Loudoun Now for July 20, 2017

LoudounNow LOUDOUN COUNTY’S COMMUNITY-OWNED NEWS SOURCE

[ Vol. 2, No. 36 ]

[ loudounnow.com ]

[ July 20 – 26, 2017 ]

County Scores with Sports Tourism

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Wine, Whiskey and History Loudoun’s Past Meets its Spirited Present

BY JAN MERCKER

W

hen Trent Tebbe decided to get back to his family’s grain-growing roots, he knew that Loudoun, with its booming craft beverage scene, was the perfect spot.

Tebbe is growing rye on 15 leased acres at the historic Morven Park estate near Leesburg. And Scott and Becky Harris, of Purcellville-based Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, have turned Tebbe’s rye into a 100 percent Loudoun-grown whiskey slated to be bottled this fall.

Meanwhile, down the road at Oatlands Historic House and Gardens, visitors are enjoying special Oatlands wines created by noted local winemaker Doug Fabbioli.

For Loudoun’s history-focused nonprofits, working with distillers and winemakers is a way to tap into the popular craft beverage scene that’s drawing tourists to Loudoun in droves. And for producers, it’s a way to access new markets and forge valuable agricultural partnerships.

“I really wanted to get back into farming,” said Tebbe, a 42-year-old Fair-

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Farmer Trent Tebbe stands with his vintage 1960s John Deere combine in a rye field at Morven Park. Tebbe has leased property on the historic property to grow and harvest rye to be distilled into whiskey with the help of Catoctin Creek Distilling Company.

fax-based software engineer, who was raised on a grain farm in Indiana.

Through tech-industry connections with Bruce Forbes, a member of the Morven Park board of trustees, Tebbe was able to lease 15 acres on the 1,000acre Morven Park property, known for its

historic mansion, world-class equestrian facilities and sports fields. Tebbe began growing rye in 2014 and has since produced two certified-organic harvests. He has since expanded his Three Monkeys Farm with additional leases on privately owned land north of Leesburg.

Before launching his rye experiment, Tebbe reached out to the award-winning distillery right in his backyard about a sourcing arrangement. The booming Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, which WHISKEY >> 38

Senior Sheriff’s Officer Victim of Carjacking, Service Pistol Theft

BY RENSS GREENE A senior officer with command responsibilities in the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office has been caught up in the investigation around a carjacking and firearm theft that occurred last week in Clarke County.

In the course of the incident, the officer’s service pistol, a county-issued phone, and his personal vehicle were stolen. The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office has launched an internal investigation.

According to the sheriff ’s office, the officer was also on sick leave at the time of the incident, and remains on sick leave for a non-work-related issue.

Just after 4 a.m. on July 12, the Clarke County Sheriff ’s Office received a 911 call from a person stating that his vehicle was stolen by an unknown person at gunpoint. The alleged carjacker is 24-year-old Zaxarea Alzanam from Schenectady, NY, who was on parole and had previously been convicted of felony robbery.

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According to Clarke County Sheriff ’s Office, the Loudoun officer gave Alzanam a ride from Loudoun to the J&J Corner Store on Rt. 7 near Berryville.

After dropping him off, the officer found his two phones missing and returned to find Alzanam. At that point Alzanam managed to take a weapon from the officer’s personal SUV—the officer’s service pistol—and ordered the officer out of the car.

Alzanam drove away north on Sheperds Mill Road, driving off the road

about a mile north of Rt. 7. The Clarke County Sheriff ’s Office received another call, alerting them to an SUV that had run off the road. By the time Deputy Jacob Kennedy responded, Alzanam had freed the vehicle and was driving back south. He fled an attempted traffic stop and crashed near Rt. 7. He then fled into the woods on foot.

Units from Clarke County, Loudoun CARJACKING >> 13

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A MLESTONE MIDDLE SCHOOL

INSIDE

3 July 21 – 26, 2017

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Tire thief faces hard time

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Loudoun Set to Open 90th Public School

BY DANIELLE NADLER

I

n just five weeks, 1,100 students from seven different schools will walk into a brand new building to embark on a brand new school year. Everything, from the classroom desks to the landscaping, will be new.

But Renée Dawson is determined to make sure that each of those students has at least one familiar face amid all the unknowns.

Dawson is the principal of the new Brambleton Middle School, which is

still under construction near the corner of Creighton Road and Northstar Boulevard. She and her administrative team have spent the past several months visiting schools, handing out coffee and milkshakes at Meet the Principal events, and knocking on doors with the goal of meeting every one of their future students.

“Connections drive what I do,” Dawson said. “I believe and know there is value in personal relationships, and I want our students to know that from the start.”

The principal spent the spring

months making frequent stops at Creighton’s Corner, Sycolin Creek, Legacy, and Madison’s Trust elementary schools to meet Brambleton’s future sixth-grade students. She asked them to write her a letter with any questions or concerns. She replied to each of the students and used some of their concerns as guidance as she made decisions, from hiring staff to planning the school day.

“That was such a good way to get to know the sixth graders, so then we MIDDLES SCHOOL >> 47

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Hillsboro may land ‘scenic’ restaurant

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Lage unveils long-awaited Cocina on Market

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Belmont Road/W&OD bridge is open for traffic

Trustees Sought for Abandoned Burial Ground

BY NORMAN K. STYER

INDEX

Mike Aron Photography/Loudoun Now

Loudoun Freedom Center held a wreath-laying ceremony at Belmont Slave Cemetery in November.

BURIAL GROUNDS >> 46

Loudoun Gov..................... 4 Leesburg........................... 8 Public Safety................... 12 Education........................ 14 Biz.................................. 18 Nonprofit......................... 22 Points on Pets................. 24 Our Towns....................... 28 LoCo Living..................... 32 Obituaries....................... 39 Classifieds...................... 40 Opinion........................... 44

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A board of trustees to maintain and protect a long-abandoned slave cemetery in Ashburn moved a small step closer to reality during a Circuit Court hearing last week, although even the project’s most ardent supporters aren’t happy about it.

On July 12, Judge Thomas D. Horne heard from Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Plowman and an attorney representing a group of residents who have been leading the restoration effort of the burial ground.

The appointment of trustees is among the final steps needed for Toll Brothers to transfer ownership of the 2.75-acre site at the southeast quadrant of the Rt. 7/Rt. 659 interchange, part of the Belmont County Club property.

However, the process of making those appointments is the subject of compet-

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Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Brambleton Middle School Principal Renée Dawson talks about how eager she is to welcome 1,100 students to the new school, which opens Aug. 24. Most of the students who will attend Brambleton will come from seven different schools: Creighton’s Corner, Sycolin Creek, Legacy, and Madison’s Trust elementary schools and Mercer, Eagle Ridge and Stone Hill middle schools.

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OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW July 20 – 26, 2017

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Supervisors Look to Drop Vehicle Decals

T

BY RENSS GREENE

his might be the last year that you have to put a sticker on your windshield from the county or town (unless you live in Purcellville or Hamilton.)

The Board of Supervisors’ finance committee has recommended the county stop requiring windshield decals for cars in Loudoun. If, as the county is considering, the county takes over the work of tax billing and collections for many of the towns, that could also mean no more stickers in those towns that require them. Only Hamilton and Purcellville have indicated they’re not interested in handing tax collection off to the county.

Treasurer Roger Zurn has been a longtime holdout on vehicle decals, arguing if they go away, it will be harder for the county to determine who has paid the vehicle license fee and been assessed for property tax on the vehicle.

But with the county working toward taking over the work of billing and collecting taxes from the towns, Zurn said his staff wouldn’t be able take on the additional workload of the stickers.

Board Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) said he has wanted to get rid of the vehicle decals since he took office six years ago—but was always dissuaded by Zurn.

County staffers were unable to put

an exact number on how much money would be lost to reduced compliance without decals. Estimates ranged from an admittedly unrealistic $5.6 million worst-case scenario, to about $600,000 counting the savings from eliminating Project Fairness, which has deputies assigned exclusively to enforcing the window sticker requirement.

Between the cost of administering the decal program, printing and mailing the stickers, and running Project Fairness, the window stickers are estimated to cost the county about $430,000 a year.

County staff members report Project Fairness brought in about $100,000 annually in fines, and recovered $60,000 in license fee revenue and $897,000 in vehicle personal property tax revenue in fiscal year 2016. But Commissioner of the Revenue Bob Wertz said he could conceivably expand some of the enforcement work his office does for business taxes to vehicle taxes to help close the gap left by shuttering Project Fairness. He has not yet worked up a cost estimate for doing that.

That would also free up two deputies to be transferred to other departments in the Sheriff ’s Office. And supervisors and Wertz say there are other, more modern tools available to help find out who’s paying their taxes.

“I think one of my biggest issues is, I don’t believe law enforcement should be in the process or in the habit of doing tax collecting,” said County Chair-

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Tickets for expired county vehicle decals could soon things of the past.

woman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large).

“I don’t think that’s the role of law enforcement.”

“The bottom line for me is that this is an annual pain in the rear for everybody in the county, and I do put a value on people’s time,” said Supervisor Tony R. Buffington Jr. (R-Blue Ridge).

“I think they would appreciate if we get rid of this for them. I think that we could do it without costing the county too much money in revenue, and if we find out down the road that it is costing us money and revenue, then we could

maybe bump up the fee.”

The decal fee of $25 would still be collected as a vehicle license fee. Project Fairness would wind down at the end of the current fiscal year on June 30, 2018.

The board is scheduled to take a final vote on doing away with window stickers on July 30. The unanimous vote of the five-member finance committee represents a majority on the board, and no board members have stood up to defend the program. rgreene@loudounnow.com

Opposition to Raises at Public Hearing Comes from Supervisors be paid as constitutional officers are.”

Constitutional officers in a county with Loudoun’s population are paid at least $124,175 to $147,509 depending on their office, according to the state compensation board. The proposed raises would increase the salary for the county chairman from $50,000 to $81,100.

BY RENSS GREENE Supervisors have braced for a public backlash since proposing a raise for the next county board—but if there is one, it wasn’t evident at a July 12 public hearing.

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) and County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) have proposed a pay bump of 62 percent, from $41,200 to $66,826 for supervisors.

Under state law, the board cannot give itself a raise in its current term—the salary increase wouldn’t go into effect until 2020, after the next election.

That pay increase is designed to track with the growth of the county’s general operating budget since the board’s last pay increase in 2008. It equates to where salaries would be now if supervisors received approximately 4 percent raises every year.

Only three people spoke at a public hearing, all in favor.

Real estate executive Brent Campbell, the chair of the county board-appointed Housing Advisory Board, a member of the Loudoun Water Board of Directors, and former Hamilton Town Council member, said there are two reasons to pay supervisors—one, to thank them for their service.

“Another potential suggestion is that it’s actually a way to enable people who are just average people, and who aren’t

Blowback from the Dais

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Supervisor Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn).

independently wealthy, to be able to run for office,” Campbell said. “That’s a unique characteristic here in the U.S. that really just anybody can run for office.” He also pointed out the high cost of living in Loudoun, with a median household income well over $100,000.

“I think it’s in the public interest that a board member could, if they so choose, to have this be their full-time job and still pay the mortgage and put food on the table.”

Mark Miller, chairman of the Loudoun County Public Library Board of Trustees, cofounder of the Smashing Walnuts Foundation, and recent appointee to the Board of the Library of Virginia, said “at the minimum, the chair of the Board of Supervisors should

The fiercest opposition to the idea came from members of the board itself.

Board Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) said “if we gave ourselves the same raise the county staff got each of these years, the numbers would be much lower and more reasonable, and I might even support that.” If supervisor salaries had tracked with county staff raises—which ranged from no raise some years to 3 percent others—a county supervisor would be paid $49,935.27 this year.

“The optics and timing of this are terrible,” Buona said. “This is about our 18th month in office. I don’t think we’d have done this our fourth year in office—it’s an election year. So let’s do it early in the term so that citizens would forget about it by election time.”

He also said the board would be taking this vote during the summer, when Loudouners are on vacation, “and oh, by the way, let’s do it at the very last public hearing before the board takes its August recess… so everybody that votes

yes can run and hide and not have to deal with their constituents.”

He also said arguments that this raise would only apply to the next board are “disingenuous.”

“There’s a lot members up here saying, ‘well, it’s the next board that gets the raise. I don’t know if I’m going to run again.’ That’s disingenuous, because I think everybody up here for the most part knows if they’re going to run again.”

Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (DAt Large) disagreed, starting with the assertion that every member of the board knew whether they would run again—arguing that Buona himself has acknowledged in conversation between them that he has not yet decided.

She also pushed back against the idea that supervisors taking the vote at a time designed to avoid public scrutiny. She said she has been reaching out to citizens and organizations to get the word out about the public hearing.

“Not only am I not running and hiding, I’m going out and begging people, and I’ve actually said, ‘no matter what you think about it, come in and come to the board room and speak to us,’” Randall said. She further argued, considering that for years now elections have meant turnover for a majority on the board, that it’s “very unlikely” that the majority of people on the dais today RAISES >> 6

Fixing Employee Pay Scale Could Strain County Government Budget With the finance committee advising departments to keep their new resources requests to a minimum this year, that surge in hiring could be over next year.

The pay scale won’t be the only big-ticket item on supervisors’ plates in the next budget. For example, county staff members are also looking at new cloud computing and disaster recovery strategies—as highlighted by problems at the county’s own data center that brought down much of its computer network for two days.

Fire and rescue leaders have also pressed supervisors to staff up fire and rescue squads to account for injury, exhaustion, and time off among their crews. rgreene@loudounnow.com

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younger sister, and we have to start acting like it.”

With an estimated population of about 386,000 people according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Loudoun is Virginia’s fourth most populous locality, behind Fairfax County, Prince William County, and Virginia Beach.

“It only makes sense if current service levels are appropriate, and what we know in many of our departments is that current service levels may not be appropriate because we may not have enough employees already,” Randall said.

Last year, the county government had a major staffing-up after years of tough budgets, adding the equivalent of 212 full-time jobs. None of those positions have yet been hired, as the 2018 fiscal year began July 1.

July 21 – 26, 2017

the City of Alexandria.

Hemstreet has said that although the County administrator Tim Hemstreet county is relatively lightly staffed for its told supervisors last week that a new population and his staff carry a heavistudy on the county government’s pay er load than their colleagues in othscale could bring difficult budget news er Northern Virginia jurisdictions, he would rather emphasize higher pay for next year.

County consultants are nearing the the right people over blanket growth in end of a study of the county’s classifica- the county ranks.

Some supervisors agreed. tion and compensation system, the way “If we’re going to get serious about the county sets out job descriptions and pay rates. The current employee clas- compensation, it’s going to take an enorsification system was set out in 2002— mous investment,” said finance commitwhich means the county has seen a lot of tee Chairman Matthew F. Letourneau growth and a lot of new job descriptions (R-Dulles). “And I’d rather invest in the pop up since, particularly in technology. employees that we have, because I think The study will be finished in August, we’ll get more out of them early on, and and supervisors will see it after their make that our focus for this coming August recess in September. It will give budget year.”

Supervisor Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashcounty supervisors an idea of what they will have to spend to update their com- burn) said he expects the next budget pensation levels and catch up to other cycle to be much more challenging than Northern Virginia jurisdictions. Super- the last. But he also said the county visors will then have to decide how much shouldn’t be comparing itself only to jurisdictions to the east. they’re willing to spend to get there.

“Not all of our employees are coming “However, the amount is easily more than the entire amount of enhancements from the east, a lot of them come from that we have had in previous years,” the west,” Buona said.

Supervisors also agree that updates to Hemstreet said.

That means that fixing the pay scale the pay scales will probably have to be must be balanced against the normal phased in over years.

County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Ranbudget growth that comes with opening new county facilities like community dall (D-At Large) said when staffing up centers, parks, and fire stations, and add- the county, it won’t be enough to simply try to keep up with providing the same ing staff to keep up.

In fact, county leaders know they’re level of service to county residents.

“At some point we are going to have already behind their own old stated goals—to pay 95 percent of what other to act like we are what we are, which is a localities in the region pay. For that pur- large and growing county,” Randall said.

“We are not a county of 100,000 people pose, Loudoun measures itself against 7.20.17 Avie LN HalfPg (CS).pdf 1 7/12/17 4:32 PM Fairfax, Arlington, Prince William, and anymore. We are not Fairfax county’s

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Internal County Audit Finds Minor Problems An audit of the county’s internal processes turned up a number of minor issues.

The auditing firm, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, examined policies and procedures across 16 departments, turning up six issues.

Chief among them: Of the 898 policies and procedures the firm reviewed, more than half had not been updated since at least 2014. The firm recommended the county regularly review and update all of its policies and procedures.

The county has said it will take this issue up in its internal operations committee to consider options for a regular review. That committee includes department directors from Management and Budget, Transportation and Capital Infrastructure, Human Resources, Information Technology, General Services, and Finance and Procurement.

The auditors also recommended a centralized position with oversight over department-specific policies across the county; better documentation for certain types of IT infrastructure; continued work on establishing system-wide policies for the fire-rescue department; and tracking all requests to use county facilities, including denied requests.

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Loudoun County is gathering input on possible congestion solutions for Route 15 north of Leesburg at loudoun. gov/route15.

The online survey, which mirrors the surveys conducted in public meetings, gauges preferences and priorities for the road, which is accident-prone and faces intense congestion during rush hours. The online survey is open until Monday, July 24.

County consultants have proposed a variety of possible solutions for Route 15, focusing on widening the road and improving the intersections with King

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<< FROM 4 would receive this raise.

And Letourneau pointed out that the conversation on salary began before school was out.

“I’ll also point out that we made the most consequential decision in the last 50 years of this county, and that was to opt into Metro, the day before July 4th,” Letourneau said. “So don’t give me that. […] Nobody’s trying to hide anything, and if we were, we were doing a very bad job.”

Other supervisors have given mixed responses. Supervisor Geary M. Higgins (R-Catoctin) joined Buona in opposing the idea, agreeing that the job of supervisor is meant to be part-time. Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) said she could not support the full proposed raise, but instead the equivalent of a 2 percent annual raise.

Street and Whites Ferry Road. Those range from stoplights to roundabouts.

The county has also extended that consultant study further north to the Maryland line at Point of Rocks, and is convening a stakeholder committee on the Rt. 15 corridor.

More information, including consultant reports, is available at loudoun. gov/Route15.

Supervisors Support Amendments at The Hub County supervisors have unanimously supported changes to plans at The Hub, formerly Dulles World Center, near the future Innovation Station Metrorail stop in Fairfax.

The revised plan allows more flexibility in developing residential and commercial space and reorganizes phased development. Rather than being required to build commercial space before residential, the developer can now build the two concurrently, with ground-floor commercial space integrated in every residential building.

Supervisors enthusiastically supported the change, which does not add any residential units to the Hub’s planned 1,265 residences at full build out.

The Hub also falls in three tax districts: The Rt. 606 Airport Station Service District, the Metrorail Service District, and the Rt. 28 Tax District.

“People always tell us, you need to have infrastructure come before the development,” said Supervisor Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run), whose district encompasses the development.

“Twenty-two million dollars of infrastructure before ground is being broken on a single residential unit.”

The developer is credited with building Innovation Avenue as it stands today. Meyer also said he believes “the Hub will be a trendsetter.”

“I envision this, literally, for us to be look over at something like Reston Town Center and say, ‘yeah right, Reston Town Center—we have The Hub,” said Supervisor Suzanne M. Volpe (R-Algonkian).

If supervisors received 2 percent raises every year since the current salary was set in 2008, they would be paid $52,251.56 in 2020, when this raise would take effect.

“There is a reason why the three most vocal people against this represent districts where they’re either built out, or very little is happening with land use or transportation,” said Supervisor Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run), referring to the idea’s opponents: Algonkian district Supervisor Suzanne M. Volpe (R); Buona, from Ashburn; and Higgins, from the Catoctin district.

“Secondly,” Meyer added, “There’s a reason why the most vocal opponent of this is the most independently wealthy on the board.” Buona is senior vice president of corporate development at Telos Corporation.

The board will vote on the proposed raise on July 20. rgreene@loudounnow.com

Montgomery County Council Repeats Unanimous Opposition to Bridge

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The day before the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board was scheduled to vote on whether to study options for a new bridge across the Potomac River, the Montgomery County, MD, county council repeated its unanimous opposition.

The idea of a new river crossing between Loudoun and Montgomery counties has come up many times in the past, recently picking up steam in Northern Virginia again. The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, which funnels hundreds of millions of dollars into transportation projects every year, recently identified an “Outer Potomac River Crossing” at Rt. 28 on its long-range wish list, and Loudoun County supervisors have voted unanimously to add a new bridge to the Countywide Transportation Plan.

On July 19, the Transportation Planning Board was scheduled to vote on studying 10 initiatives from the Council of Governments’ Long-Range Plan Task Force for further study—among them, a new bridge.

But the view from the Montgomery County dais is clear: no new bridge.

Montgomery Councilman Craig Rice said on Tuesday, “There is not any benefit for the county for having a second Potomac River crossing.”

“The reality is, there’s no money for

July 21 – 26, 2017

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8

Details: leesburgpublicarts.org/alley

Town Contracts with HUBZone Business

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The Town Council-appointed Economic Development Steering Committee last week opened the fact-finding phase of its effort to identify policy changes that could help business growth in Leesburg.

The panel, chaired by Planning Commissioner Sharon Babbin, is tasked with making a final report to the Town Council in October.

It is meeting each Wednesday through the summer and is inviting representatives from specific business sectors to participate in panel discussions.

Last week, it was downtown property owners. The panel included Joanna Coston, Michael O’Connor, Peter Burnett, and Don Knutson. The group gave a generally favorable report on their experiences and the growing opportunities in the historic district. Key challenges they identified were the needs to increase parking and to allow more residential development downtown.

This week, the committee was scheduled to meet with a panel of developers.

The only controversy during last week’s meeting was the committee’s vote to make comments on the recently proposed expansions of the town’s H-1 and H-2 historic districts. Councilman Marty Martinez, one of two council members participating in the steering committee’s work, said the panel had no authority to weigh in on the historic district policies. However, the committee voted unanimously to proceed with sending a formal response to the Town Council, agreeing that the proposed changes would impact economic development in town. A vote on the statement was expected at the July 19 meeting.

Loudoun Now/File Photo

Visual artist Connie McKnight is one of nearly 60 artisans whose work will be on display at the inaugural Arts in The Alley.

Arts in The Alley Makes its Debut July 29

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

D

owntown Leesburg’s alleyway will be getting a significant makeover, at least for one day.

Saturday, July 29, the Friends of Leesburg Public Arts’ inaugural Arts in the Alley skips into town, and gives the whole family a reason to park the car and appreciate area art.

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the alley area behind the west side of King Street, as well as Mervin Jackson Park and the Town Green, will be transformed into a variety of live art demonstration and sales, performances, and children’s activities.

“The focus of Arts in the Alley is to showcase local artists and artisans.

Communities that nurture and promote the arts and improve the quality of life for everyone,” according to FOLPA President Sue Stipek.

The arts scene in Leesburg has been booming and FOLPA has been a driving force behind many of those projects. The completion of a mural in the Town Hall parking garage, the installation of the LOVEworks sculpture near Raflo Park, and the mural underway near the Liberty Street parking lot have been a few of the projects FOLPA has had a hand behind recently.

Just as important for the nonprofit has been the creation of events to engage the community in the arts scene, and Arts in the Alley hopes to do just that by enlivening the downtown area for the last Saturday in July.

A variety of artists will be partici-

pating, both exhibiting, demonstrating and selling their wares—from pottery making to flint knapping to stone tool-making to woodworking to photography to fiber arts, and more.

Chip Beck, a well-known editorial cartoonist, combat artist, photographer, and freelance writer, will be displaying and selling some of his works.

Penny Hauffe will be creating a chalk art design on the Loudoun Street side of the parking garage wall during the event in a trompe l’oeil demonstration sponsored by Blue Ridge Hospice.

Hauffe’s murals can be found on businesses and private residences throughout Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Bill Seebeck will be doing a flint knapping demonstration on the porch of the log cabin. And Loudoun County Public Schools teacher Courtney Kincaid is another artist in the event, and has helped FOLPA with its graphics for the event.

In total, Arts in the Alley will bring together 58 artisans, 15 of which are from Leesburg, and the remainder mainly from around Loudoun County, West Virginia, and the metro DC region. One artist will be traveling all the way from Rochester, NY, to participate.

But the art is not kept only to the visual senses. Arts in the Alley brings together an impressive performance roster, with entertainment offered on the Town Green stage, the gazebo in the alley, and the Rose Garden. Performing on the Town Green stage will be the Airmen of Note, a premier jazz ensemble of the U.S. Air Force; Loudoun

Arts in The Alley When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, July 29 Where: Alley west of South King Street in downtown Leesburg

Chorale; Loudoun Lyric Opera; Loudoun Symphonic Winds Ensemble Trombone Choir; Mudlark Band; Last Ham Standing improv group; Dance King Studios; and On That Note/Sterling Playmakers.

The line-up on the gazebo in the alley includes: The Golden Uksters, Mayleen and Waylee Hyett, Tom O’Neill, Bob Crerie, Stephen Merlin, and Annie Stokes. The Rose Garden area will feature puppet shows from Blue Sky Puppet Theatre, performances from Nrityaniketan Classical Indian dancers, and children’s activities.

There is no admission fee for Arts in the Alley, and free parking will be available in the Town Hall parking garage and at lots throughout the downtown area.

For more information, go to leesburgpublicarts.org/alley. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

The town contracted with a Leesburg-based, HUBZone-certified cybersecurity services firm to conduct a risk assessment of its IT systems.

Through a prime contract with Insight Public Sector’s U.S. Communities government purchasing alliance, cybersecurity firm Triple Point Security will be taking on the task. The company will be looking for vulnerabilities in the town’s network architecture, security systems, physical locations, and procedures, according to IT Manager Annie Carlson.

“Right now is an opportune time for us to be doing a risk assessment,” Carlson stated. “This year we will be updating our IT strategic plan and this assessment will help us map out the steps needed to ensure the security of our network.”

BRIEFS >> 10

Next Up: Brickyard Looks to Build 59 Townhouses

9 July 21 – 26, 2017

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

The Brickyard development is planned on eight acres behind the Leesburg Police Department.

krodriguez@loudounnow.com

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actment of new proffer limitations imposed by the General Assembly, it is not subject to those new standards.

In addition to on-site recreation amenities, proffers offered by the applicant include the construction of a sidewalk linking the development to Plaza Street; a commitment to designing and constructing ENERGY STAR, or energy efficient rating equivalent, homes; and about $1 million in cash contributions for school construction, parks and recreation, transportation and fire-rescue.

The initial public hearing on the Brickyard application is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 20, at the Leesburg Planning Commission meeting in Town Hall. The application is expected to come back for a future work session.

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LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

With 2016 seeing the Leesburg Town Council approve the construction of new residential units in the hundreds, the first half of 2017 has been relatively quiet by comparison.

But Thursday’s trip to the Planning Commission looks to be the start of the next hot debate, with the start of reviewing the proposed Brickyard development.

Andre Inc. seeks to rezone just more than eight acres from R-6 to Planned Residential Neighborhood to allow for the construction of 59 townhouses. Twenty of those units are designated for “live/work” and will include ground floor office space. The property is behind the Leesburg Plaza Shopping Center and in the rear of the Leesburg Police Department and the Fields apartments, off Plaza Street. The land is mostly wooded.

While part of the property lies within the Crescent Design District, the application was accepted for review by the town before those policies were adopted, meaning it is exempt from those regulations. Prior to that, the area was targeted for commercial development.

In February 2004, the site had a byright preliminary site plan approved for almost 100,000 square feet of development including a restaurant, bank, and offices. But that site plan has expired.

Because the application was received by the town in 2012, prior to the en-

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10

Leesburg Council Adopts Proffer Limitations

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

A year after the Virginia General Assembly imposed tighter restrictions on the ability of local governments to accept proffers from developers, the Leesburg Town Council last week revamped its development policies.

Proffers are contributions of cash, land or road improvements made by developers seeking to rezone property for more intense development. Proffer agreements have been valuable tools in fast-growing communities like Leesburg and Loudoun County, helping local governments offset some of the infrastructure costs of serving new residents and businesses.

Representatives of the state building industry in 2016 successfully lobbied the General Assembly to restrict the use of proffers, amid allegations that some jurisdictions were abusing the process by making unreasonable demands. The law allows developers to challenge the reasonableness of a proffer even if it was voluntarily submitted. Any proffers submitted by rezoning applicants now must be “specifically attributable” to resolve the impacts generated by a new development on services such as schools, parks, and public safety.

Among the alternatives facing local governments is to continue with their current policies despite the risk that any proffer could be challenged, and negated, in Circuit Court, or to stop accepting proffers altogether.

Last year, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors and, last week, the Lees-

Loudoun Now/File Photo

Crescent Place near downtown is an example of a development that the town approved with an agreement that the developer would contribute proffers to help offset the cost of more residents.

burg Town Council selected a middle ground. They opted to continue accepting proffers in specific areas, tapping an exemption provided in the state law.

In a 6-1 vote, the council formally adopted changes to both its Zoning Ordinance and Town Plan that will allow the town to continue to accept proffers

in two areas where development is guided by specific small area plans— the Crescent Design District, covering land south and east of the downtown historic district, and the Eastern Gateway, along East Market Street outside the Leesburg Bypass. Those two areas are expected to be the key locations for major residential development or redevelopment in the coming years.

The option adopted by the council prohibits the acceptance of any proffers related to residential rezonings filed after July 1, 2016, anywhere else in town. Town staff members had previously advised the council that this option would pose the least legal risk to Leesburg.

Councilman Tom Dunn cast the lone opposition vote. He had previously supported another option presented by the staff to continue to accept proffers for residential rezonings throughout town. He affirmed that position Tuesday night.

“Developers are not going to offer proffers in hopes they can go into court and delay things through lawsuits,” he said. “I think [the majority’s decision] is an excessive, bureaucratic effort to limit what we can do just on the assumption that we’re going to get sued.”

Councilman Ron Campbell was among the supporters of the new policy, saying it best protects Leesburg.

“I think it is reasonable and fair and does protect what it needs to protect— the needs of the town,” he said. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

[ BRIEFS ] << FROM 8 Triple Point Security was founded

by Carlo Espiritu, a Loudoun County High School graduate. Last year, Espiritu moved the business to Leesburg to take advantage of the town’s HUBZone, which gives qualified small businesses advantages in securing government contracts. Triple Point Security’s clients include the National Institutes of Health and Fairfax County Government.

Foreign Gifts on Display Thomas Balch Library’s installed a new exhibit at Douglass Community Center showcasing some of the gifts the Town of Leesburg has received from foreign nations.

When representatives from communities in foreign countries visit Leesburg as part of international exchange programs, they often bring gifts from their home cities or countries. After being presented to town officials, the gifts are added to the collections of the Thomas Balch Library. An exhibit of these gifts will be on display at the Douglass Community Center, at 405 East Market St., through Aug. 7.

“It has been really interesting to learn about all the connections the Town of Leesburg and Loudoun County have with cultures around the world,” Thomas Balch Library intern Max Arlett stated.

The research, design, and installation of the exhibit were completed with the assistance of Arlett and a previous library intern, Caroline Kessler.

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11 July 21 – 26, 2017

Stanely’s Bucket-List Ride He called the experience “delightful.”

Caulkins rode in a Russian-made Ural, with Steve Ortiz doing the driving. The Prince William County firefighter answered the call when Caulkins’ friends asked for someone with a sidecar that could help make his dream come true.

They led about 18 other bikes on their trip.

Last month, Caulkins Jewelers closed after 61 years in Leesburg.

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Two weeks into his retirement, longtime Leesburg businessman Stanley Caulkins is continuing to knock things off his bucket list. On Saturday, the nonagenarian and World War II airman took a 70-mile motorcycle ride with an enthusiastic group of supporters.

“It was a childhood dream,” Caulkins said, as he and the caravan pulled in at his Leesburg home after the trip.

“I’ve never been on a motorcycle or a sidecar before.”

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Allison Jenkins/Loudoun Now

Stanley Caulkins and Steve Ortiz prepare for their Saturday morning motorcycle ride.

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12

[ PUBLIC SAFETY ]

Driver Charged with DUI in Rt. 7 Crash LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office investigators have charged a Clifton man with DUI following a head-on crash July 13 on Rt. 7.

The crash happened at 4 p.m. on Rt. 7 between Rt. 9 and Rt. 704 near Hamilton.

The preliminary investigation determined the driver of a 2002 Volkswagen Passat was westbound on Rt. 7 when the vehicle left the roadway and traveled across the median and struck a 1999 Ford van in the eastbound lanes.

The driver of the Volkswagen, Mar-

cus R. Delaney, 25, of Clifton, was airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital for treatment of injuries described as serious but non-life-threatening. Delaney also was issued a summons at the hospital for DUI—his second offense in five years.

The driver of the Ford sustained minor injuries and was taken to the Cornwall Campus of Inova Loudoun Hospital where he was later released. A passenger in the Volkswagen sustained minor injuries and was taken to the Inova Loudoun Hospital in Lansdowne where he was later released.

Susan Styer/Loudoun Now

A Clifton man faces charges of DUI after a head-on crash on Rt. 7.

Tire Thief Faces 132-year Prison Sentence LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT Following a three-day jury trial, Jason L. Brooks, 38, was found guilty of a rash of tire and rim thefts that occurred last year.

A Circuit Court jury found Brooks guilty of six counts of grand larceny, six counts of larceny with intent to sell, three counts of destruction of property, and three counts of tampering with an automobile.

In the cases, numerous victims awoke to find their trucks and SUVs up on cinder blocks in their driveway, with the tires and rims stolen. In several instances, investigators found blue fibers from what appeared to be a moving blanket attached to the blocks.

Trial testimony revealed that the break in the case came when law enforcement in New Jersey stopped Brooks as he was driving a white Ford Explorer. In the vehicle were cinder blocks wrapped in a blue moving blanket, a floor jack, and tools for removing lug nuts. Brooks also had used tape to black out the vehicle’s interior lights.

Loudoun detectives executed search warrants at Brooks’ storage unit and apartment, finding bags of lug nuts, lug nut keys, and business cards for “Jay’s Deals on Wheels.” Also found in the storage unit, was personal property belonging to one of the victims. The jury was shown video from a neighbor’s security camera that showed the thief driving a white Ford Explorer.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Pohlner asked the jury to hand down a sentence that told Brooks “Jay’s Deals on Wheels is hereby shutdown.”

The jury returned a verdict recommending Brooks be sentenced to a total of 132 years in prison, 63 months in jail, and $6,000 in fines.

Brooks’ criminal history includes two felony convictions for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, assault, and unlawful imprisonment.

Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 18 before Judge Stephen E. Sincavage, who presided over the trial.

Brooks also faces charges with identical offenses in New Jersey, Fairfax County, and Prince William County.

Jason L. Brooks

[ SAFETY BRIEFS ] Dulles, stated.

CBP officers routinely examine passenger manifests on arriving and departing international flights, and identify travelers who may require additional inspectional scrutiny, including those with outstanding arrest warrants. On average, CBP arrests 23 wanted suspects every day at points of entry across the United States.

Ashburn Construction Sites Vandalized

Submitted Photos

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, shown here at Dulles Airport, arrested a Fairfax man on heroin charges.

Heroin Suspect Nabbed at Dulles U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Dulles Airport last week arrested a Fairfax man on heroin charges.

Omar Ahmed Zaidan, 23, a U.S. citizen, arrived on a flight from Saudi Arabia, and was arrested on a Fairfax

County warrant for felony heroin possession.

“This warrant arrest is another example of CBP’s collaboration with our law enforcement partners to protect victims’ rights, return fugitives to justice, and to help keep our communities safe,” Wayne Biondi, CBP Port Director for the Area Port of Washington

Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office detectives are asking for the public’s help to find who is responsible for vandalism that occurred at two Savin Hill Drive construction sites in Ashburn.

The damage was discovered at 6 a.m.

Wednesday, July 12 and occurred sometime after 4 p.m. Tuesday. Someone used red spray paint to damage vehicles, tools and buildings. The graffiti included offensive and vulgar drawings, according to the agency.

Anyone with any information regarding about the case is asked to call Detective M. Wealand at 571-209-7730 or to submit a tip through the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office app.

Saturday Rollover Crash Results in DUI Charge The Saturday evening crash at the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Legacy Park Drive has a Woodbridge woman facing criminal charges.

According to the Sheriff ’s Office, the crash happened just after 6 p.m.

The car rolled over multiple times.

The driver, Natalie M. Richard, 32, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and failing to yield right of way. She was released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a $1,000 unsecured bond.

Unlocked Vehicles Targeted in Sterling Three residents in Sterling’s Victoria Station neighborhood reported that someone entered their unlocked vehicles during the overnight hours last week. In two cases, items were stolen— in another, an item was left behind, according to the Sheriff ’s Office.

The incidents occurred on Winding Branch Terrace and Paddington Station Terrace between July 13 and July 16. Cash, credit cards and electronics were reported stolen. In one car, the suspect left a “smoking device” behind.

13 July 21 – 26, 2017

Carjacking << FROM 1

Zaxarea Alzanam

fices have declined to confirm the identity of the Loudoun officer involved, as the victim of a carjacking and the subject of an internal affairs investigation.

“This is an active criminal investigation being conducted by the Clarke County Sheriff ’s Office and it would be inappropriate for any further comment on their criminal case,” stated Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office spokesman Kraig Troxell. “In addition, the Loudoun Sheriff ’s Office is conducting a separate internal affairs investigation.” rgreene@loudounnow.com

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County, the Town of Berryville, Frederick County, the Virginia State Police, and a Fairfax County Police Department helicopter joined the search.

The search came to an end at 8:11 a.m. when a resident of nearby Chilly Hollow Road called to say that Alzanam was at his home, and he was holding the suspect at gunpoint.

The Winchester Star reported that Brian Morgan noticed cattle behaving unusually, spotted Alzanam running across a field, chased him down in a truck, and fired a warning shot into the ground and ordered Alzanam onto the ground. He, Shannon Dulaney, and Wayne Warfield Jr. attempted to hold the suspect at gunpoint.

Law enforcement arrived to find Alzanam had nonetheless fled into a nearby parked vehicle and locked himself in.

Alzanam was taken into custody and transported to the Northwest Virginia Regional Adult Detention Center after being medically cleared at the Winchester Medical Center. He has been charged with carjacking, auto theft, firearm theft, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and eluding police. He is being held without bond.

The victim is a senior officer with command responsibilities, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

The Loudoun and Clarke Sheriff ’s of-

loudounnow.com

[ E D U C AT I O N ]

[ SCHOOL NOTES ]

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14

Courtesy photo

A Kumon math and reading center is open at 635 Potomac Station Drive in Leesburg.

Kumon Opens in Potomac Station

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Students in the College Now program accept applause after their performance of “Why Am I Here?” on Friday.

High School Students Get College Crash Course

BY KELSIE MCCRAE

T

he College Now program will give Loudoun performing arts and science students the chance to experience a week away at college—and will reward them with free college credits.

The program was inspired by the idea that if students who are on the fence about attending college were given the chance to try it out for free, they would be more likely to choose that path.

Thanks to a $29,000 grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, 30 Loudoun high schoolers will attend a weeklong course at Richard Bland College, and earn as many as four college credits while they’re at it.

Fifteen students spent last week at the college in Petersburg studying performing arts and a second group of 15 students will leave July 31 to spend a week there studying chemistry, physics, biology and astronomy.

The first set of students, under the tutelage of Rock Ridge High School

theater teacher Anthony Cimino-Johnson, studied theater history, listened to lectures and took time to reflect on their lessons through journaling and video diaries. They also practiced dramatic improv. Although typically thought of as a comedic tool, students learned how to use improv in a serious way.

Students used the skills they learned during the week to develop a one-act play titled, “Why Am I Here?” which COLLEGE NOW >> 16

Loudoun Students Flex Tech Talents at STEM Camp LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT There’s little chance these students will feel intellectually stagnant this summer.

More than 130 fourth- through ninth-graders spent a week earlier this month at STEM Camp, exploring all things science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The participants engineered, designed and built bridges; programmed dancing robots; and calculated the force and motion of rollercoasters.

The Loudoun County Public Schools Science Department organizes and

Garden Club Announces Scholar The Leesburg Garden Club has announced the recipient of its Scholarship Award for Conservation.

The $1,000 scholarship went to Valerie Knowles, who graduated last month from Park View High School.

Loudoun County Public Schools

STEM >> 17

Leesburg is welcoming its first Kumon franchise.

Kumon is the world’s largest after-school math and reading program. The centers offer an individualized learning program for preschool through high school children.

The first Kumon franchise in the Leesburg area opened in Lansdowne in 2015. Larry Lambert, vice president of franchise recruitment at Kumon North America, said that local demand for tutoring and enrichment programs prompted the company to open a second location nearby.

The new Leesburg location, at 635 Potomac Station Drive, will make 41 Kumon math and reading centers in Virginia and six in Loudoun County.

“Due to the emphasis placed on academics in the area, we’ve seen a high demand for supplemental education programs,” Lambert stated. “We are appreciative of the opportunity to continue to meet those demands and are committed to providing as many children as possible with an academic advantage and love for learning.”

Kumon’s teaching method empowers children to become self-learners and is designed to advance math and reading skills.

Their tutors and teachers work to spark critical thinking, establish a pattern of success and build confidence that can lead to accelerated learning throughout life.

Learn more at kumon.com.

More than 130 Loudoun students take on the role of scientists at STEM Camp.

SCHOOL NOTES >> 17

15

July 21 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 26, 2017

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College Now << FROM 14 they performed for friends and family in Rock Ridge’s black box theater on Friday. The play explored the anger and confusion that follows the loss of a loved one, from the death of a dog to a child, and how redemption can follow.

Rock Ridge’s own Andrew Otchere said that much of the production was

improv. “We have a few planned lines to trigger the next scene, but a lot of it is made up as we go. We’ve seen that it brings out true, real emotions,” he said.

Otchere, a rising junior, had taken a few high school theater classes before the program, but said he had never experienced anything like it. “I went into the week not knowing what to expect, but I came out having learned so much,” he said. “I loved it. Not many people get an opportunity like this.”

The second group leaves later this

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Students in the College Now program perform a scene from “Why Am I Here?” where the main character is in labor.

month and will cram a semester’s worth of science course work into a week. Rock Ridge physics teacher Myron Hanke is eager to have the flexibility to take his students outdoors to identify constellations at night, something he wouldn’t have the opportunity to do in a typical high school course.

Kevin Terry, director of school counseling at Rock Ridge High School, said Hanke and Cimino-Johnson worked with Richard Bland College to basically create their own governor’s school.

They developed curriculum that both challenges and interests high school students who are particularly talented in science and/or performing arts. As a result, the theater students will walk away with three college credits, and science students with four. The credits are accepted at most Virginia colleges and universities, including Richard Bland College’s sister school, the College of William and Mary.

“When you look at the amount of time they spend working, it adds up to as many hours as a college course,” Terry said. “The program is designed to give high-achieving and passionate students the chance to experience college.”

The College Now students attend Rock Ridge, Freedom, Broad Run, Loudoun County and Park View high schools and were selected from a pool of candidates that were recommended by their teachers. There were two spots reserved for each the county’s high schools, but not every school chose to send students.

Most of the students came from Rock Ridge, which places an emphasis on dual enrollment, courses its students

N C P ow lu r Be b D iori in ep ty gA o cc sits ep te d!

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are offered on the school campus that can also earn them college credit. This year’s graduating class earned 3,360 college credits through the program— an average of 11 credits per graduate.

The school’s partnership with Richard Bland College allows it to offer dual enrollment courses for free, a model that has earned recognition from state and even federal leaders, including U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA).

Terry met with Warner’s education liaison last week to discuss the success of both the dual-enrollment and College Now programs. The College Now class joined in on the discussion via Skype to share their thoughts and experiences from the first half of their week at Richard Bland College.

The reaction from Warner’s office was “very complimentary,” Terry said.

“They’ve been following along because of the success of the dual enrollment program.”

Both the dual enrollment and College Now programs are introducing more options for students who might decide to pursue higher education. Not only will they be better prepared to attend a college or university, but they will also be further along the path to the diploma of their choice by earning college credits before they’ve graduated high school.

Kelsie McCrae is a summer intern with Loudoun Now. She’s studying English literature, leadership studies and business administration at Christopher Newport University. She is an alumna of Loudoun School for the Gifted in Ashburn.

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.

A SHBURN 44141 Russell Branch Parkway, Ashburn, VA 20147 www.Waltonwood.com | www.SinghJobs.com

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

<< FROM 14 conducts the STEM Camp, now in its seventh year. Students who attend are invited to the camp by their principal.

Principals are encouraged to select students who have demonstrated an interest in math and science, but who have not had the opportunity to pursue enrichment in these areas for one

July 21 – 26, 2017

STEM

17

[ SCHOOL NOTES ]

reason or another.

Science resource teacher Pat Herr stated in a press release that one of the goals of the camp is to get the students feeling like scientists. She noted that the students love wearing lab coats and goggles during the week as they explore and investigate various topics.

She added that the students are constantly learning during the experience but often are having too much fun to realize it.

<< FROM 14

Loudoun County Public Schools

“Valerie is a good representative of the garden club’s mission through conservation of our natural resources and spirit of volunteerism and service to the community,” stated club member Rosalie F. Leigh.

Valerie studied biotechnology and environmental plant science at C.S. Monroe Technology Center and helped organize the school’s biggest

fundraisers—its spring, fall and winter plant sales. She’s stayed busy out of school, too, playing varsity volleyball and taking part in STEM Club, Girl Scouts and National Honor Society. She’s also volunteered with several organizations, including the Heritage Farm Museum, Link Food Pantry and Operation Christmas.

She will attend Coastal Carolina University this fall.

A student programs a robot to follow commands at STEMP Camp.

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Valerie Knowles, far left, worked alongside fellow students Elise Varblow and Alex Bates, and teacher Deborah Chavis, to put on C.S. Monroe Technology’s plant sales. She is the recipient of Leesburg Garden Club’s Scholarship Award for Conservation.

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[ BIZ BRIEFS ] Forum: Pushing Virginia’s Economy Back on Top

July 20 – 26, 2017

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With a new report released last week, Virginia may be reversing the slide from its traditional spot as one of the nation’s highest rated states in which to do business. An upcoming Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce forum will put a spotlight on those efforts.

John Patterson/Loudoun Now

The Purcellville Fielder’s Choice face off against the Loudoun Inferno at Bolen Park.

Loudoun Economy Wins Big with Sports Industry

BY JOHN PATTERSON

L

oudoun hosts almost 20 sports tournaments each year—and the county wins with every game.

According to a new economic impact study by Visit Loudoun, the county’s tourism agency, and George Washington University’s School of Business, Loudoun’s econo-

my scored $20.5 million from the amateur sports tourism industry last year alone.

That’s not all ticket revenue. According to the study, approximately 20,593 players and spectators traveled 50 or more miles for these tournaments last year. Of those, 96 percent stayed in hotels for an average of 3.21 nights.

The data also says guests in each of these hotel rooms spent on average

$226 at restaurants, retail and attractions during their stay. On top of the $20.5 million in sales, this business kicks $1.2 million in taxes straight into county coffers.

“Loudoun is … very accessible for national travel teams with Dulles International [Airport] located within the LOUDOUN SPORTS >> 20

Damewood Closes Big at Auctioneer Championship are selected to go to the finals. In the final round, auctioneers face an inCompeting against more than 70 of terview portion to test their industry the world’s top performers, Purcell- knowledge, before selling another two ville’s Brian Damewood came home items before a packed ballroom.

“This event really picks a champifrom the International Auctioneer Championship in Columbus, OH, with on auctioneer, not just a bid-caller,” Damewood said. “The NAA does a the first runner-up trophy.

“It feels incredible to emerge with great job with the interview of finding such a high finish from a field of so out how you would handle an on-themany great auctioneers from all parts spot question in an auction consultaof the U.S— even internationally,” the tion, or media interview.”

He is an associate auctioneer of 31-year-old, second generation aucDamewood Auctioneers, a famitioneer said.

The National Auctioneers Associa- ly-owned business marketing real tion sponsors the IAC, which was held estate, machinery, and collections at Friday, July 14 in front of a crowd of auction. He also works at several cornearly 800 auction professionals and porate owned automobile auctions their families. This event capped the weekly, as well as conducts fundraisweek-long NAA Conference and Show. ers for nonprofits throughout the year.

The event grades participants on Damewood followed in the footsteps auction chant, speed, clarity, salesman- of his father, Craig Damewood, who ship and stage presence. All the contes- has been in the auctioning business for tants sell several items in a preliminary DAMEWOOD >> 20 round, then 15 from the men’s division LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

In the CNBC Best States for Business 2017 report released last week, Virginia ranked as the 13th best state to do business in 2016—up six places since the previous year. The ranking still is lower than the number eight spot Virginia was given shortly after the Governor took office in 2014.

The July 27 State of the Virginia Economy forum is part of the Chamber’s PolicyMaker Series.

The featured speakers will be John O. “Dubby” Wynne, chairman of the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board; James W. Dyke Jr., a member of the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board; and Barry DuVal, president and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

The 24-member Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board was created by the General Assembly in 2016 to promote collaborative regional economic and workforce development opportunities and activities. It has helped launch dual statewide and regional initiatives—GO Virginia and Blueprint Virginia—to spur investment in high growth industries and create high-paying jobs.

The breakfast meeting begins at 8 a.m. at the Dulles Airport Marriot. Go to loudounchamber.org for registration and details.

Cana’s Natoli Named Winemaker of the Year

Courtesy of Myers Jackson

Brian Damewood on stage at the July 14 International Auctioneer Championship in Columbus, OH. The Loudoun native scored a second-place finish.

Middleburg’s Cana Vineyards winemaker Melanie Natoli was named Wom an Winemaker of the Year as part of the 2017 International Wo m e n’s Wine Com- Natoli petition.

BIZ BRIEFS >> 19

19

[ BIZ BRIEFS ]

The Loudoun Workforce Resource Center will hold “Career Connections,” an employer panel discussion, on Friday, July 21.

The event will take place at 9 a.m. in the Shenandoah Room of the Shenandoah Building, 102 Heritage Way NE, in Leesburg.

The featured employer panelists will share information regarding their organizations, including job openings, job requirements and candidate qualifications.

Speakers include Kathy Richardson and George Morelos of the Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services; Daphne Wotherspoon of Hire Strategy; and Anne McCallion Cox of Wegmans.

The panel discussion provides job seekers the opportunity to network with area employers.

The event is free but space is limited and anyone interested in attending is asked to register in advance at eventleaf.com/careerconnect.

Nathaniel to Share Kalani Consulting’s HUBZone Story

StoneSprings Hospital Center announced that it has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association’s HeartCheck mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers.

“The certification provides us with the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide as well

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The Town of Leesburg’s Economic Development Office will hold its quarterly HUBZone business meeting on Thursday, July 27, from 6-8 p.m. at the Mason Enterprise Center, at 202 Church Street SE. Duane Nathan- Nathaniel iel, president and CEP of Kalani Consulting, Inc. will be the featured speaker. He has more than 34 years of program and project man-

StoneSprings Awarded Stroke Center Certification

as to continually strive to advance our care even further,” stated Dr. Christopher Crowell, medical director of the Emergency Department.

As part of the certification, StoneSprings Hospital Center underwent an onsite review on July 14. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement.

“Led by Dr. Crowell, this achievement is a direct reflection of the hard work by our medical staff and associates and their continued commitment to providing the highest level of care for our community,” StoneSprings CEO Lance Jones stated.

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Resource Center Offers Career Connections Talk

tion and registration, go to leesburgva. gov/hubzone.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Natoli shared the award with Aimee Sunseri of Nicheline Family Vineyards and New Clairvaux Vineyard in Napa Valley, California.

Natoli’s best showing wine was Cana Vineyards’ NV Sweet Vermouth, which earned a Double Gold medal, Best of Class designation, and Best of Show in the Dessert/Late Harvest category.

Cana Vineyards also won two silver medals at the IWWC for the 2016 Albarino and 2016 Rkatsiteli, and bronze for its 2016 Petit Manseng and 2016 Riesling. There were more than 1,150 entries and the judges awarded 29 Double Gold medals, 54 Best of Class awards, and six Best of Show awards.

Established in 2007, the International Women’s Wine Competition is designed to highlight wines that appeal to women consumers, as well as wines produced by women. This year’s competition was judged June 20-21 in Sonoma County, CA. Natoli started winemaking in 2009 as an intern. In 2011, she left her career as a physical therapist to pursue winemaking full time. She joined Cana in 2015 as winemaker and vineyard manager.

agement experience in the commercial and public sectors and will share his experience navigating the HUBZone application process and tackling the requirement that 35 percent of employees be HUBZone residents.

Kalani Consulting Inc. is an information technology services company founded in 2009. Its principal office is in Leesburg, with additional offices in Springfield. KCI became HUBZone certified in 2013.

A program of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the HUBZone helps small businesses gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities while increasing employment opportunities in economically distressed areas.

The meeting is free and open to all small businesses. For more informa-

July 21 – 26, 2017

<< FROM 18

Are you having money and relationship problems?

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OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW July 20 – 26, 2017

FREE Workshops on Stress Management, Communication, and Financial Management for COUPLES who have lived together for over a year. Workshops are available in Falls Church, Leesburg, Gaithersburg, College Park, and Bowie.

(877) 432-1669 www.togetherprogram.org

Couples will receive $160 in gift cards for completing surveys TOGETHER is a project of Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland, College Park.

Funding for this Project was provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant: # 90FM077-01-00.

Couples are randomly assigned to receive or not to receive services to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.

Loudoun sports << FROM 18 county,” Torye Hurst, Visit Loudoun’s national sports sales manager, said.

“The addition of Metro service will only enhance the visitor’s experience.”

The study also shows that Visit Loudoun is attracting a lucrative demographic. More than half of the county’s visitors for sports tournaments had a household income above $100,000.

“This data is invaluable,” Visit Loudoun President and CEO Beth Erickson said in a press release. “The sports market is a growing and viable industry as families continue to travel for their children’s sports. The study confirms that our efforts in this market are on target and demonstrates that we are seeing a return on investment.”

The amateur sports tourism industry shows no signs of slowing in the 2017 season. This is the county’s primetime for tournaments, with fields and facilities booked every weekend until ear-

Damewood << FROM 18 36 years in Loudoun County.

“It was truly special for my wife, Catherine, daughter, Penny, and both my parents to be present at this event.

That made the event all the more

ly August. This past weekend and the coming one, the Protect Our Nation’s Youth (PONY) softball tournament will be playing on 17 fields, with players and their families coming from more than six states. After that, the USSSA will hold its Class C National Championship July 26-30, and then USA Softball Eastern Nationals will take the fields Aug. 2-6. All these tournaments have players in age brackets ranging from 10 to 18 years old, which means parents who, when not sitting in the bleachers, will be contributing to Loudoun’s economy.

Liz Jurasek, a mother from Massachusetts, came down this weekend with her daughter, who is playing in the PONY softball tournament with her team, the Rhode Island Thunder.

“We’re staying at the Hampton Inn in Sterling,” she said. “We’ve done pizza delivery. We went to Buffalo Wing Factory. [Loudoun County] is very nice.”

John Patterson is an intern with Loudoun Now. He is studying English and economics at the University of Virginia.

meaningful,” Damewood said.

Winners of this contest serve as an industry representative for the NAA at various state association conventions, educational events, and at public appearances. Dustin Rogers, of Mount Airy, NC, took home the top prize, including a $5,000 check, championship ring and trophy.

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Loudoun Now/File Photo

Father-son auctioneer team Craig Damewood and Brian Damewood work at an auction in Willowsford. Brian Damewood took home a silver medal from the International Auctioneer Championship in Columbus, OH, July 14.

21 July 21 – 26, 2017

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22

[NONPROFIT ]

Acosta Leaving After 12 Years with LAWS

BY DANIELLE NADLER

A

fter leading Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter for the past five years, Nicole Acosta is stepping down as its executive director.

She will continue her work with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, which has been her lifelong passion, but just over the county line.

Next month, she’ll start a new job as countywide domestic violence coordinator for Fairfax County’s Office for Women and Domestic and Sexual Violence Services.

Judy Hanley has been appointed interim executive director while the LAWS board of directors searches for the organization’s next leader. Hanley serves as the director of the Loudoun Child Advocacy Center, a program LAWS launched in 2008.

Acosta got her start with LAWS in 2005 working overnight shifts at its shelter. It was a perfect fit. She wanted a job where she could serve victims of domestic violence, but needed her days free to work toward her master’s degree in social work. “I had previously done an internship at a domestic violence program and I really loved that work.

And the hours worked well while I was in graduate school,” she said.

As she learned more about LAWS, Acosta loved the organization’s mission to provide free, confidential services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. So after earning her master’s degree in 2006, she took the position of its director of Youth and

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Nicole Acosta is leaving Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter after 12 years for a post in Fairfax

Child Services, providing direct services and counseling to child victims of domestic and sexual violence. She served in that role until 2012, when she was appointed the organization’s executive director.

Acosta acknowledged that she had big shoes to fill. She was 29 years old, and taking the reins from Susan Curtis, who had been with LAWS for 20 years.

“Sue Curtis was so well respected as a community leader. … and the community didn’t really know me because I was coming up from within the organization. Those were some enormous shoes to fill.”

Acosta is now very much seen as one of those well-respected, well-known

leaders in Loudoun’s nonprofit community, said Amy Owen, executive director of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

Owen called her a change-maker.

“Her work broadened a host of essential partnerships to address domestic violence in Loudoun County. And, she shared her skills and capacity to benefit all of the Loudoun nonprofit sector for the greatest good,” she said. “She leaves a void of great proportions.”

Acosta is most proud of her work to help open the Child Advocacy Center, a public-private partnership dedicated to child victims of abuse, and her work in the past 18 months to help reduce

the domestic violence homicide rate.

In early 2016, she worked with law enforcement groups to introduce a new strategy meant to identify victims of abuse who were at risk of being killed by their abuser. In March, with the help of a 100WomenStrong grant, she hosted a conference to provide training to industry professionals in how best to identify people who could be murdered by their abusers and how to help them.

“I’ve been really passionate about that in terms of what we can do as a community,” she said. “We’ve seen a lot of progress in this, which really means a lot.”

Acosta is quick to pass off any kudos that she’s received from community leaders. She says the power of LAWS’ work is not just in the people on staff and the volunteers, but the clients themselves who are willing to trust them.

“It’s scary to come and ask for help, and it’s even risky sometimes,” she said.

“So the fact that all the clients trust us enough to ask for help is a huge honor for us.”

And on occasion, she and her staff will receive visits and thank you notes from people they have helped navigate some of their most difficult years. “It’s a nice reminder for us that what we’re doing helps people, but it also is a nice reminder for all victims that it can get better,” she said. “Even in their darkest, scariest moments, if you take the leap to come get help, then it can get better.” dnadler@loudounnow.com

[ NONPROFIT NOTES ]

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

K2M founder, president and CEO Eric Major, takes questions, leads a tour by a mural of children in Ghana, before and after their spinal deformities were corrected with K2M technology.

Business, Charity Celebrate Partnership Milestone A Leesburg company and a nonprofit organization are celebrating two years of a partnership they call “a winwin.”

K2M Group Holdings and Every Citizen Has Opportunities (ECHO) have worked together for two years to increase employability of people with significant disabilities. K2M is a glob-

al medical device company focused on designing and commercializing innovative technologies and techniques used by spine surgeons around the globe to treat patients suffering from complicated spinal diseases. ECHO works to further the independence, promotion and upward mobility of individuals with significant disabilities.

K2M employs a crew of 14 individuals with disabilities through ECHO. The company requires exceptional

quality control before products leave its facility for the operating room, and ECHO’s clients play an important role in this. The ECHO team pays close attention to detail when scanning and indexing medical documents associated with the spinal technology product.

“Having that information and level of detail available to K2M is critical,” a press release from K2M stated.

The partnership allows K2M to free up other employees from other tasks, which “multiplies the value of my existing labor force,” K2M Senior Vice President of Operations Dave MacDonald stated. “K2M wants to employ individuals with disabilities because employing people makes everything else possible—give a person a job and that’s how they become self-sufficient, independent, resourceful, and have a sense of self-worth, pride, accomplishment and belonging—all these things come with being productive.”

ECHO: Calling All Cyclists Every Citizen Has Opportunities (ECHO) is holding its first bike fundraiser to raise money to help individuals with disabilities.

The inaugural Tour de ECHO is planned for Sept. 9, and will start from

the nonprofit organization’s office at 71 Lawson Road SE in Leesburg, right next to the W&OD trail.

Several races will be tailored toward all abilities: The Family Fun Route is a 5-mile ride from the ECHO W&OD entrance to the 2.5-mile marker and back. Participants must be between the ages of 5 and 12 years old, but adults are welcome to ride with their children.

The Challenge Route is a 10-mile route from the ECHO W&OD entrance to the 5-mile marker and back. The Speed Trail is a 16-mile route from the ECHO W&OD entrance to the 8-mile marker and back. The Trail Challenge Route is a 23.8-mile route from the ECHO W&OD entrance to the trail head in Purcellville and back.

Register at echoworks.org/tour-deecho-2017. Once individuals register they will receive information on how to set up their fundraising page in Everyday Hero. Everyday Hero will provide creative and effective strategies to help people easily meet their fundraising goals. Individuals must raise $150 by the start date. Children 12 years old and younger participating in the Family Fun Route are not required to raise money for the event.

23 July 21 – 26, 2017

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Betsy Davis

Bill Harrison

Laurels to Honor Davis, Harrison LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

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Two long-time Loudoun community leaders will be added to the roster of Loudoun Laureates during a gala in September. Betsy Davis and Bill Harrison will be the 2017 Loudoun Laurels honorees.

Davis is mayor of Middleburg and well-known for her fire and rescue work and support of numerous nonprofit organizations. Harrison is a founder of the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum and a supporter of many groups that have helped sustain and develop agriculture and support preservation and conservation in Loudoun County.

Loudoun Laurels also awarded two scholarships to Loudoun County Public Schools students who participated in the school system’s program College Achievement Minority Program for Unique Students (CAMPUS) before their graduation in June. The scholarship recipients are Zyonne Martin, a graduate of Stone Bridge High School and Haydee Portillo, a graduate of Park View High School. The Loudoun Laurels Stewardship trust awards scholarships in the amount of $40,000 that are dispersed in the amount of $10,000 each year of the students’ four-year undergraduate studies.

Founded in 2008 by a committee convened by Inova Loudoun Hospital and its Inova Health Foundation, the Loudoun Laurels now comprise three activities: an independent nonprofit honorary foundation; a scholarship granting trust; and a mentoring resource for Loudoun County students.

Its mission is to honor and preserve for history the stories of extraordinary people whose lives and work make Loudoun County an exceptional place; and to award scholarships to historically underrepresented groups of students in higher education and prospective first-generation college students in Loudoun County.

Through Loudoun Laurels’ partnerships with the Thomas Balch Memorial Library and other organizations, the stories of the Laureates become part of a permanent research collection on the history of the county and a resource for future generations. Its scholarship and mentorship programs support young people who have the potential to become future leaders.

This year’s gala to honor the new laureates and the scholarship recipients will be held Sept. 29 at the Belmont Country Club.

For more information, go to loudounlaurels.org.

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John Patterson/Loudoun Now

Zyonne Martin, a graduate of Stone Bridge High School and Haydee Portillo, a graduate of Park View High School, are the recipients of this year’s Loudoun Laurels Stewardship trust awards $40,000 scholarships.

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24

From Pediatrics to Paws

A Doctor’s Unusual Career Transforms

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

r. Nancy Tang had been a successful pediatrician for 30 years, the last nine of which she spent at Towne Pediatrics in Leesburg. She loved her patients and practicing medicine, but was quickly growing weary of the changing medical landscape and the impact that the move to electronic medical records would have on her career.

Rather than spending one-on-one time with her patients, she and others in her field were finding themselves filling out mandated administrative forms.

So, she decided to hang up her stethoscope. But she doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon.

“I am lucky enough that I have this other passion for something else, and I feel lucky because a lot of people don’t have that,” Tang said. “This is my chance to really pursue something and take a huge risk.”

That huge risk is the start of her own dog training company, Fun Fit Fido, which focuses on instilling family pet skills in man’s best friend. It’s a change that’s been “decades in the making,” Tang said, owing to her years spent in Doberman rescue, as well as more recently training service dogs for Veterans Moving Forward.

Although she had a family dog

FURRY FRIENDS

D

Shelley Castle Photography

Dr. Nancy Tang stands with her service dog in training, Kirby. Tang recently changed careers from pediatrics to dog training.

whom she loved as a child, the passion for dogs really began when Tang finished her medical training.

“I finished my residency, bought a townhouse, put up a fence, and got a dog,” she said.

That dog, a Westie named Casper, is where it all began, she said. She would later become involved in Doberman rescue and realized she “wanted to have a dog that really enjoyed the obedience training side of it,” making Dobermans an excellent choice. She loved the training aspect, but grew weary of participating in obedience competitions. Her decade-plus spent in Doberman rescue and foster gave her an opportunity to help train the dogs to be “a good member of the family so that dog spends the rest of its life with the family.”

“That’s where the passion comes from,” she said.

Four years ago, she became involved in raising and training service dogs for Veterans Moving Forward. She has had one Labrador graduate already, and is currently working with her second.

“The way they train these dogs really fine-tuned my own training techniques,” she said. “It’s all positive. We use a lot of treats. These dogs love training and working. It’s all fun and games; there’s no forcing, no coercion.

I don’t do or say anything to a dog TRANSFORMATION >> 26

Not hungry? Dry skin? Shedding too much?

The vet said maybe it’s the food.

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July 20 – 26, 2017

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A Pearl Beyond Price

Submitted Photo

Albie visited the USO at Dulles Airport.

Brown Morton III/Loudoun Now

Albie visited the USO at Dulles Airport. Albie watched passengers come down the escalator and go out the door. He walked around the airport and around passengers with rolling luggage--such a great experience

ushered out by a giggling staff—sober, but with a very sore head. She went to her bed and didn’t move for 24 hours.

When the end came, it was after we’d had guests in for dinner. Later on, I heard her in obvious difficulty in the next room. Kind friends came and got her to eat something—of course, a dainty morsel of salmon from the fridge.

The next day, she went on her final journey, in search, I hope, of finding heavenly manna.

Happy hunting, Pearl.

Dive in...

Volunteers Prepare Puppies for Important Mission: Helping Vets

BY NORMAN K. STYER One local dog program is having big impacts—for combat veterans and volunteer trainers alike.

Dulles-based Veterans Moving Forward provides service dogs and canine therapy to veterans PETS VETS >> 27

New Clients - Mention this ad to get $50 off your first visit.

Current clients - get $20 off your next visit. Refer a friend and get a $30 credit on your account!

Offer expires: 9-30-2017

to great pet health care this summer!

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We are proud to employ Fear Free trained staff and be a certified Cat Friendly Practice!

FURRY FRIENDS

In a long life of pet ownership—I’ve known feisty, beautiful, stupid, intelligent and just plain lovable canines.

But, I’ve only owned one that was both sweet-natured and felonious at the same time.

Black Pearl, to give her her pedigree name, was the sweetest dog my husband and I ever owned. She was not the smartest dog in the world, but in the field of gastronomic thievery she was without peer.

No food items—or alcoholic drinks— were safe from her ravages. Her “nose” for food was truly phenomenal. Her instinct for delicacies of all sorts was unbelievable—she would yank the fridge door open and pull food off the shelves so she and our black cocker spaniel could then munch away to their hearts’ delights.

Our food bills rose accordingly.

Finally, we found that hooking strong bungee cords from the fridge handle around to the freezer coils at the back was the only way to stop her. One of us would usually forget, leading to loud recriminations of “Who left the fridge door open—again!”

Late last year, we said goodbye to our beloved black lab, who at 14 years of age was pushing the upper limits of her range. Faithful to her true calling, she bowed out after a loving friend had given her a last tidbit from the fridge.

Looking back on her career as a topnotch felon, there are so many “amazing

Pearl stories” it’s hard to focus on which are the best.

I think the Drunken Egg Nog Caper remains at the top of the list. It was Christmas, and the house was full of family, adults and children. Every year, my husband makes a lethal brew of egg nog, devised by his father, which we serve in a huge silver bowl, an agricultural trophy won by my grandfather in Wales. There were so many people in the house I had put it outside, precariously perched on the top of the woodpile.

There was a high wind that night, and the next day I found the bowl upside down in the leaves. Sadly, I told my husband there was none left when he asked for his day-after glass of nog.

Later, Pearl appeared in the kitchen doorway, staggering, with her tongue hanging out. The penny still didn’t drop—it was only when I saw her reeling, and her legs spayed, with a goofy look on her face that I understood it was canine gluttony, not the wind, that was the culprit.

It was the best four-footed imitation of a two-footed drunk I’d ever seen.

After Catoctin Veterinary Clinic’s veterinarian Dr. Robbins, grinning broadly, totted up the copious amounts of liquor, cream and eggs she’d imbibed, he assured Pearl’s anxious owners that she’d be fine.

“If she were a breed like a Labradoodle, I’d be more concerned—not Pearl, she’s got a stomach like a trash compactor,” he said.

So it proved. One day later she left,

July 20 – 26, 2017

BY MARGARET MORTON

25

26

LifeCentre Marks Decade of Caring One of the largest medical operations in Loudoun County marks a decade of service this year, and the lives of lots of family pets are attributable to the work done there.

The LifeCentre started as a small emergency clinic with a staff of five in 1995 and opened its large facility at 165 Fort Evans Road in Leesburg in 2007. It employs more than 200, including a broad range of veterinary specialists and technicians who are on hand 24/7 to deal emergency cases.

Over the years, the center’s services have grown far beyond emergency and critical care services and surger-

ies. Today, the caseloads include cardiology, dentistry and oral surgery, behavioral treatment, dermatology, neurology, neurosurgery, and oncology. The center is outfitted with MRI and CT Imaging. There is also an isolation ward for possibly contagious or extremely ill animals, and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for treatment of bacterial infections, deep wounds, and to speed recovery times and response to medications. That’s more services than are available at many human hospitals.

Learn more at tlcvets.com.

Submitted Photo

The LifeCentre in Leesburg offers state-of-the-art services in more than 16 specialty veterinary practices.

Transformation << FROM 24

FURRY FRIENDS

tlcvets.com

16 Veterinary Specialties 39 Veterinarians 167 Team Members

Together, We Redefine Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Care

July 20 – 26, 2017

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What Is An Emergency?

When Should You Call Us? 703-777-5755 Severe Bleeding or Bleeding for over 5 minutes Bleeding from Nose, Mouth, Rectum Coughing Up Blood or Blood in Urine Difficulty Breathing Continuous Coughing or Gagging Inability to Urinate or Pass Stool Eye Injuries Hit by a Motor Vehicle Seizures - Staggering Unconsciousness Severe Vomiting or Diarrhea Fractured Bones or Severe Lameness Signs of Pain, Discomfort and/or Anxiety that concerns you Over Exposure to Heat/Cold Heatstroke or Hypothermia Ingestion of a Poison, Toxin or Foreign Object Refusal to Drink for 24 hours Any combination of the above signs OUR LIST DOES NOT COVER ALL EMERGENCIES Please Consult a Veterinarian Anytime You Have Concerns about Your Pet(s) Health!

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that I wouldn’t say to child.”

“It’s easier because you can give a dog hot dogs,” she said with a laugh.

Tang launched Fun Fit Fido in February, and has also been serving as a part-time day school trainer at Dog Day Afternoon in Leesburg since the spring. She has finished her office hours at Towne Pediatrics, but will be doing hospital rounds through the end of August. But come September, Fun Fit Fido will be her full-time gig.

Her focus at Fun Fit Fido is much the same as it was in training rescue or service dogs: to make the dog a good member of the family. This can include walking nicely on a leash, and basic commands like sit, stay, and come. In addition to running her new company, she has also begun working with the Save the Trails rescue to help train recently adopted dogs. Tang also recently brought home a new dog, a Jack Russell Terrier named Watson, and is also training service dog No. 2, Kirby.

Looking back on her medical career, Tang says she already wakes up in the morning and feels that “something’s missing.”

“The stress,” she said.

But it’s a trade she’s willing to make.

She’s glad she was able to leave her field at the top of her game and focus her second career on her love of dogs and making them exceptional family pets.

Trading her beloved two-legged patients for four-legged ones, many of them puppies, she has a simple, rhetorical question.

“What could be more fun?” krodriguez@loudounnow.com

For more information or to contact Fun Fit Fido, email fun.fit. fido@gmail.com.

<< FROM 25

PUBLIC SAFETY | EDUCATION | OUR TOWNS | BIZ | LOCO LIVING | CLASSIFIEDS | OPINION FURRY FRIENDS

with physical and mental health challenges, all at no cost to the veterans.

With the help of a small army of volunteers, the organization aims to make a meaningful difference in the lives of veterans, and increase their safety and independence within their homes and communities.

One of those volunteers is Jeanette Townsend, a 53-year-old Herndon resident, who is training her fourth puppy for the program.

Townsend got involved with Veterans Moving Forward after her family’s golden retriever passed away. With her kids headed off to college, she wasn’t ready to make a commitment a new family pet. But she did miss the patter of four legs around the house.

That void was filled with a 10-weekold puppy and a two-year commitment to train him up to be a dependable service dog. That was four dogs ago.

Today, Townsend is working with Albie, an English Cream Golden Retriever who is almost a year old.

The training involves both socialization and skills training, she said.

“Wherever you go, the dog goes,” Townsend said.

And the training goes beyond sit, roll over and get the paper. For the service dogs, the duties are more complex, such as open the dresser drawer, pick out a pair of socks, close the drawer and deliver the socks. Dependably.

Every time. That’s accomplished with a lot of rewards, positive reinforcement

27 July2021– –26, 26,2017 2017 July LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Pets vets

and practice—at home and at the organization’s training center on Mercure Circle near Dulles Airport.

As Albie gets to be 14-16 months old, they’ll begin matching him with a veteran. A review panel will assess the dog’s skills and the vet’s needs in making the assignment. That starts another round of training with the veteran included.

Is it hard saying goodbye to a welltrained dog? Not really.

“I know from the day I met that furry little puppy that he was going to go and change somebody’s life,” Townsend said. “I know that he is going to make a difference.”

She and the other trainers keep track of their dogs’ progress. “It’s like getting a letter home from your kid at camp.”

She has seen dogs help rebuild veterans’ lives—mending family bonds, making community connections and putting smiles on faces that rarely showed them before.

Besides a love for dogs, what does it take to be a VMF puppy raiser?

The organization is looking for experience dog owners in the area who are between the ages of 35 and 65, in good physical condition, with an established career or recently retired, with older or no children at home. Training experience is a plus, but not required.

If you might be interested, Towsend recommended a visit to the training center.

“Come see what we do,” she said. “if nothing else, come play with the puppies.”

To find out more, go to vetsfwd.org.

loudounnow.com

[ OUR TOWNS ]

July 20 – 26, 2017

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28

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Andy Ghuzlan of Andy’s restaurants in Lovettsville and in Leesburg has purchased this Hillsboro property for his third restaurant.

Andy’s Founder Eyes ‘Scenic’ Restaurant

A

BY JOHN MCNEILLY ndy Ghuzlan, the restauranteur who’s established long-successful dining establishments in Leesburg and Lovettsville, purchased a nearly three-acre parcel in Hillsboro with plans to open another Mediterranean-style family restaurant called The Garden in the Gap. The property, which includes a home built in 1800, is next door to the Stoneybrook Farm & Market, and just across the street from the town’s Old Stone School on Charlestown Pike.

Ghuzlan, known for his Andy’s restaurants in Leesburg and Lovettsville, intends to renovate the house, but will also build a dining barn and large outdoor patio area. His goal, he said, is to become “the go-to restaurant for outside, scenic dining.”

Ghuzlan, 56, a 28-year resident of Loudoun County, is an avid gardener.

He plans an extensive series of gardens at the new location, both for the restaurant’s food and for aesthetic purposes.

He and his team have already begun repairing and renovating the property’s centuries-old spring house, an iconic landmark to locals. It was nearly destroyed by a tree that crashed on top of it during a summer storm in 2014.

Ghuzlan and his workers are clearing and cleaning up the site, as well as stacking the stones and bricks to reassemble the spring house to its original condition.

“Hillsboro is a beautiful location, with stunning mountain views and a peaceful, rural landscape. I think it will be the perfect place to bring a family for an outdoor dining experience,” Ghuzlan said. “I’ll honor and respect this beauty, as well as the history and

tradition of the town.”

Ghuzlan’s plans are subject to approval by zoning and regulatory processes managed by Hillsboro’s Town Council. But Mayor Roger Vance said he doesn’t foresee any “significant issues” with the process, noting the town

is small, relatively quick with decision making, and encouraging of new businesses. He does think public hearings are likely, though.

SCENIC RESTAURANT >> 31

Board Moves Toward Eminent Domain on Franklin Park Trail

BY RENSS GREENE The Board of Supervisors last week took a step closer to using eminent domain to get rights-of-way and easements for the long-planned trail between Round Hill and Franklin Park.

The county has framed the project as a safety measure to get bicyclists off the road and onto a bike and pedestrian path. The project will improve the sidewalk along Loudoun Street in Round Hill and construct an asphalt path from Franklin Park to Marbury Street in the Lake Point neighborhood. It will connect at either end of an existing trail that connects Newberry Crossing Place and the Lake Point Subdivision, crossing under Rt. 7 south of the Loudoun Street interchange.

The project will also involve building a storm sewer to tackle drainage and flooding problems.

The Department of Transporta-

tion and Capital Infrastructure expects to spend about $75,000 acquiring land through condemnation.

With the unanimous vote to send the question of exercising eminent domain to their July 20 meeting, supervisors signaled that if holdout landowners can’t reach an agreement by then, the county could force their hand.

County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said eminent domain should be used “so sparingly, even for valid and important reasons.”

“There are very few reason I would agree to eminent domain, and one of those reasons is safety,” Randall said.

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said he hoped the vote will be a “beacon” to landowners along the trail’s route to come to an agreement.

“This one gives me a little bit of heartburn, honestly,” Letourneau said. “A trail project is not usually

where I would be comfortable with eminent domain. However, I do understand the argument that it’s a safety issue.”

In February, the county adopted a policy to be more aggressive with eminent domain in transportation projects, acquiring rights-of-way earlier in the design process for projects and being ready to move ahead with eminent domain more quickly when negotiations stall. The Virginia Department of Transportation uses a similar process in its own road projects.

There is also a “quick take” process, in which the county first takes possession and a court later decides the price of the land or easement, but for a pedestrian path the parcel must be in a VDOT right of way.

Parts of this project do not qualify for quick take. rgreene@loudounnow.com

29

Honoring Community Stewardship Investing in Future Leaders

July 21 – 26, 2017

L oudoun L aurels join us

to celebrate the community service contributions of

Town of Round Hill

The Town Council is exploring a boundary line adjustment to incorporate the expansion area.

Round Hill Leaders Seek Input on Expansion Options

BY NORMAN K. STYER

ROUND HILL EXPANSION PUBLIC HEARING SET The first public information session is scheduled for 7 p.m., Aug. 3, at Round Hill Elementary School.

betsy davis &

A second information session and other direct outreach efforts are also planned.

the Round Hill Center, Sleeter Lake and the future site of Sleeter Lake Park.

According to the study, if this entire short-term expansion area was incorporated, the population would increase from 590 to 1,133, growing to 1,525 at build-out. Incoming households would pay an average of $626 per year in town property taxes, and would save $305 per year in reduced utility fees and $346 in garbage pick-up fees, resulting in a net financial benefit for the average incoming household. Current town residents would see reduced tax rates while the town’s General Fund budget would net more than $114,000 per year to help pay for sidewalks, trails and park development.

After the public engagement process, the Town Council will select a final set of parcels and neighborhoods for inclusion. A formal request will be submitted to the Board of Supervisors in hopes the expansion can be completed with a cooperative boundary line adjustment.

In addition to the public meeting, the town is collecting feedback through online surveys at roundhillva. org/town-of-round-hill-expansion. nstyer@loudounnow.com

bill harrison the 2017 loudoun laureates

to make reservations for the belmont country club gala

info@loudounlaurels.org

loudounnow.com

The Round Hill Town Council has reopened talks about expanding the municipal boundaries.

Today, the town has 236 households and 590 residents. There are 1,293 other homes—and 3,200 residents—outside the town limits, but inside in the Joint Land Management Area, a zone where town and county leaders cooperate on development planning issues and where the town provides water and sewer service. Also in the JLMA are public facilities such as the Round Hill Center, the Western Loudoun Sheriff ’s Station, the future site of the Round Hill Volunteer Fire Department and two planned town parks.

Round Hill’s recently adopted town plan calls for the council to “investigate a near-term expansion of town boundaries in order to: increase the town population, enlarge the pool of candidates for local offices, boards and commissions, improve contacts and connections within the Round Hill community, increase the town tax base, and promote the achievement of Comprehensive Plan goals.”

A Growth Area Study reviewed by the Town Council during the past several weeks identifies the financial and other impacts of several expansion options. In each, tax rates would likely decline for current town residents, but their utility fees could increase. For property owners who are brought into town, they’ll get a new tax bill, but they would no longer be assessed the outof-town utility rate surcharge or have to pay for trash pickup.

So far, the council has focused on a short-term expansion area, including homes in the Hillwood Estates, West Loudoun Street, Fallswood, Brentwood Springs, Newberry Crossing, Falls Place, and Mystic Lane neighborhoods, as well as the sheriff ’s station,

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS | PUBLIC SAFETY | EDUCATION | OUR TOWNS | BIZ | LOCO LIVING | CLASSIFIEDS | OPINION

September 29th

OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW July 20 – 26, 2017

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30

Purcellville Council Hones Fireman’s Field Priorities

BY PATRICK SZABO Purcellville Town Council last week discussed in greater detail the future of the Fireman’s Field complex.

As part of its effort to generate revenue from the complex, the council is planning to issue a Request for Proposals that would allow private companies or nonprofit organizations to lease or manage the property. A less formal solicitation process in the spring resulted proposals from four entities. Two want to take over full management of the complex, while two outlined plans for partial management.

The 13-acres complex, which in-

cludes the Bush Tabernacle, a baseball stadium, the Haske Field youth ball diamond and the Dillon Woods picnic area, was acquired by the town in 2008. The town charges a 3.5-cent real estate surtax to pay for the purchase.

“We have a valuable treasure that is also an income-producing revenue asset that has not been well-maintained as much as it could, would or should be,” Councilwoman Kelli Grim said.

“We are in a very negative situation that I think we are moving toward removing.”

The town is creating a request for proposals to better gather more details on what the bidders would do at

the complex. Councilmembers made suggestions for additional information to ensure the respondents understand what is required of them if they take over the management.

Councilman Ryan Cool suggested the RFP encourage prospective managers to find ways to quell the complex’s sound levels.

“I’d like to hear some suggestions about noise abatement,” he said. “I think there’s a couple simple fixes that we could look at.”

The two other council suggestions included clauses that would require the property managers to honor all advertising commitments and all future

events at the Bush Tabernacle that have already been arranged.

“Anything that is on the books would be honored,” Cool said. “There would be no cancelling of any of those events.”

Assistant Town Manager Danny Davis asked councilmembers to submit any additional edits to the request for proposal by the end of the week.

Town staff will now amend the request for proposal before bringing it to the July 25 Town Council meeting for approval. pszabo@loudounnow.com

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

The Purcellville Town Council is taking proposals from people interested in managing Fireman’s Field.

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At Hillsboro’s Old Stone School 2017 Summer Concert Series

Music Under the Stars in The Gap

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The Bordello Bandits

Lawn opens at 6:30 p.m.

Performances begin at 7:30 (Indoor stage for inclement weather)

Concerts are FREE (Donations Encouraged)

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31

[ TOWN NOTES ]

Council Briefed on Debt Reduction Options

LOVETTSVILLE Fontaine Appointed to Town Council Seat After serving for more than two years on the town’s Planning Commission, Nate Fontaine is moving up to the Town Council.

He was appointed July 13 to fill the unexpired term of Jennifer Jones, who resigned because her family is moving out of town.

Ten candidates applied for the seat.

Scenic restaurant << FROM 28 “It’s not a very arduous process,” Vance said.

Vance added that, just as important, a significant infrastructure project will soon get underway that will provide major improvements to the town’s roads, sewers, and public water system. He believes these projects, which the town is trying to bundle together to lower costs and increase efficiency, are essential to attracting and keeping businesses in Hillsboro. If all goes ac-

The Lovettsville Oktoberfest Com-

mittee again will honor the town’s most senior residents during the fall festival.

Those who wish to be considered for the special recognition must reside within the town limits and must be at least 90 years old by Sept. 23. Photos and a biographical sketch will appear in the festival’s commemorative booklet and they will be recognized during the opening ceremony.

Names of residents who qualify should be submitted to the Oktoberfest Committee by July 31 so that interviews and photographs can be scheduled. Contact the town office at 540-822-5788 or oktoberfest@lovettsvilleva.gov for information.

cording to plan, he said the work will be done by June 2020.

In that sense Vance is encouraged by Ghuzlan’s decision to pursue a business before that disruptive work is completed.

“Andy will be like a pioneer in that sense,” Vance laughed.

The mayor also noted Ghuzlan’s solid reputation throughout Loudoun County.

“Andy comes to town with a strong track record of being community oriented. His willingness to renovate the town’s landmark spring house on the property demonstrates that,” Vance said. “He also understands how important it is to our citizens that we

maintain the historical integrity of the town. We’ve not had any alterations to our community in over a century. And some of our buildings are two centuries old, so the appearance of Hillsboro’s homes and buildings is tantamount to them.”

Ghuzlan has not announced an anticipated opening date yet, citing the town’s need to first approve his plans.

From there, he admits he still has a lot of work ahead of him.

“We’ll move forward once the town has had a chance to review and approve my plans,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of work to get the property exactly where I want it, but it will be a true labor of love.”

Town Seeks to Honor Oldest Residents

Life Leaves a Mark

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS | PUBLIC SAFETY | EDUCATION | OUR TOWNS | BIZ | LOCO LIVING | CLASSIFIEDS | OPINION

Purcellville Town Council is moving ahead with its utility debt restructuring.

Last week, representatives of the town’s financial advisor, Davenport & Co. presented three series of utility debt that can be restructured. The firm recommended tax-exempt bank qualified bonds to refinance $5 million in debt. Six banks offered bids. Middleburg Bank proposed a 10-year bond at 2.7 percent interest or a 15-year bond at 2.85 percent. Sterling National Bank offered a 20-year bond at fixed rate of 3.22 percent. Davenport recommended the council move forward with the longer-term bond from Sterling National.

Another selection of taxable outstanding debt, totaling $15.9 million, was recommended to be refinanced in a public bond sale, eyed for completion this fall.

The town’s Enterprise Fund has approximately $41 million of debt outstanding. Under current conditions, debt service payments will increase roughly $2 million in the next five years. Also, the town has a $1.44 million balloon payment due in fiscal year 2021. Over the next five years, the town is expected to have an additional

They were interviewed by the Town Council in closed sessions during the past week.

“So many of the candidates brought new and interesting perspectives and several brought some great knowledge and experience as well,” Mayor Bob Zoldos said in his weekly newsletter.

“Let me first thank all of those that offered to help our Town by serving on the Town Council-we all appreciate it!”

Fontaine is an IT specialist and worked for the Department of Homeland Security.

July 21 – 26, 2017

$10 million of capital needs solely to maintain the system in proper working order.

PURCELLVILLE

but it doesn’t have to be permanent

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loudounnow.com

Free Estimate on Professional Cleaning Carpets, Hard-surfaces and Upholstery

32

[ LOCO LIVING ]

[ THINGS TO DO ]

loudounnow.com

SUMMER TUNES BRAMBLETON SIZZLIN’ SUMMER CONCERT: CROWDED STREETS Thursday, July 20, 6 p.m., gates open, 7 p.m., music begins; Brambleton Town Center, 42395 Ryan Road, Brambleton.

Details: brambleton.com

OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW July 20 – 26, 2017

This Dave Matthews tribute band will help you get your midsummer groove on. Concert is free. Bring a picnic or grab something from an on-site food truck.

Cocina on Market Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Opening a restaurant that serves authentic Mexican cuisine has been a longtime dream of Chef Jason Lage and Rebecca Dudley. Cocina on Market is the latest culinary undertaking from the two who brought Loudoun Market Table Bistro in Lovettsville and Market Burger in Purcellville.

Chef Lage’s New Culinary Venture Explores Mexico

BY JOHN MCNEILLY

T

he first thing you notice walking through the towering front doors of Cocina on Market is a blast of vibrant colors. The newest dining establishment in downtown Leesburg explodes with bright pastels, splashed with intricately detailed tiles and artwork. It’s like stepping into the middle of a festive market in Mexico.

But this is no mere taqueria or burrito joint.

Cocina on Market is Chef Jason Lage’s and Rebecca Dudley’s third restaurant in Loudoun, an encore to their restaurants Market Table Bistro in Lovettsville and Market Burger in Purcellville. This newest incarnation of Lage’s ambitious culinary vision focuses on authentic Mexican cuisine.

It’s a notable departure from their other restaurants, which emphasize Lage’s well-established talent for Americanand French-inspired cooking.

Guests entering from Market Street flow into the restaurant’s tequila bar, an open room with high ceilings, large windows and walls adorned with original art commissioned by Lage and his team. Patrons can relax, order one of many tequila- or mezcal-based cocktails, house-made juices and horchata or a favorite beer while sampling a variety of starters, including street tacos, tortas and quesadillas. Or patrons can request a table in the restaurant’s two equally colorful, well-appointed dining areas.

The restaurant, at 7 W. Market Street, is housed in an historic building built in 1871. It was home to a series

CHEF PROFILE of banks before closing two years ago.

While honoring the building’s distinctive architecture, Lage and his team also spent months exploring concepts to make the space, décor and vibe uniquely their own.

The Food Traditional Mexican food is no passing fancy for Lage.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

A burst of color greets customers at the entrance, including fresh fruit ready to be squeezed for beverages and an array of commissioned artwork.

He and Dudley have travelled Mexico extensively. And not the resorts, either. They’ve focused on remote towns and villages tourists rarely visit.

“We’ve eaten our way across most of Mexico,” Lage said.

Over the years, Lage devoured books by the American masters of Mexican cuisine, Dianne Kennedy and Rick Bayless. His passion for and knowledge about the cuisine means Lage’s vision for his menu is as clear as a shot of tequila.

“Not only do I love making and eating this food, I’m interested in educating people about the diversity of Mexican cooking, which is as old as civilization itself,” he said. Lage especially wants to help overcome common misconceptions about the cuisine, particularly that it’s all smoldering hot.

“Spicy food is actually the antithesis of most Mexican cooking,” Lage said.

“It’s much more complex and nuanced than people realize.”

He and his team focus on three Mexican states for their inspiration: Oaxaca, the homeland for complex moles; Puebla, which was influenced

by French colonials, including “some of the best bread and sandwiches you’ll ever eat, something people don’t associate as Mexican;” and the coastal state of Veracruz, where the Gulf of Mexico provides an abundance of briny riches for its seafood-driven, African-influenced cuisine, introduced to the New World by enslaved Africans.

Lage’s starters include fried pork skin, chicharrones, crisp but light and perfectly seasoned with lime and chili; COCINA >> 34

Courtesy of Ted Garber

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE AT LANSDOWNE: TED GARBER Friday, July 21, 6:30-9 p.m.; Lansdowne Town Center, 19286 Promenade Drive, Leesburg.

Details: shoplansdownetowncenter.com Original blues and rock from a local favorite. Students from Bach2Rock music school open.

MUSIC UNDER THE STARS IN THE GAP: THE BORDELLO BANDITS Friday, July 21, 6:30, lawn opens, 7:30 p.m., music begins; Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. Details: oldstoneschool.org Rockabilly, outlaw country and roots rock from the village of Bluemont. Concert is free. Food, drinks and ice cream will be available for sale.

BLUEMONT VINEYARD BEEF & BLUEGRASS Saturday, July 22, 11 a.m.6 p.m.; Bluemont Vineyard, 18755 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont.

Details: bluemontvineyard.com Bluemont’s second annual Beef & Bluegrass Festival features live music from The Plank Stompers, Short Hill Mountain Boys, and King Street Bluegrass along with tasty brisket for sale.

Tickets are $10.

LEESBURG CORNER SUN-SATIONAL SUMMER CONCERT: KEETON Saturday, July 22, 1-3 p.m.; Leesburg Corner Premium

THINGS TO DO >> 33

[ THINGS TO DO ]

Leesburg Corner celebrates summer with a weekly concert in its courtyard near the Coach store. This week features fun 90s hits from DC-based Keeton. Event is free and open to the public.

NIGHTLIFE SENSE OF THAI ST. FLASHBACK FRIDAY Friday, July 21, 10 p.m.; Sense of Thai St., 20413 Exchange St., Ashburn.

Details: senseofthai.com

Details: tallyhotheater.com

Saturday, July 22, 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Road, Leesburg. Details: library.loudoun.gov

This NoVa-based indie band fuses elements of rock, folk and blues to create a sound all their own. Tickets are $15 day of show.

Adults 21 and older can share their love for Harry Potter and sample beer and wine from Delirium Café and Casanel Vineyards. The evening features Harry Potter trivia, music, crafts, games and some magical surprises. Costumes are encouraged.

The event is free but there’s a small fee for beer and wine tastings.

LIVE MUSIC: KID BROTHER

LIVE MUSIC: THE FEW Saturday, July 22, 9 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg.

Details: smokehouse-live.com This Maryland-based party band is a favorite across the Potomac for classic and contemporary rock ‘n’ roll covers.

Friday, July 21, 7 p.m.; Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg.

THINGS TO DO >> 35

Register Now,

YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

OCTOBER 6–8, 2017 | MORVEN PARK - LEESBURG, VA Join national Yoga Circuit Courtesy of Tommy Gann

ACOUSTIC ON THE GREEN: TOMMY GANN Saturday, July 22, 7-9 p.m.; Leesburg Town Green, 25 W. Market St., Leesburg.

Details: acousticonthegreen.com This Northern Virginia singersongwriter’s repertoire ranges from soulful rock to rousing contemporary pop. Hilary Veltri opens. The event is free and open to the public. Pets, alcohol and smoking are prohibited.

Andrea Boyd & Jeffrey Cohen of Satsang Yoga Charleston, SC daily for their signature, emotionally charged ‘Born to be wild’ class!

Plus these Loudoun minimum 200 RYT hour Yoga practitioners and many more from Fairfax County and Frederick, MD too!

LIVE MUSIC: THE REAGAN YEARS Saturday, July 22, 7-9 p.m.; The Plaza at One Loudoun, 20626 Easthampton Plaza, Ashburn.

Details: oneloudoun.com The region’s popular ’80s tribute band returns for a rocking show at One Loudoun. Concert is free and open to the public.

Over 50 Yoga classes, Meditation, Mindfulness, Wellness Discussions, Workshops and more offered concurrently throughout the weekend in our Calm Yoga Grove, Active Movement Yoga Tent and unique Blended Tent.

LIVE MUSIC: HERE’S TO THE NIGHT

Avid student of Yoga or your first time?

Come—and with nature as your backdrop experience the calm needed in today’s hectic, fast paced lifestyle.

Saturday, July 22, 6-9:30 p.m.; Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Leesburg.

Details: tarara.com Enjoy the best of the ’90s as Tarara’s retro summer concert series continues. Tickets are $20 in advance.

Add to your experience by signing up for a session with Healing practitioners in our Wellness Way, then bring home the calm by purchasing at our Harmony Row! Area Wellness providers, for a spot in either of these areas contact Dawn@NoVaWellnessYogaFestRetreat.com

Courtesy of Hard Swimmin’ Fish

BLUEMONT CONCERT SERIES: HARD SWIMMIN’ FISH Sunday, July 23, 7-9 p.m.; Loudoun County Courthouse, 18 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: bluemont.org

Thus far brought to you by – Bellwood Commons, Leesburg

In memory of young Ryan, we’ve chosen the RyanYOUR Bartel Foundation as our Charity of Record. | www.ryanbartelfoundation.org COMPLIMENTING YOGA PRACTICE.

loudounnow.com

NoVaWellnessYogaFestRetreat.com |

Make it an overnight—while we know you love them, don’t head home to the pets, kids, hubby’s and partners—Glamp (it’s a must) or pitch your own tent at nearby, beautiful Camp Highroad—a short 16 minute scenic drive from Morven Park.

So many special options to choose from, all found on our website’s Register page.

Come for a day, two or best of all save and come the entire weekend! Just love music? You can join us each evening for only the music, too, it alone will sooth you mind and soul... Don’t wanna pack a picnic, neither do we so we added onsite healthy and tasty food, some locally sourced, in an awesome full of friends and camaraderie farm-to-fork fare tent, and more.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS | PUBLIC SAFETY | EDUCATION | OUR TOWNS | BIZ | LOCO LIVING | CLASSIFIEDS | OPINION

The One Loudoun Thai restaurant turns into a late-night dance party on weekends. DJ Snow spins old school, and the restaurant’s top-notch bar staff mixes cocktails. No cover.

HARRY POTTER NIGHT FOR GROWNUPS

July 21 – 26, 2017

Outlets, 241 Fort Evans Road NE, Leesburg.

Details: premiumoutlets.com

Down home blues from this Frederick, M.D.-based quartet. Requested donation is $5 per person, $4 for Bluemont friends and seniors and $2 for children 12 and under.

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OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW July 20 – 26, 2017

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Cocina << FROM 32 freshly made guacamole; ceviches that highlight fresh-from-the-sea scallops, shrimp, tuna, squid and other catches of the day, which taste bright and clean with a balanced application of citrus and heat.

The restaurant’s “from the street” menu offers quick, tasty finger foods, easily popped into the mouth in a single bite (or two). Lage spent months finding local corn that could provide the base for his handmade tortillas for a variety of traditional street tacos, including beef tongue, fish and mushroom, as well as quesadillas.

“Cocina on Market’s menu is driven by the seasonality of local fruits and vegetables,” he said. “And just like Market Table Bistro, our menu will never be static. It will evolve and adapt to whatever the freshest ingredients of the day provide us. This, by the way, is the same mindset behind all of Mexican cuisine, too.”

Main dishes include a crispy whole fish, whatever is fresh from the sea, Asado chicken and a variety of pork dishes and moles. By December, they plan to offer 150 tequilas and 150 mezcals.

Although the restaurant has a finished roof-top area, Lage and Dudley are not yet sure how they’ll use it. They’re considering perhaps a private club, or hosting special events, such as offering a whole roasted pig or other similar dining concepts. “Our ideas are still

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The owners of Cocina on Market say they’ve “eaten their way across Mexico.” Dishes at Cocina on Market are inspired by cuisines from three Mexican states: Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz.

evolving, but we definitely want to try to make it open to the public a couple of times a week. It’s an amazing space, with great views of downtown and beyond,” he said.

Being a new restaurant, Lage and his team are focused intently on the food and service.

“It takes a while for a staff, both the servers and kitchen crew, to get their legs under them. It doesn’t happen overnight.

It takes a lot of practice and learning from mistakes,” he said earlier this week.

“But after a solid week of service, we’ve already made great progress as a team.”

Leesburg: Dining Destination The arrival of Cocina on Market is only the latest in a slew of new estab-

lishments setting up shop and drawing crowds to downtown Leesburg. Delirium Café, Black Hoof Brewing Company and Captain Catoctin’s Crab House & Concoctions, have all opened their doors in the past two months.

The activity thrills Marantha Edwards, Leesburg’s economic development officer. She’s been working on bringing new businesses to town for more than 17 years, and she’s slated to retire in January. Edwards is particularly excited about Lage and Dudley landing downtown.

“I’ve been trying to get Jason to come to Leesburg for years,” laughs Edwards.

She met him in Lovettsville while taking a cooking class at Market Table Bistro and was immediately impressed by his intensity and passion for cooking. “After

he opened Market Burger in Purcellville, I told him, ‘Come on, Jason, we’re ready for you in Leesburg, too.’”

Edwards said the slate of new eateries demonstrate Leesburg’s established viability for future business growth. She said Leesburg’s Tally Ho Theatre and the restaurants at Market Station, particularly Tuscarora Mill, have been important catalysts for the town’s growth, especially the dining scene.

“We do independent restaurants really well,” Edwards said. “And good restaurants bring visitors and attract millennials and boomers and residents as well.

It’s an exciting time.”

Find Cocina on Market at 7 West Market Street in Leesburg. Contact them at 571-707-8593 or cocinaonmarket.com.

your happiness

MATTERS FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.SENIORLIFESTYLE.COM OR CALL 703-791-1109 www.seniorlifestyle.com ASSISTED LIVING 316 HARRISON ST., SE | LEESBURG, VA 20175

FAMILY FUN

Courtesy Village at Leesburg

Courtesy of Hungry on Monday

VILLAGE AT LEESBURG SUMMER BLOCK PARTY Saturday, July 22, 3-8 p.m.; Village at Leesburg, Village Market Blvd. SE, Leesburg.

Details: villageatleesburg.com

ALIVE FEST Friday, July 21, 6-10 p.m.; 21336 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg.

Details: teenservecamp.com

This annual summer festival features live music from Monster Band, water games, inflatables and specials from shops and restaurants. Event is free and open to the public.

This festival for local middle and high school students celebrates teens with live music, free food and giveaways.

Local rockers Hungry on Monday headline.

IDA LEE MOVIES IN THE PARK: ‘AIR BUD’ Friday, July 21, 8:15 p.m.; Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Drive NW, Leesburg.

Details: leesburgva.gov Celebrate summer with the adventures of Buddy the golden retriever at Ida Lee’s monthly free movie. Picnics and blankets are welcome. Pets, glass containers and alcohol are prohibited.

LOUDOUN COUNTY FAIR

with ad

ASPHALT PAVING We are currently paving in your area.

With our crew and equipment close by we are offering prompt service and reasonable rates to all area residents for a short time. Please call immediately if you are interested in having any asphalt paving done this year.

(See page 36) Monday, July 24-Saturday, July 29, Loudoun County Fairgrounds, 17558 Dry Mill Road, Leesburg.

Details: loudouncountyfair.com

THINGS TO DO >> 37

THE BORDELLO BANDITS Friday, July 21, 6:30–10:30 p.m.

The Gap Stage, Hillsboro Free oldstoneschool.org

HERE’S TO THE NIGHT Saturday, July 22, 6 – 9:30 p.m.

Tarara Summer Concert Series, Lucketts $10-$15 tarara.com/concerts

House Driveways Parking Lots Farm Lanes Long Lanes Driveways Private Roads

• Patchwork • New Homes Gradework • Seal Coating • Basework • Asphalt Millings

Maybe you have a big area you would love to have blacktopped but you can’t afford to page the whole thing right now. We install partial driveways. We can pave an area by your house just big enough to park your vehicles, or we can install as little as one load for you.

Tired of a Dust Bowl in the Summer and a Mud Hole in the Winter?

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Free Estimates • Fast Service • Quality Work • Full-Service Asphalt Paving

getoutloudoun.com Promote your concert or event—in print and online.

Email sales@loudounnow.com or call 703.770.9723

Please call John Donahue for a FREE ESTIMATE

(571) 255-9187

loudounnow.com

Saturday, July 22, 7– 9 p.m.

Acoustic on the Green, Leesburg Free acousticonthegreen.com

• • • • • •

TOMMY GANN

WE DO:

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15% off

Sale

July 21 – 26, 2017

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[ THINGS TO DO ]

OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW July 20 – 26, 2017

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Loudoun County Fair Opens Monday From rabbits in costumes to Ferris wheel rides, next week’s Loudoun County Fair offers something for everyone.

The fair opens Monday at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds, off Dry Mill Road west of Leesburg.

Gates open at 9 a.m. daily, with the carnival running from 4 to 10 p.m.

Among this year’s highlights are the Stoney Roberts Demo Derby on Monday night, the Professional Bull Riding and Rodeo on Friday night, and a monster truck show on Saturday night. All through the week there will be contests and animal events, performances by the Cincinnati Circus and hypnotist shows.

Daily admission tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children, with discounted week-long passes also offered. Individuals with a military ID will be admitted for free. On Tuesday, senior citizens will be admitted for free before 4 p.m. and on Wednesday children up to age 12 are free before 4 p.m.

For the full daily schedule and tickets go to loudouncountyfair.com.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Carnival rides are among the attractions on tap during the Loudoun County Fair, which takes place July 24-29.

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[ THINGS TO DO ]

July 21 – 26, 2017

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‘MY FAVORITE SINGS’ STORYBOOK CABARET Sunday, July 23, 5:30 p.m.; Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Purcellville.

Details: stagecoachtc.com StageCoach Theater Company presents its original all-ages cabaret “My Favorite Sings” to benefit Hillsboro Charter Academy. The show is written and directed by HCA teacher Addie Schafer. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 3 to 11 and are available at the StageCoach website.

LOCO CULTURE ARTISTS’ RECEPTION: KAY LAYNE AND DANA JANSEN Saturday, July 22, 5-7 p.m.; Arts in The Village Gallery, 1601 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg; Details: artsinthevillage.com Arts in The Village’s “Bold and

COMING UP ARTS IN THE ALLEY Saturday, July 29, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; downtown Leesburg.

Details: leesburgpublicarts.org Beautiful” show features Layne’s abstract paintings and Jansen’s wirewrapped wearable art. Both artists will be on hand for the gallery’s July reception. Event is free and open to the public

EYEWITNESS TO WAR TOURS AT MT. ZION Sunday, July 23, 1 p.m.; Mt. Zion

Friends of Leesburg Public Arts hosts its inaugural street fair featuring art, crafts and live music.

Showcases include the alley on South King Street near the corner of Loudoun Street, Mervyn Jackson Park and the Leesburg Town Green.

Church Historical Park, 40309 John S. Mosby Highway, Aldie.

Details: novaparks.com Enjoy guided tours and a living history presentation from the point of view of a Civil War doctor at the historic 1851 church, site of an 1864 battle.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS | PUBLIC SAFETY | EDUCATION | OUR TOWNS | BIZ | LOCO LIVING | CLASSIFIEDS | OPINION

The old-fashioned county fair returns.

Highlights include Triple R Bull Rodeo, a monster truck event and Stoney Roberts’ demolition derby, carnival rides and lots of farm animals. Daily tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for children. Admission before 4 p.m. is free for seniors 65 and over on Tuesday, July 25, and for children 12 and younger on Wednesday, July 26.

loudounnow.com

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Vantage Point Drone

A drone view of the new Belmont Ridge Road/W&OD Trail overpass looking south.

Safer Cycling: Belmont Road Bridge Opens Cyclists on the W&OD Trail are enjoying a safer crossing of Belmont Ridge Road. A new bridge carrying Belmont Ridge Road traffic over the trail opened Monday.

It eliminates an at-grade crossing that has continually ranked as the most dangerous in Loudoun for W&OD Trail users.

The bridge is part of the Belmont Ridge Road widening project and is opening more than three months ahead of schedule.

Initially, the bridge will carry one lane of traffic in each direction. Ultimately, it will serve the two northbound lanes once the southbound span is complete.

Whiskey

We’re attracting new visitors and gaining new customers, proving that when local agribusinesses partner with a local historic site, we each can grow and succeed.

<< FROM 1 is moving toward national distribution, sources grains both locally and from growers in other parts of the U.S. to meet demand for its flagship Roundstone Rye. But, doing a first-ever bottling entirely from Loudoun-grown grain is something special, Catoctin Creek founder and distiller Becky Harris said, and it’s a three-way win for the landowner, the farmer and the distiller.

“You really can’t have the product without any one of the three—it’s like the infamous three-legged stool,” she said.

For Morven Park Executive Director Stephanie Kenyon, the collaboration is an exciting way to take the property back to its agricultural roots.

“If you think about the history of Morven Park, this was an agricultural center, and there were many different types of agricultural crops that were grown here. … It really is a part of our history here,” Kenyon said.

Morven Park was the home of Westmoreland Davis, who served as Virginia’s governor during World War I. Davis made Morven Park into an agricultural showpiece, growing and harvesting corn, alfalfa, barley, orchard grass and sorghum, among other crops. He also operated one of the largest turkey breeding enterprises in the country.

Morven Park, now operated by the Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation, has purchased a barrel of the soon-to-be-bottled, Loudoun-grown whiskey and will give the bottles as gifts rather than selling them, Kenyon said. But, the Morven Park whiskey will likely be available in limited quantities

The overall project includes widening the road from two to four lanes, with a grass median and shared-use paths on both sides of the road, between Hay Road and Gloucester Parkway.

Also, a new parking lot for trail users is being constructed.

The $61 million project is funded

Courtesy of Oatlands Historic House and Gardens

Last year, Oatlands Historic House and Gardens launched a wine label in collaboration with winemaker Doug Fabbioli.

in the Catoctin Creek tasting room. As his operation expands, Tebbe hopes Loudouners will be able to buy locally grown whiskey on a wider scale.

“The future of this is if we see that response from the community, we can develop a product that’s grown right here and you can see each step that it went through on its way to the bottle and then go to your local ABC store and purchase that,” Tebbe said.

Over at Oatlands Just a few miles south of Morven Park, the staff and directors at Oatlands Historic House and Gardens are tapping into the Loudoun wine craze to bring new visitors to the property, known for its 1804 mansion and stunning gardens.

Last year, Oatlands launched two wines under its own label in collaboration with Fabbioli, an award-winning winemaker

— Oatlands Development Director Matt Kraycinovich

and owner of Fabbioli Cellars north of Leesburg.

Fabbioli blended a white vidal blanc and a red chambourcin bottled under the Oatlands label, selecting two varietals with a special place in Virginia’s winemaking history.

“I call them Virginia classics,” Fabbioli said.

Visitors can enjoy a glass of Oatlands wine on site and buy bottles at the property’s gift shop to take home. Couples can also buy Oatlands wines to pour at receptions at the popular wedding venue.

For now, Fabbioli uses grapes grown in nearby Loudoun vineyards for the Oatlands wines.

The Oatlands board of directors is in the early stages of exploring the idea of viticultural partnerships with area winemakers, said Oatlands Development Director Matt Kraycinovich, perhaps even

by Loudoun County and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and is separate from the $73 million Rt. 7/ Belmont Ridge Road interchange project. The widening project is expected to wrap up in late 2018 and the interchange work is scheduled for completion early in 2019.

growing wine grapes on the property.

Oatlands’ partnership with Hamilton-based Wegmeyer Farms, which leases land for pick-your-own strawberries and pumpkins on the property, is a model, Kraycinovich said.

“Our strategic partnerships with Fabbioli Cellars and Wegmeyer Farms reflect our commitment to telling the important story of the agricultural heritage at Oatlands,” Oatlands Executive Director Bonnie LePard said. “With the sale of Oatlands wine, strawberries and pumpkins, we’ve returned to our roots. On top of that, we’re attracting new visitors and gaining new customers, proving that when local agribusinesses partner with a local historic site, we each can grow and succeed.”

These kinds of collaborations are key for Loudoun’s continuing development as a tourism destination and craft beverage hub, said Fabbioli, who embraces the kinds of innovative partnerships that benefit businesses, nonprofits and consumers.

“It’s having fun, doing business, working with cool people. Some of it may be nonprofit, some of it may be for-profit. But the whole idea is that it isn’t about money,” Fabbioli said. “It’s about working together it’s about doing some good product, and at the end of the day you’ve built yourself another friend and partner.”

Doug Fabbioli hosts a wine tasting featuring the Oatlands blends along with other Fabbioli wines and herbs grown

by Oatlands head gardener Mark Schroeter on Sunday, July 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 in advance, and space is limited. For more information, contact Matt Kraycinovich at mkraycinovich@oatlands.org. jmercker@loudounnow.com

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Gary Donald Ball August 1, 1943 July 11, 2017

Betty Shreve Chamblin

December 4, 1933 July 12, 2017 Betty Shreve Chamblin de Luca died on July 12 at the home of her daughter, Elizabeth Pressel

Richard Lee Elsea

May 26, 1952 - July 11, 2017 Richard Lee Elsea, 65 of Leesburg, Virginia passed on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at Loudoun Nursing & Rehabilitation in Leesburg, Virginia.

Richard was born Monday, May 26, 1952 in Leesburg, Virginia. He was a son of the late Thomas Elsea and the late Clara Barton Elsea.

He was a member of the Eagles Club. He also loved the Washington Redskins and listening to Elvis Presley.

Richard leaves his family to cherish his memory including daughters, Virginia & Richard Thomas, II of Cross Junction, VA, Mary & Robbie Lowe of Harpers Ferry, WV; his former wife Frances Simpson, of Matinsburg, WV, two brothers, Bobby “Buba” Elsea of Harpers Ferry, WV and Butch and Cheryl Elsea of Kansas; 7 grandchildren, Amanda Thomas, Heather Thomas, Rachael Thomas, Richard R. Thomas, III, Patricia Lynn Elsea, Anna and Jonathan Lowe, 8 great grandchildren.

The family will receive friends for visitation from 1 to 2 pm, where funeral services will follow, beginning at 2:00 PM on Saturday, July 15, 2017, at Loudoun Funeral Chapel located at 158 Catoctin Circle, SE Leesburg, VA 20175 with the Pastor Ron Sage officiating.

Interment will be in Lovettsville Union Cemetery, Lovettsville, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to defray final expenses.

Online condolences may be made to the family at www.loudounfuneralchapel.com

Lucy was very active and involved in the church and community. Following her marriage in 1948, she became a member of Bethany United Methodist Church and was instrumental in starting the pre-school program there. She was a valued and honored member of the Loudoun Inova Hospital Ladies Board, notably served as a co-chairman of the annual Rummage Sale.

She served in numerous leadership positions in 4-H, Farm Bureau, Southern States Ladies Board, Home Interest Club, and bridge club. In addition, she provided historical accounts as well as copy-editing work to books and articles written about Loudoun County.

Her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews have many fond memories of her peach ice cream, fried chicken, and no-nonsense manner. She tutored many in math, encouraged their music lessons, and together with Granddaddy took each grandchild on a vacation when they were 9 years old.

Lucy worked as a math teacher and guidance counselor for Loudoun County Public Schools, retiring after 30 years of service. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Longwood University in 1946, and a Master’s degree from University of Virginia in 1971.

Lucy farmed with her husband on Orchard Crest, Inc in Purcellville, VA until shortly before her death. She managed the bookkeeping, taxes, and also milked, fed, and tended to cows along with operating machinery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made Bethany UMC, Handicap Accessibility Fund PO Box 487, Purcellville VA 20134 or Lights of Love, The Ladies Board, PO Box 6115, Leesburg VA 20178.

Please visit hallfh.com to express online condolences to the family. Arrangements by Hall Funeral Home, Purcellville, VA.

Edward M. Solomon

Ed was a loving and devoted son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin, and friend to many.

Ed, 64 of Ashburn, VA, passed away at his home July 15, 2017, surrounded by his wife and children. His infectious smile and personality made him a friend to so many.

He was an extremely talented professional photographer for over 40 years.

Ed is survived by his devoted wife, Joyce, children Matt and daughter in law Ashlie, Mike and daughter in law Krysta, and Caitie, his mother Nancy, sister Kathy and brother-in- law Gil Gilliam, grandchildren Madeline, Caroline and Mason, Sister-in-law Jan Richardson and brother- in- law Mike, nieces, a nephew, many cousins, and many friends.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, July 20th at 1pm, at Crossroads United Methodist Church, 43454 Crossroads Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, with a reception to follow.

Interment will be held privately @ a later date.

In lieu of followers, donations can be made to PANCAN, relay for life- Loudoun County, https://secure. acsevents.org ,or VITAS Hospice,1604 Spring Hill Rd Ste 450, Vienna, VA 22182.

Please share condolences with the family @www. loudounfuneralchapel.com

loudounnow.com

Lucy Potts

Lucy Potts, 91, of Purcellville, VA passed away on July 9, 2017. She is survived by her husband Edwin Potts, Sr. her son Edwin Potts, Jr. (Marty Potts), her two daughters Sarah Ruth Lam (Joe Lam) of Stanardsville, VA and Patsy Props

Lucy was born on November 19, 1925 in Jonesville, VA, the daughter of Ernest Hooper Bowling and Sarah Johns Bowling. She is preceded in death by her brother Ernest Bowling and sister Sarah Ipok. She is survived by her sister Harriet Stokes.

in North Carolina.

Betty was born in Leesburg, VA on December 4, 1933 to the late Ernestine Fox Chamblin and Daniel Schreve Chamblin.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James B. deLuca, her sister Mildred, and infant son, Frank. Betty was an avid equestrian and rode with the Loudoun Hunt Club as a young woman. She graduated from Leesburg High School in 1952. Betty attended Penn Hall in Chambersburg, PA. In 1995, Betty retired from the United States Customs Service.

Betty lived a life of service and devotion to others.

As a young girl, Betty served as a Red Cross Volunteer preparing bandages and survivor kids for soldiers during WWII. She was awarded a special cap and pin for her patriotism and service. She was also a member of the DAR. Betty was also a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend to many throughout her life.

Betty is survived by her son, Elliott deLuca and his wife Renee of Gainesville, VA, her daughter Elizabeth Pressel of Raleigh, NC, and four grandchildren, Grace, Emma and Garrett de Luca and Lillia Pressel of Raleigh, NC. She is also survived by her sisters Sally Fox Chamblin of Chesterfield, VA, Anne Stuart Chamblin of Gerrardstown, W.VA, and brother Daniel Shreve Chamblin of Abbeville, SC. Graveside services will be held at 1 pm on Tuesday,

Jessie P. Deane

Jessie P. Deane, 84, of Lovettsville, VA passed away peacefully at INOVA Loudoun Hospital with family by her side. She was born in New Market, VA on April 1, 1933. She was the daughter of the late Mary Sites.

Jessie is survived by her husband Walter V. Deane of Lovettsville, VA; son Keith A. Deane of Lovettsville, VA; and daughter Barbara M. Weaver (David) of Harrisonburg, VA. In addition to her mother, she was predeceased by a daughter Kim Leigh Deane Snyder and a very special friend/care giver Liz Suits, long term companion of Keith Deane. She also left behind her loving and faithful companion “Tucker”, her dog, which was always by her side.

A graveside service will be conducted Wednesday July 19th at 1 p.m. at Lovettsville Union Cemetery with the Reverend Tony Forstall officiating.

Because of Jessie’s love for animals, it was her choice that memorial contributions be sent to the Briggs Animal Adoption Center, P.O. Box 1028, Charles Town, WV 25414, because they choose not to euthanize.

“Mom we loved you every day and now we will miss you every day.”

Please visit www.hallfh.com to express online condolences to the family.

(Charlie Props) of Mt. Solon, VA. She was the grandmother of 8 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, and affectionately called “Mammaw” and “Different-Mammaw,” and “Grandma.”

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS | PUBLIC SAFETY | EDUCATION | OUR TOWNS | BIZ | LOCO LIVING | CLASSIFIEDS | OPINION

Gary Donald Ball, 73, of Sterling, Virginia, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, July 11, 2017. Born on August 1, 1943 in Altoona, PA, he is the son of Donald (Pete) Ball and Erma (Massavani) Ball. The third of four children, he is predeceased by sister, Connie (Ball) Bernazzoli and brother, Wayne Ball and survived by sister Lavone (Ball) Conrad of Berryville, VA. In addition to his wife of 53 years, Nancy (Kenner) Ball, he leaves 2 sons and their wives, G. Shawn and Susan Ball of Round Hill, VA, Keith Donald and Renee Ball of Ashburn, VA, and 6 grandchildren, Shawn, Nicholas, Samuel, Kasey, Emilie and Allison Ball to cherish his memory.

Gary was an active member within the community as a member of the Knights of Columbus and at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church where he was a lecturer. He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends and will be remembered by his incredibly outgoing personality, his willingness to always help others and his devotion to his family.

The family will receive friends on Friday, July 14th from 2-4pm and 6-8pm at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Sterling, VA. Additional visitation from 10-11am on Saturday, July 15, 2017 at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church until the service beginning at 11am.

Interment will be held privately by the family at a later date in Coupon, Pennsylvania.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Make a Wish Foundation. Mid-Atlantic. wish.org.

Please share condolences with the family www.

LoudounFuneralChapel.com

July 18, 2017 in Union Cemetery, 323 North King Street, Leesburg, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Please share condolences with the family www.

LoudounFuneralChapel.com

July 21 – 26, 2017

[OBITUARIES]

OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW July 20 – 26, 2017

loudounnow.com

40

[ D E AT H N O T I C E S ] Timothy Manning Dixon, 55, of Winchester, died July 13. A Harmony United Methodist Church, 380 East Colonial Highway,

son of the Sarah Frances Anderson Dixon, he was the youngest of eight children. He was raised in Loudoun County and worked for Patton’s Furniture in Winchester for the past eight years. Survivors include his daughters Shanta Thompson of Stephan City and Taimiar Dyson of Alexandria; son Timothy Dyson of Alexandria; three grandchildren, three sisters; and one brother. Interment will be private. [Loudoun Funeral Chapel]

Garrett D. Green, 47, of Ashburn, died July 10 at Prince Wil-

liam Hospital. Survivors include his wife Kelly Morgan Green; children Ryan, Tyler, Brooklyn, and Brihanna Green; mother Connie Mason of Denver, CO; brother Julius Benford, III of Charlotte, NC; and sister Tanya Mason of Denver, CO. Viewing will be held on Thursday, July 20, 2017 from 10 a.m. until time of service 11 a.m. at Heritage Fellowship Church, 2501 Fox Mill Road in Reston. Interment will be at the Chestnut Grove Cemetery in Herndon. [Lyles Funeral Service]

Betty Donaldson Laycock, 86, of Hamilton, died July 12.

She was born Sept. 14, 1930, to George and Annie Donaldson.

She worked for Loudoun Public Schools for 30 years in the Title I Program.She was predeceased by her husband Curtis C. Laycock, son Steven W. Laycock, and brothers Robert, Freddie and George (Buck) Donaldson. She is survived by her son C. Carroll Laycock, Jr., of Hamilton, granddaughter Robbin Boyajy, and great-grandchildren Helena and Catherine Boyajy. Services were held July 16 at Harmony United Methodist Church in Hamilton. Burial was at Lakeview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to

Hamilton, VA 20158 or to Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 West Cork Street, #405, Winchester, VA 22601. [Hall Funeral home]

John Douglas Tomlinson, Sr., 77, of Leesburg, died July 16.

He is survived by his son John Douglas Tomlinson Jr. of Dallas,

TX; granddaughters Amesha Tomlinson Johnson of Houston, TX, and Imani Tomlinson of Irving, TX; and great-grandson Amir Johnson. A memorial visitation will be held on Thursday, July 20, from 11 a.m. until noon. [Loudoun Funeral Chapel]

To Place an Obituary, Memoriam or Death Notice Contact: Susan Styer 540-454-0831 sstyer@loudounnow.com

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Hair Cuttery in Great Falls, Sterling, Leesburg, Ashburn, & Dulles!

Large family practice in Loudoun County seeking FT LPN’s or MA’s for our new site located in the professional building at Stone Springs Hospital in Aldie, VA.

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Employment

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OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW July 20 – 26, 2017

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[ OPINION ]

OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW July 20 – 26, 2017

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44

The Pay Questions

County supervisors are preparing to deal with two important pay questions—one for the county staff and the other for the next board of supervisors. The questions are separate but tightly connected.

Of the two, the comprehensive study of the government’s pay structure is the top priority. Even in many tight budget years, county staff members have gotten raises. Salaries have gone up. But that doesn’t mean the compensation structure has kept pace. Supervisors don’t necessarily need to know whether they’re paying people enough; they need to know whether they can attract and retain the right people. For those who’d like to see government run more like a business, this is a question business owners ask every day.

Although there is evidence in many departments that the current structure isn’t competitive, past boards have had little hope of assembling the resources that would be needed to fix it. The improving economy now provides that breathing room, and county leaders can now get a grasp of where the problems lie and begin to address them.

The question of how much to pay the next board of supervisors is murkier and the decision could change the very nature of the position.

Today, the county board is structured to have part-time members who are paid a significant stipend to make up for some of the time and energy they sacrifice in the name of community service. They are supported by full-time staff members, whose jobs were created to allow part-time legislators to function more effectively in an increasingly complex and demanding environment.

Should the stipends for supervisors be increased for the first time since 2008? Probably.

Should the candidates elected to the board in 2019 expect to be paid for the work on the level of a full-time employee? That changes the government significantly. There would still be candidates on the ballot offering their experience as a public service. But the position also becomes a job, one that attracts professional politicians who have re-election as a significant economic motivation.

Are the current board seats limited to the independently wealthy or the retired because of the lack of stipend increases?

That argument has been made, but it is not borne out in the current collection of supervisors, nor any previous one.

With a strong, capable—even, well compensated—staff, part-time supervisors can continue to serve Loudoun effectively for many terms to come.

LoudounNow

Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC 15 N. King St., Suite 101 • Leesburg, VA, 20176 PO Box 207 • Leesburg, VA 20178 703-770-9723 Norman K. Styer Editor nstyer@loudounnow.com Danielle Nadler Managing Editor dnadler@loudounnow.com Margaret Morton Senior Writer mmorton@loudounnow.com Renss Greene, Reporter rgreene@loudounnow.com

Kara C. Rodriguez, Reporter krodriguez@loudounnow.com Douglas Graham, Photographer dgraham@loudounnow.com Contributors Jan Mercker Kelsie McCrae John McNeilly John Patterson Patrick Szabo

Advertising Director Susan Styer sstyer@loudounnow.com Display Advertising Tonya Harding Classified Manager Lindsay Morgan lmorgan@loudounnow.com Production Electronic Ink Leesburg, VA 20175

[ LETTERS ] Those People Editor: The term “Those People” is a particularly derogatory expression that has been used to demean the value or undermine the existence of people of African-American descent by some who refuse to justify their legitimate existence. The term “Those People” has also been used as a tool to reassert to slaves that they were just slaves, thus discounting their humanness.

I raise this point because it was ironic that during a court hearing on July 12, the Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Plowman used this term as he was making a case against ten individual members of our community who were seeking to state their rights to intervene against the petition that was filed in court concerning the process to appoint trustees to oversee the Belmont Slave Cemetery.

“Those People” he said, have no standing in this matter and proceeded to discount their claim of standing despite the work of this group and others working with the County for over two years to protect the Belmont Slave Cemetery.

The enslaved like the ones at Belmont Plantation had no rights and no claim in their own lives, they were just property. On July 12, in open court, the commonwealth’s attorney asserted that these ten individuals had no standing in this matter because their claim, while based on heritage and actual dependent connection, was not sufficient because they were not property holders. Mr. Plowman asserted that Toll Brothers was the rightful property owner and he was representing their interests in court. It has never been an issue about who owned the land; the issue has always been who is buried in the land. Aside from any judicial obligations you might have to the law Mr. Plowman, there is an obligation to justice and to see that the

rights of the wrongfully enslaved are represented in a way that does not treat their final resting place simply as property. Please consider that point as you make recommendations to the Court about who you think would make a good trustee.

These people, Mr. Plowman, who could not legally represent themselves are deserving of legal representation and your action to arbitrarily remove the County from the process and to state in open court that you represented the interests of Toll Brothers is nothing short of choosing property over people. The court disagreed with your claim to represent the interests of Toll Brothers and now on October 4th, Toll Brothers must appear in court and clearly state their desire to transfer the property to the court appointed trustees.

So, who are these people buried in the Belmont Slave Cemetery? I believe that they were human beings - intelligent, capable and accomplished before they were brought to this country.

They were parents, grandparents and had loving extended families whose descendants are among us today in Loudoun County. They were people of many religions, forms of worship and expressions of faith.

My passion to tell their stories and restore the burial grounds is in honor of their lives and the many contributions they made. The trustees will be the only voices of standing that represent these lives and this sacred place.

Many thanks to all the concerned citizens, friends and elected officials including Jennifer Wexton, Randy Minchew and Suzanne Fox who packed the courtroom. Special thanks to our great friends from the ADAMS Center Rizwan Jaka and Priscilla Martinez and their family representing the interests of those enslaved, many of whom were Muslim.

LETTERS >> 45

[ LETTERS ]

— Ron Campbell, Leesburg Editor’s Note: The writer is a member of the Leesburg Town Council.

Together We Can Help Editor: My dad, James Shives, passed away on Christmas Eve in 2012, after living with Alzheimer’s for eight years. He was only 78 years old.

During those years, there are several moments that stand out in my mind: The time my dad asked me if I had ever been to his home (the home I grew up in); the day we had to place him in a nursing home because he tried to strangle my mom; and finally, the day I took him outside at the nursing home, and he touched the grass and smiled.

research for this devastating disease.

— Krista L. Klemens, Leesburg

Unstoppable Shift Editor: This week, Bloomberg News reported that a study by the U.S. Department of Energy showed our current grid can perform with wind and solar power. A leaked draft of the Energy Department’s highly anticipated study on grid reliability finds that renewable energy doesn’t harm grid reliability; that market trends, not regulation, have driven the shift to cleaner, safer forms of energy; and that technology like energy efficiency and demand response are actually helping to increase reliability. These findings contradict statements made by high-level Trump administration officials—including Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who has raised concerns about the impact of renewables on the grid.

In the past few months, we’ve seen the Trump administration repeatedly risking public health by trying to move us backwards towards coal, slashing the EPA’s budget and tearing down limits on mercury, smog, and carbon pollution. Donald Trump put a politician who sued the EPA over a dozen times, and helped raise nearly $4 million from corporate polluters in charge of protecting our kids from pollution. In-

stead, we should be putting more funds into the EPA for programs like The Solar Training Network, which addresses a critical need for high-quality, local, accessible training in solar installation and related skills. This is smart policy that can support economic transition as coal is dwindling in supply, harming our environment, and no longer cost-effective.

This study from experts and President Trump’s own administration show his attacks on clean energy are unfounded— renewable energy does not threaten grid reliability. Trump administration allies, including the former head of Trump’s Energy Department transition team, are already scrambling to downplay the significance of this report because it demonstrates how their attempts at attacking clean energy are out of step with the realities of America’s electricity markets and how they operate.

Despite President Trump’s best efforts, the unstoppable shift to clean energy is already underway, driven by American states, cities and businesses that see the economic opportunity climate action presents.

There’s a reason why the private market is trending toward clean energy like wind and solar—it’s safe, affordable, and reliable. When will Donald J. Trump catch up?

— Kelsey Crane, Fairfax

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I strongly encourage anyone who might want to become a trustee to consider what it means to be a steward of the bodies and the obligation to honor the history of the many lives and families that persisted against overwhelming odds to survive, live, love and create the legacies that make our lives better today.

These people (not those people) who are buried in this land might have been enslaved but they were always more than property.

Alzheimer’s took everything from my dad, leaving him scared and weak at the end of his life. He had no memories left of the life he had, or how much he was loved by his wife, daughters, family and friends.

As my dad’s caregiver, it was physically, emotionally and financially draining for my mom. After 35 years of hard work and sacrifice, my parents lost nearly half of their savings as a result of this disease.

The numbers are staggering regarding the costs of Alzheimer’s care, not only for individuals, but for America as well. It is estimated that in 2017, the cost of care for individuals with Alzheimer’s will be $259 billion. In addition, 20 percent of all Medicare dollars spent in 2017 will be spent on someone with this disease, and nearly $44 billion will be spent under the Medicaid program. Without a cure or treatment for this disease the cost of care will continue to rise to unprecedented levels.

I am committed to continuing the fight against Alzheimer’s in honor of my dad by volunteering with The Alzheimer’s Association. I invite you to join me in the fight against Alzheimer’s by walking with me in the Northern Virginia Walk to End Alzheimer’s, on Sept. 24. To learn more about Alzheimer’s and the Walk, go to alz.org/nca/ walk.

Together we can help raise awareness and funds for support, care and

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Photos by Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Oatlands Program Reflects on World War II The grounds of Oatlands Historic House and Garden looked like a scene out of the mid-century this weekend. The property dedicated Saturday and Sunday to the observance of the second world war through its program, “From the Front Lines to the Home Front: Oatlands and World War II.” The event featured living history interpreters, oral history recordings, service dog training, displays of military vehicles and Jeep rides, military exhibitors, children’s activities and performances of the songs of the period.

Oatlands staff and volunteers were especially excited to partner with Voices of Freedom, which brought a special mobile studio that allows veterans of all wars to record and document their experiences.

Burial grounds << FROM 3 ing court filings.

The citizen group, led by the Rev. Michelle Thomas, has worked with Toll Brothers and county government representatives for the past two years to protect and restore the overgrown cemetery, where gravesites in the woods are marked with simple fieldstones. Under the plan, the developer will create a separate lot for the burial ground and transfer ownership to the trustees.

Plowman last month filed a petition asking the Circuit Court to appoint a trustee board of five to nine members.

His motion asked that the appointees “represent a broad range of interests and that will serve to protect and preserve the cemetery parcel …”

Attorney Benjamin Leigh, representing Thomas’ group, then filed a motion asking the court to appoint 10 specific Ashburn-area residents, including representatives of the Loudoun Freedom Center, members of the Thomas Balch Library Black History Committee and a descendant of one of the people buried on the property.

In subsequent court filings and argu-

ments before Horne last week, Plowman and Leigh challenged the legal standing of the other to request the trustee appointments.

Plowman said he had been working with county government leaders on the project since last year and had committed to filing the required motion to appoint trustees when the land transfer was ready to move forward.

The group Leigh represents, including Thomas and Leesburg Town Councilman Ron Campbell, criticized Plowman for stepping in and raised allegations that he was trying to take control of the property away from those who have been instrumental in raising public awareness of the burial ground and working for its protection.

While Horne denied a motion to have Leigh’s clients granted status as legal intervening parties in Plowman’s case and declining to formally merge the two cases, the judge agreed to publicly advertise for residents interested in serving as trustees and to include both Plowman and Leigh in the process of collecting those expressions of interest.

The parties will return to court Oct. 4 to review the applications. nstyer@loudounnow.com

Middle school

projects. Brambleton teachers voted to call this space the Bears’ Den. “You can tell the building was designed with learning in mind,” Dawson said. “They thought about how students would use every single space.”

The building still incorporates the house system, where students at each grade level—sixth, seventh, and eighth—attend class in the same section of the building and each grade-level house has an assigned dean, counselor and secretary. The model is meant

to give students the feeling of a school within a school, especially as they’re transitioning from the smaller schools in elementary to the larger high schools.

Dawson said the model reinforces what she loves about working in education. “My goal from the moment I got the job was to make this a team,” she said. “This is not my school. This is everybody’s school—everybody plays an important role.” dnadler@loudounnow.com

Watch a video about Brambleton Middle School’s design, a first in Loudoun County, at vimeo.com/220325433.

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Who Gets to Kiss Me???

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Loudoun County Public Schools’ contracted architects and engineers are testing out a new building design at Brambleton Middle School. It includes a glass-enclosed crosswalk and a teacher collaboration room.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

started talking about how we are going to get to know the seventh and eighth graders,” she said. “That’s when we thought of the T-shirt idea.”

Thanks to a donation from Northern Virginia Orthodontics, the school bought close to 1,000 T-shirts that bear the Brambleton Middle School logo.

Dawson, joined by other administrators, teachers, cafeteria and janitorial staff, walked door to door throughout Brambleton last month to hand-deliver T-shirts to as many students as possible.

“It was really hot, which was actually great because people invited us in,” Dawson said, “and it was a good way to get to know families.”

Even before any of the students visit the school, they’ve already had a lot of say in its make-up, including choosing the mascot. Rising sixth-graders were asked to nominate mascot ideas. They threw out ideas like blue jays, bobcats, bears, and blobfish. “I didn’t even know what that was,” Dawson said with a laugh.

The rising seventh- and eighth-grade students voted on the three most nominated names and the bears won out.

The parent teacher student organization has also formed and is already chipping in to plan events to help connect families to their new school. Beth Harrington, who serves as co-president of the school’s PTSO with her husband, Chad, said they jumped at the chance to be a part of the middle school’s first year.

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“We were drawn to volunteer in this role so we can help shape and set the foundation for future PTSO board members by working for the kids and the school,” she said. “We look forward to this first year and starting off on the right foot.”

Dawson was hired to lead the new school after working as assistant principal at Woodgrove High School since 2011. She loved her time at Woodgrove, but she was eager to get back to working with middle school students. She had previously taught at Harper Park and Smart’s Mill middle schools. She calls those years between elementary and high school “the educational sweet spot.”

“I was ready to be back in a middle school,” she said. “I wanted to take the opportunity to help guide this vision of what a great middle school could be.”

She first stepped onto the school’s property a year ago, when it was a practically empty field. “There was hardly anything here. But I could see it already,” she said.

The school’s design is a first for Loudoun County Public Schools.

Middle schools in the county have followed a similar prototype design for several years, but the Construction Services Department mixed it up this time around. The building includes a glass-enclosed crosswalk that connects half of the building to the other. The connector crosswalk includes benches where students can sit and journal or read.

New to the building design is a collaboration workroom where teachers from different subject areas can work together to plan lessons and student

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