Loudoun Now for April 14, 2016 by Loudoun Now

LoudounNow Now LOUDOUN COUNTY’S COMMUNITY-OWNED NEWS SOURCE

[ Vol. 1, No. 23 ]

[ loudounnow.com ]

[ April 14 – 20, 2016 ]

OFF TO THE RACES

‘Chitty Chitty’ takes off in Purcellville .................... 28

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE County Launches New Domestic Violence Protocol BY DANIELLE NADLER

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Riders sail over a timber jump during the spring Point-to-Point races at Oatlands. The event celebrates its golden anniversary Sunday.

Big Crowd Expected at Oatlands for 50th Running of Point-to-Point BY MARGARET MORTON “Are you going to Oatlands?” That’s a common question at this time of year as thousands of Loudouners gear up for the annual rite of spring—the Oatlands Point-to-Point races. There will be a special buzz of excitement this Sunday as the crowd gathers at the historic estate south of Leesburg for the Loudoun Hunt’s 50th running of the races. The Oatlands Point-to-Point Races are distinctive in that they feature both serious racing and a strong social aspect—a mix

that appeals to die-hard racing fans and to those who enjoy a spring day outdoors while paying scant attention to the Thoroughbreds thundering past their finely appointed tailgate spreads. The event features nine races, highlighted by the coveted Eustis Cup, a 3.5-mile endurance run, and the Mrs. George C. Everhard Memorial Invitational Side Saddle Race.

How It All Began The origins of steeplechasing go back centuries, beginning in Ireland where

neighbors challenged each other to race from church to church, jumping over stone walls, ditches and hedges. There will be no steeples in sight at Oatlands on Sunday, but all other aspects of the sport of kings will be on full display— as they have been since 1966. Brett Phillips, then editor of The Loudoun Times-Mirror, was part of the original planning for the races. He recalled the 1965 meeting involving some of those who became legendary supporters of the Oatlands races, including Loudoun Master of Foxhounds Dr. Joe Rogers, Harry Wight, Morris Fox, Silas D. “Sonny” Phillips and Anita Graf. A large jug of sour mash whiskey was also present at the meeting in Fox’s Leesburg office.

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OFF TO THE RACES >> 38

Domestic-related homicides have left their mark on all types of Loudoun families in recent years. Poor and wealthy. Black, white, Hispanic and Asian. The county has seen an increase in the number of lives taken by family members or people they were once close to. There’s been three in Loudoun already this year. It’s prompted local law enforcement and domestic abuse prevention groups to adopt a new strategy to prevent them, and rallied community members to ask what they can do to be a part of the solution. Less than a week after an ex-boyfriend was charged with fatally shooting a Leesburg mother of three, the county government announced last Friday a program aimed at helping victims of abuse who are in danger of being murdered before it’s too late. Under the new model, called the Lethality Assessment Program, law enforcement officers will ask domestic assault victims an 11-question survey to assess the level of risk they may be in. If the victim is considered in serious danger, he or she is immediately connected with Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter. LAWS provides 24-hour support for victims, including counseling, legal representation and, if needed, shelter. Leesburg Police started screening domestic abuse victims with the program Feb. 22, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE >> 16

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Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Fighting the Stigma: Students Walk to Curb Suicide Countywide Students shared their film that told the stories of several of their classmates’ struggles with depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. Before the film got rolling— technical difficulties delayed it by 10 minutes—Suzie Bartel grabbed the mic to fill the time with her family’s personal story, a story that brought many in the audience to tears. Her son, Ryan, had Asperger’s syndrome and was the target of bullying until high school, when he found a group of friends he could relate to. Still, he dipped in and out of depression and kept a lot of his frustrations over school and social challenges to himself. He took his own life Oct. 15, 2014. After Ryan’s death, Bartel and her husband felt they needed to do something to stop other families from experiencing a similar tragedy. They started a foundation and created a scholarship for graduating seniors, but wanted to do more to impact hurting teens. “We knew what we wanted to do, but didn’t know how to get there,” she said. She contacted Woodgrove High School to see if students were interested in working with the foundation. Within a few months, students formed the We’re All Human Committee and began to make real changes to let young people know there is help out there. “Each time we held meetings, more students would show up,” Bartel said. “You guys turned our vision into a reality.” Loudoun County Chairwoman

Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), who joined students on the walk, said she wouldn’t have missed it for anything. She stopped at a sign one student had taped to a chainlink fence that read, “Don’t lose hope.” Randall, a mental health therapist, said it’s not depression that triggers a person to take her own life, but hopelessness. “People who don’t have hope do not think there’s anything in their future worth living for,” she said. The Woodgrove students’ event, she added, is exactly the kind of thing that can bring change. “No one talks about suicide. This brings it out in the public so people know they’re not alone and there is help. This is brave.” Bartel’s hope is for every school in Loudoun to host an annual We’re All Human walk and assembly, with a focus on suicide prevention. The movement has already spread to an elementary school on the opposite end of the county. Teachers at Arcola Elementary in Dulles put on a We’re All Human walk for students April 6, and, instead of directly talking about suicide, taught students about how small, kind acts can have far-reaching effects. “If you can, at an early age, teach kindness and awareness, then they grow up to be good citizens,” Bartel said. “We have a huge problem in our community. … But if we can all come together, we can make a big difference. Today is just the beginning.” dnadler@loudounnow.com

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Leesburg is the place to be this weekend, when the 26th annual Leesburg Flower and Garden festival takes place in the heart of town. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. There is a requested donation of $3 per person.

Foundation works to help firefighters fight cancer.... 9

FBI: Purcellville businessman pleads guilty in bribery conspiracy........ 8

Daughter of convicted murderer honored with Valor Award............................ 14

Crime................................ 7 Education....................... 20 Loudoun Gov..................... 5 Our Towns........................ 17 Biz.................................. 25

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

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[ INDEX ] County considers tighter data center regs............... 7

BY DANIELLE NADLER Morning classes at Woodgrove High School were canceled last Wednesday so that the entire student body could go on a walk. It was an unseasonably cold and breezy morning, but few complained. Their thoughts and conversations were on Ryan, Will, and Christian, and other young people from the Loudoun community who lost their lives in suicide-related incidents in recent years. The walk was organized by the school’s We’re All Human Committee in partnership with The Ryan Bartel Foundation, which was founded by the parents of the Woodgrove senior who took his life in 2014. The inaugural We’re All Human walk was designed to not only ensure the school’s 1,500 students know they are not alone in their struggles, but to spread that hopeful message to people throughout Loudoun. Woodgrove senior Aiden Bergel said the western Loudoun community has been hit especially hard by tragedies prompted by mental illness, naming four teens who were killed in recent years. “Maybe if there was not a stigma on mental illness, we would have not lost these contributors to society’s future,” he said. “We’re here to talk about this.” Close to 2,000 people joined the 1-mile walk on the campus, and then crowded into the school’s gym for an assembly. Ryan Bartel’s brother, Jordan, performed a song accompanied by the Woodgrove choir dedicated to his brother.

INSIDE:

THE

With the support of a promising weather forecast, big crowds are expected for this weekend’s Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival. “It’s crunch time,” Events and Outreach Manager FE ST IVA L Linda Fountain said Tuesday as signs of event preparation began to appear on the streets. As organizers marked off booth locations and hooked up water fountains, other town crews raced to complete the installation of new crosswalk markings, among the final touches of a years-long downtown spruce-up. Set against a backdrop of Leesburg’s historic 18th and 19th century architecture and anchored by the Loudoun County Courthouse, the festival will fill a six-block area of King and Market Streets, beginning Friday when vendors— some 140 of them—begin their set up. Six landscape designers will display their ideas for the perfect miniature garden, so visitors can get inspiration for their own back yards—as well as a wealth of design advice. Festival goers will choose the best display, casting votes for the People’s Choice award. Vendors offer an array of garden art, stained glass, furniture, garden-related equipment, garden hats and gloves, birdhouses, sheds, tiles and pavers, soaps and lotions and oils—everything for outdoor living. The festival also offers some great music to entertain the crowds, who can relax while having a picnic lunch or sampling some of the foods available from food vendors located throughout the festival area. A lively performance roster of acoustic music is available on the Main Stage on the courthouse steps for adults. Kids have their very own entertainment stage around the corner on Cornwall Street. They also have games, art projects and can plant seeds in terra cotta pots to take home. And connoisseurs of fine brews can head to the Town Green to the Beer Garden, where local and regional suds will be available to sample for a fee. All in all, the festival offers patrons two days of relaxed enjoyment—and a bounty of plants to take home to dress up their own gardens. For information, go to flowerandgarden.org or call 703-777-1368. YOU R GU IDE TO

Woodgrove High School students were joined by parents and other community members for the inaugural We’re All Human Walk on April 6.

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April 14 – 20, 2016

It’s Flower and Garden Festival Weekend in Leesburg

[ A LOUDOUN MOMENT ]

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Bringing History to Life Catoctin Elementary School transformed into a museum of Virginia history Friday. The exhibits came in the form of fourth-grade students playing the roles of Thomas Jefferson, Patsy Cline and other men and women who left their mark on the history of the commonwealth and the nation. The students stood as little statues inside the school gymnasium and, with a tap on the shoulder from a visitor, came to life. Fully in character, the students rattled off a memorized, 60-second synopsis of the historical figure’s life. This is the 10th year fourth-grade teacher Linda Knapp has had her students put on the Wax Museum. She first started it at a school in Sterling and brought the idea with her when she transferred to Catoctin Elementary School six years ago. She’s heard from students years later who say they still remember what they learned through their experience with the Wax Museum. “It’s not just facts that they’re memorizing, but it’s something they get to experience,” Knapp said. She also sees it as an opportunity to stretch students. “It draws out the quietest kids, and they really have fun with it.”

Catoctin Elementary School fourth-grader Kensington, dressed as Confederate spy Belle Boyd, drew a crowd at the school’s annual Wax Museum Friday.

Catoctin Elementary School fourth-grader Lindsey, dressed as President Ulysses S. Grant served as a tour guide for the Wax Museum.

Photo essay by Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Tate, a fourth-grader at Catoctin Elementary School, took on the role of Patsy Cline as part of the school’s annual Wax Museum.

Kaylie, a fourth-grader at Catoctin Elementary School, represented Patrick Henry at the school’s annual Wax Museum.

Christian, a fourth-grader at Catoctin Elementary School, posed as the stoic Gen. George C. Marshall at the school’s annual Wax Museum.

[ LOUDOUN ]

BY RENSS GREENE

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Captains Greg Brown and Greg Ahlemann tell supervisors about their noise ordinance headaches.

iff ’s office when responding to these complaints can only act as intermediaries,” Brown said. “Most of the time we can resolve these issues, but there are times that we cannot resolve the issues.” Captain Greg Ahlemann said the sheriff ’s office can often resolve noise

complaints through other laws, if necessary—such as issuing underage drinking citations. Still, without an enforceable noise law, deputies are sometimes handicapped. “When we respond, many people aren’t aware that that ordinance has been

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The Board of Supervisors’ Transportation and Land Use Committee will work on a fix for a noise law that the county sheriff stopped enforcing in 2013 because of a state Supreme Court decision. “The ordinance that we currently have is unenforceable,” Sheriff ’s Office Captain Greg Brown told the Board of Supervisors this week. After the Virginia Supreme Court in 2009 struck down a noise law in Virginia Beach for relying on an unconstitutionally vague “reasonable person” standard, Loudoun and other localities across the state were forced to take a second look at their own rules. Loudoun’s was found to rely on a similar standard. The county ordinance, adopted in 1982, regulates “unreasonable noise.” It states: “The making, creation or maintenance of excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud noises which are prolonged, unreasonable or unusual in their time, place and use, affect and are a detriment to the public health, comfort, safety and welfare of the County and its inhabitants.” The sheriff stopped enforcing that noise ordinance in December 2013. “From that point forward, the sher-

suspended, but they figure it out relatively quickly,” Brown said. Supervisor Suzanne M. Volpe (R-Algonkian) attempted to send a staff-proposed ordinance, which creates a more objective standard, directly to public hearing, but met resistance from other board members. Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) said he and Sheriff Michael Chapman shared concerns that the proposed ordinance could unintentionally impact lawful discharge of firearms. Other supervisors agreed that the proposal needed more work before it goes to a public hearing. “Public hearing is primetime,” said Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles), who saw problems with the times of day mentioned in the proposed ordinance. “This is not ready for primetime.” Volpe had hoped to send the new ordinance to a public hearing to match up with a zoning ordinance that also deals with noise. The codified ordinance is meant to handle incidental noises; the zoning ordinance deals with persistent noises, such as from data centers. Supervisors voted to send both ordinances to the Transportation and Land Use Committee, which Volpe chairs.

April 14 – 20, 2016

County Supervisors Tackle ‘Unenforceable’ Noise Rule

April 14 – 20, 2016

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Police Cooperation Panel Finds Little Room for Improvement BY RENSS GREENE Good news, citizens: The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office and the Leesburg Police Department are already cooperating pretty well, according to their top officers. The first meeting of the joint Leesburg/Loudoun police committee was held Wednesday, bringing together Loudoun County supervisor and former Leesburg mayor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg), supervisor and U.S. Capitol Police officer Tony R. Buffington (R-Broad Run), Leesburg town council members Katie Sheldon Hammler and Thomas Dunn II, as well as top county and town law enforcement officers. The committee was formed to find efficiencies between the two law enforcement departments, and the Leesburg council sent a list of nine things they’d like the sheriff ’s office to do for Leesburg. But Loudoun Sheriff Michael Chapman said several of those things, his department already does. “I can tell you, I’ve been here now four-plus years as sheriff, and the relationship that we’ve had with the Leesburg police has been outstanding,” Chapman said. “In the entire time that I’ve been here, we haven’t had one single complaint or concern either way.” Interim Leesburg Police Chief Vanessa Grigsby agreed. Both pointed to what Chapman called the “completely seamless service back and forth with both jurisdictions” during the investigation and arrest around the murder of

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Loudoun Sheriff Michael Chapman, LCSO Lt. Col. Robert Buckman, LCSO Lt. Col. Mark Poland, and Leesburg Captain Carl Maupin sit in on a joint police committee meeting. Interim Leesburg Police Department Chief Vanessa Grigsby is obscured.

Christina Fisher last week. In that case, Grigsby said, the sheriff ’s office provided the crime scene search, because Leesburg’s crime scene investigator recently resigned, and arrested the suspect at his home in Middleburg within an hour. Still, the two departments will further explore a few extra ways to cooperate. The two departments are looking at more easily integrating their records management systems as the sheriff ’s office works toward upgrading its computer-aided dispatch system.

Chapman offered some of the space in Loudoun facilities to Leesburg police on a temporary basis while the police department looks for more office space, and Leesburg police will be able to train at the county’s planned new shooting range. Other ideas came with caveats: Although the sheriff ’s office is open to sharing space with Leesburg dispatchers, County Administrator Tim Hemstreet cautioned that the county is considering consolidating all county emergency communications and dis-

patch into one program in the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management. “If we go in that direction, probably at that point what we would say to the town is, if you want to do that, we would just be handling your law enforcement dispatching through this standalone department, and then you would provide a watch officer,” Hemstreet said. Another town request, that the county fully fund Leesburg school resource officers, has already prompted concerns from county supervisors. “If the county is going to be responsible for 100 percent of the cost, then we’re going to put sheriff ’s deputies into the schools,” as opposed to Leesburg police officers. Hemstreet said, echoing the sentiment of the Board of Supervisors. “So what the town needs to decide is whether or not it wants to continue the partnership that’s here or not.” Currently, Loudoun funds 70 percent of the cost of Leesburg school resource officers, who are currently Leesburg police officers. County staff has previously warned that switching to Loudoun deputies could also mean a loss of nearly $600,000 in gas tax funding for the town, which would be redirected to pay for the new Loudoun school resource officers. The joint committee made tentative plans to meet again in two months. rgreene@loudounnow.com

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Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) and County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) confer at the dais.

tion,” Letourneau said. “I think there are some CLI [Commercial Light Industrial] parcels that are probably OK for a data center, but there are also some that happen to be basically sandwiched between residential zoned parcels.” The county staff will now begin work on a revision of the CLI zoning district rules, followed by public hearings and voting at the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.

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[ COUNTY BRIEFS ] Loudoun Government Adopts New Pay Structure The Board of Supervisors has switched the county to a new system for deciding who gets raises. Under the new merit pay system, county employees may get a raise depending on their performance during the past year. If performance was inadequate, that employee will not get a raise. In the past, employees were given one of several rankings and tiered raises, from no raise to a maximum raise of three percent. This year, the board shaved $1 million from the budget by capping raises at 2.5 percent.

Supervisors Update Commuter Services Plan The Board of Supervisors has endorsed an update to its Transpor-

tation Demand Management Plan, the long-range vision for reducing the number of single-occupant cars on the roads. The TDM plan directs the work of Loudoun County Commuter Services, which facilitates carpools and vanpools and distributes bus and Metrorail information, among other services. It is also important when applying for grant funding for commuter services. The update was conducted by an outside contractor, then endorsed by the staff and the board’s Transportation and Land Use Committee. There are two proposed plans for expanded service, one of which limits or delays some improvements to save money. To find out more about commuting options, go to loudoun.gov/ commute.

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BY RENSS GREENE Loudoun supervisors on April 5 began a process to gain more control over where new data centers can be built. The proposed zoning ordinance amendment would eliminate by-right construction of data centers in the commercial districts along Rt. 50, mostly east of Gum Spring Road. “Certainly those of you who have heard the discussion about the Rt. 50 power lines know where this is coming from,” said Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles). The State Corporation Commission is holding hearings on Dominion Virginia Power’s controversial plan to erect power lines along Rt. 50 to serve a planned data center. Letourneau said the Rt. 50 corridor has developed “in a very patchwork sort of way,” resulting in residential developments interspersed among commercial districts. As a permitted use in those commercial areas, new data centers can be built next to residential developments, and the county has no power to stop them or impose conditions to limit their impact. “I want to emphasize that what we’re doing is making this a special excep-

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[ PUBLIC SAFETY ]

FBI Investigation Nets Bribery Plea After Purcellville Raid Four months after federal investigators raided the Virginia Regional Transit headquarters in Purcellville, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a guilty plea in the case. Thomas Eugene Ahalt, 71, of Berryville, pleaded guilty last Wednesday to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning federal program funds for his role in a bribery scheme that caused over $500,000 in losses to the U.S. government. Ahalt was president of Mobile Auto Truck Repair in Purcellville. The company provided repair services to VRT, which is funded by a combination of federal, state and local grants, including from the U.S. Department of Transportation. According to the plea agreement, Ahalt participated in two fraud schemes from January 2007 through December 2015. In the first scheme, Ahalt and Mark McGregor, who was then VRT’s CEO, agreed Mobile Auto would submit— and VRT would approve—false invoices for certain labor charges. In exchange, Ahalt would make bi-weekly kickback payments to McGregor total-

ing half of the additional labor charges. Accordingly, between 2007 and 2015, McGregor allegedly approved and VRT paid to Mobile Auto approximately $380,000 in fraudulent additional labor charges. During the same period, Ahalt gave McGregor approximately $190,000 in illegal kickback payments. McGregor, identified only as “M.M.” in the agreement, has since resigned from his post. In addition to the kickback payment scheme, Ahalt also regularly caused Mobile Auto to submit false invoices to VRT for parts and labor associated with maintaining VRT vehicles. Ahalt, for example, frequently added fictitious entries to invoices for repairs that had not occurred and for parts that had not been installed. Mobile Auto submitted at least $136,000 in false invoices to VRT between 2012 and 2015. VRT subsequently paid these false invoices using, in part, federal funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to the plea agreement. Ahalt faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when sentenced on June 21.

[ CRIME LOG ]

Friday, April 8 Larceny 43100 block of Unison Knoll Circle, Ashburn Someone removed four tires and rims from a vehicle.

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Auto Theft/Recovered

Larceny

North Cottage Road/Carolina Court, Sterling A deputy on patrol found a 1996 Toyota Camry that had been reported stolen from the area on March 6.

47700 block of Blockhouse Point Place, Sterling Someone removed four tires and rims from a vehicle.

Saturday, April 9 Destruction of Property 16100 block of Hamilton Station Road, Waterford Someone knocked on a door and damaged the screen. No entry was made.

Sunday, April 10 Carpet, Wood Flooring, Vinyl Plank & Vinyl Tiles

Auto Theft

Larceny 1020 block of Brixton Court, Sterling A bicycle that had been locked on a porch was discovered missing.

Larceny/Destruction of Property 100 block of Commerce Street, Sterling Someone broke open a coinoperated vacuum machine and took the money.

Tuesday, April 12 Burglary 21100 block of Brookside Lane, Sterling A resident was alerted by the sound of the garage door closing and saw a stranger outside the home. The garage door opener was left in an unlocked vehicle.

[ PUBLIC SAFETY ]

9 April 14 – 20, 2016

Foundation Urges Firefighters to Reduce Exposure to Harmful Materials Every time a firefighter enters a burning building, he or she is subjected to scores of carcinogens and other health hazards. Then they carry the toxins back to the station and even to their homes. That’s a familiar scenario that members of the International Firefighter Cancer Foundation wants to change. The organization’s Virginia chapter held an April 7 seminar in Leesburg to highlight cutting-edge approaches to

curbing the high rate of cancer among first responders. At the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Department’s Loudoun Street station, participants learned of new quantum magnetic resonance treatment that is used to treat cancer patients without subjecting them to chemotherapy, witnessed demonstration by a dog trained to detect cancer in humans, and were FIGHTING CANCER >>> 23

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[ LEESBURG ]

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BUDGET PRIORITIES Straw Votes Indicate Skate Park Support, Ending Izaak Walton Lease

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

hortly after voting to enact an 18.6-cent real estate tax rate, a slight increase, for fiscal year 2017 Monday night, Leesburg Town Council members indicated where their preferences may lie for a final budget through a series of non-binding straw votes. The council was scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposed FY17 $94 million budget Tuesday (after the newspaper’s deadline), and all indications are that a final vote on the budget would follow. Councilwoman Katie Hammler made the motion for a rate of 18.6-cent per $100 of assessed value, below Town Manager Kaj Dentler’s proposed 18.72cent tax rate. Hammler’s proposal was to adopt the equalized tax rate, aimed at keeping tax bills level for homeowners on average. The current town tax rate is 18.3 cents. In addition to the equalized tax rate, Dentler had proposed factoring for inflation by adding 0.12 cents. In his February budget presentation, Dentler noted that this was the first time that the proposed tax rate included an inflation factor. The approach, he said,

would better account for operating costs. Council members Marty Martinez and Tom Dunn voted against the tax rate Monday. Dunn offered an amendment to Hammler’s motion to go to a 17.75-cent tax rate, a proposal that was not accepted by Hammler. The 18.6-cent tax rate will require an $82,000 reduction from the proposed $94 million budget. The straw votes taken Monday night that garnered the support of at least three council members will likely be prominent points raised for discussion Tuesday night. Hammler was absent for the Monday straw votes. Those with at least three votes were: • a proposal by Vice Mayor Kelly Burk to end the town’s lease of Olde Izaak Walton Park. The town is about halfway through a 30-year lease it signed with the park’s owner. While the revenue it generates through Parks and Recreation Department programs in the park’s main building offsets all but $19,000 of the annual cost, taking into account taxes and utility fees, Burk said that the high cost of maintaining the park’s large pond, building and parking area are a con-

cern. She said the dog park could be moved to Ida Lee Park, or elsewhere in town. In addition to Burk, council members Tom Dunn and Bruce Gemmill indicated support for ending the lease. • a proposal by Gemmill to move the Economic Development Department and its two staff members out of the Mason Enterprise Center and into Town Hall. Gemmill suggested that the $22,000 the town pays to lease space in the incubator could be re-leased to other business tenants. • proposal by Burk to initiate an Environmental Advisory Commission recommendation to install electronic metering systems in the town government’s six highest-usage buildings to monitor energy consumption. While the program setup costs would total around $50,000, commissioners report that typical programs soon net a municipality savings when opportunities for better energy efficiency are identified. Burk, along with Mayor David Butler and council members Marty Martinez and Suzanne Fox indicated support. • proposal by Butler to increase local funding for the road milling and

paving budget by $200,000, as the state of Virginia is expected to slash the amount it gives to the town and other localities for road maintenance. Burk and Martinez joined Butler in support of that addition. But after the straw vote, Butler said he may not bring that up for a final vote Tuesday night given that it could keep council members from achieving the savings required to balance the budget with the 18.6cent real estate tax rate. The future of the Catoctin Skate Park expansion also was debated. Several straw votes were taken for different project scenarios. Gemmill, Fox and Dunn supported doing away with the skate park project, citing the escalating project costs. But there were four votes to move forward with plans to build a new one on a gravel lot near its current location on Catoctin Circle, a move that would allow the neighboring Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad to expand. That move would cost an additional $150,000 in funding next year, which was part of the originally proposed project. Butler, Martinez, Burk and Dunn supported that vote. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

Years-long Neighborhood Street Project Wraps Up KARA C. RODRIGUEZ Leesburg’s proposed FY2017FY2021 Capital Improvements Program is perhaps most notable for a project that is not there after decades on the books. Road barricades and construction activity will soon be a thing of the past for the Lowenbach neighborhood. While street improvements, traffic-calming features and landscaping enhancements are nothing new to the CIP, the Lowenbach road network has a long history in Leesburg. It is the town’s oldest residential subdivision, originally platted in 1912. The subdivision is located to the north of Edwards Ferry Road between Prince Street and Washington Street and consists of Prince Street from Edwards Ferry Road to near North Street; Catoctin Circle from Edwards Ferry Road to near North Street; Queen Street from Edwards Ferry Road to near North Street; Washington Street from Edwards Ferry Road to north of Blue Ridge Avenue; and Blue Ridge Avenue between Prince and Washington streets. According to the town website, in 1956, the Town Council adopted its first road master plan for Leesburg, which showed plans to extend Lowenbach streets to north of the subdivi-

sion. The extension of these streets continued to be endorsed in later Town Plans including the 1974 Comprehensive Plan and the 1986 Town Plan. In 1992, Exeter Hills subdivision, located immediately north of Lowenbach, was approved. The development plans included the extension of the Lowenbach streets in accordance with the Town Plan. But when Exeter Hills was built, several of the northsouth streets within Lowenbach remained blocked by barricades because of concerns the narrow streets could not handle the additional traffic. The Town Council passed a resolution in 1995 requiring that the barricades remain on Catoctin Circle, Queen Street and Washington Street until the roads within Lowenbach were improved. In 2004, Town Council appointed an ad hoc committee, made up of residents of Lowenbach and Exeter Hills, to address the concerns. The panel recommended that a variety of

Kara C. Rodriguez/Loudoun Now

The roundabout at the intersection of Catoctin Circle and North Street was constructed as part of the 10-year, $10 million Lowenbach street improvement project.

roadway, pedestrian, and drainage improvements be constructed. The Town Council approved these recommendations in 2005. The five-phase capital project, with a total price tag of about $10 million, began with traffic circles on Catoctin Circle, which were completed in 2007. Resulting phases of the project have included other traffic-calming features, sidewalk installation, drainage and

utility improvements, street widening in And after its long history in town, the neighborhood will see an absence of construction for the first time in almost a decade. Work is wrapping up this spring, with only some tree plantings, grading, and speed hump installation remaining. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

[ LEESBURG BRIEFS ] the application to the Town Council with a list of concerns for council members to work through. “Respectfully, it’s time move forward on this three-year-old application,” he said.

Storage Unit, Service Station Regs Advance The town Planning Commission last week endorsed zoning changes to allow for portable storage units in town, and to give more flexibility to service stations for accessory food service uses. In the first action, commissioners unanimously agreed to endorse Zoning Ordinance amendments that more specifically define and limit the use of temporary portable storage units. Several national companies, most notably PODS, offer these units, which typically are dropped off at a customer’s home, packed with their belongings and then picked up by a truck and taken either to a larger PODS storage facility or the customer’s new home. As these types of temporary storage units have become more prevalent, Leesburg’s current Zoning Ordinance lacks ability to regulate them, Deputy Zoning Administrator Brandon White told commissioners April 7. And this inability to regulate the storage units has become a problem in some neighborhoods. Clagett Street resident John Bolton said one vacant house on his street has had a storage unit sitting out front for 13 months, with no ongoing construction or activity. Although the town staff had recommended requiring a permit for all temporary storage, with a limitation of 60 days per calendar year, the commission decided to require a permit only in cases where the temporary unit would be outside someone’s home for more than two weeks. A 60-day per calendar year limit would still apply, and the temporary units would be required to be placed in a driveway, not on the street or sidewalk. Homes without driveways would be able to have a storage unit placed off site with a permit.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

As more gas stations follow franchises like Sheetz into the food service, the Town of Leesburg is updating its zoning rules.

In other action, the commission endorsed changes to the definition of service station in the Zoning Ordinance, allowing current and future service stations to provide sit-down dining and food service as an accessory use. Assistant to the Town Manager Scott Parker pointed to the evolution of traditional service stations from merely selling fuel and pre-packaged food and convenience items, to many also having areas for customers to consume freshly-prepared food. A recent land development application for the Marketplace at Potomac Station development proposed a Sheetz convenience/ retail service station with food service, prompting the Town Council’s initiation of changes to the ordinance. Commissioners endorsed the changes, but recommended that a special exception review be required for existing service stations if a building expansion is needed to add the service. Current Zoning Ordinance regulations require all new service stations, regardless of whether they provide food service, to go through the special exception process.

There’s still no action on a major Leesburg rezoning application, and it looks like yet another trip to the Leesburg Planning Commission is in Crescent Parke’s future. The application seeks approval for 198 townhouses, 96 stacked townhouses and 96 multifamily dwelling units. Nonresidential uses would include a maximum of 110,550 square feet of office space, 137,175 square feet of retail, an area for a future hotel, and a 2,000-square-foot community room. The 53-acre site stretches from the terminus of Gateway Drive to Davis Drive along the edge of the Leesburg Bypass. The land assemblage also includes the Olde Izaak Walton Park, land currently leased by the town but which developer Lansdowne Development Group would donate to the town. On Thursday night, commissioners spent several hours combing through outstanding concerns about the application, including proffers for transportation improvements and the contribution of Olde Izaak Walton Park to the town. The application was last brought before the commission in February, when the applicant requested some time to work through commissioners’ concerns. But it appears the commission needs even more time than that. Two motions were put forward by Commissioner Sharon Babbin—one to send the application to the Town Council with a recommendation of approval and another to forward the application without a recommendation. Both failed to gain a second. Commissioner Doris Kidder was absent for the votes. After both motions failed, attorney Randy Minchew of Walsh Colucci, who is representing the applicant, asked commissioners whether the applicant needed to be present for the April 21 meeting, saying he believed they had done all they could. He even recommended that the commission forward

April 14 – 20, 2016

Leesburg Commission Again Delays Vote On Crescent Parke Rezoning Case

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Campbell Formally Kicks Off Leesburg Council Campaign KARA C. RODRIGUEZ Ron Campbell kicked off his campaign for the Leesburg Town Council today at Douglass Community Center, saying he aims to continue the legacy of those leaders who came before him. Campbell is running for one of three council seats up for grabs in November’s general elections. Pastor Michelle Thomas, Campbell’s friend and pastor, began the kick-off festivities by noting that the former Douglass High School—built in 1941 as the first high school for black students in segregated Loudoun County— is the “birthplace of new movements.” She asked the dozens of friends, family and supporters gathered to join Campbell’s movement. “Ron is a guy who knows a lot about a lot, but he’s a leader. He brings a lot together,” she said. Vice Mayor Kelly Burk, who is running for election in November for the mayor’s seat, offered some background on Campbell, noting his years of service as an activist and volunteer in various capacities, including helping to mentor young men in jails and being a voice for sexual assault victims. “We need Ron on the Town Council to bring us to a level where we are not at right now,” she said. “We need

Kara C. Rodriguez/Loudoun Now

Ron Campbell addresses supporters during the April 9 kick off for his campaign for a Leesburg Town Council seat in November.

someone honest, with integrity, transparent.” Loudoun County Chairwoman Phyllis Randall (D-At Large), a friend of both Campbell and his wife Barbara, vowed to work just as hard to see her friend elected to office as the Campbells did for her in her bid for the chairmanship.

“Good people have to get in office if we’re going to do good things for the town and for the county,” she said. Campbell said he plans to draw on the traditions set before him by his parents, who involved him in their activism at a young age. But when he and his family moved to the town in 2001, he had no ambitions for political office

but has realized over the years, “somebody has to stand out front sometimes.” “God will help you understand what your assignment is. This community is my assignment,” he said. He said his primary goal between now and Election Day will be to listen to the community, recognizing that council members “get elected to represent the voices,” as well as build relationships within the town. “This is intended to be a people’s campaign,” Campbell said. As a council member, Campbell said he would bring “the best of [his] tools and talents,” to the town,” and won’t back down from the job at hand. “Not only am I willing to look at how to compromise, but to say the things that need to be said,” he said. Noting to the dozens of family, friends and supporters gathered on Saturday that “Leesburg is a community of family and friends,” he also read an endorsement by perhaps one of his youngest supporters. Holding up a letter from a fellow member of his church, Anna Thomas, Campbell read her words to him. “Deacon Ron, I’m rooting for you.” The council seats of Katie Hammler, Bruce Gemmill and Tom Dunn expire Dec. 31. Campbell is the first candidate to enter the race.

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Heroes in Loudoun County come in many forms, from a 5-year-old girl to a seasoned firefighter or law enforcement officer. That was made clear at the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce’s Valor Awards on Thursday, April 7. It was the 31st year an awards ceremony has been held to recognize the county’s law enforcement officers, EMTs and firefighters, as well as ordinary citizens, for their courage in taking action in an emergency and, in many cases, saving lives. The event, held at The National Conference Center in Lansdowne, was the largest Valor Awards ceremony to date, with 134 awards given out. The moment that prompted the loudest applause—and the more than 600 people in attendance to stand—was the presentation of one of the Meritorious Civilian Awards, given to 14-year-old Madison Mattison, for protecting her brothers and sisters in the midst of her father’s shooting rampage that ended in the death of her beloved step-father, Corey Mattison. On Jan. 15, 2015, Madison saw her father, Minh Nguyen, run from her school parking lot to the home of her mother and step-father. Madison and her mother, Denise Mattison, quickly drove home and heard a gunshot as they pulled into the driveway. Madison ran inside the home and upstairs with her siblings. Madison heard Nguyen break through the front door and several deafening gunshots rang out. Madison quickly directed her siblings into the bathroom in an attempt to barricade them from danger, and then she dialed 911. “I could hear her siblings and mother in the background crying… Madison remained calm and was able to answer all the questions I was asking,” said Communications Training Officer J. Weimer, who answered the call. “She acted very bravely.” In that intense moment, the 14-yearold said in an interview with Loudoun Now that all she can remember is needing to get her young brothers and sisters out of harm’s way. “My priority was to keep my siblings safe, and that’s all I remember thinking about. The rest is kind of a blur,” she said. Two days before the ceremony, Nguyen was sentenced to serve life in prison. Madison sat through the two-day sentencing hearing and took the witness

stand herself. “After a tough week, it’s nice to receive this honor,” she said. Another young recipient of the Meritorious Civilian Award was 5-year-old Aubrey Perry, who was praised for her quick action to get medical attention for her father when he was experiencing a diabetic emergency. Chamber President and CEO Tony Howard announced a new award, the Stu Plitman Community Service Award, named in honor of the founder and CEO of Loudoun First Responders. This recognition went to Leesburg Police officers Wael Abilmona and Kristine Rzewnicki for going beyond their job description to befriend and help a lonely, elderly resident. This particular resident, who was not named at the awards ceremony, was once calling the police department as many as 75 times a month. Abilmona and Rzewnicki developed a schedule so that one of them could stop by her home once a day. Their visits provided not only a chance to check on her physical and mental health, but also give her a sense of purpose and well-being. In a manner of months, her calls to the department dropped to two to three per month. “The citizen’s quality is much better and the officers’ visits are now characterized as ‘happy visits’ and no longer focused on the citizen’s paranoia, distress and fears,” the description of the award stated. Other awards recognized Loudoun County Sheriff ’s deputies for fending off a drunk and angry mob and protecting a prisoner while they were at it; as well as firefighters for acting quick to prevent fire from one home engulfed in flames from spreading to several other homes in Round Hill. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10) credited the Loudoun chamber for putting a spotlight on the stories of first-responders who take lifesaving actions every day. “These are the stories you don’t always hear about in the news,” she said, noting that many of the first-responders are too humble to share their heroism publically. “This is a chance for everyone to know what they do to save lives. It’s a chance for them to get well-deserved recognition.” View the full list of honorees at loudounchamber.org/Valor-Awards. dnadler@loudounnow.com

April 14 – 20, 2016

loudounnow.com

loudounnow.com

‘Speak Up’

Domestic violence << FROM 1 and Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office started March 21. Already, Nicole Acosta, executive director of the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter, said her organization has been able to connect with more victims—and that could mean saving a life. “A proven strategy in reducing homicide is the victim engaging with domestic violence services. … Now, the most at-risk victims are reaching us much faster,” she said. The survey is designed to highlight the individuals, most often women, who are in the most danger, Acosta added. “This particular program isn’t screening for whether she’s going to be assaulted again. It’s really to screen whether the victim is at risk of being murdered.”

Community Outcry In the past two weeks, there’s been a call for community leaders to do more to prevent domestic abuse and specifically homicides. The most recent push comes after 34-year-old Christina Fisher was gunned down in her home on Nansemond Street in Leesburg on April 2. Fisher’s former boyfriend, Darrick Lee Lewis, has been charged with murder. She had obtained a protective order against him just weeks earlier. Fisher’s death is just the most recent domestic homicide. But both the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office and the Leesburg Police Department have seen an uptick in the number of murders committed by people who have had or are in close relationships with the victims. Combined, the county sheriff ’s office and Leesburg Police Department reported between zero and two domestic-related homicides in years 2011, 2012 and 2013. That number jumped to five in 2014. Combined, the two departments investigated two homicides last year and three so far this year. The first this year was in January in Lansdowne. Investigators believe Andre T. Howell, 40, shot and killed his wife Naomi, 39, and then took his own life. Three weeks later, on Plaza Street in Leesburg, police say Sergio Ramon Zuniga Robles, 34, stabbed his 27-yearold half brother to death. The third was Fisher’s murder. After the death of her friend Naomi, Stephany DeBerry felt compelled to do something to learn, and spread the word, about what warning signs to watch for in relationships. She was shocked when police said it appeared that Naomi’s husband had killed her before taking his own life. “We never saw it coming,” she said. “All I could think was how did this happen? How did it fall through the cracks?” After Fisher’s murder earlier this month, DeBerry took her frustrations to Facebook. What she got in response was countless posts from men and women wanting to know what they could do to prevent another homicide. The response has prompted her to team up with the Loudoun County chapter of NAACP, LAWS and County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) to host a community meeting

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

A family in the Plaza Street townhomes heads to the bus stop near the crime scene of an apparent domestic-related homicide Feb. 1, 2016.

Community meeting on domestic violence WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 17 WHERE: Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison St. in Leesburg QUESTIONS: Stephany Deberry, stephany. deberry@exprealty.com

Tuesday to raise awareness about domestic violence. It will be held at 7 p.m. at the Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison St. in Leesburg. DeBerry said this is just the start of what she wants to be an ongoing campaign that educates Loudoun residents about the help that is available through organizations like LAWS. “We want to talk about what we can do to make sure this doesn’t happen again, including what signs to be aware of,” she said. “We want to make sure people are aware of everything that Loudoun County has to offer.” Lori Carter, of Ashburn, has agreed to share her story at the meeting. She stayed in an abusive relationship with a boyfriend for eight years before leaving. She’s speaking up because she wants victims of abuse to know that there is help available, and freedom outside abusive relationships. Insistent control or name calling can be early signs of abuse, she said. “It’s all part of domestic violence. You need to stand up and correct the situation right away. You don’t have to stay in that situation.” [See “Speak Up” sidebar at right.]

Officers Look for Warning Signs Acosta, with Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter, said members of the county’s Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) noticed more people were being killed at the hands of people they intimately knew. When they heard about the LAP strategy, they applied to be a part of it. DART is a partnership among several organizations, including the Sheriff ’s Office, Leesburg Police Department, Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office,

Department of Community Corrections, Juvenile Court Services Unit, and the Department of Family Services. Representatives from DART, including every Leesburg officer and Loudoun deputy, underwent an intense two-day training in the LAP program last October. The 11-question survey, and the training, was developed based on research from the nation’s leading experts on domestic-related homicides. The questions officers are now asking victims of abuse are blunt. One asks whether their abuser has threatened to kill or tried to strangle them. Being straight forward with the victims is key, according to Kaye Wallace, Project Manager of the Loudoun Domestic Abuse Response Team. “We’re learning more about how to possibly save lives by identifying victims who may be in danger of being killed by their partners,” she said. “Attempted strangulation, threats with weapons, stalking, sexual assault, and obsessively jealous and controlling behavior are some indicators of lethal abusers.” Leesburg Police Lt. Jeff Dubé said officers get more calls for domestic-related incidents than anything else. “They happen every day,” he said, and the local uptick in homicides among spouses or exes mirrors what’s what’s happening on the national level. Since the department launched LAP, officers have given the survey to between 8 and 10 victims of abuse, and have referred some to LAWS. Lt. Jamie Sanford, who oversaw the LAP training for the Leesburg Police officers, said Maryland started the program a couple of years ago and has already seen a decline in domestic-related murders. “We do believe that it is going to make a difference,” she said. The new screening protocol will, hopefully, save lives and help county leaders understand why domestic homicides have increased in Loudoun, according to Acosta. She said, at this point, it’s hard to answer that. “We’re working as a team to try to figure that out,” she said. “I think population growth is part of it, but that’s not the whole story.” dnadler@loudounnow.com

Just leave. That’s what people in abusive relationships are told. But it’s not that simple, according to Lori Carter, an Ashburn mother who’s lived through it. “You want to leave, but you’re afraid. And somewhere in there, you still care about Lori Carter them,” she said. “It’s more complicated than people think.” It took Carter eight years to build the courage to walk out the door for good. Twenty years after she left that toxic relationship, Carter is just now willing to share her story. What’s prompted her to speak up is the hope that she might give another woman strength to get help before it’s too late. Her abuse started with control. A conversation with her boyfriend’s father resulted in an accusation she was cheating on him. Then it was a shove down the stairs. Later, a slap on the face. At its worst, Carter said her boyfriend held a gun to her head and threatened to kill her and her family if she left him. “At that point I thought it’s not going to stop. It’s going to get worse. Somebody’s going to die in this relationship, either me or him,” she said. She said that domestic violence doesn’t usually start with bruises. It can come in the form of derogatory name calling or obsession and control. “With this younger generation, you’ll hear guys call females ‘bitches.’ That’s a form of abuse. We have to stop that,” she said. Carter wants victims of abuse to know that they’re not alone, and to be brave enough to ask for help. If a victim is ready to leave, they should call an organization like Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter or at least tell a friend. “Have a plan before you leave. Let somebody know your plan so you’re not alone,” she said. Then, get ongoing help. “Get therapy. You don’t have to go through this alone.” Carter said she understands the temptation for victims of abuse to keep their struggle to themselves. But not being willing to speak up allows the problem to continue and fester, she said. “This is happening in our church communities, in our schools. This is going on and we need to stand up to it.” A year ago, she started the Beautiful Movement, designed to empower women to love their inner beauty. Women who lack confidence and who look to a relationship for purpose are most vulnerable to abuse, she said. Carter will share her story at the community meeting planned on domestic violence prevention, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 17 at the Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison St. in Leesburg. Learn more about Beautiful Movement at squareup.com/market/thebeautifulmovement. — Danielle Nadler

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Courtesy Visit Loudoun

Lovettsville Town Council Considers Establishing Police Department

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As the Lovettsville Town Council moves through discussions on a number of budget options presented by Town Manager Lazslo Palko, one idea being considered is to create a town police department. One plan has that project starting no earlier than 2020, while another option, involving tax increases, could see the service begin this year or early next year. The discussion centers on the question of need. Residents are encouraged to attend the council’s April 21 meeting when the topic will be discussed. According to Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office statistics, there were 150 crimes last year in all of Sector 250, that includes Lovettsville and a large part of northwestern Loudoun County. The list incidents covers the gamut from property crimes, to robberies and assaults, and even a homicide. Although some question whether the town is too small to need a police department, the sheriff ’s office says Lovettsville is the largest town in Virginia without its own police department. Currently, the whole sector is typically served by only one patrol deputy. In Loudoun, the towns of Leesburg, Purcellville and Middleburg have police departments. And Lovettsville’s far northern location affects response times. Mayor Bob Zoldos noted it took nine minutes for a deputy to arrive on the scene of a bank robbery last year. On April 21, the council will explore what it would take financially to create a police department, as well as hear from law enforcement experts in small towns. The council also will look at different levels of service the town could provide, noting the growth the town has experienced over the past few years.

Purcellville Town Again Receives State Waterworks Award The Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water has presented the Town of Purcellville with a 2015 Excellence in Waterworks Performance award.

The recognition is given to water systems that have demonstrated excellence in the treatment and distribution of drinking water to the public. The award will be presented at the Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project, Inc. Water is Life 2016 conference April 20 in Roanoke. This is the eighth consecutive year that the town has achieved the award from Virginia’s Department of Health, under the direction of Purcellville Public Works Director Alex Vanegas and Water Superintendent Brian Lutton. The town treats more than 200 million gallons of water each year, produced from its reservoirs at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains and its wells throughout town. The reservoir water is treated at the town treatment plant on Short Hill Road—producing about half of the town’s daily use.

Arts Council Launches Painted Barrel Project The Purcellville Economic Development Advisory Committee and the Purcellville Arts Council will kick off spring with its first community art project: “Painted Barrels around Purcellville.” The venture seeks to increase public art in Purcellville and promote the work of area artists. So far, 32 artists are busy painting the oak barrels, using western Loudoun themes. Each barrel will have a paid sponsor and then be placed in a public location, after their display at the May 21 Purcellville Music and Arts Festival at Fireman’s Field. On Nov. 11, all the barrels will be auctioned off at a special event held at Catoctin Creek Distillery. To find out more, contact EDAC member Michael Oaks at 540-7510707 or ReLoveIt@aol.com.

Community garden plots are available for rent The Committee on the Environment and the Town of Purcellville have plots available for those interested in gardening but who do not have space on their own property. The community garden includes 18 plots available for rent—one per household—and a pollinator and a donation garden. Each plot costs $25 to rent per season. Renters are required to provide a security deposit of $50 which is refundable at the end of the season as long as the plot is maintained as required under the garden maintenance rules. Plots are rented on a first-come, first-served basis. No chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are permitted in the organic garden. To apply, email Events Manager Melanie Scoggins at mscoggins@ purcellvilleva.gov; Volunteer Garden Manager Jeff Light, at jlight19475@ gmail.com; or go to purcellvilleva.gov to download an application.

April 14 – 20, 2016

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20 loudounnow.com

[ E D U C AT I O N ]

With More Boundary Changes Coming, Loudoun Families Plead for Stability

BY DANIELLE NADLER

Courtesy of Loudoun County Public Schools

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright poses with staff and students from Woodgrove High School.

MADAM SECRETARY Albright visits Woodgrove High School Woodgrove High School students got a visit from Madeleine Albright, the United States’ first woman secretary of state, Friday. Her talk coincided with the Loudoun International Youth Summit, a 10-day event that welcomed students from 20 different countries. Albright, who lives just north of the high school near Hillsboro, urged the students to be lifelong learners. “Never be satisfied with what you know, because by asking questions and listening to others you can always learn more,” she said. “Take pride in who you are, but leave room for others to express their own pride.” Maura Walsh-Copeland, a Woodgrove parent who helped organize the event, wrote in a thank you note to Albright: “From the looks on their faces during the all-school assembly (and the quantity of snap chats going on in the gym), the students realized what an amazing oppor-

Courtesy of Roger Vance

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright speaks to Woodgrove High School students and staff members Friday.

tunity they were given to hear you speak.” The former secretary of state also made a surprise visit to Woodgrove High School in 2012.

Indian Community Asks Schools for Tamil Language Tests Fairfax County currently offers Tamil on its Credit Exam More than 1,000 people for World Languages and two have signed a petition asking high school credits for students the Loudoun County school grades 7 -12. Fairfax does not system to give academic teach Tamil; rather the test is credit for a Tamil language meant to give students high proficiency test. school credit for their native “If they facilitate our relanguages. The credits count quest, it will enable Loudoun toward the world languages reCounty to kind of be on quirement for the high school Renss Greene/Loudoun Now the same footing as FairAdvanced Studies diploma. Baskar Kumaresan tells the Loudoun fax County, because Fairfax Fairfax began testing for County Board of Supervisors about County has already recogTamil in 2014; so far, seven stuhis hopes for a Tamil language test nized Tamil,” said attorney dents have passed the exam. in Loudoun schools during a recent Atchuthan “Sris” SriskandaThe group, which includes hearing. rajah. representatives from the all-volHe is representing a group unteer Valluvan Tamil Acadeof Tamils in Loudoun County who say the test my, is not asking Loudoun to teach Tamil, either. would encourage diversity in the county and its Sriskandarajah worked with Supervisor Krisschools. Baskar Kumeresan, who presented the ten C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) to draft the peproposal to the Board of Supervisors, said more tition, which they then presented to the School than 200 Loudoun families speak Tamil. TAMIL TESTS >> 21 BY RENSS GREENE

As Loudoun County School Board members consider how to prepare for the opening of four secondary schools over the next five years, most parents and students say they want to stay put. The attendance zone boundary changes for Brambleton and Dulles areas could impact students in as many as 31 schools, as school system leaders work to relieve overcrowding and prepare for the opening of Brambleton Middle School in August 2017 and the yet-to-be-named high school (HS-11) on the same campus in August 2019. As board members shift attendance lines, they are also accounting for the opening of two more schools: a middle school (MS-7) and a high school (HS-9), both planned for the Dulles South area. MS-7 is planned to open in August 2018 on a site along Braddock Road, and HS-9 is planned to open in August 2021, but the school system does not yet have a site for it. Seven parents approached the board during a public hearing Monday, and all of them said their children had experienced too many school reassignments already. “We just kind of want to be left alone for a little bit if that’s possible at all,” said Julie Jennings, who lives in the Vantage Point neighborhood. She spoke in favor of Plan 2, a proposal drafted by Chairman Eric Hornberger (Ashburn), because it would keep her children at Stone Hill Middle School and Rock Ridge High School, where they were assigned to just two years ago. “Several of these little neighborhoods have really bore the brunt of this. We always seem to be the one to get moved.” But there may be no way to avoid reassigning thousands of students, as school leaders accommodate growth beyond their predictions in the southern end of the county. Hornberger presented his proposal to the board during a work session April 7. Highlights of his Plan 2 include the reassignment of students in One Loudoun from Farmwell Station Middle School and Broad Run High School to Belmont Ridge Middle School and Riverside High School, and the moving of several neighborhoods from Trailside Middle School and Stone Bridge High School to the new middle and high school. Under Hornberger’s plan, HS-11 would open with 1,532 students, 15 percent below its building capacity, leaving enough space for growth at that school until HS-9 opens in 2021. Brambleton Middle School would open with 1,172 students, 12 percent below its building capacity. The chairman said the board would have to wrestle with whether it should reassign students in Ashburn-area schools, where there is some available space but it would mean changing boundaries many thought essentially had been locked in. “That’s a huge piece for me because we don’t have new growth there (in Ashburn),” Hornberger said. Jeff Morse (Dulles) said he would encourage the board to use available seats north of Rt. 50 until HS-9 opens in the south five years from now. “It’d be smart if we are able to identify now a couple of the zones in the south and allow them to go to Brambleton Middle School and HS-11,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of options. Where there are seats available, I would consider trying to take advantage of them.” See details of his plan, as well as the school system staff ’s proposal, at lcps.org/Page/168857. The final public hearing on the boundaries is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 2, with a vote to adopt an attendance map set for Tuesday, May 10. The meetings will be held at the school administration building, 21000 Education Court in Ashburn. dnadler@loudounnow.com

Schools Transportation Head Put on Leave

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Riverside High School showcases its first spring musical this month. The school’s theater group, Moon River Productions, presents “Into the Woods,” with characters Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and others taking the stage. “Both the princess-obsessed and those who enjoy a perfect villain will delight in this production,” according

Golden Pond Earns Accreditation Golden Pond School in Ashburn has earned a five-year term of accreditation from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, a division of AdvancedEd. To earn accreditation, schools must

be evaluated by a team of professionals from outside the school and implement a continuous process of improvement. Kathie and Steve Burrell opened Golden Pond School in 2002, with a mission to educate the whole child in a developmentally appropriate manner through an integrated curriculum. Learn more at goldenpondschool.com.

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<< FROM 20 Board. “I think it’s a very reasonable request without much, if any, financial implications for the school budget, and so I’m hopeful that [Superintendent] Dr. [Eric] Williams and the school board will support it,” Umstattd said. School Board Chairman Eric Hornberger (Ashburn) said the question has been referred to the board’s Curriculum and Instruction Committee. Committee Chairwoman Jill Turgeon (Blue Ridge) said the committee will put it on the agenda for a future meeting. “What I love about Sris and his group, they are so enthusiastic, and not just about the Tamil language, but about education in general,” Umstattd said. “They are strong advocates for academic excellence in the schools.”

Riverside High School Presents ‘Into the Woods’

to the theater group’s publicity chairwoman Sheryl Brotman. The show includes seven performances: 7 p.m. Thursday, April 21, Friday, April 22, Saturday, April 23, Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30; with matinées at 2 p.m. Saturdays, April 23 and 30. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased at the door or online at lcps. org/Page/151939.

Tamil tests

[ SCHOOL NOTES ]

April 14 – 20, 2016

After 17 months in the position, Loudoun County Public Schools’ director of transportation has been placed on administrative leave, according to school system administration. Lonnie C. Reavis was hired in December 2014 from Suffolk Public Schools, where he served in a similar position for 16 months. Stephanie Knott, the school system’s public information coordinator, said she could not say when Reavis’ leave status started, whether he was on paid leave, or what prompted the action. This action comes shortly after school employees in Reavis’ department discovered C-4 plastic explosives had been left on a school bus, following training by the Central Intelligence Agency. The material was found Wednesday, March 30, at the school system’s central garage in Leesburg, where Reavis and several other Transportation Department staff members have offices. The bus transported children for two days, according to the school system. Several school system employees contacted Loudoun Now about Reavis in the past week. They said Transportation Department staff members were told Friday that their director had been placed on leave. This is a developing story and more will be reported as it is learned. Chief of Staff Michael Richards declined to comment.

April 14 – 20, 2016

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LOUDOUN HUNT TH

POINT-to-POINT

at Oatlands

PHOTO CREDIT: RICHARD CLAY PHOTOGRAPHY

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Nine Races | Gates open at 10:30am | Post Time 12:00 Noon FEATURING

The Eustis Cup Race 3 1/2 MILES OVER TIMBER

Mrs. George C Everhart Memorial Invitational Side Saddle Race

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Leaders of Peers and Students Taking Action celebrate after winning the top prize in Loudoun Youth’s 2016 Step Up competition.

Volunteerism Makes PASTA the 2016 Step Up Champion BY NORMAN K STYER

Dozens of teens out to make their community a little better pitched their ideas to a panel of judges April 6, with ROUTE 15, LEESBURG GENERAL ADMISSION PASTA (Peers and Students Taking Ac6 Miles South of Leesburg $25.00 per car on Race Day tion) winning the top prize at Loudoun TICKETS 703-327-3935 $20.00 per car in Advance Youth Inc.’s sixth annual Step Up comINFORMATION 703-973-0505 540-338-4031 SUBSCRIBER PARKING $50.00 petition. PASTA includes members from For additional information visit LoudounHunt.com | LoudounFairfaxHunt.com Stone Bridge, Rock Ridge and Broad Run high schools and Stone Hill Middle School. The organization, which LoudounHunt_Ad.indd 1 4/5/16 9:22 PM took home a $1,000 prize, began three years ago at Stone Bridge. The founders wanted to provide students with more meaningful volunteer opportunities—encouraging them to be motivated not just to enhance their college applications, but also to find ways to make a difference in the community. The group has become more popular, having expanded to other schools and mentoring younger students to fill leadership roles when current leaders graduate. In their presentation to judges, PASTA members highlighted 47 volunteer projects the organization had spearheaded. They range from collecting cereal for the Loudoun Interfaith Relief food pantry, cooking meals at the Ronald McDonald House, to raising awareness about epilepsy, offering guitar lessons and donating board games to children at the INMED Family Services Center. Loudoun County Superintendent of Schools Eric Williams was one of the judges. He commended the students for their efforts to solve community problems and said he wanted to make it a greater part of the school system’s curriculum. PASTA was among 10 finalists selected from 59 teams that entered the 2016 competition. The second place award and $750 prize was awarded to Breaking Your Silence (Briar Woods High School), ABOUT 1 MILE

which empowers and provides a voice to survivors of sexual assault. Third place and $500 went to We’re All Humans (Woodgrove High School), which works to prevent suicide and address mental illness in Loudoun County by providing multiple avenues for at-risk individuals to seek help. Other finalists were: Clean Kits Collecting (John Champe High School), which provides hygiene and sanitary products for homeless women in Loudoun County; Electronic Binder (J. Michael Lunsford Middle School), which aims to create an electronic binder that would eliminate much of the weight students carry in their backpacks; Geared Up! (Ashburn Robotics), which designed a $10 Craft-A-Bot robotics kit to give more students around the world access to robotics. Look Up! (Blue Ridge Middle School), which encourages people to step away from their electronic devices and have a more proactive role in their community; Saving Loudoun’s Littles – One Car Seat at a Time (Smart’s Mill Middle School), which aims to bring car seat safety inspections back to Loudoun County through increasing the number of safety inspectors, scheduling more frequent events and education; Stem 3G (John Champe High School), which raises awareness of the gender gap in STEM-related occupations; and Sticks and Stones (Briar Woods High School), which focuses on bullying intervention. The awards were sponsored by Loudoun Youth Inc. and Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services and were presented at the The Club at One Loudoun. nstyer@loudounnow.com

Fighting cancer << FROM 9

Janice Wolf leads Wyatt as he sniffs clothes worn by a cancer patient during an April 7 demonstration in Leesburg.

The most dramatic demonstration was Janice Wolf and Wyatt, a Rhodesian ridgeback trained to use his hundreds of millions of smell receptors to detect cancer just as other canines are trained to find narcotics or cadavers. “They’re able to pick up things we couldn’t pick up even if we had an acute sense of smell,” Wolf said. Ell pointed out that having a cancer detection dog “alert” on a person who shows no sign of illness is a good way to get them talking with their doctors and can result in earlier treatment. Rich Rochford, a retired fire captain, traveled from Tennessee to demonstrate a new shower system designed

for firefighters to wash hazardous particulates off their running gear before leaving a fire scene. Taking extra steps to be sure toxic material is left behind, he said, is part of the culture change needed in the fire service to reduce illnesses. Longer term, the foundation is supporting efforts to promote alternate building materials—industrial hemp, among them—that don’t turn into poison when combusted. Learn more about the foundation’s work at ffcancer.org. Loudoun Unscripted: Students at the Monroe Technology Center, in partnership with Capital Productions TV, produced a video of the April 7 forum. Watch it at LoudounNow.com.

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updated on safety protocols aimed at limiting firefighters’ exposure to hazardous materials. IFC President Cindy Ell took up the cause of combating cancer among first responders after many members of her Maryland fire company developed cancer from exposure to PCBs emanating from a transformer in the firehouse more than two decades ago. Her continuing research put the spotlight on the high incidence of cancer among those in the fire service globally. “We’ve decided to come out of the shadows as an organization that really is taking the lead on some of the most cutting-edge research and work that is being done in the industry,” Ell said. The foundation organized the Leesburg program at the urging of J.B. Anderson, a 46-year veteran of Loudoun’s fire and rescue service and Vietnam War veteran who is undergoing cancer treatment. Anderson’s enthusiasm for the organization’s work resulted in his appointment to the foundation’s national board.

Loudoun Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Gigi Lawless is the 2016 recipient of the Virginia S. Duvall Distinguished Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Prosecutor Award. The award, presented by the The Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys, is named for the late “Ginny” Duvall, a former Chesterfield County deputy commonwealth’s attorney. It is Gigi Lawless presented to a prosecutor who works tirelessly to improve the juvenile justice system and the prosecution of cases involving domestic violence, child abuse, child sexual assault and elder abuse. Lawless, who also is Loudoun’s Victim and Witness Assistance Program director, was the eighth recipient of the award. Lawless is a key member of Loudoun County’s Domestic Abuse Response Team DART, which assists in coordinating a county-wide response to domestic violence. Additionally, she was part of a multi-disciplinary team that developed a Child Advocacy Center for Loudoun County. She is often seen working in conjunction with the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter to ensure the safety of victims of domestic violence. “Ms. Lawless is an invaluable part of Loudoun County’s prosecution team, and her trial skills are particularly noteworthy,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Plowman stated. “She has successfully tried some of the most difficult cases in this office involving both child and adult victims.” “I can’t think of many people more dedicated to their work and more worthy of this recognition,” Plowman said. Lawless is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and The University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Prior to joining the Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in 2003, she served as an assistant district attorney general for the City of Nashville and Davidson County, TN, and as a public defender in Nashville, TN.

23 April 14 – 20, 2016

Prosecutor Awarded for Work Combating Domestic Violence

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[ BIZ ]

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Loudoun Attorneys, Potters Help Fight Hunger

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Rick Allison is making his mark on Leesburg’s food scene. Two years after he opened Pittsburgh Rick’s on Market Street, he is launching King Street Oyster Bar just around the corner.

SHUCKING COMING TO DOWNTOWN

Pittsburgh Rick Gets Foodies Buzzing with King Street Oyster Bar BY JAN MERCKER

he sign is up and the shucking is about to begin at the much-anticipated King Street Oyster Bar in Lees-

burg. Owner Rick Allison is on a mission to bring some urban cool (without a huge price tag) to the downtown area and to add its burgeoning post-5 p.m. life. Allison, known to many Loudouners as owner of the popular comfort food joint Pittsburgh Rick’s, is tight lipped about the menu and was still ironing out some last-minute construction and permitting details when he sat down with Loudoun Now last week. But his plan is to open the restaurant with a limited menu in time for this weekend’s Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival. For Allison, the oyster bar is a welcome return to the love of seafood he honed during a stint at Annapolis’ celebrated Café Normandie and a chance to fill what he sees as a gap in high quality seafood in Loudoun. “I spent a lot of time near the water in Annapolis and just loved seafood,” he said. “Northern Virginia, in my opinion, doesn’t have a lot of seafood options.” But Allison says he’s aware of some folks’ skittishness about seafood and will offer a broader American menu including steak, chicken, soups and salad, with the idea of giving guests choices while encouraging them to experiment with seafood. Allison says he also envisions the oyster bar as a meeting place and with a top-notch drinks program and a neighborhood feel. Crews have been renovating the South King Street building, which previously housed a travel agency and then the Cooley

The Loudoun Chapter of the Virginia Women Attorneys Association is sponsoring an Empty Bowls event Saturday, April 16 in the Alley Garden at the Laurel Brigade building in Leesburg. The Empty Bowls Project is an international effort to raise money to feed the world’s hungry; increase awareness of hunger, food security and related issues; and to use arts education to find new solutions to hunger problems. Potters make and donate ceramic bowls. Then a simple meal of soup and bread is served. In exchange for a donation, attendees choose and keep a handmade ceramic bowl and enjoy the meal. The net proceeds are donated to a hunger-fighting organization. Saturday’s event takes place during the town’s Flower and Garden Festival, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Laurel Brigade is located at 20 W. Market Street, across from the Tally Ho Theatre. In planning the event, the Loudoun Chapter of the VWAA received significant contributions and support from Amy Oliver and numerous student potters of her Monkeytown Pottery. A donation of $30 per bowl is requested. Proceeds will be donated to the Loudoun Interfaith Relief food pantry.

Modern Mechanical Joins One Hour

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

The space at 12 S. King Street has been renovated for King Street Oyster Bar to offer a Georgetown feel without the prices, says owner Rick Allison.

Gallery, for several months. The new restaurant features understated nautical décor, seating in street front window bays and a hand-hewn wood bar from Berryville’s Local Wood. The restaurant will seat around 50 with space for another 25 on the patio in back. The oyster bar itself is set to arrive at the restaurant this week and will seat four people for an up-close view of the shucking action. “Overall, it should be a really good feel when people walk into this place. In my opinion, it’s the best ‘wow factor’ for a small place that we have in Leesburg. No one has 15-foot ceilings for a small place,” Allison said. “We also added some features in the window that no one else is doing. It kind of gives it a Georgetown feel when you’re sitting on the street.” But while the ambiance might

scream Georgetown, the prices won’t, Allison said. He is going for a relaxed vibe and reasonable prices. He’s planning a lot of specials—including happy hours with $5 menu items and deals on drinks and food, half price raw bar every day from 3 to 7 p.m. and weekly ladies’ nights on Wednesdays. The restaurant will also sell steamed crabs and shrimp to go. “We want you to come back,” Allison said. “We want you to feel like this is a great price, a great atmosphere, very reasonable and come back once a week, come back twice a week instead of being that special occasion place.” The bar program—developed in consultation with D.J. Suan, a Northern Virginia superstar bartender, along with bar manager Ward Brewer—will OYSTER BAR >> 26

Modern Mechanical has joined forces with One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, and will eventually use that name in its operations. Local owners Shawn Mitchell and Pete Danielson will maintain a 100 percent ownership stake in Modern Mechanical. One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning is a national heating and air conditioning brand with independently owned and operated locations throughout North America, earning the top ranking in the HVAC services category of Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500. “We always wanted to enhance our service for customers and employees. By joining a national brand, we can offer new products, services, warranties and protection plans to our customers,” Shawn Mitchell said in announcing the change. The firm and its nearly 40 employees will continue to operate from its Ashburn location. Mitchell started the company in the basement of his Ashburn home in 2010.

BIZ BRIEFS >> 26

Beyond Brewing Forum Covers Ins and Outs of Beer Biz

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Black Hops Farm’s Jonathan Staples, left, at the bar in the Vanish tasting room.

Barse, who started his brewery for about $250,000, and has run in the black since opening, warned start-up brewers to be conservative with their finances. He said it can be a profitably business as long as owners are smart about not overspending. “It’s really easy to spend too much money,” he said. “I heard of a brewery in Pennsylvania that spent $1.9 million to open. They had a little 10-barrel system and they had a restaurant. They lasted three months.” Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Todd Haymore spoke to the participants Thursday and highlighted elements his office is working on on behalf of farm brewers. Discussing the state’s approach to the craft beverages,

including wine, Haymore said, “These great craft beverages all start on a farm. This is agriculture at its absolute finest. It’s value-added agriculture at its finest.” Star chef Bryan Voltaggio, who was also present during the forum, along with his team, provided a barbecue lunch and spoke about the desire for chefs to bring good food pairings to the increasing number of quality brews being offered. “I’m more excited about the opportunities I have as a chef and get to know more brewers and more people that are involved in that process in order to bring together food and beer more naturally,” he said. “Ultimately, when you make a beer pairing and a

Ben Byrnes has worked in the food industry for 11 years. He lives in Leesburg with his wife and newborn son.

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Hop growers, farm brewers and some major players in the regional craft beer industry converged at Black Hops Farm near Lucketts last week for the first Beyond Brewing Forum, presented by Organarchy Hops. The two-day program covered the past, present and future of the craft beer industry—both regionally and nationally. In all, the event drew 152 participants from states across the Mid-Atlantic. It was only appropriate also that the first day of the forum on April 7 coincided with National Beer Day. The course of the modern-day craft movement was laid out throughout the presentations beginning with the keynote speaker, Ralph Olson. The now-retired CEO of HopUnion, a Yakima, WA-based company that specialized in providing hops to the burgeoning craft brew industry starting in 1978, spoke of his experiences in the industry in the Northwest. Describing the volatility of the market, Olson said, “When I started in 1978, there were about 225 growers in the Northwest, mainly in the Yakima Valley. When I retired, there were maybe 60. In 33 years, quite a few changes.” The participants were divided into separate tracks for growers and brewers. Tom Barse, owner of Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farm, based in Mount Airy, MD, offered tips for farm brewers from his own experience.

food pairing match, you create something really special and meaningful at the table, and it’s a really great, fun experience.” Voltaggio has partnered with Vanish Brewery, the tasting room at Black Hops Farm, to serve barbecue three days a week. The forum’s second day offered participants an opportunity to see how those in the region’s beer and wine industry are thriving. They were given tours of Vanish Brewery, Organarchy Hops in Oldtown, MD, Milkhouse Brewery, Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, MD, and Hopyard Farm in King George, and ended the day with a guided tour by Doug Fabbioli at Fabbioli Cellars near Leesburg. With the final tour on Friday, the hop growers and brewers walked away with heads brimming with every kind of hoppy knowledge they could use in their own ventures, and more excited to go home and try to perfect their own processes. Edward Dick, who moved from Ireland to the U.S. in 1991, brews his own beer at his home in Leesburg. He said he walked away with a lot of information he’s eager to put to use. “I learned that I knew a hell of a lot less than I thought I did.” Soloman Rose and Dylan Kryzwonski, who own Orgenerchy Hops spearheaded the forum.

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<< FROM 24

In 1927 construction began on the Leesburg Coca Cola Bottling Company at 45 (now 207) South King Street. The facility opened to great fanfare in 1928 and began bottling America’s favorite soda along with other beverages such as Hines Root Beer. Deliveries to retail stores, restaurants and theaters were coordinated at the plant as were case sales for family consumption. The plant closed in the late 1940’s. Bottles from Leesburg Bottling are highly prized by Coke and bottle collectors.

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feature creative cocktails like a smoked pineapple margarita, along with a food-friendly wine and beer list. Allison, a Pittsburgh native, developed a love of cooking through his Italian grandmother who owned a bar and grill in his hometown. He remembers making pasta and sauce at her side every Sunday and credits her with his passion for cooking. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, he headed south for his gig in Annapolis and positions in the Washington, DC, area working for regional chains, including Great American Restaurants and Clyde’s Restaurant Group. Allison opened The Dock at Lansdowne in 2006 but closed it in 2011 before breaking on to the scene in downtown Leesburg in 2014 with Pittsburgh Rick’s, known for a casual atmosphere and Pittsburgh-style sandwiches loaded with fresh fries. Allison has had even more success with his Pittsburgh Rick’s food truck, a regular at area breweries and Northern Virginia concert venues. But when the space in the heart of Leesburg’s downtown opened up, Allison jumped at the chance to return to his passion for seafood. And Leesburg foodies have been buzzing since he first announced his plans over a year ago. The oyster bar will create one more option for residents hungry for specialized, non-chain restaurants, said Leesburg resident Vicky Noufal, co-owner of Platinum Group Real Estate and creator of the I Love Leesburg VA Facebook page which boasts nearly 2,000 followers. “Any time I post anything related to restaurants, breweries and things that will liven up the town, the majority are

It’s not just the King Street Oyster Bar that is hoping to serve the Flower and Garden Festival crowds this weekend. An old favorite is planning to open its doors as well. The Leesburg Diner, closed since a June 2015 fire, plans to be back in operation this weekend. Owner Michael O’Connor said his team plans a soft opening to get back in the groove and then to pick up its regular daily schedule. When the Leesburg Restaurant closed in 2013, O’Connor undertook a year-long renovation of the iconic South King Street eatery, in space that has served up meals since the 1860s. The diner reopened in 2014 with a 1950s flair. The fire, which started in an apartment in an adjacent building, caused enough damage to force a months-long closure. For those with an unsatisfied hankering for peanut soup, the wait is over.

very enthusiastic. That’s what people want to see,” Noufal said. “People love the uniqueness of Leesburg.” And Allison, like his friend Chris Cooley (who moved his gallery up the street after he purchased a building across from the Loudoun County Court House) and many other downtown business owners, is intent on helping grow Leesburg’s nightlife. “We want to do something special in Leesburg,” Allison said. jmercker@loudounnow.com

[ BIZ BRIEFS ] << FROM 24

Weichert Sponsors Ride, Race to Support Vets The Weichert Realtors Ashburn office is supporting the upcoming ACES Foundation Ride to Provide, scheduled to take place Saturday, April 30. The event, which begins and ends at the Reston Town Center, includes 10-mile, 20-mile, 35mile and 53-mile courses that pass through Leesburg and the Virginia countryside. New to the event this year is a 5K and family fun run. Proceeds from the event benefit the ACES Foundation and The Douglas J. Green Memorial Foundation, which provide comfort and support to deployed military service members and their families through care packages and special activities upon their return. To learn more, go to douglasjgreenmemorialfoundation.org.

StoneSprings Achieves Mammography Accreditation StoneSprings Hospital Center has been awarded a three-year term

of accreditation in mammography as the result of a recent review survey by the American College of Radiology. The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded to facilities meeting ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs are assessed. “The ACR accreditation is a testament to our ongoing commitment to deliver exceptional care—every patient, every time,” StoneSprings CEO Mark Rader stated. The StoneSprings Hospital Center Radiology Department provides a variety of services, including X-ray, digital 3D mammography, low dose CT, ultrasound, MRI, nuclear medicine and interventional radiology. For more information, go to stonespringshospital.com.

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Top Winemakers Talk Grapes at Stone Tower Winemakers from across Virginia gathered in a sunny room overlooking rolling vineyards at Stone Tower Winery to talk grapes on Tuesday. The makers of the 12 wines selected for the 2016 Virginia Governor’s Cup Case congregated to talk about their wines, what they did, and what they’d like to do in the future, at the first of four such seminars. “The objective is to let anybody who wants to come and see where the bar is set in terms of the best winemaking in the state,” said Jay Youmans, who lead the tasting and discussion. Youmans, one of only 38 Americans to earn the Master of Wine distinction, also selected the Governor’s Cup judges. “Putting the way the wines taste together with what the winemakers were saying about their methodology, that was what was interesting,” said Tim Crowe, Stone Tower’s winemaker. Stone Tower’s 2013 Hogback Mountain blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot was one of the 12 wines selected from among 432 entries se-

lected for the Governor’s Cup Case. Youmans said Virginian winemakers are “not afraid” to collaborate and share their secrets. “There is a great level of cooperation and camaraderie in the state,” Youmans said. The Governor’s Cup, he said, is one of the most rigorous wine competitions in the world, but the result is international recognition for Virginia wines. Judges are selected from around the United States and Europe, and the Governor’s Cup Case is sent to writers and wine experts around the world to spread the word. “I would go so far as to say Virginia probably has as good or better recognition in Loudoun as it does in San Francisco,” Youmans said. The three remaining seminars will be at Barboursville Vineyards in Barboursville on April 19, Naked Mountain Winery in Markham on May 3, and Keswick Vineyards in Keswick on May 17. rgreeene@loudounnow.com

Kalb, Cordesman Lead New Keynote Speaker Series at The Marshall House Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, will present “National Security Priorities vs. Defense Budget Realities.” Cordesman’s career has included service in the departments of State, Defense, and Energy; on NATO’s international staff; and for Sen. John McCain. He is a recipient of the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal. Admission to both programs is by $20 donation. Funds will be used to preserve The Marshall House. Reservations are required, as space is limited. For more information, visit georgecmarshall.org/events or call 703-777-1301.

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The George C. Marshall International Center announced two upcoming speakers for a new Keynote Series at The Marshall House in Leesburg. On Thursday, April 21, at noon, Marvin Kalb, former journalist and Harvard professor, will discuss his latest book, Imperial Gamble: Putin, Ukraine and the New Cold War, published by the Brookings Institution, where he is a nonresident senior scholar. Kalb has reported for both CBS and NBC News as chief diplomatic correspondent, Moscow bureau chief, and served as anchor of NBC’s “Meet the Press.” On Tuesday, May 3, at 6:30 p.m., Anthony Cordesman, Arleigh A.

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CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

Our Fine Four-Fendered Friend Takes Flight April 22 BY SAMANTHA BARTRAM

Cruising Loudoun

ove aside, “Fast and Furious” franchise—“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” the original “fantasmagorical machine,” is back on the scene at Franklin Park Arts Center for two weekends starting April 22. The talented players and supporting cast of Main Street Theater Productions’ latest musical offering the excitement, drama, humor and romance of the hit 1968 film to life—including the eponymous car around which the story revolves. “I must say she has a little something special about her just like the car in the film version,” Ann Cirillo, director, teases. “Does she float? Does she fly? I encourage folks to come and see and be sure to bring their imagination and fun-loving spirit!”

More than 50 community members make up the cast, and dozens more lend their talents to producing the musical’s impressive sets, costumes and, of course, Chitty herself. “When we started talking about doing ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ early last summer, we decided the car must be built to meet the needs of this production,” Cirillo said. “Curt Carlson stepped up and took on the challenge and the end product is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship and art.” Two Main Street newcomers, Chris Gray and Jen Drake, play protagonists Caractacus Potts and Truly Scrumptious, and are supported by youngsters Caroline Jacobson and Clay Grisius as Caractacus’ children, Jemima and Jeremy. “When you see and hear [Caroline and Clay] your heart will melt,” Cirillo said. “I cannot help but smile when they are on stage.” Indeed, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” is a smile-fest from overture to finale, with more than a dozen tunes guaranteed to stick in the

Chitty from Film to Stage The tender set likely has not had the pleasure of becoming familiar with Dick Van Dyke’s goofy-yet-earnest portrayal of Chitty’s protagonist, Caractacus Potts, in director Albert R. Broccoli’s late ’60s film, nor its laudable-for-theera green-screen effects. They have perhaps not delighted in the vision of Lionel Jeffries—as Caractacus’ dotty father, Grandpa Potts—declaring his intention to meet the Maharaja for tea, only to repair to his tiny, outhouse-like hovel, where ostensibly his fantasies continue to play out among its tiny environs. Certainly they have not been struck with deep unease as they watch the perfectly creepy Robert Helpmann, as Childcatcher, prowl the streets of the fictional Vulgaria in search of freerange children. All these revelations were, mere days ago, experienced fully by your author as research for this column. The fuzzy outlines of the film “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” on which the musical is based, were familiar from childhood, but the specifics had not been captured. Suffice to say, having consciously revisited the tale, its conversion into a stage musical more than 30 years later was inevitable and absolutely correct. “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” the stage musical, premiered in London in 2002, and subsequently enjoyed a 14-year run on Broadway and lesser domestic and international stages. By musical theater standards, it’s a relatively new kid in town, an attribute Cirillo found attractive. “[‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’] is something fresh for the community theater stage and had not been performed in the area until recently,” she said, adding that the show’s family-wide appeal made it a perfect fit for Main Street’s repertoire.

mind for days. The songs punctuate a tale that, at its heart, is about perseverance, family and imagination. “I see ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ as a story about a loving, kind and quirky family,” Cirillo said. “Chitty, the car, is

just the ‘vehicle’ through which and in which we tell this story. It is important to convey their story in this fun imaginative way—a way that reflects the CHITTY >> 30

LOCO CULTURE LEESBURG FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, April 17. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; downtown Leesburg. Details: flowerandgarden.org

LTD HUNTER JUMPER SHOW Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17, 9 a.m.; Morven Park, Equestrian Center, 41580 Sunday Morning Lane, Leesburg. Details: morvenpark.org This showcase of young equestrian talent is open to the public and free for spectators. Show features hunters on Saturday and jumpers on Sunday.

Marvin Kalb, former journalist and Harvard professor, discusses his latest book “Imperial Gamble: Putin, Ukraine and the New Cold War.” Admission is $20 at the door. Parking is available at the Shops at the Marshall House at 312 E. Market St.

NIGHTLIFE LIVE MUSIC: JUSTIN ORLANDO Friday, April 15, 7-9 p.m.; Trinity House Café, 101 E. Market St., Leesburg. Details: trinityhousecafe. com Orlando brings a well-rounded mix of oldies, classic rock and classic country, along with a little jazz and some upbeat originals. No cover.

KATHERINE MARSHALL FLEA MARKET Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; The Shops At The Marshall House, 312 E. Market St., Leesburg. Details: georgecmarshall.org Take a stroll up from the Flower and Garden show to check out great finds at the inaugural Marshall flea market. Proceeds benefit the Marshall House and the center’s education programs.

LOUDOUN HUNT POINT TO POINT Sunday, April 17, 10:30 a.m., gates open; noon exhibition race; 1 p.m. post time; Oatlands Historic House and Gardens, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg. Details: loudounhunt.com This historic steeplechase race celebrates its 50th anniversary at Oatlands. The afternoon begins with a sidesaddle exhibition race. General admission car passes are $20 in advance (available at the Oatlands gift shop) or $25 at the gate.

MARSHALL HISTORY TALK: DAVID HATCH Tuesday, April 19, 7 p.m.; George C. Marshall International Center, 217 Edwards Ferry Road NE, Leesburg. Details: georgecmarshall.org

Friday, April 15, 7:30 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com This hard charging country band cranks things up and keeps audiences on their toes. No cover.

COMEDY NIGHT FEATURING ROB MAHER Friday, April 15, 8:30 p.m.; Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St.; Leesburg. Details: tallyholeesburg.com D.C.-based comedian Rob Maher is a two-time finalist on Comedy Central’s Laugh Riot competition. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 day of show.

LIVE MUSIC: DELTA SPUR Saturday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com This local country band performs Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Zac Brown, Keith Urban and more for a fresh, modern country show. No cover.

GEORGE C. MARSHALL CENTER KEYNOTE SERIES Thursday, April 21, noon, George C.

THIS WEEK >> 31

loudounnow.com

Dr. David Hatch, historian at the National Security Agency, discusses “WWII Intelligence and Enigma.” Event is free for George C. Marshall International Center members, by donation for non-members. Parking is available at the Shops at the Marshall House at 312 E. Market St.

LIVE MUSIC: SCOTT KURT AND MEMPHIS 59

Thousands of visitors will converge to downtown Leesburg for the town’s largest event. Landscape exhibits, plant vendors, garden equipment and décor. Music, food and drinks.

Marshall International Center, 217 Edwards Ferry Road NE, Leesburg. Details: georgecmarshall.org

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Cast members Chris Gray, as Caractacus Potts, and Jen Drake, as Truly Scrumptious, take their seats in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with children Jemima and Jeremy, played by Caroline Jacobson and Clay Grisius.

Chitty Chitty << FROM 28 Potts family as eccentric and inventive but always as a ‘family.’ It is a ‘race’ to tell this story and thus you will find the checkered flag pattern throughout the sets and costumes. As the story unfolds and the magic of the Potts, Chitty and her car-stealing enemies is told, the story and colors on stage become bigger and brighter.” Those who are familiar with the film will be pleased to hear that the stage musical includes action and songs not included on celluloid. “[This show] offers some additional new scenes and songs, which I find exciting,” Cirillo said. “I enjoy surprises in a show that is well-known and loved—it helps to keep things fresh.” Producing Chitty on Franklin Park’s cozy stage presented fresh challenges, too. “Having come from a stage that is very large with lots wing and fly space, it was a big transition to move to a smaller venue like Franklin Park,” Cirillo added. “I learned and continue to learn from Karlah [Louis’, co-founder of Main Street Theater] working knowledge of Franklin Park. She has successfully produced many large shows on Franklin’s small-but-mighty

stage. Because of Karlah’s talents and experience and Franklin Park staff ’s willingness to work with us, this challenge has been tackled in a creative, fun way.” That creativity manifests itself in Carlson’s crafty car, the show’s impressive costumes and its captivating sets. Caractacus’ breakfast machine (undoubtedly a precursor to the Rube Goldberg made famous by Paul Rubens’ Pee Wee Herman) and aspects of the Scrumptious candy factory are reproduced to impressive effect, and all at the hands of community volunteers. “Nothing in Chitty is being rented— it all comes from a team of many talented people from this local community,” Cirillo said. “Their talents and willingness to share their time is a reflection of who they are, of course, but it is also a celebration of the people who help to make up Loudoun County.” Celebrate the county’s vast talents — performance, musical, craft, and otherwise — as they take center stage at Franklin Park for six nights. Evening shows are set for 7:30 p.m. April 22, 23, 29 and 30, with matinees at 2 p.m. April 24 and May 1. Tickets are $20 for adults or $15 for students and seniors. Online ticketing information, directions and other details are available at mainstreettheaterproductions.org.

Contributed

The star of Main Street Theater Productions’ “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” while under construction in a Round Hill garage.

<< FROM 29

Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Lucketts. Little Roy Lewis’ banjo skills and showmanship, combined with Lizzy Long’s extraordinary voice and fiddle virtuosity make for a great show. Tickets are $15 at the door.

Saturday, April 16, 8:30 p.m.; Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St.; Leesburg. Details: tallyholeesburg. com Winery circuit favorite Jason Masi spotlights rising star Teddy Chipouras, an 18-year old singer-songwriter from Lovettsville with a growing fan base. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

ON STAGE ‘CHICAGO’ Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15, 7-9:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 16, 2-4:30 p.m. and 7-9:30 p.m.; Heritage High School. Details: heritagedrama.com Heritage drama presents the award-winning musical for the first time in Loudoun County Public Schools. “Chicago” tells the story of two rival vaudevillian murderesses locked up in the Cook County jail. Tickets are $10-$15. Performances also run April 22 and 23.

‘A LITTLE PRINCESS’ Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m., Sunday, April 17 at 2 p.m.; Theaterpalooza, 44645 Guilford Drive, Suite 201, Ashburn. Details: theaterpalooza.com Based on the classic children’s novel about the experiences of boarding school student Sara Crewe who goes from riches to rags to riches again. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for children and seniors.

THE EDGE DANCE COMPANY Saturday, April 16, 7 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter.org

LUCKETTS BLUEGRASS: THE LITTLE ROY AND LIZZY SHOW Saturday, April 16, 7 p.m.; Lucketts

Sunday, April 17, 4 p.m.; Waterford Old School, 40222 Fairfax St., Waterford. Details: waterfordconcertseries.org This dynamic Boston-based chamber orchestra is made up of 17 young musicians who take turns conducting to let individual personalities shine through. Sunday’s program includes works from Mozart, Golijov and Sibelius. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students. Children 12 and younger are free.

GALLERY COFFEEHOUSE: PENNY HAUFFE Sunday, April 17, 6:30 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter.org Local artist Penny Hauffe shares her art and discusses her process and vision. Admission is $8 at the door and includes coffee.

ON DISPLAY ART OPENING AND AUCTION: WHICH CAME FIRST? THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG? Sunday, April 17, 1-3 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter.org Large eggs decorated by local celebrities and artists will be auctioned to benefit Franklin Park’s visual arts programs. Admission is free.

LUNCH IN THE GALLERY Monday, April 18, 12:15 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter.org Explore Franklin Park’s “Chicken or The Egg” show with local artists discussing their process and giving a guided tour of the new exhibit. Admission is $12 at the door and includes a boxed lunch.

THIS WEEK >> 32

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An inspiring evening of contemporary dance from the Ashburn Academy of Dance’s contemporary company in collaboration with the professional Gin Dance Company Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children at the door.

WATERFORD CONCERT SERIES: A FAR CRY

LOCAL MUSIC SHOWCASE WITH JASON MASI AND TEDDY CHIPOURAS

April 14 – 20, 2016

[ THIS WEEK ]

OBITUARIES

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[ THIS WEEK ] << FROM 31

Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com

WITH THE KIDS

The front man for Memphis 59 shows off his softer side with an acoustic country performance. Free with brunch.

BIG TRUCK DAY

Friday, April 15, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Philomont Community Center, 36592 Jeb Stuart Road, Philomont. Contact: 540-338-5882 Celebrate Friday’s teacher workday with big truck fun. This all ages event allows children to explore a range of trucks and tractors. Admission is $5 per child and includes a hot dog and drink. Train rides on the Roaming Railroad are an additional $3.

LIBATIONS LOST CREEK TASTEMAKER SERIES Saturday, April 16, 7-9 p.m.; The Vineyards and Winery at Lost Creek. Details: lostcreekwinery. com Enjoy Lost Creek’s wines with treats from Leesburg’s Layered Cake Patisserie. Cost is $25 per person. Advance reservations are required.

COUNTRY BRUNCH WITH SCOTT KURT Sunday, April 17, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602

COMING UP ‘INTO THE WOODS’ Thursday, April 21, Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23 at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 23 at 2 p.m.; Riverside High School, 19019 Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg. Details: lcps.org/riverside Riverside Drama presents Stephen Sondheim’s classic twist on fairy tales. Tickets are $10. Performances also run April 29 and 30.

DOG DAYS FESTIVAL Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Great Country Farms, 18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont. Details: greatcountryfarms.com Great Country Farms’ annual festival is always popular with dog lovers. The event includes a new dog run course, doggie Olympics and demos in animal health and training. Dogs must be on a leash and have rabies tags. Admission is $8 for children, $10 for adults.

Elsa Ragnhilde Anders Elsa Ragnhilde Ruth Anders née Glass; died April 5, 2016 Elsa Ranghilde Ruth Anders, of Purcelville VA, was born 1948 in Livermore, CA to Elsa Dik and Norman Pilmer Glass. She grew up in Washington DC, attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, and earned her Bachelors from George Washington University. She completed her Masters in Education and was a certified speech pathologist, working in DC public schools and Loudoun County public Schools for over 20 years. Elsa is survived by her beloved husband Robert Lauten of Purcellville, VA and her three children: Andrew Lauten of Leesburg VA; Garrett Lauten (Chris Sanford) of Nova Scotia Canada; and Peter Anders-Lauten (Kafi Romeo) of Trinidad, and three grandchildren, Ruth Ella Lauten, and Collum and Chloe Murphy. She is also survived by all of her siblings: Jane Ann Glass, Dik Glass, Christian Glass, and Meg Glass. Elsa leaves a legacy of caring. She was a socially and environmentally conscious woman, who wanted to always help others in need. She will be dearly missed by her immediate and extended family, neighbors, former co-workers, business associates, and a vast network of friends. She was a devoted spouse, nurturing mother, inspiring teacher, committed volunteer, vivacious companion and generous friend. Elsa was a gregarious and enthusiastic participant in school and community activities. Among her many volunteer contributions to community organizations and individuals, she was particularly passionate about her work with the Alpha-1 Foundation, All Ages Read Together (AART), Waterford Foundation, and the Purcellville Business Association. Elsa was one of the founding directors of AART. She was a co-founder of the Loudoun Lacrosse Association in the early 1990’s. She was Marketing Director of Lauten Construction Co. and a key behind the scenes asset in operations. Elsa traveled extensively, visiting friends and family in Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean, and more recently had enjoyed traveling to Canada and throughout the south and east of the US. She was an avid reader, lover of music, and accomplished chef and baker. Elsa’s numerous friends will always remember the joy of her celebrations both by the lively atmosphere and the delicious spreads! A private ceremony is planned for immediate family, and a Celebration of Life is planned for May 2, 2016. The family requests in lieu of flowers that In Memoriam donations can be made to: Alpha-1 Foundation: In Memoriam Alpha-1Giving: or All Ages Read Together: Elsa Anders In Memoriam Donation .

James Pratt We are sad to announce the passing of Junior at the age of 47. He was born in London, England and was educated at the private school Box Hill where he excelled in sport. At the age of twelve he decided to try his hand at golf which became the love of his life. He moved to Long Island in 1984 and graduated from Ward Melville HS where he was on the golf team and subsequently won a golf scholarship to Adelphi. In 1992 he moved with the family to Purcellville and became a member of LGCC. He was mentored by the PGA Professional Jimmy Bogle and became a professional himself in 1995 and an assistant at LGCC. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles in Purcellville. James was always willing to help anyone, loved life to the full and with his blue eyes, warm big hearted nature and charismatic smile he easily made many friends. He was dearly loved and will be sorely missed. He is survived by his parents Miles and Chris, his elder brother Mark, his niece Chloe and nephew Oliver. James’ service was held on Sunday April 10th at 11 am at the Hall Funeral Home in Purcellville. A celebration of his life was at LGCC at 12.30 after the service. Please visit www.hallfh.com to express online condolences to the family.

you need, nd at the n afford. tions.com 77

5-7 days a week Will Train MUST HAVE: driver’s license & vehicle & able to lift 25 lbs. Ellmore’s Garden Center (540) 338-7760

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

Hiring Medical Receptionist Part Time. Mature. Friendly. Medical Receptionist with occasional med-tech duties. In small practice in Leesburg. Will train. Call (703) 771-7476 - leave a message.

ADJUNCT FACULTY JOB FAIR LOUDOUN CAMPUS, NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Tuesday, April 26, 2016 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT) Northern Virginia Community College 21200 Campus Dr. Higher Education Center (HEC) event space (room 203) Sterling, VA 20164

If you want to teach Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Veterinary Technology, Math, Developmental math, Psychology, Communication Studies or English, come talk to us. Please note that applying in advance to this posting is a requirement for attending the job fair.

Email: classifieds@loudounnow.com to place your employment ad

Crossword

To apply: https://nvcc.peopleadmin.com/postings/14747

Payroll/Accounting Specialist

The Town of Purcellville is seeking a Payroll/Accounting Specialist. This position is responsible for technical, fiscal, clerical and customer service work in the Accounting division. Work includes preparation and maintenance of accounting processes including payroll, taxes and benefits, AP, PO’s, journal entries, general ledger account reconciliations, petty cash and other general duties. Provides customer support services at the service counter. This position will be key in payroll implementation of the Town’s upcoming conversion to Tyler Technologies’ MUNIS product. Qualifications The ideal candidate would possess experience in municipal payroll operations and an Associate’s Degree with at least 3 years of office experience in a financial management or accounting setting. Experience with MUNIS is desired. Must also be customer service oriented to help support other finance operations. Starting Salary The starting rate for this position is $21.50-$25.00/hr. depending on qualifications.The Town of Purcellville offers a full comprehensive benefits package that includes VRS retirement plan, paid annual, sick and personal leave, life insurance, paid holidays, and medical and dental insurance. In addition, the Town participates in the VA Credit Union and a Deferred Compensation Plan with a match. Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Town of Purcellville is an award-winning, thriving community whose 8,300 residents enjoy an exceptional quality of life that has become a hallmark of the town. Purcellville is a great place to work. If you are excited about working in this environment, submit an application and resume to Sharon Rauch, Human Resources Specialist, at the Town of Purcellville, 221 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia 20132. For an application, visit www.purcellvilleva.gov. Applications will be accepted until 5:00pm on April 28, 2016 and are also accepted electronically at srauch@purcellvilleva.gov. Equal Opportunity Employer.

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PAINTING Troy Fields (866)869-1107 tfields@clearsky-painting.com www.clearsky-painting.com

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COMMUNITY YARD SALE Saturday, April 16 from 8am to 1pm. Raspberry Falls (Raspberry Drive & Route 15, across from White’s Ferry). Baby gear, equestrian supplies, fitness machines, antiques and more!

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[ OPINION ]

A Stronger Safety Net It has always proved true in our community that murder victims were more likely to have died by the hands of a family member than by any random act of violence. The case histories show that the domestic killings are most often sudden, heat-of-passion episodes. Rarer are the calculated, planned-out variety, although we’ve had those, too. A common factor between those two types are the lingering feelings among survivors that more could have been done to prevent these family tragedies. Those same questions haunt law enforcement officers and prosecutors, as well. Already this year, there have been three domestic homicides in Loudoun. At the same, juries and judges in Leesburg are being asked to weigh the circumstances in several family murder cases that happened in previous years. The local impacts of deadly domestic violence, perhaps, have never been more prominently on display. The announcement of a multi-jurisdictional, multi-discipline campaign aimed at better protecting abuse victims is significant. It is reflective of the frustration experienced by those on the front lines in the daily battle to combat violence aimed at spouses, exes, children, siblings and parents. They operate in an arena where there are too few tools available to those brave enough to challenge the cycles of violence and where too many victims lack hope for a different life. This new program is aimed at identifying the extreme cases—those in which a life is at risk. It should enable the law enforcement and community organizations to better coordinate public and private resources and provide a more protective shield for those in mortal jeopardy. It’s an important step, but not the only one that should be pursued. Efforts also should be made to strengthen existing protection tools. Chief among those are protective orders that are designed to create a safety zone for abuse victims. Even for those with the willingness and means to bring a civil case and to meet the relatively high legal bar to win the court-ordered protection, the outcomes are far from assured. The most recent domestic murder victim, a Leesburg mother of three, succeeded in obtaining a restraining order against her former boyfriend. Just a few weeks later, he showed up on her doorstep—with a gun in hand. The system failed her, as it fails other victims each day, albeit without fatal results. The initiative of the Loudoun’s Domestic Abuse Response Team is an important effort to save lives. But that is only one element in building a stronger safety net for these endangered residents. Shelter workers, deputies and police officers can readily identify other actions that could make a difference and they deserve the legislative and financial support to move those forward, too.

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Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC 15 N. King St., Suite 101 • Leesburg, VA, 20176 PO Box 207 • Leesburg, VA 20178 703-770-9723 Norman K. Styer Editor nstyer@loudounnow.com Danielle Nadler Managing Editor dnadler@loudounnow.com Margaret Morton Senior Writer mmorton@loudounnow.com Renss Greene, Reporter rgreene@loudounnow.com Kara C. Rodriquez, Reporter krodriguez@loudounnow.com Douglas Graham, Photographer dgraham@loudounnow.com

Contributors Samantha Bartrum Ben Byrnes Jan Mercker Advertising Director Susan Styer sstyer@loudounnow.com Classified Manager Lindsay Morgan lmorgan@loudounnow.com Production Electronic Ink 9 Royal St. SE Leesburg, VA 20175

Correction A photo of a team from the Step Up competition in last week’s edition included an incorrect photo credit. Zachary Goldman took the photo. Loudoun Now regrets error.

[ LETTERS ] Passing the Torch Editor: I was not born an environmentalist, but I have come to care greatly about the environment and the future, particularly for this great country of ours. That’s a big reason I am on the executive board of The Nature Generation, a nonprofit focused on preparing youth for the environmental challenges of the future by connecting them with nature today. We all travel different paths in life to get to where we are, and my path towards environmental concern started as a boy growing up in Illinois in the 1960s. Looking back, there were a couple things I remember, that sort of amaze me now. The first was that there was always trash along the side of the road. Always. And a lot of it. The second was the fact that if you fished in the Illinois River, you would never catch anything but carp or bullhead because the river was so polluted. I liked to fish back then and anything we caught, we’d throw on the bank because you couldn’t eat them due to the pollution. That was just the way it was, and no one seemed to think anything else about it. Then you became aware of things happening more broadly, like a river on fire in Ohio due to pollution, or eagles dying due to DDT. And you start to think, it doesn’t have to be this way. Earth Day happens, and we all start to pick up trash, and plant trees. The EPA was formed (under a Republican president), and we started going after polluters, and low and behold, our air, and our water started cleaning up. Forty-five years later, and the world is different. You don’t see nearly as much trash on the side of any road. The Illinois River is rejuvenated, and there are bass, walleye, crappies, and other game fish. There are bald eagles and waterfowl on the river, something I never ever saw in my youth. My wife and I live on a small farm in Virginia now, and about six years ago I joined NatGen. Living on the

farm, my connection with nature and the environment is much closer. The weather affects you more, streams cross your property, and you notice other things. Woods that existed one day and are clear cut. Large chicken farms around that have the potential to affect the entire watershed. Building projects that produce mud and sludge running into local creeks. You read in the paper about a chemical company that has poisoned an entire community in Pennsylvania. Your friends that have lived on the Illinois River for more than 15 years have to move because of the development of frac sand mining nearby. You realize that the challenges to the environment are never over and this will continue forever. Clean water, clean air, and a clean environment—they should be a given, but they aren’t. NatGen is one of the organizations making a difference and educating our youth, so that they can make smart decisions in the future. I like to think that passing a torch to the next generation is a pretty good thing for our youth and our environment. Max Hall, Marshall Executive Board Member, The Nature Generation

Community Support Editor: Educate Don’t Segregate (EDS) would like to publicly thank the community for its overwhelmingly positive support during the recent elementary school rezoning process for Central Loudoun. Through community outreach, EDS was able to gather nearly 1,400 signatures from people all over Loudoun County who opposed the School Board’s Plan 12 and supported our principles of equity and balance, community connection, minimal disruption and financial viability/instructional efficiency. To those folks who volunteered their time reaching out to members LETTERS >> 37

[ LETTERS ]

Best Idea?

SPEAK NOW

All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.

First name _____________________________________________ Last name _____________________________________________

Editor: In your article, Tech-Savvy Educators: Loudoun Schools Begin Final BYOT Roll Out, I was very surprised to find out how much our school systems are now depending on students to bring their own electronic devices. Although, in theory, the BYOT program should benefit students by giving additional resources on hand, many students misuse this privilege, negatively affecting the learning abilities of others. Sure, the determined and diligent students make good use of this privilege, but what of the rest? Every day at school, there are students using their electronic devices, not for school, but for entertainment. While I am trying to learn important lessons during school, I am often distracted by the many visual and audible effects of electronic devices from other students who are not using the BYOT program for its intended purpose. Electronic devices can be very helpful in the classroom, but when the teacher says for everyone to get out their devices to use on an assignment, what happens with the students who do not have those devices? What do these students do? Nothing? This is completely unfair. If these devices cannot be provided Boosting Tourism to all students, and they are not being Editor: used for the intended purposes, then I agree with Mr. Louis [Letters, April why allow it? 7] that we should spend more taxpayIn addition to the side effects of the er money for fire and rescue. But the BYOT program, it has been proven by money that was provided for Waterford science that students who write their cannot be given to fire and rescue. That notes down on paper retain much is because, as I understand it, the mon- more information than those who type ey for Waterford is not taxpayer money. up their notes. With these facts, is deIt comes from visitors to this area who pending on personal electronic devicstay in our hotels and who pay a Tran- es at school really the best idea for the sient Occupancy Tax. These monies are upcoming generation of the American then used to boost tourism in Loudoun people? County. Derek Tobias, Leesburg Money that is usually made at the

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.

of the community who were unaware of the rezoning plans, thank you for spreading the word. EDS would also like express deep appreciation to members of the Leesburg community who provided resources and funding for transportation to the March 29 School Board meeting. Mayor David Butler graciously responded to our request for transportation to the meeting by securing the Paxton Campus van for community use that evening. With the financial support of Councilman Marty Martinez and NAACP Loudoun, EDS also contracted a bus through VA Rides. Both the Paxton Campus van and the bus provided transportation to and from the meeting for community members who would not have been able to attend otherwise. The VA Rides driver was extremely helpful and patient. When families were ready to head home, he was willing to make several trips, dropping off families closer to their homes rather than having them walk in the dark from the bus pick up area. To all of these individuals, businesses and organizations, Educate Don’t Segregate extends our sincerest gratitude. EDS could not have done all that we accomplished without your help and support. We look forward to working hand in hand with the greater Leesburg and Loudoun community in the future. Nicole Reid, Leesburg

Waterford Fair goes back into keeping the Waterford area in good repair. That is why the money that would have been raised at the fair needed to be replaced. Anthony V. Fasolo, Leesburg

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

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Readers’ comments posted at loudounnow.com

“These large data center projects have had negative impacts outside the RT. 50 corridor. For example, Ashburn is filling up with large, ugly and loud data centers right next to residential areas. By-right construction should be stopped countywide and new zoning requirements including such things as minimum buffer zones put in place.” — tssva, on County to Tap Brakes on New Rt. 50 Data Centers

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“I agree that it needs to be moved, it’s in a poor location, inaccessible by skateboarding. While Ida Lee would be better, wouldn’t you want to place it in a place more pedestrian friendly? Say somewhere off the W&OD, or annexed to Rotary Park, Georgetown Park, South Harrison Street Park?” rancis.reyes, on Leesburg Council Delays Budget Adoption; Questions Skate Park Plans

37 April 14 – 20, 2016

<< FROM 36

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Off to the races << FROM 1 It was Rogers who suggested Oatlands as a good site for the race meet— because of the property’s historical significance as well as its rolling terrain, Phillips recalled. From the beginning, organizers wanted the race be different from other point-to-points in the region. Part of that distinction lay in the event committee’s determination to have the course to be, above all, a horseman’s event a focus emphasized by Rogers and Wight, both veteran steeplechasers. At the same time, the committee wanted to provide good entertainment value to paying fans. That included a post-race party for patrons, owners, trainers and riders that would become a fixture on the calendar and established Oatlands races as the social event of the season.

The Oatlands Course Joe Rogers is credited with being the driving force behind the design of the Oatlands course. According to his widow, Donna Rogers, he also suggested that the group approach his friend, Tommy Smith, the only American rider to have won the English Grand National, for his advice. “That was the genesis of the creation of the twin stone wall jumps that flank the main entrance to the Oatlands estate,” Phillips recalled. A $2,000 purse was provided for the William Corcoran Eustis Cup, named after a previous owner of Oatlands, which is now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Today’s relatively smooth racecourse turf is a far cry from the conditions riders found during the first meet in 1966. The ground was rocky and filled with stones. Phillips remembered Rogers “fastidiously” walking the course and picking up rocks, marking uneven ground and testing low-lying wet areas. Committee member Sonny Phillips designed the relationships between the paddock, finish line, mounted outrider stations and location of the van area, all of which were important to horsemen. Phillips and Wight installed and maintained the first sound system— strung from tree to tree—around the course. Will O’Keefe began narrating the Oatlands races from the finish line tower in the early 1980s. Many race-goers know his voice intimately, even if they’ve never met him. In the early years, O’Keefe noted the emphasis was on gentlemen riders. Later it grew in importance on the racing circuit, and for many years the Triple Crown of point-to-point racing included the four-mile Eustis Cup as its third event. “They’re tough jumps at Oatlands— and it has a different feel than other point-to-points,” O’Keefe said, noting the huge community gathering race day has become. No race rivals it for a faithful following, O’Keefe said, calling it “a really big social event.”

Racecourse Stories Of all the legendary figures associ-

Contributed

Dr. Joe Rogers and Harry Wight baptize one of the Oatlands stone wall jumps with a bottle of champagne.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Eva Smithwick gets a kiss from her horse, Rutledge, at Sunny Bank Farm near Middleburg.

Woods Winants, a long time horsemen and steeplechase jockey, works out Southern Sail before this weekend’s Point-to-Point races at Oatlands. Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

ated with the Oatlands Point-to-Point races—Joe Rogers, Harry Wight and Arch Kingsley among them—Rogers was perhaps the best known. A modest man, he was a leading owner-rider in the race’s early days. Rogers died in 2014. His fellow Eustis Cup winner, Wight, who died last year, will be remembered this year with a special tribute in the program. Kingsley also died last year. According to Phillips, a race tradition had been to paint the finish line posts in the colors of the owner whose horse won the previous year’s Eustis Cup, But, ultimately, the race committee settled on permanently displaying the red and white of Rogers’ silks, “in honor not only of his founding role in the event, but the many victories his horses achieved at the course, including by his legendary King of Spades.” Purchased in Chile by Rogers, King of Spades achieved five victories in the Eustis Cup—in the first race in 1967, ridden by Dr. John S.R. Fisher, and again in 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973. Rogers was aboard for three years of that famous run. “In 1972, Joe was hurt after a fall from Mother Lode,” Donna Rogers said. “I remember as we were in the ambulance Johnny [Fisher] running alongside and tapping on the window. I couldn’t hear him but I lip-read him saying, ‘Can I ride King of Spades?’” Fisher rode King of Spades to a Eustis Cup victory that afternoon. The horse died in a freak accident the following year. King of Spades was not the only horse to be remembered at the races. Barros Negros, winner of the 1975 Eustis Cup, died of a coronary after the race. The horse was buried that night at the finish line in a ceremony attended by race committee members, while

<< FROM 38 fans attended the post-race party at the Oatlands stables. Even more vivid to Moyes is his recollection of jockey Bay Cockburn’s “fantastic Eustis Cup win” about a week before he had a fall from his mount during a race meet in 1998 that left him paralyzed. Even confined to a wheelchair, Cockburn continued as a champion trainer until his death in 2014. The Loudoun Hunt was the first to promote the sale of patron spots, an innovation Phillips attributed to the late Connie McElhinney. She came up with the idea of selling 100 premium-priced parking spots along the driveway, for $50. Not only did those slots rapidly sell out, but a waiting list soon developed. The waiting list remains long, but the spots are more likely to be handed down as family heirlooms than to become available to the next in line. McElhinney once recalled one bitter divorce in which a key point of contention between the spouses was who would keep the spot on the lane. Tailgate parties developed and race-goers wandered up and down the lane, greeting friends they may not have seen since the previous year’s race. The spring scene soon gained attention beyond the hunt-country set to include the general public. Throngs brought picnic baskets and settled down on blankets and chairs along the front stretch or on the knoll at the center of the course. Michael O’Connor, who recently stepped down as Oatlands’ chairman, has had a patron’s spot for 15 years. He decries the notion that steeplechasing is an elitist sport. “That’s false, you see young people and very old people— they’re drawn to it at all ages,” he said. He loves the tradition of it, the fun of the tailgate parties and the proximity of the horses. “You can smell the horse going by,” he said of his patron’s spot near the crossing of the lane. In recent years, race attendance has been between 5,000 and 7,000, but cur-

Oatlands Historic House and Gardens

The point-to-point race course at Oatlands on April 1 was formally named the Michael J. O’Connor Timber and Hurdle Race Course, in honor of the huntsman and businessman who retired last year after serving for four years as Oatlands’ chairman and as a board member since 2004. Shown, from left, are O’Connor, Board Chairman Doug Miller and Executive Director Bonnie LePard.

rent patrons’ area overseer Catherine Spicer expects this year’s crowd to be larger than normal. She is getting calls from former patrons who gave up their space, but are now reserving subscriber spots. “They’re coming into town for the big celebration,” she said.

Trainers and Jockeys For trainer and former champion jockey Eva Smithwick, the allure of the Oatlands course is “that it’s related to foxhunting—the stone walls, stacked rails change the way you do turns, like foxhunting.” It’s a great course for both the sport and the public, she said. She and her husband “Speedy” Smithwick own and operate Sunny Bank Farm on Sam Fred Road near Middleburg, formerly run by Speedy’s parents, “Mikey” and Dot Smithwick. Both generations earned reputations as top trainers. “It has a lovely feel to it,” Eva Smithwick said of Oatlands. “It’s different from a lot of hunt club meets.” In their days as top jockeys, both she and her husband won races at Oatlands. The training they give at Sunny Bank Farm prepares their racehorses

Oatlands Point-to-Point Races WHAT: Loudoun Hunt 50th Point-to-Point Races WHERE: Oatlands Historic House and Gardens, Rt. 15 south of Leesburg

TICKETS: $25/car race day; $20/car in advance; subscriber parking $50 Ticket Information: 703-327-3935 General Information: 703-973-0505 or 540-338-4031; louduounhunt.com/loudounfairfaxhunt.com

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WHEN: Sunday, April 17; gate opens at 10:30 a.m., with racing starting at noon

The glue that has kept the Oatlands Point-to-Point races strong over the past 50 years is the partnership forged between, initially, the Loudoun Hunt and Oatlands Plantation, and, more recently, the Loudoun Fairfax Hunt. The Loudoun Hunt was established in 1894. In 1994, the Loudoun West Hunt Club split off from the Loudoun Hunt in an amicable arrangement centering on different packs of hounds—one English foxhounds, the other American foxhounds. Both hunts continued to sponsor and run the Oatlands races as a joint activity. As eastern Loudoun, particularly the Ashburn area, developed, the Fairfax Hunt found itself squeezed for land on which to hunt. Four years ago, the Loudoun West and Fairfax hunt clubs merged to form the Loudoun Fairfax Hunt. At the time, then-Loudoun Fairfax Master of the Foxhouds Donna Rogers said the merger gave both clubs twice the hunting area and twice the membership—for much less cost. The hunts merged their packs of hounds and race-goers, particularly younger ones, will be happy to see them on race day presented by the huntsmen between races when the entire pack is paraded down the stretch between races. Over the years the Oatlands races became an important source of funding for the hunts, according to Loudoun Fairfax Master of the Foxhounds Dave Moyes. And the hunt clubs try to return the favor. “We pay a use fee to Oatlands and we try to raise money for them—dedicating races in honor of different people. We ask people to donate to Friends of Oatlands,” Moyes said. And it is the work of between 50 and 100 hunt club volunteers that make the whole production possible, he said, particularly citing the race-day assistance of Brent Clarke, Donna Rogers, Don Johnsey and Larry Dale over many years, as well as the up to 300 volunteer hours spent each year by hunt members in preparing the course and managing the event. — Margaret Morton

Long considered the traditional start to spring in Loudoun, the 50th anniversary of the event is a good day to be out in the country whether you’re a longtime racing fan or new to the county.

mmorton@loudounnow.com

Oatlands’ Partnership with Hunt Clubs

On the Lane

39 April 14 – 20, 2016

Off to the races

well for Oatland’s grueling uphill finish. “We do lots of bottom foundation, jogging to get air in them and we train up hills for fitness,” Smithwick said. “It’s the best horse that gets there,” she said of Oatlands’ finish line. Jockey Woods Winants is an old family friend and schools the Smithwicks’ horses. He’s had his “fair share” of winners at Oatlands, and appreciates the difficulty of the course, as well as the fact that it draws a great crowd. “The Eustis Cup is a very demanding jumping course. It takes a special horse to go four miles,” he said. (Last year, the Eustis Cup was shortened to 3.5 miles.) Both he and fellow jockey Kenny Shreve admired the older riders, like Rogers, who were good at whipping their younger competitors. “He was the nicest man I’ve ever met, so warm and welcoming,” Winants said. “I’ve always liked the race meet here,” Shreve said. “You’ve got to be patient. It’s a real long stretch race up the hill for a timber horse. You and your horse are tired.” Shreve raced at Oatlands for about 15 years. He won several races in the three-mile timber owner-rider series and “fell off a few times,” he said, laughing. “I got a kick out of riding there.” Moyes also remembered his days racing at Oatlands, one year coming in second in the Eustis Cup. The weather could be brutal: one year it was raining and blowing so hard Moyes’ goggles kept popping off. On Sunday, rain or shine, everyone will be having their customary good time. “There’s no race like it. You see everybody,” Moyes said. Donna Rogers agreed, recalling her first introduction in 1972. “It was like a family gathering. You were introduced to every single person there—they all knew each other, and gathered to celebrate spring.”

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