Loudoun Now for April 30, 2020

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APRIL 30, 2020

Confusion, Uncertainty Reign as Businesses Await Funding

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

krodriguez@loudounnow.com

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Faith Albers and Adrian Gerber were married at the Loudoun County Courthouse on April 20. They are among many Loudoun couples who have had to juggle their wedding plans during the coronavirus pandemic. See story, Page 16.

COVID-19 Cases Continue to Climb; Officials Look Toward Eventual Reopening

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday began laying out what the first phase of reopening Virginia in the COVID-19 pandemic may look like, and on Monday Loudoun County Health Department Director Dr.

David Goodfriend said the numbers here are better than anticipated.

Northam said when the commonwealth sees a downward trend in positive COVID-19 tests and hospitalizations over a two-week period, increased testing and contact tracing, adequate hospital space, and a sustainable supply of personal pro-

tective equipment, it may be time to move ahead with the first stage of reopening businesses.

That first phase of reopening, as Northam described it Friday, is not al-

Life for small businesses since the COVID-19 pandemic hit has been anything but certain. And the government’s attempts to throw out a life saver, in the form of disaster and payroll protection loans or grants, has largely added to that uncertainty.

“Confusion is probably the biggest state of emotion I’m seeing, and frustration after that,” said Eric Byrd, manager of Loudoun’s Small Business Development Center at Leesburg’s Mason Enterprise Center.

Small business owners nationwide for much of the month have been in the process of applying for either disaster relief loans and/or loans through the recently rolledout Payroll Protection Program. It’s been a learning curve for everyone involved— from the Small Business Administration, which rushed out the program, to banks handling the loans, to business owners left in an unenviable waiting game.

Of the former, Byrd said the SBA finds itself in an unusual position.

“The whole organization was thrown into a tailspin,” he said. “The SBA usually puts out a 30-page report. This time [for the PPP] it was a four-page brief. Government is not designed to move quickly.”

On the SBA disaster loan, Byrd also emphasized that the loans had previously been used in localized areas recovering from a

REOPENING continues on page 26

COVID FUNDING continues on page 27

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APRIL 30, 2020

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PAGE 3

Following Northam’s Election Postponement, Towns Push for Further Delay

BY PATRICK SZABO pszabo@loudounnow.com

This year’s town election season has been one for the history books, with social distancing mandates forcing candidates to campaign largely from their computer keyboards and an election day that has been moved back two weeks, and could change again.

Last Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam announced he would use his executive authority to push the May municipal elections from May 5 to May 19 in an effort keep voters from congregating at the polls for at least another two weeks. Virginia law gives the governor the authority to delay elections by 14 days during states of emergencies.

But that might not be the final postponement. Virginia law also gives local governing bodies the ability to petition the Virginia Supreme Court for an additional delay not to exceed 30 days from the original election date. In this case, that would be June 4—six days before Northam’s stayat-home order expires.

As of Monday, the Purcellville and

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

This year’s municipal elections feature two candidate slates in the Town of Purcellville—candidates that will have to wait an extra 14 days until election day, at least.

Lovettsville Town Councils were the only Loudoun councils to vote to make that petition, doing so on April 14 and April 23 respectively. The Lovettsville Town

Council last Thursday voted to petition for that and also voted to petition the state to move the elections even farther out, to the end of June.

“We’re feeling that late June would be best,” said Mayor Nate Fontaine.

The Round Hill Town Council was scheduled to convene Tuesday night in an emergency meeting to discuss whether it would do the same. Mayor Scott Ramsey said he expected debate on the topic.

Two other Loudoun towns also have elections this spring—Hamilton, and Middleburg.

The Hamilton council previously voted unanimously to support a delay to November, a measure Northam had proposed but lacked approval by the General Assembly.

Hamilton Mayor Dave Simpson, who is the only mayor in those five towns to not be up for re-election this year, said his Town Council does not plan to petition the state Supreme Court, since, he said, a Commonwealth of Virginia staffer told him that Virginia law prohibits two elections from being held within 30 days of each other.

Loudoun General Registrar Judy ELECTION DELAY continues on page 27

Hometown Heroes

Loudoun Chamber, Restaurants Team Up to Feed Hospital Healthcare Workers

BY PATRICK SZABO pszabo@loudounnow.com

Each week, a hundred of Loudoun’s healthcare workers are getting free lunches courtesy of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber launched its Feed Loudoun’s Health Care Heroes initiative on April 21. Donations from individuals and groups enable the Chamber to buy food from participating restaurants that will feed 50 healthcare workers at Inova Loudoun Hospital and 50 at StoneSprings Hospital Center every Wednesday. Already signed up to participate are Paisano’s Pizza of Leesburg and Brew Birds, which both delivered food and coffee to the hospitals last week, along with The Wine Kitchen and the Buffalo Wing Factory. Participating restaurants must be Chamber members.

Chamber Communications Director Andrea Winey said the initial goal is to

Nationals’ Zimmerman, Scherzer Surprise Inova With Zoom Call, Meals

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

raise $10,000, but that amount will most likely be exceeded in the coming months.

Every $10 donated will buy a lunch for a hospital worker.

Winey said Chamber President Tony Howard came up with the idea after re-

alizing that many other organizations across the nation were running the same sort of campaigns.

Washington Nationals stars Ryan Zimmerman and Max Scherzer surprised Inova Loudoun Hospital with an April 23 Zoom call—and with the donation of 500 meals from Heather and Ryan Zimmerman’s initiative “Pros for Heroes.”

The meals were waiting for Inova Loudoun nurses, doctors, and employees outside when they got off their shift last Thursday.

“Tonight when you get off your

CHAMBER LUNCHES continues on page 6

ZOOM SURPRISE continues on page 6

PAGE 4

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APRIL 30, 2020

Loudoun

Supervisors Eye More Houses in Transition Area for Affordability

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

The Board of Supervisors’ Transportation and Land Use Committee is recommending zoning changes that would allow more houses in the Transition Policy Area in a bid to make some of those houses more affordable.

The changes are part of a larger project to encourage more attainable housing in Loudoun in cheaper-priced units and in price-controlled Affordable Dwelling Units.

They include revisions to zoning rules such as reducing the minimum size of development that would be required to provide Affordable Dwelling Units, allowing more accessory units by single-family homes, and eliminating the ADU exemption for buildings over four stories high with an elevator.

But committee members were split over allowing developers to increase the number of units they build in the Transition Policy Area if some of those units are put into the Affordable Dwelling Unit Program. The proposal would allow developers to increase the number of units by up to 30 percent, as long as they place the same percentage of the increased units into the county’s Affordable Dwelling Unit program.

Under the rule, if a developer could build 100 units on a parcel by-right, it would be

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Houses under construction at Tanglewood in the Transition Policy Area.

able to build up to 130 units if nine of those were ADUs—30 percent of the additional 30 units.

According to the county staff, that approach has the potential to allow up to 300 more units in the Transition Policy Area, which is designed to serve as a buffer between eastern Loudoun’s suburban neighborhoods and the rural west.

Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) pointed out that the Board of Supervisors has already increased the develop-

ment allowed in the Transition Policy Area with its new Comprehensive Plan, a trend he and many Loudoun residents fought throughout the three-year process. Buffington also pointed out that he had predicted that affordable housing zoning amendments could come with yet more Transition Area development.

“The Transition Policy Area was the most heated argument or discussion point for the board and for the community, and the overwhelming majority of folks did not want the additional houses to be added to the Transition Policy Area,” Buffington said.

The previous Planning Commission recommended allowing more than 15,000 more homes in the transition area than under the old plan; by the time of the final vote, supervisors had whittled that down to only 2,180 more than the old plan.

“I don’t believe that we should use the housing affordability study as a way to add another 200-300 houses on top of that,” Buffington said.

But other supervisors on the committee supported the change.

“The Transition Policy Area was never meant to be the Rural Policy Area,” said County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (DAt Large). “The Transition Policy Area was meant to be transition, and so you don’t want as many houses or high as density of

Supervisors Approve $1.1M in Nonprofit Grants

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

Loudoun County supervisors have approved $1.1 million in grants in their annual grants program, amid a COVID-19 pandemic that has hit charities hard and warnings from nonprofit leaders that the county funding does not go far enough.

To win funding from the county, nonprofits enter a competitive grant process where their applications are scored and ranked, and must rise above a certain score to be considered for funding. But with limited funding in the program, even those nonprofits that qualify are not guaranteed to get funding—the money starts with the highest-ranked application and trickles down from there. It is the result of a years-long effort to take politics on the Board of Supervisors out of county grant funding, and attempt to score grant applications objectively.

While 33 nonprofits made applications that met the county’s qualifications for grant funding, because of budget restrictions, only 20 are recommended for funding. Sev-

en more organizations qualified for $5,000 mini-grants.

This year’s recommendations also do not include the annual 3-percent increase for grant funding, as supervisors have directed county staff members to freeze new spending because of the tax revenue impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results from the competitive process prompted a letter from the Loudoun Human Services Network, a coalition of charitable nonprofits, pointing out that the 33 qualifying applications totaled nearly $2.2 million in requests; the county recommendations will give less than half of that.

“Over the last several years it has become evident that the allocation of funding available for the Human Services Nonprofit Grant funding is not sufficient to meet the growing needs of our community,” the letter read.

Lisa Kimball, CEO of the Arc of Loudoun, one of the nonprofits that has received major funding in the past but has received none this year, also asked supervisors to put more money into the program.

“Strong, successful, hyper-critical programs such as those that the Arc provides are often funded by the county one year but not the next, sending the message to the most vulnerable among us that their specific needs simply do not matter at the end of the fiscal year,” Kimball said, calling into supervisors’ electronic meeting April 21.

Supervisors at that meeting debated whether to spread the available money a little further, giving less to top-ranked organizations like Loudoun Hunger Relief, the Chris Atwood Foundation and Loudoun Literacy Council to spread that money among other qualifying but unfunded organizations like SCAN of Northern Virginia, Tree of Life Ministries, All Ages Read Together and Inova Health Care Services.

County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) argued against that.

“Supervisors don’t want to be in the process of picking and choosing winners and losers,” she said. “Our hands are off this process as a competitive grant process, and if we start pulling this nonprofit out to put this nonprofit in, then we’ve kind of sullied the

houses in the suburban policy area, but you also don’t have no new growth like we’re doing in the Rural Policy Area.”

She argued that to get affordable housing, new houses must be built, and they are unlikely to be built in the Suburban Policy Area or new Urban Policy Area. The Affordable Dwelling Unit program also applies in the Suburban Policy Area; zoning ordinances for the Urban Policy Area, newly created in the new comprehensive plan, have not yet been written.

She also pointed out that most of the Affordable Dwelling Units in Loudoun are rentals.

“If you really want to change the trajectory of someone’s life, and if you really want to help people get out of generational poverty and get into generational wealth, you give them a home that they can buy that’s affordable,” Randall said. “It’s not just about renting something, it’s about having affordable homes to purchase.”

The committee voted 3-2 to recommend the changes to the full board, including the Transition Policy Area change. Supervisors Buffington and Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) voted against the changes; Supervisors Randall, Sylvia Russell Glass (D-Broad Run) and committee Chairman Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) voted for them. n whole reason for having a whole competitive process that we’re not involved in.”

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles), who first kicked off the effort to get supervisors out of those grantmaking decisions two terms ago, said the nonprofit grants “compel donations from taxpayers to charitable organizations. That’s a significant thing, if you think about it.” And he said is fine with some organizations not winning funding.

“In this case, we’re taking other people’s money and we’re giving it to somebody else,” Letourneau said. “So in order for us to do that, we should have a high threshold. We should demand excellence, we should demand accountability, and they should be organizations that are fitting the criteria that we think we absolutely need to spend money on.”

Only Supervisors Caleb A. Kershner (R-Catoctin) and Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) argued for spreading the money around further, due to the ongoing pandemic. Kershner said “we have a numNONPROFIT GRANTS continues on page 7

APRIL 30, 2020

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PAGE 5

State Amends Law, Legalizing What County Board was Already Doing

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

The General Assembly on April 22 agreed to an amendment to open meetings law allowing elected bodies like Loudoun’s Board of Supervisors to meet electronically “to discuss or transact the business statutorily required or necessary to continue operations of the public body” during declared emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

That will match what Loudoun supervisors have been doing already despite the previous state law.

Previously, open meetings laws allowed supervisors to meet electronically during a declared state of emergency only if the emergency, makes it unsafe to meet in person, and only if the purpose of the meeting is “to address the emergency.”

But since the declaration of emergency, Loudoun’s board has held meetings and even public hearings on topics like ceremonial resolutions, gas station car washes, and road signs.

Supervisors have unanimously defended continuing to conduct routine business and public hearings. Attorney General Mark Herring had interpreted the state law to also allow “decisions that must be made immediately and where failure to do so could result in irrevocable public harm.” Loudoun County Attorney Leo Rogers then built on that interpretation, reading the state law to allow electronic meetings to include “continuity of government” generally.

Both Herring and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act Advisory Council had advised agenda items should be considered on a case-by-case basis to determine whether they meet the standards for an electronic meeting. State Sen. Richard H. Stuart (R-28), chairman of the Virginia FOIA Advisory Council, wrote to Gov. Ralph Northam asking him to take action, advising that state law at the time did not seem “to allow for the conduct of other business necessary to ensure the continuity of government and essential government services, such as consideration of the annual budget for a locality.”

That letter went out March 19; the Board of Supervisors adopted its budget during a meeting conducted electronically on April 7.

Ultimately, setting the agenda for county board meetings falls to County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large). She asserted on an April 22 county Facebook live stream, before the General

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

The Board of Supervisors holds an electronic meeting Tuesday, April 21.

Assembly’s vote, that the board has “met and exceeded all of the [Freedom of Information Act] guidelines,” the night after leading an electronic meeting in which supervisors heard the Planning Commission’s routine annual report, an discussed and voted on four ceremonial resolutions, committee nominations, an application to redevelop a movie theater property for housing, putting up signs to slow traffic in two neighborhoods, a review of environmental initiatives, and other routine matters.

Other elected officials have been more circumspect about open meetings law.

Although the School Board has also continued to meet electronically, School Board member Beth Barts on Tuesday expressed some trepidation about beginning committee meetings again.

“As much as I want to meet—I have a lot that I know we want to do with our committees—at the same time I am waiting and looking to see what the guidance is from the governor as far as any amendment he proposes, whether that allows us to move forward with regular business, or it must … continue to have a relationship with this emergency situation,” Barts said.

The Board of Supervisors’ two standing committees have also continued to meet electronically.

Under the new law, public bodies are allowed to meet electronically if the declared emergency makes it unsafe to gather in one place, such as in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic. A transcript or recording of the meeting must be placed on the public body’s website, available in Loudoun at https://www.loudoun. gov/2203/Meeting-Videos. The public body must arrange for public access to the meeting through electronic means and, “if the means of communication allows,” public comment.

Loudoun has already begun accepting public comments electronically at its Board of Supervisors Meetings; sign up to speak at https://www.loudoun.gov/4853/ About-Board-of-Supervisors-Meetings. n

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Zoom surprise continued from page 3 shift, there will be some meals outside waiting for you to take home so you guys will not have to cook anything, not have to worry about doing the dishes, and have a nice dinner that hopefully will make you feel a little better and get some rest,” Zimmerman, the Nationals’ star first baseman, batter and first-ever draft pick, told the masked Inova Loudoun staffers on the call.

The Zimmermans’ Pros for Heroes COVID-19 Relief Fund initially was started to provide personal protective equip-

APRIL 30, 2020

ment at Inova Fairfax Hospital, and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“I hope you know how much me and my family appreciate what you’re doing, and more importantly the whole community, the DC, Virginia Maryland area,” Zimmerman told Inova Loudoun staffers.

“You all are the true heroes in this.”

“I know you guys are absolutely working your heads off,” said three-time Cy Young Award winner and seven-time AllStar Scherzer, who joined in the video call.

“I know our community appreciates it. I know we appreciate it. We’re all connected in this, so anything we can do together with Zimm. You guys are the heroes, like Zimm said.” n

Zoom.us

Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer (left) and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (right) surprise Inova Loudoun staff members on a Zoom call.

Chamber lunches continued from page 3 “America’s health care workers are on the front lines every day, risking their safety to care for those afflicted with the devastating coronavirus,” Howard stated. “We launched ‘Feed Loudoun’s Health Care Heroes’ so [Chamber restaurants] could simply buy lunch for our hard-working nurses, doctors and other front-line health care workers.”

Winey said the Chamber knew that people love to donate food to support healthcare workers, but also knew that just donating food wasn’t supporting local restaurants. To

help both groups, the Chamber’s initiative provides healthcare workers with food and restaurants with revenue.

“We thought this would be a great way to do both,” Winey said.

As more restaurants sign up to participate in the initiative, Winey said Chamber staff would coordinate with each of them to determine which will make deliveries on any given week. She said the Chamber would probably run the campaign into the summer.

Learn more about the initiative and donate at feedourheroes.loudounchamber. org. n

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APRIL 30, 2020

Nonprofit grants continued from page 4 ber of these organizations that we can help, we have an opportunity to help them.”

“If there is a time to break away, perhaps, from what the precedent is and sticking to being wed to this, we have an opportunity to do that,” Kershner said.

Turner said supervisors should “recognize the impact COVID-19 is having on the entire nonprofit community.”

“In the context of this process, I think there’s justification this one time,” he said.

Supervisors voted 7-2 to stick with the recommendations from the competitive grants process.

Qualifying organizations that will miss out this year include, among others, All Ages Read Together, Inova Health Care Services, the Good Shepherd Alliance, the Arc of Loudoun, the YMCA Loudoun County Youth Development Center, and Mobile Hope. They requested funding to support efforts such as supporting the elderly and disabled; forensic nursing services for people who have experienced physical and sexual violence; and keeping the emergency homeless shelter and five transitional homes open.

Nonprofits working to serve people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic may

have more help coming their way. Assistant County Administrator Valmarie Turner said this year Loudoun can expect an $830,000 boost in another competitive grant program, Community Development Block Grants, specifically for addressing COVID-19.

Randall also said she had planned to propose adding another $500,000 to the nonprofit grants program this year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, straining county finances. She said she still intends to propose that as soon as possible.

“The overall bucket of money has been sorely, sorely underfunded for decades, and if we are going to support the people who support our citizens who are often most in need, that stretches that taxpayer dollar and makes it go much further,” Randall said.

Supervisors last year took six nonprofits out of the competitive grant process, instead funding those organizations directly.

Because they did not reduce the funding in the competitive grant pool, that effectively increased the total amount of county government funding for nonprofits. Those include HealthWorks for Northern Virginia, the Loudoun Free Clinic, Northern Virginia Dental Clinic, Blue Ridge Speech and Hearing, Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers, and the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter.

Last year, those nonprofits were collectively granted $648,373. n

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Loudoun County’s students overall remain above state averages, but rising rates of absenteeism and high schoolers not graduating on time show some are being left behind, and school attendance is key, according to an annual report from the county government’s Advisory Commission on Youth.

While overall Loudoun students have above-average rates for on-time graduation, three schools were actually below the state average: Park View, Tuscarora, and Dominion High Schools. Advisory Commission on Youth Vice Chairman Mike Reles said late graduation, dropping out and chronic absenteeism were most common in the areas around those schools, Leesburg and Sterling.

He said this year’s study indicated that the populations most likely to be chronically absent were socioeconomically disadvantaged kids and Hispanic children. Last year, 80 percent of dropouts were Hispanic.

The report does not indicate what percentage were socioeconomically disadvantaged.

“A lot can be done,” Reles said. “…

Chronic absenteeism is a precursor to not graduating on time, and then not graduating on time is a precursor to dropping out.”

By high school, regular school attendance is a better indicator of whether a student will drop out of school than his or her test scores. And a student who is chronically absent during high school is seven times more likely to drop out.

All of those contributed to an overall downward trend in on-time graduation rates in Loudoun, which also includes dropouts. Since 2015, Loudoun has slipped from 97 percent on-time graduation, 10th in the state, to 94.7 percent in 2019, 32nd in the state. The average among Virginia’s 131 school districts was 91.5 percent.

“We think there could be gains if we recognize the populations that are struggling to graduate on time, and we push some resources to them,” Reles said. “Doesn’t mean brand new resources, just means realigning resources. When you lift the hood on ontime graduation rate, it is squarely focused on socioeconomically disadvantaged kids.”

In a survey, middle schoolers indicated the biggest problem they face is bullying, and high schoolers said the biggest problem they face is the availability of drugs.

The report also indicates increased incidents of bullying, substance abuse and violence among youth, including an increase in alcohol, tobacco and drug offenses of 215 percent over two years.

County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) seized upon the increased drug use, and a link between drug use as a young person and substance abuse or dependency later in life.

“Legalizing marijuana is just so foolish,” Randall said. “Marijuana is a drug that impacts the brain, and if you think you’re going to legalize marijuana and not have it more used by our youth, you’re out of your mind.”

She said while she supports decriminalizing marijuana, she will “fight to the finish” against legalizing marijuana.

Also during their April 21 meeting, supervisors heard the result of the Youth Net report, an outgrowth of the previous board’s strategic focus on youth that brought to together about 30 representatives from government, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and businesses. The project assessed the services available to young people in Loudoun, and the Advisory Commission on Youth plans to form a committee to continue that work into the future.

That report recommended creating a single hub of information about youth programs; continuing to fund the Youth Net initiative into the future; consider ways to make youth programs affordable to everyone; customizing services to different parts of the county; and including mental health and wellness services in schools and other places where young people congregate.

That joined the Advisory Commission on Youth’s recommendations to add multilingual, culturally informed attendance officers in certain areas, continued support of existing youth programs, see-somethingsay-something program to address bullying, and expanding the after-hours teen center at Cascades Library to other public libraries among other ideas.

Supervisors welcome the largely good news of the reports and were supportive of many of the recommendations.

“I’ll just mention to my colleagues that, keep in mind when budget season comes back around, or when some departments come up with some of these issues, I hope we all can be as sympathetic as we are tonight and vote to allocate funding for some of these programs,” said Vice Chairman Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling). n

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

APRIL 30, 2020

PAGE 9

Public Safety

Guzman

Alvarado-Soriano

Suspects in Sterling Robbery Arrested The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office has arrested two suspects in the April 12 robbery of a Sterling Exxon.

The robbers entered the convenience store at Falke Plaza off of Rt. 606 near the Herndon border at approximately 1:15 p.m. April 12. The clerk reported one man was purchasing a drink and the other suspect jumped over the counter when the clerk opened the register. They removed an undisclosed amount of cash from the register. No weapons were displayed.

Elias G. Guzman, 20, was arrested April 17 and Jorge A. Alvarado-Soriano, 19, was arrested Thursday. Both suspects are from Herndon.

They have been charged with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Both remained held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center this week. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for June 24 in Loudoun County District Court.

25 Firefighter/EMTs Graduate Academy Twenty-five new firefighter/EMTs graduated with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue’s 39th recruit academy class on Friday.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of a traditional graduation ceremony, fire-rescue leadership joined Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens to swear in recruits as they prepared for their station assignments. The virtual ceremony was streamed online for family and friends to watch.

Some recruits earned special recogni-

tion. Lance O’Brien was designated top recruit for the class, showing exemplary leadership, poise and dedication throughout the program. Daniel Wawrzusin won the Lt. Alex J. Keepers Memorial Award, which was established to memorialize Keepers, who was killed in 2007 and is awarded to the recruit who made outstanding improvements throughout the academy.

Graduating recruits went through 1,000 hours of emergency medical technician and firefighting training in a 28-week program.

This academy’s graduates include Brooke Beckley, Trevor Bruley, Jacob Buhl, Joshua Burns, Christopher Cloud, Alexandra Dessyatova, Logan Dinterman, Joseph Dundas, Hannah Gordon, Martin Heaney-Newland, John Hohenschutz, Joshua Jones, Mason Kaylor, Jared Lamb, Jacob Marks, Tyler Martin, Lance O’Brien, Riley Oremus, Juan Rivas-Ventura, Jonathan Sauter, Andrew Schreffler, Nicholas Slater, Brandon Wallo, Daniel Wawrzusin, and Ryan Welch.

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The Fellows Program’s life-changing opportunity is designed to be The Fellows Program dramatically spiritually transformative. works! A survey of our It runs for one academic year Fellows found that 76% (September – June), with summer would be willing to lead readings beforehand, and a retreat a discipleship group in in September to formally initiate the their home; 100% exyear. Each month examines a different perienced an increase biblical theme, with an overall focus in their involvement in on spiritual formation, apologetics, ministry to their family evangelism and our call to serve and community; 88% others. A combination of dynamic increased their involvement in workplace minteachers and writers, experienced istry; and 84% said the mentors, effective small groups and program had “transactive engagement with Scripture formed or significantly produces mature believers who can impacted their life.” articulate, defend and joyfully live out their Christian faith in every aspect of their life. It is a true feast for hungry souls seeking “more.”

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Cost of the Program -- due to generous support of the program, there is no tuition cost to the Program. Each Fellow is only responsible for their books, materials and the cost of the retreat. For more information about the CS Lewis Institute and the Fellows Program, please go to www.cslewisinstitute.org or contact Tim Bradley at t.bradley@cslewisinstitute.org.

Contributed

Artist Penny Hauffe contributed her talents to A Farm Less Ordinary, transforming a storage shed into a mural that celebrates the nonprofit’s work.

Hauffe Paints Mural for A Farm Less Ordinary Loudoun County artist Penny Hauffe donated her talents to A Farm Less Ordinary, transforming a storage shed into a three-dimensional mural that celebrates the nonprofit’s work.

The farm operates on land donated by Lynne and Michael Wright south of Leesburg. The shed, which has been on the Wrights’ land since at least the 1950s, was recently renovated by Boy Scout Troop 982 as an Eagle project led by the Wrights’ son, Benjamin.

AFLO employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to sustainably grow vegetables at two Loudoun properties for distribution in Loudoun County and Capitol Hill. AFLO continues to welcome individuals and families to the farm during the pandemic, as long as the groups are small and can maintain an appropriate social distance from others on the farm. Learn more at afarmlessordinary.org/volunteer.

Walk Like MADD Fundraising Event Goes Virtual MADD Loudoun’s annual Walk Like MADD 5K walk and silent auction fundraiser will have some new twists this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The walk has been changed to a virtual event, running May 16-17. This year’s auction will be done online.

The program will open at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 16 with an opening ceremony via Zoom. At approximately 10 a.m., the virtual walk will start with all participants’ respective neighborhoods. At 4 p.m. Sunday, May 17 the closing ceremony, including the recognition of victims, event teams, funds raised and awards also will be presented via Zoom.

The online auction is already in progress for those who have registered to take part in Walk Like MADD 2020. Donations to the event will continue until July 16.

Online registration is open until 8:30 a.m. May 16 at walklikemadd.org/leesburg.

Volunteers Needed for Plant-A-Thon Preparing to help meet the increasing need for food donations in the wake of the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, the JK Community Farm is signing up volunteers for its second annual PlantA-Thon.

The May 15-16 event will be limited to 10 volunteers per time slot in accordance with CDC guidelines on social distancing and will be stretched over two days if needed to accommodate all groups. Volunteers will plant 5,000 seedlings, which will produce over 16,000 healthy, organic meals for families in need.

There is space for more than 250 volunteers. Planting will take place 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To learn more and sign up, go to planttoendhunger.com. If unable to attend the event, people can still support the farm’s work and efforts to keep up with demand during the pandemic. Donations may be made at jkcommunityfarm.org/donate.

JK Community Farm is located at 35516 Paxson Road near Purcellville.

Blue Ridge Hospice Offers No-Touch Donations The Leesburg Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift Shop is offering no-touch donations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

Residents wanting to donate unwanted goods but not wanting to risk coming into contact with others during the COVID-19 pandemic can haul their items to the thrift shop’s Leesburg location at 57 Catoctin Circle NE, and drop them off outside the store, where staffers wearing protective gear will bring the items inside. The hospice’s Winchester and Front Royal locations are also participating in the effort.

For more information, go to brhospice. org/thrift-shops or call 540-327-0402.

APRIL 30, 2020

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PAGE 11

Business Blockchain Expands Sanitizing Efforts to Protect Clients in Co-Working Space

BY PATRICK SZABO pszabo@loudounnow.com

The owners of the Blockchain Building coworking space in Leesburg are working to give home-isolated teleworkers a safe alternative during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company last week launched its Squeaky Meet initiative, designed to offer employees the space they need to remain productive and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Building staff members have installed two UV pathogen scrubbers in the building’s HVAC system and HEPA air purifiers in each conference room, along with bottles of cleaning spray, N95 masks and hand sanitizer. The staff and a contracted cleaning company sanitize the building three times daily.

“What we’re trying to do is create a reasonably predictable space,” said Blockchain Leasing Manager Lauren Pennell.

“It’s not a guarantee, it’s just a level of predictability.”

Pennell said the UV scrubbers kill bacteria, mold and viruses that might be circulating in the air and that the HEPA air purifiers pull out the larger particles to more thoroughly clean the air in each conference room. The staff ordered the units off Amazon and installed both themselves.

Pennell said the building staff wanted to prevent any potential cases of COVID-19 from spreading room-to-room, like the SARS virus did nearly two decades ago in some hotels. She said she got the idea to install those sanitization mechanisms by looking at what popup medical centers do in Africa, which use fans to circulate air toward the UV air filters.

“There’s nothing like the power of sunshine as a disinfectant,” she said.

Rodney Caswell, the vice president of an IT company who frequently works out of the Blockchain Building, said he’s cut down his time in the coworking space to limit his exposure to the virus as much as possible but that he felt safe there because of the sanitization efforts the staff has taken.

“We know they’ve done things to keep things sanitized,” he said.

The Blockchain Building isn’t just catering to tenants who pay for monthly workspace. It’s now offering hourly rentals for employees who might be getting a little tired, or stir crazy, while working from home, especially those working alongside their kids. Pennell said Blockchain is charging $100 for the first hour of rental,

followed by $25 for each additional hour.

Employees coming to work at Blockchain by the hour, at least for now, will be doing so in a socially distanced environment, as the building’s 75-tenant population has largely stopped coming in.

Pennell said that on any given day, there are typically only about 12 people in the 30,000-square-foot building.

Moving past the pandemic and stay-

at-home order, Pennell said the building would keep the UV scrubbers and HEPA air purifiers in place and continue to offer hourly rentals. She emphasized that in the past month, times have changed to the point that working from home, or occasionally in a coworking space, has become the new normal.

And it’s those rental payments that will enable the Blockchain community to help

others fight against the spread of coronavirus. Pennell said the staff would donate 25 percent of the rental proceeds to the Loudoun Chamber’s Feed Loudoun’s Health Care Heroes effort, which solicits individual donations to purchase food from area restaurants to feed hospital workers. Pennell said the staff is open to suggestions for more charities to support. n

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APRIL 30, 2020

Our Towns

TOWN notes HAMILTON

Lovettsville to Support Businesses with Signage, Delayed Fee Collection

BY PATRICK SZABO pszabo@loudounnow.com

The Town of Lovettsville’s 37 storefronts and 70 home-based businesses should soon feel some financial relief thanks to a collection of economic initiatives provided by the town.

In the past two weeks, the Town Council developed and approved a business support package to help businesses during the coronavirus crisis. The town has suspended late fees during the declaration of local emergency, postponed business license renewals until Aug. 15, agreed to use most of the town’s remaining marketing budget to advertise businesses’ services online and across town, and amended the sign ordinance. The town will also seek county help to better support its businesses.

The April 16 vote to push back business license renewal fees allows businesses to pay after the new federal income tax filing deadline of July 15. All in-town businesses, except for contractors, are required to pay $30 per up to $20,000 of gross receipts and a 17-cent per $100 tax on receipts over that amount.

By pushing the business license renewal fees to the next fiscal year, the remaining $22,400 in revenue from the fees will show up in the town’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget.

The town has already pulled in about 71 percent of the $77,500 it budgeted for this fiscal year.

The Town Council on April 23 voted to use $1,880 of the remaining $2,550 in its Fiscal Year 2020 tourism/branding/ marketing budget to pay for two $500 Facebook advertisements for town businesses in May and June, which will target Facebook users in the 20180 ZIP code; four roadside banners totaling $600; and 20 window signs that read “We’re Open” and cost $200. The remaining $750 will be used for additional marketing support as needed.

The town’s sign ordinance has also been relaxed to allow businesses to display three signs, rather than one, for the duration of the state of local emergency. Mayor

Absentee Voting Encouraged in May 19 Town Elections The Loudoun County Office of Elections and Voter Registration, along with many of candidates and town governments, are encouraging absentee voting in the May 19 municipal elections to avoid large crowds at the polls during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Absentee ballots must be requested by 5 p.m. May 12 and must be received by the office by May 19 to be counted.

The last day to vote absentee in-person is May 16. The office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is located at 750 Miller Drive SE, Suite C, Leesburg, VA 20175.

For more information, go to loudoun.gov/182/upcoming-elections.

HILLSBORO Rt. 9 Closure Begins Monday

Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now

The Town of Lovettsville is supporting its businesses during the coronavirus crisis by paying for advertising, relaxing the sign ordinance and delaying the deadline for business license renewal fees.

Nate Fontaine said that if the emergency is still in place after 90 days—the length of time temporary signs are allowed to be displayed on properties during any calendar year, as outlined in the town’s sign ordinance—the council would consider extending the time limit.

The council additionally voted last week to authorize Fontaine to attend this Tuesday’s Loudoun Economic Development Authority meeting to gain county support for a proposed Lovettsville Business Interruption Fund.

The town also is considering other initiatives to help businesses during a time of partial and total closures.

The council last Thursday discussed charging utility customers for every 1,000 gallons of water and sewer usage in a single billing cycle, rather than a set amount for all usage up to 6,000 gallons. Councilman David Steadman pointed out that doing that would allow a utility customer who uses only 500 gallons of water to pay

for 1,000 gallons, rather than 6,000.

Town Treasurer Lance Gladstone said the town staff would look into the idea, noting that it took a lot of work for the town to switch from quarterly to monthly utility billing in late March.

The town staff found that most businesses showed a reduction in water usage between April 3-17 compared with March 6-20, with restaurants showing a reduction between 32 and 69 percent in that time.

The largest reduction in usage came from Lovettsville Dental Arts, which experienced a 99-percent reduction, down to just 20 gallons of usage in April from 2,000 gallons in March. Of the town’s restaurants, 1836 Kitchen & Tap Room showed one of the greatest reductions in water usage, having used 8,700 gallons in March and 3,120 in April—a 64-percent drop.

The Town Council is scheduled to meet again this Thursday, April 30 via Zoom. n

Beginning this Monday, May 4, Rt. 9 through the Town of Hillsboro will be closed entirely to through-traffic until mid- to late-June The road is being closed to facilitate the installation of new water mains. In early April, decades-old water mains in the town broke as crews worked to continue the town’s drinking water project that is bringing a new well online. A temporary fix left the water main above ground, but the Virginia Department of Health regulations wants underground lines in place as soon as possible.

During the closure, through-trucks will be routed along Rt. 340 to Rt. 7.

Traffic originating west of Hillsboro will skirt the town using Stony Point Road, Woodgrove Road, Allder School Road and Hillsboro Road. Only local traffic will be allowed down Cider Mill Road and only in-town residents will be allowed through town along Rt. 9 during the closure.

Learn more at ReThink9.com.

Hillsboro’s Coronavirus Fund Surpasses $15K The Hillsboro Preservation Foundation’s Coronavirus Emergency Fund TOWN NOTES continues on page 13

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APRIL 30, 2020

TOWN Notes continued from page 12

has raised more than $15,000 to provide short-term financial support for those who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fund was created in early April and provides families-in-need with up to $500.

The foundation is open to considering larger amounts in “extraordinary situations” if additional funding is available.

Individuals and families are encouraged to apply for the financial help, or to donate to the fund, at hillsboropreservation.org.

Town Launches ‘The Gap Gazette’ Email Newsletter The Town of Hillsboro this month launched “The Gap Gazette”—an email newsletter designed to keep residents updated on town happenings.

The first edition of the newsletter outlines the town’s plans for a three-week tribute to those who have been affected by or are helping to stop the spread of COVID-19; the town’s plans to close Rt. 9 through town in its entirety from May 4 to mid- to late-June to make repairs to the water main; progress on the drinking water

project; and a few other initiatives to help those in need.

One of those is seeing the town donate washable cloth masks to residents, construction and postal workers, an array of businesses and Catoctin Creek Distillery, which is manufacturing and donating hand sanitizer to medical workers. The town is also continuing to partner with Mobile Hope to facilitate the donation of nonperishable food.

Get more information at hillsborova. gov.

LOVETTSVILLE Council Appoints Mullen as Interim Town Clerk The Town Council last Thursday voted to appoint Customer Service/Administrative Specialist Lisa Mullen as interim town clerk until the town can make a permanent hire in the coming months.

According to the motion to appoint Mullen, her salary will be increased according to negotiations with Town Manager Rob Ritter.

The appointment follows Assistant Town Manager/Clerk Harriet West’s announcement that she would be leaving for a town clerk/office administrator position with the Town of Round Hill, which she’ll

begin on May 4. West started in Lovettsville in 2012 as the town clerk/administrative assistant. She was promoted to assistant to the town manager in 2016 and as assistant town manager in 2018.

Cooperative Market Making Progress on Community Garden The Lovettsville Cooperative Market continues to work to put the Lovettsville Community Garden—located in Quarter Branch Park—back in order.

Members recently have been repairing the fence and placing gutters on the shed to accommodate two rain barrels to help with watering this summer. They are also planning a cleanup day in the next few weeks. Once that’s all complete, gardeners will be allowed in.

To purchase a $10 10-by-10-foot plot for the 2020 growing season, email membership@lovettsville-grocery.com.

MIDDLEBURG Town Extends Resident, Business Financial Relief The Middleburg Town Council last Thursday voted to extend pieces of its residential and business financial relief package for another month.

PAGE 13

On March 26, the council approved a $182,000 financial relief package that sent 13 $20 meal vouchers to all in-town households, distributed $200 April utility bill credits to all customers, gave restaurants more time to remit money collected via the 4-percent meals tax and contributed $16,750 to three area nonprofit organizations. Two weeks later, the council voted to reimburse town businesses for half of the amount of their mark-down prices during sales. The town committed to spending $150,000 to support that effort.

The town has extended the deadline to redeem meals vouchers to May 30 and has extended its retail reimbursement program to June 23. Mayor Bridge Littleton said the town is now expending $400,000 on the relief initiatives.

Humane Foundation Awarded Grant The Middleburg Humane Foundation this month was awarded American Humane’s Feed the Hungry grant to continue offering food and assistance to caretakers of community cat colonies, to expand its food assistance program to include all families who need help with their companion anTOWN NOTES continues on page 14

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PAGE 14

TOWN Notes continued from page 13

imals, and to make weekly donations to a local food bank.

The foundation provides a haven for abused, neglected and at-risk animals and specializes in animal rescue and rehabilitation. On average, the 23-acre farm shelters 60 animals at a time. The shelter’s live release rate is 94 percent for dogs and 92 percent for cats.

Learn more about the foundation at middleburghumane.org. Learn more about American Humane’s efforts at americanhumane.org/feedthehungry.

PURCELLVILLE Town Mourns Death of Former Police Chief The Town of Purcellville is mourning the death of former Police Chief Darryl “Smitty” Smith, who served as chief from 2006 to 2015 and died Sunday at the age of 70.

Smith began his career in law enforcement in 1973 with the Herndon Police Department at age 22, where he was hired as the town’s first black officer. He spent 22

years in supervisory or command level positions and retired as a captain in October 2004 after 31 years of service. Smith also served on the Herndon Town Council, and as vice mayor.

Smith was sworn in as Purcellville police chief in January 2006 and retired in April 2015. While in town, he was recognized with the 2007 Virginia Municipal League achievement award for youth engagement.

In 2009, the International Association of Chiefs of Police awarded his department the Webber Seavey Award for youth engagement programs.

The town’s flags are being flown at halfstaff in honor of Smith.

Businesses Hand Out Reusable Bags for Earth Day Residents wanting to help preserve the environment in celebration of Earth Day are encouraged to stop by Giant, Burr Strength, Abernathy & Spencer, Henny’s Salon, Twigs, Atlantic Union Bank, Nostalgia or Union Bank to pick up a reusable shopping bag to use once the COVID-19 pandemic has abated.

The initiative was spearheaded by area resident Phyllis Powell and Mayor Kwasi Fraser. The two originally worked to piece the project together specifically for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. Be-

cause many businesses have prohibited the use of reusable bags, the initiative was extended indefinitely.

Debbie Cline, Powell’s daughter, said the eight participating businesses would hand out free bags from now until they run out.

Once the pandemic loosens its grips on the community, shoppers will have the chance to use the reusable bags.

Town Expands Social Media Outreach The Town of Purcellville has expanded its social media outreach to ensure that residents have the most up-to-date information on town happenings amid the coronavirus pandemic as quickly as possible.

In addition to the town website, which features a page dedicated to COVID-19 updates and a business directory, and the Purcellville Facebook account, the town recently created Nextdoor and Instagram accounts.

According to a town statement, the town’s Nextdoor account allows the Police Department to facilitate virtual neighborhood watches and share safety updates, emergency notifications, news, services and programs. Residents interested in joining Nextdoor should contact their HOAs to obtain their neighborhood access infor-

APRIL 30, 2020

mation, or go to nextdoor.com to set up an account for their neighborhoods.

The town will share photos and videos with residents on its Instagram accounts—@townofpurcellville and @ purcellville_pd, which is for the Police Department.

COVID-19 Assessment Survey Launched The Town of Purcellville has released an anonymous crowd sourcing survey created

by Illumina Consulting Group that will be used to analyze public health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey, called DoIHaveIt, will produce data the town and Illumina will analyze to better anticipate community risk and vulnerabilities before health service intervention is required and will allow the town to collaborate with county health officials. According to a town statement, multiple groups across the nation are seeking to attract survey participants to detect imminent coronavirus hot spots.

“The Town Council believes we need to leverage emerging tools in data collection and analysis to respond more quickly to emergencies and public needs,” the statement reads.

To access the survey, go to purcellvilleva.gov/944/Information-about-the-Coronavirus.

Parks & Rec Launches Virtual Events, Activities

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The Purcellville Parks and Recreation Division this month launched a series of virtual events and activities as part of the “Purcellville Strong” initiative to celebrate the community’s strength and resolve to stay united amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The division will publish daily posts at 10 a.m. on its Facebook page that offer a variety of recreational activities focused on art, nature, history, wellness and other topics.

In addition to activities, the initiative also will feature town businesses, nonprofits, art, culture and places in segments called “Around Town Tuesday” and “Feature Friday.” Businesses, organizations, musicians, and artists interested in participating should reserve a date and record a short video to be published on the parks and rec Facebook page.

Residents are also invited to print, color and share a Purcellville Strong coloring page, one of which designs will be selected to be printed on T-shirts.

Learn more at facebook.com/PurcellvilleParksandRec.

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APRIL 30, 2020

PAGE 15

Town of Leesburg Employment Opportunities Please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs for more information and to apply online.

Resumes may be submitted as supplemental only. EOE/ADA.

Attention Loudoun County!

Regular Full-Time Positions Position

Department

Salary Range

Closing Date

Police IT Systems Administrator

Police

$70,734-$120,339 DOQ

5/8/2020

Police Office Manager

Police

$56,956-$97,512 DOQ

5/8/2020

Police Officer (Virginia Lateral)

Police

$53,233-$98,772 DOQ

Open until filled

Utility Plant Technician: Trainee, Technician or Senior

Utilities

$44,905-$89,790 DOQ

Open until filled

Position

Department

Hourly Rate

Closing Date

Maintenance Worker

Utilities- Water Pollution Control or Water Supply

Summer Positions $15.00

Open until filled

To review Ida Lee (Parks & Recreation) flexible part-time positions, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs.

Most positions will be filled at or near the minimum of the range. Dependent on qualifications.

All Town vacancies may be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel 67 and Verizon FiOS Channel 35.

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APRIL 30, 2020

LoCo Living

Masked Marriages and ‘Slow’ Weddings Loudoun Couples Reinvent Tradition During COVID-19

BY JAN MERKCER jmerker@loudounnow.com

They took their masks off for the kiss.

When Faith Albers and Adrian Gerber got married last week, they took the idea of a small, intimate ceremony to a new level. Their April 20 wedding at the Loudoun County Courthouse in downtown Leesburg included just the couple and their officiant, Leesburg Town Council member Suzanne Fox. Everyone wore a mask.

This spring, Loudoun couples are postponing, retooling and rethinking their weddings in the midst of COVID-19. Some are pushing back and holding off, while others are pushing up and jumping in. The changes are creating ripples for families, venues, vendors and celebrants and in some cases inspiring creative approaches.

For Albers, 30, and Gerber, 39, of Aldie, the pandemic created a “let’s do it” moment. After a three-year engagement, the couple decided to take the plunge on a Monday in April.

“We had always planned to have a small ceremony with close friends and family, knowing that it was going to be small ... Obviously with COVID, our options became very small in terms of what we could do,” Albers said. “I feel like we kind of had to reinvent what that would look like. We said, ‘You know what—let’s do it. Let’s go to the courthouse.’”

The couple had a spring 2020 wedding in mind but hadn’t made firm plans. When Albers discovered they could make an appointment to get their marriage license and hold a civil ceremony the same afternoon, they opted for weekday vows at the courthouse. The couple are foodies and love downtown Leesburg’s restaurant scene, Albers said, but they realized many restaurants are closed for take-out on Mondays.

So they decorated their kitchen, and Gerber made a candlelit dinner.

“We made the most of it. After everything, we had nowhere to go but home. ...We honeymooned at home for a day,” Albers said. “It was really enjoyable to be at home and be in that happy moment together.”

Albers says she and her new husband have no regrets about their quiet, couple-focused ceremony. They did miss the presence of friends and family, including both sets of parents who live nearby, and

Faith Albers and Adrian Gerber of Aldie were married at the Loudoun County Courthouse on April 20. The couple plans to celebrate once social distancing mandates are relaxed.

Photos by Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

are planning a party down the road. But they’re not scheduling anything firm yet.

“I think every family wants to be involved in those special moments, but they’re happy for us, and we certainly want to have an opportunity to celebrate with them in a more social way,” Albers said.

For Albers, there’s a new paradigm in the crucible of COVID—and maybe even a new normal.

“I told a friend I felt like we were elders of yesteryear. …Weddings have become this huge thing where you spend $30, $40, $50 thousand dollars on one day. Part of me thought maybe this will be a new trend. ...

It felt so incredibly intimate,” she said. “If nothing else, it will be so memorable.”

Sally Ontiveros and her fiancé Ian Fuze have strong western Loudoun ties and were planning a big, colorful party in late May at a Lovettsville-area barn.

“It was going to be low-key, but it was going to be big because we have a lot of friends and family,” Ontiveros said. “My

family is Hispanic, and we were going to have a Mexican fiesta with a taco bar and a margarita bar and mariachis ... a big party with all the people that we love.”

Their plan at this point is to push back and scale back to a smaller event later in the summer.

“It’s just so up in the air that we just decided to take the first break we can and whenever some of this dies down, take that as an opportunity to go get married,” Ontiveros said.

Fuze’s mother, Barbara Lamborne, owns Greenstone Fields flower farm near Waterford, and Ontiveros says they’re now considering a small ceremony at the farm this summer, with hopes of a bigger party for out-of-town friends down the road.

Ontiveros calls her new approach a “slow wedding” that will likely unfold in phases.

They have a credit for a tent rental from an area small business and plan to use it for a bigger party when they can. Ontiveros, 28, says she and Fuze, 31, may have different

expectations about what a wedding is supposed to be than past generations.

“It really is just more about the couple,” Ontiveros said. “We’re kind of taking it in stride. I’ve never really had big aspirations for my wedding. I’ve always just wanted something laid back with a lot of good food and good people. I feel like we’re still getting that.”

Ontiveros is also looking at the COVID crisis from another perspective: she’s co-owner of The Hive bakery in Brunswick, MD, where she and Fuze recently bought a house. As a bride-to-be, Ontiveros said, she understands that cakes are a big investment, and both couples and small businesses need support during challenging times.

“We’re being really flexible with the wedding orders,” Ontiveros said.

Since most weddings go way beyond the couple, affecting venues, a range of vendors, celebrants, travel and lodging, when something as disruptive as COVID comes along, the ripple effects are significant. Many couples are pushing weddings back until this fall or 2021 during an already challenging time for wineries and breweries, including some of the county’s most popular wedding venues.

“The vast majority are postponing,” said Visit Loudoun’s social sales and client services manager Dana Henry, adding that most of the outright cancellations she’s seen are from military couples who don’t have flexibility to reschedule. With couples pushing back to the already popular fall timeframe, this means more couples looking at Friday and Sunday weddings with fall Saturdays already booked.

“Most venues have their own approach to this. What I can say is they’re all very willing to work with the couples to rebook the wedding within a reasonable time frame,” Henry said. “A lot of the venues are finding that they’re having Friday, Saturday, Sundays [in the fall] … With all of these weddings that have had to pivot.”

Starting in May, Stone Tower Winery near Leesburg usually hosts three weddings each weekend, said Jillian Zimmerman, senior weddings and events manager.

Zimmerman says she’s already postponed nearly 75 events this spring, including 30 weddings. The winery is giving couples a COVID WEDDINGS continues on page 17

APRIL 30, 2020

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PAGE 17

No Frame Required: Franklin Park Offers Virtual Art Show Although closed during the health crisis, Franklin Park Arts Center is creating an opportunity for visual artists to connect with the community and exhibit their artwork.

“No Frame Required” is the center’s virtual art exhibit.

Loudoun County artists and craftspeople were invited to submit up to three digital photos of their artwork in all mediums.

Organizers hoped the exhibit would be a special opportunity to show off unusual pieces that don’t

seem to fit in traditional displays.

“The eclectic nature of this virtual exhibit will only add to the excitement and provide the opportunity for audiences to see the variety of artists in our community,” according to the announcement.

COVID weddings continued from page 16 calendar year to reschedule their events, with most pushing back until this fall or the spring of 2021.

“We’re trying to make that as easy as possible on them,” Zimmerman said.

Some couples are doing small elopement ceremonies on their original dates and rescheduling their receptions, Zimmerman said. And with uncertainty continuing as the summer and fall move forward, couples are having to get creative, with some planning two-part receptions to split family and friends up into smaller groups.

“We’re hearing a lot of very innovative things that are happening,” Zimmerman said.

The shutdown in the wedding pipeline is also affecting celebrants. The Rev. Guy Johnson of Leesburg is a United Church of Christ pastor in Walkersville, MD, and a civil celebrant who performs weddings in Maryland and Virginia.

Johnson is a self-described extrovert who’s missing both his congregation and his wedding couples, and a spring without a calendar full of weddings is a big adjustment.

“As a pastor, once people know you do weddings, you never have a free Saturday for the rest of your life,” he said with a laugh.

But both Johnson and his husband have underlying health conditions, so even taking on a small ceremony would present a risk.

“Until we know what’s going to happen, I can’t take the risk of going out, doing a wedding, interacting with someone who’s asymptomatic and bringing it home. ...Two high risk people can’t take the chance,” he said. “And while I love doing weddings, I love living a little more.”

Like many celebrants, Johnson uses the Thumbtack app to connect with couples looking for officiants. Johnson has so far canceled 20 ceremonies since restrictions were announced. He still has one wedding on the books for October, but other opportunities are drying up in the face of uncertainty.

“When I tell you that it’s dried up, it’s be-

Courtesy of Brandi Richardson

For Ashlyn and Drew Bassett, a 250-guest wedding in Purcellville turned into a 12-person ceremony in Florida in the wake of COVID-19.

come a drought,” he said. “There is nothing coming down the pike.”

Weddings are also an additional source of income for the pastor of a small congregation.

“The money is a side benefit,” he said.

“To not be able to help people celebrate what should be one of the most important days of their lives and to have that denied is heartbreaking for me.”

For the Underwood and Bassett families, a canceled May wedding brought a little heartbreak but also plenty of creativity and resilience from a young couple and their families. For Ashlyn and Drew Bassett, a big wedding in Loudoun turned into a tiny wedding in Florida in just a few short weeks, while Ashlyn’s Loudoun-based family channeled their emotions into an adorable YouTube lip sync video to show support from faraway.

With help from her mom, Anne Underwood, Ashlyn Bassett, who grew up in Ashburn and now lives in Tampa, was planning a May 8 wedding for 250 people at a large venue near Purcellville. In the end, Bassett, 22, married her college sweetheart at an April 10 wedding with just a dozen guests in Florida.

“We joke that we were at Plan Z by the time that we actually did the wedding,” Bassett said.

Bassett and Underwood watched as maximum numbers rapidly dropped as the weeks moved forward the week after Governor Ralph Northam’s March 12 emergen-

cy declaration.

“We were just kind of watching it and everything was changing day by day,” Bassett said.

After the initial declaration, with gatherings of under 100 people still allowed, the couple planned to keep the wedding in Virginia with close family and their bridal party—around 50 people—at their original venue. But as the commonwealth put in place a 10-person limit, the couple realized that a Virginia wedding this spring wasn’t in the cards. Both bride and groom have large immediate and extended families, and both sides were worried about possible travel-related problems. The decision then became whether to postpone indefinitely or make a big shift. Bassett said she and her husband were ready to start their lives together, and in the context of their Christian beliefs, the celebration was secondary.

“For us it was about being able to get married, our marriage and being able to have that. Between the two options of waiting ‘til the fall or waiting ‘til next year or doing it now, it was kind of a no-brainer,” Bassett said “It doesn’t mean it wasn’t difficult. ... I was not always gracious about it, but I will say that I’ve learned a whole lot.”

The Bassetts put together a small wedding in Tampa on April 10 with a total of 12 people, including Drew’s parents and four siblings, with his sister Anna filling in as maid of honor in place of eight planned bridesmaids. Drew’s father officiated the ceremony in a friend’s backyard, followed

Nearly 100 works were submitted by more than two dozen area artists.

Most of the works are offered for sale, with prices ranging from $50 to nearly $3,000.

“No Frame Required” images launched on the Franklin Park Arts Center webpage April 17 and will continue through June 14. n

by a parade of cars filled with well-wishers.

Back in Virginia, the Underwoods dressed up and joined family and friends from around the country watching the wedding on Zoom.

“Once the day came and passed, I felt a lot of peace. I feel good about it,” Bassett said.

For Underwood, her husband Tip and Ashlyn’s siblings and their families in Virginia, the decision was tough but understandable.

“I cried really hard as the mother to not be there, to accept the reality that we’re not going to be there, that my husband can’t walk her down the aisle. It was emotional,” Anne Underwood said. “At the end of the day, we’ve said this all along: we value the marriage not the party. We want the party, we want the celebration and we want everybody to love on them. But we value the union of the marriage and them beginning their life together.”

Inspired by an upbeat viral video of a Texas father and daughter, Underwood convinced her family to create a musical tribute to her youngest child. The Underwoods, their son Austin and his wife Mckenna in Richmond, older daughter Meagan Smith, her husband Grant and their children Piper, 3, and Bishop, 2, in Ashburn, all got on board. The family created a funny and sweet Brady Bunch-style YouTube video in support of their daughter, sister and aunt with three generations lip-synching Jess Glynne’s “I’ll Be There.” The video was recorded in three separate homes in just a day, and Grant Smith edited and posted the final product by the day of the wedding.

“It just kind of came to me—we needed to do something happy to make us able to be joyful about this. Yes, we had to grieve.

We had to be sad, but she needed to know we’re okay to be joyful,” Underwood said. “I said, ‘We’ve got to go big or go home.’ That video was an expression of our pure love for Ashlyn. We’re there with you. We’ve got you. It’s going to be okay. Now go have a blast—get married and be happy.”

Check out the Underwood family’s COVID-19 wedding tribute to a faraway bride and more wedding photos in this story posted on the Loudoun Now website. n

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APRIL 30, 2020

Legal Notices TOWN OF HAMILTON PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED WATER/SEWER RATES & LAND DEVELOPMENT FEE'S (no changes) The Town of Hamilton will hold a public hearing on Monday May 11, 2020, at 7:00pm at the Hamilton Town Office, 53 E Colonial Hwy, Hamilton, VA, for the purpose of receiving comment on the proposed water/sewer rates and the proposed planning/zoning fees for the FY21 budget year. Virtual meeting available for public attendance at: https://www.hamiltonva.gov. The Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, §§ 15.2-2111, 15.2-2119, 15.2-2143 and 15.2-2122, authorize the adoption of water/sewer rates and fees. The Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, §§ 15.2-2241 and 15.2-2286, authorize the adoption of planning & zoning fees.

* * * *

PROPOSED WATER RATES - ALL PROPERTIES * IN TOWN PROPOSED RATES (no changes) ^ OUT OF TOWN PROPOSED RATES (no changes) Metered Rates Metered Rates $5.71 $12.75 $13.25 $19.00

per 1,000 gallons up to 8,000 gallons per 1,000 gallons between 8,001 and 12,000 gallons per 1,000 gallons over 12,000 gallons surcharge every 2 months

^ ^ ^ ^

$7.71 $17.21 $17.89 $19.00

per 1,000 gallons up to 8,000 gallons per 1,000 gallons between 8,001 and 12,000 gallons per 1,000 gallons over 12,000 gallons surcharge every 2 months

PROPOSED SEWER RATES - ALL PROPERTIES * IN TOWN PROPOSED RATES (no changes) ^ OUT OF TOWN PROPOSED RATES (no changes) Metered Rates Metered Rates * * * *

$10.88 $26.25 $28.88 $13.00

per 1,000 gallons up to 8,000 gallons per 1,000 gallons between 8,001 and 12,000 gallons per 1,000 gallons over 12,000 gallons surcharge every 2 months

^ ^ ^ ^

$14.68 $35.44 $38.98 $13.00

Flat Rates * *

$76.50 every 2 months $13.00 surcharge every 2 months

per 1,000 gallons up to 8,000 gallons per 1,000 gallons between 8,001 and 12,000 gallons per 1,000 gallons over 12,000 gallons surcharge every 2 months

Flat Rates ^ ^

$103.28 every 2 months $13.00 surcharge every 2 months

PROPOSED LAND DEVELOPMENT FEES (no changes) $ 5,000 Annexation Application $ 350 Appeals (Board of Zoning Appeals) $ 250 Boundary Line Adjustment/Lot Consolidation $ 750 Commission Permit $ 2,500 Comprehensive Plan Amendment $ 250 Concept Plan Review $ 150 Demolition Permit $ 4,500 Development Plan Amendment Grading Plan (Erosion & Sediment Control) $ 500 Less than 100 acres $ 1,000 100-200 acres $ 1,500 200+ acres $ 100 Home Child Care Centers (12 childern or less) $ 25 Home Occupation Permit $ 50 Occupancy Permit $ 800 Parking Waiver (per space) $ 4,500 Proffered Condition Amendment Rezoning Application $ 2,500 0-5 acres $ 3,500 5-10 acres $ 6,500 10-25 acres $ 7,500 25-100 acres $ 8,500 100+ acres

Sign Permit $ 25 Temporary $ 100 Permanent $ 500 Preliminary Site Plan Application $ 1,200 Site Plan Application $ 750 Site Plan Revision $ 500 Special Exception Application $ 1,500 Special Use Permit Subdivision Application $ 300 Preliminary Plat - Minor (3 lots or less) $ 500 Preliminary Plat - Major (4 or more lots) $ 300 Preliminary Plat Revision $ 750 Subdivision - Construction Drawings - Public Improvements $ 300 Subdivision - Final Plat $ 500 Subdivision Major (3 lots or more) $ 500 Subdivision - Final Plat Review $ 300 Trailer Permit $ 350 Variance Application Zoning Permit - New Construction $ 150 Residential $ 200 Commerical or Industrial $ 75 Accessory Structures, decks, additiona, etc NC (permit required) Interior Alterations, roof replacement, siding, etc.

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS FOR: PUMP AND HAUL SERVICES, RFP No. 223782 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, May 22, 2020.

Solicitation forms may be obtained 24 hours a day by visiting our web site at www.loudoun.gov/ procurement. If you do not have access to the Internet, call (703) 777-0403, M - F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

WHEN CALLING, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT. 04/30/20

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APRIL 30, 2020

PAGE 19

Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2020 in order to consider:

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) AMENDMENTS to the FY2019-2020 and 2020-2021 ANNUAL ACTION PLANS And CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN The Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) was adopted by the Board on April 2, 2014. The CDBG FY20192020 Annual Action Plan and the CDBG FY2020-2021 Annual Action Plan were adopted by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on March 13, 2019 and March 11, 2020, respectively. Pursuant to the CARES Act, staff is proposing that the Board amend the process in the CPP in order to address the COVID-19 emergency in a timely manner. Due to the CARES Act, the County is receiving additional CDBG funds that could be spent immediately to address the community impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Staff is proposing that the Board allocate the CARES Act CDBG funds to the CDBG FY2019-2020 budget. In addition, the County is to receive more CDBG funds than expected for FY2020-2021. Staff is proposing to redistribute a portion of this additional FY2020-2021 funding to also address the community impacts of COVID-19. The County seeks community comments to modifications of the: 1. CPP to include the expedited process to amend the Annual Action Plans during a declared emergency such as the coronavirus (COVID-19); 2. CDBG FY2019-2020 Annual Action Plan to enable CARES Act funds to be used starting in the 2020 fiscal year to address the immediate critical COVID-19 related needs; and 3. CDBG FY2020-2021 Annual Action Plan funding contingency plan to use a portion of those additional funds to address COVID-19 related needs beginning July 1, 2020.

HUD has designated Loudoun County as qualified for Urban County participation in the CDBG program and entitled to receive CDBG funding directly from HUD. HUD regulations require the adoption of the above referenced Plans which outlines the County’s housing and community development needs, priorities and objectives, and proposed use of the federal funds for the ensuing CDBG program year.

The CPP, included as part of the 2014-2018 Consolidated Plan, provides guidance for public input and participation in the development of the Annual Action Plans. The CARES Act permits an expedited process in order to deploy funding as soon as possible to help address COVID-19 related issues. The expedited process requires that the public be notified at least 5 days in advance of a public hearing and given an opportunity to comment on proposed uses of CDBG funds; permits virtual public hearings as long as national or local health authorities recommend social distancing and limiting public gatherings for public health reasons; and requires that virtual hearings provide reasonable notification and access for citizens, timely responses from local officials to all citizen questions and issues, and public access to all questions and responses.

Components of the amended Annual Action Plans include, without limitation, descriptions of: • Resources and proposed activities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19; • Federal and other resources expected to be available; • Leveraging of resources and how match obligations will be met; • The activities to be undertaken; • The geographic distribution of investment; and • Planned homeless and other special needs activities.

Copies of the proposed Plan are available and may be examined online at www.loudoun.gov/cdbg. Written comments on the Plan may be submitted via email to Sandra.Berrios@loudoun.gov through May 12, 2020.

SPEX-2019-0050 & CMPT-2019-0006 INVISIBLE TOWERS–KARMEN (Special Exception & Commission Permit)

Invisible Towers LLC, of Waterford, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) Commission approval to permit a 199-foot tall Telecommunications Monopole and associated ground equipment in the AR1 (Agricultural Rural1) zoning district; and 2) A Special Exception to permit a 199-foot tall Telecommunications Monopole in the AR1 zoning district. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Table 2102 and requires a Commission Permit in accordance with Section 61101. The modification of the Buffer Yard and Screening requirements applicable to the proposed monopole use is authorized as part of the Special Exception under Section 51409(B)(2), Waivers and Modifications, pursuant to which the Applicant requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s): ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION §51404(B), Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscaping Plans, Buffer Yards, Use Buffer Yard Matrix, Table 51404(B).

PROPOSED MODIFICATION Eliminate the required Type C buffer yard landscaping around the equipment at the base monopole.

The subject property is an approximately 1.59 acre portion of an approximately 163.88 acre parcel and is located on the south side of Lovettsville Road (Route 672), and the north side of Yakey Lane (Route 667) in the Catoctin Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 216-35-6684.The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Rural Area (Rural North Place

Type)), which designate this area for mostly Agricultural and Agricultural supportive uses with limited Residential development at a recommended density of up to one dwelling units per 20 acres.

SIDP-2019-0008 LOVETTSVILLE HOME ASSISTED LIVING (Sign Development Plan)

Lovettsville Home Assisted Living, of Lovettsville, Virginia, has submitted an application for a Sign Development Plan to request alternative sign regulations for permitted signs in order to modify Table 5-1204(D), Sign Requirements Matrix, to increase the maximum area of any one Residential Name Sign from 2 square feet to 15.8 square feet. The subject property is being developed pursuant to ZMAP-20050042, Rural Policy Area Remapping, located in the AR-1 (Agricultural Rural – 1) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and pursuant to Section 5-1202(E) alternative sign regulations for permitted signs may be requested with the submission of a Sign Development Plan. The subject property is approximately 3 acres in size and is located east of Berlin Turnpike (Route 287) and west of Milltown Road (Route 681), at 39196 Rodeffer Road, Lovettsville, Virginia, in the Catoctin Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 372-48-8868. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Rural Policy Area (Rural North Place Type)), which designate this area for Rural Economy uses and limited Residential development.

SPEX-2019-0030 BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL (Special Exception)

Medical Management International, Inc., of Minnetonka, Minnesota, has submitted an application for a Special Exception to permit an Animal Hospital use in the PC-CC-SC (Planned Development-Commercial Center-Small Regional Center) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Section 4-204(C) (1) and more specifically under 4-204(B)(11). The subject property is located partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District) and contains moderate steep slopes. The subject property is approximately 9.529 acres in size and is located on the south side of Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7), east of North Sterling Boulevard (Route 846), and west of Dranesville Road (Route 228), at 21800 Towncenter Plaza, Sterling, Virginia, in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 01439-1743. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use place type)), which designate this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreational uses.

SPEX-2019-0021 7-ELEVEN SOUTH RIDING (Special Exception)

7-Eleven, Inc., of Irving, Texas, has submitted an application for a Special Exception to permit a Car Wash use in the PD-CC-NC (Planned Development – Commercial Center – Neighborhood Center) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Section 4-204(A). The subject property is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60, aircraft noise contours and the QN (Quarry Notification) Overlay District-Chantilly Crush Stone Note Area. The subject property is approximately 2.132 acres in size and is located north of Tall Cedars Parkway (Route 2200), south of John Mosby Highway (Route 50) and east of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 606) at 25140 Loudoun County Pkwy., Chantilly, Virginia, in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 164-105-637-001. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Neighborhood Place Type)) which designate this area for predominately Residential uses with complementary Retail and Service Commercial uses.

ZRTD-2019-0007 BEAUMEADE CIRCLE PROPERTIES (Zoning Conversion in the Route 28 Taxing District)

Beaumeade Properties LLC, of Reston, Virginia, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 18.33 acres from the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance to the PD-IP zoning district under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, in order to permit all principal and accessory uses permitted in the PD-IP zoning district under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance at a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.6 (up to 1.0 by Special Exception). The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District, within the Route 28 Corridor Optional Overlay District, and within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay district, between the Ldn 60-65 aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 18.33 acres in size and is located east of Cape Court, on the west side of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607) and on the southeast

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APRIL 30, 2020

Legal Notices side of Beaumeade Circle (Route 3037) in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as: PIN

PROPERTY ADDRESS

061-40-4434

N/A

061-40-8640

N/A

061-30-3196

N/A

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area, Suburban Employment Place Type), which supports a broad array of Employment uses at a recommended FAR of up to 1.0.

Unless otherwise noted in the above notices, copies of the above-referenced amendments, applications, ordinances, and/or plans and related documents may be examined by request at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. This link also provides an additional opportunity for public input on active applications. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”). In addition, for detailed instructions on how to access documents using LOLA, to request that documents be emailed to you, to receive physical copies of documents, or to arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun

OFFICIAL VOTING INFORMATION Town Elections – Tuesday, May 19, 2020

County Government Center, please email DPZ@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246 (option 5).

All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, members of the public are encouraged to view and/or participate in the public hearing electronically. Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23, Open Band Channel 40 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/webcast. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing.

Instructions for remote participation will be forwarded to all individuals who sign-up in advance. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on May 1, 2020, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on May 13, 2020. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings.

BY ORDER OF:

PHYLLIS RANDALL, CHAIRMAN LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

4/23, 4/30 & 5/7/20

County of Loudoun, Virginia

FINAL DAY TO APPLY FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT

By Mail - Tuesday, May 12, 2020, by 5 p.m.

In Person – Saturday, May 16, 2020, by 5 p.m.

The Voter Registration Office located at 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C, Leesburg, Virginia, is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and will also be open on Saturday, May 16, 2020, from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. for curbside absentee voting ONLY. Town voters are encouraged to vote by mail (if time permits). Apply for an absentee ballot online using the Virginia Department of Elections website at www.elections.virginia.gov.

POLLING PLACES WILL BE OPEN AT 6:00 A.M. AND CLOSE AT 7:00 P.M. ON TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020.

For more information, call 703 777-0380 Judith Brown, General Registrar 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C Leesburg, Virginia 20175-8916 Email: vote@loudoun.gov

Please Note: Absentee ballots should be returned so that they are received by the Office of Elections no later than 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, Election Day, to be counted.

All town voters are reminded that strict social distancing measures will be in place on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at all polling places. Voters should remain at least 6 feet apart and only 10 people will be allowed in the polling place at any given time. Voters should expect delays when voting in person on Election Day. The Town of Purcellville election for Mayor and Town Council has been moved to the Bush Tabernacle Skating Rink for Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

The Town of Lovettsville election for Mayor and Town Council has been moved to the Lovettsville Game Protective Association (Game Club) for Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

Town elections for Hillsboro and Leesburg are held in November.

4/30 & 5/7/20

Availability of COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) AMENDMENTS to the FY2019-2020 and 2020-2021 ANNUAL ACTION PLANS And CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN The Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) was adopted by the Board on April 2, 2014. The CDBG FY20192020 Annual Action Plan and the CDBG FY2020-2021 Annual Action Plan were adopted by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on March 13, 2019 and March 11, 2020, respectively. Pursuant to the CARES Act, staff is proposing that the Board amend the process in the CPP in order to address the COVID-19 emergency in a timely manner. Due to the CARES Act, the County is receiving additional CDBG funds that could be spent immediately to address the community impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Staff is proposing that the Board allocate the CARES Act CDBG funds to the CDBG FY2019-2020 budget. In addition, the County is to receive more CDBG funds than expected for FY2020-2021. Staff is proposing to redistribute a portion of this additional FY2020-2021 funding to also address the community impacts of COVID-19. The County seeks community comments to modifications of the: 1) 2) 3)

CPP to include the expedited process to amend the Annual Action Plans during a declared emergency such as the coronavirus (COVID-19); CDBG FY2019-2020 Annual Action Plan to enable CARES Act funds to be used starting in the 2020 fiscal year to address the immediate critical COVID-19 related needs; and CDBG FY2020-2021 Annual Action Plan funding contingency plan to use a portion of those additional funds to address COVID-19 related needs beginning July 1, 2020.

HUD has designated Loudoun County as qualified for Urban County participation in the CDBG program and entitled to receive CDBG funding directly from HUD. HUD regulations require the adoption of the above referenced Plans which outlines the County’s housing and community development needs, priorities and objectives, and proposed use of the federal funds for the ensuing CDBG program year.

The CPP, included as part of the 2014-2018 Consolidated Plan, provides guidance for public input and participation in the development of the Annual Action Plans. The CARES Act permits an expedited process in order to deploy funding as soon as possible to help address COVID-19 related issues. The expedited process requires that the public be notified at least 5 days in advance of a public hearing and given an opportunity to comment on proposed uses of CDBG funds; permits virtual public hearings as long as national or local health authorities recommend social distancing and limiting public gatherings for public health reasons; and requires that virtual hearings provide reasonable notification and access for citizens, timely responses from local officials to all citizen questions and issues, and public access to all questions and responses.

Components of the amended Annual Action Plans include, without limitation, descriptions of:

LoudounNow.com

• • • • • •

Resources and proposed activities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19; Federal and other resources expected to be available; Leveraging of resources and how match obligations will be met; The activities to be undertaken; The geographic distribution of investment; and Planned homeless and other special needs activities.

Copies of the proposed Plan are available and may be examined online at www.loudoun.gov/cdbg.

Written comments on the Plan may be submitted via email to Sandra.Berrios@loudoun.gov through May 12, 2020.

4/30 & 5/7/20

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

APRIL 30, 2020

PAGE 21

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) The Town of Leesburg will accept sealed proposals in the Procurement Office, 25 W. Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176, until 3:00 p.m. on May 20, 2020 for the following:

RFP NO. 100120-FY20-47 TOWN WIDE HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES The Town of Leesburg is requesting sealed proposals from qualified firms to provide technical support necessary to maintain a Health, Safety and Environmental Program that complies with all applicable local, state, and federal regulations.

For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard 4/30/20

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

Case No.:

JJ044071-01-00, 02-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

,

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Abigail Rivera Hernandez Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Nelson Bismarck Rivera Espinoza, putative father and Rosibel Hernandez Zepeda, mother The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-252 for Abigail Rivera Hernandez, and hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-278.2 and 16.1-281 for Abigail Rivera Hernandez.

It is ORDERED that Nelson Bismarck Rivera Espinoza, putative father and Rosibel Hernandez Zepeda, mother appear at the above-named Court and protect their interests on or before April 29, 2020 at 3:00 pm for Adjudication, and June 3, 2020 at 3:00 pm for Dispositional Hearing.

4/16, 4/23, 4/30, & 5/7/20

NOTICE OF ABANDONED BICYCLES Notice is hereby given that the bicycles described below were found and delivered to the Office of the Sheriff of Loudoun County; if the owners of the listed bicycles are not identified within sixty (60) days following the final publication of this notice, the individuals who found said bicycles shall be entitled to them if he/she desires.

All unclaimed bicycles will be handled according to Chapter 228.04 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County.

Description Black Fuji Silhouette One 7 with white and blue masterlock device

Case Number

Recovery Date

Recovery Location

Phone Number

SO200006214

4/8/2020

46666 Sugarland Rd., Sterling

571-258-3497 4/30, 5/7/20

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 22

Legal Notices COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.:

JJ024579-08-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Resource Directory Tax Preparation (Individual & Business)

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

Stewart C. Petchenick ,

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Isaiah Matos Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Earl Marshal, putative father The object of this suit is to hold a dispositional hearing and review of foster care plan in connection with permanent foster care disruption pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-281 and 63.2-908(H) for Isaiah Matos.

It is ORDERED that the defendant, Earl Marshal, putative father appear at the above-named Court and protect his interests on or before May 19, 2020 at 2:00 pm.

4/16, 4/23,4/30, & 5/7/20

Certified Public Accountant

(703) 901-2494

petchenickstewartcpa@gmail.com

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Class A Contractor

The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Beer, Wine and Liquor license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

Charles Scheeh (Owner), Lauren Barrett (Owner) 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.

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Construction CONSTRUCTION

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APRIL 30, 2020

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APRIL 30, 2020

PAGE 23

Resource Directory Handyman C & Brothers Home Improvement, LLC 20 Years of Experience FRE Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling, ESTIMATEE S! Decks, General Handyman Services Cristian Arias 240-413-5827 | 240-413-5673 candbrothers@gmail.com

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PAGE 24

APRIL 30, 2020

Opinion Ongoing Responsibility In a week when the number of known COVID-19 cases in the U.S. surpassed 1 million, many states are beginning to scale back social distancing requirements and allow more businesses and recreational areas to reopen.

What is clear at this point is that the medical community is continuing to learn about the behavior of the virus, testing lags to provide critical information on its spread, and that no amount of government aid will be enough to offset the economic damage the shutdown has brought.

As Gov. Northam begins to weigh options to allow close-contact businesses to reopen, it will be important to recognize that there shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach. The threat levels, medical capabilities and capacities, and scale of community interactions, will be different in Danville or Covington than in Loudoun or Fairfax.

When the time comes to consider a reduction in the business and recreation restrictions, localities or regions should be given the authority to tailor public health policies to address their specific conditions. Here, Loudoun has a strong coalition of community

LETTERS to the Editor

leaders in the business, hospitality, medical, education and nonprofit sectors who recognized and share the same priorities—to promote a healthy economy and high quality of life. Inherent in those goals is the protection of the health of our families and neighbors. They should have a voice in when and how to safely reopen the county’s gathering points, from restaurants to wineries.

We—well, most of us—have adopted the important social distancing behaviors that will continue to be critical in the months ahead. When we are again permitted to see our favorite server during a night out on the town, there won’t be handshakes or hugs, and masks may be with us for quite a while even in sparsely attended public spaces. While we are coping with a public health emergency, it is clear that it will only be solved with everyone taking personal responsibility to protect their neighbors. That won’t go away with the expiration of a governor’s order.

n

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

EDITORIAL Renss Greene, Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com

Hold Your Wallets Editor: It is unsurprising that the Board of Supervisors so cruelly and selfishly raised property taxes. While 26.5 million Americans lost their jobs in five weeks and untold millions will yet lose their jobs, the board saw fit to maintain a lifestyle that Loudoun can no longer afford.

At a time of record mortgage forbearance, the board raised everyone’s property tax, which raises everyone’s escrow payment, which raises everyone’s mortgage payment. The board has the audacity to hypocritically carp about making housing more affordable in Loudoun, and then unilaterally they made housing less affordable. There is only one way the board can make housing more affordable

Jan Mercker, Reporter jmercker@loudounnow.com Kara C. Rodriguez, Reporter krodriguez@loudounnow.com Patrick Szabo, Reporter pszabo@loudounnow.com

in the county—by lowering property taxes. Instead, they chose the easy and comfortable solution to raise taxes.

The board’s tax hike is unsurprising because they have made a series of poor financial choices. They have overfunded LCPS year-after-year with budget increases double the rate of enrollment growth and allowed LCPS to become accustomed to an unsustainable level of compensation. According to the now-obsolete county FY21 budget, the county’s current $1,918,950,887 debt grows $100 million every year. The board paid $15 million for the construction of the Loudoun United stadium in Leesburg that will remain silent this year and the LETTERS continues on page 25

ADVERTISING Susan Styer, Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.com Tonya Harding, Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.com

Loudoun Now is delivered by mail to more than 44,000 Loudoun homes and businesses, with a total weekly distribution of 47,000.

APRIL 30, 2020

LETTERS to the Editor continued from page 24

promised payments to the county unlikely to materialize.

Then there is the question if property tax payments will materialize?

Will the Dulles Town Center, which is the largest taxpayer in Loudoun, be able to survive? Malls were already in a bad position. Dulles Town Center already had several key vacancies. Commercial tenants have stopped paying rent. Will the mall be forced to become then next Loudoun data center? Will commercial property owners, as well as private property owners, be able to remit their increased property tax payments?

And, of course, there is the Silver Line extension to Loudoun. Metro was already a financial mess when the board foolishly bought into it and obligated the county to help pay for the system. A key metric for Metro is ridership because the ticket sales enable Metro to finance the debt that it needs to survive. According to WMATA’s website, Metro ridership is down an astounding 88 percent from last year. Worse yet, transportation experts now prognosticate there will be a shift to automobiles as people avoid germ-filled public transportation in the future. Metro will have grave financial difficulties and Loudoun is now party to those difficulties.

Hold on to your wallets folks, more private money will be needed to pay for our never-ending public sector mistakes.

— David Dickinson, Leesburg

Lessons Learned Editor: The global pandemic has affected everyone. Our routines are disrupted as we shelter in place. The ways we work, shop, gather, communicate, and celebrate are not the same anymore.

While the global pandemic is front and center in the news and in our lives, another global crisis silently continues. Activists are reluctant to bring it up, but some realize that now is the time. Of course, I am referring to climate change. It’s been postulated that COVID-19 is Mother Earth’s way to find relief from the negative impacts human activity, which have reached unparalleled proportions. In fact, we are in a new geologic era called the Anthropocene, so named due to the overwhelming global evidence that atmospheric, geologic,

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

hydrologic, biospheric and other earth system processes are now altered by humans. The balance of nature is lost. Now, extreme weather events, such as drought, flood, wildfire, super-storms, or extended cold snaps, threaten our lives. Our lifestyle is unraveling.

There are lessons learned from the global pandemic that can be applied to the global climate crisis. First, our society can make rapid and radical change. Second, compassion and caring motivate ordinary people to provide unmet needs for those of us, such as health care workers, at risk. Third, when the intensity of human life on Earth is diminished by sheltering in place or lock down, the resiliency of nature is witnessed: air and water become clearer; fish return to canals in Venice; the Himalayas can be seen from 120 miles away for the first time in 30 years; NASA satellite images show dramatic drops in air pollution in China as industry shuts down; similar changes are observed in Southern California when commuting to work stopped.

While there are so many uplifting examples of nature being restored, the white elephant in the room is climate change. Carbon dioxide is the primary green house. It remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. We have already emitted enough carbon dioxide that we are locked into a 20 C increase in average global temperature. When the pandemic is over, if we return to business as usual, there will be a 50 C to 60 C warming. Already, the Earth has warmed by 10 C and extreme weather events have become more frequent in the U. S. and beyond. Can we withstand 50 C to 60 C warming?

The pandemic has changed us and we don’t want to survive the pandemic unchanged. Can we build a life-sustaining society that turns: exploitation (of either people or natural resources) into respect; extraction of natural resources into regeneration; and competition into cooperation? Do we realize that this is the only viable way forward? Business as usual got us to where we are now.

In Loudoun, we have a unique challenge: the huge amount of energy required to power data center alley is generated by Dominion Power from dirty fossil fuels. We cannot return to business as usual. Dirty fossil fuels must be replaced with clean renewables. Make sure to tell your legislators at all levels of government.

— Natalie Pien, Leesburg

PAGE 25

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Boxes of fruits and vegetables are loaded from a Coastal Sunbelt truck directly into a customer’s van at The National Conference Center’s drive-through market Friday, April 24. Three restaurant suppliers and Bear Chase Brewery offered curbside pickup for groceries and beer ordered in advance, and the drive-through market will be back again this Friday. Preorder at conferencecenter.com.

Obituaries Kenneth Raymond Dant Kenneth Raymond Dant, 89, of Lovettsville, Virginia passed from this life on Wednesday, April 15th at Country Meadows of Frederick, MD. Born on June 25, 1930 at Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C., he is the son of Raymond William Dant and Mary Dant.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Patricia G. Dant. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Bonnie Giuffre and husband Michael, Steve Dant and wife Denise, his brother Donald Dant and sister Janet Daymude. His grandchildren include Jaime Senesi, Lisa Wahl, Kyle Dant and Michelle Small. He has six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Roberta Broughman and husband Wayne, son, James K Dant, twin daughters (that passed shortly after their birth), sisters Joyce Burgess and Joan Hemminger, and grandson Joseph Dant.

Kenneth served his country as a member of the D.C. National Guard and as a sergeant in the U.S. Army.

He was employed with the U.S. Geological Survey until his retirement in January

1986. He was named a Melvin Jones Fellow by the Lions Club International Foundation -the highest form of recognition conferred by the foundation for his dedication and hard work with the Lovettsville Lions Club.

Ken coached little league sports for many years. He also enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, and was an avid golfer. Ken is well known for his kindness and integrity. He was very much loved, and will be greatly missed by family and friends.

Ken attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Petersville, Md. where he will be laid to rest.

A public Celebration of Ken’s Life will be announced at a later date.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at www.staufferfuneralhome.com In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation, Hospice of Frederick County, MD or to St. Mary’s Church in Petersville, MD or to the charity of one’s choice.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at www.staufferfuneralhome.com.

Florence Barondes Aged 98

Services will be private. Condolences may be left at www.colonialfuneralhome.com.

ALWAYS ONLINE AT LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 26

Reopening continued from page 1 together different from how things are now, with some businesses reopening with strict safety restrictions, continued social distancing and teleworking, and face masks still recommended in public.

Northam said the earliest that could happen would be May 8.

The signs in Loudoun are hopeful.

On a Facebook live stream with County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), Goodfriend said the numbers in Loudoun are much lower than anticipated a month ago—because Loudouners are practicing social distancing, and it’s working. Loudouners, he said, are “doing everything they can do not to get infected and not to spread their infection to others, because we know there are a lot of folks who may never know they were infected but could spread it to others.”

He said there are some signs Loudoun may be near the peak in terms of new infections, but with infected people taking as long as two weeks to show symptoms, it can be hard to tell. And, he said, relaxing social distancing will also mean a new jump in cases, with the same lag in finding out about new infections.

“When you think of it again as a faucet or a spigot, we’re at a fairly slow drip right now,” Goodfriend said. “… When that’s loosened up, that water’s going to be running for a while before we realize we may have loosened it too much. So, critical to that is very good testing throughout the county, good contact investigation, and before we loosen up, a decrease in percentages of tests that are coming back positive.”

The number of COVID-19 cases across the world exceeded 3 million on Monday, with nearly one-third in the U.S. In Virginia, the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients exceeded 2,000 for the first

time, as the death toll climbed to 458, including 12 in Loudoun County.

The Loudoun County Health Department was reporting 628 cases as of Sunday evening, with 78 hospitalizations. At the same time last week, there had been 446 known cases locally, a 39 percent increase.

The number of hospitalizations increased 12 percent during that period.

During his public briefing Monday afternoon, Northam said the commonwealth’s testing capacity has increased by 41 percent over the past week, up to 4,000 tests per day. According to the latest figures, just over 80,000 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Virginia to date, equivalent to 0.94 percent of the total population. About 0.8 percent of Loudoun residents have been tested.

Northam said that when testing began, samples were being sent to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta for processing and that the efforts to ramp up in-state testing were hampered by a lack of needed

APRIL 30, 2020

supplies.

“We’ve come a long way in just over six weeks,” he said, adding he expects Virginia’s testing capacity to increase to 10,000 or more per day. “The testing is improving every day.”

He also encouraged Virginians to keep observing social distancing and other precautions.

“You aren’t just protecting yourself, you’re protecting other people, and that is the most important part of these efforts,” Northam said. “None of us is in this alone.

All of our decisions impact other people, other Virginians.” And, he said, “as soon as we can put this health crisis behind us, we will be able to get our economy up and running again.”

“People are anxious to go back into society, but the last thing they want is to have that faucet open too soon or too much, and we find we’re back where we were a month ago where we’re on a steep curve,” Goodfriend said. n

Legal Notices NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES

ORDER OF PUBLICATION COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316, 317

This notice is to inform the owner and any person having a security interest in their right to reclaim the motor vehicle herein described within 15 days after the date of storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody, and the failure of the owner or persons having security interests to exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver by the owner, and all persons having security interests of all right, title and interest in the vehicle, and consent to the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction.

Case No.:

This notice shall also advise the owner of record of his or her right to contest the determination by the Sheriff that the motor vehicle was “abandoned”, as provided in Chapter 630.08 of the Loudoun County Ordinance, by requesting a hearing before the County Administrator in writing. Such written request for a hearing must be made within 15 days of the notice.

The subject of this suit is to obtain divorce from the bond of matrimony.

YR. 2001

MAKE

YAMAHA

MODEL

RAPTOR

VIN

JY4AM01371A000444

STORAGE

AL’S TOWING

PHONE#

703-435-8888 04/30 & 05/07/20

Town of Leesburg Continues Water Valve Exercise and Maintenance Program Public Notification The Town of Leesburg is continuing a preventative maintenance program to protect the longevity and operation of the water system infrastructure and valves. This valve exercise program requires closing, then opening each main line valve and service line valves in specific distribution areas.

The purpose of the program is to exercise main line valves throughout the distribution system to assure reliable operation and maintain water quality. During this program, crews will exercise the valves by operating each valve through a full cycle and returning it to its normal position. Where valves are exercised, a fire hydrant will be flowed to ensure that the water in the main remains clear.

During the valve turning exercise, customers may experience some sediment or discolored water for a short period of time. Water is safe to drink and safe to use during this period. If this condition is noticed, we recommend running several cold water taps at full force for a period of 1-2 minutes. It may be necessary to repeat this process after 30 minutes. In addition, the closing and opening of valves may introduce air into water lines which can cause temporary erratic water flow. If this occurs, open your cold water tap until a clear steady flow of water is observed.

The valve exercising will occur April through November during the hours of 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Town regrets any inconvenience the maintenance program may cause. If you have any questions regarding our valve exercising program, or have any concerns about water quality, please call the Utilities Department at 703-737-7075. For after-hour emergencies, please call the Leesburg Police Department at 703-771-4500.

4/9, 4/16, 4/23 & 4/30/20

JJ035094-05-00,

Loudoun Circuit Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Bhasmang A Bhatt v. Ami Bhasmang Bhatt

It is ORDERED that Bhasmang A Bhatt appear at the above-named Court and protect his interests on or before July 10, 2020 at 10:00 am.

4/23, 4/30, 5/7 & 5/14/20

TOWN OF LEESBURG DEPARTMENT OF UTILITIES NOTICE OF WATER MAIN FLUSHING The Town of Leesburg will conduct controlled flushing of water mains throughout the Town beginning April through June 30th, 2020. This preventative maintenance program is essential for maintaining the Town’s high standards of water quality.

Water mains are flushed by opening fire hydrants and allowing them to flow freely for a short period of time. The flushing cleans out sediment, removes air which may accumulate in the water mains and restores chlorine levels in areas of limited use, thereby, reducing the potential for bacteriological contamination.

Water is safe to drink and safe to use during flushing. However, flushing may result in temporary discoloration and sediment in the water. If discoloration or sediment is evident, the Town recommends residents avoid doing laundry until the discoloration subsides. Flushing may also introduce air into the water, which may temporarily cause erratic flow. If this occurs, open your cold water tap until a clear steady flow of water is observed.

Some residents and businesses may experience lower pressure during the flushing in their neighborhood. The Town regrets any inconvenience the flushing operation may cause.

Please call the Utilities Department at 703-737-7075 for further information. For after-hour emergencies, call the Leesburg Police Department at 703-771-4500.

4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21 & 5/28/20

APRIL 30, 2020

COVID funding continued from page 1 natural disaster, not on a nationwide scale.

“It was never designed for a 50-state, 328-million-person population,” Byrd said.

The system, “buckled under the stress just because it became overwhelmed.”

What that has meant for some business owners is a waiting game to see if there is financial relief in sight. Flint Anderson’s Leesburg-based arborist company, treelife, is one of them. Although Anderson’s business is considered an essential service and he is able to keep working, he and wife Jennifer Brady aren’t sure if or when the work volume will decrease. The company applied for both the disaster loan and PPP program for its four-employee company, but has not heard if it has been approved for either.

“We don’t know the economic impact of a decrease in clients contacting him, clients [not] having funds to hire him. For us, our impact could be more delayed. Right now, we’re able to keep people onboard,” Brady said.

A hearty storm season, particularly in Leesburg, and clients in rural areas needing trees cleared to improve their internet connections have kept the business busy, she said.

Brady has contemplated seeking government assistance for the Leesburg Farmers Market that she manages, which is also still running.

Election delay continued from page 3 Brown said on Monday her staff has been searching for such a law but has yet to find it.

Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton said his Town Council might also petition for the 16-day delay to June 4. He said that might be done as a joint petition with Lovettsville, Purcellville and Round Hill. Littleton said the Middleburg council individually might also petition the state Supreme Court to delay the June 23 Republican primary by 16 days to July 9 to keep the elections 30 days apart from each other. Northam earlier this month used his executive powers to delay the primary by 14 days, from June 9.

If the town elections are held before July 1, that would be in line with the stances of many Loudoun candidates, who have petitioned for elections to be held any date prior to June 30—the date when the terms of four mayors and 18 Loudoun Town Council members expire.

Northam’s order to delay the munic-

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“All of our expenses have gone up,” since the pandemic hit, she said.

Those expenses include needing more staffing and volunteers to help enforce social distancing restrictions when the market is running on Saturdays in the Virginia Village shopping center, as well as more supplies. On non-market days, the staff is working around the clock to launch an online system to accommodate shoppers who are not able to come to the market, she said.

Paul Bice also finds himself and his John Marshall Bank staff working long hours to accommodate the influx of customers who need help processing their loans. When the window for applications opened April 3, his staff worked through the weekend, he said, and many long hours have ensued since. Bice, the bank’s regional vice president, estimates the bank has probably processed close to $175 million to $200 million in loans, with an average loan request of $230,000 to $240,000.

It’s not a money maker for the bank by any means. Banks fund the loans out of their financial statements at 0-percent interest for two months, with the SBA fully guaranteeing the loan.

“We’re still pulling the loan out of our corporate pocket to fund these deals, but we want to do that,” Bice said. “We’re very adamant about helping because we see the small business community as the backbone of the economy.”

And while it has not been a profitable venture for John Marshall and other banks,

it’s formed quite a many relationships.

There’s been many calls from businesses that had been using another bank that was unable, or perhaps unwilling, to help them, and John Marshall was able to help.

“If I’m on the side of the road and I’ve got a flat tire and you stop and help me, I won’t forget that,” he analogized. “Small business owners won’t forget that, and we recognize that.

We all have been in situations where we need help and the last thing we want to do is profit from that. We do not profit at all from this, but we strengthen, grow, and solidify relationships and that’s what we’re all about.”

Some Loudoun businesses have been successful in securing federal loans.

Ford’s Fish Shack Owner Tony Stafford was invited to The White House on Tuesday to speak about the impact the coronavirus crisis is having on restaurants, alongside President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchi. Stafford talked about how the PPP loan Ford’s received has allowed him to bring back more than 100 laid off employees.

“Over the last six weeks, my three restaurants have been devastated,” he said, noting that he told the employees his team would fight “every day, tooth and nail to get them back into the restaurants.”

“With the help of the PPP loan … I’m going to be able to keep that promise and bring every one of those employees back,” Stafford said.

Another business owner successful in securing around $150,000 in PPP funding was Kristen Shehadi, who said the money will keep her Ashburn-based GLOW Studios salon afloat for the next few months.

The salon was forced to close in mid-March as part of Gov. Ralph Northam’s mandates, and Shehadi does not anticipate reopening prior to mid-May, if not later.

“The goal for me is I want that money to last until mid-June,” she said.

Shehadi is confident that she will be able to rehire her 16 employees and pay her rent and utilities with the funding she secured. It also helped that the business had adequate funds in the bank, and customers who bought $10,000 in gift cards when the business was forced to close. They may have been able to last without the funding, “But it would’ve been a lot scarier,” she admitted.

When she is able to re-open, Shehadi and her staff are doing their best to forecast customer demand, and also ensure adequate social distancing is maintained in the salon, with extended hours. She is also bracing for when her paperwork to have her loan forgiven is due back to the bank within the next six months.

“That’s going to be a whole other ballgame,” she predicted. “There’s definitely very strict regulations around how the money can be used. You really need to make sure you’re allocating the money in the right ways. I’m trying really hard to keep a strict spreadsheet.” n

ipal elections by two weeks came after he requested the Virginia General Assembly delay the elections to Nov. 3, the same day as the 2020 General Election.

Last Wednesday, during its annual veto session, the House of Delegates voted narrowly in favor of the governor’s budget amendment to delay the elections, but hours later the Senate voted to kill the amendment.

During Senate deliberations, Sen. Jill Vogel (R-27), whose Senate district includes the Town of Middleburg, said it would be wrong to throw ballots out that have already been cast. She argued there would also be administrative concerns about running two “totally separate elections” on the same day on Nov. 3.

In supporting Northam’s request, Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36), who represents parts of Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford counties, said that delaying the elections to November would protect more Virginians from contracting COVID-19.

He asserted that coronavirus is killing 22 Virginians each day—a statistic he bolstered by pointing out that the entire Virginia Senate would be dead from the virus

in 48 hours at that rate.

“Pretty soon COVID is going to be the number one cause of death in the United States of America,” he said. “We’re in a pandemic, this hasn’t happened since 1918.”

Following Northam’s announcement that he would delay the elections to May 19, the League of Women Voters voiced its support of the decision. “Even two weeks can give election workers more time to prepare for social distancing at the polls,” stated League President Deb Wake in an April 24 statement, adding that the league is still encouraging absentee voting.

Northam and other leaders are strongly urging town voters to cast absentee ballots.

The last day for voters to request absentee ballots is May 12. Voters must ensure the county Office of Elections receives their ballots by May 19.

Voter turnout in this year’s town municipal elections could be lower than in previous years. And with a relatively small number of voters typically participating in the bi-annual municipal elections, and more voters choosing absentee vot-

ing than ever, enforcing social distancing measures at the polls may not be difficult.

Two years ago, the same five Loudoun towns that participated in the elections drew a 31-percent turnout, a total of 2,747 voters. Of those, only 96 voted absentee.

In Purcellville, 1,652 voters cast in-person ballots two years ago—about 130 voters per hour during the 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. polling period.

In Hamilton and Round Hill—where 67 and 66 voters took to the polls in 2018, respectively—it would be possible for one voter at a time to enter the polling place every 12 minutes throughout the day.

Brown said the county Office of Elections will allow only 10 people at a time in each polling place on May 19, including election officers.

This year, as of Monday, 1,880 of the 9,523 registered voters in Hamilton, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville and Round Hill had requested absentee ballots. That’s 68 percent of the overall voter turnout in 2018. Brown said the county Office of Elections has received 753 of those absentee ballots back. n

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PAGE 28

APRIL 30, 2020

WARTERFIELD HAMLET COMING SOON

COVID–19 UPDATE First and foremost I sincerely hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.

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