Loudoun Now for Jan. 9, 2025

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4 | n LEESBURG

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Community-Supported News. Free to all.

VOL. 10, NO. 9

18

JANUARY 9, 2025

Supervisors Approve $259M Fund Balance Allocation

BY HANNA PAMPALONI

hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

County leaders Tuesday night allocated $259 million of leftover funds from fiscal year 2024, funneling the money to capital projects, reserve funds and affordable housing.

The amount, which is the highest in the county’s history, is attributable to intentionally conservative budgeting of data center revenue, according to Budget Director Megan Bourke.

While $16 million is spent on supervisor priorities, the majority is filed back into next year’s budget, she said.

“A significant amount of the unassigned fund balance recommendations that you have tonight is either sending the unassigned fund balance to meet your cash contribution requirements for FY 2026 or replenishing contingency accounts in this year’s budget to support your capital program so that you’re not having to issue additional debt in the future,” she said.

The breakdown of the fund includes approximately $69 million into one-time capital projects and capital asset needs in FY 2026, $60 FUND BALANCE continues on page 26

William Timme/Loudoun Now

Kannan Srinivasan, right, and JJ Singh met with supporters at Nick’s Taverna in Ashburn Tuesday night after winning Senate and House special elections, according to preliminary results.

Democrats Srinivasan, Singh Easily Win in General Assembly Special Elections

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

One day before the General Assembly was set to open its 2025 session, eastern Loudoun voters selected their representatives to fill two seats.

Special elections were held to fill vacancies in the 32nd Senate District and the 26th House District.

Democrats Kannan Srinivasan in the Senate race and JJ Singh in the House race registered easy victories over Republicans Tumay Harding and Ram Venkatachalam.

Both won more than 61% of the vote, according to preliminary results.

With the results, Democrats maintain their razor-thin majorities in the Senate and House.

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PAGE 3

New Year Opens with Snow Days The first winter storm of the year blanketed Loudoun with more than 5 inches of powdery snow Sunday night and Monday, closing schools, government operations and businesses.

Dubbed Winter Storm Blair, the front brought the largest snow event the region has seen in three years although it fell short of the foot-deep forecasts

promoted by some weather watchers.

With temperatures expected to stay below freezing into next week, slippery conditions are expected to linger.

Loudoun students, teachers and administrators were scheduled to return from their two-week winter break Monday, but the snow canceled classes through Wednesday. n

Day of Remembrance Held at a Once-Forgotten Cemetery

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

A group of community volunteers and family members gathered Sunday at the Mount Sinai Cemetery to honor those interred at the long overgrown burial ground and to make plans for its continued restoration.

The cemetery was associated with the Mount Sinai Free Will Baptist Church that served Little Britain, a Black community of farmers, domestic workers and tradesmen located southwest of Lovettsville.

The church was destroyed by fire in 1980.

The cemetery is the final resting place for as many as 100 people from at least 1887 to 1955, although few have gravestones.

The identities of only 29 have been documented since volunteers cleared overgrown bush and trees from a portion of the grounds in 2021.

Sunday’s Day of Remembrance ceremony highlighted the lives of some of the known individuals.

Claudette Bard is among those researching their stories. She highlighted

Henry Howard, who participated in a mass meeting with 16 other Black men in 1883 petitioning a Loudoun judge for their Constitutional rights to serve on ju-

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

The gravestone of Samuel B. Timbers at the Mount Sinai Cemetery near Lovettsville honors his service in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War.

ries and as election officers. They were granted the right to join the jury pool.

Another, Kay Curtis Redman, was a murder victim who was killed in front of her children in 1914.

Historian Lori Kimball shared information of the Paris family, who bought land in the area after freedom came following the Civil War and whose descendants migrated to Cleveland, OH. Of particular significance is the grave of Samuel B. Timbers, a Civil War veteran who served with the United States Colored Troops.

Armatha Timbers Whiting shared the story of her ancestor, who at age 16 left Daniel Householder’s Lovettsville-area farm in 1864 to enlist in Baltimore.

He joined the 29th U.S. Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment and following a reorganization, served with the XXV Corps that participated in the seize of Pittsburgh and the war-ending Appomattox campaign. He served until Nov. 6, 1865, when he was discharged in Brownsville, TX, likely among the troops who brought the news of the end of slavery that today is celebrated as Juneteenth. He returned to the

Lovettsville area, married, and raised six children. He died in 1912.

While most markers in the cemetery are in disrepair, Timbers’ gravestone has been restored and reset with the help of the Clinton Hatcher Camp of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans.

Lee Stone, a member of the Sons of Union Veterans, said the discovery and restoration of Timbers’ grave resulted from a series of unlikely events.

Stone said he learned of Timbers’ story through a newspaper article by the late Dan Morrow in the Middleburg Eccentric and then met Morrow by happenstance when they sat next to each other at an Upperville restaurant.

Stone searched out the overgrown cemetery and found Timbers’ gravestone laying on the ground just as Morrow had described it.

“Because I am a member for 40 years of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, it was my duty to Samuel Timbers to mark his gravesite with a small U.S. flag.

REMEMBRANCE continues on page 26

PAGE 4

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JANUARY 9, 2025

Loudoun

Legislators Tackle New and Old Topics for General Assembly Session

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Loudoun legislators have been busy finalizing their selection of bills to sponsor during the 2025 General Assembly that opened Wednesday. The final choices include some topics held over from last year’s discussions along with some first-time legislative proposals.

Data center policies are expected to make up a large portion of this year’s discussions after all related legislation last year was held over to 2025 pending a study released Dec. 9 by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

Both Del. David Reid (R-28) and Sen. Russet Perry (D-32) will be introducing bills seeking to address some of the concerns outlined in that report.

One of Reid’s bills looks to provide further guidance on battery storage and renewable energy.

“Where data centers are encouraged to use wind and solar, we’d also encourage them to use battery storage and incentivize them or give them credits for using battery storage as part of their renewable portfolio,” Reid said.

Batteries pull excess energy from the grid during non-peak times and store it for release during periods of peak demand

when the grid may be strained. Typically, they can store four to six hours of peak demand. Reid said hopefully batteries could replace diesel generators as a backup source of power.

However, it’s important not to use tax policy as an incentive for something that might already happen, he said. The JLARC study suggested that current tax incentives could be modified to promote changes in data center operations.

“So, if you talk to the data center folks, their number one top line expense is personnel,” Reid said. “The second topline expense is energy. So they are already incentivized by profit-driven companies to reduce their energy consumption as much as they can. So, we don’t really want to use mine and your tax dollars to incentivize them to do something they were going to do anyway.”

Another bill by Reid seeks to mandate the use of advanced conductors when power lines are reconditioned. He said has been working with Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) who suggested use of advanced conductors as part of the energy solution in a white paper released earlier this year.

“Reconductoring, whereby steel-core lines are replaced with carbon composite cores surrounded by integrated tetrahedral aluminum conductors would boost trans-

mission capacity significantly (possibly double) and slow the proliferation of new transmission lines in Loudoun County,” according to the paper.

“We don’t want to take existing infrastructure out of circulation that has just been installed, but when something gets to end of life, or there has been a weather-related emergency and we can replace that with advanced conducting materials then we have the ability to have more electricity flowing over the same transmission path,” Reid said.

Perry said she’s still narrowing down the exact data center-related legislation she’s planning to introduce. A planned press conference to announce the legislation with state delegates originally set for Tuesday was cancelled due to the closure of the General Assembly Building. During the event, which will be rescheduled, Perry and others will announce several bills to planned address transparency, costs, state oversight and efficiency of data centers.

One bill Perry is considering would give localities the authority to tax data centers to cover the cost of placing transmission lines underground.

“There’s a bill draft in for that. … I don’t know whether I will carry that or not.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY continues on page 25

State Leaders Grapple with Infrastructure, Generation Costs

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Just a week after a state study panel released a comprehensive report on data centers and their impacts within the commonwealth, the State Corporation Commission convened for an all-day technical conference to tackle the same issue and learn what role the panel should have in the industry’s future within Virginia.

The General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission released its report Dec. 9. While documenting the important role data centers play in local and state economies, the report raised concerns that unconstrained growth of the industry would result in a massive need for additional power infrastructure, imports and generation.

The SCC’s Dec. 16 technical conference was primarily focused on the cost of that additional infrastructure, how to protect

average ratepayers from bearing the brunt of it, and what role the commission should play in that.

“The first question is, what is the fair allocation as we seek to serve these data center customers?” SCC Judge Kelsey Baggot said. “How can we protect ourselves from stranded costs, or load forecasting errors, and then how do we protect ourselves as a whole from changing energy prices in the coming decades?”

To answer those questions, the commission brought in three panels of experts across varying perspectives of the industry including representatives of Dominion Energy, the Data Center Coalition, Google, Appalachian Power Company, the Loudoun County government, the Virginia Manufacturers Association and electric coops.

The first panel addressed the current state of the industry including the load growth challenge, existing cost allocation,

load forecasting and market volatility.

Judge Jemal Hudson raised concerns about the forecasting process that determines how much infrastructure is built.

If the forecast is too low there will not be enough infrastructure to support the demand; if it is too high, that will cause unnecessary costs.

“How do we deal with the speculative nature of load and customer request and system planning?” Hudson asked.

Dominion Energy Director of Data Center Practice Stan Blackwell said developing the demand forecast is a very robust process.

“Every data center on our system, we have the information from the point they’ve been connected out to today to help model the behavior,” he said. “That’s the foundation of our forecast and we believe lends to a very high level of accuracy.”

GROWTH CHALLENGES continues on page 5

ON THE agenda Workforce Center to Host Job Fair Wednesday The county’s Workforce Resource Center is hosting a job fair Wednesday, Jan. 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Claude Moore Recreation and Community Center in Sterling.

The event will feature more than 30 employers with full-time, parttime and seasonal job openings in the county. Immediate opportunities are available in the fields of aviation, education, food service, health care, hospitality, human services, law enforcement, local government, recreation, trades, transportation and warehousing.

Interested residents are encouraged to prepare by attending an in-person or virtual prep workshop available at wrccareers.eventbrite. com or by getting a free copy of “Turn a Job Fair Into a Job Offer” by calling 703-777-0150.

Attendees should dress professionally and bring multiple resumes. For more information go to loudoun.gov/wrc.

Input Sought on New Aldie Park Name The county’s parks and recreation department is seeking input from residents in the naming process of a new park site in Aldie behind Lightridge High School.

The 34.3-acre park is currently identified as Dulles South Community Park. The project is in the design phase and is being considered for playgrounds, picnic areas, trails, wooded areas, streams, restrooms, athletic fields and concessions. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2026.

Residents interested in submitting comments may do so at bit. ly/3W7riqY before Feb. 8. Potential names will then be considered by the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Board and final recommendations will be reviewed by the Board of Supervisors.

New parks may be named for the neighborhood, community, district or region in which it is located, after the primary street it abuts or to describe the purpose and function of the facility. In exceptional cases it may be named for a person, belief, ideal, concept or historical event of significance to the county, state or nation. n

JANUARY 9, 2025

Growth Challenges continued from page 4 The company works with other entities—such as PJM Interconnection, which coordinates transmission across the region—to predict accurate estimates, Blackwell said. Utilities also use monetary commitments from applicants making requests for power as a way to weed out some speculative projects.

“Everybody wants their project to go until you say, ‘sign this contract. We start with an engineering study, which requires a $250,000 deposit.’ … that slowly eliminates the really speculative projects,” he said.

The second session addressed cost allocation. A concern was voiced by Loudoun residents during debates over plans for new transmission lines amid fears they would pay the costs of the new infrastructure through their utility rates.

The JLARC study found that, to date, regular rate payers have not subsidized data centers, but that as more transmission and generation are needed, that could happen.

Baggot asked if panelists agreed with JLARC’s cost allocation finding.

Economist James Wilson said so far the power grid has had excess capacity, which is a welcome environment for new customers.

“Now that we have a system and it’s kind of the right size [with no excess capacity], when someone really, really big comes in and says I want service, we’re going to have to build something incrementally, and I agree with the JLARC report, that that raises some questions,” he said.

Dominion Energy Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Scott Gaskill said he did agree that data centers are paying their cost of service but said pressures on other ratepayers will be coming.

“I think maybe what might be different in the future from what has happened in the last five years, is two things,” he said. “One is the cost of infrastructure is just naturally increasing. Transformers cost more, land costs more, labor costs more, so just the cost to build has increased significantly over the last five years. And two, there is less headroom, or margin in the system anymore. You see PJM’s reserve margins tightening. So, that means every new increment of load is going to require additional generation.

It can’t be absorbed into the existing capacity system. You see something similar on transmission, you see something similar on distribution.”

An idea to create a separate rate class dedicated solely to data centers was supported by Deputy Loudoun County

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

Administrator Joe Kroboth.

“I believe creating that separate customer class and defining what that threshold would be, whether its 25 megawatts, 50 MW, 100 MW or more, would help to distribute those costs,” he said.

Google Global Energy Market Development and Policy Lead Brian George said a separate class dedicated solely to data centers would be discriminatory and a departure from the industry’s long tested best practices.

“That’s not how we have seen rates structured ever … Once we start going down that road it does become a very slippery slope for how we can stop. If we assign that to one particular industry, how do we not assign it to another?”

George said.

The final session focused on other ways to address the load demand that could decrease transmission costs.

Those included reconductoring existing transmission lines to increase the flow of power, demand-response programs and collocating generation facilities near data centers.

A demand-response program allows a utility to recognize a grid reaching peak capacity and to contact a user to decrease its demand from the grid, potentially switching to a backup power source. For data centers, that backup power source is typically diesel generators.

NOVEC Vice Presidents of Power Supply Gilbert Jamarillo said in some places data centers are not allowed to do that because of the air quality requirements. Others don’t have the option because they lease their spaces to third parties.

Collocation of power generation is a possible option that could lower some costs, but it also has its challenges, George said, adding some of those cost stem some from state and federal regulations.

Appalachian Power Company Managing Director of Regulated Pricing Alex Vaughan agreed, adding that because of how long it takes to go through an approval process companies often don’t pursue that option.

“You have collocated generation, but it is permitted in a way that it can’t be used unless there is a system emergency,” he said.

“In an ideal world we have robust planning processes that allow us to build, utilities to build generation on a timeline that we need to see it,” George said.

The full technical conference can be viewed on the SCC website, scc.virginia.gov. n

PAGE 5

Turner Tapped as Board Vice Chair

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) will serve as the Board of Supervisor’s vice chair in 2025 taking another leadership role aside supervisors Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) and Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River).

Turner served as chair of the Transportation and Land Use Committee since 2020, leading the effort to revise the county’s planning, zoning and data center policies. County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) recommended he rotate into the vice chair position held

by Briskman last year. The recommendation was approved 8-0 with Turner abstaining.

“You are now in your fifth year, but before you served on the board, you also served as we rewrote the Comprehensive Plan and you did that for, I don’t know, I think you did that for 15 years or something - a really long time,” Randall told Turner. “He did a great job

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of that. You never had a chance to be vice chair.”

Briskman will lead the Finance/ Government Operations and Economic Development Committee, with Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling) as vice chair.

That body oversees county services, finances and economic development efforts.

She replaces Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles), who chaired the committee from 2015 through 2021 and again last year. He also chaired the Economic Development Committee from 2011 to 2015, before it was merged with finance. Letourneau will remain a member of the committee.

TeKrony (D-Little River) received Randall’s endorsement to lead the Transportation and Land Use Committee.

“Supervisor TeKrony will forget more than some people will ever know about land use,” Randall said.

Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad Run) will retain her place as co-chair of the Joint Board and School Board Committee. n

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PAGE 6

Leesburg

AROUND town

Police Help Return Lost Wedding Ring WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

When Scott Fischer opened the Amazon package containing the computer bag he ordered he found a surprise inside—a diamond wedding ring. The City of Clay Center Kansas Police Department officer then embarked on a journey to return it.

“My first assumption was that whoever packed the box, the ring would have slid off or came off the finger when they’re stuffing it,” Fischer said this week in an interview about his Dec. 18 discovery.

Fischer suspected the ring might belong to someone working for the company that shipped the package—B2 Computer, a home-based business in Leesburg.

He reached out to the Leesburg Police Department.

The Leesburg Police Department found the ring’s owner on the same day.

They described its appearance from memory. Fischer sent the owner photos of the ring.

“I would have hoped anybody else would have done the same thing,” Fischer said. He added that UPS is shipping the ring back to its owner. Nervous that the ring might get lost, Fischer has been tracking it online.

“I mean, they were probably freaking out that they lost a ring and thought it was lost for good, and that kind of breaks my

JANUARY 9, 2025

Leesburg Police Department

A photo of the ring taken by City of Clay Center Officer Scott Fischer was texted to the original owner.

heart,” he said.

Leesburg Police provided an email the ring owner sent to Fischer, thanking him for the help.

“Thank you very very much for contacting me about my lost ring,” they wrote. “I cannot thank you enough for your honesty and kindness in returning my lost ring. This ring holds immense value to me, not just materially but sentimentally, as it is my wedding ring, and I am so grateful it found its way back to me because of your thoughtfulness. Your actions have truly restored my faith in the goodness of people.”

The Leesburg Police Department highlighted the story on its Facebook page, calling it “a reminder of the power of connection, and kindness. And how even small gestures can make a big difference.” n

Tolbert Achievement Award Nominations Sought

35% nationally, according to Kerrigan Advisors.

The Leesburg Environmental Advisory Commission encourages residents to submit their nominations for the 2024 Tolbert Environmental Achievement Award.

The program recognizes individuals, community groups, businesses, and students who benefit the Town’s environment by conducting or participating in activities throughout 2024. Those activities include using recycled materials in innovative ways such as composting, pollution prevention, waste reduction, protection of the natural environment, habitat improvement, beautification of the environment, environmental education, and monitoring the condition of Leesburg’s environment.

Residents may make a nomination at leesburgva.gov/tolbertaward by March 4 at 5 p.m.

The award will be presented at a future Leesburg Town Council meeting.

Trash Collection Schedule Changes

Country Buick Dealership Sold The Country Buick/GMC dealership on East Market Street has new ownership.

Kerrigan Advisors announced the transaction with Andy Budd finalizing the sale of to Jaffer Syed on Dec. 19.

Budd acquired the dealership from Ray Martin Glembot in 2017. Glembot owned the dealership, then known as Star Pontiac, for 37 years.

Today, it ranks as the seventh highest volume Buick GMC dealership among the 38 in Virginia and in the top

Trash and recycling collection resumed Wednesday following Monday’s snow storm.

Crews on Wednesday completed the routes typically handled on Mondays and Tuesdays. The typical Wednesday collection will happen on Thursday.

Trash and recycling in southwest Leesburg and the Meadowbrook neighborhood will happened Friday. Southeast Leesburg will be covered on Saturday instead of Friday.

All remaining Christmas trees will be collected Monday, Jan. 13.

To report missed collections or other issues with trash or recycling, residents can contact Patriot Disposal at leesburgsupport@patriotdisposalservices. com, or call 704-771-6677.

Tree Protection Included in Morven Park Road Work Crews are continuing with the installation of a 24-inch storm sewer pipe along Morven Park Road.

In digging the trench for the pipe installation, special care is being taken at the area beside two century-old spruce trees at 338 W. Market Street Arborists are using the air spading method to dig the trench without harming its roots. The process allows the contractor to slide the pipes under the roots. n

Economic Development Leaders Encourage Employers to Sign up for Career Expo

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

Leesburg’s Economic Development Commission is recruiting businesses to join in the Feb. 25 career expo for students and recent graduates.

Taking place at Loudoun County High School, the event aims to help motivated students and recent graduates join the workforce. Area businesses are encouraged to apply by completing the registration form.

Participating businesses will have the opportunity to recruit local talent, build connections with job seekers, and showcase their business to the next generation of employees.

Assistant Director of Economic Development Melanie Scoggins said last year’s Expo turned out 180 job seekers and 45 employers. Prior to COVID, the expo hosted as many as 80 employers and saw an attendance of 300 to 500 people. Scoggins said she hopes to see the expo build back to those numbers.

Risa Sanders, owner of Oasis Concessions, called the expo “terrific for employers as well as Town of Leesburg youth.”

Sanders wrote in an email that her event and venue concessions food provider and collection of food brands, benefitted from bright and resourceful students, who tend to have a great work ethic and great customer service skills.

“This event gives us an opportunity to meet students who may be qualified for all

of our positions,” Sanders wrote. “It’s also really great to interact with other employers for the Town and fosters a wonderful community vibe!”

Scoggins said job seekers can expect a wide variety of opportunities.

“This is an appropriate event for new high school or college graduates, and current students or adults looking to gain experience and fill a role with a local employer,” she said.

Scoggins added that job seekers should come ready to introduce themselves with printed résumés or digital contact information, such as a LinkedIn profile.

“In the past, employers have hired on the spot at this event and some employers hire as young as age 14,” Scoggins said.

Sanders wrote that the event would pro-

vide a broad overview of the opportunities for teens and help new job seekers overcome anxiety about the job seeking process. She added that interviews often take place on the spot, which helps teens plan their summer experience.

Economic Development has run the expo for close to 15 years when it started as an initiative from the mayor’s office, Scoggins said. As a mechanism for workforce development, the location of the expo has moved around town to reach different employers and job seekers.

The career expo will be open for all regional employers and any job seekers, not just those in Leesburg.

Learn more at chooseleesburg.com. n

JANUARY 9, 2025

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JANUARY 9, 2025

Education

Grant Opportunity for Loudoun Students By Loudoun Students

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

For the past six months, student entrepreneurs Arhan Menta and Nayel Rehman have been providing other student inventors with $100 grant opportunities through their Cactus Capital initiative.

Cactus Capital provides a no-strings-attached grant for students to get their idea off the ground. It was started after Menta and Rehman, juniors at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, had trouble finding seed money for their entrepreneurial efforts the previous school year.

According to Menta, it took a lot of reaching out and trial and error to get enough money to build their device to assist deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

Because of these challenges, they wanted to make it easier for students like themselves to be able to create prototypes and implement their ideas.

They started by reaching out to alumni of their school and found support for their idea. So far, Cactus Capital has raised almost $5,000. The money comes from cor-

Contributed

Nayel Rehman and Arhan Menta are founders of capital grant giver Cactus Capital and juniors at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

porate and individual sponsors in the area.

Menta said that it was easy to get sponsors, especially through alumni, because “there are so many talented kids in the area.”

Capital isn’t the only service the boys provide through their initiative. They also are planning on implementing a

“grantsmithing” program, which will connect student entrepreneurs to alumni and venture capitalists in a mentor-type program. This will help students create more ideas and more opportunities to get grants for inventions.

To apply, student entrepreneurs can go to Cactus Capital’s website,

cactuscapital.org, and fill out the shortform application. The form asks for information on the idea and a plan to implement it. Menta and Rehman then will meet with the applicant to hear their “elevator pitch.”

Cactus Capital has awarded 11 $100 grants so far. According to Menta, they like to check up on grantees a couple months after the money is given to see where they are.

“It feels really good, especially when we went through the struggle ourselves. It feels really good helping student partners like ourselves,” Menta said.

Most of the approximately 150 applicants so far have been international and out of state, but Menta said they are hoping to fund more local entrepreneurs in the future.

There have been several success stories so far from grantees. One grantee from Menta and Rehman’s school took the prototype created with their grant and got another grant for $5,000 to help develop their technology, a sensor to detect deer on the road and prevent crashes.

STUDENT GRANTS continues on page 9

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

All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”

This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.

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

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JANUARY 9, 2025

PAGE 9

Broncos Linebacker Donates $5K to Potomac Falls HS Denver Broncos linebacker Dondrea Tillman donated $5,000 to his alma mater Potomac Falls High School in Cascades after winning the National Tillman Football League’s Way to Play award during week 17 of the NFL season.

He won the award after recording a sack or tackle for a loss in three consecutive games. The award allowed him to donate a $5,000 equipment grant to a school of his choosing.

Tillman graduated from Potomac Falls in 2016, and went on to play football at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2021. He played for the United Football League’s Birmingham Stallions for three seasons before moving on to the Broncos last June.

The grant was made possible by the NFL Way to Play initiative, a program that analyzes plays, gathers scientific data and aims to minimize risk for football players through research.

Each week one NFL player is honored with the Way to Play award and given the chance to donate an equipment grant. The money comes from the NFL Foundation. n

Mercer Renaming Plan Moves to School Board

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

The Mercer Middle School Renaming Committee voted in December to rename the school Gum Spring, with alternates suggestions Stone Ridge and John Mercer Langston. However, this is not the end of the discussion.

The committee was tasked by the School Board to come up with three alternative names, one main suggestion and two alternates. If the committee decided that the school should not be renamed, they were to present Mercer as the main suggestion, but also two alternates.

Now that the vote is finalized, committee Chair Meredith Ray must prepare a presentation to the School Board on the recommendations. She may include any discourse in the meetings, history behind the names,

Student Grants continued from page 8 Another was a grantee who created a plushie to assist with mental health. That student is now running that business full time.

and why the names were chosen.

The School Board may accept or reject the suggestions.

Many members have expressed support for renaming the schools. Linda Deans (Broad Run) said that she will support the committee’s recommendation. She spoke at both Mercer and Frances Hazel Reid renaming committees to express these beliefs and to speak for minority groups who may feel negatively about the name.

Some other members of the School Board have expressed opposition to renaming the schools. Board members Deana Griffiths (Ashburn) and Kari LaBell (Catoctin) have spoken to the committee saying that the name shouldn’t be changed and they will vote no to any proposed changes.

There has been no date announced for the presentation and final vote as of Tuesday. n

Along with implementing their program more locally, Menta and Rehman hope to increase the scale and provide more money to their grantees.

Menta said $100 is great but they want to give more.

For more information, go to cactuscapital.org. n

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PAGE 10

Public Safety

Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Shooting into Leesburg Apartment

BY WILLIAM TIMME

wtimme@loudounnow.org

A Loudoun County Circuit Court judge handed down a three-year prison sentence to a Salvadoran man who fired shots through the wall of a Leesburg apartment in a dispute about a video game console.

Emerson Josue Martinez Alvarenga was convicted of maliciously shooting at an occupied building, two counts of possession of a firearm by a non-citizen not lawfully present in the United States, and two counts of brandishing a firearm.

According to evidence in the case,

Martinez Alvarenga showed up at the apartment on June 29, 2023, and knocked on the door. A teenager looked through the peephole, and recognized Alvarenga.

The two had an ongoing dispute over a video game console. Martinez Alvarenga called and sent voicemails to the teen, who hid in his bedroom.

Moments later, a bullet went through the exterior wall of his apartment and hit a pillow on the teen’s bed. He hid in the closet and called for the Leesburg Police.

After uncovering two previous instances of brandishing a firearm, the Leesburg Police Department issued an arrest warrant for Martinez Alvarenga. Officers

recovered a firearm from his residence when he was taken into custody.

Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Anna Hammond argued that Martinez Alvarenga had “terrorized the community for a period of six weeks.” She recommended that he should serve a sentence above the state guidelines.

During a Dec. 12 sentencing hearing, Judge Thomas D. Horne agreed.

“One year and four months does not do justice in this case,” Horne said, referencing Virginia Sentencing Guidelines.

“The egregious nature of the conduct of your behavior justifies a punishment that exceeds the guidelines.” n

AVFRD Honored for Seatbelt Safety Outreach Efforts of the Ashburn Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department to promote seatbelt safety among area youth were recognized by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

The IAFC’s Volunteer and Combination Officers Section presented the department with the William F. Jenaway Illness & Injury Prevention Award during its Symposium in the Sun conference in Clearwater, FL. Presented annually, the award recognizes one fire department for its exceptional implementation of an injury, illness, or vehicle safety prevention program within its community. AVFRD was selected for its program that has helped to educate school-aged children in the Ashburn area on the importance of wearing their seatbelts, including the purchase AVFRD of a Seat Belt Convincer device used in demonstrations. The device, funded by The IAFC’s Volunteer and Combination Officers Section presented the department with the William F. donations from the Lansdowne Woods Jenaway Illness & Injury Prevention Award during its Symposium in the Sun conference in Clearwater, FL. retirement community, allows participants to experience a simulated 5 mph the Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue only save lives but also prevent potential crash firsthand.

Department go right to the source of in- on-scene injuries and traumatic stress.”

“The best way to prevent injury and juries and illness by providing a Seatbelt The AVFRD plans to continue the illness is to prevent emergency inci- Convincer harm prevention program. Seat Belt Convincer program to reach all dents from ever occurring,” stated VCOS The Seatbelt Convincer class proved to of the over 81,000 students in the Loudon Chair Rich Cowger. “Chief Walsh and school system students that seatbelts not County school system in coming years. n

JANUARY 9, 2025

Appeals Court Overturns $5M Judgment for Former Teacher A three-judge panel of Virginia’s Court of Appeals this month upheld a malicious prosecution verdict in a 2023 civil case brought by a former Loudoun teacher but overturned the $5 million damage award.

The appeal was filed on behalf of the Sheriff ’s Office and Peter Roque who was the detective in the 2018 case in which a teacher was alleged to have taken indecent liberties with a Park View High School student. Roque charged the teacher, but county prosecutors dropped the criminal case in 2019 citing insufficient evidence. The teacher’s contract was not renewed by Loudoun County Public Schools at the end of the school year.

In her civil case, the teacher claimed she had been unable to get a new teaching job, or any employment matching her previous $75,000 salary in part because of the lingering impact of her highly publicized arrest.

Her attorney Thomas Plofchan argued that Roque failed to adequately investigate the allegations made by the student and his mother before filing the charge.

The jury agreed and awarded $4.65 million in compensatory damages for economic losses and $350,000 in punitive damages against Roque, the maximum permitted in Virginia.

In its Dec. 17 ruling, the panel affirmed the jury’s verdict of liability against Roque and Sheriff Mike Chapman but remanded the case back to Loudoun’s Circuit Court for a new trial on damages.

The appeals panel ruled that Judge Matthew P. Snow erred in not allowing the defense to provide testimony about the teacher’s work history, including “that she was fired for ‘engag[ing] in an inappropriate social relationship with a student in violation’ of a school board policy” when the jury was considering its award of damages. n

JANUARY 9, 2025

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

Sterling Woman Charged with Animal Abuse Dies

BY WILLIAM TIMME

wtimme@loudounnow.org

The Loudoun County General District Court last week issued a capias for a Sterling woman charged with leaving her pet dogs unattended for months in her Sterling home.

Sandra Ulrike Landgraf, 70, was charged with two felony counts of torturing and or maiming a dog/ cat and one misdemeanor animal cruelty charge. An additional felony charge of failing to appear in court was applied after she missed a second District Court hearing Jan. 2 after failing to appear at her initial arraignment in December.

Apparently unbeknownst to county prosecutors and investigators with Loudoun County Animal Services, Landgraf died Dec. 14.

Landgraf was arrested in November after Loudoun County Animal Services Human Law Enforcement officers found a microchip on a stray Chinese crested mix dog named Elvis. The microchip led officers to an extended stay hotel, where Landgraf was located.

On Nov. 4, Animal services found the remains of two additional dogs, Chinese crested mixes Kala and Taz, in Landgraf ’s Woodgate Court property. They found the conditions inside the home to be consistent with extreme hoarding. Landgraf said she had not been inside the home since at least the spring of 2024, and that the dogs hadn’t been given food or water since. 10-yearold Elvis is believed to have survived by escaping through a gap in the property’s fence in October. n

PAGE 11

Business Loftis Takes Over as Chamber Chair Scott Loftis, of Atlantic Union Bank, has begun his term as the Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors.

Loftis succeeds Angela Mitchell, president and CEO of ARM Consulting, who led Loftis the business advocacy organization in 2024.

“It has been a privilege to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors and I look forward to continuing to work with Scott Loftis and so many other great Chamber leaders to grow our membership, serve our community and strengthen our Chamber,” Mitchell stated.

Loftis has served in several leadership positions with the chamber, including as chair of the Young Professionals Committee and the Audit Committee. He is a longtime member of the chamber’s Executive, Governance and Finance committees.

“It is a tremendous personal and professional honor to lead the Loudoun Chamber in 2025. I am proud to lead a Board

comprised of Loudoun’s most engaged and impactful community leaders, and our award-winning staff. I look forward to serving this great organization and to achieving great things for our members and for the community that my family calls home,” Loftis stated.

Other members of the Chamber’s 2025 leadership team are: First Vice Chair/Chair-elect 2026: Chauvon McFadden, of Crimson Wealth Strategies.

First Vice Chair/Chair-elect 2027: Dorri O’Brien, of Inova Health System.

Immediate Past Chair: Angela Mitchell, of ARM Consulting.

Treasurer: Roman Blazauskas, of SpeedPro Northern Virginia.

General Counsel: Wright Lewis, of Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig.

President & CEO: Tony Howard.

Loftis will formally be inducted as chair during the Chamber’s 57th annual meeting Jan. 24 at the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles, when the Chamber also will present its Community Leadership Awards.

To learn at loudounChamber.org. n

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PAGE 12

JANUARY 9, 2025

Towns

Flexi-Pave Partners with Hamilton for Renewable Sidewalk Repairs

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

A portion of Hamilton’s sidewalk that has long been disrupted by tree roots, making it virtually unwalkable, has been replaced thanks to collaboration between the town and a local company.

The 85-foot stretch of sidewalk is adjacent to the town’s main corridor, East Colonial Highway, where it intersects with South St. Paul Street. Mayor Ken Wine said Noble Atkins, who founded Capitol Flexi-Pave, which is located just outside the town limits, reached out to help solve the problem which has been the topic of many resident complaints.

“The deal was if we jackhammer it out, they would come and put a new sidewalk in,” Wine said.

Atkins, who has lived in Hamilton for years, is an urban forester who started the company as a way to continue preserving trees while providing safe walking spaces.

The sidewalk issue faced by Hamilton is experienced everywhere, he said.

“Trees grow under the sidewalk; they can’t breathe, so they push up under the sidewalk to crack it to let air and water get through the crack. Then the tree is happy

but then we have an ADA tripping hazard,” he said.

The flexi-pave is made from recycled tires, and when installed lets both air and water through. It is also more flexible and will not degrade when walked on or when it’s treated before a winter, he said.

The cost to buy and install the material for the 85-foot stretch is estimated at $16,000. Atkins said even though the company, which employees about 20 people, has large contracts all over the country, they are looking for ways to make it more affordable for small towns like Hamilton.

“Our goal is to get out of installations and be a provider of materials to municipalities and to colleges,” Atkins said. “We train them on how to install it and then provide them the materials and then they can install them with their own public works crews, and that saves them money,” he said. “…That’s really the future of this, to empower theses cities and towns to take care of this problem themselves.”

Flexi-Pave also donated some of the machinery needed to demolish the sidewalk. Wine and town employee Chase Brown destroyed and removed the old sidewalk Dec. 30 with Flexi-Pave employees installing the new material Jan. 3. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

A before photo, left, shows portions of the sidewalk along East Colonial Highway in Hamilton damaged by tree roots, as it is being torn up by town staff to prepare for replacement. The after photo, right, shows a newly installed renewable material sidewalk donated by Hamilton-based Capitol Flexi-Pave.

Runners Welcome 2025 with Berserkle on the Squirkle

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Nearly 100 Lovettsville residents gathered at the Town Square on Monday morning to start their year by stretching their legs and trading in that one Christmas gift they didn't want at the town's annual Berserkle on the Squirkle 5K race and White Elephant gift exchange.

Racers ran, jogged, skipped and hopped around the squirkle 27 times

to musically themed laps like shaking off 2024 to Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off," running like Johnny Depp to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme song and walking with a new friend to "You've Got a Friend in Me." The cost to participate in the race was a single, good condition unwanted Christmas gift and names were drawn throughout the race for winners to come up and receive a different contributed gift. Per berserkle tradition, race winners were also chosen at random. n

JANUARY 9, 2025

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

Budnar Chosen as Lovettsville Vice Mayor, Council Sets 2025 Priorities

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The Lovettsville Town Council on Saturday held its organizational meeting, choosing a vice mayor and setting priorities for the coming year.

Council Member Tom Budnar won support to serve a two-year term as vice mayor after being nominated by Council Member Stuart Stahl.

Council Member Brandon Davis was also nominated by newcomer David Smith.

Budnar praised former Vice Mayor Joy Pritz for her work over the past two years.

“If I am elected then I would like to try to follow in her footsteps in terms of commitment to the town and try to do what I can to enhance the town,” Budnar said.

But Davis said what the town needed is a change.

“I do want to differentiate myself in that I don’t believe that continuation in the footsteps of the vice mayor is best to serve the body. As anybody who served through the last term will readily attest, we certainly fell apart when it came to communication, which resulted in lengthy meetings, contentious meetings and a lot of issues as they arose,” Davis said.

A vote was first taken on Budnar’s nomination. He won a majority with support from Smith, Stahl and Ann Arena. No vote was taken on Davis’ nomination.

Mayor Christopher Hornbaker said the council had gotten away from “good governance” in 2024 and that he hoped for change in the vice mayor‘s position toward more collaboration.

“The approach that the previous Town Council took, specifically the

vice mayor position, led to the dysfunction that was identified, much of the dysfunction,” Hornbaker said.

“We can disagree, but effectively, if there are members who are not prepared, who are making their decisions based not on what it is in the best interest of the town, and it’s how they feel and not even the logic of what is in the best interest of the town, that is not the way that I would like to see this council or any council or any governing body work.”

The vice mayor is responsible for presiding over meetings in the mayor’s absence and for filling in as the mayor in the event that he is disabled.

The council also set priorities for the year, adopting a list largely unchanged from last year, including operational resiliency, financial sustainability, obtaining external funding for capital projects, pedestrian infrastructure and streamlined event planning and coordination.

Members voted to review all eight of the town’s guidance documents.

They are Employee Policies and Procedures, Standards and Conduct and Ethics, Proclamations, Social Media, Freedom of Information Act, Financial Policy, Town Code Rules and Procedures and Events.

During the Town Code discussions, the council will revisit unresolved issues from last year. An indepth review of the code and Town Charter were conducted by an Ad Hoc Committee that resulted in a dozen recommendations including implementing residency requirements to maintain elected office, eliminating subcommittees and moving their work to their core committee, and limiting how many committees individuals should be allowed to serve on simultaneously. n

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JANUARY 9, 2025

Nonprofits

Empty Bowls Raises $74K to Support Community Charities Loudoun Empty Bowls last month raised $74,000 to support three community assistance organizations—Loudoun Hunger Relief, LAWS Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services, and Dulles South Food Pantry.

The annual event brings together artists who donate handmade bowls and individuals committed to fighting hunger and injustice. This year’s program at Stone Tower Winery sold out with more than 600 attendees and featured the donation of 110 gallons of soup.

“Thanks to your support, survivors were able to enjoy nourishing meals that brought a sense of normalcy and solace during a time of crisis,” Samantha Clarke, CEO of LAWS, stated. “Last year, this meant providing food to 179 survivors, helping them find safety and rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.”

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each artist who contributed a handmade bowl—true works of art—to this effort,” Jennifer Montgomery, President & CEO of Loudoun Hunger Relief, stated.

Contributed

Handmade bowls created by artist to raise money to support three charities are displayed at Stone Tower Winery.

“Kaarin Nelson’s painting for the raffle was, as always, a highlight of the evening.

We are also incredibly thankful to our event sponsors and every donor whose support made this event such a success.”

“We are also seeing an increase in the need for food assistance, and we are so grateful to our friends at Loudoun Emp-

ty Bowls for their generous contribution,” Karen Ergenbright, executive director of Dulles South Food Pantry, stated.

The event was organized by Amy Berringer, Christine Kalchthaler, Carolee Stearns, Jenny Wolfer, Holly Abbe, Susan Ritchey, and Lacey Huber and supported by the Huber family. n

Hoff, Scanlan Join Marshall Center Board Christian Hoff of Amazon Web Services and Leesburg-based accountant Joe Scanlan are the newest members of the nonprofit George C. Marshall International Center’s board of directors.

They will help support and guide the center’s mission of promoting Marshall’s values of selfless service and unwavering integrity to develop visionary leaders worldwide. They fill the seats of Bruce Roberts and Shawn Hendon.

“Their expertise and dedication to our mission will be invaluable as we work together to preserve the home and legacy of General Marshall and inspire the leaders of today and tomorrow to live out his enduring example of principled and effective leadership,” stated Chairman Tom Greenspon. “I also want to thank Bruce Roberts and Shawn Hendon for their years of self-

less service and valuable contributions to the Marshall Center and our work to advance the values we all hold dear.”

Hoff is an Arlington-based executive with over 25 years of experience in sales, operations, business development, program management and strategy. As the leader of AWS U.S. Federal Civilian and Health business, he supports cabinet-level civilian agencies and departments, to include military, health and civilian intelligence customers. He earned a graduate degree in public administration from George Mason University and an undergraduate degree in international studies and history from the Virginia Military Institute.

Scanlan is a CPA and financial leader who most recently served as the Chief financial officer at Lowers

Risk Group. Scanlan has deep expertise in restructuring accounting and finance departments, treasury and cash management, implementing and overseeing budgeting processes, financial reviews, trend analysis, real estate management and implementing new finance and accounting software systems. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from James Madison University.

The George C. Marshall International Center is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the legacy of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate George C. Marshall and his Leesburg home, Dodona Manor. In addition to offering tours of the home, the center runs educational programs promoting ethical leadership. n

Nominations Open for 2025 Loudoun Laurels Honors The Loudoun Laurels Foundation is accepting nominations for the 2025 Loudoun Laureates.

The program honors residents who have provided exceptional community service while demonstrating selflessness, integrity, creativity, wisdom, and courage. Additionally, nominees should have served the Loudoun community for a substantial number of years, served organizations and other groups in Loudoun County in a leadership capacity or in a capacity in which the individual makes a major contribution to the work of the organization or group, volunteered time and talents in a manner that benefits Loudoun County or enriched the broader Loudoun County community.

The nomination deadline is March 14. The 2025 laureates will be announced May 1 and honored during a gala celebration in the fall.

In addition to recognizing exceptional community service, the Loudoun Laurels Foundation’s Stewardship Trust promotes community leadership development through the award of four-year scholarships to Loudoun County high school graduates. Over the past decade, it has provided $1.16 million to support the academic careers of 29 students.

This year’s laureate selections will be announced by May 1 and honored during the foundation’s annual gala in September.

Previous honorees are Joseph L. Boling, Kristina Bouweiri, Childs Frick Burden, Stanley Caulkins, Di Cook, Dr. John H. Cook III, Betsy Davis, Fred Drummond, William H. Harrison, G. Kimball Hart, Dr. Edgar B. Hatrick III, Thomas D. Horn, Sheila Johnson, Chuck Kuhn, J. Hamilton Lambert, Punkin Lee, Sandy Lerner, Joe T. May, Randy Minchew, Margaret Morton, Lewis Parker, Stephen Price, James P. Roberts, Karen Hatcher Russell, Karen and Fred Schaufeld, Eugene M. Scheel, Judy and Lang Washburn, Robert E. Sevila, Al Van Huyck, Su Webb, Cate Magennis Wyatt and Paul Ziluca.

Learn more and submit a nomination at loudounlaurels.org. n

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

JANUARY 9, 2025

PAGE 15

White’s Ferry Brewery Soft Launches with Weekend Openings

KEN WENZEL 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9 Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com TEJAS SINGH 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com LENNY STEVENS 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 Old Farm Winery at Hartland, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwineryhartland.com HUME-FRYE DUO 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com SHANE GAMBLE 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com JASON MASI 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com JEREMIAH PROPHETT 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com TEJAS SINGH 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn. socialhouseva.com CHRIS HANKS 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 Social House Kitchen & Tap, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, South Riding. socialhouseva.com HIGH NOON 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $15. tallyhotheater.com SKRIBE 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville. monksq.com STEEL HORSES BAND 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, Jan. 10 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St.,

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 16

William Timme/Loudoun Now

The White’s Ferry Brewery staff poses in front of the tasting room.

BY WILLIAM TIMME

wtimme@loudounnow.org

White’s Ferry Brewery opened quietly in December with a series of soft-launching weekend openings; owner Sanjeev Verma said the response so far leaves “no doubt in his mind” about the new venture.

Verma, a restaurant business veteran of almost 35 years, immigrated to the United States in 1991, where he began a new life completely from scratch.

“I always worked 100 plus hours,” Verma said, describing his experience initially moving to the country with little resources to spare. “People are sleeping, I’m still working.”

From opening his first Indian cuisine restaurant in Winchester in 1999, Verma undertook a journey of opening and closing several different restaurants, including spots in Leesburg, Hagerstown, MD, Bethesda, MD, and a banqueting business.

“Everyone should set a goal in life where they want to be in the next five years,” Verma said. “Of course, there are a lot of hurdles. I went down. I went up. I went again up. Then went down. Life is all about risk. … To know the depth of the water, you have to jump in.”

White’s Ferry Brewery is the next step in that journey.

The property sits at the top of a hill overlooking the Potomac River with an outdoor pavilion area that includes heaters and TVs, alongside a view of the tree line and two mini-golf holes. Verma plans to use the shed in front of the building as a private room, but the building wasn’t originally intended as such.

Verma’s son, Sehaj Singh, who is the director of operations at the adjacent White’s Ferry Manor wedding venue,

said the shed originally would house the brewery. Those plans changed after they found Loudoun brewer Mitch Pilchuck, a link-up that gave them the confidence to invest more into the project.

Pilchuck found his passion for the craft behind beer when he started home brewing in 1995, a stint that led to him creating NOVA Homebrew, a club for craft beverage hobbyists that continues today. In 2015, Pilchuck attended a brewing school in England, where he discovered the great pub scene.

“The beers of the world are great beers. The Germans make great beers, the English make great beers. The Belgians–we’re not sure about them,” he said with a laugh before acknowledging that Belgians do in fact make great beers.

Pilchuck said he wants to create beers that sell using his philosophy of “beer is like steak,” meaning consumers should get exactly what they expect, just as they would at a steakhouse.

He said that Loudoun County has great assets for brewing beer.

“We have a great beer community,” Pilchuck said. “Everybody wants everybody to succeed.”

The craft beer menu includes the White’s Ferry Pilsner, a light Kolsch, a Belgian Tripel, a stout with hints of coffee and dark chocolate, a Hefeweizen, an IPA, a Belgian Dubbel and Pilchuck’s personal favorite, the Nutty Nomad brown ale.

“The brown ale, you could just keep on pounding that stuff, right?” Pilchuck said.

He described it as somewhat nutty, with a lighter flavor in contrast to its dark color and an aftertaste that makes you go “oh!”

Pilchuck said he likes to share the ins and outs of brewing. He wants people to come away from the brewery knowing

everything they can about beer.

Singh said some of the beers took inspiration from Indian brands like Taj and Kingfisher. The brewery has been experimenting with other ideas as well, including cherry apple ciders and sours.

The brewery wants to provide non-beer drinkers with fun options, too, making sure everybody has something to enjoy, Singh said.

Pilchuck and Singh both had high praise for the brewery’s food options, a big selling point being items from the food truck outside.

There’s a lot of breweries,” Singh said.

“They have great beer, but food is where our specialty is … we have really good food and really good beer.”

Singh said the chicken and mushroom white pizza is particularly notable for its blend of alfredo sauce and chicken. He also touted the chicken burger, adding that mincing the chicken rather than frying it and adding Indian spices fuels the dish’s uniqueness.

Singh said over the course of his family’s multiple restaurants, they’ve worked with American kitchens and American cooks as well as Indian kitchens and Indian cooks. The brewery intends to combine Indian fusion food with beer that pairs appropriately.

Pilchuck called the fish and chips incredible and described the brewery’s food as American with an Indian slant.

Verma recommended the house rolls, the brewery’s take on spring rolls equipped with Indian fusion flavors.

“It’s not a typical blend,” Verma said.

“We have added some kick spices to give a little next level flavor, because in the DMV area people are spoiled. They eat all sort of authentic foods all over the areas. So, we want to have our niche on the food part.”

Verma and Singh plan to add a children’s play area and more outdoor seating options, especially for the summertime when they expect even more people to show up. Verma wants to provide customers with a satisfying experience and build long lasting loyalty with customers.

“It has to be a passion,” Verma said.

“Do what you like to do, right? Then you’re gonna get good at it. That’s the only thing I teach people. Tell me what they do, if you don’t like it, please don’t waste your time.”

Manager Saria Hammound echoed some of that passion when he spoke about the team’s strengths.

BREWERY OPENING continues on page 17

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 16

BEST BETS

JANUARY 9, 2025

GET OUT LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 15

HIGH NOON Friday, Jan. 10, 7 p.m. (doors) Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com Join the celebration of ’70s southern rock with the classic hits from Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, Molly Hatchet and more.

SONGWRITER NIGHT Thursday, Jan. 16, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Notaviva Farm Brewery and Winery notaviva.com Enjoy a special evening features an incredible lineup of talented local songwriters who have released more than 20 albums sharing their original music and the stories behind their songs.

Hosted by Dave Mininberg.

CARD MAGIC BY JASON LADAYNE SAT 1/24

EARLY SHOW SOLD OUT- LATE SHOW OPEN

106.7 THE FAN LIVE SAT 01/31

RA

W/ LINES OF LOYALITY, KILLAKOI

SUN 01/26

THE OUTLAWS THURS 01/30

CREED FISHER CARBON LEAF THURS 02/06

SAT 02/22

FRI 01/10

TRIBUTE TO LYNYRD SKYNYRD

HIGH NOON

SAT 01/11

THUR 01/16

SIX FEET UNDER

NIGHTRAIN

FRI 01/17

GIRLFRIEND IN A COMA

SAT 01/18

PRESENTED BY THE DC IMPROV

SUN 01/19

STRANGE SOULS

COMEDY NIGHT

Leesburg. spankyspub.com ERIC CAMPBELL 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. fabbiolicellars.com TRAILIN SMOKE 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com MATT BURRIDGE 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com TODD BROOKS 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyard.com ZACH JONES 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 50 West Vineyards, 39060 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg.

50westvineyards.com JASON MASI 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford.

8chainsnorth.com MIKE LEVERONE 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Old Farm Winery at Hartland, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwineryhartland.com LOST LOCALS 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Lost Rhino Brewing Company, 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn. lostrhino.com LENNY BURRIDGE 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. facebook.com/DoukenieWinery ANDY CARIGNAN 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com MELISSA QUINN FOX 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewingco.com DENNIS WAYLAND 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com LIBERTY STREET 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com ANDY HAWK & TRAIN WRECK ENDINGS 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoobas.com

NEIL YOUNG TRIBUTE CONCERT 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Ocelot Brewing Company, 23600 Overland Drive, Dulles. ocelotbrewing.com HUME-FRYE DUO 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com JACKSON QUEENS 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com HALF PAST 3 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive, Sterling. crookedrunfermentation.com BOBBY CRIM 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn. socialhouseva.com TORREY B 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Social House Kitchen & Tap, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, South Riding. socialhouseva.com NIGHTRAIN 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $20. tallyhotheater.com THE NEW DOMINION BAND 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com NATHANIEL DAVIS 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com JASON TEACH 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com KEN WENZEL 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12 The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com RICHARD WALTON 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12 Bluemont Station Brewery, 18301 Whitehall Estate Lane, Bluemont. facebook.com/BluemontStationBreweryandWinery SCOTT KURT 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com JASON MASI 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15 The Lost Fox, 20374 Exchange St., Ashburn. lostfoxhideaway.com SONGWRITER NIGHT 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16 Notaviva Farm Brewery & Winery, 13274 Sagle Road, Hillsboro. notaviva.com TEJAS SINGH 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16 Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway,

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 17

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

JANUARY 9, 2025

Book Talk: The True Story of Eliza Monroe For over two hundred years, President James Monroe’s eldest daughter, Eliza, has been portrayed as a hysterical and temperamental woman who abandoned her country and fled to France.

Research by author Barbara VornDick using records on both continents resulted in groundbreaking work showing Eliza in a new light and dispelling many of the untruths that have been written about her.

During a special Jan. 11 program, VornDick will discuss her new book, “Eliza’s True Story,” and the effort to repatriate Eliza’s remains from Paris to the Monroe family cemetery in Richmond.

The free program will be held at Oatlands, just north of Monroe’s home at Oak Hill, starting at 1 p.m.

The event is supported by a grant from the VA250 Commission in partnership with Virginia Humanities and is among the programs highlighting the significance of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Learn more at oatlands.org. n

Brewery Opening continued from page 15 “We work, honestly, just like as a family. We all know our roles and each person does their job all the way,” Hammound said. “They [staff members] want to be in here, I think that helps a lot.”

Members of that team include Verma’s sons, who are learning the restaurant business through the lessons of hard work that rubbed off on him from his par-

GET OUT LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 16 Aldie. larkbrewingco.com JUSTIN SUEDE 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com SIX FEET UNDER 7 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16 Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $25. tallyhotheater.com

ents. Entrepreneurship is in the family’s blood, he said.

Singh said that work ethic will be evident at the brewery.

“It means everything. We went all in,” Singh said. “In this project, everything we do, we do full-hearted. We don’t half-ass anything.”

Whites Ferry Brewery is located at 42484 Whites Ferry Road north of Leesburg. It is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

More information at wfbrew.com. n

HAPPENINGS BIRDING BANSHEE 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, 21085 The Woods Road, Leesburg. loudounwildlife.com FAMILY DISCOVERY DAYS 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 21668 Heritage Farm Lane, 21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling. $5 heritagefarmmuseum.org ELIZA’S TRUE STORY 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Oatlands, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg. oatlands.org PLANT SWAP 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12 Solace Brewing Company, 42615 Trade W. Drive, Sterling. solacebrewing.com

PAGE 17

Obituaries Inge Braune Inge Elsa Margarethe Braune, 94, of Delaplane, Virginia, passed away on December 17th in Warrenton, Virginia.

Inge Braune was born on August 7th, 1930 in Crüchern, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany and spent most of her life in Virginia.

Inge’s mother Lotte Braune, née Haberland, passed away in a car accident in 1938 and her father Carl Braune died in Buchenwald in 1947. As orphans, Inge and her brother grew up with her wider family in Nordhausen, Thuringia, eventually leaving East Germany in 1952 to settle in Wiesbaden, Hessia. Educated as a nurse and with only two suitcases, Inge emigrated to the USA in 1960, where she started working at Georgetown hospital as a medical technical radiation assistant. Soon, she became the main caretaker of Anne Archbold at Hillandale, Washington DC. After Anne Archbold passed away in 1968, Inge was employed by her son, John Dana Archbold, until his death in 1993, supporting him in running his estate in Upperville, Virginia and providing medical care. Afterwards, she found her permanent home in Delaplane, Virginia, enjoying gardening, reading, and culture – and traveling extensively across the world for the subsequent two decades. She had very close contact with her siblings and nieces and nephews from Germany who regularly visited her in Virginia where Inge gave them many opportunities to get to know the USA. Inge is survived by her brother Carl-Ernst (90) of Wetzlar, Germany, and her sister Roselotte (81) of Bordesholm, Germany, her six nieces and nephews as well as 20 great nieces and great nephews.

The family is grateful to her neighbors for enabling Inge to live a fully independent life for as long as possible, the staff at White Springs in Warrenton and her friends for supporting her in her new home since 2023, and all those that supported her in the last years. As she desired, Inge will be buried “at home” in Kleinpaschleben, Sachsen-Anhalt, where the family will have a private ceremony.

Madge Christian Madge passed away at the age of 94 on Saturday night, December 14. She died peacefully. Her life began in Texas, born on May 19, 1930, to John and Florence Brydson.

They were immigrants from England after the end of World War I. Her father had served in the English army.

Madge was the youngest of three sisters. The oldest, Cathy, lived in Corpus Christi, and the middle sister, Esther, lived in Lafayette, Louisiana. Madge graduated from Milby High School in Houston and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston. At the U of H, she met Lynn Christian. They were married and had two children, Jeff and Gary. Her family traveled quite a bit as her husband Lynn worked in broadcasting and moved with opportunities in the growing field. They were divorced in 1972, and Madge returned to Texas with the boys and worked there until her retirement in 1999. She moved to Ashburn, Virginia to be close to her son Gary’s three children, John, Steven and Cora. Madge became a member of Our Savior’s Way Lutheran Church in Ashburn, and this became a loving home of friendship and service for the next twenty-five years. Madge is remembered most fondly for her kindness, patience, and infectious sense of humor. She loved to laugh and to be around people who enjoyed life with a smile. She also loved children and all the woodland creatures around her Ashburn home. The birds and squirrels will miss her generous ways, and we will all miss a woman of such great grace, honesty, and joy. The world surely needs more like her to remind us that life can be wonderous and full of love.

Madge is survived by her son, Jeff and his wife, June, and her son Gary and her three grandchildren John, Steven, and Cora. Arrangements for an inurnment will be made at Our Savior’s Way Lutheran Church Columbarium sometime in early spring. Messages and memories can be posted at: https://www.loudounfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/Madge-Christian/#!/TributeWall

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JANUARY 9, 2025

Legal Notices NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Loudoun County Public Schools Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget The Loudoun County School Board will seek public comment regarding Loudoun County Public Schools’ Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget during the School Board Budget Work Session scheduled on Thursday, January 23, 2025, and Special School Board meeting scheduled on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.

DATE

TIME

School Board Meeting

January 23, 2025

4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

School Board Meeting/ Public Hearing

February 4, 2025

4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

School Board Budget Adoption/ Public Hearing

The Meetings will begin at 4:30 p.m. and will be held in the Board room on the 1st floor of the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building (21000 Education Court, Ashburn, VA 20148). Adoption of the budget will follow the public hearing on February 4, 2025.

Details on how to access to register for virtual and in-person public comment during the public hearing will be provided at www.lcps.org/o/lcps/page/citizen-participation. For those who have not pre-registered, walk-up registration will be accepted at the front of the Administration building until 30 minutes before the start of the meeting. Those who register on-site will be added to the end of the list of pre-registered speakers.

Those who need translation/interpretation assistance or a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability in order to participate meaningfully in School Board meetings or public hearings should contact the Superintendent’s Office at 571-252-1020 at least three (3) days prior to the meeting.

1/9 & 1/23/25

How Can A Newspaper Be A Nonprofit?

Just like PBS is viewer supported and NPR is listener supported, newspapers can be reader supported. Loudoun Now has become a nonprofit so we can continue our free non-partisan journalism and community commitment for years to come.

Donate today

loudounnow.com/donate

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

JANUARY 9, 2025

PAGE 19

Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF PURCELLVILLE EAST G STREET SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS - UPC 122041 The Town of Purcellville is in the process of designing a sidewalk and associated improvements along East G Street from South 12th Street to 350 feet east of South 11th Street. The Town will be holding a Design Public Hearing to gain additional input on design elements from the community at the following date and time: Tuesday, February 11, 2025 6:00 p.m.

Town Hall Council Chambers 221 S. Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, VA 20132 Project Description: Improvements will include installing an American with Disabilities (ADA) compliant sidewalk, curb and gutter, and storm sewer to address pedestrian safety and connectivity while simultaneously improving drainage. The Town of Purcellville was allocated $2,733,414 in project funding from the Transportation Alternatives Program (Safe Routes to School category) administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

At the public hearing, project plans, information about property impacts, right of way policies, the tentative construction schedule, and environmental documents may be reviewed. This information will also be available 30 days prior to the public hearing at Purcellville Town Hall, 221 S. Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, VA 20132. Community input is requested on the design details. If you are unable to attend the public hearing, comments can be sent to Jessica Keller, Project Manager via phone 540-751-2330 or email at jkeller@purcellvilleva.gov . All comments must be submitted to Jessica Keller by Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

Consistent with the Memorandum of Agreement pursuant to Code of Virginia § 10.1-1188-B., VDOT has determined the project will not have significant impacts to the environment and meets the criteria for a Programmatic Categorical Exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 and 36 CFR Part 800, information concerning the potential effects of the proposed project on properties listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places is also available.

The Town of Purcellville ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. All Town government offices can be contacted by dialing 540-338-7421. If you require an accommodation for any type of disability or need language assistance, please contact Kimberly Bandy, Town Clerk, at kbandy@purcellvilleva.gov.

1/9 & 1/30/25

PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) The Town of Leesburg will accept proposals electronically via the Commonwealth’s eprocurement website (www.eva.virginia.gov), until 3:00 p.m. on February 12, 2025 for the following: RFP No. 100316-FY25-07 Residential Solid Waste Collection Services The Town of Leesburg, Virginia is soliciting proposals from qualified companies to provide residential refuse collection, recyclables collection, yard waste collection, as well as other solid waste services to approximately 12,147 single-family homes, duplex housing units, townhouses, and commercial and multifamily locations within the Town.

For additional information, visit: http://www. leesburgva.gov/bidboard 1/9/25

ABC LICENSE Jw’s Fish and Biscuits LLC, trading as Jw’s Fish and Biscuits, 101 Executive DR Ste A, Sterling, VA 20166. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Restaurant, Wine, Beer, Mixed Beverages, Consumed On and Off Premises.

Note: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices.

Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

1/9 & 1/16/25

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2024 - JUNE 30, 2025 Pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 15.2-2507 and 15.2-1427, notice is hereby given that the Town Council of the Town of Leesburg, Virginia, will hold a public hearing on: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Town Hall 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA At which time the public shall have the right to provide written and oral comments on a proposed budget amendment that will increase the budget by more than one (1) percent of the currently adopted budget. The proposed amendment will amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2030 Capital Improvements Program and increase the Fiscal Year 2025 budget of the Capital Projects Fund by $4,000,000 to add the South King Street and Route 7/15 Bypass Interchange Improvements capital project. The proposed funding will be derived from a $2 million contribution from Loudoun County and $2 million of debt financing to initiate planning level documents.

A copy of the proposed resolution is available from the Town Clerk, located in Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.); or by calling Eileen Boeing, Town Clerk, at 703-771-2733.

At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard.

Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Clerk of Council at 703-771-2733, three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

1/9, 1/16/25

PUBLIC NOTICE The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2024-0365 Tillett’s View Phase 2 Mr. Christopher Spahr, of Pulte Home Company LLC, of Fairfax, VA is requesting Preliminary Plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately 18.60 Acres, into one hundred fifty (150) single family attached lots with accompanying right-of-way, civic space, and associated easements. The property is located north of Waxpool Road (Route 900), west of Claiborne Parkway (Route 901), south of Truro Parish Drive (Route 2119), and east of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659). The property is zoned R-16 Townhouse and Multifamily Residential, under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as MCPI #156-26-4485-000 and MCPI #156-36-3643-000 in the Broad Run Election District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http:// www.loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2024-0365. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Vaughn Bynoe at vaughn.bynoe@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia

by February 13, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, & 2/13/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ047156-04-00 Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Aleszandra Bywater Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a second permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Aleszandra Bywater.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before February 18, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.

1/9, 1/16, 1/23 & 1/30/25

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 20

JANUARY 9, 2025

Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following: LEGI-2023-0074, BELMONT COVE REZONING: ZMAP-2023-0006, ZMOD2023-0032, ZMOD-2023-0056, ZMOD-2023-0057, & ZMOD-2024-0008 AND BELMONT COVE APPENDAGE: ZCPA-2024-0004 (Zoning Map Amendment, Zoning Modifications, and Zoning Concept Plan Amendment)

H3) and Joint Land Management Area – 3 (JLMA-3) Zoning Districts to the Agricultural Rural – 1 (AR-1) Zoning District under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. For CMPT2023-0017, the applicant seeks a commission permit to establish a County park. For SPEX2023-0049, the applicant seeks to permit a Park, Regional Use in the AR-1 Zoning District.

Rooney Properties, LLC has submitted applications for a Zoning Map Amendment, Zoning Modifications, and a Zoning Concept Plan Amendment for 8.19 acres of land located west of Russell Branch Parkway (Route 1061), east of Belmont Manor Lane, and South of Leesburg Pike (Route 7) in the Ashburn Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject property is more particularly described as:

LEGI-2024-0033, LCPS STUDENT WELCOME CENTER: CMPT-2024-0006 (Commission Permit)

PIN

PROPERTY ADDRESS

TAX MAP NUMBER

083-36-3675-000

N/A

/62AB/1/////D/

083-36-3675-000

N/A

/62AB/1/////C/

083-36-5928-000

N/A

/62AB/1/////B/

For ZMAP-2023-0006, the applicant seeks to rezone the Subject Property from the Planned Development – Office Park (“PD-OP”) zoning district to the R-16 ADU (Townhouse/ Multifamily Affordable Dwelling Unit) Zoning District to permit 78 single family attached dwelling units. For ZMOD-2023-0032, ZMOD-2023-0056, ZMOD-2023-0057, and ZMOD2024-0008, the applicant seeks zoning ordinance modifications for various regulations affecting the Subject Property including reducing building setbacks and landscape buffers along Russell Branch Parkway, allow residential units to front onto open space, modification to the landscape buffer, and to modify tree canopy requirements. ZMAP-2023-0006, ZMOD2023-0032, ZMOD-2023-0056, ZMOD-2023-0057, and ZMOD-2024-0008 are being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the ZOR Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023. For ZCPA-2024-0004, the applicant seeks to reduce the required building setback and eliminate the required parking setback on a portion of the Subject Property.

ZCPA-2024-0004 is being processed under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance.

LEGI-2024-0011, COMMONWEALTH CENTER COMMERCIAL: ZCPA-2024-0005 (Zoning Concept Plan Amendment) CWC Shops, LC has submitted an application for a zoning concept plan amendment for approximately 3.382 acres of land located at the southeast intersection of Russell Branch Parkway (Route 1061) and Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607) along Heron Overlook Plaza in the Broad Run Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as: PIN

PROPERTY ADDRESS

TAX MAP NUMBER

040-45-0894-000

20500 Heron Overlook Plaza, Ashburn

/80/P/1/////2/

040-45-3498-000

N/A

/80/H/1///3A1/

040-35-0972-000

N/A

/80/H/1/////3B

For ZCPA-2024-0005, the applicant seeks the removal of nonconforming status of setbacks in the Commercial Center – Small Regional Center (CC-SC) Zoning District under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance.

LEGI-2023-0114, FRANKLIN PARK WEST: ZMAP-2023-0016, CMPT-2023-0017, & SPEX-2023-0049 (Zoning Map Amendment, Commission Permit, and Special Exception) The County of Loudoun, Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure, has submitted an application for a zoning map amendment, commission permit, and special exception for approximately 130.02 acres of land located south of Leesburg Pike (Route 7), east of Tedler Circle (Route 2859), and west of Tranquility Road (Route 782) in the Catoctin Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as 17749 Lakefield Rd Round Hill, Virginia; PIN’s 556-37-6024-001 and 556-27-6937-000; and Tax Map #’s /34//////65-1/ and /43////////59B. For ZMAP-2023-0016, the applicant seeks to rezone portions of the Subject Property from the Planned Development – Housing 3 (PD-

The Loudoun County School Board has submitted an application for a commission permit to establish a public school student welcome center, categorized as an “Office,” on an approximately 1.347 acre property, located northwest and southeast of Enterprise Street (Route 1484) and northeast of Commerce Street (Route 1523) in the Sterling Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as 101 Enterprise Street, Sterling, Virginia, PIN: 022-16-5897-000 and Tax Map # /81/F10////16/ and is zoned Planned Development-Housing 3 (PD-H3) administered as Commercial Center-Community Center (CC-CC) under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance.

Copies of the proposed plans, ordinances, or amendments for each item listed above may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center, Office of County Administrator, Information Desk, First Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday or call 703-777-0246 (option 5), to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications and land use ordinances may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc. Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the hearing at www.loudoun. gov/pc. For further information, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-7770246 (option 5).

Planning Commission work sessions and public hearings are held in the Board Room of the Government Center. Public hearings and work sessions are televised on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40 and are also are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings.

Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views during the public hearing. Public comment will be received only for those items listed for public hearing.

Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-7770246 (option 5) prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing; however, speakers may also sign-up at the public hearing. Written comments concerning any item before the Commission are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, P.O. Box 7000 Leesburg, VA 20177-7000, or by e-mail to loudounpc@loudoun.gov. If written comments are presented at the hearing, please provide ten (10) copies for distribution to the Commission and for the Clerk’s records. Members of the public may also submit comments on land use items electronically at loudoun.gov/landapplications. Any individual representing and/or proposing to be the sole speaker on behalf of a citizen’s organization or civic association is encouraged to contact the Department of Planning and Zoning prior to the date of the public hearing to request additional time to speak on behalf of such organization.

Regularly scheduled Planning Commission public hearings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month. In the event the public hearing cannot be conducted on that date due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the hearing, the public hearing will be continued to the next day (Wednesday). In the event the public hearing may not be held on that Wednesday due to weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend the hearing, the public hearing may be continued to the first Thursday of the next month.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory, or mental disability to participate in this meeting, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 (option 5). Three business days advance notice is requested.

BY ORDER OF:

MICHELLE FRANK, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION 1/9 & 1/16/25

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

JANUARY 9, 2025

PAGE 21

Legal Notices TOWN OF LOVETTSVILLE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FISCAL YEAR 2026-2030 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN Pursuant to Va. Code § 15.2-2239, the LOVETTSVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers, 6 East Pennsylvania Avenue, Lovettsville, Virginia, to solicit public comment on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

The CIP will be included in the Town Manager’s Fiscal Year 2026 Proposed Budget scheduled to be presented to Town Council during their regular meeting the evening of January 23, 2025, at 6:30 P.M. All persons desiring to speak will be given an opportunity to do so at this meeting.

Copies of the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2030 CIP with a complete list of projects are available for review at the Town Hall between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm weekdays, holidays excepted. You may also request a copy be sent to you via email by contacting John Merrithew, Planning Director at (540) 822-5788 for more information or visit www.lovettsvilleva.gov. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened at the next regularly scheduled meeting at the same time and place.

1/2 & 1/9/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ047165-03-00

Case No.: JJ048304-04-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Ivory Green Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Unknown Father

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Gustavo Adolfo Constante Anaya Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Jose Ricardo Portillo Mejia, putative father, and Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Ivory Green.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 28, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

12/19, 12/26, 1/2 & 1/9/25

The object of this suit is hold a second permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282.1 and 16.1-281 for Gustavo Adolfo Constante Anaya.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Jose Ricardo Portillo Mejia, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before February 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

1/2, 1/9, 1/16 & 1/23/25

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REZONING APPLICATION TLREZN2023-0001 OAKLAWN LAND BAYS A, C, AND MUC 2 Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on TUESDAY, January 28, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Rezoning application TLREZN2023-0001 Oaklawn Land Bays A, C, and MUC 2.

The Subject Properties are in the Oaklawn development and consist of five parcels totaling approximately 37.2958 acres and are further identified as Loudoun County Property Identification Numbers (PIN) 233-38-8942, 233-30-4276, 233-29-6254, 233-29-6822, and 233-30-1486. The Subject Properties are zoned PEC (Planned Employment Center District) and PRN (Planned Residential Neighborhood District) and are subject to the H-2 Historic Corridor Architectural Control Overlay District (Proffered).

Rezoning Application TLREZN2023-0001 is a request by Oaklawn LLC to revise the concept plan and proffers of TLZM-2014-0004 for Land Bay A and Land Bay C, and to revise the concept plan and proffers of TLZM-2015-0001 for Land Bay MUC 2 to allow the following: Land Bay A: Permit development of up to 450,000 square feet of data center uses and a 3.7-acre dedication to the Town of Leesburg for a public park.

Land Bay C: Permit dedication of approximately 5.2 acres to the Town of Leesburg for a public park.

Land Bay MUC 2: Permit development of up to 184 multi-family affordable dwelling units.

All three land bays are located in an area described by the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan (Town Plan) as an “Area to Transform or Evolve” on the Area Based Land Use Initiatives Map (Town Plan page 72).

The property is further designated as a “Innovation Center” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (Town Plan page 76). There is no recommended density for residential use or a Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) for nonresidential uses associated with an Innovation Center. The requested density for the residential units associated with Land Bay MUC 2 is approximately 33 dwelling units per acre. The proposed maximum commercial F.A.R. of Land Bay A is approximately 0.39. Land Bay C is a land dedication for a public park, so no commercial use or F.A.R. is proposed there.

Modifications: The application includes three (3) requested modifications to the requirements of the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance regulations for buffer yards, outdoor lighting, and open space.

Additional information and copies of this application are available at the Department of Community Development, 222 Catoctin Circle, Suite 200, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting Christopher Murphy at 703-737-7009 or cmurphy@leesburgva.gov.

At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodation at the meeting should contact the Clerk of Council at (703) 771-2733 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

1/9 & 1/16/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.: JJ049252

ONLINE. ALWAYS.

LOUDOUNOW.COM

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Aiyana Ross Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.

Marcia Elaine Lowe, Mother The object of this suit is to hold a foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282 and 16.1281 for Aiyana Ross.

PLAT-2024-0350 Arcola Farms Phase 1 Ms. Angela Rassas of Toll Mid-Atlantic LP Company, Inc. of Reston, VA is requesting preliminary/ record plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately fifty-five (55.07) acres into forty-six (46) residential lots, three (3) open space lots, and accompanying right-of-way dedication and easement creation. The property is bounded by Ryan Road (Route 772) to the north, east of the intersection of Ryan Road (Route 772) and Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621). The properties are zoned Residential – 4 (R4) under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The properties are more particularly described as Parcel Identification Numbers 199-25-1135-000, 199-25-3525-000, 119-25-6408-000, 119-15-7187-000, 119-15-5059-000, 242-10-8536-000, and 242-10-2937-000 in the Ashburn and Little River Election Districts.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Marcia Elaine Lowe, Mother, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 13, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http:// www.loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2024-0350. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Eric Blankenship at Eric.Blankenship@loudoun.gov or you may mail them to the Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by February 13, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

12/26, 1/2. 1/9/25

1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6 & 2/13/25

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 22

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LOUDOUNNOW.COM

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PAGE 23

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PAGE 24

JANUARY 9, 2025

Opinion Early Morning Deliberations

EDITORIAL

During the county board’s annual organizational meeting this week, Supervisor Laura A. TeKrony offered a suggestion to tweak one element of the supervisors’ workflow.

Noting that nearly half of the Board of Supervisors’ public hearings during 2024 stretched to midnight or longer, she suggested starting those monthly meetings an hour earlier at 5 p.m.

Although her suggestion garnered support from only four of the nine supervisors, during the discussion at least some members acknowledged the concern.

Those opposing the change offered objections including that 5 p.m. could be too early for some members of the public to attend, that a change in state law would likely reduce the number of agenda items per meeting this year, and that surrounding jurisdictions are much worse and have much longer meetings.

But none of those justify the expectation that the public, the government staff, and applicants and their teams of consultants wait until the early morning hours for often exhausted, and sometimes giddy, supervisors to decide the fate of plans years in the making.

And it is not only public hearings that can pass the midnight hour. The supervisors’ board meetings also hit that mark with unfortunate regularity.

While an earlier start might provide the opportunity for earlier adjournments, Supervisor Koran Saines noted that nothing improves without board members exercising self-discipline. More directly, he said, supervisors need to know when to quit talking—or when to not talk at all—and to be more mindful of other’s time.

“We need to stop this ourselves,” he said.

Recognizing you have a problem is the first step toward solving it.

Progress.

AMBER LUCAS Reporter alucas@loudounnow.org

LETTERS to the Editor

Published by Loudoun Community Media 15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176 703-770-9723 KURT ASCHERMANN Executive Director kaschermann@loudounnow.org NORMAN K. STYER Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.org

HANNA PAMPALONI Reporter hpampaloni@loudounnow.org WILLIAM TIMME Reporter wtimme@loudounnow.org ADVERTISING SUSAN STYER Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.org TONYA HARDING Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.org VICKY MASHAW Account Executive vmashaw@loudounnow.org

Loudoun Now is mailed weekly to homes in Leesburg, western Loudoun and Ashburn, and distributed for pickup throughout the county.

Online, Loudoun Now provides daily community news coverage to an audience of more than 100,000 unique monthly visitors.

Fatal Vote Editor: The article “County’s Metro Bill Increases with New Formula” reminded me of the “great” battle of 2012 when the fatal vote to approve Metro was taken by the then Board of Supervisors. Today, we watch the costs soar and the projected ridership nowhere to be found.

Our Loudoun Gateway stop has been featured in The Washington Post as the least used station in the system with under 190 trips generated per day.

It would require another large consultant’s contract to figure out how much money Loudoun taxpayers have spent on Metrorail since its inception. But as large as this number is officially, and as high as future projections go, it always leaves out the millions of dollars paid from Metro’s share of tolls by Loudoun vehicles using the Dulles Toll Road every day.

It’s a version of Winston Churchill’s famous statement in honor of the RAF in

World War II: “Never have so much been owed by so many to so few.” The Loudoun version is: “Never have so much money been spent by so many for the benefit of so few.”

For those readers interested the full 2012 Board of Supervisors discussion and vote can be heard online. The Board was under tremendous pressure as the approval of Metro by Loudoun brought a new stream of money to the system. The private development interests and the state government also were working hard for approval.

But Metrorail Phase 2 to Loudoun did not qualify for federal government assistance as it failed the feds projected ridership and population density tests, so Loudoun and the state covered the entire cost. A clue to the future ignored.

The supervisors were divided for the 2012 vote with Scott York, Ralph Buona, Shawn Williams, and Matt Letourneau firmly in support. The solid opposition 24 hours before the vote was Janet Clark, Geary Higgins, Suzanne Volpe, Eugene

Delgaudio, and Ken Reid. We thought we had the votes to reject Loudoun’s participation in Metrorail.

But on the day of the vote Ken Reid switched his vote from no to yes and Metro came to Loudoun. To this day the mystery remains why did Ken Reid, an outspoken critic for years of the Metrorail proposal, change his vote? His own explanation at the time was “I didn’t change my mind. The tax district takes the risk off the county taxpayers.” Of course, 13 years later the tax district around Metro has yet to see significant growth and its annual contribution covers a tiny fraction of the costs.

It should be noted that Matt Letourneau is the last of the original five Supervisors still on the board who voted “yes.” I opposed his vote in 2012, but since then for over a decade he has worked tirelessly to try to make Metrorail work for Loudoun as the economic engine it was supposed to be and for this, he deserves high marks.

— Al Van Huyck, Round Hill

Add your voice to the conversation. Send your coments to editor@loudounnow.com

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

JANUARY 9, 2025

READERS’ poll

PAGE 25

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General Assembly continued from page 4 We’re trying make sure we cover as many bases as we can and really work out what we think we can get across the finish line,” she said.

Another would require entities building transmission lines through conservation easements to pay a higher price to the property holders to support land preservation.

“If you’re going to run transmission lines through those areas, of course that’s really not something I’m in favor of, but if for instance you had to do that, making sure that the owners of those properties are really paid what is, I think is more in line with what they’re owed for it,” Perry said.

Other recurring topics from last year’s session include the Dulles Greenway tolls, rural roads and the plastic bag tax.

Perry said she would likely introduce legislation dealing with the Greenway and rural roads.

In 2021, the General Assembly passed legislation introduced by then Del. Suhas Subramanyam that enacted new oversight and transparency on the state’s only privately owned toll road and tightened the way the SCC evaluates the Greenway’s requests for toll increases, put rules around refinancing its debt, and limited toll increase request to once a year.

Last year, the SCC denied a rate increase request by Toll Road Investors Partnership II, the company that owns the 14-mile Dulles Greenway.

Perry said she now wants to introduce a bill that prohibits the company from

charging tolls to cover its debt payments, which would bring the rates down, providing relief for drivers.

“Part of the reason the tolls on the Greenway are so high is because the Greenway has taken all this debt that they’ve managed to accrue over the years and they are now passing that on to folks,” she said. “[The bill is] looking at dealing with that issue by requiring them to use the actual cost, not having the public pay for their debt.”

Perry will also be introducing a bill that would add steps into the process of abandoning a rural road. Last year, Perry and Reid successfully carried a bill to allow state funding for rural roads to be used for maintenance and repairs rather than only for paving.

“I know that there are some of my constituents that are unhappy with the process currently for rural road abandonment. I think there are concerns about notice provisions, but they’re also concerned about the fact that before a road is deemed abandoned there’s no process to look at, ‘hey, could we use this rural road for some other purpose?’ A recreational purpose, a bike trail, something else along those lines,” Perry said.

Del. Marty Martinez (D-29) will also bring back a bill he introduced last year that would give town’s a portion of the revenue garnered from the county government’s five-cent tax on plastic bags.

That bill passed both the House and Senate last year, but was vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

“Plastic bag taxes fail to achieve their intended goals and burden Virginians amid escalating inflation. Redirecting tax revenues to towns may further encour-

age governmental reliance on these taxes, exacerbating the issue,” according to Youngkin’s veto explanation.

The tax doesn’t have to be relied on by the towns to balance their budget, Martinez said, but could be used for environmental programs.

“The Town of Leesburg has an Environmental Advisory Board and so it could be money to help educate our residents or put together some type of recycling program,” he said.

It could also be used to help with the town’s Keep Leesburg Beautiful week or its annual Flower and Garden Show, he said.

There are also several education bills being introduced by Loudoun’s legislators this year.

One introduced by Reid would use artificial intelligence technology in a pilot project to detect guns on school grounds.

The technology is already being used at casinos around the state, he said. “[The pilot] would be for Title I schools, at least two schools in every district … and it would be in areas that have a high preponderance of existing gun violence in their areas,” Reid said.

The grant program would be administered by the Virginia Department of Education. Notification of a gun on the school grounds would go to local law enforcement.

“There’s existing technology that’s being used. So how can we take that and leverage that to provide a better protected area for schools without infringing on anyone’s second amendment rights?” Reid said.

Martinez and Perry are also planning to introduce legislation to help provide more mental health services for students.

Martinez said he has been coordinating with Loudoun County Public Schools to provide more comprehensive mental health services. That could take the form of new or expanded facilities or greater funding for online services, he said.

“I want to provide a comprehensive policy and funding proposal for mental health support for our students,” he said.

Perry’s bill will be more focused on telehealth services.

“Sometimes kids have a therapist or a psychologist or something like that and we want to give them access,” she said.

“Whether that is at school, to ensure that there is a place for them to have appointments if that is something that they need.”

Martinez is also planning to introduce legislation to keep planned long-term absences from affecting school rankings. He said there are lots of students who sometimes need to travel out of the country to visit family members and are gone from school for more than 15 days.

“What I want to do is add a withdrawal code that be used so that this planned absence won’t count against accreditation,” he said. “This levels the playing field a bit for these parents and these schools.”

Other bills from the county’s delegation will look to improve the state’s unemployment system, allow governmental advisory board members to participate in meetings remotely, look to help well users with PFAS requirements, and establish a board for forensic nurses. n

PAGE 26

Fund Balance continued from page 1 million sent to the county’s reserve funds, and $10 million to Loudoun County Public Schools.

An additional $104 million has been allocated to three capital projects— $4.1 million for a cyber security initiative, $37.5 million for sidewalk and trails projects and $2 million for a study of South King Street Leesburg bypass interchange that had been requested by the Town Council –the county’s land acquisition and contingency fund ($33.5 million) and the schools’ contingency fund ($28.1 million).

The additional approximately $16 million will be divided between accelerating the Cascades Library and Senior Center project, a Belmont Ridge Corridor safety study, a Destiny Drive corridor study, Invasive Species Removal Grant program, a microtransit pilot, business incentives, Goose Creek water testing, the housing fund and stabilization of the Comstock Parking Garage.

Two last-minute changes proposed by supervisors Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling) and Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River) won support to provide funding to establish a sanitary district and provide one year of funding to six of the county’s seven towns to offset the cost of eliminating the vehicle license fee.

Establishing a county sanitary district program has been led by Saines since 2019 amid concerns that most of his constituents are not members of homeowners’ associations making it difficult for them to hire trash pick-up companies. This program would provide trash and recycling pickup to county property owners.

The board voted in May to authorize the program and fund the one-time $400,000 establishment costs in the fiscal year 2026 budget.

However, Saines said his office continues to receive complaints about trash pickup problems.

“This funding development acceler-

Remembrance continued from page 3 I returned each year around the time of Memorial Day to check if the flag was still in place. If it was not, I would place a fresh flag at his grave site,” Lee said.

Lee then shared the condition of the grave with Ken Fleming, a leader in the local chapter of Sons of the Confederate Veterans and a valued resource in the care of gravestones.

“I did not expect him to take much

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

JANUARY 9, 2025

ates program by six months. Rather than engage the consultant in July of this year, General Services can engage with the consultant now so that our residents can start a petition process, which will start this petition process in June instead of December,” he told the board.

His motion to reallocate the funding from the county’s land acquisition and contingency line item passed unanimously.

In November, supervisors said they wanted to eliminate the county-wide $25 vehicle fee beginning in tax year 2025. That fee is charged by the county and the towns, with the exception of Hillsboro, and collected by the County Treasurer’s office.

In December, the Coalition of Loudoun Towns sent a letter, signed by the mayors to the Board of Supervisors requesting that the county offset the vehicle fee amount collected by the towns, so their residents could benefit from the change as well.

“When considering the second recommendation of reducing the Vehicle License Fee from $25 to $0, COLT members are concerned with the unintended consequences and indirect adverse impacts to the General Fund budgets of each member Town should their Councils face political pressure to follow suit. To put it directly, County residents living within Towns would expect the same level of relief on the Vehicle License fees when each of the Town’s budgets may not be able to adequately absorb the elimination of this revenue stream,” according to the letter.

Revenue collected by the towns from the fee totals $1.2 million. It would be difficult for the towns to supplement or trim their budgets by that amount, they said.

TeKrony won support to shift the funding from the land acquisition and contingency fund to a one-time grant for towns.

“Towns can only participate if they have a vehicle license fee that’s zero in tax year 2025 and it would only be available this tax year, not other tax years,” she said. “I think this is something that is important to do this tax year due to the last-minute decision in December by the board. It didn’t give the towns enough time to prepare, and many towns would not be able to absorb

the elimination of this revenue stream. I care about the towns, and I care about the residents who live in our towns and want to make sure this decision does not impact town services.”

The proposal was opposed by supervisors Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) and Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles).

“I have a difficulty with this, and part of that is the rationale given by the towns, and they were very candid,” Umstattd said.

“But it wasn’t that they needed emergency funds. It wasn’t that they needed a capital project. It was that they were reluctant to face political pressure if they did not eliminate this fee, as the board was eliminating the fee, and I think that argument extends across many, many different taxation sources.”

She added that the towns requested ongoing supplement funds and asked whether that is something the board was prepared to provide.

Letourneau said taxes for residents living within town borders are already different in many ways from residents elsewhere in the county.

“So, when it comes to this particular tax, why does it have to be the same? It doesn’t make sense to me. If the county eliminates it, why do the towns have to eliminate it? I think if you look at the budget on this and the size of the town budgets and how much money this is, they’re going to have difficulty eliminating this,” he said.

But County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (DAt Large) said unlike city residents, town residents are still part of the county.

“In addition, there are some things the towns have adopted because we adopted it.

Their [vehicle fee] is $25 because the county’s is $25, too. So yes, they have different funding and different tax structure, but a lot of the tax structure t is based on what we do,” she said.

Supervisors also said they were frustrated after hearing complaints following media reports about the large fund balance amount and plan for its use.

“They have resulted in people saying ‘well, you got this much money left to spend. You got $250 million I want you to send it back,’” Randall said. “And that’s

just not true. It’s not real money. We are replenishing our fiscal reserves. We’re sending things to revenue stabilization.

And so, the amount of that money, it’s not what we actually have to use or spend.

And so, quite frankly, we have been able to lower the tax rate year over year, because we do approach these things very, very conservatively.”

Vice Chair Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) said data center revenue had been especially conservatively budgeted because of impacts of bills in the General Assembly were unknown.

“That would have changed the rate at which we tax, or the amount of revenue we’re getting from data centers,” she said.

“So, we conservatively estimated what our revenue would be, knowing that we would probably have a surplus. But I would argue that taxpayers would prefer that we are conservative in our revenue forecasting rather than not conservative, because if you end up with more expenses than revenue, then you get into a whole another pot of hot water, so to speak.”

Letourneau added that while a common complaint he heard centered around residents wanting a tax rebate, if that was done, it would need to be done proportionally to what was paid.

“In this case, a significant part of our revenue is coming from the data center industry, and so that’s where most of the rebate, quote unquote, would go to. It wouldn’t be to individual citizens,” he said.

In addition, he added that the board is using the money for expenses that would need to be paid in future years.

“If we weren’t addressing some of these items, such as cost overruns on capital projects both in LCPS and the county, as well as a number of issues that the board needs to address that’s funded through fund balance, then we would have to include those in the upcoming budget, and that would increase the tax rate. So, by taking these actions, we’re using funding that we know is available to us,” he said.

The motion to adopt the finalized allocation passed unanimously. n

interest in a gravesite from the other side.

Besides, neither of us then knew if Samuel Timbers had descendants or where they might be,” Lee said.

Stone said he was astonished when he met Fleming at a later event and learned he had identified a descendant, secured permission from the property owner and properly reset the grave marker.

“Ken told me that he believes all military veterans’ grave sites should receive honorable treatment, without regard to what war or which side,” Stone said.

“I believe that Ken Fleming’s unselfish act of kindness clearly demonstrates the

values that we as Americans should hold and the attitudes, we ought to express toward one another, without regard to North or South, Black or white, creed or political beliefs, especially during this time of political stress, it seems to me, we would do well to follow Ken’s example,” Stone said.

Volunteers hope to continue restoration efforts at the cemetery with the support of the newly formed Loudoun Cemetery Conservancy.

Edward Spannus, a member of the Lovettsville Historical Society who has been helping to lead the restoration efforts, said there is much to be done to preserve

more of the burial ground and to identify gravesites.

“We hope to actually restore this, do some landscaping, reset the headstones, and provide at least for these people the kind of respect, the dignity, they deserve.

And at some future point, we hope to use ground-penetrating radar and find out where the other graves are,” he said.

The cemetery is located on private property near the intersection of Mountain Road and Britain Road near Lovettsville. Learn more about the cemetery at lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org. n

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JANUARY 9, 2025

PAGE 27

A Loudoun Moment

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

A cross-country skier makes her way down Ridgeside Road near Bluemont.

Democrats Win continued from page 1 While the districts have proven to be Democratic strongholds in past elections, state and national leaders of both parties put a spotlight on the races.

State leaders, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin who led a rally for Harding and Venkatachalam on Saturday, characterized the elections as a chance to flip control of the General Assembly. National party leaders sought to paint the races as a post-presidential election bellwether that could signal the voters’ moods heading into the 2026 mid-terms.

“Here is an opportunity to change the entire situation in Richmond,” Youngkin told supporters gathered at Freedom High School. He said with control of both houses, Republicans could push tax relief, improve schools and increase safety.

In a statement after the election, Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker said the results showed “voters in Loudoun County once again rejected Republican extremism.”

“Their victories ensure that we main-

tain our majority in the General Assembly so we can continue passing legislation that benefits all Virginians while rejecting harmful policies,” she stated. “With our majority, Democrats will be able to advance key constitutional amendments this session as well as pass bills that lower daily costs, protect our fundamental freedoms, create safer communities, and grow our economy.”

For the candidates the issues were local.

Harding and Venkatachalam highlighted support for school reform and parents’ rights. Srinivasan championed issues including improved healthcare and greater transparency for Dulles Greenway tolls.

Singh targeted lowering college tuition in addition to supporting abortion rights and addressing gun violence.

Srinivasan and Singh are part of the political leadership in Loudoun’s fast-growing population of South Asian immigrant families.

Srinivasan immigrated from India in 1992. He was elected to the House of Delegates in 2023. He jumped into the state Senate race in November after incumbent Democrat Suhas Subramanyam was elected to the 10th District seat in the House of Representatives. Singh is the son of Indian

immigrants. Subramanyam, also the son of Indian immigrants, in 2019 was the first Indian-American and first Hindu to be elected to the General Assembly.

“I know Kannan and JJ will continue to fight for Loudoun families, working to lower costs, defend reproductive freedoms, and combat the rise in gun violence.

I’m looking forward to a continued partnership and seeing all they accomplish in Richmond,” Subramanyam said in a statement after the elections.

Srinivasan said he is looking toward the future for his party in Virginia.

“2025 will be a pivotal year in Virginia politics and in national politics,” he told supporters Tuesday night. “We just set the tone tonight. We pushed back today, and we will continue to push back until we win the governor’s mansion.”

He said Democrats represent the “party of good governance.”

“Virginia will make sure that our education is not compromised. Virginia will make sure that 84 gun shootings last year in schools cannot be followed and Virginia will make sure that everybody feels safe, kids feel safe, people don’t get discriminated and we take care of people. That starts today because of every one of you,” he said.

Singh said their victories came from hard work during the short campaign window.

“We knocked on tens of thousands of doors, we made tens of thousands of phone calls, and we had a very clear message,” Singh said. “You know, that message was that we’re facing some tough times, and tough times call for tough people. And we had a very clear set of priorities that resonated. The first being, we need to codify reproductive freedom in our constitution.

The second is we have a problem with gun violence in this country. Gun violence is the number one cause of death for kids.

And the third thing is that college tuition costs have skyrocketed. And when I was talking on the doors with people, that resonated. Those three things resonated.”

While the General Assembly was scheduled to open its session Wednesday and to receive the State of the Commonwealth address from Youngkin, those activities have been postponed until Monday as Richmond works through a major treatment plant failure that left most of the city without potable water following the winter storm. n

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JANUARY 9, 2025