Loudoun Now for Oct. 20, 2022

FINE JEWELRY

COINS & CURRENCY

SCRAP GOLD & SILVER

FINE ART

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STERLING SILVER

RARITIES

Natoli Named Winemaker of the Year

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

The Loudoun Wine Awards on Friday night put the spotlight on the industry’s best work while highlighting the special community collaboration that makes that work possible.

Taking time out from bringing in a bountiful grape harvest, industry lead ers gathered at Lansdowne Resort to celebrate the top winners at this year’s record-setting wine competition and to recognize the people leading the effort to grow the region’s reputation.

Seven months after becoming the first female winemaker to win the state’s top wine award, the Governor’s Cup, Mela nie Natoli of Cana Vineyards & Winery was celebrated as Loudoun’s Winemaker of the Year.

Natoli won the Governor’s Cup for her 2019 Unité Reserve and on Friday earned best-in-class honors for Cana’s 2020 Chardonnay.

In addressing the group, she recalled giving up her work as a physical therapist for the opportunity to follow her passion and learn the industry from Doug Fabbi oli, of Fabbioli Cellars, starting in 2009. She struck out on her own with her first harvest in 2014.

“I am a Loudoun-made winemaker.

I’ve only made wine in this county and I’m proud of that. And I’m proud of the grapes we grow and the wine we make here,” she said.

Like many in the room, her thoughts weren’t far from the work still needing to be done to harvest this year’s fruit.

“It has been a fantastic harvest. It has been a heck of a week,” she said. “It is the pretty complete physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that I think you only

hit when you’re doing something that you love so much that you’re putting yourself into—I wouldn’t trade that for a second. I’m very grateful to be doing what I’m doing and doing it here.”

Michael Newland, Loudoun’s 2022 Winegrower of the Year, also credited Fabbioli with giving him his start in the industry.

“If you would have asked me when I was 16 years old, what do you want to do with your life—my parents asked me this and I said I wanted to be a farmer,” he said.

Instead, he earned an English degree and went into business with his brother. He said he filled the next decade with 90hour work weeks. After selling the busi ness, he reached out to Fabbioli to see help learn whether he was cut out to be a farmer. “I gave him free labor. He gave me free knowledge,” Newland said of his yearlong apprenticeship.

“I’ve been in the business world and seen what that is like, and it is like a night and day difference from the wine indus try,” Newland said. “This is a communi ty. We help each other. We know that if someone visits a winery and doesn’t like the wine in a particular place that word is

Grand Jury Restores Round Hill Murder Charge; Supervisors Criticize CA’s Actions

BY NORMAN K. STYER AND RENSS GREENE nstyer@loudounnow.com rgreene@loudounnow.com

The case of a murder suspect released from the county jail despite pending charges against him has contin ued to generate finger-pointing among Loudoun elected officials, now with county supervisors joining the fray on the sheriff’s behalf.

Stone Lee Colburn is accused of fatally stabbing Natalie Crow in July 2021 at their Round Hill area home. In a procedural move de signed to keep him in custody and prevent him likely avoiding trial, county prosecutors filed a new felo ny charge of concealment of a dead body in Circuit Court the morning of Oct. 6, before dropping a mur der charge that afternoon in District Court, intending to file that charge again.

But despite an order from a judge and the new charge pending, Col burn was released from the Loudoun County jail after his District Court hearing that afternoon.

A press release from the Sheriff’s Office the next day sought public assistance to find Colburn “after his original charges for murder were dismissed by the Office of the Com monwealth Attorney” and stating he was now wanted on a new charge obtained that morning—referring to the concealment charge that was ac tually filed the previous day. Com monwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj that night responded that the lead detective and jail staff had been no tified of the new charge and instruct ed to hold Colburn at the jail. In a press release she wrote the agency’s release sought to “mislead the pub lic and unfairly shift the blame to our office.”

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Melanie Natoli of Cana Vineyards & Winery was celebrated at the Winemaker of the Year during the 2022 Loudoun Wine Awards.

Colburn

NATOLI continues

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Mike Newland offers a toast after being named Grower of the Year during the 2022 Loudoun Wine Awards ceremony.

Loudoun

Supervisors Consider Dulles Solar Oversight

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

County supervisors appear open to the Planning Commission’s strategy to assert more local control over Dominion Energy’s plans for an 835-acre, 100-megawatt solar array at Dulles Airport.

At their public hearing Wednesday, supervisors advanced for action a proposal to rezone the airport land to an industrial district. Currently the land is zoned for residential, a holdover from the land’s pre-airport history, but until now the need to change that zoning has never arisen— the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is exempt from local zoning control for airport-related development. The solar array will feed into Dominion Energy’s power grid.

But supervisors sent to committee a change to industrial zoning district rules that would permit the solar array byright. Unless they also pass that change, the solar array would only be permitted if the county board approves a zoning exception, a legislative process with public hearings and possibly proffer agreements committing to more environmental pro-

tections. Supervisors, like the Planning Commission, saw a possible opportunity to get more commitments to offset the environmental impacts of clearing more than 800 acres of undeveloped land, much of it old-growth forest and nearly 80 acres of it wetlands.

“There’s no real reason to approve or even discuss the zoning amendment if we decided as a board that we want to be able to have conditions on this application,”

Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) said. “What the zoning amendment does is, it removes our ability to place any sort of consideration or restrictions on this project. It removes our ability to ask for anything from this huge project.”

However, Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) pointed out the limits of local authority in Virginia. If the airports authority decided to clear-cut that land independent of a zoning exception she said it could do that without permission from the county.

“I don’t want us to think that we could save acres and acres of trees if we don’t have the legal authority to do so,” she said.

Environmental groups including the

Piedmont Environmental Council and the Loudoun Wildlife Foundation have pushed the airports authority to put most of those solar panels over buildings, parking garages and parking lots. In a letter to the airports authority, they cited the authority’s own calculations that it could generate about 80 percent of the 100-megawatt plans that way.

In a published draft of a federally required environmental assessment, the airports authority reported that although those buildings and parking areas would amount to only an estimate 272 acres of solar panels, because of their construction those panels could be built more closely together than they would be in an open field.

The airports authority dismissed that option because it would preclude other plans for a small-scale 2-megawatt array in the airport’s economy parking lot supplying electricity directly to the airport. The airports authority did not consider the option put forth by those environmental groups of putting as many of those

ON THE Agenda

Beaverdam Reservoir Park Construction Begins

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Construction has begun on the planned park at Loudoun Water’s Beaverdam Reservoir, the water authority and NOVA Parks announced Monday.

The park on the southeast side of the 300-acre reservoir is being funded and constructed through a partnership between Loudoun Water, which owns and maintains the reservoir as a source of drinking water, and NOVA Parks, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Its design includes an entrance road, parking lot, welcome center, restrooms, a crew facility, a boat rental facility, pavilions, trails, waterfront boardwalks, a bridge, plantings, and educational exhibits among other features, designed with water protection in mind.

“Loudoun Water’s mission is to ensure a healthy environment and high quality of life through effective and sustainable

management of resources entrusted to our care. I can’t think of a better way to demonstrate and celebrate that mission than with Reservoir Park and all it has

to offer,” Loudoun Water Board Chair Mark Koblos stated. “We are very excited to get construction underway and to ultimately share this special park with the community.”

“We are excited that the construction of Reservoir Park at Beaverdam has begun,” NOVA Parks Board Chair Cate Magennis Wyatt stated. “This ambitious partnership between NOVA Parks and Loudoun Water will serve the public for generations to come.”

With construction now underway, water access is closed, and fishing, boating, kayaking and other water activities are prohibited. Once the reservoir refills to a safe level, water access will resume, anticipated in the spring of 2023, according to Loudoun Water. Trails near the southeast portion of the reservoir are closed during construction.

Reservoir Park is expected to hold a grand opening spring or summer of 2024. n

Farm Grassland Incentives

Offered for Bird Protection

The Grassland Bird Initiative is accepting applications for its 2023 financial incentives program through Nov. 15.

The program offers incentives of up to $35 an acre for producers and landowners who adopt either of two best management practices to protect grassland birds during their nesting season: delaying their first cut of hay until July 1 or later, or rotating livestock out of select fields from April 15 to July 1 or later. Those practices can also be used to stockpile forage for late summer grazing, and to rest and re-seed fields.

A minimum 20-acre commitment is required. Acreage that mimics a large, contiguous patch of grassland, distant from thick forest edges and human development, is best suited. In the first year, nine producers enrolled 500 acres of land. In addition, four landowners implemented delayed haying or summer pasture stockpiling voluntarily, without the program’s financial incentives, on another 1,306 acres. Increased funding from the Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative and VGBI’s partnerships allowed expansion of the program for 2023.

“With the majority of remaining grasslands in Virginia currently held in private hands and under agricultural use, VGBI gives farmers the opportunity to become partners in conservation by implementing grassland bird-friendly agricultural practices. We work with farmers to create conservation plans that protect grassland birds while simultaneously supporting their production goals,”

ON THE AGENDA continues on page 7

Piedmont Environmental Council A Bobolink eating an insect in a meadow.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Water access to Beaverdam Reservoir is closed while Loudoun Water and NOVA Parks work on the planned Reservoir Park.

DULLES SOLAR continues on page 7

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Galindo Named Planning Director

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Daniel Galindo has been appointed di rector of Loudoun’s Department of Plan ning and Zoning, County Administrator Tim Hemstreet announced Thursday. Galindo had served as assistant director since February 2021.

“Mr. Galindo has showed exceptional leadership since joining Loudoun in 2017, demonstrated by his continual promotions within the department based on his excel lent performance,” Hemstreet stated. “He played key roles in the adoption of the 2019 Comprehensive Plan and other im portant countywide initiatives; I am confi dent his experience in Loudoun will serve him and the county well as he takes on his

Colburn

continued from page 3

But on Tuesday night, blame was once again pointed at Biberaj—this time from the Board of Supervisors dais.

Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg), an attorney, laid the blame again on Biberaj. She said the Common wealth’s Attorney “failed to get a judicial ly-signed order to keep the defendant in jail, and with no legal order to hold him, the sheriff’s office had to release the de fendant.” And she accused Biberaj of us ing the county’s official public informa tion platforms to mislead the public.

“I truly wish I could trust the Common wealth’s Attorney’s version of the facts, but that version appears to be incomplete, misleading or false, either because the Commonwealth’s Attorney didn’t know what had happened when she wrote her press release, and didn’t know the dif ference between a transport order and a detention order or capias, or because she intended to mislead the public,” Umstattd said. “Neither situation is acceptable, but the latter is worse.”

She called for the sheriff to investigate the chain of events, and for the county to post the result of that investigation pub licly. Other supervisors echoed her com ments chastising Biberaj.

But Biberaj said Tuesday night—and court records show—that prosecutors had in fact asked for a capias warrant when they went to the Circuit Court the morn ing of Oct. 6. Judge Douglas Fleming de clined to issue that warrant as inappropri ate for someone already locked up, citing state law.

“That’s why the judge refused to

new role leading the department, particu larly right now since we are in the middle of the Zoning Ordinance rewrite project.”

Galindo served as both principal plan ner and a planning manager in Loudoun before being promoted to assistant di rector last year. Before joining Loudoun County, he served as the Town of Ham ilton’s Zoning Administrator, a senior planner for the Town of Purcellville, a community development coordinator in Winchester, Tennessee, and a community planner for the state of Tennessee.

More information about the Loudoun County Department of Planning and Zoning is online at loudoun.gov/planningandzoning. n

answer a capias, because it would be in appropriate because he [Colburn] was in custody,” Biberaj said. “So once he was released on the afternoon of Oct. 6, then it made it necessary for me to go to the court on the 7th to get the capias.”

The judge on Oct. 6 had ordered the sheriff to transport Colburn from the state hospital to the Loudoun jail to be served with the new charge. And Biberaj said that same morning, before the District Court hearing, her office both hand-de livered that order to the Sheriff’s Office’s lead investigator and emailed it to the jail.

Colburn was transported from the state hospital to the Loudoun courthouse for his District Court hearing, and then to the jail—but instead of being served with the new charge, he was released. The next morning prosecutors returned to the Cir cuit Court again seeking a capias warrant, this time successfully. Colburn was ap prehended that night in a traffic stop near Savannah, GA.

“The really important piece is that we were in communication with the jail and the lead detective in this case as to what we were doing,” Biberaj said. She pointed out the concealment charge was also ac companied by a sworn affidavit signed by the lead detective.

With Colburn still in custody in Geor gia, Loudoun prosecutors on Monday suc cessfully secured three new felony indict ments against him. A grand jury restored the charges of second-degree murder and stabbing in the commission of a felony that prosecutors had dropped on Oct. 6, as well as indicting him on the new charge of concealment of a dead body.

The Sheriff’s Office has not responded to multiple requests for comment and a timeline of its interactions with Colburn. n

Dulles solar

from

solar panels over buildings and parking as possible and also building a relatively smaller solar array in the airport’s unde veloped areas to make up the difference in capacity.

Piedmont Environmental Council Field Officer Gem Bingol told supervi sors losing those 833 acres of undevel oped land and would be a blow to the Loudoun community.

“We need to reduce our climate impacts immediately, but sacrificing valuable car bon sinks in Loudoun for solar arrays robs Peter to pay Paul,” she said. “In Virginia, more forested land and land with prime soils have been devoted to utility-scale solar than brown fields, poor-quality soils or developed lands. It’s not sustainable.”

Briskman said she’s under no illusions that the board can save all 835 acres.

“This is going to be a big moneymak er right there, I’m telling you, and I think

ON THE Agenda continued from page 4

Greenfield said.

The Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative is a partnership of Smithsonian’s Virginia Working Landscapes, The Piedmont En vironmental Council, American Farmland Trust, and Quail Forever. To learn more about the program and to apply, go to vagrasslandbirds.org/incentives.

Ticonderoga Road Closures

Planned for Paving

Ticonderoga Road between Gum Spring Road and Braddock Road will have daytime closures on weekdays, weather permitting, through Friday, Nov. 4 for paving, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The road will be closed to through traffic between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Mon day through Friday. Access to properties along Ticonderoga Road including for school buses will be maintained. Through traffic will be detoured via Ticonderoga Road, Gum Spring Road and Braddock Road back to Ticonderoga Road.

A little over a mile of the road is being paved under VDOT’s Rural Rustic Road Program.

Real-time traffic, work zone and in cident information is available online at 511virginia.org, via the free mo bile 511Virginia app, or by calling 511. n

that we should at least have an ability to extract some promises and some protec tions,” she said.

Supervisors on Oct. 12 voted 7-0-2, with Supervisors Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) and Matthew F. Letour neau (R-Dulles) absent, to send the zon ing change at the airport to their Nov. 1 meeting for a vote, and to send the change to the industrial zoning district to their Transportation and Land Use Committee for more discussion.

The airports authority has argued the solar array is still an airport use and not subject to county zoning; Loudoun

County Attorney Leo Rogers dismissed that argument Wednesday.

“This came in as an airport project and it was discussed as such—it is not. Even if this were an airport project, MWAA is not exempt from zoning. It is an author ity created under Virginia code in con junction with other jurisdictions. MWAA is exempt from state and local law when they operate as an airport. A generation facility like this would not be,” he said. He also pointed out that MWAA, which leases the land from the federal govern ment, is leasing the land for the solar ar ray to Dominion Energy, which he said

is a private entity that has to go through zoning approvals on any land.

“They may have disagreed some up front, but there really is no issue here,” he said. “From a legal standpoint, they need to comply with zoning.”

The current low-density residential zoning on the airport is a holdover from the county’s first zoning ordinance, which predates the airport. In 1958, the village of Willard, a Black neighborhood of former ly enslaved people and their descendants, was condemned to make room for the air port. All 87 Willard-area landowners were forced to give up their properties. n

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AROUND TownLeesburg

Chief Brown Seeking Officers with a Mission

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

In providing the Town Council with an update on the implementation of his department’s 2018 strategic plan last week, Police Chief Gregory Brown reported that many of the goals have advanced, but challenges remain.

Among the accomplishments he cited were an ongoing conversion to digital records, maintaining the department’s accreditation status and implementing body-worn cameras—along with continuing to build the relationships that form the foundation of the agency’s community policing model.

Mayor Kelly Burk said that the efforts to build community connections

New Mural Celebrates Music

Artist Serina Chowdry has begun work on her large “Celebrate Music” mural at the Virginia Village Shopping Center.

The work is the first approved by the town on a commercial property outside the historic district under a new pilot program.

A committee with representatives of the town’s Economic Development Commission, Commission on Public Art and Board of Architectural Review and led by Councilman Ara Bagdasarian developed details of the program and reviewed proposals submitted following

are working, at least according to the feedback she’s heard from voters during her campaign tours of neighborhoods around town. She said the respect for the town’s police officers was “off-the-wall positive.”

“That doesn’t happen everywhere,” Burk said.

But another key goal of that 2018 plan was to a achieve full staffing in the department by 2019. That’s a goal Brown said was achieved by the summer of 2019.

“But then some things happened, and we find ourselves struggling with staffing once again,” Brown said, not specifically mentioning the Town Council’s 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees that was followed by the resignation or retirement of seven officers.

In an ever-tightening law enforcement

hiring market, the council approved raises for officers and briefly ranked among the highest paying jurisdictions. That distinction lasted about a month, Brown said.

Burk noted that the town is now competing with large corporations like Amazon for officers.

Brown said it will always be hard to compete on a salary level. More important is finding officers who support the public service mission. He said he wants candidates focused on their “why.”

“Money is fine, but do you want to make a difference?” Brown said of his recruiting approach. “You can call me corny, but that is how I really feel.”

Just as important as recruiting, he said, was retaining experienced officers, noting the large knowledge gap with new staff members. n

Leesburg Tops List of Virginia’s ‘Beautiful’ Towns

The Town of Leesburg has landed another accolade, with TheTravel.com website last week ranking it as the Most Beautiful Town in Virginia.

Towns were ranked for their dining scenes, cultural and historical places, open spaces and overall activities. The greater Leesburg area topped the list, with Middleburg ranking third.

“In the heart of Virginia’s Loudoun County and its county seat, Leesburg is a part social hub, historic district, and outdoor spot. With Loudoun County referred to as D.C.’s Wine Country, Leesburg is the location for over 10 participating wineries,” the report stated.

Middleburg was cited for its reputation as America’s horse and hunt country, as well as its art and antique businesses and restaurants.

Other towns making the list were Floyd, Winchester, Staunton, Lexington, Abingdon, Cape Charles, Alexandria, and Charlottesville.

Last month, Leesburg was ranked by Fortune as number eight on its inaugural list of Top 25 Best Places to Live for Families.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Painting on a new mural is underway in the Virginia Village Shopping Center.

a call to artists. In May, the committee selected Chowdry’s design. Virginia Village owner Keene Enterprises is un-

Rummage Sale Shoppers Find Deals Galore

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Thousands flocked to the Loudoun County Fairgrounds over the weekend for the 83rd annual Ladies Board of Inova Loudoun Hospital’s Rummage Sale.

All the fairground’s barns and buildings were filled with donated items of all sorts, on sale for bargain prices.

The thousands of small purchases

made during the event add up to significant fundraising to fund the Ladies Board’s annual grant of nursing scholarships and to support other programs or equipment needs at the hospital.

The Ladies Board’s efforts also are supported by the Twice Is Nice thrift shop in Leesburg, The Hospital Gift Shop at Lansdowne, the Lights of Love remembrance program, and the Polly Clemens Nursery Fund. n

derwriting the cost of the project.

The mural is located on the side of a retail building on Fairfax Street. n

Downtown Car Show Planned Saturday

The Academies of Loudoun will present the 34th annual Leesburg Car Show on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. in downtown Leesburg.

The show places an emphasis on displaying “classic” cars (25+ years) although all high-quality vehicles are welcome to participate. Only classic class cars will be eligible for the specialty awards.

Pre-registration is $25 or $30 on the day of the show. All participating vehicles must be stage at Tuscarora High School between 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. Downtown

AROUND TOWN continues on page 10

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Sykes Hall at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds was converted into a large dress and fashion store during the annual Loudoun Hospital Ladies Board Rummage Sale.

Cochran Family Dental Welcoming all

AROUND Town

streets will close at 9:30 a.m. as the vehicles are moved into their display spaces.

The awards ceremony will take place at 3:30 p.m. at the intersection of King and Market streets. Downtown streets will reopen to the traffic by 5 p.m.

In the event of inclement weather, the event will be canceled. All proceeds will benefit the students and staff at the Academies of Loudoun.

For more information, including how to register your vehicle for the show, go to lcps.org/carshow or call 571-252-2080.

Ida Lee Pool Drained to Remove Glass

The main pool at the Ida Lee Recreation Center will be closed through Sunday.

Following the replacement of a sky light, pieces of glass were found in the pool. The staff is draining the pool to remove the glass and perform a cleaning.

Patrons participating in swim classes will be notified as to whether their session will be canceled or moved to the auxiliary pool.

The auxiliary pool and spa remain open.

Town Names New Emergency Manager

Alex Fitch has been hired as the Leesburg’s new emergency management coordinator effective Nov. 28.

Fitch has spent 25 years with the City of Fairfax Fire Department, achieving the rank of Captain. For the past 16 years, he has also served as a member of the National Capital Region Incident Management Team. In addition, Fitch has served as an instructor at the FEMA Emergency Management Institute, and as a Virginia Communications cache manager and team member with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. He is a graduate of FEMA’s Na-

tional Emergency Management Basic Academy.

Fitch holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California – San Diego and a master’s degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. Fitch and his family live in Gainesville.

He replaces the town’s first emergency management coordinator, Joe Dame, who held the past since 2020. He resigned in September to take a position with the county government.

Rt. 7/Battlefield Parkway Interchange Awarded

The Rt. 7/Battlefield Parkway interchanges this week earned an award of merit in the Engineering News Record list of best projects in the mid-Atlantic.

The application was submitted by general contractor Wagman Heavy Civil Inc.

The project was cited for featuring an unusual design for the bridge through its use of an alternate technical concept. Instead of a steel girder superstructure typically deployed for single point urban intersections, a parallel, pre-stressed concrete framing system was used that increases total bridge area. That reduced both construction cost and schedule while boosting durability, resulting in Virginia’s widest bridge without a longitudinal expansion joint, according to the report.

The project provides a model for future ultra-wide, joint-free and low-maintenance decks in Virginia, with the potential for major changes to deck design, construction and detailing in the state, ENR stated.

The project also came with a number of challenges. Electric, gas, water, sewer and numerous telecommunications lines had to be moved to make way for new auxiliary lanes for the on/ off ramps. Geotechnical conditions led to the bridge abutment pilings being drilled and encased, not driven. Trouble with procuring materials and difficulty in accessing work areas led to delays, which the team was able to compensate for by accelerating other parts of the project, according to the report. n

from

Fitch

years of

you the importance of physical

body ready for

At Falcons Landing this idea lives on, but we replaced the obstacle course with walking trails, drill sergeants with personal trainers and PT in the dirt with a state-of-the-art fitness center, including a Junior Olympic indoor swimming pool. You’ll still break a sweat, but now it will be with a

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Education

Schools Gain Only 600 Students in Official Count

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@louduonnow.com

The Loudoun County Public Schools official 30-day enrollment for the new school years is 82,233 students, about 806 less than anticipated by the Department of Planning and GIS Services.

Department Director Beverly Tate had said in September the projected enrollment for 2022-23 was 83,039.

The actual numbers show an increase from last year’s official count by about 591 students, and up 241 students from the preliminary count conducted just after classes resumed, according to the report.

The numbers show a slight increase— up 291 students—in grades K-5, a drop of about 278 students in middle school and an increase of 458 high school students this year.

The division’s preschool programs also saw a slight increase in enrollment this year, 120 more than last year, bringing the total to 1,039.

This year’s enrollment numbers also show a decline in Virtual Loudoun enrollment, with only 91 elementary aged kids enrolled this year compared to 297 last year, and 186 secondary students enrolled this year, a drop of about 57 from last year.

Assistant Superintendent Ashley Ellis

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now Students get off the bus at Woodgrove High School on the first day of school, Aug. 25, 2022.

said the drop in Virtual Loudoun was a little lower than expected based on feedback the division had received from parents and staff last year, but said it’s not significantly lower. She pointed out at the elementary level it meant more students had returned to school.

Superintendent Scott Ziegler said district staff members were looking at the continued need for distance learning at the elementary school level.

With the opening of Elaine E. Thompson Elementary school, three nearby schools saw a relief in overcrowding. Of the 61 elementary schools, all are below building capacity this year.

Of the 17 middle schools across the county, all were under capacity with the exception of Brambleton Middle School, according to the presentation. Brambleton Middle has long been over capacity, with 1,630 students enrolled last year and 1,623 enrolled this year. The building’s capacity is 1,441. A new middle school, MS-14, is under construction to relieve congestion at Brambleton and is expected to open Fall 2024.

At the high school level, Loudoun County High School was the only one over capacity. Loudoun County was also over capacity last year by about 125 students. This year, it’s over by 157 students. n

Board Delays Vote on 2023-24 School Calendar

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

The School Board last week heard three different calendar options for the 2023-24 school year, but decided to defer action until its Nov. 15 meeting to allow more time to look at data and feedback from a teacher survey sent out by the department of Human Resources and Talent Development.

There are three calendar options.

Option one is similar to this year’s calendar, with school staring Thursday, Aug. 24, two Thursdays before Labor Day, and the last day of school Friday, June 14. It includes the same number of holidays and student holidays as this year, 19.

Option two lists school starting on Monday, Aug. 21 and ending Friday, June

7. It lists 20 holidays and student holidays.

Option three has school starting Tuesday, Sept. 5 and ending Tuesday, June 18.

It only has 17 holidays and student holidays, and the biggest difference is the later start date and a shorter winter break.

All three options have 174 days of school. Chief Human Resources Officer

Lisa Boland said that provides a surplus above state-required minimums of 15 days to use for snow or other inclement weather, and said it was the number of days staff felt the most comfortable with.

The biggest differences between the three calendars are the start and end dates of school, which then affect the date each quarter ends and where some student holidays fall. The end of each grading period ends on a Friday and students typically get a student holiday the following

Monday. The start dates also affect how many days in each quarter.

Holidays are typically federally-recognized holidays as well as religious and cultural ones recognized by the School Board, such as Yom Kippur, Diwali, Eid al Fitr and the Lunar New Year. Student holidays are teacher planning or teacher workdays, according to Loudoun County Public Schools Public Information Officer Wayde Byard.

Boland said in an effort to get feedback on teacher preferences, the department sent out a calendar survey to all licensed employees on Sept. 19. She said they have received more than 3,000 responses and are using that data to build not only this

Amended Complaint Filed in Challenge to Schools’ Gender Policies

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Eleven parents who filed suit against the Loudoun County Public School system, the School Board and several administrators over student gender identity policies last week submitted an amended complaint after a judge said their initial filing was too broad.

The amended complaint removes Loudoun County Public Schools as a defendant as well as individual School Board members Jeff Morse (Dulles), Denise Corbo (At Large), Andrew Hoyler (Broad Run), John Beatty (Catoctin) and Tom Marshall (Leesburg). Still named as in their official capacities as defendants are Vice Chair Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge) and board members Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn), Brenda Sheridan (Sterling) and Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian).

The amended complaint states the defendants have violated the plaintiff’s rights “intentionally and systematically” and lists the adoption of Policies 1040 and 8040 and the implementation of Regulation 8040, “and the adoption of dogmatic adherence to pushing the ‘Social Emotional Learning’ (“SEL”) curriculum in place of core academic subjects,” according to the complaint.

Policy 1040 deals with the equal opportunity for equitable, safe and inclusive environment. On Feb. 26, 2019, the School Board amended Policy 1040, changing the language from “equal education and employment opportunities” to “equal opportunities” and added “ancestry,” “sexual orientation,” and “gender identity” to the protected categories, according to the complaint.

Policy 1040 again was amended

GENDER POLICIES continues on page 47SCHOOL CALENDAR continues on page 15

9 Middle and High Schools Up for Attendance Zone Review

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

The school district is working on plans to change school attendance boundaries at nine middle and high schools.

The school district plans changes in Ashburn, central and eastern Loudoun, affecting Broad Run, Riverside, Stonebridge, Heritage, Loudoun County, Tuscarora, Dominion, Parkview and Potomac Falls high schools and Farmwell Station, Belmont Ridge, Trailside, Harper Park, J. Lupton Simpson, Smart’s Mill, Seneca Ridge, River Bend and Sterling middle schools.

Director of Planning and GIS Services Beverly Tate told the School Board during an Oct. 13 briefing that the goal is to balance the current and projected student enrollments in relation to available capacity at the schools.

“This is an overview tonight where staff presents a plan to begin a conversation. We anticipate other plans throughout the process as the community gets involved,” Tate said. She pointed out that some might be happy with the plan presented that night, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be the one that is adopted.

“We encourage people to stay involved throughout the process and to not think that a plan, once it’s presented, is the plan that will be adopted. We all know that typically staff plans aren’t adopted. So we acknowledge that on the onset,” Tate said.

During the first public hearing on Tuesday night over 40 parents showed up to hear a recap of one proposed boundary change and to voice their concerns over it. Parents living in Lansdowne, in a planning zone called DN40, asked to have their children stay together at Belmont Ridge Middle School and Riverside High School. Many argued the current boundary is already in alignment with school policy and did not need to be adjusted.

Board members also raised questions about transportation, the shift in percentages for students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals and overcrowding at older schools like Broad Run High School if the proposed plan is adopted. Two plans in particular, named “Reaser one” and “Reaser two” by Tate because Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) requested them, put Broad Run High School over capacity.

Andrew Hoyler (Broad Run) pointed out that the school is older and has smaller classroom sizes than a newer high school like Riverside. And he said it’s easier to have a newer school that is more

up to date handle overcrowding than older schools. Chairman Jeff Morse (Dulles) agreed and said as older schools have additions built on, that may increase the class sizes but not the core facilities like the cafeteria.

Multiple comments made during the public comment section addressed mental health and the concerns many students have about being moved away from their friends after going through so much the past three years.

Marsha Wilson, a Lansdowne resident

for 18 years and a mother of two, said she has seen a shift in the mental health of students since the quarantine.

Scott Bollar, a father of three and Lansdowne resident, said he is worried about social mental health impacts.

“Both the school closure and remote learning induced isolation that I still don’t think we fully comprehend the impact it had on our kids. They are still dealing with that quietly, if not silently,” he said. He asked the school board to adopt a plan that moved the fewest students as

possible.

Jonathan Weaver, a father of four and one of the few who spoke who didn’t live in Lansdowne, said in his community, Loudoun County High School is their community high school, and he did not favor a proposed move to Tuscarora High School. He also expressed amazement over the fact that a traffic study hadn’t

ATTENDANCE REVIEW continues on page 16

OPEN

Lightridge Teacher Picked as October Year of the Educator

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Amy Trickett, an English teacher at Lightridge High School, was selected the October Year of the Educator winner and given a fall adventure-themed prize.

Trickett was just settling into her weekly English teacher team meeting on Friday when Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler and Loudoun Education Foundation Execu tive Director Danielle Nadler surprised her with a visit.

The Year of the Educator initiative was created by a division administrative team along with the education foundation. The goal is to surprise randomly selected teachers or support staff members with a prize valued at $500 or more presented by the superintendent. Loudoun Education Foundation members also join in the sur prise visit.

Trickett was randomly selected from 11,000 staff members.

“We are delighted to be here today to

surprise you with this gift and to thank you for being part of LCPS. This is just a small way for us to show our apprecia tion,” Ziegler stated according to a press release.

This month’s prize included a gift cer tificate to Virginia State parks that can be used for admission to a park or facility rental and a gift certificate to Sierra Trad ing Post to buy outdoor supplies. Trickett also received a 30-day pass to a local yoga studio, donated by Yoga Shala, a 40 oz. Hydro flask, and a Patagonia vest among other things.

Trickett said the prize was “fabulous” and said, “it is like the prize package was tailored just for me.”

“This is such a fun initiative to be a part of, we love bringing joy and excitement to a staff member’s day,” Nadler said. She added they are busy planning prizes for the coming months and are looking for ward to surprising more staff members.

“This initiative is an excellent way to fulfill LEF’s mission of supporting LCPS teachers and staff,” Nadler said. n

One Smile At A Time

Russell

Photo courtesy of LCPS

From left, LEF office manager Letty Kayser, LCPS Superintendent Scott Ziegler, October Year of the Educator recipient Amy Trickett, LEF Executive Director Danielle Nadler and Lightridge High School Principal Ryan Hitchman.

School calendar

year’s teacher calendar but future ones.

The survey focused on teacher prefer ence for the first day of school, time for professional development and time to prepare for the start of school, according to Boland. She said an additional survey will go out in the coming weeks to all staff, students, parents and community members to get more feedback on the cal endar options for the 2023-24 calendar.

Boland was hoping the School Board would approve one of the options so it could go out to the public for feedback.

Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) expressed concern over the quickness of the deci sion and asked if it was normal to make it an action item and vote on it at the next meeting.

“What I’m hearing is, the way forward for this is that you are proposing that you will solicit comments from the entire community between today and the next board meeting, at which time you hope we will take action?” Morse said.

Boland said there was no normal when it came to school calendars, and said the decision has been made differently every year. She said last year it was made very

late, and the hope this year was to get it done sooner because the student calendar is the foundation for all the other calen dars.

“The sooner we can get it approved, the better it is to get the information to staff,” Boland said.

Several board members asked for more information about how the student calen dar affects the teacher’s calendar. Boland said the teacher calendar had not been created yet and will be after the student calendar is approved.

“I don’t know how other board mem bers feel, but for me that would be a piece of information that would be helpful in deciding which calendar to adopt even if it was not set in stone,” Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) said.

In years past the student and teacher calendars were co-mingled, something Boland said was a mistake last year be cause it caused an unintended reduction of teacher contract days when student days were reduced to 170. She said it re duced teachers’ contract days from 197 to 184.

“By separating them out, it allows us to treat the two groups as they should be treated. It allows us to treat students that need to go to school as students, and then to respect our teachers to give them the

time they need in the classroom within the parameters of their contract,” she said.

Morse said he wanted to get a better idea of the impacts the calendar would have on staff.

“I don’t think we can move forward, especially at the next board meeting, with this as an action item without knowing what the effect is on our employees,” he said. “I think we are going to have to take a look at how we are running through this process. This a change of process and probably not the best time for us to be changing the process,” Morse said.

Superintendent Scott Ziegler asked Morse if it was the board’s intention to look at every single employee calendar and provide input on it, and pointed out there were 36 employee calendars in ad dition to several teacher calendars based on their contract.

“So if we get into the board looking at every type of employee calendar, that is a huge undertaking that goes beyond the teacher calendar, which is why in the past the administration has presented drafts and proposed a student calendar and then used that approval to base employee cal endars off of,” Ziegler said.

Morse acknowledged last year’s deficit in teacher workdays, and said that was a direct result of the significant

changes to the calendar with the addition of more holidays. But said this year they aren’t in that situation, and pointed out that across all three options the holidays of Sept. 25, Oct 9, Nov. 6-7 and 13 were the same.

“Other than starting fall break a day early or a PD [professional development day] one week, we have locked down the days. So I think it would be fair for the School Board to expect to understand what the expectation is upon the employ ees for the numbers of additional work days, when they might kick off the year and when they would finish,” Morse said.

Morse said he wanted the information for teachers because it was the largest chunk of the employee population, and suggested they could build other calen dars once they had that information com bined with the student calendar.

Denise Corbo (At Large) agreed with Morse and said they needed the results of the teacher survey to make a good deci sion.

Ziegler said the staff surveys would have been used to create the staff calendar and wouldn’t typically be shared with the board.

SCHOOL CALENDAR continues on page 17

Attendance review

from page 13

been done on the impacts the boundary adjustment could have.

Lori Levine said her neighborhood changed elementary schools in 2016, and said she was disappointed to see a bound ary change happening again for middle and high schoolers.

“It would be much more direct if the Board were able to move a neighborhood out of County and into Tuscarora or Her itage, as those schools have capacity, as I understand, rather than our neighbor hood,” she said.

She expressed frustration that their schools were included in the change when they weren’t overcrowded. She pointed out a nearby neighborhood where con struction hasn’t started and said they were zoned for Harper Park Middle School and Heritage High School.

“It’s a neighborhood that doesn’t exist yet while we are an established neighbor hood with kids in the schools already. It makes sense to me that we would be al lowed to stay rather than a community that isn’t even here yet,” Levine said.

Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lew is said at the Oct. 13 meeting the school district will look at elementary school boundary changes in January or February of 2023.

‘Why Now?’

Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian) on Oct. 13 said the biggest question she has been asked is why make boundary changes now.

“Many of the kids have just been through a period of time where they were either at home or in a hybrid situation so perhaps, they had a completely irregular middle school experience and are in high school now and are looking at having a high school change,” Reaser said, adding that it was coming at a time when kids were trying to rebound from the difficul ties of the past few years.

Lewis said those conversations were had in-house and again with the board when they initiated the process. He said some schools are overcrowded now, in cluding some that opened overcrowded, and staff members are looking at the longrange plan and the specialized programs that are coming down the road and trying to get ahead of some of those issues, in cluding future residential developments that have been approved by the county but have yet to be built.

“This is one of the ways we can get

ahead of that and make sure that doesn’t happen again. We are trying to anticipate what is going to happen in the next couple of years,” Lewis said.

School Board Chair Jeff Morse (Dull es) said this will be the first rezoning without a new school opening, and point ed out in some areas, five years down the road, there is expected to be a reduction in numbers. He asked if changes need to be made now or could be looked at each year.

Tate said some schools, like Loudoun County High School, are already at ca pacity and need to be addressed.

Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn) expressed his frustration and the frustration from his constituents over worries their schools would change, only to be told they weren’t.

“Loudoun County High School need ed to be addressed, we knew this, so the focus should be on Loudoun County,” he said. He added the anxiety placed on the middle school kids over being moved from their friends is difficult, especially when they are coming back to normalcy, and said the changes should have been planned better.

Morse said he’s been in the seats of parents before and said the most import ant thing in the success of the change is how parents relay that change to their children.

“If your zone ends up being part of change, it’s important for you to relay your confidence to your child that they will go to the new school with new friends and they will be fine. What we hear time and time again are the parents that are getting so amped up, that their children feel that and then they start to get very stressed out it grows, and it becomes a real challenge,” Morse said.

“The vast majority of people in this region are not going to move, that is just the facts. And what we will try to do is be judicious in the children who do move so that we are doing it for the benefit of all the children. The children who are mov ing out of overcrowded schools are ben efiting, it may not feel like that, but they are. They are moving into a school with more space, more resources and they are going to be fine,” Morse said.

He added, “we will try to work through this together and we will be with you ev ery step of the way as we work through this process.”

Material from the Oct. 13 meeting is available online at lcps.org/Page/246406.

ATTENDANCE REVIEW continues on page 17

School calendar

from page 15 Heritage High to Mark 20 Years with Alumni Weekend

“The board is asking today for a new process, so that is why that information isn’t included, because we have not pre sented information on an employee calen dar to the board previously,” Ziegler said.

Morse said the feedback from the sur vey is important, and said board members want to see it.

Andrew Hoyler (Broad Run) disputed Ziegler’s statements by pulling up doc uments from last December’s calendar approval process, and pointed out that the calendar the board voted on for 202223 included both the student and teacher calendar and was called “The 10-month teaching calendar.” Ziegler later acknowl edged that Hoyler was correct and apol ogized.

Boland pointed out again the issue of the calendars being co-mingled and how it had caused a reduction in work last year as a result.

Morse said they were going under the assumption that they weren’t going to eliminate any of the student or staff days and keep the identified holidays as sched uled, but said he would love to hear what the teachers and anyone else who took the survey had to say about it before the board pulled the trigger on approving the calen dar. He asked Boland to bring the survey data back to the next Board meeting.

Parents are asked to submit feedback on the calendar options through a form on the LCPS website, lcps.org. by Oct 24. The public will be notified when the Board adopts the 2023-24 student school calendar. n

Attendance review continued from page 16

Members of the public may also design their own maps, through a partnership with the Virginia Tech Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Ana lytics. Once a map is prepared, Tate said, the creator could present it to their School Board representative, who may choose to present it to the full board as an option.

To create a boundary map using the Virginia Tech Sanghani Center for Artifi cial Intelligence and Data Analytics go to redistrict.cs.vt.edu.

Email comments or plans to LCP SPLAN@lcps.org or leave a message at 571-252-1050.

The next meeting on Nov. 1 is a work session, followed by a public hearing on Nov. 9. n

Heritage High School will celebrate 20 years during this weekend’s Home coming celebration.

All alumni and their families as well as anyone who helped establish tra ditions at the school, helped grow its programs and members of the Heritage community are invited to attend the football game and other events planned Oct. 21 and 22.

A special Alumni tailgate will be at

5:30 on Friday at the Alumni Alley, a 5:30 tailgate for students and their fami lies will be held in the parking lot.

A ribbon cutting for Pride Park will be held at 6:15 Friday. Pride Park is an engraved brick-paved park inside the football stadium that honors 20 years of student excellence in athletics, academ ics and fine arts at the school.

Kickoff for the Homecoming football game against Broad Run is at 7:00 p.m.

Other homecoming festivities in clude the announcement of the Home coming Court during halftime followed

by a special cell phone light show.

Additionally, there will be an Alumni Social at 7:00 p.m. Saturday at Spanky’s in Leesburg.

The school was built in 2002 to serve the growing Leesburg community.

Tours are available as part of the weekend plans on October 22 from 2-5 p.m.

Heritage High School thanks the Athletic Boosters Club and Green Earth Landscaping for their help with the building of Pride Park. n

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Nonprofit

Not Your Kid’s Spelling Bee Raises $35K For Literacy Programs

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

The Loudoun Literacy Council’s annual Not Your Kid’s Spelling Bee at The National Conference Center on Friday raised more than $35,000 to support the nonprofit’s adult and family literacy programs.

This year’s winner of the grown-up spelling bee and trivia contest was the team of Beatriz McNelly, Michael Markis, Heather Markis, Tracy Datner, Bob Datner, Katie King, Jason King and Hannah Stallard. A local spelling bee celebrity presented their trophies—four-time Scripps National Spelling Bee contestant Ashrita Ghandi, who in 2017 as fourth-grader made the national semifinals, in 2021 placed seventh in the nation, and was profiled in the Netflix documentary Spelling the Dream.

Lynn Tadlock, CEO & Founder of Lynn Tadlock & Associates and a longtime leader in Loudoun’s nonprofit community, emceed the evening, joined by celebrity quizmasters. Visit Loudoun President and CEO Beth Erickson tested attendees’ knowledge

of Loudoun lore and history, Leesburg Vice Mayor Marty Martinez led a round of spelling, and musical guests Lenny Burridge, Shye Gilad, Tim Rumfelt and Chris Sia led guests through a Name That Tune Round of songs from the decades Loudoun Literacy has been around—from the 1980s to today.

Martinez himself was in the runner-up team, along with Loudoun Literacy Council Board of Directors Chair Brigitta Toruño, Maristeve Bradley, Tom Sweitzer, Andres Uribe, Maritza Saldana, Dominque Callins and Monica Chandler-Tressler.

During dinner, attendees also heard from some of the people the nonprofit has touched on the importance of its mission. One student, Fatma Goundogdu, told her story of moving from Istanbul to the U.S. 10 years ago to live with her son and granddaughter, help them learn about American culture, and share her own culture and history—she studied ceramic, glass, and tile art at Istanbul University. She said her journey to English literacy began when she saw a flyer for the Loudoun Literacy

Council at Gum Spring Library and immediately registered for a class.

“By learning English, I am not only able to communicate with my family, especially my granddaughter, but I also get to spread my love of art,” she said. “I have offered workshops on Turkish art called, Ebru. In the future, I would love to continue offering art programs for the community.”

And they also heard from Jillian Zimmerman, the director of operations at Stone Tower Winery, which over the past several months has worked with the Loudoun Literacy Council to provide weekly English classes for 29 employees.

“I mentioned the possibility of English classes and was shocked to see how excited they all were,” Zimmerman said. “The news spread quickly, and I had a line of people outside of my office ready to sign up that afternoon.”

She said two of those employees, Olvin and his wife Merlyn, said they had tried to take English classes before but found they were too expensive.

“Three weeks ago, Olvin was promoted to a new position, our pizzaiolo. He is now our chef in charge of pizzas at the Tower View Tasting Room and manages a team,” she said. “Communication is a huge part

of this. It is difficult to train and mentor an employee if you can’t communicate with them, but we have seen similar changes across the company.”

The Loudoun Literacy Council offers programs such as adult and youth English classes, GED preparation, individualized tutoring, baby book bundles, financial literacy, health literacy, and job site literacy. The nonprofit also works in the schools, providing the federally mandated but unfunded Head Start program, and the Starting Towards Excellence in Preschool or STEP program.

The Not Your Kid’s Spelling Bee was sponsored by the Caimi-Markis Family Fund; UNO Translations and Communications; Stone Tower Winery; the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, LSI Media; The Mirza Family Foundation; the Major Family Foundation; You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia; AT&T,;Truist Bank; ProJet Aviation; Fairfax Radiology Centers; RKN; Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian; Loudoun Now; Mathnasium of Leesburg; Falcon Heating & Air Conditioning; Fitness4EveryBody; Immigrant Business Women’s Circle; Just Tech; Mosaic Dental; Sandy Spring Bank; ReClaim-it Restoration and Carpet Care. n

Dominion Energy Awards $15K to Loudoun Nonprofits

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Local Leadership. Local Assets. Local Needs. Won’t You Join Us?

The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation has awarded $15,000 to Loudoun nonprofits, part of almost $450,000 in grants across the state and $1.2 million across eight states.

The foundation awarded $10,000 to the Loudoun Education Foundation for its Backpack Coalition, and $5,000 to the Dulles South Soup Kitchen.

“There are no more basic human needs than access to food, shelter and medical care,” Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation President Hunter A. Applewhite stated. “We’re very grateful for the organizations in our communities that are helping to meet these basic needs. We’re proud to support them and the positive impact they’re having on people’s lives.”

According to the company, the grants are focused on essential human services

such as housing, health care and food security, and mark the seventh year the company has donated more than $1 million to meet critical community needs.

Another nonprofit serving Loudoun but based near Staunton, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, received $15,000 for its rural hunger relief efforts.

“Gifts like this help us continue our mission to ensure that everyone has enough to eat,” Blue Ridge Area Food Bank CEO Michael McKee stated. “It’s only with the continued support of generous donors and loyal partners like Dominion Energy that we are able to serve our community through the Food Bank’s Mobile Food Pantries.”

For more information on Dominion Energy’s charitable giving programs, go to Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation website. n

Public Safety

Suspects Sought in Gas Station Robbery

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a robbery that occurred last week near Leesburg.

According to the report, shortly before midnight on Oct. 12, two men entered the convenience store of the Valero gas station on Rt. 15 south of town. While one took money from the cash register, the other struck an employee of the gas station multiple times with a wooden baton.

The employee was transported to a local area hospital for treatment and has since been released.

The suspects are described as Black males. Both were wearing gloves and masks. One was wearing black pants, a grey hooded sweatshirt, and was carrying a multicolored bat. The other was wearing grey pants, a black hooded sweatshirt, and carrying a red colored baton.

Anyone who has any information regarding this case or who was in the immediate area between 11:30 pm and midnight, is asked to contact Detective M. Schmidt at 703-777-1021. You may also submit a tip through the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office app. The Loudoun Sheriff app is available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play.

Ashburn Man Charged with Attempted Murder

The Sheriff’s Office has charged a 51-year-old Ashburn man with attempted second-degree murder following an assault last week at a home in the Village of Waxpool neighborhood.

According to the report, at 6:30 a.m. Oct. 13, deputies responded to a home on Parsells Ridge Court in Ashburn for a report of an assault. The victim reported that Steven F. Dennen appeared to be suffering a mental breakdown when he

allegedly attempted to smother her with a pillow at their home. She believed he was trying to kill her. She said she was able to fight him off flee to a neighbor’s house.

Deputies located Dennen on foot a few blocks away and placed him under arrest without incident. He also was charged with assault of a family member.

Dennen was held without bond at the Adult Detention Center. He is scheduled for a Dec. 7 preliminary hearing in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. n

local news

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is searching for two suspects wanted in the Oct. 12 robbery that at the Valero gas station on Rt. 15 south of Leesburg.

Pandemic, Mortgage Rates, Supply Chain All Have Impact

During the pandemic, home-bound residents pulled the trigger on many long-contemplated renovation projects. That was followed by a housing sales frenzy that featured listing shortages and bidding battles.

What now?

With mortgage rates increasing and cost of materials and labor climbing, some may feel the door shutting on those upgrade opportunities.

At the beginning of the year, a survey by LendingTree found that about 40% of Americans were considering a move during 2022. Among those most likely to move were Gen Zers and millennials (62% and 53%), remote workers (53%), renters (52%) and parents with young children (50%). The desire for more space—especially more pet-friendly space—was cited as the top reason to make a move.

There also was strong interest by respondents in making upgrades to their current home—about 72% were considering it—and nearly 40% were looking

to cutting their costs through refinancing. Renovation spending hit a four-year high in 2021, according to a U.S. Houzz & Home survey in which more than half of respondents had invested in upgrades— part of a trend being branded as “trade up in place.”

Why Relocate?

For many, the pandemic brought new remote working flexibility that allows families to put less emphasis on living within easy commuting distance. A move might offer more housing for the dollar, a better neighborhood, or space for a growing family—or the dog you adopted during COVID. It may be renovations just won’t do the trick in your current space. As the housing market has cooled, there likely are more selections to choose from for those in position to race the climbing mortgage rates.

Why Renovate?

If you like your location and have the

How to Decide

Here are some questions that can help guide your course:

• What features do you want in a home? Can they be accommodated at your current location?

• Do you like your neighborhood?

• Is your home a good long-term investment?

• What renovations would you make? At what cost?

• Is a qualified contractor available?

• What is the cost of moving to a new home?

• Can you deal with the stress of renovation construction? Or a house hunt?

• What can you afford?

ability to customize your current space to meet your needs, just stay put. Maybe now is the time to upgrade the outdated kitchen or bathroom, or knock out a wall to open the floorplan—build a new living space without leaving your favorite neighbors behind. But just as with the hassle

and stress of house hunting, renovating is no easy feat. Living in a construction zone is a challenge and the uncertainty over the availability of supplies can put the best-scheduled plans on hold. And labor and material costs may be rising even faster than mortgage rates. n

Severn Promoted at St. John Properties

Daniel Severn has been promoted to regional vice president for St. John Properties’ Virginia and Central Maryland Division.

He has worked for the company since 2008 and previously served as assistant vice president.

In his new role Severn will continue to oversee day-to-day real estate development responsibilities across the Virginia and Central Maryland Region, which includes maintaining relationships with local officials involved in the permitting and approvals process, and directing all entitlement activities for ground-up construction projects. He will also direct the activities of third-party vendors such as architects, engineers, legal teams and subcontractors, as well as coordinating with in-house construction professionals, to manage the development process in an

Business

efficient and timely manner. Severn also manages the region’s Property Management Division including lease administration, maintenance, capital improvements, and tenant relationships.

St. John Properties’ development pipeline in Frederick, MD and Northern Virginia currently exceeds 2.3 million square feet of space. In Loudoun, projects include Ashburn Crossing, an 80-acre business park with more than 350,000 square feet of flex/R&D space, and Leesburg Tech Park, which has 160,000 square feet of space.

Learn more at sjpi.com.

Magrath Celebrates 5 Years of You’ve Got Maids

You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia Owner Natasha Magrath on Monday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception to celebrate her company’s fifth anniversary.

Magrath came to the U.S. as an immigrant from Lebanon over 20 years ago with little business background. She held jobs in accounting and finance in the hospitality industry, commercial real estate,

and property management, but always yearned to open her own business. In 2017 she bought the You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia franchise. She built it from the ground up, and now employs 20.

Based in Sterling, You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia is a licensed, bond-

ed and insured, eco-friendly and Green America Certified company providing weekly, bi-weekly and every 3 weeks recurring service as well as deep cleanings, including move-in and move-out.

Learn more at youvegotmaids.com/ house-cleaning/va/northernvirginia. n

Michael Rivera is a public servant and parent.

November 8 for MICHAEL RIVERA Loudoun County School Board, Leesburg District

"I will protect parents’ rights, guaranteed by law, and will refocus public schools on traditional academic instruction."

Severn

Contributed

From left, Ruth Immanuel from Chair Phyllis Randall’s office, Supervisor Juli Briskman, You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia owner Natasha Magrath, Supervisor Sylvia Glass, Chamber President & CEO Tony Howard and Chamber 1st Vice Chair Carol Barbe celebrate the You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia franchise’s fifth anniversary with a ribbon cutting at the company’s Sterling office Oct. 17.

Towns

Vintage Racers Compete on Area Roads This Week

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Vintage sportscars will tour area roads this week as part of the 1000 Miglia Warm Up USA time trials—a precursor to one of the world’s most iconic automobile races.

The top performers will qualify for entry into the 2023 edition of the Mille Miglia race in Italy next May.

Participants will have three days of time trials on courses that will take them from Middleburg to the Summit Point race park in West Virginia and the Italian Embassy in Washington, DC. There will be opportunities to get up close with the cars and drivers at events in Middleburg and at Creighton Farms.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings, the cars will line up in Middleburg to begin their races.

On Friday afternoon, there will be a street “racing” demonstration on Madison Street to compete for the Middleburg Trophy. Drivers will race between The Pink Box and the Old Ox Brewery in heats with drivers competing to travel the distance closest to a specified time—with winners likely determined by fractions of seconds. That will be followed by a block party downtown.

On Saturday, participants will be tested with time trials at the Cars & Cappuccino event at The Club at Creighton Farms,

9-10 a.m. There also will be a “Then and Now” auto showcase featuring exotic cars until noon. Tickets are required. For the full schedule and other details, go to 1000miglia.it/ warmupusa2022 or middleburgva.gov/1000miglia. n

Buffington Seeks Cooperation on Fields Farm Projects

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

A week after the town Planning Commission voted to reject land use applications required for the county’s proposed sports fields and commuter parking lot on the Fields Farm property, town resident and county Supervisor Tony Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) urged the Town Council to move forward with the long-planned projects.

In an Oct. 14 letter to the council, the district supervisor highlighted the long history of town-county cooperation on the

projects—starting in 1999—and noted the plans have evolved to including important town facilities, as well.

“The work on these two projects began over twenty (20) years ago, with longstanding support by the Board of Supervisors, the Town Council, staff from both the Town and County, and the community,” he wrote. “Our legislative applications also include sites for a possible Town Police Department, or other Town facility, labeled as “future public use” and a Town water storage tank identified as “future public water use site.”

He noted it was a town request in 1999 that prompted county efforts to provide

Water-Powered Aldie Mill Turns Again

RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

The 200-year-old Aldie Mill was turning once again Saturday, with its waterwheel-powered millstone grinding grain for Middleburg’s Mt. Defiance Distillery.

The restored gristmill was built in the early 1800s, and was once the largest factory of its kind in Loudoun, according to NOVA Parks. The two metal waterwheels

are still powered today by water diverted from the nearby Tail Race stream, turning the 2,000-pound millstones inside to grind grain.

During the Oct. 15 demonstration, miller Mike Devine taught visitors about the mill and ground grain for Mt. Defiance’s Old Volstead Bourbon, while distillers from Mt. Defiance were on hand to teach about distilling and offer bourbon tastings. n

commuter parking services to link area residents to transit opportunities. The service has been offered at several locations around town over the years and planning for the proposed site began two years ago.

On the park side, he pointed out the land was approved for community sports fields through a Board of Supervisors’ special exception approvals in 2005. He said the property was annexed at the town’s request in 2009, with the goal that the town provide water and sewer services to the park. Work on the park stalled during the

FIELD FARM continues on page 25

AROUND Towns

HAMILTON

Fall Festival Planned at Town Park

The town will hold its Fall into Hamilton festival Saturday afternoon at the community park. The event includes pumpkin carving and costume contests.

Pumpkin entries should be dropped off between noon and 12:15 p.m. Judging will take place from 12:20-12:40 p.m. Winners will be announced at 12:45 p.m. Prizes will be awarded in the categories of classic, spookiest, funniest, and most original.

For the costume contest, judges will wander around the park from 12:20-12:40 p.m. awarding ribbons for fantastic costumes, and the winners will be recognized at 12:45.

Both competitions are open to all ages.

Other activities at the park include a rain gutter regatta with the Boy Scouts, a Witches Hat Ring Toss and games with the Hamilton Elementary PTA, glitter tattoos, pony rides and balloon animals.

Parking is encouraged at the Baptist church and elementary school.

HILLSBORO

Gap Stage Hosts Bluegrass Festival on Saturday

The Town of Hillsboro and the Hillsboro Preservation Foundation will host the annual Bluegrass in The Gap festival with four bands on Saturday.

The free concert kicks off at 2 p.m. Oct. 22 on the grounds of the Old Stone School. Verandah and lawn picnic tables may be reserved at OldStoneSchool.org. Appearing on The Gap Stage from 3 to 10 p.m. will be the Furnace Mountain Trio, The Fret Flatters, Circa Blue and The Carroll County Ramblers.

For more information go to oldstoneschool.org.

AROUND TOWNS continues on

24

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Classic cars such as this Lamborghini Spada are expected to bring an Italian flair to Middleburg this week for the Mille Miglia Warm Up USA races.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Sunlight from outside streaks in as the turning millstones fill the air with dust inside the Aldie Mill at Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.

AROUND

MIDDLEBURG

Foundation to Seek Historic Register for Asbury Church

The Willisville Preservation Foundation is leading an effort to have the town-owned Asbury Church added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The effort is being led by Jane Covington, a foundation board member who has researched, compiled, and filed numerous applications for the register.

The first step in the church application is the filing of a preliminary information form and Covington appeared at the Oct. 13 Town Council meeting to seek the town’s endorsement in that effort.

The next step will be determining whether to move forward with a formal filing, a decision that can be made next year when the town is expected to begin renovations to the building.

“I certainly think this is a win-win situation. It’s part of our heritage, Middleburg’s heritage,” said Council member J. Kevin Daly, who lives across the street from the church. “To me it is hallowed ground. During the Civil War, men died there. it was a hospital. It became the first church that white community members gave to Black community members—their neighbors. That heritage should be a part of Middleburg’s corporate memory.”

Town Office Construction Likely to Miss January Deadline

When the Middleburg Town Council broke ground on the construction of its new Town Office in January, the expectation was that the staff would be moved in by New Year’s Day.

Last week, the council was told that is not going to happen.

Bill Downey, of the Downey & Scott project management firm that was brought in to help the town work through contractor delays, said it might be possible to complete the project by the Jan. 28 contract deadline, but only “if the stars and the moon and the tide align in a perfect way.”

The project had been hit with a variety of delays including supply chain challenges, but more recently Downey & Scott staff members found construction deficiencies that required work to be redone or corrected.

Downey said the focus will continue to be on quality control and strictly enforcing the contract requirements. In response to questions from the council, he said it could

be several months after January before the building is completed.

Mayor Bridge Littleton noted the town is working with a fixed-price contract that includes daily fines beyond the contracted completion date.

LOVETTSVILLE

Speed Signs Coming to Town

Town Manager Jason Cournoyer last week updated the Town Council on efforts to slow speeders passing through town.

The recent traffic study completed in conjunction with the county government assessed speeding on Berlin Turnpike and Broad Way. The results are likely to result in a recommendation for the installation of pole-mounted speed notification signs at two locations on Berlin Turnpike, where 80% of the traffic was clocked at more than 10 mph over the speed limit. He said additional studies will need to be conducted to address speeding and pedestrian safety concerns on Broad Way, especially near the community center. The study found lower traffic speeds in that area.

Cournoyer said the town had procured two speed sign displays from the county government—items that were put up for sale in its surplus item auction.

Torres Appointed to Commission Seat

The Town Council on Oct. 13 appointed Aubrey Torres to fill a vacancy on the Planning Commission.

She takes the seat previously held by Tong Manson for a term expiring June 30, 2026.

ROUND HILL

Input Sought on Franklin Park Expansion Options

Loudoun County and the Town of Round Hill invite members of the community to attend a public information meeting regarding future improvements to Franklin Park on Tuesday, Oct. 25, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The county is launching a new master planning process for the 200-acre park. With the county’s recent acquisition of 103 acres adjacent to the park, planners are looking at amenities that may be added—including equestrian facilities, additional hiking trails, and improved parking and restroom facilities. Working with the Town of Round Hill, this master planning process will also evaluate potential connections with the town’s Sleeter Lake Park.

The meeting will be held at the Franklin Park Arts Center. n

Lovettsville Lauds Town Manager’s Performance

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Thirteen months after taking the post, Lovettsville Town Manager Jason Cour noyer earned high marks from the Town Council following a closed-session review last week.

During their Oct. 13 meeting, council members praised Cournoyer’s handling of the various challenges that have popped up in town over the past year and for ad vancing a list of long-pending projects.

“Jason, you’ve had an outstanding year. You’ve had a year with a lot of challeng es, and you’ve come at them with creative ideas,” Mayor Nate Fontaine said. “Your communication with the council and with the public has been outstanding, I think.”

“Thank you for your hard work. You’ve tackled a lot of projects this year and been awesome,” council member Joy Pritz said.

“I would agree with your statement that you’ve had about 10 years of experience in one year,” Vice Mayor Chris Hornbaker said. “I appreciate the direction that you

are taking it, the enthusiasm and initiative that you bring that we’ve seen in few other town managers before.”

“We look forward to many years with you at the helm,” Hornbaker said.

Among the next challenges for Cour noyer is filling two more staff vacancies.

Town Clerk Candi Choi resigned to take a higher paying job closer to her home. Among her accomplishments, Council members credited her with help ing to bring the town into the digital age during the pandemic with the operation of online meetings. The council was sched uled Oct. 18 to interview candidates for the post.

The town also will be seeking a new treasurer following the Oct. 13 resigna tion of Lance Gladstone, who has held the post since 1997. On top of his accounting responsibilities, for those 25 years—as the town’s population grew from 800 res idents to 2,700—Gladstone also was the go-to resource for residents to resolve their utility billing concerns.

The town is advertising for a replacement. n

Fraser Delivers Final State of Town Report

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

Purcellville Mayor Kwasi Fraser on Friday night delivered his final State of the Town address at Town Hall.

After eight years in office, Fraser is not seeking reelection.

Looking back on his years in of fice, Fraser said efforts to refinance the town’s debt load and to oppose new developments and annexations have put Purcellville on a more solid fiscal footing.

“Our strategy of slow growth—and

Field

ensuing recession and it wasn’t until 2015 and 2017 that funding was allocated for the work. The development applications were filed with the town in 2020.

He warned that if the county abandons plans for the property, other important road connections could be left unbuilt, in cluding links that would provide access to the planned town police station and water tower, as well as a second access to the Woodgrove school campus.

rejection of annexation with high den sity residential development—is pay ing dividends by making our commu nity inviting, and highly desirable, and our residents are seeing this with ev er-increasing property values,” he said.

“It has been my pleasure to listen to your ideas and concerns, and to work with the staff, committees, commis sions, boards, and council to make Purcellville an exemplary commu nity rooted in small-town character, economic strength, operational resil iency, and strategic determination,” Fraser said. n

“Given that these roads are within the Town, I must offer you a word of caution as I honestly do not believe a necessary majority of the Board of Supervisors would support construction of the road network if the Town Council does not ap prove the County’s Park application,” he wrote.

“… [O]ur collective governing bod ies and our respective staffs have worked cooperatively and collaboratively on these projects for many years, all at the County’s sole expense, and for the ben efit of the Town and County,” Buffington wrote. “I respectfully ask that you vote to approve the County’s applications.” n

OPEN THE DOOR TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES

PHOTO CREDIT ANDREW YOUNG

LoCo Living

Nature of Delight:

Sabina Puppo Paints Loudoun’s Farmlands

BY DANA ARMSTRONG darmstrong@getoutloudoun.com

Sabina Puppo is an artist who defies definition—both in her art and in her life.

Puppo paints portraits and landscapes, many of which depict romanticized, bird’s-eye views of the farmlands of Loudoun County. Although she consults photographs and old maps of Loudoun and Leesburg to inspire her work, she never creates exact copies of the landscapes.

Instead, the patchwork of textured fields, the farm animals, the moments of mundane life, the imagined underworld of tree roots and pockets of water and stone, and the rolling multi-hued mountains make up her dramatic dreamscapes.

Her imagined landscapes reflect her present life in Leesburg and her recent past: a seven-year experience cultivating

Puppo uses an Italian technique called sgraffito to etch words into the Catoctin Mountain ridge that runs past Leesburg.

a farm with her husband in Pueblo Eden, Uruguay.

“Many people only know Uruguay for its beaches, or they only know Montevi-

deo. We were in a rural area with hills the same age as Catoctin Mountain, and some of these really old, low hills were 500-560 million years old. It looks like this area. You don’t know if you’re in Ireland or rural Uruguay, or now I can say Loudoun County.”

Recently, Puppo featured her oil paintings of Loudoun County on her Peace in Our Time greeting cards. Proceeds from sales of the greeting cards are donated to the UN Refugee Agency in their efforts to protect refugees and displaced people during the war in Ukraine.

The greeting cards caught the attention of the board of directors of the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital in Washington, DC. That led to Puppo’s exhibition of 24 oil paintings, “Nature of Delight,” on

PUPPO PAINTS continues on page 30

THINGS to do

LOCO LIVE

Live Music: Rowdy Ace Band Friday, Oct. 21, 5-8:30 p.m.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg

Details: macsbeach.com

Kick back with a fun mix of country and rock tunes from Rowdy Ace.

Live Music: BarBarrick Friday, Oct. 21, 5 p.m.

Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights

Details: facebook.com/harpersferrybrewing

It’s an afternoon of acoustic rock from longtime regional favorite John Barrick.

Live Music: Lost Corner Vagabonds Friday, Oct. 21, 6 p.m.

Doukénie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro

Details: doukeniewinery.com

Whether it’s rock, country, R&B or a heartfelt ballad, The Lost Corner Vagabonds dig deep to reach the places that feel like home.

Live Music: Meisha Herron Friday, Oct. 21, 6-9 p.m.

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro

Details: harvestgap.com

Rising star Meisha Herron returns to Harvest Gap for an afternoon of soul and blues.

Live Music: Bell Bottom Blues Clapton Experience Friday, Oct. 21, 8 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg

Details: tallyhotheater.com

Bell Bottom Blues captures the essence of the Eric Clapton sound, from his guitar arrangements to his distinctive vocal sound. Tickets are $20-$30 for this seated show.

Live Music: Something’s Brewing Saturday, Oct. 22, noon

Bear Chase Brewing Company, 18294 Blue Ridge Mountain Road, Bluemont

Details: bearchasebrew.com

Enjoy classic rock, pop and folk—old and new—from some of the area’s best musicians.

Live Music: Short Hill Mountain Boys Saturday, Oct. 22, 2-5 p.m.

Wheatland Spring Farm and Brewery, 38506 John Wolford Road, Waterford

Details: wheatlandspring.com

The Short Hill Mountain Boys are back with old-time picking and singing from a local favorite.

Live Music: Ryan Jewel

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2-5 p.m.

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro

Details: harvestgap.com

Rising country star and Front Royal native Ryan Jewel brings his rich baritone and authentic songwriting to Loudoun.

THINGS TO DO continues on page 27

Dana Armstrong/Loudoun Now

Sabina Puppo sits in the studio space of her new home in Leesburg.

Contributed

THINGS to do

Live Music: Cary Wimbish Saturday, Oct. 22, 2 p.m.

Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro

Details: old690.com

Richmond-based Wimbish performs traditional country, bluegrass, classic rock, and blues songs along with crowd-pleasing originals.

Live Music: Jill Fulton and The Flying Matlocks Saturday, Oct. 22, 2-5 p.m.

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro

Details: breauxvineyards.com

Jill Fulton is back with powerhouse blues, country, soul and oldies.

Live Music: Bad Press

Saturday, Oct. 22, 3-7 p.m.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg

Details: macsbeach.com

Bad Press rocks Mac’s Beach with tunes spanning the decades and covering a range of genres.

Bluegrass in the Gap Saturday, Oct. 22, 3-10 p.m.

Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro

Details: oldstoneschool.org

This fun day of bluegrass features music from The Fret Flatters, Furnace Mountain Trio, Circa Blue and the Carroll County Ramblers, food trucks, local wine and beer vendors and an Americana festival and market.

Live Music: Todd Brooks and Pour Decisions

Saturday, Oct. 22, 5 p.m.

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg

Details: lostbarrel.com

Brooks and company serve up a heavy helping of classic rock along with favorites from the 80s, 90s and 2000s.

Live Music: Crowded Streets DMB Experience Saturday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg

Details: tallyhotheater.com

Catch your favorite Dave Matthews Band tunes from a Tally Ho favorite. Tickets are $15.

Live Music: Shade Tree Collective Sunday, Oct. 23, 1 p.m.

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: lostbarrel.com

This Maryland-based five-piece ensemble gets the crowd dancing with traditional bluegrass.

Live Music: Mark Cullinane Sunday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m.

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro

Details: harvestgap.com

Cullinane is back with acoustic classic rock tunes for a fun afternoon.

Live Music: Jim Steele Sunday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville

Details: flyingacefarm.com

Join local favorite Jim Steele for an afternoon of fun covers and originals.

Live Music: Wayne Snow Sunday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m.

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro

Details: breauxvineyards.com

Wayne Snow is a singer/songwriter based out of Shepherdstown, WV with a fun repertoire of indie, folk, pop and rock songs.

Live Music: Gary Smallwood Sunday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m.

Doukénie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro

Details: doukeniewinery.com

Gary Smallwood returns to Doukénie with his locally famous classic rock, country rock and blues.

Live Music: Chris Timbers Band Sunday, Oct. 23, 3-7 p.m.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg

Details: macsbeach.com

Wind down the weekend with the smooth grooves of the Chris Timbers band.

LOCO CULTURE

MSVA Sing Out Loud! Children’s Workshop Saturday, Oct. 22, 9 a.m.-noon

Loudoun County High School, 14 Dry Mill Road, Leesburg

Details: msva.org

Master Singers of Virginia launches a series of workshops for children 6 to 12 as part of its efforts to start a children’s chorus in the fall of 2023. Workshop fee is $30.

Purcellville Hail to the Trail Sunday, Oct. 23, 1-4 p.m.

Chapman DeMary Trail, Hirst Road, Purcellville

Details: purcellvilleva.gov

Explore this 10-acre woods in the heart of

Purcellville, the last stand of old-growth forest in the town. The event features hands-on activities including live animals, rock painting and activities from a range of environmental, arts and conservation groups.

FUN FOR A CAUSE

Equality Loudoun’s Hallo-Queen Scream Friday, Oct. 21, 5-9:30 p.m.

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts

Details: eqloco.com

This 21+ event features live music from 90s cover

THINGS TO DO continues on page 29

Loudoun Fall Farm Tour Returns

RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

About 30 farms and shops opened their doors for Loudoun’s Fall Farm Tour over the weekend.

Visitors got to see everything from livestock, flower farms, a new hemp-growing operation and Loudoun farming history to stores packed with locally-grown and locally-made goods and produce.

This year, participants also had a chance at winning Western Loudoun Experience prize pack with a one-night stay in western Loudoun, dinner, wine tastings, and tours. n

NURSES ARE LEAVING LOUDOUN BECAUSE THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE

Meet Ashley.

Ashley grew up in Loudoun County, went to college, and fulfilled her dream of becoming a nurse. She wanted to live and serve in the community she’s called home for 23 years, but couldn’t afford the cost of housing and left Loudoun. Ashley is not alone.

Workforce Housing Now is not an issue about charity. It’s about the future economic prosperity of Loudoun. Talent loss affects us all.

GET INVOLVED NOW workforcehousingnow.org

Workforce Housing Now is an initiative of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Wyatt Crush holds up a chick at his family’s Spring House Farm during the Loudoun Fall Farm Tour Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now A display at the Hamilton Mercantile during the Loudoun Fall Farm Tour Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Piglets greet visitors to Spring House Farm during the Loudoun Fall Farm Tour Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.

BEST BETS

THE BELL BOTTOM BLUES Friday, Oct. 21, 8 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

SWEARINGEN & KELLI PERFORM THE MUSIC OF SIMON AND GARFUNKEL

Friday, Oct. 21, 7-9 p.m.

Barns of Rose Hill barnsofrosehill.org

BLUEGRASS IN THE GAP

Saturday, Oct. 22, 3-10 p.m. Old Stone School, Hillsboro oldstoneschool.org

THINGS to do

band Crash the Limo, a full drag show featuring Loudoun’s drag royalty, a blackout party room with Repeatable DJ and other fun activities. Tickets are $50. Event benefits Equality Loudoun.

Puppies and Pumpkins

Saturday, Oct. 22, 1-4 p.m.

Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, 21085 The Woods Road, Leesburg

Details: bansheereeksnp.org

Bring your canine friends and celebrate fall with a costume contest for dogs and their owners, hayrides and pumpkin decorating. Talk with pet professionals about obedience training and pet first-aid. Partner organizations will have animals seeking a forever home in honor of adopt-a-dog month.

The Cats at Longstreet’s BarBooQue Fundraiser Saturday, Oct. 22, 2-6 p.m.

Loudoun Brewing Company, 310 E. Market St., Leesburg

Details: thecatsatlongstreet.org

This fundraiser for the nonprofit rescue The Cats at Longstreet features food, drinks, raffles, games and more.

LCC Pints 4 Paws Sunday, Oct. 23, noon-4 p.m.

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts

Details: loudouncommunitycats.org

The Loudoun Community Cat Coalition hosts its annual Pints 4 Paws fundraiser with raffles, face painting, snacks, vendors, music and a kitten cabana. Early bird tickets are $25. Donation at the door is $30.

Puppo paints

display in the Hill Center Galleries through Jan. 6.

All of her paintings in the gallery are available for purchase, with proceeds from the exhibit’s catalog supporting Ukrainian refugees.

“’Nature of Delight’ is a play on words because I find nature delightful, and I think nature delights me. There is a natural thing when you pay attention. You put your feet on the ground, down to earth, and you realize how delightful life is despite whatever problems and curveballs. If you live noticing the moment, it is a delight,” Puppo said.

her earliest memories are of drawing girls with skirts and balloons on her parents’ discarded blueprints. And in her many moves and flights in adulthood, from San Francisco to Boston to DC to Falls Church to Uruguay, she always carried ink, paper, markers, and a small palette of watercolors.

“I’ve always been interested in art because I grew up surrounded by artists. I was able to trace back seven generations—all Italian artists—and the first one was born outside of Italy,” Puppo said.

TALLY

TO BENEFIT JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION AND LOUDOUN HUNGER RELIEF

tJingle Jam .,

TALLYHOTHEATER.COM

But Puppo’s exhibition is only part of her story.

Born in Uruguay to Italian and French Basque parents, Puppo left Uruguay with her family at 18 months old and then moved 17 times to support her parents’ careers as architects. Since they specialized in remodeling centuries-old houses to fit modern needs, her family moved wherever there was work, including Germany, Colorado, and Italy.

Puppo began playing the flute at six years old and studied at a classical music conservatory. But when she realized how much she hated playing in front of audiences, she accepted a scholarship to study music therapy at a college in Eau Claire, WI.

She spent many years practicing music therapy in surgical environments. She developed a method of using music to help patients in serious surgeries slow their breathing and relax their bodies to decrease the amount of anesthesia needed.

“So, [my] first [career] was music. Then it was music therapy. Then I started human resources,” Puppo said. “And when we moved to DC, I did an MBA specializing in corporate social responsibility. I worked with nonprofit organizations mostly based on the environment or sustainable environments.”

“I only went back to Uruguay seven years ago. My husband and I wanted to see if two city people, who only grew plants in pots, could live sustainably and with the land. My move to Uruguay meant creating memories in a place I was born in but hadn’t lived in.”

“While we became farmers, I became a painter, and I thought, this is it. This is what I want to do in the long run,” she said.

Art has always been the throughline in Puppo’s diverse experiences. Some of

Her ancestors include the famed 19th-century sculptor Ettore Ferrari (whose bronze and marble monuments can be found in the squares of Venice, Pisa, and Rome) and her grandfather Ernesto Puppo, also known as one of the founders of the Rationalist Architecture Movement in Italy.

In comparison, Puppo regards her art and oil paintings as much more “humble.”

One of the secrets to her signature style is an Italian technique called sgraffito. Typically used in ceramics, the technique involves scraping away the surface layer of color to reveal a contrasting tone underneath.

Puppo must work within a small window of time where her oil paint is neither too dry nor too wet. If it’s too dry, she won’t be able to scratch it away with a toothpick, ballpoint pen, or her fingernail. But too wet, and it may run back together and fill in her etches.

Puppo will continue oil painting at her townhouse in Leesburg—a place she intends to be her long-term home. She loves the nature, open spaces, and quiet of Leesburg and looks forward to becoming more involved in the community. In particular, she hopes to connect more of her art and volunteer work to local organizations, such as Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, of which she’s become a recent member.

“I’m not very unidirectional. I like twoway streets,” Puppo said. “I like things that go underground and get elevated, and things with roots where one tree reaches a lot of ground, where one individual can reach within a community, and where one action just doesn’t end there. They have ripples, and they’re all virtuous.”

Sabina Puppo’s exhibition, Nature of Delight, is on display at Hill Center

Galleries in Washington, D.C. through January 6, 2023. To learn more about the exhibition or to purchase Puppo’s exhibition catalog, paintings, prints, or greeting cards, visit her website sabinapuppo.com. n

Death Notices

passed away on October 6, 2022, at the age of 82, in Leesburg, Virginia. Melvin is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Florence Carroll. Sons, Jay Carroll, Michael Carroll (Shelly), and Kevin Cox (Nancy), sisters, Julia “Metzi” McWilliams, Dora Gibson, and Sandra Estes (Brian), and grandchildren, Michael, Julia, Kelly, Riley, Bryan, and Finley. Melvin was preceded in death by his parents Vivian Darnielle and Melvin Carroll Sr. and loving stepmother Betty Carroll Orndor .  e family will receive friends from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at Loudoun Funeral Chapel, 158 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg, Virginia.

In lieu of owers, please consider donating to the charities listed below:

1.HEROES - Donations can be made by check or credit card (no cash accepted). Please make checks payable to HEROES, Inc.® and mail to:

HEROES, Inc.

1200 29th St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20007

, 85,

of Arlington, Virginia, passed away on Wednesday, October 5, 2022. Dorothy is survived by her loving husband, sons, John Corbin MacDorman and James Littleton MacDorman, daughter, Susan Claire Sedlazek, grandchildren, Daniel Martin Sedlazek, Jack Henry MacDorman, and Sam Corbin MacDorman.

A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, October 22 at St. eresa Catholic Church located at 21371 St. eresa Lane, Ashburn, Virginia, 20147.

In lieu of owers, the family suggests expressions of sympathy be made in the form of contributions to Missionhurst CICM at missionhurst.org  , 50 of Ashburn, Virginia passed away on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. She leaves her family to cherish her memory including, her father, Allen R. Kennedy and sister, Lori K. Powell of Ashburn, VA, step mother, Suzanne W. Kennedy, brother-inlaw, William E. Powell, nieces, Madison Nicole Powell and Emma Grace Powell and nephew, Nicholas William Powell; and her step brother, Brian A. Simmons.  Services and inurnment will be held on Friday, October 21, 2022 at 2 pm, at

Renwick Chapel in Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, DC.

In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made in Carols memory to one of the following charities.

National Foundation for Cancer Research https://www.nfcr.org/o

Friends of Homeless Animals https:// foha.org/ Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center https:// www.seaturtlehospital.org/  passed away on Sunday, August 14, 2022, at age 82.  He is survived by his wife Carol Beamer of Hamilton VA, Patricia Diane Queen of Hamilton VA, Barbara Ann Lear, and Husband David Lear of Glen Burnie MD. Two Grandchildren, Jessi Dabney and wife Toni Dabney of Fairlawn VA, Brittany Queen and Mike Richardson of Harpers Ferry, WV. Two Great-grandchildren Aaron Queen and Robin Queen. Sisters Rossie Gregg and John of Florida, Betty Walker of Fisherville, VA, Mary Burdette, and husband David Burdette of Kearneysville, WV. Brother Johnny Beamer and wife Jennifer Beamer of Lovettsville, VA, along with many nieces and nephews.

Charles is predeceased by Father Wil-

lard Beamer, Mother Mary Beamer, sister Anna Mae Murphy, Francis Beamer, and daughter Kim Beamer. , of Round Hill, VA, passed away peacefully at age 85 on Wednesday, October 5, 2022. Charlie was preceded in death by his wife Peggy, his parents Roger and Catherine, his sister Phyllis and brother Jerry. He is survived by his son Jamie, granddaughters, Carly Jo and Zoe, and his favorite daily companions, Blaze and Zander.

e family will received friends on Friday, October 14th from 6-8 p.m. at Hall Funeral Home of Purcellville, VA. A funeral service was held at the funeral home on Saturday, October 15th beginning at 10 a.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to Round Hill Baptist Church, 7 W. Loudoun Street, Round Hill, VA 20141.

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

Post your job listings at

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.

Regular Full-Time Positions

Position Department Salary Range Closing Date

Assistant Director of Public Works and Capital Projects

Public Works & Capital Projects

$86,040-$156,137 DOQ Open until filled

Assistant Zoning Administrator Planning & Zoning $72,952-$132,386 DOQ Open until filled

Communications Technician (Police Dispatcher) Police $50,000-$88,774 DOQ Open until filled

Deputy Director of Public Works and Capital Projects

Public Works & Capital Projects $93,438-$169,567 DOQ Open until filled

Maintenance Worker I Public Works & Capital Projects $50,000-$75,040 DOQ Open until filled Management Analyst (Sustainability & Resiliency) Emergency Management $67,175-$121,947 DOQ Open until filled Police Detective Police $68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled Police Officer Police $62,000-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Police School Resource Officer Police $68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled Police Traffic Officer Police $68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled Project Manager Utilities $76,426-$138,530 DOQ Open until filled Senior Engineer Plan Review $70,374-$127,560 DOQ Open until filled

Senior Planner (Preservation and Zoning Administration) Planning & Zoning $67,175-$121,947 DOQ Open until filled Stormwater and Environmental Manager

Public Works & Capital Projects $82,999-$150,445 DOQ Open until filled Transportation Engineer

Public Works and Capital Projects $82,999-$150,445 DOQ Open until filled Urban Forester/Landscape Management Specialist

Public Works & Capital Projects $67,175-$121,947 DOQ Open until filled Utility Inspector II Utilities $56,956-$103,363 DOQ Open until filled Utility Plant Technician or Senior Utility Plant Technician Utilities $50,000-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled Wastewater Plant Operator Trainee, I or II Utilities $50,000-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled Wastewater Plant Operator Trainee, I or II Utilities $50,000-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled

Flexible Part-Time Position

Position Department

Hourly Rate Closing Date

Library Assistant Thomas Balch LIbrary $20.51-$33.42 DOQ Open until filled

To review Ida Lee (Parks & Recreation) flexible part-time positions, please visit www.leesburgva.gov/jobs. Most positions will be filled at or near the minimum of the range. Dependent on qualifications. All Town vacancies may be viewed on Comcast Cable Channel 67 and Verizon FiOS Channel 35.

your job listings at

Construction Project Manager/Project Engineer

Meridien Group, LLC is seeking a motivated, qualified individual to handle all aspects of construction proj ect management. Duties include Preparing, scheduling, coordinating and monitoring the assigned projects.

Monitoring compliance to applicable codes, practices, QA/QC policies, performance standards and specifications.

Interacting daily with the clients to interpret their needs and requirements and representing them in the field.

We are looking for an accountable project engineer/project manager to be responsible for all engineering and technical disciplines that projects involve. You will schedule, plan, forecast, resource and manage all the technical activities aiming at assuring project accuracy and quality from conception to completion.

Qualifications

• BS degree in Engineering/Construction Management or relevant field

• Prior federal government project experience is preferred, but not required

• Entry-level/mid-level Position

Contact Info: Katherine Hicks 208 South King Street Suite 303 Leesburg, VA 20175

Send Resume to: khicks@meridiengroupllc.com (703) 777-8285

The Town of Lovettsville seeks a dedicated, responsive, and experienced individual who will thrive in this small-town environment for the position of Treasurer.

The Treasurer position oversees the coordination and direction of all financial management and accounting for the town operations under the direction of the Town Manager, which includes overall supervision of accounting and finance, revenue and tax collection, debt administration and treasury, purchasing, assessing, and payroll and retirement operations.

The Treasurer position is a full-time position with generous benefits that is appointed and serves at the pleasure of the Mayor and Lovettsville Town Council.

For more details regarding the position and to find the employment application, please visit the Town's webpage at: www.lovettsvilleva.gov/careers

Legal Notices

PUBLIC HEARING

The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, November 9, 2022, in order to consider:

PROPOSED LEASE OF COUNTY PROPERTY Lease for 801 Sycolin Road, Suite 103, Leesburg, Virginia 20175

Pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-1800, the Board of Supervisors shall consider approving a lease between Loudoun County and Young Min Kwak for the purpose of continuing the operations of the current Sycolin Deli at the County owned facility located at 801 Sycolin Road, Suite 103, Leesburg, Virginia in the Leesburg (formerly Catoctin) Election District, Tax Map Number /60///6///B-B/ (PIN # 191-35-3864).

A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced lease is on file and available for public inspection at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Lees burg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www. loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).

PROPOSED 2023 LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

Each year, the Board of Supervisors adopts a Legislative Program, indicating its priority issues and initia tives for the upcoming session of the Virginia General Assembly. As part of this Legislative Program, the Board requests the Senators and Delegates representing Loudoun County to introduce specific legislation of importance to the County. The Board is seeking input from the public on the 2023 Draft Legislative Program. All members of the public are welcome to speak before the Board and provide feedback on the proposed 2023 Legislative Program.

A copy of the Board of Supervisors’ 2023 Draft Legislative Program is available for review and may be ex amined 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 thru Friday or call (703) 777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www. loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS’ REQUESTS FOR PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION BY DESIGNATION

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-1427 and 58.1-3651, the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its inten tion to propose for passage an Ordinance designating certain real and/or personal property owned by the following nonprofit organizations as exempt from local real and/or personal property taxes:

LOUDOUN THERAPEUTIC RIDING, INC.

The 2022 assessed value of the real property owned by Loudoun Therapeutic Riding, Inc., for which an exemption is requested is $823,360, resulting in an actual total 2022 levy assessed against such property of $7,327.90.

PRS, INC.

The 2021 assessed value of the tangible personal property owned by PRS, Inc., for which an exemption is requested is $1,064.58, resulting in an actual total 2022 tax levy assessed against such property of $56.04.

A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed Ordinance(s), as well as copies of the above organization’s applications and supporting documentation, is on file and available for public inspection 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 703-777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Super visors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).

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 HUGHESVILLE 456-10-1614 /45////////52/ 10.00

NEW FEATHERBED 466-36-1590 /87/E/1////38/ 25.25

NEW HILLSBORO 447-48-2053 /26//24/////2/ 10.74

Any owner of additional qualifying land may join the applications with consent of the Board of Supervi sors, 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 appli cation 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 HUGHESVILLE 4 Years 25 Acres December 7, 2021

NEW FEATHERBED 4 Years 40 Acres November 4, 2018

NEW HILLSBORO 4 Years 20 Acres April 11, 2022

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

Received applications were referred to the Agricultural District Advisory Committee “ADAC” for review and recommendation. The ADAC and the Planning Commission held public meetings on the applications to consider the applications on August 4, 2022, and September 27, 2022 respectively. The reports and recommendations of the ADAC and the Planning Commission will be considered by the Board of Super visors 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 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies or electronically at: https://www.loudoun.gov/adac (8-4-2022 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/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).

SPEX-2021-0033, SPEX-2021-0034, SPEX-2021-0037, & SPMI-2021-0006

BEACH COMMERCIAL (Special Exceptions & Minor Special Exception)

Denise Harrover of Stone Ridge East Commercial II, LLC, of Fairfax, Virginia, has submitted an appli cation for 1) a Special Exception to permit a convenience store use; 2) a Special Exception to permit a retail sales establishment use; and 3) a Special Exception and a fast-food restaurant without a drive-thru in the CLI (Commercial/Light Industry) zoning district. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed uses are listed as a Special Exception uses under Sections 3-904(C), 3-904(Q), and 3-904(P) respectively. The modification of the buffering and screening requirements ap plicable to the proposed Special Exception uses is authorized as part of an approval action of a Special Exception under Section 5-1403(C), pursuant to which the Applicant requests the following modification:

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION

§5-1404(B), Buffer Yards, Use Buffer Yard Matrix, Table 5-1404(B)

PROPOSED MODIFICATION

Eliminate the required Type A buffer yard between a Commercial/Retail use and Va cant Land, Located in a Non-Residential Zoning District

The modification of the Additional Regulations applicable to the proposed convenience food store use 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 modification:

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION

§5-617(C), Free Standing Convenience Food Stores

PROPOSED MODIFICATION

Reduce the frontage requirements for a con venience food store at an intersection from 200 feet to 140 feet along Meadows Farm Court

Legal Notices

The subject property is located within the Airport Impact (AI) Overlay District, outside of but within the one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 airport noise contour. The subject property is approximately 1.91 acres in size and is located north of Tall Cedars Parkway (Route 2200), west of Meadows Farm Court, and south of Route 50 in Chantilly, Virginia, in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 205-40-9374. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)) which designate this area for compact, pedestrian-oriented environments with opportunities for a mix of residential, commercial, entertainment, cultural, and recreational uses at a floor to area ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.

ZMAP-2021-0005, SPEX-2022-0022, ZMOD-2021-0015 & ZMOD-2021-0046

BELMONT PARK

(Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exception & Zoning Modifications)

Belmont Gym Building, LLC, of McLean, Virginia, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 12.16 acres from the PD-OP (Planned Development – Office Park) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-16 ADU (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential-16, ADU Development Regulations) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop 163 residential units, consisting of a maximum 106 multifamily units and a maximum of 57 single family attached units, at a density of approximately 13.4 dwelling units per acre. The applicant is also requesting a Special Exception to permit the modification of the minimum yard requirements for ADU (Affordable Dwelling Units) developments in the R-16 ADU zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and the proposed modification of the minimum yard requirements for ADU developments in the R-16 ADU zoning district is listed as Special Exception under Section 7-903(C)(1) (a). The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s):

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION PROPOSED MODIFICATION

§3-607(B) (2) R-16 Townhouse/Multifamily Res idential, Building Requirements, Building Height, Multifamily.

§5-1403(B) Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Road Corridor Buffers and Setbacks, Road Corridor Buffers and Setbacks Matrix, Table Section 5-1403 (B).

Increase maximum permitted building height for multifamily buildings from 45 feet to 55 feet with out additional setbacks.

Reduce the required building setback from 200 feet to 80 feet and the parking setback from 125 feet to 50 feet along Harry Byrd Highway

and

Reduce the required building setback from 75 feet to 33 feet and the parking setback from 35 feet to 13 along Russell Branch Parkway.

The subject property is approximately 12.16 acres in size and is located on the east side of Russell Branch Parkway (Route 1061), west of Claiborne Parkway (Route 901) and south of Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7) in the Ashburn Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 083-469403. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)) which designate this area for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural and Recreational uses at recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.0.

SPMI-2020-0014

EQUINIX LIGHTING (Minor Special Exception)

Equinix RP II, LLC of Herndon, Virginia, has submitted an application for a Minor Special Exception to request alternative Exterior Lighting for Data Centers in the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) Zoning District. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the mod ification of the Additional Regulations for the Exterior Lighting of Data Centers (Section 5-664(C)) is authorized by Minor Special Exception under Section 5-600, Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, pursuant to which the Applicant requests the following modification:

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION PROPOSED MODIFICATION

§5-664(C), Data Center, Exterior Lighting Permit specialty uplighting of the façade that will not direct light downward or be cutoff and fully shielded.

The subject property is being developed pursuant to ZRTD-2015-0005, Beaumeade SE Quadrant. 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 10.177 acres in size and is located on the north side of Waxpool Road (Route 825) on the east side of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607) 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 up to 1.0.

ZCPA-2020-0004, ZRTD-2020-0004 & SPEX-2020-0015

WOODLAND PLAZA TALL OAKS, LOT 1 (Zoning Concept Plan Amendment, Zoning Conversion in the Route 28 Taxing District & Special Exception)

Greenhill Landscaping of Great Falls, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) amend the existing proffers and Concept Development Plan (“CDP”) approved with ZMAP-2007-0006, Tall Oaks Lot 1, in order to: 1) allow a contractor service establishment with outdoor storage; 2) to rezone the subject property from the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance as amended through September 29, 2010 to the PD-IP (Planned Devel opment – Industrial Park) under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance as amended (“Zoning Ordinance”) in order to develop a contractor service establishment with outdoor storage; and 3) to allow a contractor service establishment with outdoor storage in excess of 20% of the lot area, pursuant to Section 5-662 and is permitted by Special Exception under Section 4-504 (HH) of the Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District and the Route 28 CB (Corridor Business) Optional Overlay District. The subject property is approximately 1.39 acres in size and is located on the north side of Woodland Road (Route 679) and on the west side of Cascades Parkway (Route 637) at 45934 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia, in the Sterling Election District. The property is more particularly described as PIN: 031-49-7342. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Sub urban Policy Area (Suburban Employment Place Type)), which designate this area for a mix of office, production, flex space, and warehousing uses at densities up to 1.0 FAR.

CPAM-2021-0001

AIRPORT IMPACT OVERLAY DISTRICT UPDATE (Comprehensive Plan Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-2225 and 15.2-2229 and a resolution adopted by the Board of Supervi sors on February 2, 2021, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice of a Comprehensive Plan Amend ment (CPAM) to amend the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (adopted June 20, 2019, as amended) in order to establish new, clarify existing, revise, and/or delete certain existing policies and guidelines and maps in regard to airport noise around Washington Dulles International Airport. The amendment proposes revisions to Chapters 2, 3, and 7, the Glossary, the map used to depict and administer said policies and guidelines, and such other Chapters, policies, and provisions of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (2019 GP) as necessary to implement and maintain consistency with the foregoing amendments or as otherwise necessary to correct typographical errors, section and subsection numbering, and formatting within, update cross-references to, and further clarify the policies of, the above-mentioned section(s) of the 2019 General Plan. The proposed CPAM would apply Countywide. The proposed text amendments under consideration include, without limitation, the following:

Proposed 2019 General Plan Amendments

Amendments to Chapter 2 – Land Use:

• Establish new, and clarify, revise, and/or delete certain existing terminology pertaining to airport noise impacts to be more consistent with terms used in the Zoning Ordinance.

• Clarify and revise the description of the Suburban Policy Area (SPA), to remove references to Washington Dulles International Airport’s Ldn 65 noise contour.

Amendments to Chapter 3 – Natural, Environmental, and Heritage Resources:

• Revise the title reference to the map depicting the adopted airport noise contours from “Airport Impact Overlay District” to “Airport Noise Impact Area.”

• Establish new, and clarify, revise and/or delete certain existing policy and criteria for the evalua tion of airport noise impacts.

• Revise the map depicting the adopted aircraft noise contours. Specifically, consider adopting re vised noise contours for Washington Dulles International Airport.

Amendments to the Reference Map of the Airport Impact Overlay District:

• Establish new, and clarify, revise, and/or delete as necessary to implement and be in accordance with foregoing amendments.

Amendments to Chapter 7 – Implementation:

• Revise the list of key implementation actions to indicate that consideration of the noise contours in the 2019 Washington Dulles International Noise Contour Map Update has been implemented.

• Revise the Implementation Matrix in accordance with foregoing amendments.

Amendments to the Glossary:

• Revise the definition of “Airport Noise Impact Area.”

Legal Notices

(CPAM-2021-0001, AIRPORT IMPACT OVERLAY DISTRICT UPDATE will be heard in conjunction with ZMAP-2021-0011 & ZOAM-2021-0002, AIRPORT IMPACT OVERLAY DISTRICT UPDATE)

ZMAP-2021-0011 & ZOAM-2021-0002

AIRPORT IMPACT OVERLAY DISTRICT UPDATE (Zoning Ordinance Amendment and Zoning Map Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§15.2-2204, 15.2-2284, 15.2-2285, and 15.2-2286, and a Resolution of Intent to Amend adopted by the Board of Supervisors on March 1, 2022, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice of proposed amendments to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance (“Zoning Ordinance”) in order to establish new, clarify existing, revise, regulations and definitions to the AI-Airport Impact Overlay Dis trict (AIOD) These amendments are being proposed pursuant to the 2019 Washington Dulles Internation al Airport (Dulles International Airport) Aircraft Noise Contour Map Update. The amendment proposes revisions to Article 4, Special & Overlay Districts, Section 4-1400, AI-Airport Impact Overlay District and such other Articles, Sections, Subsections, and provisions of the Zoning Ordinance as necessary to implement and maintain consistency with the foregoing amendments or as otherwise necessary to correct section and subsection numbering, and formatting within, update cross-references to, and further clarify the requirements of the above-mentioned section(s) of the Zoning Ordinance. The proposed text amend ments under consideration include, without limitation, the following:

Amendments to Article 4, Special & Overlay Districts, Section 4-1400, AI-Airport Impact Overlay District:

• Add the basis for the AOID boundaries based on the Washington Dulles International Airport Aircraft Noise Contour Map Update, May 2019.

• Amend the AIOD boundaries as reflected on the AIOD Map.

• Clarify the disclosure statement requirements for prospective purchasers of properties within the AIOD.

• Add for previously approved residential that designated residential uses located outside of the Ldn 65 or higher aircraft noise impact area at the time of approval but subsequently became located within the Ldn 65 or higher aircraft noise impact area as a result of amendments to the AIOD map shall continue to have all applications processed in accord with the approved rezoning and the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in effect prior to the adoption of the amendment.

• Add exceptions for properties that are relocated to a Ldn 65 or higher area where residential uses

and structures and additions are not permitted, as a result of the adoption of ZMAP-2021-0011 & ZOAM 2021-0002.

• Amend the Zoning Ordinance text throughout Section 4-1400 et. seq. to clarify applicability and maintain consistency with the Zoning Ordinance.

In addition to the ZOAM, pursuant to the Resolution of Intent to Amend adopted by the Board of Su pervisors on March 1, 2022, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice of proposed amendments to the Loudoun County Zoning AI-Airport Impact Overlay Map around Washington Dulles International Airport. Adoption of the new aircraft noise contours may result in a change in a property location within a new noise impact area (within one (1) mile of Ldn 60, Ldn 60-65, or Ldn 65 or higher). Adoption of new aircraft noise contours will result in some properties being subject to Ldn 65 or higher area zoning re strictions, which prohibits new residential uses and structures and additions, unless previously approved, or existing. Also, the adoption of new aircraft noise contours would result in some properties, currently restricted, to permit residential development. The total size of the area proposed to be subject to ZOAM2021-0002 and ZMAP-2021-0011 is approximately 36,102 acres. The area proposed as the Dulles Inter national Airport Impact Overlay District is generally east of Watson Road and Belmont Ridge Road, north of Seven Hills Drive, and encompasses properties up to the northern and eastern County boundaries. The area proposed as the Leesburg Executive Airport Impact Overlay District is not proposed to change but is subject to proposed text amendments. That area continues to include properties south of Harry Byrd Highway, north of Loudoun Academy Drive, generally east of South King Street, and west of Belmont Ridge Road.

The public purposes of these amendments are to achieve the purposes of zoning as set forth in Virginia Code §§15.2-2200 and 15.2-2283, including, without limitation, furtherance of the public necessity, con venience, general welfare and good zoning practice and facilitating the creation of a convenient, attractive and harmonious community.

Legal Notices

(ZMAP-2021-0011 & ZOAM-2021-0002, AIRPORT IMPACT OVERLAY DISTRICT UPDATE will be heard in conjunction with CPAM-2021-0001, AIRPORT IMPACT OVERLAY DISTRICT UPDATE)

A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed amendments are on file and available for public inspection 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 703-7770200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).

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 Gov ernment Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. This link also provides an additional opportunity for public input on active applications. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing docu ments, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meet ings”). In addition, for detailed instructions on how to access documents using LOLA, to request that documents be emailed to you, to receive physical copies of documents, or to arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email DPZ@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246 (option 5).

Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings. All members of the public who desire to speak will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Public input may be provided by electronic means at Board public hearings. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, will be accommodated without advanced sign-up during the hearing, however, members of the public are strongly encouraged to sign-up in advance. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on October 28, 2022, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on November 9, 2022. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing.

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

BY ORDER OF: PHYLLIS RANDALL, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ046599-01-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Briston Love

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Emanuel Cobb, putative father, and Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-252 for Briston Love; and hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-278.2 and 16.1-281 for Briston Love.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Emanuel Cobb, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before October 19, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. (Adjudicatory); and November 16, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. (Dispositional).

10/20, 10/27, 11/3 & 11/10/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ046598-01-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Chloe Love

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Willie Huff, putative father, and Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-252 for Chloe Love; and hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-278.2 and 16.1-281 for Chloe Love.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Willie Huff, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before October 19, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. (Adjudicatory); and November 16, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. (Dispositional).

10/20, 10/27, 11/3 & 11/10/22

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.

Route 7/Route 9 Eastbound Ramp Extension Loudoun County

Notice of Willingness

Find out about planned improvements to the acceleration lane from eastbound Route 7/Route 9. The project seeks to make it easier for drivers to merge into traffic from the ramp. The project will extend the acceleration lane from Route 9 onto eastbound Route 7 in Loudoun County.

Review project information and the National Environmental Policy Act document in the form of a Programmatic Categorical Exclusion, including the potential effects on historic properties, online at https://www.virginiadot.org/Route7andRoute9RampExtension or during business hours at VDOT’s Northern Virginia District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030. Please call ahead at 703 259 1795 or TTY/TDD 711 to make an appointment with appropriate personnel

If your concerns cannot be satisfied, VDOT is willing to hold a public hearing. You may request that a public hearing be held by sending a written request by October 28, 2022 to Mr. Calvin Britt, P.E., Project Manager, Virginia Department of Transportation, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 or by email to meetingcomments@VDOT.virginia.gov. Please reference “Route7/Route9 Eastbound Ramp Extension” in the subject line. If a request for a public hearing is received, notice of date, time and place of the hearing will be posted.

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact VDOT Civil Rights at 703 259 1775

State Project: 6007 053 198 UPC: 114103

Federal: NCBP 5A01 (973)

10/20 & 10/27/22

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 October 25, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following: ZMAP-2021-0022, ZMOD-2021-0086, ZMOD-2021-0087, ZMOD-2022-0042 ZMOD-2022-0043 & ZMOD-2022-0044

UNIVERSITY CENTER LAKEVIEW (Zoning Map Amendment & Zoning Modifications in the Rt. 28 Tax District)

LAKEVIEW 1 LC, of Fairfax, Virginia, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 21.54 acres from PD-RDP (Planned Development – Research and Development Park) zoning district under the 1972 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance to the R-24 (Townhouse/Multifamily) zoning district under Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU) regulations of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in order to develop 617 multifamily dwelling units at 28.6 dwelling units per acre. The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s):

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION PROPOSED MODIFICATION

§3-702(A), R-24 Multifamily Residential, Size and Location.

§3-707(B), R-24 Multifamily Residential, Building Requirements, Building Height.

§5-1102, Table 5-1102, Off Street Parking and Loading Requirements, Number of Parking and Loading Spaces Required.

§5-1403(D), Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Road Corridor Buffers and Setbacks, Road Corridor Buffer Width and Plant Requirements, Table 5-1403(D)

And

§5-1404(D), Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Buffer Yards, Buffer Yard Widths and Plant Requirements.

§5-1408(B)(2)(d), Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, General Landscape Provisions, Plant Unit Requirements.

To allow access to lots created after rezoning to be provided by private roads.

To increase maximum building height to 60 feet without additional setbacks from streets or lot lines for each foot of increased height.

To modify the parking requirements for Multifamily Residential to permit a minimum of 1.1 parking spaces per ADU, independent of bedroom count.

To decrease the width of portions of the required Type 1 Road Corridor Buffer to zero feet and number of plant units to zero.

And

To decrease the width of portions of required Buffer Yard Type A to zero feet and five feet and the number of plant units to zero.

To increase the maximum percentage of shrubs from 30 percent to 80 percent permitted within the Buffer Yard Type A.

The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District, the Route 28 CB (Corridor Business) Optional Overlay, and the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 airport noise contour. The subject property is approximately 21.55 acres in size and is located north of Leesburg Pike (Route 7), south of George Washington Boulevard (Route 1050), and east of Riverside Parkway (Route 607) in Ashburn, Virginia, in the Algonkian Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 039-35-5892 and PIN: 039-25-8839. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)) which designate this area for compact, pedestrian-oriented environments with opportunities for a mix of Residential, Commercial, Entertainment, Cultural, and Recreational uses at a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.

SPEX-2022-0001 & SIDP-2022-0002

BELMONT AUTOMOBILE SERVICE STATION (Special Exception, Sign Development Plan)

Belmont Green Commercial, LLC of Baltimore, Maryland, has submitted applications for the following: 1) a Special Exception to permit an automobile service station in the PD-H3 (Planned Development –Housing 3) administered as PD-CC(CC) (Planned Development – Commercial Center (Community Center)) zoning district; and 2) a Sign Development Plan to request alternative sign regulations for permitted signs in order to increase the total aggregate sign area and to increase the number of signs. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Special Exception use under Section 4-204 (B), 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 QN (Quarry Notification) Overlay District (Luck Note Area). The subject property is approximately 2.13 acres in size and is located south of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659), west of Portsmouth Boulevard (Route 1937) in the Ashburn Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 152-20-4348 and a portion of PIN:152-20-4210. The area is governed by the polices of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Mixed Use Place Type)), which supports Retail and Service Commercial uses at a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.

SIDP-2022-0001

EVERGREEN MEADOWS (Sign Development Plan)

Evergreen Mills Road LLC of Rockville, Maryland, has submitted an application for a Sign Development Plan to request alternative sign regulations for permitted signs in order to: 1) increase the total aggregate sign area; 2) increase the maximum number of signs; 3) the maximum area of any one sign; and 4) increase the maximum sign height. The subject property is located in the PD-IP (Planned Development –Industrial Park) and the CR-1 (Countryside Residential – 1) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, and pursuant to Section 5-1202(E) alternative sign regulations for permitted signs may be requested with the submission of a Sign Development Plan. The subject property is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, within the Ldn 65 or higher aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 4.03 acres in size and is located south of Arcola Mills Drive (Route 621), west of Briarfield Lane (Route 3442), in Aldie, Virginia, in the Little River (formerly Blue Ridge Election District). The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 202-29-4526 and PIN: 202-29-7203. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Neighborhood Place Type)), which designate this area for residential uses arranged on medium-to-large lots at a recommended density of up to six dwelling units per acre for infill development.

CMPT-2021-0012, SPEX-2021-0047, & SPMI-2021-0007

NOVEC NORTHSTAR SUBSTATION (Commission Permit, Special Exception & Minor Special Exception)

Northern Virginia Electric Company, of Gainesville, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) Commission approval to permit a Utility Substation, Distribution in the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district and 2) a Special Exception to permit an ingress/egress easement for a Utility Substation, Distribution in the R-1 (Single Family Residential) zoning district. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. The proposed use requires a Commission Permit in accordance with Section 6-1101 and is listed as a Special Exception use in the R-1 zoning district under Section 3-103(P). The modification of the Additional Regulations applicable to the proposed use is authorized by Minor Special Exception under Section 5-600, Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, pursuant to which the Applicant requests the following modification(s):

ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION

§5-616(D), Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, Utility Substations. and §5-1404(B) Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Buffer Yards, Use Buffer Yard Matrix, Table 5-1404(B) Use Buffer Yard Matrix. and

§5-1404(D) Landscaping, Buffer Yards, Screening, and Landscape Plans, Buffer Yards, Buffer Yard Widths and Plant Requirements, Table 5-1404(D) Buffer Yard Width and Plant Requirements.

PROPOSED MODIFICATION

Eliminate the Buffer Yard Type C landscape requirement on the western side and a portion of the southern side of the perimeter of the Utility Substation, Distribution use.

and

Increase the Buffer Yard Type C width from 25 feet to 30 feet, and increase the minimum plant units from 120 to 144 plant units per 100 linear feet of buffer yard along the northern side of the perimeter of the Utility Substation, Distribution use.

The subject property is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, within the Ldn 65 or higher, and between the Ldn 60-65 aircraft noise contours. The subject property is approximately 9.43 acres in size and is located north of Racefield Lane (Route 877) and west of Youngwood Lane in the Little River and Dulles Election Districts. The subject property is more particularly described as follows:

PIN TAX MAP NUMBER ADDRESS

203-35-4208 (portion) 100/Z/1/////1/ 41840 Growth Mindset Lane, Aldie, VA 202-15-9451 (portion) 101/D/3////16/ 24365 Racefield Lane, Aldie, VA 203-37-1445 (portion) 101/T/1/////A/ 24359 Racefield Lane, Aldie, VA 202-16-1713 (portion) 101/D/3////17/ 24369 Racefield Lane, Aldie, VA

Legal Notices

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 employment uses at a recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.

CPAM 2020-0002

RED HILL COMMUNITY (Comprehensive Plan Amendment)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 15.2-2225 and 15.2-2229, and a motion adopted by the Board of Supervisors on December 1, 2020, the Planning Commission hereby gives notice of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM) to amend the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (2019 GP) to amend the policy area and planned land use designations of the Red Hill Community. The proposed amendments would: 1) move the Red Hill Community from the Rural Policy Area (RPA) to the Transition Policy Area (TPA); 2) change the Round Hill Community’s designation from Rural North Place Type to Transition Large Lot Neighborhood Place type; and 3) designate the Red Hill Community as a new TPA subarea, with a planned residential density of one dwelling unit per three acres. The Red Hill Community area is located southeast of Green Mill Preserve, west of Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621), and north of the watershed boundary of Goose Creek, which serves as the present boundary between the RPA and the TPA.

The CPAM proposes revisions to the land use policies in Chapter 2 of the 2019 GP and the existing maps of the 2019 GP and the Loudoun County 2019 Countywide Transportation Plan (2019 CTP), as necessary to implement and maintain consistency with the foregoing amendments or as otherwise necessary to correct geographic boundaries, typographical errors, section and subsection numbering, and formatting within, and further clarify the policies and maps of the above-mentioned section(s). The proposed CPAM would apply within the Red Hill Community of the Rural Policy Area. The proposed text and map amendments under consideration include, without limitation, the following:

Amendments to the 2019 General Plan - Chapter 2 – Transition Policy Area: Ø Establish new and/or revise certain existing policy language in moving the Red Hill Community from the RPA to TPA, establish a new Red Hill Community subarea within the TPA, and designate the Red Hill Community as a subarea of the Transition Large Lot Neighborhood Place Type with a planned residential density of one dwelling unit per three acres.

Amendments to 2019 General Plan – Maps:

Ø Revise existing Policy Area and Place Types maps to move Red Hill Community from the RPA to TPA, designate it as Transition Large Lot Neighborhood Place Type, designate it as within the Dulles Small Area Plan, and designate it as within the Loudoun Water Central System Service Area.

Amendments to 2019 Countywide Transpiration Plan - Maps:

Ø Revise the 2019 CTP maps to amend the existing Policy Area boundaries to reflect the move of Red Hill Community from the RPA to TPA.

Unless otherwise noted above, full and complete copies of the above-referenced amendments, applications, ordinances and/or plans, and related documents may be examined in the Loudoun County Department of Building and Development, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia, from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday or call 703-7770220, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. This link also provides an additional opportunity for public input on active applications. Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the hearing at www.loudoun.gov/pc. For further information, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246.

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 703-7770246 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. If written comments are presented at the hearing, please provide ten (10) copies for distribution to the Commission and the Clerk’s records. All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. 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.

BY ORDER OF: FOREST HAYES, CHAIRMAN LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION

Public Notice

The Town of Leesburg Board of Zoning Appeals

The Town of Leesburg is soliciting resumes and letters of interest for an appointment to serve on the Board of Zoning Appeals. This position is appointed by the Loudoun County Circuit Court to a fiveyear term ending December 31, 2027.

The Board of Zoning Appeals meets as necessary the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA. Additional information concerning this quasijudicial board is available from the Clerk of Council during normal business hours (Mon – Fri 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) at 703-771-2733 or eboeing@leesburgva.gov, or the Town of Leesburg website at www.leesburgva.gov

Please submit your letter of interest and resume materials by 5:00 p.m., October 28, 2022, to the Clerk of Council, at the Town of Leesburg, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia, 20176 or via email to eboeing@leesburgva.gov. All resumes and letters of interest will be forwarded to the Loudoun County Circuit Court for consideration.

10/06, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27/22

Public Notice

Vacancy The Town of Leesburg Diversity Commission

The Town of Leesburg is soliciting resumes and letters of interest to appoint multiple Diversity Commission members. The term of these appointments will run from the date of appointment until December 31, 2022 or December 31, 2024.

The Diversity Commission meets the second Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. All meetings are held in the Lower Level I Conference Room at Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176. Additional information is available by contacting Eileen Boeing, Clerk of Council, during normal business hours (Mon – Fri 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) at 703-771-2733 or eboeing@leesburgva.gov, or on the Town of Leesburg Website: https://www.leesburgva.gov/ government/boards-and-commissions/diversity-commission

Please submit your letter of interest and/or professional resume addressed to the Clerk of Council. All materials should either be delivered or mailed to the Town’s official address at Town of Leesburg, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 or emailed to the Clerk of Council at eboeing@leesburgva.gov

10/6, 10/13, & 10/20/22

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that Virginia Electric and Power Company (VMRC #2022-2363) is requesting a permit from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to install one (1) aerial transmission line to existing poles across a 55-foot section of Broad Run adjacent to Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Loudoun County.

You may provide comments on this application (VMRC #2022-2363) at https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/habitat/comments/. We will accept comments by the USPS provided they are received within 15 days of this notice to: Marine Resources Commission, Habitat Management Division, 380 Fenwick Road, Bldg 96, Hampton, VA 23651.

Loudoun County Public Schools Fall 2022 Secondary School Attendance Zone Change Process for Ashburn, Central Loudoun and Eastern Loudoun

The Loudoun County School Board has scheduled a series of meetings to facilitate the review of Ashburn, Central Loudoun and Eastern Loudoun area secondary school attendance zones. The current boundaries for Broad Run High School/Farmwell Station Middle School, Dominion High School/Sen eca Ridge Middle School, Heritage High School/Harper Park Middle School, Loudoun County High School/J. Lupton Simpson Middle School, Park View High School/Sterling Middle School, Potomac Falls High School/River Bend Middle School, Riverside High School/Belmont Ridge Middle School, Stone Bridge High School/Trailside Middle School and Tuscarora High School/Smart’s Mill Middle School will be reviewed in the attendance zone process.

Date Time Secondary School Attendance Zone Meeting

Thursday, October 13, 2022 6:30 p.m. School Board Attendance Zone Overview

Tuesday, October 18, 2022 6:30 p.m. Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

Tuesday, November 1, 2022 6:30 p.m. School Board Attendance Zone Work Session Wednesday, November 9, 2022 6:30 p.m. Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

Monday, November 14, 2022 6:30 p.m. School Board Attendance Zone Work Session Tuesday, November 29, 2022* 6:30 p.m. School Board Review of Secondary School Attendance Zone Recommendations (Information Item)

Tuesday, December 6, 2022 6:30 p.m. Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

Tuesday, December 13, 2022* 6:30 p.m. School Board Adoption of Secondary School Attendance Zones

*Regular School Board Business Meeting

The meetings will be held at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building (21000 Education Court, Ashburn) and broadcast live on Comcast channel 18 and Verizon Fios channel 43, as well as viewable via simultaneous webcast on the Loudoun County Public Schools website (https:// www.lcps.org/webcast).

Attendance zone information and data, as it becomes available (including potential attendance zone plans being considered or reviewed by the School Board), will be posted on the ‘Fall 2022 – Secondary School Attendance Zone Change Process’ webpage (https://www.lcps.org/Page/246406).

Detail on how to sign up to speak at the hearings is provided at https://www.lcps.org/Page/223425. In-person sign-up will also be available between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., on the evening of each attendance zone public hearing.

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

Beverly I. Tate, Director Loudoun County Public Schools Division of Planning & GIS Services 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia 20148 Telephone: 571-252-1050 Email: LCPSPLAN@LCPS.ORG

10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 11/24, 12/1 & 12/8/22

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

Case No.: JJ045837-03-00; JJ045838-03-00; JJ045839-03-00; JJ045840-03-00; JJ045841-03-00; JJ045842-03-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Zubayer Rafik Ekren, Sumeyyah Nadiya Ekren, Asiyeh Hanan Ekren, Khadija Ulka Ekren, Fatima Zahra Ekren and Osama Othman Ekren

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Unknown Father(s)

The object of this suit is to hold a permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1282.1 and 16.1-281 for Zubayer Rafik Ekren, Sumeyyah Nadiya Ekren, Asiyeh Hanan Ekren, Khadija Ulka Ekren, Fatima Zahra Ekren and Osama Othman Ekren.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown Father(s) appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before November 16, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.

10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ045610-01-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Kelvin Menjivar Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Rene Alavarenga Buezo, putative father

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

It is ORDERED that the defendant Rene Alavarenga Buezo, putative father appear at the above named Court and protect his or her interests on or before November 16, 2022 at 3:00 pm.

10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27/22

OFFICIAL VOTING INFORMATION

The Constitution of Virginia requires that you be registered in the precinct in which you live in order 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.

To be eligible to vote in the November General Election to be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, you must register no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 17.

Under the new Same Day Voter Registration law, voters may register after this date, through Election Day, and vote using a provisional ballot.

You are encouraged to make application for voter registration. Please call us at the number shown below should you have any questions. Remember, a good citizen registers and votes!

Judith Brown, General Registrar 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C Leesburg, Virginia 20175-8916 703-777-0380

Online - Eligible citizens of the Commonwealth can now submit a voter registration application or update their registration information on-line. All eligible citizens are encouraged to participate in this method of applying to register to vote or update their voter registration information. To apply online go to https://www.elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal/. Please note: A Virginia driver’s license num ber is required to obtain your signature from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to complete your online application.

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

Mail-in voter registration applications are also available at all Loudoun County libraries and com munity centers and can be downloaded at https://www.elections.virginia.gov/registation/voter-forms

You can also go to www.vote.virginia.gov/citizen-portal/ to verify your registration address, where you vote or apply for an absentee ballot.

Same Day Voter Registration frequently asked questions can be found at www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/same-day-voter-registration

Legal Notices

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE MIDDLEBURG PLANNING COMMISSION

The Middleburg Planning Commission will hold a public hearing beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, October 24, 2022 to hear public comments on the following:

Zoning Text Amendment 22-02 - AN AMENDMENT TO CHAPTERS II, V, X AND XVI OF THE MIDDLEBURG ZONING ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS

The hearing will take place at the Town Office, 10 W. Marshall Street, Middleburg, Virginia. The proposed Zoning Text Amendment may be reviewed online at www.middleburgva.gov/313/PublicHearings or in the Town Office from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excepted. Questions may be directed to Deputy Town Manager Will Moore at (540) 687-5152 or by email at wmoore@middleburgva.gov

The Town of Middleburg strives to make its hearings accessible to all. Please advise of accommodations the Town can make to help you participate in the hearing.

10/13 & 10/20/22

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

MIDDLEBURG TOWN COUNCIL

The Middleburg Town Council will hold a public hearing beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 27, 2022 to hear public comments on the following:

Special Use 22-01 Request Michael A. Pappas for a Special Use Permit for Limited Residential Lodging at 5 North Jay Street zoned R-3 Residential District.

The request is to allow, as a secondary use, the residential dwelling to be rented for lodging purposes for periods of fewer than 30 consecutive days.

The hearing will take place at the Town Office, 10 W. Marshall Street, Middleburg, Virginia. The file for this application may be reviewed online at www.middleburgva.gov/313/Public-Hearings or in the Town Office from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excepted. Questions may be directed to Deputy Town Manager Will Moore at (540) 687-5152 or by email at wmoore@ middleburgva.gov

The Town of Middleburg strives to make its hearings accessible to all. Please advise of accommodations the Town can make to help you participate in the hearing.

& 10/20/22

OFFICIAL VOTING INFORMATION

The Constitution of Virginia requires that you be registered in the precinct in which you live in order 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.

Additional information regarding voter registration, same day voter registration, registration status, absentee voting, what’s on the ballot can be found by visiting www.elections.virginia.gov

EARLY VOTING

All registered voters in Virginia are eligible to vote early in-person, no excuse required.

Office of Elections 750 Miller Drive SE, Suite C, Leesburg, 20175

• Early voting hours - Monday to Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.

• Extended hours – October 23 – November 5

o Sunday, October 23 – office will be open from 11:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

o Weekdays – October 24 through November 4

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

• Tuesday, Thursday – 8:30 am - 7:00 pm

o Saturday - October 29 and November 5 – office will be open from 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 pm.

Loudoun County Government Office at Ridgetop - 21641 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, 20164

• Early voting starts – October 24, 2022:

o Saturdays - October 29 and November 5 - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

o Weekdays - October 24 through November 4

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

• Tuesday, Thursday - Noon to 7:00 p.m.

Dulles South Recreation Center - 24950 Riding Center Drive, Chantilly, 20152

• Early voting starts – October 24, 2022:

o Saturdays - October 29 and November 5 - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

o Weekdays - October 24 through November 4

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

• Tuesday, Thursday - Noon to 7:00 p.m.

Carver Senior Center - 200 E Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville, 20132

• Early voting hours:

o Saturdays - October 29 and November 5 - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. o No weekday hours at this location

Voters choosing to vote by mail are encouraged to submit their application allowing sufficient time to receive and return their ballot. Completed applications can be submitted by mail, fax, e-mail or online – www.elections.virginia.gov. The official deadline to request a ballot be mailed to you is Friday, October 28, 2022, at 5 p.m.

Voters are encouraged to mark and return their ballots early to ensure they arrive in time to be counted. Voters can hand deliver their ballot up until 7 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots arriving by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day AND be received no later than noon on the Monday following the election (November 14) to be counted.

Please feel free to give us a call at 703 777-0380 if you have any questions about absentee voting.

Judith A. Brown, General Registrar 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C Leesburg, VA 20175-8916 703 777-0380 703 777-0622 FAX Email: vote@loudoun.gov Website: www.loudoun.gov/NovemberElection

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 2017 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, 2022 and recorded in the Loudoun County Clerk of the Circuit Court´s office by December 15, 2022.

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 Tuesday, November 1, 2022. Applications submitted after the deadline; November 2, 2022 through December 5, 2022, 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, 2022 $125 plus $1 per acre or portion thereof

For submissions received or postmarked between November 2, 2022 and December 5, 2022$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 PO Box 8000 MSC 32 Leesburg VA 20177-9804

Overnight Deliveries

1 Harrison Street, SE, MSC 32 Leesburg, VA 20175-3102

Leesburg Office

1 Harrison

LOUDOUN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNITY INFORMATION MEETING NOTICE

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) will hold a community information meeting to review a pro posed public utility service center on Thursday, October 27, 2022, in Room 1101 of The Academies of Loudoun (42075 Loudoun Academy Drive, Leesburg, VA 20175) at 6:30 p.m.

Commission Permit (CMPT 2022-0003) and Special Exception (SPEX 2022-0038) applications have been filed to allow a public utility service center with outdoor storage on the rear portion of The Academies of Loudoun property. The 119-acre site located on the west side of Sycolin Road, to the east of Gulick Mill Road and to the southwest of the Dulles Greenway, in Leesburg, in the Catoctin Election District. Access to the site will be from Sycolin Road on Loudoun Academy Drive with an emergency access only to Gulick Mill Road. The site is more particularly identified as Tax Map Number /77////////34B (PIN# 194-16-6764) and is zoned TR-10-UBF (Transitional Residential-10). The property is located partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District) and partially within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contour for the Leesburg Airport. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and the proposed use requires a Commission Permit and Special Exception in accordance with Section 6-1101 and Section 1301. The proposed public utility service center site is governed under the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 Comprehensive Plan (2019 GP). The subject property is designated for Transition Large Lot Neighborhood. This place type includes low density residential communities (one unit per ten acres) with significant open space and public facilities as conditional uses.

The proposed use is identified in the School Board Adopted FY 2023 – FY 2028 Capital Improvement Program as a Joint Use Dry Bulk Storage Facility. The primary purpose of the public utility service center, with outdoor storage, is to house the grounds and inclement weather maintenance operations of LCPS. The site would be used to store grounds maintenance equipment (trucks, trailers, mowers, snowplows, salt spreaders and similar equipment) as well as sand, salt, and similar materials to be accessed during inclement weather for treatment of LCPS and County of Loudoun owned properties (i.e., driveways and parking lots). The proposed use would also include a small engine repair shop of approximately 5,000 square feet that would service equipment.

The purpose of the meeting is to share information with the surrounding community on the proposed project. Please contact our office if you are unable to attend the meeting and would like more detail on the applications.

Those who need translation/interpretation assistance or a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability in order to participate meaningfully in the meeting should contact the Planning and GIS Services office at least three (3) business days prior to the meeting.

Beverly I. Tate, Director Loudoun County Public Schools Division of Planning & GIS Services 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia 20148 Telephone: 571-252-1050 Email: LCPSPLAN@LCPS.ORG

A Salute

There are few industries in which the fortune of any single business depends on the success of its competitors. If you listen to Loudoun’s wine makers and growers, that interdependency is a foundational element of their efforts.

That special spirit of community is showcased annually when they gather, as they did last week, to celebrate their best work. Each year there is more to celebrate as the quality climbs and the accolades come from further afield.

Amid the clinking of crystal glasses and the

Opinion

extravagant picnic spreads that define the weekend winery scene that now attracts travelers from far beyond our region, it is easy to forget that it’s basically an agricultural pursuit. It’s grape farming, albeit with a lot of chemistry involved. A late spring freeze or an ill-timed wet spell can mean disaster for the year. The real work perhaps is not as glamorous at it appears from the tasting room veranda.

Yet the growth of the industry—and its impact on preserving agricultural land—could little have been predicted when county leaders two

decades ago laid out plans to curb rapid development of the countryside by promoting rural uses that could provide landowners with an economic reason to not carve their property into subdivision tracts.

As development pressures increase, the successes of our farmers remain the best line of defense for the county’s long-championed preservation goals—more so even than any regulation a county board could seek to impose. We join in the salute to those who work so hard together to build it. n

LETTERS to the Editor

Free and Fair Editor:

Our elections are free and fair.

In 2020, we had a free and fair election with zero substantiated allegations of voter fraud and – personally – I was very pleased with the outcome. In 2021, we had a free and fair election with zero substantiated allegations of voter fraud and – personally – I was less than pleased with the outcome. My personal feelings about the outcomes of those elections do not change the facts: we in Loudoun have never had a substantiated allegation of voter fraud or voter irregularity. Read it again: NEVER.

Who we elect to public office is of the utmost importance. As such, maintaining public faith in our electoral system is of the utmost importance, as well.

On October 5th, it was widely reported that a computer glitch delayed the pro-

cessing of “about 107,000 voting-related transactions recently submitted through the Department of Motor Vehicles”.

About 4,800 of those registrations belong to you, your family, and our neighbors here in Loudoun County.

Because of a new law being implemented this year, same-day voter registration is taking effect throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Voters who fail to register by the October 17th deadline must register in person at the local registrar’s office or at a polling place to cast a provisional ballot. Those votes aren’t counted among typical votes. Instead, they will be set aside by your local elections office and investigated. If your local election office determines the information provided is sufficient, you will not need to return to provide additional documentation.

Loudoun, the surest way to avoid this potential headache and needless confu-

sion is to check your voter registration status now at vote.elections.virginia.gov.

If you are registered, make sure that you know your polling location or that you make your plan to vote early at our Office of Elections at 750 Miller Drive SE - Suite C - Leesburg, VA 20175.

Your elections office is headed by Judy Brown—the second longest serving registrar in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Her department is staffed with professionals of the utmost character. Once again, we will have a free and fair election in Loudoun County. I will do everything in my power to ensure your right to vote is protected and respected. Loudoun’s citizens should never endure intimidation, harassment, or uncertainty when exercising your right to vote.

— Phyllis J. Randall Chair At-Large, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors

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

Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC

15 N. King St., Suite 101 Leesburg, VA, 20176 PO Box 207 Leesburg, VA 20178 703-770-9723

EDITORIAL

Renss Greene, Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com

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PLAs Work Editor:

Loudoun County’s Board of Supervisors recently began considering whether to include project labor agreements as a regular requirement for large-scale construction projects eligible for federal funding.

Loudoun should adopt PLAs not because federal programs, such as The American Rescue Plan encourage them, but because they work for all parties involved—the workers, the contractors, and especially the community.

For workers, PLAs prioritize local hiring and ensure family-supporting wages and benefits. For contractors, PLAs guarantee a ready supply of labor with appropriate skills and protect them from work stoppages. The community,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR continues on page 45

Loudoun Now is mailed weekly to homes in Leesburg, western Loudoun and Ashburn, and distributed for pickup throughout the county. Online, Loudoun Now provides daily community news coverage to an audience of more than 100,000 unique monthly visitors.

Readers’ Poll

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

LAST WEEK'S QUESTION:

Share your views at loudounnow. com/polls

LETTERS to the Editor

Natoli

continued from page 3

continued from page 44 going to travel, so we all strive to make the best wine we can and help each other to do the same thing.”

however, benefits most of all. PLAs keep good paying jobs in the community and boost the economy.

Projects with PLAs are more likely to come in on time and on budget, saving taxpayer money. For example, in Virginia, the I-495 high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes opened one month early and logged 5 million safe work hours without a lost time incident, the I-95 HOT lanes opened ahead of schedule and earned a national safety award, and the I-395 HOT lanes came in on time and on budget. All three projects operated under a PLA.

Unfortunately for Virginians, we have also seen what happens with projects not operating under a PLA. Silver Line Phase 2, constructed with a low-bid contract and without a PLA, is plagued with faulty concrete, nearly $1 billion over budget and four years delayed.

PLAs should be the rule, not the exception. When PLAs are in place, everyone wins.

— Dennis Martire, Vice President and Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager Laborers International Union North America

“I pinch myself every day that I get to do what I do. We grow things. We make things. We use our hands and create things. It is just a wonderful industry to be a part of,” he said.

Nancy Deliso, general manager and co-owner of 868 Estate Vineyards, was named the 2022 Wine Ambassador of the Year.

She was on a wine trip in Portugal and unable to attend the event. Her husband, Peter, accepted the award, which recognizes those who work to create exceptional experiences for visitors to Loudoun’s wineries.

“We’ve both been blessed in this industry,” Deliso said. “When we looked around for what to do, we met many people in the industry. What we loved about it was how it was welcoming, cooperative, loving, caring and moving forward. We love supporting our neighbors. We love supporting our industry.”

This year’s program also featured the presentation of the inaugural President’s Award to Aimee Henkle, the past chair of the Loudoun Wine Association and co-owner with her husband, Todd, of Lost Creek Winery.

Before moving to Loudoun 15 years ago, Henkle said their jobs kept them on the move—seven times in 10 years. One of those stops was in Portland, OR, where they saw small farmers working to build a wine industry. The area now is renowned for its Pinot Noir.

When they bought Lost Creek in 2012, “I wanted to be part of the transformation that was happening here,” she said.

2022 Loudoun Wine Award Winners

THE CHAIRMAN’S GRAND AWARD FOR THE BEST-IN-SHOW: Bluemont Vineyard’s 2021 Albariño.

BEST HYBRID WHITE: Doukénie Winery’s 2020 Mandolin

BEST ALBARIÑO: Bluemont Vineyard’s 2021 Albariño

BEST SAUVIGNON BLANC: 868 Estate Vineyard’s 2021 Sauvignon Blanc

BEST PETIT MANSENG: Williams Gap Vineyard’s 2020 Petit Manseng

BEST CHARDONNAY: Cana Vineyards & Winery’s 2020 Chardonnay

BEST VIOGNIER: 868 Estate Vineyard’s 2020 Viognier

BEST ROSÉ: Sunset Hills Vineyard’s Rosé of Cabernet Franc

BEST HYBRID RED: Zephaniah Farm Winery’s 2018 Three Captains

BEST RED VINIFERA: October One Vineyard’s 2020 Cabernet Franc

BEST CABERNET FRANC: Williams Gap Vineyard’s 2021 Cabernet Franc

BEST MERLOT: Walsh Family Wine’s 2019 Russ Mountain Merlot

BEST PETIT VERDOT: Carriage House Wineworks’ 2020 Petit Verdot

BEST BORDEAUX BLEND: 8 Chain North’s 2019 Furnace Mountain Red

“I can’t think of a better place to be than right here, right now, when this transformation is happening here in Loudoun County. This makes me very excited.”

“I can’t wait to see where the next decade is going to take us,” Henkle said.

Loudoun Wine Association Chair Bill Hatch said that today the county has more than 1,000 acres in grape production, harvesting about 5,000 tons of grapes, and creating millions of bottles of wine.

“I call this a community, not an industry. Industry to me speaks of smokestacks. We’re a community. Everybody collaborates. We want everybody to make the

best wine possible and I think that is what is going on in Loudoun County,” he said.

This year’s Loudoun Wine Awards competition attracted a record 135 entries, with 15 earning a gold rating from a panel of judges and 112 scoring for silver.

Competition Director and Chief Judge Neal Wavra, owner of Field & Main Restaurant, said in the years he has been judging the competition he has seen Loudoun’s wineries both improve in quality and expand in variety of their offerings. In particular, he said, Loudoun’s winemakers are setting the standard for Petit Manseng and Viognier wines. n

As county supervisors begin their budget planning where should they start?

How important is it for the county government to rename buildings, streets and public places associated with the Confederacy, segregation or slavery?

School participation

continued from page 1

low 70 percentages, compared to previous years in the high 90s. In 2021-22, he said, participation rates are returning to what the division is used to seeing with reading at 96%, math at 99% and science at 98% and a test participation rate of 99%. And Spring 2022 pass rates show the division was higher than the state in every subject.

Loudoun’s 2021-2022 SOL pass rates improved over the previous year in ev ery category except writing, where they stayed the same. In 2021-22, 80% of Loudoun students passed their reading SOL, 81% passed writing, 81% passed history and social sciences, 74% passed math, and 75% passed science. But those numbers are still below the last pre-pan demic year of testing, 2018-2019, when 84% passed reading, 87% passed writ ing, 89% passed history and social sci ence, 87% passed math and 88% passed science.

SOLs are scored out of 600 points, with at least 400 points required to pass and 500 to earn “pass/advanced.” Loudoun schools showed an overall pass/advanced rate of 18% for reading, compared to 15% statewide. According to the presentation that ranks Loudoun school’s 10th out of 132 divisions. The division ranked 12th in math, 10th in science, fourth in social science and fourth in writing.

These numbers were historically high er before the pandemic, according to Tyler.

School Board member Denise Corbo (At Large) pointed out the 52% reading pass rate at Meadowland Elementary in 2021-22, noting only about half of the stu dents passed. She also pointed out a drop of about 15% from the 2020-21 reading pass rate at the school. Corbo noted there were several schools that were 50% or lower in their reading pass rate and asked to see actual numbers instead of percent ages so they could problem solve at those schools.

“When you are dealing with percent ages, sometimes they look better than the actual number,” she said.

For Measures of Academic Progress, or MAP assessments, Tyler pointed out it was the seventh year Loudoun students had been given the test and said it’s a dif ferent assessment, showing growth over time, not mastery. The test compares

the growth for division students to peers across the nation. The student growth for 2021-22 showed Loudoun students at the 50th percentile for reading and the 54th percentile for math. That means, accord ing to Tyler, relative to the nation, divi sion schools achieved an average growth for reading and slightly better than aver age growth for math.

Tyler noted the MAP assessment shows the division is a higher-than-nor mal growth division. And he said be fore the pandemic, the division was in the 62nd percentile for reading and 64th for math nationally. He pointed out that meant Loudoun students at that time were outperforming nearly two-thirds of the nation.

“We are starting to return to pre-pan demic levels, meaning the students are not where they would have been without the pandemic and the impact of that, but we are starting to get close to that, espe cially in math,” Tyler said. “So we are a slightly higher-than-normal growth divi sion, and a significantly higher-than-nor mal achievement division.”

Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) said it was important to note the difference in the SOL pass scores and the MAP scores, pointing to Banneker Elementary.

“They had a reading MAP score of 58.4, which is really high, they are per forming quite well, yet the reading [SOL] pass rate was only 63%,” he said. “That tells us the starting point was probably very low and the teaching staff did a great

job of getting them up to speed on the MAP. But we still have some ground to make up. So I think when we look at the MAP scores it’s important to talk about where our achievement is and how we can move forward from there.”

He asked if the next time the num bers were presented the School Board could also have another MAP score, the achievement scores, to better understand the whole picture.

“Because really the growth is import ant, but it can’t stand alone without un derstanding where we are starting from,” Morse said.

The MAP reading assessment showed a drop in numbers in every subgroup from 2021-22 compared to 2018-19, with Black students dropping 3 percentage points, Asian students dropping 3.9 per centage points, Hispanic students drop ping 2.3 percentage points, students with two or more races dropping 2.3 percent age points and English learners dropping 2.1 percentage points. White students dropped 1.5 percentage points from 201819 to 2021-22.

There was a significant drop in the 2020-21 MAP reading assessments, with every subgroup dropping anywhere from 8 to 9.5 percentage points.

Likewise, the 2020-21 MAP math as sessment showed significant drops across all subgroups. In 2021-22, all subgroups saw a recovery, with greater improvement showing for Black students, white stu dents, students with two more races and

English Learners.

Meanwhile, English learners in the division had higher SOL pass rates than the state average, but still lower than their Loudoun peers. Assistant Superintendent Ashely Ellis said it is indicative of a state wide trend and the division is looking into the data to figure out how best to meet the needs of English Learner students.

The presentation showed a higher pass rate for students with disabilities in the di vision in every subject than students with disabilities across Virginia, however ac cording to Tyler there are still significant gaps.

The division’s 2022 on-time grad uation rate was 97.2%, 5.1 percentage points above the state average. The divi sion’s graduation rates were higher than statewide averages in all other subgroups except homeless students. Statewide, homeless students graduated at a 76.5% rate, compared to the division’s 76.3%.

The graduation rate for the group in Loudoun improved from 2021, when 71.3% graduated. Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge) noted the five-percentage point jump from the previous year, and asked what supports or changes had been made to account for it.

Ellis said she suspected it was whatev er was in the individual schools’ improve ment plans that accounted for the positive impact.

Overall, 2021 graduation rates were 0.4 percentage points higher than 2022.

Assistant Superintendent Ashely Ellis said actions taken by the VDOE in 2020 to support students coming back from the pandemic, including the waiving of ver ified credits and testing requirements for the Spring 2020 SOL, likely had a posi tive impact on the 2021 graduation rates.

That is something that is not continu ing and will likely be reflected in gradua tion rates in the future, she said.

Data for the division’s SAT scores show for 2022 it remained above the na tional and state average in reading and writing, math and overall. Reading and writing scores for 2022 reflected a slight dip, 595 from 2021’s score of 597, a slight dip in math in 2022, 583 compared to 585 in 2021, and a slight dip in overall scores, 1178 compared to 1182 in 2021. n

“We are starting to return to pre-pandemic levels, meaning the students are not where they would have been without the pandemic and the impact of that, but we are starting to get close to that, especially in math.”

— Ryan Tyler, Loudoun County Public Schools Director of Research Assessment

Gender policies continued from page 12

in December 2020 in anticipation of new required model polices from the Virginia Department of Education regarding the treatment of transgender students.

Policy 8040 was approved Aug. 11, 2021 and deals with the rights of trans gender and gender expansive students and was developed and adopted to meet the requirements of Virginia House Bill 145 and Senate Bill 161 that lead to mod el polices created by the VDOE in 2021.

Additionally, the amended complaint dropped a claim alleging tortious interfer ence with parental rights. The plaintiffs are seeking a trial by jury.

The original lawsuit alleged taxpay er dollars are being used to advance a “woke” agenda or racial and gender in doctrination.

Judge Douglas L. Fleming Jr., in his Sept. 22 opinion ruled the original filing wasn’t specific enough, saying “through out the complaint, the allegations speak of actions affecting ‘children’ and ‘par ents’ with no indication that these effects are ‘particularized’ or ‘personalized’ to [the] Plaintiffs and their children.”

Fleming also wrote the complaint was a “broadside attack” on what the School Board is teaching in the schools, rather than giving specific incidents where the plaintiff’s children were targeted.

Fleming dismissed Loudoun County Public Schools as a defendant, saying the school division was “not a legal entity ca pable of suing or being sued.”

Fleming gave the plaintiffs until Oct. 13 to file an amended complaint. The parents filed an objection to the order on Sept. 22.

Alexandria attorney Jesse R. Binnall filed the complaint on behalf of the par ents.

The lawsuit was announced by Amer ica First Legal on June 29. AFL is led by senior members of the Trump Ad ministration committed to promoting the America First moment, according to its website. The board of directors in cludes Stephen Miller who served as Trump’s senior policy advisor and former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. n

Tie-Dye Democracy continued from page 1

said her first was Barack Obama’s rally at Leesburg’s Ida Lee Park in the closing days of his 2008 presidential campaign. That made an impression.

“I still remember so vividly. I was about seven years old, so remembering any of that was pretty surprising,” she said. “Growing up, it got more and more important to me.”

In school, she said two teachers in particular fueled her dedication—her eighth-grade civics teacher, and her AP government teacher in high school. At River Bend Middle School, she said, her civics teacher was “one of the most pas sionate people I feel like I’ve ever met in the world of politics.”

“She very much stressed the impor tance of being involved in voting and being an active and engaged part of the world of politics,” Kimberly said. “She made it very clear to me there are two things you were guaranteed to do before you die, and that was serve on a jury and vote. That was very important to me.”

When she told her AP government teacher her senior year of high school that she was going to college for speech pa thology, her teacher replied: “Well, it’ll be great to see what you do in the world of politics.” That teacher was vindicated when, earlier this year, Kimberly sent her all the details for Tie Dye 4 Democracy to share with her students.

Kimberly said she is trying to help young people see the importance of hav

ing an opinion on how democracy works in the U.S.

“We are currently faced with an aging voting population, and we’re not cur rently filling in the gaps that we need to, so we’re losing diversity of thought and diversity of opinion,” she said. “We’re also losing diversity of experiences. Not everyone is going to experience life the same way, and we need to have multiple perspectives on things to make an active and engaged community that is also re sponsive to the world around them.”

Kimberly partnered with a new 501(c)(4) nonprofit, GenVoter, which Belmont Country Club resident Danielle Matson created in June to get young peo ple informed and involved.

“The mission is to engage and edu cate and get 16- to 29-year-olds out to the polls,” Matson said. “So it’s really a big-tent approach, making sure that all students and beyond, young adults, know that we have voting every year in Virgin ia, that they can be registered at age 16, information of where they vote, when they vote.”

In Virginia, a person may register to vote if they will be at least 18 years old on the day of the next general election. And as of new legislation in 2021, people 16 years and older can pre-register, which will get them automatically registered to vote when they come of age.

Tie Dye 4 Democracy was Gen Vot er’s first public event. Matson said after repeatedly running into Kimberly can vassing and other events, she knew about Kimberly’s skills and passion.

“She can do things in the digital media

space that is just exactly where you need to be,” Matson said.

Kimberly estimated 50 to 75 people turned out, most tie-dying at least one shirt. In addition to another 80 tie-dyed T-shirts that were already done and sent out to high schools to give to students who register to vote, she estimated about 160-200 shirts have been dyed so far. But people who missed Saturday’s event will likely have more chances at a T-shirt— they ordered 1,000.

Other community partners who sup ported the event included the Loudoun League of Woman Voters, Loudoun Con sulting Group, AllTech Services, Equality Loudoun, Zero Carbon Virginia, Freedom Virginia, Loudoun for All, Youth Advi sory Council student leaders, Loudoun County Magazine student writers, True Belongings, and A Delightfully Different Gallery.

Matson said, “we’ve begun something wonderful.”

“I just couldn’t be more happy with it. I just wanted to take a space that is really kind of contentious and make it fun and available,” she said.

Register to vote at elections.virginia. gov/registration. The deadline to register to vote a regular ballot in this November’s election has passed, but this year Virgin ians can register up to and including the day of the election to cast a provisional ballot, which are subject to review and ap proval by the local electoral board.

This November’s general election will be Tuesday, Nov. 8. n

Equality Loudoun President Cris Candice Tuck applies paint-on tattoos at Tie Dye 4 Democracy.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Peter Pejacsevich

PRINCIPAL

Licensed

M

peter@atokaproperties.com

Upperville's

the

Piedmont

This

is an equine and entertainer’s paradise. For more information, video, and tour scan the QR code or go to bit.ly/33846foxleaseln.

This

the

or go to bit.ly/19492_shelburne_glebe

ASSOCIATE

Scott Buzzelli

Licensed in Virginia M 540.454.1399 | O 540.687.6321 x 101 scott@atokaproperties.com