January 14, 2016 |
loudounnow.com
Letters continued from page 30
services since they were a planning commissioner. • a council member’s employer is the consultant for numerous development applications in Purcellville and has already defied citizens’ concerns and voted on two of his employer’s applications. • a land use attorney applied for a position on the Purcellville Board of Zoning Appeals without disclosing that he had a conflict of interest with the first case that would come before him. After a majority appointed him to the BZA a ruling from the town attorney found him to be in a conflict of interest. Instead of resigning, he took himself off the deed of the property that was part of the case to come before the BZA. He voted on the case before the BZA in favor of the party he represented. • a planning commissioner who also sits on the BZA, is engaged in business dealings with a property owner who had an appeal before the BZA and he chose to vote on the issue. A conflict of interest is a set of circumstances that creates a risk that professional judgement or actions regarding a primary interest will be unduly influenced by a secondary interest. The newest amendment to VA Code 2.2-3103 Prohibited Conduct says this about what an official should never do: “Use his public position to retaliate or threaten to retaliate against any person for expressing views on matters of public concern or for exercising any right that is otherwise protected by law.” There is no time like the present to set high standards from the status quo of the past and give the citizens’ confidence that their elected neighbors in the community will always do the right thing and remove themselves from the real and perceived conflicts. We are fortunate to have a mayor and a minority of the town council who are listening to the residents of the town, and we know that by their actions, comments, and voting record. – Kelli Grim, Purcellville
from a weekly newspaper in the county I covered. Local habit was to release news on the weekly’s press deadline. It created good, healthy competition—if not some frustration on my part. Loudoun County is too big, diverse and dynamic to have only one local paper. So best of luck, and, I hope, continued local support for your new endeavor. I plan on supporting those businesses who advertise in your newspaper, and mention it when I can. Thanks again. – Kathleen Devereux, Purcellville
• Cedar Lane Elementary School – Cortney Croft and the Kindergarten team for One to the World Project
Helping Head Start
• Red Knights Motorcycle Club - Steve Jacobus, Shari Menefee
Editor: The Loudoun County Public Schools Head Start Program would like to acknowledge the many businesses, families and organizations that donated Holiday Help to students enrolled in the Head Start Program. These children live at the poverty level and often their families struggle to afford such necessities as food and clothing. The Head Start Staff would like to sincerely thank: • AutoNation Toyota Scion Leesburg • AARC (Ashburn Area Running Club) • Bosse Family • The Book Bags Book Club – Michele Hawes
• EPL Archives • LCPS employees from the Administration Building, Assistive Technology, Head Start, and Union Street Leidos • LINK Inc. and the Community Holiday Coalition also provided assistance to a number of Head Start families • McDougall Family • Ortmann Family
• Tuscarora High School Key Club Mr. Brian Bednarski • Telos Corporation We extend our happiest New Year wishes to all of the businesses, families, and organizations noted above who helped make this holiday so much happier for so many families in our community! – Alexis Duffin, Director Loudoun County Head Start
Grateful Editor: VSA arts of Loudoun wishes to acknowledge the generosity of a wonderful organization. Blossom and Bloom has
enhanced the lives of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1976. This group operates a thrift store at 110 W. Market St. in Leesburg that is entirely run by volunteers. My organization provides performing and visual arts opportunities for individuals with these challenges plus their families and friends. We are grateful to be one of the groups that benefit from the store profits. Recently two of their volunteers, LaVerne Espinoza and Gail Bessom, created and donated a beautiful quilt that we used as a successful fundraiser. We appreciate their kindness, the leadership of President Victoria Baylor Daly, and the numerous hardworking volunteers who make Blossom and Bloom so successful. — Carolyn Snyder, Vice President VSA arts of Loudoun County
Share Your Views Loudoun Now welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should include the name, address and phone number of the writer and should be a maximum of 500 words. Letters may be sent by email to letters@loudounnow. com or by mail to PO Box 207, Leesburg, VA 20178.
There’s room for you in Loudoun. With award-
winning 3-car garage homes up to 7400 sq. feet on beautifully wooded homesites near Waterford and in Purcellville, your family will fit in perfectly.
Picking Up The Slack Editor: It is a first. I have not written a letter to a newspaper before this evening. But I kept the latest issue of Loudoun Now on my desk as a reminder to send you and your staff my thanks for picking up the slack once Leesburg Today abruptly closed down. My first job out of college was working as a reporter for a daily newspaper in a small city. My main competition came
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