Loudoun Now for March 31, 2016 by Loudoun Now

LoudounNow LOUDOUN COUNTY’S COMMUNITY-OWNED NEWS SOURCE

[ Vol. 1, No. 21 ]

[ loudounnow.com ]

[ March 31 – April 6, 2016 ]

Smart phones: Loudoun’s newest classroom tool......................18 Sheriff cleared of criminal misconduct allegations..........12

County Board Votes for 1-Cent Tax Increase BY RENSS GREENE

T Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

From left, Christian Kimble, Cameron Plaskett, Anna Thomas and Fitz Thomas joined about 100 other protestors at a rally organized by members of the Loudoun County chapter of NAACP Tuesday. They voiced their opposition to plans to reverse a policy that dispersed poor and non-English-speaking students to schools throughout town.

BALANCING BOUNDARIES After push for attendence paradigm shift, school board votes for status quo BY DANIELLE NADLER

fter being accused of drawing elementary school attendance zone lines based on students’ race and economic class, the Loudoun County School Board on Tuesday backed off on a proposal critics characterized as modern segregation. The board ultimately adopted an attendance map for Leesburg area elementary schools that will reassign about 1,105 students next year. The decision to approve so-called Plan 8 was considered a compromise among board members who were at a standoff over what type of school assignments are best for students. The proposal that sparked the loudest opposition, and the formation of activist group Educate Don’t Segregate, was Plan 12, which supporters called a needed paradigm shift for Leesburg elementary boundaries. It would have reversed a 1997 decision that sent about 700 low income and non-English-speaking students in apartments

and town homes near Plaza Street to five different schools across town, some as far as 3.5 miles away. Educate Don’t Segregate advocated continuing to evenly distribute the academically at-risk students and moving just enough students to reduce overcrowding at Evergreen Mill Elementary, the issue that prompted the boundary changes. The adopted plan leaves most of the Plaza Street students’ school assignments unchanged. It returns some students to their neighborhood schools. But it still largely evenly distributes the town’s poorest students throughout several schools, leaving the highest concentration of students who qualify for the federal free and reduced meal program at 33 percent of school population, at Evergreen Mill Elementary. It reassigns the Lakes of Red Rock neighborhood from Ball’s Bluff to Frances Hazel Reid Elementary, and sends students in the Beacon Hill and Shenstone neighborhoods west of Leesburg from Catoctin ElementaBOUNDARIES ADOPTED >> 11

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he Board of Supervisors voted narrowly last week to adopt a $1.145 real estate tax rate for fiscal year 2017, a 1-cent increase. The rate sends $694.8 2017 BUDGET: million in county funds to the school system, leaving a $16.9 million shortfall Who gets what? in the School Board’s adopted budget. See page 6 A majority of supervisors said that a single-year increase of $58 million in local tax funds more than meets the school system’s needs. Real estate values have been relatively flat over the past year and the impact of the tax rate increase is expected to be modest for most homeowners. For example, for a home worth the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent estimation of the median Loudoun value, $474,600, this year’s tax bill will be $5,434.17. That’s $47.46 more than at the current rate. During a series of budget work sessions, supervisors had voted for budget items bringing the tax rate up to $1.14 per $100 of assessed value, leaving $3.9 million unallocated. During its final mark-up session on March 24, Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) moved to send that unallocated money to the schools and bring the rate up another half penny. “This is the sixth year in the row that the Board of Supervisors will have substantially increased the school budget significantly more than the growth enrollment,” Buona said. He argued that the funding increase should accommodate enrollment growth, support for the new Academies of Loudoun, the expansion of full-day kindergarten, and teacher raises. School Board member Jeff Morse (Dulles), who chairs that board’s finance committee, said some of the new items in the schools’ budget will be the first on the table to be considered for cuts. Among those are $9.2 million to provide a full school day to 75 percent of the county’s kindergartners; $6.7 million to restructure teacher salary schedules to make pay for teachers with several years of experience more competitive with neighboring school systems; and $1.7 million to add 25.7 full-time equivalent positions to help academically at-risk students. “We have several enhancements that we’re going to have to weigh as a board,” he said. “They’ll all be on the table.” As supervisors pointed out, the School Board has broad discretion as to how to spend the money they allocate. “People in the public out there need to understand, it’s literally like handing your kids the car keys, and you have no idea if your kid’s going over to their friend’s house to see a movie, or whether they’re going to the house party,” said Supervisor Suzanne M. Volpe (R-Algonkian). Volpe joined Supervisors Geary M. Higgins (R-Catoctin) and Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) in saying this was the COUNTY BUDGET >> 7

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BUILDING BUSINESS

Spaces to Work, Places to Collaborate BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

INCUBATORS Mason Enterprise Center 202 Church St., SE, Leesburg masonenterprisecenter.org/space/ mec-leesburg Loudoun’s original business incubator arrived on the scene in the fall of 2011. It quickly became a popular landing spot for start-up or established small businesses looking to take advantage of the expertise of Mason Enterprise Center staff, as well as the Loudoun Small Business Development Center and the Town of Leesburg’s Economic Development Department,

which also share the space. Over the past five years, 17 companies have “graduated” to space of their own. Of those, 13 stayed in Leesburg or Loudoun County to continue to grow their business. That’s according to Susan Henson, who has been director of Leesburg’s Mason Enterprise Center since it opened. And interest in the incubator has grown, as well. With 28 available office spaces, the center houses 41 businesses. Henson said the MEC staff has been able to be “creative” when it comes to using its space to accommodate more businesses, with some companies sharing spaces or splitting offices. The MEC

This venture by tech giant AOL launched in 2012 in an effort to help with the company’s brand recognition BUILDING BUSINESS >> 38

For Vanessa Jozwiak, who serves as the small business and entrepreneurship manager for the county’s Department of Economic Development, the growth of incubators and co-working spaces is no surprise. “Loudoun County is the fastest growing county in the Commonwealth of Virginia not only because of larger community players but because of small business and entrepreneurs,” she said. “I believe that seeing the sprout of incubators and co-working is because there is a market demand right here in our backyard.” Loudoun got its first business incubator 5 years ago, Mason Enterprise Center in Leesburg. Today, the county boasts a growing number of similar shared workplace settings. Jozwiak notes that 86 percent of the businesses in Loudoun have fewer than 20 employees. She said she is fielding calls “all the time” from entrepreneurs and small businesses looking for good places to set up shop and she often directs them to the nurturing environment of incubator space. “All generations are enjoying a more open work environment, sense of community, and having those organic collisions,” she said. “It’s important not just for small business but growing a business as well.” Here’s a look at some of Loudoun’s business starting spaces.

Leesburg also has 31 virtual clients, for a current total of 72 businesses. A big boon for the MEC Leesburg has been the downtown area’s designation as a HUBZone, or Historically Underutilized Business Zone. Small businesses located in HUBZones gain access to federal set-aside contracts and sole source contracts, as well as a price evaluation preference in full and open contract competitions. In an area already rife with companies gunning for government contracts, having the incubator located in such a zone has only added to its success. In fact, 50 percent of the incubator’s current clients take advantage of the HUBZone designation, Henson said. The HUBZone certification is “designed for a company at a stage that needs to grow,” Henson said. “When they get the big contract they usually gradate out. That’s a good fit for us.” Typically, MEC staff members like to see incubator clients demonstrate growth within three years as they eye graduation from the center and expansion elsewhere. In addition to its large pool of government contracting clients, the center is home to a mixed bag of industries, from marketing to tech to biotech to financial services, and everything in between. Going forward, Henson said a major goal of the MEC staff is to be “more deliberate about helping companies set goals and graduate in a timely manner.” Bringing the SBDC under the MEC’s umbrella—with that change formally announced last summer—was a big part of that strategy, she said. AOL Fishbowl Labs 22000 AOL Way, Sterling fishbowllabs.com

March 31 – April 6, 2016

In Loudoun County, the business of helping businesses grow is a booming enterprise.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Business incubators are popping up throughout Loudoun County. The Brickyard in Ashburn is one of the latest in a local movement to provide shared spaces where entrepreneurs can collaborate.

Waterford Foundation gets county bailout..................4 Leesburg budget, skate park plan hit snag............8

Vaping trend drifts into Leesburg......24

New Loudoun biz is not your momma’s babysitting service...........................25

Loudoun Gov ...............4 Crime.........................13 Education...................18 Our Towns..................22 Biz.............................26

LoCo Living................28 Obituaries..................32 Classifieds.................33 Opinion ....................36

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[ INDEX ]

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[ LOUDOUN ]

Waterford Foundation Gets $150K Boost from County

BY RENSS GREENE The Waterford Foundation will receive $150,000 from the county government to help it recover from the cancellation of the village’s fair in October. The foundation cancelled the Waterford Homes Tour & Craft Exhibit for the first time in its 72-year history amid a declared state of emergency around Hurricane Joaquin. Loudoun escaped damage from the hurricane, but the foundation, financially, did not. Waterford Foundation Executive Director Tom Kuehhas wrote to the county asking it to help defray the sunk costs of the cancelled fair, which he estimated at $250,000. Kuehhas wrote that the foundation estimates the Waterford fair pumps $4.5 million of visitors’ money into Loudoun businesses each year. “There is no available cash within the foundation to fund this, so the likelihood that the fair will not happen if we don’t fund it is very possible,” said Supervisor Geary M. Higgins (R-Catoctin). Higgins lives near Waterford and has been involved with the foundation, including recently serving as honorary chair at the foundation’s Valentine’s Sweetheart Ball. The money comes from the county’s transient occupancy tax on visitor stays at hotels, motels and other businesses

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Attorney Andrew Painter, Young Group president Robert Young, and Young Group Senior Vice President Joe Wetzel listen March 24 to a request to rehear the Board of Zoning Appeals’ approval of The Young Group’s Davis Church plans.

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

The village of Waterford has been the backdrop of the Waterford Homes Tour & Craft Exhibit for 72 years.

offering guest rooms. Part of the revenue from that tax is set aside for promoting tourism and travel to Loudoun. Some supervisors were hesitant about giving the Waterford Foundation the money. “I really think that in doing this for 72 years, that the Waterford Foundation would have put aside a little bit of reserve each year, because in 72 years, something’s going to go wrong sooner or later,” said Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn). Buona said he supported the allocation only because the money comes from the restricted transient occupancy tax fund, which is set aside for economic development. Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) suggested the money come with a caveat: that the foundation purchase event insurance. That amend-

ment was incorporated into Higgins’ motion to grant the request. Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said it would have been wise for the foundation to purchase insurance. Nonetheless, she supported the payout because it is the first time the Waterford Foundation has requested public funds for the event. “There are sometimes reasons for exceptions to the rule, and a hurricane is a pretty good exception to the rule reason,” Randall said. “Being a bailout fund for nonprofit events, I think, falls well outside the scope of our county government,” protested Supervisor Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run). The motion passed 8-1, Meyer opposed.

BZA Davis Church Challenge Falls Flat A request for a rehearing of the Board of Zoning Appeals’ approval of plans to build a self-storage center on the Davis Church property in Sterling found no support last week. Board members said there was no merit to the claim that the developer, The Young Group LLC, failed to notify neighboring property owners of last month’s the hearing in a timely fashion. “Given that we’ve not settled the notice issue, I don’t think there are any proper grounds for reconsidering what we did last time,” said board member E. Page Moffett, who voted against The Young Group’s application when the board considered it. The Young Group applied to take down the unused church building at the corner of Davis Drive and West Church Road in Sterling as part of its development. After a group of citizens formed to protect the building, The Young Group offered to preserve the front part of the building by relocating it to another part of the property and creating a “pocket park.” Bill Ewing, who has been a leader of community opposition to the plan, and others have said that didn’t go far enough. Alternate board member Clint Good pointed out that opponents of the project can appeal the BZA’s ruling to the Circuit Court. Ewing said he is “considering all options.”

rgreene@loudounnow.com

County Leaders Weigh Rules for Expanding Craft Beverage Industry BY RENSS GREENE Loudoun planning commissioners are following up on the county’s authorization of farm breweries by developing rules to allow craft beverage operations elsewhere in Loudoun. County staff members are drafting new zoning rules to smooth the path for opening craft beverage manufacturing businesses in non-agricultural, non-residential areas. The zoning amendments also tackle the thorny problem of defining a craft beverage. In its most recent draft, it defines craft beverage manufacturing as a small-scale brewery manufacturing of no more than 15,000 barrels of beer per year or a small-scale distillery producing no more than 36,000 gallons of distilled spirits per year. The rules would also limit tasting rooms to less than half of the business’s

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Former Planning Commission Chairman Al Van Huyck offers his thoughts on craft beverages in rural commercial districts.

total floor area, up to a maximum of 5,000 square feet, and limit the type of food preparation that can be done as a craft beverage manufacturer. Former commission chairman Alfred P. Van Huyck spoke during the panel’s March 23 public hearing, cau-

tioning the commission about allowing craft beverage manufacturing in the county’s rural commercial districts. “We set these zones up back in my day because we wanted to protect the existing commercial and the old towns, old Ashburn and old Arcola, and all

the towns in the west,” Van Huyck said. The RC zone, he said, is meant to keep new businesses compatible with the character of existing neighborhoods. He advised commissioners to require public comment before allowing individual craft breweries and distilleries in that zoning district. Concerns about the RC District have come up before. Some supervisors expressed consternation at what uses are allowed under that zoning during a debate over options to preserve the old Arcola Elementary School. Planner Mark Depo pointed out that the ordinance requires craft beverage manufacturers to be served by public water and sewer—a condition that excludes most of the land zoned RC in the western part of the county. Planning commissioners will continue work on the new ordinances at a future work session.

[ LOUDOUN ]

March 31 – April 6, 2016

Software Headaches Continue

County’s contract could hit legal trouble BY RENSS GREENE

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), left with Supervisor Geary Higgins (R-Catoctin), questions the merits of continuing with the county government’s troubled business software upgrade.

new go-live date has not yet been negotiated. “We’re under the impression, and it’s our intention, and we were given the impression, that it’s in everyone’s best interest to get this done,” Sider said. She added, members of AST senior management were in Loudoun meeting with the county this week. “The project as a whole is 93 percent complete, and the first two phases were complete on time and on budget,” Sid-

er said. County Administrator Tim Hemstreet said at a budget work session on March 7 that if the county can resolve the current issues with AST through negotiation, the project could be moving again within 45 days. If not, and the county has to seek legal remedies, he said the project would be on hold indefinitely. rgreene@loudounnow.com

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The county has been trying to replace an important piece of software since 2011, but more than four years later, it has hit another hurdle. Loudoun supervisors in November of 2011 approved a contract up to $21.1 million to implement Oracle eBusiness Suite, a set of programs meant to handle everything from payroll to mass appraisals and tax revenue across both the county and public schools. The programs are collectively known as Enterprise Resource Planning software, or the ERP system. The previous suite of software is more than 20 years old. In December 2013, the board earmarked another $9.2 million for an ERP Implementation Fund in the county capital project budget. Then, in December 2015, the board appropriated $1.5 million of fund balance to the project. This, staff reports note, does not include future project management, consulting, and technical support expenses. But now the project is on hold. The third and final phase of implementation, which missed three different go-live dates, went so poorly that the county now holds the vendor, Applications Software Technology Corporation, to be in breach of contract. In November 2015, the county informed AST that the project was on hold. According to staff reports, in Octo-

ber 2015, Oracle Consulting and Sales found the software built so far has “overly complex and unnecessary configurations.” Nonetheless, the county is committed. Supervisors put off providing another $403,400 for ERP consulting until the end of budget discussions, but several seemed to think the money would be necessary. “I know this stinks, I know we’ve spent a lot of money on this, this project is at a critical point at this point,” Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said. “We need to do this,” Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) said. “Some of us have been following this for four years. When the other two phases went live, we did the same thing.” Newer members to the board had serious doubts. “This feels like throwing good money after bad,” said Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), adding that it seemed like an “illogical, almost irresponsible thing to do.” Supervisor Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run) said he would oppose the item because his office has not had a full briefing from the Department of Information Technology. The county attorney and county staff are still working with AST to get the software up and running, although AST Vice President of Marketing and Communications Melissa Sider said a

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BY RENSS GREENE

Loudoun supervisors have held their last straw poll, and staff members are preparing what will likely be the fiscal year 2017 budget for a final vote April 5. With the county growing at its usual breakneck pace but real estate revenues flat, supervisors faced a challenging budget year. Most county departments wanted to expand their offices, but even among requests that county staff recommended for approval or identified as critical needs, most departments didn’t get everything they asked for. So who gets what? Not counting the $58 million increase in local tax funding for the school system, the board approved just under half of the budget additions requested by county departments—dishing out $4,487,437 in enhancements from $9,331,900 requested. In so doing, it created the equivalent of 40.89 new full-time positions out of 70.87 requested. The Sheriff ’s Office had the biggest request by far, asking for $2.7 million in enhancements, but receiving only $656,837. With that, the sheriff can slightly expand the business licensing enforcement unit and hire a community resource deputy and a juvenile/sex crimes deputy. The sheriff can also hire an administrative assistant; currently only one administrative assistant helps the sheriff, deputy chiefs, strategic planner, internal affairs investigators, and public information office staff. Among other requests, the sheriff did not get funding for more traffic deputies, a school resource officer, and three adult detention center positions. The Commissioner of Revenue received funding for an internship program, but not for additional personal property tax assessors, prompting the office to drop DMV Select services to allow staff to focus on their normal duties. The Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services got less than half its request, winning funding for its first-contact providers and help in the adult detention center, but not for its largest request, which would have provided six new staffers to provide in-home help. And after a long debate, the Department of Library Services got all requested funding—not only for an expanded Sterling Library, but also for staffing to keep it open until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. On a percentage basis, the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure saw the biggest growth. With the authorization to hire a senior traffic engineer and a regional programs coordinator, the office’s budget grew half again over last year’s budget to $2,387,999.

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As a rule, and as good budgeting best practice, the county only uses its end-of-year surplus to pay for onetime expenses, not new staff positions. Supervisors delayed voting on whether to pay for an employee classification and compensation study until the county gets the fund balance numbers. The study is estimated to cost

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Supervisor Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) stands with the proposed fiscal year 2017 budget after the board narrowly supported his proposed tax rate.

$200,000 and would help the county update its pay scale. The board also delayed paying $150,000 to study consolidating the county’s three emergency communications departments within the county into one Office of Emergency Management under the Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Management. This would combine the dispatch and communications functions of the sheriff ’s office, the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management, and Animal Services. Supervisors put $400,000 toward getting work on the comprehensive plan revision started, but held off on paying another $600,000 until general fund balance discussions. The construction of artificial turf fields needed at four county high schools also will be discussed when the surplus figures are nailed down. The School Board has estimated that a turf field costs about $1.1 million to install.

Nonprofits Supervisors agreed to allocate more local tax funding to help community nonprofits this year. The Waterford Foundation will receive $150,000 from the county’s restricted transient occupancy tax. Those revenues come from taxes on hotels, motels, campgrounds, and other guest rooms, and part of those revenues are set aside for promoting tourism and travel to Loudoun County. Supervisors also pitched $50,000 toward a study of Loudoun County nonprofits’ needs, with the promise of a $25,000 partial match from the Claude Moore Foundation. The study is designed to identify needs, gaps, and duplication of services among the county-funded nonprofits and county human services agencies, such as the Health Department, the Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services, and the Juvenile Court Service Unit. Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (DAt Large), who make the motion to support the study, protested substitute wording offered by Supervisors Suzanne M. Volpe (R-Algonkian) and Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run). She then abstained from voting. “I work in this field, I know what this should look like, and I know what is not being captured here, but if I vote against it then somebody will say I voted against money for nonprofits, and I’m not going to do that either,” Randall said. The motion passed 8-0-1.

<< FROM 1

WHAT’S YOUR TAX BILL? www.loudounnow.com/ tax-calculator Umstattd and Saines unsuccessfully attempted motions to raise the tax rate, and the conversation prompted Saines to quip at one point, “Feels like we’re on the campaign trail a little bit here.” Only Higgins attempted a lower rate, to $1.14, which he described as the equalized rate that would keep tax bills level for most homeowners, but his motion found no support. Ultimately, Buona’s motion for a $1.145 tax rate passed 5-4, Umstattd, Higgins, Meyer, and Volpe opposed. Higgins chastised dissenters who opposed the tax rate, but who did not offer any alternatives. “I have to question whether we’re sincere or posturing in positions we take,” Higgins said, adding he was “disappointed, however perhaps not surprised.” The county staff will now prepare a budget document based on the board’s work over the past month. The board’s final vote on the budget and tax rate will be April 5. rgreene@loudounnow.com

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second year that the board provided funding to fix the teacher salary sag. Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) and supervisors Koran T. Saines (R-Sterling) and Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) argued for a higher tax rate and more money for schools. Randall referred to the great number of people who came to the board asking for a fully funded school budget request. County Administrator Tim Hemstreet said a $1.17 tax rate would be required to fully fund the adopted school budget. Randall dismissed the argument that these speakers represented special interests. “I’m going to choose to believe that Loudoun County is full of people who are freethinking people who are not puppets, who are not minions, who understand money, who understand their own household budgets, and their own household taxes, and yet they still come year after year after year and they say, ‘fund the schools,’” Randall said. Other supervisors took their election as a mandate to keep taxes down. “Public input, as it happens here, is part of the process, but I think it’s a real big mistake for us to think it’s the only part,” said Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles). “I know six of us on this board that ran on fiscal restraint, and the people that elected us expect us to show fiscal restraint,” Higgins said. Nonetheless, Randall argued that she

March 31 – April 6, 2016

County budget

had heard the same message, asking for a fully funded budget request, outside the boardroom. “I’m voting my conscience and my constituency,” she said three times during the debate.

For more information, please visit the Town website: www.leesburgva.gov/business/business-events/leesburg-business-awards Offices in Ashburn, Burke, Fairfax, Leesburg and Purcellville

[ LEESBURG ]

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[ LEESBURG BRIEFS ]

Butler Offers ‘State of Town’ Address

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Catoctin Skate Park, planned for a $1 million renovation, is one of the larger line items in Leesburg’s $94 million proposed budget.

COUNCIL HITS PAUSE

Budget, tax rate votes delayed; skate park construction plans questioned BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

majority of the Leesburg Town Council again is pushing for the postponement of a decision. This time it’s the adoption of the fiscal year 2017 budget. Monday night’s Town Council work session was to serve as the next opportunity for council members to scrutinize the budget proposed by Town Manager Kaj Dentler. Leesburg operates under a two-year budget cycle and the spending plan for fiscal year 2017 was approved last year. This year’s review is designed to identify any changes needed to that plan. During his initial budget presentation in February, Dentler highlighted items such as projects that had cost increases, requested budget additions, project delays, and new funding sources. During the work session, council members were expected to offer their ideas for any changes they would make. But a majority of council members said they were not yet prepared for straw votes on additions or deletions to the budget, prompting Mayor David Butler to suggest that the council postpone votes on both the proposed real estate tax rate and the adoption of the budget by two weeks. Initial adoption of both was eyed for meetings the week of April 11. In addition to Butler, council members Bruce Gemmill, Tom Dunn and Kelly Burk said they were in favor of the delay, although not all council members were polled when it was clear there were four votes to support the delay. Both Dentler and Clark Case, the town’s director of finance and administrative services, warned council members that pushing back the adoption of the budget and tax rate could make it difficult for the town staff to have everything ready for the next fiscal year, beginning July 1. Dentler said the staff could manage with a two-

week delay, but strongly advised against pushing the adoption into May. One budget item that did receive a significant amount of attention during Monday’s work session was the Catoctin Skate Park renovation. The almost $1 million project is one area of the budget that saw a cost increase from the current fiscal year to fiscal year 2017 because of soil conditions on the site. Several hundred thousand dollars in additional funding was added, for a project total of $976,200. The new skate park will be shifted on the property to allow for the expansion of the Loudoun County Rescue Squad next door. The rescue squad is offering $260,000 to aid in the skate park project. But the cost increases for the skate park renovation have reinvigorated discussion, and support, from some council members about moving the skate park to Ida Lee Park. That becomes the cheaper option as the cost of site work on Catoctin Circle increases. Burk and Councilman Marty Martinez said they support keeping the skate park on Catoctin Circle, while Councilwoman Suzanne Fox said she supported moving the project to Ida Lee Park. Gemmill suggested postponing the project for a year to get more information. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

Mayor Dave Butler on Tuesday either revived an old tradition or created a new one by delivering a State of the Town address. His message was decidedly upbeat, spotlighting the town’s work to lower taxes, success in luring new businesses and providing services sought by town residents. He also highlighted challenges, including how to continue attracting more David Butler commercial development and creating jobs; how to improve the quality of life as the town grows; and how to support the town’s increasingly diverse population. Butler was appointed mayor last month to fill the seat long held by Kristen Umstattd, who was elected to the board of supervisors. The address was part of his community outreach efforts, which also include mayor’s hours on Fridays in Town Hall. “As far as I know, this is the first State of the Town address in at least the last 20 years, and maybe ever,” he said. “I see great things in Leesburg. I see it in the crowds at the Village. I see it in the bands and sports teams that roam our fields. I see it in the passion surrounding all the businesses on First Fridays, and I see it in all of the people that love living here because of our historic downtown,” Butler said. “That’s why I can say, unequivocally, that the State of our Town is strong, and I’m proud to be your mayor.” Read the full text of his remarks at loudounnow.com.

Campbell Plans Kickoff Town Council hopeful Ron Campbell has scheduled his formal campaign kickoff ceremony for 1-3 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the Douglass Community Center. Campbell is the lone challenger to announce his intention to run in November’s Town Council elections. He will vie for one of three council seats on the ballot. The terms of council members Bruce Gemmill, Katie Hammler and Loudoun Now/File Photo Tom Dunn expire at year’s Ron Campbell is running for end. None of the incumbents the Leesburg Town Council. have announced whether they will seek re-election, although Gemmill stated prior to being appointed to the council in February that he is not interested in running for a council seat this November. Campbell is the only challenger to publicly announce a council campaign. For more information about Campbell or his campaign, go to his Facebook page Elect Ron Campbell.

Public Works Dept. to Offer HOA Forum The Leesburg Department of Public Works and Capital Projects will hold a Public Works Open House for representatives from residential community management companies and officers of HOAs. The open house will be held in the lower level meeting rooms at Ida Lee Park Recreation Center Wednesday, April 6, 6-7 p.m. During the open house, town representatives will provide an overview of the services that the town provides to residential communities, including trash, recycling and yard waste collection; bulk item collection; brush and fall leaf collection; sidewalk and street repairs; traffic signal and street sign maintenance; and snow removal. The town staff will be on hand to answer questions and distribute copies of the Public Works Service Guide. “There have been some recent changes in management LEESBURG BRIEFS >>> 9

[ LEESBURG BRIEFS ]

Career Expo Set for April 9 The Town of Leesburg will host its fourth annual Career Expo Saturday, April 9. The event is being

held at Tuscarora High School, 801 North King St., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Career Expo is aimed at high school students, college students and recent graduates. More than 60 employers will participate. They are seeking to fill over 750 positions and paying up to $15 per hour. Available positions include fulltime, part-time, and seasonal work as well as entry-level salaried positions and internships. Many businesses will be hiring on the spot. For a list of participating employers, go to leesburgva.gov/careerexpo. Participation by job seekers is free. Attendees should wear business attire and bring copies of their résumés. For more information, contact Barb Smith at bsmith@ leesburgva.gov or 703-669-2202.

Homes Needed for ‘Barn Cats’ The Humane Society of Loudoun County is again looking for the public’s help in finding homes for healthy semi-wild feral cats. Ideally, the cats need a home on a farm—in buildings such as barns and horse stables—or warehouses. The cats have been sterilized through the Humane Society and are in good health, having received veterinarian care, rabies examination and vaccines. There is no adoption fee and those with un-spayed barn cats can also receive assistance in having them sterilized. Anyone who owns or manages property and has permission for longterm placement of animals on the property is asked to contact the Humane Society at helpanimals@humaneloudoun.org. For more information, contact Donna Drake at 703-777-2912 or email her at donna@humaneloudoun.org.

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loudounnow.com

Eve Weber Huntland

Sycolin Creek

staff or officers for the Leesburg communities that have homeowner associations,” Renée LaFollette, the town’s director of Public Works and Capital Projects, stated. “This Open House gives us an opportunity to explain the Town’s and HOAs’ different responsibilities and hear suggestions on how to improve our services.” Attendees are asked to register at leesburgva.gov/PWOpenHouse. For more information, contact the Department of Public Works and Capital Projects at 703-771-2790 or publicworks@leesburgva.gov.

March 31 – April 6, 2016

<< FROM 8

[ LEESBURG ]

DAILY

LOUDOUN NEWS

loudounnow.com

Budget Spotlight: Leesburg’s Staffing Strategy BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ While Leesburg’s population, road lane miles, rooftops and towns staff workload have all swelled over the past decade, the size of the town’s staff has remained relatively constant. Fiscal year 2017 marks the first time in almost a decade that a budget proposal calls for the addition of a fulltime employee. Town Manager Kaj Dentler has proposed the addition of a network administrator to keep pace with the town government’s growing IT needs. The last addition came in fiscal year 2009 when a family crimes investigator was added to the Police Department. What the town has done since then is subtract or freeze positions. The most dramatic change came in the fiscal year 2012 budget when the economic recession hit Leesburg town staff the hardest. Then, 28 reduction-in-force notices were issued. In the intervening years, some town departments have been combined—the most recent being the Capital Projects and Public Works departments—and many senior-level executives have retired or moved on to other jobs. In FY2007, the town’s total

number of full-time equivalent positions and regular part-time employees was 370. If Dentler’s proposed network administrator position is approved by the council, next year that number will be 349. For Dentler, keeping pace with Leesburg’s needs without staff growth has been a challenge. “My goal is to ensure we are an organization that is flexible and skilled to meet the ever-changing and ever-increasing needs of the community. We will always require staff with special skills and knowledge, and we will also need staff that are adaptable enough to manage a variety of operations. A good balance is critical to our ultimate success,” Dentler said this week. He’s also found creative ways to meet the needs of the town’s depart-

ments. One example he points to is the upcoming retirement of Executive Associate Mary Frye from the Town Manager’s Office. Instead of filling that vacancy, Dentler plans to use that spot to create an operations manager position in the Public Works Department. That was one of the positions eliminated in the fiscal year 2012 RIFs. Dentler said he has been able to redirect staff resources by focusing on “core areas” stressed in previous budget cycles—financial sustainability, organizational efficiency, technology and automation, customer service, and employee development. “This approach helps us to effectively prioritize the workload in the short term,” he said. But going forward, Dentler said, the Town Council must make a strategic decision “to determine realistic service level expectations and to confirm service priorities.” “Once this is accomplished, decisions can be made about the need for additional staffing and resources,” he added. krodriguez@louduonnow.com

UNCOMPROMISING EXCELLENCE KINDERGARTEN & MIDDLE SCHOOL INFORMATION SESSION THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016 at 6PM Special Guests from Finding Solutions: Dr. Craig Moorman Dr. Jack Maranda Topic: “How to best support your child in school” fully accredited full day k progRAM SMALL CLASS SIZES individualized learning character developmeNT 835 Lee Avenue sw, SUITE 604 leesburg, va 20175 Or Call for a Private Tour: 571-252-9259

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LEESBURG

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loudounnow.com

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ry to Kenneth Culbert Elementary in Hamilton. It also keeps every school below its building capacity and frees up space in some schools to accommodate future development in the town. “I think this plan does provide the longest possible solution that is out there. It’s not perfect. Compromise is never perfect,” said Chairman Eric Hornberger (Ashburn), who drafted the map. The board voted 7-2 to adopt Plan 8, with Debbie Rose (Algonkian) and Joy Maloney (Broad Run) opposed. Tom Marshall (Leesburg) acknowledged that the plan reassigns more students than he would like but called it “a fair compromise.” Rose said she would not support a plan that sends one cluster of students to several different schools across town, while most students in the rest of the county get to go to a neighborhood school. Maloney opposed the plan because it moves 67 percent of Evergreen Mill’s current student population. Rose and several other board members took the opportunity Tuesday to address members of the activist group who characterized their support for returning students to schools near their homes as segregation. Rose said she spent much of her spring break last week “debunking rumors” spread by the Educate Don’t Segregate group. “Let me assure you that at no point in this process was there ever an intention to put our Hispanic students in one school and white students in another,” she said. “It was just a flat out lie to say we wanted to do that.” The plan that several board members initially supported, Plan 12, would have resulted in 59 percent of the student population at Leesburg Elementary and 56 percent at Frederick Douglass Elementary qualifying for the federal free and reduced meals program. The rate is currently 26 percent at both schools. Jill Turgeon (Blue Ridge), also an advocate of Plan 12, said she ultimately supported the adopted Plan 8 because it was a compromise. “But it hurts me to the core that we are treating children differently based on where they live and their socio-economic background,” she said. “I don’t think a student needs to be sitting next to a child that makes more money than them to be successful.” Anna Lopez, who lives in an apartment near Plaza Street, said after the vote, the flurry of the board’s debate left her unclear whether her daughter would be moved from Evergreen Mill Elementary. But either way, she hoped her family’s income level or race did not play a part in the decision. “I don’t want her, because her parents are low-income or Spanish-speaking, to grow up thinking she’s on a lower level than her peers,” she said. “She’s smart. She’s a great student, and she does well at her school.” Members of the Loudoun chapter of the NAACP held a rally an hour before the board’s vote to formally show their opposition to Plan 12. Chapter President Phillip Thompson said the group wanted the “status quo” in Leesburg schools. He stressed that he is not fun-

said she wants the school system to use smart phone technology to translate meetings and memos home for families who speak languages other than English. Sheridan suggested that the board form an equity committee to continue the discussion about how to provide every student the best education, no matter their socioeconomic status. “The best thing that has come out of what I’m calling the Plan 12 saga is this honest and difficult conversation that we have to have,” Sheridan said. “We need to develop policies that are threats of inequity and keep this conversation going.” See details of the adopted boundary map at LoudounNow.com.

OP EN SU N1 -4

<< FROM 1

schools across town he would file a civil rights suit against the school division. “Why does every other kid get to go to a neighborhood school except these kids? We’re violating these kids in every sense of our policy,” he said. “Either way, we’re going to see a law suit at the end of the day.” DeKenipp took the School Board to court in 2012 after his daughter was reassigned from her neighborhood school, John W. Tolbert Elementary, to Frederick Douglass Elementary three miles away. He lost the case, but the judge urged the School Board to make the process leading to boundary decisions more transparent. Board members on both sides agreed that important issues surfaced during Leesburg’s contentious boundary process over the past several weeks. Rose

March 31 – April 6, 2016

Boundaries adopted

damentally opposed to a school made up of mostly minority students, but he has not heard any assurances from the board that it would provide those schools with more resources, such as bilingual teachers. “I’m concerned if you do put these kids in these schools and not bring in additional resources then you’re going to fail,” Thompson said. “This board hasn’t shown that ability.” The word lawsuit was uttered by a few people on both sides of the heated boundary debate during the past week, including by Thompson. He announced at the rally that if Plan 12 was adopted, the group would consider legal action. On the other side of the debate, Eric DeKenipp (Catoctin) said Monday evening that if he lived on Plaza Street and his children were assigned to

loudounnow.com

[ CRIME ]

Prosecutor Clears Loudoun Sheriff of Pre-election Allegations BY NORMAN K. STYER A special prosecutor has cleared Loudoun Sheriff Mike Chapman of allegations of criminal misconduct brought by political opponents before last fall’s election. Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter (D) was appointed last September by Circuit Court Judge Jeanette Irby to investigate claims made by Steve Simpson, a former sheriff running as an independent in the sheriff ’s race, and Ron Speakman, who challenged Chapman in 2011. Simpson’s complaint alleged Chapman’s campaign failed to adequately disclose donors by improperly identifying corporate contributions as coming from individuals. Speakman alleged Chapman illegally used his office’s investigative powers to obtain emails from the Fairfax County government involving plans by one of his senior officers to campaign against him. At the time Bryan was appointed to the investigation he was preparing to prosecute the triple-murder case of Charles Severance and stated he would not make a ruling before the election. Chapman was challenged in the race by one of his top administrators, Eric Noble, who unsuccessfully challenged the incumbent sheriff for the Republican nomination. On the ballot, he faced Simpson and Democrat Brian Allman.

In a four-page letter dated Friday to Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Plowman (R), who recused himself from the case, Porter said no criminal violations were found. “I write to inform you that the investigation failed to reveal evidence establishing that Sheriff Chapman committed any criminal offense. Therefore, I decline to initiate any prosecution of Sheriff Chapman,” Porter wrote. “That was obvious, I think, from the start,” Chapman said this morning after learning of the findings from a Twitter post. As he did in September, Chapman called the allegations “false and frivolous.” “The citizens of Loudoun County were smart enough to know it was politically motivated,” said Chapman, who garnered more than 60 percent of the vote to win a second four-year term in November. “Apparently, the public saw right through it.” In reviewing the complaint involving the Chapman’s campaign finance disclosure reports, Porter noted that such infractions are punished as civil offenses until they are found to be criminally willful. Porter ruled that Chapman adequately disclosed the source of the contributions by naming the director or employee of the company, but also disclosing the name of the company and the type of business in the reports. “On the facts, it is impossible to discern any intent to deceive or to commit a

Loudoun File Photo

Sheriff Mike Chapman

willful criminal act on the part of Sheriff Chapman,” Porter wrote. On Speakman’s allegations that Chapman violated computer trespass laws in obtaining and then publishing emails between Noble and a former sheriff ’s office employee who was working for Fairfax County, Porter also found no criminal action. The investigation revealed that upon learning of the content of the former employee’s communication with his supervisory deputy, Sheriff Chapman dispatched one of his internal affairs investigators to obtain copies of the email communications,” Porter wrote. The internal affairs investigator made a written request to Fairfax County requesting the emails.

The investigator stated that he was investigating “collusion against the Sheriff.” However, Porter said the investigator made it clear that the records were requested under the Freedom of Information Act. The emails were released two days later. “I find that Sheriff Chapman’s investigator obtained these emails via a written FOIA request and that he was therefore in compliance with the Code of Virginia. The investigator did not access any computer, computer account or computer network to obtain the information. “He simply made a written FOIA request that Fairfax County elected to honor,” Porter wrote. “Therefore, there is no evidence that Sheriff Chapman or his agent committed any crime in obtaining the emails.” Chapman’s use of the emails on political flyers also was not a criminal violation, but protected political speech, Porter wrote. “I note that as a special prosecutor, my only responsibility in this matter is to determine whether any criminal violations occurred. I am not tasked with determining whether Sheriff Chapman’s decisions or actions were prudent or well-conceived,” Porter concluded. “The fact that I find no evidence that a crime was committed should not be seen as my endorsement of any particular practice or action undertaken by Sheriff Chapman.” nstyer@loudounnow.com

Mon., March 21

in the mailbox to be mailed were taken, altered and cashed.

LARCENY

AUTO THEFT

41500 block of Chestnut Terrace, Aldie Someone removed an appliance from a home under construction.

Tues., March 22

23200 block of Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg A 2005 Chevrolet 3500 pickup was left in the area after it became disabled. The truck was later reported to be missing.

CRASH/DUI

Fri., March 25

LARCENY 270 block of Terrie Drive, Sterling A resident reported that checks left in the mailbox to be mailed were taken, altered and cashed.

Wed., March 23 FRAUD 45700 block of Sterling Bridge Place, Sterling A caller claiming to be from a mortgage company told the resident to make a payment to avoid foreclosure. The homeowner wired money before realizing it was a scam.

FORGERY 19100 block of Charier Drive, Leesburg A resident reported that checks left

LARCENY 45700 block of Oakbrook Court, Sterling Someone removed tools and other items from a work van overnight.

LARCENY 45900 block of Maries Road, Sterling Someone removed construction materials from a work van overnight.

BREAKING AND ENTERING 23000 block Olympia Drive, Ashburn Someone broke a glass door to gain entry into the home. Nothing was reported missing.

include a firearm, cash, sunglasses, speakers, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothing and a Bluetooth device.

LARCENY

Mon., March 28

Northlake Boulevard, Leesburg Someone removed cash, a tablet, a laptop and other items from a vehicle overnight.

AUTO THEFT 43500 block of Tuckaway Place A vehicle was reported missing. It was found the next day in the same area.

ASSAULT Hollybank Place/Hopefield Place, Chantilly A 10-year-old boy was on a basketball court about 7:30 p.m. when a 13-year-old reportedly threatened him with a knife and forced him to leave. The suspect was identified.

Sun., March 27 AUTO THEFT

Sat., March 26

500 block of Tavenner Court, Sterling A beige 2001 Nissan Altima was reported stolen. A second vehicle parked at the home was rummaged through.

BRANDISHING A FIREARM

LARCENY

West Laurel Avenue and North York Road, Sterling Two motorists involved in a traffic altercation stopped in the area. The

Lincoln Avenue, North Ameila Street, Stablehouse Drive, Sterling Numerous vehicles were entered overnight. Items reported stolen

TRAFFIC STOP/PURSUIT Berlin Turnpike/Hirst Road, Purcellville A deputy initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle about 6:15 p.m. The driver did not stop, but passed several cars stopped at a traffic light, ran through a red light and sped away. The driver allegedly ran several stop signs before pulling over on Piggott Bottom Road. William J. Owings, 23, of Purcellville was charged with eluding police and driving on a revoked license.

CRASH 22500 block of Hillsboro Hunt Drive, Ashburn The driver of a 2010 Mercedes GL ran off the roadway and hit a fire hydrant, tree and the porch of a house. The driver and two juvenile passengers were not serious injured. The crash is under investigation.

BURGLARY 46700 block of Vermont Maple Terrace, Sterling Someone entered the house during the day and took cash and jewelry.

Triple Seven Road/Environs Road Leigh A. Disney, 41, of Sterling, was charged with felony DUI (third in five years), refusal, and driving on a revoked license after she allegedly struck a parked car.

suspect got out of a blue Ford truck and allegedly brandished a firearm before fleeing.

March 31 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; April 6, 2016

[ CRIME LOG ]

loudounnow.com

loudounnow.com

THE ART OF RESTORATION

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Stonemason Puts His Mark On Loudoun

pointing technique that has brought him a number of preservation projects throughout the region. The old construction mortar, according to Cochran, was made of weak lime clay—that allowed water to get in with ensuing erosion, also insects and reptiles. “Then they started using a harder mortar—with a high lime basis that prevented water getting in and repelled rodents,” he said. It took him a while to get the hang of it. “I goofed up. I learned a lot more about failing than succeeding,” he said.

BY MARGARET MORTON

n today’s fast-moving high-tech world, it seems most work is done with hands on keyboards. But one Loudoun craftsman is finding his work with stone and timber in high demand. The word ubiquitous, meaning “everywhere,” fits stonemason Allen Cochran well. You’ve likely seen his work in your daily travels around the county, including in one of Loudoun’s newest developments, a public park, the county’s courthouse, and a shopping center. Individually and together, these projects provide a connection between old and new Loudoun. His latest project is more personal, but no less important. The old Janney Store in Lincoln has served the community in many ways over the years—a general store, a lawyer’s office, a coffee shop, an antiques outlet and a potting studio. Today, it houses the post office. And it is also the headquarters and showroom for Cochran Stonemasonry & Timberframing. Since moving in last November, Cochran and his crew have been busy putting the lessons they’ve learned in rehabbing centuries-old buildings and barns around the region to work on their new home. There was a lot to do from taking the flooring up and insulating it, replastering the ceiling, to restoring the huge chimney, and building cabinets from salvaged materials. “Almost all we do, and use, is salvaged or reused local stone or timber,” Cochran said.

Allen Cochran with companions in his new showroom in Lincoln, showing a mix of the company’s stonemasonry and timber framing work.

Getting the Call Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Joe Reidel, with Cochran’s Stone Masonry & Timberframing, drives a wooden peg into a timber support beam in a old bank barn that is being restored north of Hamilton.

The Learning Process Cochran, 51, got his start in stone masonry when he worked for one of his father’s friends, Craig Haggerman, during the summers. He was a good builder, who taught more by example than by giving “do this, or do that” instructions, Cochran said. “He inspired me. He sowed the seeds of attention to detail in me.” In 1988, Cochran met stone mason Lewis Whitesell. Three weeks later, “I was up on the scaffolding.” He worked for Whitesell for three years. “He showed me what stone masonry meant, what a real corner is supposed

to look like, how to rock the hammer— not everyone knows that today,” Cochran said. As he gained knowledge, Cochran developed an interest in restoration work, repairing old buildings as well as building new structures using traditional stonework and timber framing techniques. A hallmark of his work is the use of lime clay mortar. Modern cement doesn’t allow masonry to work the way it’s supposed to, Cochran said. The clay mortar is more compatible with the stone, and he inserts the material between the stones to form a strong wall in the traditional method of old—a

But success did come. The buildings he’s worked on run the gamut—from two modern stone buildings for the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, to Henry Harris’ barn in Digges Valley near Hamilton, to a conversion of a brick pre-Civil War barn to a house, to cite just a few. Increasingly, Cochran is whom you call when you have a special project. The developers of Purcellville’s Gateway Shopping Center called him when they decided to take apart the Cole Farm barn on the property and use the material—including the silo—to incorporate the agricultural theme in the new retail development. And Cochran got the call from One Loudoun’s Bill May when the developer got the idea to relocate and rebuild an Ashburn barn as a centerpiece of the new community. COCHRAN >> 16

March 31 – April 6, 2016

loudounnow.com

loudounnow.com

Cochran << FROM 14 In 2004, a call came from the late Joe Rogers and his wife, Donna, in 2004, when a microburst damaged an 1836 barn on their Hamilton farm. The barn is a rare survivor of the infamous 1864 Civil War Burning Raid that destroyed countless farm buildings in Loudoun, and Donna Rogers wondered how they were going to be able to repair it. Cochran walked their farm with her, picking out suitable trees to use for the restoration. “A lot of the wood in the barn was poplar, and they had a lot of it,” Cochran said. He used the poplar for the upstairs work and found oak for structural timbers. “We couldn’t have done it without Allen,” a grateful Rogers said. Sometimes buildings are put to better use elsewhere. Harris’ barn in Digges Valley is another example of adaptive reuse. It was an old 19th century bank barn, with a lot of original details, and Harris asked Cochran to see what was salvageable. It didn’t make financial sense to restore the structure, but the barn’s timbers, siding and foundation stone will be put to use in another project Cochran is working on. “We’re going to move all the structural members from Digges Valley to Bluemont, using almost all the salvageable stone for the foundation and the same siding.” “That’s the stuff that we do,” he said of his team’s work. Cochran points to the DC Water and Sewer Authority project in Algonkian

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

With Allen Cochran’s help this DC Water Authority industrial building in Algonkian Park was built to resemble a more typical Loudoun building.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

One of Cochran’s team members points up masonry in the traditional manner.

Park as one of his most unusual and most rewarding undertakings. When the authority built the Potomac Interceptor sewer line to serve eastern Loudoun, there were few humans living along the route—and the cows didn’t much mind the smell. But as the area was developed, residents began to complain. “About five or six years ago, I was sitting at my desk, when I got a call from the engineer, who was in a panic. He’d presented plans for the odor abatement building at Algonkian Park to the county. But they rejected them and wanted something more scenic,” Cochran said. The engineer’s call came after Loudoun County Preservation Planner

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Heidi Siebentritt advised him to call Cochran to see if he could help. He did, writing specs for a stone building that were approved. Today, residents strolling along the Potomac Heritage Trail see a stone building that looks as if it could have blended with the landscape just as well a century ago. A couple of years later, he got the same panicked call again, this time for a second odor abatement building near Great Falls. Cochran said the two modern stone buildings housing the deodorizing equipment are among his nicest projects. Today, he’s converting a brick barn near Hamilton, built in the 1830s, to livable space.

“It’s fabulous,” he said of the project for the Vicks family. The interior brick gives off a warm feeling, and has a lot of salvaged materials. Not all his projects are in Loudoun. Chuck Akre, who has a financial management business in Middleburg, asked him to build a barn at his property near Little Washington, where there is a 19th century Italianate-style house but no amenities. Madison Spencer Architects is designing a large bank barn that will include office space. The traditional-looking barn will have all concrete walls with a stone face. “He’s exceptional. It’s rare to find someone so committed to learning a trade in the truly classical sense—something beyond building fashion,” Spencer said. “It was very clear to me when I first met him that he implicitly understood the fundamentals of working with stone and the artistry—so few people are schooled in these building arts.” mmorton@loudounnow.com

Public, Elected Officials Ask SCC to Protect Rt. 50 Corridor

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Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) addresses Hearing Examiner Michael D. Thomas.

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A second State Corporation Commission hearing on Dominion Virginia Power’s plan for power lines along Rt. 50 saw speakers ranging from Virginia delegates to local landowners. They came Tuesday to ask the SCC to consider the county’s proposed alternatives to Dominion’s plan to run high-voltage power lines along Rt. 50 to serve a data center. Loudouners argue Dominion’s plan gets in the way of business and infrastructure growth in the area, hurts local businesses, and lowers property values along Rt.50. County government argues it runs counter to the county’s Arcola Area/ Route 50 Corridor Plan, which was drafted to help create an attractive gateway to Loudoun County. “People like me will continue to fight this tooth and nail, as we have invested our blood and sweat in these properties, and we will not give them up without a fight,” promised Danny Diaz, whose family owns property on Rt. 50. Dominion’s proposed route would erect 110-foot power poles along Rt.50 from a line between Stone Springs Boulevard and Racefield Lane to a substation near Poland Road. The county has proposed several alternatives, and the SCC is considering two, both of which connect to power lines near Dulles International Airport land and run the new lines down Rt. 606, across airport land on Vance Road, and a shorter section of Rt. 50 to the Poland Road substation. Diaz told SCC Hearing Examiner Michael D. Thomas that his father, an immigrant, had purchased property on Rt. 50 with the expectation that the property would be at the center of Loudoun’s growth and would become much more valuable. He said his family worked hard to pay the property taxes on the land as it appreciated. “That carpet is being pulled out from beneath us with this, I think, radical proposed change,” Diaz said. Loudoun Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said although some towers along Rt. 50 are unavoidable, Dominion has dramatically underestimated the time and cost of acquiring a right of way along Rt. 50, and that the county has done its research in devising affordable alternatives. His counterpart on the planning commission, Dulles commissioner Jeff Salmon, agreed. “You’ll save money on attorney fees alone,” Salmon said. Other speakers warned of the impact on air traffic from the helipad at StoneSprings Hospital nearby. “Minutes matter, and access to our hospital must remain as unimpeded as possible,” said StoneSprings Chief Nursing Officer Michelle Epps. Others argued that the power lines would create another hazard in a flight pattern already limited by air traffic from Dulles International Airport. Del. John J. Bell (D-87) hearkened back to his career investigating aviation accidents as

an U.S. Air Force officer. He said aviation accidents are usually the result of a chain of events. “Having the issues of the towers and the airspace, we’ve already had one link of the chain connected,” Bell said. The examiner also heard similar comments from Loudoun Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) and Del. J. Randall Minchew (R-10). A final hearing will be held at 10 a.m. June 29 at the SCC courtroom in Richmond. Written comments can also be submitted until May 6 by mail or at the SCC’s website.

March 31 – April 6, 2016

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[ E D U C AT I O N ]

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Brambleton Area Middle, High School Attendance Changes Coming

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Seneca Ridge Middle School students in Jeffrey Nattania’s class play Kahoot!, a game-based education app, to brush up on class material ahead of a test.

TECH-SAVVY EDUCATORS Loudoun Schools Begin Final BYOT Roll Out BY DANIELLE NADLER “Alright, class. Pull your devices out,” sixth-grade English teacher Jeffrey Nattania announced. “The magic words,” Seneca Ridge Middle School Principal Mark McDermott said with a smile. “We hear those a lot these days.” Just two years ago, Loudoun County Public Schools, one of the fastest growing school divisions in the nation, was at a technological impasse. School leaders could not agree on how best to infuse more technology into the classroom, or how to afford it. Today, digital screens are illuminating students’ faces throughout the county and, by September, every one of the county’s 88 public schools is expected to have a functioning Bring Your Own Technology program. The turning point for the school division was just more than a year ago, when Superintendent Eric Williams, in his first school year with the Loudoun system, kicked off the BYOT initiative. Before he came to Loudoun, he earned national recognition for rolling out a teaching model in York County that used students’ digital devices in the classroom. What’s unusual about Loudoun’s BYOT program is it’s voluntary. Williams has left it up to the teachers to decide how they use digital devices in their lesson plans and how often. “Rather than trying to mandate this, we’re thinking, let’s get out of the way of teachers who want to be early adopters,” he said when he introduced the concept in December 2014. “Just watch. It will pick up momentum.” He was right. School system leaders say they’ve

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Using a school-provided tablet, Liberty Elementary third-grader John Shilling helps classmate Nellia Kakar record a video about ancient Greece.

been impressed by how many teachers have gravitated toward the BYOT model and how often students, from elementary to high school, are learning with tablets and smart phones in their hands. “It’s definitely something that they are embracing,” said Adina Popa, Loudoun’s supervisor of Educational Technology and Curricular Innovation. “Everybody has unique implementations, but whenever we go visit a school, we see students highly engaged and highly excited about learning. That’s the whole goal.”

In The Classroom “Ready, set, action,” Liberty Elemen-

tary third-grader John Shilling said, as he hit record on his iPad film app. His classmate Nellia Kakar rattled off what she had learned about ancient Greece while standing in front of a green screen. The students later edited the clip and posted it on the school system’s YouTube channel, Loudoun Creates. Liberty Elementary technology resource teacher Nichole Thomas said that is the perfect example of how teachers and students are using digital devices to make classroom lessons stick. On any given day, more than half of the teachers at the school are incorporating smart phones, tablets or lapBYOT >> 20

Right on the heels of attendance changes made to Leesburg schools, the Loudoun County School Board kicked off another process this week to redraw the attendance map in the Brambleton area. The board met Monday for an overview of the seven-week process and to clarify which middle and high school populations could be impacted by the changes. The boundaries have to be redrawn to prepare for the opening of Brambleton Middle School (formerly known as MS9) and the high school known as HS-11. Brambleton Middle School is set to open in August 2017, and the yet-to-be-named HS-11 is on track to open in 2018. The two schools will be located on a campus just off Evergreen Mills Road and Langley Oaks Drive. Students at the following 31 schools could be reassigned: Hillside, Mill Run, Ashburn, Discovery, Dominion Trail, Aldie, Arcola, Buffalo Trail, Pinebrook, Creighton’s Corner, Legacy, Rosa Lee Carter, Cedar Lane, Sanders Corner, Newton-Lee, Seldens Landing and Steuart W. Weller elementary schools; Eagle Ridge, Farmwell Station, Mercer, Belmont Ridge, Stone Hill, Trailside and J. Michael Lunsford middle schools; Briar Woods, Broad Run, John Champe, Riverside, Rock Ridge, Stone Bridge and Freedom high schools. Public hearings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 4, and Monday, April 11, with a final vote to adopt an attendance map Tuesday, May 10. The public hearings will be held at the school administration building, 21000 Education Court in Ashburn.

Suicide Awareness Walk Set for April 6 A group of western Loudoun students, teachers and parents are working to help their peers battle mental illness, and they’re hosting a charity walk to raise money for their efforts. Organizers are inviting the community to participate in the inaugural We’re All Human Walk, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, at Woodgrove High School, 36811 Allder School in Purcellville. Woodgrove’s new student club, We’re All Human Committee, is partnering with The SCHOOL NOTES >> 21

19 March 31 – April 6, 2016

Courtesy of Pam Smith

Hillsboro Students Get the Scoop On Graphics at Monroe Tech BY JAN MERCKER Members of the fifth grade class at Hillsboro Elementary School can now add “published author” to their résumés—thanks to senior graphics communications students at Monroe Technology Center. The second-year Monroe students helped show the fifth graders the ins and outs of design and printing during a recent field trip—and presented them with copies of the Hillsboro students’ book, “Ducks Learn About Farming.” The book was written and illustrated collaboratively by the class at the tiny western Loudoun school with help from their teacher Lisbet Jenkins and guidance counselor Elisabeth Torres. The Monroe students, who hail from high schools around the county, walked their visitors through the the printing process—from working with PhotoShop and InDesign to printing and binding material—by helping the students make personalized notepads. At the end of the day, the fifth graders were presented with copies of their book, which had been pre-printed by the Monroe graphics team. The Monroe students spend alternate school days at the Leesburg campus, getting hands-on training in graphic design while completing core subjects at their home schools. Their graphic communications instructor, Pam Smith, coordinated the visit with Torres. The Hillsboro students, most of

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Monroe Technology Center Graphics Communications II student Jackson Whitehouse helps Hillsboro fifth grader Aaron Carter design a personalized notepad using PhotoShop and InDesign.

whom will attend Harmony Middle School next year, were impressed, and several students said they’re already thinking about Monroe as an option when they get to high school. “It was great using those crazy things like Photoshop and showing us all the stuff. I mean it was pretty cool,” said Hillsboro student Cody Leigh. And the seniors enjoyed their roles as mentors. “Seeing the kids getting excited about the notepads and the whole process in general reminded me why I chose design in the first place,” said Maria Hererra, a Graphics Design II student and senior at Loudoun County High School. “They are my motivation to change the world and inspire future generations.”

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Robotics Team Gets Boost from Claude Moore Foundation BY DANIELLE NADLER Thanks to a hefty donation from the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, two Loudoun County robotics teams have enough money to compete in the VEX World Championships in Louisville, KN, next month. The Loudoun-based foundation will donate $12,000—$6,000 for each team—to cover the costs of students’ and robots’ transportation, as well as hotel stays and the $800 entry contest fee. The teams from Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn and Stone Hill Middle School in Brambleton put out a call a couple of weeks ago for donations after they earned spots in the world competition, a first for any local team. To earn spots in the world contest, Team Bender from Stone Bridge won first place in the 2016 Virginia State VEX Robotics Championships, and team RoboRays 1 from Stone Hill took second. Stone Hill Principal Jodi Hill said the school’s team had received about $100 in donations, and figured they would need to ask parents to help cover the rest of the cost. When she learned of Claude Moore’s donations Monday, she said, “That is incredible. It makes me want to cry. The kids are going to be thrilled.” She said she could not wait to share the news with the robotics team’s sponsor, Stone Hill technology teacher Patrick Kaylor. “We’re talking about a teacher who has donated hours and hours of time to do something so incredible for

BYOT << FROM 18 tops into their lesson plans. For a recent biology exercise, students used a 3D printer to create action figures with various adaptations. In an English class, students quizzed one another on a book they read, and used smart phones to scan QR codes to reveal the correct answers. Having devices in students’ hands has changed how teachers prepare their students for an exam or how they help make chapters in a textbook more memorable. But Courtney Peckham, a fifth-grade teacher at Liberty Elementary, said it’s also made small logistical tasks simpler, like collecting and grading papers. She and her students frequently use Google Docs, which allows documents to be created, edited and stored online. “Instead of collecting 27 papers, correcting them and handing them back, I can pull up their work at anytime from anywhere, and they can log in and see my comments and their grades,” she said. The BYOT initiative works in tandem with Superintendent Williams’ One to the World concept, which is meant to give students opportunity to share their work with an audience outside of the school. For example, Seneca Ridge Middle School students recently created flash cards and hand-delivered them to students in nearby elementary schools to help them brush up on their math skills. “We want them to create for the world,” Seneca Ridge Principal McDer-

Loudoun Now/File Photo

Members of Stone Bridge High School’s VEX Robotics team show off their robot’s skills.

these kids because he saw the desire that they wanted to do it,” she said. “He and the students have worked so hard.” J Hamilton Lambert, executive director of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, said when he and the foundation’s trustees heard about the students’ hard work and success, they wanted to help. “We recommended that because of mott said. “Kids get so much more into it, and learn more when they have an audience they’re doing the work for.” Like any new concept, there were some hurdles to get over with BYOT. Some teachers were concerned that smart phones would be a distraction from learning. But Thomas said even teachers who were initial skeptics have been impressed with how students have taken to it. “We talked about expectations, and we asked the students to treat the devices like their textbook,” she said. “They’ve been very responsible.” Students must keep their devices in their backpacks when they are not using them in class. Those who don’t have devices at home are provided one that was either purchased by the school system or the schools’ parent-teacher organizations. Seneca Ridge Middle School sixthgrade teacher Amy Anderson said she’s noticed that many of her students already consider a smart phone or a tablet a tool rather than a toy. Her son, for example, would rather type an essay on a smart phone than a laptop. “They’re used to all this,” she said. “The transition has been remarkably easy.”

The Final Roll Out Loudoun first set BYOT into motion a year ago at 19 schools. Educators looked at what worked best at those schools and what improvements needed to be made before the initiative was expanded to 30 more schools this year. Principals and teachers in the last 39 schools are undergoing training via a webinar series now on how best to in-

what the youngsters had accomplished, that we should be helping them to go forward with the competition,” Lambert said. Wendy Wooley, who has two sons on the Stone Bridge robotics team, said she’s been amazed at the support from school system leaders, the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation and the Loudoun Education Foundation, which

will process the donation. “I will make sure that the Stone Bridge team documents their journey so those supporting them can share in the experience,” Wooley said. The students will head to Kentucky to compete in the robotics competition April 20. dnadler@loudounnow.com

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

From left, Seneca Ridge Middle School students Brandon Holbert, George Egowrnov, Mikael Frey, Mathew Wang and Nehemiah Thomas use their smart phones to scan QR codes as part of an assignment in English class.

corporate digital devices into everyday classroom lessons. James Dallas, the school system’s director of teaching and learning, said his department is working to give every teacher at least the tools to incorporate BYOT into their daily lesson plans by August. “The ultimate goal—the big dream— is that every student will have access to a device in every classroom as part of their instructional program,” he said. “That’s what we’re aiming for.” As more students grab digital devices during class, Dallas, Popa and others have said they want the focus to remain

on how to best educate kids. Williams has said repeatedly throughout the BYOT roll out that, “Technology for technology’s sake is not effective. Technology used right results in long-lasting learning.” McDermott, who is in his 22nd year as an educator, added that the push to create tech-savvy classrooms is not about clutching onto the latest fad. “We’re not just doing this because it’s cool,” he said. “It’s a means to an end. If we want students to create for the world, this is the way to do it.” dnadler@loudounnow.com

<< FROM 18

suicidal young people. Those involved in the organizations were close to two Loudoun 17-year-olds who recently took their lives, a Loudoun Valley High School student, Will Robinson, on Jan. 14, and a Woodgrove High School student, Ryan Bartel, on Oct. 15, 2014. Geri Fiore, Woodgrove’s director of school counseling, said in the We’re All Human Committee’s first few months, students have already come forward to get involved and get help. “It’s helped a couple of students already to just have a place to talk about what they’re going through,” she said. Learn more about the We’re All Human Walk and donate to the cause at http://ow.ly/100DNk.

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Ryan Bartel Foundation to put on the event, which is designed to raise awareness of teen suicide and provide hope for those who struggle with depression and other mental illnesses by showing them they are not alone. The event includes a 1.5-mile walk and a presentation in the school gym about available resources. Money raised through the walk will go toward Woodgrove’s parent-teacher organization and the Friends of Loudoun County Mental Health. The partnership between We’re All Human Committee and The Ryan Bartel Foundation formed after a rise in incidents involving

March 31 – April 6, 2016

[ SCHOOL NOTES ]

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Cherry Blossom Foundation Donates to Nonprofits

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Four rustic cabins for veterans and their families sit high on the hillside at Boulder Crest Retreat in Bluemont.

SUPPORTING VETS

Falke, Boulder Crest Retreat earn national mental health award BY MARGARET MORTON Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness founder Ken Falke has been named to the HillVets 100 list for 2016, while the Bluemont retreat was named the Nonprofit of the Year for innovation in the mental health care area. HillVets is a bipartisan veterans’ organization in Washington, DC, dedicated to empowering fellow veterans through networking and education. Falke said his reaction to Monday’s announcement was one of “complete surprise.” He recalled that in the 1970s and 1980s there were many veterans serving in different positions in Congress. “There were a lot of them. Today the numbers are small, and what they’re doing is a very noble mission—trying to get more veterans on staff,” he said. Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, who serves as honorary chairman of HillVets 100, is an honorary board member of Boulder Crest Retreat. Hagel said he is continually impressed by the retreat’s innovative and strength-based approach to the combat stress recovery process. According to HillVets founder Justin Brown, when the selection committee reviewed which nonprofits are making the biggest impact for veterans, Falke and the Boulder Crest Retreat jumped out. “The issue of mental health is of utmost importance to the veterans’ com-

munity, and BCR’s innovative approach is a game changer,” Brown stated. The retreat will mark its third anniversary in September, and Falke attributed its impact to the Progressive and Alternative Therapies for Healing Heroes program [PATHH]. “Basically, it’s a new approach to combat stress recovery, using ancient methods of healing and warrior recovery, including meditation and modern-day therapy in a peaceful setting,” he said. The program seeks to find what fuels post-traumatic stress disorder growth [and] what makes an individual stronger after being “forged on the anvil of adversity,” Falke said. “We want people to be as productive here as on the battlefield.” The Friends of the Senior Center at Cascades also has recognized the value of the retreat. The FSCC disbanded at the end of 2015 and after 20 years and gave its remaining funds, $150,000, to Boulder Crest. Olga Ricciardi, who had headed the organization for 12 years, said the inspiration behind the donation was what veterans have given to the nation. “We have to do more for them. They gave their lives for us and we have to do more for their families,” she said, recalling how she had cared for her wheelchair-bound husband, Mike, who was in the military. He died at age 50, after falling ill while serving in Guam. Many others serving with him also died young.

That decision to give the money to a nonprofit was also bolstered by a remark at the senior center that was passed to Ricciardi to the effect that “they’re all in their ’80s or ’90s, and it will all come to us anyway.” “I said, no way,” Ricciardi, a determined and feisty 87-year-old, recalled. The remaining eight members of the FSCC voted to make the $150,000 donation to Boulder Crest Retreat—“to help anyone with PSTD in whatever way necessary,” Ricciardi said Tuesday. Many of those who attend the Cascades Senior Center are veterans, she said. The group had one stipulation: None of the money can be used for administrative fees. “We checked 23 organizations, and they all take a percentage for administrative fees. We said, no, no, no,” Ricciardi said. Falke said the seniors’ visit to deliver the check was moving. “I saw veterans there and wives of the deceased. You could see in their faces how important it was for them to give, even with tears.” The FSCC heard about Boulder Crest through a member who was inspired by a fundraiser held by River Creek residents. “That’s what community is about— seeing where the needs are and where the community can support,” Falke said. mmorton@loudounnow.com

Music and Arts to Shine at Purcellville Festival BY MARGARET MORTON Artists and other vendors are encouraged to register for Purcellville’s Food and Wine Festival, which will be held May 21 at Fireman’s Field. The festival is among a roster of increasingly successful town events and has help spur a broader focus on art around Purcellville. Art has been a component of the event from its inception in 2014. Purcellville Event Specialist Melanie Scoggins encourages all artists—profes-

sional or hobbyists, to enter “so that we may showcase our area’s diverse and rich cultural presence.” The free entry deadline for original art is April 29. Artists can submit their entry for jurying in either digital or photographic form. For details, call Scoggins at 540-751-2350. Live music also is a big part of the event. There will be multiple stages featuring a wide range of performers, along with art exhibits and workshops, crafts and games. This year, musical performances will be held on a main

stage inside the Bush Tabernacle, as well as outside under the trees on the gazebo, art, and community stages. There are 17 musical performance spots to fill outside, and three or four on the main stage. So far Scoggins has confirmations from the U.S. Army rock and roll band, Downrange, whose performers will be on the main stage. The Woodshedders and Lord Nelson also are expected. Vendors are also sought, either as a PURCEVILLE FESTIVAL >> 23

The Middleburg-based Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation has for the 10th year in a row provided funds for eight area nonprofit organizations. Those receiving the grants were: • Leesburg’s Healthworks, $25,000 to provide breast cancer services; • Blue Ridge Hospice, $10,000; • Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers, $7,000; • Casting for Recovery, $2,000; • Loudoun Breast Health Network, $4,000; • Novant Health System, $10,000; • The IIIBs Foundation, $1,000; and • Inova Health Foundation, $6,000 plus a $19,000 reallocation of a previous grant. The all-volunteer Cherry Blossom nonprofit was founded in 2007, and named in memory of breast cancer victim, Cheryl Clayton Atkins—known by her family as “Cherry Blossom.” The organization has distributed about $700,000 in donations. For more information, go to cherryblossombreastcancerfoundation.org.

PURCELLVILLE Community Planning Workshop Set In part because of bad weather on March 19, the town has scheduled an additional second round of public input on proposed revisions to the Purcellville’s comprehensive plan. The new meeting date is April 7 following the Planning Commission meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall at 221 S. Nursery Ave. The commissioners are expected to end their meeting around 7:30 p.m. The workshop will start with a staff presentation reporting the results of the first round of public input and research on existing conditions within the town. Later, attendees will move between stations focusing on specific areas in and around town. The Planning Commission wants to know what residents would, and would not, like to see in each of those areas over the next 10 to 20 years. Senior Planner Daniel Galindo said he hopes people will attend the commissioners’ meeting and then stay to provide input on the plan. The plan was adopted in 2006, with only minor tweaks being suggested in 2011. “The public’s input is essential if the updated plan is to accurately represent the community’s vision for TOWN BRIEFS >> 23

23 << FROM 22

Town Briefs << FROM 22 the future,” Galindo stated. For more information, contact Galindo at dgalindo@purcellvilleva.gov or 540-338-2304.

LOVETTSVILLE Council Ponders Budget Options The Lovettsville Town Council is entering a busy budget season as members examine fiscal options for FY2017 presented by Town Manager Laszlo Palko. In his weekly newsletter, Mayor Bob Zoldos outlined scenarios for the General Fund and Utility Fund budgets. Highlights of the proposed General Fund budget include the creation of no new positions, a 1 percent COLA for employees, and flat or reduced spending on programs except capital contributions and tourism marketing. It was noted that trash collection costs grew faster than property tax income, and Zoldos predicted that would continue to take up a larger share of town expenditures if property values stay flat. The General Fund is designed to have a small surplus that should grow each year, giving the town options to achieve its capital/infrastructure goals over time. Also, no new positions were created in the town’s Utility Fund budget, which includes funds to increase utility employees’ salaries to better match market conditions. A significant increase in contributions to theMember town’s ofdebt retirement fund and the 3RM Fund is proposed to keep the system running through scheduled repairs and system upgrades. The council will debate its options presented among eight different budget scenarios over the coming weeks.

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Next month will see a big clean up of Lovettsville area roads and ditches. The Keep Loudoun Beautiful spruce up campaign will run through April, and volunteers are needed to help pick up litter. Area Leader Laura Lieberman encourages community groups, churches, scouts, businesses, families and individuals to join in the effort. Bags, gloves and vests will be provided by KLB. Anyone willing to help in the communal clean up is asked to email her at laura.long.lieberman@gmail.

Spring Clean Up Scheduled for April

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

A blooming cherry tree in western Loudoun County.

food or an artisanal vendor. Vendor fees are $100 and applications will be accepted through May 2. Those accepted will receive a conformation notice along with instructions. Booth locations will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. To download a vendor application or sponsor package, go to Purcellvilleva.gov/events or contact Scoggins at mscoggins@purcellvilleva.gov or 540751-2350. For more information on the Purcellville Music and Arts Festival, contact Arts Council Chairwoman Liz Jarvis at cvillelizz@yahoo.com.

March 31 – April 6, 2016

Purcellville Festival

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Carlos Zuniga blows a huge cloud of vapor smoke at Zootie’s Vapors the new vaping store in Leesburg Virginia on Wirt Street.

Zooties Adds Flavor to ‘Vaping’ Trend KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

n emerging trend worldwide has been the move away from cigarette and pipe smoking to “vaping,” or inhaling water vapor, or “e-liquids” through electronic cigarettes. Many, like Zootie’s Vapors founder Eric “Zootie” Sutton, started vaping as a way to quit smoking. A three-pack-

a-day smoker, Sutton said he tried all kinds of cessation tools, but none helped him kick the tobacco habit until he found vaping. But while he was a fan of vaping, his first experience in a vape shop was less than stellar. “The people behind the counter didn’t care. They were no help at all,” he said. And that’s why when Sutton decid-

ed to invest his money after working as a national distributor of vape products into opening a retail location. His first shop, located off Rt. 9 in Paeonian Springs, opened last April. Just about six months later a second Zootie’s Vapors location in downtown Leesburg followed. The Leesburg space, at 19 Wirt St., proved to be an easy transition and came with the added bonus of a backroom pinball arcade.

But, despite the fun and games, the biggest driver for Sutton is the educational effort that comes with owning a vape shop and the experience he tries to create for his customers. Sutton is aware of the concerns that vaping will someday be considered a public health threat, but he points to current research which shows that vaping is 95 percent safer than tobacco smoking, and underscores how many people have quit tobacco smoking ZOOTIES >> 25

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The process involves applying heat to a liquid which generates vapor. Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Trey Bush watches as Gabe Lukasiak blows a vapor ring at Zootie’s Vapors.

<< FROM 24

Plan now to attend our Annual Spring Bible Lectures Back to the Fundamentals

April 1-3, 2016

Fri., April 1, 7:30 p.m. The Fundamentals of Salvation

CHRIST DIED FOR THE SALVATION OF ALL, BUT NOT ALL WILL BE SAVED. WHAT MUST ONE DO, IF ANYTHING, TO HAVE THE SALVATION THAT CHRIST OFFERS?

Sat., april 2, 7:30 p.m. The Fundamentals of Worship

WHEN MAN SEPARATES WORSHIP FROM THE LAW OF CHRIST, IT IS “VAIN” WORSHIP. WHAT PRINCIPLES ARE TO BE USED TO DETERMINE HOW WE SHOULD WORSHIP TODAY?

Sun., april 3, 9:00 a.m. The Fundamentals about God

NOT KNOWING GOD CAN LEAD TO DISTRUST AND DISOBEDIENCE. WHAT ARE THE FUNDAMENTALS WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GOD?

Sun., April 3, 10:00 a.m. The Fundamentals of Christian Living OUR FAITH DIRECTS US TOWARD THE RIGHT THINGS TO DO; OUR LOVE GETS US MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION; OUR HOPE SUSTAINS US DURING THE DIFFICULT TIMES.

Sun., April 3, 11:00 a.m. The Fundamentals of Divine Love

PAUL SAID THAT CHRIST’S LOVE COMPELS US TO FAITHFUL SERVICE. IF WE UNDERSTAND THE LOVE, WE WILL GLADLY SERVE.

Purcellville Church of Christ 604 Yaxley Dr. • Purcellville, VA 20132

540-338-0070

www.purcellvillecoc.org For more information please email: Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

INFO@PURCELLVILLECOC.ORG

Mr. Stan Crowley, Schertz (San Antonio),TX, Presenter

Eric “Zootie” Sutton plays pinball at Zootie’s Vapors the new vaping store.

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thanks to vaping. In addition to running the vape shops, Sutton also hosts a vaping advocacy podcast broadcast out of Zootie’s Vapors on Thursday nights. “We’re all about trying to change how people perceive vaping,” he said. In fact, Sutton said he fully supports further research on vaping and its impact on public health. And when it comes to customer service, Zootie’s aims to set itself apart from the competition by being eager to help all its customers, whether they are new to vaping or not. Sutton also said his staff puts the products it sells through rigorous testing to ensure it meets the store’s quality standards.

Some of its products available are even certified organic. Sutton said he does his best to keep abreast of different regulations popping up nationwide, including attempts to classify vaping as tobacco. Some proposed regulations in Virginia could hamstring his efforts to keep prices reasonable for his growing customer base, he said, pointing to proposals to tax vaping materials the same as cigarettes, a move which Sutton said “kills small businesses.” Sutton said he quit a good paying job “to be an entrepreneur and do something I could be proud of.” And he is optimistic about the growth potential of Zootie’s brand, but he’ll wait to see the outcome of proposed federal regulations before he pursues additional locations. For more information on Zootie’s go to zootiesvapors.com.

March 31 – April 6, 2016

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[ BIZ NOTES ] Loudoun Water Names Frederick Deputy Director

Tom Frederick has been hired as Loudoun Water’s new deputy director. W h i l e working for 12 years with the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority and Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, where he Tom Frederick served as executive director, Frederick was credited with modernizing an aging utility system. He also serves on the board of directors for the Virginia Water and Waste Authorities Association and the Virginia Association of Municipal Wastewater Agencies. Frederick will start his new duties in late April.

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Simon and Caitlin Gillett, owners of the Ashburn and McLean College Nannies + Sitters + Tutors franchises, are pushing a new app that allows families to schedule their favorite babysitters in as little as three hours notice.

Abercrombie & Fitch to open at Leesburg Outlets

Need a Sitter? There’s an App for That BY DANIELLE NADLER

ost Loudoun households include two working parents and active kids, which makes for a county of busy families. That’s a market local couple Simon and Caitlin Gillett, who have an energetic toddler and demanding jobs of their own, have tapped into. In 2014, they opened College Nannies + Sitters + Tutors in McLean, and last fall they opened an Ashburn location. They serve roughly 700 families a year and employ 205 nannies, sitters and tutors. But their latest push is clearly meeting a big need for Loudoun families. The company recently launched a smart phone app that allows families to book their favorite sitter with as little as three hours notice. The app, My Sitters, is for Apple or Android devices and posts in real-time each babysitter’s schedule, as well as picture, bio and experience. So far, they have 62 Northern Virginia customers and 205 employees using the app. Simon Gillett said some families still prefer to call in to College Nannies + Sitters + Tutors to schedule their sitter. But most of their Loudoun families have latched on to the app. “It complements what we’ve been doing for a long time, which is building stronger families,” he said, noting that those last three words are the com-

pany’s mission statement. “That’s really our goal, is to be there for families when they need help most.” Leesburg resident Stephanie Marcus, a customer since the local franchise’s beginning, recently logged on to the app to find a sitter for her 9-year-old daughter. She had a meeting at work, so she needed a sitter to pick Shoshana up from school. She scrolled through the available sitters, and clicked on one of her daughter’s favorites. “I chose Dominique, who we’ve worked with in the past and my daughter loves,” she said. Within an hour, a family will receive a confirmation notification, and a call from the sitter the day before to hammer out the logistics. “It is extremely easy to use, and all the sitters have been great,” Marcus said. Even without the app, Marcus raves about College Nannies + Sitters + Tutors. Her family is a typical, busy Northern Virginia family. Her husband travels often for work, she commutes to work in Fairfax, and their daughter balances school, drama classes and piano lessons. “There’s just a lot going on,” Marcus said. “It’s sometimes a huge relief to know that Caitlin is there ready and willing and able with a whole army of great nannies to help when things come up last minute. It’s a real weight off my shoulders.” The company hires sitters and nannies with experience, and requires

them to undergo a training course and get their CPR and First Aid certification. Plus, if they have questions while on the job, Caitlin Gillett or another manager is always on call. “They have never let us down,” Marcus said. No last-minute cancellations or late arrivals. “To me that’s what really separates College Nannies and Sitters from just using a neighbor or the teenager down the block.” Gillett said she wished there was a company like hers or a product like My Sitter that connects available and qualified sitters with families when she was a teenager. “I always babysat, but the work came usually through friends or family referrals.” The company is always looking for experienced babysitters, nannies and tutors, she noted. Hearkening back to the company’s mission statement, Gillett said the company is designed to care for young people, from infant to college. “We want to be there for busy parents and for students who need that extra help through a tutor. Having that help helps build stronger families.” College Nannies + Sitters + Tutors is located at 42841 Creek View Plaza, Suite 100, in Ashburn. Learn more about the company, including the cost of various services, at collegenanniesandtutors.com/loudounva. dnadler@loudounnow.com

The grand opening for the Abercrombie & Fitch outlet store in Leesburg will be held Saturday, April 23. The store at Leesburg Premium Outlets will carry accessories and apparel for men and women and will offer shoppers a variety of brand merchandise, all with discounts of up to 70 percent off original prices. As part of the grand opening events, shoppers can expect to receive an additional 20 percent off purchases from Saturday, April 23 through Monday, April 25. Additionally, the first 100 shoppers on April 23 will receive a free 1-ounce bottle of Fierce cologne with any purchase. ASICS, a sports equipment and player retailer, also recently opened a store store at the outlet mall. The Japanese sports retailer offers apparel, footwear and sports equipment for men, women and children.

Spring Job Fair Set for May 14 Loudoun Supervisor Koran Saines (D-Sterling) will hold a spring job fair on May 14 at the Claude Moore Recreation Center. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 30 Loudoun employers are expected to participate, including Bechtel, the Metropolitan Washington Airports BIZ NOTES >> 27

<< FROM 26 Authority, YMCA of Loudoun, Reston Limousine and Wegmans. Loudoun employers that are looking to fill permanent or summer positions are invited to participate in the event, which targets teens, college students and recent college graduates as well as unemployed and underemployed residents. For more information, email Jacqueline.Pujol@loudoun.gov.

The National Conference Center has strengthened its relationship with the International Association of Conference Centers. IACC, founded in 1981, represents members from the U.S. and more than 20 other countries. “The management team at The National Conference Center has been involved with IACC since its inception,” stated Geoff Lawson,

Bicycle Consignment Sale! Saturday April 2 10am – 6pm Check out our website or Facebook for more details.

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NCC Strengthens Ties with International Group

vice president and general manager of The National and West Belmont Place at The National Conference Center. Lawson is a past president of IACC and other NCC staffers have served on the IACC board. Together, the team represents more than 100 years of IACC experience, including three past presidents, two past board members and two committee co-chairs. IACC members are required to meet global quality standards and agree to a code of ethics. The main goal of the organization is to promote productive environments for successful meeting experiences. “We are delighted to have The National and West Belmont Place actively involved with IACC,” stated Heidi Lapka, IACC’s membership, education and customer relations manager. “This premier conference center and its extremely experienced and knowledgeable executive team will be a true asset to our organization.”

March 31 – April 6, 2016

[ BIZ NOTES ]

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[ LOCO LIVING ]

Courtesy of Ted Garber

A veteran of the DC region’s music scene, Ted Garber has been embraced by the Loudoun County singer-songwriter community since moving to Lansdowne last year.

PUTTING DOWN ROOTS

Ted Garber Moves to Loudoun’s Music Scene

Courtesy of Juliana MacDowell

Ted Garber shares the stage with Loudoun/Key West-based up-and-comer Juliana MacDowell at a benefit concert Saturday, April 2, at Waterford’s Old School.

FYI

Ted Garber and Juliana MacDowell play a benefit concert for the Waterford Foundation Saturday, April 2, at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) at the Waterford Old School, 40222 Fairfax St. in Waterford. Tickets are $15 at the door. For more information, go to waterfordfoundation.org.

BY JAN MERCKER or Ted Garber, resilience and human connection in the face of loss have marked his life—and his music—for decades. At 39, Garber has known more than his share of pain—losing his wife, Rebecca, to brain cancer in January of last year. But the longtime DC-area musician finds joy in raising their daughter, 2-year-old Sydney, and connecting with audiences around the region. “There are people out there who are compelled to reach out to people through their craft,” Garber said. “I’ve had an exceedingly rich life … and I try to share that, not only through the songs, but also through how I engage the audience.”

Loudouners who haven’t yet had a taste of Garber’s infectious musical style can check him out April 2, when he teams up with Juliana MacDowell for a benefit show at Waterford’s Old School auditorium. The DC-area native draws much of his inspiration, both musically and spiritually, from New Orleans, where he spent his college years. His song “The Giving Tree,” a fan favorite, is inspired by the famed Shel Silverstein book of the same name and pays homage to the spirit of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Garber was touched by the city’s resilience and ability to give back in the face of tragedy, and that sense of resilience hits home for Garber in a very personal way. It was Garber’s musical chops—and

reputation for connecting with audiences—that brought him to the attention of MacDowell, who’s built her own fan base in both Loudoun and Key West in recent years. “He’s so dynamic,” said MacDowell, who first heard of Garber through her Fairfax-based producer. “He has such a touching story, and I really connected with him on that level.” Garber is familiar to many Loudoun music lovers through his annual performances at the Acoustic on the Green singer-songwriter showcases held in Leesburg every summer, as well as his bar-circuit gigs around the county. But last spring, Garber followed the pull of the Loudoun songwriting scene, moving from Bethesda to Lansdowne with Sydney and his fiancée Rachel Proctor. And he’s certain that Loudoun is the right place in the right time for both his music and his young family. “The potential out here of people who are craving some scenery, some green space and some culture—and I have something to offer these people,” he said. Garber grew up in Montgomery and Frederick counties in Maryland, the son of beloved country musician Thomas Hollingsworth “Holly” Garber. A full academic scholarship to Tulane University took him to New Orleans, where he excelled in his studies as an English major and also underwent a GARBER >> 30

WITH THE KIDS

March 31 – April 6, 2016

[ THIS WEEK ] roadside clean up. Email for details.

GREAT COUNTRY FARMS MARSHMALLOW HARVEST AND EGG HUNT Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Great Country Farms, 18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont. Details: greatcountryfarms.com

SLEEPING BEAUTY TUTU FASHION SHOW AND LUNCHEON Saturday, April 2, noon-3 p.m., Lansdowne Resort, 44050 Woodridge Parkway, Leesburg. Details: loudounballet.org This Loudoun Ballet Company fundraiser includes a fashion show, luncheon and auction of child and doll-sized tutus. Tickets are $55 for adults, $45 for children 12 and younger. Advance reservations are required.

DISNEY’S ‘THE LITTLE MERMAID’ Friday, April 1, 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 2, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, April 3, 4 p.m.; Belmont Ridge Middle School, 19045 Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg. Details: lcps.org/ tickets Students present the full-length Broadway version of the beloved musical, complete with live orchestra, Broadway-style costumes, and spectacular special effects, including flying, skating and pyrotechnic simulations. Tickets are $10. Advance purchase is required. Show also runs April 8-10.

LOCO CULTURE WRITER’S PROJECT RUNWAY Saturday, April 2, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Ida Lee Recreation Center, 60 Ida Lee Drive NW, Leesburg. Details: pennwriters.org

PURCELLVILLE TOWN WIDE CLEAN UP DAY

Families, individuals, sports teams and scout and church groups are encouraged to participate in this service project. Event will include

Courtesy of Morven Park

MORVEN PARK SPRING HORSE TRIALS

$3 Suggested Donation • Rain or Shine • No Pets Allowed Satellite Parking at Ida Lee’s Festival Field with Free Shuttle Service

Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Morven Park, 41793 Tutt Lane, Leesburg. Details: morvenpark.org Observe the ultimate challenge for horse and rider as they compete in dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. Free for spectators.

GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE Saturday, April 2, 2 p.m., Morven Park, 17195 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. Details: loudounwildlife.org Charles Smith, a naturalist and ecologist with more than 22 years of experience working in natural resource management, will share his knowledge of how ecosystems work to restore health to your back yard or larger natural areas. Advance registration is required.

MORVEN PARK NATURE WALK Sunday, April 3, 8-10 a.m.; Morven Park, 17195 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. Details: loudounwildlife.org Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for a free family nature walk and explore the diverse habitats at Morven Park. At this time of year, certain frogs and salamanders are just starting to stir and winter bird species are still present. Bring binoculars.

ART INSTALLATION AND TALK

STAY INFORMED:

703-777-1368 • www.flowerandgarden.org • Text FLOWER to 888-777

Sunday, April 3, 10:30 a.m.; Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Sterling, 22135 Davis Drive, Suite 104-105, Sterling. Details: uusterling.org Artist Sunjoy Jeergall discusses his 18-foot tall painting “Vishwa Roopa.” Event is free and open to the public.

THIS WEEK >> 30

loudounnow.com

Saturday, April 2, 8 a.m.-noon; Town of Purcellville. Contact: klb. purcellville@verizon.net

Main Stage Music Performances • Food Vendors Children’s Area with Crafts and Entertainment

This one-day conference is open to all writers—from newbies to published authors. Workshops feature bestselling author Nancy Martin and several top local writers. Cost is $100, $75 for Pennwriters members and $85 for students with valid ID.

Plants • Flowers • Herbs • Garden Supplies Landscape Designs Outdoor Living • Backyard Accessories

Kick off the “pick your own” season at GCF with the annual egg hunt and marshmallow harvest. The weekend features 18,000 treat-filled eggs, marshmallow chicks in the trees and a bonfire for roasting. Admission is $10 per child and $12 per adult.

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[ THIS WEEK ] << FROM 29

HISTORY TALK: THE EAGLE ON AMERICAN SILVER Sunday, April 3, 2 p.m.; Thomas Balch Library, 208 W. Market St., Leesburg. Contact: 703-737-7195 Historian Catherine Hollan discusses the use of the eagle symbol by American silversmiths over the centuries. Event is free and open to the public but reservations are recommended.

ON STAGE LAST HAM STANDING Friday, April 1, 8 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter.org The beloved comedy improv troupe returns to Franklin Park for an evening of laughs and lots of audience participation. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for children.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE BURG Saturday, April 2, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Middleburg Community Center, 300 W. Washington St., Middleburg. Details: shakespeareintheburg.com The American Shakespeare Theatre returns to Middleburg for the annual spring festival. This year’s performances are Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” (2 p.m.) and Shakespeare’s “Henry V” (7:30 p.m.). The weekend also includes a Champagne brunch featuring the winner of the festival’s one-act play competition Sunday, April 3, at 11 a.m. Tickets for Saturday’s shows are $40. Tickets for brunch are $25.

‘DEAD TUESDAY’ MURDER MYSTERY DINNER THEATRE Saturday, April 2, 6:30 p.m.; Federal Street Café, 4 E. Federal St., Middleburg. Details: stagecoachtc.com Stage Coach Theatre Company presents a murder mystery set at a New Orleans Mardi Gras ball. Tickets are $75 per person and include dinner. Reservations are required. Call 540326-4604 to reserve.

LUCKETTS BLUEGRASS: AUDIE BLAYLOCK AND REDLINE Saturday, April 2, 7 p.m.; Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Leesburg. Details: luckettsbluegrass.org These Grammy nominees and Lucketts regulars are known for

<< FROM 28

live performances full of precise musicianship, impeccable harmony and lots of fun. Tickets are $15 at the door.

NIGHTLIFE LIVE MUSIC: THE GENTLEMEN OF SOUL Friday, April 1, 7 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com

Courtesy of Todd Wright

An evening of soul featuring Bryan Fox, Jeffrey Walker and Ronnie Queen with the 4 The Road Band. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. All ages are welcome.

LIVE MUSIC: TODD WRIGHT AND FRIENDS

LIVE MUSIC: LIVING COLOUR

The internationally acclaimed songwriter calls Loudoun home and puts on a great show in his own right. His fans will be out in numbers for an evening of original pop. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 day of show.

Friday, April 1, 8:30 p.m.; Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: tallyholeesburg.com The band made waves in the ’80s for its fusion heavy metal, punk rock, funk, jazz, hip-hop and altrock. They reunited in 2000 and continue to tour with most of the original members. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 day of show.

LIVE MUSIC: TED GARBER AND JULIANA MACDOWELL

Courtesy of the American Shakespeare Center

Garber

Saturday, April 2, 7 p.m.; Waterford Old School, 40222 Fairfax St., Waterford. Details: waterfordfoundation.org Two of Loudoun’s favorite singer-songwriters join forces for an evening of great music to benefit the Waterford Foundation. Tickets are $15 at the door.

Saturday, April 2, 8:30 p.m.; Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St.; Leesburg. Details: tallyholeesburg.com

SMOKEHOUSE LIVE OPEN MIC Thursday, April 7, 7 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com This monthly open mic is a great way to build community and try out new material. Hosted by Chris Compton. No cover.

AMERICANA BRUNCH WITH KEN WENZEL Sunday, April 3, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com DC-based Wenzel is a regular on the Loudoun winery circuit and is gaining attention around the region for his Midwestern-accented musings, telling stories spun from a life spent moving from town to town. Free with brunch.

COMING UP Credit: Arnold Van West

LIVE MUSIC: IAIN MATTHEWS Friday, April 1, 7 p.m.; Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. Details: oldstoneschool.org A founding member of the British folk-rock band Fairport Convention, Matthews remains a prolific singer-songwriter. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

LIVE MUSIC: SWAMPCANDY Saturday, April 2, 7:30 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com This primitive blues-influenced Americana duo combines soulful vocals, percussive bass and aggressive, finger-picking guitar. No cover.

period of musical growth and inspiration. His dean at Tulane, ethno-musicologist Anthony Cummings, was a big influence. And Garber was also taken under the wings of the renowned Harrison family, leaders of the Guardians of the Flame — a tribe of Mardi Gras Indians. Garber said Donald Harrison Sr. and his daughter Cherice Harrison-Nelson (who has since launched a museum dedicated to Mardi Gras Indian history) played key roles in helping him heal after his father’s death in 1996. “They helped me get back on track,” he said. After college, Garber moved back to the area and lived in Bethesda for a decade, establishing himself firmly in the region’s music scene, where his New Orleans-style showmanship, banter and engagement with the audience helped him grow a strong following. “The strength in my show is not just the music,” he said. “It’s the charge that I have always gotten from it. It is the joy of entertaining.” Garber took a hiatus from songwriting during Rebecca’s illness and a period of regrouping after her death. But since his move to Loudoun—with the support of Proctor and the local songwriting community—he’s back in creative mode. “I’m finally writing again and finding inspiration,” he said. And his daughter is a big source of that inspiration. “My daughter has changed everything for me — watching her enjoy life in the moment,” he said. He’s working on a new record and will showcase new songs at the show in Waterford, and more in June when he returns to Acoustic on the Green for the sixth year. MacDowell said she was initially hesitant to approach Garber about doing the Waterford benefit, but he jumped at the chance to give back to Loudouners who have welcomed him with open arms. “This community has embraced me and my child and I want to put down roots here,” he said.

LOUDOUN YOUTHFEST BATTLE OF THE BANDS FINAL BATTLE

jmercker@loudounnow.com

Friday, April 8, 6:30-8:30p.m.; 19 W. Market St.; Leesburg. Details: tallyholeesburg.com Talented teens from around the county duke it out to see who gets a prime opening spot at YouthFest in May. Admission is $8 at the door.

STEP SISTERS’ RIBBON RUN/WALK Saturday, April 16, 8-11 a.m.; Brambleton Town Center, 42395 Ryan Road, Brambleton. Details: stepsisters.org This 5K race supports the Step Sisters’ mission to improve the quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer. Event also includes a children’s fun run. Registration is $37 through April 12 ($13 for the fun run). Ted Garber

An Appreciation ... BY MARGARET MORTON

BALCH’S TRANSMISSION SERVICE Servicing Loudoun County since 1995

CHECK ENGINE Complete transmission service & repair for Domestic and Imports, cars, trucks, and RVs

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The Reverend Elijah White III at the Church of Our Saviour in Oatlands, where he served as rector for more than three decades.

family friend, Huntington Harris who recommended that he go to Haverford College. “It was a Quaker college, and he loved it.” Lige White graduated in 1959. He spent a couple of years at the University of London, King’s College; at the British Museum; and studied medieval Latin. Later, he spent time at the University of California at Berkeley, earning a master’s degree in English. At one time, White dabbled in the newspaper business, serving as the sports editor for the Loudoun Times-Mirror, before becoming its edi-

tor in the mid-1960s, at the suggestion of the newspaper’s legendary Miss Fanny Reed, the namesake of today’s Francis Hazel Reed Elementary School. Academics and the church were two clear passions in his life. He served as an acolyte at St. James Episcopal Church in Leesburg in his youth. While attending the Virginia Theological Seminary from 1965 to 1968, where he earned his bachelor of divinity degree, he occasionally came LIGE WHITE >> 33

Spring Open House April 23rd, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., and April 24th, 12 - 4 p.m. Spring over to Waltonwood to preview floor plans and learn more about the carefree lifestyle and upscale services and amenities we offer. Receive a free springtime accessory at the event (quantities limited)!

Longtime Loudoun clergyman, former newspaperman, historian, lover of words and all-round character, the Reverend Elijah “Lige” Brockenbrough White III died Saturday evening at home and with his family. He was the rector emeritus of the Church of Our Saviour Oatlands, a parish over which he had presided for more than 30 years, and a descendant of Elijah V. White, a noted Loudoun Confederate cavalry leader who formed the Laurel Brigade and who became a successful businessman after the Civil War. The funeral is scheduled for Friday, April 1, at St. James Episcopal Church on Cornwall Street in Leesburg. The service will begin at 11 a.m. Lige White was born May 2, 1938, in Washington, DC. His brother Nicholson “Nick” White followed four years later, then a sister Mary, in 1943. They were the children of prominent Loudoun attorney E.B. White Jr. and Elizabeth Hoyt White. Nick White, a retired Episcopal minister now living in Charlotte, NC, recalled their childhood. Their father was born in Leesburg, at the corner of King and Cornwall streets, so the children were raised there. They also spent much of their childhood at Selma, the grand house on Rt. 15 north of Leesburg built by an earlier White in 1902. E.B. White Jr. was a lawyer and econ-

omist who served in the U.S. Army. “When he was being shipped overseas, he parked his family in Leesburg, where every old lady in town used to take care of us,” Nick White recalled. From the beginning, Lige White had a way with words. “He never forgot anything,” his brother said this week. He noted, that just days before he died, White was reciting “Kipling from [memories of] his childhood.” That love of words, poetry and drama was there from the start. “On Lige’s 10th birthday at the dinner table, we gave as a present to our parents a recital of Act III of Julius Caesar,” Nick recalled. It was a family trait. “Our father always had a Webster’s unabridged dictionary on a rolling stand at his seat at the table, so it was right there to check,” Nick White said. Leesburg, back in the 1940s and 1950s, was a simpler and smaller town. “When we were raised there, there were 2,220 people—and every old lady knew us—and reported on us,” Nick White said. Lige went to boarding school—to Asheville School for Boys in North Carolina, where on graduation day, his brother recalled the headmaster eventually got tired of recalling Lige to the podium to receive yet another prize— for poetry, drama or some other activity—so much so that he ordered him to “just stay here.” Calling his brother academically “very bright,” Nick White said it was a

March 31 – April 6, 2016

Elijah Brockenbrough White III

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(703) 594-7350

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[ OBITUARIES ] Donald Francis Overheu, 74, of Leesburg, VA,

passed away on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Donald was born on September 23, 1941, in Chicago, IL. He was a son of the late William and Marjorie Overheu. He was raised by loving foster parents, Bob (deceased) and Doris Becker. He attended school the Chicago area, then joined the Army where he served for several years, including time spent guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After serving in the Army, he began his life long career of selling Oriental Rugs by working at W J Sloanes in Bethesda. He later went on to open and run several of his own stores in Tysons Corner and Great Falls. He was a self-educated Oriental rug expert who enjoyed the friendships he made with other rug merchants, spending many hours playing backgammon, discussing international events from the Middle East where many of their families were from, and developing the kind of knowledge about the rugs that not that many Americans have. As he went into semi-retirement he could still be found seeking out the great deal on his next rug almost weekly. His clients from his rug business also became some of his best friends and he truly found the people aspect of his business as rewarding as the sales part. He was the kind of man who never met a stranger, and was always cooking and delivering delicious recipes he created to family and friends. In his younger days, he and Marilyn would take youth from their D.C. neighborhood to baseball games that they otherwise would not be able to attend. He would pile them in the car and treat them to a nice afternoon at the stadium. He was lucky to see one of these former young men at Washington Hospital Center who told him that because of him, he learned to like white people since at that time the country was still not fully integrated. He was known for helping anyone in need, he personally bought and delivered baby and children’s items, furniture and clothing to people he heard were in need and took the time to follow up and make sure things were all right after the initial help. He had an unbelievably generous heart and everyone who was fortunate enough to have him in their lives knew they could call him day or night and he would answer and be there to assist. His door was always open and his hospitality was legendary. He loved his family most of all. He based his choices on providing the best to his family, moving to where the best schools were when the kids were younger, enjoying time playing and teaching his kids tennis, golf (as much as they would cooperate) and providing a place to live where they could enjoy horseback riding and hikes along the Potomac River. He loved animals and indulged his children by allowing them to acquire many through the years including dogs, cats, rodents and horses. Linda always had a pet sitter when she travelled and her dogs would have a great time being spoiled by him with treats and going to dog parks. He also enjoyed sports, coaching Linda’s teams, volunteering as a referee, and watching the Redskins and Cubs. Don took his family on many memorable beach vacations, and had fun with his grandchildren in the ocean and pools each summer. A tradition that he had was to let each daughter and later each grandchild pick a local destination like a theme park and he would treat them and their friends to a fun day. He did this several times each summer for many years. His oldest granddaughter Heather was the light of his life when she arrived. They spent countless hours together through the years, he was like a Dad to her. She would climb on his rugs as a baby and has been an accomplished Backgammon and Chess player since she was young. They loved listening to Louis Armstrong together and he bought her many instruments when he saw she could play it by ear on her recorder. He spent countless hours encouraging her interests, especially her ice skating lessons and competitions. Even at the very end he found the strength to put a hand out to comfort her when we thought he was unresponsive. This special bond is a gift to both of them that will live on.

Poppop, as he was known, treasured the time he spent with all of his grandkids. He was the instigator of many tickling and roughhousing matches with Aiden and had such sweet, special times playing with Claire and Nick. He will live on in our hearts and will be missed every day. A favorite bit of advice that he gave is “Baby, you make your own luck” and he sure did. Donald leaves his family to cherish his memory including his beloved wife of 46 years, Marilyn Ruth Overheu. He was a devoted father to daughters, Karen Overheu Walker (Tom) and Linda Tracy Overheu. Also survived by two brothers, William and Richard Overheu and a sister, Karen Armstrong; foster brother Curt Becker and foster sisters Cathy and Caryn; 4 grandchildren, Heather, Aiden, Claire, and Nicholas and several nieces and nephews and their families. In addition to his parents, Donald was predeceased by his siblings, Chuck, Jerry, and Sally. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to National Kidney Foundation 30 East 33rd Street, New York, NY 10016. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.loudoufuneralchapel.com Anne L. Maiden of Warrenton, 65, passed

away Sunday, March 20, 2016, at the Novant Haymarket Medical Center in Haymarket, VA. She was born July 2, 1950, in Washington, DC. Anne was the daughter of the late Robert Mercier Maiden and Louise Vincent Maiden and is survived by three siblings: Suzanne Maiden Walls, Robert Vincent Maiden and Donald Wayne Maiden. She also has one niece (Rachel Maiden Wells) four nephews (Jerald T. Walls, Martin T. Walls, Robert W. Maiden and John L. Maiden), and numerous cousins. Anne was a graduate of Oxon Hill High School, Oxon Hill, MD. As a senior bookkeeper, she held several accounting positions in major companies in Washington and Virginia. She also assisted her late exhusband, Alan Reulet, build a construction company in Lousiana. She loved her cat “Bailey,” gardening and working in the yard of her brother Don, where she shared a home in Warrenton, VA, for more than 8 years. A memorial service will be held at the home of Don Maiden, 9496 Old Waterloo Road, Warrenton, VA 20186 on April 2, 2016 at 2:00 pm. We welcome our family and friends to join us immediately following the service for food, sharing memories, and lots of laughs. That way, we know Anne is surely with us. Memorial contributions can be made to the American Diabetes Association, http://www.diabetes.org/ or your favorite charity in lieu of flowers.

To share your condolences with our readers, contact Lindsay Morgan at 703-770-9723 or via email at lmorgan@loudounnow.com

[ OBITUARIES ]

Yard Sale

Bernard Sheppard Bernard Eugene Sheppard, Sr. 62, of Sterling, died March 25, 2016. He was the son of James Sheppard Sr. and Mabel Beatrice Murray Greene Sheppard. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 1 at Loudoun Funeral Chapel in Leesburg. Memorial donations may be made to American Diabetes Association, PO Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312. [Loudoun Funeral Chapel]

Patio, Wicker, Moving Sale ALL MUST GO! 206 Wirt Street NW, Leesburg, 20176

Saturday, April 2, 8am-noon

nts • Siding ors ce

Yard Sale

Lige White

job you need, it, and at the u can afford. perations.com .6677

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out on Sundays to fill in for services at the small Our Saviour’s Church at Oatlands. Lige White was ordained to the ministry, first as a deacon in 1968 then a priest in 1969. That year, he and his first wife, Camden, moved to Fiji for two years in missionary work, serving several congregations. He became dean of the theological college in Suva, Fiji, where he taught Greek and Hebrew. At the time, he said going about barefoot was being blessed. Nick White recalled, “He wrote our parents, saying ‘please send golf shoes—I need the spikes to scamper up steep, muddy banks, to get to the missions.’” On his return, he served as an assistant rector at various rural parishes in Fauquier County before dropping out of parish ministry for a while, until he became rector of Our Saviour’s Church at Oatlands in 1977. Two years later, in 1979, he married noted horsewoman and preservationist Anita Graf. The small church south of Oatlands Plantation became a center for those favoring a conservative doctrinal approach. A staunch adherent to traditional Biblical teaching, Lige White led his parish out of the Episcopal Church in 2007 because of what he saw as the church’s abandonment of orthodoxy. After shepherding the parish

through the turbulent years of the split from the Diocese of Virginia, Lige White retired in 2011. His successor stayed for one year, so White agreed to return as interim rector until the Reverend Jim Basinger arrived as rector on Oct. 1, 2013. He was instrumental in helping the parish find a new home as membership had expanded during the past five years. “He and Anita supported finding a new location,” Basinger said. White went looking for a site and bought a former Christmas tree and vineyard property at auction, about a mile farther north on Rt. 15. The new church building is under construction. As rector emeritus, Basinger said, White “was most helpful—it was like having a mentor. He was a repository of all institutional knowledge in the parish—of people past and present.” In a statement that would surprise no one who knew Lige White, Basinger said, “He had a remarkable mind for dates. He knew everyone’s anniversaries as well as the anniversaries of important events.” “He lived a very interesting life. He was a dear, cranky and loving person,” his brother said Monday. Lige White is survived by his daughters Rebekah McCarthy of Round Hill and Spilman White of Dowelltown, TN; brother the Reverend Nicholson White and his sister Mary Jordan Snidow of Richmond. mmorton@loudounnow.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

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

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

N L Praise & Deliverance Church ew ife

“Come & Experience Pentacost with the Annointing of the Holy Spirit”

Contact: classified@loudounnow.com or (703) 770-9723 Advertise for

Sunday School - 10:00 am Sunday Worship Service - 11:30 am Prayer Tues. 7:30 pm / Bible Study Wed. 7:30 pm www.be-blessed.org *Bishop Michael Gilcreast (681) 252-3784 305 S. Charles St. Charles Town, WV 25414

A Church Alive is Worth the Drive!

Delivered to mailboxes and newstands in Loudoun County

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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.

House of Worship

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.

Contact: classified@loudounnow.com or (703) 770-9723

Roofing, Siding, rvices ern Virginia

Robert Scott, 89 of Sterling, died March 24, 2016 at his home. He was born Jan. 21, 1927, in Washington, DC, to James Scott and Lillian Shepherd Scott. He operated Scotts Trash. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Bernice Thornton Scott; son Robert R. Scott Sr. of Stafford; daughters Carolyn K. Jefferies of Silver Springs, MD, and Tina Thompson of Fredericksburg; six grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter Linda Scott Hailey and his siblings. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 5, at Loudoun Funeral Chapel in Leesburg, with the

Rev. Roy A. Trammell Sr. officiating. A visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Interment will follow in Gleedsville Cemetery near Leesburg. [Loudoun Funeral Chapel]

March 31 – April 6, 2016

Robert Scott

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Employment Town of Leesburg is hiring Senior DPR Engineer

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Leesbug Sterling Family Practice Is Expanding Our sixth location located in the Medical Professional Building at Stone Springs Hospital in Aldie, VA is scheduled to open this Summer. If you are compassionate, energetic and love working with a team, then we need YOU. FT positions are available for LPN’s and MA’s. Pediatric and or family practice preferred but willing to train the right candidate. We offer health, dental and vision insurance as well as direct deposit, 401K and many other benefits. FT positions are also available in our Broadlands location. Please send your resumé to: lgray@lmgdoctors.com or fax: (703) 726-0804 attention Lisa

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[ OPINION ]

Refreshing The Loudoun Board of Supervisors is expected next week to put its formal stamp of approval on the fiscal year 2017 budget, the first major work product of its young term. During a month of budget work sessions, the new board demonstrated evidence that there is something more than a “honeymoon period” involved in the manner in which the individual members debated their differences. It was refreshing. With a majority of freshman members and the largest political party split seen at the dais in several years, the stage was set for the outbreak of distracting antics. Sometimes, newly elected supervisors attempt to use the first budget session to make an early mark. Democrats and Republicans might exercise some partisan gamesmanship. During this round, for the most part, supervisors simply went to work and got the job done. Now they’re ready to move on to the next priority and then the next. Yes, there was more that could have been done to trim costs in some departments and to expand programs in others. And the $58 million single-year increase in local tax funding for county schools failed to meet the expectations of the School Board and scores of parents who campaigned for more. But it was a good start that will allow board members to target areas they want to emphasize next year. They’ll start laying the groundwork for fiscal year 2018 in just a few months. The challenge now turns to the School Board and school district administrators. By April 14, the school system will decide what gets cut from its record $1.07 billion budget. A lot of popular initiatives will be part of that conversation. There are big-ticket items, like the $10 million expansion of full-day kindergarten offerings. There are high-priority items, including the efforts to raise the pay level of mid-career teachers. Increased class sizes and reduced staffing support for small schools are also on the table. These have been among go-to cuts in past budget years. How the School Board, which also has five freshman members, handles its reconciliation votes also is important—not just for students in next year’s classrooms, but also for its dealings with supervisors when fiscal year 2018 rolls around. Communication and cooperation between the Board of Supervisors and the School Board greatly improved over the past few years. The new boards’ ability to build on that relationship will be a key challenge during their terms. The joint goal should be that efficient budget review is viewed as routine rather than refreshing.

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[ LETTERS ] Small spill or big mess? Editor: In your article, ‘Flushable’ Wipes Blamed in Purcellville Sewer Spill, the town described the incident as “a small amount of the liquid ... spilled into the adjacent creek.” I believe this is an error. I was the individual who discovered the spill when I noticed the creek flowing through my property next to the Purcellville’s East End Pumping

SPEAK NOW

Station had turned a cloudy blue color. The spot on the creek where I noticed the blue cloudiness was about 200 yards downstream from the pumping station. At that distance with the large amount of blueness in the water could not have been caused by a little bit of sewage escaping from a manhole next to the pumping station, but was in fact a great amount entering the creek. – Sam Brown, Purcellville

Readers’ comments posted at loudounnow.com

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“I am very concerned about pari-mutuel betting. We have not had that in this county. It could create traffic problems and bring other issues of concern to Leesburg.” —Ken Reid, on Thoroughbred Racing Returns to Morven Park Next Fall “As someone who showed up to voice my displeasure at both my assessment and tax rate going up, my head almost popped off every time I heard some student get up and whine about not having a professional level athletic field.” — David Dickinson, on Speakers Rally to Support School Funding “Good for the school board!! Why is everyone insulting the intelligence of those they voted in office.” — Danette N. Cooper, on School Board Members Refute ‘Segregation’ Accusations in Boundary Debate, via Facebook “I still have hope that the SB will realize that they shouldn’t try to fix what isn’t broken. Take care of the overcrowding issue and be done!” — Stephanie Wood Leckemby, on School Board Members Refute ‘Segregation’ Accusations in Boundary Debate, via Facebook

[ OPINION ]

BY BUTCH PORTER

Welcoming all new patients

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1503 Dodona Terrace Suite 210 Leesburg, VA 20175

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Butch Porter is a Leesburg business owner and local commentator.

Loudoun Now PO Box 207 Leesburg, VA 20178

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t is important that words have actual, commonly accepted meaning, or communication regarding their application and function hits a dead end really quickly. For instance, “establishment” when used in politics, has usually referred to certain party apparatchiks, movers and shakers in the halls of power in DC, Richmond—and, I suppose, 1 Harrison St. and Town Hall. However, with no notice, no memo, no email or postcard, somehow, yours truly has become a part of the “establishment.” Since a certain candidate for the Republican nomination has become the front runner, those who should know better feel obliged to simply paint his critics with their broadest brush. Anyone who doesn’t sign up for the boorish, petulant, protectionist, nativist, war-mongering, proto-fascist, son of a successful business man, blowhard, TV personality with a spray tan and obnoxious hairdo—but I’m not naming any names—is simply too “establishment.” That apparently includes me. It’s unclear how this happened. One morning people started speaking to me as if I was some power broker with cigar stains on my teeth, who stood as a vanguard, protecting the fat cats and moneyed, elitist, donor class from honest patriots. Of course, anyone familiar with my political inclinations over the years knows that I’ve been anything but a player. I’ve fought tooth and nail against party hacks, wannabes, and ring kissers. I’ve protested, rebelled, refused to join, and refused to compromise. Not sure how that qualifies me as part of the establishment, but sure, why not? Here’s another term which is just thrown around: “right wing.” This is a case where my honest understanding of the term has evolved. I’ve historically come from the school of thought that fascism and communism (to use the pejoratives which are really not pejoratives, except with those who don’t appreciate the meanings of words) are simply too sides of the same coin, and to call one right-wing and one left-wing is just dodging the obvious totalitarian reality of both. The problem is, here in these United States, “right wing” is very often conflated with “conservative” which was always a problem, because it is inaccurate. The real “right wing” though, in most of the world, including the U.S., is very protectionist, populist, often isolationist, very nativist, and occasionally, as a matter of course, a little racist. “Conservative,” however, is actually a word that is the victim of a lot of abuse from the political world. It has meant many things all over the world,

for centuries, though its meaning, in the modern American context can be clearly delineated. This is because conservatism in its purest form, is not an ideology at all, but instead simply a way of thinking about things, including policy. In the U.S. since the mid 20th century, it has meant advocacy for limited government, property rights, free markets (and free trade), traditional values, and rule of law. “Socialist” now seems to mean anything that the user of the word wants it to—well, anything except having the government (“public”) control the means of production, which is the actual meaning of the term. But hey, when a current candidate for the Democratic nomination says socialist, he doesn’t mean socialist like those countries that actually are socialist, like Venezuela or Vietnam. He means socialist like those constitutional monarchies with a national church, who aren’t socialist at all, like Norway or Sweden. Obviously. Putting this all together, we could conclude that there is nothing right wing about conservatism in the modern United States, and nothing conservative about being right wing here either. The aforementioned blowhard with the hairdo is pitching his tent in the “right winger” camp—notwithstanding his penchant for socialist healthcare policy—but most clearly not in the American conservative camp. The “establishment” however is not an ideology any more than conservatism is. Its only concern is power— gaining it, keeping it, protecting it. So it can be conservative, populist, socialist, right wing or left wing, depending on how the wind blows—that’s why it’s the establishment. Modern American conservatism— where my tent has been pitched for most of my adult life—although it apparently holds only precarious sway with the GOP, will continue to be the proper home for the true “moderates,” the real “progressives,” and classical “liberals,” no matter what buffoon happens to have an “R” by their name on the national stage. But since I’m establishment now, we should fully expect that the RNC, the RPV, the NRCC, the ACU, and whoever else is funneling money for the “Republican establishment” class, will be writing YUUGE checks to whatever campaign I embrace. Just make the checks out to: “Friends of Butch Porter for U.N. Secretary General.”

37 March 31 – April 6, 2016

Words Used to Mean Things

Cochran Family Dental

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BUILDING BUSINESS

Spaces to Work, Places to Collaborate << FROM 3 and see if its team of executives could help area entrepreneurs be successful. So far, Fishbowl Labs has supported 30 companies. Nick Bagg has been the managing director of Fishbowl Labs for the past year. In his “day job,” he is chief of staff for AOL Core. While MEC’s incubator model houses companies that rely on the expertise, business counseling and assistance offered by the center’s staff, Fishbowl Labs’ incubator clients rely on the expertise of AOL’s countless executives, he notes. If the expertise cannot be found within AOL’s walls, Bagg will work to bring in outside experts to help guide businesses through their challenges. And other times, “the later stage companies can function as mentors for some of our earlier stage companies,” Bagg said. Fishbowl Labs caters its services exclusively to tech companies and has three general areas of focus—mobile, cybersecurity and B2B, Bagg said. As a sign of those industries’ growth in the past 12 months, Fishbowl Labs has received 75 applications from companies hoping to locate within the incubator and handled more than 200 meetings or calls from interested businesses. Many of those interested were referred from previous Fishbowl Labs’ clients, he said. Today, the center houses 10 companies and will be at maximum capacity soon, Bagg said. Companies generally stay with Fishbowl Labs about a year, he said. Going forward, hopes are to add to the success of its current and past clients. Bagg points out that the 30 companies that have called Fishbowl Labs home at one point or another have tallied nearly $40 million in profits over the past few years. Growing its investor pipeline, building its mentor network and offering more services to its clients—as well as making its model more scalable—are all on Fishbowl Labs’ todo list in the years ahead, Bagg said.

80,000 square feet of office and retail uses in two buildings. One of those would house the proposed incubator. Jaghori said he has already received hundreds of applications of interest from businesses hoping to set up in the incubator, which he said may open in temporary space by year’s end. Hello LoCo will be a departure from the traditional business incubator in some ways, Jaghori said. He plans to tap experiences gained in helping with the six start-ups. First, Hello LoCo will focus on “human capital”—aligning incubator mentors with the product companies in which they have an expertise. Jaghori said he will tap his experience with Silicon Valley investors to bring in expertise not traditionally found in Loudoun County, but much in need. While many of the incubator tenants around the county dabble in the government contracting or IT fields, Hello LoCo will work to entice entrepreneurs from different fields, some of which are more prevalent on the West Coast. “There’s an inherent void here for having a truly Silicon Valley-type of incubator that’s not focused on federal IT,” he said. Two other differentiators for Hello LoCo will be that the incubator itself will hold an equity stake in each of the start-ups it hosts; and these startups will be eligible for investor funding within as little as 30 days. Gramercy District developer Minh Le will be closely involved with Hello LoCo, bringing his expertise in tech and ventures. Once the doors are open, Jaghori said he is optimistic that Hello LoCo

will be able to serve 20 or more companies and as many as 400 employees at one time. While he said he is “happy to share the playbook” with others in the county who may want to use Hello LoCo’s incubator model elsewhere in the U.S. or worldwide, he said his focus on Solebrity and growing Hello LoCo will keep his feet firmly planted in Loudoun for the time being.

CO-WORKING The Brickyard 44927 George Washington Blvd #265, Ashburn thebrickyard.com Ann Orem and Paul Singh came from separate industries, but shared the goal of catering to the suburbs’ changing workforce needs. A real estate executive with Clarke-Hook, Orem’s professional focus was on small business start-ups and mid-size businesses. She saw firsthand how both the workforce was changing and the nature of the work. Singh is the founder of Disruption Corp. The two had a similar version in mind for what an ideal co-working model could look like in Loudoun County. When they looked around, they didn’t see anything like it available. “It’s either people are leaving everyday on a bus or sitting in cars or paying 15 bucks to get on the Greenway or working from home or at Starbucks. There’s no option to work here,” she said. The Brickyard is designed to fill that void. It is a large, open space with long

Hello LoCo Gramercy District, Ashburn helloloco.com While the previous two incubators have their doors open, another could soon be popping up. Ashburn-based Solebrity CEO AJ Jaghori has announced plans to open an incubator in the planned Gramercy District development in Ashburn. The Gramercy District will be located off Metrorail’s Ashburn North station and phase one, planned to begin construction this summer, includes

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Ann Orem, founder of The Brickyard incubator offices in Ashburn says, “The community we’re building is a community of creative, liked-minded, tech-enabled people.”

communal tables inviting enterpreneurs to work and collaborate with others. The 2,905-square-foot space, located across the street from Ashburn’s George Washington University campus, comes replete with all amenities needed to run a small business, telework, and most importantly, learn from and share with others. “The community we’re building is a community of creative, liked-minded, tech-enabled people. Anybody who is acquiring customers on the Internet or service customers on the Internet. Anybody from entrepreneurs to startup founders to small business owners to employees of a Fortune 500 company looking for landing spots. Freelancers, web developers, independent contractors, designers. There’s a big community of people that we are hoping to service that I would say we’ve already reached a lot of them,” Orem said. Just in its first few weeks, The Brickyard is “constantly growing,” she says. Sometimes, two to three members a day are in the space at a time. She and Singh are constantly fielding leads from interested parties and setting up tours. While Orem is at the center everyday, Singh is in the midst of a North American tech tour, where he will be looking for opportunities to expand The Brickyard model in different cities. Evolve 602 S. King St. #400, Leesburg evolve.space A father and son team are behind Leesburg’s newest co-working venture, Evolve. Charles and Robert Matheson recently debuted Evolve in the Waverly Park space owned by the elder Matheson since the 1980s. The idea for Evolve grew out of Robert Matheson’s frequent trips up and down the East Coast. Classifying himself a “serial entrepreneur,” Robert Matheson helped launch an apparel brand, in addition to consulting work. He traveled from his home in Charlottesville to New York, with frequent trips to Rhode Island and Florida. He and his business partners use a co-working space in New York City and he found the opportunities for collaboration among other businesses to be very inviting. When the fourth floor tenant moved out of the Waverly Park space, the Mathesons worked to replicate the atmosphere Robert experienced. “I know this is a growing trend in the business world. There are more and more mobile users, more and more independent workers,” Robert Matheson said. Evolve offers several levels of membership. One can rent a space daily, monthly, have a private office or use the flexible space. There’s even been quite a bit of interest in renting conference room space for events, Robert Matheson said. Plans are already in the works to scale the Evolve business model, and open other Evolve co-working spaces along the East Coast. And Robert Matheson believes the desire for co-working space is only increasing. “It’s the evolution of the work environment,” he said. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

Tuscarora High School 801 N. King Street, Leesburg

SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2016 11:00AM—2:00PM

son Road space last June and two months later were open. The response in Makersmiths’ first eight months has been overwhelming. The center boasts 60 members who are given 24/7 access to the facility via a keypad. The makerspace holds open houses on Tuesday and Thursday nights and has also played host to several companies—large and small—and community groups. Millsap and Scannell are in talks to open two additional makerspaces in Loudoun. The two believe the “timing is right” to grow makerspaces throughout the area. Scannell notes that de-

spite Loudoun County boasting the highest per capita income in the state, it also has the fewest manufacturing jobs per capita. “What we have is a base of people who know how to do government work, defense work, cloud technology, but those are the growth sectors of the last decade,” he said. “The growth sectors of the next decade are about emerging tech, physical things that have new tech in them.” For more information about Makersmiths, go to makersmiths.org. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

CAREER EXPO

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Pat Scannell and Mark Millsap opened Makersmith in Leesburg to allow residents to experiment, create and innovate.

Many of the companies that fill Loudoun’s growing incubator and co-working spaces—not to mention the county’s countless small businesses—started with a simple product. For some a trip to the toolshed or craft box is insufficient; other times an expert eye or collaborative effort is needed. And that’s where Leesburg’s Makersmiths comes in. Makersmiths opened on Lawson Road last summer and quickly has become another popular fixture in the “maker” movement. The approximately 3,000-square-foot space holds countless tools and gadgets, from 3D printers to laser cuts to circular saws—down to your “simple” craft materials like paper and glue. And all these tools are available to help clients on anything from a home project to testing products to launch a small business. The center’s clients range from small business entrepreneurs to hobbyists. Owners Mark Millsap and Pat Scannell note that one family of five often comes in, with dad working on one project, mom quilting and the kids tending to their own crafts. Millsap and Scannell met at NovaLabs in Reston when Millsap was trying to determine whether a property he owned in West Virginia would

be a good site for a windmill. Millsap had come to NovaLabs to take a class on Arduino, an open-source electronic prototyping platform, and was enamored with the immediate knowledge and collaboration he encountered when setting foot in NovaLabs. When Scannell came into NovaLabs to gauge interest in members’ interested in helping him to open a makerspace in Loudoun County, someone suggested Millsap. By trade, Millsap is a facilities manager for Loudoun County Fire and Rescue, but he has an architectural background and admittedly likes to “tinker.” Scannell has a technology background and when the company he previously worked for was bought out, he took a “mini sabbatical,” researching makerspaces throughout the country and seeing if it would be a good for-profit opportunity for him. Scannell found how it was difficult for people to build a product from a prototype. Some didn’t know where to start, or didn’t have the experience. Others just didn’t have the means to purchase the tools needed. These are just some of the instances where makerspaces can be useful. Scannell soon realized that it would be better to open a nonprofit makerspace to serve the community. With Millsap on board, the two signed their lease for the Law-

March 31 – April 6, 2016

Space to Make It

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