about this.” Beth said, throughout the past two

collection locations and times should be directed to Courter at ken@kencourter.com. Checks can be made out to Loudoun Hunger Relief with “Ashburn Cares” in the memo section and mailed to Loudoun Hunger Relief, 750 Miller Drive Ste. A-1, Leesburg, VA 20175. Credit card donations can be made online at loudounhunger.org/donate-now with “Ashburn Cares” in the dedication.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Loudoun Hunger Relief will be the beneficiary of food and fundraising efforts from the grassroots group Ashburn Cares. Ashburn Cares will run a drive on Sunday, May 7, with food drop-off locations in neighborhoods throughout Ashburn. Ashburn Cares is a group of nearly 100 friends and neighbors who have come together to fight food insecurity in Loudoun County with a food and fund drive to benefit the food pantry. The first drive last year gathered more than 3,000 pounds of food and raised more than $20,000. “We were blown away by the suc-

cess of the May 2016 effort, and we’re excited to repeat it,” Ashburn Cares organizer-in-chief Ken Courter said. “We are so pleased to be a part of alleviating food insecurity in Loudoun County. We are fortunate to be in a position to help our neighbors.” Loudoun Hunger Relief Executive Director Jennifer Montgomery said she’s grateful for the work of Ashburn Cares’ volunteers. “The results of their efforts in May 2016 helped us ensure the success of our summer feeding program for at-risk children, and we look forward to having their help again as summer approaches. We are honored to be the bridge between Ashburn Cares and our neighbors in need.” Questions about the drive, food

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

Ashburn Cares Plans Food Drive

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Loudoun County Commuter Services delivers fresh ideas for reaching your workplace. From bikes and buses to carpools and vanpools, we’ll help you choose an easier way to go.

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$20 Million Budget Presented to Purcellville Council BY NORMAN K. STYER

Steely Dan Tribute Technicolor Motor Home 3/31/17 08:00 PM (Doors 07:00)

90’s Night with As IF 4/1/17 08:00 PM (Doors 07:30)

Nighttrain the

Guns N’ Roses Tribute Experience

4/8/17 08:00 PM (Doors 07:00)

Who’s Bad:

The Ultimate

MichaelJackson Experience

4/8/17 08:00 PM (Doors 07:00)

Walker McGuire 4/14/17 08:00 PM (Doors 07:00

ATLAS ROAD CREW 4/15/17 08:00 PM (Doors 07:00)

Loudoun YouthFest 2017

Battle of the Bands

FINAL BATTLE

4/21/17 07:00 PM (Doors 06:00)

CARBON LEAF

with

Me and My Brother

4/22/17 08:00 PM (Doors 07:00)

Lez Zeppelin 04/29/17 08:00 PM (Doors: 07:00)

A Tribute to

Billy Joel The Stranger of Mike Santoro

5/5/17 08:00 PM (Doors 07:00)

Crowded Streets: The DAVE MATTHEWS Experience 5/6/17 08:00 PM (Doors 07:00)

Zoso: The Ultimate

Led Zeppelin Experience 5/19/17 8:00 PM (Doors 7:00)

Big Something Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

6/1/16 8:30 PM (DOORS 7:30)

80s Night with

THE REAGAN YEARS 6/2/17 08:00 PM (Doors 07:00)

he proposed fiscal year 2018 Purcellville town budget would hold tax rates level, while adding three staff positions and providing employee raises. In presenting his 25th Purcellville budget last week, Town Manager Robert Lohr Jr. proposed holding the line on general fund spending, recommending a $97,387 increase over fiscal year 2017. Overall, the fiscal year 2018 budget envisions $20 million in spending, including $3.5 million for debt payments. The town expects to see revenue growth in almost all of its tax collections. If the council holds the 22-cent tax rate, real estate revenues will be boosted by a $50 million increase in property values town-wide. The budget also envisions an 11.8 percent increase in business and professional license tax collections, a 7.5 percent increase in sale taxes and 4 percent growth in meals tax revenues. The town’s 5 percent meals tax is second only to property taxes in total collections, expected to bring in $1.9 million from the town’s 52 food establishments. The exception to the growth trend is the town’s cigarette tax, which continues to decline; the budget predicts a 2 percent reduction in fiscal year 2018, to just less than $225,000. As it pores over the 300-page budget during the next month, the Town Council is expected to focus much of its work tackling challenges in two other areas of the budget—looking for new “green box” revenue opportunities. Water and sewer rates are slated to increase by as much as 7 percent

Did You Know? ■

The Purcellville Gateway shopping center is the town’s most valuable property, representing 2.3 percent of the town’s overall real estate tax base in calendar year 2016.

■

Purcellville’s top employer is Loudoun County Public Schools, which has almost 600 workers. Wholesale Screening Solutions, a background check firm on Maple Avenue, is the town’s largest private sector employer, with some 220 workers. Blue Ridge Veterinary Service and Harris Teeter each report 125 employees.

next year and council members are looking for additional revenue sources that could offset traditional user fees. The rate increases are planned to cover debt payments and to prepare for a decline in availability fee revenues as the town reaches build out in the next decade. Also slated for examination is the town’s water rate structure, which has 17 rate tiers that impose higher charges—more than $50 per 1,000 gallons at the top of the scale—on high-volume water uses. The budget calls for more than $3 million in sewer service revenue and about $225 million in water revenue. Another council priority is increasing revenue from the town-owned Fireman’s Field complex. The council is expected to issue a request for proposals in the coming weeks to solicit ideas for new revenue options for the ballfield, picnic area and Bush Tabernacle. The town has $58.2 million in outstanding debt. More than half of that total, $30.7 million, is for the town’s wastewater treatment plant. Just more than $10 million is for Water Fund projects, about 18 percent of the total. The Parks and Recreation Special Revenue Fund, created to finance the purchase of Fireman’s Field, has $3.4

million in outstanding debt, 6 percent of the town’s total. Among Lohr’s proposed budget increases are $160,814 to provide employees raises of 3 percent; $29,577 to hire a part-time human resources specialist; $76,128 to hire a new police officer; and $67,283 to hire a new maintenance worker. Council members said they want the community’s help in sorting through the budget. They have published a spreadsheet online at purcellvilleva. org/budget to allow residents to see the impacts that budget cuts and increases could have. Councilman Ryan J. Cool urged his colleagues to “be bold” in tackling the budget this year and said the council would not be rubber-stamping the staff ’s proposal. For his part, Mayor Kwasi Fraser said he planned to challenge the status quo and be disruptive in his approach to push for creativity and new ideas. The council’s next budget work session will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 30, and will focus on the Water and Wastewater funds. nstyer@loudounnow.com

Town Opens Review of O’Toole Development As construction continues on the Catoctin Corner shopping center across the street, plans are shaping up for the future development of the O’Toole property at the southeastern quadrant of the Main Street/W.T. Druhan Jr. Boulevard intersection. The Purcellville Town Council on Tuesday got its first look at rezoning and comprehensive plan amendment applications for the 12-acre property. That’s just the start of the development process, which includes review by the staff and Planning Commission before they come to the council for a final vote. The plans call for a mix of commercial uses, including office, retail, restaurant, child care, hotel and assisted living. The application highlights economic benefits expected to come to the town if the $20.56 million project is approved, including an estimated $423,581 in annual town revenues.

Town of Purcellville

The proposed layout of buildings planned as part of the O’Toole property rezoning application.

[ TOWN NOTES ]

Next up on the growing activity calendar at the Old Stone School is a community Easter Egg Hunt on Friday, April 7. From 5 to 7 p.m., the Easter Bunny plans a hunt for hundreds of treat-filled eggs around the school and the campus of the Hillsboro Charter Academy. Registration is required by Tuesday, April 4. Parents are asked to drop off 12 plastic eggs per participant, and other adult and teen volunteers are needed to help with the event. For details, contact Andrea MacDuffee at amacduffee@gmail.com.

LOVETTSVILLE First Veto Followed by First Override One meeting after Mayor Bob Zoldos took unprecedented action of vetoing of a Town Council vote, the council voted to override his action. That means the town will pay a $1,100 change order to have the Christoph Paccard Bell Foundry install four new clock faces with blue vinyl centers in the town clock tower. The change expected to make the clock faces more visible.

Condie Honored in Int’l Composition Contest Lovettsville resident Julia Condie has been awarded an honorable mention in the International Composition Contest sponsored by The American College of Musicians/ National Guild of Piano Teachers. She is a freshman at Woodgrove High School and studies piano and composition with Jennifer Warren-Baker, owner of Piano 2 Go. Her composition, “Pieces of Hope,” was selected from among hundreds of entries for the award.

PURCELLVILLE Garden Plots Up for Rental It’s time for green-thumbed residents to rent their space for the 2017 growing season. Since 2012, the town has offered space for residents to grow fresh vegetables in a community garden.

A total of 18 plots are available for rent, and the park also features pollinator and donation gardens. The rental fee is $25 per season. The money will be used by the Purcellville Community Garden Committee and the Town of Purcellville to prepare and maintain the property and to provide animal fencing. Renters also are assessed a refundable security deposit of $50 to ensure the plot is maintained as specified in the rules. Plots will be rented on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to one per household. A waiting list will be established. It is an organic garden. Chemical pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers are prohibited. Animal manure-based fertilizers are also forbidden because of a nearby well. Organic soil amendments and pest remedies such as vegetable compost may be used instead. To apply, email Danny Davis at dcdavis@purcellvilleva.gov or Volunteer Garden Manager Karen Jimmerson, at kjimmerson@purcellvilleva.gov or go to purcellvilleva.gov/garden to print a garden plot application.

Discover Purcellville Plans Membership Info Session Discover Purcellville invites representatives of businesses within the Purcellville ZIP code to join the group.

The new nonprofit merchant group seeks to increase tourism in town by promoting Purcellville as “DC’s Country Day-Cation” to residents of the metro area. Organizers plan a special website, social media campaign and co-op print ads. The next membership meeting will be Tuesday April 4 at Jack’s Run Brewing Company, 108 N 21st St. A mixer begins at 6 p.m. with meeting to follow at 7 p.m.

Volunteers Clean a Ton of Trash

Old School Egg Hunt April 7

Zoldos had opposed spending more money on the repairs, saying the company should have addressed the problem. The Town Council originally voted 4-1 to authorize the change order. At the March 23 meeting, the council voted 5-1 to override the veto.

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

HILLSBORO

Saturday’s annual Town-Wide Clean Up made a difference. More than 300 volunteers walked along town streets and collected 300 bags of trash and recyclables, weighing in at over 1 ton. Adam Broshkevitch, a student at Loudoun Valley High School coordinated the effort, with support from the Town Council, area Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, other high school students, teachers, business owners, town government staff members, Purcellville Volunteer Fire Department members, Makersmiths, Patrick Henry College students, church groups, and others. Pack Rat Hauling donated a truck and two employees to pick up the collections and haul them to the recycling center and landfill.

Summer Fun Ice Skating Camps DAre At The on’t

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WE HAVE YEAR ROUND DAILY PUBLIC SKATING, AND BIRTHDAY PARTIES!

The Ashburn Ice House is Located at 21595 Smith Switch Rd., Ashburn, VA 20147 - 703-858-0300 - www.ashburnice.com

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[ LOCO LIVING ]

[ THINGS TO DO ] WITH THE KIDS

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GREAT COUNTRY FARMS MARSHMALLOW PEEP HARVEST

Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Great Country Farms, 18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont. Details: greatcountryfarms.com Children ages 10 and younger can pick marshmallow peeps from trees and hunt for eggs to welcome spring. The event features a marshmallow roasting bonfire both days from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and four egg hunts each day (by age group). Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for children.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Chef Jason Lage and his cook staff head out to harvest maple syrup and other spring ingredients like ramps, mushrooms and stinging nettle plant for his restaurant, Market Table Bistro in Lovettsville. The maple syrup harvesting will be used in specialty cocktails, as well as other dishes at his restaurant. See the full photo gallery at LoudounNow.com/gallery.

Forest to Table

Chef Jason Lage connects diners to nature and beyond BY JOHN MCNEILLY

t’s not uncommon for chefs to be anchored to their kitchens 24/7, their days consumed by marinades, sauces, braising, sautéing, broiling, grilling, frying and baking. And that doesn’t include the copious amount of prep work necessary to ready the restaurant for daily service. But that’s not entirely the case for Chef Jason Lage. Although he spends many hours a day overseeing his team while they create and perfect lunch and dinner dishes at his popular Lovettsville eatery, Market Table Bistro (and managing his Market Burger restaurant in Purcellville), Lage also devotes a healthy chunk of time to the outdoors. He explores area woods, directly interacting with nature and getting his hands in the soil. Lage says it grounds him and fires his creative energies, but, there’s also a practical purpose to it.

Into the Woods The chef and his team can often be found foraging for wild edibles that have provided humans a bounty of food for thousands of years. A variety of wild mushrooms, nettles, ramps (a garlicky spring onion) and freshly tapped maple syrup can all be found this time of year. But, these treasures are seasonal-

ly limited—their growing period lasts only a few weeks—and must be harvested at just the right time for peak ripeness and taste. It’s hard work that requires time and commitment. The weather doesn’t always cooperate. It can be bone-chilling cold, damp, muddy. On warm days, there’s often buzzing, biting pests and clingy, infectious ticks. Even the occasional poisonous snake. And while some trips yield rich harvests over which many chefs would salivate and pay top dollar for, others can end up fruitless. Foraging is just part of Lage’s years-long, well-established commitment to serve the freshest, in-season, locally sourced ingredients. Along with avidly supporting area farmers with purchases of produce and meats and using what he produces at his bountiful 10-acre Fairbrook Farm in Lovettsville, Lage also supplements his daily menu with foraged goods. “There’s nothing like finding food in your own backyard,” he said. “It connects you to the land and how it has sustained people long before we came along.” Recently, on their sole day off (Mondays), Lage headed out with a team of eight to hit the woods to tap maple trees. He encourages his employees to embrace a similar philosophy about food and eating and it’s not uncommon for some of them to spend days off working side-by-side with him in the woods or on his farm. Unfortunately, on this day, the results were limited because of the wildly fluctuating early spring temperatures. The overall effect of the warm and cold extremes is that less maple CHEF LAGE >> 28

Courtesy of Paxton Campus

PAXTON CAMPUS SPRING FESTIVAL Sunday, April 2, 1-3 p.m.; Paxton Campus, 601 Catoctin Circle NE, Leesburg. Details: paxtoncampus.org This fun event for the whole family is open to folks of all ages and abilities. It includes an egg hunt, trike-a-thon, an autism awareness walk around campus, a silent art auction (with pieces created by students and staff at Paxton), a visit from the Easter bunny, food and music. Event is free and open to the public.

CAMPVENTURES INFO DAY Saturday, April 1, 10 a.m.-noon; Kiddie Academy of Ashburn, 20775 Century Corner Drive, Ashburn. Details: kiddieacademy.com/ academies/ashburn Get the scoop on summer camp programs for children ages 2 to 12. Event is free and open to the public.

VIRGINIA HISTORY SYMPOSIUM Chef Jason Lage checks the progress. Lage has become known in Loudoun County for his use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients at his restaurants Market Table Bistro in Lovettsville and Market Burger in Purcellville. Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Wednesday, April 5, 6:30 p.m.; Frederick Douglass Elementary School, 510 Principal Drummond Way, Leesburg. Contact: 703-975-8711 Frederick Douglass Elementary School’s fourth-grade students have teamed up with the Mosby Heritage Area Association to put on this symposium featuring 25 local history organizations. The event is free and open to the public.

MORE TO DO >> 27

[ MORE THINGS TO DO ] LOCO CULTURE THE WOODHOUSE SPA GRAND OPENING Friday, March 31, 4-8 p.m.; 1603 Village Market Blvd. SE, Suite 116, Leesburg. Details: leesburg.woodhousespas.com

ARTISTS’ RECEPTION: TERESA DUKE AND BRIAN KIRK Friday, March 31, 6-8:30 p.m.; George Washington University Virginia Campus, Enterprise Hall, 44983 Knoll Square, Ashburn. Details: virginia.gwu.edu Duke’s exhibit, “The Steinway Series and Other Mementos,” features still life paintings. Kirk’s display, “Water + Metal: Assemblages and Prints,” showcases the artist’s unique prints and multi-media assemblages. The reception is open to the public and includes refreshments.

WRITERS PROJECT RUNWAY Saturday, April 1, 8 a.m.-5 pm.; Ida Lee Recreation Center, 60 Ida Lee Drive, NW, Leesburg. Details: pennwriters.org The annual conference—for both accomplished and aspiring writers—features workshops on how to publish a novel, how to write engaging non-fiction, photojournalism and other useful topics. The event ends with a book signing from presenters including crime novelist John DeDakis and Loudoun Now Managing Editor Danielle Nadler. Tickets are $80 for Pennwriters members and $115 for nonmembers ($95 for students) and include a catered lunch.

NATIVE PLANT SALE Saturday, April 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Morven Park, 17195 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. Details: loudounwildlife.org Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s annual sale features spring blooming flowers, shrubs, trees, vines and ferns; tips from landscape designers, naturalists and master gardeners; bluebird nesting boxes and yard art. Admission is free.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS CASINO NIGHT FUNDRAISER

Special Olympics Virginia hosts its annual casino night fundraiser featuring games, food, silent auction and music. General admission is $50. VIP tickets are $100 and include an open bar.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE ‘BURG: ‘TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA’ Saturday, April 1, 7:30 p.m.; The Hill School, 130 S. Madison St., Middleburg. Details: shakespeareintheburg.com New York-based Shakespeare In the Square presents the bard’s beloved early comedy about friendship and love as the centerpiece of this year’s fourth Shakespeare in the ‘Burg festival. Tickets are $45.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE ‘BURG: ONE ACT PLAY BRUNCH Sunday, April 2, 11 a.m.; The Hill School, 130 S. Madison St., Middleburg. Details: shakespeareintheburg.com Enjoy the cream of the crop from the festival’s one-act play competition along with brunch from Back Street Catering. Tickets are $30.

JAZZ & CO. DANCE CONCERT: MALONE FOUNDATION BENEFIT Friday, March 31, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 1, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 2, 3:30 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center The pre-professional dancers from the Loudoun School of Ballet’s Jazz & Co. perform a repertoire from Broadway jazz to contemporary ballet, with works by resident and guest choreographers. Proceeds benefit the Teri and Shari Malone Foundation. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, students and children and are available at the door.

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NIGHTLIFE LEESBURG JUNCTION FINAL FRIDAY Friday, March 31, 7:30 p.m.; Leesburg Junction, 215 Depot Court, Leesburg. Details: leesburgjunction.com This monthly arts and music showcase features alt-rockers Hungry On Monday, along with other favorite local bands. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and include dessert and coffee.

LIVE MUSIC: TECHNICOLOR MOTOR HOME: A TRIBUTE TO STEELY DAN

ut Bea

Friday, March 31, 7 p.m., doors open; Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: tallyholeesburg.com These skilled DC/Maryland musicians play favorites from every Steely Dan album with passion and precision. Tickets are $15 in advance.

Sunday, April 2, 2 pm.; Ashby Chapel, 684 Federal St., Paris. Details: mosbyheritagearea.org The Mosby Heritage Area Association presents a talk by editor Lee Lawrence on “Society of Rebels: The

ake mm a S ncle rs Let U our floo ! l y

MORE TO DO >> 28

loudounnow.com

CIVIL WAR HISTORY TALK: THE DIARY OF AMANDA EDMONDS

ON STAGE

Saturday, April 1, 7-11 p.m.; 1757 Golf Club, 45120 Waxpool Road, Sterling. Details: sovaloudoun.org

Civil War Diary of Amanda Edmonds,” one woman’s history of the Civil War from her farm in Delaplane. The event includes a reception at Belle Grove, Edmonds’ historic home. Tickets are $30 for MHAA members and $40 for non-members.

Celebrate the opening of Loudoun’s newest luxury day spa with tours and a ribbon cutting. The owners are offering swag bags to the first 300 visitors who check in at the event.

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

<< FROM 27

[ MORE THINGS TO DO ]

loudounnow.com

<< FROM 27

LIVE MUSIC: THE JONATHAN SLOANE TRIO Friday, March 31, 8:30 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com Sloane is a musician, instructor, guitarist and lyricist based in Rockville, MD, whose material is deeply rooted in the blues, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, funk and soul. No cover.

LIVE MUSIC: PEOPLE’S BLUES OF RICHMOND WITH KID BROTHER Saturday, April 1, 7 p.m. to midnight; Lost Rhino Retreat, 22885 Brambleton Plaza, Ashburn. Details: lostrhinoretreat.com Local up-and-comers Kid Brother open for blues/psychedelic power trio People’s Blues of Richmond. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.

LARRY MITCHELL AND THE IMMORTALS Saturday, April 1, 7-10 p.m.; Lovettsville Game Protective Association, 16 S. Berlin Pike, Lovettsville. Details: loudounmusic.com This favorite teen band, made up of top students from Loudoun Music Instruction, wows audiences with

Chef Lage << FROM 26 sap flows from the trees. This forced Lage and his kitchen team to adapt. “You normally need 50 gallons of tapped maple sap to produce one gallon of syrup,” Lage said. “We’re not anywhere near that kind of haul, so we’re making due, producing a simple syrup that still has amazing qualities and taste.” They immediately put the maple simple syrup to work, developing a big-hit cocktail—a maple-infused, burnt sage Manhattan—while also incorporating it into a variety of dishes both savory and sweet. In addition to inspiring his menu (which includes a special foraging section), sometimes these forest ventures also result in unexpected bonanzas. For example, while tapping maple trees a few weeks ago, Lage and his crew discovered that stinging nettles and ramps, two highly prized foraging gems, were coming up in abundance weeks earlier than normal, in large part because of the unseasonably warm winter weather. Had his team missed that early bloom, they would have lost out on the distinct, subtle freshness of young nettles and ramps, both of which age rapidly in structure and taste. Young ramps are super tender, possessing a subtle garlic/onion taste. Lage offers them simply prepared: lightly fried in a tempura batter and served with soy sauce aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels, along with fresh ginger. The dish was an instant hit—a treasured rarity a diner can’t find just anywhere. Lage noticed the stinging nettles were coming up at the base of walnut trees. This gave him and his team the idea to make a nettles- and walnut-based pesto,

rock, soul, contemporary, R&B and jazz standards and originals. They’ll be joined by Grammy-winning producer and guitarist Larry Mitchell. Tickets are $10 at the door and proceeds support the Immortals’ annual outreach trip to Cleveland this spring.

LIVE MUSIC: ’90S NIGHT WITH AS IF Saturday. April 1, 7 p.m., doors open; Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: tallyholeesburg.com Relive the fun of the ’90s with your favorite rock, pop and beyond. Tickets are $10 in advance.

COMING UP IDA LEE PARK EASTER EGG HUNT Saturday, April 8, noon-4 p.m., Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Drive, NW, Leesburg. Details: idalee.org This annual egg-stravaganza features 15,000 eggs filled with candy and special prizes for children ages 1 to 7, with hunts divided by age. There will also be lots of inflatables and a petting zoo. Cost for children 7 and under is $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Children over 7 not participating in the hunt can pay $5 at the door to enjoy the amusements.

which he served with sweet potato gnocchi finished with a dash of the newly collected maple simple syrup. Another immediate hit with customers. “Those dishes were totally created in the woods, not in the kitchen,” said Lage, who exudes the deeply serious intensity of a conceptual artist driven by the thoughts behind and act of creating. He’s a chef with big ideas and plans.

Something Special Downtown In fact, these days, Lage is consumed with opening a new Mexican restaurant in lively downtown Leesburg. He plans to “revolutionize” the concept of traditional, authentic Mexican cuisine. The restaurant, named “Cucina on Market,” will open in one of Leesburg’s historic buildings, a former bank, at 7 W. Market St. Once renovations are complete, the space will boast a wellstocked tequila bar and a showcase of Lage’s favorite, wildly diverse regional cuisines of Mexico. The restaurant will also be decked out with Meso-American-themed art and architecture, formal and informal dining on two levels, and rooftop dining high above the historic district. Although Lage isn’t willing to reveal much more just yet, the restaurant is clearly roiling his creative juices. His enthusiasm about the new place is palpable. “What I love about it is there’s a reason for everything in this restaurant. Nothing was overlooked or unplanned. It’s not just a hodgepodge of Mexican dishes. It’s seriously focused,” he said. “It’s going to be unlike anything anyone has ever seen around here, or even around the nation, that’s for sure.” Lage said he anticipates Cucina on Market opening in three to four months. “This place is going to be so much more than just a place to simply come and eat and drink,” he promises. “It’s going to be something special.”

REAL ESTATE UPDATE

Spring is here, consumer confidence is on the rise, and Loudoun’s real estate market is picking up steam. According to the Dulles Area Association of Realtors, homes on the market in February sold significantly faster than last year, with half of the homes sold being listed for 17 or fewer days. That’s down 70 percent from February 2016’s benchmark of 58 days and was the largest monthly year-over-year change since 2009. Half the townhouses sold in February were on the market for eight or fewer days; that benchmark was 40 days last year. There were 352 closed sales recorded, and 555 new pending sales reported. Inventory was at a 12-year low in January and remained tight in February. Active inventory at the end of

the month was 22.2 percent lower than the same point last year. Just over 1,000 homes were on the market, marking three consecutive years of declining inventory. But listings started to pick up in February. The 726 new listings represented a 21.7 percent increase over last year. Asking prices continued to hold, with sellers receiving an average 98.2 percent of original list price, the highest February mark in more than a decade. Overall, prices continue to climb modestly, up 2 percent over last year. But the real estate rebound is reflected in the 34 percent increase in median sales prices since the market bottomed out in April 2006. The median sales price then was $315,000; last month it was $423,250.

Loudoun County - February Media Sales Prices

OPEN HOUSE

SATURDAY, 11 TO 3PM

Loudoun County - Home Prices and Sales

Dulles Area Association of Realtors sales statistics show south Ashburn as the county’s most expensive market segment.

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REAL ESTATE

Home sales prices are continuing a modest climb, with February showing a 2 percent year-overyear increase, according to the Dulles Area Association of Realtors .

The sale of single-family detached homes led the price-climb, reaching $589,900 last month—up 12.4 over February 2016. Condos saw a 4.8 percent increase, to $272,500, and median townhouse prices bumped up 1.1 percent of $399,900. Homes in Ashburn’s 20148 ZIP code posted the highest year-over-year price gains, up by 19.7 percent. With a median sales price of $560,100, that south Ashburn area remains the county’s most expensive market, DAAR reported. Only 29 homes sold in that area last month, down from 53 in February 2016. Chantilly’s 20152 ZIP code saw a substantial decrease in sale prices, down 17 percent from last February to $391,000. Sterling’s 20164 remains Loudoun’s most affordable ZIP code, with a median sales price of $327,500.

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

Properties Moving Quickly as Prices Tick Up

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Single-Family Homes

BRAMBLETON • Evermont Trace • $700s • 703-764-5481 BRAMBLETON • West Grove • $600s • 703-764-5481 BRAMBLETON • Berkshire • $500s • 703-764-5441

ALDIE • Enclave at Tanglewood • $600s • 703-327-7830 ALDIE • Preserve at Tanglewood • $500s • 703-327-7830 ALDIE • Sunberry • $500s • 703-764-5460 ASHBURN • Willowsford • $700s • 703-327-7400 CHANTILLY • Eastview • $600s • 703-764-5436 LEESBURG • Meadowbrook Farm • $600s • 703-764-5446 STONE RIDGE • Estates at Cedarwood • $500s • 703-764-5462

To join our VIP list or to learn more about all of our Coming Soon communities, visit www.vanmetrehomes.com/coming_soon

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

Enjoy up to $10,000 in closing cost assistance from Van Metre Homes and save your cash for fun in the sun.*

Townhomes and Townhome Condominiums CHANTILLY • Eastview Village • $400s • 703-764-5494 LEESBURG • Lofts at Village Walk • $300s • 703-764-5463 STONE RIDGE • Gateway Commons • $400s • 703-764-5487 STONE RIDGE • Stone Mill Corner • $300s • 703-764-5487

Pricing and availability subject to change without notice. Grand Opening timeframes are approximate and may change. In 55+ communities, at least one resident must be 55 or older. *Available only for new contracts written and accepted at Van Metre Homes communities between March 25th, 2017 through March 31st, 2017. A maximum of $5,000 Design Center credit is offered per new home purchased, notwithstanding the number of purchasers for a specific new home. Purchasers shall not be entitled to any rebate, refund or other consideration in the event that the full value of the Design Center credit is not used towards Design Center purchases. Closing cost credit varies by community and is contingent upon the use of seller’s preferred lender and title company. Other terms and conditions may apply. Visit vanmetrehomes.com or see a Sales Manager for details **Spring of Giving donations will be made for all contracts written and accepted at Van Metre communities between March 1 and April 30, 2017 in the amount of 1% of Design Studio revenue, net of sales concessions, to one of the following organizations: Alternative House, Shelter House or Volunteers of America/Chesapeake. Purchasers may select which organization they wish to donate their Design Studio purchases to support. No additional purchase or donation is required. Van Metre will take the appropriate tax deductions. Restrictions apply. Visit www.vanmetrehomes.com for terms and condition subject to change or removal without notice.

VM-168 LoudounNowFP.indd 1

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May Can Be Magic for Selling Your Home

31 Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

BY JOE BODDICKER

early May window put 1 percent more in their sellers’ pockets. On a $540,000 house that’s an extra $4,000. There’s a reason bathing suits are sold in the summer instead of at Christmas and there are plenty of good reasons to list your house in early May. So, if you’re thinking of selling, now’s the time to start planning if you want the best chance to increase your profit and lessen the hassle of an endless selling window. Of course, there’s more to a successful sale than just circling a date on the calendar. It’s not just a new coat

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So, you’re pretty sure you want to sell your home but you haven’t quite made the decision. It’s time to commit. Why? Listing in May gives you the best chance to get top dollar. In fact, Zillow researchers have found that listing your home between May 1 and May 15 can payoff in many ways. The first is convenience. If you’re like most people, you dread the idea of having to keep your home spic and span for any longer than you have to. Having to gather the kids and “disappear” for an hour to accommodate a last-minute showing grows old pretty fast. The sooner you sell the sooner you can get back to a normal routine. The Zillow study found that, on average, those homes listed between May 1 and May 15 are snapped up 18.5 days quicker than homes not listed in that magical May window. That’s almost three fewer weeks of having to hide important documents, the dog’s favorite toys and the kids’ books, balls and backpacks. But the benefit of an early May listing is more than just getting you on the move faster. It can put more money in your pocket. Sales in that same

Report: Mixed-Use Buoys Region’s Retail Market

In its 2017 retail investment forecast, the Marcus and Millichap real estate brokerage has the Washington, DC, market on the rise. While Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta continue as market hot spots predicted to lead the nation in retail absorption rates, Washington broke into the top 10, expected to pass Boston and Nashville. Nationally, the firm points to job growth and increasing consumer confidence as factors bolstering retail construction and absorption. In the Washington region, the report notes, developers are finding success with more elaborate and ambitious mixed-use projects that combine shops and community spaces for events that increase traffic and elevate values of nearby properties. More than twothirds of new retail space is pre-leased,

a trend that will temper vacancy rates and support rent increases. As for fears of the demise of brickand-mortar stores in the age of online shopping, Marcus and Millichap see more opportunities than threats. “The rising popularity of online shopping and expanding e-commerce are pushing retail investors to revise their tenant mix,” the report states. “As a result, landlords are favoring retailers that are difficult to disintermediate through online options. Food-service sales are up more than 50 percent since 2009, while building-materials and home improvement store sales have risen nearly 45 percent during the same span. Health and fitness locations have also expanded into larger retail spaces.” The full report is available at marcusmillichap.com.

Markets with the Highest Expecte 2017 Net Absorption

REAL ESTATE

Credit: Marcus and Millichap

Marcus and Millichap predicts a strong performance in the Washington region’s retails sector during 2017.

BUY OR SELL WITH ROB

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Ashburn College Students Find House Painting a Learning Experience

Nick Federovitch peruses the particulars of the College Works Painting program, in which he participates throughout the school year.

According to its website, CWP operates in 35 states and hires more than 2,000 college students to paint more than 10,000 homes each year. While their post-college plans don’t involve painting, Rosales and Federovitch intend to make the best of their current managerial jobs. “This internship is kind of just a great experience,” Rosales said. “Not a lot of college students get to say they ran a business when they were 18.” Rosales is determined to use his experience at CWP, as well as his intelligence analysis major, to open his own consulting business after he graduates.

Not dissimilarly, Federovitch is also taking full advantage of his role at CWP. “I’m treating it as an awesome summer internship, getting all this great business experience,” he said. “I have plenty of dream jobs out there, but I just want to be able to travel and work for a big company when I’m older.” The two plan to work full time in Ashburn this summer as CWP branch managers. For further information on CWP, go to collegeworks.com. pszabo@loudounnow.com

REAL ESTATE

Now that spring is officially here, it’s time to start thinking about breaking out the tools, or the checkbook, for home improvement projects. If you live in Ashburn and it’s painting you’re in need of, there’s a pair of college students that might be right for the job. Clay Rosales, 19, and Nick Federovitch, 18, manage the two College Works Painting branches in Ashburn. Freshmen at James Madison University, the two travel home each weekend just to paint homes. The duo landed their CWP jobs at the beginning of the school year after filling out forms inquiring about their high school GPAs, intended majors and any previous leadership experience. Once selected, they went through a series of interviews. “They interviewed about 500 [people] at JMU and they chose 32 of us,” Federovitch said. Rosales and Federovitch now manage the two CWP branches in Ashburn. Since Rosales attended Briar Woods High School, he manages projects south of Ashburn Farm Parkway. Federovitch manages those to the north, since he attended Broad Run High School. Rosales and Federovitch carpool home from JMU almost every weekend during the school year to manage their branches and paint homes. With exteriors to paint in the warmer months and interiors to paint yearround, there’s always a project on the table. “Managing a house-painting business at 18, it’s kind of hard but rewarding when you’re a freshman in college,” Federovitch said. Before they joined CWP, the two had no experience painting houses. According to Rosales, CWP chose them because of their potential and work ethic. “A lot of the job is training,” he said. “We go through weekends of training where we learn the specific stuff.” Aside from the painting aspect of the job, finding clients also requires some effort. Although Rosales and Federovitch use tactics such as posting flyers in public places, it’s the direct contact at a customer’s front door that gets them the most business. “What we do is, we’re hustling,”

Federovitch said. “We’re going doorto-door in a lot of neighborhoods.” Once they find clients, they head out to give an estimate on the project. “We give free estimates and it usually takes around an hour and a half to two hours,” Rosales said. “We use industry standards to come up with an accurate price.” Founded in 1993, CWP advertises itself as an internship that provides college students with an opportunity to build a competitive résumé and gain marketable skills by teaching them how to manage their own painting business.

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

BY PATRICK SZABO

Apple FCU Offers Expert Advice to Help Buyers With the spring market ready to move into full swing, Apple Federal Credit Union has released a list of top tips for homebuyers. Typically, the spring market between March and Memorial Day is the busiest of the year for real estate buyers and sellers. “We expect a robust spring market in the Northern Virginia region. Despite the headlines touting rising interest rates above 4 percent, they are still well below 2013 levels, and we fully expect home sales to be brisk. Being prepared will help homebuyers get a home they want at a price they

can afford,” stated Jeffery A. Long, vice president of lending. Nationally, the Mortgage Bankers Association predicts mortgage purchases to rise to $1.1 trillion this year, up 10 percent from 2016. Early indicators from Apple FCU support this trend and reveal a strong local housing market. In addition, Zillow data shows the median home value in Washington, DC, is $535,000. Home values in Northern Virginia are expected to grow between 2.5 and 4 percent. To capitalize on the strong market conditions, Apple FCU recommends:

Be pre-approved rather than prequalified A pre-approved loan means that a lender has reviewed your mortgage application, credit, and other paperwork and has approved you for a loan of a specific amount. This helps guide your home search, since you know what loan amount you qualify for and allows your lender to pre-approve you in up to three days. In contrast, if you are pre-qualified, your lender has not done a complete application process so you may or may not qualify for the loan in question.

Know what you can afford What is your comfort level? Your lender will tell you what they think you can afford according to your pay stubs and debt-to-loan ratio, but that often is not your total financial picture. Do you pay for daycare, for instance? That can be substantial, so be sure to take things like that into consideration when you decide how much of a loan burden you want to carry.

Save for a new home The money you save for your loan ADVICE >> 36

HOT PROPERTIES IN LOUDOUN 22443 Creighton Farms Dr,

REAL ESTATE

Leesburg, VA 20175 6 beds 9 baths 11,138 sqft $3,695,000 MRIS #LO9667860

NEW LISTING $419,900

Fantastic home w/3 finished levels. Many upgrades & bump outs make this home extra special. Lg front porch & deck for summer relaxing. 2 car garage. Beautifully landscaped, fenced yard overlooking wildlife.

COMING SOON $375,000

Spectacular 1.84 acre lot overlooking pond and fabulous views. 4 bedrooms, 2 finished levels and 2 fireplaces. Won’t last long. A private drive leads you to the front portico of this stylish modern farm house, you are welcomed by a circular bubbling fountain, a hint of the luxury and casual elegance that awaits. Sited on six picturesque acres overlooking the 16th hole of the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, this tastefully designed estate was created for the homeowner seeking an idyllic resort style living environment that nourishes the mind, body and soul.

35396 Millville Road NEW LISTING/COMMERCIAL

$600,000

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

No others like it on the market. New electric, roof & more. Addition to home or additional structure(s) permitted. Located on the best, large corner lot.

20 ACRES $635,000

The country life style you have been dreaming of. 20 Acres of complete beauty & privacy! Solid built custom home w/ hardwood floors thru out. Possibility of subdividing.

PURCELLVILLE /10 ACRES $899,000

Gorgeous brick front colonial with over 5400 finished Sq Ft. Custom deck & gazebo over looking beautiful country setting with creek. Spacious kitchen with sunroom. 3 car attached garage and 2 car detached. A very special property.

LEESBURG/2 ACRES $225,000

Come and see all the potential this home has. Roof was replace in 2014 & newer windows & siding. 3 bedrooms, wood floors, and carport. Convenient to RT 15 and Marc commuter train. Sold “as is”

Middleburg, VA 20117 $2,250,000 MRIS #LC9882422

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

Loudoun’s Willowsford development has reached a milestone, closing on its 1,000th sale this month. The community’s sustained strong sales have resulted in John Burns Real Estate listing Willowsford among the top 50 communities in the nation—the only all single-family-detached home development to make the list. During 2016, Willowsford’s sales increased by 44 percent over 2015. “As word of Willowsford gets out nationally on the uniqueness and authenticity of this community, sales continue to soar,” stated Stacey Kessinger, Willowsford’s vice president of marketing. Developers from as far away as North Carolina and Texas have visited Willowsford to study it for replication in other regions, Kessinger said. “This is where families, young professionals and empty nesters are buying because Willowsford is so much more than our homes. It’s buying into a lifestyle and lifetime experience.” Willowsford includes approximately 4,000 acres with more than 2,000 acres of open space, including a working farm and farm-to-table cooking program with pop-up restaurants and 40 miles of trails. Learn more at willowsford.com.

completing her degree in mathematics and educational studies at Shenandoah University. Her passion for making connections with people and her entrepreneurial drive led to Holmes Holmes to earning her real estate license in 2004. Contact Holmes at jenny@atokaproperties or 540-686-0588.

Prosperity Rolls Out HomeBuyer Power Plus Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC, a full-service mortgage banker and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Long & Foster Companies, is offering a new mortgage product, HomeBuyer Power PLUS. In the wake of tighter lending standards, many homebuyers face challenges that make homeownership seem unattainable, including the ability to save larger down payments, pay closing costs and meet loan qualifications. The new product includes many features of a tra-

ditional mortgage but with additional incentives that may help clients become homeowners. The program provides a credit of 1 percent that can be used to reduce the down payment to less than 3 percent, lower closing costs without impacting maximum seller contributions, or offset a 1 percent discount point used to reduce the mortgage rate; and a $500 program credit to borrowers who participate in an approved homeownership education course. Qualified borrowers may also be eligible for two years of job loss protection. For more information, go to phmloans.com.

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

Willowsford Marks 1,000th Sale

Casey Receives Presidential Sales Award

Holmes Joins Atoka/ Middleburg Real Estate Loudoun native Jenny Holmes is partnering with life-long friends Ryan and Megan Clegg at Middleburg Real Estate/ Atoka Properties to join the Clegg & Co. team. Holmes said she enjoys working with buyers to introduce them to the community where she grew up. She graduated from Loudoun Valley High School and went to James Madison University,

REAL ESTATE

Omni Casey, manager of Weichert’s Loudoun County office, was presented with a 2016 Presidential Sales Award in recognition of his office’s improved production year over year. “Not only did Omni increase his office’s listings, revenue units and profits Casey in 2016, he was also able to add many talented sales associates to his office during the year,” stated Mark Ackermann, regional vice president of Weichert Realtors. “Omni is well respected by all of the associates in his office, and his leadership and success in helping associates grow their businesses. I am glad to have him as part of my leadership team.” Casey, who has more than 15 years of real estate experience, took over as manager of Weichert’s Loudoun County office in 2013 after serving as a sales associate and assistant manager for Weichert’s McLean office. Casey’s office is located at 43150 Broadlands Center Plaza, Suite 104. He can be reached at 703-726-3909.

Advice << FROM 34 down payment should have two purposes. First, of course, is to secure your mortgage loan and lower your monthly payments. But in addition, it’s a good idea to put some of that money aside for unexpected problems.

Understand your credit score. Check your credit score and balances on your credit cards to ensure your debt is 50 percent below the amount of your credit line. For example, if you have a line of $10,000 on your credit card, ensure that your debt is no more than $5,000 or your credit score goes down. The lower your credit score, the more difficult it will be to get a mortgage loan. Ensure your credit card has been open a minimum of 12 months and you have a reliable payment record.

Find out if loan decisions at your lender are made locally where the decision makers understand the local landscape, economy, and other issues that influence the market. Ask if your lender will help you if you are turned down for a loan. At Apple, for instance, loan experts sit down with potential homebuyers and explain why they didn’t qualify and counsel them on what to do over the next 6-12 months to improve their chances for a loan.

Shop with a professional real estate agent. Working with an agent will save you time and frustration. These professionals are wired into expansive databases of inventory and can hone in on the location you choose. Some institutions can help connect you with trusted agents. For instance, Apple offers Home Advantage, a program which partners with real estate agents who are experienced, vetted, and rated by a national company. Buyers also receive a cash reward equal to 20 percent of the agent’s commission.

AY !

In addition to banks, check out credit unions and other nonprofit lenders, as they often have rates that are lower because they do not have shareholders to pay. Other things to consider: Is your loan going to be sold to another institution in another part of the country where you will never see a live representative over the 30 years of your

Realize that lenders are not created equally.

REAL ESTATE

Identify your lending options.

loan? Will the lender take your character, personal history and other non-financial things into consideration when determining if they will qualify you for a loan?

PURCELLVILLE

$950,000

This large estate is on over 14.0 acres (horse friendly) all brick home has a first floor master with newly renovated bath-grand kitchen is newly renovated overlooking the guitar shaped in ground pool, the home is approx. 9800 sq ft

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

PURCELLVILLE

PURCELLVILLE $299,000

End unit town home 3 bedrooms 3.5 baths new carpeting new paint new SS appliances

$679,000

Ideally situated on 3.3 acres with a 3 car side load garage. Finished on all 3 levels Main level has a great layout with an large sunroom-kitchen includes granite counter, SS appliances, lite cherry cabinets! The upper level has 4 bedrooms 3 full baths ,the large master suite has a large sitting large master bath, The lower level has 4th full bath, den large rec room and a playroom (could easily converted to media room).

Joyce E. Bush Associate Broker ABR, CRS, GRI

Leesburg Office 703-777-2900

**Unique Rebuild**

2 Center-Hall Homes Relocated & Reconstructed in Classic T Form. Front House ca.1810 & Back House ca.1780. Original Hardware, Antique Hinges & Locks. Original Heart-of-Pine Trim, Flooring, & FP Mantels. 7 FP’s. Porches w Mahogany Decking.

**$899,000**

37 Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

Experience Country Life with Joy! Your Local Expert!

**Middleburg Hunt Country**

Build Your Dream! Incredible 10+ Ac Building Site, Great Location, Private, Views, Wildlife, Great Ride-Out, 4 Bdr Perc, A Wonderful Lot!

**$299,000** **Gorgeous Victorian**

360 views of Blue Ridge Mountains and Foothills. 30+ Incredible Acres. Perfect for Vinyard/Animals. 4 Br, 3.5 Ba. Gourmet Kitchen. 2 Beautiful Stone Fireplaces, Spacious DR, Lovely Master Bedroom & Bath. Flag Stone Porch, Creek, and More!!

**$1,250,000** **Charming English Style Cottage**

8.8 Acres in the Philomont Area! Unique blend of old and new. Gourmet Kitchen. Wide Plank Wood Floors. Lovely DR and LR w Fireplaces. Main Floor BR. Gorgeous Gardens. 2 Stall Barn w Wash Rack & Paddocks. Detached Garage/Shed.

**$674,900**

Joy Thompson

540-729-3428

Top 1% of Agents Nationwide #1 Long and Foster Team, Loudoun County #7 Long and Foster Team VA/W.VA Marlene Baugh, Associate Broker OP RI EN VER 4/ CRE 2 1 EK –4P M

OP RI EN VER 4/ CRE 2 1 EK –4P M

C:703-795-1303

Long and Foster 20396 Exchange St. Ashburn, VA 20147 Licensed in Virginia 703-724-9494 Ext. 1153

OP RI EN VER 4/ CRE 2 1 EK –4P M

Marlene.Baugh@longandfoster.com

18394 KINGSMILL ST.

18293 MULLFIELD VILLAGE

Gorgeous, All Brick, 6000 Sq. Ft. Home on .42 Acre wooded lot $899,000 LO9874908

Urban and Chic Mitchell & Best, 4600+ SF TH overlooking treed parkland $774,900 • LO9852311

Stunning, sun-filled Renaissance 5450+ Sq. Ft. home backing to lush trees $829,000 • LO9892514

43488 CASTLE HARBOUR TERR., LEESBURG

1201 N. GARFIELD ST. #703, ARLINGTON

12001 MARKET ST. #237, RESTON

15093 LAUREL HILL CT., LEESBURG

25055 SULLIVAN TER., ALDIE

Totally renovated 4 level, stone Craftmark TH w/ 5 bedrooms, 3 gas fireplaces $667,500 • LO9890284

Upscale condo on 7th floor w/ views of Arlington Skyline & 2 blocks from Clarendon Metro $677,500 • AR9867330

Immaculate 2 BR condo w/ garage space & storage in the Heart of Reston Town Center $315,000 • FX9860524

Former Wetherburne model w/ 7400 sq. ft. & privacy abound on 3 acre lot. $989,999 • LO9858003

Beautiful Villa home w/ a first floor master and 2 car garage $545,000 LO9870469

18482 LANIER ISLAND SQ.

43325 CRYSTAL LAKE SQ.

Beautiful patio home end unit boasts 3 covered Porches backing to Parkland $639,900 • LO9891670

Overlooking 3rd Fairway of River Creek Golf Course, two story vaulted ceiling FR...Just Listed $789,900 • LO9889015

O 4/ PEN H 2 OU 1–3 SE PM

OP RI EN VER 4/ CRE 2 1 EK –4P M

18220 GLEN ABBEY CT.

REAL ESTATE

www.joythompsonhomes.com

May magic

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

REAL ESTATE

<< FROM 31 of paint, a freshly mowed lawn or the aroma of freshly baked cookies that get top dollar for your home—it’s critical to set the price right. One of the biggest mistakes that can cost sellers money is not setting a fair price for their initial listing. It may sound counter-intuitive but overpricing can cost you. That’s because the longer a home is available without selling, the tougher it is to get fair value. Think about it. If you’re looking at two identical homes on the same block listed at the same price but one has been on the market for 10 days and the other has been available for 100 days, which one would you choose? It’s only human nature to assume there’s a hidden defect in the one that hasn’t sold even when it’s in perfect condition. That’s why overpricing a home at the start can make it impossible to get the fair market value. If your home is priced fairly from the start, it is likely to sell for more money than one that starts out overpriced, sits on the market too long and needs to lower the asking price. And if you’re worried about underpricing your house, there are many informed buyers out there; it only takes two to start a bidding war. Why are so many houses overpriced? Many sellers choose to interview

multiple real estate agents. There’s nothing wrong with that. And it’s only natural to ask them what price they can “get” for your home. The truth is no real estate agent “gets” you a price. Market conditions ultimately determine the price you will get and the market is constantly in flux. While it’s tempting to hire the agent who quotes the highest list price, history suggests that’s a decision that should not be made lightly. If the agent is wrong, you’ll be stuck getting a lower sales price than you deserve and have added months of aggravation. Remember, a good agent is likely to give you a range of the fair market value for your home. You can then work together to find the sweet spot in that range to give you peace of mind and a good chance to make the sale of your home a success. Joe Boddicker has more than 20 years of experience in the real estate industry, assisting in consulting, sales and acquisitions. He can be reached at joeboddicker@gmail.com or 703-401-5077.

[OBITUARIES] Well known Leesburg resident, Frances Wessells Belote, passed away on March 19, 2017. She was the proud daughter of Fred and Nettie Wessells. Married to Robert P. Belote, they were blessed with two sons.

She is pre-deceased by her husband, Robert Pierce Belote; her brother, A.P. Wessells, and her sister, Lillian Gollivan. Her sons Dr. Keith (Martha) Belote and Dr. Larry (Yim) Belote; 7 grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren survive her.

Justice Hope Coleman passed away peacefully, on her own terms, on March 25, 2017. She was born October 4, 2005 in Fairfax, VA. She was the beloved daughter of Jason and Cara Coleman and the wonderful sister of Gibraltar, Kezziah and Titus. She is also survived by both sets of grandparents, Homer and Carole Coleman and Tony and Ann Garvey; Aunt Monica and Uncle Mark Haynes and Uncle Ryan and Aunt Danielle Garvey; and cousins Bryce and Mia Haynes, and Alta, Declan, Fintan, Kormac and Cillian Garvey. Although not necessarily related by blood, she is survived by many other “family” who have loved, played with, danced and sang with, and cared for Justice Hope and her family in her rich eleven years of life. The girl of a thousand smiles loved life and everyone it. Celebration of Life and Memorial Services will be held on Saturday April 1, 2017 at 1pm at Purcellville Baptist Church. Viewing will be from 6-8pm on Friday March 31, 2017 at Purcellville Baptist Church. Please visit hallfh.com to express online condolences to the family. Arrangements by Hall Funeral Home, Purcellville, VA.

L Donn Miller, 81, of Lovettsville, Virginia passed away peacefully during the night on March 20, 2017. Donn was born in Arlington, VA and attended Washington & Lee High School. After getting married, he moved to Vienna to start his family. He was a self-employed carpet installer for 30 years, and was an avid reader, outdoorsman, gardener, cook, sailor, hunter and fisherman. During the summer months, he enjoyed spending many weekends on the water with his family, sailing, exploring, fishing, crabbing and clamming on the lower Potomac, Chesapeake Bay and on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

Interment will take place in Lovettsville Union Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Capital Caring’s Adler Center in Loudoun County, Va. Please go to: capitalcaring.org, or use the following address: 2900 Telestar Court, Falls Church, VA 22042, ATTN: Resource Development Department. Please share condolences with the family LoudounFuneralChapel.com

Bradley Alan Reck, 55, of Sterling, died March 23. He was born June 25, 1961. He worked at the national headquarters of the United States Postal Service for 25 years. He is survived by his wife Sharon and two daughters. Services will be held at 3 p.m. March 28 at Galilee United Methodist Church in Sterling, with visitation at 2 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to petconnectrescue.org, Loudoun County Abused Women’s Shelter or The Wounded Warrior Project. [Colonial Funeral Home]

Margaret T. Simpson, 95, died March 18. She was born June 3, 1921 in Unison to Mason Thompson and Lilian Steele Thompson. She worked at Hazelton Laboratories. She is survived by her husband of 74 years, Eugene Simpson; son Eugene Simpson Jr.; daughters Nancy Tucker and Patsy Danner; 13 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and 27 great-great-grandchildren. Services were held March 24 at Hall Funeral Home in Purcellville. [Hall Funeral Home]

loudounnow.com

Donn was the son of William G Sr and Edna I Miller of Arlington Va. He was preceded in death by his sisters Mary Rodier and Ruth Stephenson, and brothers William G Jr and John Edward. He is survived by his wife Mary, of 57 years and daughter Laura of Lovettsville, and son Donn of Jefferson, Md. In addition, he has two grandchildren, Katy Miller and Matthew Miller of Jefferson, Md. He also has numerous nieces and nephews.

Robert G. Luedke, 89, of Leesburg, died March 21. He was born August 1, 1927. Services were held March 25 at Purcellville Community Center in Purcellville. Interment will be held at a later date in Minnesota. [Loudoun Funeral Chapel]

Paul Roger Simons, 79, of Sterling, died March 22. He was born Feb. 13, 1938, to Paul Roger and Nellie (Tinney) Simons. He served in the United States Air Force and then as a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service for 27 years. In the 1990s, he and his son, Brett, owned and operated B&R Sportscards in Sterling. He is survived by his wife Patricia Ann (McCloud) Simons; daughter Traci Simons Infante of Sterling; son Brett Simons of Herndon; two granddaughters; and brothers Frank Simons and Earnest Simons. He was predeceased by his brothers Mark and Larry Simons and sister Shirley Valle. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 2 at Loudoun Funeral Chapel in Leesburg, with a visitation starting at 1 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Wholehearted Foundation at wholeheartedfoundation.org. [Loudoun Funeral Chapel]

He “retired” at the age of 50 to a farm in Lovettsville, Va, where he continued with his love of the outdoors, and then watching his two grandchildren grow up. He was their biggest fan and went to every event he could from T-ball games to highschool swimming and lacrosse.

Glenn L. Grove, 93, lifelong resident of Lovettsville, died March 25. He was a retired postmaster of Lovettsville. Staring at age 16, he assisted at Brown Funeral Home, and Brown/Loudoun Funeral Chapel of Lovettsville and Leesburg, working there for 70 years. He served in the U.S. Army, during World War II, as a surgical tech stationed in England. He is survived by his wife Betty; daughter Marsha Riley of Lovettsville; grandson Chris Riley; granddaughter Kristin Riley; and sisters Elaine Jones and Norma Stewart, both of Ohio. Graveside services will be held privately March 30 at Lovettsville Union Cemetery with the Rev. Roland England officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to Chapel Pointe, 770 South Hanover Street, Carlisle, PA 17013, or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital PO Box 591, Memphis, TN 38101-9973. [Loudoun Funeral Chapel]

Vincent Earl Scott was born on June 15th, 1980 in Fairfax, Virginia to the late Randolph and Linda Scott. He passed peacefully on March 21st following an 8-month battle with cancer. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, March 29th, 2017 - 06:00 PM to 08:00 PM - Peace Baptist Church, Dunn Loring, VA, and on Thursday, March 30th, 2017 - 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM - Peace Baptist Church. Funeral Services will begin on Thursday, March 30th, 2017 at 11:00 AM, at Peace Baptist Church. Interment will follow in First Baptist Church Cemetery Watson, Arcola, VA. Flowers are welcome but memorial contributions may be made in Vincent’s memory to Peace Baptist Church. Please share condolences with the family LoudounFuneralChapel.com. [Loudoun Funeral Chapel]

Family received friends between the on Saturday, March 25, 2016 at the Leesburg Community Church, 835 Lee Ave. SW, Leesburg, Va., 20175 where a service will immediately followed. A private burial will take place in Union Cemetery, Leesburg, Va. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in her honor to one of the following: Leesburg Church Foundation, 835 Lee Ave. SW, Leesburg, Virginia 20175; and Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 West Cork Street, Suite 405 Winchester, VA 22601. www.colonialfuneralhome.com

Mary Lou Crawford, 90, of Harrisonburg and formally of Falls Church, died March 26, 2017 at Sunnyside Retirement Community. She was born June 11, 1926, in Cleveland, OH, to Frank and Leona Rakestraw. She was predeceased by her husband John Grier Crawford Jr. and daughter, Karen Sonderegger. She is survived by her daughters Kathy Cheatham, and Cheryl C. Hutcheson; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and sister Donna Scott. Services were scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, March 30 at The Colonial Funeral Home in Leesburg. Burial will follow in Union Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to National Brain Tumor Society at braintumor. org.[Colonial Funeral Home]

James Richard Schatz Jr., 57, of Lovettsville, died March 16. He was born Dec. 10, 1959, in Souderton, PA. He enlisted in the Army in 1977 and served as a para-trooper with the 82nd Air Borne, a shooter and instructor with the Army Marksmanship Unit, and as an officer for Heckler and Koch. He was a strong supporter of the Boulder Crest Retreat and an active member of St. Peters Episcopal Church. He is survived by his wife Wynell; mother Pearl Eileen Schatz; and siblings Diane Clifford, Debra Gehringer and Denise Schatz. Services were held March 25 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Purcellville. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Boulder Crest Retreat at bouldercrestretreat.org. [Hall Funeral Home]

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Mrs. Belote worked for over thirty years with the Leesburg real estate firm, James F. Tyler as a realtor and broker. She also served for over thirty years in various roles with the Leesburg Baptist Church as an active member and church leader in the roles of church administrative council, finance team, and church historian. She donated countless hours to the ministries of Leesburg Baptist church with a special emphasis as a lay ministry counselor for the church. Many throughout the community and church called her “Mom” as she always extended the advice and love of a mother to so many people. Although saddened by her passing, the many friends and loved ones she leaves behind are comforted in knowing she is now in her heavenly home.

Lillie Mae Byington, 91, of Middleburg died March 23. She was predeceased by her hurband Robert C. Byington. She is survived by her children James A. Byington of Tennessee, Frances Sutphin of Front Royal, William Byington of Herndon, Roy Byington of Front Royal, Carolyn Steadman of Summerduck, Brenda Springer of Culpeper, and Robert C. Byington Jr. of Marshall; stepson Aubrey “Wimpy” Byington of Middleburg; and stepdaughter Betty McCanless of Paris; brother Willie Wright of Tennessee; 13 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson. Services were held March 29 at Royston Funeral Home in Middleburg. Interment was at Middleburg Memorial Cemetery. [Royston Funeral Home]

39 Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

Frances Wessells Belote

[ D E AT H N O T I C E S ]

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CLASSIFIEDS We’ve got you covered. In the mail weekly. Online always. (703) 770-9723

Fountains of Living Water

(Non-denomination, Full Gospel)

Meeting at: Sterling Middle School 201 W. Holly Ave. Sterling,VA 20164 Sunday 10:15am www.fountainsoflivingwater.org (703) 433-1481 “Whoever believes in me (Jesus)... streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:38

Looking For Work I AM CERTIFIED CARE GIVERer

Looking For Work Providing Care For The Elderly Seniors / Persons with Disabilities, in their homes & all of their daily needs. • Will run errands • Has own transportation • good cook To Hire Call Naana (630) 200-9592

THREE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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Greenhill Winery and Vineyards is seeking weekend Bar Backs to join our team! We are looking for dedicated employees who have the ability to follow directives with minimal supervision. The ideal candidate must possess superior people skills, a professional demeanor under pressure, and have the ability to solve problems in a creative manner. Must be able to work in a team atmosphere and give exemplary customer service. JOB DESCRIPTION (including but not limited to): - Replenish stock and ingredients throughout shift, including restocking wines on shelves and in refrigerator, preparing ice buckets, chocolate pairings, and retail items. - Assist in setup and breakdown of large group reservations and private tastings. - Clear glasses, bottles and dishware and wipe down seating areas after patrons leave. - Maintain cleanliness of tasting bars and tables; replace soiled rags and remove trash. - Wash and polish glasses throughout shift. - Assist in ringing up customer orders as needed. - Assist in ringing up customer orders as needed. - Assist with special events as requested; represent winery at outside functions as needed. - Perform other duties as assigned by manager. REQUIREMENTS: - Strong attention to detail. - Ability to problem solve in stressful situations. - Highly customer service oriented. - Excellent hospitality, sales, organizational, and customer service skills. - Must be available and willing to work weekends. - Ability to lift, push and pull 50 pounds. - Ability to stand on feet for 8 hours; occa-sional climbing, stooping, and twisting. - 21+ an older. HOURS: Looking for weekend staffing Please submit your resume and cover letter to Mary Long: mary@greenhillvineyard.com

Tasting Room Associate Greenhill Winery and Vineyards is seeking Tasting Room Associates to join our team! Tasting Associates are responsible for the overall guest experience at the winery. If you are outgoing, personable, enjoy wine and want to learn more then this job is for you! The hours of the positions are parttime, to include weelend days (Saturday / Sunday or both). Our hours of operaion are noon to sunset. JOB DESCRIPTION: - Greet all visitors to the winery and pour wines for tasting. - Handle routine sales transactions to in clude operating cash register, mobile sales, and recording of credit card tips. - Assist with display and re-stocking of retail items and wine - Assis with wine club shipments and special orders. - Assist with special events as requested. Wine knowledge is preferred, but not required; we’ll train you! We provide great educational opportunities and a dynamic work environment! Tasting Associates must be age 21+. The pay starts at $11/hour plus cash tips, credit card tips, and club commission. Higher hourly wages for experienced applicants will be considered. Greenhill Winery & Vineyards 23595 Winery Lane Middleburg, VA 20117 540-687-6968 info@greenhillvineyards.com

Busy Home Healthcare Agency established in 1993 with offices in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties looking for CNA, HHA or PCA. Nursing Students also Encouraged to Apply! for immediate work for all shifts. We offer benefits to fulltime employees such as health/dental insurance, vacation, simple IRA retirement. We also offer direct deposit. Please apply online at http://www.icareabouthealth.net

Seeking full time RN or LPN to assist with geriatric wellness exams. This position requires travel to multiple locations in Loudoun County and the ability to utilize EMR systems and scanning programs. Experience with geriatric populations is preferred. Self starter with basic knowledge of Medicare coding and billing guidelines is a plus. Ideal position for the nurse who no longer desires floor work, but who still thrives on patient interactions and helping people maintain wellness. Full-time hourly position with benefits. Please send resume to lgray@lmgdoctors.com or fax to 703-726-0804 attention Lisa.

FT LPN or MA Large family practice in Loudoun County seeking FT LPN’s or MA’s for our new site located in the professional building at Stone Springs Hospital in Aldie, VA. We also have openings in our Ashburn, Lansdowne, Cornwall and Purcellville offices. Pediatric and or family practice experience preferred but willing to train the right candidate. EHR experience highly recommended. We offer health, dental and vision insurance as well as direct deposit, 401k and many other benefits. Please send your resume to lgray@ lmgdoctors.com or fax to 703-7260804, attention Lisa.

Crossword

Bar Backs

Geriatric Wellness Nurse

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

Employment

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EXCAVATING

[ OPINION ]

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Downtown’s Direction By the end of its second budget markup session Monday night, the Leesburg Town Council had chopped three downtown infinitives that supporters had touted as important elements in boosting the economic viability of the historic district. The opposition to spending money to launch a Main Street program, conduct a new parking study, and build a splash pad could be interpreted as being hostile to the needs of downtown businesses and property owners. They’re not. Instead, the votes put a brighter light on the absence of a strategic plan for the vital town core. That plan won’t emerge from a hodgepodge of proposals aimed at quieting the council’s critics du jour. That ineffective game of whack-a-mole gets to be expensive. As some council members noted, there is a need for a more thoughtful, comprehensive strategy to foster—and better capitalize on—the latest wave of investment in the town’s core. That plan can’t be dictated from the council chambers, but must be community-driven. If armed with confidence that the town’s political leaders would value and implement their recommendations, there is a ready roster of downtown residents, business owners, investors and advocates who would contribute. There’s no shortage of issues to consider and they go beyond the common complaints about parking policies or sidewalk seating. They run the gamut from noise conflicts, to the merits of converting empty commercial space to residential use, to the need to spruce things up more during the holidays. And the study effort shouldn’t be limited to building a list of what needs to be done; it also should include funding strategies that reflect the type of public-private partnership that will be needed to sustain the current economic upswing. It is clear town leaders know that more needs to be done downtown. Their challenge is building—and trusting—the community coalition that will lead the way.

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[ LETTERS ] Following Their Example Editor: On March 23, I had the honor and privilege to judge the 36th Annual LCPS Regional Science and Engineering Fair for a special award from my church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun, UUCL. Unitarian Universalists do not have a creed, but embrace 7 Principles. The 7th Principle is “Respect for the Interdependent Web of Life of which we are a part.” Over 10 years ago, now deceased church member Ann Robinson started the UUCL Environmental Stewardship Award. As an official category judge as well as judging for special awards, I have judged many science fairs. This year, I noticed significant changes in problems students chose to study. For one, the number of projects submitted in the Earth and Environmental Sciences category ballooned to 31 total which, according to the LCPS science supervisor, had the largest number of projects of all the 22 fair categories. Unlike past science fairs, nearly 30 percent (9 out of 31) of the E&ES category projects were related in some way to climate change. Here is a sampling of project titles: Observing the Effect of Carbon Dioxide on Stomatal Productivity; The Effect of Global Warming on Storms; Does Climate Change Lead to Increase Tsunami Size? In other categories, there were at least seven other projects related to Climate Change, such Algal Lipids as an alternative fuel source; Using GIS to Determine the Effectiveness of Retrofitting a Coal Energy Plant to Wind Energy; The Effect of Carbon Nanoparticles on Efficiency of Steam Generation for Solar Applications. In one project about Wind Turbine Blade Design, the students states in his abstract: “In my study, I wanted to study a way to maximize the efficiency of wind turbines. I wanted to research this problem because at the rate we are using fossil fuels now, the planet will not be able to sustain life in the years to come. … I am excited to continue researching the topic as clean energy is critical in making sure that the planet remains habitable for as long as possible.”

Loudoun County students understand the gravity of climate change. They passionately seek to better understand it’s impact and identify solutions. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors must keep the wisdom of these young people in mind for each and every landuse decision they make and for each and every transportation decision they make. For the sake of these inspiring students and their future, the supervisors must reshape our county to naturally landscaped walk-able and bike-able communities connected by mass transit to each other and to the greater Washington Metropolitan region. — Natalie Pien, Leesburg

I Stand with Mark Editor: “Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.” This quote from one of the greatest authors of the 19th Century, Henry David Thoreau, and truly exemplifies who Mark Herring is and what he stands for and battles against. Throughout his political career, Mark Herring has been a man who lives his beliefs and follows through on his promises. Leesburg, Loudoun County, and the commonwealth are better places because of his leadership. We have seen his stance against racism and intolerance since the Trump Administration took office. Along with our governor, Herring held a press conference to speak out against the “Muslim Ban.” His office was one of the first attorney general’s office in this country to act after the “Muslim Ban” was announced. He has since visited and spoken at town halls throughout the Commonwealth discussing the AG office’s dedication and commitment to defending and protecting the rights and liberties of all Virginians, especially Virginia’s minority communities. The Republican Party of Virginia has taken issue to Herring’s attendance at a town hall at one of the largest mosques in Virginia, the Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center, with the Nation’s leading Muslim LETTERS >> 45

[ OPINION ]

[ LETTERS ]

Not Leadership

Coordination or Consequences BY ROGER VANCE

ater naturally flows along a path of least impedance. Even a mighty river begins as a small trickle that builds volume fed by many tributaries. As gravity compels the water to move, a river’s bed is cut, its banks containing and determining its course—that is until they no longer can. To skirt obstacles or bottlenecks, the water seeps or spills over its banks to form new rivulets to follow until it can rejoin the main flow in a deeper, or wider, smooth flowing stream. While our roads are not rivers and our gravity-defying cars are not water, certain principles of the natural order are applicable to the man-made environment. People want to move, not stand still, and, like the water backing up in an obstructed stream, motorists will seek a route around an obstacle until they can rejoin the smooth-flowing stream. Likewise, just as a dam or new channel cut within a network of rivers and streams will affect the flow in all streams, a new road, improvement, or bottleneck within a road network will inevitably impact the traffic flow on all roads in the network. Seems obvious, but the impulse (largely because of funding constraints) is to see particular road projects in isolation and not look beyond a narrow scope of work to see the unintended consequences, positive and negative, that may result. The downside of not recognizing these interrelationships can be manifold, ranging from simple ineffectiveness in achieving the desired aim to the creation of a new set of problems to be fixed. An awareness of connectedness, on the other hand, can have an extraordinary upside that translates into better long-term solutions, predictably positive outcomes

Brewer << FROM 3

are undeniably at stake if the entire Hillsboro project is not funded and built as one—not to mention the likely doubling of the duration of major disruption to this gateway from two years to four. And, without the Rt. 9/Rt. 287 roundabout in place, the effectiveness of the Hillsboro roundabouts to keep traffic moving is greatly diminished, as this bottleneck remains, exasperating the spillover traffic into Waterford and beyond. Without the smoothing effect of the Rt. 9 corridor projects complete, a Rt. 7/690 interchange will encourage a massive shift of Rt. 9 traffic to choose Rt. 690 and other smaller roads (Cider Mill, Woodgrove, Stoneypoint) as a quicker route to and from Rt. 7. In addition, a quicker route to and from Rt. 7 via Rt. 690 to bypass much of congested Rt. 9 will likely induce more regional commuter and commercial traffic (including more large trucks) into this network. It is imperative to have Hillsboro’s roundabouts and traffic calming in place to discourage this effect. The opportunity is ripe for Loudoun’s leaders to choose a holistic approach to address the inevitable improvements needed to ensure our interconnected network of critical highways flow smoothly. The choices made will have short- and long-term impacts that will to a large extent shape the region’s future. Careful coordination, logical sequencing and timely implementation is not an option, it is an imperative.

big situation—a division of any size should look back and say what did we learn and where can we do better?” School Board member Tom Marshall (Leesburg), who chairs the board’s Personnel Committee, has also said it’s time to take a closer look at how personnel decisions are made. He has said the board gets little information from senior staff members about their recommendations regarding employment decisions, and the board generally approves them unanimously without public discussion or debate. Rose described the past several months for the Dominion school community as “uncertain, stressful, frustrating, sad.” But she said some positives have come out of it: “Students found their voice and learned to advocate for themselves. Parents and

students from diverse backgrounds learned about each other and the challenges people in our community face to simply get to school and participate, much less excel. And, friends and neighbors engaged in civil debate over the issues involved, because we all want what is best for our students. These are positive outcomes, the takeaways, to help us heal.” She continued, “While the focus has been on one person, Dominion is not defined by a principal alone. Rather, let it be defined by how the inclusive practices we heard so much about make all students feel welcome, safe, and respected. May Dominion High School continue to thrive as this chapter comes to a close and a new one begins.”

[Roger L. Vance is the mayor of Hillsboro. A View from the Gap appears monthly in Loudoun Now.]

dnadler@loudounnow.com

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while there were lapses in judgment for which consequences were appropriate, the evidence weighed in favor of offering Dr. Brewer an opportunity to return to his position on April 17,” she said. The tense few months has put a spotlight on areas that need improvement within the school system, Rose added. “In my opinion, this process has raised questions about the effectiveness of several LCPS policies, regulations, and practices,” she said, calling on a review of the “entire process.” “It’s a 360 review on everything that came through. That’s appropriate after any

and, not least important, significant time and cost savings. Classic examples are “separate” projects slated for the three primary northwest Loudoun corridors, Rt. 7, Charles Town Pike (Rt. 9) and Berlin Turnpike (Rt. 287). The funded “in-town” phase of Hillsboro’s Rt. 9 Traffic Calming project is slated to begin its construction next year (remaining to be funded are roundabouts at each end of town). A roundabout at the Rt. 9/Rt. 287 intersection and an interchange at Rt. 7/ Rt. 690 (Hillsboro Road) in Purcellville are priority projects recommended in this year’s Commonwealth Transportation Board funding cycle. All of these projects will profoundly impact the historic Charles Town Pike corridor, as well as the heavy “spillover” traffic, which now seeps to and from Rt. 7 on narrow secondary roads to avoid Rt. 9 congestion and that inundates Waterford to beat back ups on Rt. 9. While Hillsboro’s traffic calming project will slow traffic and create a safe pedestrian environment within the town, without the tandem roundabouts the system is incomplete, leaving a big bottleneck unchanged at the Rt. 9/Rt. 690 intersection. Without coordinated planning and sequencing of these projects, the negative unintended consequences are plentiful. With proper coordination and timing, these negative results can be avoided, disruption can be lessened and much money can be saved. First and foremost, it should be a priority to ensure the Rt. 9 corridor projects are constructed concurrently to reduce the length of disruption to daily commuter traffic and the flood of agricultural and recreational tourists that have no alternate route to an economically important concentration of vineyards, farm breweries and accommodations. Millions in duplicative, redundant and unnecessary costs

Editor: On March 26, Loudoun School Board member Eric DeKenipp posted a link on Facebook to a recent piece he penned entitled, “We Need to Stop Sanctuary Policy: The Rockville High School Attack.” I’m writing now, not to engage in a discussion on sanctuary city policy, but rather to discuss Mr. DeKenipp’s responses to constituents who left comments on his post from March 26. By posting on a controversial topic, Mr. DeKenipp must have anticipated some rancorous responses. Indeed, I would hope that Mr. DeKenipp would encourage responses from across the political spectrum. After all education, and the role of sanctuary cities is not a Republican or Democratic issue, but a community issue. Crafting a solution to best serve our community would require input from residents across the political spectrum, and compromise from our elected officials. But it seems, Mr. DeKenipp was in no mood to take pointed responses to his post that day. In response to a comment from a member of the community, he wrote, “I expected more from you but apparently your [sic] just another liberal with no common sense.” Regardless of Mr. DeKenipp’s personal feelings on this topic, he is an elected official and should be a role model for our community. Instead, he has chosen to take the lowest road possible, and use personal insults to deflect any criticism or debate on his views. This is not Mr. DeKenipp’s first offense. Continuing to rely on personal insults and attacks on his constituents demonstrates that Mr. DeKenipp is no longer capable of respectably representing the Catoctin District on the School Board. We live in divisive times, and none of us are innocent of using partisan rhetoric to make a point, but Mr. DeKenipp’s swift turn to personal insults on this post underscores his unwillingness to work across the aisle to improve the community for all residents. Instead, he relies on petty name-calling to attempt to justify his opinions. We need elected officials, and leaders who sow seeds of respect, common courtesy, and unity within the community. Mr. DeKenipp has proven yet again that he is not the right leader for that job. — Jenny Couch, Leesburg

A VIEW FROM THE GAP

civil rights organization, the Council on American Islamic Relations. The petition found on their website urges visitors to tell the AG to apologize for attending the town hall. The petition is riddled with unfounded allegations and untruths which are often used by Islamophobes and bigots. Herring’s attendance at this town hall is on par with his message that Virginia is a state of tolerance and inclusion and his office will stand up for all Virginians against those who espouse and encourage hate. Our attorney general does not owe anyone an apology. Virginia’s GOP leadership needs to reevaluate the message of intolerance they are advocating and learn from Herring how a Virginia statesman represents his people in the best interest of the commonwealth. — Ibrahim A. Moiz, Sterling

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

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Budget

The Schools’ Budget, by the Numbers

<< FROM 3 est budget years that they can remember, and I agree,” Meyer said. “It’s nice when you can deliver the second highest increase in more than a decade to the school system while also giving some slight relief to the taxpayers.” “What we received from the schools is not a budget, it is a request, and they are very different things, because a budget has fiscal restraint,” said Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles). “What we received from the schools is, if we could have everything we would like to have, here’s what it would cost.” “The schools got 99.9 percent of their request, the biggest increase in years, way above their growth, and we cut taxes,” Buona said. “How often can you say you did all that in one budget?” But other supervisors defended the school system’s request. “Over the last five years, we have seen cuts in the requested school budget of over $117 million, and when you have significant cuts like that over a period of five years, you need to start fully funding a school budget to make up some of the ground lost,” said Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg). “It’s who said potato or po-tah-to,” summarized Supervisor Suzanne M. Volpe (R-Algonkian).

More County Employees, Services This year’s budget represents a major investment in county government staff. Department heads have complained for years that their workforce had not increased alongside Loudoun’s population, in large part because of sagging

This year, the School Board requested a local tax transfer of $759,289,406 from the county to fund a total operating budget of $1.124 billion. The rest of the school system’s budget comes from state, federal, and other revenue sources. After tacking on an additional $635,000 of expected money from the state, and moving about $5.27 million for school bus and vehicle purchases from the school’s operating budget to the capital budget, the School Board’s full request could be met with $753,459,827 in county funding. Supervisors then voted to chop $5.5 million out of the school budget, the biggest part of a $7.6 million budget cut needed to take the real estate tax rate down another recession-era revenues coinciding with meteoric population growth. County Administrator Tim Hemstreet proposed adding 188.67 full-time equivalent employees, a budgeting term used to track the equivalent number of full-time positions among a staff of fulland part-time positions. Supervisors then tacked on another 23.86 FTEs, for a total of 212.53 FTEs. These positions increase the county workforce, not including schools, by about 6 percent, from the current year’s 3,827.22 FTEs. The biggest increases were in the Departments of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Management; Parks, Recreation and Community Service; and Library Services. Parks and Recreation alone absorbed new 63.9 FTEs, all for the expanding Dulles South Multipurpose Center. That center will soon open its recreation and senior centers. The first will include an aquatics center, fitness rooms, a running track, and gymnasium; the senior center will host social events, recreational

penny. Supervisors had been working from a 1-cent tax cut from this year at $1.135; reducing the school budget request and tapping some of the anticipated general fund surplus brought the tax rate to $1.125. The county will send $747,959,827 to the schools. The schools’ request was a 9.28 percent increase over last year’s transfer of $694,787,619; supervisors instead handed the schools a 7.65 percent increase in local tax funding, or $53,172,208 more than last year. That brings the total school budget—counting school buses, which now appear in the county’s capital improvement program instead of the school budget—to $1.119 billion, 99.51 percent of the School Board’s request, $88.1 million more than last year and an 8.55 percent increase.

programs, trips, and fitness classes, and will also serve as a distribution point for the Congregate Meal Program and the Home Delivered Meal Program. That center will also mean a new position in Human Resources and three more in the Department of General Services to keep up with its staffing and maintenance needs. The Fire and Rescue department will add 40.27 FTEs to man the new Kirkpatrick Farms station when it opens. It will also bring in two new inspectors in the Fire Marshal’s office, additional dispatchers, and training academy staff. The third big-ticket item is the Brambleton Library, which will need 34.56 FTEs to staff. When it opens, the Brambleton Library will be the 10th branch of the Loudoun County Public Library. The remaining 66 FTEs come mostly in the form of one or two additions to one of the county’s 30 departments and constitutional offices. They include funding to keep open the Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center, a partnership between the Sheriff ’s Office

and the Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services; additional staffing for both adult and child protective services; and a variety of other positions like a civil engineer for the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure, a recruiter for Human Resources, and a budget analyst for Management and Budget. None of those, of course, include the largest single employer in the county— the school system. “We finally, after many years, are starting to catch up, seriously catch up, to critical needs on the county side of the government,” Buona said. “We have been pouring so much money into our schools over the last few years that the county was still running at recession-level staffing.” The Board of Supervisors is expected to take an official vote on the budget and tax rate Tuesday. rgreene@loudounnow.com

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One Loudoun

duced residential numbers, county planners still objected to some aspects of the application, such as the setback, the elimination of previously proffered open space on the property, and the design of a self-storage mini-warehouse. “Staff has also raised concerns that the applicant is requesting 19 zoning modifications, many of which do little to achieve a public purpose or improve upon existing regulations,” the staff report stated. Supervisors approved the application 7-0-1, Umstattd opposed, Randall absent. rgreene@loudounnow.com

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build, is more town center-oriented development, because the other growth is crushing us,” Buona said. “The other housing is crushing us. It generates lots of students.” Buona said he and Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) negotiated the new application with Miller & Smith through the county staff. Letourneau, who voted against the previous application, said the latest revision of the application is “advantageous” to the county. “The reality is that One Loudoun is a place that has density, that has restaurants, that has retail, and that has the type of product that is successful in this marketplace,” Letourneau said. Supervisor Tony R. Buffington Jr. (R-Blue Ridge) said he told One Loudoun developers early on that he would not support an application with more than 200 residential units. Having reached 200 units, he said he would support that application. “We have to build a lot of residential units in the Metro tax district to help pay for Metro, so if there’s going to be applications coming in for 700, 800 units, it needs to be in the Metro tax district, not elsewhere,” Buffington said, pointing out that One Loudoun is not in the county’s Metro tax district. The long dissenting vote was Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg). She said the application would put additional burden on schools and taxpayers. “I look at what the citizens of Loudoun County have requested of us, and they have said the number one concern is the rapid growth,” Umstattd said. She noted that County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), who was not at the meeting, told her she would have voted against the application as well. Supervisor Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run), who sparked anger on the board by promising “I will hold you accountable, my constituents will hold you accountable, any time you run for anything in the future” during the vote to turn down the application in February, spoke of a “healing process” between himself and other board members. “As of today, and as of the last few weeks, we’re all doing a better job, and I’m certainly personally doing a better job communicating with the other board members,” Meyer said, saying “the press is obsessed with sensationalizing.” He then pivoted to explain his previous remarks: “The reason why I was prone to frustration was because, and this is still the case, is that we have a few supervisors who support affordable housing as a concept but not in practice,” Meyer said. “Now we have some supervisors who are out there clamoring for density in some places and then saying that this is going to hurt traffic. That is ridiculous.” He pointed to Russell Branch Parkway, a four-lane divided road by One Loudoun which stretch-

permitted along that street. “I would expect where in some of the existing buildings we have office over retail or commercial, we’re now going to have some residential overtop of commercial uses, so that’s in keeping with the original vision,” May said. One Loudoun’s developer will also build a park-and-ride lot with at least 200 spaces—although the applicant has discussed the possibility of more— and pay the county $1,465,931 to offset capital impacts, taking a $3.29 million credit for the parking garage. The application still includes a request to reduce the construction setback along Rt. 7, from the 300-foot standard to 235 feet. Despite the re-

Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2017

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es from Claiborne Parkway to Pacific Boulevard near Rt. 28. The developer’s proffer statement promises 20 “workforce housing” apartments, available to people making less than the Loudoun median income of $117,876; five apartments for unmet housing needs, available to people making less than the Washington Metropolitan Area median income; and at least five units for the county’s affordable dwelling units program. The latest application describes mixed-use buildings with commercial space on the first floor. At least 80 percent of the frontage on Exchange Street must be pedestrian-oriented businesses, and no ground-floor residences are

Mar. 30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Apr. 5, 2017