Loudoun Now for Dec. 1, 2016 by Loudoun Now

LoudounNow Now LOUDOUN COUNTY’S COMMUNITY-OWNED NEWS SOURCE

[ Vol. 2, No. 4 ]

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Celebrate the season in Loudoun

Dec. 1 – 7, 2016 ]

SEX TALK

State Lawmakers Push for More Abuse Prevention Education BY DANIELLE NADLER

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Mixed-use communities like Loudoun Station in Ashburn will be the template for development along the Silver Line under growth policies endorsed by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Supervisors Decide: No Homes Near Dulles BY RENSS GREENE

oudoun supervisors have finished the first draft of their development plan around the county’s new Silver Line Metro stops, and their decision may come as a relief to Dulles Airport officials. The board’s Silver Line Comprehensive Plan Amendment will guide the growth around the county’s new Silver Line stations. It sets the county on a path to have urban, walkable, mixed-use developments near the stations, like those seen at Reston Town Center and growing at One Loudoun and Loudoun Station. It also sets out more suburban commercial and residential development further out from the metro stops, all in a tax district meant to pay for Loudoun’s contributions to metro with the area’s growing tax base. The county board’s Transportation and Land Use Committee, after hours

Nobody else has this type of development potential, so what I’m really trying to do here is protect that. — Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau of meetings, had recommended, on a divided vote, allowing mixed-use development within a mile of the Loudoun Gateway Metro station, opening the door to homes under airport flight paths. Supervisors reversed that decision during a special meeting Tuesday, voting 6-3 to zone those areas for walkable commercial development. The area in question is east of Loudoun County Parkway and north of Shellhorn Road. It is outside the boundary of the county’s high noise zone where the county generally prohibits residential development, but in the path of airplanes taking off to the north and in line with the westernmost north-south runway at the

! LE W A O S N N O

airport. Supervisor Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run) argued that the county would need to open that area to residential uses to attract enough development to make the county’s plans for Metro successful. It’s an argument developers have been making, too. “The best chance of getting real businesses here on the vacant land, beyond what we’re doing already, is mixed-use development,” Meyer said. “Maximizing our opportunities for mixed-use development is the way the economic development community and the business com-

There is push by local lawmakers and educators to equip children to identify and speak up about sexual abuse. Several bills pre-filed for the 2017 General Assembly session target human trafficking, child abduction and child abuse, a response to a rise in reports of those types of crimes in recent years. A bill backed by two Northern Virginia state senators would require schools to present “age appropriate” material that teaches students as young as 6 years old to recognize and prevent child abduction, sexual exploitation, and sexual abuse. The bill, called Erin’s law, is named after Erin Merryn, an Illinois woman who was sexually abused as a little girl and is now an advocate for the prevention of child abuse. She is helping drum up support for the bill, SB828, of which state Sen. Jennifer T. Wexton (D-33), of Leesburg, is the chief patron and state Sen. Barbara A. Favola (D-31), who also represents part of Loudoun, is a sponsor. Human trafficking reports in Virginia have ticked up from 126 in 2013 (70 of those sex trafficking) to 145 in 2015 (103 of those sex trafficking), according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. So far this year, the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office’s Special Victims Unit has investigated more than 60 child sex abuse cases. Sheriff Mike Chapman said carefully instructing students what to watch for in a person that may mean them harm is a good step in preventing these crimes. “I think it’s important to get this message to kids so they’ll be able to recognize any sort of attempt of abuse or any sort of actions, so long as it’s age appropriate for the kids,” he said. In Loudoun’s public schools, fourth through 10th graders receive Family Life Education, a more comprehensive program than what used to be known as sex ed. The school system is revising its cur-

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SEX ABUSE >> 47

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INSIDE

3 Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

Teacher Wendy Daton reads to kindergartners at Hillsboro Charter Academy.

BY DANIELLE NADLER alk of Fairfax County boosting teachers’ pay has Loudoun school leaders looking to keep up as they try to attract and retain experienced educators. Loudoun County Public Schools recruits and hires more teachers than any school system in Virginia, to provide for the additional 2,500-plus students it enrolls each year. But Fairfax County is attracting applicants with more experience, and pay may be a factor, Assistant Superintendent of Finance E. Leigh Burden told School Board members this week. “We have anecdotal data from our principals that they see a lot of rookie applicants and they don’t see a lot of experienced teachers looking to come

“

If we don’t continue to make improvements, we will lose ground. — Chairman Eric Hornberger

” work here,” she said. What’s more, if Fairfax follows through with another round of raises, Burden estimates a Fairfax teacher with a master’s degree will make

$260,000 more in her 30-year career than a Loudoun teacher with a master’s degree. Superintendent Eric Williams told School Board members during a work session Tuesday that he wants to set aside as much as $27.2 million next fiscal year for pay raises for teachers, in an effort to keep pace with nearby jurisdictions. That would equate to a raise of roughly $4,184 per teacher, on average. The request would be in line with the School Board’s goal in recent years to improve pay, especially for mid-level teachers, where Loudoun trails behind its neighbors. But to continue making notable progress, it would likely require a countywide tax increase. School Board member Jeff Morse

Leesburg’s top pro gets the key

Students patent lifesaving wearable

Waterford artist’s work inspires in DC

TEACHER PAY >> 47

Townhouses On The National Campus Draw Resistance BY RENSS GREENE

TOWNHOUSES >> 47

INDEX Loudoun Gov..................... 4 Leesburg........................... 8 Public Safety................... 12 Education........................ 14 Our Towns....................... 17 Biz.................................. 31 LoCo Living..................... 35 Obituaries....................... 40 Classifieds...................... 41 Opinion........................... 44

loudounnow.com

the office park rezoning, the owners are not currently proposing any additional development to the conference center aside from parking. Kevin DeTurris, president of the Lansdowne on the Potomac Homeowner’s Association, said The National’s plans have been a major point at the HOA’s meetings for most of a year, and that the majority of responses have been in opposition. Homeowners around the property have worried about the proposed townhomes’ impact on schools and roads. Nearby Selden’s Landing Elementary School, Belmont Ridge Middle School, and Riverside High School are all operating close to their student capacity, and elementary school students are already bused out of the neighborhood to schools south of Rt. 7. “This project is being shoehorned in and is at a density level that is inconsistent with the neighborhood,” DeTurris

The National Conference Center is asking the county for permission to build 126 townhouses on its property, drawing resistance from nearby residents. The National is hemmed in by Lansdowne homes and Riverside High School, which stands on 46 acres the conference center’s previous owners sold to the county for $20 million, part of the cost that made Riverside the most expensive school yet built in the county. Now, The National’s owners want to build townhouses near Charlena Beth Drive on school property and Kipheart Drive; and off one of the center’s winding loop roads, near the end of Coton Farm Court to the south. During a Nov. 22 Planning Commission public hearing, Cooley LLP partner Colleen Gillis, representing The National’s owner, said the center’s plans are less intensive than what is allowed under current zoning, and bet-

ter fit with the county’s comprehensive plan. “We’re trying to be very sensitive to the needs of the community around us, and we think this is the best solution, given what the comprehensive plan calls for,” Gillis said. The National’s land is one of only two “planned development–special activity” zoning districts in the county, the other being at One Loudoun. It permits a range of large uses, such as airports, universities, hospitals, and sports stadiums, and accommodates uses which “by their nature require sizable land area, often operating and designed in a campus like atmosphere, and which may require functional separation from normal residential, commercial, or industrial development,” according to the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The owner would like to rezone much of The National’s 67 acres to office park, with the remaining 28 acres converting to allow residential. Despite

Superintendent Eyes Teacher Pay Hikes as Budget Priority

Higher parking fees don’t quell downtown debate

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Supervisors hope to hold the line on proffers

[ LOUDOUN GOV ]

[ BRIEFS ] County Considers Expanded Town Center Uses

loudounnow.com

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Del. Thomas A. “Tag” Greason (R-32), Sen. Barbara A. Favola (D-31), and Del. J. Randall Minchew (R-10) talk with county supervisors during Tuesday’s legislative luncheon.

Legislators Meet with Loudoun Leaders As state legislators gear up for the General Assembly session beginning in January, many of Loudoun’s representatives in Richmond met with

county leaders Tuesday to talk about Loudoun’s agenda for 2017. With only a few hours with most of Loudoun’s elected leaders in one

room, the lunch meeting ran through a whirlwind of Loudoun’s immediate and long-term goals and policies for Richmond.

County: Hold the Line on Proffers BY RENSS GREENE Loudoun’s elected representatives are unanimously opposed to the General Assembly’s new restrictions on localities’ ability to negotiate with developers, but don’t expect a pushback this year. “We’re just going to let this kind of incubate for this session,” said County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) during a meeting between the Board of Supervisors and members of Loudoun’s state legislative delegation. “We had not planned on putting any amendments forward. Our biggest issue is not losing any ground.” Sen. Barbara A. Favola (D-31) said that was a “prudent” decision. “Even if we would try to be helpful, we would need data,” Favola said. “We would need to make an argument, and you guys have not lived with it long enough to see the impacts. … Whenever you open up a piece of legislation, there’s the potential of more harm being done.” Favola also advised the county to form a coalition with business interests to make a more persuasive case to other state legislators. In the meantime, the county has a workaround. Loudoun’s county attorney and the planning department have said the General Assembly’s legislation would make it too risky for the county to negotiate proffers, effectively shutting down an important tool in keeping up with the explosive growth. The workaround takes advantage of an excep-

tion in the law by creating small area plans around each of the county’s three future Metro stations. Those plans would cover most of the county’s eastern suburban policy area, where most of the county’s development occurs. Jeff Gore of Hefty, Wiley and Gore PC, the firm that lobbies for the county at the General Assembly, warned that even that workaround may come under attack. “We’ve had conversation with the proponents of the bill from last year, and they are keeping a very close eye on what Loudoun is doing,” Gore said. “And they are considering legislation to prevent that.” Supervisors again pointed out that the state’s proffer legislation prevents even voluntary agreements with developers, such as construction of a Brambleton library, which Supervisor Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) described as a “win-win-win.” “It benefited the developer in a very big way, because that library goes right in the center of the Brambleton Town Center,” Buona said. “And the developer realized the foot traffic it was going to generate around all the businesses he was trying to attract. Many members of the state delegation were receptive to the idea of fighting back when the county is ready. “I’d be very interested in any specific amendment that you would like to propose,” said Sen. Dick Black (R-13). “I think the change that was made was an overreach.” rgreene@loudounnow.com

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) and Jeff Gore from Hefty Wiley and Gore PC, the firm Loudoun employs to lobby on its behalf in Richmond.

Talking Points Airbnb: ‘A level playing field’ Visit Loudoun President and CEO Beth Erickson told the delegation about her organization’s concerns about Airbnb, which she said constitutes a massive, unregulated, and untaxed industry. She said she would like to focus attention not on homeowners renting out an extra room occasionally, but on hosts who regularly rent out many rooms and don’t live on the property. “I do just want to remind everybody that Airbnb, if they stall and get nothing, they win,” said Del. Thomas A. “Tag” Greason (R-32), TALKING POINTS >> 7

Loudoun’s Zoning Ordinance Action Group has recommended loosening rules governing town center zoning districts, but the county staff is opposing some of the changes. Town centers, according to current zoning, provide for “a compatible mixture of commercial, cultural, institutional, governmental, and residential uses in compact, pedestrian oriented traditional town centers.” There are only a handful of town center zoning districts in the county, most still undeveloped. As part of longer-term work to increase flexibility in mixeduse areas, the Zoning Ordinance Action Group want the county to loosen restrictions on lot size, building requirements, how far apart town centers must be, and what can be built there. County planning staff has raised alarms about some of the suggestions. The advisory panel has suggested the county allow single family detached homes, self-storage, wholesale trade, and data centers in or near town centers, either by right or with special exception review. County planners wrote that those ideas “were deemed by Staff to be inconsistent with the intended form and function of a Town Center.” At a Nov. 22 public hearing, former commission chairman Al Van Huyck pointed out that the county is undertaking a complete overhaul of its comprehensive plan, which will include a careful look at mixed-use zoning. “Just last week, the county held three public input sessions attended by nearly 500 citizens, the purpose of which was to attain their vision for a comprehensive plan for Loudoun,” Van Huyck said. “I did not hear citizens asking for more loosely defined, anything-goes mixed use town centers.” “I concur with Mr. Van Huyck’s desire to incorporate the TC [zoning] into the full comprehensive plan discussion,” said Commission Chairman Jeff Salmon (Dulles). “I think we can kind of do both.” The commission voted 8-0-1 to send the zoning amendments to a work session for further study, Commissioner Eugene Scheel (Catoctin) absent.

Commission Endorses Western School Transport Facility County Planning Commissioners recommended approval of the School Board’s plan to establish a permanent satellite transportation facility on West Colonial Highway across from Harmony Middle School near BRIEFS >> 5

Decking the Tree with Fiber

Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

County of Loudoun

Loudoun County Public Library’s Sheila Ryan fabricated the county’s contribution to the VACO ornament collection at Gum Spring Library’s MILL Studio.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

If you get a chance to view the Christmas tree at the Executive Mansion in Richmond, you might notice an ornament bearing Loudoun County’s seal. Loudoun is among nearly 200 localities participating in this year’s Virginia Association of Counties’ ornament collection governor’s tree. In keeping with the theme “Home for the Holidays” theme of this year’s campaign, Loudoun’s ornament notes that the county is “home to 70 percent of the world’s internet traffic.” The ornament was crafted from the same type of fiber optic cable found in Loudoun’s data centers. The lighted wreath was designed and fabricated by Loudoun County Pub-

lic Library staff members through the Makers in Loudoun Libraries studio at Gum Spring Library.

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Hamilton. The School Board plans to purchase the property, which it and the county government have leased since 2002. The building on the site was originally built as a farm equipment dealership in 1952. The school system and the county currently use the property for offices, vehicle storage, equipment storage, a fueling station, and a public recycling center. In its capital improvement program, the School Board included a plan to purchase the property and develop it as a western bus hub. Some residents in the neighboring

Francis Farm subdivision worried about those plans. “The recycling and school buses are now a fact of life, that’s how it is,” Joan Corderman said. “That’s how it is, but what you really need to realize is the noise that they generate. It’s not going to go away. Please don’t make it worse.” Hal Newman, who lives adjacent to the property, said he was not opposed to the proposal. He said the School Board is “being very fair and reasonable” with the tree screening. Commissioners voted 8-0-1 to recommend approval and to grant a commission permit, Commissioner Eugene Scheel (Catoctin) absent.

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November 28, 2016

S I L V E R L I N E A R E A Comprehensive Plan Am endment

County of Loudoun Proposed Land Use Map (Supervisor Buffington)

Loudoun Supervisors on Tuesday endorsed this land use map to guide development along the Silver Line. The plan envisions a high-density urban center around Ashburn Station on the west and non-residential uses around the Loudoun Gateway Station at the northern edge of Dulles Airport.

Metro future << FROM 1 munity have been telling us to go.” Supervisor Suzanne M. Volpe (R-Algonkian) also defended the committee’s recommendation, and cautioned the board. Volpe chairs the Transportation and Land Use Committee. “I’m highly concerned about us trying to make changes to the map without having the fiscal analysis of those changes, some of which are sweeping,” Volpe said. Airport officials have long argued that allowing residential development closer the airport would hurt the airport’s business, as noise complaints from surrounding residents could pressure the FAA to put more restrictions on when and where airplanes can fly around Dulles. Airport Manager Chris Browne said the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has already learned that lesson at Reagan National Airport, which does face those restrictions. “I think it’s ironic that our sister airport 25 miles down the road is living the consequences of people living under flight patterns today, seeking ac-

commodations and relief, and I don’t think that this region wants to put ourselves in that position,” Browne said. He said Dulles is the product of “real visionary planning and investment made 50 years ago,” with room to grow. But the threat of restrictions on flights in and out of the airport could threaten that. “It’s very important to us, when we talk with our international air carrier partners, to be able to go to them and say, ‘24/7 without restriction,’” Browne said. “Because I can tell you, that’s what the competition’s doing. I guarantee you that’s what JFK and Atlanta are saying.” Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles), an ardent defender of the airport, agreed. He pointed out the largely undeveloped tract of land on the western part of airport property, which is targeted for commercial business, would likely make much greater use of the western north-south runway. “The western land is the only such tract in the entire East Coast,” Letourneau said. “Nobody else has this type of development potential, so what I’m really trying to do here is protect that.” Letourneau’s more aggressive plan, to push residential even further back from the airport south of the Dulles

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Greenway near State Street and Inova’s Ashburn Healthplex off Loudoun County Parkway, failed on a 3-6 vote. Instead, supervisors supported a plan created by Supervisor Tony R. Buffington Jr. (R-Blue Ridge). Buffington said his plan protects the airport and future plans for its western lands and business. Supervisors and the airport have gone back and forth over a number of different noise impact studies and projections, but County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) put that aside in her decision. She said her votes—first to support Letourneau’s plan, then Buffington’s—came down to common sense. “When I push everything else aside,

A British Airlines flight glides to a landing over the Silver Line construction zone at the northern edge of Dulles Airport.

and I push all the numbers and I just set those things aside I think, what makes common M sense?” Randall said. “It doesn’t make common sense to me that I want 40 planes a day going over my head.” Airports authority spokesman Rob Yingling said restricting residential development under Dulles flightpaths “is crucial to the airport’s ability to generate local jobs and revenue and maintain its contribution as a key driver of economic growth for Loudoun County.” “Today’s decision by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is a positive step in an extensive land use planning process,” Yingling said in a statement after the vote, and said the airport will continue working closely with the county as its Silver Line plans move ahead. The board’s Silver Line Comprehensive Plan Amendment will now go to the Planning Commission for a public hearing, before returning to the Board of Supervisors for another public hearing. rgreene@loudounnow.com

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“At least 70 percent of the world’s daily internet traffic goes through Loudoun, yet many people in western Loudoun County can’t even access it,” said Supervisor Tony R. Buffington Jr. (R-Blue Ridge), who is pushing for more broadband access and cell reception in the county’s rural west. “I just want to make sure I ask this question out loud,” Greason said of the board’s request to support measures that would promote rural broadband access.. “If we get this passed, is there going to be a huge fight over cell towers in Western Loudoun?” Greason said he worried about the state delegation using up all its influence to bring broadband into western Loudoun, only to have those efforts stopped by resistance at the county level. “I just want to make sure we go into

Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) repeated his call for a better way for the county government to contract for professional services. “Right now, the way the local jurisdictions are required to procure professional service is not to the favor of the jurisdictions, and it is a raw deal for the taxpayer period,” Buona said. Currently, and unlike construction contracts, the county cannot demand a binding price estimate from professional services firms such as consultants until it has already ranked all the bids for a particular job. At that point, it negotiates with only one bidder at a time, in the order of their ranking, and cannot go back to a higher ranked bidder once negotiations have fallen through and it has moved on to the next. Until then, the county sees only a nonbinding price estimate. That, Buona said, means the county isn’t getting a good price. Minchew pointed out that Loudoun has two representatives on the state subcommittee that handles procurement bills—himself and Del. James M. LeMunyon (R-67), who was not at the luncheon—but Jeff Gore, from the firm that lobbies for Loudoun in Richmond, said it would be an uphill fight. “If you recall, a couple of years ago, the professional services sector tried to remove the nonbinding estimate,” Gore said, which would have left localities “totally operating in the dark.” “We’ve already vetted this, with the (acquisition and expenses) guys in particular, and no surprise, they don’t support it,” Gore said. “This one has the biggest potential of all of them on your list to be a Pandora’s Box,” warned Greason. “And you open it, and it goes the wrong way.”

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pointing out that no change in the law means Airbnb may continue business as usual, and the county will likely have to look at a compromise. Supervisor Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run), who proudly touts his millennial status, said he has heard a lot of negative feedback from people in his generation about the way Loudoun leaders talk about Airbnb. “Airbnb is also serving a lot of millennials who frankly can’t afford hotels,” Meyer said. “We talk about affordable housing; this is affordable travel.” “There has to be a level playing field,” said Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn). “If a hotel has to have a sprinkler system after a certain number of occupants, well, if we’re going to put 18 people in this mansion, then those same rules should apply.” “I’m all for technology, but I don’t like when technology has a certain arrogance that says, we’re really hip, and we’re really cool, and your antiquarian rules don’t apply to us,” said Del. J. Randall Minchew (R-10). “That’s what I saw with Uber, and that’s what I saw with Airbnb.” Minchew said Airbnb has pushed to become exempt even from local zoning regulations and covenants.

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Talking points

this with our eyes wide open,” Greason said. Supervisor Geary M. Higgins (R-Catoctin) said a previous cell tower application did indeed face resistance, but was passed, and he supports Buffington’s efforts. “I can tell you that what I hear most often is, ‘I don’t want to have to go to Starbucks to help my kids with their homework,’” said Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large).

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[ LEESBURG ]

loudounnow.com

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

The town employee responsible for logging countless Town Council meetings over the better part of the last decade is headed to Prince William County. Clerk of Council Lee Ann Green has taken a position as chief deputy clerk for the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. She was appointed as Clerk of Council in late 2007 and has served on the town staff on and off in a variety of positions since 1989. Green began her career with the town as an administrative associate in the Planning and Zoning Department and later in a similar position in the Engineering and Public Works Department. She also served as an executive associate in the Town Manager’s Office. Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The cost of parking has been cited as a deterrent to downtown visitors, but Leesburg leaders say the fees are an important part of their strategy to make spaces available.

DOWNTOWN’S PARKING PARADOX Balancing Revenues, New Technology with Customer Service BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

ith the holiday season comes a welcome treat for those who work, eat and shop in downtown Leesburg. The town’s free parking program went into effect Friday and will continue through the rest of the year. While there is little debate about the holiday program, downtown parking continues to be a subject that frustrates town leaders, merchants, property owners, residents and visitors. Does the downtown area have a parking problem, a perception problem, or does it lie somewhere in between? Town Manager Kaj Dentler has the unenviable task of weighing the cries of those varied interests against the need to generate revenues from parking fees, both in the Town Hall parking garage and on the street. Dentler said his staff does not envi-

“

The myth is we need to make parking free to get people to come here.

” sion adding any more parking downtown, with the recent addition of the Church Street parking lot near Market Station filling a need in that area. In addition to the on-street spaces, Town Hall garage and Church Street lot, surface parking lots also exist off Church and Liberty streets. And the planned construction of a parking garage in the Pennington lot off Church Street, with

the possible addition of more parking associated with the Courthouse Square development, means that even more parking is coming on line, he notes. But that has done little to quell the concerns voiced by downtown patrons. Jan Forman has owned and operated The Jeans Whisperer off Loudoun Street for five years. Asked to describe the parking downtown, she is quick and succinct. “Terrible.” She says her customers often complain about the high price of on-street meters, especially since the parking fees doubled in 2014. “People expect to be able to park near the store,” she said. Forman said her suggestion would be to do away with the parking meters entirely and keep the on-street spaces free.

The town staff will also work closely with the county to request out-of-region support from on-call contractors to assist with major snow removal, like January’s historic storm. The town staff will also assist in clearing the sidewalks along designated high priority areas, which tend to attract a lot of pedestrian traffic, when the snow accumulation is greater than 18 inches. According to the memo, these include the sidewalks along Edwards Ferry Road between Plaza Street and Heritage Way, Plaza Street between East Market Street and Edwards Ferry Road, and East Market Street between

Of what she will miss most about her job, her response was instant: The people. “I’m going to miss my co-workers; they’re a really good team. Since I’ve been here a long time you’ve seen a lot of different groups. This particular bunch that are in here now, it’s really a team,” she said. “It’s not a bunch of separate departments. It’s really come together nicely with the directors that are here and everybody’s working together.” Green’s last official day in the office was prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, but she will work with the town staff on a transition to make sure meeting minutes are up to date, she said. With an advertisement for a new town clerk posted until Dec. 2, Executive Associate Tara Belote and Paralegal Carmen Smith will fill in in the interim until a new clerk is hired. During her last Town Council meeting in November, Green was recognized with a resolution of appreciation from the Town Council. Town Manager Kaj Dentler noted that when Green took up the role of Clerk of Council, the position had previously been filled by two employees. “She’s done the job of two people for many years,” he remarked. “It will be very difficult to replace her.”

SNOW STRATEGY >> 10

krodriguez@loudounnow.com

PARKING PARADOX >> 10

After Jonas, Town Tweaks Snow Strategy BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ The Town of Leesburg is getting ready for the next big snowstorm, whenever it may hit. In an information memorandum shared with the Town Council this week, Deputy Town Manager Keith Markel and Renee LaFollette, director of the Public Works & Capital Projects Department, laid out the revised strategy for FY17 snow season. Following January’s Winter Storm Jonas, when the town’s early attention to primary roads, and not neighborhood roads, drew the ire of many residents stuck inside for days, the town staff has been scrutinizing its strategy,

along with its budget. The Town Council recently earmarked an additional $85,000 in FY17 to cover additional contracted snow removal equipment and mobilization incentives. The memo notes that the town’s in house staff and equipment can adequately address snowstorms up to 18 inches of total accumulation, but in case there is a larger snowstorm, some strategy changes are proposed. Those include the turning over of snow-clearing duties at the town’s fire and rescue departments— the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company stations on Plaza and Loudoun streets, and the Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad on Catoctin Circle—to Loudoun County.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

After serving as Leesburg’s Clerk of Council since 2007, Lee Ann Green is leaving to take a similar post in Prince William County.

Hurley III Receives Key to the Town

BY DANIELLE NADLER Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Professional golfer and Leesburg native Billy Hurley III accepts the key to the town from Vice Mayor Kelly Burk.

dnadler@loudounnow.com

He later said in an interview with Loudon Now that the past several months have been a whirlwind. “You win a tour event and that’s awesome, but we’re learning that there’s a whole bunch of other extra, fun things that come with it and this is one of them,” he said. Hurley’s first PGA tournament win came 10 months after the death of his father, Willard Hurley Jr. Coping with his father’s death and on-the-course frustrations had Billy Hurley III considering retiring from golf at the age of 34. “It wasn’t eight weeks ago that I was seriously thinking about retiring. Nothing was going well and it was hard. Heck, that’s golf,” he told reporters after winning the Quicken Loans National. “Two weeks from now it will probably be hard again, but for one special week it was easy.”

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Leesburg native Billy Hurley III received the key to the town Friday, in recognition of his first PGA tournament win earlier this year. Leesburg Vice Mayor Kelly Burk presented Hurley with the oversized bronze key and a plaque at a ceremony held on the Town Green Friday afternoon. Hurley, a 2000 Loudoun County High School graduate, won the 2016 Quicken Loans National at Congressional Country Club in June. He ended his final round with a score of 17-under for the tournament and 3-under for the day. With the win, Hurley took home $1.2 million in prize money and boosted his world ranking to 169, up from 607. Strong showings in several other tournaments since have earned him a world ranking of 124. In front of Hurley’s family, friends and classmates from Loudoun County High School, Burk read a proclamation commending Hurley for “his accomplishments as a professional golfer and his representation of Leesburg and Loudoun County on the world sports stage.” The proclamation also made mention of his service in the U.S. Navy and support of several charities, including Birdies for the Brave, World Gospel Outreach, Ark Children’s House and Adoption Advocates International. Hurley told those gathered for the ceremony that Leesburg means a lot to him and his family. He joked with Burk, “Now I’m wondering, where does this key fit?”

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Parking paradox

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She’s not the first to make that suggestion either, as both town staff and Town Council members have looked into this possibility. But Dentler said there is an important need not only to accommodate visitors to the downtown, but also to create turnover—empty spaces. “You can do that by meters, you can do that by a two-hour limit but we have to create an incentive for people to turn over the space. You’ve got to do something or it just won’t happen,” Dentler said. While the revenue generated by the on-street meters is modest at best, it has increased by more than $4,000 a month since the fees were doubled in April 2015. The coins collected basically cover the administrative costs of running the meters, Dentler said, but there would still be an enforcement cost associated with monitoring the on-street spaces for turnover if the meters are done away with. And while annual revenues for the Town Hall parking from FY15 to FY16 rose about 10 percent, that money covers only the administrative costs of operating the garage, and not maintenance or possible renovation. “The myth is we need to make parking free to get people to come here,” Dentler said. “But the reality is business owners would then use the [on-street] parking. If it’s free then it’s quite possible there would be no parking for visitors.” Rick Allison closed Pittsburgh Rick’s on East Market Street shop earlier this year, converting the business solely into a food truck. Now with a new venture on King Street—the King Street Oyster Bar—he has an interesting perspective when it comes to downtown parking. He said there is a need to accommodate quick-service establishments with ample, available and accessible parking nearby. Whereas with King Street Oyster Bar, a full-service restaurant, the perception is that you will spend an hour or two at the establishment, rather than running in and out to grab a sandwich to go or for a quick bite. “You want the people who haven’t been here to be able to come down King Street and say I can just pull over here and find a spot to park versus ‘I have no idea where to park’,” he said. “To me the parking issue has only gotten worse; people just don’t know where to go, especially if they haven’t been here in awhile.”

Snow strategy << FROM 8 the split and Fort Evans Road. When a snowstorm accumulation is less than 18 inches, property owners will be responsible for clearing the sidewalks in the designated high priority areas. Citations will be issued for noncompliance, and if the sidewalks are still not cleared, the contractors hired by the town will clear the sidewalks and bills issued to the property owners. The downtown sidewalks will be cleared by the town for lesser amounts of snow because of the limited area to push and

In an effort to accommodate more downtown visitors in the busy shopping and dining area near Market Station, the town in October began a lease arrangement with the Courthouse Square developer to provide 44 public parking spaces, paid via meter. So far, use of the lot has been relatively low, Dentler said, adding more outreach will be done once the holiday parking promotion ends in January. To date, about two months into the one-year lease, 695 transactions have occurred with the pay station and 332 transactions with the Parkmobile App at the Church Street lot for a total of 1,709 transactions. There have been 37 paid business days so far which averages approximately 46 parkers per day, Dentler said. Dentler said he is not surprised to hear that many downtown merchants and visitors are still not aware of the new lot, but said he hopes to build more momentum following the winter months into time for the busy spring and summer seasons. The town also recently added the Parkmobile app that allows visitors to pay their meter fee using a smartphone. That service also has been slowly catching on. With an eye towards keeping up with the times— “most people don’t carry coins,” Dentler noted—the app was launched in Sept. 6. Since that date, there has been a total of 2,418 transactions, generating $4,580 in revenue. Looking ahead, expanding the parking supply is not a priority, Dentler said. “For staff, a top priority is the continued integration of technology and automation in an economical manner. This includes replacing the control functions in the Town Hall parking garage, and the possible installation of payment kiosks assuming the council desires to continue with paid parking in the garage,” Dentler said. This will likely be a budget-time discussion, and with some new faces on the council in 2017 the outcome of those deliberations is anything but certain. Dentler also cites outreach on both the parking app and Church Street lot as top priorities. “Finally, the next step is to engage the new council in discussion on their priorities related to the overall downtown parking subject in a comprehensive manner that has a long-term perspective,” he said. krodriguez@loudounnow.com store snow. In addition to inking more agreements with contractors to be on the ready for assistance with snow-clearing operations, town staff members are being cross-trained to operate snow removing equipment. A majority of the manual labor work, like salting and shoveling, will be outsourced to private contractors. Other changes include equipping more town-owned equipment with snow plows; technology and communications enhancements to the town shop; and more robust educational outreach to residents and businesses. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

Dec. 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7, 2016 LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

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[ PUBLIC SAFETY ] Third Suspect Arrested in Ashburn Homicide, Assault Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office detectives have apprehended a third suspect in connection to the Nov. 4 fatal stabbing and assault in Ashburn. The 16-year-old Herndon resident was apprehended Nov. 22 and was charged with homicide and aggravated malicious wounding. He is being held at the Loudoun County Juvenile Detention Center. A 17-year-old Ashburn resident and another 16-year-old Herndon resident were previously arrested in the case. They face charges in connection to the death of Guillermo Piedra-Espinoza, 22, whose body was found in the woods near the Ashburn Meadows apartment complex, as well as the stabbing of a 19-year-old Ashburn man. Investigators say the victims of the assault were targeted. The 17-year-old Ashburn resident was arrested Nov. 9 and has been charged with homicide and aggravated malicious wounding. He is being held at the Loudoun County Juvenile Detention Center. No charges have yet been filed against the first 16-year-old Herndon resident, who is being held in Fairfax County on an unrelated charge. The investigation is continuing in conjunction with the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force and federal agencies and additional charges may be filed, the Sheriff ’s Office stated.

Naked Stranger Found Asleep in Wrong Bed … and Wrong Home A Sterling man faces multiple charges after entering his neighbor’s home and falling asleep in a child’s bedroom on Saturday. Sheriff ’s Office deputies were Roy called to the Cambers Trail Terrace home around 6:20 a.m. and found Bijan L. Roy, naked and asleep in an upstairs bedroom, according to the report. Roy, 30 of Sterling, was arrested and charged with burglary, indecent exposure and possession of narcotics.

Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

Discarded Smoking Material Blamed in Ashburn Fire Loudoun Fire-Rescue crews this morning were called to a condo in Ashburn’s Goose Creek Village neighborhood where carelessly discarded smoking material caused a balcony fire. The alarm was sounded just before 6:30 a.m. and units from Lansdowne, Leesburg, Ashburn, Moorefield, Sterling, Brambleton and Dulles South responded to the Wardlaw Terrace residence. The crews found smoke coming from a third-floor balcony of the four-story building. The residents were evacuated from the condo and the fire was quickly extinguished. The building’s exterior

Stone Ridge Family Displaced After Fire Loudoun County Fire-Recue authorities say smoke alarms helped a southern Loudoun family safely evacuate from their townhouse during a Saturday morning fire. Dispatchers began receiving calls just after 6:15 a.m. Nov. 26, about a house fire on Carbonate Terrace in the Stone Ridge neighborhood. Fire and rescue crews from South Riding, Brambleton, Moorefield, Aldie, Philomont, and Fairfax County responded to the call, finding heavy fire coming from a three-story, endunit townhome. First responders on the scene confirmed that four people safely escaped, having been alerted by smoke alarms. The occupants of the adjoining townhomes also were evacuated. While the house sustained extensive damage, firefighters prevented the fire from extending into adjacent structures. The Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing its investigation but has determined the fire was accidental, originating inside the garage. Damages to the structure, contents, motorcycle and truck parked in driveway are estimated at $450,000. The residents are staying with family members in the area. No injuries were reported. “Smoke alarms are the first line of defense in alerting a person to

the dangers of smoke and fire,” stated W. Keith Brower, Jr., chief of the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue System. “Therefore, it is critical that these life-saving devices are checked and tested frequently to ensure proper functioning.” The agency’s “Put a Finger on It” smoke alarm campaign offers free home safety and smoke alarm inspections to all Loudoun County residents. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the department hotline 703-737-8093 or go to loudoun.gov/smokealarms. First, always ensure smoke alarms are properly functioning. It is recommended to have at least one on each floor and one outside each sleeping area. The alarms should be kept clean, tested monthly and replaced after 10 years from manufacture date. Secondly, be sure to extinguish cigarettes in proper containers such as metal or ceramic pots filled with sand. Place these containers away from the house, not on the front porch, deck or just outside the door. Disposing of smoking materials in potted plants, mulch beds or near other flammable materials can quickly cause a fire that may spread to nearby structures.

Manassas Murder Suspect Arrested in Ashburn Courtesy photo

Careless smoking blamed for Goose Creek fire.

was covered with a cement fiber siding, which is non-combustible and does not melt—limiting the spread of the fire. The Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire was accidental, caused by improperly discarded smoking materials on the balcony. The smoke alarm in the home where the fire occurred did not activate because the battery had been removed. Damage was estimated at $5,000, with minor water damage to homes below. Fire officials said the incident highlighted two important safety messages.

The suspect of a fatal stabbing that occurred Thanksgiving Day in Manassas was arrested Saturday in Ashburn. According to the Prince William County Police Department, Urrego Samuel Enrique Godoy-Figueroa, 27, died after suffering multiple stab wounds during an altercation with an acquaintance behind a business in the 8000 block of Stream Walk Lane around 8:20 p.m. Nov. 24. Guillermo Estaban Urrego, 30 of Manassas, was located and arrested Saturday at an apartment on Milestone

Square in Ashburn. The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office assisted in the arrest. Urrego was charged with murder. No other suspects are being sought in the investigation.

LPD, Spanky’s Shenanigans Team Up to Help INMED/ MotherNet Families Continuing a nine-year tradition, Leesburg Police Department employees have donated money to help provide holiday meals to families involved in INMED/Mothernet Loudoun. The nonprofit provides prenatal care and other support for mothers and children in families where child health, development and safety are at risk. The department began donating to the organization in 2007 and since 2009 partnered with Spanky’s Shenanigans owner Azmi Zarou to prepare the meals. “This annual event is just another example of the tremendous work and personal commitment of our employees to the community in which we serve,” Chief Gregory Brown said. “They fully realize that giving back is paramount; whether it is the work they do to benefit MotherNet or other worthy causes. I am proud that we can continue with this worthwhile tradition and commend Mr. Zarou for his continued generosity and good will.” PUBLIC SAFETY >> 13

[ PUBLIC SAFETY ]

Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

<< FROM 12

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By year’s end, Purcellville’s DMV Select office will be re-instated. Del. Dave LaRock (R-33) announced the action Tuesday after hearing from DMV Commissioner Richard Holcomb. The office has been closed since the Dec. 11, 2015, FBI raid on Virginia Regional Transit. The DMV office was operated in the North Baily Lane building under the management of VRT. In May, former VRT CEO Mark W. McGregor pleaded guilty in federal district court to charges stemming from a bribery scheme that caused $380,000 in losses to the U.S. government. According to evidence in the case, he conspired with the bus service’s contracted mechanic service to submit false bills and to share the money. Even after the criminal case was finalized and new management installed at VRT, the DMV office remained closed. Customer frustration grew when the county government decided it was too costly to provide DMV services at the Commission of the Revenue’s offices in Leesburg and Sterling. The select service offices allow consumers to process transactions such as registration and titling. More complicated items, such as the issuance of drivers’ licenses, must be completed at a full-service DMV branch. “I am grateful for the assistance of Congresswoman Comstock, Commissioner Holcomb, Senator Richard Black, and Purcellville Mayor Kwasi Fraser as we worked to find a suitable arrangement to re-open DMV service in western Loudoun,” LaRock stated in the announcement.

Authorities are seeking the public’s help in identifying the body that was found in a wooded area of Frederick County, MD, last spring. The body was found May 6 Missing teen near Cunningham Falls State Park. The male is believed to have been between 16 to 19 years old at the time of his death. He is believed to have died between 2014 and 2016. A facial reconstruction was just completed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to show what he would have looked like during his life. He is believed to have been a black male. approximately 5 feet 6 inches. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Maryland Natural Resources Police at 410-2608888 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THELOST (1-800-843-5678).

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[ E D U C AT I O N ]

[ SCHOOL NOTES ]

Loudoun Students’ Life Jacket Invention Earns Patent

Dominion Grant Boosts Elementary School Countryside Elementary received a $2,000 K-12 educational grant from the Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources. The money is being used to transform the school’s courtyard into an outdoor learning center with space for seats and a weather-proof chalkboard, along with a garden in which the students can plant, tend and harvest vegetables. Dominion External Affairs Manager Tim Sargeant presented a $2,000 check to Countryside Principal Richard Rudnick and fifth grade teachers Erin Lucchino and Shannon Slattery on Nov. 17. “We were so excited to get the grant from Dominion so that we could expand and grow the courtyard area and the garden,” Lucchino said. “Everyone at the school can benefit from this project. The teachers can take the students outside for lessons or for school events like Reading Under the Stars. Also, we’re hoping to grow squash, tomatoes and other vegetables to support our students, their families and our community.” Lucchino added that Home Depot provided materials for a stone path and a wall around the garden. The school also plans to build a butterfly house in the courtyard.

BY DANIELLE NADLER

hat started as a fun project for a group of Loudoun middle schoolers has developed into a patented invention designed to save the lives of flood victims. Earlier this month, eight students received a letter from the Patent and Trademark Office officially declaring their invention, dubbed the Floodie, patented. It was the culmination of a years-long effort to guarantee the manufacturing rights for their unique take on a life jacket. The eight young inventors met through a FIRST Robotics club three years ago. As part of the club’s annual competition, the students were tasked with coming up with a solution that would aid in the response to natural disasters. “We decided on floods because there had been a lot of floods recently,” said Samantha Steadman, a sophomore at the Academy of Science and Freedom High School. In 2013, flooding hit parts of Colorado, Haiti and the Philippines particularly hard. That year, floods worldwide accounted for 44 percent of deaths caused by natural disaster—more than any other natural disaster, according to World Disasters Report. The students talked about what might save lives during flash floods and thought more people might keep on hand—and wear—a less cumbersome life jacket. “In a flash flooding event, you’re not just wearing a life jacket around your house,” Samantha said. “We wanted to make something more comfortable and accessible. … Hence, the Floodie was born—flood hoodie.” The Floodie, when deflated, looks and feels like a hooded sweatshirt. But when it is under water for more than 3 seconds, it self-inflates. The Floodie also includes reflective stripes and a GPS chip that can communicate a victim’s location to search and rescue teams. It is also retrofitted with a provisional pouch, stocked with a Clif bar, Meal Ready-to-Eat, foil blanket, flashlight and water. Rohan Arora, a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, said the final product reflects how well the team members worked together. Each student brought something to the table, whether it was coming up with the self-inflating concept or researching what should go into the provisional pouch. One student, Connor Patterson, even learned to sew so he could create the prototype. “Without each person, we wouldn’t have been able to create this invention,” Rohan said. The students also offered a big thanks to Oblon, an intellectual property firm that took on the students’ case pro bono to get the Floodie patented. Now the students are talking about the possibilities of manufacturing the Floodie. Rahul Busayavalasa, a Freedom High School sophomore, said they don’t have the capital to mass produce their invention, but they would be interested

Board Considers 2 Boundary Plans Submitted photo

In a 2013 photo, Connor Patterson, one of the inventors of the Floodie, wears the prototype he sewed.

Submitted photo

The students who created the Floodie are: front row, Rahul Busayavalasa, Caroline Maloney, and Rohan Arora; and back row, Prasan Chari, Connor Patterson, Samantha Steadman, Grace Maloney, and Satya Paruchuri.

in leasing the rights for someone else to manufacture it. Otherwise, they are considering picking up their project again after they graduate high school. Busayavalasa, for one, wants to get at least a couple of business classes under his belt first. “I’m in the first semester of my first business class, AP economics, so I think I’ll learn a lot there,” he said. Satya Paruchuri, a sophomore at

Thomas Jefferson High School, said just living in Northern Virginia has opened a lot of doors for the team of inventors, like having a connection to the Oblon firm, and may open up more. The right person may hear about the Floodie and want to manufacture it for the Red Cross. “There’s so much opportunity here,” she said, “so who knows.” dnadler@loudounnow.com

The Loudoun County School Board on Monday night narrowed down its attendance zone boundary proposals to two, and both are very similar. The board is restructuring attendance lines in south Loudoun to make room for a new middle school, MS-7. It is scheduled to adopt a final plan Dec. 13. The plans are Plan 7, drafted by Chairman Eric Hornberger (Ashburn), and Plan 8, drafted by board member Jeff Morse (Dulles). Both plans call for MS-7 to open as an intermediate school, housing grades eight and nine, while John Champe High School would house grades 10 through 12. That move would free up enough space in the schools to keep students who live south of Rt. 50 attending schools south of Rt. 50. The point of contention between the two plans is Plan 7 would reassign some students living in the Belle Terra community from Eagle Ridge Middle School/Briar Woods High School to Stone Hill Middle School/Rock Ridge High School, while Plan 8 keeps them put. Hornberger said the move would free up space in the crowded Eagle Ridge. But Morse said that neighborhood has been “flip-flopped” between Eagle Ridge and Stone Hill middle SCHOOL NOTES >> 16

School Board Wants HS-9, Turf Fields Accelerated

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The School Board wants the high school, HS-9, to open in 2020, a year ahead of its original plan, on this lot just south of Braddock Road.

graders would attend John Champe High School. An accelerated HS-9 would mean one less year of the intermediate school. Chairman Eric Hornberger (Ashburn) said he had some reservations about asking supervisors to fund the school earlier because he did not want it to be met with critics saying the board didn’t plan well for enrollment growth. “We’re basically saying we think there’s an opportunity to move it forward,” he said. “We’ve heard from our colleagues on the other side of the county that there may be support for that, so we hope it is received in that spirit.” With just six members in favor, the board also voted to accelerate an $8.3 million request to pay for artificial turf

fields and resurfaced tracks at the four remaining high schools that still have solely natural grass fields to fiscal year 2019. Jeff Morse (Dulles) and Debbie Rose (Algonkian), both big proponents of bringing at least one synthetic field to every Loudoun high school, said it is a quality of life and equity issue. “This is not just for lacrosse or football. This is for band, PE, and the club sports that would rent these,” Rose said. “It would mean we’re not continuing to build new schools that have two of them while these older schools remain without.” Jill Turgeon (Blue Ridge) and Joy Maloney (Broad Run) said they wanted to be careful to not upset supervisors by

dnadler@loudounnow.com

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The Loudoun County School Board wants to put a rush on funding for synthetic turf fields at four high schools and a much-needed Dulles South high school. During its meeting Tuesday night, the board adopted its Capital Improvement Program, which outlines the school system’s construction priorities over the next six years and asks for roughly $467 million to pay for them. The document serves as a formal funding request to the Board of Supervisors. In adopting the CIP, the School Board made two big changes to the program proposed by school system administrators. Board members first voted unanimously to move funding for a high school, called HS-9, ahead one year to fiscal year 2018. If supervisors agree to fast track $113.78 million for the high school, it would allow the school to open in the fall of 2020 and provide much-needed relief to John Champe High School, which is on track to enroll 930 students more than its building capacity by that year. Opening HS-9 in 2020 would also allow students’ school assignments in that area to be stabilized one year earlier. The School Board is a week away from adopting new secondary school attendance assignments for the Dulles area, and to handle the higher-than-expected enrollment, members plan to open the middle school (so-called MS7) as an intermediate school, housing grades eight and nine, while sixth and seventh graders would attend Mercer Middle School and ninth and 10th

asking for too much at once. “I’m a little concerned that we’ll cause a kerfuffle at our CIP hearing by moving up this turf,” said Maloney, who ultimately voted in favor of advancing the request. Hornberger, who opposed the motion along with Turgeon and Eric DeKenipp (Leesburg), said he’d prefer that members of the two boards talk about the issue at a Joint Board of Supervisors/ School Board Committee meeting and agree on a plan to retrofit the remaining high schools with synthetic turf. He noted that the School Board presented a plan to supervisors four years ago requesting turf at the high schools be gradually funded, one each year. Supervisors did not even discuss that option, he said. Instead they have OK’d money for fields irregularly, usually in response to protests from specific school communities. “I’d much prefer a dialogue on this,” Hornberger said. DeKenipp made a motion earlier in the evening to include a request for $250,000 for a temporary trailer at Lucketts Elementary School, but it did not win the support of the board. He criticized his colleagues for prioritizing athletic programs over a trailer for a crowded elementary school. “Last I checked I ran for the School Board, not the board of the Redskins,” he said, “yet I spend more time talking about turf fields and press boxes.” The School Board will present the adopted CIP to the Board of Supervisors Dec. 7.

Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

BY DANIELLE NADLER

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Wakefield Announces Sliding-Scale Tuition Wakefield School, a private school in The Plains, is rolling out a new sliding-scale tuition model based on families’ household incomes. In a statement from the school, Gray Carr Griffin, director of Admissions, said the “indexed tuition” program customizes rates based on each family’s income, along with additional financial considerations. “Families that may have traditionally viewed an independent school education as being out of their price range can now consider a Wakefield education as a realistic part of their child’s future,” she wrote. The school, which serves elementary through high school students, offers “first-rate academics, character-building athletics, strong programs in STEM, fine and performing arts, civic engagement, environmental studies, and a personalized college counseling program,” Griffin stated. “We’ve offered these programs throughout our history, but we are redoubling our efforts to make them affordable for more members of our community.” Parents can estimate their customized tuition range for the 2017-2018 academic year using a built-in calculator at wakefieldschool.org/admissions. The customized tuition rates are for students first grade through 12th grade. Learn more by calling 540-253-7501 or visiting wakefieldschool.org.

[ TOWN NOTES ]

Purcellville Applications Sought for Sports Grants

Lovettsville Legends of the Town Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

New residents are moving into the Mayfair subdivision on Purcellville’s northern border, but whether other developments on the town’s edge will advance is under debate.

Another Annexation Request Awaits Action BY MARGARET MORTON

More In the Pipeline Interest in annexation is not limited to property owners north of Purcellville, but also to the south and the east. Golden Eagle Development of Herndon owns 67 acres on A Street next to Valley Springs, and is reportedly considering an application to bring that land into the town boundaries. Harmony Meadows LLC, the owner of a 16-acre property east of town opposite the Catoctin Corner shopping center, recently asked the town to consider a boundary line adjustment for that land. The property was approved for five residential lots in 2007, but the owners are interested in assessing the Town Council’s interest in a different development scheme. The council suggested the developer present more specific plans and gather public feedback. The O’Toole property, at the southeast quadrant of the Main Street/W.T. Druhan Jr. Boulevard intersection, was annexed into town in 2009. The owner has submitted an application for a comprehensive plan amendment and a rezoning to allow mixed-use commercial development on the land. Golden Eagle Development also has acquired the 67-acre Roncaglione property north of the Rt. 7 Bypass. That land had previously been proposed for annexation, but there is no active application for development of the tract. — Margaret Morton

indoor and outdoor sports elements to develop enough detail for the town to consider the application. Another consideration facing town leaders as they debate the merits of annex requests is the impact the development would have on the utility system. The Town Council has held two recent information gathering sessions with its utility rate setting and its financial consultants—Municipal & Financial Services Group and Davenport & Co. LLC, respectively—with the intent to discover a variety of revenue options to avoid annual utility rate hikes that the consultants said will be needed if no further connections are envisioned through growth. mmorton@loudounnow.com

Co-op Plans Holiday Chocolate Workshop The Lovettsville Co-op Market is planning a 1-3 p.m. Dec. 10 workshop for those interested in creating homemade chocolate bark, with some tasty addons to take home. The fee for the program is $25 for members or $30 for TOWN NOTES >> 18

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to provide facilities for practices and tournaments; a 22-acre light industrial area; and about 12 acres designated for mixed commercial, including a town center in the southwest corner of the property. The remaining 9 acres contain a stone farmhouse and a large dairy barn, both of which could serve as a visitor or community center, Herbert said. During a public workshop held by the family, strong support emerged for a residential component of the project. Residents of neighboring Wright’s Farm did not want recreational fields backing up against their homes, according to Herbert, so the family agreed to a compromise that would provide a residential buffer. The family also has been in discussions regarding plans for the

lthough the Purcellville Town Council has rejected the Purcellville Crossroads annexation request, another large property north of town is still under consideration for development. The Warner Brook application that calls for a 131-acre mixed residential, recreational, commercial and light industrial property was submitted in October 2015, but has stalled. Warner Brook is east of the Mayfair subdivision that is under construction. Realtor Jim Herbert, who is representing the Warner family, said the town’s work to update its comprehensive plan has required a significant amount of the planning staff ’s time. “We basically had to wait,” Herbert said this week, adding there was no one in the planning department available to conduct the government’s fiscal impact analysis on essential services, such as police, roads and utilities. “Normally, the town council is given a recommendation from the town staff that prepares and assesses the fiscal impacts from a project,” Herbert said. Community Development Director Patrick Sullivan said that both the town and the applicant probably would have benefited with a bit more information provided, but agreed with the Warner family’s decision to hire RCLCO Real Estate Advisors of Reston to conduct the fiscal impact study. The company has frequently acted in that capacity for both Loudoun County and Fairfax County governments, he said. The study should be complete by year’s end, according to Herbert, who hopes to get the project back on track. The current proposal envisions 65 acres for residential development; a 22acre indoor/outdoor sports complex

The Lovettsville Historical Society is launching a new series on the “Living Legends of Lovettsville.” The inaugural event will be this Sunday at 3 p.m. at the New Jerusalem Lutheran Church, 12942 Lutheran Church Road. Each session will feature stories and reminiscences of one of the town’s leading senior citizens. The Dec. 11 focus will be James “Jimmy” Spring, a longtime farmer in the area. His friends and acquaintances will relate stories about his life—and apparently there are many—to illuminate not only Spring’s life but the way things used to be in Lovettsville. Anyone interested in learning about “the old days” is encouraged to attend. Admission is free, but donations are welcome to defray expenses. For more information, contact Fred George at 703-6235134 or Edward Spannaus at 540-822-9194.

The Town of Purcellville is accepting grant applications from area sports leagues. The council has earmarked $5,200 for the grants in fiscal year 2017. To qualify for funding, organizations must serve the Purcellville area, have town residents among their players, and provide written confirmation of tax-exempt status. To download an application, go to purcellvilleva.gov. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12. The town will review the applications early next year.

17 Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

[ OUR TOWNS ]

Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

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[ TOWN NOTES ] << FROM 17 non-members, and includes all supplies. For more information and to register, go to Lovettsville-grocery.com/ events.

Douglas Graham/LoudounNow

Route 9 in Hillsboro.

Hillsboro Town Presses State Agencies To Combine Projects The Hillsboro Town Council is moving forward on its mission to combine its road and utility improvements into a single, coordinated project. That would require the support of several state agencies, including the Virgin-

ia Department of Transportation, the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Quality. The town is working to upgrade its water and sewer system at the same time the long-planned Rt. 9 traffic calming is constructed. Mayor Roger Vance met with representatives at the Office of Drinking Water in Culpeper on Tuesday to outline a practical timetable that would allow greater time- and cost-efficiency for a combined project. “We’re trying to explain our overarching needs, and to get the project done in the most effective way,” Vance said. “The last thing we want is for them to stall.”

Floodplain Update Gets Hearing The town will hold a Dec. 13 public hearing on proposed Zoning Ordinance updates. Most of the changes under review at the joint Planning Commission and Town Council hearing relate to proposed floodplain regulations and flood hazard insurance. To receive federally backed flood insurance, municipalities must have regulations included in the Zoning Ordinance, or as stand-along provisions. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Old Stone School.

19 Dec. DEC.11––7,7, 2016 2016

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HOLIDAYS in Middleburg

Submitted photo

The hunt parades down Washington Street during the 2014 Christmas in Middleburg festivities.

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On Saturday, Middleburg kicks off the holiday season with a full day of activities. The Dec. 3 event is a partnership between the nonprofit Christmas in Middleburg, the Town of Middleburg and the Middleburg Business and Professional Association. The day’s activities include two parades and numerous Santa sightings. The first parade features the Middleburg Hunt and hounds trotting down Washington Street at 11 a.m. The larger community Christmas pa-

rade begins at 2 p.m. and features a wide variety of floats, bands, classic cars, musical groups, and hundreds of horses and dogs, along with a smattering of alpacas, llamas and other animals. The town will be packed with visitors lining Washington Street for the parades and then shopping or dining in town during the rest of the day. There are three remote lots for parking with shuttle service offered. Parking will be available at Mosby Spring Farm on the west side of town, Mickie Gordon Park on the east and at Salamander Resort & Spa on the north. The $20-percar parking fee helps cover the cost of crowd control and other public safety measures for the large event. For a full listing of the day’s activities, go to christmasinmiddleburg.org.

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The children’s choir perform on the Town Green during Leesburg’s 2015 tree lighting ceremony.

Celebrating the Holidays Downtown The Town of Leesburg is gearing up for three full weekends of holiday events. The town-wide First Friday events this week will be anchored by the Christmas tree and Menorah lighting ceremony, beginning at 6 p.m. on the Town Green. Residents are invited to commence the holiday season with a festive ceremony featuring performances from area schools, a holiday message from town leaders and a community singa-long. Holiday Fine Arts and Crafts Show at Ida Lee Recreation Center opens Saturday morning, Dec. 3. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, more than 90 local and regional artisans will sell hand-made items, including candles, stained glass, carved wood, jewelry, leather products, and table linens. Admission and parking are free. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, downtown shops plan special events including photos with Santa, carolers and gift wrapping. The holiday cheer ramps up the following Saturday, Dec. 10. Throughout the day, carriage rides, live music and holiday carolers, and cookie decorat-

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ing with St. Nick will be offered in downtown shops. The town’s Christmas and Holiday Parade begins at 6 p.m. Entries from businesses, community organizations, bands and others will escort Santa and his friends down King Street from Ida Lee Park to Fairfax Street. Also on Dec. 10, the Tally Ho Theatre will be rocking with three Jingle Jam concerts. An all-star roster of area performers—and some flying in just for the event—perform holiday tunes in their own special way during the 11:30 a.m. Junior Jam, and concerts at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are sold in advance at the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center. The shows benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The following weekend brings more events. Downtown businesses will host story times and photos with St. Nick, carriage rides, and roving Dickens carolers. The children’s program, Rockin’ with Rudolph and Friends, will be performed at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec 16. Designed for children up to age 8, the program visits with Santa and dancing with Rudolph and Frosty. Pre-registration is required through the Parks and Recreation through the online WebTrac system. The cost is $12 for children 2 years old and older and $8 for those younger than 2.

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Leesburg’s Christmas tree and Menorah lighting ceremony always draws a big crowd. This will be the first year in more than a decade that Kristen Umstattd, center, isn’t leading the program. The long-time mayor was elected to the Board of Supervisors last year. This year, Mayor Dave Butler will flick the switch to light the town’s tree.

The Town of Purcellville formally kicks off the holiday season Friday night with a Christmas tree lighting at Town Hall, starting at 6:30 p.m. Families are invited to gather for hot cocoa, a performance by The Dance

Academy of Loudoun, and the lighting of the large Norway spruce. On Friday, Dec. 9, the town offers Trolley Tours and a Christmas Market. The free trolley rides take participants on a tour of the town’s best holiday decorations and lights. The trolley runs 6-10 p.m. Friday and 5-9 p.m. Sunday, with seating available on a first-come, first-served

basis, departing from Fireman’s Field. The Christmas Market at Fireman’s Field will offer homemade and handmade crafts, gifts, and presents 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, and 4:30-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11. On Saturday, Dec. 10, an open house at Town Hall will feature face painting, crafts, and a large LEGO city display in the Council Chambers. The family event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Train Station, ornament decorating activities will be offered beginning at 10 a.m. The town’s Christmas parade begins at noon on 21st Street and follows a route along Main Street to Loudoun

holidays in purcellville

LOUDOUN HOLIDAY EVENTS AND GIFT GUIDE

Loudoun Now File Photo

Santa and Mrs. Claus walk down Main Street during the 2015 Purcellville Christmas Parade. This year’s event begins at noon on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Valley High School. After the parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus plan to stop in at the Train Station, posing for photos from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Two new features brighten the town this year. The Purcellville Holiday Artisan Gallery, at 146 N. 21st St., opened on Saturday. The Discover Purcellville project features the work of 25 area artists. The gallery is open seven days a week through December. Another Discover Purcellville project is the display of 60 large, hand-painted holiday ornaments on 21st and 23rd streets. Using a theme similar to the summer’s painted barrels project, the ornaments are painted by area artists and volunteers and depict various aspects of the Purcellville community.

Dec. DEC.11––7,7, 2016 2016

Discover the Holidays in Purcellville

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Dec. 1 1 –– 7, 7, 2016 2016 DEC. LOUDOUN HOLIDAY EVENTS AND GIFT GUIDE

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Dec. DEC.11––7,7, 2016 2016 LOUDOUN HOLIDAY EVENTS AND GIFT GUIDE

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holidays in ASHBURN

Ashburn Presbyterian Church

LOUDOUN HOLIDAY EVENTS AND GIFT GUIDE

The Ashburn Presbyterian Church invites visitors to experience a walk along the streets of Bethlehem during its presentation of “One Starry Night” on Dec. 9-10.

Ashburn Presbyterian Church Hosts ‘One Starry Night’ More than 80 costumed characters will help bring the Christmas story to life during Ashburn Presbyterian Church’s presentation of “One Starry Night.” From 6 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 9 and Dec. 10, the congregation will feature

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a walk-through Bethlehem, allowing visitors to smell the fresh baked bread, make toys in the wood shop, and eat fruit from the marketplace, among other experiential activities. “We are so proud to be hosting this event for a second year. The response we got last year was overwhelming that we knew we wanted to open our doors and invite the community back in for an encore performance of this amazing experience,” Pastor John Peterson stated. “We look forward to welcoming the community to our church for this most joyous event. We hope families will use this as an opportunity to be reminded of the true meaning of the season.” The church is located at 20962 Ashburn Road. Parking is available in the church parking lot. The event is free.

Dec. 1 1 –– 7, 7, 2016 2016 DEC.

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Visitors to last year’s Ashburn Presbyterian Church presentation of “One Starry Night” make bread in a shop along a Bethlehem street.

holidays in HILLSBORO

Santa Plans Dinner in Round Hill The Town of Round Hill’s tree lighting ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, followed by dinner with Santa at the Round Hill Volunteer Fire Department. Residents are invited to come to the Loudoun Street Park to e n j o y cookies and hot cocoa from Savoir Fare while Woodgrove High School choir performs traditional carols. Collection boxes will be available for donations to Loudoun Hunger Relief and Toys for Tots. Santa will arrive at dusk, escorted by members of the RHVFD to help light the town’s Christmas tree. Then, everyone is invited to cross the street for a free lasagna dinner at the fire department, where Santa will be on hand to greet everyone and have photographs taken. Donations are welcome.

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The Town of Hillsboro invites area residents to join in two full weekends of holiday festivities at the Old Stone School. Events will kick off Sunday, Dec. 4, with the traditional greens workshop followed by a potluck and tree lighting ceremony, co-hosted with the town. Residents are asked to bring food to share before the lighting of the town tree at the school, where singers from Hillsboro Charter Academy will perform holiday favorites. The greens workshop, from noon to 5 p.m., has been an essential component of the Christmas season in Hillsboro for years. Volunteers will make decorations to be used the following weekend during the Christmas in Hillsboro Historic Homes Tour—scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 10. The workshop is held at the Old Stone School. There is no fee, and participants need only bring gloves and clippers. Register at oldstoneschool.org. The tour includes five historic homes within driving distance of the Old Stone School. There also will be plenty of hand-crafted items made locally for shoppers to enjoy at the annual holiday craft fair and outdoor market the weekend of Dec. 10 and 11 on the grounds of the school. “The historic homes tour and craft fair showcases the rich history and the amazing talent that surrounds us,” said Mark Ware, president of the Friends of the Old School. Volunteers and sponsors are needed to help. For details on all the Hillsboro holiday events, go to oldstoneschool.org.

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27 Dec. DEC.11––7,7, 2016 2016

Hillsboro Readies for Holiday Happenings

holidays in ROUND HILL

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Christmas with a German Touch in Lovettsville

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The Town of Lovettsville celebrates the holidays with two events this weekend. On Friday, Dec. 2, the Town Square will host the Wintertainmentfest Extravaganza and formal Christmas tree-lighting ceremony. The evening starts with a lantern-making workshop starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Lovettsville Community Center. At 7:30 p.m., residents are invited to join in the Lantern Parade down Broad Way to the Town Square, where the tree-lighting ceremony is planned at 7:45 p.m. The event will include short movies, a choral production by students of the Lovettsville Elementary School, Brandon’s Magical Light Show Spectacular, a reading of the “A Visit from St. Nicholas” and ending with the placement of the Giant German Pickle on the tree and a holiday sing-along. Festivities continue Saturday, Dec. 3, with the Christkindlmarkt at the Lovettsville Game Club. For the ninth year, members of the Loudoun Valley German Society offer a variety of Christmas events from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Featured are crafters and vendors, visits from St. Nicholas in his full Bavarian bishop’s attire, along with Krampus, the Woodsman, and the

Christkindl angel. There will be live musical acts, authentic German/Austrian foods served by the Game Club and Cub Scout Pack 1733. Woodgrove High School students will raise funds and awareness for teen suicide prevention efforts by the Ryan Bartel Foundation. There will be a large selection of artisan sausages from the Quaker Creek Store in Goshen, NY, as well as libations and other hot food offerings. Admission is $3 for ages 13 and older, while those younger than 13 are admitted free. Admission covers both days, although donations are always welcome to help defray costs.

LOUDOUN HOLIDAY EVENTS AND GIFT GUIDE

holidays in LOVETTSVILLE

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The Franklin Park Arts Center has a full slate of holiday programing this month, including a one-man re-enactment of Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” and offerings of seasonal music. Sunday, Dec. 4, 6:30-8 p.m. In the Coffeehouse, the performance group BITWC Imagine That! presents “One Slight Hitch” for ages 16 and older. Tickets: $8 per person. Sunday, Dec. 11, 6:30-8 p.m. In the Coffeehouse, artist Meredith Hilt leads a hands-on project in jewelry and metalwork. Tickets: $8 per person. Wednesday, Dec. 14, 10 a.m. Beale Street Puppets presents Snowflakes, with Jack Frost, Nicicle Icicle the Penguin, Louis Walrus and his Sardine Chorus, Jingle Belle the Ice Skater, and Jolly Holly the Snowman. Tickets: $5 per person. Thursday, Dec. 15, 8 p.m. John Hardy returns to the Franklin Park stage for his with his one-man version of “A Christmas Carol,” following the tradition Charles Dickens began in 1853. Tickets: $20, reserved seating. Friday, Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m. Join the Rainier Trio and Soprano Leslie Mabe for an evening of holiday favorites. Tickets: $10, reserved seating.

Nutcracker Fantasy for kids ages 2 and older. Tickets: $5 per person. Friday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m. Last Ham Standing Comedy Improv performs. Tickets: $14 adults, $12 students, and $10 children. Saturday, Dec. 31, 7-9 p.m. Ring in the New Year with a family-oriented celebration featuring entertainment by Fizzical Fairy Tales and Magic By Ryan, party favors, refreshments and simple party crafts, photo booth and more. Tickets: $10 per person, $30 per family. Call 540338-7973 to make reservations.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The Franklin Park Arts Center is at 36441 Blueridge View Lane west of Purcellville. Follow the center’s events at franklinparkartscenter.org.

TREE LIGHTING F R I D AY , D E C E M B E R 2 6-8PM

Saturday, Dec. 17, 4 p.m. The Chorus of the Old Dominion, along with several Loudoun County high school choral groups, perform favorite holiday music and lead a singalong of traditional holiday songs. Tickets: $12. Wednesday, Dec. 28, 3 p.m. Bob Brown Puppets presents the

29 Dec. DEC.11––7,7, 2016 2016 LOUDOUN HOLIDAY EVENTS AND GIFT GUIDE

Franklin Park Arts Center Offers Holiday Programs

Join Dulles Town Center and ABC7 meteorologist Veronica Johnson as they kick off the holiday season at Dulles Town Center! • SANTA MAGICALLY LIGHTS UP THE TREE IN CENTER COURT • HOLIDAY SING-ALONG • SPECIAL APPEARANCES BY THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS RACING PRESIDENTS • LIVE PERFORMANCES • ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AND MORE!

Courtesy of John Hardy

John Hardy returns to the Franklin Park Arts Center on Dec. 15 to perform his one-man version of “A Christmas Carol.”

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• FREE VISITS & PHOTOS WITH SANTA* *For ﬁrst 150 event attendees in line. See website for details.

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LOUDOUN HOLIDAY EVENTS AND GIFT GUIDE

4TH ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING AT ONE LOUDOUN

Saturday, December 3rd 5:00pm - 7:00pm Schedule of Events on the Plaza, Downtown One Loudoun: 5:00 – 7:00 pm Amazing entertainment including a live ice sculpture, holiday character appearances, musical performances and kids crafts. Food tastings, warm drinks, raffles and prizes! 5:50 pm Santa Arrives by Firetruck 6:00 pm Tree Lighting 6:00 pm Photos with Santa

Emceed by: Lisa Herndon & WINC FM

Event Participants: 5ense of Thai St, Advanced Corrective Chiropractic, Aggio, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Atlantic Coast Mortgage, B One Loudoun, Bank of Clarke County, Bar Louie, Boho Nation, Buckeye Development LLC, Century 21 New Millennium, City Hills Church, Copperwood Tavern, Creative Dance Center, Énergie, Firehouse Subs, The Fitness Equation/Evolve Salon and Spa, Fortessa Tableware Solutions & Sterling Restaurant Supply, The Fresh Market, Kravitz Orthodontics, Live Well Loudoun, Loudoun Youth, Matchbox, The Meadows Original Frozen Custard, Nando’s PERi-PERi, RE/MAX, Scout and Molly’s Boutique, Senior PGA Tour, Smashing Walnuts Foundation, SpinFire Pizza, Stanley Martin Homes, Theaterpalooza, Thrive Senior Living, Uncle Julio’s, Virginia Premium Medical Care, Wishing Tree, Zoës Kitchen

6:50 pm Spectacular Fireworks Display

Dec. 1 1 –– 7, 7, 2016 2016 DEC.

Please bring a new, unwrapped toy to the City Hills Church booth at this year’s Tree Lighting to donate to Women Giving Back’s Holiday Toy Drive!

OL-HolidayTreeLighting2016-9.44x13.625-Dec1-1.indd 1

ONELOUDOUN.COM

11/28/16 9:45 AM

[ BIZ NOTES ] FedBid Joins Gramercy District Team

Gallery’s Antique Originals Tell a Story BY LEAH FALLON

Leesburg KinderCare Accredited The KinderCare Learning Center in Leesburg has been awarded accreditation by the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs. Accreditation is an intensive process, conducted by an independent, third-party organization validating that KinderCare’s teachers provide meaningful and engaging daily learning experiences for every child. Unlike licensing, which only ensures a basic threshold level of a center’s ability to provide care, accreditation is a higher standard in designating high-quality early learning programs. Less than 10 percent of early childhood education programs in the nation receive accreditation. The KinderCare Learning Center is at 60 Plaza St NE, Leesburg. BIZ NOTES >> 32

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of Dated Materials and Prints. He found the Audubon prints interesting because of their detail and the coloring. He knows that all were hand-painted because color printing did not begin until the 1860s. And even now, a digital camera would have a hard time capturing the natural paint colors that Audubon used, Teringo said. Another interesting piece the gallery boasts is a large, two-sided framed missal page from a Roman Catholic mass, written in Latin in 1768. Through his research Teringo was able to include a rough translation. Teringo says that being a history enthusiast, it’s easy to get caught up in the research of each print. His newfound career gives him a special satisfaction he never had in his profession as a contractor. He advises, “When you retire, you should try something different from your career.” Every work in the PDMP gallery is an original authentic antique print from private collections, with no digital replicas. Teringo is a self-taught framer and has 450-framed prints in his gallery and more than a thousand unframed prints waiting for a home. “I wanted people to have an opportunity to have an original work of art in their home,” he said. Learn more about the gallery’s offerings at pdmpantiqueprints.com.

oes the art on your wall have a story to tell? William Teringo, owner of Preservation of Dated Materials and Prints (PDMP), believes it should. His collection of historical prints has been called a haven for history buffs. Walking into the stone house on 105 Loudoun St. SW in Leesburg, you get the feeling that history lives beyond its doors. Moving from room to room is like stepping into the past through different historical eras. PDMP is more than an art gallery; it’s a museum, with Teringo as its art docent. Teringo has prints from around the world, including originals of John James Audubon, notable for his studies and documentation of American birds and mammals printed in the mid 19th century. He has historical scenes from Japan, a depiction of George and Martha Washington’s wedding, and political cartoons from the early 1700s. Other works illustrate American cities, such as Charleston, New York City and Baltimore, in the 1800s. What makes his gallery special is not only the authenticity of the pictures, but the stories they have to tell. Teringo does his research and is enthusiastic to share his findings with customers. Be-

fore photography, prints were used to record and share visual presentations of the world and told the story of society and culture of the time. Sharing these stories is what motivates Teringo to search out more prints, and sell them to people who would enjoy their story. He says that having an original work of art should be more than what is in the picture. “I want people to have a storyline to go with it.” Teringo never intended to run an art gallery. But in 2009 when he found himself semi-retired as president and owner of Product Development of Manufacturing and Packaging, a contract manufacturing company which also went by PDMP, he was looking for something to fill his time and excite his mind. A collection of art fell in his lap and he ended up with more than 500 Audubon prints from the 1830s and ’40s. Because he was interested in history, friends from his coffee club thought he might be interested in purchasing the collection. His original idea was to sell them to high-end antique dealers, but he soon realized he could do better selling them in his own office, without even changing the name PDMP. In 2010, Product Development of Manufacturing and Packaging took on an additional name of Preservation

On Display

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

William Teringo prides himself in collecting, and selling, original authentic antique art. Customers won’t find one digital replica in his downtown Leesburg gallery.

22 Capital Partners, the venture builder and private equity company behind the Gramercy District project in Ashburn, has selected FedBid Inc. as a technology partner. The team is leading the development of an ecosystem to build smart cities through technology, education and innovation. One of 22 CityLink’s first real estate projects is Gramercy District, billed as the first groundup smart city in the Washington, DC, area. It is planned on 16.8 acres at the terminus of the Silver Line’s Ashburn Station metro station. A key component of the 22 CityLink smart city approach is reducing total lifecycle costs and creating long-term value for the residents within the smart city. “By taking proven, industry-leading supply chain and procurement practices that drive efficiency in purchasing, while also reducing costs and applying them to modern development projects like Gramercy District, it is possible to dramatically increase the return on investment of any real estate development,” stated Minh Le, managing partner of 22 Capital Partners. FedBid’s platform will be integrated with 22 CityLink’s overall procurement and supply chain management services, and will allow all qualified buyers and sellers in construction to participate in the development. FedBid joins Microsoft, Avaya, George Washington University, Center for Innovative Technology and others as part of the 22 CityLink team.

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Inova Loudoun Hospital announced another large donation to expand its cardiac care services this week. Loudoun residents Fred, Karen and Bobbi Schaufeld have committed to give $5 million to expand the facility and support programmatic growth of the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute– Schaufeld Family Heart Center. The gift will also help fund community education around cardiovascular health. It is the largest cash gift ever given to the hospital and the largest single contribution to cardiac care throughout the Inova hospital system. In a statement, Fred Schaufeld said, after his sister-in-law suffered a heart attack and was flown to a hospital in Fairfax, “it became clear that a firstrate cardiac facility would be incredibly valuable to our community.” “We were blessed to be able to play a seed role back then and, in light of all they’ve accomplished, we’re even more thrilled to financially lead this effort now,” he continued. “Together, Inova and Loudoun County perform miracles … every day of the year.” The Schaufeld family has been a key supporter of cardiovascular care in Loudoun County through an initial gift of $1 million in 2005 to establish the Schaufeld Family Heart Center at Inova Loudoun Hospital. Over the past decade, the Schaufeld Family Heart Center has seen exponential growth and patient outcome improvements, including a dramatic decrease in the average “door to balloon” time at the Cath Lab, from 119 minutes in 2009 to less than 65 minutes today, well below the national benchmark of 90 minutes, according to a Inova Loudoun Hospital press release. Annually, the team of cardiologists, nurses and support staff see more than 8,307 patients at the Schaufeld Family Heart Center’s Cath Lab, making it the most used lab on a per-room basis across the entire Inova system. “My vision is to make the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute a top ten cardiovascular center nationally, and it will take the generous support of philanthropists like the Schaufeld family to get us there,” stated Dr. Christopher O’Connor, chief executive officer of Inova Heart and Vascular Institute.

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Walmart Opens Dulles Training Facility One of the world’s largest employers has opened a training center right here in Loudoun County. Walmart celebrated the opening of its Dulles-based training facility Tuesday morning. The Walmart Training Academy is at 24635 Dulles Landing Drive in the existing Walmart Supercenter off Rt. 50, and is the company’s only training academy in Virginia. According to a press release, Walmart’s training academies are dedicated facilities where hourly supervisors and department managers receive two weeks of hands-on training that combines both the classroom and the sales floor. “Our training academies help provide associates with the skills they need to succeed and advance, while creating a better and more consistent customer experience,” Bob Davis, Walmart regional general manager, stated. “Skills BIZ NOTES >> 34

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“This gift, the single largest to cardiac care throughout the Inova system, will have a transformational impact on our ability to provide superior cardiovascular care to our patients in Loudoun County.” Enhancements and additions to the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute– Schaufeld Family Heart Center will take place in two phases. Phase one will include a state-of-the-art Electrophysiology Lab to augment the two existing labs, upgrades to the two Cardiac Cath and Vascular procedure rooms and five additional rooms, as well as a new nurses’ station and improvements to the reception area. Phase two will include the new Schaufeld Family Heart Center near the main entrance of the Lansdowne campus, plus four additional procedure rooms, and a community/ambulatory clinic that specializes in cardiac success transition and peripheral artery disease. Phase one is expected to be completed late next year, and the second phase will begin in the second quarter of next year, with a completion date set for early 2020. This is the latest component of the hospital’s Master Plan, an expansion of its main campus at 44045 Riverside Parkway in Lansdowne.

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[ NONPROFIT NEWS ] Inova Holds Lights of Love Program Sunday The Ladies Board of Inova Loudoun Hospital will hold its annual Lights of Love program on Sunday at 5 p.m. The program benefits the Ladies Board Nursing Scholarship Fund. The public is invited to purchase a “light’ in honor of a friend or family member, someone important or special in their lives, or in memory of someone close to them who has died. The family celebration at the Lansdowne hospital will include a holiday concert by the Loudoun County High School Chamber Choir, lighting of the Christmas tree, lighting of the candles and reading of the honorees’ names. Lighting the tree will be Catherine Williams, an Inova Hospital ICU nurse and winner of the Carolyn Clark Nursing Scholarship award. She represents the 55 nursing students who received grants this year from the nursing scholarship fund. For more information or to donate to the fund, go to ladiesboard.org/lights. cfm or call 703-771-2985.

Wegmans Campaign Benefits Hunger Relief Loudoun Hunger Relief is the beneficiary of Wegmans’ Check Out Hunger Campaign at the Sterling and Leesburg locations. Wegmans clerks will ask customers to donate to the food pantry at the regis-

[ BIZ NOTES ]

ters through Dec. 10. Last year’s campaign yielded nearly $67,000 that LHR was used to provide groceries Loudoun families. Since 2005, Wegmans has raised more than $400,000 to help the hungry in Loudoun. Wegmans Food Markets provides the Check Out Hunger program as a service to the communities they serve all over the nation.

Lakehouse Restaurant, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and Corner Bakery—donated food to help raise money for LLS. More information is available at carzcruizinforcancer.org. Next year’s Carz Cruizin to Cure Cancer event is scheduled for Sept. 17.

Carz Cruizin’ Raise $40K to Fight Cancer

More than 100 children are expected for this year’s Cops & Kids event sponsored by the Loudoun-Dulles Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #69 on Saturday, Dec. 3. In its 15th year, the event begins with a holiday breakfast provided by Wegmans in Sterling, followed by a Santa-led parade to Target, where the kids shop with law enforcement volunteers. Each child is provided a budget of $200 and permitted to shop for whatever they want. The participants are selected through partnerships with the Loudoun County Public schools and various civic organizations based on their need. In addition to shopping, each child will receive a new winter coat, a hand-knitted winter hat, a large selection of reading material and some sweet treats from Santa. The Loudoun Dulles FOP is also planning a “Pack the Paddy Wagon” food drive at Wegmans, featuring its 1951 Police Paddy wagon. The goal is to surpass last year’s collection of 900 pounds of donations.

A record-breaking $40,000 was raised during this year’s Carz Cruizin’ to Cure Cancer event for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to fight blood cancer. The sixth annual car show at the Potomac Lakes Sportsplex in Cascades featured more than 100 classic, antique, sports and custom cars, trucks and motorcycles that were displayed for a panel of judges. McLean Insurance Agency, hosted the event with the help of many volunteers and sponsors in memory of its founder, Henry C. Megill, Jr., who battled a rare form of lymphoma, Waldenstroms Macroglobulinemia, for several years before his death in 1990. Sponsors included Volkswagen Group of America, McLean Rotary Foundation, Electronic Warefare Association, Champion Title, VTA Valet, Patriot Captive Management, AIG Private Client Group, Raffalo, Inc., Ted Britt Chevrolet, Iroquois, and United Bank. In addition to the event’s financial sponsors, local restaurants— Bungalow

FOP Plans Cops and Kids Day

<< FROM 32 training increases productivity, confidence and knowledge which leads to greater job satisfaction, personal and professional growth and helps make working at Walmart a smart career choice.” Walmart has created a new, end-toend training program called Pathways for associates at all levels of store operations, from entry-level to regional general manager. Hourly frontline supervisors and department managers will attend a dedicated two-week program at the academy as part of Pathways. Areas of focus include retail fundamentals and core retail skills; on-the-floor training to help run specific departments; leadership; merchandising; operations; technology; and customer service. The company says it plans to build about 200 academies in the U.S. by the end of 2017. Each academy will train associates from approximately 25 nearby stores, and have its own team of a dozen or so associates with retail operations experience leading the training. All academy stores go through a rigorous auditing process to make sure they are able to deliver the teaching, training and development that associates should receive at the academy. Among the benefits of the academy cited by Walmart are making training more accessible to more associates, allowing them to train closer to where they work rather than being away from home for the two-week training period.

35 Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

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Whelan’s ‘Holy City’ Soars at Washington National Cathedral BY MARGARET MORTON

Submitted photo

Brian Whelan’s painting on exhibit at the Washington National Cathedral depicts Christian churches, Islamic mosques and Jewish synagogues existing in harmony.

mmorton@loudounnow.com

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knew what was important—a door had opened.” He was brought up in Catholic schools, surrounded by religious subjects, but his inspiration that came from medieval religious art was not so much intellectual as emotional and imaginative. Whelan’s paintings are strongly evocative of the medieval tradition, but have a vigor and a rough life force, particularly the male figures who stare out of uncompromising and direct eyes—his saints and kings are not mere namby-pambies. When he went into churches, he knew, “this is who I am, this is my heritage.” That heritage included the relationship between the medieval church and pubs. It was the medieval monks who brewed ale and mead, who provided healing and care, and that relationship became synonymous with his paintings. He had to forget everything he’d learned at art school, and at first it was hard going. Then Whelan went to the Hammersmith Irish Art Show, where he found a ready welcome—and sold eight paintings on opening night. Not only were his new colleagues embracing and welcoming, they were very generous in sharing contacts with him.

aterford’s Brian Whelan brings a depth of experience as well as spiritual exploration to his interfaith mural, “Holy City,” that is hanging in the north transept of the Washington National Cathedral’s central nave. The painting, which the cathedral hung as a commemoration of the 15th anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks, depicts “the three Abrahamic faiths,” Whelan said in a recent interview at his Waterford home. The mural will remain in the cathedral through January. The 9-foot by 12-foot mural is a riot of color and images. It consists of nine paintings, depicting the three faiths peacefully co-existing, their houses of worship supporting and uplifting each other. Whelan’s vision of unity appealed to those involved with acceptance of art work for the cathedral. The Rev. Randy Hollerith, dean of the cathedral, praised Whelan’s depiction of Christian churches, Islamic mosques and Jewish synagogues existing in harmony. “Brian offers us a vision of true interfaith coexistence that is especially poignant ahead of the anniversary of one of the greatest American tragedies in recent memory,” Hollerith wrote for this year’s anniversary. Following 9/11, the cathedral served as a national gathering place for mourning, reflection and prayer. It also holds interfaith services, as well as Friday Muslim prayers and celebrates the diversity of America’s religious traditions. The son of Irish parents, Whelan, who was born in London, said his painting is not fact-based but his “aspirational vision of what a holy city looks like,” an abstract depiction of cultural unity, where people live together in peace, acceptance and in harmony, as “a haven for the soul.” His religious background in an Irish Catholic family is very influential, although one would not call his work or his inspirations stereotypical by any means. As student at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Whelan said, “there were moments when I

When he went into the cathedral at Bury St. Edmunds in East Anglia, in England, “another door opened.” He became intrigued with the history of Edith Cavell, the World War I British nurse and daughter of an Anglican vicar who did much of her work in Belgium. Outspoken and fearless, she was always taught to share with those less fortunate than she, and she put that resolution to the full test, helping both English and French wounded soldiers and French and Belgian civilians escape from occupied Belgium to neutral Holland. She was arrested in 1915 and executed by the Germans for her role in helping the escapees. Deeply impressed by Cavell’s story, Whelan painted 14 images reflecting her spiritual life and death, which his wife Wendy Roseberry suggested he offer to the Washington National Cathedral before they were installed in Norwich Cathedral, where she is buried. “We dropped this proposal into their hands just as the U.S. government had asked the cathedral to do something on the start of WWI. The timing could not have been any better. The show opened on July 27 and ended Sept. 18, 2015, and then went on to Brussels and from there to Norwich,” Whelan said. The “Holy City” notion for the anniversary of 9/11 at the Washington National Cathedral came about as it’s a subject he paints frequently, so he offered to do a large piece that would hang centrally and be floodlit. The commitment and welcoming acceptance by cathedral staff has impressed the couple. To both, the peace and joy of the mural is the “antithesis” of the horror of 9/11. One comment which Whelan appreciated was by retired British art critic and art historian Sister Wendy Beckett, who presented a series of well attended documentaries on art for the BBC in the 1990s. “I think God has His hand on Brian. ... His art is so original and comes from within, which always makes people think.” See more examples of Whelan’s work at brianwhelan.co.uk.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Artist Brian Whelan poses with one of his paintings in his Waterford home. Whelan’s art work is on exhibit at the Washington National Cathedral through January.

[ THINGS TO DO ] HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS FIRE DEPT. DINNER WITH SANTA Saturday, Dec. 3, 5-7 p.m.; Round Hill Volunteer Fire Department, 4 Main St., Round Hill. Contact: 540-338-7982 Enjoy a full lasagna dinner and meet Santa before the town’s tree lighting celebration. Free will donation.

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ROUND HILL TREE LIGHTING Saturday, Dec. 3, 4-5:30 p.m.; Round Hill Town Park, Loudoun St., Round Hill. Details: roundhillva.org Residents and friends gather for the annual tree lighting, cookies and carols.

LOVETTSVILLE LANTERN PARADE AND TREE LIGHTING Friday Dec. 2 7:30-9 p.m.; Lovettsville Community Center, 57 E. Broad Way, Lovettsville. Contact: 540-822-5284 The event begins with a lantern parade leaving from Lovettsville Community Center and ending with the tree lighting at the town square. An optional lantern workshop is available from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. Event is free—cost for the lantern workshop is $8 in advance, $10 at the door.

LEESBURG CHRISTMAS TREE AND MENORAH LIGHTING Friday, Dec. 2, 6 p.m.; Leesburg Town Green, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg. Details: leesburgva.gov Join Mayor Dave Butler as he throws

on the lights and leads a community sing along.

TAYLORSTOWN HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR Friday, Dec. 2, 10 a.m-8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 3, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, 13266 Taylorstown Road. Shop for local honey, handmade beeswax candles, pottery, jewelry, ornaments, scarves, deerskin gloves and baked goods.

CHRISTMAS IN MIDDLEBURG Saturday, Dec. 3, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Town of Middleburg. Details: christmasinmiddleburg.org The day starts with breakfast at Middleburg Community Charter School and ends with a progressive food and wine tasting for adults. Other highlights include the Middleburg Hunt Review at 11 a.m. and annual Christmas parade at 2 p.m.

LEESBURG HOLIDAY FINE ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW Saturday, Dec. 3, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Ida Lee Recreation Center, 60 Ida Lee Drive NW, Leesburg. Details: leesburgva.gov The annual show features fine art, seasonal items, accessories, glassware, handcrafted wooden furniture, jewelry, home décor, candles, natural soaps and other unique gifts. Admission and parking are free.

LOVETTSVILLE CHRISTKINDLMARKT Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Lovettsville Game Protective Association, 16 S. Berlin Turnpike, Lovettsville. Contact: loudounvalleygermansociety@ gmail.com A traditional German market—Lovettsville style—featuring local vendors and homemade German food. Admission is $3 for visitors 13 and older.

HILLSBORO TREE LIGHTING AND POTLUCK Sunday, Dec. 4, 6-8 p.m.; Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. Details: oldstoneschool.org

LSO HOLIDAY CONCERT: WINTER WONDERLAND Saturday, Dec. 3, 4 p.m.; The Community Church, 19790 Ashburn Road, Ashburn. Details: loudounsymphony.org The concert features guest conductor Juan Antonio Gallastegui Roca and includes music that will get listeners of all ages into the holiday spirit, from Silvestri’s “The Polar Express” and Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Selections” to Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” and an audience singalong of holiday favorites. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors. Children 12 and younger are free but tickets are required.

Celebrate the season with friends and neighbors at this annual potluck and tree lighting.

MUSIC WITH A CAUSE: LOUDOUN CHORALE Saturday, Dec. 3, 7:30-9 p.m.; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 711 W. Main St., Purcellville. Details: standrew-pres.org The Loudoun Chorale performs portions of Handel’s “Messiah” and Bach’s “Cantata 61.” The program benefits the Community Coalition for Haiti. Tickets are $15 at the door and $12 for seniors. Youth 17 and younger are admitted free.

StageCoach Theatre Company

NAUGHTY OR NICE CHRISTMAS CABARET Saturday, Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m.; Savoir Fare, 1 W. Loudoun St., Round Hill. Details: stagecoachtc.com Sing along to classic carols, modern-day holiday tunes and even a few

MORE THINGS TO DO >> 37

BY JAN MERCKER

Cerphe’s Up: Homegrown Rock ’n’ Roll History BY NORMAN K. STYER A lovestruck Boston kid followed a girlfriend to American University to study art in 1967. Over the next five decades, he would have a front row seat for—and a significant hand in—the growth of rock ’n’ roll.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Loudoun Now managing editor and author, Danielle Nadler.

fascinated by the character, known as Sierra Phantom, then already in his mid-80s, and encouraged Nadler to reach out to him. Nadler, then a reporter at the Winchester Star, was hesitant at first but found herself drawn into his captivating life story, and Glover agreed to weekly Sunday evening phone calls. Nadler says Glover initially wanted to discuss his adventures in five decades of living off the land. But she wanted to go deeper and get to the backstory that led him to a life alone in the wilderness. She encouraged

him to open up about his hardscrabble childhood as an orphan during the Great Depression and his service in World War II, fighting Japanese forces on the little-known Alaskan front. “I think it was just a blessing that I was the one that he was willing to open up to,” Nadler said. When Nadler met Glover, he was an octogenarian attempting to re-enter conventional society after decades of living as a lone wolf. And in addition to Glover’s personal history, “Without a Trace” also recounts his

More so, he would become a familiar, trusted voice to generations of Washington-area radio listeners. Cerphe Colwell documents the rise of DC’s rock music scene and the birth of many of the industry’s greatest contributors in a new autobiography, “Cerphe’s Up,” written with co-author Stephen Moore. Colwell will hold a book signing Friday, Dec. 9, at the Tryst Gallery in Leesburg. His introduction to the DJ booth came at the invitation of a housemate and fellow student who had a parttime job at a 5,000-watt Bethesda radio station that featured easy listening music during the day, but let the DJs play whatever they wanted overnight. WHFS would become one of the most influential rock stations in America and, starting fulltime in

1973, Colwell was among the core group of the station’s famed freeform DJ line up. Colwell helped bring acts such as Bruce Springsteen and Little Feat to prominence and developed life-long friendships with a roster of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. “Cephe’s Up” shares those stories through Colwell’s recollections and interview transcripts. But there is more. There is the night he played in the backing band for Chuck Berry. There are tales of the rise and fall of important DC music spots such as the Childie Harold and The Cellar Door. And readers learn the colorful effects of a health-conscious DJ going a bit overboard with carrot juice. Colwell’s run at ‘HFS ended after

“Without a Trace: The Life of Sierra Phantom” is available at Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Find more information at facebook.com/withoutatrace.sierra. eight years, but he remained a force on Washington airwaves for decades more during an era that saw the rise of national media conglomerates that now dictate what is played on local airwaves. Today, Colwell controls his own playlist once again with Leesburg-based Music Planet Radio streaming new music and classic hits 24/7 online and through an app. Learn more at musicplanetradio. com/cerphes-up-a-rock-roll-life. Cerphe Colwell will sign copies of his autobiography, “Cerphe’s Up: A Musical Life with Bruce Springsteen, Little Feat, Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, CSNY, and Many More,” from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, at the Tryst Gallery, 312 E Market Street, Suite F, in Leesburg.

[ MORE THINGS TO DO ]

Journalist Danielle Nadler never had writing a book on her bucket list. But when she found a great story, she decided to tell it. The result is Nadler’s first book, “Without a Trace: The Life of Sierra P h a n t o m ,” the story of John P. Glover, who lived in the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada m o u nt a i n s for 50 years and became a legend in the city of Bishop, CA, in his old age. Nadler, Loudoun Now’s managing editor, found her niche in short form journalism years ago. But when she was introduced to Glover in 2010, she felt compelled to tell his story and needed more than an article to do so. “His life was like a novel waiting to be written,” Nadler said of the larger-than-life Glover, whom she got to know through a series of weekly phone conversations. Nadler, who worked as a journalist in California and Nevada before moving to Virginia with her husband, Aaron, in 2009, connected with Glover through a West Coast friend who met the adventurer while hiking in central California. Her friend was

tackling day-to-day challenges, like paying bills and buying groceries, and his success at connecting with fellow seniors as well as a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts who became like family. The book is also the story of the friendship that developed between author and subject and Nadler’s own growth as a writer, branching out from straight-up reporting to creative non-fiction. The process involved breaking the conventions she’d been taught in journalism school—including maintaining distance from her sources. As the months went on, Nadler realized her weekly phone calls with Glover were becoming more than just a project. She began to look forward to their conversations as an ongoing exchange rather than simply a series of interviews. “He became not just a source—he became a friend and someone who I really looked up to,” she said. “At first, it was just going to be a story about this guy. But then it became about our getting through this together.”

Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

Loudoun Author Shares Tales of Legendary Mountain Man

<< FROM 36 mischievous numbers at StageCoach Theatre Company’s second annual holiday review. The $65 ticket price includes dinner and the show. Drinks will be available for purchase.

Saturday, Dec. 3, noon-5:30 p.m.; North Gate Vineyard, 16031 Hillsboro Road, Purcellville. Details: northgatevineyard.com Enjoy North Gate’s award-winning

WEST BELMONT BREAKFAST WITH SANTA Saturday, Dec. 3, 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.; West Belmont Place, 18980 Upper Belmont Place, Lansdowne. Details: westbelmontplace.com Enjoy buffet breakfast for adults and children, a family photo with Santa, gingerbread cookie decorating and other activities. Cost is $21 for adults and children 13 and older, $15 for children

3-12 and free for children 2 and younger with a toy donation to the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree campaign. Advanced tickets are recommended.

ON STAGE HERITAGE PRESENTS ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ Dec. 1-4 and Dec. 8-10; Heritage High School, 520 Evergreen Mill Road, Leesburg. Details: heritagedrama.com. Heritage High School Theatre Department presents “A Christmas Carol: The Tale of Two Scrooges,” based on

the classic Dickens tale, with a twist. The students will perform “A Christmas Carol” with Ebenezer Scrooge Dec. 1-4 and “A Christmas Carol” with Ernestina Scrooge Dec. 8-10. The show will be full reserved seating. Tickets are $10 for all seats except the front center section, which are $15. See full performance schedule online.

DOMINION PRESENTS ‘THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST’ Thursday, Dec. 1 and Friday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 3, 2 and

MORE THINGS TO DO >> 38

loudounnow.com

NORTH GATE VINEYARD ARTISAN SHOWCASE

wines and find special gifts including paintings, jewelry, pottery and photography.

[ MORE THINGS TO DO ]

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<< FROM 37 7:30 p.m.; Dominion High School, 21326 Augusta Drive, Sterling. Details: lcps.org/dhs The performance showcases the antics of the classic Oscar Wilde characters—Jack, Algernon, Gwendolyn and Cecily—as they exchange witty repartee from 1895 Britain. Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for adults and may be purchased at the door.

charted his own course and come into his own with the renowned Clinch Mountain Boys.

‘AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS’ Saturday, Dec. 3, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4, 3 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter Loudoun Lyric Opera presents a double bill of Gian Carlo Menotti’s “Amahl & the Night Visitors” paired with an international celebration of carols. This one-act opera relates the tale of a visit by the three kings to a poor boy’s home while journeying to Bethlehem, and the miracle that ensues.

‘THE GIVER’ Thursday, Dec. 8 and Friday, Dec. 9, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 10, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday Dec. 11, 2 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter

Courtesy of Lucketts Bluegrass

LUCKETTS BLUEGRASS: RALPH STANLEY II AND THE CLINCH MOUNTAIN BOYS Saturday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m.; Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Lucketts. Details: luckettsbluegrass.org The son and namesake of the bluegrass legend, Ralph Stanley II has

Geronimo Productions presents a take on Lois Lowry’s dystopian classic, the story of an 11-year-old boy who lives in a community without choice, differences or the ability to see color. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and $8 for children and seniors.

NIGHTLIFE LOUDOUN FREE CLINIC BOOTS, BEER AND BBQ

703-957-7217

Friday, Dec. 2, 6-11 p.m.; The Stables at Bluemont Vineyard, 18755 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont. Details: loudounfreeclinic.org Loudoun Free Clinic hosts its fifth annual fundraiser featuring music by Liquid A, local wine and beer, dancing, raffles and auction. Tickets are $85.

FUNDING FOOD AND FAMILIES GALA Friday Dec. 2, 6:30-11 p.m.; River Creek Club, Details: cmnua.org This inaugural fundraiser for the Children’s Medical Nutrition Alliance includes cocktails, dinner, dancing, auctions and a keynote speech from Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Detective Nick Campbell, whose children have food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome. Tickets are $125.

Details: tallyholeesburg.com This two-night show features Zoso, a band formed to recreate the sound and energy of one of the most important bands in music history. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 day of show for each night.

LIVE MUSIC: PATRICK GREEN AND THE BLUES BUCKETS Friday, Dec. 2, 8 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com Great blues, R&B and funk from these Virginia favorites. No cover.

FIRST FRIDAY MINGLE AND JINGLE/ NAACP HOLIDAY PARTY Friday, Dec. 2, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.; The Studio, 45449 Severn Way, Sterling. Details: thestudiova.com Join the Loudoun County NAACP and DJ Larry for an evening of dancing to classic R&B and Motown. The organizers will be collecting gently used children’s shoes for donation to local charities. Admission is $10.

LIVE MUSIC: ZOSO: THE ULTIMATE LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3, 8:30 p.m.; Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg.

Courtesy of The DCeivers

LIVE MUSIC: THE DCEIVERS Saturday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com High-energy indie rock from this DCbased trio. No cover.

MHIC#130246

BY RENSS GREENE

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Ashburn Falcons bring down an Ashburn Eagles player.

rgreene@loudounnow.com

WINTER LEARN TO SKATE PROGRAMS AND CAMPS We offer an enjoyable and fun way to learn how to Ice Skate

Skate with Santa (public skate rates apply)

December 10 - 12:30 to 2:00 PM And December 11 - 2:00 to 3:30 PM

cons, who just won the Ashburn championship 46-6, won their first game in the Loudoun championship, and played in the countywide championship. (They lost to the Central Loudoun Giants—a defeat offensive coordinator Danny Vargas put to a passing offense having to play in high winds and hail.) “It’s all on the defense that I’m running, and the fact that all the boys are making tackles,” said Falcons head coach and defensive coordinator Tom Ford. “There’s no fear factor anymore.” This is the first year that Ford is coaching the rugby-style tackle, after a clinic with Fraine near the beginning of the season. “I used to be one of those old-school coaches, just hit, hit, hit, hit, and I never really had anybody get hurt,” Ford

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Everyone’s seen the football highlights: huge, crushing tackles that lay runners out flat. For years, football players have learned to hit fearlessly and hard, but the sport has come under criticism for the long-term damage those hits can do to the brain, especially in young players. But for the past several years, a different type of tackle has been gaining favor among football teams. Rugby games generally see more than a hundred tackles in a match, and the players don’t wear as much protective gear. And rugby coaches say football teams can learn a lot from more than a hundred years of rugby tackles. “Our rugby players don’t care about size, because it’s about leverage,” said Ken Fraine, a Loudoun Rugby coach, former Gonzaga University rugby coach, and self-proclaimed rugby “old boy.” In his nine years at Gonzaga, the rugby team went from only a few players, to three-time champs. Now, he and other rugby coaches are sharing what they know in clinics with football teams. Even with USA Football’s NFLbacked Heads Up Football program players are hitting high and hard, with their heads in front of the ball carrier. But in a rugby-style tackle, the defensive player puts his head past the ball carrier, hits the carrier’s hip with

shoulder (“cheek to cheek”), and wraps the carrier’s legs up in his arms, taking the ball carrier’s legs out and gaining the leverage to bring him down. “The bigger you are, the bigger the target you are, if you’re tackling properly,” Fraine said. And that tackle means players’ heads aren’t getting jarred as much. The rugby-style tackle and variations on it are gaining ground at every level of play. The Seattle Seahawks coaching staff have begun evangelizing for a similar tackle they call “Seahawks tackling.” “In rugby, if you put your head in front of somebody’s knees, you don’t play very long, and you don’t keep your beautiful face very long,” said USA Rugby Director of Training and Education Ken Forehand. “There’s no coach I’ve ever met that I’ve ever worked with or respected that didn’t say, safety first,” Fraine said. “But they didn’t always know the safest way to teach things. We’ve been tackling like this for 180 years, it’s second nature to us.” The confidence and safety that come with the rugby-style tackle have a lot of advantages on the field. Fewer injuries means fewer players off the field, and smaller players having the confidence to take down bigger plays means every player is an effective tackler. Ask the seventh and eighth graders on the Ashburn Youth Football Fal-

39 Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

Youth Football Teams Embrace a Safer Tackle

said. “But last year, I had one kid get a concussion, and that’s when I switched my style up.” Now in a league where dramatic size differences necessitate a rule that players above a certain weight can’t be ball carriers, one of his best tacklers is also one of his smallest players. “He’s no more than 90 pounds, maybe 100 at best, and you can’t beat him because of the simple fact that he’s always got his shoulders square and he never backs down,” Ford said. “It’s definitely something that coaches or teachers of the sport should implement,” agreed offensive coordinator Vargas. “I don’t want to put a regulation on something but, at the end of the day, we want everybody to be safe and have fun, and if there’s tools that can help the sport be safer, then I think it should be implemented.” “I think it’s good for both sides of the ball,” Forehand said. “Because let’s face it, the way we were going about it, essentially we weren’t thinking about the person taking the hit, which is kind of unconscionable.” Fraine, who encourages all his rugby players to play other sports including football, hopes the tackle can be good for football. “The coaches, like the administrators of the youth football leagues, have a problem,” Fraine said. “Their numbers are dropping. It’s not because it’s not a fun sport. I want them to play safely, and I want their numbers to increase.” “We play dangerous games, with fast, big humans,” Forehand said.

Frosted Holiday Skate (public skate rates apply)

December 17 - 12:30 to 2:00 PM And December 18 - 2:00 to 3:30 PM Come skate with your Favorite Frosted Princesses

Get Your Last Minute Gifts for the skater in your family At the Ashburn Ice House Pro-Shop The Ashburn Ice House is Located at 21595 Smith Switch Rd., Ashburn, VA 20147

703-858-0300

loudounnow.com

Additional Public Skate Sessions during the Winter Break

[ OBITUARIES ] Avenue SW, Leesburg, VA 20175. Following the service, friends and family are invited to gather for a luncheon and to share memories of Ann in the fellowship hall at Leesburg Community Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations are sent to Leesburg Community Church via the Leesburg Church Foundation, leesburgcc.org/tlc, or Loudoun Hunger Relief, loudounhunger.org.

Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

loudounnow.com

Ann Whetsell Lawson

June 16, 1946 – November 22, 2016 On November 22, 2016, Ann Whetsell Lawson went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ann Passed away at her home in Leesburg, VA, surrounded by her family. Ann was the loving daughter of the late Aletha Merle and Thomas Lee Whetsell, sister to Helen Cable, Janet Stemple, and Phyllis Barksdale and predeceased by her sister Betty Parks and brothers: Mike Whetsell, Chuck Whetsell, and Buck Whetsell. She was the beloved mother of Wesley Lawson and Adrienne Burton (husband Adam), and two grandsons, Jake and Charlie Burton, who adored her beyond measure. Ann had unwavering faith in Jesus Christ and her love of God. She valued her time in bible study, Sunday school, and attending worship. She translated her faith, incredible spirit of humility, thankfulness, and heavenly perspective into compassion and love for others. Ann joyfully recalled her spiritual trip to Israel and invested herself in mission work where she taught bible school in Trinidad and Tobago, Tennessee via Appalachian Outreach, and to Sioux Children in South Dakota. She also assisted in the construction of a church while in Trinidad and Tobago. Her compassion carried over to animals and after retirement from a 44 year career, including 30 years with the Federal Government, she volunteered her time at the Loudoun County Animal Shelter where she cared for horses, dogs, and was a foster mom to dozens of cats and kittens. Her spirit of volunteerism was strong and she greatly enjoyed her time as a Girl Scout leader and teaching English as a second language to adults in the Loudoun community. Her unwavering civic service and work ethic continued throughout retirement and volunteer work at the Loudoun free clinic, Habitat for Humanity, Interfaith Relief, the Hope Kitchen, Cornwall emergency room patient advocacy, and helping children read and complete homework at Loudoun transitional housing. Ann treasured her trips and vacations with family, especially her grandchildren, sharing Jake and Charlie’s giddiness and joy through each of their first beach experiences. As a mother, sister, grandmother and aunt she was omnipresent in her family’s lives and cherished all time spent with her loved ones and will forever remain in her friends’ and family’s spirit, hearts, and minds. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on December 3, 2016, at Leesburg Community Church located at 835 Lee

John Newton Chinn, Jr.

of Hamilton, Virginia departed this life On Sunday Nov. 27, 2016. He is survived by his wife of 50 years Vernetta F. Chinn; two daughters, Adrienne Hope Blanks of Leesburg, Virginia and Daphne Chinn (Richard) of Charlestown, WV; three sons, Christian S. Chinn (Kristina) of Berryville, VA, Andre V. Chinn (Tracey) of Hamilton, VA and William Chinn (Karen) of Salisbury, MD; six grandchildren, Jaleesa Chinn, Taylor Dehner, Alexandra Chinn, Tyler Chinn, Carson Chinn and Devin Chinn; two sisters, Florence Sanders of Sterling, VA and Betty Coates of Leesburg, VA; and a host of nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday Dec. 6, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. with the viewing from 10:00 a.m. till time of service at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church 12 North Street NE Leesburg, VA 20176. Interment will be at Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Hamilton, VA. Arrangements By: Lyles Funeral Service of Purcellville, Virginia

To Place an Obituary, Memoriam, or Death Notice

Contact: Lindsay Morgan (703) 770-9723

lmorgan@loudounnow.com

Holiday Worship Guide

Employment

Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

Crossword

PARALEGAL

FT LPN or MA

Large family practice in Loudoun County looking for a FT LPN or MA who is compassionate, energetic and loves working with a team. 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 703-726-0804, attention Lisa.

Don’t worry Loudoun we deliver

In Print & Online One Low Price

Homebrew shop

seeking PT sales & bartending help Beer geeks welcome! Located in Leesburg Send Resume to BrewLoCo@gmail.com

For Hire CAREGIVER - CNA

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

The Town of Purcellville’s Office of the Town Attorney is seeking a Paralegal to work 20 to 25 hours per week. Compensation range is $20 to 25 per hour, depending on qualifications. Under supervision of the Town Attorney, the Paralegal will provide substantive legal work and administrative support for the Town Attorney’s office. Duties include file management, office management, legal research, and drafting correspondence, resolutions, ordinances, memos, public notices, and pleadings. A more detailed job description can be found on the Town’s website at www.purcellvilleva.com/jobs.aspx The Paralegal position will initially be more administrative in nature, in order to establish the administrative processes and procedures of the Town Attorney’s office. The position will progressively become more reliant upon complex paralegal skills. Paralegal Certification plus 5 years of related experience preferred. Must be licensed to drive. Must be a commissioned notary for the Commonwealth of Virginia, or obtain such commission upon hiring. Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Town of Purcellville is an award-winning, thriving community whose 9,000+ residents enjoy an exceptional quality of life that has become a hallmark of the town. If you are eager to work in this environment, submit an application and resume to Sharon Rauch, Human Resources Specialist, Town of Purcellville, 221 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia 20132. For an application, visit purcellvilleva.gov. Applications will be accepted until 5:00 pm on December 21, 2016. Equal Opportunity Employer.

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[ OPINION ]

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Critical Balance With its vote in 2012 to commit the county to help pay for the extension of Metrorail to Ashburn and to share in the cost of operating the regional transit system, the Board of Supervisors signed on to a tremendous obligation. Supporters of that action said the resulting economic and community benefits would be well worth it. Critics said county leaders were foolish to entangle the county with the bloated and poorly managed transit system and predicted taxpayers would carry the weight of the misstep for generations to come. Those positions haven’t changed in the ensuing years. A key factor in signing on to the $2.7 billion project was premise that existing county residents and businesses would be insulated from the cost. Instead, those who chose to live and work along the rail line would foot the bill. That is the root of the effort to revamp the development rules for land along the rail corridor where special real estate tax districts have been established to collect Loudoun’s share of Metro funding. This year’s budget anticipates $7.6 million in rail tax revenues. The bill will grow far greater once the trains start running in 2020. While the county board is working to accelerate growth in the corridor so that tax revenues can keep pace with Loudoun’s funding obligations, it also must ensure that they aren’t opening the door to long-term problems that could prove far more costly. The Silver Line plan supervisors reviewed this week called for adding 10,000 more residential units and some 2 million more square feet of commercial space than would be expected under the current development policies. County consultants say that mix should provide the financial boon needed for the tax district plan to succeed. But there is a danger in assessing the Silver Line corridor in a vacuum, especially at a time when the county’s broader growth management rules are being reexamined. The Envision Loudoun exercise is expected to promote that same type of mixed-use development—in essence, more flexibility for residential construction—in other areas of the county as well, reflecting the market shift away from conventional office parks. Those allowances could dilute the demand needed for the Silver Line plan to meet its fiscal targets. Supervisors know that getting balance right is critical. Their vote on Tuesday to silence plans to allow residential development closer to the Dulles Airport runways is one example of the challenges they face. There are other tough decisions ahead and long term prudence should continue to trump short term expediency as those issues are tackled.

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[ LETTERS ] Support Us Editor: On Dec. 6, the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on a Minor Special Exception application we submitted earlier this year concerning our Catesby Farm property. Unfortunately, our limited proposal has been met with an undue and unwarranted level of misinformation and mischaracterization by many opponents, especially those who seek to use this vote to make a broader and more complex point about growth in western Loudoun, rather than focus on the true and just merits of our minor and straightforward request. In short, we are simply pursuing an option afforded us under the county’s existing Comprehensive Plan and its Rural Economic Development guidelines—that is, to host up to 20 limited events of less than 200 guests on our 200 acre-plus property over a 365-day period. This involves no permanent construction, no impactful changes to the property or scenery, and no use of certain roads in proximity to the farm. It involves some temporary tents, temporary lighting and music, and parking— all located in the middle of our expansive property and away from others. Importantly, we have made—during the course of this process—no less than 10 substantial concessions in an effort to address concerns, mitigate any potential impact, and demonstrate genuine good faith and understanding. While we could have easily pursued an option to turn Catesby into a B&B enterprise, we deliberately chose not to—even though doing so would have afforded us the ability to host even more events and on a larger scale than what we currently seek. Those who are opposing our efforts fail to recognize that, already across western Loudoun, dozens of enterprises already function as event centers—

holding events almost every weekend, seeking to generate revenue in the same way we are. These include a multitude of local B&Bs, wineries, breweries, and others. Which raises the question: why should our proposal be held to a higher, unfair and unequal standard? Concerns have in the past similarly been expressed about venues in their nascent stages—such as Salamander Resort, Middleburg Film Festival, and Shadow Creek Weddings & Events— all of which bring in hundreds of people dozens and dozens of times annually. Yet all these venues have taken root in Loudoun to widely-acclaimed success and heralded as generators of jobs, needed revenue, tourism, and business pioneers for the area. Our family has been a good neighbor and resident of western Loudoun for many years. We cherish the lifestyle and traditions of our special community. We want to open the doors of Catesby and share its beauty and heritage with others. We have earned the right to pursue the same dream and mission others have pursued in Loudoun. We deserve the ability to carefully, smartly and prudently host visitors on our property to generate much-needed revenue to survive financially and reinvest in our farm to preserve it in its pristine state for our children and future generations to enjoy. Loudoun County staff has recommended approval for our request. The Virginia Outdoor Foundation has indicated our proposal is fully in compliance with existing easements. We hope others will see the many benefits of our request, and support us on Dec 6. — Michelle and Scott LaRose, Middleburg LETTERS >> 46

[ OPINION ]

BY DEEP SRAN

Federal influence over K-12 education is limited

Arguments for and against school choice Supporters point to at least three arguments for “school choice.” First, more publicly-funded choice could

The next four years So what does all of this mean over the next four years? It is difficult to know at this point. Like many Trump policy proposals, the proposals around K-12 education are thin. But, he has selected Betsy DeVos, who is a strong supporter of school choice programs, as his Secretary of Education. And his education proposals will likely have the support of Congress, as he is not proposing to increase the education budget and Republicans generally support school choice. In light of this, I predict that the $20 billion school choice fund will be enacted. And, if the fund goes into effect, I predict that states that already have a strong charter presence will be more likely to pursue federal choice funds than states like Virginia, where school choice proposals face EDUCATION POLICY >> 46

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Public education is a state power. The federal government has virtually no direct control over K-12 education and contributes very little to support it. For example, in FY 2014 (the most recent available data), K-12 federal assistance to Virginia amounted to about $660 million, or less than 5 percent of Virginia’s K-12 budget. Similarly, less than 2 percent of the current LCPS budget comes from the federal government. Of the more than $620 billion spent nationally on public education each year, only about $54 billion (or 9 percent) comes from the federal government. Given that public schools are funded and controlled by state and local governments, the federal government can exercise influence only by using financial incentives. Since state education funding is inadequate for all that public schools do, however, the federal government is able to use incentives to exert real influence over the states’ education policies. The No Child Left Behind Act, which introduced a standardized testing regime that shaped the direction of public education, is an example of how the small federal contribution to public education can exert an outsized influence. President-elect Trump has proposed using $20 billion in existing federal education funds as grants that would be awarded to states promoting school choice. This fund would amount to about 3 percent of the total state and federal investment in K-12 public investment. Trump’s website identifies three forms of school choice: (1) charter schools, (2) vouchers (i.e. public money) for private schools, including faith-based private schools, or (3) magnet public schools (Loudoun’s Academy of Science and Fairfax’s Thomas Jefferson High School are magnet schools). If school choice grants are enacted, states would not be required to promote school choice (unless they pursue a school choice grant). As such, the individual states will decide the extent to which Trump’s support of school choice shapes the direction of public education.

What will a Trump presidency mean for K-12 education? Trump’s campaign proposals focus on “school choice,” which means making it easier for students to use public money to leave traditional public schools in favor of charter and private schools. Whether these proposals actually increase the number of charter schools and vouchers for private schools will be up to the individual states.

accelerate the pace of experimentation and innovation in K-12 education—by making charter, magnet and private schools accessible to more students—and increase the chances that new, improved instructional practices and tools will be employed. Second, by giving traditional public schools more competition, choice will drive existing schools to improve or close. More choice and competition are offered as a better way to improve student learning and to reduce the achievement gap. Third, since parents have a fundamental right under our federal Constitution to make decisions about how to raise their children, choice supporters argue that parents should have the right to choose where their children go to school. This could also mean greater equity, as choice would be available to more families that can’t afford private schools today. In short, school choice brings market forces to K-12 education, with the twist of possibly promoting equity. Critics of school choice argue that these proposals are veiled attempts to dismantle public education altogether for ideological or sectarian reasons. They argue that school choice undermines public schools because it would mean less funding for public schools and lead to a concentration in public schools of the most difficult and resource-intensive students, as charters and private schools would be able to avoid, directly or indirectly, having to enroll or retain the students who need the most support. The Supreme Court has ruled that citizens do not have a right to direct how their tax dollars are spent (except indirectly, by voting for their representatives). School choice would be an exception to this principle. The more serious constitutional problem when vouchers are used by parents for faithbased schools is that public money is being used to promote religion in contravention of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. These matters have been, and will continue to be, litigated.

Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

How Does Education Policy Change Under Trump?

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

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Education policy << FROM 45 more resistance. School choice advocates are right about three things: existing public schools should be better for and to students; school choice should not be reserved only for those who can afford it; and, more new ideas and experimentation in K-12 education is good for student learning. I support increased school choice because I know from experience that charter and private schools have more freedom to test and implement new ideas. But, they have this freedom because they don’t have to do everything public schools do. I am not persuaded (but am open to evidence) that taking funds from public schools and relying on market forces is the best way to serve the students already in traditional public schools. Because I believe public schools will always be where the vast majority of American children learn, I believe high quality public schools must be the primary goal of education policy. School choice is only an indirect means to

Deep Sran, founder of Loudoun School for the Gifted in Ashburn, has been on a mission to improve formal education for two decades. Contact him at dsran @idealschools.org.

[ LETTERS ] << FROM 44

Deplorable Editor: Rep. Barbara Comstock pretended to be offended by Donald Trump’s admission of sexual assault and sexist, misogynist comments in the trump sex video. She wasn’t offended by his racism, bigotry, xenophobia, homophobia, Islamophobia, or by his support (tolerated by the Trump-Pence campaign) from the KKK and other white supremacist hate groups, at least not enough to call on Trump to withdraw from the race for president. Rep. Comstock was offended by his misogyny and sexual assault(s?) until she won re-election. Now, with Donald Trump naming known racist, sexist, and domestic abuser Steve Bannon as his chief White House strategist, Rep Comstock remains silent. Either Rep. Comstock supports (and holds) Bannon’s (and so Trump’s and Pence’s) deplorable opinions and attitudes and so remains silent or Rep. Comstock will take a stand for all her constituents and denounce Steve Bannon and call on Trump to remove him as his chief White House strategist and keep Bannon from any office and position in his administration. Rep. Comstock’s response to Steve Bannon’s appointment will tell us what kind of person she really is. — Craig Schwanke, Ashburn

Misguided Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

achieve this goal. Yet, it is worth pursuing on the small-scale represented by the Trump proposal because experimentation can lead to better practices. I would not increase federal school choice funding, however, until two conditions are met. First, there must be evidence that school choice increases student learning and happiness, and reduces the achievement gap, beyond the gains that could be expected when private and charter schools draw away a select group of students and teachers. Second, if there is evidence of real progress independent of selection effects, there must be a plan to share what is learned with traditional public schools so their students see the benefits of experimentation and innovation.

Editor: Why attach ugly parking garages to Leesburg’s outmoded courthouse? Why destroy the historical charm of the courthouse itself, as well as the character of downtown Leesburg, in a futile attempt to accommodate the inevitable, continuous population explosion of Loudoun County? No matter how many floors are al-

located to parking garages, the small courthouse cannot accommodate the burgeoning population being caused by the expansion of Metro and Dulles Airport, as well as the construction of several new housing developments. The courthouse and garages are doomed to be obsolete as soon as they are built. Instead of trying to turn the courthouse into something it can never be, let the county “bite the bullet” and build a larger court complex on enough land for sufficient expansion and parking. The new complex could be attached to the old courthouse by shuttle buses, as is done at airports. This misguided, futile attempt to expand the capacity of our small 19th century courthouse, the jewel of historic Leesburg, will serve only to destroy its charm. — Maureen Cote, Leesburg

Unfit Editor: Please use whatever influence you have to dump Donald Trump as president because he continues to show us that he is unfit for the job. He is choosing people without experience to his cabinet; he consorts with the alt-right movement and fails to denounce the white supremacists and other hate mongers such as Steve Bannon. His latest fact-less allegations about massive voter fraud are more examples of his emotional instability, since the spread of untruths and lies are not acceptable for our president. F u r t h e r more, he has said nothing about his progress in setting up a wall between the presidential office and his business dealings. This appearance of impropriety is just too much to tolerate. I urge you to demand his immediate resignation. — Johan G. de Groot, Purcellville

<< FROM 1

<< FROM 3 said. He also said there is “absolutely no appetite” on the HOA board to accept the new townhomes into the Lansdowne HOA. The application proposes rezoning “to more seamlessly blend NCC into the Lansdowne neighborhood.” “Think back to when you were learning to drive, when you were driving to high school, did you pay as much attention then as you did today?” Linda Glenn asked during the commission’s hearing. “These are the roads our kids are driving on. This is our neighborhood.” “My concern is also the traffic,” said Margaret Kurnos, citing the recent death of an infant at a crosswalk in Lansdowne. “My younger kids will eventually walk to the elementary school,” David Valdez said. “There are not traffic signals there at all. … It’s becoming dangerous already without the addition of more homes, and it will just continue getting more dangerous.” In 2011, many residents whose homes border The National’s campus voiced complaints to county lead-

to a future work session, with a specific date yet to be determined. “With all due respect for the public comments, I have to agree with Colleen [Gillis],” Vice Chairwoman Kathy Blackburn (Algonkian) said. “A lot of the comments are the same comments we have in every one of our neighborhoods. We have distracted drivers, we have teen drivers, we have children walking to and from schools.”

teachers in Loudoun. Morale, benefits and providing services like mentoring programs also have proven effective in retaining employees, they said. Most teachers could earn more working in the private sector, noted Joy Maloney (Broad Run), who was a teacher and now works as an IT professional. “Certainly, it is job satisfaction that keeps them here.” Many of the county’s 6,000 teachers are women of “child-bearing age,” Beth Huck (At Large) pointed out. “So a lot of the time compensation isn’t enough for them to afford child care,” she said. “If we could pay them a little more for them to afford child care, that might be

something to consider.” Jill Turgeon (Blue Ridge) and Debbie Rose (Algonkian) cautioned their colleagues to be careful to not get caught up in a “keeping up with the Joneses” scenario. “Is it just simply whatever Fairfax does we’re supposed to do, rather than a focus on what our needs are here, inside of our budgetary constraints,” Rose asked. The school system has made progress over the past few years to improve pay for educators in the middle of their career. But Chairman Eric Hornberger (Ashburn) agreed with Williams that there is still work to be done. “I do think we have evidence to sug-

rgreene@loudounnow.com

gest we have a higher resignation rate in some areas,” he said. “… If we don’t continue to make improvements, we will lose ground.” Williams said that pay certainly is not the only factor teachers consider when choosing a school district, but it is a big one. “There are other steps that need to be a part of recruitment and retention,” he said, “but this certainly is one part.” The superintendent said a request for pay raises will be part of his budget proposal, which he will present in full on Jan. 12. dnadler@loudounnow.com

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<< FROM 3 (Dulles) agreed that improving teachers’ pay is a goal worth pursuing, but said it may be hard to convince the Board of Supervisors, which holds the county’s purse strings, to fund a budget that could give teachers as much as a 6 percent pay increase. “That’s a significant increase across the board. That’s something we’re going to struggle with justifying when we go to the Board of Supervisors,” Morse said. Several board members said that pay is only one factor that will keep

ers about an expected uptick in traffic when they approved the sale of 45 acres of the conference center property for Riverside High School. To gain access from Charlena Beth Drive, which is on school property, The National will need permission from the School Board, which is expected to take up the request Dec. 13. Skeptical planning commissioners voted last week to send the application

Teacher pay

Loudoun County GIS

An aerial view of the National and its surrounding property.

But Ashburn District Planning Commissioner Fred Jennings said the applicant has “an uphill battle.” “I just can’t see how we resolve these issues,” Jennings said. “I’d be willing to go to work session, but I don’t think there’s any solution to these. This is a difficult, problematic area, but I don’t think this is the best use of the land.” Both the National Conference Center and Lansdowne on the Potomac are members of the Lansdowne Conservancy, the master association for all of Lansdowne. Other members include Lansdowne Woods of Virginia, Inova Loudoun Hospital, and Lansdowne Resort. The National’s current owner, NCC PS Enterprises LLC, is a joint venture between a real estate investment management firm in California and New York, and a private equity firm based in Connecticut. That partnership bought The National in 2014 and started investing heavily to revitalize the flagging venue, which at that time relied heavily on government business and was suffering with a decrease in government business from sequestration, a slowdown in government meetings, and the 2013 government shutdown.

Townhouses

Several other bills that target sexual abuse and human trafficking have been pre-filed for the 2017 General Assembly session. HB625, introduced by Del. Robert B. Bell (R-58) will expand the definition of “minor” as it relates to victims of abduction for the purpose of concubinage or prostitution to include anyone younger than 18. Another bill, HB678, introduced by Del. James A. “Jay” Leftwich (R-78), would require all law enforcement personnel involved in criminal investigations or assigned to vehicle or street patrol duties undergo training to be sensitive and aware of human trafficking offenses. Wexton said there is clear political will in Richmond to address the growing problem of human trafficking and she expects legislation designed to equip teachers and law enforcement to combat it will gain bipartisan support from lawmakers. The General Assembly’s 2017 session begins Jan. 13. dnadler@loudounnow.com

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

riculum to include more information on human trafficking. That will bring it into alignment with a state law passed this year that calls for public schools to include lessons on human trafficking by next school year. Sheila Jones, Loudoun’s Family Life Education supervisor, also said her department is working with the Sheriff ’s Office to prepare presentations for students on how to recognize and prevent human trafficking. “All data we’ve seen points to an increase in Human Trafficking in our geographic area,” Jones said, “so we have required training this year and last year for FLE teachers, in preparation for the new topic in our curriculum next year.” In other areas, the school system already exceeds state guidelines. For example, the program is in compliance with a new law that requires Virgin-

nize it and empower them to report it and make it stop.” Merryn said she’s already seeing the effects of Erin’s law in states that have codified the legislation. The bill has been made law in 28 states, most recently in Maryland and Delaware. “Many reports are coming out of students disclosing to a trusted adult immediately after being taught it,” she said in a prepared statement. “Just last month an Illinois man was sentenced to 40 years after a child told her teacher right after being taught Erin’s Law. Help me give Virginia students that same voice.” When the School Board considered cutting some FLE teachers during last spring’s budget deliberations, several teachers recounted stories of teens leaving unhealthy relationships or even feeling safe enough to speak up about sexual abuse they were enduring. “They feel they can express their questions and their concerns to us,” Dee Jefferson said in tears at during April 13 budget hearing. “We never embarrass; we empower.”

Dec. 1 – 7, 2016

Sex abuse

ia schools, by next academic year, to teach students about dating violence and the characteristics of abusive relationships at least once in middle school and at least twice in high school. The sheriff ’s office has also tweaked its technology safety program, originally designed for parents, to make it appropriate for teenagers. The program teaches sixth and ninth grade students to detect and steer clear of internet predators. Wexton said that Loudoun County’s FLE program does a good job of “talking to kids about these tough topics and helping keep kids safe.” But many Virginia school systems do not. Most lessons related to sexual abuse tell students to be especially careful of strangers. But, as Wexton noted, more often than not, a child’s abuser is someone he or she knows and is in a position of trust. She acknowledged that teaching students to recognize abuse could be uncomfortable, but it is important. “The best way to prevent it is to talk about it,” she said, “and teach kids to recog-

Dec. 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7, 2016

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