Loudoun Now for Oct. 21, 2021

n LOUDOUN

Pg. 4 | n LEESBURG

VOL. 6, NO. 48

Pg. 8 | n EDUCATION

Pg. 10 | n OBITUARIES

Pg. 17 | n PUBLIC NOTICES

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

Supervisors Lay Down Redistricting Starting Points

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Loudoun County supervisors have their starting point for how new local election districts will be drawn.

At the state level, the redistricting commission’s effort to draw new state Senate and House of Delegates electoral districts collapsed, with a commission evenly split between Republicans and Democrats unable to come to a compromise, putting that job in the hands of the state Supreme Court. But the Loudoun Board of Supervisors will follow a very different process—they retain the power to draw their own districts—and supervisors are hopeful for a process much less mired in politics.

On Tuesday night, county staff members showed supervisors seven possible starting points for drawing those new maps, each designed to accomplish different goals while observing guidelines such as containing roughly equal populations. They represent a range of different philosophies about how Loudouners should be able to pick their Board of Supervisors and School Board representatives.

And all of those will involve some compromises.

One scenario simply seeks to avoid splitting Census Designated Places, areas that are not incorporated into towns or cities, but which are considered communities and tracked together for statistical purposes. In Loudoun, Census Designated Places include familiar names like Aldie, Ashburn, Brambleton and Sterling, which are well known to residents

Pg. 27

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Ziegler Promises Changes in Wake of School Assaults

BY HAYLEY BOUR

hbour@loudounnow.com

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Rt. 7 in through the heart of Leesburg could become the boundary between two county election districts under one proposal to divide the town’s population—who are represented in many local government matters by the Leesburg Town Council—in an effort to find enough residents to draw two western Loudoun Board of Supervisors districts.

but may have no formal delineation in local government.

Other scenarios emphasize other goals—such as creating a district that represents the Transition Policy Area, or creating one district to contain the Urban Policy Area and two rural western districts.

But all of those—and the four other scenarios—County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) emphasized are only starting points. And when Loudoun County opens an online tool Nov. 1 to allow the public to submit their own maps, she expects to see many more.

But, she said, the board will try to give western Loudoun two districts again.

Early in redistricting talks, Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) sought to get his colleagues to commit to having two western districts in the next local electoral map. The county board did not go along with that.

Even 10 years ago, the effort to give Loudoun two western supervisors led to some of the oddities of the local districts today. The northwestern district, the Ca-

Superintendent Scott Ziegler, joined by administrators and School Board Chairwoman Brenda Sheridan (Sterling), addressed the press on Friday, saying that the district handled two recent sexual assault allegations in compliance with Title IX, but that process was insufficient to address the issues.

The school district came under fire last week when news surfaced that a Stone Bridge High School student who had allegedly raped a girl in a bathroom on May 28 was transferred to Broad Run High School before a law enforcement investigation was completed, where he allegedly assaulted a different student on Oct. 7. School Board member Beth Barts (Leesburg) said that board members were unaware about the specifics of the incident until the news surfaced in the media last week.

The district has not formally commented on specifics surrounding either incident, both of which are under investigation by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

Loudoun Now asked district spokesman Wayde Byard who would have made the operational decision to transfer the student to Broad Run.

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SCHOOL ASSAULTS continues on page 38

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PAGE 3

Barts Resigns Amid School District Turmoil

BY HAYLEY BOUR

hbour@loudounnow.com

School Board member Beth Barts (Leesburg) tendered her resignation letter to Superintendent Scott Ziegler, effective Nov. 2, after over a year of turmoil including an attempt to remove her from office and the district facing a sexual assault scandal.

“This was not an easy decision or a decision made in haste. After much thought and careful consideration, it is the right decision for me and my family,” she said in her statement.

Barts told Loudoun Now that there is not one single factor that prompted her resignation. She is facing a removal effort in court, sparked by her involvement in the Facebook group Anti-Racist Parents of Loudoun County, where members reportedly compiled names of parents in the county opposed to the district’s equity efforts. During her term, Barts has been a vocal proponent of working toward racial equity in the school district. The group Fight for Schools spearheaded the removal effort and spent the summer collecting signatures in support of her removal. The removal petition was filed on Aug. 25.

Attempts to remove elected officials in Virginia rarely succeed, but removal is

Beth Barts

possible if a court finds “neglect of duty, misuse of office, or incompetence in the performance of duties when that neglect of duty, misuse of office, or incompetence in the performance of duties has a material adverse effect upon the conduct of the office,” or after conviction for some crimes.

The case to remove Barts was still in the early stages; last week, Judge Jeanette Irby said she would appoint a special prosecutor to the case. Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj was listed as a member of the same Facebook group as Barts. For that reason, Irby said, the public would never be able to trust that the case had been handled impartially if Bib-

eraj were to prosecute it.

“I ran for the School Board to improve mental health resources, push for full-time parent liaisons, and free breakfast for all Title IX eligible schools. I’m proud of our forward movement in these areas,” Barts told Loudoun Now. She said she would return to volunteer work in the community upon leaving office.

Barts also said she has responded to 10,518 emails and has attended over one hundred in-person and virtual meetings during her tenure.

Barts won the general election to her seat on Nov. 5, 2019, earning 6,434 (54.8%) votes, besting her opponent Joe Newcomer’s 5,293 (45%) votes.

“I would like to extend a special thank you to the thousands of Leesburg constituents and others, who have provided unyielding support to me during my School Board term,” she said.

To replace Barts, the board must appoint someone to the within 45 days of her leaving office.

It is a process the board just went through to fill the Broad Run District seat left vacant by the death of Leslee King.

Andrew Hoyler was appointed last Tuesday to fill the Broad Run seat, and will serve until a special election is held in November 2022.

With Barts’s resignation, a race for the Leesburg seat could also be on the 2022 ballot. The winners of those races will serve until the end of the current term, in 2023.

The appointment of Hoyler prompted the Loudoun Democratic Committee, which had endorsed Patrice Nolen for the seat, to issue a statement expressing disappointment in the decision.

“Previously represented by Leslee King, who earned the Democratic endorsement in 2019, the citizens of the Broad Run District deserved the guarantee of someone who shares and fights for the same values,” the statement said.

Barts had been endorsed by the Loudoun County Democratic Committee.

Her resignation comes during a trying month for the beleaguered school district.

News surfaced that a student who is accused of raping a girl in a Stone Bridge High School bathroom in May was transferred to Broad Run High School, where they allegedly sexually assaulted a different student in October. Critics of the school district charge that the administration knowingly put other students at risk.

School Board members contend that they were unaware the student had been transferred until news of the second assault surfaced. n

Loudoun Wine Makers Celebrate Top Performers, Collaborative Community

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

The Loudoun Winery Association celebrated the industry’s top performers, as well as its strong sense of community, during the annual awards gala Friday night at Lansdowne Resort.

This year’s Loudoun Wine Awards competition featured a record-setting 110 entries—made with all Virginia grapes, with at least 75% grown in the county.

October One Vineyards took the top prize, winning the Chairman’s Grand Award for its 2020 Viognier, a wine that competition director and chief judge Neal Wavra said rated a full point above all others. The best-in-show winner was described as offering “full of intense tropical aromas with a soft yet lively pallet, great acidity with an outstanding finish and hints of floral round out this wine beautifully.”

After winning eight of the 27 gold medals awarded by judges, Maggie Malick took Winemaker of the Year honors.

Ben Sedlins of Walsh Family Wines

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

October One Vineyards owners Loree and Bob Rupy celebrate with Loudoun Wine Association President and County Chair Phyllis Randall after their 2020 Viognier won the 2021 Chairman’s Grand Award.

was selected from among four finalists to be the Wine Grower of the year.

Bonnie Archer, co-owner of Zephaniah Farm Vineyard, was named Wine Ambassador of the Year. Visit Loudoun President and CEO Beth Erickson presented the

award, saying it was a recognition of her “passion for building a community across the wineries. She believes that Loudoun County wineries are not just a business, but a community working together and helping each other succeed.”

The theme of Loudoun’s grape farmers and winemakers working to support each other was featured in remarks throughout the evening.

“We help each other because we realize that when we improve individually, we help improve as a group and the whole become greater than the sum of the parts. We grow as an industry,” Malick said. “We are Loudoun, we are DC’s wine country, and we rock.”

Bob Rupy, of October One Vineyards, said, “It is a very collaborative industry we’re in. It has such great value for us as wine growers. We share, we help each other out, and I think what we’re doing at October One is really evidence of that.”

Sedlins was unable to attend the event, but provided comments that were read to the crowd by winery co-owner Sarah Walsh. The remarks that looked back on the early days of Loudoun’s wine industry and challenged his colleagues to take it to an even higher level.

A Loudoun native, Sedlins caught the WINE AWARDS continues on page 37

PAGE 4

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Loudoun

ON THE Agenda

Unions Press Supervisors for Bargaining Rights

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

Labor union leaders from across trades and the region gathered in front of the Loudoun County Government Center in downtown Leesburg on Oct. 13 to push county supervisors for strong organizing rights, as negotiations continue to determine the form of collective bargaining that will take place in Loudoun.

County supervisors voted in July to start work writing a local ordinance permitting collective bargaining among county employees. The Loudoun County Chapter of SEIU Virginia 512, which represents many Loudoun County employees, is pushing for strong bargaining rights, including putting eligible county employees in one large bargaining unit rather than dividing them among many smaller units.

They were supported in that push at a rally Wednesday by leaders from the Virginia AFL-CIO, New Virginia Majority, the Loudoun Education Association,

the Loudoun NAACP, NOVA Labor, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26, Network NOVA, and the Catholic Labor Network.

Loudoun SEIU Chapter President Julius Reynolds said, “when workers thrive, the community thrives.”

“Collective bargaining is how we create work environments where we can thrive. Meaningful collective bargaining must include the freedom to communicate about our union and our working conditions. It must, must allow general county employees to bargain as one strong unit,” Reynolds said. “Meaningful collective bargaining is how we can provide even better public services to the Loudoun community and win what we need to take care of our families—our families, because that’s what really matters.”

“You know what they say—if you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu, and we’ve been on the menu long enough,” said Virginia AFL-CIO President Doris Mays.

Patti Nelson, a psychiatric nurse who

preceded Reynolds as Loudoun SEIU president, said shortly after beginning work for Loudoun County, she became a widow and a single mother to two kids.

And then her take home pay went down.

“I learned when I came here that no matter how hard I work, no matter how much overtime I gave this county for free, no matter how many clients I saw, that my fate, my family’s security, my healthcare insurance, my retirement, was not in my own hands—that it was entirely dependent on the political winds that blow,” Nelson said. “And that’s why we need collective bargaining.”

Loudoun NAACP President Michelle Thomas recalled growing up with a father who worked for General Motors as a United Auto Workers member.

“I grew up with all the fringe benefits of my father being respected because he was a part of a union that had his back,” Thomas said. “He was able to raise eight BARGAINING RIGHTS continues on page 5

Gupta Named Medical Director of Loudoun Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Loudoun County has announced the appointment of Dr. Ramia Gupta as medical director for the Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse & Developmental SerGupta vices.

As medical director, she will plan, organize and manage the medical component of the department’s services. Her appointment was effective Oct. 14. Gupta is board-certified in psychiatry and forensic psychiatry and has extensive experience in public sector psychiatry, treating the severely mentally ill and those who are especially vulnerable, according to the county.

“Dr. Gupta will play a key role in carrying out our mission to promote mental,

behavioral, and developmental health and wellness. In her role, she will collaborate with our community partners to connect individuals and their families with services and supportive resources,” stated department Director Margaret Graham. “Dr. Gupta will also help our team with initiatives such as the Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center and implementation of the Marcus Alert as prominent examples of such services.”

Gupta holds faculty positions at Saint Elizabeths Hospital Psychiatry Residency and the Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program, Department of Behavioral Health, Washington, D.C. She has also worked as an attending psychiatrist in both the Pre-Trial and Post Trial units, and the Forensic Outpatient Department. Gupta was also president of the medical staff at the hospital.

In 2016, the Chief Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia appointed Gupta to the Commission on

Mental Health. She also is Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

After completing her undergraduate studies in India, Gupta completed a forensic psychiatry fellowship at Georgetown University and a psychiatry residency at Saint Elizabeths Hospital. She also completed a forensic psychiatry fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital and a psychoanalytic fellowship at the Baltimore Washington Center for psychoanalysis. She holds medical licenses in Washington, DC, and Virginia.

She has served in various leadership capacities for the Washington Psychiatric Society and achieved the distinction of Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

More information about the department’s services is online at loudoun.gov/mhsads. n

Application Period Opens for Community Development Block Grants Loudoun County has opened the application process for the Community Development Block Grant program. The competitive grant program provides funding for local projects that address a variety of housing, public service and community development needs.

Eligible applicants include local nonprofit organizations and government entities in Loudoun County or serving Loudoun County residents.

Proposed projects should address the goals of the program which include providing affordable housing opportunities, revitalizing neighborhoods, renovating substandard housing, providing public services and expanding economic development opportunities, primarily for persons of low- and moderate-income households.

As part of the grant process, the Family Services Advisory Board will conduct a virtual public hearing at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 18 to gather input on addressing housing and community development needs.

Information on watching and participating are at loudoun.gov/remoteparticipation.

Applications are available online at loudoun.gov/CDBG or by contacting CDBG Program Assistant Courtenay Belchik at 703-771-5731 or courtenay.belchik@loudoun. gov. Applications must be submitted no later than 2 p.m., Friday, Nov. 5.

Loudoun Deploys Intelligent Transportation System On Monday, Loudoun County deployed an “intelligent transportation system” that includes color, closed-circuit television cameras and dynamic message signs at five locations on Rt. 50, Loudoun County Parkway and the Leesburg Bypass.

By tying into the cameras, the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Transportation Operations Center can stay updated on incidents on the roads and share information with the public, traffic reporters and law enforcement and fire-rescue ON THE AGENDA continues on page 5

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OCTOBER 21, 2021

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Bargaining rights continued from page 4 children. He was able to take care of his wife. He was able to build a church and be integral in the civil rights movement in Atlanta, because he didn’t have to worry about his job.”

“The reason I joined a labor movement isn’t for getting more wages or getting more benefits, it’s to give every single human being agency, dignity, freedom, and a voice. Only collective bargaining will do

that,” said IBEW Local 26 member Don Slaiman. “You have life insurance, house insurance, but can you insure your identity? Because you get your identity from what you do. Unfortunately, in this country, people’s first question is what you do.

We even get our last names from what we do.”

Supervisors had planned a public hearing on a proposed ordinance at their public hearing Oct. 13, but negotiations on that ordinance are continuing and it was not on the agenda. n

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OCTOBER 21, 2021

Public Safety

SAFETY briefs

Law Enforcement Leaders Upbeat on Loudoun’s Safety

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

During the Loudoun County Crime Commission’s 10th annual state of law enforcement luncheon, representatives of the county’s agencies lauded their cooperative spirit and the community’s low crime rate.

The Oct. 8 forum at the Belmont Country Club included leaders of the Sheriff’s Office and the police departments in Leesburg, Purcellville, and Middleburg.

“It’s been a challenging couple of years for law enforcement. It has been challenging for everybody, law enforcement as well. It is not just with the pandemic but with the other things that are going on in society today,” Sheriff’s Office Lt. Col. Bob Miller said.

While serious crimes have been on the decline, law enforcement agencies have been expanding their community outreach, including efforts to improve response to cases involving domestic violence and mental health crises.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Middleburg Police Chief AJ Panebianco speaks during the Loudoun Crime Commission’s annual State of Law Enforcement event.

Middleburg Police Chief A.J. Panebianco, who serves as the president of the Virginia Association of Police Chiefs, said a lot of work in being done statewide to promote higher law enforcement and hiring standards, including changes need-

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He agreed that mental health response is a major concern.

Loudoun Sheriff Mike Chapman “has set a very high bar in responding to mental health crisis in Loudoun County. It is not that way across Virginia. It’s often not the law enforcement agency’s fault. I blame the state,” Panebianco said. “Across the state, mental health is in a crisis. It is in a horrible crisis in some areas.”

The chief said the primary problem was the decision by Alison Lang, the state commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, to close state mental hospitals because of low staffing. That leaves local law enforcement agencies to hold individuals needing temporary mental health holds for up to 72 hours, sometimes in handcuffs.

“I just think it is a travesty. We not serving at all if we’re doing that and that’s LEADERS UPBEAT continues on page 16

Retrial Scheduled in Domestic Assault Case A new trial has been scheduled for the Manassas man charge with domestic assault in a case that became high-profile after the trial judge declared the alleged victim in contempt of court for allegedly testifying while under the influence of marijuana.

Judge James P. Fisher directed the witness be jailed and declared a mistrial. The judge has since come under attack for his treatment of the witness, with some critics seeking his removal from the bench.

Attorneys for James Paige Phillips hope the charge won’t reappear before a jury. They are seeking to have the case thrown out on a double jeopardy claim, which prohibits a defendant from being tried on a charge following an acquittal.

A hearing on that motion is set for Nov. 4.

If the case is permitted to proceed, a two-day jury trial is scheduled to begin April 11.

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OCTOBER 21, 2021

Leesburg

Mobile Home Park Residents Push Town Council for Action

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

Residents in the Leesburg Mobile Home Park hosted four members of the Leesburg Town Council to push for answers, as they wonder what will happen to their homes after the property is sold.

But town council members did not have many answers.

Crescent Mobile Partners LLC, led by Darius Saeidi, has the property under contract in an $11 million deal, and Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk told park residents that the town council cannot legally interfere.

And she told them the council was caught off guard by the news of the impending sale just like the residents.

“At this point, the sale has not gone through and we can’t touch it—as council members, we cannot touch it, we cannot interfere with it. That is not allowed. We would end up being in great trouble if we did that,” Burk said. “So the sale has not been completed and will not probably be completed until December.”

It was a familiar frustration for the residents; when they approached the county board, Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) told them their fate was a town issue, not county. The high price tag has residents worried that the property, which sits walking distance from downtown Leesburg, will be redeveloped. They have said they don’t know where else they will be able to afford to live. Park residents have also been staging regular marches through town to plead with the town council to do something to save their homes.

So far, the assurances they’ve gotten

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Mayor Kelly Burk and Leesburg Town Council members meet with Leesburg Mobile Home Park residents Wednesday, Oct. 13.

have been that they won’t be kicked out of their homes in the next year.

Burk was joined at the meeting at the park’s playground Wednesday, Oct. 13 by council members Neil Steinberg, Zach Cummings and “Marty” Martinez, who asked at the meeting to go by his given name Fernando. They said they’ve been meeting with other organizations and nonprofits to consider options, although nothing concrete has emerged. Steinberg asked residents, for example, if it would be acceptable if another form of affordable housing was provided on the property that was not the mobile homes.

Some residents wanted a simpler answer—that the town buy the mobile home park. With a likely price tag of at least $11 million or more even assuming it’s for

sale, Cummings said “at this point, we’re discussing all options and it’s an option on the table, but the likelihood is very slim.”

Many of the families in the park have been there for years, raising children who have never lived anywhere else. But council members also heard from some new residents.

“In my hands I have the contract that my husband and I signed on Aug. 2. Then on Aug. 3 we received the notice that this park was being put up for sale,” said one resident speaking through an interpreter.

“How could these people allow us to sign a document only to then give us the notice that it was going to be sold off? We have invested all of our savings and even taken out loans to try to even afford a roof over our head. So what are you going to tell me

for all the efforts I’ve done? We are older people. We have invested and we have paid taxes and contributed to the community. We are not a burden on anybody. So what have we done wrong?”

And although Saeidi stands to buy the land under their homes, so far the residents have not heard from him personally. Some asked the councilmembers to see if they can get him to meet with park residents.

“It would be nice to at least know who he is and his plans, you know?” said one resident.

“A week ago or two weeks ago, he had his people out here taking pictures of the land, so he has time for that, but he doesn’t have, you know, maybe just 30 minutes to just come in and speak to us,” he added.

Residents have also complained that the email provided to them to contact the buyer did not work—Burk said that has been corrected. She also said Saeidi has said he would be willing to hold a community meeting at a future date, but is not ready yet.

“No one said that this would be resolved day from day to night. It’s going to take some time, and we’re willing to go to court and do anything possible to make sure we have this affordable housing that we have now,” said another resident through an interpreter. “And then that goes back to my point as to how you guys want to be remembered: as the authority that showed up tonight but did nothing to save these families and ensure that they have affordable housing, or would you like to be remembered as representatives that heard us and did everything possible MOBILE HOME PARK continues on page 9

Town Staff Clarifies Leesburg Vaccine Mandate Rules

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com

Following last week’s Town Council vote to adopt a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for town government staff, a few clarifications have been made to the agreed-upon policy.

Later in the Oct. 12 meeting, following this paper’s deadline, Town Manager Kaj Dentler clarified to the council that staff members who receive medical or religious exemptions for the vaccine cannot be required to pay for weekly testing.

That cost instead will be borne by the

town. Town Attorney Christopher Spera said that, had the council chosen to allow unvaccinated staff members to submit to weekly testing, those costs could be passed on to employees. However, the town cannot legally make employees with valid medical or religious exemptions pay for their own testing.

Dentler recommended the town join the testing program being established by the county government, which has adopted a weekly testing requirement for unvaccinated employees. That program is expected to be up and running by late November. Through the end of the year, FEMA will cover the costs, about $125

per test. Starting in January, FEMA will require localities to cover 25% of the cost.

The vaccine mandate will apply to all the town’s full- and part-time employees, and most of its board and commission appointees. The exceptions to that policy are members of the town’s Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals. According to Public Information Officer Betsy Arnett, “only those boards and commissions whose members serve at the pleasure of the Town Council were included in the vaccine mandate.”

“The Planning Commission and BZA are creatures of state statute and grounds for removal of members of those bodies

are specifically set forth in the state code.

Since council does not likely have the right to remove a member of the Planning Commission or the BZA for not complying with the vaccine requirement, [staff’s] advice was to exclude them,” she said.

Also excluded from the vaccine mandate were town contractors. At one point a council majority favored including contractors who have significant face time with town staff or the general public be included in the vaccine mandate, but ended up backing off that plan.

Town employees will have 90 days to comply with the vaccine mandate. n

OCTOBER 21, 2021

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

Town Completes Compass Creek Expansion, For Now

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ krodriguez@loudounnow.com

The Town Council brought several more commercial parcels into the corporate limits last week, but landing the Microsoft campus remains in question.

At its Oct. 12 meeting, the council unanimously voted to bring three properties in the Compass Creek development into the town via a boundary line adjustment with Loudoun County—the At Home store; the Walmart SuperCenter; and a 1.5-

Mobile home park continued from page 8 to make sure that this mobile park stayed intact?”

In that effort they have some help. Joe Kirkwood, an attorney with NOVA Business Law Group with experience in commercial real estate, mergers and acquisitions, and business formations, is helping the residents out on a pro bono basis.

And another resident said the council will need to “work hard,” because the park is only one of many communities that could be asking them for more affordable housing.

While the county at large works to encourage more price-controlled and attainable housing, the town has done little concrete to increase its stock of lower-price housing—and in fact the town caps the number of county Affordable Dwelling Units within its borders at 120. Data provided by the county Commissioner of the Revenue’s office listed only 23 ADUs in Leesburg, although other housing programs like the federal Housing Choice Voucher program also exist in town.

The town is also likely years from having a cohesive plan to create more affordable housing—the town plan, which is not expected to be finalized until next year, currently includes a call for an affordable housing plan but no actual plan.

“I will say that I care, our council cares, and one of the things that we are doing, our best just to do what we can to preserve this community,” Martinez said.

“We all know it’s still a failure if we only find homes for 70 of 75 families, if we can’t help all 75. We’ve got to do that,” Cummings said.

The town’s calendar noted the meeting would be “not open to the public,” which would violate Virginia open meetings law.

Residents and reporters were not barred from entering. n

acre vacant parcel belonging to Peterson Companies. All property owners had to give consent to be brought into the town, a requirement stipulated by the county.

Town Attorney Christopher Spera said the town can expect to gain around $365,000 in annual tax revenue and $106,000 in additional water and sewer fees with the properties coming into town.

It may be the final Compass Creek land that will be brought into Leesburg, following an at-times contentious BLA process with the county that kicked off three years

ago. However, the largest landowner in the Compass Creek development, Microsoft, remains a target for town leaders. Spera said the town staff is engaged in ongoing discussions with the county regarding the Microsoft property, with plans by the tech giant to house several data centers there.

Microsoft owns the majority of the land in the Compass Creek development, having purchased 332 of the 550 acres from the Peterson Companies in late 2018 for a reported $73 million.

The details of negotiations between

PAGE 9 the town and the county have never fully come to light, although several past staff reports have indicated that a revenue sharing agreement between the two jurisdictions may be a part of it. Less than a year after the council kicked off the BLA process it filed suit against Loudoun County over its decision to grant Loudoun Water, rather than the Town of Leesburg, the right to extend utility services to the Joint Land Management Area, which includes the Compass Creek property, as part of its comprehensive plan update. That suit has yet to be served to the county. n

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OCTOBER 21, 2021

Education

New Bus Drivers Coming Through Training Pipeline, More Needed

BY HAYLEY BOUR

hbour@loudounnow.com

Relief is on the way for Loudoun’s school bus driver shortage as dozens of new hires are set to complete their training, but there is still a need for drivers to cover the 519 daily routes in the county.

The driver shortage was a challenge even before the arrival of COVID-19, but, during the pandemic the district lost a significant number of drivers despite keeping them on payroll.

“Nationally everyone is recognizing that there is a bus driver shortage, a truck driver shortage, a driver of any kind shortage across the country,” Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lewis told the School Board during its Oct. 12 meeting. “I’m pleased by the School Board for working to make a more attractive overall compensation package from benefits to salaries and those types of things.”

Lewis said that the recruiting process is a never-ending one. For example, during the 2017-2018 school year, there were 82 new hires, while the department lost 44 drivers. The next year was similar, with 81 new hires and 64 drivers who left for retirement or other jobs.

Lewis estimates that the district is short 58 drivers and 28 attendants.

New recruitment tactics that began over the summer are working, Chief Hu-

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Like other school districts across the nation, Loudoun is wrestling with a shortage of bus drivers, a longtime challenge that got worse during the pandemic.

man Resources Officer Lisa Boland said.

The district has held hiring events, increased driver pay to $22.16 an hour, increased the sign-on bonus to $2,500 and the referral bonus to $1,000, and has

increased the number of guaranteed daily work hours from five to six.

Since implementing those measures, the number of trainees has doubled, Boland said. There are 49 people beginning

training and 19 people who are about to begin their behind-the-wheel training.

But getting new hires signed on is only half the battle. Bus drivers go through a training program and must obtain a permit from the DMV. Then, they must complete a two-week training process and pass the certified drivers license test. Only 67% of candidates pass the training.

Then, they undergo 25 hours of behind-the-wheel training, and 10 hours of driving actual routes with students, accompanied with another driver for supervision.

The entire process takes about three months, Boland said. The length of the process and delays at the DMV for appointments to get permits means that having a pool of qualified candidates is far from an immediate fix.

Lewis stressed that Loudoun is competing with other localities for drivers. A recent study from HopSkipDrive found that 81% of school divisions nationwide are fighting driver shortages.

The nature of the job, which requires employees to work for a few hours in the morning, take a break, and return for a few hours in the afternoon, makes it an unconventional work schedule.

The operations department is looking to possible scheduling changes to reduce BUS DRIVERS continues on page 11

Board Members Worried About Asychronous Days’ Impact on Families HAYLEY BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com

A staffing shortage is prompting the Loudoun County Public Schools administrators to add two virtual teaching days to the November calendar, sparking concerns from School Board members who worry about the strain the change will have on families.

Nov. 3 and Nov. 5 will now be athome, asynchronous learning days for students and planning days for teachers.

That week already has three planned holidays, meaning students will now be out of the school buildings for a full week.

Superintendent Scott Ziegler cited a lack of available substitute teachers as the reason for the change as he briefed the board

on the plans Tuesday night.

“If we have a shortage on these days, this week of substitutes, it would mean combining classes, doubling up classes. We don’t think with our Ziegler COVID mitigation efforts that would be the safest environment for schools,” Ziegler.

Ziegler said that the district has 4,000 substitutes on its roster, but only about 500 substitutes are accepting jobs.

Board members said they were unaware of the operational change prior to the Oct. 12 meeting. Beth Barts (Leesburg) said the change will be a problem

for some families.

“That’s now a full week off. If you don’t work, great, you’ll be able to sleep in. But for people who have to go to work, they now have to find childcare, which is hard enough as is,” Barts said.

Barts also said she does not want to see the district lean too much on distance learning, noting the state requires offering five days a week of in-person learning.

But board member Denise Corbo (AtLarge) said that without the adequate substitute staffing, in-person instruction is impossible.

“I completely understand the inconvenience this has on our families and staff who have to adjust their schedules and educators who have to adjust their lesson plans,” Corbo told Loudoun Now.

This school year marked the first time since March 2020 that students have been in school in person for five days a week.

The state requires that beginning this term, school districts offer full-time in-person instruction. The Virginia Department of Education provided guidance to school divisions to revert to remote learning for emergencies, such as inclement weather and staffing shortages.

“That is going to be a local matter, but there is no state requirement that school boards vote on decisions like emergency closures (think snow days) or temporary reversions to remote learning in response to such circumstances,” Virginia Department of Education public information officer Charles Pyle said in an email to Loudoun Now. n

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

OCTOBER 21, 2021

PAGE 11

ACLU, Partners File Amicus Brief in Tanner Cross Case HAYLEY BOUR hbour@loudounnow.com

The ACLU of Virginia and partner groups filed an amicus brief in Circuit Court to oppose the emergency petition filed on behalf of Byron “Tanner” Cross, the teacher who was placed on leave after speaking out against the district’s proposed transgender student protections, and his other plaintiffs.

The ACLU is joined on the brief by Equality Virginia, Equality Loudoun, Side By Side, and He She Ze and We. “Treating students consistently with their gender identity is crucial for their

Bus drivers continued from page 10 the number of drivers needed, and to maximize the hours available to drivers. One suggestion is staggering bell times for ele-

mental health and wellbeing, has been shown to reduce the amount of harassment they face in school, and in turn improves their academic performance,” the brief reads.

Cross told the board during its May 25 meeting that complying with the then-proposed Policy 8040, which provides protections and rights for transgender and gender expansive students, would violate his Christian faith. His remarks shocked members of the community at Leesburg Elementary School, where Cross teaches physical education. He was placed on leave on May 27, and sued for his reinstatement. He was awarded an emergency injunction to return to his position, which

mentary schools, so drivers can take more routes and get more hours on the clock.

Beth Barts (Leesburg) pointed out that changing school start times might have an adverse impact on families.

“We have that in our district and it is frustrating for some parents. Parents do

the school district appealed and lost in the state supreme court. Two other teachers in the district joined the case, and are being represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents clients to protect conservative Christian values. It is labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for views such as supporting criminalizing sexual acts between LGBT adults, and working to preserve laws mandating sterilization of transgender people in other countries.

“While the teachers may disagree with the policy, they do not have the right to violate it in their capacity as K-12 teachers in the Loudoun County school system,” the brief says.

plan their work schedule around- especially at the elementary level. Those kids can’t be home alone,” Barts said.

Loudoun Now reported in September that some students in the district waited for up to an hour for their ride to school at one point. Parents have reported that bus

During the May 28 meeting, Cross cited a 60 Minutes special that continued claims that have largely been debunked, including that most young trans children eventually revert to their born genders.

“We know that discriminatory practices, such as the refusal to use a student’s gender-affirming pronouns, can exacerbate gender dysphoria and harm socio-emotional development during critical childhood years. Policy 8040 ensures that trans and non-binary students can focus on their education without the added stigmatization, stress and anxiety of being misgendered by their teachers,” the brief says. n

routes have been canceled, or that they have been asked to pick up and drop off their students so that buses can consolidate routes. On days when there is an unusually high amount of driver absences, staff members and supervisors have to take routes. n

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Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Del. Jason Miyares (R-82), Loudoun Chamber President and CEO Tony Howard, and Attorney General Mark Herring at a debate hosted by the Loudoun Chamber Wednesday, Oct. 13.

Herring, Miyares Stick to Script at Chamber Debate

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Attorney General Mark Herring (D) and his Republican challenger Del. Jason Miyares (R-82) largely stuck to campaign talking points during the Oct. 13 debate hosted by the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, with Miyares trying to pin a scandal at the Virginia Parole Board on Herring, and Herring portraying Miyares as dishonest, regressive and out of step with today’s Virginia.

In 2020, as part of a push to get eligible inmates out of prison, the state parole board released people convicted in high-profile violent cases. An investigation by the state Office of the Inspector General found that the parole board did not follow law or rules requiring notification to victims’ family members before those offenders were released. That incident devolved into a scandal along largely partisan lines, and in which Miyares said Herring should have stepped in and repeatedly accused Herring of a “criminal first, victim last mindset.”

“You have an obligation when you find a state agency that’s failing at their job, when you find out they’re breaking the law, to hold them accountable. And if they continue to break the law, you take them to court, if need be,” Miyares said.

“He has based his entire campaign on one issue, the parole board, but time and again, he’s been called out for getting the facts wrong and misleading voters by independent fact checkers and reporters,”

Herring said. “And he’s gone out of his way to avoid saying what the job really is, and what he would do.”

Herring pointed to issues like Miyares’s past opposition to expanded access to healthcare, abortion rights and gun regulation, contrasting them to his own record.

“Jason has proven he is a conservative activist with a paper-thin record as a prosecutor who has no problem misleading voters, and Virginians can’t afford that,” Herring said. “We need to continue to build on our progress and keep Virginia moving forward.”

The Loudoun Chamber hosted the debate to put questions to the two candidates in November from the county’s business community. The debate was moderated

by Chamber President and CEO Tony Howard with questions from a panel of business leaders.

“I’m the pro-business candidate because I realize that right now, the thing that aggravates companies so much are these new regulations that come out of Washington and Richmond and strangle the life of these small business entrepreneurs,” Miyares said. “Big companies can afford these regulations. They can hire the accountants and lawyers to get around them. It’s the small business owners that are the first to get there in the morning and the last to leave at night, they’re the ones right now that don’t feel like anybody has their back.”

AG DEBATE continues on page 14

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

OCTOBER 21, 2021

PAGE 13

Loudoun Chamber Hosts Delegate Candidates Forum

BY RENSS GREENE

rgreene@loudounnow.com

The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce hosted one of its speed-dating style forums for House of Delegates candidates Tuesday morning, giving members of its business community a chance to meet the people running for state house up close.

The chamber’s format skips having candidates lined up on a stage, instead dispersing the candidates through the audience and having them rotate from one table to the next for a series of brief, small group, face-to-face conversations. At one table, they faced questions on workforce, transportation, and attainable housing.

With businesses faced with difficulty finding workers, Republican Scott Pio, who challenging Del. David A. Reid (D32), mentioned the end of expanded unemployment benefits and said his priority is to make sure Virginia is a non-union state.

“I would want to make sure that Virginia remains a right-to-work state—or a right-to-fire, even, state—because employers shouldn’t have to keep bad employees around,” he said.

And asked about the lagging return of women and minorities to the workplace, Pio said “you have to ask yourself—do women want to return to work?”

He said with more people homeschooling, women are more likely to be the ones to stay at home while their husbands go to work.

Del. David A. Reid (D-32) said, as the chairman of the Virginia Manufacturing Development Commission, he has visited manufacturing businesses and heard about the workforce shortage–pointing particular to a shortage of teachers who can train people for jobs such as nursing or trades.

“So we have 14 nursing programs around the state, but we don’t have enough faculty. So we may need to look at actually providing some type of incentive to get more people to teach,” Reid said.

He also said that part of the commission’s work has been on keeping businesses in the state—”from a business perspective, you always recognize that it’s easier to keep the customers you have than to actually get new customers”—as well as looking toward a package of incentives to recruit workers from other states to come to Virginia.

Republican Nick Clemente, who is challenging Del. Wendy W. Gooditis (D10), said his top issues are education for special needs children such as those like him with dyslexia, encouraging affordable housing and keeping unions out of

when building homes, which he said should be emulated. And he said the region needs to have a regional approach to transportation.

“Ronald Reagan said the only thing he’s an expert at is listening to experts, and that’s the kind of expert I am,” Clemente said.

Gooditis pointed to the state’s successes in the business climate.

“Probably the best news with the majority as it stands now in Richmond is that for two years in a row, we have been

Virginia.

“The most expensive part of building a new school is the land and building, that’s the expensive part, and so Loudoun County, I think, provides us an opportunity to think outside the box in education,” Clemente said. He said he would like to bring more money back from Richmond for projects like building a specialized school for dyslexic children.

He also pointed to Fairfax County ordinances that require developers to build a certain amount of affordable housing

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ranked first out of 50 states for business, and while we have done that, we have raised ourselves from 50th for workforce to 23rd—we’re more than halfway up the scale,” Gooditis said. “I think we’re demonstrating that we can do both. We can be the best for business, and we can be best for workforce.”

On housing, she pointed to the legislature passing a bill that mirrors federal tax credits for developing affordable housing.

DELEGATE FORUM continues on page 14

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AG debate continued from page 12 Herring pointed to Virginia’s record fifth time ranked as the “Top State for Business” by CNBC this year. He said Virginia’s friendly business climate is attributable in part to the work he has done to fight for marriage equality, women’s reproductive rights, and against Confederate symbols. He said that attracts major investments like the new Amazon headquarters in Northern Virginia.

“All of these things are really important to making a business climate, businesses want to grow and expand in, and

LOUDOUNNOW.COM that businesses want to move to,” Herring said.

On questions of diversity, Herring pointed to the diverse staff in his office and his largely successful fight to take down Confederate monuments.

“How do you tell a Black man or a Black woman ‘you’re going to get a fair hearing inside this room’ when the courthouse is literally physically blocked by a monument to a system that would have enslaved and has enslaved billions? You can’t,” Herring said.

“I think one way to reflect the diversity of Virginia is by electing me. I’d be the first Hispanic ever elected to any statewide office in Virginia history,” Miyares

OCTOBER 21, 2021

said. “I’d be the first child of any immigrant ever elected as attorney general.”

But most of the answers were steered back to the issues the candidates have been hammering all campaign.

“It’s not my job to supersede the judgment of the General Assembly and the governor,” Miyares said. “I’m not going to be loyal to any political party, I’m going to be loyal to the people of Virginia. That’s very different than Attorney General Herring, who has put everything through the partisan left-wing lens that has now captured, quite frankly, his own party.”

“There are stark contrast between the two of us on where we stand on issues that are of great importance to Virginians:

Delegate forum continued from page 13 And on workforce and hiring, she pointed to work such as raising the minimum wage, assistance of woman- and minority-owned small businesses.

“Our essential workers bore such a burden in the last year and a half,” Gooditis said. “… I want to keep raising that minimum wage, because we need those workers.”

And she pointed to a proposal to offer free community college for qualifying students in fields facing difficulty hiring qualified applicants.

“We’ve done a lot to make ways available either for people to switch a job, earn a little more in a job they’ve already had, or get certified in a trade,” Gooditis said.

Robert Frizzelle, a self-described Libertarian who is challenging Del. Karrie K. Delaney (D-67), said “the oppressive government we have in Richmond has gone too far on some issues, and I’d like to bring it back.”

He said he supports a mixture of publicly funded roads and private toll roads, and also stepped into the debate over the school district’s efforts to teach about historic and structural racism, branded inaccurately by some conservatives as Critical Race Theory.

“I just wish that they’d spend more of the discretionary money on fixing a crisis than creating a new society,” Frizzelle said. He said that work is “creating a new infrastructure of racism.”

“I think we all want to get rid of racism, but the way they implement it turns us into a society of subdivided equity groups,” he said.

And on workforce, he said the government needs to ween people off of enhanced unemployment benefits.

Delaney said she seeks to bring an open mind and problem-solved mental-

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Candidate for the 32nd District Scott Pio holds up printed photos of his opponent, incumbent Del. David A. Reid (D-32), during an Oct. 19 forum for candidates for House of Delegates hosted by the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce.

ity to Richmond, and is a supporter of multimodal transportation solutions. She also pointed to a past General Assembly decision to take money from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to fund Metrorail, and the work to get that funding restored.

“We’ve gotten back about $100 million of that, we need another $36 million to be returned, I think that’s a priority,” Delaney said. “How we allocate our funds, though, I think it’s important that we’re not just widening our roads, but we’re looking for ways to make Metro more appealing to people, buses more appealing to people.”

And, she said, the schools need to be aggressive in identifying vulnerable student populations and students who fell behind during the COVID-19 pandemic to help them out.

Del. Suhas Subramanyam (D-87), said, thanks to the growth in his district, he now represents more people than any-

one else in the General Assembly. He said one of his top legislative priorities is paid family leave, pointing to his own family’s experience have a child at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I don’t necessarily think it need to be required of smaller businesses or startup business, but certainly bigger companies that already do it in other states for their employees, they should have some sort of policy in place,” Subramanyam said.

He also pointed to transportation issues in his district, especially Rt. 50, which he said he would like to see made more like Rt. 7. And he also pointed to Fairfax County’s programs for affordable housing, saying local government is best suited to figure out the needs for affordable housing, but the state can support that work.

“In the end, I think to address affordable housing you have to put money behind a program. It’s just talking until you do that,” he said. “There has to be the

our safety, our healthcare, our right to be treated equally. And on issue after issue, Jason’s record shows he is a right wing, Cuccinelli-style conservative who is out of step with where Virginians are,” Herring said.

The discussion was led by a panel including Chauvon McFadden, principal director of Crimson Wealth Strategies and vice chair of the Loudoun County Economic Development Authority; Stacey Metcalfe, executive director of Morven Park and chair of the Loudoun Chamber board; and Dorri O’Brien, director of Western Region Government and Community Relations for Inova Health System. n incentive for people to build affordable housing.”

Greg Moulthrop, Subramanyam’s challenger, did not attend.

Paul Siker, who is challenging Del. Dave A. LaRock (R-33), said he was motivated to run by the insurrection on Jan. 6, and by LaRock’s support for those protests as well as for throwing out the results of the 2020 election. And he said the state will need to invest in education and transportation, pointing to Interstate 81 which forms much of the district’s western boundary. He said it’s one of the largest truck corridors in the eastern seaboard, “and yet if you’ve driven on it recently— it’s always exciting.”

And he also pointed toward a rapidly retiring baby boomer generation, which he said has exacerbated hiring difficulties.

“We need to be creating investment in workforce development, vocational training that ultimately allows people to get good paying jobs … and we’re also going to attract other employers to come to our area,” Siker said.

He also echoed the sentiment that local government will know best for its area what to do about affordablee housing, but the state can enact tools and programs to support that work.

LaRock did not appear at Tuesday’s event.

The candidate forum was a followup to the Chamber’s annual BizVotes candidate questionnaire, which polled all 14 candidates across the seven House of Delegates races that touch Loudoun. Of those, 13 candidates—all but Gary Pan, who is running against Del. Kathleen Murphy (D-34)—responded. All candidates who completed the questionnaire were invited to attend Tuesday’s forum.

Invited but not attending were Murphy as well as both candidates in the 86th District, Irene Shin (D) and Julie Perry (R).

Candidates’ responses to the BizVotes questionnaire are online at LoudounChamber.org/BizVotes. n

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

OCTOBER 21, 2021

PAGE 15

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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

Maintenance Worker I

Public Works & Capital Projects

$40,000-$65,186 DOQ

Open until filled

Police Officer

Police

$53,233-$89,590 DOQ

Open until filled

Senior Buyer/Contracts Administrator

Finance

$67,175-$115,044 DOQ

Open until filled

Senior Management & Budget Analyst

Finance

$72,952-$124,893 DOQ

Open until filled

Senior Zoning Analyst

Planning & Zoning

$61,857-$105,896 DOQ

Open until filled

Systems Analyst/Infrastructure & Asset Management

Public Works & Capital Projects

$70,374-$120,339 DOQ

Open until filled

Utility Plant Maintenance Worker

Utilities

$41,353-$70,792 DOQ

Open until filled

Utility Plant Technician: Trainee, Technician or Senior

Utilities

$44,905-$89,790 DOQ

Open until filled

Utility System Trainee or Technician

Utilities

$41,353-$76,882 DOQ

Open until filled

Wastewater Plant Operator: Trainee, I, II or Senior

Utilities

NHLEmployerCard2.pdf 1 $41,353-$89,790 DOQ Open until fi9/3/19 lled

• Accounting/Bookkeeping • • Parts Counter Sales • • Tire Repair Technician • • Road Service Technician • At Western Loudoun’s largest equipment service organization.

Experience required. Full benefits package with healthcare and 401k.

BROWNING EQUIPMENT, INC. Purcellville, VA 540-338-7123 sales@browningequipment.com 10:58 AM

Regular Part-Time Position Position Assistant Outreach Program Coordinator

Department

Hourly Rate Parks & Recreation

$23.03-39.43 DOQ

Closing Date Open until filled

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

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

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

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

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

See the full job listings at

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LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 16

Leaders upbeat continued from page 6

Internship: Project Analyst/Project Assistant Meridien Group, LLC is seeking a motivated, qualified individual with strong analytical skills. Duties include, but are not limited to: • • • • • • •

Creating, managing and disbursing reports related to the project Maintaining project assets Communications and related database(s) Evaluating and monitoring the overall project Reviewing & reporting the project’s budget and finances Routinely performing complete or component analysis Notifying the entire project team about abnormalities or variances

The analyst/assistant will help the entire project team complete the project within its planned scope, schedule and budget, while serving as a liaison for the project’s technical, functional and non-functional teams. Part-time to fulltime, and internship positions available immediately. Individual initiates, coordinates, and executes administrative and project support to the project manager/team.

happening across the state,” Panebianco said, noting that the chief’s association is hoping for an Attorney General’s Officer opinion that would reverse that decision and is lobbying for hirer pay for mental health workers.

Purcellville Deputy Chief Dave Dailey also noted a desire to work more closely with mental health professionals, but said police should not be taken out of the response loop.

“I think we should partner together.

I think we would all welcome that. … but I think removing police and the sheriffs altogether is very dangerous, for the worker, for the people who are receiving services,” Daily said.

While representatives of all the juris-

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continued from page 6

PA Woman Dies in Dulles Greenway Crash Virginia State Police is investigating a fatal crash that occurred early Sunday

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OCTOBER 21, 2021 dictions highlighted declining crime stats, Dailey voiced frustration in combating the town’s top public safety challenge: drivers being unable to maneuver around the Main Street/Berlin Turnpike traffic circle.

“In Europe, people drive through traffic circles all the time. [But here] they haven’t figured out how to drive through traffic circles because our number one draw on resources is accidents at the traffic circle. We will continue to work on that,” he said.

The core repeating theme as the administrators spoke during the program was the strong cooperation among the agencies “I have never been prouder to be associated with law enforcement than I am being associated with law enforcement in Loudoun County,” Panebianco said. “Nobody does it quite like it is done up here.” n morning on the Dulles Greenway.

According to the report, the crash happened at 1:19 a.m. Oct. 17. A westbound 2018 Hyundai Sonata ran off the road at the Rt. 772/Ashburn Village Boulevard exit. It struck a crash attenuator and continued through the grass, along a steep embankment, and through thick landscaping before striking a Washington Metro Power Transfer building. The vehicle was not visible from the highway and was not discovered until just after 8 a.m.

The driver, Katherine A. Richardson, 26, of York, PA, was found dead at the scene.

Trial Dates Set for Sterling Murder Case Two years will have passed before the two men charged in the July 2020 murder of a 24-year-old Winchester man face trials.

Gavin Collins and Joshua Hunter are charged with first-degree murder, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and two counts of using a firearm while in the commission of a felony in the July 8, 2020 shooting death of Jose I. Escobar Menendez in Sterling.

New trial dates have been set in the cases. Collins is scheduled for a 15-day jury trial beginning Aug. 8, 2022. Hunter’s three-week trial is scheduled to follow Oct. 3-21. Both trials previously were scheduled for last spring, but were delayed because a key witness could not be present. n

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

OCTOBER 21, 2021

PAGE 17

Obituaries Norman Preston Washington, Jr. Age 71, of Haymarket, VA, formerly of Leesburg, VA

Norman Preston Washington, Jr. went home to be with his Lord on Sunday, October 10, 2021, at his residence in Haymarket, Virginia. He was born on October 27, 1949 in Middleburg, Virginia to L. Gertrude Page Washington and the late Norman Preston Washington, Sr. Norman was educated in the Loudoun County Public School System, attending Douglass Elementary and Douglass High School and graduated from Loudoun County High School in 1968. He enjoyed sports and played football and basketball at both Douglass and Loudoun County High Schools.

In 1969, Norman volunteered and served in the United States Air Force.

There he was trained and certified as a communication specialist and reached the rank of Sergeant. His service in the military included a tour in South Korea.

Norman was a very talented musician.

He began playing the trumpet at age 10. He competed and won an award for best instrumental in a local James Bland Music Contest while attending Douglass Elementary School, playing tune entitled “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White”.

For four years, Norman played in the

Douglass High School Marching Band.

He read sheet music as well as playing by ear. He could be heard around the house playing along with the James Brown horn section on songs such as “I Got the Feeling”, “Cold Sweat” and “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”.

He is survived by his mother, L. Gertrude P. Washington; brothers, Wayne E. Washington (Denise) and Darrell P. Washington (Sarah); nephew, Shannon C. Washington (Marcella); nieces, Tennille D. Washington and Alexandra P. Washington; aunts, Mary W. Bushrod, Laura W. Lansdowne, Amanda Lyles and Elaine Smallwood; uncle, Charles Smallwood and a host of great-nieces and nephews and many extended family members and friends.

Norman was a kind and generous person who would do anything for his family and friends and he will be missed by all who knew him.

Funeral services were held 10:00 am, Monday, October 18, 2021, at Mt. Zion Community Cemetery, 200 Old Waterford Road, NW, Leesburg, VA 20176.

Arrangements by LYLES FUNERAL SERVICE, Serving N. Virginia and surrounding areas. Eric S. Lyles, Director. Lic. VA/MD/ DC. 800-388-1913.

Mitchell Kregg Athey Mitchell Kregg Athey, 59, of Lucketts, VA passed away on October 8, 2021 at his residence. He was born in Leesburg, VA on October 1, 1962 to James C. Athey and JoAnn D. Kerrigan Athey. He is survived by his wife of 15 years Debra Jenkins Athey, two sons Ryan Athey of Haymarket VA and Jacob Athey of Colorado, and stepson Nyles Jenkins of the residence. He is also survived by his mother JoAnn D. Kerrigan Athey of Lucketts VA, brother Mark Athey(Jackie) of Lucketts VA, and sister Michele Coates(Danny) of Lovettsville VA. He is predeceased by

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

his father James C. Athey and brother Michael Athey. Mitchell was a perfectionist and that was reflected in his excavating business. Many people commented on and paused to watch his skill at making the heavy equipment do the intended work with ease. In years past, Mitchell enjoyed traveling with his parents to different locations to help build Kingdom Halls. Mitch was known as the “candyman” to some. He loved to eat it and got joy from sharing it with others, especially the kids. Graveside services will be held on October 21, 2021 at Furnace Mountain Cemetery at 1:00pm for family and friends.

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

Bernice Corum

Age 91 of Bowie, MD, formerly of Aldie, VA She departed this life peacefully on Thurs- and beloved siblings: Elston {Snookie} Trammell, Jeannette Trammell Smith {Kitday, Sept. 30, 2021 at the Anne Arundel ty} and Pauline {Polly} Trammell.

Medical Center in Annapolis, MD. She leaves to cherish her memory four The second of five children, Bernice was children: LaVerne Corum, Gretchen born on April 11, 1930, in Purcellville, Gunn (Gilbert), Ella Casteel and Anthony Virginia to the late Emory and Gretchen Corum (Gail); seven grandchildren: Jessica Trammell.

Gunn, Joshua Gunn (Jatina), Carla Casteel, She graduated from Douglass High Wanda Primrose, Carlos Corum, LaJuanda School in Leesburg, Virginia in 1946 and Sherfield (Timothy) and Gilbert Gunn Jr. married her high school sweetheart, Elijah (LaShawnda); three great grandchildren: Corum, Jr., in 1948. Early in their marEmory Gunn, Dillon Primrose and Travis riage, the Corums moved to Washington Primrose; one brother Edward Trammell, D.C. where they became members of Jones one sister-in-law Ruby Trammell, one Memorial United Methodist Church. brother- in-law Rev. William Smith, a host In 1967, Bernice began her federal of nieces and nephews, a special family working career with the Central Intellifriend Jacqueline Yates and a host of family gence Agency (CIA) in Langley, Virginia, and friends. retiring in 2000 after 33 years of service. In Viewing and visitation was held on 1977, Bernice and Elijah relocated to Aldie, Saturday, October 16, 2021 from 10:00 a.m.

Virginia. After Elijah’s death in 1996, and until time of service 11:00 a.m. at the Jones her son Ronald’s death in 2000, Bernice Memorial United Methodist Church, 4625 relocated to Bowie, Maryland.

G Street, S.E., Washington, DC 20019.

A true Christian, Bernice possessed a genInterment: Pleasant Valley Cemetery, tle, loving, and quiet spirit. She loved the Annandale, VA Lord and loved reading His Word. Bernice Arrangements by LYLES left her love for the Lord, love for neighbor, FUNERAL SERVICE, Serving N. and quiet dignity as her legacy.

Virginia and surrounding areas.

Eric S. Lyles, Director. Lic. VA/ Bernice was preceded in death by her MD/DC. 800-388-1913. devoted husband Elijah, loving son Ronald,

Audree Marie Longrie Audree Marie Longrie, 80, of Yantis returned to her heavenly home on October 8, 2021. Below is Audree’s story written by her a few months before she passed.

Audree was born on September 27, 1941, in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin to her parents Henry and Ethel (Lunderville) Sparks. She attended primary school and Elementary school there. She then moved to Milwaukee and went to work as a waitress, and that job pretty much stuck her whole life one way or another. She saved enough money and went to cosmetology school to work at being a beautician. She found it wasn’t for her, so she went back to waitressing. She met a guy and wasted 7 years of her life with him and loved him dearly, but unfortunately, he found someone else. So, she went back to waitressing and found another man and married him and after 4 1/2 years God called him home.

Audree moved back to Milwaukee and went back to waitressing and met this man at a bar and fell in love with the most beautiful smile , black hear, and pinchable

butt. After 5 years of being togethers and the trials, she married David Longrie on November 10, 1979, in a little chapel in her mommas church in Wisconsin Rapids. The fun began, through hard time and good times they moved to Weyauwega, Wisconsin on a hobby farm after his mother died.

It was a lot of work and a lot of fun doing gardening and canning. David sold his dad’s independent garbage business and they moved to Stoughton, Wisconsin. They got a house and lived in it for 25 years.

All of Audree’s sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews would gather there around summertime at the pool. Lots of family fun and visiting.

Audree and David both decided to retire and sold the house and moved to Yantis, Texas. She loved to travel. They would travel to fishing tournaments and all over the US. She met many wonderful people and kept in touch with them.

She is preceded by her parents Henry and Ethel Sparks.

She is survived by her husband David Longrie; sisters Marge, Amy, and Julie; brother Wayne; and the many other family members and friends who will miss her dearly.

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 18

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Nonprofit

GIVING back

New YMCA Youth Development Center Opens in Sterling

Schaufeld Honored

by NOVA Community Foundation for Leadership

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

The YMCA Loudoun County celebrated the grand opening of its new Youth Development Center location in Sterling on Saturday during its annual Fall Festival.

The event featured a ribbon cutting, trunk-or-treating, and giveaways.

“We are super excited that we moved, we have a brand-new facility with much better capacity. We have lots of rooms for kids and the classrooms are much bigger. It is just refreshing.

We are super excited,” YMCA business director Kasia Bochenek said.

The new location in Great Falls Plaza in Lowes Island was formerly Chesterbrook Academy.

The YMCA Loudoun Youth Development Center is located at 20733 Great Falls Plaza.

Hayley Bour/ Loudoun Now

A young spiderman enjoys some candy while trunk-or-treating at the YMCA’s Youth Development Center

For more information on YMCA Loudoun County, go to ym-

cadc.org or check out YMCA Loudoun County on Facebook. n

Loudoun Literacy Hosts Not Your Kid’s Spelling Bee LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

Loudoun Literacy Council’s Not Your Kid’s Spelling Bee returned to the National Conference Center on Oct. 15 after a COVID-19 hiatus in 2020, bringing close to 150 people together for a night of dinner, drinks, spelling, trivia, a silent auction and helping people learn the English language.

Loudoun Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer served as the emcee with quizmasters County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) and Loudoun County Public Libraries Executive Director Chang Liu, and musical guest the Frayed Knots. The bee also featured guest speakers who have been touched personally by the nonprof-

it’s work, including students, a volunteer teacher, and a Head Start educator.

It also featured a star speller—Ashrita Gandhari, who earlier this year at 14 years old competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals in Orlando, FL. Loudoun Literacy Executive Director Nikki Daruwala pointed out that last year’s bee would have fallen during the nonprofit’s 40th anniversary.

“I think we can give ourselves permission to double-enjoy our time together this evening,” she said.

But the work on the council went on even during the pandemic, giving people the tools they need to survive and thrive.

She said the nonprofit reaches more than 2,500 Loudoun County residents and distributes more than 15,000 books annually.

And like other nonprofits, the council has seen its workload grow during the pandemic—the year before the pandemic, the council served 315 adults a year. In just the first the first three months of their current fiscal year, they have already served 410.

“Let’s be very clear: literacy is not just the ability to read and write,” Daruwala said. “In today’s world it means so much more. It means having the skills to access and navigate the online world, take care of our health, get a job and give our children a better life.” n Note: Deputy Editor Renss Greene formerly served on the Loudoun Literacy Council Board of Directors.

Loudoun Chamber Opens Grant Applications LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

The Loudoun Chamber Foundation is accepting applications from area nonprofits, seeking financial support for their work in our community.

All Loudoun Chamber nonprofit members are eligible to apply. The deadline is 5 p.m. Nov. 12.

Since it was launched in 2014, the Foundation has awarded $132,000 in grants to 32 nonprofit groups focused on issues as diverse as education, health

care, hunger, and mental health. In 2020, through both the Foundation and other fundraising activities, the Loudoun Chamber generated more than $20,000 for Loudoun-based nonprofit organizations.

“The Loudoun Chamber is committed to investing in our community and supporting our nonprofit partners that are focused on improving the quality of life for our families, our employees and our neighbors. There are so many local nonprofits doing outstanding work to serve

Loudoun’s citizens, businesses and workforce, and the Loudoun Chamber is privileged to be in a position to support their work,” Loudoun Chamber President Tony Howard said.

The Loudoun Chamber Foundation was created to support area nonprofits that focus on economic development, education, workforce development, public safety, and wellness.

The Loudoun Chamber Foundation’s grant application is available at LoudounChamber.org/Foundation. n

Karen Schaufeld has been named Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s 2021 Community Leadership Honoree.

The award is given each year to an individual who is a demonstrated leader with a long history of commitment to supporting the Northern Virginia region through volunteer and community service and charitable giving.

Schaufeld is the president and founder of 100WomenStrong, a group of concerned philanthropists seeking to strategically invest in organizations and programs that enrich the lives of Loudoun County residents.

“Karen is a strategic and highly effective advocate for the needs of Northern Virginia. Her passion is clearly contagious on behalf of the entire region,” said Foundation President and CEO Eileen Ellsworth.

“It means so much for me to win this award because I have observed other leaders, people I admire receiving the award. It’s never just me. There’s just a whole bunch of people doing a whole lot of great work,” Schaufeld stated. “I see a problem and feel like I have to do something about it. It’s like can I actually do something with my time and my resources. Can I actually be affective”?

The award was presented during Community Foundation’s 2021 Raise the Region gala Oct. 8.

Loudoun Free Clinic Prepares for Expansion The Loudoun Free Clinic has adopted a new logo as part of a $500,000 renovation and expansion of its facilities in Leesburg made possible through a grant by the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation.

The logo highlights the clinic’s goal of providing healthcare across a diverse spectrum of people and needs. It also depicts the care and community connection that members experience.

OCTOBER 21, 2021

GIVING back continued from page 18

The clinic announced its makeover during the summer. The clinic’s membership enrollment increased nearly 40 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to rise. The building renovation, which include updated and additional space, will help serve not only its existing 1,100 members, but also the more than 16,000 residents who potentially qualify for its free services.

“We’re so excited about carrying out our mission to serve our members and the new logo visually will help us show the Free Clinic is available to everyone in need,” Executive Director Maribeth Sheehan said. “We’re very grateful to the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation for this transformational gift.”

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 19

Freedom Center Plans Symposium, Wreath-Laying Ceremony The Loudoun Freedom Center will hold its 2021 Preservation Loudoun Symposium and Belmont Wreath-laying Ceremony this weekend.

The symposium will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23 starting at 8:15 a.m. at the Pavilion at Ashburn Station, 43635 Greenway Corporate Drive. It will include interactive sessions on: Reimagining Space and Place at Belmont and Sycolin Burial Grounds; Afro-terpreting at Historic Sites; Educating Students and Adults on

the Slavery and the Black Experience in Loudoun County; Engaging the Community: Slavery Allyship, Reconciliation, Preservation and Bridging the Racial Divide. Speakers include Michael Blakey, National Endowment for the Humanities professor at the College of William & Mary; Cheyney McKnight, founder of Not Your Mama’s History; Professor Terry Clement, School of Architecture professor at Virginia Tech; and Loudoun Freedom Center Founder Pastor Michelle

C. Thomas.

The seventh annual wreath-laying will be held on Sunday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m.

Attendees will meet in the town square of the Lansdowne Town Center for the presentation of colors and experience Journey to Freedom Tour of the Burial Grounds at Belmont while marching to the tunes of the Crush Funk Brass Band.To register for the events, go here: tinyurl.com/2021PreservationLoudoun. n

Knights of Columbus Plan Special Mass The Knights of Columbus and the Joy of Life Apostolate of Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville will hold a dedicated Votive Mass for People with Special Needs on Oct. 25 at 7pm.

Because it can be challenging for some community members to participate in church services due to physical and social barriers, or even family member anxiety, the Knights of Columbus council at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church organized the special Mass for people with special needs and their families. A reception will follow the service. The church is located at 37730 St. Francis Ct.

JustServe Launches New Connection for Volunteers A new website and app, JustServe.org, has been launched in Loudoun County to help match volunteers with nonprofit organizations.

JustServe provides organizations with another resource for recruiting volunteers and allows volunteers to identify needs in their community. Volunteers can view local opportunities that meet their interests and schedules.

Partnering organizations in Loudoun County include Loudoun Hunger Relief, Mobile Hope, Loudoun County Medical Reserve Corps, Head Start, Sprout Therapeutic Riding and Education Center, Dulles South Food Pantry, Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers, and many others.

There are more than 115 projects available in Loudoun County alone, with hundreds more in surrounding areas. n

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PAGE 20

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Business

Announcements

StoneSprings Opens Behavioral Health Unit

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

krodriguez@loudounnow.com

The opening of a new behavioral health unit in Loudoun County comes at an especially dire time for the state’s mental health system, and hopes are it will help with a lingering statewide bed shortage.

Elected officials and hospital staffers celebrated the opening of the 17-bed unit at HCA’s StoneSprings Hospital in Aldie on Monday night.

Acknowledging the rising need for mental health services and inpatient beds, Cynthia Benbow, executive director of StoneSprings Behavioral Services, said she hopes the staff will get some time to ease into the unit before it is at full capacity.

The behavioral health unit, located on the hospital’s fifth floor, features both private and semi-private rooms for up to 17 adult patients. The unit includes the most modern of features for mental health services, with locked access to the unit and a thorough risk assessment of every item on the floor, from beds to bathroom amenities, to ensure patient and staff safety. The ligature risk assessment, Benbow said, looks at whether an item can be weaponized either against another individual, or to harm oneself.

In each room, for example, shelves are inset in the wall in lieu of freestanding dressers or closets, and beds and chairs are secured to the floor. Even bathrooms come with slanted doors to allow for emergency access and shower curtains are made to break free with any given force.

The floor features group therapy rooms and a dining/activity area, which may also be used for visiting family and friends.

There is also a quiet room for patients who need to decompress, and a seclusion room, which Benbow said is used only as a last

Rach

Shields, Rach Join Loudoun Chamber Staff

Contributed

Elected officials and community leaders gathered at StoneSprings Hospital Oct. 18 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new behavioral health unit. Pictured are, left to right, Grafton deButts of the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce; Del. Karrie Delaney (D-67); Nathan Vooys, CEO of StoneSprings Hospital; Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large); Cynthia Benbow, executive director of Behavioral Health Services; Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10); Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31); John Deardorff, HCA Northern Virginia market president and CEO of Reston Hospital; and Supervisor Sylvia Glass (D-Broad Run).

resort. All rooms are monitored by medical staff.

The floor was intentionally made with an open format, Benbow said, with lots of natural lighting and warm color tones.

“Sunlight is critical to wellness,” Benbow said.

“This is a place where you can feel welcome. It’s not scary,” she said. “[Patients] can have hope and healing, and we needed an environment that was conducive to that.”

Benbow acknowledges that the addition of 17 beds to the state’s inpatient mental health bed capacity will not solve all the woes, particularly at a time when five of the state’s eight psychiatric facilities have

Casino Night The residents and staff of Tribute at One Loudoun celebrated the fourth anniversary of the Ashburn senior living community Oct. 13 with a casino night.

Joined by family members and vendors, the residents broke out their cocktail attire and enjoyed an evening of special activities including slots, roulette, and a silent auction. The community is owned by Cadence Living and offers assisted living and memory care services.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Shields

closed admissions because of insufficient staffing. But, she said, it’s a start.

Attracting talent to work in the unit went very well, Benbow said, citing the surrounding area and the ability to work in a new, innovative unit. Around 40 to 45 staff members will serve the behavioral health unit in a variety of roles, she said.

To anyone that may come through the behavioral health unit as a patient, whether they be a local resident or one from across the state in need of an inpatient bed, Benbow promises a positive experience.

“We want people to know that they will get compassionate care, care that is safe, and hopefully they will regain some hope and have a sense of purpose,” she said. n

The Loudoun Chamber has added two new staff members. Yasmeen Shields will be the Chamber’s new membership coordinator and Dipti Rach will be the new executive assistant.

Shields owns Yasmeen’s Sassy Wreaths and has been a Chamber member for six years. The 10-year Loudoun resident has a background in communications and events. Her role will involve supporting the Chamber’s 1,100-member business, nonprofit and public sector partners.

Dipti Rach is from Canada and has lived Loudoun for six years. She and her husband are residents of South Riding, where she chairs the Diversity Engagement Council. She has a background in events, fundraising and social media.

Learn more at LoudounChamber.org.

Franklin, Reiser Team Up at Pulse Inferno Patti Franklin and Yovanna Reiser are working to bring the power of health and wellness to the Pulse inferno.

The fitness studio at Loudoun Station offers a variety of heated and non-heated fitness classes, along with organic skincare products, a gallery of Honduran artwork, a Sunlighten sauna, private pole fitness parties, and shared training sessions.

Franklin owns Pulse Inferno. Reiser creates handmade skin products through her Nazca Moon brand.

For more information and to sign up for a free week trial, go to pulseinferno.com. n

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

OCTOBER 21, 2021

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PAGE 22

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Our Towns Fairfax Radiology Centers

Honoring the Journey with Hope and Compassion Breast Cancer Awareness Month OCTOBER

AT F A I R F A X R A D I O L O G Y C E N T E R S , Y O U C A N :

Purcellville, Hamilton to Join County Tax System After initially holding out, the towns of Purcellville and Hamilton are signing on to the county government’s joint tax billing system. Starting next year, the residents of all seven Loudoun towns will receive consolidated real estate and personal property tax bills.

The five other towns previously joined the program, which is designed to cut costs, streamline payments, and reduce confusion. Purcellville and Hamilton are starting the process of amending their ordinances to match the county’s system.

Be confident you are getting the best care possible

AROUND towns

Expect excellence in medical imaging Trust us to provide the most accurate diagnosis Look forward to an outstanding patient experience

BREAST IMAGING

HAMILTON

Police Go Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

The town is hosted a Fall Into Hamilton event Saturday at the town park.

From noon to 3 p.m., there will be a roster of family activities at the park, including contests for pumpkin carving and costumes, horse rides, carnival games and other activities.

The town’s police officers are sporting pink badges this month to raise awareness of breast cancer.

The brainchild of Lt. Shaun D. Jones, the campaign is designed to encourage women to undergo regular checkups and promote the importance of early detection.

The staff also presented Chief A.J. Panebianco with a display shadow box in memory of his wife who died from breast cancer seven years ago.

Lucketts ES Earns Nat’l PTA Honors

Call 703.698.4488

MIDDLEBURG

Fall Festival Planned at Town Park

LUCKETTS

fairfaxradiology.com

Joint bills are expected to being in those towns next year.

The county won special authorization for the program during the 2018 session of the General Assembly.

Under the program, residents receive bills for county and town taxes from the county Treasurers Office. The county collects the money and distributes the town taxes back to the municipalities. The county keeps 1% of the town revenue to cover processing costs. n

Lucketts Elementary has been named a National PTA School of Excellence by the National PTA. PTA President Carolyn Johnson reported that the Lucketts Elementary joined two other schools from Loudoun County and 27 others in the state of Virginia. Only 351 schools worldwide have received this recognition.

The distinction is earned through the completion of a year-long program focused on national standards for family-school partnerships. The program emphasizes welcoming and empowering families to support student success and school improvement.

PURCELLVILLE Cell Tower Deal Approved A year after selecting Wireless Edge from among seven bidders, the Purcellville Town Council last week awarded a 40-year lease to permit the construction of a telecommunications tower on the grounds of the Basham Simms Water Treatment Facility on South 20th Street.

During the final round of negotiation Oct. 12, the council stripped out a provision that would give Wireless Edge an exclusive inside track to develop other towers on town-owned properties for the next year. Wireless Edge President and CEO John Arthur said that approach would be more likely to generate interest among

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

OCTOBER 21, 2021

AROUND towns continued from page 22

cellular carriers, but council members said the town should retain control over marketing those locations.

The project is intended to address two council priorities—improving cell phone service to the southern side of town and generating revenue from its public works properties. It will still be quite a wait for residents to see an improvement. The next step is to recruit carriers to lease tower space and then a series of permit reviews expected to take 10 months.

PAGE 23

the best way to mulch trees, and how to choose the right tree to plant. He will also provide information about invasive species that threaten native plants and common tree diseases. Register online at the town’s website to participate in the virtual workshop.

The workshop is part of the project for which the town received grant funding for through the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Virginia Trees for Clean Water program. The project includes three educational workshops along with tree plantings at the Suzanne R. Kane Nature Preserve.

ROUND HILL

BZA Member Sought The Town of Purcellville is looking for a town resident to fill a vacancy on the Board of Zoning Appeals.

The BZA hears and decides on requests for variances from the town’s zoning regulations and appeals of the administrative determinations made by town officials, and also decides on special exception permits. It is a five-member quasi-judicial board that meets on an as-needed basis.

The term of office for this vacancy expires on Sept. 30, 2025.

Those interested should complete the application on the town’s website by the close of business Friday, Oct. 22. Interviews with the Town Council will be scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 26.

Town Offers Healthy Tree Workshop Thursday The town’s Tree and Environment Sustainability Committee will offer a virtual workshop about how to keep yard trees healthy on Thursday, Oct. 21 starting at 7 p.m.

Jordan Herring, senior area forester with the Virginia Department of Forestry, will share information about common landscape and maintenance practices. He will explain how and when to prune trees,

One Smile At A

Extended Construction Hours Approved for 5 Weeks VDOT has approved additional hours of work time over the next five weeks to allow a contractor to catch up on lost production and to take advantage of good weather and extended daylight hours before winter. The work involves stormwater/conduit installation, utility adjustments, and sidewalk/curb construction.

The work will occur on Loudoun and Main Street and will involve single lane closures with alternating traffic flow. On East Loudoun Street work will be permitted 9 a.m. to dark Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. On Main Street, work will be permitted 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday.

The approved extended lane closures for East Loudoun Street will allow the contractor additional hours in the roadway to complete stormwater/conduit installation, utility adjustments and sidewalk/curb installations. Traffic will be able to access all houses and businesses in Town during this period using alternating flow of traffic. n

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OCTOBER 21, 2021

THINGS to do

Loco Living

LOCO LIVE Live Music: Michael Kelly and Danny Knicely Friday, Oct. 22, 4 p.m.

Dirt Farm Brewing, 18701 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont Details: dirtfarmbrewing.com Kelly and Knicely serve up folk, blues and bluegrass on the mountain.

Live Music: Shane Gamble

Friday, Oct. 22, 5-9 p.m.

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro Details: breauxvineyards.com Breaux’s Fourth Friday celebration features live music from country music singer Shane Gamble.

Live Music: Meisha Herron

Friday, Oct. 22, 5:30 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Check out soul and blues from a rising star on the local music scene

Live Music: Caveman TV Lite

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Adam “Squirrl” McClintock is combining his passions for cooking and community service in a new venture.

Friday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m.

Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive #120, Sterling Details: crookedrunbrewing.com This experimental music collaboration includes members of The Woodshedders, Plate Scrapers and Plank Stompers.

‘Cookin’ With Squirrl’ Serves Up Food, Fun and Philanthropy

BY JAN MERCKER jmercker@loudounnow.com

Adam “Squirrl” McClintock has two passions in life: cooking and helping people.

The Marine Corps veteran and Leesburg resident launched his YouTube channel “Cookin’ With Squirrl” earlier this year.

McClintock’s videos showcase his original recipes while spotlighting—and feeding— movers and shakers from local nonprofits.

“It’s the experience of cooking a meal, which is absolutely fun for me, and seeing the looks on people’s faces--that alone is very fulfilling,” McClintock said. “And then by doing that being able to highlight a cause and help people, it’s just wildly fulfilling.”

McClintock said he always had giving back at the front of his mind when he created the channel. “Cookin’ With Squirrl” intersperses traditional recipe videos for original dishes like Bacon Fried S’mores Treats and Drunken Squirrl Eggs with his “Philanthropy and Food” series. That series, launched last month, involves McClintock preparing a delicious multicourse

meal for staff from area nonprofits while inviting guests to share information about their organizations and encouraging donations from viewers. McClintock broadcast his first philanthropy video in September, featuring A Farm Less Ordinary. The Bluemont-based nonprofit farm provides employment and community for adults with developmental disabilities who grow and sell organic produce.

Last month’s show followed McClintock as he prepared a five-course meal for the nonprofit’s co-founders Maya Wechsler and Greg Masucci and farm manager Kate McDowell using fresh vegetables from the farm. The show not only meant a feast for the team but also raised around $350 for the organization.

McClintock plans to expand the philanthropy series and invite more nonprofits soon. He’s hoping to spotlight the child hunger-focused nonprofit BetterALife in his next meal-for-a-cause video.

The bald and burly McClintock, who goes by Squirrl in his day-to-day life, not just on YouTube, combines a serious love of food with a self-deprecating sense of humor. McClintock got his nickname from a lifelong friend at age 18 in honor of his

well-established goofy side—he took the “e” out to fit on a license plate, and the new spelling stuck).

“I got more serious after I joined the Marine Corps. I have this dichotomy in my brain--I have the Squirrl side and the Marine side, and they often conflict with each other,” he said, adding that cooking and filming is an outlet that lets those two conflicting sides work together.

“It’s a little bit crazy but it also has to be orderly,” he said.

McClintock, 43, was born at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base in North Carolina and spent his early years in Illinois and Maryland before moving to western Loudoun at 13. After graduating from Loudoun Valley High School, he worked as a server and bartender at several Sterling area restaurants before joining the Marine Corps in 2002. McClintock served for four years with tours in Djibouti, Guantanamo Bay, and Afghanistan. Since leaving the military, McClintock has mostly worked in the IT field but has felt the constant pull of the need to cook and feed people. He started experimenting with Carolina-style COOKIN' continues on page 26

Live Music: Hilary Veltri

Friday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m.

Social House South Riding, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, Chantilly Details: socialhousesouthriding.com Veltri’s repertoire of covers and originals spans generations and genres from Bob Dylan to Beyonce.

Live Music: Melissa Quinn Fox

Friday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m.

Social House Kitchen and Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn Details: socialhouseashburn.com Fox returns to Social House with her signature high-energy blend of rock and country.

Live Music: Low Water Bridge

Friday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m.

Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com Low Water Bridge is back with bluegrass and country from the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Live Music: Clark Peklo

Saturday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m.

Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Drive, Ashburn Details: lostrhino.com Peklo’s repertoire of cool, unexpected covers features a strict No Eagles policy.

THINGS TO DO continues on page 25

OCTOBER 21, 2021

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

THINGS to do

PAGE 25

BEST BETS

continued from page 24 Live Music: David Davol

Saturday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m.

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

Live Music: Free Flowing Musical Experience

Saturday, Oct. 23, 5:30 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Alexandria’s legendary acoustic jam band comes to Flying Ace for an evening of groovy tunes.

Live Music: Tejas Singh

Saturday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.

Social House Kitchen and Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn Details: socialhouseashburn.com NOVA-based singer/songwriter Tejas Singh brings his angelic voice and devilish guitar skills to Social House.

Live Music: Trevor Moody

Saturday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.

Social House South Riding, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, Chantilly Details: socialhousesouthriding.com Moody combines bluesy guitar licks, alternative instrumental vibes and catchy pop melodies for a style all his own.

Live Music: Derek Kretzer and Friends

Saturday, Oct. 23, 8 p.m.

Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville

JULIANA MACDOWELL Sunday, Oct. 24, 2-6 p.m.

Creeks Edge Winery creeksedgewinery.com Details: monksq.com Derek Kretzer is a multi-instrumentalist most recognized for his banjo, lead vocal and songwriting duties in the popular progressive bluegrass group The Plate Scrapers.

Live Music: James VanDeuson and the Rollin’ Rust

Sunday, Oct. 24, 1 p.m.

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts Details: vanishbeer.com COLOR: Right click Catch this four-piece folk band for a fun Sunday afternoon at Vanish.

DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY Saturday, Oct. 23, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

MacDowell’s macsbeach.com Live Music: Bryan Fox

Sunday, Oct. 24, 2 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com Middleburg’s own Bryan Fox returns to Flying Ace with his soul and funk tunes.

VANILLA FUDGE Tuesday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m. (doors) Tally Ho Theater tallyhoteather.com Chandler plays an unexpected mix of great tunes from a range of genres: country, Americana, hip-hop and beyond.

Live Music: Palmyra

Sunday, Oct. 24, 2 p.m.

B Chord Brewing, 34266 Williams Gap Road, Round Hill Details: bchordbrewing.com Live Music: Eric Chandler Drawing from the sounds of Appalachia and Sunday. Oct. 24, 2 p.m.

Midwestern Americana, Palmyra captures the Breaux Vineyards, 36888find Breaux Vineyards Lane, collective of three Virginia natives. Admission swatch, and and replace withspirit correct color Hillsboro THINGS TO DO continues on page 26 Details: breauxvineyards.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth.

We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.

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

This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.

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

HAPPINESS IS

Knowing their best friend can be right by their side.

Life in the Key of Beautiful® at Tribute at One Loudoun

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LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 26

THINGS to do is free.

Leesburg Town Hall, 16 Loudoun St. SW, Leesburg Details: loudounmuseum.org The Loudoun Museum takes attendees on a downtown walking tour with ghostly stories about the historic homes and their inhabitants from the past.

Tickets are $30. Advance purchase is required.

Live Music: Edwin McCain

Shocktober

continued from page 25

Thursday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg Details: tallyhotheater.com McCain is back at the Tally Ho with enduring love songs that have earned him the title “great American romantic” from national media. Tickets are $35.

LOCO CULTURE Tales and Ales Storytelling Show

Friday, Oct. 22, 6:30-9 p.m.

Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn Details: novatalesandales.com Loudoun’s homegrown storytelling show is back with tales from Loudouners from all walks of life, including Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall.

Tickets are $18. Event benefits Friends of Loudoun Mental Health.

Friday, Oct. 22-Sunday Oct. 24 112 Church St. NE, Leesburg Details: shocktober.org Loudoun’s favorite haunted house is back with four floors of haunted horrors to benefit The Arc of Loudoun. General admission tickets are $40. The experience is rated PG-13. Hauntings continue weekends through Oct. 30. Advance purchase is required. Participants must wear a face covering.

Ball’s Bluff Battle Anniversary

Saturday, Oct. 23, 11 a.m.

Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park, Ball’s Bluff Road, Leesburg Details: novaparks.com Join the Friends of Ball’s Bluff at Ball’s Bluff Regional Park for a full day of events commemorating the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Ball’s Bluff. The day starts with a guided tour at 11 a.m. followed by skirmishes from reenactors at noon, a concert from GMU’s Civil War Band at 1 p.m. and a cannon firing demonstration.The celebration ends with a cemetery luminaria lighting at 7 p.m.

NOVA Nerdfest

Loudoun Museum Hauntings

Friday, Oct. 22 and Saturday, Oct. 23

Saturday, Oct. 23, 1 p.m.

Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive #120, Sterling Details: crookedrunbrewing.com NOVA Nerdfest is back with video game tournaments, Magic The Gathering and table games, along with vendors and showcases. Register in advance for tournaments.

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Cookin’ continued from page 24 barbecue sauce at the request of his wife, Vickie, a North Carolina native. McClintock perfected and started bottling his own barbecue sauce and ran a barbecue business, “The Squirrl Pit,” from 2011 to 2014.

But McClintock wanted to take a deeper dive into the culinary world. He got into what he calls “cheffy” cooking when Vickie gave him a gift certificate for a chef’s bootcamp course at Cookology for Valentine’s Day. He was hooked and ran with it, taking more classes and creating full blown passion.

“It really kind of clicked. Those [classes] were the building blocks of me saying, ‘I can really do something with this,’” he said. “I’m not super artistic by nature. I’m a very function-over-form kind of guy, except with woodworking and food. I like to make pretty plates.”

McClintock, whose mother Patsy McClintock was a longtime Loudoun County Public Schools teacher, said he’s always loved teaching and sharing knowledge and had been toying with the idea of a cooking channel for a while. He was inspired to get things rolling when he caught noted chef and YouTuber Andrew Rea’s show “Being with Babish,” which features the star

spending time with--and giving back to-members of his audience.

“He literally brought me to tears when I watched the first episode,” McClintock said.

McClintock invested in video and audio equipment and got his YouTube channel rolling in May of this year. McClintock also does livestreams on the Twitch channel and recently streamed the preparation of Vickie’s birthday dinner, including a shrimp boil with potatoes and corn, handmade pasta, New York strip steaks—and pork chops for the couple’s dogs Pork Chop and Willie.

He shoots most of his videos in his cozy Leesburg kitchen and borrows a friend’s larger space for the philanthropy series videos to make room for his guests from the nonprofit world.

“In the end, my entire goal is to feed someone a great meal and bring light to a good cause and hopefully make the world a little bit better place.”

Check out Squirrl McClintock’s gourmet meal for A Farm Less Ordinary and other recipe videos at the “Cookin’ With Squirrl” channel on YouTube. To learn more, go to cookinwithsquirrl.com.

For more information about A Farm Less Ordinary, go to afarmlessordinary.org. n

65th Annual Leesburg Kiwanis Halloween Parade Sunday, Oct. 31 6 pm

no rain date; all participants must be in Ida Lee field by 5:30pm

This Year’s Grand Marshal: Mobile Hope

Suggested donation:

Canned goods to benefit Loudoun Hunger Relief encouraged For information, including registration and kids costume contest

www.leesburgkiwanis.org

Rout e:

On K from ing Stre et Id to Fa a Lee Pa rk irfax St SE (Safe w a y, Ri Aid) te t Lees hrough t he burg h distr istoric ict

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

OCTOBER 21, 2021

PAGE 27

Legal Notices

Leg 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 10, 2021 in order to consider:

PROPOSED CONVEYANCE OF COUNTY PROPERTY Conveyance of County Easement to Dominion Electric and Power Company Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-1800 et seq., the Board of Supervisors shall consider conveying and exchanging 6.85+/- acres of County easement over PIN 041-19-4573, commonly known as 21391 Pacific Boulevard, to Virginia Electric and Power Company, d/b/a/ Dominion Energy Virginia, in exchange for the conveyance of 10.1829+/- acres over PIN 041-40-7819, commonly known as 45335 Century Boulevard, less and except up to 0.95+/- acres of powerline easement retained by Dominion Energy Virginia pursuant to an agreement negotiated by the parties. The County easements are located on the west side of Sully Road (Route 28) near the intersection of Sully Road with Gloucester Parkway (Route 2150) in the Broad Run Election District. The Dominion Energy Virginia property is located on the east side of Sully Road, near the intersection of Century Boulevard (Route 3431) with Atlantic Boulevard (Route 1902) and to the south of Vestals Gap Overlook Park, in the Sterling Election District.

Copies of exhibits showing the location(s) of the above-listed conveyance(s) and associated documents are available for review and may be examined 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 Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).

PROPOSED CONVEYANCE OF COUNTY PROPERTY Grant of Easement to Town of Leesburg 41975 Loudoun Center Place Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-1800 et seq., the Board of Supervisors shall consider granting a 40-foot wide sanitary sewer easement to The Town of Leesburg through and across a portion of County property known as the Government Support Center Campus and Phillip A. Bolen Memorial Park for the purpose of installing, constructing, operating, maintaining, adding to or altering and replacing sewer mains and other appurtenant facilities that will service the planned mixed-use development known as Tuscarora Crossing. The subject property is located on the east side of Sycolin Road (Route 625) and north of Cochran Mill Road (Route 653) near the intersection of Kincaid Boulevard and Cross Trail Boulevard at 41975 Loudoun Center Place, Leesburg, Virginia, in the Catoctin Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 191-16-9866.

Copies of the plat(s) showing the location(s) of the above-listed conveyance(s) and associated documents are available for review and may be examined 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 Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).

• •

unwrapped bulk food items, or perishable food items in order to avoid damage for contamination; Plastic bags used to carry dry cleaning or prescription drugs; or Multiple plastic bags sold in packages and intended for use as garbage, pet waste, or leaf removal bags.

The proposed tax will not be effective before January 1, 2022.

A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed ordinance 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 may also 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”).

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

PIN

TAX MAP NUMBER

ACRES ENROLLED 7.84

NEW HILLSBORO

449-20-7833

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

NEW HUGHESVILLE

456-19-2924

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

21.2

NEW MOUNTVILLE

498-17-7351

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

11.52

NEW MOUNTVILLE

498-17-8304

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

17.57

NEW BLUEMONT

609-17-4561

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

5.3

NEW BLUEMONT

609-26-8304

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

17.17

NEW BLUEMONT

609-27-9560

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

5.5

NEW BLUEMONT

609-27-9780

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

5.12

NEW EBENEZER

617-27-9962

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

14.19

NEW EBENEZER

617-28-4974

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

5.03

NEW BLUEMONT

629-30-9125

/33//10////14B

26.88

AMENDMENT TO SECTION 1092.18 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY

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

Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-1427, the Board of Supervisors hereby gives notice of proposed amendments to the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County (“Codified Ordinances”) in order to authorize beer and wine to be served at “the Lodge” and “Championship Plaza” within Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park, which is located along Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621), approximately 0.57 mile south of the intersection of Evergreen Mills Road with Sleeping Woods Court (Route 616), on the parcel identified by PIN 201-37-3570. The amendments propose revisions to Section 1092.18, Parks and Recreation Areas – Alcoholic Beverages, including, without limitation, the following:

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

Parks and Recreation Areas – Alcoholic Beverages

• •

Establishment of new regulations in order to authorize beer and wine to be served at “the Lodge” and “Championship Plaza” within Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park.

Establishment of new definitions for “the Lodge” and “Championship Plaza” for purposes of the ordinance.

A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced amendment is on file and available for public inspection at 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 may also 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”).

ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH A NEW CHAPTER OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF LOUDOUN COUNTY Disposable Plastic Bag Tax

Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-1427 the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intention to propose for passage an ordinance to establish a new Chapter, Disposable Plastic Bag Tax, of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County. The proposed new Chapter would impose a tax of five cents ($0.05) on each disposable plastic bag provided by a grocery store, convenience store, or drugstore to the customer at the point of purchase to transport items purchased and not intended for reuse. In accordance with Code of Virginia §58.11745, the proposed tax will not apply to the following: • •

Durable plastic bags, with handles, that are specifically designed and manufactured for multiple reuse and that are at least four mils thick; Plastic bags that are solely used to wrap, contain, or package ice cream, meat, fish, poultry, produce,

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

PERIOD

SUBDIVISION MINIMUM LOT SIZE

PERIOD START DATE

NEW HILLSBORO

10 Years

20 Acres

April 11, 2012

NEW HUGHESVILLE

10 Years

25 Acres

December 7, 2011

NEW MOUNTVILLE

4 Years

50 Acres

January 3, 2021

NEW BLUEMONT

4 Years

20 Acres

June 2, 2020

NEW EBENEZER

4 Years

50 Acres

June 2, 2020

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

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

In accordance with Section 15.2-4307 of the Code of Virginia, the applications may be examined by request at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by calling 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies or electronically at: https://www.loudoun.gov/adac (8-10-2021 ADAC Meeting under Agendas and Bylaws). Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).

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OCTOBER 21, 2021

Legal Notices ZCPA-2020-0011, CMPT-2020-0008, SPMI-2020-0011 & ZMOD-2021-0045 LOCKRIDGE SUBSTATION (aka WEST DULLES STATION – LOCKRIDGE SUBSTATION)

(Zoning Concept Plan Amendment, Commission Permit, Minor Special Exception & Zoning Modification) Dominion Energy Virginia of Glen Allen, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) amend the existing proffers and concept development plan (CDP) approved with ZCPA-2017-0005 and ZRTD-20160002 in order a) to add an additional entrance to the property from Lockridge Road, b) delete the requirement to establish and maintain a Property Owners Association, and c) revise Proffer V Transportation to update transportation commitments related to construction and development of the road frontage improvements for Lockridge Road; and 2) for Commission approval to permit development of one Utility Substations (distribution) in the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance and require a Commission Permit in accordance with Section 6-1101. The modification of the Additional Regulations applicable to the proposed Utility Substations is authorized by Minor Special Exception under Section 5-600, Additional Regulations for Specific Uses, pursuant to which the Applicant requests the following Zoning Ordinance modifications: ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION

PROPOSED MODIFICATION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPMI-2021-0003 POLAND ROAD SUBSTATION EXPANSION (Minor Special Exception)

Dominion Energy of Glen Allen, Virginia, has submitted an application for a Minor Special Exception to modify Section 5-616(D) of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, regarding Type C Buffer Yard requirements in order to reduce the required buffer width for a Utility Substation in the CLI (Commercial Light Industry) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Permitted use under Section 3-903. 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: ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION §5-616(D), Type C Buffer Yard requirements

PROPOSED MODIFICATION Reduce the southern Type C buffer from 25 feet to a minimum of 15 feet

The subject property is located within Airport Impact (AI) Overlay District between the Ldn 60-65 and Quarry Notification (QN) Overlay District – Chantilly Crush Stone Note Area. The subject property is approximately 5.02 acres in size and is located on the south side of John Mosby Highway (Route 50) and west of Tall Cedars Parkway (Route 2200) at 43695 and 43743 John Mosby Highway in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 097-35-8669 and PIN: 097-36-1753 (0.45-acre portion). The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Commercial Place Type)), which designate this area for a broad array of employment uses within an environment that provides gathering spaces and opportunities for synergies among businesses.

SPMI-2020-0003 WATERFORD PEARL (Minor Special Exception)

Khuram and Amna Rashid of Paeonian Springs, Virginia have submitted an application for a Minor Special Exception to permit a Bed and Breakfast Inn use in the CR-1 (Countryside Residential-1) zoning district. This application is subject to the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed use is listed as a Minor Special Exception use under Section 2-504(A). The subject property is located within the Paeonian Springs Village Conservation Overlay District and partially within the Flood Plain Overlay District (FOD).

The subject property is approximately 5.74 acres in size and is located on the North Side of Charles Town Pike (Route 9) and on the east side of Clarks Gap Road (Route 662) at 16882 Clarkes Gap Rd, Paeonian Springs, Virginia, in the Catoctin Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 30746-2321. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Rural Policy Area (Rural North Place Type)), which designate this area for mostly agricultural and agricultural supportive uses with limited residential uses.

ZCPA-2020-0014 WATERSIDE NORTH

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

ZCPA-2020-0010 UNIVERSITY COMMERCE CENTER (Zoning Concept Plan Amendment)

Clarke-Hook Corporation of Chantilly, Virginia, has submitted an application to amend the existing proffers and concept development plan (“CDP”) approved with ZCPA-2006-0005 in order to amend the types of retail uses permitted which count towards the maximum retail square footage on any one parcel with no resulting change in density in the PD-RDP (Planned Development – Research and Development Park) zoning district. The application is subject to the 1972 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District and within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contour. The subject property is approximately 11.83 acres in size and is located north of Harry Bird Highway (Route 7), on the south side of George Washington Boulevard (Route 1050) and east of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607), in the Algonkian Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as: PIN

ADDRESS

039-35-8157

44915 George Washington Boulevard, Ashburn, Virginia

039-36-0846

44927 George Washington Boulevard, Ashburn, Virginia

039-36-4529

44933 George Washington Boulevard, Ashburn, Virginia

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 range of compact, pedestrian-oriented environments with opportunities for a mix of residential, commercial, entertainment, cultural, and recreational uses at a recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.

ZMAP-2019-0015, ZMOD-2019-0002, SPEX-2019-0031 & SPEX-2019-0032 JK TECHNOLOGY PARK #2 (Zoning Map Amendment Petition, Zoning Modification & Special Exception)

JK Land Holdings of Sterling, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) To rezone approximately 19.95 acres from CR-1 (Countryside Residential–1) and RC (Rural Commercial) zoning districts under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance to the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in order to permit the development of all principal and accessory uses permitted in the PD-IP zoning district under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance at a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.60 (up to 1.0 by Special Exception); 2) A Special Exception to permit an increase to the maximum FAR from 0.60 to 1.0; and 3) A Special Exception to permit an increase to the maximum lot coverage from 0.45 to 0.60.

These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance, and the proposed uses are listed as Special Exception uses under Section 4-506(A) and (C). The Applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modifications: ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION §4-502, PD-IP Planned Development Industrial Park, Size and Location.

PROPOSED MODIFICATION –

To allow a PD-IP district of 19.94 acres in size rather than 20 acres.

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 19.95 acres in size and is located east of Racefield Lane (Route 877) and north of Stone Springs Boulevard (Route 2625) in the Blue Ridge Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN#: 203-39-0320. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area (Suburban Employment)), which supports primarily Office, Production, Flex space, and Warehousing uses as well as startups and established businesses with limited Retail uses at a floor area ratio (FAR) of up to 1.0.

Unless otherwise noted in the above notices, copies of the above-referenced amendments, applications, ordinances, and/or plans and related documents may be examined by request at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,

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PAGE 29

Legal Notices Monday through Friday, or call 703-777-0246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. This link also provides an additional opportunity for public input on active applications. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”). In addition, for detailed instructions on how to access documents using LOLA, to request that documents be emailed to you, to receive physical copies of documents, or to arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email DPZ@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246 (option 5).

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic this public hearing may be conducted as an electronic meeting. Members of the public are encouraged to view the public hearing electronically; however, the Board Room will be open for any members of the public who wish to attend in person with appropriate physical distancing. Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are 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. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. Instructions for remote participation will be forwarded to all individuals who sign-up in advance and who would like to provide their comments remotely. For this public

hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on October 29, 2021, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on November 10, 2021. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing.

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

BY ORDER OF:

PHYLLIS RANDALL, CHAIR LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 10/21 & 10/28/21

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

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

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

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

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

DEADLINES

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

FILING FEES

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

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

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

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

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

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

YR.

MAKE

MODEL

VIN

STORAGE

PHONE#

1999

TOYOTA

4 RUNNER

JT3HN86R1X0257885

AL’S TOWING

703-435-8888

10/14 & 10/21/21

Loudoun County Public Schools Elementary School Attendance Zone Change Process Elaine E. Thompson Elementary School (ES-23) is scheduled to open in fall 2022, with the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. The school is located within the Arcola Center development at 24200 Pissarro Drive in Sterling.

In establishing an attendance zone for Elaine E. Thompson Elementary School, the current attendance boundaries for Arcola, Creighton’s Corner, Goshen Post, Legacy, Madison’s Trust, Rosa Lee Carter and Sycolin Creek Elementary Schools will be reviewed.

The Loudoun County School Board has scheduled a series of meetings to facilitate the necessary elementary school attendance zone changes.

Date

Time

Elementary School Attendance Zone Meetings

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

7:00 p.m.

School Board Attendance Zone Overview

Monday, October 18, 2021

7:00 p.m.

Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

Thursday, October 21, 2021

7:00 p.m.

School Board Attendance Zone Work Session

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

7:00 p.m.

Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

7:00 p.m.

School Board Attendance Zone Work Session

Tuesday, November 30, 2021*

6:30 p.m.

School Board Review of Elementary School Attendance Zone Recommendations

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

7:00 p.m.

Staff Briefing & School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing

Tuesday, December 14, 2021*

6:30 p.m.

School Board Adoption of Elementary School Attendance Zones

*Regular School Board Business Meeting All attendance zone meetings will be held at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building (21000 Education Court, Ashburn). The meetings will also be 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 (www.lcps.org).

In-person and virtual comment will be accepted at the three designated public hearings. Detail on how to sign up to speak at an attendance zone public hearing is posted on the LCPS webpage (https://www.lcps.org/Page/226240). Individuals may sign up to speak, in advance, by emailing Public.Comment@lcps.org or calling 571-252-1030; walk-up speaker registration will also be accepted at the LCPS Administration Building beginning at 6:30p.m., until five minutes before the start of the meeting, on the day 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 School Board meetings or public hearings, should contact the Superintendent’s Office at 571-252-1030 at least three days prior to the meeting.

Beverly I. Tate, Director Loudoun County Public Schools Division of Planning Services 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, Virginia 20148 Telephone: 571-252-1050 Email: LCPSPlan@lcps.org 10/21/21 10/07/21

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OCTOBER 21, 2021

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 26, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:

ZRTD-2021-0002 THAYER ROAD

(Zoning Conversion in the Route 28 Taxing District) Nokes Plaza, LLC of Sterling, Virginia, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 9.82 acres from the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the 1972 Zoning Ordinance, to the PD-IP zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance, in order to permit the development of all principal and accessory uses permitted in the PD-IP zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance at a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.45 (up to 0.60 by Special Exception). The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District. The subject property is approximately 10 acres in size and is located east of Sully Road (Route 28) and on the south side of Nokes Boulevard (Route 1793) and east side of Atlantic Boulevard (Route 1902) at 45564 Thayer Road, Sterling, Virginia in the Sterling Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 030-46-5708. 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 recommended FAR of 1.0.

ZMOD-2021-0018 BROADLANDS ASHBURN METRO SECTION 204 (Zoning Ordinance Modification)

Van Metre Broadlands Metro Apartments, of Fairfax, Virginia has submitted an application for a Zoning Ordinance Modification in the Planned Development – Transit Related Center (PD-TRC) zoning district to request the following Zoning Ordinance modification: ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION

PROPOSED MODIFICATION

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

To eliminate the required 75-foot building setback and required 35-foot parking setback along Moorefield Boulevard.

The subject property is being developed pursuant to ZMAP-2016-0010, Broadlands Ashburn Metro, in the PD-TRC zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. The subject property is located partially within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 aircraft noise contour. The subject property is approximately 11.57 acres in size and is located along the east side of Mooreview Parkway (Route 2298), and south of the Dulles Greenway (Route 267), in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows: PIN 119-19-3412 119-19-7523 119-19-2497

PROPERTY ADDRESS N/A 43442 Moorefield Boulevard, Ashburn, Virginia N/A

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Urban Policy Area (Urban Transit Center Place Type)), which designate this area for a range of Residential, Retail, Office, Entertainment, and Community Activity uses at a recommended Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 2.0.

ZMAP-2016-0011, SPEX-2016-0037, SPEX-2020-0002, SPEX-2020-0003 ZMOD-2021-0010, ZMOD-2021-0011, ZMOD-2021-0012, ZMOD-2021-0013 ZMOD-2021-0014 & ZMOD-2021-0048 AVONLEA II (Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exceptions & Zoning Modifications)

Avonlea Investments LC of Fairfax, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone approximately 15.54 acres from the PD-CC(SC) (Planned Development – Commercial Center (Small Regional Center)) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-24 (Multifamily Residential-24) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop up to 447 attached multifamily residential units, at a density of approximately 28.8 dwelling units per acre; and 2) Special Exceptions to permit a 300,000 square foot continuing care facility containing up to 220 beds, an automobile service station in the PD-CC(SC) zoning district, and to develop office uses which exceed 20% of the PD-CC(SC) zoning district. These applications are permitted by Special Exception under Section 4-204. The applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modification(s): ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION

PROPOSED MODIFICATION

§4-202(C) PD-CC Planned Development – Commercial Center, Purpose, Size and Location of Individual Districts, Small Regional Center (SC).

To allow a PD-CC(SC) district size less than 20 acres.

§4-205(C)(1)(c) PD-CC Planned Development Commercial Center, Lot Requirements, Yards, Adjacent to Roads, Small Regional Centers (SC).

To reduce parking setback from thirty-five (35) feet to twenty (20) feet from private streets in the PDCC(SC) zoning district.

And

And

§4-205(C)(2) PD-CC Planned Development Commercial Center, Building Requirements, Lot Requirements, Yards, Adjacent to Agricultural and Residential Districts and Land Bays Allowing Residential Uses.

To reduce building and parking setbacks in the PDCC(SC) district from one hundred (100) feet to allow building and parking no closer than 20 feet from the R-24 zoning district.

§4-206(C) PD-CC Planned Development Commercial Center, Building Requirements, Building Height.

To permit a building in Landbay 4 to be erected to a maximum height of 75 feet without an additional increase in yards or setbacks.

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

To allow access from private roads.

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

To permit a continuing care facility to be erected to a maximum height of 60 feet without an additional increase to yards.

§3-710(A)(1) R-24 Multifamily Residential, Development Setback and Access from Major Roads, Private Streets.

To allow private streets to serve commercial uses in R-24 Zoning District and to allow private streets to serve a continuing care facility.

The subject property is approximately 28.81 acres in size and is located on the south side of James Mosby Highway (Route 50), east of Pinebrook Road (Route 827) and southwest of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 606) in the Dulles Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as PIN: 163-17-6609 and PIN: 163-17-5121. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area) in the 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.

ZMAP-2020-0015 DULLES 28 TECHNOLOGY PARK (Zoning Map Amendment)

Long Drive Land Company LLC of Washington, DC, has submitted an application to rezone approximately 39.817 acres from the PD-CC(RC) (Planned Development-Commercial Center (Regional Center) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance and PD-CH (Planned Development -Commercial Highway) zoning district under the 1972 Zoning Ordinance to the PD-IP (Planned Development-Industrial Park) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. The proposed Zoning Map Amendment would allow up to 531,060 square feet of data center uses on the proposed Landbay 1, and up to 154,344 square feet on the proposed Landbay 2 of either 1) up to 100% of any by-right PD-IP district uses other than office and auxiliary service uses, or 2) up to 49% office uses and the balance being any by-right PD-IP uses other than office and auxiliary services uses. The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District, the Route 28 Corridor Business Optional Overlay District, the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60, aircraft noise contours, and partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District). The subject property is approximately 39.83 acres in size and is located on the north side of Waxpool Road (Route 625) and on the west side of Pacific Boulevard (Route 1036) at 45128, 45130, and 45136 Waxpool Road, Sterling, Virginia, in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as follows: PIN 043-37-2508

PROPERTY ADDRESS N/A

043-27-3683

N/A

043-27-4656

N/A

043-27-5728

N/A

043-17-8099

N/A

043-17-5778

N/A

043-17-2630

45128, 45130 & 45136 Waxpool Road, Sterling, Virginia

043-16-9304

N/A

044-47-0591

N/A

The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area) in the 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.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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PAGE 31

Legal Notices ZMAP-2020-0013, SPEX-2020-0009, ZMOD-2020-0030 ZMOD-2020-0031 & ZMOD-2021-0019 COMMONWEALTH CENTER RESIDENTIAL (Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exceptions & Zoning Modifications)

CWC Overlook LC of Fairfax, Virginia, has submitted applications for the following: 1) to rezone an approximately 23.03 acre portion of a larger parcel from the PD-CC(SC) (Planned Development – Commercial Center (Small Regional Center) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance to the R-24 Affordable Dwelling Unit (Multifamily Residential with Affordable Dwelling Units) zoning district under the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to develop 507 residential units, consisting of a maximum of 222 stacked multi-family units and a maximum of 285 attached multi-family units, at a density of 22.01 dwelling units per acre; and 2) Special Exception to reduce the minimum front yard from 25 feet to 10 feet and reduce the minimum side yard from 10 feet minimum and 25 feet minimum on corner lots to 10 feet for corner lots for Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU) developments in the R-24 zoning district. These applications are subject to the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance. The modification of the lot and building requirements for affordable dwelling unit developments is authorized by Special Exception under Section 7-1003. The Applicant also requests the following Zoning Ordinance modifications: ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION

PROPOSED MODIFICATION

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

Allow for building heights of 60 feet without additional setback requirements for a height over 45 feet for both the attached and stacked multifamily buildings.

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

Reduce the minimum building and parking setbacks for All other roads in nonresidential districts from 25 feet (parking) to allow for 10-foot building and parking setbacks along Commonwealth Center Drive.

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

Modify requirement that access in locations abutting arterials and major collectors be provided only via minor collector roads to allow for access to lots created after rezoning to be provided by Category A & B private roads.

The subject property is located within the Route 28 Taxing District and within the Route 28 Corridor Business Overlay District and is also located partially within the FOD (Floodplain Overlay District) and minor floodplain. The property is located within the AI (Airport Impact) Overlay District, outside of but within one (1) mile of the Ldn 60 noise contours. The subject property is an approximately 23.03 acre portion of a larger parcel and is located on the east side of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607) and the south side of Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7) in the Broad Run Election District. The subject property is more particularly described as a portion of PIN: 040-35-9407. The area is governed by the policies of the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan (Suburban Policy Area), in the 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.

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

Case No. CL-21-2265

Case No. CL-21-2993

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE §§ 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE §§ 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104

LOUDOUN COUNTY Circuit Court

LOUDOUN COUNTY Circuit Court

18 EAST MARKET ST., LEESBURG, VA 20176

18 EAST MARKET ST., LEESBURG, VA 20176

STEPHANIE VILLALOBOS

GEORGINA MENDOZA

v.

v.

FRANKLIN O. CORDOVA

EWVIN NAJERA

The object of this suit is to:

The object of this suit is to:

UNCONTESTED DIVORCE ONE YEAR SEPARATION

UNCONTESTED DIVORCE SIX MONTH SEPARATION

It is ORDERED that Franklin O. Cordova appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before 11/19/2021 at 2:00 PM. 10/07, 10/14, 10/21 & 10/28/21

It is ORDERED that Ewvin Najera appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before 11/19/2021 at 2:00 PM. 10/07, 10/14, 10/21 & 10/28/21

Unless otherwise noted in the above notices, copies of the above-referenced amendments, applications, ordinances, and/or plans and related documents may be examined by request at the Loudoun County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-777-0246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies, or electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. This link also provides an additional opportunity for public input on active applications. To arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email dpz@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246, or you may view the file electronically at www.loudoun.gov/lola. For detailed instructions on how to access documents using LOLA, to request that documents be emailed to you, to receive physical copies of documents, or to arrange a time to view the file at the Loudoun County Government Center, please email DPZ@loudoun.gov or call 703-777-0246 (option 5). Additionally, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically the week before the hearing at www.loudoun.gov/pc.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, members of the public are encouraged to view the public hearing electronically; however, the Board Room will be open for any members of the public who wish to attend in person with appropriate physical distancing. Planning Commission public hearings are available for viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23, Open Band Channel 40, and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/webcast. All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. If you wish to sign up in advance of the hearing, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing. Speakers may also sign up at the hearing. Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, MSC #62, Leesburg, Virginia 20175, or by e-mail to loudounpc@loudoun.gov. Any individual representing and/or proposing to be the sole speaker on behalf of a citizen’s organization or civic association is encouraged to contact the Department of Planning and Zoning prior to the date of the public hearing if special arrangements for additional speaking time and/or audiovisual equipment will be requested. Such an organization representative will be allotted 6 minutes to speak, and the Chairman may grant additional time if the request is made prior to the date of the hearing and the need for additional time is reasonably justified.

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

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

BY ORDER OF:

FOREST HAYES, CHAIRMAN LOUDOUN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION

10/14 & 10/21/21

VOTE AT HOME INFORMATION

Important Dates & Deadlines November 2, 2021 - General & Special Election Vote at Home - All registered voters in Virginia are eligible to request, receive, mark, and return their ballot all from the comfort of their own home. Not only is it easy, but it’s safe and secure too. You have the option of applying for a single election or permanent absentee (you will be sent a ballot for every election you are eligible to vote in.)

Important Dates & Deadlines: • Deadline to request a ballot be mailed to you – October 22, 2021, at 5:00 p.m.

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

Ready to Request your Ballot?

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

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

More information regarding the upcoming election can be found on our website: www.loudoun.gov/vote.

Judith Brown, General Registrar 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C Leesburg, Virginia 20175-8916 Email: vote@loudoun.gov Telephone: 703-777-0380 Fax: 703-777-0622 10/21/21

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OFFICIAL BALLOT DROP BOX LOCATIONS LOUDOUN COUNTY

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS will hold a public hearing in the BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ROOM, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on Thursday, October 28, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following:

Available Beginning Monday, October 18, 2021, until Saturday, October 30, 2021 Loudoun County Public Libraries

VARI-2021-0003 Catoctin Creeks Lot 47B1 and 52A

DROP BOX AVAILABLE HOURS: Monday – Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, 12 noon to 5:00 p.m.

DROP BOX AVAILABLE HOURS: Monday – Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Michael F. Canney and Diane M. Canney as Trustees for both the Michael F. Canney Revocable Trust and the Diane M. Canney Revocable Trust, of Purcellville, Virginia, have submitted an application for a variance to permit a reasonable deviation from the following provisions of the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in order to allow for a boundary line adjustment between two contiguous parcels of land so that an existing building that currently straddles a zoning district line can be located entirely on the parcel it serves: 1) Section 2-304(A), Lot Requirements, Size, which requires a minimum lot size of ten (10) acres in the A-10 zoning district. The subject properties are more particularly described as PIN: 414-26-3724 (Lot 47B1) zoned AR-1 (Agricultural Rural-1) and PIN: 414-26-5856 (Lot 52A) zoned AR-1 and A-10 (Agriculture). The proposed boundary line adjustment will adjust approximately 1.931 acres of land (1.666 acres zoned AR-1 and 0.2644 acre zoned A-10) from PIN: 414-26-5856 into PIN: 414-26-3724. PIN 414-26-3724 is approximately 9.241 acres in size and is located on the east side of Berlin Turnpike (Route 287), west of Hampton Road (Route 738), and south of Charles Town Pike (Route 9) at 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville, Virginia, and PIN: 414-265856 is approximately 12.279 acres in size and is located east of PIN: 414-26-3724 on the west side of Wenner Farm Lane, approximately .31 miles north of the intersection of Winsome Trail Lane and Wenner Farm Lane at 15865 Wenner Farm Lane, Purcellville, Virginia ; both parcels are in the Catoctin Election District.

AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: Lovettsville Library – 12 N. Light Street, Lovettsville, VA 20180 Middleburg Library – 101 Reed Street, Middleburg, VA 20117

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

Drop boxes are also available at our early voting locations.

For more information visit our website at www.loudoun.gov/voteearly.

All members of the public will be heard as to their views pertinent to these matters. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, members of the public are encouraged to view and/or participate in the public hearing electronically.

Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. Instructions for remote participation will be forwarded to all individuals who sign-up in advance. If you wish to sign up in advance of the hearing, please call the Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-777-0246 prior to 12:00 PM on the day of the public hearing. Speakers may also sign up at the hearing. Written comments are welcomed at any time and may be sent to the Loudoun County Board of Zoning Appeals, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., 3rd Floor, MSC #62, Leesburg, Virginia 20175, or by e-mail to stephanie.capps@loudoun.gov. If any member of the public requires a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability in order to participate in a public meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200/TTY-711. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice.

AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: Ashburn Library – 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn, VA 20147 Brambleton Library - 22850 Brambleton Plaza, Brambleton, VA 20148 Cascades Library – 21030 Whitfield Place, Potomac Falls, VA 20165 Gum Spring Library – 24600 Millstream Drive, Stone Ridge, VA 20105 Purcellville Library – 220 E. Main Street, Purcellville, VA 20132 Rust Library – 380 Old Waterford Road, NW, Leesburg, VA 20176 Sterling Library – 22330 S. Sterling Blvd., Suite A117, Sterling, VA 20164

Judith Brown, General Registrar 750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C Leesburg, Virginia 20175-8916 Email: vote@loudoun.gov Telephone: 703-777-0380 Fax: 703-777-0622

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Nan M. Joseph Forbes, Chairman

LEESBURG TOWN CODE AMENDMENTS: CHAPTER 22 (NUISANCES); CHAPTER 28 (SOLID WASTE); CHAPTER 30 (STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES); AND CHAPTER 32 (TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES) OF THE TOWN CODE In accordance with Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, sections 15.2-901; 15.2-927; 15.2-928; 15.21102; 15.2-1115; 15.2-1427; 15.2-2024; 33.2-802; 46.2-113; 46.2-830; 46.2-889; 46.2-1209; 46.2-1220; and 46.2-1300 the Leesburg Town Council will hold a public hearing on: Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of Town Hall, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA at which time the public shall have the right to present oral and written testimony on proposed amendments to Town Code Chapters 22, 28, 30 and 32. The amendments to the Town Code will streamline processes consistent with State Code, conform to current Town operations, clarify language, correct inconsistencies and errors, and reduce confusion, conform to 2021 amendments to the State Code, align with the County’s addressing and 911 response requirements, and enact certain traffic infractions and parking violations consistent with and authorized by State Code.

their ballot e the option on you are

Public Notice

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 for a term to end December 31, 2026.

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 quasi-judicial 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., November 5, 2021, 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 interested parties will be forwarded to the Loudoun County Circuit Court for consideration.

10/14, 10/21 & 10/28/21

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

ived by

ion you eted Virginia ee bottom of n.

10/14 & 10/21/21

The Town of Leesburg Board of Zoning Appeals

LoudounNow.com

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

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

elections. he process.

OCTOBER 21, 2021

10/14 & 10/21/21

NOTICE OF ABANDONED BICYCLES Notice is hereby given that the bicycles described below were found and delivered to the Office of the Sheriff of Loudoun County; if the owners of the listed bicycles are not identified within sixty (60) days following the final publication of this notice, the individuals who found said bicycles shall be entitled to them if he/she desires. All unclaimed bicycles will be handled according to Chapter 228.04 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County.

Phone Number

ov/vote.

Description

Case Number

Recovery Location

Registrar Suite C 75-8916 .gov 380

Recovery Date

Red bicycle with small engine attached

SO210014952

9/13/2021

Enterprise St/E Maple Ave Sterling, VA

703-777-0610

Blue Kent High Roller bicycle with green bell attachment, black bike lock and pink X

SO210015870

9/26/21

969 Holborn Ct. Sterling, VA 20164

703-777-0610

Blue Genesis Krome 2.0 20” boy’s bicycle

SO210015940

9/27/21

E Juniper Ave/Scott Dr

703-777-0610

10/21/21

ABC LICENSE

Tremolo Bar LLC, trading as Tremolo Bar, 19 E Wasthington St., Middleburg, Loudoun, VA 20117

10/14 & 10/21/21

The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA AlCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine & Beer On Premises/Mixed Beverage Restaurant license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

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

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

10/14 & 10/21/21

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

OCTOBER 21, 2021

PAGE 33

Legal Notices JOINT PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

TOWN OF LEESBURG NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO ZONING ORDINANCE ARTICLE 7 Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, November 4, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 W. Market Street, Leesburg VA 20176 to consider the following amendments to the Zoning Ordinance: 1. Section 7.5.6 Administrative Approval of Certificate of Appropriateness, to amend the types of certificate of appropriateness applications which may be eligible for administrative review and approval in the H-1 Old and Historic District.

Copies and additional information regarding each of these proposed Zoning Ordinance amendments are available at the Department of Planning & Zoning located on the 2nd floor of Leesburg Town Hall, 25 W. Market Street, Leesburg VA 20176 during normal business hours (Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or by contacting Lauren Murphy via email at lmurphy@leesuburgva.gov, or via telephone at 703-771-2773.

This zoning ordinance amendment application is identified as case number TLOA-2021-0005.

ZOAM-2021-01 Round Hill Town Council and Planning Commission The Round Hill Town Council and Planning Commission will conduct a joint public hearing in accordance with Sections 15.2-2204, 15.2-2280, 15.2-2285, and 15.2-2286 of the Code of Virginia, as amended, on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Round Hill Town Office, 23 Main Street, Round Hill, Virginia, for the purpose of receiving comments and possibly taking action on proposed text amendments to the Round Hill Zoning Ordinance Articles 2, 12, 15 and 25. The purpose of the proposed text amendments is to add Public Facility as a permitted use in the R1A residential zoning district; to add associated Use Standards to Article 25, Use Standards; to define terms added to the Zoning Ordinance and to change the required parking for the new uses.

The proposed amendments to Article 15, R1A Low Residential District add “Public Facility” as a permitted use. Article 2 amendments propose to define “Community Use”, “Community Room” and “Public Facility”. Article 12, Section 12.3(2) draft text amends required Public Facility parking spaces to 1 per 250 square feet of administrative offices, 1 per 250 square feet of community room space; and adds “Community Uses” to Section 12.7 General Design Standards. The proposed text amendments under Article 25, Section 25.3.13, Public Facilities Use Standards are as follows: a.

10/21 & 10/28/21

Architecture: The preliminary site plan for a new public facility shall include an Architectural Concept Sheet that shows the front, side and rear elevations. The overall architecture shall include design elements from contributing buildings or houses that are listed on the Round Hill National Registry (2009).

b.

JOINT PUBLIC HEARING FOR AMENDED FY2022FY2027 SECONDARY ROAD SIX-YEAR PLAN AND FY2022 CONSTRUCTION IMPROVEMENT BUDGET PRIORITY LIST

Design Compatibility: The Town Zoning Administrator and the Applicant will work together to seek improvements in design. The Town Zoning Administrator and Applicant will collaborate to seek human-scale design that avoids excessive uniformity and will be compatible with the architectural character of the surrounding homes and buildings.

c.

Building Materials: Building materials used shall be durable, natural materials or synthetic materials that realistically reproduce the look and feel of natural materials. Approvable building materials include brick, wood (does not include T-111 or particle board products), fiber cement siding that are paintable and that realistically replicate wood, decorative masonry block, and stucco (true cement plaster stucco using lime, aggregate/cement, sand, and water – EIFS is not acceptable). Metal sheeting or panels can be appropriate as an accent material but should not be a primary exterior material.

d.

Community Room: A public facility building shall include a community room with a minimum size of at least 1,000 square feet or 10% of the total square footage of the principal public facility building, whichever is greater.

e.

Pedestrian Connections: The public shall be able to walk to the public facility using a sidewalk connected to the public sidewalk/trail system or to the edges of the existing property lines for future connection to the existing public sidewalk/trail system.

f.

Hours of Operation: Community events at a public facility shall not occur earlier than 7:00 am and shall end by 10:00 pm.

g.

Storage & Trash: Trash storage areas, dumpsters, storage yards, and exterior work areas shall be screened. The screening shall be a 6-foot-tall enclosure to ensure that that the area is not visible from the street, and not visible from any home within five hundred (500) feet.

The screening shall be solid and opaque. The screening must be constructed out of brick, stone, wood, or some other appropriate material that is compatible with the primary structure. Chain-link fences, even with slats, are not permitted.

h.

Rear and Side Setback from Lot Lines: Structures associated with public facilities shall have a side yard and rear yard setback of a minimum of 100 feet from all lot lines. A side yard and/or rear setback may be reduced to a minimum of 60 feet from a lot line if the width of the required buffer yard is extended 10 feet along such lot line (see Section 14.4 for buffer yard requirements).

i.

Front Yard Setback from Lot Lines: Structures associated with public facilities shall have a minimum front yard setback from the public road equal to the average front yard setback of the nearest adjacent residential properties fronting the public road.

At this hearing all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations should contact the Clerk of the Commission at (703) 771-2434, three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

In accordance with Virginia Code §33.2-331, the BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUDOUN COUNTY and the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION will jointly hold a combined PUBLIC HEARING on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, to consider adoption of the Amended FY2022 - FY2027 Secondary Road Six-Year Plan and the FY2022 Construction Improvement Budget Priority List developed for the secondary roads in Loudoun County.

All projects in the Secondary Road Six-Year Plan that are eligible for federal funds will be included in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which documents how Virginia will obligate federal transportation funds.

Citizens are invited to be present and express their views regarding the above mentioned documents.

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The list of highway improvement projects in the proposed amended Six-Year Plan, and the proposed amended annual Construction Improvement Budget Priority List, taken from the Six-Year Plan, are 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, and at the Virginia Department of Transportation Leesburg Residency Office, 41 Lawson Road, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call (703) 737-2000.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic this public hearing may be conducted as an electronic meeting. Members of the public are encouraged to view the public hearing electronically; however, the Board Room will be open for any members of the public who wish to attend in person with appropriate physical distancing. Board of Supervisors public hearings are available for live viewing on television on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40, and are 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.

Citizens are encouraged to call in advance to sign up to speak at the public hearing. Instructions for remote participation will be forwarded to all individuals who sign-up in advance and who would like to provide their comments remotely. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on October 29, 2021, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on November 10, 2021. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. Citizens will also have the option to sign-up during the public hearing. Citizens may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members and made part of the minutes for the public hearing.

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

BY ORDER OF: Phyllis J. Randall Chair Loudoun County Board of Supervisors

Farid Bigdeli Assistant District Administrator Virginia Department of Transportation 10/21 & 10/28/21

The Town Council and Planning Commission will conduct the joint public hearing in person. The Town of Round Hill has instituted a mask mandate for all persons entering the Town Office. Members of the public may attend this meeting in person or remotely using the Zoom link or call-in number posted on the Town website at roundhillva.org.

In the event of cancellation of the October 27, 2021, Joint Public Hearing, it will be rescheduled for November 3, 2021, at the same time and location. Complete copies of the proposed text amendments are available in the Town Office; on the Town website; or by emailing mhynes@roundhillva.org. All interested persons may appear in person or remotely and present their views at the above time and place. If a member of the public cannot attend, comments may be submitted by mail to PO Box 36, Round Hill, VA 20142; by fax to (540) 338-1680; or by email to hwest@roundhillva.org. Comments received by Noon on the day of the hearing will be distributed to Commission and Council members and made a part of the public record. Anyone needing assistance or accommodations under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act should call the Town Office at (540) 338-7878.

Immediately following the public hearing, the Planning Commission will hold a special meeting where it may consider a recommendation to the Town Council regarding the proposed amendments. The Town Council will hold a special meeting immediately following the public hearing.

Manuel Mirabel, Chairperson, Round Hill Planning Commission Scott T. Ramsey, Mayor, Round Hill Town Council 10/14 & 10/21/21

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

PAGE 34

Loudoun County Office of Elections November 2, 2021, General & Special Election EARLY VOTING INFORMATION All registered voters are now eligible to vote early in-person, no excuse required.

Office of Elections—Leesburg—750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite C, Leesburg 20175 Dates and Hours: Starting October 18, 2021, through October 30, 2021 Monday, Wednesday, & Friday – 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tuesdays & Thursday – 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Saturdays, October 23, and Saturday, October 30 - 9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m.

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

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OCTOBER 21, 2021

Opinion A Failure The latest school division scandal doesn’t leave much room for debate; the institutions on which we depend to protect our students failed. Administrators failed. Law enforcement failed. Prosecutors failed.

Many elements of the alleged sexual assaults will not be publicly disclosed because of state laws governing juvenile offenders.

However, the decision points and policies that governed the release, discipline, transfer and return of the suspect student to a school campus require deeper review—and accountability.

Students facing far less serious criminal allegations have been removed from traditional classroom settings, and the district this year opened a larger alternative school, designed in part to provide these types of educational services.

LETTERS to the Editor

School leaders may view this controversy simply as another opportunity for its vocal critics to attack. It is much more. Prevention of assaults in school settings isn’t a culture war sparring point; it’s a fundamental duty. n Loudoun Now welcomes readers’ comments on issues affecting our community.

Letters may be emailed to letters@loudounnow.com or mailed to the newspaper office. Letters should be no more than 500 words and must include the writer’s name, address and contact information for confirmation purposes.

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

Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC

EDITORIAL Renss Greene, Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com

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

Jan Mercker, Reporter jmercker@loudounnow.com

PO Box 207 Leesburg, VA 20178 703-770-9723

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

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

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

Critical Inquiry Editor: When I read the opinions of parents and activists opposed to the alleged teaching of Critical Race Theory in Loudoun County (and beyond), I wonder if the irony is lost on them: They are not seeking to end indoctrination in schools but reinforce it.

I attended American public schools from first grade until 12th, and at no point was I presented with any material that questioned the basic assumption that the United States was an exceptional country that all other countries aspired to become. It is obvious that those who are opposed to any contemporary educational challenge to this basic assumption were indoctrinated just as I was—and it is equally obvious that they (unlike me) want to maintain the status quo at the expense of truth and justice.

I can empathize to an extent. Critical inquiry isn’t easy. No one wants to be told by Howard Zinn, Nikole Hannah-Jones or anyone else that most of their founding myths are just that. And certainly no one, especially now, wants to be perceived as a racist or the beneficiary of racist policies and institutions.

But there’s a middle ground: You can be an American (young or otherwise) and admit that the United States isn’t perfect—that it was founded by racist

slaveholders, that it made room for its White settlers via genocide, and so on— while still respecting and loving yourself.

And, yes, this is possible even if you are White. I like to think that I’m living proof of this.

College helped me understand that history—and even education itself—can be viewed from many lenses. I never stopped wanting to learn, so I became a teacher. The essence of education to me was illustrated in the scene from the 1999 movie The Matrix when Morpheus asks Neo (technically before he becomes Neo) whether he wants to take the blue or the red pill. I can still remember how Morpheus frames the choice: “If you take the blue pill, the story ends: You wake up in your bed believing whatever you want to believe. But if you take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

My students, in both private- and public-school settings, resoundingly preferred the red pill. They did not want to simply accept the rated-G version of American history. They wanted to explore whether the atomic bombing of Japan was truly necessary or if White supremacy continues to rule in America.

As an older Millennial, I was not even given the choice—it was blue pill all the LETTERS TO THE EDITOR continues on page 37

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Readers’ Poll

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

LAST WEEK'S QUESTION:

Do you have faith in the school district’s leadership?

What factor is primarily driving your votes in this year’s state office elections?

Wine awards continued from page 3 winegrowing bug while traveling in New Zealand in 2009. After learning from growers in New Zealand and Uruguay, he returned home in 2012 and worked with Doug Fabbioli before joining Walsh Family Wine.

“To be frank, winning this award is a sign of maturity of our industry. I’m a local kid who grew up playing in the fields next to the tasting rooms at Wllowcroft and Naked Mountain as while we waited for our parents to finish a tasting, using empty bottles as goalposts for our soccer games. I remember riding past Wyndham Winery on the school bus when they planted their first grapes and before they became Doukénie. I’ve watched the open pastures of hayfields of Loudoun slowly change, some of which was lost to homes and others that were planted in vines. We have come a long way and we have a lot to be proud of,” Sedlins wrote.

“I believe that with maturity comes a certain amount of responsibility. We are no longer a boutique industry, no longer trying to figure it out. Our reputation is

LETTERS to the editor continued from page 36

way—and I am quite certain this was the case for generations that came before me.

Honest conservatives can quibble with the way diversity is framed or discussed in schools, and they can prefer certain historical narratives over others. I have no problem with that—the “rabbit hole” can go too deep at times. I might even be considered conservative by today’s standards, so it would be hypocritical for me to shut down debate.

But I will shut down this notion that opposition to the alleged teaching of

PAGE 37

Share your views at loudounnow.com/polls

less and less ‘look at these crazy people who think they can grow quality wine on the East Coast’ and more and more ‘look at these beautiful wines crafted with intention and sense of place,’” he wrote.

He challenged industry leaders to keep pushing for improvements.

“They say that there are three pillars that uphold sustainability—economic, environmental and social. We have proven

that vineyards and wineries can be economically viable in Virginia. There is still a lot of work to do to prove to ourselves and to the world that we can farm in an environmentally sustainable way and that our businesses care for our workers and our communities in a socially responsible way,” Sedlin wrote.

“I would hope that our industry might find strength and even bravery in our maturity. Plant more hybrids. Explore non-traditional fermentation programs. I would see us not shy away from the challenges of farming less input intensively, paying agricultural workers a living wage, of discussing candidly the challenges of wine growing in the face of climate change. These are big truthy issues to face, perhaps not ones that a nascent industry still trying to establish itself can handle. But I feel, and I think many of you feel, that Virginia is ready for that challenge. And I stand ready to do my part.”

During fiscal year 2021, the sale of Virginia wines increased by 7.4%, according to the governor’s office. The commonwealth’s 330 wineries generated an economic impact of $1.37 billion and created 8,200 jobs. n

Critical Race Theory is opposition to indoctrination in schools. It clearly is not.

It’s the promotion of a different kind of indoctrination—and a stale one at that.

As I wrote before: Critical inquiry isn’t easy. But it’s critical. We cannot return to an idealized (and delusional) version of American education just as we cannot return to an idealized (and delusional) version of America.

— Matthew Johnson, Dulles

online Oct. 13. I would like to stress the importance of opening up educational opportunities for students to look at race critically.

The goal of critical race theory should be to teach students to take a collective step back and view race in a bigger picture. Students should be encouraged to look at race as a social construction and inquire on how the notion of race is inherently advantageous to some and disadvantageous to others. Recognition of this is a very important step in a student’s intellectual development, and whether they agree with the notion or not is up to them individually.

Let’s go back to the red pill/blue pill question that Johnson posed in his letter.

I believe that students should not be forced to look at race critically, yet at the same time, they should not be denied the opportunity to do so. With new generations becoming more and more diverse, I feel that it is a pressing matter to start to offer opportunities to teach students to view race critically. No matter if students agree or disagree with critical race theory, they can at least gain the knowledge needed to make that decision in an informed, educated fashion.

— Amanda McLellan, Leesburg

Best in Class Need a list of don’t-miss wines to take along for your next winery tour?

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Bigger Picture Editor: I am writing in response to Matthew Johnson’s Letter to the Editor published

PAGE 38

Redistricting continued from page 1 toctin District, wraps all the way around Leesburg, meaning people in River Creek vote for the same supervisor as people in Lovettsville. Meanwhile, the Blue Ridge District takes up literally half of the county, reaching from the western border to Dulles Airport—and consequently is also the largest district by population by far today.

Since those districts were drawn in 2011, Loudoun’s population has grown by more than 100,000, mostly in the east.

But both Buffington and Randall said they would like to see two western supervisors again.

With the rural west sparsely populated compared to the east, the staff plan to create two western districts finds the population numbers to fill out those districts by splitting the people of Leesburg—who are represented in many local government matters by the Leesburg Town Council— between two districts. Today, the town and district boundaries mostly overlap. Under the new scenario, for the most part, people living south of Rt. 7 in Leesburg would live in one district, and people living north of the road would live in another.

Buffington said, “generally speaking, the town takes care of itself.” Many of the things the Board of Supervisors spends its time on—such as land use applications from developers—are the Town Council’s responsibility within town limits.

“Generally speaking, Leesburg is covered by the Town Council, and there’s very few—actually none that I can think of—applications that have come forward in the town that the board has had to take

School assaults continued from page 1 While Byard said he could not comment on the case, he said that transfers of students go through the district level.

“It has become very clear that our administrative procedures have not kept pace with the growth we have seen in our county,” Ziegler said Friday. “While informal protocols and school-based autonomy may work in small and medium-sized school divisions they are simply not sufficient in a county with 82,000 students.”

Currently, Loudoun County Public Schools does not begin an investigation or take punitive action against students until involved law enforcement agencies conclude their investigations.

It is unclear where the alleged assailant was placed in school to conclude the

LOUDOUNNOW.COM action,” Buffington said.

Randall agreed.

“Somebody said to me one time that the Leesburg supervisor, as great as she is, and she is just absolutely wonderful, often doesn’t have a whole lot of constituents to do things for because they have an entire town council,” Randall said.

And, on the other hand, she said, it makes sense to group some people living outside the town with people in Leesburg, since they buy their water and sewer service from the town rather than Loudoun Water.

“I think it makes some sense to put River Creek and that Red Rocks area into Leesburg, because they pay the Leesburg out-of-town water rates, and right now they’re in Catoctin,” she said. “So there are some things that just make common sense to me, but the numbers will guide us.”

Buffington was skeptical of drawing a district stretching from the rural areas to the suburbs, though.

“I think it puts somebody in an extremely tough position, which is exactly the position that I’ve been in for the last six years, which is that you represent too many varied interests,” he said.

Randall has also previously worried that under the current districts, both western Loudoun supervisors could theoretically live in the suburban east. If Leesburg is split, they could both live in town.

“A western Loudoun supervisor could be representing western Loudoun and live in the heart of Leesburg, and so that’s why I say it’s a good starting point, I don’t say it’s a good finishing point,” Buffington said. “There needs to be a lot more public input on this, there needs to be a lot more thought on this.”

Scott York—who served on the Loudoun Board of Supervisors for 20 years, including 16 as chairman—has seen this one before. He led the board during the county’s fastest-growing period, and took part in both the 2001 and 2011 efforts to draw new electoral maps.

Although York is a lifelong Republican, in 2011, too, there was a Democratic majority on the board.

“The dominant political party at that time, which was a majority of Democrats, decided to gerrymander—and I use that term loosely—the map,” York said. “And so you had configurations of districts that didn’t make any sense, but they did it to accommodate one supervisor and tried to also keep control of the board. … The irony was, it didn’t help them in the end.”

It was in the very next election that Loudoun elected an all-Republican Board of Supervisors. York suggested keeping it simple this time around.

“It’s kind of an interesting county because you’ve got one part of it with the heavy population, and you have the other part that is way less dense in population,” York said. “The best thing to do is to try to keep your districts compact the best you can, and not to try to gerrymander them around for political benefit, and move forward with it.”

Randall has also said she has no interest in gerrymandering.

“As far as I’m concerned, as long as we stick to the criteria, and as long as there’s no gerrymandering for any reason, that’s all I care about,” Randall said.

And while protecting incumbents was often discussed at the state level—as well as the previous round of local redistrict-

2020-2021 school year, after the initial incident. However, members of the community are wondering how an accused rapist was transferred to another school, potentially putting other students at risk.

During the Oct. 12 School Board meeting, dozens of parents delivered public comments excoriating the board and administration for how it handled the cases.

“What are you doing to protect my daughters and every LCPS student from being sexually assaulted at school?” one mother said. “You allowed a student who is currently charged with sexually assaulting a girl to be quietly transferred to another school. The same high school my twin daughters attend. … Why did you put my daughters in every 14- to 18-yearold girl at Broad Run at risk of being sexually assaulted?”

Changes to Title IX went into place last year that require school districts to provide an education to accused

sexual assailants.

“Recent events have also revealed that we have shortcoming in alternative placement options for students involved in serious discipline infractions,” Ziegler said.

He said that his administration is fast-tracking changes to the process to assign alternative placements for students involved in discipline infractions that “protect the safety of the student body and the rights of the accused.”

Ziegler said that the lack of oversight in the safety and disciplinary processes existed prior to his tenure. Earlier this week, it was reported that the school district had omitted sexual assaults in the safety statistics it provides to the Virginia Department of Education.

“I have no reason to believe at this time that any missing reports were due to an intent to hide any information from the Virginia Department of Education,” he said.

Lessons from the Past

OCTOBER 21, 2021 ing—Randall said that she is not interested in doing that in Loudoun.

“That last time we did this 10 years ago, it was actually written in their criteria to protect incumbents, and I remember looking at that document and catching my breath—like, you’ve got to be kidding,” she said.

At press time Tuesday night supervisors had not held their scheduled redistricting discussion. Check LoudounNow.com for updates. To see the scenarios proposed Tuesday night, visit LoudounNow.com/redistrictingupdate.

Draw Your Own Maps As supervisors look at the first map scenarios, Loudoun County has launched its Local Redistricting Hub, which provides access to interactive maps and geographic data important for public participation in the redistricting process, at loudoun-county-redistricting-2021-loudoungis.hub.arcgis.com.

And on Nov. 1, an online mapping tool is planned to go online at the redistricting website, letting residents try their hand at drawing new electoral maps.

The redistricting hub will be updated on a rolling basis to include additional interactive maps, data, and training materials for the public, according to the county.

In November, the county government will gather feedback from the public on those scenarios, and members of the public will have an opportunity to use them as a starting point to design their own redistricting plans or create their own from scratch.

The Board of Supervisors is expected start debating redistricting options in January and is scheduled to adopt the final plan in May. For more information go to loudoun.gov/redistricting. n Loudoun Now has reached out to both former superintendent Eric Williams and his former chief of staff, Nyah Hamlett, during whose tenures the omissions occurred. Neither have responded.

Ziegler also pointed to his comments during the June 22 School Board meeting that suggested that no assaults had occurred in bathrooms. During a discussion about then-proposed Policy 8040, Barts asked Ziegler if there had been any incidents in bathrooms. Ziegler said in his statement that he didn’t intend to be misleading in his answer during that meeting, and that he thought Barts’ question was only about incidents involving transgender students.

Ziegler and Sheridan were joined by his chief of staff Mark Smith, Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Services Asia Jones and Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Ashley Ellis. Ziegler did not take questions from the press. n

LOUDOUNNOW.COM

OCTOBER 21, 2021

PAGE 39

It’s Official: Instagram is Bad for Teens PARENTING WITH A PURPOSE

BY NEIL MCNERNEY

Most teens are social beings. We’ve known this for decades. It’s a part of our nature as humans. The social unit is very important for us. It’s used to be essential for our physical safety and ability to thrive.

When we were more of a tribal species, we knew each person in our tribe, because our tribes were only about 35-50 members. This made it easy to know everything about each other and led to a shared workload and the ability to look out for each other.

Through the millennia, our social networks have grown considerably, but they still tended to be people that we personally interacted with on a regular basis. For teens, this tended to be other teens in our neighborhood, at school, on teams, and our places of worship.

Enter social media. Suddenly, a teen’s social network explodes from a few dozen peers to a few thousand. In less than a generation, the idea of social connections has completely changed. At its surface, this

could be a very good thing for teens. They can easily learn about teens different than themselves. They can learn about new cultures, languages, music, and art. The positive possibilities are endless.

Although there might have been a few benefits to this, it is very clear now that social media, namely Instagram, is not beneficial to our teens. It is especially harmful to our female teens.

New documents from Facebook, Instagram’s parent company, reveal that Instagram makes body image issues worse in at least 1 in 3 teenage girls. Boys are also affected, with the same internal study showing that 14 percent of boys report that Instagram makes them feel worse about themselves. Most alarming is that those teens who reported suicidal thoughts, between 6 and 13 percent of users traced their suicidal thoughts to Instagram.

These figures are alarming. No other social phenomenon has had such a negative emotional effect on teens. Many teens will focus hours of energy on taking the perfect Instagram photo, and then monitoring the number of likes it receives in a short period of time. If the number of likes isn’t enough, they will take down the photo to

avoid embarrassment. It is not just the fact that the photo must be perfect, it also must earn enough likes. Almost as embarrassing as a bad photo is a low number of likes.

This leads to significant anxiety and constant comparison with the like count of other peers. They are comparing “like counts,” seeing who is liking which photo, and what comments are happening on what photos. Rarely is any of this pleasurable. They are constantly comparing those perfectly edited and curated photos of their classmates with their reflection in the mirror. Rarely does the reflection win.

So, what do we do to help our teens navigate this minefield? This simple answer, of course, is to not allow them to have Instagram. Easier said than done.

Since so much social interaction now occurs on Instagram, taking it away from a teen might in fact do unintentional harm.

It may lead to increased isolation and sadness due to missing out on what is happening with their peer group. It would be like our parents telling us that we could not use the phone to talk to friends when we were teens.

I would suggest that you keep the lines of communication open. Have discussions

about their thoughts on how Instagram is affecting their mental health. Ask them if it affects their feelings about themselves.

Showing an interest in their lives is always a good idea.

Should you have password access to your teen’s phone? Yes, I think so. Should you review their accounts from time to time? I think it would be better safe than sorry. Just knowing that Mom or Dad will be checking their phone from time to time often keeps teens on the safer side of things.

I am hopeful that the more we know how our teens are influenced, the more helpful we can be in keeping them both physically and mentally healthy. n

Neil McNerney is a licensed professional counselor and author of Homework – A Parent’s Guide To Helping Out Without Freaking Out! and The Don’t Freak Out Guide for Parenting Kids with Asperger’s. He can be reached at neil@neilmcnerney.com

Homeschooling and Private School Options

BY CHRIS CROLL

I would like to highlight some alternatives to public education for parents considering leaving Loudoun County Public Schools. I am a parent who has paid tuition at several area private schools, homeschooled my child and, through my volunteer work, collaborated with many of the private and homeschool groups in the area.

While most K-12 public education alternatives are not free, they may be worth the investment for families who have religious, political, ideological, or other values that do not align with the direction in which our public schools are headed. Health may also be a factor in a parent’s decision to withdraw a child from public school. Some kids do better in less crowded environments or at home. Whether public, home, or private school is right for a family, parents need to feel good about where their children are being educated.

Homeschooling has surged in popularity since the start of the pandemic. Census Bureau research shows that 5.4% of American families homeschooled their children in the spring of 2020. That number rose to 19.5%

by May 2021 and is likely even higher today. There are several homeschool models from which parents can choose, including a parent-led homeschooling model, an eclec-

tic homeschooling model and a student-led model.

In the parent-led homeschool model, the parent becomes the primary teacher. This paradigm gives parents the greatest influence over what and how their children are being taught. Many resources are available to help non-credentialed parents teach their kids. Some materials, like those from Khan Academy, are free. Khan offers math, science, technology, economics, art, history, and test prep content that is delivered via You Tube video lessons. More formal curricula can be purchased online or at retail bookstores. The Home School Legal Defense Association estimates that the average parent spends $300 to $600 per year per child on courseware, games, books, and other enrichment materials when they homeschool their children. These expenses are usually not tax deductible.

In what is called the “eclectic” homeschooling model, parents determine the curriculum and focus of the education but the parents themselves are not the primary instructors. This was the model I chose when I homeschooled my son. I put together a curriculum that included language arts, social studies, and science classes from three separate online providers. My son attended his public middle school for math and foreign language classes because mid-

dle schoolers in Loudoun County who are taking high school level courses can enroll in LCPS on a part time basis. My son’s PE class was homespun; we lifted weights in the gym together. His music classes took place at Catoctin School of Music in Leesburg. I estimate that I spent about $1,000 for one year of eclectic homeschooling.

Student-led homeschooling, also called self-directed education, is where students study topics that align with their interests.

This can be done at home in an “unschooling” model, where students follow their passions on their own, or in a more structured program such as the one offered at Embark Center for Self-Directed Education in downtown Leesburg. Embark provides a school-like atmosphere but customizable course work. Many Embark students develop such incredible portfolios, resumes and skill sets in their self-directed areas of study that they go on to attend competitive four-year colleges. Embark students have legal homeschool status, and they attend the Center on a schedule that is similar to that of a public school. Embark tuition is about $13,000 a year but the Center works with families if tuition is a challenge.

If neither public school nor homeschooling is right for your family, there are several private schools in and around Loudoun County that get high marks from

parents. One of the largest independent K-8 schools, which is consistently recognized as a Loudoun County favorite, is Loudoun Country Day School (LCDS). The school’s ‘whole child approach’ emphasizes not only academics but also character-building, empathy, integrity, and community. LCDS tuition averages about $25,000 a year.

A faith-based option is Providence Academy, a Christian K-8 private school located in Leesburg. Providence tuition is about $15,000 a year.

The hefty price tag of private school does not seem to deter many Loudoun parents; both of these private schools, and others in the area, often have long waiting lists.

There are many reasons why parents might choose alternatives to Loudoun County Public Schools. Every family must make the decision that is right for them.

We are fortunate to have a large homeschool community in our area, as well as a number of very good private schools. n Chris Croll is a writer, empathy activist and communications consultant. She is a member of the board of directors for the Ryan Bartel Foundation.

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MIDDLEBURG REAL ESTATE

OCTOBER 21, 2021

ATOKA

PROPERTIES

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

16802 CHESTNUT OVERLOOK DR | PURCELLVILLE

36933 & 36939 CHARLES TOWN PIKE | HILLSBORO

$1,358,200 | FIOS!!! 3.24 private acres with views of the Short Hills!!! Convenient to Woodgrove, yet not visible from home. Former model for Chestnut Hills with several upgrades and a new addition. Features 6,772 sqft of finished living space, 2-separate staircases, gourmet kitchen, 2nd kitchen on lower level, owner suite wirh 225 sqft veranda, & movie theater. 3-car & a separate detached 1&1/2-car garage. Large back yard! Horses allowed.

$1,300,000 | A unique commercial and residential offering, the Hill Tom Market and adjacent stone building, located in the heart of Hillsboro on route 9 are now available for sale! The stone building includes a great room/reception room, family room, 2 kitchens, 6 bedrooms or offices, and 2 full bathrooms.

Kristin Dillon-Johnson 703.673.6920

Scott Buzzelli 540.454.1399

18279 FOUNDRY RD | PURCELLVILLE

19475 JODHPUR DR | LEESBURG

$1,265,000 | Two parcels being sold together with two homes on a total of 6.11 acres. Windy Hollow is a timeless, private, and beautiful property in the village of Lincoln. This lovely home was meticulously restored and expanded and offers elegant living inside and out. Loved by the same owner for 40+ years.

The detail, quality, and charm is truly apparent and the setting is incredibly tranquil too. NO HOA!

$1,200,000 | Custom built all brick home on 17 very private acres sitting on a bluff overlooking North Fork Goose Creek.

This 5,960 sqft, three bedroom, two and a half bath home features a downstairs master suite, an elegant living room with a wall of French doors, a conditioned three car garage and plenty of room for expansion in the unfinished basement.

A great place to enjoy wildlife in a peaceful setting.

Kristin Dillon-Johnson 703.673.6920

Maria Eldredge 540.454.3829

Peter Pejacsevich 540.270.3835

Anne McIntosh 703.509.4499

2754 & 2744 MILLWOOD PIKE | WINCHESTER

LEE HWY | WASHINGTON

$496,000 | This property has it all! A well-built 3BR, 3BA Cape Cod main house with a 2BR/1BA guest house, a separate 3-room shop behind the main house of approximately 600 sqft, an oversized 2-car garage with electric service and work area, a 12 X 8 shed and an 800 sqft garage round out the buildings, all on a level 2.92 AC of ground.

$425,000 | This spectacular property w/ road frontage on Rt211 is close to commuting routes yet quiet and secluded with lush, gently rolling fields with stunning views. New 24'x36" pole barn with a lean-to. The barn has a concrete floor, rough-in plumbing, 3-garage bay doors, a metal roof, & 200 amp electric service almost complete. Currently in land use for making hay. Approved 4-bedroom septic & a well permit.

Mary Roth 540.535.6854

Kristin Dillon-Johnson 703.673.6920

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