Loudoun Now for Sept. 16, 2021

n LOUDOUN

Pg. 4 | n LEESBURG

VOL. 6, NO. 43

Pg. 8 | n PUBLIC SAFETY

Pg. 12 | n OBITUARIES

Pg. 21 | n PUBLIC NOTICES

We've got you covered. In the mail weekly. Online always at LoudounNow.com

School Enrollment Again Declines

BY HAYLEY BOUR

hbour@loudounnow.com

Despite Loudoun’s growing population and the opening of two new schools this fall, public school enrollment has declined for the second consecutive year, according to preliminary counts released this week.

The district reported 81,318 students enrolled at the start of the new school year, down from 84,175 in 2019. The projected enrollment, calculated using the growth rate of the county population, was 87,619. However, when the School Board adopted its budget, members scaled back that projection to 85,866, fearing the postCOVID rebound would be slower.

Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Services Asia Jones said that these numbers are still preliminary. The official enrollment report will be presented to the School Board on Sept. 30. However, it’s unlikely that students left out of the count or late enrollees will come close to filling those thousands of empty seats. Jones said that typically, during the first month of a school year, enrollment increases by 100 to 500 students.

A number of factors have been cited, including a lack of virtual learning options for students who found success at home last year, continuing COVID safety concerns, and the high-profile battles over equity and other social issues.

Virtual From Home a Better Fit When schools shut down in March 2020, Loudoun-based social worker Pam Haefner noticed her phones were quieter, as fewer parents were calling for services for their high school-aged children.

“For some kids, whose anxiety was high, it actually was a help to be home.

Being home allowed that to have a calm-

Pg. 26

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

More Shots Coming; County Staff Faces Vaccination Mandate

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

Hayley Bour/Loudoun Now

Amar Athikam, center, a father of two elementary school students, and other parents protest for a virtual learning option outside of the Loudoun Public Schools Administration Building in Ashburn during Tuesday’s School Board meeting.

er, less anxiety-provoking situation. For them, it was a Godsend,” Haefner said.

Those families found virtual school and homeschooling to be a permanent solution to students struggles in conventional classrooms.

“Families who would not consider homeschooling prior to the pandemic, because of COVID, they saw how their child did and that they actually still could learn quite well, they are now moving to homeschool, because for their child, it was actually better,” Haefner said. “The pandemic allowed families to try this out and make that switch, because for some kids it

was a better situation.”

In 2020, as schools shifted from in-person learning to virtual, droves of parents across Virginia opted to homeschool.

That year, the percentage of students in the state who homeschool increased by 48%.

To homeschool in Virginia, parents simply need to provide their school district a Notice of Intent. At the end of each school year, students must show evidence of achievement by meeting criteria designated by the Virginia Department of Education.

Loudoun County government employees and contractors working in county facilities will be required to get vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 tests after a surprise vote at the Board of Supervisors’ Sept. 8 meeting.

Supervisors directed County Administrator Tim Hemstreet to establish a policy making weekly tests for COVID-19 a condition of employment for county government and library employees, which is waived upon producing proof of full vaccination. A similar policy will be developed for county contractors working inside county facilities, and constitutional officers—for whom many human resources and payroll responsibilities are handled by the county administration—have the option to opt in.

COVID-19 vaccines are free, and the county, not the employees, will cover the cost of testing.

“We cannot have people who are unvaccinated not knowing if they have COVID, not getting tested and not masked,” said County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large). She added: “The moment your decision impacts my body, then I think we have to have a bigger conversation about these things, and not getting a

ENROLLMENT continues on page 26

VACCINES continues on page 35

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Supervisors Hear Last Push on Short Hill Cell Tower

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

After the penultimate meeting on a proposal by AT&T to build a 125-foot monopole on top of Short Hill Mountain, it remains unclear what supervisors will decide.

A public hearing on Wednesday night brought out one last push from area resi-

dents in opposition, along with a renewed effort from AT&T to secure approval. The latter included meetings with county supervisors, advertising campaigns, lobbying by state Sen. John J. Bell (D-13), and lining up support from business organizations and private citizens.

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (DAt Large) said the board has gotten 221 comments on the application, with 138 opposed. Of the 71 responses that she said

were apparently form letters from AT&T signed by individuals, some were not from Loudoun County.

Many of the people who have been most vocal against the application are veterans of the community’s previous battle on the site, against AT&T’s proposal to build a facility on top of the mountain that experts said appeared to be a data center, although the company continues to deny that. And local opponents, preservation

organizations, the Planning Commission and county planners point out the county’s comprehensive plan specifically prohibits building on top of ridgelines, even naming Short Hill Mountain.

“What I hope is that you’ll understand that there is more to this,” said Peter Weeks, president of Friends of the Blue MONOPOLE continues on page 33

Early Voting Opens Amid Tightening Governor’s Race As Virginia voters begin casting ballots Friday at the start of early voting, some polls are showing the governor’s race tightening significantly—an observation being touted by both candidates.

For Democrat Terry McAuliffe, the latest polling data is being deployed as a fundraising tool. For Republican Glenn Youngkin, it’s evidence that Virginians are ready for a change.

“One poll this close could be a fluke, two polls could be a coincidence, but these close polls just keep coming. This race is officially a nailbiter,” the Democratic Party of Virginia wrote in one fundraising email last week. “Virginia is THE battleground state of 2021, and Donald Trump will stop at nothing to make sure his guy wins so he can give his 2024 presidential run a huge

momentum boost.”

“The results are in! WPA Intelligence recently released a survey that has me leading Terry McAuliffe by two points.

This is excellent news as early voting starts in less than a week. I want to thank everyone for working hard and for your support as we enter the final stretch of this election,” read a Youngkin campaign email the same day.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin speaks at an event in front of the Loudoun County school administration building on July 1.

Youngkin, Carson Spotlight Public School Concerns at Loudoun Rally

BY HAYLEY BOUR

hbour@loudounnow.com

Loudoun teachers and parents shared a stage with former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin during a Sept. 8 Save Our Schools rally at Lansdowne Resort.

The rally drew 1,000 people, including School Board member John Beatty

(Catoctin), and was presented by Fight for Schools and 1776 Action. The event aimed mobilize Loudouners to push back against the school division’s progressive teachings, and to highlight Youngkin’s proposed plans for the commonwealth.

Parents aligned with Fight for Schools resist the school district’s iniYOUNGKIN continues on page 16

While some polls show a tight race, most give McAuliffe an advantage of 2 to 9 percentage points. The average of polls followed be RealClear Politics this week gave the Democrat a 5.2-point advantage.

Both candidates made campaign stops last week in Loudoun County, where voters have supported the winning candidates in all but two of the gubernatorial races in the past 50 years. n

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe speaks to Ashby Ponds residents during a Sept. 10 campaign stop.

McAuliffe Pushes for Vaccine Mandates in Ashburn Visit

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe stumped at the Ashby Ponds retirement community Friday morning to highlight his call to the owners of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other residential facilities serving seniors to require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees.

In recent weeks, the Democratic nominee has made similar calls for vaccine mandates for health care workers, K-12 school divisions, and colleges.

The vaccination requirement is one element of his nine-point plan to support senior citizens in the commonwealth. His plan also includes efforts to lower medicine and medical costs and to promote MCAULIFFE continues on page 16

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 4

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Loudoun

Mobile Home Park Residents March to Keep Their Homes

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Leesburg Mobile Home Park residents marched down Market Street in Leesburg on Sept. 8 to ask for help as the land under their homes is being sold for millions.

The residents of the mobile home park have been notified that the property, the site of 86 lots walking distance from downtown Leesburg, is to be sold for $11 million.

The owner and likely purchaser have not responded to inquiries from Loudoun Now. But the sale price makes people in the park worry they’ll be kicked off the land many have called home their entire lives—and the only place for miles around they can afford to live.

Last Wednesday, dozens of residents and supporters marched through afternoon traffic to raise awareness and ask the county Board of Supervisors for help, an event organized by New Virginia Majority. A long line of people waited to speak during the board’s public comment sessions. Park resident Dinora Vasquez, speaking through interpreter Vanessa Prudencio, told supervisors of her struggles to afford the mobile home she lives in, and to care for her wheelchair-bound, disabled daughter, who gets in and out of her home with a chair lift. She said she doesn’t have anywhere else to go.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Residents of the Leesburg Mobile Home Park march down Market Street to the Sept. 8 Board of Supervisors meeting to ask for help. The property is expected to be sold for $11 million, and residents believe they’ll be forced to move.

“We are human beings. We are complete families who are suffering as a result for this massive potential displacement,” she said.

“It is a very peaceful trailer park. There’s no delinquency. It’s a healthy area of humble and hardworking people,” said Kathrine Escobar, speaking for her grandmother.

“We live on what little we have, many of us seniors. We could not live elsewhere. Our incomes are not enough. It would strip us of the only thing we have.”

Supervisors offered them little. County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said it was more of a Town of Leesburg issue than

a county government issue.

“There are two things you should know—one, Leesburg is not under the jurisdiction of the county government, and from all that we have been told, there is not going to be any displacement of residents for, at the very least, 18 months, and possibly up to three years,” Randall said.

Where those people will go in 18 months—or three years—remains unclear.

The calls for assistance, so far unanswered, also brought up supervisors’ affordable housing work. Asked if his office had any program to help the residents in the mobile home park, Commissioner of the Revenue Bob Wertz pointed out that even if the decades-old mobile homes actually can move again, there may be no place for them in Loudoun at any price.

“I listened to the folks that came to talk about the mobile home park tonight, and it’s been something that the county has prohibited for some time, and permits mobile homes for tenant house and temporary housing while you’re building a house, but it’s prohibited in other areas,” Wertz said.

“Maybe that’s something that the board needs to look at. I know it’s not popular, but if you’re really going to have a conversation about affordable housing, it’s an option.”

Mobile home park residents next plan to speak before the Leesburg Town Council. n

Supervisors Vote for 40-Cent Cigarette Tax

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

Loudoun will join its surrounding states and localities in levying a tax on cigarettes, at the state-allowed maximum of 40 cents per pack, beginning Nov. 1.

The General Assembly this year gave the county the authority to levy taxes on cigarettes, plastic grocery bags and events tickets, and supervisors are working on taking advantage of all three. In the case of cigarettes, the county is catching up to towns, which already have the authority to levy a tax.

Supervisors have cited the effects of higher taxes on cigarettes to reduce smoking, particularly among young people, and the public health impacts of reducing smoking.

During the discussion at their Sept.

8 meeting, some supervisors sought to phase in the tax over time, in an attempt to dampen the impact on small, independent convenience stores. Some convenience store owners have written to the county board with concerns that the tax would hurt their business by chasing customers to neighboring jurisdictions. West Virginia and Maryland both tax cigarettes at a much higher rate, but Fairfax County imposes only a 30-cent tax, and Clarke County taxes them at 20 cents per pack.

Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) asked the board to phase the tax in by 20-cent increments on Nov. 1 and Jan. 1, 2023, which he said was suggested by a store owner.

“Our small businesses have been through the ringer for the last 20 months.

I thought it was a well-though-out request,” Turner said. “[…] I just think if we can do it in a way that is less painful for our small business owners in Loudoun County, then I would support that.”

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said the tax will more strongly affect small, independent convenience stores than larger chains, and said phasing in the tax would give them time to adapt, but only he and Turner supported phasing in the tax.

“Cigarettes are the only legal thing, when used completely as they’re supposed to be used, will kill you,” said County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large).

“And with all due respect to convenience stores, to ask me to hold off a little bit longer on your little death sticks so that you can get a little bit more money and change

your business model, is not something that I think is okay to even ask for me to do, to be quite honest.”

Already most of Loudoun’s towns tax cigarette sales, with Hamilton the exception. The local taxes are not permitted to stack—in other words, in towns that already have a cigarette tax, the county tax will not apply.

Supervisors approved the new tax 6-01-2, with Letourneau abstaining and Supervisors Caleb E. Kershner (R-Catoctin) and Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) absent. County staff members will now work out a final agreement with the Virginia Cigarette Tax Board for the administration of the cigarette tax, enforcement efforts, and revenue collection, and return to supervisors at a future meeting to approve that agreement. n

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

PAGE 5

Philomont Locals Still Unhappy with New Fire Station Plans

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

After a county contractor’s study found it would be possible to build a new Philomont firehouse on the site of the current one, rather than on the former Philomont Horse Show grounds, neighbors attending a Sept. 9 public meeting on the project said they still aren’t satisfied.

The feasibility study was kicked off after another meeting in the same room, the cafeteria at Woodgrove High School, last year, where Philomont locals objected to plans by the Philomont Volunteer Fire Department and the county fire-rescue service to build a new fire station on the horse show grounds. County leaders pledged to study the possibility of renovating the existing firehouse, which has been in service since 1956, with expansions in 1975 and 1994.

That study found that while the existing building is too cramped for a modern, 24-hour fire station, the lot can be made to work by adding onto the building or

tearing it down and building a new one, although it would still involve some compromises by the fire department.

Both possibilities would also involve increasing the project budget. Renovating and adding on to the current station would cost an estimated $26.9 million, while tearing down and building a new station on the same spot would cost an estimated $27.8 million. The county had budgeted $21.9 million for the project, assuming they would be building a new fire station on the horse show grounds, which the volunteer fire department owns.

Those options also may not leave the horse show grounds untouched—they both involve setting up a temporary fire station during construction. If that goes onto the horse show grounds, they will have to be prepared with things like driveways to accommodate those heavy vehicles. Supervisors are expected to hear their options for a fire station at a meeting PHILOMONT FIRESTATION continues on page 6

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Philomont Firestation continued from page 5 in October.

The feasibility study’s ideas found few proponents from Philomont during last week’s the follow-up meeting. Peter Weeks, president of the Bluemont Citizens Association and vice chair of the Loudoun Historic Villages Alliance, compared the Philomont fire station debate to a similar debate in Aldie.

“The process was deeply flawed. We did not listen to members of the community until, and thanks to Supervisor [Tony R.] Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) and others, pressure was put on and there was a Renss Greene/Loudoun Now chance that was made, a positive change,” Loudoun Fire-Rescue Chief Keith Johnson takes part in a Sept.

9 public meeting at Woodgrove High Weeks said. “Instead of being in the midSchool on plans for the new Philomont fire station. dle of a historic village, it’s now on the outThe fire department and county capi“It’s pretty obvious nobody wants the side, in a better location. Likewise, there has to be respect for the historic villages new firehouse on the old horse show tal infrastructure planners estimate they grounds, and it’s pretty obvious that it’s need five acres to build a fire station to here in western Loudoun.”

In Aldie, after buying three properties going to be tough to put it, according to Loudoun County’s usual standards.

Philomont Volunteer Fire Departand a protracted battle with village res- the county’s facts, on the old one,” said idents, the county moved plans for the one resident. “Has anybody ever looked ment Operational Director Richard fire station outside of the village to Gil- for another property around town? Good Pearsall and John Myers, president of the bert’s Corner, the intersection of Rt. 50 grief. It’s got to be around there some- Loudoun Career Firefighters Association, both came to the meeting to talk about where.” and Rt. 15.

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the importance of getting their firefighters out of the old station. With inadequate decontamination, Myers said, carcinogens are carried into the station’s living spaces on the very gear that is meant to protect firefighters. And Pearsall said the old station cannot keep up with the decades of growth in Loudoun since it was built.

One thing, county fire officials said, was certain—they can’t keep operating out of the old firehouse. The equipment bays are too small for modern gear and vehicles; the layout does not allow for proper decontamination, while cancer is the biggest killer for firefighters; it has inadequate sleeping, administrative and exercise space; there are no separate showers and locker rooms for men and women; and, perhaps most ironically for a fire station, it has an inadequate fire protection system.

“This current site that we have, we had to make many concessions, and we’re willing to do that, but there’s some things that are not negotiable when it comes to the health and safety of the firefighters who work in our facilities,” said Loudoun Fire-Rescue Chief Keith Johnson. n

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PAGE 7

Romanchyk Named Loudoun CFO Loudoun County Administrator Tim Hemstreet has appointed Janet Romanchyk as the county government’s chief financial officer and director of the Department of Finance and Budget.

Romanchyk had been serving as acting CFO and acting director of the department, having previously served as deputy CFO and deputy director of the department since 2019. She took on the acting director Romanchyk role when her predecessor, Erin McLellan, was named an assistant Loudoun County administrator on March 26, 2020.

“Janet brings both expertise and a deep history with the county to her new position as CFO,” Hemstreet stated. “During her career with Loudoun County, she has played a vital role in many of our most important financial transactions and is committed to maintaining fiscal responsibility and stewardship of tax dollars.”

As Loudoun County CFO, Romanchyk will oversee the county’s financial strategy and operations. In addition, she will oversee the planning, directing, coordinating

and supervising of the county’s budgeting, capital improvement planning, long-term financial planning, accounting, auditing, cash flow, capital financing, payroll and procurement.

Romanchyk joined the county government as the controller in 2011. She was appointed director of what was then the Department of Finance and Procurement in 2017. That department merged with the Department of Management and Budget to become the current Department of Finance and Budget in 2019.

Prior to coming to Loudoun County, Romanchyk was a budget analyst for the Fauquier County school system before moving to the Fauquier County government as assistant finance director in 2004 and becoming finance director in 2009.

Before that, she was the financial manager for Oswego County Opportunities, a nonprofit organization, in Fulton, New York.

Romanchyk is also treasurer of the Virginia Government Finance Officers Association.

She holds bachelor’s degree in accounting and public justice from Empire State College in New York and the State University of New York at Oswego, and a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University. n

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LOUDOUNNOW.COM

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Leesburg

AROUND town

Council Pans Proposed Development

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com

The Leesburg Town Council is less than enthusiastic about a rezoning application from developer Hobie Mitchel to build thousands of homes along Evergreen Mills Road south of town.

While Mitchel’s rezoning application will be before the Board of Supervisors for review, as it falls outside the town’s corporate limits, county staff sent a referral request to gauge Town Council feedback on the proposal.

The council was briefed on the plan Monday night.

The Village at Clear Springs development is proposed for land between the Dulles Greenway and Evergreen Mills Road, south of Heritage High School and west of Leesburg Executive Airport.

Mitchel is requesting a rezoning from AR1, which allows for one residential unit per 20 acres, to allow for 1,238 residential units on 245 acres. Twenty-nine parcels have been assembled for the development plan, according to Leesburg Planning and Zoning Department Director Susan Berry-Hill.

The proposal calls for 203 single-family detached homes; 585 townhomes; and 450 multi-family units. Of the multi-family units, 162 are proposed to be age-restricted; 180 are eyed for the Affordable

Contributed

A rendering of a proposal for a 245-acre development south of town

Dwelling Unit program; and 108 are market-rate stacked units, Berry-Hill said.

Within the entire development, across all housing types, a total of 519 units will be age-restricted, and 196 ADUs. In additional to the residential units, the proposed development envisions a recreational area, in partnership with a tennis association, that includes tennis courts, and a tennis facility with offices, Berry-Hill said. Plans also take into account a church that exists on the property, though it was unclear if the specific location of the church would change within the application.

Berry-Hill said the planning staff requested comments from several town departments on the application, as well as the Airport Commission, given its proximity to the airport. Commissioners

were adamantly opposed to the development, citing a longstanding desire to keep residential development away from the airport because of the potential for noise complaints. The commission also pointed out in its comments that the airport’s Runway 17 has heavy use for departures—most of which would fly right over the proposed development. Building residences close to the airport could also compromise its FAA grants, the commission added.

The development falls within the 1-mile buffer around the Leesburg airport’s Airport Impact Overlay District.

Councilman Neil Steinberg noted that during Saturday’s Sept. 11 remembrance CLEAR SPRINGS continues on page 9

Council Ambivalent on Splitting Leesburg Electoral District

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

krodriguez@loudounnow.com

As Loudoun County prepares to take a fresh look at how its election districts are drawn, Leesburg Town Council members are somewhat unsure whether they favor the town remaining as one district or being split into two.

Mayor Kelly Burk said at the beginning of Monday night’s discussion that the matter was placed on the work session agenda was because County Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large) had asked her about the town’s position on redistricting. Specifically, Randall said the board wanted to gauge whether the Town Council would object strongly if supervisors decided to split Leesburg’s corporate limits into two board districts when redistricting lines are drawn, instead of maintaining it as one.

“They want to know if [they] present a map and Leesburg is split are [we] going to go crazy,” Burk said.

Council members said more information on how the population was split among current county voting districts would have helped better inform that opinion. So far the Census Bureau has released that information in databases; more user-friendly releases are expected by Sept. 30. Absent that information, council members present Monday said they only slightly preferred remaining as one county voting district but would be content if supervisors saw fit to split Leesburg.

“Two districts could give us potentially two voices on the Board of Supervisors to represent the interests of the town,” Councilman Neil Steinberg opined.

Steinberg added that, while he thinks the council would be content with two

districts, it may be a tougher conversation with town residents who find themselves split into separate districts.

The town has long been split between the Leesburg and Catoctin districts. Previously, land inside the Leesburg Bypass was in the Leesburg District with the Catoctin District wrapping around the outskirts.

During the 2011 redistricting process, an effort was made to keep most of Leesburg together. Only land ins south Leesburg, including the Meadowbrook Farm and Evergreen Meadows neighborhoods, was included in the Catoctin District.

Council members indicated support for sending a letter to the Board of Supervisors with a stated preference for remaining as one voting district, but with an expressed understanding if supervisors elect to split the town.

Councilwoman Kari Nacy was absent for Monday’s meeting. n

Community Meeting on Homelessness Planned Leesburg District Supervisor Kristen Umstattd (D) and Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk will co-host a community meeting on homelessness Monday, Sept. 20.

The 6 p.m. discussion, held in the Loudoun County Government Center, will feature a panel of speakers including representatives from social services; a local nonprofit that caters to the homeless; Volunteers of America, which manages the local homeless shelter; representatives from the Leesburg Police Department and Sheriff ’s Office; and Town Attorney Christopher Spera. The public will have the opportunity to ask questions during the town hall.

Burk said that the meeting was not geared toward addressing concerns about a particular homeless individual or individuals, but instead is intended to address what powers the town and county have in addressing homelessness.

“So many times people contact us and say, ‘you need to do this,’ but we’re limited by the powers the state gives us as to what we can really do.

It also goes back to what the person wants; you can’t make someone go to the shelter if they don’t want to go to the shelter and they’re no harm to themselves or to others,” Burk said.

The purpose of the session is to educate, she said. “We do have an increase in the number of people who are homeless. [We can talk about] how can we help them, what are the things we can and can’t do. That’s the intention,” she said.

Survey Open on East Market St. Improvements The Virginia Department of Transportation and the Town of Leesburg, in coordination with Loudoun County, are asking travelers to provide feedback on a study regarding potential improvements to East Market Street between Plaza Street and the Leesburg Bypass.

The study will assess existing traffic and safety conditions, including congestion that occurs during morning and evening peak periods. The road section carries an average of 36,000 vehicle trips a day.

AROUND TOWN continues on page 9

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

Leesburg Hires Asst. Town Attorney

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com

The Leesburg Town Attorney’s Office now includes three fulltime lawyers.

Jessica Arena joined town staff as assistant town attorney in May, after the position was advertised from Feb. 3 through Arena March 14, according to Public Information Officer Betsy Arnett.

Arnett said Arena was chosen from a

Clear Springs continued from page 8 ceremony at Freedom Park, noise from airplanes passing overhead often made it difficult to hear.

“Noise complaints [from residents] will certainly come and they’re not going to the county; they’re going to come here,” he said.

Mayor Kelly Burk recalled a previous

number of “very qualified candidates.” She is a 2014 graduate of the William & Mary Law School who has worked for a number of law firms, in addition to a two-year stint as a staff attorney for the Loudoun County Circuit Court.

Arena joins a department that includes Town Attorney Christopher Spera and Deputy Town Attorney Christine Newton, along with Paralegal Carmen Smith. It is the first time in Leesburg’s history that it has had three full-time attorneys on staff.

Arnett said that shortly after Spera began his job with the town last August, “it became apparent to [him] that the volume of work in this office would justify a third attorney, particularly as we came out of

the various pandemic restrictions.” Arnett in particular pointed out the suspension of many of the collection and financial enforcement tools it typically uses because of the hardships caused by the shutdowns and other COVID-related restrictions.

“In addition, the office’s contracting support functions [will] be increasing as town projects that had been postponed or delayed were rescheduled and the overall volume of development and other business regulated by the town increased as we came out of the negative impacts of the pandemic and the related restrictions,” Arnett said.

Arena’s primary responsibilities will be collection actions, risk management regarding claims against the town, procurement and contracting. Her starting salary is $95,000. n

controversy regarding the Crosstrail development application brought forward by the Peterson Companies. That application sought to build residential units on the west side of the airport, and many residents and elected officials spoke out against it. Burk also said many complaints could come from those in age-restricted units, who are more likely to be home during the day, not to mention the prevalence of people now working from home.

Vice Mayor Marty Martinez, however,

said he supported Mitchel’s proposal. He said Mitchel’s plan to widen Evergreen Mill Road to Shreve Mill Road would be a boon for the area, and also applauded the inclusion of affordable housing units.

A council majority, however, indicated support for sending the county government a list of consolidated comments and a recommendation that supervisors deny the rezoning application.

Councilwoman Kari Nacy was absent for Monday’s work session. n

PAGE 9

AROUND town continued from page 8

To participate, go to virginiadot.org/ Route7EastMarketSTARS. The survey closes Oct. 4.

Comments can also be sent to meetingcomments@vdot.virginia.gov.

Economic Development Plans Sept. 30 Job Fair The Leesburg Economic Development Department will hold a hiring event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, at the ION International Training Center, located at 19201 Compass Creek Parkway, SE. The job fair will offer attendees the chance to meet face to face with prospective employers and organizations seeking to fill part- and full-time positions at all skill levels. Attendees are encouraged to register at bit.ly/3DYkMIr, although it is not required.

A list of participating employers is available at bit.ly/3BSOLzA. All CDC recommended COVID protocols will be in place.

For more information about the event, contact Business Development and Retention Manager Melanie Scoggins at mscoggins@leesburgva.gov or 571-2711206. n

PAGE 10

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

Education

District Responds to Half-Million Dollar ‘Untrue’, ‘Misleading’ Ad-Buy

BY HAYLEY BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com

The embattled Loudoun County School Board is now the target of a $500,000 advertisement campaign by the Free to Learn Coalition, which the school district said packed with false and misleading statements.

A contingent of parents and residents in Loudoun has grown increasingly agitated with the School Board’s socially progressive agenda over the past two years, including racial sensitivity training for teachers, and the adoption of the controversial Policy 8040, which protects the rights of transgender and gender expansive students.

The $500,000 campaign featured a spot during the Washington Football Team’s Sunday afternoon game and will run several times over the course of the next two weeks.

Organizers describe the organization a nonpartisan effort to remove the influence of political activists from schools. It has mounted similar TV ad campaigns targeting Fairfax County Public Schools, Grace Church High School in New York City, and the Peoria Unified School District in Arizona.

The ad features video clips from School Board meetings, highlighted by two parents being detained by deputies during the June 22 meeting, during which Superintendent Scott Ziegler declared an unlawful assembly after the public comment session turned chaotic.

The voiceover claims that the district has doled out $500,000 to cultivate a politicized curriculum.

That’s a figure that has been linked to hiring of the Equity Collaborative, a California-based consulting firm, to conduct an investigation that found racial inequity exist in throughout the school district— ranging from the way minority students are disciplined, to how staff and teachers are hired.

The ad also highlights the participation by some School Board members in a private Facebook group, in which some participants suggested compiling a list of people opposed district’s anti-racist work. That list, and the board members’ participation in the group, has been cited in the effort to remove several School Board members.

Beth Barts (Leesburg) is the only one in-

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Judge Recusal Delays Barts Court Hearing

BY HAYLEY BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com

The legal maneuvering in the effort to remove School Board member Beth Barts (Leesburg) was expected to return to the courtroom Wednesday afternoon after Monday’s show cause hearing was cut short.

The case was brought by a voter petition with 1,860 signatures is seeking to have Barts, who was elected to the post in 2019, removed from office based over allegations that she abused the power of her office, and that her participation in a private Facebook group violated Virginia’s open meeting laws and the School Board’s Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Code of Conduct.

Loudoun County Public Schools has offered a point-by-point takedown of a half-million dollar advertising Monday’s hearing was the first court campaign targeting the district’s work to address racism and racial equity. action in the case, scheduled as a show cause hearing during which Barts would volved in active litigation, following the during its Aug. 10 meeting. present evidence refuting the claims. filing of a voter petition organized by the The ad also claims that parents who However, the hearing did not move begroup Fight for Schools. have attempted to speak up against the yond procedural issues as Judge Stephen The ad also refers to Byron “Tanner” School Board have been silenced. The vid- E. Sincavage announced he would recuse Cross, the PE teacher who was placed on eo shows a photo of Barts and an excerpt himself from hearing the case. Sincavage administrative leave after his comments from a since-deleted social media post cited having school-aged children as his opposing the then-proposed transgender from Loudoun County Public Schools reason for his recusal. student protections spurred objections Minority Student Achievement Advisory Charlie King, Barts’ attorney, last week from some parents at his school commu- Committee. filed a motion for local judges to recuse nity. Cross, and two other teachers, are in “LCPS recognizes the right of members themselves, and that a judge be designata legal battle with the school district over of the community to free speech, and does ed by the state Supreme Court to hear the what they argue is a violation of their First not condone anyone targeting members of case. He said an outside judge is needed to Amendment rights. While the school dis- the community for their viewpoint,” said weigh the testimony of local elected offitrict does not comment on ongoing liti- Ziegler of the claim. cials, administrative officers of the School gation, a spokesman listed the ad’s claim The ad charges that “powerful educaBoard, members of the Virginia State Bar, about Cross as one of the “untrue or mis- tion unions are using dirty political camand community leaders. leading” allegations made in the ad. paign tactics to go after parents.”

“Judge Sincavage’s recusal was in keepZiegler has repeatedly said that students Free to Learn cites the National Eduing with the highest standards of judicial are not being taught Critical Race Theory, cation Association’s alleged initiative to conduct. I expect other judges will recuse the advanced academic analysis of the role research anti-CRT organizations—projthat race plays in law and in society. ects not directed by officials in Loudoun themselves,” King said after Monday’s hearing.

“LCPS’ work on equity is a journey that County.

The case was scheduled to return to the requires the commitment of staff at all lev“LCPS supports the rights of parents courthouse at 1 p.m. Sept. 15. els. I feel the staff ’s work, which has been to speak out to their children’s teacher or Th e removal petition, spearheaded by sustained, honest and undertaken in good principal when they have a concern in the the group Fight for Schools, also requested faith, has been misrepresented recently by classroom,” said a spokesman for the disthat Commonwealth Attorney Buta Bibsome members of the public,” Ziegler said trict. “LCPS further supports the rights eraj recuse herself from the case. Biberaj during the June equity workshop. of parents to contact their School Board is facing a similar recall eff ort introduced However, some parents say that the member when they have concerns about by the conservative group, StandUp Virteacher and staff trainings on racial equi- division-wide policies. LCPS is not aware ginia, for her offi ce’s alleged mishandling ty include vernacular borrowed from CRT, of any group using dirty political campaign of criminal cases. which they said is racially divisive. tactics to ‘go after’ parents.”

To remove a public official from office “Culturally responsive training, diver“Much like Loudoun County Public in Virginia, a petition must collect the sity, equity, whatever you want to call it, Schools, we wish the claims in the ad were number of signatures of qualified voters in they’re all components of Critical Race not true. But they are,” Alleigh Marré, presthe district equal to 10% of the votes cast Theory. That’s exactly what it is—a theory,” ident of Free to Learn, said.

Patti Menders, a LCPS parent and presiThe ad will run on various channels in the previous election for that office. A dent of the Loudoun County Republican throughout the Washington, DC, market judge then reviews the petition and rules Woman’s Club, said to the School Board over the next two weeks. n whether to dismiss or conduct a trial. n

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

Joint County, School Board Committee Nix Potential Combined Healthcare Contract

BY HAYLEY BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com

A joint healthcare plan for county and school district employees would neither offer substantial employer savings, nor be logistically appealing, members of the Board of Supervisors and the School Board determined during a joint committee meeting Monday night.

“We have different needs and we have different objectives, from what our employees need. We, as a county, have a focus on behavioral health for first responder trauma care. It’s a big deal for us here at the county. Maybe not so much for the schools,” Rob Krouse, the county’s human resources officer, said.

Both entities recently began longterm contracts with healthcare coverage providers. Both offer employees various packages that offer coverage from Cigna Healthcare, Delta Dental of Virginia, Davis Vision, and Express Scripts. The county’s five-year contract began at the start of 2021 and includes five, one-year renewal options. The school district’s contract agreement started at the beginning of 2020 and concludes Jan. 1, 2025 and includes two, three-year renewal options.

So, employees might not see a substantial difference between the coverage offerings from the two entities, Sylvia Glass (D-Broad Run), a one-time school district employee said.

“As an LCPS staff member and as a county person, I’ve had Cigna on both sides and I really couldn’t see the difference from what I was getting,” Glass said.

The county government offers benefits packages to all regular full-time, regular part-time, and full-time temporary em-

ployees. County employees have a choice of four different medical plans. The school district offers coverage to employees classified as full-time benefits eligible.

The richness of the plans is the biggest difference in the offerings from the two employers; the county plans include lower deductibles and higher premiums.

One question that arose during the Sept. 13 discussion was the potential savings in combining the employee pools, which would give a potential provider more members.

“When you think about combining contracts, combining the underwriting, you would imagine that there are some economies of scale. That does make sense and that’s true to a certain extent,” Krouse said.

The county would stand to benefit far more savings-wise if given access to plans for larger employee pools, as the school district employs more than three times the number of subscribers that the county does. Still, though, those savings would only be seen in administrative fees, which account for roughly 4% of employer expenses on the county side, and 3% on the school district side.

While both entities are satisfied with coverage offered by Cigna, Krouse pointed out that the status quo might change when current contracts expire, and the employers seek new bids.

“How do you reconcile that when you go out to bid, and you have two different sentiments with your employees. I think it’s an important exercise to engage in, but at the end of the day I think the stakeholders feel comfortable with maintaining our autonomy and I think we enjoy that flexibility to strategize and deploy those opinions on our own,” Krouse said. n

PAGE 11

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 12

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Nonprofit ECHO Unveils ‘Barkery’ Dog Treat Bakery

Barkery employees, ECHO leaders, and county, business and nonprofit leaders join for a ribbon cutting Friday, Sept. 10.

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Disability services and employment nonprofit ECHO held a ribbon cutting ceremony last week for its latest venture: a bakery where people with disabilities are cooking up handmade dog treats with natural, healthy ingredients.

The ingredient list on the Barkery’s three flavors of dog biscuits is short and simple. That’s because they are made by mixing them, rolling out the dough, cutting out the shapes, baking the dough, and packing it all up all in the Barkery’s kitchen in Ashburn.

It’s a major investment by the nonprofit CEO Paul Donohue says is dedicated to “the dignity of a paycheck.” One of ECHO’s programs helps place people with disabilities at supervised jobs around the county, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of those sites had to close down.

“We’ve been through a lot these past 18 months, all of us,” Donohue said during the Sept. 10 event. “… So many of our community worksites have shut down and have remained shut down, and it was time. We had to have something to get employment turned on again.”

Eventually, he said, the Barkery is expected to recoup ECHO’s investment and become a source of revenue for the nonprofit.

The biscuits are available at Whole Foods stores under the name “Just Rewards for Dogs,” and through a home delivery service under the name “ECHO Barkery” from EchoBarkery.org.

Barkery employees and ECHO leaders were joined by county government representatives and business and nonprofit leaders for the ribbon cutting. The Barkery is at 20630 Ashburn Road, #196 in Ashburn.

ECHO was established in 1974 and began serving adults with disabilities in 1975 by offering vocational training, community integration, and comprehensive disability employment. n

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

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SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

PAGE 13

Loudoun Remembers: Reflecting on 9/11 Two Decades Later LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

People across Loudoun on Saturday paused Saturday to mark the 20-year anniversary of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, that set off a new era in the United States and around the world.

America responded to the terrorist attacks on 9/11 with collective mourning, long airport security lines, sweeping new surveillance measures, and 20 years of war.

On Sept. 11, 2021, only weeks after the last American troops left that battleground, people in Loudoun remembered the day that started it all.

In Leesburg, town and county leaders gather Saturday morning at Freedom Park, which is home to the town’s permanent 9/11 memorial.

Mayor Kelly Burk delivered the keynote remarks.

On that day 20 years ago, she was a special education teacher preparing for the end of a first period class when the school secretary burst through the classroom door and yelled to keep students in class when the Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

9|11 continues on page 14

American flags are displayed in the Lovettsville Town Square in memory of those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

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9|11 continued from page 13 bell rang to signal the class change. Burk thought it simply some kind of prank until she saw the tears in her eyes.

“We had two students who had lost their parents, and one of them was in my classroom. So, our school changed forever,” she recalled while battling through her own tears.

“While most of us don’t remember the names of the people who died at the Pentagon or the Towers, or the fields in Pennsylvania, we remember the acts that forever changed our country. We remember the first responders, the fire fighters, the police, the building workers, the airline passengers,’ Burk said. “We remember the towers falling down, the plane in the field and the hole created in the Pentagon. We remember now and we must always remember. We must never forget those who lost their lives that day.

“We need to recognize the changes that impact us here in 2021. We are a different country now than then. We are a stronger country. We’re more resilient, a country that values our first responders, our workers, our civil servants. While we may not remember their names, we must always remember the actions of those dedicated, brave individuals who lost their lives in that terrible attack,” Burk said.

The ceremony also included the singing of the National Anthem by Emily Gruessing, Cal Everett’s performance of Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning), a wreath-laying, a ringing of the fire truck bell, and the playing of Taps by Fire Lt. Thomas Kane.

In Purcellville, the ceremony included reflections and remembrances from Deputy Chief of Police Dave Dailey, who served at the time with Arlington Police Department and who quickly found himself the nighttime incident commander at the Pentagon, overseeing emergency operations as the county reeled and first responders labored first to make people safe, and then to look for clues and clean up the rubble.

He recalled how his morning plans were canceled that day when, waiting to take one of his children on a morning bike ride, he switched on the TV and saw the news that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Like Americans across the country, we watched on live TV as another one struck the other tower. Soon he was driving a coworker in his van from Loudoun toward the Pentagon as most traffic flowed the other way, out of town.

“I think that drive was representative of the ethos of our military and our first responder communities, that they exhibit

LOUDOUNNOW.COM every single day when we’re under attack, when shots are fired, when buildings are burning,” Dailey said. “We run into the fray, not because we’re heroes and not because we have a death wish, but because people need help and someone has to do it.

I think we’re wired just a little differently.”

Since he was the last to arrive on scene, Dailey was put on a 12-hour overnight shift overseeing operations at the Pentagon. He recalled the stories of some of his coworkers from those days—like Isaac Ruiz, a former Army Ranger who was stationed on perimeter security and then forgotten in the fray, only remembered when he radioed in 30 hours later asking for relief so he could grab some water and use the bathroom. He said he’d figured there were more important things going on, he was warm and dry, and nobody was shooting at him.

Another, Richard Cox, told Dailey that the plane the hit the Pentagon flew over his head so low that he could see the rivets—and the faces of the passengers looking out the window.

That cleanup also left many of those first responders with lasting health problems. Dailey recalled the story of one of his colleagues, Harvey Snook, who developed a rare form of cancer after his time cleaning up the wreckage. He told Dailey he had a job to do.

“He went on to tell me if it wasn’t him, that it would have been you or somebody else in my shoes,” Dailey said. “He said, I don’t think I could live with that.

I wouldn’t wanted that to happen. Sadly, this was the last conversation I had with Harvey.”

Dailey also recalled the volunteers who showed up to feed and care for first responders during that time, and the American flags that appeared hung from homes and highway overpasses in the days afterward.

“I’ve learned three valuable truths.

Number one: divided, we’re vulnerable.

United, we’re unstoppable. And when things are at their worst, Americans are at their best,” Dailey said. “In closing, it’s important for those of us who lived through 9/11 to remember that we’re the torch barriers, the keeper of the flame as we age and more of our population only knows of 9/11 from history books. We must ensure that the stories of loss, of strength, of pride and of patriotism from that fateful day, our ‘day that will live in infamy,’ are never forgotten.”

And Scouts from the All Dulles Area Muslim Society—a community that often faced suspicion and prejudice after 9/11, before any of those Scouts were born— read prayers for peace from religions around the world. n

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

From left, Leesburg Police Deputy Chief Venessa Grigsby, Mayor Kelly Burk and Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company Assistant Chief Matthew Myers stand at the town’s 9/11 Memorial as Taps is played.

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• Ability to learn company specific software as needed or required. (Familiarity with Procore preferred, but not required) • Prior experience in construction or relative field preferred.

• Proven track record working with people, teams, and projects.

• Ability to work independently, within a team and in a diverse workforce.

• Ability to travel as needed • Must be able to pass a background check for clearance to Federal buildings CONTACT INFO Kathy Hicks 208 South King Street Suite 303 • Leesburg, VA 20175 www.meridiengroupllc.com khicks@meridiengroupllc.com Office: (703) 777-8285

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

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.

See the full job listings at NowHiringLoudoun.com

Regular Full-Time Positions Position

Department

Salary Range

Closing Date

Lead Groundskeeper

Parks & Recreation

$48,295-$83,085 DOQ

Open until filled

Police Officer

Police

$53,233-$89,590 DOQ

Open until filled

Senior Buyer/Contracts Administrator

Finance

$67,175-$115,044 DOQ

Open until filled

Senior Management and Budget Analyst

Finance

$72,952-$124,893 DOQ

Open until filled

Senior Zoning Analyst

Planning & Zoning

$61,857-$105,896 DOQ

Open until filled

Systems Analyst/Infrastructure & Asset Management

Public Works & Capital Projects

$70,374-$120,339 DOQ

Open until filled

Training and Development Coordinator

Utilities

$52,446-$89,790 DOQ

Open until filled

Utility Plant Technician: Trainee, Technician or Senior

Utilities

$44,905-$89,790 DOQ

Open until filled

Utility System Trainee or Technician

Utilities

$41,353-$76,882 DOQ

Open until filled

Wastewater Plant Operator: Trainee, I, II or Senior

Utilities

$41,353-$89,790 DOQ

Open until filled

Regular Part-Time Position Position Assistant Outreach Program Coordinator

Department

Hourly Rate Parks & Recreation

Closing Date

$23.03-39.43 DOQ

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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FULL TIME FLAGGER Traffic Plan seeks FT Flaggers to set up and control traffic around construction sites. A valid drivers license is a must, good pay, and benefits.

If interested please fill out an application at 7855 Progress Court Suite 103 Gainesville, VA on Wednesdays from 9 am to 12 pm or online at www.trafficplan.com

PAGE 16

McAuliffe continued from page 3 opportunities for residents to age in place.

McAuliffe told the residents who filled an auditorium on the Ashburn campus Sept. 10 that he supports President Biden’s requirement for federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated.

“Listen folks, this is all about safety. The FDA has approved this vaccination. There is no reason now—if you have a legitimate religious or health issues, I get that, that’s a very tiny percent—but anyone else should get vaccinated. That’s how we keep each other safe,” he said.

He said the rapid spread of the Delta variant and the threat of vaccine-resistant strains developing increase the urgency to stamp out the virus.

“I’m very unhappy with these people who have chosen not to be vaccinated,” he said. “What’s the deal? It’s safe. I don’t want someone who is unvaccinated working in this residential facility and getting you sick, and then you can turn around and give it to your grandchildren who are under 12 and can’t get vaccinated.”

McAuliffe said vaccine mandates are among the issues that separate him from his Republican opponent Glenn Youngkin.

Youngkin continued from page 3 tiatives to eradicate racial inequity, which, according to a report produced by the Equity Collaborative, permeates every layer of the district, from hiring of staff to treatment of students.

During a panel discussion, Monica Gill, the high school history teacher who joined the high-profile lawsuit against the school district’s transgender student protections, said that teachers are being indoctrinated with Critical Race Theory, and the ideology is trickling down to students.

“Our kids are being indoctrinated in our schools. They’re not being taught how to think. They’re being taught what to think,” Gill said. “We are being told that we have to disrupt and dismantle white supremacy. The reality is that this is being extremely disruptive to our community. Our kids are being encouraged to discriminate against each other and it is heartbreaking to watch this take place.”

Gill, who teaches at Loudoun County High School, had been outspoken about her disapproval of the school district’s equity work long before she took issue with the transgender protections. She has

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

“The guy I’m running against, he does not believe in any of this,” he said. “He doesn’t believe in that people should be mandated to get the vaccinations. That’s a real difference this governor’s race. I’m trying to come with common sense.”

While not supporting mandates, Youngkin has touted his efforts to urge Virginians to get vaccinated. This week, he amped up that outreach with a public offer to participate a bipartisan public service campaign with McAuliffe promoting vaccinations.

During a question-and-answer session with Ashby Ponds residents, McAuliffe repeatedly highlighted actions taken during his four-year term as Virginia’s 72nd governor in making the case for his return as its 74th.

He characterized Republican efforts to add abortion restrictions and oppose LBGTQ rights as hampering work to attract new businesses to the state.

“You can’t recruit the businesses of the 21st century if you are putting walls up around your state,” he said. “My point always was, I want to show people that here in Virginia we’re open and welcoming. We respect everybody no matter who they love, or who they pray to, or the color of one’s skin. And because of all that, our economy took off.”

He also highlighted his work to expand Medicare, to reform the Standards of Learning program in Virginia’s schools to discourage teach-to-the-test lesson plans, and to begin a shift to green energy with the approval of solar farms and offshore wind turbines.

Asked about the controversy being spurred here and around the country about Critical Race Theory in schools, McAuliffe said it was a non-issue and was not being taught in Virginia classrooms.

“This is something that Youngkin and others are doing to try to divide people and I really hate it,” McAuliffe said. “… I hate it when people try to create racial tension between the black and white community, the brown community. I hate it.”

Rather than undermine confidence in public education, he said it was important to strengthen it.

“When I was governor before, I put a billion dollars into education. I wanted us to have the greatest education system in the country,” he said. He credited that investment into helping to land nationally recruited businesses including Nestlé, Gerber, Amazon, and Costar.

“Why? Because we’re ranked the number one education system in America for higher ed. We’re ranked number four for America for K-12. We’re ranked the num-

ber one state for business two years in a row—the only state in America to get that.

We’re doing pretty good here in Virginia,” he said.

When he was asked about Youngkin’s proposal—currently being promoted in a run of TV ads—to eliminate the sales tax on groceries, McAuliffe said his opponent doesn’t understand Virginia’s government.

While Youngkin has suggested using the commonwealth’s current $2 billion budget surplus to make for revenue lost through his proposed tax cuts, McAuliffe pointed out most of that money is already encumbered, with a constitutional requirement to replenish the state’s Rainy Day Fund and water quality improvement funds.

“He’s clueless about state government,” McAuliffe said, noting that Youngkin also had floated ideas to eliminate the state income tax—the chief revenue source for the General Fund—and to limit real estate tax, which is controlled by localities.

But McAuliffe said something like eliminating the grocery tax wouldn’t be off the table.

“Anything I can do, like I did last time, to put more money in people’s pockets, [improve] quality of life, that’s what I’m about,” he said. n

made appearances on various conservative media outlets.

“This is earnest, I love these kids. … I pour my life into these kids,” Gill said of her motivation to speak out against CRT. The panel was moderated by the onetime congressional candidate for VA-10 and Youngkin surrogate Aliscia Andrews.

During his 20-minute speech, Youngkin promised to ban Critical Race Theory if elected. Although similar bans have been implemented in some states —including Florida, Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, Tennessee, and Oklahoma—it is unclear the extent to which the ban would limit discourse on race in schools.

He also pointed to the school accreditation process that his opponent, Terry McAuliffe, changed in 2018. McAuliffe changed the requirements for accreditation to permit schools that “do not meet accreditation benchmarks but have significantly improved their pass rates.” Prior to the change, only 78% of Virginia schools were fully accredited. Since McAuliffe’s change took effect, no Virginia school has failed to achieve accreditation, which Youngkin argues has lowered standards for public education throughout the state.

Youngkin also vowed to make school choice a priority, pointing to Virginia’s eight charter schools in comparison to

neighboring North Carolina’s 200.

“So, a child’s destiny is not dictated by his or her ZIP code, we’re going to give parents choice in Virginia,” Youngkin said.

His speech also touched on the cost of living, which he said he would improve by eliminating the sales tax on groceries and doubling standard tax deductions to the state income tax.

During his speech, Carson lauded Youngkin as a candidate.

“He is a man who has a great faith in God. We need leaders again who understand the Judeo-Christian values that allowed this country to ascend from nowhere to the pinnacle of the world,” Carson said.

Many of the speakers minimized the coronavirus pandemic—one Loudoun parent and panelist calling it a “plandemic”—met with laughs from the maskless crowd.

Carson himself had a severe bout with COVID last November and received special access to monoclonal antibody treatment from President Trump, which he believes saved his life.

Carson discussed the environment children face in schools, and said that the confluence of COVID mitigation measures and progressive agenda of administrators amount to child abuse.

“Think about our kids. Can you imagine what it must be like to be a young child. You don’t get to see peoples face. You don’t get to see who they are. ... That’s such an important part of sociological development in people and they’re missing out on that,” he said.

“And then they’re being told that they may be harboring some horrible fatal disease and even though it might not affect them they may give it to their grandmother, and she may die. Well, grandmothers do get old and they do die. Now you have this kid thinking they have something to do with it,” Carson said.

Of the crux of conservative grievances with public education, the infusion of progressive social justice teachings, Carson has been highly critical, calling CRT a racist ideology.

“If they’re white they’re told that they’re oppressors. And their ancestors were oppressors and just evil people. And if they’re Black, they are victims, they are the oppressed no matter what they do.

All of this while you’re trying to develop your self-image. And if that’s not enough, you may not be a girl or a boy,” he added, drawing a laugh from the crowd as he referred to the controversy over transgender student rights. n

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

BUSINESS announcements Finalists Named for Entrepreneur of the Year Three area business leaders have been nominated for one of the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce’s most prestigious awards.

The three finalists for the Chamber’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award are: Dawn Crawley, of House Cleaning Heroes; Pamela Jones, of Extraordinary Transitions – Long & Foster; and Dr. Gino Valdivieso-Chiang, DDS, of Dulles Life Smiles.

The winner of the award will be announced at the 27th Annual Loudoun Small Business Awards ceremony, held on Friday, Oct. 29, at The National Conference Center in Lansdowne. They join a list of finalists in six other categories, recognizing a slew of businesses across different industries. The winners of each of those categories will be a finalist for the top honor of the evening, the Small Business of the Year Award.

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

musculoskeletal and spine interventions.

Qazi holds a master’s degree from the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University in Huntington, WV, and served a Diagnostic Qazi Radiological Residency at George Washington University Hospital and a Resident Fellowship in Health Policy Washington, DC, GW Milken Institute of Public Health where he concentrated on public health

policy courses with emphasis on advocacy in public health policy, equity, and affecting social determinants of health. He holds a bachelor’s degree with focuses in economics and chemistry from Virginia Tech.

For more information, go to fairfaxradiology.com.

Cox to Acquire Segra’s Commercial Services Cox Communications has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Charlotte, N.C.-based Segra, one of the largest privately held fiber infrastructure provid-

PAGE 17

ers in the U.S. Cox will acquire Segra’s commercial services segment, which is a leading super-regional, fiber-based provider serving commercial enterprise and carrier customers in nine states in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. As part of the transaction, EQT Infrastructure will retain ownership of Segra’s fiber-to-the-premise residential and small- to medium-sized business segment in Virginia and North Carolina and accelerate the plan to expand broadband services to neighborhoods and markets throughout their regions, according to the announcement. n

Nicola Added to Lansdowne Resort Leadership David Nicola has been named director of food and beverage of Lansdowne Resort.

Nicola comes to Lansdowne most recently from the Washington Golf & Country Club, where he was in charge of seven outNicola lets featuring dining experiences. Previously he worked with several Hyatt Hotels including Hyatt Regency Washington, Hyatt Regency Bethesda, Hyatt Regency Boston, and Hyatt Regency Cambridge.

Nicola holds a Hospitality and Tourism management certificate from FAU, CIA Culinary Immersion Certificate as well as Business Management degree from Laney College.

Qazi Joins Fairfax Radiology Consultants Dr. Zain Qazi has joined the team at Fairfax Radiology Consultants.

He comes to FRC from Hospital for Special Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, where he served his Musculoskeletal Radiology Fellowship. He is certified in General Diagnostic and Musculoskeletal Radiology. Additionally, he has training and experience performing a variety of image guided

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LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 18

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Our Towns

TOWN notes

Elizabeth Whiting:

LOVETTSVILLE 3 Appointed to Town Planning Commission

Loudoun’s Unflappable Town Attorney

BY MARGARET MORTON mmorton@loudounnow.com

Elizabeth D. Whiting, a dean of Loudoun’s legal community, died Sept.

8 surrounded by family at her Leesburg home. She was 72.

Known for her legal acumen and vast knowledge of municipal law in Virginia, Whiting had garnered numerous accolades for her contributions to life in Loudoun, from her service as the municipal attorney to several Loudoun’s towns, to her longtime support for and stewardship of community organizations, including the Loudoun Museum.

She was born May 12, 1949, in Arizona. She moved often as a child because of her father’s career in the U.S. Army, including living three years in Germany and three years in Japan.

After graduating law school at the University of Virginia, she began her storied career in municipal law working as an assistant county attorney in Prince William County in 1977. She was hired by County Attorney Terry Emerson and then-Deputy County Attorney John Foote, both members of the law school’s class a year

Family photo

Elizabeth D. Whiting

ahead of her.

Foote recalls her as a standout in the class—both for her legal talents and her striking appearance, with long hair below her waist often in pigtails.

“We were in different classes and so did not know each other well, but UVA was a pretty small law school in those days, and

you could not miss her, Foote said. “When she came to us to work, Terry, who had been class of ’74 with me, and I knew she was the one to choose and we were never disappointed.”

When Foote took over as county attorney in 1982, Whiting was promoted as his deputy.

“She was always a steady hand and a ready one as well. She was a first-rate lawyer in a county in constant flux,” Foote said. “She coped with her challenges with grit and wit and a constant readiness to tend toward kindness. She became a legend among local government lawyers, and even if our careers diverged, our mutual affection did not.”

Whiting formed her life partnership with another UVA law school grad, her husband Edward J. Finnegan. While she was helping to guide Prince William County through its growth challenges, Finnegan was doing the same in Loudoun County, as assistant county attorney from 1976 to 1980 and then as county attorney until he left the position 1989 to join the Shaw Pittman law firm and establish an WHITING continues on page 21

Hillsboro, Purcellville Win Statewide Awards LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Hillsboro’s ReThink9 traffic-calming and infrastructure project is being lauded with two statewide awards.

Last week, the project earned the town’s contractor, Volkert, engineering award for outstanding design of a non-VDOT project from the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance.

According to the VTCA, project applications were judged by a panel of VDOT, municipal, and academia transportation professionals. Projects were rated based on aesthetics, the ability to meet community needs, cost effectiveness, adherence to schedule, and application of technology.

“We are very pleased that Volkert’s exceptional design work on our project is being recognized across the transportation construction industry,” said Mayor Roger Vance, who served as the town’s

Following a round of interviews by the Town Council on Sept. 9, all three applicants were selected to fill vacant seats on the town’s Planning Commission.

Tong Mason was appointed to a term expiring June 30, 2022.

David Smith will serve until June 2024. Former councilman Richard Efthim was appointed to a term expiring in 2025 as well as the commission’s liason to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Gates Takes Leesburg Post Stephen Gates, Lovettsville’s director of Utilities and Information Technology is stepping down to take a new job with the Town of Leesburg.

Gates has worked for Lovettsville since 2014, when he was hired away from Loudoun Water to be the town’s utility supervisor.

He was promoted to utility director the following year and added IT director to his title in February 2021.

Mayor Nate Fountain credited Gates with hoping to make Lovettsville a leader in the IT field among small municipalities.

His work in Leesburg will focus on information technology.

Oktoberfest is On at Game Club

Contributed

Representative of the Town of Hillsboro and Volkert celebrate after their ReThink9 project was presented an engineering award by the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance.

project manager. “Volkert was committed to excellence and displayed an exceptional

VTCA AWARDS continues on page 19

Although the larger town-wide event has been canceled this year, the Lovettsville Game Protective Association will hold its annual Oktoberfest event on Sept. 25, noon to 10 p.m.

German food—including Sauerbraten mit Rotkohl und Spaetzle, Wiener Schnitzel mit Rotkohl und Kartoffelsalat oder Pommes Frites, Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut, im Broetchen, Warme Brezel—will be served until 8 p.m. There will be seating inside the building and in the beer garden tent outside. Live TOWN NOTES continues on page 20

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

PAGE 19

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The Bridge, a Led Zeppelin tribute band from Winchester, turned up the amps for their well-received performance of rock classics during the Sept 12 End of Summer Block Party in Purcellville.

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Downtown Purcellville rocked on Sunday afternoon as residents celebrated the end of summer with a community block party on North 21st Street. With the corridor closed to traffic, a crowd of families packed the commercial center to enjoy children’s activities, beer, shopping, and some very high-volume rock and roll from The Bridge, a Led Zeppelin Tribute band. n

VTCA Awards continued from page 18 ability to find context-sensitive solutions while successfully meeting Hillsboro’s community needs—all within a tightly constrained and challenging environment.”

“The delivery of the project was possible because of the dedication of the town’s leadership in securing the funding, having a clear vision for the historic restoration, and working diligently throughout the design and construction process to manage the work, budget and public outreach ensuring success of the project,” Bobby Hester, Volkert’s project manager, said. “My designers and construction field staff greatly appreciated the passion and dedication of the town’s project team daily.”

According to Vance, the engineering challenges of the project included the installation of new infrastructure—drinking water and sanitary sewer mains and laterals, storm water sewers, fiber optic

conduit and the burial of all existing aerial utilities, under the narrow right of way flanked by homes and structures dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Hillsboro leaders got more to celebrate Tuesday when the Virginia Municipal League announced the winners of this year’s Innovation awards.

In the Economic Development category, judges awarded the praise to ReThink9, citing its as “a remarkable story of economic revitalization, local volunteer civic leadership, community engagement, and extraordinary collaboration among engineers, designers, tradesmen, and construction workers.”

The VML also presented an Innovation Award to the Town of Purcellville in the Environmental Quality category. The town was recognized for transforming 93 acres of town-owned land into the largest municipality owned carbon sequestration and nutrient credit bank project in Northern Virginia. The planting of 111,000 in May is expected to generate revenue of $1 million through sale of the credits. n

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PAGE 20

TOWN notes

Purchased from Playground Specialists, the cost of the playground was $15,960.

continued from page 18

music will be performed by the Students of Loudoun Music Instruction.

There will be a Kinder area during the day until 5 p.m. with a bounce house and crafts and temporary tattoos by the Lovettsville Girl Scouts. Pony rides will be from to 1 to 4 p.m. provided by Val Hoke Pony Rides.

The Lovettsville Lions Club will be selling the White House 2021 Christmas ornaments.

The game club is located 16 S. Berlin Pike in Lovettsville.

LUCKETTS

Sackman Helps Mark 9/11 Remembrance The Lucketts Ruritan Club would like to extend special thanks Dennis Sackman, who played Taps at the Lucketts Elementary School on Saturday during the weekly recycling/trash collection.

Sackman played taps at 8:46 am, 9:03 am, 9:37 am and 10:03 am to coincide with the 20th anniversary of each plane that crashed on 9/11 and to honor the memory of the loved ones who perished.

A video of this event can be viewed on the Ruritan Club’s website and Facebook page.

MIDDLEBURG

Elementary School Playground Complete at Last The Lucketts Elementary School’s long-awaited kindergarten playground was installed on Aug. 30.

The school PTA spent four years fundraising for the project and was supported with a grant by the Lucketts Ruritan Club.

MacIntyre Tapped for Business Development Post The Town of Middleburg has named Alexandra “Ali” MacIntyre its new director of Business Development and Community Partnerships.

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She has served the past three years at the member relations manager at the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce.

She also served five years as the general manager MacIntyre at Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast.

She began her new position Sept. 7.

“We are thrilled to have Ali join our team at the Town of Middleburg,” Town Manager Danny Davis said. “She has demonstrated a keen ability to build relationships, provide support to our business community, and assist in the strategic initiatives of the Town Council.”

The town’s economic development operations have been recently refined to focus on business and community partnerships, business support services, communications and marketing, and events management and tourism support. MacIntyre also is charged with implementing the strategies defined in the Economic Development Strategy completed by Camoin Associates last year.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

“I am truly excited to join the Town of Middleburg organization,” MacIntyre said.

“Having lived in Northern Virginia for the past 8 years, Middleburg has a warmth and a familiarity that feels like home. I am grateful and excited to immerse myself in its culture and begin building relationships with those who live, work, and play here. The kindness and hospitality of the Town is unmatched, and it is an honor to join the Middleburg family.”

PURCELLVILLE Town Opens Aberdeen Deer Hunt Applications The Town of Purcellville will conduct a Deer Management Program on the its Aberdeen property October through January.

This will be an archery harvesting program only. Interested town residents will be selected by a random drawing of all qualified applicants.

Applications may be completed electronically on the town’s website at: purcellvilleva.gov/869/Aberdeen-Property.

The application deadline is Sept. 22. n

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Whiting continued from page 18 office in Leesburg. He died in 1993 of liver cancer at the age of 44.

Following his death, the care of their two adopted sons became Whiting’s focus, and, they would say, often her biggest challenges.

Jim and Thomas Finnegan said she was the most generous person they’d ever known—a tribute to which many who knew her would attest.

“She and my dad adopted us not knowing any family history or really anything about us,” Jim said. After their father’s death, Jim said he and his brother “took a downhill turn, caused a lot of issues, wreaked havoc, and she never swayed.

She was always there, always supportive.”

That was a trait Whiting showed on many occasions, always up for some fun and showing her well-known sense of humor.

Jim also remembered his mother showing up at his elementary school, helping in the classroom or with a special project—even turning up dressed as a clown. She and her sons and five grandchildren enjoyed doing many things together—including traveling, hiking, cooking, and movie-watching.

Thomas said his mother taught him so many lessons that he’d remember forever, recalling she was “so open, so accepting.”

And even when she had to discipline her sons, she did it forthrightly but “in the nicest possible way.” She also taught them how important it was to never lie but to do the right thing.

That is the straightforward advice Whiting also gave to the town governments she advised after leaving her Prince William County post. In Loudoun, those included Lovettsville, Middleburg, and Hillsboro, where tributes to her poured in late last week.

There was a palpable sense of regret and loss expressed by many who knew Whiting. Lovettsville Town Manager Sam Finz said she was always “genuine, sincere and very professional.” He called her very responsive to what the various town councils sought to achieve and would always get back to them with a legal solution.

“She was so knowledgeable about state law, and so able to give you an immediate response,” he said. Finz spoke with her three times a week to work on town issues. “I’m going to miss her dearly.”

Keith Markel, Leesburg’s deputy town manager, said Whiting’s expertise and advice was important when he served at Lovettsville town manager early in his municipal government career. “Her huge

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

wealth of information and familiarly with the law” was critical to his success, he said.

Hamilton Mayor David Simpson, who worked with Whiting when he served as Middleburg’s police chief, called her a “special lady.”

Hamilton Town Attorney Maureen Gilmore was a close friend, as the two shared a love of Maine, lobster rolls in addition their dedication to municipal law. She noted Whiting’s long fight with ill health, while continuing to support the towns and her other clients. She was generous in sharing her deep knowledge of the law and giving practical advice, Gilmore said. “She had the ability to see the whole forest,” she said.

Martha Mason Semmes, who like Whiting has served most of Loudoun’s towns in one way or another over the four decades, said she was “a classy lady, as well as an accomplished attorney and a dear colleague.” Semmes worked with Whiting in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Semmes was the town planner in Middleburg. “She was unflappable, so skilled and made my job easy,” she said.

Whiting’s knowledge and guiding hand also was much appreciated in Hillsboro, where in recent years she assisted with the town’s largest expansion and its complex traffic calming and infrastructure projects. As Mayor Roger Vance noted, “We were a small town with big ambitions, and she would give us legal guidance. When we wanted to stretch things, she would always explain the pitfalls of such action, that things could always go sideways … but she was also ready to listen to our crazy ideas and help us figure it out.”

“It’s a huge loss for all of us. We’ve lost a great friend,” Vance said, recalling her courage in adversity—courage she never lost—and the way her face crinkled up when she laughed.

As a statewide leader in the commonwealth’s legal community, she was recognized in 2002 with the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia’s Distinguished Service Award—an award named in honor of her husband.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward Finnegan; and two siblings, Helen Whiting and Christian Flemming.

She is survived by one sister, Margaret Flemming; two sons, Jim Finnegan and Thomas Finnegan; one daughter-in-law, Alicia Green-Finnegan; five grandchildren, Quincy, Elijah, Nehemiah, Kaila, and Alivia; two nieces, Hillary and Audrey; and three grand-dogs.

A viewing is scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 18, with a service following at Colonial Funeral Home in Leesburg. n

PAGE 21

Obituaries Henry Reiter Webb, Jr. Jan. 7, 1929 to July 31, 2021

70s, and was tapped to be Chief Negotiator for Textile Matters with the rank of Ambassador under President Jimmy Carter’s administration, 1979-81. He was instrumental in negotiating some of the first modern textile import/export terms with China.

Mr. Webb retired from government service in 1981 and continued work as a private attorney. In retirement he volunteered extensively with the National Association of Federal Retired Employees (NARFE) and Foreign Agricultural Services Retirees (FAS).

Henry Reiter Webb, Jr., 92, of Ashburn, VA, passed peacefully July 31, 2021 with his loving wife, Jane, by his side. Born in Memphis, TN, he was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and graduated Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College) and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Washington College of Law, The American University, Washington, DC, where he graduated magna cum laude and valedictorian in 1960.

Mr. Webb enjoyed a long career with the federal government, working in the Foreign Agricultural Service in various roles promoting American agricultural exports, most notably cotton, grains, fruits and vegetables in markets around the world. His work took him to over 30 countries during the course of his career.

He served as Agricultural Attache to the American Embassies in London, England and Cairo, Egypt, during the late 1960s and

Mr. Webb is survived by his wife of 29 years, Jane McGowin Webb; brother David R. Webb, Cordova, TN; son Alan Webb, Warrenton, VA; daughter Karen Webb, Sperryville, VA; stepdaughter Ellen Moses, St. Petersburg, FL; stepson Chris Moses, Ashburn, VA; granddaughter Lindsey Puckett and husband Justin Puckett, Hampton, VA; granddaughters Alexandra Webb, NYC and Anastasia Webb, Harrisonburg, VA; step-grandson Justin Moncada and great-grandchildren Zoe and Hayes Puckett. He was preceded in death by a son, Kevin Webb.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Sept 25 at Ashburn Presbyterian Church, 20952 Ashburn Road, Ashburn, VA. Masks required.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Ashby Ponds Benevolent Care Fund, 21170 Ashby Ponds Blvd., Ashburn, VA 20147.

Lives are like rivers: Eventually they go where they must, not where we want them to.

LoudounNow To place an obituary, contact Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or email: sstyer@loudounnow.com

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 22

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

THINGS to do

Loco Living

LOCO LIVE

Live Music: The Crooked Angels

Friday, Sept. 17, 4 p.m.

Dirt Farm Brewing, 18701 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont Details: dirtfarmbrewing.com Husband and wife duo Amy and Jamie Potter serve up wild roots and soulful Americana.

Live Music: Dave Goodrum

Friday, Sept. 17, 5 p.m.

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro Details: harvestgap.com Goodrum brings acoustic music at its most fun--covering a range of genres from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and today.

Live Music: Rowdy Ace

Friday, Sept. 17, 5:30 p.m.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg Details: macsbeach.com Celebrate Friday with Rowdy Ace and a fun mix of country and rock.

Live Music: Ginada Pinata

Friday Sept. 17, 5:30 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Shepherdstown-based Ginada Pinata taps the influences of jazz, funk, rock, fusion, trance and drum and bass and blends them to create an organic vibe.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Peter Burnett is flanked by his daughters, Abbey Burnett Spencer and Ellie Burnett Wallace, on their garlic farm near Hamilton.

The Spice of Life At Sisters Garlic Co. It’s a Family Affair have a whole lot of taste,” Burnett said. “The product is so jmercker@loudounnow.com remarkably different from what you buy in the grocery store.”

The garlic room at Sisters GarThe company is based out lic Co. smells like heaven: earthy, of the former turkey farm near zesty, homey, and inviting. Built Hamilton that Burnett and his near the barn at historic Southwife Diana bought in 1978, and land Farm near Hamilton, it’s where the couple raised racea perfect showcase for one of horses for years. Now the farm’s Loudoun’s newest agricultural airy barn is filled with curing ventures. garlic hanging from the rafters Leesburg attorney Peter Burevery summer. nett and his daughters Abbey The father and daughter Burnett Spencer and Ellie Burteam started the garlic farm on nett Wallace started their artisDouglas Graham/Loudoun Now a whim after tasting local garlic anal garlic operation four years ago at their family’s farm. And The Burnetts work with up to 10 varieties of garlic each season at their farm from farmers markets. Both sisters have inherited their mothwhat they’re growing is a far cry near Hamilton. er’s love of cooking, and Burnett from the garlic many of us are is a passionate researcher who delved heavily into the world of used to: generic white bulbs, often from California or China, treatgarlic cultivars once he caught the bug.

In 2017, the trio decided ed with chemicals to preserve shelf life. Just like the wine grapes to give it a shot on their own, starting with 300 cloves from local that have become ubiquitous in the western Loudoun landscape, garlic is a diverse and fascinating crop, with hundreds of cultivars stock. and dramatic differences in flavor and color.

“You don’t get a plain Jane, white, soft-neck garlic that doesn’t SISTERS continues on page 25

BY JAN MERCKER

Live Music: Mark Dunn

Friday, Sept. 17, 6 p.m.

Bear Chase Brewing Company, 18294 Blue Ridge Mountain Road, Bluemont Details: bearchasebrew.com It’s an evening of acoustic rock, country and blues on the hillside with Mark Dunn.

Live Music: Chris Mangione and Madeline Miller

Friday Sept. 17, 7 p.m.

Tarbender’s Lounge, 10 S. King St., Leesburg Details: tarbenderslounge.com It’s a jazzy evening at Leesburg’s downtown speakeasy with tunes from Chris Mangione and Madeline Miller.

Live Music: Torrey B

Friday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m.

Social House South Riding, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, Chantilly Details: socialhousesouthriding.com R&B, funk, soul, rock and blues from a regional favorite.

Live Music: The Luke Johnson Band

Friday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m.

Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive #120, Sterling Details: crookedrunbrewing.com This high-energy trio of musical pioneers thrives on improvisation and conscious lyrical hooks, blending elements of jazz, roots, rock and funk with original grooves and freshly spread jams.

Live Music: Hilary Veltri

Friday, Sept. 17, 8 p.m.

Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com

THINGS TO DO continues on page 24

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 23

It’s Bluemont Fair Weekend LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

The Bluemont Fair is a family-oriented harvest festival featuring traditional crafts, local art and authors, craft and farming demonstrations, colonial re-enactors and a Native American village, live music, a children’s fair, petting zoo, pie-baking and pickle-making contests, antiques and collectables vendors and more.

Originally named Snickers’ Gap and then Snickersville, the village served as the western terminus of the W&OD railroad from 1900 until service was discontinued west of Purcellville in 1939. The railroad owners advocated the name Bluemont to attract summer refugees from the sweltering heat of Washington, DC, to the area’s mountain lodges and hotels.

While the hotels and boarding houses are now private residences, the village is little changed from its tourism heyday.

The annual fair is sponsored by the Bluemont Citizens Association. Money raised helps pay for street lighting, local student scholarships, and community beautification and historic preservation projects.

Loudoun Now File Photo

Getting up close to some local livestock always is a popular stop for youngsters visiting the Bluemont Fair.

The fair runs from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $10, with children age 9 and under free. Parking is near the Bluemont Community Center at 33846 Snickersville Turnpike.

For details, go to bluemontfair.org n

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LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 24

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

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STILL COLLINS USA Phil Collins/Genesis Tribute Saturday, Sept. 18, 6 p.m.

Tarara Winery tararaconcerts.com

CROSSROADS MUSIC FESTIVAL Saturday, Sept. 18, 5-10 p.m.

Venues in Downtown Leesburg crossroadsmusicfest.org

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THINGS to do continued from page 22

Veltri’s repertoire of covers and originals spans generations and genres from Bob Dylan to Beyonce.

Live Music: Clark Peklo

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Saturday, Sept. 18, 1 p.m.

868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro Details: 868estatevineyards.com Peklo’s repertoire of cool, unexpected covers with a strict No Eagles policy.

Live Music: Brahman Noodles

Saturday, Sept. 18, 1 p.m.

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights Details: facebook.com/harpersferrybrewing Enjoy an afternoon of jug funk and “jamcoustic” sounds from the Brahman Noodles with new songs along with old favorites from Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and more.

Live Music: Peter Warren

Saturday, Sept. 18, 2 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com The former frontman for The Fabulous Dialtones now performs solo bringing back the sounds of James Taylor, Neil Young, Simon and Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, John Prine and other favorites.

Live Music: Meisha Herron

Rising country music star Shane Gamble returns to Breaux for an afternoon of great music.

Crossroads Music Festival

Saturday, Sep. 18, 5:30 p.m.

Downtown Leesburg Details: crossroadsmusicfest.org Loudoun’s top musicians will be playing at nine top venues in Leesburg to support local nonprofits.

Tickets are $15 and include a t-shirt and wristband.

Tickets are voluntary, and donations are welcome.

Live Music: The Bruno Sound

Saturday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m.

Social House South Riding, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, Chantilly Details: socialhousesouthriding.com Loudoun’s Bruno Campos puts a fun acoustic twist on rock favorites.

Live Music: Rule G

Saturday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m.

Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com Rule G takes the stage at Monk’s with favorite covers and a bluesy groove.

Live Music: David Davol

Sunday, Sept. 19, 2 p.m.

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro Details: breauxvineyards.com David Davol returns to Breaux with folk rock and country favorites from the Eagles to James Taylor.

Live Music: Chris Timbers Trio

Saturday, Sept. 18, 2 p.m.

Two Twisted Posts Winery, 12944 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro Details: twotwistedposts.com Check out soul and blues from a rising star on the local music scene

Sunday, Sept. 19, 4:30 p.m.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg Details: macsbeach.com It’s Sunday Funday at Mac’s beach with the soulful vibes of the Chris Timbers Trio.

Live Music: Jes Jams

Wednesday, Sept. 22, 7 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg Details: tallyhotheater.com The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter known for hits like “Sailing” and “Arthur’s Theme” makes a special appearance at the Tally Ho. Tickets are $75.

Saturday, Sept. 18, 2 p.m.

Bozzo Family Vineyards, 35226 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro Details: bozwines.com Enjoy covers from the 60s through today as Jessica Paulin covers favorites from Joplin to Gaga and adds new favorites each week.

Live Music: Shane Gamble

Saturday, Sept. 18, 2 p.m.

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro Details: breauxvineyards.com

Live Music: Christopher Cross

LIBATIONS Wheatland Spring Oktoberfest

Saturday, Sept. 18 and Sunday, Sept. 19, Wheatland Spring Farm and Brewery, 38506 John Wolford Road, Waterford

Details: wheatlandspring.com Celebrate the season with German beers and food, traditional music and games. Dirndls and lederhosen are encouraged. Tickets are $24. Admission for children and designated drivers is free.

Old Ox Oktoberfest

Saturday, Sept. 18, noon-9 p.m.

Old Ox Middleburg, 14 S Madison St., Middleburg Details: oldoxbrewery.com The event features German-style beers, Germaninspired food, traditional Oktoberfest competitions, including stein-holding and the Best Dressed Bavarian award. Admission is free. Seating is first come, first served. Celebrations continue Sept. 25 and Oct. 2.

Doner Bistro Oktoberfest

Sunday, Sept. 19, 2-5 p.m.

Doener Bistro, 13C Fairfax Sr. SE, Leesburg Details: doener-usa.com Doner Bistro celebrates Oktoberfest with music from the Lost Lederhosen Reservations are required.

Tickets are $150 for a table of six and include glass steins and beer. Food platters are $25 each.

LOCO CULTURE Loudoun Arts Film Festival

Friday, Sept. 17-Sunday, Sept. 19 50 West Vineyards, 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: loudounartsfilmfest.com It’s the second weekend at Loudoun’s ambitious new film festival, now in its second year. Drive-in screenings take place Sept. 17-19, with virtual screenings throughout the week. Check out the website for tickets and a complete schedule.

Bluemont Fair

Saturday, Sept. 18 and Sunday, Sept. 19 33846 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont Details: bluemontfair.org Loudoun’s homegrown country fair returns for its 51st year with children’s activities, live music, vendors, food, beer, wine and fun. Admission is $10 for adults and youth 10 and older.

Claude Moore Park Fall Festival

Saturday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestals Gap Road, Sterling Details: facebook.com/LoudounPRCS All ages can enjoy live music, pumpkin-painting, local artisan crafts and an exhibit by local photographers.

Food will be available for sale.

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Sisters continued from page 22 ”We were like, ‘Let’s just put a bunch of bulbs in and see what happens,’” Burnett said.

Burnett used existing farm equipment to build a planting machine. Every fall, the two sisters ride on the back and place the cloves in rows. After the long growing season, the family hand harvests every bulb in midsummer of the following year. Burnett and Wallace dug up around 4,000 bulbs this summer. But Burnett had since found an undercutter bar that loosens the dirt beneath and makes harvesting easier.

“We’re looking forward to that next year,” Burnett said with a laugh.

Burnett and his daughters are tapping into both the passion for local food that’s taken Loudoun by storm and Americans’ growing love affair with garlic. According to Penn State University, garlic consumption in the U.S. has quadrupled since 1980 and now stands at two pounds per person annually “People are crazy about it, and they see a lot of health benefits,” Burnett said.

For Spencer and Wallace, the garlic company is a chance to reconnect with the gorgeous farm where they grew up and

“People are crazy about it, and they see a lot of health benefits.”

— Peter Burnett Sisters Garlic Company keep family ties strong. Wallace is a teacher in Alexandria, and Spencer recently moved from Leesburg to North Carolina with her young family. But both sisters are at the family farm regularly.

“It continued our attachment to the farm even though we’re not living here anymore,” Spencer said.

She remembers spending hours each day weeding the garlic field with two toddlers in tow during the summer of 2019, and finding peace and zen in the garlic field.

“It really makes you slow down,” she said.

And when Wallace’s husband proposed, he chose his wife’s happy place—the garlic

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field—as the backdrop.

On a recent late summer afternoon, three generations gathered at the farm to show off the sights and smells of the operation. This season, they’re planning to plant eight to 10 different varieties and are still learning the ins and outs of garlic.

“We’ve only skimmed the surface of all the different cultivars,” Wallace said.

Wallace loves the spicy Thai Purple variety, while Spencer, a University of Montana grad, is partial to the robust hard-necked Montana Zemo. Burnett likes the earthy and flavorful Rocambole varieties. But all three say there’s plenty of experimenting left to do. This season, Burnett is planning to test a new marbled variety with a shelf life of up to nine months.

The sisters are also still experimenting with sales and marketing plans for the products. Garlic has a much longer shelf life than other local produce but is still a seasonal product, and most varieties won’t last until the holidays. This summer, Burnett’s law firm bought much of the season’s crop and gave out Christmas in July garlic gift bags to community volunteers who helped with the local Ampersand Food Pantry.

The sisters have created a website and may expand sales next summer. They’re also looking into getting a license to eventually sell peeled and preserved products.

PAGE 25

“We want to get there but we haven’t yet,” Spencer said.

For now, the Sisters Garlic team is gearing up for their fifth crop, with planting slated for early November. Garlic takes up to eight months to grow. Growers plant in late fall to allow the roots to take hold, followed by a dormant period during the winter. Then as soil temperatures rise in the spring, the plants see a period of intense growth. Nearly half of each bulb’s growth takes place in the last 30 days before harvest, Burnett said.

After harvest, the garlic cures in the barn for three to six weeks, with long stalks hanging from the rafters. The growers snip off the dried stems and gently clean the papery outer layer before putting the crop into dry storage.

Spencer has been a vegetarian since elementary school and said the flavors and versatility of artisanal garlic make it perfect for plant-based cuisine. It’s also packed with vitamins and minerals.

“It’s something I could really promote,” she said. “You can use it for everything.” n For more information about Sisters Garlic Co., go to sistersgarlicco.com. For fall updates and fun bulb popping videos, follow the farm on Instagram @sistersgarlic.

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Enrollment continued from page 1

Safety from COVID-19 Safety, as the Delta variant brings a new spike of COVID cases, is paramount to in-person instruction for some parents who don’t want risk their young unvaccinated children being exposed to the virus.

After school started on Aug. 26, three classes went into quarantine over the course of two days. School Board members with inundated with emails from constituents worried about in-person learning.

In an email to Superintendent Scott Ziegler, School Board member Denise Corbo (At Large) wrote, “Parents are worried and are begging for online options. …

I understand the need for getting children back to school. My concern is we know this variant is far more deadly and fast spreading.”

As of Tuesday, there were 94 reported cases of COVID among students, and 27 cases among staff members. Some families have sought reprieve from the large

classes in public schools.

At the Embark Center, an alternative education center in Leesburg, program advisor Catina Sweedy said many families are seeking alternatives.

“There are parents who are concerned about health for their kids. Even though there are mask mandates and vaccine mandates, a lot of kids can’t get the vaccines yet. … We’re seeing parents not sure about that and they want to play it safe and keep kids home,” Sweedy said.

Embark Center members are considered homeschoolers, although they engaged in self-directed learning in small groups. In an environment such as Embark Center, contact tracing among a group of two dozen people is tenable for staff, putting parents at ease.

A group of parents held a silent protest outside of the district’s administrative building ahead of Tuesday’s school meeting, pressing for LCPS to reopen the virtual option to students. The parents said that they would have selected Virtual Loudoun for their students, had they known about the virulence of the Delta Variant in youth populations before the admissions closed in June. Among the demonstrators, most

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

of the parents said they are now homeschooling their children.

“A lot of people are doing private schools and homeschooling, and they’re looking for options from the county. The county needs to incorporate everybody’s needs. Everybody else can be vaccinated, except for the kids. They’re putting the kids at risk,” one parent said.

Sasiarekha Murthy is a working mother of two elementary school students. Murthy, not comfortable sending her children back to school until they are vaccinated, is now homeschooling her children.

“We’re not saying stop the in-person learning, what we’re saying is give us a choice. Keeping the kids at home is not an easy option for us. But most of us are doing it because we’re left with no choice. It’s been a very difficult situation,” Murthy said.

Murthy said she teaches her children in the evenings when she gets home from work, and a synchronous virtual option with the school district would solve her family’s problems.

Superintendent Scott Ziegler has repeatedly said that the district is committed to in-person learning, in line with the state Department of Education guidelines.

There is no immediate plan to reopen virtual enrollment.

Culture War Flight Loudoun’s School Board meeting room continues to be a culture-war battleground with critics charging the district is indoctrinating students to a liberal ideology, alleging influences of Critical Race Theory, and criticism of the newly adopted Policy 8040, protecting the right of transgender and gender expansive students. The School Board’s handling of the culture wars and COVID shutdown has spurred contempt among some parents.

Butch Porter oversees the pilot program of a new alternative learning center in Lucketts. He said many families are abandoning the school system because of its shortcomings over the past two years.

“The School Board and the school system has not showed itself up to the task of managing something like COVID, lack of ability to adjust to different opinions, different approaches,” he said. “There are new private schools in Loudoun County, I’m sure those are filing up. What families are doing are figuring out its not working. The first step is to not put up with it anymore.” n

Legal Notices A message to Loudoun County Property Owners regarding the Land Use Assessment Program from Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue The Land Use Assessment Program provides for the deferral of real estate taxes on property that meets certain agricultural, horticultural, forestry, or open space use criteria.

Real property owners who wish to apply for land use assessment for the first time must submit to my office an application along with the required fee by the filing deadline. Forms are available online, in my office, or can be mailed to you.

Owners of real property currently enrolled in the land use assessment program must renew their land use status every 6th year by submitting a renewal form along with documentation corroborating the qualifying land use along with the required fee by the filing deadline. Renewal forms will be mailed the first week of September to those currently enrolled who are up for renewal. You may check your renewal year online at www.loudoun.gov/parceldatabase by entering the property’s address or parcel identification number and selecting the LAND USE STATUS tab. Properties renewed in 2016 are up for renewal this year.

An additional deferral of taxes is available to current program participants if they sign and record an agreement to keep the property in its qualifying use for more than 5 but not exceeding 20 years. The commitment must be filed with my office by November 1, 2021 and recorded in the Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court´s office by December 15, 2021.

Please visit our website or contact my office for information or filing assistance.

DEADLINES

First-time Land Use applications and Renewal applications must be submitted to the Commissioner of the Revenue by Monday, November 1, 2021. Applications submitted after the deadline; November 2, 2021 through December 6, 2021, are subject to a $300 per parcel late filing fee in addition to with the standard filing fee. No first-time applications or renewal applications will be accepted after the December 6th deadline.

FILING FEES

For submissions received or postmarked by November 1, 2021 -$125 plus $1 per acre or portion thereof For submissions received or postmarked between November 2, 2021 and December 6, 2021 $125 plus $1 per acre or portion thereof plus a $300 per parcel late filing fee Online: www.loudoun.gov/landuse Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, M - F Phone: 703-737-8557 Email: trcor@loudoun.gov Mailing Address Overnight Deliveries PO Box 8000 1 Harrison Street, SE, MSC 32 MSC 32 Leesburg VA 20177-9804 Leesburg, VA 20175-3102

Leesburg Office 1 Harrison Street, SE 1st Floor Leesburg, VA 20175

Sterling Office 21641 Ridgetop Circle, Ste 100 Sterling, VA 20166

09/09, 09/16, 09/23, 09/30, 10/7, 10/21 & 10/28/21

TOWN OF LEESBURG ADVERTISEMENT FOR BID IFB NO. 17016-FY22-11 MARKET STREET AND KING STREET INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS **NOTE: Effective January 1, 2021, all bids and proposals in response to a formal solicitation issued by the Town will be securely received via eVA, the Commonwealth’s eProcurement website. Additionally, at this time the Town is not conducting in-person public bid openings. ** SEALED BIDS to construct the above project WILL BE RECEIVED by the Town of Leesburg, electronically via the Commonwealth’s e-procurement website (www.eva.virginia.gov), UNTIL BUT NO LATER THAN 3:00 P.M. ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021. Bids shall be submitted electronically using the following naming convention: the IFB number and the name of the bidder (i.e. “IFB No. 17016-FY22-11_Your Company’s Name”).

All questions regarding this bid must be submitted in writing via email to CapitalBidQuestions@leesburgva. gov until but no later than 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday, September 21, 2021.

Bids will be publicly opened via Microsoft Teams using the eVA e-Procurement website at the due date and time listed above. The bid opening will be livestreamed via Microsoft Teams and made available to the public.

• To join the meeting and view the video shared by the Town of Leesburg

from your computer, please see the following link(s): Click here to join the meeting or go to: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ NzA1NTg4MWYtYTkxYi00MjIzLWIyMmYtZTBhMWVjYjhkZjgz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b% 22Tid%22%3a%22fcff6f14-98e4-4734-bf54-941f010e77b7%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22b08c9db0f4a3-4eed-87b5-2fe32ac2c53a%22%7d

• To join the meeting via phone, please see the following dial-in info: • Dial In #: +1 689-218-0588 Meeting Conference ID: 806 745 0#

Work will be done at night between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday night through Thursday night and includes excavation, storm drainage, waterline improvements, curb, gutter, brick sidewalk, installation of electrical and communication conduits, traffic signal upgrades, pedestrian signals, paving, maintenance of traffic, miscellaneous site work, and all incidentals related thereto. The Town reserves the right to perform all, part, or none of the work.

Bid Documents are available for download from the Town’s Bid Board at http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard.

Any addenda issued for this project will be posted on the Town’s Bid Board and eVA (https://eva.virginia.gov) with a courtesy email to those firms who have registered on the Town’s Bid Board. It is the bidders’ responsibility to provide a correct email address and to be aware of any addenda.

Renée LaFollette, Director Department of Public Works and Capital Projects

09/16/21

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SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

PAGE 27

Legal Notices PUBLIC HEARING The LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:

INTERIM ADDITIONS INTERIM ADDITIONS TO AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTAL DISTRICTS Applications have been received by the Loudoun County Department of Planning and Zoning and referred to the Agricultural District Advisory Committee (ADAC) and the Planning Commission pursuant to Chapter 43, Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia to amend the ordinances for the following Agricultural and Forestal Districts to add the following parcels: DISTRICT

PIN

TAX MAP NUMBER

ACRES ENROLLED

NEW HILLSBORO

449-20-7833

/26////////10A

7.84

NEW HUGHESVILLE

456-19-2924

/45///9/////B/

21.2

NEW MOUNTVILLE

498-17-7351

/73///2/////1/

11.52

NEW MOUNTVILLE

498-17-8304

/73////////28C

17.57

NEW BLUEMONT

609-17-4561

/33///8////19/

5.3

NEW BLUEMONT

609-26-8304

/33////////32A

17.17

NEW BLUEMONT

609-27-9560

/33////////32/

5.5

NEW BLUEMONT

609-27-9780

/33///4/////B/

5.12 14.19

NEW EBENEZER

617-27-9962

/54///2////11/

NEW EBENEZER

617-28-4974

/54////////39/

5.03

NEW BLUEMONT

629-30-9125

/33//10////14B

26.88

Any owner of additional qualifying land may join the applications with consent of the Board of Supervisors, at any time before the public hearing that the Board of Supervisors must hold on the applications. Additional qualifying lands may be added to an already created District at any time upon separate application pursuant to Chapter 43, Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia.

Any owner who joined in the application may withdraw their land, in whole or in part, by written notice filed with the Board of Supervisors, at any time before the Board of Supervisors acts pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-4309.

The conditions and periods of the foregoing Agricultural and Forestal Districts to which parcels are being considered for addition are as follows: DISTRICT

PERIOD

SUBDIVISION MINIMUM LOT SIZE

PERIOD START DATE

NEW HILLSBORO

10 Years

20 Acres

April 11, 2012

NEW HUGHESVILLE

10 Years

25 Acres

December 7, 2011

NEW MOUNTVILLE

4 Years

50 Acres

January 3, 2021

NEW BLUEMONT

4 Years

20 Acres

June 2, 2020

NEW EBENEZER

4 Years

50 Acres

June 2, 2020

Each of these Districts will be reviewed prior to its expiration date pursuant to Chapter 1226 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County.

Received applications were referred to the ADAC for review and recommendation. The ADAC held a public meeting on August 10, 2021, to consider the applications. The report and recommendations of the ADAC will be considered by the Planning Commission at its public hearing on September 28, 2021. The reports and recommendations of the ADAC and the Planning Commission will be considered by the Board of Supervisors at its public hearing.

In accordance with Section 15.2-4307 of the Code of Virginia, the applications 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 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by calling 703-777-0246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies or electronically at: https://www.loudoun.gov/adac (8-10-2021 ADAC Meeting under Agendas and Bylaws). Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/pc (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for Public Hearings Packet).

SPEX-2021-0002 GUILFORD STATION SOUTH (Special Exception)

Guilford Station LLC of Bethesda, Maryland, has submitted an application for a Special Exception to permit a 4,500 Square Foot Restaurant with accessory drive through use in the C-1 (Commercial) zoning district. This application is subject to the 1972 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use permissible by the Board of Zoning Appeals upon favorable recommendation by the Planning Commission under Article 4, Schedule of District Regulations for the C-1 zoning district.

The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District and Route 28 CO (Corridor Overlay District) and within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 5.37 acres in size and is located on the

north side of West Church Road (Route 625) and on the west side of Atlantic Boulevard (Route 1902) in the Sterling Election District.

The subject property is more particularly described as follows: PIN

TAX MAP NUMBER

PROPERTY ADDRESS

044-40-8919

/80/R/1CM///4

22060 Railcar Drive, Sterling, Virginia

044-40-8989

/80/R/1CM///3

22074 Railcar Drive, Sterling, Virginia

044-40-7361

/80/R/1CM///5/

22000 Railcar Drive, Sterling, Virginia

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)), which vertical mix of residential, commercial, entertainment, cultural, and recreational uses at a recommended maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.

ZCPA-2020-0014 WATERSIDE NORTH

(Zoning Concept Plan Amendment) Waterside I, LLC of Columbia, Maryland, has submitted an application to amend the existing proffers and concept development plan (“CDP”) approved with ZMAP-2018-0011, Waterside North, in order to amend transportation commitments and decrease the maximum square footage from 1,975,881 square feet to 1,030,000 square feet with a decrease in density from 0.6 Floor Area Ratio (FAR) to 0.32 FAR. This application is subject to the Revised 1993Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District, the (QN) Quarry Notification Overlay District, and located partially within the Route 28 Corridor Business Optional Overlay District, and the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within the one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contour. The subject property is approximately 73.9 acres in size and is located on the north side of Old Ox Road (Route 606), east of Shaw Road (Route 636) at 22900 Platform Plaza, Sterling, Virginia in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 034-38-5918. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area), in the Suburban Employment Place Type which designate this area for Non-Residential uses at a minimum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.

ZCPA-2020-0011, CMPT-2020-0008, SPMI-2020-0011 & ZMOD-2021-0045 LOCKRIDGE SUBSTATION

(Zoning Concept Plan Amendment, Commission Permit, Minor Special Exception & Zoning Modification) Dominion Energy Virginia of Glen Allen, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) amend the existing proffers and concept development plan (“CDP”) approved with ZCPA-2017-0005 and ZRTD-2016-0002 in order a) to add an additional entrance to the property from Lockridge Road, b) delete the requirement to establish and maintain a Property Owners Association , and c) revise Proffer V Transportation to update transportation commitments related to construction and development of the road frontage improvements for Lockridge Road; and 2) for Commission approval to permit development of one Utility Substations (distribution) in the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and require a Commission Permit in accordance with Section 6-1101. The modification of the Additional Regulations applicable to the proposed Utility Substations is authorized by Minor Special Exception under Section 5-600, Additional Regulations for Specific Uses (the Minor Special Exception application is not subject to consideration by the Planning Commission and requires approval only by the Board of Supervisors), pursuant to which the Applicant requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s): ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION

PROPOSED MODIFICATION

§5-616(D), Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, Utility Substations.

Eliminate required Type ‘C’ Buffer planting on the north, east and south substation frontages.

§5-616(D), Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, Utility Substations.

Reduce required Type ‘C’ Buffer width from 25’ to 15’ for northern buffer substation frontage.

The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s): ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION §5-1408(C)(3), Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans; General Landscape Provisions; Use of Buffer Yards and Road Corridor Buffers.

PROPOSED MODIFICATION Revise the limitations of service drive buffer encroachments identified to allow a service drive to traverse the Eastern buffer in a parallel manner.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 28

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Legal Notices The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District and within the Route 28 CB (Corridor Business Overlay District). The property is located fully within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, within the Ldn 65 or higher, between the Ldn 60-65 aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 28.42 acres in size and is located north of the Dulles Greenway (Route 267), on the east side of Lockridge Road (Route 789) in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as portion of PIN: 063-49-6156. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Urban Policy Area (Urban Employment Place Type)), which supports a broad array of Employment uses at a recommended minimum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0 and building heights of 3 to 8 stories.

ZMAP-2019-0014, SPEX-2019-0029 & ZMOD-2019-0039 LOUDOUN SOCCER PARK (Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exception & Zoning Modification)

Loudoun Youth Soccer Association of Leesburg, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone approximately 11.14 acres from the JLMA-20 (Joint Land Use Management Area-20) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the PD-SA (Planned Development-Special Activities) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to permit the development of all principal and accessory uses permitted in the PD-SA zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance at a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 0.40; and 2) a Special Exception to allow proposed alternative lighting standards that do not comply with the standards of Section 5-1504(A). These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Section 5-1504(C). The Applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification: ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION

PROPOSED MODIFICATION

§4-705(B)(2), PD-SA Planned Development-Special Activity, Lot Requirements, Yards, Adjacent to Agricultural and Residential Districts and Land Bays Allowing Residential Uses.

Reduce the required one hundred (100) foot yard to thirty-five (35) feet where the property borders agricultural districts, any existing or planning residential district, or land bays allowing residential uses.

The subject property is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, within the Ldn 65 or higher, between the Ldn 60-65, and outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 11.14 acres in size and is located north of Cochran Mill Road (Route 653) on the east side of Sycolin Road (Route 625) at 19798 Sycolin Road, Leesburg, Virginia in the Catoctin Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 192-36-5833.

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Joint Land Management Area (Leesburg JLMA Employment Place Type)) which designates this area for a range of light and general industry core uses, and conditional uses including special activities and parks and recreation, at a recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.

CMPT-2021-0003 AT&T STONE RIDGE ANTENNAS (Commission Permit)

AT&T of Hanover, Maryland has submitted an application for Commission approval to permit six new antennas, twelve remote radio heads, and three DC9 (squids) on an existing Loudoun County Sanitation Authority water tank in the TR1-UBF (Transitional Residential - 1 (Upper Broad Run and Upper Foley)) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and requires a Commission Permit in accordance with Section 6-1101.The subject property is located partially within the FOD (Flood Plain District) and within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District between the Ldn 6065 aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 5.78 acres in size and is located north of Braddock Road (Route 629) and west of NorthStar Boulevard (Route 3171), at 24668 Goshen Road, Aldie, Virginia in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 247-19-1835. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Transition Policy Area (Transition Large Lot Neighborhood Place Type)) which designate this area for detached homes and substantial open space in low-density communities.

SIDP-2020-0008 EQUINIX SIGN DEVELOPMENT PLAN (Sign Development Plan)

Equinix RP II, LLC of Foster City, California, has submitted an application for a Sign Development Plan to request alternative sign regulations for permitted signs in order to modify the Total Aggregate Sign Area, the Maximum Area of Any One Sign and Maximum Number of Signs for Flex/Industrial/ Warehouses/Datacenter Buildings and Signs for Businesses in MR-HI, PD-IP, and PD-GI. The subject property is being developed pursuant to ZRTD-2015-0005, Beaumeade SE Quadrant in the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) 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 located within the Route 28 Taxing District, the Route 28 Corridor Business Overlay District, and the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District between the Ldn 60-65 aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 10.29 acres in size and is located north of Waxpool Road (Route 825) on the east side of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 807) at 22175 Beaumeade Circle, Ashburn, Virginia, in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 061-29-8643.

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Employment Place Type)) which designate this area for a broad array of employment uses at a recommended with a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.

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 703-777-0246 (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. To arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email dpz@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246, or you may view the file electronically at www.loudoun. gov/lola. 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 County Government Center, please email DPZ@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246 (option 5). Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the hearing at www.loudoun.gov/pc.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, members of the public are encouraged to view the public hearing electronically; however, the Board Room will be open for any members of the public who wish to attend in person with appropriate physical distancing. Planning Commission 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. All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. If you wish to sign up in advance of the hearing, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing. Speakers may also sign up at the hearing.

Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, MSC #62, Leesburg, Virginia 20175, or by e-mail to loudounpc@loudoun. gov. Any individual representing and/or proposing to be the sole speaker on behalf of a citizen’s organization or civic association is encouraged to contact the Department of Planning and Zoning prior to the date of the public hearing if special arrangements for additional speaking time and/or audio-visual equipment will be requested.

Such an organization representative will be allotted 6 minutes to speak, and the Chairman may grant additional time if the request is made prior to the date of the hearing and the need for additional time is reasonably justified.

Citizens are encouraged to call the Department of Planning and Zoning on the day of the public hearing to confirm that an item is on the agenda, or, the most current agenda may be viewed on the Planning Commission’s website at www.loudoun.gov/pc. In the event that the second Thursday is a holiday or the meeting may not be held due to inclement weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend, the meeting will be moved to the third Tuesday of the month. In the event that Tuesday is a holiday or the Tuesday meeting may not be held due to inclement weather or other conditions that make it hazardous for members to attend, the meeting will be held on the following Thursday. The meeting will be held at a place determined by the Chairman.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings at all other locations. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory or mental disability to participate in this meeting, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246. Please provide three days’ notice.

BY ORDER OF:

FOREST HAYES, CHAIRMAN LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

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

Case Number

Recovery Date

Recovery Location

Black Stromer ST1 Electric bike 16.5” frame

SO210014442

9/4/2021

39048 Old Stage Pl. Waterford, VA

09/09 & 09/16/21

Phone Number

703-777-0610 09/16 & 09/23//21

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE §§ 1-211.1, 8.01-316, -317, 20-104 Case No.:

CA 20-36

Loudoun County Circuit Court 18 East Market St., Leesburg, Va 20176 Robert Goodson v. Brian C. Daniels The object of this suit is to adopt Jasmine A. Daniels by Robert Goodson, her stepfather (in re: Adoption of Jasmine A. Daniels It is ORDERED that Brian C. Daniels appear at the above-named Court and protect his interests on November, 19 2021 at 2:00 pm.

09/16, 09/23, 09/30 & 10/07/21

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Legal Notices

PAGE 29

OFFICIAL VOTING INFORMATION

November 2, 2021 - General & Special Election

VOTE AT HOME INFORMATION

November 2, 2021 - General & Special Election The Constitution of Virginia requires that you be registered in the precinct in which you live to be qualified to vote.

For the convenience of the citizens of Loudoun County, the Voter Registration Office at 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C, Leesburg, is open each week Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Vote at Home All registered voters in Virginia are eligible to request, receive, mark, and return their ballot all from the comfort of their own home. Not only is it easy, but it’s safe and secure too. You have the option of applying for a single election or permanent absentee (you will be sent a ballot for every election you are eligible to vote in).

To be eligible to vote in the November General & Special Election to be held on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, you must register no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 12.

You are encouraged to make an application for voter registration. Please call us at the number shown below should you have any questions.

Remember, a good citizen registers and votes!

Important Dates & Deadlines: Start requesting vote at home ballots – Immediately First batch of ballots to be mailed – September 17, 2021 Deadline to request a ballot be mailed to you – October 22, 2021, at 5:00 p.m.

Deadline to return your mail ballot – postmarked no later than November 2, 2021, and received by noon on Friday, November 5, 2021.

Ways to Register to Vote: Online - Eligible citizens of the Commonwealth can submit a voter registration application or update their registration information online if they have a Virginia driver’s license. To apply online go to www.elections.virginia.gov

Request and Return your Ballot If you have a Virginia Driver’s License or Identification Card you can apply online at www.vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/Lookup/absentee and follow the prompts that guide you through the process.

If you do not have a Virginia Driver’s License or ID card or just prefer to apply by a paper application you can download an application at www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/voter-forms. The completed Virginia Absentee Ballot Application can be submitted by mail, fax, or email to the Office of Elections (see bottom of this page for contact info.) You can also give us a call and we'll mail or email you the application.

More information regarding the upcoming election can be found on our website: www.loudoun.gov/NovemberElection Ready to return your ballot? Place the ballot in the purple envelope. The purple envelope has the necessary postage to return your ballot by mail. You can also return your ballot to any Early Voting Location. Ballot drop boxes will also be available beginning October 18th at any Loudoun County Public Library during their regular hours.

Judith Brown, General Registrar I 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C Leesburg, Virginia 20175 Email: vote@loudoun.gov I Telephone: 703-777-0380 I Fax:703-777-0622

NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES 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.

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.

YR. 1990

MAKE

CHAPARRAL

MODEL

BOAT

VIN

HULL #FGBV0757G990

STORAGE

BATTLEFIELD

PHONE#

703-378-0059

09/16 & 09/23/21

Department of Motor Vehicles – You can apply or update your information online at the DMV when completing a driver’s license transaction.

Mail-in voter registration applications are also available at all Loudoun County libraries and community centers and can be downloaded at https://www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/voter-forms/ You can also go to www.elections.virginia.gov to verify your registration address and where you vote.

Judith Brown, General Registrar I 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C Leesburg, Virginia 20175 Email: vote@loudoun.gov I Telephone: 703-777-0380 I Fax:703-777-0622

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS will hold a public hearing in the BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING ROOM, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Thursday, September 23, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:

VARI-2021-0004 Kaleem - Addition Samir Kaleem and Kauser Kaleem of Sterling, Virginia, have submitted an application for a variance to permit a reasonable deviation from the following provisions of the Revised1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in order to permit the construction of an addition to an existing single-family detached dwelling on the subject property that will be located approximately 10.6 feet from the rear property line: 1) Section 3-404(C)(3) Lot Requirements for Suburban Design Option, Yards, Rear, which requires a twenty-five (25) foot rear yard. The subject property is zoned R-4 (Single Family Residential) under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is approximately 0.19 acre in size and is located on the north side of Edenberry Court (Route 1011), approximately 0.08 mile east of the intersection of Edenberry Court (Route 1011) and Connemara Drive (Route 1010) at 210 Edenberry Court, Sterling, Virginia, in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 020-20-0809.

Full and complete copies of the above-referenced application(s) and related documents may be examined in the Loudoun County Department of Planning and Zoning, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call (703) 777-0246.

All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. If any member of the public requires a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability in order to participate in a public meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200/TTY-711. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice.

Nan M. Joseph Forbes, Chairman

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LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 30

Legal Notices

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.: JJ038733-20-00

EARLY VOTING INFORMATION

November 2, 2021 - General & Special Election

Early Voting All registered voters are now eligible to vote early in-person, no excuse required. In-person early voting begins at the Office of Elections on Friday, September 17, 2021.

Yard Sale

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

MULTI-FAMILY Yard/Garage Sale

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Abbigail Jacobs

SAT. SEPT. 18 | 9AM – 2PM

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Sifredo Amaya (aka Surfredo Amaya), putative father and; Michelle Jacobs, mother The object of this suit is to hold a foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282 and 16.1-281 for Abbigail Jacobs.

It is ORDERED that the defendants Sifredo Amaya (aka Surfredo Amaya), putative father and; Michelle Jacobs, mother appear at the above-named Court and protect their interests on September 28, 2021 at 11:00 am

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Important Dates For Leesburg Early Voting Office of Elections—Leesburg—750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C, Leesburg 20175 Early voting starts on Friday, September 17, 2021 Early voting hours—Monday to Friday, 8:30 am—5:00 pm Extended hours— Tuesday, October 19, Thursday, October 21, Tuesday, October 26, and Thursday, October 28—office remains open until 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 23, and Saturday, October 30—office will be open from 9:00 am—5:00 pm Sunday, October 24—office will be open from 12:00 p.m.—5:00 pm

Important Dates & Deadlines: Loudoun County Government Office at Ridgetop—21641 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling 20166 Early voting starts—October 18, 2021 Dulles South Senior Center—24950 Riding Center Drive, Chantilly 20152 Early voting starts—October 18, 2021 Carver Senior Center—200 E. Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville 20132 Early voting starts—October 23, 2021 Saturday Hours ONLY

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Saturday, October 30, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. is the last day upon which one may vote an absentee ballot in person for the upcoming election.

To find more information regarding the upcoming election, visit our website at www.loudoun.gov/NovemberElection.

Judith Brown, General Registrar I 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C Leesburg, Virginia 20175 Email: vote@loudoun.gov I Telephone: 703-777-0380 I Fax:703-777-0622

PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held by the Town of Leesburg Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, second floor in the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 W. Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176, to hear the following item: BZA Case number TLZV-2021-0001 – Jesus Vargas, Applicant, requests a Variance of 10’ to the rear yard setback of 30’ for the construction of a sunroom on an existing deck attached to the rear of the home, resulting in a rear yard setback of 20’ for the proposed sunroom. The residence is located at 711 Montauk Court, NE, Leesburg, Virginia 20176. The property that is the subject of this Variance request is further identified as Loudoun County Parcel Identification Number (PIN#) 146-15-0237.

Full and complete copies of the above-referenced application and related documents may be examined in the Leesburg Department of Planning and Zoning in the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 W. Market Street, 2nd floor, during regular business hours 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by calling (703) 771-2766 and asking for Mike Ruddy, Assistant Zoning Administrator or Debi Parry, the Secretary to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views regarding this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Secretary to the Board three days in advance of the meeting date at (703) 771-2765. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

09/09 & 09/16/21

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SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Opinion Priorities The Board of Supervisors last week moved quickly to take advantage of new taxing authority provided by the General Assembly and imposed the maximum allowable tax on cigarettes.

While advocates for the measure focused on the public health benefits expected to accrue from the higher economic penalty to be paid at the counter, the greater potential benefit should be the diversification of the tax base. In short, homeowners should expect the see savings on their tax bills next year.

Sure, $2.2 million a year, once divided out, wouldn’t likely provide an extra monthly cup of coffee for most property owners, but at some point the priority of the Board of Supervisors must be to pass along the windfalls from new revenue streams. With years of booming data center revenue, continued growth, and now a trend of declining public school enrollment it isn’t enough to simply hold Loudoun homeowners’ second-highest tax bills in the commonwealth almost level each year.

Supervisors showed enthusiasm in their effort to save residents from their own bad habits. It would be a welcome change to see that same level of enthusiasm when it comes to protecting their economic wellbeing, too. n

Norman K. Styer, Publisher and Editor nstyer@loudounnow.com

Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC

EDITORIAL Renss Greene, Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com

15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176

Jan Mercker, Reporter jmercker@loudounnow.com

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Kara C. Rodriguez, Reporter krodriguez@loudounnow.com Hayley Milon Bour, Reporter hbour@loudounnow.com ADVERTISING Susan Styer, Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.com

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Tonya Harding, Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.com Vicky Mashaw, Account Executive vmashaw@loudounnow.com

LETTERS to the Editor We’re Behind on Housing Editor: The county’s leadership must have the political courage to make new choices to increase the supply of attainable housing.

As an established business owner and 16-year resident of Loudoun County, I have worked hard to expand opportunities for my workers so they could afford to be residents of our county. However, there are very few places in Loudoun where my employees can actually afford to live. Currently, only 15% of single-family homes in Loudoun cost less than $350,000. A recent survey by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors indicates the median house price in Northern Virginia is nearly $750,000.

The need for a wide range of housing types at various price points as well as access to the available land to build attainable housing has never been greater.

If the severe housing shortage for our workers is to be addressed, our county’s leadership must think outside of the box and explore new ideas that can provide more housing types that we lack. They continue to discuss policies that may have worked when Loudoun was undeveloped decades ago but are not possible now with the buildout of the eastern portion of the county.

It will be impossible for the county to meet its projected attainable housing goals without allowing some development in the Transition Policy Area. That land is currently zoned and planned primarily to accommodate expensive executive homes on enormous parcels.

The county must embrace the notion that responsible new development must be allowed that includes an attainable element.

Housing policy also can’t focus on uniformity when it comes to housing types.

A variety of attainable housing such as rental apartments, condominiums, townhomes, duplexes and quads is desperately needed. Not everyone wants to live in an apartment near a future Metro station nor can everyone afford a large home in a community such as Willowsford. A diversity of housing types will offer choices for our first responders, teachers, healthcare workers and others across a broader economic spectrum.

Loudoun continues to play catchup with other Northern Virginia jurisdictions in terms of their commitment to housing. Alexandria and Fairfax are concentrating housing units together to LETTERS TO THE EDITOR continues on page 33

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

Readers’ Poll

The Board of Supervisors has approved a new cigarette tax. Do you support it?

LAST WEEK'S QUESTION: Early voting opens next week. How will you cast your ballot?

Share your views at loudounnow.com/ polls

LETTERS to the editor Monopole continued from page 32

increase density and the construction of more homes that are attainable for their workers. They are abandoning the old concept of dispersion because the new product has become so good that they realize that the most important thing is a timely supply of housing for people who desperately need them. They are permitting greater innovation that empowers builders to find new ways to create more homes for a broader spectrum of our growing population.

Loudoun County is behind. Where is the creative thought process to address our attainable housing crisis?

Our lack of housing hits small businesses like mine hard. It makes it more difficult to recruit and retain employees as there are fewer opportunities for my employees to live in the county where they work. That means longer commutes and longer days for employees. Longer commutes also result in more congestion on the road. Most of our employees commute in from the Front Royal area.

Our county leaders are considering housing policy today. Let those policies offer the greatest ability to meet our attainable housing needs now. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity to create much needed housing within reach of our county’s workforce.

— Shawn Mitchell, Ashburn President and CEO, Modern Mechanical

PAGE 33

continued from page 3

Ridge Mountains. “This is the least expensive way for AT&T to accomplish their goal. They own the land, they’re going to receive income from the people who sign onto the tower, there’s no downside for them. For the other companies, like the place in Lovettsville [another cell tower planned on a farm property], the farmer’s going to receive the income.”

“This nearly pristine ridgeline is part of the magnificent rural landscape of our county,” said Heritage Commission member Robert Pollard. “Building a 125foot industrial tower on top of Short Hill would deface it forever.”

“The thing that’s bothering me the most about this whole discussion is that everybody keeps talking about, ‘oh, it’s tradeoff between service and the visual impact of a tower,’ but it’s really not,” said Sam Kroiz. “There’s so many different options to get service.”

Jen Wellock of Neersville said that cell service is “a stopgap technology.”

“Keep your eye on the prize: we need fiber,” she said.

AT&T representatives said the monopole will improve not only cell service, but also expand FirstNet, a wireless network exclusively for first responders. David Hornbaker of Round Hill said he worries whether people at rural Loudoun schools would be able to call for help when needed. And he also pointed to demands of remote learning.

“We all know through the coronavirus what it has done for students to learn from home. This would greatly help students to learn from home, as we all sit here with

“This nearly pristine ridgeline is part of the magnificent rural landscape of our county.”

— Robert Pollard Heritage Commission Member masks on and are still not over this pandemic,” Hornbaker said.

Some of the debate centered around whether the monopole can be said to offer broadband internet service. Randall pointed out that “mobile broadband” actually refers to cell service hotspots. And she said many letters in support of the tower are written in support of broadband internet.

“I think it’s because there has been some paying with semantics, and I think AT&T has indicated, if not said the words, high speed internet or broadband,” Randall said. “I think that needs to be cleared up right now, that this will not offer that.”

Others argued it counts as broadband service, or that it’s simply the best option for many in the area. Theresa Robertson, owner of Two Twisted Posts Winery nearby, said the lack of cell service has hurt the tourist industry and made life more difficult for her staff, including processing credit card transactions.

And some supervisors and supporters said there are already other, taller towers on the ridgeline, and pointed out the AT&T site is already clear-cut and graded.

Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Lees-

burg) said on her visit to the site, “I had expected perhaps to see a pristine vista, and it was not that.”

Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge), who has adamantly opposed the proposal, pointed to the campaign by AT&T to drum up support for the tower.

“Even with that, the overwhelming majority of constituents that I’ve heard from are adamantly opposed to this,” Buffington said. And he dismissed arguments that there are already towers on the mountain: “Just because something was done wrong in the past doesn’t mean that we should continue to do wrong in the future.”

Bell has threatened to overrule local authority with a vote at the General Assembly to force the tower if county supervisors vote it down. In an op-ed sent the day of the public hearing, Bell echoed AT&T arguments that the tower would help local businesses and make sure 911 calls on cell phones can connect.

“Not every decision we make as a community is going to have 100 percent agreement,” Bell wrote. “This tower is no different, but after careful review of the project, the benefits far outweigh the risks.”

Several critics have pointed out Bell’s required financial disclosure filings show he holds between $50,000 and $250,000 in AT&T stock.

Many supervisors said they are still on the fence about the application and asked for more information about what other options might exist for providing more wireless coverage in the area.

Supervisors voted 7-1-1, with Buffington opposed and Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) absent, to send the application to their Oct. 5 meeting for a final decision.

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 34

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

PARENTING WITH A PURPOSE

Dealing with the Procrastinator

BY NEIL MCNERNEY

A reader asks: “I have a daughter that has become the ultimate procrastinator.

She will wait until the last minute to get her assignments done. This causes lots of stress and last-minute worry ... especially with me! How can I help her become less of a procrastinator so that things are easier for both of us?”

Procrastination is something that most families deal with, since there is usually at least one child who likes to wait until the last minute on projects and studying for tests.

First, the good news: Recently, a large study was conducted analyzing the traits of successful college students. Some of the expected traits were high on the list, such as intelligence and hard work, but there was one trait the caught the researchers by surprise: procrastination. One of the top five traits that most successful college students identified about themselves is that they were procrastinators. One interpretation of this could be that procrastinators learn a very important skill—the ability to work well under pressure.

This assumes, of course, that the procrastination is managed well. If it is not managed well, it will cause more difficulties and missed/late assignments and extra stress for the whole family.

Another characteristic of procrastinators is that they are very optimistic. They think that they will have plenty of time to finish things and nothing will get in the way. A sure sign of a natural born procrastinator is one that tells you he will get up an hour early and study since he will be well rested at that point. Especially with teens, this almost never happens. He is not going to be well rested and ready for studying at 5:30 in the morning. We, as adults, understand this. The overly optimistic procrastinator does not.

Now for the bad news: We, as parents, can only be somewhat successful in reducing our children’s tendency to procrastinate. Some children are natural born procrastinators who will have to deal with this issue into their adult years. We cannot eliminate this tendency. If we try to eliminate procrastination with those kids who are natural procrastinators, we tend to end up over-punishing (with little effect) and cause more stress and tension instead of reducing the procrastination.

Does this mean we should do nothing?

Absolutely not. If you have read my previous columns, you might recall that an important thing we can do for our children is to teach them about life: if you do well, good things tend to happen; if you don’t do well, bad things tend to happen. Our job is to produce a microcosm of life so that they

can learn these lessons now.

Strategies 1. Ask questions instead of giving advice. When we tell our children how it should be done, most kids will resist. This is natural. But when we ask them questions about their plan, it increases the likelihood that that they will become better planners.

Here are some good questions to ask: What is your plan? When is it due? When do you plan on working on it? How much time will it take? Is that enough time?

By asking the right questions, we are getting our children to think about planning enough time for the project, which is an important skill for them to learn.

2. Set an artificial deadline. Successful students will often set an artificial deadline a few days before the actual deadline so that if some unexpected event occurs, they will have a few days to recover. But most natural born procrastinators won’t naturally do this. We have to do it for them. So if a project is due on Monday, we could set the deadline for Friday.

Then you can reward them if they met the deadline. I think rewards work much better than punishments when it comes to dealing with procrastination. Rewards don’t have to be extravagant; they just have to be effective. For example: “If you finish the project by Friday afternoon, you can go

to your friend’s house on Friday evening. If you don’t finish it, you’ll have to stay home with us.”

It is fine to use those things that our children would automatically get and, instead, make them earn it. This is how life works, doesn’t it?

3. For long term projects, set two or three interim deadlines. By setting more than one deadline, your child won’t get stuck with ten hours of work and only two days to get it done. Most projects have natural spots to set deadlines. Use these as interim deadlines and set up rewards for meeting each deadline.

Using these three ideas will help decrease the tendency of procrastination. But remember: For many kids it won’t eliminate it. For more information about helping our kids become more successful, read my book: “Homework – A Parent’s Guide To Helping Out Without Freaking Out!” n Neil McNerney is a licensed professional counselor and author of Homework – A Parent’s Guide To Helping Out Without Freaking Out! and The Don’t Freak Out Guide for Parenting Kids with Asperger’s. He can be reached at neil@neilmcnerney.com

Is Youth Suicide Preventable?

BY CHRIS CROLL

The month of September is national youth suicide prevention month. September also happens to be childhood cancer awareness month. What youth suicide and childhood cancer have in common is that they can strike any family, in any community, of any religion, race, economic status, or ethnicity. But while childhood cancer is usually not preventable, youth suicide is preventable. But to keep our kids safe, we, the adults in our community, must band together to create a culture that fostered acceptance, inclusion, and connection for all.

We need school leaders, medical professionals, coaches, counselors, elected officials and others in positions of influence to address the core issues that are causing our kids to feel isolated, alone and ‘not good enough.’ Many survivors

of suicide attempts say they felt emotionally disconnected from everyone around them, even kids who came from loving homes with involved parents. It’s obvious that the issues are societal and well outside the influence of parents. We have to all work together to create stronger connections for kids so self-harm is never viewed as a solution to their problems.

Youth suicide is on the rise everywhere. The CDC reports that suicide in people ages 10-24 has increased a staggering 60% between the years 2007 and 2018 (the last year complete data was available).

This now makes suicide the second leading cause of death among young people in the US. The COVID-19 pandemic has only made things worse. The rate of emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts was 2.4 times higher in the spring of 2020 than it was a year earlier.

This jump in cases was largely driven by

a 51% increase in suicide attempts by girls ages 12-17. Teen girls have been hit particularly hard by the social isolation brought on by the pandemic.

One thing we can all do right away is to change the way we talk about suicide. It is no longer appropriate to use the phrase “committed suicide,” as that frames the death as a criminal act rather than a complex mental health issue.

“Completed suicide” or “died by suicide” are the right terms to use. Destigmatizing mental health challenges helps people feel more comfortable asking for help when they need it.

It’s important that we talk to kids openly about how they are feeling. Adults sometimes worry that talking about suicide will, “put ideas in kids’ heads.” ReSUICIDE continues on page 35

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Suicide

Vaccines

continued from page 34

continued from page 1

search shows the opposite; talking about suicide with kids reduces their likelihood to engage in suicidal behavior. The data also show that by the age of eight, most kids are already aware of the concept of self-harm.

Suicide hotlines report that every year a larger percentage of their calls come from children ages 10-14. It is never too early to check in with tweens and teens to ask them if they have ever had thoughts of hurting themselves. This not only normalizes talking about suicidal thoughts, which will encourage kids to openly communicate if they ever do get to a dark place one day, but the conversation itself may uncover hidden issues the child is experiencing right now.

Parents might consider scheduling appointments a few times a year for their children to get to know a qualified therapist, long before a crisis ever hits. This way, children can build a relationship with a trusted professional which can save valuable time later if the child is ever in acute distress.

Think of this investment as “mental health insurance.” Hopefully you never need it, but if you do, it’s there.

Teachers, counselors, parents, and other adults who work with teens can help them program the National Suicide Hotline phone number (800-273-8255) into their mobile phones. These 24/7 anonymous call centers are available not only for individuals in crisis themselves but to advise young people on what to do if a friend is having suicidal thoughts.

There are many free resources available in our community that focus on youth suicide prevention. Ryan Bartel Foundation offers programs for teens and tweens including workshops and meetups that use evidence-led practices to help kids build resilience and develop social connections. Other nonprofits like Friends of Loudoun Mental Health, A Place to Be, The Trevor Project and Suicide Prevention Alliance of Northern Virginia offer various other supports for parents, educators, and young people.

Youth suicide is preventable if we, the adults in the community, open a dialogue about mental health with children and we work together to create environments in our homes, schools and neighborhoods that fosters acceptance, inclusion, and connection for all. n

vaccine impacts other people.”

The vote came with no advance notice, prompting concerns from some supervisors even though they unanimously supported the policy in concept.

“I do have a little bit of a concern just in terms of the timing of this, not having had any notice for our employees that this was even being discussed tonight,” Letourneau said. He asked his colleagues to instead vote to have Hemstreet come back to them with such a policy for a vote at the next board meeting, but found support only from Supervisors Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) and Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge).

“This is not how we generally do business. We generally do business in a much more transparent way, and I think that’s how we should do this as well,” Buffington said.

But Randall said after similar requirements were placed on state employees, county employees should have seen this coming.

“I don’t think there’s any employee that doesn’t believe that we were going to have a policy,” Randall said. “I just don’t believe the employees in this agency who have been getting, like, literally daily information about COVID and what was coming did not believe we were going to have a policy when we got back on the dais.”

“I think that the public health and safety of a global 100-year pandemic merits the urgency of getting this done as fast as possible,” Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) said.

Supervisors voted 8-0-1 in favor of the policy, with Supervisor Caleb E. Kershner (R-Catoctin) absent.

Buffington and Letourneau also said that sort of sweeping mandate would be something county supervisors would not be able to do with collective bargaining in place, something the county board is working toward now. And on Sept. 13, Julius Reynolds, Loudoun County chair of SEIU Virginia 512, released a statement calling on supervisors to get input from their employees on the new mandate.

“Throughout this pandemic, Loudoun County employees have never stopped providing the essential services that keep this entire community safe and healthy.

We’ve been committed to making sure workers and residents have the access, paid leave, information, and additional protections needed to get vaccinated,” Reynolds stated. “As the Board of Super-

Chris Croll is a writer, empathy activist and communications consultant. She is a member of the board of directors for the Ryan Bartel Foundation and she is a 2021 Loudoun 100 honoree.

PAGE 35

“I think that the public health and safety of a global 100-year pandemic merits the urgency of getting this done as fast as possible.”

—

Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian)

visors develops a mandate surrounding vaccines and testing, our union asserts that the input of frontline workers is critical to formulating policies like this. This is the essence of collective bargaining. Will supervisors provide scheduling flexibility to accommodate vaccine and testing appointments? Will the county provide adequate paid leave for anyone experiencing side effects? How will exemptions be determined? We need a seat at the table to help answer these questions and shape decisions that impact us, our clients, and the Loudoun community at large. The Board of Supervisors must pass a meaningful collective bargaining ordinance. The voices of frontline workers must be accounted for.”

Mall Vaccination Site Reopens With booster shots and vaccination for younger children expected soon, Loudoun County is shutting down the Sterling Elementary School vaccine clinic and reopening the larger Dulles Town Center clinic by appointment only.

The Sterling Elementary site only opened on Sept. 4, and was briefly open by appointment Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. But with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Virginia Department of Health anticipated to recommend COVID-19 vaccine booster doses and vaccinating children ages 5-12, the county announced Tuesday that the mall vaccine clinic will reopen beginning Friday, Sept. 17, also by appointment.

As of Tuesday evening, it was not yet known whether boosters will be recommended for all COVID-19 vaccines, or the time interval for receiving a booster.

That announcement is also expected Sept.

17.

But the county’s vaccine site also is not the only option—vaccines are wide-

ly available in the community at doctors’ offices and pharmacies. Loudoun Health Department Director Dr. David Goodfriend has suggested getting a flu and vaccine shot at the same time to be ready for the winter.

“We’re going to have COVID in the winter,” Goodfriend said durint the Sept.

8 Board of Supervisors meeting. “The last thing you want is to wonder, do I have COVID? Do I need to isolate for 10 days?”

With the Delta variant at large, new COVID-19 cases in Loudoun remain more than twice as high as this time last year, with an average over the last week of 72 new cases a day as of Sept. 14. Currently, every locality in Virginia except for Manassas Park and Fairfax City are experiencing “high” levels of community transmission of the virus, according to the Virginia Department of Health, based on the number of new cases per capita.

The Health Department is also bracing for more infections and the work of contact tracing as students are back in school.

According to the Loudoun school system’s own COVID tracker, as of Sept. 14 there are 27 active COVID cases among staff and 94 among students, with a further nine staff members and 284 students quarantining.

The school system’s handling of the pandemic has frustrated some parents, including some county supervisors.

“Can you tell me why it makes any sense to require children to wear masks in school all day, which I’m favor of, and then have them walk into a crowded school lunch cafeteria—where they’re sitting as close as we all together now, none of them wearing masks, mind you—hundreds at a time?” said Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles). “Does that make any sense?”

“From a public health perspective, it easily may not,” Goodfriend said.

Others, like Briskman, defended the school district.

“While I’m nervous about school starting, I’m not necessarily ready to say that we should be fired up about it just yet,” she said.

Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) pointed out that, with rare exception, children are already required to get the MMR vaccine to attend public schools, and said with full FDA authorization for COVID-19 vaccines, schools should require those, too.

Visit vaccines.gov to find a vaccination site. To make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine at the county’s Dulles Town Center site beginning Friday, Sept.

17, visit loudoun.gov/covid19vaccine. n

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 36

MIDDLEBURG REAL ESTATE

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

ATOKA

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S I M P LY B E T T E R .

UNDER CONTRACT

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$1,550,000 | This spectacular property, located in the heart of Virginia's Piedmont, is filled with special features! 41 rolling acres, privately situated with lovely mountain views, stocked pond and breath-taking vistas from every window. This custom-built home has a lovely, open floor plan with a main level master suite, complete with a private screened porch.

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Buyer’s Agent: Eric Diello 703.232.7265

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LEEDS MANOR RD | DELAPLANE

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$937,000 | Wonderful Custom Home on 10 Acres in Delaplane! This 4 bedroom, 4 full bath home has 4228 Finished Sq Feet! Step into the open main level with Kitchen, Livingroom, Stone Hearth w/Woodstove, and Dining Room! Lots of Natural Light throughout.

Peter Pejacsevich 540.270.3835

Buyer’s Agent: Eric Diello 703.232.7265

Scott Buzzelli 540.454.1399

Listing Courtesy of Rick Urben, Redfin Corporation

13139 MULLEN HILL RD | LOVETTSVILLE

320 MARYLAND AVE | HAMILTON

$925,000 | INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY. Horse property that is already rented for you until 12/2023.

Tenant lease transfers with sale. Large Home on 10 acres fenced and cross fenced. 11 stall barn, riding arena, paddocks. Tenant is a rehab horse farm.

$425,000 | Newly updated single family home on a large lot with plenty of space to add on or build an additional unit. Mature landscaping and trees and a quiet street. Hardwood floors, bedrooms to be completed along with a couple other scheduled projects newly painted. 2/3 bedroom, 3rd BR now a laundry room, could be a 3 Br again if a stackable unit was moved into a closet. Lots of possibilities.

Mary Kakouras 540.454.1604

Mary Kakouras 540.454.1604

S I M P LY B E T T E R . | AT O KA P R O P E R T I E S . C O M MIDDLEBURG: 540.687.6321 | PURCELLVILLE: 540.338.7770 | LEESBURG: 703.777.1170 | ASHBURN: 703.436.0077|CHARLES TOWN: 304.918.5015 CORPORATE: 10 E WASHINGTON ST, MIDDELBURG, VA 20117 | 540.687.6321 | LICENSED IN VA + WV