Loudoun Now for March 24, 2016 by Loudoun Now

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Ashburn Scouts Look to Re-Launch Child Safety Seat Inspections KARA C. RODRIGUEZ For the members of Girl Scout Troop 913, one statistic is particularly alarming. As Arianna Wright and Nicole Brinson, both eighth graders at Smart’s Mill Middle School in Leesburg, set out to determine what the basis for the Silver Award project would be, they were shocked to learn the rate at which car seat inspections done in Loudoun County have declined. With only the Leesburg Police Department offering the inspections – to Leesburg residents only – the inspections have not nearly kept pace with the county’s rapid growth in the last decade. As a result, many local parents are being referred to police departments and public safety agencies in other jurisdictions – including Fairfax and Prince William counties and as far west as Berryville. The girls first learned about this when the Rotary Club of Ashburn held a car seat inspection in the fall. The participation was overwhelming. “We had to start cutting the line off about halfway through,” Arianna recalled. Each car seat inspection takes about 30 to 45 minutes, and two certified inspectors must participate in each inspection – one to view the seat being installed, and one to do the actual installation. To be certified as a car seat inspector, one must undergo a four-day intensive training. This commitment alone has led many public safety agencies to shy away from offering the inspections, not to mention the need to have a certain amount of personnel on hand. But since the girls first began work on their Silver Award project – their initiative is called “Saving Loudoun’s Littles” -there is much to be hopeful about. Sheriff Michael Chapman and the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office have committed to train 10 officers over the summer months and several citizen volunteers have also stepped up to be trained. Arianna and Nicole have raised almost $9,000 to commit towards training new car seat inspectors. The two are also responsible for setting up a series of car seat inspection events. The first event was held this March 11 in the Leesburg Costco parking lot and a total of 46 car seat inspections were conducted. The next event is planned for April 15 from 1-3 p.m. at Great Beginnings in Chantilly, located at 13920 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway. At that event, five new Loudoun County inspectors will be completing their four-day training. The group also expects regular events each month thereafter as the program continues to

BY RENSS GREENE

Courtesy of Sharon Wright

From left, Girl Scouts Nicole Brinson and Arianna Wright receive a Certificate of Appreciation from Justina Dee of the Rotary Club of Ashburn for helping to raise awareness and reintroduce car seat safety inspections in Loudoun County.

expand across the County. For the most current listings of all upcoming events, check the group’s Facebook page at Saving Loudoun’s Littles One Car Seat at a Time. The initiative now has commitments from 25 volunteers who will be trained as National Child Passenger Safety Technicians over the next four months. The girls are also planning to enter their initiative into the Step Up Loudoun competition sponsored by Loudoun Youth. And, for Arianna and Nicole, it has reaffirmed two of their passions. Arianna is possibly interested in a medical career and Nicole loves working with kids and enjoys spending her time babysitting. The two will take turns on Friday helping out at the event, they say. Daryl Collette is one of the sponsors behind the girls’ project and is himself going to be trained as a car seat inspector. The owner of Automotive Quality Solutions in Ashburn, said making sure young children riding in cars are safe was “a natural tie in for me.” He said he is becoming certified as a car seat inspector was not a business move, but just something he thought was “the right thing to do.” For more information on the initiative visit the “Saving Loudoun’s Littles – One Carseat at a Time” Facebook page. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

TIME TO GIVE

Nonprofits Ready for Crowdfunding Campaign BY DANIELLE NADLER Area nonprofit organizations are not wasting any time to get the word out about their collective 24-hour fundraising event. Now in its third year, Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties’ GiveChoose day gives local nonprofits an opportunity to shore up its coffers. Last year, the oneday campaign raised $136,918 for 48 local nonprofits. And this year, the foundation is hoping to beat that during this year’s GiveChoose event, May 3. Even though the big day is two months out, the Community Foundation wants to build the momentum early to encourage nonprofits to register to receive donations and companies to sign up as sponsors. So far, 11 companies have signed on as sponsors. Several community leaders are challenging Loudoun employers and business executives to harness the GiveChoose campaign to give back to the community and help their neighbors in need. Mitch Sproul, second vice chairman of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce and director and vice president of

Loudoun Set to Abandon DMV Select Service

business development at Toth Financial Advisory Corporation, is doing his part to put out the call. During the Chamber’s Loudoun County Community Awards ceremony in December, Sproul challenged the hundreds of business leaders gathered to think about what they can afford to donate to local nonprofits. He said, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” Toth Financial has been a GiveChoose sponsor for three years because, as Sproul said, “We just think it’s the right thing to do.” But for Sproul, it’s also personal. His mother was abused, and could have used the help of an organization like Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter. He still tears up on the rare occasion he talks about it. He said there are a lot of families with stories like that who are getting much-needed help from local nonprofits, such as LAWS, which provides women services and a safe place to stay at a dire time in their lives. “What would you pay to provide that kind of help?” asked Sproul. The GiveChoose donations make a real difference in the lives of Loudouners, he added. Caroline Toye, associate director at the Community Foundation, would like to

see the majority of employees at 50 companies make a donation. “The minimum donation is $10, but that could make a big impact,” she said. Last year, about 960 individuals donated during the campaign, and Toye’s goal is to double that number this year. She also wants to see more nonprofit organizations sign on to receive donations. So far, 30 groups have signed up for a GiveChoose training on March 17, where the organizations’ leaders will learn how to make the most of the fundraising event. Toye wants to see that number double as well. Organizations that want to participate in GiveChoose, and companies interested in being sponsors, can learn how at GiveChoose.org. Starting April 19, individuals can schedule their GiveChoose donation at that website. The list of sponsors for this year, so far, include: StoneSprings Hospital, John Marshall Bank, Middleburg Bank, Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, Toth Financial, Backflow Technology, Alpha Graphics, Wells Fargo, Leesburg Daybreak Rotary, McCandlish & Lillard, the Dulles Greenway, and Mitchell & Company. dnadler@loudounnow.com

Loudoun supervisors and Commissioner of Revenue Robert S. Wertz Jr. look ready to drop the DMV Select program from county offices. “We’re at a breaking point,” Wertz told supervisors during a budget meeting last week. “I can’t continue on the current trajectory with our workload.” Without funding for three extra positions in his office, Wertz said his staff can no longer keep up with the extra work. His office contracts with the DMV to provide services such as titling and registration, but he has made it clear that without more staff, he doesn’t plan to renew that contract. “What this comes down to is a philosophical discussion about, is this a service that the county wants to provide that the state might not be living up to,” Wertz said. Supervisors seemed to think not. “If we’re going to have to approve almost $200,000 to basically subsidize a state operation, we’re going to have to take that very seriously,” said a skeptical Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run). “While I use this service and enjoy it, and I would hate to see it go, it’s really difficult to see the state pushing this onto us,” Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) agreed. Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) suggested that cutting off the service might force the DMV to consider offering more service in Loudoun. Wertz’s request was for $171,000 in additional funding to hire two personal property tax assessors and one senior personal property tax assessor to perform DMV Select vehicle registrations, maintain personal property tax accounts, generate vehicle assessments, and other duties in the Leesburg and Sterling offices. In FY 2017, the department expects to conduct an additional 10,000 personal property assessments, process 1,000 titles and complete 1,000 transactions where fees are collected, according to the budget. Supervisors asked Wertz to come up with other uses for his requested staff increase to present at the next budget work session. In the meantime, the county’s contract with the DMV runs out June 30. rgreene@loudounnow.com