Middleburg Mayor Off to a Great Start

Middleburg Mayor Off to a Great Start

At the groundbreaking from the right in pale blue jacket to left: Cindy Pearson, Bud Jacobs, Chris Bernard, Mike Turner, Mayor Bridge Littleton, Phillip Miller, Darlene Kirk, Tony Buffington, Sheila Johnson, Peter Leonard- Morgan, Phyllis Randall, Caleb Kershner, Kevin Daly, Danny Davis, Rhonda North, Will Moore and Sylvia Glass.

Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton already has had a very busy new year, but a highlight will always be his fine speech at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Town Hall on Jan. 24.

Among the town and county dignitaries in attendance that 38-degree day were Loudoun Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall, Supervisor Tony Buffington, who represents the Blue Ridge district which includes the town.Salamander Resort founder Sheila Johnson was also on hand.

Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton honored Fun Shop owners Betsy Davis and Page Allen for 65 years in business.

Photo © by Leonard Shapiro

“This is a very exciting moment for the town of Middleburg as we begin construction of the new Town Hall,” Littleton told the crowd. “Our current town hall was built in 1964 when the staff numbered just four people. It has served us well for over 50 years, but with a team of 17 and expanded responsibilities, the time has come to bring the needed infrastructure and facilities to better serve our community’s needs.

“The town’s mission statement reads: ‘It is the mission of the Middleburg Town Council to provide its citizens, businesses, and visitors with superior public services in a fiscally prudent and socially responsible manner while sustaining Middleburg’s historic character, natural beauty, and small-town charm.’ ”

Antwan Montford received a glowing town proclamation thanking him for his outstanding service at the Middleburg post office. He and his wife, Analyn, and their son, six-year-old Amare, are relocating to Florida.

Photo © by Leonard Shapiro

“This town hall is a direct fulfillment of that mission – a generational project that will allow us to better serve those values, effectively, safely, and prudently….The town hall will serve our community for decades to come, with large outdoor open spaces, ample indoor gathering areas, and meeting rooms for community groups and businesses to use for free and let their visions become realities.”

The previous week, at a regular Town Council meeting, Mayor Littleton recognized and honored three very special people with official town proclamations.

Former Mayor Betsy Davis and her sister, Page Allen, the owners of The Fun Shop, Middleburg’s venerable local “department store,” were on hand to accept the proclamation marking the business’s 65- year anniversary. It was originally started by their late mother, Nancy Allen, and has always been a mustvisit for locals and tourists alike.

Antwan Montford, an immensely popular figure at the Middleburg Post Office, was also honored. An Army and combat veteran who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Montford began working at the post office two years ago, making countless friends along the way. He and his wife, Analyn, and their son, six-yearold Amare, are relocating to his native Florida.

Lucky Florida.

For a complete transcript of Mayor Bridge Littleton’s speech at the groundbreaking, go to www.middleburgmystique.com.