Loudoun Now for Dec. 15, 2016 by Loudoun Now

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Dec. 15 – 21, 2016 ]

A New Crop for Virginia Farms: The Sun Ag Businesses Push Flexibility for Solar Producers BY RENSS GREENE

aren Schaufeld had one field at New River Farm near Leesburg that wasn’t much good for growing anything. So rather than spend money on crops that may or may not turn a profit, she decided to turn it toward a more reliable crop: solar energy. She put up enough solar panels to offset the power needs of one of the buildings on the property. “I quickly discovered that unless I wanted to physically interconnect it across my creek to my building, I was not allowed to sell it to the utility,” Schaufeld told a room of people during a solar energy panel discussion at her farm. “I had to actually file as an independent power producer for my tiny, tiny array, and quickly discovered that the cost associated with that made sure that it was completely uneconomical.” She had run into one of many stumbling blocks to putting up solar arrays in Virginia. Since that time, the landscape for solar in Virginia has shifted, but slowly. Electric customers can now generate some of their own power, with new power meters that permit net metering—in other words, measuring the power the customer generates against the power the customer uses, and only charging or issuing credits for the balance. As of 2015, the law permits residential power customers to generate up to 20

Judge Upholds Life Sentence In Castillo Murder BY NORMAN K. STYER Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge Stephen E. Sincavage on Friday sentenced Braulio M. Castillo to serve the rest of his life in prison for the murder

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Karen Schaufeld leads a tour of her 466-kilowatt solar farm near Leesburg on Tuesday. Proposed legislation coming before the General Assembly would allow farms to generate up to 1.5 megawatts of power.

kilowatts, and nonresidential customers to generate up to 1 megawatt, and not more than the property’s actual usage over the course of a year. So Schaufeld expanded her solar arrays to cover the power needs of all nine buildings on her farm. “Now our challenge is, I wanted to use this as a revenue generator, because I happen to be farming, and I want something of his estranged wife, Michelle. The ruling comes 33 months after her children awoke to find their mother was missing from their Ashburn home. Hours later, her body was found hanging

that’s a steady, reliable income over the years,” Schaufeld said. And she, her allies in movement, and her organization Powered by Facts, are making progress. A bill being drafted now for the General Assembly would allow farmers to generate up to 1.5 megawatts and 150 percent of the farm’s total usage. It would also establish solar farms as an from an extension cord in the shower of a basement bathroom. During a five-week trial that ended in June, a Loudoun jury concluded that Castillo broke into the home and strangled his wife while their kids were asleep and then staged her death to appear like a suicide. The hearing concluded a roller coaster week for the families and the large contingent of Michelle Castillo’s friends and supporters who filled the courtroom each time the case was heard. Last

Castillo

! LE W A O S N N O

agricultural use to clear up local zoning confusion. Virginia Beach and Norfolk Sen. Frank W. Wagner (R-7), who chairs the Commerce and Labor Committee that oversees energy policy in the General Assembly, said allowing customers to sell excess SOLAR>> 7 Monday, Castillo’s attorneys pushed to overturn the conviction; they waited until Thursday to hear Sincavage deny those motions. Friday afternoon’s sentence hearing focused on the aftermath of that March 20, 2014, morning, specifically the impact on the family’s children who lost their mother and father at once—and on providing a sense of closure. The couple’s oldest children, Nicholas CASTILLO >> 39

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Kaine Tours Silver Line Phase II BY RENSS GREENE

resh off the presidential campaign trail, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) took a quick bus tour of Silver Line construction in Loudoun on Tuesday, stopping briefly at the future Dulles Airport station to make the case for mass transit. “Obviously, there’s still a huge number of issues, and there’s issues on our shoulders in Congress to make sure we provide the financial support necessary to keep Metro running,” Kaine said. “Serving 1.2 million people a day, the region doesn’t work without it.”

Kaine and others in Congress have made the case for providing a fixed federal funding source for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Currently, the federal government contributes capital funding to Metro, but does not contribute operational funding—in other words, once it’s built, Congress stops paying for it. Kaine said Metro management has been going “in a positive direction” and applauded the work of General Manager Paul Wiedefeld and his SafeTrack maintenance program. “If the Metro management keeps improving on the safety side, then those of us in Congress will keep making the

case to all of our colleagues from all over the country, because their staffers rely on Metro,” Kaine said. Kaine was governor of Virginia when the state committed to expanding the Silver Line. He said the Silver Line extension was “the single hardest project I’ve worked on in public life.” “It’s just a necessary project to keep up with the growth of Northern Virginia, and especially to serve the international airport, which is one of the two key hubs to Virginia’s international economic reach,” Kaine said. rgreene@loudounnow.com

Kincora Completes Pacific Boulevard Extension BY RENSS GREENE

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Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run) during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Especially with the Ashburn moms, and with families in this area, with people in the senior community at Potomac

Green, this gives them a real option to get around the Ashburn community, but in the morning will also provide KINCORA >> 39

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Local and state officials, along with contractors and developers, cut the ribbon on the Pacific Boulevard extension Dec. 8.

Loudoun Gov..................... 4 Leesburg........................... 8 A Loudoun Moment.......... 10 Public Safety................... 12 Education........................ 14 Our Towns....................... 20 Biz.................................. 22 LoCo Living..................... 26 Obituaries....................... 33 Classifieds...................... 34 Opinion........................... 36

State and local officials joined the developers of Kincora last week to cut the ribbon on the Pacific Boulevard extension to Russell Branch Parkway, completing the last link in the Gloucester/ Pacific Comprehensive Transportation Plan, connecting Ashburn neighborhoods across the Broad Run. The Pacific Boulevard extension is a four-lane divided roadway connecting Gloucester Parkway to Russell Branch Parkway. The roadway adds a fifth crossing of the Broad Run and provides motorists with a parallel road network to Rt. 7 and Rt. 28, as well as providing a shared use trail along the Pacific Boulevard extension. The Kincora developers say these improvements will enable 70 percent of Loudoun County’s population to get to and through Kincora without having to use either Rt. 7 or Rt. 28. “What I always say is, now with this bridge opening you can go from Wegmans to Whole Foods,” said Supervisor

A win for bus drivers

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Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) holds a brief press conference on top of the Dulles Airport parking garage overlooking the future Dulles Airport Metro station.

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Another Rt. 7 crash claims life of truck driver

Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

School, county leaders talk turf alternatives

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Randall to Crack Down on Late Agenda Additions

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BY RENSS GREENE

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advisory boards, some of which have become defunct. It recommended creating the Commission on Women and Girls on a 2-1 vote. Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) and Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) voted in favor; Supervisor Suzanne M. Volpe (R-Algonkian) voted against. “My experience as a teacher has shown me that when you figure out how to help the most vulnerable in the population, you come up with strategies that will help everyone,” Lisa Winter said. “In a community, we are not separate, in isolation. We are part of a web.” Randall has decided to put off a full board vote on the commission until the board’s annual organizational meeting in January.

Billing it as the biggest news at a meeting that included votes on Catesby Farm and the county’s workaround to the state’s new proffer law, County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) on Dec. 6 announced a change to how items can make their way onto the Board of Supervisors’ meeting agenda. From now on, with rare exception, Randall said, anything that doesn’t make it in time to be included in the agenda packet that is published a week in advance of every regular board meeting won’t be added afterward. The change, she said, is intended to give the public more transparency and supervisors enough time to deliberate their decisions. Currently, changes made after the packet deadline often are not available to members of the public until they walk into the boardroom at the time of the meeting. “The bigger issue is giving supervisors enough time to digest the information and the fact that, why do we put information out to the public if it’s going to often change?” Randall said. “It’s not really transparent if at the time of the vote, nobody knows what the new amendments are, except for the nine people who are voting.” Board Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn), one of the board’s four second-term supervisors, said the board has seen an uptick in last-minute changes this term. Late changes to agenda items, he said, don’t give supervisors or the county staff enough time to review new information and deliberate. Buona said the changes usually come either as applicants for permits or zoning exceptions made as 11th-hour efforts to secure enough votes to approve their application, or supervisors take meetings with applicants that spur them. Cracking down on last-minute changes to agenda items, he said, may change how applicants approach the board. “They’re going to have to come with their best deal sooner in the process, because the chair and the vice chair are in total sync that we are going to start deferring things left and right because we are not going to do last-minute changes,” Buona said. “The only exception is going to be if there’s something super critical. We plan on enforcing this strictly on both applicants and the board.” “I have a feeling that I’ll probably be tested a couple of times, and after a couple of times of me saying ‘yeah, that’s not going on the agenda,’ what will be on the agenda will be what’s in the package,” Randall said.

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County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) and School Board Chairman Eric Hornberger during the Dec. 7 joint meeting of the Board of Supervisors and School Board.

Supervisors, School Board Talk Turf Alternatives BY RENSS GREENE

upervisors and School Board members met face to face last week to talk about the school system’s long-term spending plans, and supervisors came armed with questions. The long-standing debate between the two boards over artificial turf fields took a turn the night before when the Board of Supervisors voted to relax its

stance on testing the schools’ artificial turf fields for harmful substances. The board’s finance committee had recommended the county refuse to consider funding four new turf fields, which the School Board is trying to accelerate, unless the county is allowed to test existing turf fields. Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) raised the possibility of looking into other, less controversial forms of artificial infill than crumb rubber. Previous staff reports have said

that those alternative infills are more expensive, but Letourneau has asked the staff to give those infills a second look, saying pricing may have changed due to market forces. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest school system, stopped using crumb rubber infill in 2009 and has removed it from many of its preschools. Other school TURF ALTERNATIVES >> 38

Advocates Push for Commission on Women, Girls BY RENSS GREENE Although the Board of Supervisors has delayed acting on the recommendations of its committee on committees, advocates continue to push the board to create a Commission on Women and Girls. The county previously disbanded a similar committee. Now, the Ad Hoc Committee on Advisory Boards, Commissions, and Committees, along with speakers at every Board of Supervisors public input session since the recommendation came out, say it’s time to bring it back. “The county is becoming more and more suburban and urban, with all the issues, good and bad, that these changes bring,” said Kathleen Hughes of the League of Women Voters of Loudoun

County. Cori Brunet said she envisions people working at the women’s shelter and homeless shelter, finding out what needs are for the women there; women mentoring vulnerable teenaged girls, and female students shadowing female professionals such as engineers. “Every summer, I notice that while we offer more STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) courses, fewer girls participate in them,” Brunet said. “I do not understand this trend, given the apparent push for girls to get involved in STEM classes and go into STEM-related fields.” The committee on committees was one of the first initiatives by the newly elected board, created in January to look at trimming the county government’s roster of more than 50 citizen

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Ellen Grunewald, who has served Loudoun County for 27 years, will retire as director of Family Services on Dec. 31.

innovator who is willing to look at change and creating new efficiencies. “I am truly appreciative of this award, and it has definitely been a wonderful experience to be here,” Grunewald said.

Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

Director of Family Services Announces Retirement

Park Department’s First Maintenance Man to Retire

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William “Billy” Coates, who in 1976 joined the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, will retire Dec. 31 after 40 years with the county. He will retire as maintenance supervisor.

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Director of Family Services Ellen Grunewald

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William “Billy” Coates

Grunewald joined the county staff as the Young Parents Network coordinator for the department, serving in several other positions during her tenure, including as supervisor of the Emergency and Supportive Services Unit. “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you,” County Administrator Tim Hemstreet told Grunewald as the Board of Supervisors presented her with a Resolution of Appreciation on Dec. 6. “You have been a leader in this organization. You have been a model department director for a number of years. A lot of practices and systems that you’ve set up in your department have been models that we’ve used in other departments.” Hemstreet said Grunewald is an

When Coates joined the department, he was the only “maintenance man,” his title at the time. Since then, the department has grown from 25 athletic fields and three community centers to more than 300 fields, and the maintenance division to 40 fulltime equivalents. Department Director Steve Torpey said Loudoun’s parks and BRIEFS >> 6

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Students Recognized for 9/11 Observance

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Seven Loudoun County High School students were recognized for their 9/11 observance by the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 6. Stephen Cypher, Jesse Dineen, Nick Rexroad, Daniel Eisert, Conrad Briles, Josh Stevic, and Nick Vaka received approval from LCHS principal Dr. Michelle Luttrell to place 2,977 flags on the front lawn of the school on the afternoon of September 10, memorializing the nearly 3,000 people killed in that attack. The flags stayed in place

until the morning of Sept. 14. “We were starting to notice that there are a number of people in our school who weren’t even alive when 9/11 happened,” Dineen said. “… Even though we weren’t really remembering it when it happened, it had a huge impact on our lives. Every single one of those lives mattered.” An 18-year-old high school senior would have been 2 years old on Sept. 11, 2001.

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recreation department has become an example to other departments around the state. “A lot of that has to do with the leadership that Billy has shown over the years,” Torpey said. “We’ve had tough budget years over these 40 years, but they’ve always supported our program,” Coates said. “We

wanted to give the best product we could give with the resources we had.” “We like to say that we create community through people, parks, and programs,” Torpey said. “This man created a great community here for Loudoun County.” The Board of Supervisors presented Coates with a resolution of appreciation at its Dec. 6 meeting.

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A panel of advocates, business owners, and Sen. Frank W. Wagner (R-7) discuss the prospects for opening up Virginia to more solar power. From left, New River Farm owner and Powered By Facts founder Karen Schaufeld, Wagner, Catoctin Creek Distillery co-owner Scott Harris, North Gate Vineyard owner Mark Fedor, and Prospect Solar project manager Andrew Skinner.

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ergy up, because there is less demand for the energy a power company creates but the same cost to establish its infrastructure, which means rates get higher to offset the utility’s costs. And Skinner said that North Carolina dove into solar production so eagerly that the industry is now saturated and having to scale back. “If there’s one thing I appreciate about Virginia, it’s been steady,” Skinner said. But despite the hurdles, some Loudoun business owners who have built solar generation say they love it. Scott Harris, co-owner of Catoctin Creek distillery, distills all-organic, zero-waste, and now nearly energy-neutral liquors since he installed solar panels at the business. “In months like October and in May, when we’re not using the air conditioning, we get zero dollar bills and credits to the next month, so it’s quite nice,” Harris said. He said that frees up a lot of cash flow to purchase more ingredients for whisky. Mark Fedor, owner of North Gate Vineyards, Loudoun’s only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold-certified winery, said he installed solar panels for roofing at his business in 2011. “For the first couple of years, we were actually pretty close to net zero usage,” Fedor said, although he still pays about $200 a month in service fees to NOVEC. “As we have grown, added some machinery, we have now become in the red, so we’re considering adding some more solar panels somewhere.”

<< FROM 1 capacity back to the power company is a change in philosophy for Virginia. “That is a fundamental change in philosophy in Virginia, and one that will take some tap dancing,” Wagner said. “But we’re pretty good dancers.” Wagner said he’s confident the Virginia senate will adopt the measure. “We have that white smoke, absolutely,” Wagner said. “I’ve been around a while. I can virtually guarantee you a 38-2 and perhaps a 40-to-nothing vote in the senate.” The House of Delegates, meanwhile, he says is more unpredictable. The measure does have its opponents and its hurdles, both legal and practical. Power companies have been hesitant to embrace home generation of solar. And some localities have hesitated to approve solar projects, either because they don’t fit well into zoning code or because they are not taxed by the locality, Wagner said. In addition, incentives like tax credits are a hard sell in Virginia, which must have a balanced budget and would give up revenues to create a tax credit, and which is facing a tough budget year. Drew Skinner, project manager for Prospect Solar, which installs solar arrays, said solar can now compete with other power generation on cost, but still faces an uphill battle. “You have the David and Goliath classic situation,” Skinner said. “You have a goliath utility that is a state-controlled monopoly that’s looking out for the best interest of the people, they really and truly believe they are. They’re trying to protect the energy infrastructure that they’ve built, owned and maintained for their entire life, and they don’t know any other way to do it.” Schaufeld pointed out that power companies also have investors to think of. “There’s not a pure motive there, necessarily,” she said. “A good friend of mine has a large office industrial complex, and took a lot of measures to reduce his energy usage,” Schaufeld said. “And ended up paying more electricity dollars, because his rate got more expensive the less he used, which is a really perverse incentive.” Wagner also pointed out that solar can in some cases drive the cost of en-

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Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

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[ BRIEFS ] Battlefield Interchange Gains Funding

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Ringing in the Season

Til Bennie works three bells during Monday’s performance by Heritage Hall’s Handbell Choir. The 22-member group, under the direction of speech pathologist Bambi Bryant, performed three shows this year, including a visit to the Morningside House.

Nativity Tour Opens

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As part of the Loudoun County court system expansion, the county government plans to build a parking garage on the north side of North Street, across from several homes.

Courts Complex Parking Garage is a Go BY NORMAN K. STYER

Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority has awarded funding for a key interchange project in the town. Last week, the NVTA voted to award $20 million to build the interchange at the intersection of Rt. 7 and Battlefield Parkway. The award still puts the town about $25 million short of the total project costs, with $33 million now in hand for the $58 million project. Once constructed, the interchange would relieve a major congestion chokepoint in the town and remove one of the final traffic lights along Rt. 7 between Sterling and Berryville. But the award was anything but a sure thing in the week leading up to the vote. The item had initially been removed, as some NVTA voting members were unsure of the town’s position on removing the traffic light at Cardinal Park Drive once the Battlefield interchange is constructed. Mayor David Butler and members of the Town Council penned a letter, assuring the NVTA that the council’s preference is to remove the Cardinal Park Drive traffic light and find another solution for that intersection. According to a town press release, the Battlefield Parkway interchange is expected to be completed by 2022. The town is expected to request the balance of the project funding from the NVTA in 2018.

The Board of Supervisors last week approved a $12.7 million contract to build a four-level parking garage at the Pennington Lot in Leesburg. The garage construction is the first step in the county’s courthouse expansion project. It was strongly opposed by area residents who charged it was too large for the neighborhood and was in excess of the court’s needs. They pressed for supervisors to build a smaller garage—three or two levels— instead. The Leesburg Town Council, despite approving the county’s parking garage plans in February as part of the larger courthouse complex expan-

sion, joined the residents in urging the board to consider alternatives. On Dec. 6, the board voted 7-2 to get the project in motion, awarding the contract to Howard Shockey & Sons Inc. Supervisor Kristen Umstattd (D-Leesburg) was joined by Supervisor Ron Meyer (R-Broad Run) in opposing the contract award. Umstattd, in her former position as Leesburg mayor and during the past year as a supervisor, had encouraged the county to find a way to address residents’ concerns. Voicing the majority position, Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) said the need for the four-level garage and its 717 parking spaces had

been well documented and that failing to begin construction would delay the entire courts project. The garage must be completed before work can begin on the new District Court building that will be constructed along Church Street on land that is used for court parking today. The overall expansion project includes the parking garage, a new 92,000-square-foot General District Court building, and renovations of 40,000 square feet of the current courts complex. It is expected to cost about $87 million and to be complete by 2020. nstyer@loudounnow.com

Shoppers and visitors to Leesburg stores are invited to take a tour of nativity scenes set up by participating merchants. The nativities are on display at several locations throughout town and are intended to serve as a reminder about the history of Christmas and the birth of Jesus. The Leesburg Nativity Tour is organized by Patricia Phillips and a group of volunteers. A variety of different nativities have been loaned to participating shops to display during the holiday season, and include displays from Peru, Ghana, and Sudan. According to a release, the tour is designed similar to a home or garden tour and encourages visits to all 12 stops while shopping and dining in Leesburg. Participating businesses are: Ketterman’s Jewelers, Caulkins Jewelers, King Street Oyster Bar, Rouge Boutique Spa and Apothecary, Georgetown Café and Bakery, The Other Kind of Jewelry Store, The Piano Company, Very Virginia, IndED Hub, Eyetopia Inc., and Yummy Pig BBQ. For more information about the tour go to leesburgnativitytour.org.

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

Loudoun Now/File Photo

Luiz Taifas and Mitra Setayesh pose near a collage of newspaper clippings about Taifas’ successes on the ice from around the world. The couple wants to open an ice skating rink in Leesburg.

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roughly 120,000-square-foot facility in the Oaklawn development. It would house a skating rink, a turf field that could be converted to an ice rink in the future, and an aquatic facility for a swim club, he said. Acknowledging that his team knows the market pretty well through their operation of the Ashburn Ice House, Cullen said they are waiting to “see what emerges in the market” before deciding how to proceed. He noted they filed their plans with the town more than six months ago and have completed two rounds of review.

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The couple behind plans to land a state-of-the-art rink and training facility in Leesburg are moving ahead and hope to have it open within the next year. Former Olympic figure skater Luiz Taifas and wife Mitra Setayesh are behind the ION International Training Center. Earlier this year, the couple announced plans for a 95,000-squarefoot facility that will have the capacity to be everything from an Olympic-style training center, to a rink open for public skating and lessons, and even to host large events, like graduation ceremonies or performances. The two have selected a site in the Compass Creek development owned by the Peterson Companies just outside the Leesburg town limits, near the Dulles Greenway and Battlefield Parkway, and are in the site plan review process with Loudoun County. They filed their plans with the county in October. Last week, Setayesh said she and her husband hope to break ground in the spring and open by the end of 2017, assuming the site plan process moves quickly. She said they are excited about their location, wanting to stay in Leesburg, and have enjoyed working with the Peterson Companies. But it may not be the only entry into the skating market in Leesburg. Brian Cullen, owner of the Ashburn Ice House, has also filed plans to open a

9 Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

Plans for Leesburg Skate Rink(s) Move Ahead

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[ A LOUDOUN MOMENT ]

Chilly Christmas Cheer

Holiday cheer in Loudoun’s towns warded off the weekend’s chilly temperatures. Area residents lined Main Street in Purcellville for the town’s annual Christmas Parade Saturday afternoon. That evening, a big crowd gathered in downtown Leesburg to take in the town’s annual Christmas and Holiday Parade. Dozens of organizations took part with floats, candy, dancing, lights and music. Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Dec. 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 21, 2016 LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

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Florida Mom Says Former Loudoun Band Director Harassed Her Son BY DANIELLE NADLER A Florida parent who says a former Dominion High School band director made sexual advances toward her son is speaking up following an announcement that the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office is looking into whether criminal activity took place while he worked in Loudoun County. The Sheriff ’s Office is investigating whether Brian Damron sexually harassed students while he served as the band director at Dominion High School from July 2012 to January 2015. The local investigation was prompted by complaints that Damron made sexual advances toward a student at Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, FL, where he worked from 2015 until last month when he resigned. School records show Damron resigned from the Loudoun school system in January 2015 and that Loudoun administrators later wrote letters of recommendations that Damron submitted to Duval County Public Schools, as part of his application. He resigned from that post in Florida Nov. 1 following an investigation led by the school system into reports from a 15-year-old student that Damron made sexual advances toward him. According to a statement released Dec. 8 by Loudoun County school administration, the school system received a complaint in 2014 that Damron may have engaged in inappropriate conduct while employed at Dominion High School. Wayde Byard, the schools’ public information officer, said the school division immediately referred the matter to the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office.

“It was determined that the alleged incident took place in another jurisdiction and did not result in charges,” Byard stated. The teacher worked at James Hubert Blake High in Rockville, MD, before coming to Loudoun. Since media reports on Damron’s investigation and resignation came out in Florida earlier this month, Loudoun ad-

There is a disincentive to make this information public. It allows the district to just pass the trash to the next district. ministrators again reported the matter to the Sheriff ’s Office. “Loudoun County Public Schools is working collaboratively with the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office on the current investigation and pledges its full support and cooperation,” Byard stated today. Kraig Troxell, public information officer for the Sheriff ’s Office, said, “After the allegations in Florida, new information came to light here in Loudoun County. So we’re investigating whether there was any criminal activity while the band director served in Loudoun County.” An investigative report from the Duval County school district in Florida found Damron had not committed a crime, but that he used poor judgement and improper communication with students. Patty, who lives in Jacksonville, FL, said in an interview with Loudoun Now that Damron preyed on her 15-year-old son and touched him inappropriately. She wanted her last name withheld to

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Assisted by the Leesburg Police Department, federal officers executed a search warrant at Bunker Sports Cafe in Leesburg on Monday. Just before 9 a.m. a contingent of more than a dozen law enforcement officers entered the bar, located at 510 E. Market St. in the Leesburg Plaza shopping center. The bar opened as scheduled at 3 p.m. that day. Details of the investigation have not been released.

The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office’s preliminary report on Monday’s fatal crash on Rt. 7 west of Round Hill indicates a driver pulled out into the path of a tractor-trailer. The crash happened at 2:55 p.m. Monday just west of the Turnberry Drive intersection.

According to the report, the driver of a Toyota Corolla pulled out of a driveway to cross the median and travel east on Rt. 7. The driver crossed in the path of a westbound 2005 Mack tractor-trailer. The truck driver attempted to swerve, but struck the front of the

classes, as well as band practice in the afternoons, Patty said. Her son told her Damron was “coming on” to him, giving him frequent hugs and speaking to him in sexual innuendos. The student later wrote him a private Facebook message saying that he did not want to offend him, but that he wanted to make it clear that he was not interested in him. Damron replied with an email saying he only wanted to be the student’s friend, and later asked him to delete their message exchange for the protection of both of them, according to the Duval County school system’s report. The next week, the boy came home crying. He later said, when questioned by the Florida Department of Children and Family Services as part of the school system’s investigation, that Damron had asked him to try on pants for the new band uniforms, according to the report. Then Damron told him, “let’s get naked,” in earshot of other students. He then put his hands near his crotch and comment-

ed on the boy’s penis size, according to the report. The Duval County’s report also states that Damron had told his colleagues that he had a relationship with a former student from his previous job. His personnel record included letters of recommendation from the previous school systems where he had worked, including Loudoun County, according to a report from the Florida Times-Union. The investigative report concluded that Damron did not commit a crime. He resigned Nov. 1, and Patty’s son later transferred schools. Patty described her son as a shy kid who avoids confrontation. “He’s always been a teacher pleaser. If he’s asked to do something, he does it.” She said her concern, and that of her son’s, is that the band director will get to continue teaching, in part because state law requires employees’ personnel files to remain private. “That’s the real story here,” she said. “There is a disincentive to make this information public. It allows the district to just pass the trash to the next district.” Damron’s teaching license remains valid, according to the Florida Department of Education. John Brewer, principal of Dominion High School who oversaw Damron, is on leave, according to Byard. He said he could not say whether it was a voluntary leave on Brewer’s part or whether it was related to the Damron investigation. Members of the Dominion High School community have started a petition at change.org showing their support for Brewer with more than 1,600 signatures.

Feds Execute Search Warrant at Leesburg Bar

Tractor-Trailer Driver Dies in Fiery Rt. 7 Crash

A fundraising campaign has been launched to support the family of Tom Taylor, the father of two killed in Monday’s crash on Rt. 7. Find out more at gofundme.com and search for Funeral Funds for TomTaylor.

protect her son. Her son joined the band at a magnet school near Jacksonville, FL, over the summer as a chance to get to know more of his classmates. Shortly after the school year started, Damron gave the 15-yearold leadership roles, and often asked him to help him out before and after school. Her son saw Damron several times a day, for AP music theory and percussion

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Toyota. The truck turned on its side and then flipped back on its wheels and jackknifed. The engine compartment and cabin of the truck became fully engulfed in flames. Thomas D. Taylor, 36, of Timberville, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Toyota was transported to a local hospital and then was transferred to Inova Fairfax Hospital for treatment for injuries described as non-life-threatening. The crash remains under investigation. The westbound lanes of Rt. 7 were closed for nearly 10 hours during the crash investigation and scene clean-up.

Investigation of Centreville Man Prompts Search for Other Victims The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office

has arrested a Centreville man for allegedly sexually assaulting a Loudoun teenager he met through social media. Investigators are working to determine whether there are additional Amaya victims in the case. The suspect, 24-year-old Jonathan S. Amaya, was charged with three counts of felony sexual assault of a juvenile on Nov. 22. He communicated with the 13-year-old victim via social media and claimed to be a 16 year old who attended high school in Manassas, according to the Sheriff ’s Office’s report. The report stated that Amaya met

with the victim in October and sexually assaulted her. The assault was later reported to law enforcement in November. Amaya used the aliases of Jonathan Braden and _wlzard_ on Facebook, Kik and Instagram. Detectives with Loudoun’s Special Victims Unit believe Amaya may have had contact with other young girls in the Washington, DC, area. Amaya has been released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a secured bond. Detectives are working with other law enforcement agencies in the region to determine if they have had similar cases and are asking anyone who had contact with Amaya to contact Detective R. Schmidt at 703-777-0475. SAFETY BRIEFS >> 13

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Ashburn Teen Reported Missing The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office is asking for the public’s help locating a 15-year-old girl who was reported missing on Friday. Taylor Cole is described as a white girl, ap- Cole proximately 5 feet 4 inches tall and 120 pounds. She has blonde hair. She was reported missing on Dec. 9 when she left the Ashburn area on her own accord. Anyone with any information regarding her whereabouts is asked to contact Senior Deputy Diron Adams at 703777-1021 or submit a tip through the

Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office app. The Loudoun Sheriff app is available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play.

Arson Charges Pending Against Teens in Ashburn Fire The Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the Nov. 22 fire at a vacant house along Belmont Ridge Road was intentionally set, starting on the outside deck. The juvenile suspects have been identified and charges are pending, the agency said Tuesday. Crews from Leesburg, Kincora, Moorefield, Lansdowne, Ashburn, Cascades, Hamilton and Fairfax County were called to the site just after 6 a.m. when a passerby had called 911 to report flames coming from the home. The fire was extinguished within 20 minutes, but the home suffered extensive damage and a partial collapse. Damage was estimated at $285,000.

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Off-The-Field Fun

Robert Johnson/Loudoun Now

Students in Tuscarora High School’s Husky Buddies club wrap Washington Redskins defensive back Lee Hightower in toilet paper. He and three other Redskins visited the school to play games and sing Christmas carols with the students.

Special Needs Students Hang with Redskins BY DANIELLE NADLER

ome of Leesburg’s biggest Redskins fans got an experience of a lifetime last week when four players from the pro football team paid them a visit. Tuscarora High School’s Brightlife Buddies, now known as Husky Buddies, a club for the school’s special education students, heard they might have special guests drop in to their weekly meeting. But they were surprised by who showed up. Placekicker Dustin Hopkins, outside linebacker Houston Bates, guard

days. He solicited the help of Ana Gonzalez, a junior who also works with the club. She, in turn, talked to her dad, Washington Redskins’ coordinator Ben Kotwica. “A lot of the kids in [Husky Buddies] are big on sports—and big Redskins fans. With my connection with my father, I just thought, let’s get them here.” Carder and Ana have big plans for the Husky Buddies group for the spring, too. They are organizing what will be the first career day for special needs teens and young adults in Loudoun County. “There’s so much potential here,” Carder said. “They’re capable of amaz-

Watch video of the visit at LoudounNow.com. ing things. They need someone to come alongside them and believe in them.” dnadler@loudounnow.com

Board Lowers Health Costs for Bus Drivers BY DANIELLE NADLER

Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

Arie Kouandjio and defensive back Lee Hightower spent the afternoon hanging with the Husky Buddies. They played games, granted requests for autographs, and even sang a couple of holiday songs with the kids. “I’m a big fan,” Isaiah Wilson, a sophomore, said with an arm around Hightower. The 16-year-old told the athletes to continue working hard on and off the field. Organizing the players’ visit was a team effort. Carder Saul, co-president of the Husky Buddies club and a Tuscarora senior, wanted to give the students something special to celebrate the holi-

Loudoun school leaders are working to fix two of the biggest complaints brought up by bus drivers: expensive health insurance plans and not enough hours. The steadily growing school system is facing a severe bus driver shortage, with as many as 160 vacant positions out of a total of more than 700 needed to transport Loudoun students to and from school. In an effort to attract and retain drivers, the Loudoun County School Board on Tuesday approved a plan to make health insurance costs level for

all employees who work at least 20 hours a week. That reverses a board decision from 2014 when it adopted a policy requiring employees to work at least 21 hours a week to qualify for health care benefits. Premiums are charged on a sliding scale for employees who work between 21 and 30 hours. Scrapping that model could save hundreds of dollars a month for the school system’s 157 employees who work between 20 and 24 hours a week. A 25-hour-a-week employee on an open access family plan is paying $829.76 per month. Under the plan expected to be approved, that monthly premium will drop to $350.46 per

month. “We’ve seen problems with recruiting and retention with bus drivers primarily because of the cost of health insurance premiums,” Director of Employee Benefits Gabrielle L. Cotman told the School Board at a Nov. 29 work session. “The impact of having a tiered premium rate is our benefits package is less competitive when compared to surrounding school divisions and it also causes our most low-wage earners to pay more for insurance.” Plus, she said, it takes a lot of her team’s time to process the paperwork for the employees on the tiered insurance plans. HEALTH BENEFITS >> 18

Loudoun Now/File Photo

Shea Ill, 14 of Taylorstown, boards a bus after saying bye to her mom, Tami Ill.

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Maddie Tran’s winning design is on the cover of the NCCs holiday card.

The NCC gave a kudos to the young artists on its Facebook page. “We had a hard time choosing just one design so we featured three designs on our holiday card this year! What a great job these students did!” Seldens Landing Elementary is in Lansdowne, less than a mile from the NCC.

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School System Digs Out of $17.5M Insurance Hole BY DANIELLE NADLER Four years after school leaders had to ask for help from county supervisors to cover an unexpected hike in health care costs, they say the outlook is much rosier. In fact, the projections for health insurance costs are the rosiest they’ve been in a long time. “We’ve got good news,” E. Leigh Burden, assistant superintendent of finance, told the Loudoun County School Board during a recent work session. She and Director of Employee Benefits Gabrielle L. Cotman told the board that, last fiscal year, the school system brought in $161 million to its self-insurance fund and paid out $143.4 million in claims. The school system operates a self-insured fund, which means revenue that employees and the employers pay should at least break even with the claims paid out each year. “This is the first time we’ve seen a reversal of claims exceeding revenue,” Burden said. That helped them make up a $17.5 million shortfall, some of which was from a big increase in employees going to the doctor in 2012 and 2013. “We now have a net of $23.8 million in the self-insurance fund, which is about 15 percent of the self-insurance fund and the amount that we argued for strenuously many years ago that was the right level due to the volatility of health care funds,” Burden said. Cotman pointed to several changes that helped bring in more revenue and reduce costs. For one, the School Board

Health benefits << FROM 14 E. Leigh Burden, assistant superintendent of finance, estimates getting rid of the sliding scale model will cost the school system about $150,000 per year. David Palanzi, president of school employee advocate group Loudoun Education Association, sounded hopeful ahead of the School Board’s vote to adopt the new plan tomorrow. He said board members seem to be taking drivers’ concerns seriously. “They are definitely moving in the

voted to increase employees’ deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums, as well as offer a third health insurance plan to employees, a high deductible plan with a health savings account. Cotman’s office also ramped up efforts to better educate employees on what plan would be most cost effective, putting particular emphasis on that new third option. It also rolled out a wellness program, that includes a monthly e-magazine called Wellness Works and a weight loss challenge in which 61 employees joined and shed close to 500 pounds in 10 weeks. “I know some think wellness is just fluff, but focusing on wellness can actually help reduce costs,” Cotman said. She told board members that attracting and retaining the best and brightest talent is more than about providing competitive pay, but offering competitive benefits. “And our ability to provide a competitive benefits package hinges on our ability to balance cost,” Cotman said. “We’re seeing huge strides toward our goal to better manage costs.” Board members thanked Cotman and Burden for coming at the health insurance problem “at all sides” to solve it. “Four years ago, we sat here and we thought the world was going to crumble around the health insurance system,” Jeff Morse (Dulles) said. “I’m just thrilled that we’re the recipients of your success, so keep on charging.” dnadler@loudounnow.com

right direction for transportation,” he said. But it’s too soon to tell if the changes will get more drivers behind the wheel of the buses. Referring to the personnel report the School Board gets twice a month, Palanzi said, “They are treading water. It looks like for every one they hire, another leaves.” In the past two years, 203 bus drivers, substitute drivers, trainers and attendants have left, according to the school system. In that time, 132 have been hired on. dnadler@loudounnow.com

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The 1835 fieldstone St. Paul’s Church and cemetery on the west side of Harpers Ferry Road/Rt. 671 has had a changing physical history, but always with a core mission of simple faith and observance.

St. Paul’s Church Keeps a Simple Christmas BY MARGARET MORTON

oudoun has many churches—some old, some new; some large, some small; some fancy and some simple. One church that is old, small and simple is Neerville’s St. Paul’s Church, led by United Church of Christ Pastor Roland England. Officially known as the Christian Community Church at St. Paul’s, the small stone church at 12623 Harpers Ferry Road has had several twists in its history. It was closed for 30 years, but since 2000 the church has had a faithful small congregation that loves the simplicity of the small stone building and its Sunday services. That simplicity will be carried through its three-day Christmas observance, which includes a Christmas tree—but one without electric lights, just decorations, some homemade. The building will be lit by six oil lamps in a chandelier dating to 1890, and candles.

The building was constructed in 1835 as a Lutheran church organized through New Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Lovettsville. Preachers would come from Lovettsville and churches in Maryland and West Virginia to lead services. “People would attend whenever the preachers could get there.” England says St. Paul’s also had a colorful Civil War history. Partisan leader John Singleton Mosby met his scout Benjamin Franklin Springfellow at the church one cold and very snowy January. “They plotted how to attack the Union camp at nearby Loudoun Heights,” England said of the debacle that followed Mosby’s failed Jan. 10, 1864, attack on Maj. Henry A. Cole’s 1st Potomac Home Brigade Maryland Cavalry. “It did not turn out well for him.” By the 1960s, the small congregation at St. Paul’s was declining, as in so many rural churches, and in 1970 it closed. Fast forward to 1998, when a group,

including England, began organizing services for the United Church of Christ, first at Loudoun Valley Community Center in Purcellville and then at the Old Stone School in Hillsboro. England, who was ordained in 1975, had served as pastor at St. James UCC in Lovettsville from 1974 to 1992. In 2000, the UCC Congregation opened the Christian Community Church at St. Paul’s. “We were looking for a permanent home, and we found it,” England said. “It was owned by the Lutheran Synod, and we approached the Metropolitan Washington Lutheran Synod. We bought it for $1—it relieved them of the necessity to maintain the cemetery.” Today, the church holds a service every Sunday at 10 a.m. after having served a hearty breakfast at 9:30 a.m. “We serve pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage and hash browns—a typical country breakfast,” England said. The weekly congregation is between ST. PAULS >> 21

Browns Protect Crooked Run Farm with Easement BY MARGARET MORTON Purcellville’s oldest, and last working, farm is now protected in perpetuity. Sam and Uta Brown, owners of Crooked Run Orchard, at the east end of town, have inked an agreement recording their donation of a permanent conservation easement to the Land Trust of Virginia. The easement will protect forever the farm’s streams, wetlands, open spaces and agricultural land. The 94-acre farm has been popular for years as a top “pick-your-own” location, where visitors from near and far came for fresh vegetables, herbs, apples, pears, plums, peaches

and pumpkins. But Crooked Run Orchards’ origins go much further back than the modern pick-your-own operation. The farm has been in Sam Brown’s family for more than 250 years. Brown is proud of the decision to protect his family’s farm. “Here in the Loudoun Valley, we’ve got some of the best farmland in the state, and it’s being developed so fast,” he stated. Under the conservation easement, the farm will be preserved for future generations and also will be there for the Browns to continue their love of farming—planting new varieties and experimenting. “We could never leave this place,

it’s our whole life,” Uta Brown stated. The easement allows the Browns to continue farming, but they don’t have to. “We can continue as long as we’re protecting the nature of the land. We just can’t build on it,” Uta Brown said this week. The couple had already placed one easement on the property some years back. The nonprofit Land Trust of Virginia was founded almost 25 years ago. Currently, it acts as steward for more than 15,000 protected acres. For more information, go to landtrustva.org.

A seminal figure in the Purcellville Police Department— Catherine Dugay—will retire Jan. 4 after almost 19 years of service. The longest tenured member of the department, “Miss Kitty” is renowned for her friendly and welcoming telephone manner as for years she has been the voice answering residents’ calls. She has served as the administrative assistant/records manager for the department since July 1998. She was the department’s first administrative support and originally joined as a part-time employee. During her career, she has worked with four police chiefs, seen the department triple in size and was instrumental in the relocation of the police department’s office 11 years ago. Residents are invited to honor Dugay on Jan. 4, when the town council, town government staff and members of the police department will honor her service in a 5 p.m. retirement ceremony at Town Hall.

Youth Pistol Team Hits the Mark Team LoCo Motion, a competition youth pistol team still in its rookie year, has achieved national ranking by competing against almost 300 others in the yearlong National Virtual Match series. The team is comprised of 22 athletes from Loudoun and Frederick counties. The program, sponsored by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, requires youth, aged 12 to college, to shoot pistols at steel targets during timed trials. Top team performers were Vincent Escobar of Purcellville and Michael Soltis of Round Hill—third place in the Rookie Collegiate Open Rimfire Division; Joshua Eager of Leesburg, Jennifer Glazebrook of Round Hill, Adam Jardines of Purcellville,and Brian O’Mara of Hamilton—third place in the Rookie High School Rimfire Division; and Ethan Jardines of Purcellville, Benjamin Nutzman of Purcellville, Ben Soltis of Round Hill, and Corinne Whisenant of Middleburg—fourth place in the Rookie Middle School Rimfire Division. In individual competition, Adam Jardines took first nationally in the High School Rookie Division, with Brian O’Mara and Joshua Eager ranking seventh and eighth, respectively. Ethan Jardines took second among rookies in the Mid-

mmorton@loudounnow.com TOWN NOTES >> 21

[ TOWN NOTES ] dle School Division, with Corinne Whisenant placing seventh nationally. The team received a grant from the NRA Foundation for shooting equipment and practices at the 340 Defense range near Berryville. The team has run pistol qualification sessions for the VIKING Division Sea Cadets in Purcellville as well as the Leesburg and Winchester Civil Air Patrol squadrons. For more information, go to locomotionfoundation.org.

Town Accepts Climbing Frame The Hamilton Town Council voted unanimously on Monday night to accept the donation of a modular steel climbing frame from resident Abigail Whitehurst. Whitehurst had purchased the climbing frame for her family, but found it bigger and heavier than she could manage. By next spring, the playground feature will be installed at the town park, Mayor David Simpson said.

Luminaria Volunteers Needed One of Hamilton’s most popular public programs is its annual Christmas luminaria, when East Colonial Highway through is lined with some 500 candles at dusk. Boy Scout Josh Erickson is in charge of this year’s event. He asks anyone who would like to meet at the Hamilton Safety Center at noon on Christmas Eve. Volunteers will fill paper bags with sand and put a candle in each before placing them along the road from the safety center to Reid Street. Door hangers are placed at each residence, asking owners to light the candles in front of their homes between 4:30 and 5 p.m.

Mayor Announces Committee Assignments On Monday, Mayor Dave Simpson handed out council committee assignments for the coming year. The Finance Committee will continue to be chaired by John Unger and includes Rebecca Jones, Simpson and Vice Mayor Ken Wine. The Personnel Committee is chaired by Craig Green, and includes Simpson and Wine. Councilman Matthew Clark

St. Paul’s

The Waterford Foundation will hold a holiday sale on all craft and food items during the next two weekends through Christmas Eve. The foundation-owned Corner Store each weekend offers a full inventory of craft items made by local artisans. The sale will feature discounts of 10 percent to 30 percent. The wide variety of craft items includes hand-printed cards and notecards, wool throws, local history books, hand-knit scarves, beeswax candles, old-time toys, woven hand towels, holiday crafts, knitted hats for kids, wooden kitchenware, glass bowls, handmade ornaments, and locally produced jams, jellies, pickles, drinks, honey and maple syrup. Hours are: Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. and Sun. 12:30 to 4 p.m. The store is at 40183 Main Street. For information, call 540-882-3018 ext. 3.

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Lovettsville Light Up the Town Residents in town are fine tuning their holiday lights displays for the annual Light Up Lovettsville contest. On Saturday night, the judges will take to the streets to determine the winners. Judging categories are Best in Show; Best Overall Holiday Spirit for businesses; the Juniper Award, in its second year as best lit street in town; the Bing Crosby Award (most traditional); Macy’s Award (best overall theme); the Chevy Chase award (most outrageous or annoying); and, new this year, the People’s Choice award. Mayor Bob Zoldos, slightly tongue in cheek, recommends plenty of cookies for the judges to get houses on the map and to greet them as they come around. It maybe won’t get you the prize, but it makes the evening more fun for the judges. Harpers Ferry, who will play traditional stringed instruments, including dulcimer, psaltery, violin, guitar and mandolin. On Dec. 23, the Frederick Youth Flute Choir will perform, with organist and guitarist Mike Miller, Gabby Donovan on guitar and Leeza Miller singing traditional Christmas carol favorites with the students. On Christmas Eve, Mike Miller will join the Barker family—Jim, Jason and the Barker Girls—the Lighthouse Keepers, on guitar. For more information, call England at 301-432-4574, email him at rolandleng@aol.com or go to christiancommunityatstpauls.com. mmorton@loudounnow.com

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25 to 30 people, England said, mostly from West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia, and from the Purcellville and Lovettsville areas. England, who creates stained glass windows, has installed eight of his pieces in the church, alongside the existing “beautiful old-style stained glass windows,” he said. The church will hold its old-fashioned country Christmas from Dec. 22 through 24. Services start at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 22 will feature music on dulcimer and guitar by the Angel Band from

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will serve as Planning Commission liaison. The Water and Sewer Committee is chaired by Mike Snyder and includes Green, Simpson and Wine. Parks and Recreation is chaired by Clark and includes Wine, Unger and Simpson. The Public Safety and Zoning Enforcement Committee is chaired by Jones and includes, Simpson, Snyder and Wine.

Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

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[ BIZ BRIEFS ] Kelly Insurance Agency Plans Move, Transition to Summit Insurance

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Gina Schweppe, 29, started a nonprofit that teaches low-income families how to use coupons to stretch their money. She poses for a photo in front of the CVS in Ashburn.

New Nonprofit Gives Back by Teaching Couponing BY PATRICK SZABO

ith the holiday season in full swing and charities working their conventional events, one new organization is giving back in a more instructive way. Loudoun Coupons for Hope is one of Loudoun’s newest nonprofits. Founded in September by 29-year-old Gina Schweppe, the Ashburn-based organization does more than just raise money and provide basic necessities for those in need. As the name suggests, Loudoun Coupons for Hope provides lessons for anyone interested in couponing. “I want to help stretch a person’s dollar,” Schweppe said. “That’s my goal.” She posts the couponing lessons on her YouTube channel, named “Gina Schweppe.” “I actually go into the store and … give my viewers a breakdown of how much it’s all going to cost,” she said. Of course, there is much more to the organization’s mission than just lessons for interested consumers. Schweppe uses her knowledge of couponing to purchase basic essentials at a discounted rate before donating them all to those in need through different events and projects. Most recently, LCFH partnered with It Takes a Village, Baby to provide Christmas stockings for families in need. Schweppe put her couponing know-how to good use and assembled more than 300 low-cost Christmas stockings. According to Kia Taylor Barker, special events coordinator at Leesburg

nonprofit It Takes a Village, Baby, more than 150 families signed up for the second annual toy event, which was held on the first weekend in December. LCFH was one of four new sponsors for the event. “Gina’s sponsorship was different in that she came to us wanting to help, as opposed to us going to her and asking,” Barker said. “Gina worked her couponing magic and, in a matter of just a few weeks, pulled together enough donated items from local stores and her own YouTube followers to accommodate all of our Village children.” The money for these types of purchases, although minimal after couponing, comes from donations and out of Schweppe’s own pocket. LCFH is also helping the Community Church’s Messiah’s Market food pantry with their Angel Tree program, which will provide Christmas gifts for children of families in need. Schweppe will again be using her couponing skills to help purchase gifts at a low cost. Additionally, LCFH provides the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter with personal care items such as shampoo, body wash and makeup for women to wear on interviews. “Most of the women who come to the LAWS shelter, they’ve lost everything,” Schweppe said. “So now they’re starting from scratch.” She will be teaching a couponing class for the women in February. “The thing we appreciated about Gina’s offer is that it is definitely a unique skill,” LAWS Executive Director Nicole Acosta said. “Who wouldn’t want to find out a way to make the dollar stretch?” Blessing Bags is another holiday

LCFH project. Already assembled and ready to hand out, these bags contain everyday essentials such as socks, water bottles, granola bars and a few quarters. “It’s basically something to give to someone that you see on the street having a hard time,” Schweppe said. “It’s something in addition to money to give to someone who is homeless.” Schweppe’s first encounters with couponing came when she was a child while helping her mother coupon on shopping trips. “I think that’s how Gina saw that [couponing] wasn’t only just for our home, that it was for anybody,” her mother said. “She saw that you could do this and feel good about it.” Schweppe insists she has saved tens of thousands of dollars from the skillset throughout the years. For all Schweppe’s efforts in the past few months, Loudoun Coupons for Hope won the People’s Choice Award earlier this month in the Mason Enterprise Center of Leesburg’s first “Superpitch” Online Video Contest. The winning video features Schweppe describing the nonprofit’s mission and upcoming projects. Schweppe now intends to start organizing LCFH events of her own. In January, she hopes to partner with a local laundromat to provide a night of free laundry service. “I feel like that is what I need to do to be successful,” she said. “Just jump in and see what happens.” Learn more about Loudoun Coupons for Hope on Schweppe’s YouTube channel or at ginaschweppe.com.

Next spring Kelly Insurance Agency will move from its longtime location on North King Street in Leesburg to expanded office space in the Summit Community Bank office located at 204 Catoctin Circle. The agency also plans to change its name to Summit Insurance Services, taking the name of its parent company. Kelly Insurance Agency was founded in 1967 by E. Joseph Kelly. In 2007, it was acquired by Summit Community Bank, based in Moorefield, WV, and joined with Sager Insurance under the umbrella of Summit Financial Group. Operating under the company name of Summit Insurance Services, the group offers expanded range of employee benefit plans and insurance products. Agency leaders said the new office will afford clients more convenient access and ample parking while also promoting collaboration among the insurance and banking team members. For more information, go to summitinsuranceservices.com.

Browning Equipment Named PBA Business of the Year The Purcellville Business Association held its annual meeting and awards ceremony Tuesday. The Business of the Year award went to Browning Equipment, headed by President and CEO Jeff Browning. The award is given for business achievements, as well as for contributions to the community. Browning Equipment has recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. The Nonprofit of the Year award was given to Hero Homes, the company founded last year under the leadership of builder Jason Brownell to provide low-cost, smart homes for wounded military veterans. The PBA recognized the nonprofit both for its growth and success in building a broad coalition of support. The President’s award was given to PBA co-founder, past president and current board member Jim Bowman, for his numerous contributions to the Purcellville business community. The PBA also elected new board directors: Ben Weber of Integrity Home Mortgage; Grant Wetmore of Bank of Charles Town; Chris Puller of Middleburg Bank; and Bruce Allder of Virginia Regional Transit. They joined current board members JUMP TO >> 24

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<< FROM 22 Judy Stearns, Jim Bowman, Jeff Browning and Eric Zimmerman, Officers elected for 2017 were: Tim Doozan, president; Vice President Mary Gayle Holden, Secretary Linda Perry and Treasurer Tony Hudimac. This will be Doozan’s second year as president of the PBA, following a year of record high membership. Learn more at purcellvillebusiness. org.

More Stores Plan Move to Crescent Place The storefronts are filling up at Crescent Place, the resident-commercial neighborhood on Leesburg’s Harrison Street. The project offers businesses the opportunity to own their store rather than lease their retail space. Ferraiolo Fitness and Best Rack Around were the first to open at Crescent Place. Next year, they will be joined by Transition Triathalon, which is moving from South King Street; Virginia Kitchen & Bath; Bread & Butter Bakery; Portside Coffee & Tea; Coiffer 12; and Studio Twenty Eight Fifty Seven. “The Crescent Place community is transitioning nicely into a destination spot in Downtown Leesburg,” builder Don Knutson, president of the Knutson Companies, said. “The walkability factor, close-proximity to shops, dining, and the W&OD Trail only adds to the overall appeal that Crescent Place offers

Chamber Announces Community Leadership Award Finalists The finalists for this year’s Loudoun Community Leadership Awards are in. The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce on Monday announced the top vote getters for the leadership awards, which honor businesses and community leaders who have shown commitment to support the Loudoun community and its residents. The finalists were chosen in five categories: large and small businesses, nonprofit executive, executive leaders, and young professionals. The winner in each category will to all Leesburg residents.” Learn more at theshopsatcrescentplace.com.

McAuliffe Eyes Tighter Oversight of Economic Development Partnership Governor Terry McAuliffe will push legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session to strengthen oversight, accountability and management at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Currently, the VEDP is run by a volunteer board that makes all decisions about the organization, including hiring

have the opportunity to select one nonprofit to receive a $1,000 grant, courtesy of the Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

The finalists are: Young Professionals: Nicholas Bagg, AOL; Carolyn Dobson, Evergreen Sportsplex; Jennifer Knowlton, StoneSprings Hospital Center; and Chauvon McFadden, Crimson Wealth Strategies. Executive Leader: Pam Jones, Extraordinary Transitions–Long & Foster; Jimmy Olevson, Main Street Bank; Roman Blazauskas, SpeedPro Imaging Northern Virginia; and Fran Craig, Unanet. its CEO. Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission recently issued a report warning that the agency was not effectively or efficiently managed. “While it is clear that VEDP executive leadership has undertaken changes to better protect taxpayer dollars, it is clear that more structural changes are needed,” McAuliffe stated. “By strengthening accountability and professional oversight of the organization, and establishing a more strategic framework for its work, we can give the dedicated VEDP staff and its board the tools they need to accomplish their goal of creating more jobs and opportunity for Virginia families.” The proposals will add executive

Small Organization (less than 100 employees): Palmercare Chiropractic; SpeedPro Imaging of Northern Virginia; and Maid Brigade. Large Organization (100 employees or more): GAM Printing; AH&T Insurance; Beckstrom Electric; and AOL. Nonprofit Executive: Dr. Linda Pfeiffer, InMED Partnerships for Children; Carol Kost, Loudoun Youth Inc.; Lynn Tadlock, The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation; and Susan Mandel Giblin, Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers. The annual meeting and community leadership awards will take place Thursday, Jan. 26, at The National in Lansdowne. For tickets, go to loudounchamber.org. oversight to the VEDP board and require the VEDP executive staff to develop long-term operational plans to align the organization’s work with the needs of the commonwealth’s economy. Among the changes is to make the secretary of Commerce and Trade the permanent chairman of the volunteer VEDP board and to create an internal audit division. The VEDP was established by the General Assembly in 1995 to promote economic growth through marketing Virginia as a good place to do business, promoting international exports, and administering economic development incentive grants.

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25 Dec. 15 – 21, 2016 LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

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Architect Jonathan B. Eisen explains the details of One Loudoun’s coming Upper West townhouse neighborhood to prospective buyers when the concepts were unveiled earlier this month.

One Loudoun Readies for ‘Next Level’ Park. The first units will be available next year and will start in the mid$800,000s. Construction of the model is expected to begin next week. Miller and Smith Vice President Dale Hall said the company took two years to design the neighborhood. “Our vision for Upper West was to blend the elements of classic elegance and contemporary lines,” he said. “The community’s unique attributes—an urban downtown blended in with a strong suburban area overlooking the Blue Ridge mountains—is unlike anything we’ve seen before in this market.” More details about the Upper West plans will be presented during a grand reveal in early January with the opening of the Next Level Experience Center sales office in One Loudoun.

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

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

Miller & Smith has unveiled the next big thing coming to its One Loudoun community in Ashburn. A select group of perspective homebuyers got their first look at the upscale Upper West townhome designs during a presentation by One Loudoun’s architect and development team at Matchbox restaurant Dec. 1. With only 69 homes available, the neighborhood is designed to offer cutting-edge architecture, smart home features and amenities such as inhome elevators, all just a short walk from One Loudoun’s popular downtown core. The four-level homes include more than 4,345 square feet of living space and rooftop pieds-à-terre overlooking the community’s 300-acre Central

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

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Additional Public Skate Sessions during the Winter Break

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Courtesy of Loudoun Ballet Company

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

Spotlight On Chefs Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Chef Ryan Ross plates a dish at Ocean Blue in Sterling. He brings experience working in some of Las Vegas’ top restaurants, including legendary chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, to this new venture.

Meet Ocean Blue’s Ryan Ross BY JAN MERCKER

he son of a diplomat, Chef Ryan Ross spent his childhood in Asia before settling down in Northern Virginia for his teen years. Ross initially trained as a visual artist but fell into the hospitality industry and soon caught the culinary bug—first working as a server and manager and then moving into the kitchen after attending the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. He cooked in Las Vegas for nearly a decade, working for legendary chef Thomas Keller at his Bouchon restaurant and then as a chef at Roy’s Pacific Rim. A desire to be closer to family in Northern Virginia brought Ross back to the East Coast, and he now brings his artistic sensibilities and lifelong passion for pan-Asian cuisine to Ocean Blue, a new island grill in the Cascades Overlook center in Sterling, where he and owner John Kushner are pursuing a mission to bring unique fresh fish dishes to Loudoun.

Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

Loudoun Now: What brought you to Loudoun and to Ocean Blue? Ryan Ross: My family first moved to the Great Falls area around 32 years ago from Beijing, China. My father was stationed overseas as an assistant attaché for the China desk with the State Department. I grew up in Beijing and Taiwan. I was born in Hawaii and so ever since I was a kid, I’ve had this love and this passion for pan-Asian, seafood-centric food. So when I heard about Ocean Blue opening up out

here, it was a natural draw for me. It was something that was in my heart and soul. I was previously the chef for Roy’s Hawaiian fusion in Las Vegas. The style of cuisine, the concept of this restaurant really grabbed me. LN: Did you graduate from high school in this area? RR: I graduated from Langley High School [in McLean]. … I did a lot of theater and visual art. I studied painting and printmaking at Virginia Commonwealth University. Upon

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Ocean Blue in Sterling specializes in Chef Ryan Ross’ unique take on fresh fish dishes and other island-inspired fare.

leaving VCU, I tried really hard to get into an industry that is renowned for not being well paid—and that was painting and printmaking. I wasn’t making it so I moved on to a different industry, which had even less pay and that’s hospitality. … I fell in love with this industry—first working the front of the house as a server and a manager—interacting with the guests on a daily basis. Eventually, I got out of the front of the house and moved into the kitchen to try and show off some of that artistic side that I’d grown up with. I fell in love with it—I fell in love with the stress of the kitchen. I fell

in love with knives and fire and just being able to express myself through my food. LN: Tell me more about that nexus between art and cuisine. RR: It’s a lot more than just putting pretty things on a plate. Number one, you take care of your food. That was the first thing I really learned in the kitchen. I worked for Chef Thomas Keller when I was out in Las Vegas. His book, “The French Laundry Cookbook,” really kind of changed my state of mind. It changed the way I look at food. The passion that he had for each and every single ingredient was eye opening. ... And trust me, Chef Keller made that a reality for me by making me clean out his walk-in every single day. It was a tough experience but very eye opening. From Bouchon at the Venetian, I moved on to Roy’s, which is where I really started to learn to craft food. At the time, we were changing our menu every single day. It was really kind of eye opening as far as how to be a creative person… A lot of what we’re doing now [at Ocean Blue] relied on me to continually come up with new recipes, continually tweak the recipes and make them better and better every single day. LN: Are there a couple of recipes or dishes that stand out?

LOUDOUN BALLET COMPANY’S ‘THE NUTCRACKER’ Friday, Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 17 and Sunday, Dec. 18, 1:30 and 5:30 p.m.; Broad Run High School, 21670 Ashburn Road, Ashburn. Details: loudounballet.org LBC presents its 27th annual full-length “Nutcracker.” Advance tickets are $22 for adults and $15 for children 12 and younger and seniors. All tickets are $30 at the door.

NAUGHTY OR NICE CHRISTMAS CABARET Saturday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m.; Cascades Senior Center, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling and Sunday, Dec. 18, 7 p.m. Salamander Resort and Spa, 500 N. Pendleton St., Middleburg. Details: stagecoachtc.com Sing along to classic carols, modern-day holiday tunes and even a few mischievous numbers at StageCoach Theatre Company’s second annual holiday review. Admission for Cascades performance is $28 and does not include dinner. Admission for Middleburg performance is $79.63 and includes a plated dinner and the show. Advance reservations are required.

OATLANDS CANDLELIGHT TOURS Saturday, Dec. 17 and Sunday, Dec. 18, 6-8 p.m.; Oatlands Historic House and Gardens, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg. Details: oatlands.org Guests will have a chance to enjoy a special evening self-guided tour through the mansion sparkling with Christmas lights. Final admission is at 8 p.m. Candlelight tours are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $8 for children 6–16. Admission is free for Friends of Oatlands and children younger than 6.

RR: Absolutely, our Hawaiian-style ROSS >> 30

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A Capella Group, Student Choirs Share the Stage On Saturday

27 Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

BY DANIELLE NADLER

File photo/Loudoun Now

Frank Shipp, with the Old Dominion Chorus, sings along side middle and high school students at an a capella workshop put on at Rock Ridge High School.

ties to continue singing into adulthood, even if they don’t land careers as professional performers. “It’s good for them to see that singing can continue after you get out of high school,” he said. The popularity of a capella groups like Pentatonix have sparked an interest in that style of singing, sans instrumental accompaniment. Peterson said his choral troupe wants to foster that love among young singers. The group is considering hosting a solely a capella concert or contest for Loudoun County students. “American Idol focused on drama, and the bad singers. But now people are seeing singing as a valued means of

self-expression,” Peterson said. “It’s OK to just put yourself out there and just let it rip. I think audiences really respond to that.” The Holiday Singing Extravaganza is 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane in Purcellville. Advance general admission tickets are $12; $9 for seniors, students and active military; children younger than 9 are $3. Tickets at the door are $15 for adults; $12 for seniors, students and active military. Purchase tickets at odchorus. org/tickets. dnadler@loudounnow.com

Heritage High School’s T.W.E.L.V.E., Loudoun County High School’s chamber choir, Tuscarora High School’s jazz choir, and the Woodgrove Singers, from Woodgrove High School. Each group will perform two to three songs, then the four high school groups will perform a song together, and, for the final performance, the Old Dominion Chorus and all of the high school singers will take the stage for a halleluiah chorus. “Expect a few singalongs, too,” Peterson said. “It will be a really great show.” Willis Rosenfeld, Loudoun County director of choral, said Old Dominion’s partnership with the schools shows the students that they will have opportuni-

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Some of the best voices, young and old, in the county will take the stage at the Franklin Park Arts Center on Saturday. The Old Dominion Chorus, a men’s a capella group, will share the stage with choirs from four of the county’s high schools for a Holiday Singing Extravaganza. The show illustrates a strengthening partnership between the Old Dominion Chorus and the budding vocalists in the county’s school choirs. For the past few years, the a capella Old Dominion Chorus—known for their barbershop quartet-style performances—has held its concerts at the high schools. It’s been a “win-win,” said the choir’s president, Tim Peterson, because it’s provided the choir with much-needed performance space and a chance to raise more than $1,500 for the schools’ choral programs. But last December, the Old Dominion Chorus wanted to take the partnership a step further when it invited Loudoun County High School students to join them on stage for a holiday concert at Franklin Park Arts Center. “They were so well received that we said, ‘you know what, next year let’s host the show and provide a showcase for as many of the local high school groups that we can get,” Peterson said. The high school groups on tap are

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‘BARNYARD CHRISTMAS’ Saturday, Dec. 17, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Thursday, Dec. 22, 6:30 p.m.; Cascades Senior Center, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Details: stagecoachtc.com This original holiday production tells the story of Farmer Jack, who has lost the spirit of Christmas, and his barnyard animals who help him find it. Show is suitable for the whole family and ideal for children 4 to 9. Performances continue Dec. 17 and 22. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for children ages 2-12.

MASTER SINGERS OF VIRGINIA: FINDING CHRISTMAS Saturday, Dec. 17, 4 p.m.; St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St., Leesburg. Details: msva.org MSVA presents an array of modern holiday choral arrangements, framed by reflections from Charles Schultz’s iconic character, Charlie Brown who searches for the true meaning of Christmas amidst a sea of commercialism. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for students ages 6 to 17. A special package features four tickets for $50

MASTER SINGERS OF VIRGINIA: LESSONS AND CAROLS

Sunday, Dec. 18, 4 p.m.; Middleburg United Methodist Church, 15 W. Washington St., Middleburg. Contact: middleburgconcertseries@gmail.com. Classical and traditional seasonal music featuring pianist Dudley Oakes and guest vocalists Michael Forest and Aime Sposato. Admission is free. Donations are welcome.

LUCKETTS BLUEGRASS: CHRISTMAS JAMBOREE

A local take on the famed Christmas service at King’s College Chapel in England. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for students ages 6 to 17. A special package features four tickets for $50

Saturday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m.; Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Lucketts. Details: luckettsbluegrass.org This toe-tapping holiday tradition features some of the series’ favorite musicians playing holiday favorites--and a visit from Santa Claus. Admission is $15.

HANDEL’S ‘MESSIAH’ SING-ALONG Sunday, Dec. 18, 7:30-9 p.m.; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 21015 Claiborne Parkway, Ashburn. Contact: 703-858-5604 Join in the 10th year of this beloved biennial tradition in the Ashburn community. Sing along with the 100-voice choir and live orchestra at this interactive concert. Concert is free and open to the public.

LOCO CULTURE

‘HOW TOYS BECOME REAL’

Courtesy of Franklin Park Arts Center

JOHN HARDY ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ ONE MAN PERFORMANCE Thursday, Dec. 15, 8 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter Charles Dickens himself began the tradition of performing his novella as a one-man play in 1853 and Hardy continues the tradition, bringing the story to life in an engaging way. Tickets are $20.

Saturday, Dec. 17, 4 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter

MIDDLEBURG CONCERT SERIES: ‘HOME FOR CHRISTMAS’

company presents its innovative program, “Change Is Gonna Come.” Tickets are $25.

Sunday, Dec. 18, 5 p.m.; Trinity Episcopal Church, 9108 John S. Mosby Highway, Upperville. Details: msva.org

CHORUS OF THE OLD DOMINION HOLIDAY CONCERT

For the second year, the Chorus of the Old Dominion, along with several Loudoun County high school choral groups, presents favorite holiday tunes and a fun sing-along. Tickets are $12 at the door.

ON STAGE

Friday, Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 17, 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Dominion High School, 21326 Augusta Drive, Sterling. Details: lcps. org/dhs This 30-minute family-oriented production is based on the classic children’s story “The Velveteen Rabbit.” Dominion students bring the tale to life in Bunraku Japanese puppetry. Tickets are $6 at the door.

NIGHTLIFE

RAINIER TRIO WITH LESLIE MABE Friday, Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter

NADLER BOOK SIGNING Saturday, Dec. 17, 1-4 p.m. Tryst Gallery 312-F E. Market St., Leesburg. Details: facebook.com/ withoutatrace.sierra. Danielle Nadler, first-time author and Loudoun Now’s managing editor, will sign and sell copies of her new book “Without a Trace: The Life of Sierra Phantom,” the true story of a California man who lived 50 years in the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Join the Rainier Trio and Soprano Leslie Mabe for a captivating evening of holiday favorites including Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” and a singalong of traditional carols. Tickets are $10.

Courtesy of LeeDewyze

LIVE MUSIC: LEE DEWYZE

TOKYO THE COMPANY DANCE SHOWCASE Saturday, Dec. 17, 8 p.m.; John Champe High School, 41535 Sacred Mountain St. Aldie. Contact: tokyotheproductions@gmail.com This Baton Rouge, LA-based dance

Friday, Dec. 16, 8:30 p.m.; Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: tallyholeesburg.com The charismatic American Idol winner has been called a troubadour for the new millennium, with his classic singing and songwriting. Tickets are $15 in

MORE THINGS TO DO >> 29

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[ MORE THINGS TO DO ] LIVE BAND KARAOKE

LIVE MUSIC: PANDORA’S BOX

advance, $20 at the door for this fully seated show.

Friday, Dec. 16, 8:30 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com

Saturday, Dec. 17, 8:30 p.m.; Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: tallyholeesburg.com

LIVE MUSIC: AFROMAN Thursday, Dec. 15, 8:30 p.m.; Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: tallyholeesburg.com

Abercrombie & Fitch Ann Taylor Banana Republic Bare Minerals The Cheesecake Factory Fink’s Jewelers Forever 21 Francesca’s Godiva Chocolatier H&M Hollister JCPenney Jos. A. Bank Clothiers LOFT Lord & Taylor Macy’s Nordstrom Old Navy Pandora P.F. Chang’s PINK Regal Cinemas Swarovski Teavana Vans Victoria’s Secret Zumiez & more

Authenticity and strong musicianship are the claims to fame of this highly rated Aerosmith tribute band. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

LIVE MUSIC: UDO VOODOO

LIVE MUSIC: DELTA SPUR

Saturday, Dec. 17, 8 p.m.; King’s Tavern and Wine Bar, 19 S. King St., Leesburg. Details: kingstavernandwinebar.com

Saturday, Dec. 17, 8 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com

Enjoy great tunes from one of the region’s favorite classic rock bands. No cover.

Fresh, contemporary country from a crowd favorite. No cover.

Such delicious island-inspired food with a unique touch. Came here with my family and we tried several different options from the menu none of which disappointed. Most notable items were the lobster mac & cheese, shrimp lettuce wraps, ceviche, ramen bowls, surf & turf and salmon entree. Very fresh flavorful food with a 5 star experience – RANNA G.

Extended Holiday Shopping Hours

The stores you love. The gifts they love. Visit our website for the latest holiday events, deals, and promotions.

This was our first time and we can't wait to come back. The food, drinks and service were excellent and the kids were fascinated by the salt water aquariums. This will be our new spot for out of town guests; absolutely loved it!

– GABRIELLA H.

Rapper Joseph Foreman, AKA Afroman, puts a contemporary twist on classic rap elements, creating high-spirited tunes with a familiar yet fresh vibe. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 day of show.

Bring out your inner rock star with backup from the Harikaraoke band. No cover.

Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

<< FROM 28

SHOPDULLESTOWNCENTER.COM

RESERVE YOUR HOLIDAY EVENT 571-375-2312 NOW OPEN IN NEW CASCADES OVERLOOK

oceanblueloudoun.com

loudounnow.com

PRIVATE DINING ROOM / OPEN SEATING

30 loudounnow.com

Santa Rocks at Jingle Jam

Santa Claus brought his bright pink Hello Kitty guitar to the Saturday morning Junior Jam performance at the Tally Ho in Leesburg. The all-star Jingle Jam Band entertained crowds in three sold-out shows with rocking holiday classics. Organizer Stilson Greene said he expects proceeds from this year’s event to surpass 2016’s $15,000 donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

PROVIDING CLEANING SERVICES for carpet, rugs, upholstery and hard surfaces on site or at our in plant facility

Loudoun Carpet Care™ understands the importance of providing consistent, reliable personal service to our clients, both returning and new. Our pledge is to offer honest advice about all of the services we offer, and to complete each job the best of our ability.

Lindsay Morgan/Loudoun Now

Ross << FROM 26 poke, one of the shareables on our menu, is something I’m extremely proud of. Poke is just cubed raw fish marinated. I use a very simple recipe—I stole it from a street vendor in Kauai. We use soy sauce, spicy chili-infused sesame oil, salt that’s flown in from Hawaii and Gohan Desuyo, which is a seaweed paste which gives it the mouth-feel, the umami, the touch of sweetness that really showcases the tuna. I’m really proud of that dish. I’m also really proud of our fish selection in general. We pride ourselves on bringing in fresh fish from Hawaii, fresh fish from islands, fresh fish every day. I try to keep it exotic and unique. LN: Who’s in the kitchen with you? RR: We have a very small team of dedicated culinarians. While I’m proud of the professionals that I have, I’m also proud of the young guys. I’ve got some kids and they’re 18, 19 years old and they’re learning. They’re like sponges and they come into work and are driven to be better than they were yesterday.

129 N. Bailey Lane, Ste C Purcellville, VA 20132

Right now, my leaders in the kitchen are Julio Opazo—he’s a great guy who came to us from Boston. In

the sushi bar, we’ve got Taka Monma who’s a former pastry chef. I love watching pastry chefs work because, unlike the hot side, pastry is a science. ... And when you’re doing sushi and you’re doing rolls, when you’re dealing with raw fish, that kind of meticulous science is needed not only for excellence in food but also for food safety. LN: What do you like to cook at home? Are you doing anything special for the holidays? RR: For me, the best holiday meal is my mom’s cooking—a good holiday ham. ... I love my mom’s macaroni and cheese. She makes the best mac and cheese in the world and the secret is macaroni and cheese—nothing else. ... I do quite a bit of cooking at home. Nothing too outrageous—a simple seared piece of fish, simple grilled chicken. I save all the extravagant stuff for work. LN: Do you have any tips for home cooks? RR: Experiment. Make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to try something new. That’s how I learned and that’s how I teach my cooks these days. You’re going to screw up. You’re going to burn something, but you’re going to learn something at the same time. … Never be afraid to make a mistake because that’s where you learn the lessons. jmercker@loudounnow.com

(540) 338-4300

20700, Unit 156 Loudoun County Parkway Ashburn, VA

703.724.4300 703.777.8056

Loudounvalleyﬂoors.com

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Ocean Blue’s décor cannot go without a mention. It features large aquariums swimming with rare salt water fish and a stream of mini boats that deliver sushi and other seafood dishes to hungry patrons.

31 Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

Artisans’ Trail Readies for Loudoun Launch BY MARGARET MORTON

PDMPGallery SPECIAL OFFERING OF OVER 450 FRAMED & 11,000 UNFRAMED ORIGINAL ANTIQUE PRINTS FROM THE 1600’s 1700’s 1800’s and early 1900’s

Original Antique Prints are

Uniquely Decorative and a Lasting Gift • Hand colored Engravings & Lithographs • Chromolithographs & Photogravures • 1st and 2nd Audubon Royal Ocatvo Editions • Antique Floral Prints • Antique Bird and Animal Prints • Oriental Woodblock Prints • Marine Life Prints • Portraits of Military Leaders, Poets, Writers, Statesmen, Famous Women • Landscapes, Seascapes & Cities • Sailing Ships and Events • Original Art • Many Strange and Interesting Prints From Around The World

Special Offering

mmorton@loudounnow.com

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

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

FROM THE 1600’s, 1700’s, 1800’s and early 1900’s

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Visiting look for Gold Art Antique Flag For more information and to view prints in areas of interest, go to

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loudounnow.com

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.”

FRAMED & UNFRAMED ORIGINAL ANTIQUE PRINTS

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

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

The Artisans Center of Virginia and Visit Loudoun have announced the formation of the Loudoun County Artisan Trail. Plans to establish a connection between Loudoun’s various artisan sites—artist and photographer studios, craft boutiques, galleries, breweries, wineries, farms and farm markets, distilleries and cideries, restaurants, hotels and other agri-tourism-based businesses—have been in the works for much of this year. The creation of the state’s 31st artisan trail, established through a partnership between the Artisans Center of Virginia, Visit Loudoun, members of Loudoun’s arts community and the Loudoun and Leesburg departments of economic development, is the result of some hard work over the past six months. The new program will join the roster of tourism ventures designed to attract visitors and buyers to the county’s expanding arts scene. “It actually is happening,” said Loudoun Arts Council President Jill Evans-Kalvaldjian. She and a large management team have been working to get the proposal off the ground. Evans-Kavaldjian said the team is looking forward to sharing the news of what the public may expect during a “Lunch and Learn” session Jan. 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Franklin Park Arts Center near Purcellville. Getting the Artisans Center of Virginia on board was a key step to put together and implement the trail. Leaders from Purcellville, Lovettsville, Hillsboro, Leesburg and Middleburg joined with Visit Loudoun and the county and Leesburg departments of economic development to assemble the $16,000 needed to get the process rolling, she said. She said the organizational committee, which represents all sectors of the artisan movement in the county, is working well. Next week, the committee plans to start contacting artisans about being

part of the trail program. With the various professional artists and artisans in the area, the county should have no problem finding members. Along with memberships, the committee will have to develop promotional materials and activities to support the program. Artist Lisa Strout, local lead on the management team, is pleased with the announcement. “We have been meeting and planning for about one year, with the great support of Visit Loudoun’s CEO Beth Erickson and Leesburg’s Director of Economic Development Marantha Edwards,” she said, noting that this is a very strong team pushing the idea of making the artisan community more visible. “We’re going to be looking for partnerships with the private sector to raise, first, the needed funds to meet all the initial expenses (approximately $25,000) and then even more to enable further progress.” The hope is that the new program will bring similar benefits that have accrued with the existing Loudoun Wine Trail and LoCo Ale Trail. The Artisan Trail will be a logical extension of those earlier initiatives will form a new and vibrant connection, Erickson said. Loudoun Agricultural Development Officer Kellie Hinkle also cites the trail as an enhancement of the existing “Loudoun, VA Made – Loudoun, VA Grown” program that highlights the county’s agriculture-based economy. The statistics look impressive. According to Richmond-based Chmura Economics and Analytics, the artisan industry in Virginia generated a $572.2 million economic impact in 2014, proving $15.6 million in state tax revenue and supporting nearly 12,000 full-time jobs. Artisan visitor spending totaled more than $250,000, with the average visitor spending $260 per person, per trip. For more information, go to visitloudoun.org. For information on the Artisans Center of Virginia, go to artisanscenterofvirginia.org.

loudounnow.com

Celebrate Christmas Eve with us! ¡Celebre el día de Navidad con nosotros!

ST. GABRIEL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Christmas Eve Service 5:00 p.m. Christmas musical prelude at 5:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist service at 5:45 p.m. Hot chocolate after the service

Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

Belmont Ridge Middle School 19405 Upper Belmont Place Lansdowne, VA

Misa día de Navidad a las 3:00 p.m. Misa en español – Drama Navideño

La Iglesia Episcopal San Gabriel @ San James 14 Cornwall St., NW; Leesburg

All are welcome! ¡Todos son bienvenidos!

[ OBITUARY ]

Christmas Day 11am

To Place an Obituary, Death Notice or Memoriam Contact Lindsay Morgan lmorgan@loudounnow.com 703.770.9723

Crossword

Loudoun Valley Community Center 320 W. School St. Purcellville gracebibleva.org

Washington, DC. Additional visitation will be held Saturday, December 17, 2016 from 10 a.m. until time of service, 11 a.m. at Shiloh Baptist Church, 304 E. Marshall St., Middleburg, VA 20117. Interment Solon Cemetery, Middleburg, VA. Arrangements by LYLES FUNERAL SERVICE, Serving No. Virginia. Eric S. Lyles, Director. Lic. DC/MD/VA. 1-800-388-1913

Dec. 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 21, 2016

Marion Lee Beverly (Age 63)

Of Oxon Hill, MD passed away on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at Providence Hospital, Washington, DC. Loving wife of Orville Jerome Beverly; beloved daughter of Annie Ruth Perry of Charles Town, WV; devoted sister of Belinda Ann Perry of Charles Town, WV, Ronald Kevin Perry (Celeste) of Stafford, VA and Earl E. Perry, Jr of Manassas. She is also survived by two sons, Paul Vincent, Jr. of Norfolk, VA and Rodney Lee Vincent of Charles Town, WV; stepson, CJ Beverly of Maryland; godson, Robert Bell of Fredericksburg, VA; grandson, Devin Gilkey of Florida and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Visitation will be held on Friday, December 16, 2016 from 10 a.m. until time of service, 11 a.m. at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, 1818 Gales St., NE,

loudounnow.com

loudounnow.com

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

$1 OFF

Any Haircut

Not valid with any other offer or discount. With coupon only. One coupon per customer.

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Email: rdcleaningserv@gmail.com R&D Cleaning Service LLC www.RDCleaningservice.com

EXCAVATING

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FLOORING Chase Floor Waxing Service Buffing, Polishing, Burnishing Polyurethane Wood Floor Finishes. Family Owned & Operated For 25 Years

No Dust • No Sanding Wood Floor Paste Wax Services also available

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CONTRACTOR

EVENTS

Francisco Rojo call for free estimate

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Loudoun Event Management

Email: bolimex101@gmail.com

General Contractor

We Specialize In: • Finished Basements • Custom Audio/Visual Rooms • General Painting • Kitchen & Bath Remodels • Custom Decks • Finish Carpentry • Snow Removal Commercial & Residential

Benjamin Hall (571) 246-8409 loudouneventmanagement@yahoo.com

Handyman Services

803 S Filbert Ct. Sterling, VA 20164

HANDYMAN HHHHH FIVE STAR GENERAL CONTRACTOR & HANDYMAN SERVICES • Interior & Exterior Painting • Power Wash & Stain Decks • • Bathroom & Kitchen Remodeling • Finish Basements • • Electrical • Plumbing • Mailbox Replacement • • Clean Gutters • Install Crown Molding • Drywall Repairs • Exterior Rotten Wood Replacement • • Small or Large Jobs We Do It All •

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Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

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HANDYMAN Loudoun, Virginia • 540-514-4715 Lic/Bonded & Ins.

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YVAN DIAZ (571) 505-5565

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REPAIR, APPLIANCE Ashburn Appliance, LLC We repair all major brands

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Improving Homes In Loudoun Since 1995 • Finished Basements • Garages • Additions • Remodeling

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

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We deliver your business card to over 37,000 homes in Loudoun County for one low price. classfieds@loudounnow.com

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DOUGLAS ROOFING CO., INC. Roof • Gutter • Repairs • Replacement Complete Services • Free Estimates www.douglasroofingco.com

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TREE REMOVAL NORTH’S TREE SERVICE & LANDSCAPING

Tree Experts For Over 30 Years Family Owned & Operated SPRING

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Lic./Ins. • Free Estimates • Angie’s List Member • BBB

Employment 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.

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

Busy Home Healthcare Agency established in 1993 with offices in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties looking for CNA, HHA or PCA for immediate work for all shifts. We offer benefits to fulltime employees such as health/dental insurance, vacation, simple IRA retirement. We also offer direct deposit.

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Call Brendan 703-402-0183

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Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

Resource Directory

Please apply online at http://www.icareabouthealth.net or fax to 703.865.5891

703-770-9723

loudounnow.com

Looking for help? Let us help you find your next great employee. (703) 770-9723 classifieds@loudounnow.com

[ OPINION ]

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Making Cyber Security a Priority Tucked away in the $618.7 billion National Defense Authorization Act that was overwhelmingly approved in a bipartisan U.S. Senate vote last week is a process tweak that could have a big impact on Northern Virginia while also improving the nation’s security. Under the new law, Defense Department managers will no longer be required to apply the government’s Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable procurement standard when they contract for IT and cybersecurity services. LPTA may be effective in keeping costs down when the department is buying pens, pencils and hammers, but that same lowbid test doesn’t generate the desired results when applied to the front lines of the cyber wars. Tech leaders around the region—including John Wood, the CEO of Ashburn-based Telos, who testified on the issue before a House subcommittee earlier this year—had warned Congress of the inherent disconnect between the goal of making cyber security a national priority and the practice of pursuing the cheapest solutions, rather than those with the best value. U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, who championed the legislation, said the new rules should improve technological innovation and efficiency within the department while also getting the best long-term deal for taxpayers. The measure has the added impact of offering an economic boost to the region’s high-tech industry. Companies taking on government work under the current system typically do so at a significant discount when compared to the investment private-sector companies are making to protect their businesses and their customers. It is more concerning than ironic that many of those companies are spending that money to comply with mandated security standards in access of those applied to the government’s own agencies. The massive Internet of Things cyberattack in October was illustrative of the largescale disruption now possible at the fingers of hackers. The debate over the theft of presidential campaign emails by foreign operatives provides a tip-of-the-iceberg view of the espionage wars being fought daily around the globe. The work by Warner, Wood, Rep. Barbara Comstock and others pressing Congress to untie the hands of defense leaders is important in the critical race to maintain a strategic advantage on the rapidly changing cyber battlefield.

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Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC 15 N. King St., Suite 101 • Leesburg, VA, 20176 PO Box 207 • Leesburg, VA 20178 703-770-9723 Norman K. Styer Editor nstyer@loudounnow.com

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Learning From The Opioid Crisis

[ LETTERS ]

Editor: Over the past several months, we have seen the heroin and opioid crisis balloon in the headlines in Virginia. During 2016, I’ve had a personal crisis that has followed in the footsteps of the national crisis. My son battles with opioid addiction. This situation has taken its toll on me and my family. My point of view on the issue has changed; as a father, citizen, and legislator. I have seen firsthand how our criminal justice, mental health, and crisis intervention systems may not be meeting the challenge of this crisis. Through my experience I have learned that families often don’t understand the disease of addiction. I’ve learned that it is often difficult and expensive to access care or to find a doctor who can prescribe medicine such as Suboxone that may be helpful in treating addiction. I have also learned that first responders have seen a tremendous increase in opioid-related incidents and are frequently put in difficult situations. My family’s story is not unique; it can happen to anyone and with my son’s permission I share my story in an effort to help others. Addiction is a family disease and I know it’s both difficult and personal for everyone. Action on this crisis is on my agenda in the General Assembly, including increasing access to overdose reversal drugs, being an ally in the fight to reform our mental health system, and finding new ways for those in an addiction crisis to get to the resources they need. — Del. John Bell, South Riding

A New Danger? Editor: Let’s hope the new Russell Branch Parkway link completion doesn’t create as many dangerous intersections as the extension of the Gloucester speedway. The intersections of Gloucester and Smithswitch and Gloucester and Marblehead are now extremely dangerous

without traffic lights. They are getting more dangerous each day as more and more traffic moves off Rt. 7 to the Gloucester Thruway-Speedway. VDOT, county planners and the county board should be condemned for not addressing these problems. Senator Back and Delegate Greason apparently haven’t done anything to help get traffic lights installed. The recently installed pedestrian warning at Smithswitch and Gloucester shows that VDOT and county officials just don’t understand the problems which are exacerbated by the lack of speed enforcement on Gloucester. — Glenn Schleede, Ashburn

Good Work Editor: Last Monday night at Sterling Elementary School, Christian Fellowship Church, Beth Chaverim Reform Congregation and All Dulles Area Muslim Society served about 175 people a beautiful, elegant, dinner on beautiful placemats, with candles on the table and music in the background all guided by perfectly appointed waiters in black pants and white shirts. In the kitchen, during various shifts, we saw women in Hijabs standing next to people in yarmulkes, passing food across the counter to someone wearing a cross. Together they provided a perfect meal and the radical hospitality that is Community Table to people of every race, color, religion, size and shape who came to us individually or in full families with lots of kids! Oh, we had lots of kids. In short, we did it again. This dinner brings our third year together to a close. This year alone we had dinners across our county in seven different places and we served about 700 people. In our three years together we have served close to 3,000 guests at about 30 dinners. And we did it all without becoming a new charity, without creating and managing a board of directors, without hiring staff … in fact we continue to be the most successful nonprofit opLETTERS >> 37

[ LETTERS ] economy that supports good Virginia jobs. Even as a freshman member of Congress, Barbara Comstock has amassed a substantive policy portfolio, and has championed clean energy solutions that bolster the economy and benefit Virginia families. I look forward to seeing her continue this leadership during her second term in the next Congress. — Amanda Johnson, South Riding

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Editor: Nearly 1,800 of the brightest students in Northern Virginia are fortunate to be able to attend Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, ranked as our nation’s best high school by several magazines and organizations. Yet only about 2 percent of the students at the school come from low-income families, while nearly 29 percent of the students in the school districts it serves are considered low-income and are eligible for free and reduced-prices school lunches. Thomas Jefferson is working to open its doors wider to academically qualified low-income students. To help it do so, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, where I serve as executive director, awarded the school a grant of nearly $100,000 in 2015. The grant is being used to provide two years of support for a program that provides academic enrichment programs to prepare outstanding low-income students in grades 7 and 8 to gain admission to Thomas Jefferson and succeed once admitted.

Unfortunately, economically disadvantaged families could be hurt by a proposal before the Loudoun County School Board to seek approval from the Virginia Legislature to charge students in the county for bus transportation to Thomas Jefferson. Charging such a fee could prompt some parents to pull their children out of the magnet school or stop their children from even applying. While the school district could waive the transportation fee for low-income students, as some school board members have advocated, there is no assurance that such waivers would be approved and remain in place over the years. In addition, when low-income students must seek a waiver they can be stigmatized and made to feel like going to Thomas Jefferson is a privilege reserved for the more aﬄuent. If the students and their parents feel like they don’t really belong at Thomas Jefferson, fewer will try to gain admission. This is unfortunate at a time when our nation needs to take advantage of all the brainpower we have available, regardless of a student’s family income. As I’ve learned time and time again at the Cooke Foundation, which has awarded high school and college scholarships to nearly 2,200 students in the past 16 years, some families of very modest means produce some absolutely brilliant children. —Harold O. Levy, Executive Director Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Lansdowne

Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

public schools, that you and your family enjoy peace and joy and love in new eration in the world that has absolutely measure. You have done good work, no central leadership, no budget, no my friends for which I am eternally annual meeting and no annual report. grateful. I love you all. This letter is as close to an annual re— Kurt Aschermann, Leesburg port as we get each year. But we have local leadership that surpasses anything I’ve ever seen be- Leadership fore. Each faith community and school Editor creates their own leadership; each This year’s election was critical for takes charge of their dinner, plans it, our nation’s future, as Americans votstaffs it, cooks it and serves it. ed overwhelmingly to support elected And nobody, as in nobody, makes a officials who ran on a platform of subdime on the effort and nobody, as in stantial policy initiatives. Congressnobody, gets a tax write off for any- woman Barbara Comstock stands out thing. as a strong advocate of a commonTo say I’m proud of what we have sense, clean energy policy agenda, and created is an understatement. I’m just that’s why I supported her for Conas proud that it doesn’t look like we are gress. going anywhere—we have commit Earlier this year, Comstock joined ments from almost every sponsoring with 11 of her colleagues in Congress group to continue in 2017. Communi- to form the House Republican Energy, ty Table of Loudoun is alive and well Innovation and Environmental Workand will continue to provide our beau- ing Group, demonstrating a strong tiful dinners to anyone that wants to commitment to advancing renewable attend, anyone looking for a good meal energy technology. This wasn’t the or just a good conversation—they are first time she has led on clean energy welcome at Community Table and to- policy. In 2015, Comstock sponsored gether we promise to be there for them. the Research and Development EffiIn my faith tradition, Christian, ciency Act, which the House of Reprethere is a popular song that I think sentatives passed by a voice vote. This covers what I’m trying to say—the legislation that recommends cost-savsong goes “God has no body now on ing reforms and stipulates that federal earth, no hands, no feet on earth but research regulations are reviewed for yours…” We know, we all know, we unjustified burdens, unnecessary reare God’s hands and feet. And as Presi- quirements, and duplication. dent Kennedy once said: Here on earth As a mother, there are few things God’s work must truly be our own.” as important to me as making sure We are doing that work. my children inherit a better quality of I pray during this time of celebration life than myself. I want them to have in all of our faith traditions and our a healthy environment and a strong

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The History of Banneker School

• IN

oudoun County, as typical of other localities, provide d inferior educational facilities for its AfricanAmerican students during the Jim Crow era. In the early 1900s, many of the African-American schools were one or two-room schoolhouses with marginal facilities, usually with only a wood stove for heat and an outhouse. Following the mandate of “Separate but Equal” established in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, African-Americans protested for “equalization”—equal pay for their teachers and equal facilities for their students. By 1930, a national movement had started under the leadership of the NAACP. In 1938, involved parents of local African-American students formed a protest movement, known as the County-Wide League, in Loudoun County. The League hired attorney Charles H. Houston to help them with their efforts. Houston was a national figure, serving both as dean of the Howard University School of Law and special counsel for the NAACP. Future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall was one of his students. As a result of these efforts, over the next decade, slow progress was made in Loudoun with the opening of Douglass High School in Leesburg (1941), and two consolidated elementary schools, Carver in Purcellville (1947), and Banneker in St. Louis, near Middleburg (1948). Until Douglass High School began holding classes, African-Americans were allowed to attend trade school, but opportunities for them to receive a high school education in Loudoun were virtually non-existent. The community of St. Louis was established in 1881 when Thomas Glascock, who owned surrounding farmland, sold one-acre lots to formerly enslaved families. By the last quarter of

cated southeast of Aldie. In an interview, Fred Drummond, who served as principal from 1953 to 1958, described Banneker’s overcrowded conditions, “There was no limit to classroom size,” and under-staffed positions. “The full time custodian doubled as a bus driver.” Even so, Mr. Drummond characterized Banneker (and Carver) as the “Cadillacs of the minority schools in Loudoun,” adding that other Black schools (Ashburn Colored and Willisville Colored, for example) had just one overcrowded room which lacked indoor plumbing and central heat. He also noted the close support from Banneker’s PTA, which raised the funds to pay for a part-time school secretary, and from community leaders, including Paul Mellon and Charlotte Noland. In Brown v. Board of Education, argued by Thurgood Marshall on behalf of the NAACP, and decided in 1954, the Supreme Court invalidated “Separate but Equal.” But Virginia responded by defying the Supreme Court decision. Construction funds continued to be made available to upgrade African-American Schools in an attempt to perpetuate “Separate but Equal.” With this money, in 1960, Banneker was expanded a third time, incorporating students from Willisville School; again, Banneker took in students from a neighboring school whose facility was so sub-standard, it was closed. It was not until 1967, in compliance

with judicial mandate, that Loudoun schools were fully integrated. At that time, the Loudoun School Board changed the name of Banneker to “Mercer.” The School Board decision was later reversed in response to the St. Louis community’s objections. Banneker Elementary School was named for Benjamin Banneker, a renaissance thinker of the late 18th century, who was born a “free Negro.” He was a man of many accomplishments, an early champion of civil rights who advocated racial equality in correspondence with Thomas Jefferson. Today, Banneker Elementary continues to serve its local community.

been one of the drivers of the turf field debate. “I’m really excited about the direction that Mr. Letourneau is talking about going in,” Buffington said. Letourneau has suggested that although other infills, made of new material instead of recycled tires, may have higher up-front costs, they may require less maintenance over time, leading to a similar lifetime cost for a field. School Board Chairman Eric Hornberger (Ashburn) was receptive to the idea. “I think things are changing rapidly in this industry, so we can always look at that again,” Hornberger said. Supervisors also pushed school staff

on their attendance projections, which have underestimated the number of new students in recent years. Letourneau suggested the schools could give more detailed responses when residential rezoning applications are sent to the schools for referral. “In five years, I can’t remember too many times when there were any concerns or objections about any one of them coming to us,” Letourneau said. “So if there are concerns about crowding issues, then your referral is your opportunity to tell us about that. You don’t just have to give us numbers.” County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) expressed concerns about School Board plans to convert

Douglass School into office space. “The importance of that school, and the amazing history of that school, should always be known and preserved, and I think that to some degree that could be lost in translation when you no longer have kids in the school,” Randall said. Loudoun’s school Department of Planning Services Director Dr. Sam Adamo also indicated that his department is already looking at the possibilities for designing urban schools in Loudoun’s planned urban developments, particularly around the Silver Line.

O UR

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Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

the 19th century, the farmland evolved into a village with the 1877 opening of the one-room Hamlin School, and the 1885 establishment of Mt. Zion Church. The Hamlin School, despite its rudimentary “sanitary” and heating facilities, remained in use until 1948, when it was replaced in response to parents’ protests for better conditions for their children. In the fall of 1948, Banneker opened its doors as one of Loudoun’s first consolidated “Colored schools.” In addition to replacing the Hamlin School, Banneker supplanted several other schools whose facilities had fallen into disrepair, including the two-room Middleburg School, and the Marble Quarry School near Mountville. Banneker’s “fireproof ” building, with its clinic, kitchen, radiant heat and indoor plumbing, was the epitome of modern convenience compared with the schools it replaced. Parents and community members provided desks, chairs, and kitchen equipment, and furnished the multipurpose room. Along with the area churches, Banneker soon became part of the social center of the St. Louis community. During the early 1950s, confronting sustained pressure from the NAACP, Virginia Governor John S. Battle apparently realized the state might not be able to postpone or even prevent a racially integrated school system unless the standards of “Separate but Equal” were met. Consequently, the state made available $75 million in construction funds to improve African-American schools in an attempt to meet those standards. Three schools in Loudoun benefited from additional funding: Banneker Elementary and Douglass High School were expanded to alleviate crowded conditions, and a new building was constructed at Douglass Elementary, as the original building had fallen into disrepair. In 1952, Banneker was expanded to incorporate students from the Bull Run School lo-

BACK

BY JANE COVINGTON

YARD

loudounnow.com

districts around the country have also backed away from using crumb rubber infill, which is made in part from recycled tires, although long-term studies to determine if there is a health risk from the infill have not yet been completed. Some parents worry there is a cancer risk associated with the crumb rubber; Letourneau said supervisors’ main concern was checking for dangerous levels of lead and arsenic in school fields. Supervisor Tony R. Buffington Jr. (R-Blue Ridge) acknowledged he has

LCPS

Historic Banneker Elementary School is located in St. Louis, VA.

Jane Covington is the principal of Jane Covington Restoration. She conducted research concerning Banneker and six other rural Loudoun schools under contract with the Loudoun County government as part of a Certified Local Government Grant financed in part by the National Park Service of the US Department of the Interior. The opinions presented here are solely those of Ms. Covington. In Our Backyard is compiled by the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition. To learn more about the organization or to participate in the Rural Roads Initiative, go to loudouncoalition.org.

rgreene@loudounnow.com

LE! B A D R O AFF

Kincora

Dec. 15 – 21, 2016

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rgreene@loudounnow.com ed sentence. She said the children should not have to worry about a future date on the calendar when their father could be released from prison. “Let them move forward with peace and certainty,” she said. Castillo’s attorney Peter D. Greenspun pressed for a prison term in line with Virginia’s sentencing guidelines—a sentence that would offer the 50-year-old Castillo hope of being free one day, maybe not until his 70s, and to provide his children with the opportunity to have relationships with him if they someday chose to. The sentencing guidelines, Wittmann said, failed to account for the violence involved with Michelle’s death. She pointed to staged suicide, calling it a “horrific scene—like something out of a horror movie … He left her there for [the kids] to find.” Sincavage agreed. He upheld the jury sentences—life for first-degree murder, 15 years for breaking and entering with intent to murder, and 12 months in jail for violation of a protective order. He also ordered the sentences be served consecutively rather than concurrently. While the hearing offered closure to many in the courtroom—the ruling was welcomed by hugs among those in the gallery and the prosecutors—Castillo’s attorneys are expected to appeal the convictions. They have 30 days to file a petition with the Virginia Court of Appeals. nstyer@loudounnow.com

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and Victoria, took the stand to discuss the impact of their mother’s death. Also testifying were Stephanie and David Meeker, the close Castillo family friends who took in the Castillos’ four minor children immediately after the murder. “She was my mom. She knew me better than I know myself,” Nicolas Castillo, 24, told the judge. “Part of my life has been taken and I can’t really put it back in,” he said. “I still wake up in the morning and think that I want my mommy to be here,” Victoria, 13, said. “She’s still with us in our hearts. She is not going to leave us. She is encouraging us every day.” Stephanie Meeker read a letter written by their younger brother, 12-yearold Jonathan, to their father. “When I look back, you were planning this all along,” he wrote. “If you loved us you would do the right thing, but I know you won’t.” She also talked about the children’s continuing grief and anger, and their fear of losing memories of their mother. “They lost everything that day,” she said. Castillo’s sister also took the stand to urge Sincavage to take into account his high character, work as a Christian mentor, and his contributions as a successful business man. Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Nicole Wittmann urged the judge to uphold the jury’s recommend-

Kincora has repaid more than $8 million to the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank for this project creating additional funding for other critical projects in the commonwealth. The road opening also marks the completion of the community’s main infrastructure, having been constructed before any vertical development occurs. The development will include millions of square feet of office and retail space, hotels, a cultural and science center, and 1,400 apartments and condominiums. “This opening of this bridge is the last piece of an unprecedented public-private investment to complete the long-anticipated Comprehensive Transportation Plan Road Network in the North Route 28 Corridor,” stated. Michael Scott, co-developer of Kincora. The completion of this segment will relieve traffic congestion for Loudoun County residents and create an environment which will stimulate further economic development.”

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Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Kincora developer Michael Scott

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relief to commuters that are clogged back on 28 and Rt. 7.” VDOT Transportation and Land Use Director for Loudoun County Farid Bigdeli said the department of transportation predicts the road will carry 30,000 vehicles per day within 15 years. “This extension is a vital part of the county’s transportation network that thousands of residents depend upon,” said County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) in a statement. “By investing in this project, Kincora has helped to ease congestion for Loudoun County motorists who frequently access the road network in this area while also supporting jobs, commerce and housing near Russell Branch Parkway, Rt. 28, Gloucester Parkway and nearby Rt. 7.” The extension is the result of a public-private partnership between Loudoun County, the state government and Kincora, formed to respond to a significant regional transportation challenge. The public-private partnership monetized Kincora’s future development rights to create a $76 million financing plan to build the Pacific Boulevard extension and the Gloucester Parkway extension—both new crossings of the Broad Run. From the initial funding to completion, the projects have taken three years. According to the developers, the new infrastructure is in place at least 10 years sooner than required by Kincora’s proffered phasing plan. Already,

Dec. 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 21, 2016