Loudoun Now for Aug. 10, 2017 by Loudoun Now

LoudounNow LOUDOUN COUNTY’S COMMUNITY-OWNED NEWS SOURCE

[ Vol. 2, No. 39 ]

[ loudounnow.com ]

[ Aug. 10 – 16, 2017 ]

Schools promise better bus service

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Woodgrove High School students take part in Sources of Strength training. The program, meant to equip youth to cope with all that life throws at them long before suicide becomes an option, will soon be introduced at every Loudoun County middle and high school.

Schools Roll Out New Suicide Prevention Tactics BY DANIELLE NADLER

fter seeing a rise in teen suicides, Loudoun County’s elected leaders have made it clear that the schools need to do more to support and identify students who feel overwhelmed. Armed with more funding for mental health professionals, the school system is rolling out two new initiatives that will debut with the start of the school year. “Woefully understaffed” was how Superintendent Eric Williams described the Pupil Services Department earlier this year. That comment came as part of his request for the School Board to dedicate more money to hire psychologists, social workers, school counselors, and student assistance specialists. The School Board granted that request, earmarking enough to hire five more psychologists, eight more social workers, eight more school counselors, two more

supervisors and two more student assistance specialists. That gives administrators enough mental health professionals to create mental health support teams at every high school. And it means that, for the

first time, every high school will be assigned a full-time social worker. “This would build on existing efforts to promote mental wellness and resiliency, increase early detection, provide social and emotional support, and encour-

age help-seeking behavior and access to mental health treatment,” Williams said. The ramped-up efforts come after the school system has faced increased critiPREVENTION TACTICS >> 47

Hotels Join Effort to Make Loudoun Autism Friendly BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ Loudoun County could soon be a destination for people with autism, and those in the hospitality industry are getting ready to put out the proverbial welcome mat. Over the next several months, about a dozen hotels, restaurants, kids’ gyms and community rec centers will undergo training to become autism-friendly businesses. For many people who have autism, sounds, smells and chaotic mo-

! LE W A O S N N O

tions can be painful or overwhelming. Training those in the hospitality industry how to minimize that trauma is the latest push to prepare the local community for the opening of the Ashburn-based George Washington University Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorder Institute, set to begin an innovative research and specialist training program at the end of the year. The institute is expected to attract autistic children and adults from across the country who will stay with their

families in Loudoun for days or weeks, even up to a month. “I’m thinking we’ll probably be an international draw for families all over to fly in and have assessments,” said Dr. Kevin Pelphrey, who runs GWU’s autism research institute. Visit Loudoun has partnered with Inova Loudoun Hospital and the university to ensure the county is a welcoming place for people with sensory AUTISM TRAINING >> 46

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Regional Leaders, Law Enforcement Coordinate Battle Against Addiction BY RENSS GREENE

ty, but we do have vendor contracts outside the county, and most seem to work very well,” Erickson said. “They are not cheap, not everyone gets into those programs that needs to. You can’t always get everyone in there in a timely fashion.” But to get to an overdose, a person—like Chris Atwood—has usually already fallen through the cracks. Atwood fought addiction for six years, and a month before he died, he was in the hospital for another overdose. “They saved his life using naloxone … and then he was released several hours later without any resources, follow-up, anything,” Lovitt said. She said that was a missed opportunity to supply him with naloxone, which is used to revive people who have overdosed on opioids, and it might have cost Atwood his life. “If he had had that to take home, then a month later, when I came home and found him not breathing, then I would have had that to use on him,” she said. “But I didn’t.” ADDICTION >> 11

Soccer star stops in Loudoun

Couple’s postretirement pursuit blossoms

Redskins lend vocal chords to charity fundraiser

Son Charged with Father’s Murder after House Fire Probe knife. The dog recovered. Bowles, then 18, was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months in jail, with all but two months suspended. He also was on supervised probation for a year. Of the eight Loudoun homicide cases during the past three years, six involved family members and two were gang or drug related. Services for Mario Michael Bowles were held Aug. 3. He is survived by his wife Evelyn Bowles; mother Pia Bowles of Florida; and sisters Francesca Bowles and Daniela Perez. The family requested that memorial contributions be made to National Alliance on Mental Illness, ifundraise.nami.org, or to the Lucketts Volunteer Fire Department, 42367 Lucketts Road, Leesburg, VA 20176. nstyer@loudounnow.com

INDEX Loudoun Gov..................... 4 Politics ............................ 7 Leesburg .......................... 8 Public Safety .................. 12 Education ....................... 14 Biz ................................. 20 Sports ............................ 24 Nonprofits ...................... 26 Our Towns ...................... 28 LoCo Living .................... 32 Public Notices ................ 40 Classifieds ..................... 40 Opinion .......................... 44

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The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office conducted a A Leesburg-area man has homicide investigation in cobeen charged with first-deoperation with the arson ingree murder following the vestigation being completed investigation of the body by the Loudoun County Fire that was discovered inside a Marshal’s Office. The victim burned home on Steed Hill was positively identified by the Lane last month. Office of the Medical ExaminMichael F. Bowles, 20, er last Monday. was arrested last Tuesday in Bowles is being held at Bowles Fairfax County. InvestigaLoudoun County Detention tors say he shot and killed Center. He is scheduled to aphis father, Mario M. Bowles, 52, and pear in Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic then set the house on fire. Relations Court for a preliminary hearThe fire was discovered shortly after ing on Sept. 27. If the judge finds prob5 p.m. July 25 when a passerby reported able cause to pursue the case, it would seeing smoke in the area. Crews worked likely move to a grand jury for a formal through the night to completely extin- indictment to the Circuit Court. guish the fire. The next day investigaBowles has made headlines before. tors were able to search what remained In October 2014, he was charged with of the home. At about 1 p.m., they dis- animal cruelty, for stabbing the family’s covered a body inside the residence. American bulldog in the neck with a

BY NORMAN K. STYER

lmost two years to the day after the regional Heroin Operations Team of local, state, and federal law enforcement and other government agencies was announced at the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office, some of those same leaders were back in the same room on Tuesday. They were organized by Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10) and joined by Lawrence “Chip” Muir, member of the Trump transition team and general counsel and acting chief of staff at the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy. They were also joined by Nick Yacoub, an addict who is now nine years clean; and Ginny Lovitt, co-founder of the Chris Atwood Foundation. That foundation is named after her brother, who died of a heroin overdose in 2013, and works to provide recovery resources and support for families affected by addiction. The conversation focused on working across agencies and the region to

better combat the heroin epidemic and the disease of addiction. Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office Major Richard Fiano said much of the heroin in Loudoun is sold from outside the county, through Baltimore and DC. And it finds its way into the bodies of people of every age, starting with prescription drugs among people in their mid-teens. “Our average age of our heroin overdose is around 30 years old,” Fiano said. “We see them from 20 all the way to around 52. Most of them say they started with some kind of prescription drugs around 15 or 16 years old.” It can affect anyone—Leesburg Chief of Police Greg Brown gave the example of a chief of police in New Jersey who wound up addicted to heroin and homeless. But there are still gaps in the treatment available in Loudoun, said Philip Erickson, the Substance Abuse Program Manager at the Loudoun Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services. “We don’t have a detox or residential treatment program in this coun-

Council weighs how to beautify Leesburg

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Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Regional law enforcement, county and federal government agencies, and community organizations gather for a roundtable discussion on cooperating against the heroin epidemic.

Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

Republican challenges Comstock

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Loudoun Leaders Propose Way Out of Metro Funding Hole BY RENSS GREENE Metro is more than a little short on cash for maintenance and construction—to the tune of about $15.6 billion over the next 10 years. Loudoun County supervisors have joined a chorus of voices opposing the idea of a regional sales tax to fill that gap, and the idea is considered mostly dead on arrival in Virginia politics. That still leaves the question of how to come up with upwards of $1.5 billion in capital costs every year to get Metro back to a state of good repair. But Loudoun’s leaders think they have a better idea for the various governments contributing to the system anyway. “We, as jurisdictions, if we were to continue on the path that we are currently on, we would be contributing altogether about $900 million into Metro a year,” said Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles). “So the conversation has largely been, how do you fill that roughly $500-600 million gap?” One of the problems is that, because of its funding structure, which depends on budget allocations from a great number of localities and doesn’t guarantee money from one year to the next, Metro cannot issue debt. Most large government organizations issue bonds and other debt to spread out the cost of major infrastructure investments. For example, last year, Loudoun voters overwhelmingly approved issuing nearly $350 million in bonds for schools, parks, roads, fire stations, and other facilities. But Metro would have to cough up

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

County Administrator Tim Hemstreet thinks there may be a much less painful way out of the Metro’s funding problems than a regional sales tax.

that $1.5 billion a year up front. Localities have balked at pouring millions more into Metro. The solution, say Letourneau and Loudoun County Administrator Tim Hemstreet: create an organization that can issue debt. “What we’re trying to do is leverage a portion of those contributions and be able to issue debt off of those contributions, which then gets to the other $600

million that you need to get from $900 million to $1.5 billion,” Hemstreet said. A service contract would be drawn up among all the governments that pay into Metro except the federal government: DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Northern Virginia’s rail counties. That organization would have a credit rating based on the ratings of its member jurisdictions, which Loudoun leaders say could be AA+. The federal government

would be assumed to still pay as it goes. The service contract would let Metro issue debt. But while the service contract’s credit rating would be based on the jurisdictions’ credit ratings, as long as Loudoun meets its obligations, its credit rating is not expected to be impacted if Metro goes bankrupt or defaults on METRO FUNDING >> 5

Supervisors Finally Finalize Temporary Sign Rules BY RENSS GREENE County supervisors have finalized the new rules for temporary political signs, just as campaign signs begin to dot Loudoun for November’s elections. The new rule: As many signs as you want, up to 32 square feet each, for up to 120 days. That means if the last day a sign is up is election day, Nov. 7, signs can have been up since July 10, before the new ordinances were adopted. To put up a sign, a permit must have been obtained from the county zoning administrator. The county’s long-standing rules for temporary yard signs had been effectively moot since a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling struck down a similar ordinance in Arizona. The court ruled that governments could not place different restrictions on signs based on their content—such as putting different restrictions on campaign signs than other types. A 2012 opinion by the Virginia Attorney General’s office had already reached the same conclusion. Previously, temporary signs had been limited to no more than four square feet in size. The county has been working on a solution since April of 2016. Originally, supervisors had planned to pass a new ordinance in time for the 2016 election.

Loudoun Now/File Photo

Campaign signs greet voters at the polls in November.

They ended up adopting the new rules more than a year later, on July 20. County staff members had recommended limiting the number of signs and total square footage of all signs on a property. Supervisors voted unanimously not to limit the number or total square footage of temporary signs on a property, only limiting the size

of any one sign to 32 square feet. But some supervisors nonetheless had some hesitations. Supervisor Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn), in particular, worried

SIGN RULES >> 6

National Beer Writers Conference Coming to Loudoun in 2018

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beer destinations including Asheville, NC; Boulder, CO; Milwaukee; Portland; and San Diego. “Loudoun’s craft beer industry is one of the strongest in the state and we are honored organizers recognize Loudoun and Virginia’s important and growing role in the craft beer tourism industry,” said Visit Loudoun President and CEO Beth Erickson. Virginia now boasts more than 215 breweries. According to the governor’s office, in 2016, the industry employed more than 28,000 people in production, distribution, and retail, contributing nearly $1 billion in state and local taxes. An economic impact study showed the industry contributes more 8/2/17 10:37 AM than $9.34 billion to the economy annually.

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its debts. The debt Metro issues would not be considered indebtedness by the contributing jurisdictions. Letourneau compared the service contract to a regional jail. He said it’s “something that’s been used before, albeit not quite at this scale.” “The beauty of this approach is that it’s very elastic, so we would not disagree with those who would say that the state needs to contribute more money or the federal government needs to contribute more money,” he said. “If those things happen, then it would only reduce the amount that

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Governor Terry McAuliffe announced Tuesday that Loudoun County will host the 2018 Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference, the preeminent gathering of influential beer industry bloggers, writers, and social media specialists involved. Beer industry leaders from across the country will travel here during Virginia Craft Beer Month next August. It will be the second conference brought to the commonwealth and Loudoun County by Zephyr Conferences; the first was the 2015 Wine Tourism Conference. “Zephyr’s decision to select Virginia and Loudoun County to host the 2018 Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference is another clear indicator that the Commonwealth is a national beer industry leader,” McAuliffe said. “The economic impact of beer in Virginia contributes over a billion dollars and thousands of jobs throughout the production, distribution, and retail industries. This conference offers a wonderful opportunity to showcase our award-winning breweries and their world-class products they make using high-quality Virginia-grown ingredients.” In its ninth year, the national Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference is expected to attract more than 150 attendees from throughout North America, including media and beer industry 8.10.17 Avie LN conferences HalfPg (Halo).pdf members. Previous have1 taken place in nationally recognized

Metro funding

the jurisdictions would have to do.” And unlike a sales tax—which would put about half the burden of the extra funding on Virginia alone— the service contract splits the burden about evenly among Virginia, Maryland, and DC, based on what they’re already contributing. The county has already reviewed the strategy with a financial advisor and the county attorney. The solution is short term. After 10 or 12 years, either localities have to start putting in more than they plan to right now, or another source of funding will have to be found.

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Sign rules << FROM 4 that allowing an unlimited number of signs would have “a lot of unintended consequences.” Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg), who sits on the Transportation and Land Use Committee that drafted the new rules, said she “can only imagine the absolute fury that [a] voter would feel at having his or her first amendment rights curtailed” by limiting the number of signs allowed on their property. “People don’t have to be reasonable in their enthusiasm for political causes or political candidates,” Umstattd said. “This is actually less about a political candidate’s right to have signs than it is about an individual voter expressing his or her First Amendment rights.” Supervisors’ own experiences with political signs during campaigns—and with taking them down afterward— often informed the debate over the months they discussed the signs. “I think we are confusing the law with common sense,” said County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large). “Most voters don’t know that there’s been any ordinance whatsoever about political signs all this time anyway.” She said it’s unlikely changing the county ordinance will cause Loudouners to “blanket their yards with signs.” “I think they’re going to, quite frankly, behave as they’ve been behaving all these years,” Randall said. Supervisor Suzanne M. Volpe (R-Algonkian), who chairs the committee,

cut short her closing remarks, quipping: “in the hopes that this indeed is our final foray in this, and that there won’t be a tenth meeting, no long closing.” Supervisor Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run), calling into the meeting from a business trip to Las Vegas, chose the occasion to launch a tiff with county staff, complaining about the inclusion and order of possible motions in the packet supervisors received for the meeting. Staff members had placed the same recommendation in both the Transportation and Land Use Committee’s meeting packet and the full board’s packet, which would limit the total number and area of signs on a property. Meyer serves on the land use committee “Your job is to provide the staff ’s recommendation at TLUC,” Meyer said. “To then reiterate it in this item sort of sends a message that staff disagrees with what the board has instructed in this item, and really staff ’s job is to follow what the majority consensus is on the corporate body,” Meyer said. He said listing the staff recommendation isn’t “a particularly respectful message to send to TLUC.” Meyer also complained that the staff-recommended motion was listed first, immediately before the motion unanimously recommended by the land use committee. Planning and Zoning Director Ricky Barker and County Administrator Tim Hemstreet defended the county staff ’s policy to provide their professional advice to supervisors. “We most definitely are here to sup-

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A Big Lift Work on the Silver Line reached another milestone with the installation of the pedestrian bridge that will provide access the Innovation Center Station at Loudoun’s eastern boundary. Above, a 400-ton crane is used to set the span in place over the eastbound Dulles Toll Road.

port you whichever way you want to go, but we also want to provide you our professional recommendations and explain why,” Barker said. “As staff, we believe it’s our obligation to provide a professional recommendation,” Hemstreet said. “We definitely always defer to the board—the

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board should do whatever it feels is the appropriate thing to do—however, we will always provide a professional recommendation that we believe in as objective advice to the Board of Supervisors.” rgreene@loudounnow.com

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ment leaders is vital to your business success, then take advantage of this valuable opportunity to network with the candidates seeking to represent Loudoun County in the Virginia General Assembly, as well as other regional business and political leaders,” according to a statement from the Loudoun Chamber. “Attendees will have the opportunity to engage the candidates directly in a series of small roundtable sessions focused on the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce’s 2017 Public Policy Agenda.”

The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce will hold a forum for candidates running for local House of Delegates seats. The forum is planned for 7:3010 a.m. Friday, Sept. 15, at the Belmont Country Club in Ashburn. Loudoun County includes seven state House districts, the 10th, 33rd, 32nd, 34th, 67th, 86th, and 87th. Every incumbent delegate that represents Loudoun in Richmond faces a challenger in the Nov. 7 election. All 14 have been invited to participate. “If access to political and govern-

A still from Shak Hill’s video announcement of his campaign to challenge Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10).

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10), who faces multiple challengers from Democrats who see her as vulnerable in 2018, now faces a primary challenge from her own party. Decorated U.S. Air Force combat veteran Shak Hill has announced he will run against Comstock. “Washington continues to break promises, promises made yet broken, especially by Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, who has voted on key issues more like a Democrat than like a Republican,” Hill said in a video announcing his candidacy. In announcing, he focused particular attention on the House of Representatives’ vote for the American Health Care Act, an attempt to roll back the Medicaid expansion and many of the protections under President Barack Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act. Comstock was an 11th-hour no vote on that bill. “My goals on healthcare reform are to provide patient-centered reforms that provide better access to high quality, affordable care and covers preexisting conditions without lifetime limits,” Comstock stated. “I did not support the AHCA today because the many uncertainties in achieving those goals.” House Republicans called a vote on the ACHA before the Congressional Budget Office released calculations of its impact on insurance rates and costs. In his video, Hill aligned himself with President Donald J. Trump. “I agree with the president on his conservative initiatives, and Barbara has been a major obstacle, and quite frankly an embarrassing distraction,” Hill said. “I will help move the president’s agenda forward.” Hill graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, served in the U.S. Air Force, and worked as a certified financial planner. He is now publisher of Guiding Light Books LLC and owner of Guiding Light University LLC. According to his website, his agenda includes replacing the Affordable Care Act; controlling spending and reducing the national debt; restricting access to abortion; and defending the right to bear arms.

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Mayor Kelly Burk and businessman Michael O’Connor pose on King Street with members of Morven Park’s Saturday night polo team.

A Polo Pose

Polo players Juan Salinas-Bentley and Doug Barnes trotted down King Street during last week’s First Friday events to call attention to the Saturday night matches that debuted at Morven Park this summer. Promoters worked with Mayor Kelly Burk, the town parks staff and police to close the downtown thoroughfare for a few minutes for photo ops. The summer series wraps up Aug. 26. For details, go to morvenpark.org/programs/polo-in-the-park.html.

Council Balks at Historic District Expansion BY NORMAN K. STYER The Leesburg Town Council on Monday got a detailed briefing on the proposal to expand architectural controls and, while there was agreement on the goal of making town look better overall, questions remain about the best strategy to accomplish that. The proposals emerged from a study committee with members of the Planning Commission and Board of Architectural Review. The goal was to improve or eliminate the town’s H-2 historic district overlay zone. Adopted in the early 1990s, the H-2 was designed to set higher architectural design standards for development on the corridors leading into downtown. Town leaders generally agree the regulations have been ineffective. The committee recommended replacing the H-2 with a new Gateway Overlay District that would have improved design standards and be applied to commercial structures along all town gateway routes, not just Market and King streets. The panel is also recommended expanding the downtown Old and Historic District, known

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Councilman Ken Reid spoke against expanding Leesburg’s historic district to include homes along Edwards Ferry Road.

as the H-1 district, to include homes along Edwards Ferry Road. During the council’s review, a majority agreed to pursue replacement of the H-2, although it wasn’t clear that the proposed Gateway Overlay would find support.

Councilman Tom Dunn made a case for pressing for improved designs for shopping centers and other commercial buildings by using form-base zoning code rather than a zoning overlay HISTORIC >> 10

Almost weekly for the past two months a volunteer committee of town business leaders has been meeting to examine ways to improve Leesburg’s economic development strategies. On Monday, the panel’s leaders gave an update of their work to the Town Council. For an hour, commission Chairwoman Sharon Babbin was grilled on aspects of the panel’s work. Council members questioned the committee’s vote to make comments on changes to the town’s historic districts that were recommended by another town panel, criticized the lack of use of a facilitator hired to aid the committee, and complained that the group was spending too much time on zoning issues. Babbin, often joined by committee member Brett Burk, refuted the criticisms, saying council members misunderstood the panel’s work plan. The group has until October to make recommendations to the council that could be used to update the economic development section of the Town Plan. So far, the group has been meeting weekly to hear from panels of representatives from specific industries and other localities. Babbin said the fact-finding phase would continue for another month, then the panel would begin fleshing out recommendations. The panel has had roundtables with commercial landlords and developers, and has been briefed on town parking concerns and public-private partnership regulations. Several council members questioned the committee’s use—or lack of use—of a facilitator hired on a $25,000 contract. When some said that Babbin appeared to be taking too much control of the meetings, the chairwoman said she has worked to keep sessions running efficiently and to reserve the facilitator’s limited contract time for the panel’s policy development and reporting stages. Councilman Marty Martinez, who serves on the committee along with Councilman Ron Campbell, was among those criticizing the group’s use of the facilitator and focus on regulatory issues. Campbell, however, strongly defended the panel’s work. “If this council wants to micromanage this program, I think it would be a big mistake,” he said. “I think the outcome will justify the process. … We need to support this group to its conclusion.” This week, the committee was scheduled to meet with representatives from other jurisdictions, including Arlington and Frederick, MD. Future panel discussions include Main Street programs, restaurants and workforce housing.

[ BRIEFS ]

Food Truck Violations Citations Coming

Leesburg Debuts Walking Tour App Visitors to downtown Leesburg can now get a history lesson on a leisurely stroll. The town formally debuted its walking tour app, Tour Leesburg, during Tuesday’s Town Council. The app can be downloaded on a smartphone via Google Play or Apple Store. Viewers may follow along on the smartphone as it guides them from site to site on a walking tour, or can even turn on the GeoAlerts feature which will alert them to when they happen to be near a site on the tour. The tour is narrated by Brian Boucher, a history enthusiast as well as the town’s deputy director of planning and zoning. Currently one tour is live on the app and features the highlights of historical Leesburg. Eleven sites are included on BRIEFS >> 10

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The Town Council has been discussing whether to modify regulations that prohibit food truck operations downtown, but has made no changes to this point. Meanwhile, some businesses, including the town’s micro-breweries, have been inviting food trucks to serve their clientele on private property. That’s still a no-no. On Monday, Town Manager Kia Dentler asked the council whether he

should delay enforcement of the regulations. Council members agreed to discuss the issue, but not until their Sept. 11 work session. That means those businesses will be receiving formal zoning violation notices from the town in the coming weeks. “If I don’t enforce it, I’m going to be criticized,” Dentler said. “If I do enforce it I’m going to be criticized.”

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Last week’s First Friday events featured for the first time a closure of King Street, although only for a few minutes as part of a promotion for Morven Park’s polo program. That might be a part of the future. Council member Hugh Forsythe this week suggested the town consider closing the block of King Street between Loudoun and Market streets during monthly events. “It’s not just of economics, to get everyone out,” he said. “It’s for safety also. That area right there, people walk right out in front of cars. My daughter almost hit somebody and she’s a pretty good driver.” Forsythe asked the council to discuss the options with an eye to closing the block during October’s event.

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Historic << FROM 8 district. He said that past efforts by the town have focused too narrowly on controlling details of development rather than setting design standards and letting property owners find creative ways to achieve them. The council strongly supported the committee’s recommendation to invest in streetscape improvements at the town’s gateway entrances, with only Councilmen Marty Martinez abstaining from the endorsement vote. The projects could be added to the town’s Capital Improvement Program, although Planning Commission Vice Chairwoman Gigi Robinson suggested working with students in the school system’s vo-tech classes to build benches and other features.. Only the panel’s H-1 recommendations failed to find council support during Monday’s session. Council members discussed options to reach out to the 71 Edwards Ferry Road homeowners to gauge their interest in voluntarily adding their land to the historic district. The Town Charter does not permit the government to add land to the district without residents’ consent. Committee members and Planning Director Susan Berry-Hill acknowledged they have no information on whether the residents support the proposal, which could offer tax credits for some property renovations as well as

to prevent homes from being knocked down to make way for higher-density development. After debating whether to hold community information sessions or to conduct door-to-door surveys to gather input, only two council members supported moving ahead with the proposal. “I don’t think I want to tell 71 people that they are suddenly going to be in the H-1 district. Edwards Ferry Road is fine as it is,” Councilman Ken Reid said. Town staff members and committee members said it was important to push for better designs. “If your image of Leesburg is that corporate branding is the brand we want in Leesburg, that’s fine. That is your prerogative,” said Brian Boucher, the deputy director of Planning and Zoning. He shared the story of a recent plane trip when he sat near an Ashburn resident who said she didn’t like to visit Leesburg. “It’s sort of ugly and it looks sort of like nobody cares,” Boucher recalled her saying, presumably about the town’s East Market Street approach to the downtown historic district. “I feel like we are on the cusp of something wonderful,” BAR member Teresa Minchew said, urging the council to pursue a long-term vision for the gateway corridors. The council was scheduled to adopt a formal resolution setting its direction its meeting Tuesday night. nstyer@loudounnow.com

[ BRIEFS ] << FROM 9 the tour, which involves about a mile of walking. These include the John Janney House, Harrison Hall, and Market Station. The app also has information for visitors on the locations of public restrooms, parking, and other important locations downtown. The content for the app was put together by Karleen Kovalcik, who has been interning at the Thomas Balch Library this summer. Kovalcik graduated in May with a master’s degree in public history and a graduate certificate in cultural resource management. She

will begin a job as the executive site manager of the Weems-Botts Museum in Dumfries this month. Kovalcik has also been working on a black history tour, which will go live later. The town also has options to add other thematic tours to the app, with Deputy Town Manager Keith Markel citing architecture and Civil War history as possibilities. Markel said the subscription service for the tour costs the town about $300 per month, with some initial set-up costs. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

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The town unveiled its walking tour app this week.

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Since then, her organization has worked to make naloxone available to more people. On Feb. 23, the fourth anniversary of Atwood’s death, Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed a law that allows organizations like the Chris Atwood Foundation to dispense naloxone. Since then, the foundation has turned its attention toward shelters, tent communities, emergency rooms, jails, and other places where people who suffer addiction can wind up. Nick Yacoub, who says he is in longterm recovery from substance abuse disorder, said there is still more to do. “Coordination is amazing, but I think we need to address stigma specifically,” he said. Many people who are addicted are too ashamed to seek help. And, he said, it could help to follow an example set by a police department in North Carolina. People there can come the police department and turn in their drugs and paraphernalia with no fear of arrest, instead being referred to treatment. “That is an initiative that I think would be very beneficial to people in recovery, people new to recovery, in Northern Virginia, as well as the rest of the nation,” Yacoub said. Comstock said she’s seen a “sea change” in that direction from both parties, steering people with addiction into the recovery instead of jail. Yacoub said the event signaled positive change.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Loudoun County Sheriff Michael Chapman, Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10), and federal Office of National Drug Control Policy acting Chief of Staff Lawrence “Chip” Muir talk at a roundtable discussion of law enforcement and government and community organizations Tuesday.

“I’m just an everyday person who’s in recovery,” Yacoub said. “That, to me, speaks volumes to be invited to the table to talk about what my personal community is doing.” And Comstock said support for addiction recovery has to become pervasive in society, following the example of human trafficking posters at truck stops or domestic abuse flyers at churches. “We just need to sort of make it in the water,” Comstock said. “And have us all be a part of the web [of support].” The meeting was also attended by representatives from the DEA, Virginia State Police, and Inova Loudoun Hospital.

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to spread the message that public art brings economic prosperity to the community by attracting the public to local businesses.” She thanked the Sagetopia staff; Lowe’s of Leesburg, who donated paint supplies; and members of FOLPA and the Leesburg Commission on Public Art for their support throughout the project. —Danielle Nadler

<< FROM 3

Designers from Sagetopia gather with members of the Friends of Leesburg Public Arts, Mayor Kelly Burk and Councilman Marty Martinez in front of the Discover the Charm mural.

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Leesburg’s newest piece of public art was dedicated during a ceremony Saturday. The “Discover the Charm” mural, located adjacent to the Liberty Street parking lot, was created by Sagetopia, a Leesburg-based graphic design agency, with the help of the Friends of Leesburg Public Arts. The team at Sagetopia, which moved to the town’s Arts and Cultural District in 2015, created and painted the mural as a token of their gratitude for the opportunity to be involved with the district. The 25-feet-by-18-feet mural was inspired by many unique aspects of historic Leesburg, and includes depictions of the Fourth of July fireworks at Ida Lee Park; the W&OD Trail; musical scenes from First Friday and the Tally Ho Theatre; local restaurants and shops on King Street; the Shocktoberfest haunted house at Paxton Manor; and more. “Leesburg is filled with many charming landmarks and activities that locals and visitors love to visit. We captured the most prominent pieces in downtown Leesburg in the illustration,” said Karli Mowrey, the illustrator and designer of the mural. “The purpose of the mural is to inspire the public to explore the Town of Leesburg,” Sung Hee Kim, the founder and Creative Director of Sagetopia, said. “As we were working on the mural, people would stop and express excitement when they found their favorite local landmarks in the artwork. We want

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[ PUBLIC SAFETY ]

National Night Out Brings Cops, Community Together BY RENSS GREENE Law enforcement agencies across Loudoun and the nation spent an evening meeting their neighbors for National Night Out last Tuesday. National Night Out is an annual campaign promoting police-community relationships and awareness of police programs such as drug prevention and neighborhood watch. According to the National Association of Town Watch, which created National Night Out in 1984, millions of people take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities in all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide. The event is meant to bring police together with their communities under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, and police equipment on display. In Loudoun, the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office hosted activities in seven places across Loudoun, including Martin’s Chase, the Reserve at Tall Cedars, South Riding Proprietary, Ashburn Village, Pembrooke of Loudoun, Central Parke at Lowes Island, and together with the Purcellville Police Department. The Leesburg Police Department hosted activities in two neighborhoods. The main site for festivities in Leesburg was the Loudoun Hills neighborhood on Meadows Lane NE. Hosted by the Loudoun Hills Homeowners Association, the evening included children’s activities and police equipment displays. Loudoun Hunger Relief was also there distributing non-perishable food and information about their programs. In the Sycamore Hills neighborhood, activities included a moon bounce, refreshments and demonstrations by CVR Martial Arts and the School of Rock. Leesburg’s National Night Out was sponsored by Ashburn Rentals, Atomic Trampoline, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chick-Fil-A, Costco, CVR Martial Arts, Kohls, Leesburg Animal Park, Manhattan Pizza, School of Rock, Subway, Target and Wegmans. rgreene@loudounnow.com

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Officer Sam Shenouda signs a coupon for a free Slurpee from 7-Eleven for a young attendee at National Night Out.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Kids at National Night Out in Leesburg get a train ride—after officers make sure everyone is belted in safely.

[ SAFETY BRIEFS ] Suspect DUI Driver Hits Sterling Home The driver who crashed into a Sterling house Saturday night has been charged with DUI and assault. According to the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office, Remington S. Sabella, 27, of Rockwall, TX, was driving on Linden Court in Sterling Park just before 11 p.m. Aug. 5 when he drove into the structure. He was charged with DUI, refusal of breath test, obstruction of justice, and assault and battery on law enforcement. He was released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a personal recognizance bond.

Child Safety Day Planned Saturday The Village at Leesburg will hold the sixth annu-

al Child Safety Day from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12. The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office is holding the event in partnership with the Leesburg Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The free event will include LCSO vehicles, the K-9 unit, a dive truck and boat. Exhibiting agencies include the LCSO, LPD, DEA, the Office of the Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney, Loudoun County Child Advocacy Center, Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter, Loudoun Child Protective Services, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue, the FBI, Inova Pediatrics and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Many of the displays will be aimed at providing information to parents on how to protect their child

from becoming a victim of a crime. Children are invited to “lend a hand in fighting crime” by dipping their hands in non-toxic, washable paint and placing their handprints on a sheriff ’s office car. The event will also include live entertainment, a moon bounce and games. Loudoun Sheriff Michael Chapman will also present the fourth Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office Leadership Award during the event. The award honors members of the Loudoun community who display outstanding leadership and make valuable contributions to improve the lives of others. The award will be presented at 1 p.m., and will be followed by a raffle for adults and children.

13 Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

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Children arrive at Evergreen Mill Elementary School. The new school year will bring new bus routes and earlier start times for some students.

Administrators Say New School Year Will Bring Better Bus Service BY DANIELLE NADLER

his week is an important one for administrators tasked with overseeing the school system’s Transportation Department. It’s the week that they find out just how many drivers will return to their post for another school year. Last year at this time, Loudoun was short 89 bus drivers. That had drivers making double runs, meaning they would pick up and drop off one busload of students only to turn around and pick up and drop off a second busload of students. That meant some students were arriving to school late and, in some cases, were on the bus for 90 minutes one way. To address the severe shortage, school leaders have ramped up recruitment efforts, increased pay and benefits, redrawn routes, and even made changes to bell schedules. Among the changes coming with the new school year is a new start time for every high school and Blue Ridge, Harmony, J. L. Simpson and Smart’s Mill middle schools. That move will give the staff more room to adjust routes. “We’ve made strategic changes,” Assistant Superintendent of Support Services Kevin Lewis said. “We’ve used a scalpel, not a hatchet, in making these adjustments.” The update was given to members

of the Student Support and Services Committee last week, ahead of the first day of school Aug. 24. The county will have 535 routes this year—389 regular routes and 146 specialized routes. That requires 598 drivers, considering an average of 63 are absent on any given day. If every person who drove a bus last year returns for this school year, the Transportation Department would still be four drivers short, according to Transportation Director Michael Brown. “The recruitment is going well. I feel good about where we are today, but in a week, we will have a better view of who actually came back,” he said. If attrition rate from previous years is any indication, the school system will be 11 drivers short on the first day of school Aug. 24, he added. The Transportation Department is also looking for School Board approval to apply for funding through Virginia Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program for two projects that would encourage more students to walk to school. The first is to build a pedestrian bridge over Belmont Ridge Road to Briar Woods High School in Ashburn, for an estimated cost between $950,000 and $1.2 million. Students often jaywalk to get to the high school instead of crossing at the Ryan Road intersection. VDOT will likely not approve an at-grade walk lane there be-

THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS STILL IN NEED OF BUS DRIVERS. Pay starts at $19.32 per hour. Learn more at www/lcps.org/page/2092. cause it is a four-lane road, Lewis said, but they may OK a pedestrian bridge. “We think it’s a good idea to solve that problem.” That project would expand Briar Woods’ walk zone, meaning fewer students would receive bus service because they could more easily access the school by foot. The second project would provide a trail or sidewalk along the west side of Tripleseven Road to Countryside Elementary School, for a cost of between $300,000 and $450,000. The trail or sidewalk would connect to the network of sidewalks between Cromwell Road and the trail to the northwest of Heather Glen Road. If that project is approved, it would mean at least 56 students who receive bus service now could walk to school. The application to request money from the Safe Routes to School program must get the green light from School Board and Board of Supervisors. A resolution will go to both the boards for approval within the next two months. The projects are the latest in a divi-

sion-wide effort to encourage more students to walk or ride bikes to school. School leaders have worked to find funding to improve crosswalks and provide more bike lanes to gradually increase walk zones, to cut down on transportation costs and reduce the number of parents driving their kids to school. Most elementary students living within 1 mile of their school do not get bus service, and most middle and high school students living within 1.25 miles of their schools do not receive bus service. Lewis and Brown thanked the School Board for backing their efforts to increase the number of students who walk and to recruit and retain bus drivers. “We’re on our way to solving this problem,” Brown said. They also introduced the new coordinator of outreach and communication for the Transportation Department, Ed Breslauer. “Oh, we need you,” School Board member Debbie Rose (Algonkian) told Breslauer. Rose, who chairs the Student Support and Services Committee, said that she received a lot of calls from upset families at the start of last school year. They called about longer-than-ever rides and even students forgotten at bus stops. “I’d like to have less feedback in the first couple weeks of school on this issue.” dnadler@loudounnow.com

[ SCHOOL NOTES ]

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Rock Ridge High School’s production of “Ghost the Musical” won five awards in the 2017 National Youth Arts competition.

Loudoun School Plays Win National Art Awards The work of drama departments at five Loudoun County public schools was recognized with awards from the 2017 National Youth Arts competition. Rock Ridge High School, Loudoun County High School, Woodgrove High School, Blue Ridge Middle School, and Smart’s Mill Middle School all recently learned that they won awards for their productions. The 12th Annual National Youth Arts Awards honors outstand-

ing work by youth in the arts. This year, more than 550 productions were considered for the awards, including shows from more 200 different members in 16 states. The award winners were selected from nominations by a panel of more than 50 judges and reviewers. Rock Ridge High School’s production of “Ghost the Musical” won awards for: outstanding production, outstanding lead actress in a musical (Crystal Claros as Molly Jensen), outstanding SCHOOL NOTES >> 16

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lead actor in a musical (Seth Cooper as Sam Wheat), outstanding light design and outstanding set design. Rock Ridge also took home awards for its production of “Tarzan” for outstanding lead actor in a musical (Mo Prasad as Tarzan), outstanding lead actress in a musical (Lauren Janoschka as Kala and Abbie Khuu as Jane), outstanding supporting actor in a musical (Kevin Lacey as Kerchak), outstanding ensemble, outstanding costume design (Lauren Janoschka), outstanding light design (Hannah Kane), outstanding student orchestra, and outstanding direction (Tony Cimino-Johnson). Loudoun County High School’s production of “Bye Bye Birdie” won for an award for outstanding lead actor in a musical (Brody Brown as Albert Peterson), outstanding lead actress in a musical (Zoe Dean as Rose Alvarez), outstanding supporting actress in a musical (Caroline Kinney as Mrs. MacAfee), outstanding featured actress in a musical (Taryn Smithson as Gloria Rasputin), and outstanding ensemble. Woodgrove High School’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” was recognized with awards for outstanding lead actress in a musical (Lauren Bogle as Belle), outstanding supporting actor in a musical (Lukas D’Errico as Lumiere and Jonathan Heinze as Gaston), outstanding featured actress in a musical (Georgia Peake as Wardrobe), and outstanding ensemble. Blue Ridge Middle School’s pro-

duction of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” won several awards in the junior division for: outstanding production, outstanding lead actress (Becca Scott as Narrator), outstanding lead actor (Charlie Watts as The Pharaoh and Potiphar), ensemble, set design, choreography (Gretchen West Lamb and Jean Ann Michie), and direction (Dolly Stevens). Smart’s Mill Middle School’s production of “The Addams Family” won several awards in the junior division, including for outstanding lead actor (Riley Steinkirchner as Gomez), outstanding lead actress (Brigid Pellicano as Wednesday and Stephanie Reed as Morticia), outstanding supporting actor (Patrick Hensley as Fester and Cooper Josties as Lucas), outstanding supporting actress (Ellie Mazer as Alice and Olivia Prevost as Alice), outstanding ensemble, and outstanding costume design (Therese Cashen and Maura Cashen). Recipients will receive their awards during a ceremony Sunday at Riverside High School in Leesburg.

CAfE Hosts Community Services Night Community Advocates for Education (CafE) will host its annual Community Services Night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Leesburg Elementary School, 323 Plaza St. in Leesburg. The event will highlight local nonprofit organizations, as well as health care and financial service providers. It

will also include raffle prizes, food and children’s activities. For more information, email communityadvocatesforeducation@gmail. com or call 571-293-2295.

New Preschool Opens in Downtown Leesburg Harrison Street Academy, a new preschool in Leesburg, will host an open house beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12. The parochial school offers STEM and fine arts curriculum with full or half-day options. Harrison Street Academy promotes the development of wholesome values: honesty, integrity, fairness, and caring for others more than self. Its executive director, Judith Snowden, spent her career developing this innovative, preschool concept in three successful schools, according to a press release from the school. Her objective was to create a program that meets the demands of a technologically-savvy community, while still maintaining historically successful, teaching methods for reading and language development. She’s seen success in helping students master foundational skills that will set them up for success in their academic career. The preschool is housed in newly renovated space at 115 Harrison St NE. Find more information at hsacademy.us and email questions to Info@ hsacademy.us.

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PROJECT GRADUATION Stone Bridge High School

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THANK YOU …to the MANY people, businesses and organizations who helped sponsor the Stone Bridge High School (of Ashburn) All Night Project Graduation Celebration which was held in June. The graduates reveled to the theme of “Bulldogs in Paradise” while enjoying upscale games, casino, magic show, caricature artists, video games, and food from local restaurants and donations from families. The new graduates were given a 100% FUN atmosphere in a 100% SUBSTANCE-FREE environment. With the generous support of many, we were successful in keeping our graduates and the community safe on graduation night! Specifically, The Project Graduation Committee would like to recognize the following people and businesses:

Ashburn Art & Framing Ashburn Children’s Dentistry Ashburn Ice House Ashburn Rentals Ashburn Vision Source Blue Ridge Grill Cheers Sports Chick-Fil-A - Ashburn Costco - Sterling Dominos - Ashburn Farm Dulles Golf Dulles Town Center Friends of Tag Greason Fuddruckers Giant - Ashburn Farm Harris Teeter - Ashburn Image 360 Loudoun Ed Foundation Loudoun Elks Lodge 2406 Modern Concepts One Voice Parrando’s Tex Mex Grill Panera - Ashburn Potbelly - Ashburn SBHS Parents, Booster Club, Teachers & Staff Schmitz Sunoco Sport Bounce St. Theresa Twisted Air Balloons

34 Summer School Graduates Join Loudoun’s Class of 2017 A four-letter word was repeated at the high school summer school graduation Friday morning. Grit. Addressing the 34 graduates of Loudoun County’s summer school program, speakers credited the students’ grit to carrying them to this point. “It is my hope that your high school journey—your hard work—helped you find your grit,” said Michelle Derby, principal of Dominion High School’s summer school. “Helped you reach deep to find the commitment, the motivation and the endurance that are so important not just to get through school but to propel you to reach your life-long goals.” High school seniors who fell short of the required credits to graduate in early June, but successfully completed the needed courses in summer school, were honored at the commencement ceremony, complete with gowns, tassels, a keynote speaker and all the expected pomp and circumstance. Superintendent Eric Williams described grit as the push to keep going “even when it feels like a force is pushing you backwards.” He read a few lines from a poem by rapper Tupac Shakur about a rose that grew from concrete: “Keepin’ all these dreams. Provin’ nature’s laws wrong. It learned how to walk without havin’ feet. It came from concrete.” “I love this poem because it’s possible in times in life to have that feeling that the challenges you face make it improb-

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Tuscarora High School student Michael Perry Jr. accepts his diploma at Friday’s summer school commencement ceremony.

able to find success. But you’ve reached it,” he said. A few students honored at the ceremony, held at Riverside High School, enrolled in the summer school program to earn credits to graduate a year early. That was the case for Katelyn Chaney. The 17-year-old realized in March that she only had to complete a U.S. History course to graduate from Heritage High School a year ahead of her peers. “I’ve been excited all week,” she said. “And actually I really enjoyed the class.” Her sights are now set on pursuing a pre-law degree. She heads to University of Mary Washington in just two weeks. “I’ve got everything packed already.” But first, she was off to enjoy Chinese food with family. “It sounds funny, but that’s what I’m really initially excited about.” — Danielle Nadler

Aug. 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16, 2017

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[ BIZ ]

[ BIZ NOTES ] Solvitur Systems Lands GSA Contract

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Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Chris Jacques and Elliot Kiemel, brewers at Quattro Goomba’s Brewery near Aldie, take a break to pose for a photo next to beer vats in the new brewery. Jacques is an experienced large-scale brewer that is bringing his know-how to try new things at Quattro Goomba’s Brewery.

Jacques Takes on Small Brewing Big Time at Quattro Goombas BY RENSS GREENE

hris Jacques, the head brewer at Quattro Goomba’s Brewery in Aldie, counts 28 million pints of beer he’s made in his ca-

reer. With 17 years of production under his belt, he might be Loudoun’s most experienced brewer. He comes at the job of running Quattro Goomba’s beer operation from a different direction than most Loudoun brewers. He has never been a home brewer. Instead, he started with larger-scale productions straight out of college, ranging from brew pubs like John Harvard’s Brew House in New England up to 24-hour operations brewing hundreds of barrels of beer at a time. So going to work at farm brewery Quattro Goomba’s is an adjustment. “I had a hard time, because everything on this level is like, your actual senses,” Jacques joked. Here, he said, he has learned to tell by hearing when a pump isn’t running right, or smell that somethings off in the brewery, or tell by looking that a batch of yeast is dead. He was used to working at companies with multi-million-dollar computer equipment taking readings accurate to the nth degree. But he has Elliot Kiemel, a home brewer, there to help. And he said he likes the challenge. “That’s the fun of this level of brewing for me, is the challenge, the consistency,” Jacques said. “The consistent quality in an environment where you don’t have multi-million-dollar equipment. You literally have a microscope if you’re lucky.” But if joining the craft brewing scene has its challenges, it also has its rewards. At a large operation, he said, there’s little room to experiment—if you’re brewing huge vats of beer, you want to know it’s going to come out well. At Quattro Goomba’s, he has three two-barrel tanks that he uses just to experiment. “We’ve had a couple brewers come out to try it out because, unless you’ve

homebrewed, a lot of people in the professional beer world don’t get to play around,” Jacques said. So far, he’s experimented with a saison and an English pale ale. In both cases, he brewed the same beer up to the point that it was time to add the yeast and ferment. Then he split the batches in three and brewed them with three different yeasts—yielding three completely different beers. Once they’re tapped, customers can try them out and taste the differences.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Elliot Kiemel, brewer at Quattro Goomba’s Brewery near Aldie, holds up a 32-ounce crawler can at the new brewery.

Going Goomba Quattro Goomba’s has long been known for its winery and food, bringing Mediterranean-style wine and pizza to Aldie. But when the four owners decided to launch a brewery a couple of years ago, they went all in. “We decided we had the opportunity to open the farm brewery up right next to the winery and really take advantage of the space, and the property, and the buildings,” said co-owner Jay DeCianno. And besides investing in the brewing equipment, including the smaller fermenters for experimenting, being at a winery opens more possibilities for Jacques. He has already begun experimenting with fresh white and red wine

barrels. “A lot of people are just looking for something that they like, this style on regular basis, and then there’s another group that’s looking for different kinds of things all the time,” DeCianno said. “We’re trying to feel that whole industry out. We’re pretty into craft beer.” Bringing on Chris Jacques meant getting an experienced brewer, who had watched the craft beer scene grow up over the course of his career, and who had experience in the kind of homey, relaxed atmosphere at Quattro Goomba’s. “For the most part, we want people to come there and enjoy the place and have a great experience, and that’s what Chris is into,” DeCianno said. Landing at Quattro Goomba’s was almost an accident for Jacques. He met the owners while brewing at Lost Rhino Brewing Company. “They put an ad out in the paper, and it was just some random off-chance, because I wasn’t really looking for a job,” Jacques said. They asked if he knew anyone, but the people he sent them weren’t quite what they were looking for at Quattro Goomba’s. But then Jacques himself got curious about the job, and the rest is history. He’s been brewing on Quattro Goomba’s new equipment since November. “I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so we’ve brewed 16 batches here now, and we’re constantly, constantly rebuilding the brewhouse and tweaking things,” Jacques said. Today, he has more beer than he has room for on the brewhouse taps. And once you have a good recipe, he said, at a small—by his standards— operation like Quattro Goomba’s, the trick is to make it the same way every time. That hearkens back to his years of experience—and to the experimenting he can do now. “For me that’s always been the fun part of working in this small environment, is being a nerd and everything,” Jacques said. “I like the challenge. That’s what I enjoy about brewing.” rgreene@loudounnow.com

Leesburg-based Solvitur Systems has received a five-year U.S. General Services Administration schedule contract award, designating the company as an approved vendor on its IT Schedule 70. “This award broadens our ability to work with federal, state and local agencies, and offers a more streamlined and easier access to our broad range of consulting services,” Managing Director and CEO Ade Odutola said. “We worked hard through the proposal process to demonstrate our management processes, financial stability, past project accomplishments and our experience working collaboratively with clients to solve very challenging problems and help fulfil their mission. I am very proud of this accomplishment by our team.” The information security firm is located in the Mason Enterprise Center in Leesburg and is a designated HUB Zone business. The contract award is effective through July 2022.

Bottling Day at Catoctin Creek Catoctin Creek Distilling Company in Purcellville will conduct a Bottling Day on Saturday, Aug.12, starting at 10 a.m. Volunteers will get a special tour from founders Scott and Becky Harris and then learn how to bottle, cap, seal, and label Roundstone Rye. The program, which includes breakfast is expected to conclude at 11:30 a.m. For details, go to catoctincreekdistilling.com/events.

Deadline Nears for Farm Tour Participants Loudoun farmers are invited to apply to participate in the 2017 Fall Farm Tour. Farms will be promoted by Loudoun Economic Development through printed brochures, newspaper ads and web content that encourages the public to visit participating businesses the third weekend in October. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. Aug. 18. Applications can be found at:biz.loudoun. gov/FarmTourApp. The Fall Farm Tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 2122. It is intended to promote awareness of Loudoun County’s farms, rural businesses and agricultural community. The weekend-long event is also used as a teaching opportunity to inform consumers about BIZ NOTES >> 21

[ BIZ NOTES ]

Autism Therapy Group Launches in Aldie

Homewood Suites by Hilton Leesburg received the 2017 TripAdvisor

ly-equipped kitchens, and separate living and sleeping areas.

Rural Economic Council Seeks New Members The Rural Economic Development Council is seeking candidates to apply to serve two-year terms on the advisory panel. There are six openings on the 31-member council. Four openings are held by members who have expressed BIZ NOTES >> 22

YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

OCTOBER 6–8, 2017 | MORVEN PARK - LEESBURG, VA Join national Yoga Circuit

Andrea Boyd & Jeffrey Cohen of Satsang Yoga Charleston, SC daily for their signature, emotionally charged ‘Born to be Wild’ class! Plus these Loudoun minimum 200 RYT hour Yoga practitioners and many more from Fairfax County and Frederick, MD too!

HISTORIC CLAUDE HONICON 3BR STONE HOME IN OLD TOWN LEESBURG, VA — LOUDOUN COUNTY To Be Sold

Thurs., Aug. 17 3:30 pm

Over 50 Yoga classes, Meditation, Mindfulness, Wellness Discussions, Workshops and more offered concurrently throughout the weekend. Avid student of Yoga or your first time? With nature as your backdrop experience the calm and reconnection so necessary in today’s fast paced lifestyle.

REAL ESTATE AUCTION 227 West Market St, Leesburg, VA 20176 Tour: Sun. Aug. 6 at 1 pm Starting bid - $150,000

Call Brian Damewood Damewood Auctioneers 540.454.2326 vaar680

Nicholls Auction Marketing Group

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Add to your experience by signing up for a session with Healing practitioners in our Wellness Way, then bring home the calm by purchasing at our Harmony Row! Area Wellness providers, interested in a spot in either of these areas? Contact Mindee@NoVaWellnessYogaFestRetreat.com

NoVaWellnessYogaFestRetreat.com | Thus far brought to you by – Bellwood Commons, Leesburg

In memory of young Ryan, we’ve chosen the RyanYOUR Bartel Foundation as our Charity of Record. | www.ryanbartelfoundation.org COMPLIMENTING YOGA PRACTICE.

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Make it an overnight—while we know you love them, don’t head home to the pets, kids, hubby’s and partners—Glamp (it’s a must) or pitch your own tent at nearby, beautiful Camp Highroad—a short 16 minute scenic drive from Morven Park.

So many pick & choose options found on our website’s Register page. Come for a day, two or best of all save and come the entire weekend! Just love music? You can join us each evening for just the music, too - it alone will soothe your mind and soul. Don’t wanna pack a picnic, neither do we so we added on-site healthy and tasty food, some locally sourced, in our full of friends and camaraderie fresh and local food tent, plus more. Don’t delay, Register today and save!

Aldie resident Patricia Bagg has launched Bagg Therapy Group, a home-based therapy group serving children on the autism spectrum. Bagg Therapy Group will provide three types of services: home-based applied behavior analysis therapy; home-based speech therapy; and school-based support and contracting. “Our goal is to combine our creativeness and desire to make a difference with activities that are client-directed to make learning fun and appear effortless. A client’s overall program is designed around his or her strengths and areas of concern while incorporating developmental milestones to help reach peak potential,” Bagg stated. Bagg is a board-certified behavior analyst and licensed behavior analyst. She also holds her American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certification of Clinical Competence and Maryland and Virginia

Leesburg Homewood Suites Awarded by Trip Advisor

Certificate of Excellence. Now in its seventh year, the achievement recognizes hospitality businesses that achieve great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor over the previous year. “With the Certificate of Excellence based on traveler reviews, this recognition is a remarkable vote of confidence in our ability to consistently deliver guests exceptional quality, service and value whether they are with us for one night or an extended stay,” General Manager Jackie Gosses stated. Located at 115 Fort Evans Road, SE, the hotel features 91 suites with ful-

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Speech Language Pathology Licenses. She is a member of the Loudoun County Disability Services Board. The group is also hiring board certified behavior analysts and registered behavior technicians, and encourages interested individuals to apply. For more information, go to baggtherapy.com

Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

Loudoun-grown products. All types of rural businesses are invited to apply. Past Fall Farm Tours have encouraged the public to visit farms and pick their own produce; taste craft beverages and locally produced food; ride or feed farm animals, and enjoy tours, shopping, hay rides and demonstrations. For more information, contact Rural Retention and Marketing Manager Melanie Scoggins at 703-771-5187.

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15% off

Sale with ad

ASPHALT PAVING We are currently paving in your area.

With our crew and equipment close by we are offering prompt service and reasonable rates to all area residents for a short time. Please call immediately if you are interested in having any asphalt paving done this year.

[ BIZ NOTES ] << FROM 21 an interest in reappointment, and two seats are vacant. The vacancies are in these categories: at-large; B&B/rural lodging establishment; horticulture; production agriculture; direct marketing, and professional services. Candidates who are appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve on the REDC will begin their terms in January. The mission of the REDC is to promote the sustainable economic growth and vitality of Loudoun’s agricultural, horticultural, equine and other rural industries Applicants must submit a letter of interest and a résumé to the Board of Supervisors and to the Department of Economic Development by postal mail or email, and also submit an online standard application, by close of business Sept. 8. Learn more at biz. loudoun.gov/redc.

Lothar Rebrands as Business Grows

WE DO: • • • • • •

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• Patchwork • New Homes Gradework • Seal Coating • Basework • Asphalt Millings

Maybe you have a big area you would love to have blacktopped but you can’t afford to page the whole thing right now. We install partial driveways. We can pave an area by your house just big enough to park your vehicles, or we can install as little as one load for you.

Tired of a Dust Bowl in the Summer and a Mud Hole in the Winter?

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Since 2008, Lothar Erbe and June Bush have been providing preservative-free and high quality hand-made German style sausages. They also offer high quality preservative-free meats such as beef, lamb and pork in Erbe’s expert cuts. Because of the expansion of products in their Purcellville store, the couple sought to re-brand the business to reflect its shirt from a gourmet sausage shop to the world-class butcher shop. [Erbe will compete in on the six-member U.S. Team in the World’s Butchers Challenge next spring in Belfast, Ireland.” Graphic designer Stilson Greene assisted in the effort. “I did not want to drastically change the name or the brand, only to enhance it,” Greene said. “By adding one new word and replacing the emphasis we went from Lothar’s Gourmet Sausages to Lothar’s Butchery & Gourmet Sausages. It was a small logistic word play but opens up the business to what it has become over the years. The new logo also reflects the vision of a hand-wrought artisanal butcher shop.” “We are very pleased with our new look”, says June, “and Lothar and I believe it speaks to our clientele. We are committed to quality product— sourced from local producers, then butchered and made into delicious cuts, bacon and sausages by a worldclass master butcher who just happens to be my husband.” Lothar’s Butchery & Gourmet Sausages is located at 860 E. Main Street, Suite A in Purcellville.

LCDC Plans Labor Forum The Loudoun County Democratic

Committee and the Northern Virginia Labor Council are sponsoring an Aug. 22 public forum. The program will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Loudoun School for the Gifted, 44675 Cape Court, Suite 105 in Ashburn. The purpose of the forum is to highlight the contributions by the members of local labor organizations to the support the economy and local quality of life. The forum will include presentations by a panel of local union members, including food workers, teachers, government employees, first responders, and others. The public is invited to attend.

Falcons Landing Receives Audubon Award Falcons Landing was presented the Audubon at Home Award during an Aug. 2 ceremony in the Anniversary Garden. The Audubon at Home program was created to make a difference by supporting the efforts of property owners and managers to become better stewards of nature in your own outdoor spaces. Falcons Landing received the award because of the on-campus wildlife friendly habitat that promotes conservation and is home for a variety of wildlife, from a fox to butterflies.

Waltonwood Ashburn Expands Management Team Waltonwood Ashburn senior living community has added several new members to its team. Mark Frazier is marketing manager, John Harder is director of culinary services, and Rayando “Rudy” Williamson is environmental service manager. The three will play a strategic role in the community, which is under construction with plans to open in the last quarter of 2017. This is the first Waltonwood community in Northern Virginia, and it will offer luxury independent living, assisted living and memory care for seniors. With more than seven years of experience in senior living, Frazier has held various positions leading sales and marketing initiatives in retirement communities and senior services companies, becoming well-known in the industry. Frazier also has spent time volunteering for organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Association and the Parkinson’s Foundation. Harder has more than 12 years of experience supervising and managing culinary operations. He spent his past two years as a chef de cuisine and executive chef in a senior living community, hiring and managing kitchen staff and designing menus on a weekly basis. Before Harder began his career in the senior living field, he worked for 10 years in hospitality in supervisory and management positions. With 20 years of experience in maintenance services, Williamson comes to Ashburn after working six years as a maintenance coordinator at a senior living community in Florida.

[ A LOUDOUN MOMENT ]

23 Aug. 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16, 2017 LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Ken Thomas, of Lovettsville, and his kids, 7-year-old Payton and 5-year-old Finn, stroll through the peach orchards of Great Country Farms on Sunday.

Thousands made their way to the orchards of Great Country Farms over the weekend to take part in its annual Peach Daze Fuzztival. Across the street from the farm, Bluemont Vineyard and Dirt Farm Brewery also joined in the fun, offering peach wine slushies and a som peach craft brew paired with peach barbecue flatbread. A photo essay by Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Visitors enjoyed hay rides out to the peach orchards to pick their own fruit at Great Country Farms.

Peach Daze

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Under Armour, Play to Win Ink Partnership

[[ SSPPOORRTTSS ]]

Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

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The Evergreen Sportsplex has landed another high-profile partner. Under Armour has signed a threeyear, exclusive partnership with Play to Win LLC; the sports management company responsible for the day-today operations for several entities in Northern Virginia, including the Evergreen Sportsplex south of Leesburg. Known for its innovative footwear, apparel and equipment, Under Armor approached the complex in June to increase the brand’s footprint in Northern Virginia.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Juliano Belletti, former Brazilian professional soccer player, greets young players at Evergreen Sportsplex near Leesburg.

Young Loudoun Players Rub Shoulders with Global Soccer Star BY DANIELLE NADLER

bout 100 young soccer fans recently got a high-five from one of their heroes. Former Brazilian professional soccer player Juliano Belletti stopped by Evergreen Sportsplex near Leesburg on July 26 to talk about his career and snap photos with some of his littlest fans. “Nice big jump,” Belletti said to a young player as he leapt to reach his hand for a slap. “Thank you, everybody, for all your support.” The relatively few available spots to attend the meet-and-greet were filled in 90 minutes, and organizers said there were close to 900 players who would have loved to come. Belletti told them, as a kid, he would have never imagined all that his love of soccer would lead to. Since he was 6 years old, all he wanted to do was play soccer. “I want to tell you, nothing is impossible,” he said. Belletti’s visit coincided with the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona at FedEx Field; FC Barcelona came out on top with a final score of 1-0. Belletti played for FC Barcelona from 2004 to 2007 and became an international soccer star after scoring the winning goal in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. It was the only goal Belletti scored with Barcelona, but it secured Barça the Champions League crown. “That was the best moment in my professional career,” he said. “I won a

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

One hundred players with FCBEscola Northern Virginia got a chance to attend a meet-and-greet with former pro Juliano Belletti.

World Cup when I played with Brazil in 2002, but that goal was the best moment. We were in Paris, and my father and my mother were there. All I could do was put my face in my hands.” Evergreen Sportsplex is home to the FCBEscola Northern Virginia. Earlier this year, FC Barcelona—one of the most iconic soccer brands in the world—partnered with Sporting Global to launch the soccer school, now in its first season. FCBEscola Director Franc Carbo told the players, ranging in age from 6 to 16 years old, that the training they are getting here in Loudoun County is the same as the training the professionals get in Barcelona. “It’s a huge opportunity. Learn as much as you can, work hard, and more importantly, meet new friends and have fun.” dnadler@loudounnow.com

The Evergreen Sportsplex is a 44 acre, stateof-the-art facility that features four fully lit over-sized bio-turf fields.

“Under Armour is excited to add Play to Win LLC and Evergreen Sportsplex as a partner program. We look forward to our involvement with their programs and their continued growth and success,” Kyle Nielsen, the firm’s lacrosse sales manager, stated. Evergreen Sportsplex, the 2016 Innovative Business of the Year for Loudoun County, is known for its efforts to incorporate education, health and wellness into it youth athletic programs. “We are excited to partner with Under Armour for their state-of-the-art technology not only in apparel, but their support of our athletes and families,” stated Carolyn Dobson, chief marketing officer of Play to Win LLC and the Evergreen Sportsplex. “We are happy to work with an organization that believes in the same mission and values as we do here at Play to Win and the Evergreen Sportsplex.”

Lower Loudoun Falls Just Short in Little League World Series Bid Lower Loudoun Little League’s junior team’s unprecedented season ended Monday, just short of an appearance in the southeast regional championship game. Competing in Ft. Myers, FL, the team completed a double-header in the elimination round of the tournament. They beat the Tennessee’s state champion 12-2 in the first game, but fell to the hometown Florida champion 7-1 a few hours later. If they had won, they would have faced North Carolina in the final to determine which would compete in the World Series. The team’s roster includes Blain Simonich, Jon McElroy, Shane Reilly, Bryce Edwards, Jackson Lyon, Reiss

Contributed

Lower Loudoun Little League’s junior team ended a winning season Monday.

Phillips, Wesley Ricks, Liam Best, Nolan Levenhagen, Alex Wright, J.T. Turner, Declan McCann, Mario Canestraro and Mike Godek.

25 Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

Cannons Fall to Winchester, Ending Winning Season

—Renss Greene

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Former Purcellville Town Manager Rob Lohr throws out the ceremonial opening pitch at the Purcellville Cannons’ last game of the 2017 season.

Sutera Named Pitcher of the Year

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Thomas Sutera is Valley League Baseball’s Pitcher of the Year.

ra, who also represented the Valley League in the Southern Collegiate Showcase.

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Purcellville Cannons relief pitcher Thomas Sutera has been named Valley League Baseball Pitcher of the Year. Sutera, who attends Siena College, was 6-0 with three saves at a 1.57 ERA in 15 appearances as a reliever. He was also named winning pitcher in the Valley League travelling team’s victory over the Southern Collegiate Baseball League at the Southern Collegiate Showcase in July. In that game, Sutera struck out three, allowing three hits and no runs in three innings. In the regular season, Sutera struck out 39 batters in 34.1 innings, scattering 26 hits and walking 10. He then beat that in the postseason, striking out 11 of the 12 batters he faced in four perfect innings. The Valley League all-league first team also included standout Cannons first baseman Trevin Esquer-

The Purcellville Cannons lost to the Winchester Royals on Aug. 1, ending a season that saw the team leading their division from the beginning. The Royals clenched the three-game postseason series with a 9-4 win, earning a spot in the North Division finals against the Strasburg Express. The Cannons had beaten the Royals in the first game of their matchup, but the Royals responded with back-to-back wins. The Cannons stayed on top of the North Division for almost all of the 2017 season, had four players on the North Division All-Star team, and sent two players to represent the Valley League in the Southern Collegiate Showcase in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The only Valley League team that has won more games this season is the Charlottesville Tom Sox, who are eleven games ahead of their closest rival on the South Division. Former Purcellville Town Manager Rob Lohr threw out the opening pitch, with his son playing catcher.

LOUDOUN NOW | SPORTS |

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Standout Cannons first baseman Trevin Esquerra, who played on both the North Division all-star team and the Valley League’s travelling all-star team at the Southern Collegiate Showcase in July, walks away after Royals outfielder Dillon Reed is called safe at first.

[ NONPROFIT ]

[ NONPROFIT NOTES ] Free Dental Clinic Offered on Aug. 26

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Hope for Tomorrow and Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church will host a free two-day dental clinic. Cleanings, extractions and fillings will be provided, as well as some other services. The clinic will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, 47833 Harry Byrd Highway in Sterling. Families can pre-register and schedule an appointment by visiting the church during its masses, which are at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. and noon Sundays. Appointments are limited and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Families will be asked to provide a government-issued photo ID. For more information, go to hftusa.org, email info@hftusa. org or call 301-963-5079.

WORKING FOR YOU

NOVA Diaper Bank Requests Donations

Disability Services Board Cultivates Hope BY SAMUEL MOORE-SOBEL

isability. It’s an all-encompassing word, one that is used in the parlance of our culture offhandedly as if everyone should know its true definition. Merriam-Webster defines the word as “a physical, mental, cognitive or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with or limits a person’s ability to engage in certain tasks or actions or participate in typical daily activities and interactions.” It may be easy for those of us who do not have a disability to ignore the daily life of someone who does—yet no one’s voice in this world should ever be too low or small to be heard. How many people in America have a disability? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 53 million adults possess a disability in this country—about one out of every five adults. CDC Director Tom Frieden was quoted as saying, “We are all at risk of having a disability at some point in our lifetime.” With the passage of time, our culture and society have become more accepting and accommodating of those within our population who possess different skills and abilities than the mainstream. This evolution in some ways culminated in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. John Meacham’s “Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush” details the passage of this historic legislation. Once the legislative victory was secured, President Bush victoriously declared that the bill helped destroy a “wall, one which has for too many generations separated American with disabilities from the freedom they could glimpse, but not grasp.” Despite such progress, legislation alone is not enough to fill the gap be-

tween services offered and the realities of daily life for persons with disabilities. Local communities are left to grapple with the implications of the complex issues faced by members of the disability community. The Loudoun County Disability Services Board attempts to fill the gap by “identifying and advising on issues of importance to people with disabilities, their families and caregivers.” This input is provided to the Board of Supervisors, county staff and various other business leaders throughout the community. Since the beginning of my term, I have had the honor and privilege of hearing impactful stories, anecdotes that have stuck with me ever since. I have seen first-hand how valuable members of the disability community and their stories are to the fabric of our communities and the rest of the country as a whole. Recently I have been reminded of the importance of stories, not only in raising awareness but even more importantly in cultivating hope. Wendy Melcher, coordinator at McLean Bible Church’s Loudoun Campus, told me a moving story in a recent conversation about a mother who despairs as she watches her child’s soccer games, “knowing that her child with special needs would never have the opportunity to participate in organized sports.” Wendy started a program for special needs kids to play baseball on Saturdays. “Give it a shot,” she told the child’s mother. Melcher’s persistence paid off, as the child began participating. “Mom was ecstatic that she actually got to see her child play an organized sport,” Melcher said. Months later, a co-worker tells me about her special needs daughter, swimming competitively at their local pool. She pulls out her cell phone to play the captured video of a recent event. Her daughter swims with a lot

of heart, pushing herself as hard as she can to reach the finish line. The whole pool continuously cheers as she glides through the water. “It brought me to tears,” my co-worker tells me. An outpouring of support can do much to ease the burdened minds of caring family members. “This is how it should be,” she said. Perhaps participating in organized sports can engender a feeling of normalcy, a common desire repeatedly heard in numerous conversations. At the heart of the matter is a desire to be known for more than possessing a disability. Most want to be seen for all that they are—people with hopes and dreams, fears and shortcomings. Despite the progress achieved, a common theme of desiring to be heard remains. To those who feel unheard, I write in part to tell you that I hear you, the Loudoun County Disability Services Board hears you, and, it is our job to ensure that the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors hears you. My colleagues and I want to continue hearing and sharing your stories, increasing awareness while offering hope to all those residing in Loudoun County and beyond. I invite all readers to join our efforts to maintain a healthy balance between championing legislation and engaging in active storytelling—all while lending an ear to those in our community that deserve to be heard. Samuel Moore-Sobel is a member of the Loudoun County Disability Services Board. Learn more about the board at loudoun.gov/dsb. Working for You is a rotating column providing space for Loudoun’s nonprofit leaders to let readers know what they do and how they can help the cause. To participate in the program, email editor@loudounnow.com.

The NOVA Diaper Bank is in critical need of diapers and is asking for donations. Diapers in sizes 3, 4, 5 and 6 are especially needed. Donations can be dropped off at 23077 Red Admiral Place in Ashburn. Babies in low-income households can spend a day or more in a single diaper. NOVA Diaper Bank wants to provide diapers to families who cannot afford the cost, which can be as much as $100 a month. The organization’s goal is to collect 9,000 diapers by the end of September. Learn more about the NOVA Diaper Bank by visiting Facebook.com/novadiaperbank.

Oatlands Historic House and Gardens

Oatlands Receives Grant for Slavery Study Oatlands Historic House and Gardens has been awarded a $20,000 Interpretation and Education Fund grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, made possible by a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grant will be used NONPROFIT NEWS >> 27

[ NONPROFIT NOTES ]

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Club Hosts Backpack Stuffing Event The Rotary Club of Ashburn is asking for volunteers to help fill 1,200 backpacks with donated supplies for students in Loudoun and Fairfax counties. The Aug. 10 event will be held in the boardroom at the Loudoun County Public School Building at 21000 Education Court. Together with Costco Leesburg and shoppers of area Giant stores, the Rotary Club of Ashburn have collected composition books, baby wipes, pencils, glue sticks, spiral notebooks, tissue, color pencils, yellow highlighters, dry erasers, scissors, and other supplies. In 2014, the Rotary Club donated 30 backpacks. In 2015, it collected and donated 200 backpacks, and in 2016 the club collected and donated 600. This year’s efforts doubles last year’s.

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to study the cultural landscape of slavery at Oatlands. Once home to the largest enslaved community in Loudoun County, the buildings and landscape at Oatlands were interconnected to the lives of the enslaved people who lived and labored there. Much of the original plantation layout is still intact, and it was designed by George Carter of the Virginia family dynasty to specifically express his wealth and place in society and to maximize functionality within the slave plantation system. Similar studies have been done in the Chesapeake, Tidewater, and lower Piedmont areas, but this is believed to be the first large-scale analysis in Northern Virginia. A summit scheduled for November that will bring together experts from multiple disciplines to analyze the cultural landscape, identify locations high in probability for additional slave dwellings, and prioritize locations and topics for research and archaeological work. Their work will be compiled into a historic cultural landscape report that will guide future research, archaeology, interpretation, preservation, and programs at Oatlands. “Our mission is to tell the whole story of Oatlands,” Executive Director Bonnie LePard stated. “This cultural landscape of slavery study is an opportunity to learn more about the hard

life and work of people once enslaved here.” The grant project furthers the work of Oatlands’ Reclaim Your Story initiative to research and document the enslaved community, locate descendants, interpret slavery, and educate the public about African American history in Loudoun County. To learn more about the enslaved community at Oatlands, go to www.oatlands.org/slavery.

Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

<< FROM 26

[ OUR TOWNS ]

Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

loudounnow.com

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

New caption please.

Retired Couple Finds Flower Farming Grows on Them BY ALICIA SHEPARD at and Patty Craley knew nothing about growing flowers when they bought Fields of Flowers farm on Allder School Road near Purcellville. But the retired couple has learned a lot about raising perennials, running a business, challenging Mother Nature and battling beetles since buying the 5-acre farm in October 2013. As new farmers, they are experiencing a dramatically different lifestyle from the hectic pace of an earlier life working and raising kids in McLean and Falls Church. “Deer, rabbits, foxes, groundhogs, skunks and geese all challenge our ability to be successful flower growers,” said Nat Craley, a retired business development manager. “We are operating as an organic farm, choosing not to use chemicals to combat various bugs and other pests. The weather, of course, never ceases to remind us who is really in charge.” Like many couples on the verge of retirement, the Craleys had been toying with several ideas about how to spend their golden years, including keeping bees and growing flowers on a weekend farm they owned near Gettysburg, PA, to be closer to Nat’s family. But as his family dispersed, it became clear this would not be their re-

Fields of Flowers Farm

37879 Allder School Road, Purcellville HOURS: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily CONTACT: 540-338-7231, on Facebook, or loudounfieldsofflowers.com Visitors choose a container size, ranging in price from $10 to $30, and pick their own flowers. The season begins in mid-May and ends with the first frost. Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Fields of Flowers near Purcellville is a pick-your-own-flowers farm open from May to the first frost of the year.

tirement haven. They sold the Gettysburg property and discovered Fields of Flowers by chance through friends Penny and Dave Swan, who lived in Purcellville. Penny Swan encouraged Patty to enroll in a class on owning and operating a business. After a career in IT as a programmer and analyst, Patty thought she might like to start a web design or record-scanning business in retirement. The teacher of that class probed deeper about her interests. She instead encouraged Patty to pursue her unformed dream of growing flowers for the business case study the course required. “Penny told me about the Fields of

Flowers property and thought the current owner might be interested in selling,” she recalled. In January 2013, on a whim, Patty called the owners, Robbie and Dennis East, who created the pick-your-own flower farm in the early 1990s. Robbie said the property was not for sale but invited Patty to visit in March when she returned from a winter stay in warmer climate. “I had no intention of moving to Purcellville,” Patty said. “But I thought, ‘What the heck, I’ll check this out. It can’t hurt.’” That sentiment turned into Craleys falling in love with the place and making an offer a month later, selling their

McLean house and moving into the circa 1860, two-story farm house that October. Suddenly, they were flower farmers. Nat became the gentleman farmer learning as he went along. Patty commuted to Alexandria until she retired in 2016. The first big challenge was how to prepare the fields of annuals and perennials, but especially how to manage the many rows of freeze-adverse dahlias for the following season. “When the moving dust settled, we began to investigate the fields full of flowers but knew nothing about how to replant the flowers, maintain them FIELDS OF FLOWERS >> 30

Round Hill Expansion Options Aired

29 Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

BY NORMAN K. STYER

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Mayor Scott Ramsey, right, discusses Round Hill’s expansion options following an Aug. 3 community meeting.

3,200 residents outside the town limits, but inside in the Joint Land Management Area, a zone where town and county leaders cooperate on development planning issues and where the town provides water and sewer service. The recently adopted town plan calls for the council to “investigate a near-

term expansion of town boundaries in order to: increase the town population, enlarge the pool of candidates for local offices, boards and commissions, improve contacts and connections within the Round Hill community, increase the town tax base, and promote the achievement of Comprehensive Plan

goals.” A new Growth Area Study analyzed the financial and other impacts of several expansion options. In each, tax rates would likely decline for current town residents, but their utility fees ROUND HILL EXPANSION >> 31

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Round Hill Mayor Scott Ramsey last week opened the formal debate about expansion plans that could double the town’s population. He addressed a crowd of more than 100 at the Round Hill Elementary School, the first of several such meetings planned to discuss the pros and cons of bringing about 200 homes—and eventually as many as 1,300—into the town limits. Ramsey said there could be economic benefits for both current town residents and those who would be annexed. There also could be benefits for the town’s leaders—a larger pool of residents eligible to serve in government positions, including his own. Ramsey has served on the Town Council since 2004 and as mayor since 2010. “The best thing I can offer you is to vote and take my job,” Ramsey said. Round Hill is unique among Loudoun’s towns in that most of its residential development—and most of its utility customer base—is outside the town limits. Today, the town has 236 households and 590 residents. There are another 1,293 homes and

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PUBLISHER’S NOTICE We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.

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

[ TOWN NOTES ] LOVETTSVILLE Council on Camera The town’s new video system is up and running. The Town Council’s past four meetings can be viewed on the town’s website along with the Planning Commission’s June and July meetings. The new AV Capture system allows live streaming of the town’s meeting and creates archive recordings with links to supporting documents. So far, more than 15 hours of town leaders at work have been recorded. They can be found on the Town Hall Videos section of the town webpage, lovettsvilleva.gov.

ROUND HILL Welcome to Poulsen Park The Town Council reached back to the town’s earliest days when choosing a name for its newest park. In the late 1880s, Niels Poulsen op-

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Fields of Flowers << FROM 28 or even what we had,” Nat said. “All we knew was we had beautiful dahlias and that we would eventually need to unearth the tubers, dry them and store them for the winter in our cellar. “ They figured they’d get settled first in their new house and then invite friends to dig up the dahlia tubers. But the weather didn’t cooperate. “The forecast abruptly called for weather in the low teens several weeks after we moved in,” said Nat. “Scrambling, with help from longtime friends who made a party of it, we beat the freeze deadline by a few hours but had no idea how to protect the tubers or if they would survive our manhandling. We decided spring would give us the answer.” Another challenge has been deer. The couple quickly learned an old farmers’ trick: dog hair. “We went to local dog grooming places and got all the dog hair we could collect,” Patty said. “I cut up old nylons and made little bags of dog hair. We strung them on poles, hoping the scent wards off deer.” Over the years, they got help from several friends who know their stuff when it comes to flowers. Now in their fourth year, the farm is in full bloom. They are growing beautiful dahlias (the hardy blooms appeared

erated a sawmill and specialized in spokes for vehicles. He lived at the center of town, where the post office is located today. Poulsen raised 11 children and his decedents still live in town. His great-great-granddaughter suggested naming the park in his memory. Poulsen immigrated from Denmark in 1872, sailing to New York City on The Minnesota. He worked in Chicago, Iowa and Pennsylvania before moving to Round Hill in 1881. He opened a factory on the site of the Baptist Church, making spokes and ax handles. When the factory burned to the ground, he moved the factory and his home to High Street. He also owned the property at the corner of Main Street and Loudoun Street. The 8-acre park is being donated by the developer of the Brentwood Springs neighborhood. Under the development plans, the park will have 4 acres of active recreation space with a fitness trail, playground and open lawn. Once the park site is formally dedicated to the town, the council will discuss future amenities and features. in spring 2014) and peonies, sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, limelight hydrangeas, shasta daisies, yarrow, rudbeckia and many more annuals and perennials. The couple is in the process of building a greenhouse and expanding the flower beds. They may someday open the property for small events—workshops, weddings or yoga classes. They have thought of using the property as a “bike and breakfast” for cyclists on the WO&D trail. But for now, they are focused on making the fields a place for their customers to enjoy the pick-yourown-flowers experience. Last spring, Patty became a beekeeper after taking a class through the Loudoun County Bee Association. They have two hives of bees helping pollinate their growing flower farm. “It’s challenging to start and maintain a healthy hive,” said Patty, who’s been stung a few times. “Keeping bees is a life-long learning process. But what’s great is I’ve learned there is a supportive community of beekeepers in the area. There are four on my road. I would never have guessed I would be a beekeeper living on a flower farm.” When the Craleys first bought Fields of Flowers, a close friend was floored. “What do you know about growing, cutting, arranging or transporting fresh flowers?” she asked incredulously. “Nothing,” Patty replied. “But I can learn.” That’s exactly what the adventurous Craleys have done.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Visitors cut their own flowers flowers at Fields of Flowers near Purcellville.

<< FROM 29

Town of Round Hill

The Town Council is exploring a boundary line adjustment to incorporate approximately 200 homes in the short-term expansion area.

about it.” After the public engagement process, the Town Council plans to select a final set of parcels and neighborhoods for inclusion. A formal request will be submitted to the Board of Supervisors in hopes the expansion can be completed with a cooperative boundary

line adjustment. In addition to the public meetings, the town is collecting feedback through online surveys at roundhillva. org/town-of-round-hill-expansion. nstyer@loudounnow.com

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could increase. For property owners who are brought into town, they’ll get new real estate and personal property tax bills, but they would no longer be assessed the out-of-town utility rate surcharge or have to pay for trash pickup. So far, the council has focused on a short-term expansion area, including homes in the Hillwood Estates, West Loudoun Street, Fallswood, Brentwood Springs, Newberry Crossing, Falls Place and Mystic Lane neighborhoods, as well as the sheriff ’s station, the Round Hill Center, Sleeter Lake and the future site of Sleeter Lake Park. Those neighborhoods include 217 lots and approximately 550 residents. The crowd at the Aug. 3 information session included residents from many of the neighborhoods surrounding the town, as well as Del. David LaRock and a representative of Supervisor Tony Buffington’s (R-Blue Ridge) office. Questions centered on the impacts of paying additional town taxes and differences between county and town zoning rules and ordinances. Ramsey stressed that expanding the town would give residents more local control. With a larger population, more sales tax money would come to Round Hill, rather than to the county government’s coffers in Leesburg, he noted. Also, business license taxes

31 Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

Round Hill Expansion

would come to the town instead of the county. “More Round Hill money stays in Round Hill,” Ramsey said. Several residents of the Villages at Round Hill neighborhoods questioned why the town wanted to incorporate Sleeter Lake in its first-phase expansion, but take in only about 70 of the development’s 1,100 homes. The 101-acre lake is owned by the development’s HOA and would remain so if annexed. Town leaders said bringing the lake into the town boundaries would include the property for the town’s lake front park and would allow the town to help with trails and security in the area. According to the town’s study, if this entire short-term expansion area was incorporated, incoming households would pay an average of $626 per year in town property taxes, and would save $305 per year in reduced utility fees and $346 in garbage pick-up fees, resulting in a net financial benefit for the average incoming household. Current town residents likely would see reduced tax rates while the town’s General Fund budget would net more than $114,000 per year to help pay for sidewalks, trails and park development. Ramsey said that no decision will be made until late in the year and that there will be numerous opportunities for residents to learn more and to share their views. Another community meeting is already planned, at 7 p.m. Sept. 19, at the elementary school. The mayor promised to keep gathering input “until everyone is sick of talking

[ LOCO LIVING ]

[ THINGS TO DO ]

Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

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SUMMER TUNES HILLSBORO MUSIC UNDER THE STARS IN THE GAP: MARTINSBURG JAZZ ORCHESTRA Friday, Aug. 11; 6:30, lawn opens, 7:30, music begins; Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. Details: oldstoneschool.org Wind down or get up and dance with authentic swing and contemporary big band jazz from a regional favorite.

LEESBURG CORNER SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: SHIRKADAY Saturday, Aug. 12, 1-3 p.m.; Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets, 241 Fort Evans Road NE, Leesburg. Details: premiumoutlets.com Get in your back-to-school shopping and take a break with classic rock and ’90s favorites. Event is free and open to the public.

LIVE MUSIC: SOMETHING’S BREWING Saturday, Aug. 12, 3 p.m.; Barnhouse Brewery, 43271 Spinks Ferry Road, Lucketts. Details: barnhousebrewery.com Loudoun Now/File Photo

Donna Fortier, founder and CEO of Mobile Hope, speaks at a school recently about the nonprofit organization’s mission to help homeless and precariously housed young adults.

Karaokeing for the Kids Grudens Bring Celebrity Muscle to Mobile Hope Fundraiser BY JAN MERCKER

or the past four years, Washington Redskins Coach Jay Gruden and his wife, Sherry, have been under-the-radar Leesburg-area residents. The couple enthusiastically jumps into the local spotlight this month for a very good cause: raising awareness of the often-hidden issue of homeless youth in Loudoun. And what better way to make a splash— and raise some cash—than celebrity karaoke? The Grudens are the hosts for Mobile Hope’s inaugural Harmonizing for Hope event, Aug. 25 at Sterling’s Bungalow Lakehouse. The nonprofit’s leadership plans to make the karaoke contest a signature annual event. Mobile Hope, which serves homeless or precariously housed young people in Loudoun, has evolved to focus on the often-overlooked 18-24 age group. Like many Loudouners, Jay Gruden said he wasn’t aware of the problem until Sherry brought it to his attention. “I never realized how many kids—not j u s t young kids b u t 18 to

24—who have problems and such need in Loudoun County,” Gruden said. That population holds a special place for the Grudens, who are the parents of three sons in their 20s. “We thought it was a great opportunity to help some of the youth around here and get them jump started—help them out with clothes, medical supplies, school supplies. I don’t think a lot of people are aware that there are so many kids in need. I sure as heck wasn’t,” Gruden said. “We’re trying to bring awareness to the kids who are local and need some help.” For Donna Fortier, founder and CEO of Mobile Hope, the fundraiser is a chance to shine a light on a sometimes problem and to connect young clients with positive role models. “We are so happy about it,” Fortier said. “One of the things we often tell our struggling kids is that not only does this situation that they’re in not define who they are and what their future is going to be, but letting them meet with folks who can be good male role models and mentors and letting them see successful men who have overcome obstacles. It’s a nice thing that they can see that a very large organization cares GRUDENS >> 36

Credit: Garrett Campbell

Washington Redskins Coach Jay Gruden and his wife, Sherry, are joining the effort to put on Mobile Hope’s first big fundraiser, Harmonizing for Hope.

Acoustic rock/folk—old and new—from this Leesburg-based trio.

HILLSBORO COMMUNITY LUAU WITH TROY AND PAULA Saturday, Aug. 12, 5-8 p.m.; Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Purcellville. Details: oldstoneschool.org Put on your grass skirt and stop by for some barbecue and potluck along with music from Troy and Paula Haag.

Courtesy of Mike Meadows

ACOUSTIC ON THE GREEN: MIKE MEADOWS Saturday, Aug. 12, 7 p.m.; Leesburg Town Green, 25 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: acousticonthegreen.com The talented Virginia singer/multiinstrumentalist takes a break from touring with Taylor Swift to perform at Acoustic on the Green. Loudoun’s Nicholas Potthoff opens. The event is free and open to the public. Pets, alcohol and smoking are prohibited.

MORE TO DO >> 33

[ THINGS TO DO ] << FROM 32

Saturday, Aug. 12, 6 p.m.; Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Lucketts. Details: tarara.com This crowd favorite music series continues with a tribute to the Eagles. Tickets are $20 in advance.

Saturday, Aug. 12, 7-9 p.m.; Plaza at One Loudoun, 20626 East Hampton Plaza, Ashburn. Details: oneloudoun.com Pop, rock, new wave and beyond from one of the region’s most popular 80s tribute bands. Take things up a notch with One Loudoun’s ’80s costume contest.

BRAMBLETON SIZZLIN’ SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: SUPER BUENO

VAL CHILD SAFETY DAY Saturday, Aug. 12, noon-4 p.m.; Village at Leesburg, 1602 Village Market Blvd. SE, Leesburg. Details: villageatleesburg.com The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police Department and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration join forces to host the sixth annual child safety day featuring LCSO vehicles, K-9 unit, a dive truck and boat along with information for parents on how to protect their children from becoming crime victims. Families can also enjoy a moon bounce, live music and other fun activities. Event is free and open to the public.

ARTISTS’ RECEPTION AND TANABATA CELEBRATION Sunday, Aug. 13, 6:30 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane,

Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter.org Franklin Park celebrates the opening of its “Fish and The Sea” art exhibit and its annual Japanese Tanabata celebration, featuring traditional Japanese costumes and a gyotaku fish print station. At dusk, participants can release floating lanterns in the pond at Franklin Park. Tickets are $8 per person at the door.

LOCO CULTURE ARTISTS’ RECEPTION: RON WAGNER AND JACK NEVITT Saturday, Aug. 12, 2-5 p.m.; Arts in The Village Gallery; 1601 Village Market Blvd., Suite 116, Leesburg. Details: artsinthevillage.com Arts in The Village’s August show, “Sight and Sound” features Wagner’s handcrafted miniature grand pianos and

Courtesy of Jack Nevitt Photography

Nevitt’s wildlife and landscape photos. Bogati Vineyards will be on hand with local wine. Event is free and open to the public.

MORE TO DO >> 38

Thursday, Aug. 17, 6 p.m., doors open, 7 p.m., concert begins; Brambleton Town Center, 42395 Ryan Road, Brambleton. Details: brambleton.com Celebrate summer with fun pop and rock covering six decades from this Baltimorebased band. Concert is free. Bring a picnic or buy something from a food truck on site.

FUN FOR A CAUSE ONE SPARROW CHARITY LIP SYNC BATTLE Saturday, Aug. 12, 5-7 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: onesparrowdc.org This evening of lip sync fun benefits One Sparrow’s efforts to provide long-term support to northern Haiti. Tickets are $20.

HUMANE SOCIETY TRIVIA NIGHT Thursday, Aug. 17, 7-8:30 p.m.; Black Walnut Brewery, 210 S. King St., Leesburg. Details: humaneloudoun.org Black Walnut hosts a fun monthly trivia night to benefit the Humane Society of Loudoun County. Admission is $10 per person and includes a raffle ticket for a prize drawing and $1 beverage discount.

ON STAGE ‘42ND STREET’

PURPOSEFUL LIVING. Whether you’re looking for Independent Living, Assisted Living or Inspiritás - Memory Care, Ashleigh at Lansdowne is committed to taking senior living to the next level. From our diverse enrichment and social programs including RUI University to our exceptional fine dining experience, we deliver valued living all in the comfort of your new picturesque home. Call (703) 345-6912 for more information, and to schedule a personal tour.

Friday, Aug. 11 and Saturday, Aug. 12, 8 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 13, 2 p.m.; Potomac Falls High School, 46400 Algonkian Parkway, Potomac Falls. Details: sterlingplaymakers.com

Sterling Playmakers presents the classic story of Peggy Sawyer who comes to Broadway in 1933 and lands a spot in a dance line in a new musical. Tickets are $15.

ONE LOUDOUN SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: THE REAGAN YEARS

FAMILY FUN

Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

TARARA SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: 7 BRIDGES

‘ALADDIN KIDS’

This one-act 30-minute version of Disney’s “Aladdin” is performed by participants in Main Street Theater Productions’ summer camp. It’s the story of Aladdin, Jasmine, Iago and Jafar in a nutshell—with plenty of time for magic, mayhem and love. Tickets are $5 at the door.

44124 WOODRIDGE PARKWAY · LANSDOWNE, VA 20176 · (703) 345-6912 · WWW.RUI.NET/ASHLEIGH · @ASHLEIGHATLANSDOWNE A RETIREMENT UNLIMITED, INC. COMMUNITY · FAMILY-OWNED & OPERATED FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS

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Thursday, Aug. 10, 7 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 11, 7 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter.org

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NoVa Wellness & YogaFest Retreat Oct. 6-8

YOGAFEST ’17

A range of registration packages are available. novawellnessyoga festretreat.com

BY SAMANTHA BARTRAM

Andrea Boyd and Jeffrey Cohen are among the many yoga and wellness practitioners on deck for this October’s NoVa Wellness & YogaFest Retreat.

taught by certified Yoga Alliance RYT200 teachers, each with a minimum 200 hours of training and experience under their belts. Likewise, presenters include physicians, psychiatrists, healers, all expert within their fields. The aim is to celebrate self-care and community wellness in a setting accessible to both seasoned practitioners and those new to yoga, mindfulness and similar practices. Three areas—the Blended Movement Tent, Calm Yoga Grove and Active Movement Tent— will host a series of workshops and

classes each day, with activity ceasing at 6 p.m. to shift the focus to live, local musicians. Friday night is youth music night, featuring many of Loudoun’s most renowned up-and-comers like Maddy Curtis, Tommy Gann, Caroline Powers and others. Saturday’s tunes are more upbeat, with a performance by Justin Trawick and the Common Good. Then, Sunday night guests will be treated to a show by one of Loudoun’s most beloved singer/songwriters, Gary Smallwood. Nearby assorted vendors, energy

Don’t ignore these signs of memory loss.

Difficulty following a conversation

Poor decision making

Frequent repetition or inability to find the right word

Inability to manage money or maintain hygiene

Confusion with times and dates

Changes in mood or behavior

Forgetting the day, season, year, or decade

An onset of confusion, suspicion, fear, or depression

If someone you love shows signs of memory loss, contact Ashby Ponds. We offer engaging activities, specialized support, and personalized care in the comfort of a private memory care residence.

LoudounNow

2 0 1 7

12267309

Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

LOUDOUN’S

Learn more about memory care at Ashby Ponds. Call 703-822-5564 for your free brochure.

Oct. 6-8 Morven Park, Leesburg

This October take your down dog for a walk at Morven Park during the inaugural event

Picture peaceful, green rolling hills with pastoral gardens. The soft sounds of nature, sunlight and the feel of grass between your toes. Now add to the scene comfortable shelters secreting a host of wellness practitioners, yogis, musicians and artisans within, all offering a pathway to inner peace and outer clarity. Feeling calmer already? Prepare to experience this sweet fantasy as reality during the upcoming NoVa Wellness & YogaFest Retreat, Oct. 6-8, at Leesburg’s Morven Park estate. For three days, guests will enjoy opportunities to take part in meditation, mindfulness workshops, yoga classes (including kid’s yoga, yin, laughter, vinyasa and other modalities), wellness lectures and more, plus enjoy healthy food and live music from different local performers each night. Yoga classes will be

NoVa Wellness & YogaFest Retreat

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Ashburn, VA AshbyPonds.com

Information compiled from www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_10_signs_of_alzheimers.asp#signs.

workers, psychic practitioners and others will be set up to receive shoppers, patrons and curious observers. Retreat-goers will also be able to indulge in delicious, healthy food—Friday, lunch and dinner will be offered, while Saturday and Sunday guests may enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. YogaFest is the brainchild of award-winning event founder Miriam Nasuti, perhaps best known for her annual showcase of Loudoun’s bountiful farms, restaurants, breweries and wineries, Farm to Fork Loudoun. Inspired by her own life experiences, Nasuti conceived YogaFest as a welcoming “restival” with something healing and inspiring to offer every member of the community. Nasuti is still working to put the final touches on the YogaFest schedule, including pinning down a chef and culinary team to create a variety of nutritious vegetarian and vegan offerings, and continuing to flesh out the vendor and presenter rosters. For now, a preliminary schedule of events, details on various registration packages and information on confirmed presenters is available at novawellnessyogafestretreat.com.

Aug. 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16, 2017

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7/25/2017 10:59:31 AM

Untitled-1 1

Grudens

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<< FROM 32

MARTINSBURG JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Friday, Aug. 11, 6:30–11 p.m. The Gap Stage, Hillsboro facebook.com/oldstoneschoolevents

7 BRIDGES Saturday, Aug. 12, 6–10 p.m. Tarara Summer Concert Series, Lucketts tarara.com/concerts

MIKE MEADOWS W/NICHOLAS POTTHOFF Saturday, Aug. 12, 7–9 p.m. Acoustic on the Green, Leesburg acousticonthegreen.com

PAULA & TROY Saturday, Aug. 12, 6:30-10 p.m. The Gap Stage, Hillsboro facebook.com/oldstoneschoolevents

getoutloudoun.com Promote your concert or event—in print and online.

Email sales@loudounnow.com or call 703.770.9723

enough about them to get involved.” Mobile Hope was launched as part of Inova Loudoun Hospital’s mobile health program. As head of that program, Fortier noticed that the needs of at-risk young people went way beyond healthcare and that more services were needed—both for crisis support and help in moving toward long-term self-sufficiency. Mobile Hope became an independent nonprofit in 2014 with a focus on meeting the needs of the vulnerable older teen and young adult population, whose members find themselves having to leave their homes or aging out of foster care. “We are finding that those kids 18 to 24 are truly overlooked and unacknowledged. We work to improve what’s called the social determinants: what people are born into, how they’re raised, education, their housing component, all of that,” Fortier said. “One of the things I think has been coming out is the lack of affordable housing. What we’ve been trying to say is there’s workforce housing—and, yes, we need that—but then there’s pre-workforce housing and that’s where our kids come in. ... These kids don’t have the references, they don’t have the savings accounts, they don’t have referrals. They’ve never been on their own in a successful way.” On Mobile Hope’s priority list is establishing a combination emergency housing/life skills facility in Loudoun where young people can live and learn life skills as they transition into more permanent housing. For the Grudens, who have been involved with the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation, the event offers a chance to make a difference in their own back yard. “We’re just branching out a little bit,” Gruden said. Celebrity karaoke is big, thanks in part to television host James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke on “The Late Late Show.” Mobile Hope was looking for a signature annual fundraiser along the lines of the Loudoun YMCA’s much-anticipated annual Chocolates Galore and More event, Fortier said, and karaoke seemed like a perfect, fun fit.

Wake up with

LoudounNow

Start your day with the Morning Minute podcast. At Ida Lee Park • Leesburg, Virginia

703-779-5390 www.AVSAC.org

We've got you covered.

MOBILE HOPE’S INAUGURAL HARMONIZING FOR HOPE karaoke event takes place Friday, Aug. 25 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Bungalow Lakehouse in Sterling. Tickets are $50. Find details at mobilehopeloudoun.org.

Sherry Gruden has been a driving force in organizing the event, Fortier said, and the Grudens are bringing plenty of star power to the table. Redskins tackle Morgan Moses and linebacker Will Compton are on the program, and Gruden is on the hunt for undiscovered talent as the team’s training camp kicks into high gear this month. “I’m going to find out who can sing when we’re at training camp and get them out there,” Gruden said. The event will feature some other surprise singers, Fortier said, and one of the highlights is a special performance from a group of young Mobile Hope clients who are working on an original song. “I’m going to try to stay as far away from the microphone as possible,” Coach Gruden said with a chuckle. But, he will be a celebrity judge for the event, along with one of Loudoun’s best-known faces, Chris Cooley, the former Redskins tight end-turnedLeesburg-based ceramicist and gallery owner. The panel of judges also includes Tony Howard, president and CEO of the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, and Kristina Bouweiri, CEO of Reston Limousine. Sherry Gruden is also planning to step up to the mic. The coach’s wife has been known to take the stage for a cause, competing in a celebrity dance event for a charity in Ohio while her husband was offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. “We are so appreciative of the humbling support that we get,” Fortier said. “I think it speaks volumes to our community helping us to raise awareness on an issue that is hard to accept.” jmercker@loudounnow.com

37 Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

The ’80s Make a Comeback

The crowd parties with vocalist and keyboard player Kat Dillon of Reflex, an ’80s cover band, at the Tarara Summer Concert Series.

The ’80s were back, live and in neon color, with all the hairspray, fingerless gloves, and rock anthems a person could want when Reflex played the Tarara Summer Concert Series on Saturday, August 5. The band played everything from Journey to Biz Markie. The series, presented by MainStreet Bank, continues every Saturday evening through Sept. 30. See the full schedule at tarara.com/concerts. —Photos by Renss Greene

No 80s concert is complete without a smoke machine. JR Russell, vocalist for 80s cover band Reflex, performs onstage Saturday.

The hairspray, fingerless gloves, and light-up shirts weren’t the only surprises at the Tarara Summer Concert Series. Mark Avery, despite being on crutches, managed to kneel onstage to propose to Sabrina Bricks.

The crowd gets down at Reflex, an ’80s cover band, at the Tarara Summer Concert Series.

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[ THINGS TO DO ]

L oudoun L aurels Honoring Community Stewardship Investing in Future Leaders join us

September 29th

<< FROM 33

ASHBURN HISTORY TALK: LIZ WHITING Sunday, Aug. 13, 7 p.m.; Saint David’s Episcopal Church; 43600 Russell Branch Pkwy, Ashburn. Liz Whiting, president of the Loudoun Museum, discusses the history of Loudoun’s east-west cultural and political divisions, slow growth v. pro-development debate and land-owning v. land-working class divisions, along with how 19th century Ashburn abolitionist Margaret Mercer bucked the trends of her era.

NIGHTLIFE Courtesy of Todd Wright

to celebrate the community service contributions of

LIVE MUSIC: TODD WRIGHT Friday, Aug. 11, 9 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com One of Loudoun’s favorite singer/ songwriters, Wright’s résumé includes international hits and hometown favorites. No cover.

LIVE MUSIC: THE COAL MEN Courtesy of Mousey Thompson’s James Brown Experience

LIVE MUSIC: MOUSEY THOMPSON’S JAMES BROWN EXPERIENCE

betsy davis &

Friday, Aug. 11, 7:30 p.m.; Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: tallyhotheater.com James Brown’s former drummer leads this high-energy tribute to the Godfather of Soul along with other R&B classics.

LIVE MUSIC: AARON CARTER Saturday, Aug. 12, 8:30 p.m.; Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: tallyhotheater. com

bill harrison the 2017 loudoun laureates

The pop sensation started his career at age 7 and produced a string of hits in the ’90s and early 2000s. Carter Courtesy of Aaron Carter is now 29 and released a new EP earlier this year. Tickets are $25 in advance.

Saturday, Aug. 12, 9 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com Creative blues and country-infused rock from Nashville. No cover.

COMING UP ‘DISNEY’S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL’ Friday, Aug. 18. 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center. Details: thelct.org Loudoun Centre Theatre presents the popular musical story of Troy and Gabriella who audition for the school musical to the annoyance of reigning drama queen Sharpay and her brother Ryan—who don’t want to share the spotlight. Tickets are $16 in advance, $20 at the door. Performances continue Aug. 25 and 26.

LUCKETTS FAIR Saturday, Aug. 19 and Sunday, Aug. 20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Lucketts. Details: theluckettsfair.com This family-oriented tradition celebrates Lucketts’ agricultural roots with great bluegrass all weekend, border collie demos, wagon rides, hay maze and juried crafts and antiques. Admission is $7 for visitors 8 and older.

getoutloudoun.com

to make reservations for the belmont country club gala

info@loudounlaurels.org

Don’t Miss the Show

39 Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

31 DAY

sale

& patio door

We’re only offering this window discount, this patio door discount and this special financing for 31 days.1

LESS THAN A MONTH Call before LEFT! ap pointment s are gone!

There are limited appointments available, and you must book yours before August 31st…

which means you only have LESS THAN a month left!1 Renewal by Andersen is the full-service replacement window division of Andersen, a company that has built windows and patio doors for over 114 years.

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1 DETAILS OF OFFER – Offer expires 9/9/2017. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases. You must set your appointment by 8/31/2017 and purchase by 9/9/2017. Buy 1 window, get 1 window 40% off and 12 months no payments, no interest when you purchase four or more windows or patio doors between 8/1/2017 & 9/9/2017 with approved credit. Discount windows are of equal or lesser value. APR of 16.51% as of 5/1/15, subject to change. Repayment terms from 0 to 12 months. Interest accrues from date of purchase but waived if paid in full within 12 months. $75 off each window or patio door, no minimum purchase required, when you set your appointment by 8/31/2017 and purchase by 9/9/2017. Savings comparison is based on the purchase of a single unit at regular list price. Available only at participating locations. See your local Renewal by Andersen location for details. MHIC #121441. VA License #2705155684. DC License #420215000125. Some Renewal by Andersen locations are independently owned and operated. “Renewal by Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Andersen Corporation. ©2017 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. ©2017 Lead Surge LLC. All rights reserved.

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LESS THAN a month left to book your FREE Window Diagnosis. Call before appointments are gone!

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Public Notice Public Notice The Loudoun County Circuit Court is seeking any potential heirs or other interested individuals to serve as Trustees pursuant to Va. Code 57-22 et seq. for the management, care, preservation and improvement of a historic burial ground for enslaved African-Americans located on property near Belmont Ridge Road and Leesburg Pike, east of the Town of Leesburg, identified as PIN No. 083-35-9224. This request for Trustee applications is advertised in connection with Petition Nos. CL00108892-00 and CL00109251-00 filed with the Loudoun County Circuit Court. Interested parties should submit a letter of interest and any other relevant documentation outlining their qualifications, experience or knowledge that might aid in the management, oversight, protection and restoration of this cemetery to The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, 20 E. Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176. Interested parties should be available to present themselves to the Circuit Court at a hearing on October 4, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at the Loudoun County Courthouse.

Employment

Yard Sales YARD SALE

August 12 & 13 • 19427 James Monroe Hwy. Camo clothes, fanny packs, backpacks, tents, etc. 10 Bicycles: Men & Womens high end road & mountain bikes. Proline golf sets. Clubs, bags, travel case & accessories. 3 Yakima saris, bike racks. 10 fishing outfits, spinning. 3 wooden ladders & 2 wagons. Misc. small hand & garden tools, leaf blower Rain Date August 19 & 20

Yard Sale

We’re Moving Everything Must Go!

Sat. and Sun. Aug. 12-13 & 19-20 from 9 to 3 14529 Purcellville Rd., Purcellville,VA

Furniture/Lamps/Rugs,Antiques/Collectables, Beer Can and Porcelain Doll Collections China, Kitchen and/Cookware, Freezer Chest/Refrigerator, Generator, Lawncare Equipment/Tools and much more!

Loudoun Now Classifieds

In the mail weekly. Online always. 703-770-9723

Summit is currently accepting resumes for the following full-time position at our Leesburg, VA location Customer Service Representative

Applicant must have strong professionalism and customer service skills. Applicant must have excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook). Prior customer service experience and retail banking experience preferred. For complete job description please visit our website at: www.MySummit.com. Summit is an Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Applications or a resume may be mailed to: Summit Financial Group, Inc Attn: Human Resources Dept. PO Box 179, Moorefield, WV 26836 OR emailed to: summitresumes@summitfgi.com

General Excavation, Inc. Email Classifieds at classifieds@loudounnow.com to place your employment ad.

is now hiring CDL DRIVERS, LABORERS AND OPERATORS for the Manassas and Leesburg Area. Various benefits to include health insurance, paid holidays and 401K. Apply in person at 9757 Rider Road Warrenton, VA, online at www.gei-va.com or E-mail resume and contact info to bgoolsby@gei-va.com No phone calls please. GEI is an equal opportunity employer and supports a drug-free workplace.

Fountains of Living Water

(Non-denomination, Full Gospel)

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

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

Employment

Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

LOUDOUN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL •

The ideal candidates will have experience in elementary education, enjoy teaching and working with children, and have confidence with technology.

Prekindergarten Teacher We are looking for a candidate with: • At least a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. • 5 years of elementary education experience. • a passion for teaching children. • strong interpersonal skills.

703-770-9723

In Print & Online

Apply online at BRGrill.com or in person between 2:00-5:00 Ashburn (703) 729-0100 44065 Ashburn Shopping Plaza, Ashburn VA 20147

Please send resumes to employment@lcds.org.

To advertise contact Classifieds:

Now hiring for all positions: Kitchen, Server, Host, Food Runner Full time or Part time

HAIR SALON Your Smart, Bold, Beautiful Career Awaits! Looking for Licensed Salon Professionals & Management Hair Cuttery in Great Falls, Sterling, Leesburg, Ashburn, & Dulles!

VA Cosmetology License Req'd. Competitive pay Bonus Opportunities FREE Adv. Edu. Health/Dental Beneﬁts 401K, PTO & MORE! EOE.

Call Kenny at 301-331-7861 or apply at www.haircuttery.com/careers

LoudounNow

Now Hiring

Digital Sales

Classifieds Sales

Loudoun Now is looking for an enthusiastic self-starter to help advertisers better connect with our dynamic online audience. We’ve got all the tools and a great story to tell. We just need you to make the calls and help advertisers maximize their marketing opportunities. Interested? Contact Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or sstyer@loudounnow.com.

Loudoun Now has an immediate opening for a detailed-oriented, in-office sales person to manage the newspaper’s growth classifieds section—in print and online. Great communication skills are a must. Experience with graphic design, Indesign and spreadsheets is a plus. Send a letter of interest and résumé to Susan Styer at sstyer@loudounnow.com.

Brambleton (703) 327-1047 22865 Brambleton Plaza, Brambleton VA 20148

Crossword

Leesburg (703) 669-5505 955 Edwards Ferry Road, Leesburg VA 20176

Prekindergarten and Second Grade Assistant Teacher

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Resource Directory BATHROOMS

BATHROOM REMODELING

BARBER SHOP Ashburn Barber Shop 44031 Ashburn Shopping Plaza, #139 Ashburn, VA 20147 Ashburn Village Center Same Shopping Center as Old Giant, Popeye Chicken, Burger King, Kinder Care & Ashburn Service Center

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Tom & Kay - We do our own work / Remodeling

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CLEANING SERVICE

THE CLEAN TEAM ONE, LLC

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DECKS Baker’s

DRIVEWAY REPAIR

Painting & Remodeling

Serving Northern Virginia area for over 10 years. Taking orders for spring deck projects BUILD DECKS & FENCES POWERWASHING & STAINING FREE ESTIMATES & DECK INSPECTIONS

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HAIR SALON Perm, Haircut for women, men, and children

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Any Haircut

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INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING ROTTED WOOD REPAIR DECKS • BASEMENTS • KITCHENS • BATHS BASEMENT FINISHING & REMODELING

Licensed & Insured Contractor who performs “Handyman Services, Rental & Re-sale Turnovers“ Taking orders for spring deck projects *We Accept ALL Major Cards*

Licensed & Insured • Reliable & Reasonable Prices

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LANDSCAPING

LAWN CARE

PACK RAT HAULING APPLIANCES ELECTRONICS FURNITURE HOME / OFFICE BASEMENTS ATTICS GARAGES HOT TUBS TREE & BRUSH DUMPSTER SERVICES

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PAINTING

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ROOFING

C2 Operations specializes in Asphalt, Slate, Flat, Metal, Cedar, and EPDM Roof Repairs and Replacements throughout Loudoun Co. and Northern Virginia. Services Include Roof Repairs • Roof Replacements • Siding Gutters • Windows • Doors Skylights & Maintenance We perform the job you need, when you need it, and at the price that you can afford.

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A Learning Curve It was clear this week that a majority of Leesburg Town Council members aren’t too happy with the work of its newly created Economic Development Steering Committee. It was unsettling to witness the sharp questioning of the panel’s leaders, especially by council members who have not yet taken the time to attend even one of the group’s meetings. It is still too early to tell whether the committee’s work will fizzle out, ending with just another pile of recommendations that will be ineffectual, unrealistic or ignored—the typical output for these exercises in Leesburg. But, so far, the panel has been talking with the right people and asking many of the right questions in its effort to improve the town’s long-term economic development strategy. And those who have participated in

[ LETTERS ]

the group’s panel discussions generally have left the table feeling that their concerns have been heard and that their suggestions to promote business and job growth in town were appreciated. More than once, a panel member expressed disappointment that the council wasn’t present to hear the conversation or that the council hadn’t asked those questions before. Learning more from those on the front line of business development has been the focus of the steering committee so far. If the current council already has all the answers, now is a good time to disband the volunteer group. However, one council member on Monday stated that zoning rules don’t have anything to do with attracting businesses to town, so it is pretty clear a learning curve remains.

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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

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The Truth? Editor: Dishonesty in government seems to flow from the White House to the Republican candidate for governor of Virginia. Last week’s issue of Loudoun Now quotes Mr. Gillespie stating, “... we’ve seen crime rates rising in recent years. Murders, robbery, assault, forcible sex offenses and motor vehicle thefts have increased since 2015.” What’s the truth? The state figures prove that Virginia’s violent crime rate has steadily decreased since 2005. Virginia’s rate is the third lowest in the country. In property crime, declining from previous years, Virginia is well below the national average and ranks 10th lowest in the country. Mr. Gillespie is also against reinstating parole. This just plays to base instincts that once convicted that person is forever evil. Not quite the message from the bible. Let’s examine some of the facts. Prison does not reduce crime rates because research has found that others take the place of the person sent to

prison. It costs the taxpayers as much to send someone to prison as it does to send your child to college. Meantime, the taxpayers are probably also supporting the offender’s family with public assistance and other programs, education, decent housing, programs to assist families, reduce the crime rates. Offenses are primarily committed by the young, 18 to 24 year olds. Does Mr. Gillespie fear a 60-yearold who is paroled is going to attack him? People age out of the crime population and continuing them in prison is an unnecessary burden on the taxpayers and inhumane. Will someone on parole commit a crime? Probably, but consider the majority of those paroled who become productive members of society, working, paying taxes and supporting their families. Let’s trust a parole commission to make wise decisions keeping the public’s safety as paramount. — David Mendelsohn, Ashburn

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PARENTING WITH PURPOSE

BY NEIL MCNERNEY

Step 1: Don’t immediately try to calm them down. I know that this seems counterintuitive. It’s our job to keep our kids safe and help them not worry so much. But if we try to calm them down each time they get worried, one of two negative outcomes might happen. One, they might become dependent on us to calm them down instead of learning how to create calm within themselves. Instead of learning some calming techniques, they will immediately seek us to help decrease their anxiety. Two, it might actually increase their worries, since they don’t think we are taking them seriously. Imagine your child sharing that he is worried about

Step 2: Let them know you get it Instead of trying to minimize, let them know you understand how worried they are. Validating a child’s emotions can do quite a bit on its own to reduce anxiety. Instead of starting with comments like “It’s no big deal” or “Everything will be fine” or “Don’t worry,” try these: “This is a big deal for you” or “Your pretty scared right now” or “You’re really worried, aren’t you?” By validating their worried feelings, we are creating an environment that might allow us to help create calm. This is a bit paradoxical, since our natural tendency is to immediately try to calm our child, but it tends to help quite a bit.

Step 3: Help them think of calmer thoughts Instead of giving them the calmer thoughts immediately, see if you can help them come up with some calmer thoughts. One of the ways you could do this is by using a 1-10 scale. For instance, you receive a thunderstorm warning on your phone and your daughter starts

worrying about a tornado hitting the house. You might be tempted to say, “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” Instead, try asking: “On a 1-10 scale, where 10 is that a tornado will definitely hit our house, what number would you give the chance that our house will be hit?” This technique stops one of the most common anxious thought: All or Nothing Thinking. By using a 1-10 scale, you are trying to scale back the intensity of the thought to something more reasonable.

Step 4: Discuss bravery. After we’ve validated their worry and tried to help them reassure themselves, it’s time to discuss bravery. This is a concept I use quite a bit in my work with children and teens. Bravery, in my opinion, is not about being fearless. It is about facing fears. A truly brave person is feeling fear and doing the right thing anyway. If someone is fearless, they aren’t being brave, they are just fearless. For example, your son is very anxious about an upcoming swim meet. He thinks he will finish last in the butterfly. He doesn’t want to swim and instead is hanging on to you, complaining that his stomach hurts. I would suggest beginning with: “You seem really worried right now about this, aren’t you? What are you worried about?” He shares with you that he is afraid he will finish last. Instead of jumping in and reassuring

him that he won’t finish last (because you know there are some pretty slow kids in his group), you ask him: “Take a look at the kids that are swimming the butterfly. On a 1-10 scale, what are the chances that you will finish last?” Hopefully, he will begin to decrease his worry as he assesses the competition. If this doesn’t work and he stays anxious, you can then try the bravery concept: “I know that you are very worried about this race, but I have also seen you face your fears in the past. I know how brave you are, and I know that this race will take a lot of bravery. Do you think you can face this fear and give it a shot?” By trying these ideas, my hope is that you will teach your kids ways to reassure themselves, which will decrease the level of anxiety in general. If you are interested in learning more calming techniques, the website gozen. com has excellent ideas and videos about how kids can calm their brains, thus reducing anxiety. Neil McNerney is a licensed professional counselor and author of “Homework – A Parent’s Guide to Helping Out Without Freaking Out!” and “The Don’t Freak Out Guide for Parenting Kids with Asperger’s.”

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All kids get stressed and worried at times. They might have butterflies before school, a new activity or sport, or even going over to a friend’s house. For most kids, these anxieties are short term and situational. But for many kids, these fleeting worries can turn into a significant problem. In this column, I will share some ideas to help children who are dealing with anxieties. These ideas are for children older than nine years. Younger children need our immediate calming presence because they might not have the abilities to reduce their anxieties on their own.

a thunderstorm approaching. We say: “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.” Instead of just accepting it, he might get even more anxious and upset because you aren’t taking him seriously. There might be a point when reassuring will help, but don’t use it as your first attempt.

Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

Calming the Anxious Child

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Autism training << FROM 1 processing disorder or autism. “We want to make sure while they’re here we provide the very best in hospitality, be welcoming and ensure a safe environment,” Visit Loudoun CEO Beth Erickson said. “I think on many levels this is a really groundbreaking opportunity as we’re positioning Loudoun County as sensory-processing disorder and autism friendly.” Employees at the Homewood Suites in Leesburg last week participated in a training session aimed at identifying people with autism or SPD and taking the extra steps to ensure those guests feel at home. Karen O’Connor, an assistant research professor with the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Disorders, based at the University of Missouri, led the Aug. 2 training session. The Thompson Center has created a training program for hospitality industry employees to help them create a safe and comfortable environment for these families. O’Connor provided the dozen employees in attendance with some cues to look for in terms of identifying behaviors or characteristics in children or adults with autism or SPD. For many families who have loved ones with autism, traveling to unfamiliar areas can be extremely stressful, both for parents and children alike. Providing the needed accommodations and care can go a long way into establishing a hotel as a welcoming environment for those with autism or SPD, she said. “When families come to this area for these studies and they know you have this training, they’re much more likely to come to your hotel. It widens your customer base,” O’Connor said. In fact, she noted, it represents a trillion-dollar market. There are three areas where hospitality employees can provide support to these families: communication, comfort, and safety, O’Connor said. Making visual menus available to guests, and even picture books of what guests can expect, may be helpful. O’Connor

Kara C. Rodriguez/Loudoun Now

Karen O’Connor, an assistant research professor with the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Disorders, meets with staff at Homewood Suites in Leesburg. The hotel is one of about a dozen hospitality businesses working to make their guests with autism more comfortable.

noted that communication abilities vary for each individual with autism or SPD, so making visual materials available is especially helpful. Communication goes a long way to ensure that the staff is meeting a family’s needs, she stressed. The front desk workers can do their parts by asking guests when making a reservation if they or anyone in their traveling party has any special needs, and letting housekeeping and other staff know about those needs. O’Connor provided an example of a young child who was particularly attached to his Legos. The family wanted daily housekeeping services like clean towels and turn-down service, but also made the staff aware that the Legos on a table in the hotel room should not be touched, while the rest of the room could be cleaned as usual. Some children or adults with autism or SPD also may have specific fears, like vacuums or elevators, so accommodating them in rooms in a less chaotic part of the hotel may be necessary. Providing distraction items, like spinning toys or balls, at the front desk for use in the lobby or dining area is another good tool, O’Connor said. Another helpful tool would be to provide safety kits

in the families’ rooms that include items such as a door alarm that beeps when someone leaves the room. Also, letting families know about access to pools or bodies of water, which can be a hazard, is important for children or adults who may wander, she said. Ultimately, the most important thing hotel staff can do is provide support, but recognize the fact that parents or family members are the experts in their loved ones’ care and needs. Erickson said Visit Loudoun hopes to have the training program fully implemented and staff trained in the dozen participating businesses by the end of the year, when Pelphrey’s research study begins. Specific codes will also be created for hotel reservations so hotel staff will be aware when guests who are a part of the study will be arriving at their hotel, she said. Other businesses taking part in the training are: Hampton Inn Dulles Cascades, Lansdowne Resort & Spa, Townplace Suites by Marriott Washington Dulles, O’Malley’s Pub, Leesburg Restaurant, Ida Lee Recreation Center, Luv 2 Play, Loudoun Therapeutic Riding, iFly and We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym. Earlier this year, Inova Loudoun Hospital also began making changes to make the Children’s Emergency Room a more welcoming environment for kids whose cognitive disabilities make them more susceptible to feeling frightened in strange surroundings. Patients will find a quieter waiting area and then a quicker move to a treatment room that has been cleared of unneeded equipment and wires. The lights will be dimmed. There might be a bubble tube with floating fish by the bed, or a small trampoline for those who need to stay active, or a collection of familiar toys, all with the goal of reducing the stress level. Jena Randolph, also an assistant research professor at the Thompson Center, applauded the county for its desire to be a welcoming environment for those with autism or SPD. “It’s just wonderful that Loudoun County really wants to embrace this community,” she said. “It’s important to think about how can we be an area of excellence for this community.” krodriguez@loudounnow.com

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the program to that many schools that quickly, but principals are eager to get started, he said. “We’ve had a tremendous interest from schools because this—having a student-led effort—has been a missing part of a lot of our programming.” Suzie Bartel, Ryan’s mother who formed the foundation, discovered the Sources of Strength program as she researched ways to empower young people to help each other. “So many programs focus on intervention at the time of crisis. That’s too late,” Bartel said. “If we develop in them the skills to get through the hard things, we’re not going to need intervention.” Launching this new model is a team effort, with both private and public funding footing the bill. Sources of Strength’s initial startup training costs $5,000 per school, but Loudoun County Public Schools will implement it for slightly less because it is training its psychologists and social workers to serve as school-based trainers, Lody said.

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cism in the past 18 months for not doing enough to help students who are at risk of suicide. The parents of Potomac Falls High School student Jay Gallagher filed a $5 million wrongful death suit against a school guidance counselor after their son killed himself in early 2016. They say the counselor should have notified them that Jay was a threat to himself after a friend emailed the counselor saying that he needed help. The counselor’s attorney, Judith Judkins, has said that the case does not tell the full story. It is scheduled for a jury trial in March 2018. Parents of other Loudoun students who have lost their lives to suicide have also raised concerns about a lack of transparency and responsiveness from staff. Administrators and School Board members see the coming mental health support teams as one step toward improving public schools’ mental health safety net. In a meeting last week, administrators shared more details about those mental health support teams with School Board members on the Student Support and Services Committee. John Lody, director of diagnostic and prevention services, said that one-fifth of Loudoun County students have a mental health condition, and more than half of them never receive treatment. “So by de facto, schools often become

Navigating the Path to Student Wellness

For the first six schools slated to get the program, the Ryan Bartel Foundation is covering the costs for three schools, funding from the Pupil Services Department’s budget is paying for two, and a donation from a private donor is paying for a sixth. The six schools that will get the training first are: Trailside Middle School, and Heritage, John Champe, Riverside, Stone Bridge and Woodgrove high schools. To equip parents to help their teens, the Pupil Services Department is also putting on an event Saturday, Oct. 14, called Navigating the Path to Student Wellness. It will feature Institute of Child Development professor Ann Masten as its keynote speaker. She will discuss “resilient children, families and communities.” More about the event can be found at navigatethepath.com. All of this is part of a push to identify students who are battling anxiety, stress, depression or other mental health concerns, and support and equip them to navigate those struggles, Lody said. A typical student may look like he or she have it all together, making good grades, balancing after-school activities and maintaining friends, but many are quietly dealing with anxiety or other stresses. “This is not an unusual student,” he said. “We need to look beyond the academics to see what needs are present and help prepare them for life outside of the classroom.”

Aug. 10 – 16, 2017

Prevention tactics

the support for these students,” he said. “That’s why it’s important for us to be prepared to acknowledge the social and emotional needs of our students.” The mental health support teams will be made up of psychologists, social workers, school counselors, and student assistance specialists. Lody compared the school counselors to primary care physicians and the others on the team as specialists. The school counselors will still be the primary contact for students, and psychologists, social workers and student assistance specialists will be on site for more intense situations. His team is also working with the Ryan Bartel Foundation to establish Sources of Strength programs at every Loudoun County middle and high school. Woodgrove High School began training students with Sources of Strength last fall with funding from the foundation, named after a Woodgrove student who took his life in 2014. The program is designed to equip young people to help one another cope with all that life throws at them long before suicide becomes an option. Forty-one social workers and psychologists underwent the training in May, with the goal of training staff and about 50 students at nine high schools and two middle schools by the end of the calendar year, and eventually bringing the program to every secondary school in the county. “This is a real big lift for us to get it going quickly,” Lody said. He didn’t initially expect to introduce

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