Loudoun Now for Sept. 21, 2017

LoudounNow LOUDOUN COUNTY’S COMMUNITY-OWNED NEWS SOURCE

[ Vol. 2, No. 45 ]

[ loudounnow.com ]

[ Sept. 21 – 27, 2017 ]

TO THE RACES!

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Four Lives Lost in Six Weeks Crashes Intensify Evergreen Mills Road Safety Push

BY DANIELLE NADLER

A

fter four lives were lost in six weeks in car crashes along Evergreen Mills Road, residents and county leaders are calling for a rush on safety improvements there.

Residents who live in neighborhoods just off Evergreen Mills Road and frequently travel the 12-mile, two-lane byway between Leesburg and Arcola want the planned work to make the road safer expedited. They formed the Facebook group Make Evergreen Mills Road Safe after Erin Kaplan, Ashburn mother of three, was killed Sept.

8. The driver of a food truck ran a stop sign at the end of Watson Road, T-boning Kaplan’s car.

That tragedy along the heav-

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Vehicles make their way along Evergreen Mills Road at Watson Road, considered one of the more dangerous stretches of road in Loudoun County. Residents and county supervisors are working to expedite plans to make it safer.

ily traveled roadway came just six weeks after a Suffolk woman, Courtney Ashe, apparently lost control of her vehicle in a heavy rainstorm while traveling along Evergreen Mills Road and drove into Sycolin Creek. The car was found upside down in the creek three days later, with Ashe’s

body and the bodies of her 9-year-old cousin and 5-yearold son inside.

“We’ve been talking about the need for improvements along this road for years, and it’s unfortunate that it took the last couple of crashes to prompt us to say enough is enough,” said

Stephanie Manning, who lives in the Courtland Rural Village neighborhood. She helped start the Make Evergreen Mills Road Safe Facebook page. “We’ve got to work on getting more resources to get this done. It really could have been any one of us.”

This isn’t a new problem for

Supervisor Tony R. Buffington (Blue Ridge). He’s worked with the county staff and Virginia Department of Transportation to make improvements—some immediate and some longterm—near the Evergreen Mills and Watson intersection for the past year.

Last September, on his way to a Board of Supervisors meeting, he came upon a serious crash at that intersection. He immediately asked VDOT for crash statistics for the Evergreen Mills/ Watson Road intersection and other intersections throughout his district, which stretches from the edge of Dulles Airport to Loudoun’s western border.

VDOT reported 19 crashes at that spot from 2013 to October 2016, resulting in one serious injury and 10 minor injuries.

“This one was identified by my office as the most unsafe intersection in the district—it’s our top priority,” Buffington said.

A more recent VDOT report shows there were six lives lost in accidents along Evergreen Mills Road from 2010 through March of this year. That doesn’t include the four most recent fatalities.

During that period, VDOT reported 524 incidents, resulting in 264 injuries.

EVERGREEN MILLS >> 39

Drones: Loudoun’s Newest Search and Rescue Tool The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office on Friday demonstrated something that no other Virginia locality has: a drone equipped to track down people enrolled in Project Lifesaver.

Project Lifesaver is a program to help keep track of people with autism, dementia, or who are otherwise prone to wander-

ing off and getting lost. Family members can equip them with a compact, waterproof radio transmitter on a wrist strap. If they go missing, the sheriff ’s office can quickly home in on the transmitter’s signal, dramatically cutting down the time it takes to find them.

“What we’re trying to do is make sure that we find them as quickly as possible,” said Sheriff

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BY RENSS GREENE

Michael Chapman. “We have over 100 people that are part of our Project Lifesaver program right now. It’s been in existence since 2010, we’ve saved 23 people, and usually we do it in about a half an hour or less.”

Project Lifesaver is a national program, and law enforcement officers usually use a hand-held radio antenna to home in on the signal. But being

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LE W A O S N N O

at ground level limits the range of that antenna.

While many law enforcement offices are using drones, Chapman said Loudoun is the first locality in Virginia to have Project Lifesaver technology mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle, expanding the range over which deputies can detect DRONES >> 13

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The sheriff’s office’s drone lifts off, piloted by Deputy First Class Jamie Holben.

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INSIDE

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

10

Lansdowne woman turns 107

BY RENSS GREENE

14

School Board debates bus stop appeal policy

20

Generosity fuels Inova expansion

24

Selma mansion gets new life

L

ess than a year after it was vandalized with swastikas and hateful messages and 50 years after it last held classes, a renewed historic Ashburn Colored School was opened to the public Saturday.

The 124-year-old building was originally used to educate black children in Loudoun before the schools were desegregated. It had no heat or running water, and has stood vacant since the late 1950s.

In 2014, the Loudoun School for the Gifted bought the property, with the mission of making it a living museum.

Loudoun School for the Gifted students led the fundraising efforts, but had only raised a few thousand dollars of their $100,000 goal by last October.

The school was vandalized overnight on Sept. 30, 2016, but the outpouring of community support turned that into a ASHBURN SCHOOL >> 38

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Several students of the Ashburn Colored School attended the unveiling of its renovation, including Yvonne Neal, Leon Thornton, Inez Farris, and Dorothy Carpenter.

Northrop Grumman to Acquire Orbital ATK LOUDOUN NOW STAFF REPORT

INDEX

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Building 2 at Orbital ATK in Sterling. The company, which was started in 1982 by three college friends, is being acquired by Northrop Grumman.

Loudoun Gov..................... 4 Leesburg........................... 8 Public Safety................... 12 Education........................ 14 Nonprofit......................... 18 Biz.................................. 20 Our Towns....................... 24 LoCo Living..................... 26 Obituaries....................... 32 Classifieds...................... 33 Public Notices................. 33 Opinion........................... 36

loudounnow.com

ORBITAL >> 38

Northrop Grumman, one of the nation’s leading defense contractors, announced Monday that it plans to acquire the Sterling-based rocket and satellite company Orbital ATK for $9.2 billion.

The deal comes two and half years after Orbital Sciences merged with Alliant Techsystems Inc. to form Orbital ATK. It also comes as U.S. defense planners look to step up the nation’s missile capabilities amid growing tensions with North Korea and technological advances being made by other global adversaries.

“The acquisition of Orbital ATK is an exciting strategic step as we continue to invest for profitable growth,” Northrop CEO Wes Bush stated in a release. “Through our combination, customers will benefit from expanded capabilities, accelerated innovation and greater competition in critical global security domains.”

Falls Church-based Northrop Grumman said it would

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Leesburg shifting food truck rules

The historic Ashburn Colored School’s completed renovation and repurposing as a “living museum” was unveiled at a ceremony Sept. 16.

Renovated Ashburn Schoolhouse Unveiled

3

[ LOUDOUN GOV ]

Two More Nonprofits Could Get Tax Exemptions

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Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

A monument to Loudoun’s Confederate soldier stands in front of the old courthouse in the heart of downtown Leesburg.

Higgins Calls for Compromise on Courthouse Monuments

BY RENSS GREENE

T

he county Board of Supervisors on Wednesday was scheduled to have their first public discussion on Loudoun’s Confederate war memorial.

The discussion was prompted by Supervisor Geary M. Higgins (R-Catoctin), who wants to ask that the board send the debate over Loudoun’s Confederate war memorial to the county heritage commission, with an eye toward erecting another monument to tell the rest of the story.

“The call to move the statue is the wrong approach,” said Higgins in a press release. “The Confederate soldier statue should stay where it is, but it should not stand alone.”

Higgins said he would not support an expected motion by County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) to ask the General Assembly to grant

Loudoun Now/File Photo

Supervisor Geary M. Higgins (R-Catoctin), would like to direct the Loudoun County Heritage Commission to suggest ways to recognize the events of historic significance that took place on the courthouse grounds without removing the Confederate statue.

localities the legal authority to take down war memorials and monuments.

Currently, Loudoun does not have the power to legally take down its Confederate monument.

“I don’t support removing memorials, and so if that’s what her intention is, I’m not supportive of that, and I really don’t care which memorial it is that somebody wants to take down,” Higgins said.

Randall has not called for the statue to be removed, but has said she supports giving localities the authority to decide the fate of monuments and memorials.

Instead, Higgins would like to direct the Loudoun County Heritage Commission to “report on recommendations of measures that fully reflect events of historic significance on the courthouse grounds without removing the current Confederate statue.”

MONUMENTS >> 6

Comp Plan Committee Sets Sights on Transition Area

BY RENSS GREENE The 26 members of the Envision Loudoun stakeholders steering committee feeding input to the county’s rewrite of its comprehensive plan may have 26 different reasons why, but they almost all agree: the transition policy area has got to change.

The transition policy area is a swath of land dividing the county’s rural west and suburban east, stretching north to south near Leesburg and along the county’s southern border east to Dulles Airport. It covers more than 23,000 acres, almost 7 percent of the county.

It is meant to provide a buffer and transition between the rural west and

suburban east, but many members of the committee say that in practice, parts of it are effectively suburban and the boundaries are arbitrary.

“In reality, if you drive into one of these places, I can’t tell the difference between it and Ashburn, it’s just there’s fields surrounding it,” said Chad Campbell, the Blue Ridge District appointee to the committee. He served briefly on the Planning Commission.

Since central utilities were allowed in the transition policy area in 2004, residential building there has accelerated.

The county counts nearly 5,600 homes in the transition area.

At their meeting Monday, committee members almost unanimously said the

status quo is “not an option.”

“I think one of the big questions is, are we able to accommodate the demand [for housing] for the next five to 25 years, and I think with the status quo that’s not possible,” said Lars Henriksen, who represents the Dulles Area Association of Realtors on the committee. He said he has seen clients move into the transition area, then move away because zoning rules in the transition area allows mostly residential and little commercial development, making little allowance for amenities like grocery stores.

Others argued it was necessary to revisit the transition area to reflect how TRANSITION AREA >> 7

BY RENSS GREENE

Four nonprofit organizations applied for exemptions to county taxes, and two will go on to face scrutiny at the Board of Supervisors.

If they win approval, Hero Homes Inc. and Makersmiths Inc. will be exempted from county real estate and property taxes in 2018. In 2017, they collectively paid $5,574.03 in taxes. Neither has received any funding from the county government through its usual grant funding process.

Purcellville-based HeroHomes builds homes for disabled veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces in Loudoun County. Since its founding in 2015, it has built one home in Purcellville, and is working on two more, in Round Hill and Hillsboro.

Makersmiths provides community workshops on technical projects, such as welding, building a drone, woodworking, car repair, 3-D printing, laser cutting, and a variety of other works. It has quickly become a fixture in the maker movement in Loudoun.

Two other nonprofits applied for tax exemptions but did not make the cut. Stones of Herndon Inc. was deemed ineligible by county staff members. According to nonprofit tracker GuideStar, its federal tax-exempt status was automatically revoked by the IRS for failing to file certain paperwork for three consecutive years.

Another, known variously as the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety and the American Coalition for Traffic Safety, was considered eligible, but the board’s finance committee narrowly voted against referring it to the full Board of Supervisors.

County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), finance committee chairman Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles), and Supervisor Tony R. Buffington Jr. (R-Blue Ridge) voted against the request because it does not provide Loudoun-specific services.

The nonprofit is headquartered in Sterling.

The Board of Supervisors exempts nonprofits from county property and real estate taxes on a case-by-case basis. In 2017, the county gave up $5.1 million in foregone taxes from 37 nonprofits. Those are in addition to organizations that are tax-exempt

by Virginia law, such as governments and property owned by religious organizations.

Finance committee chairman Letourneau said he votes against EXEMPTIONS >> 6

County, Schools to Strike Deal for Fire Station at Elementary School

BY RENSS GREENE

leases to the county government, according to Assistant Superintendent of Financial Services E. Leigh Burden.

The schools and the county have a similar agreement at Rolling Ridge Elementary School in Sterling, where the Sheriff ’s Office’s East Loudoun Substation is located. The Leesburg South Fire-Rescue station would be on Evergreen Mills Road between Sycolin Creek Elementary School and Leesburg Christian School.

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new zoning.

Because the rural village zoning allows fire-rescue stations by special exception, the county would also have to approve that second application. Both applications will require public hearings at the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.

The School Board has approved in concept allowing the county to use a five-acre portion of their property.

School Board member Eric DeKenipp (Catoctin) had been adamant the School Board should lease the land to the county, but the lease is expected to be “nominal,” in the range of only a few dollars. The school division does not collect rent on any of the other land it

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

A deal is in the works to build a fire-rescue station at the Sycolin Creek Elementary School campus along Evergreen Mills Road south of Leesburg.

The Board of Supervisors’ finance committee has recommended allowing Loudoun County Fire and Rescue and the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure enter negotiations with the school system to find the right spot on the 181-acre parcel for the planned Leesburg South Fire and Rescue Station.

County leaders have had trouble finding a spot for the fire station. The first site, on a 19-acre parcel next to the

planned Public Safety Firing Range at the intersection of Shreve Mill Road and the Dulles Greenway, proved unsuitable.

Instead, the county will now try to find a spot on the same parcel at Sycolin Creek Elementary School. That parcel, too, has its hurdles—it is governed by rural village zoning regulations, which require most of the property to be preserved as open space. It also falls in a Village Conservancy zoning sub-district, which does not permit fire stations. To use the site, county staff member will have to make two zoning applications: one a rezoning to take the land out of the conservancy sub-district, and one a special exception to the

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Monuments

Loudoun’s unique history is our strength, not our weakness. We can’t learn from history, if we hide it.”

<< FROM 4 The Heritage Commission is a 16-member body appointed by the Board of Supervisors and charged to “support and encourage the identification, documentation, protection, preservation, and celebration of the heritage resources of Loudoun County,” and “advise the Board of Supervisors and other county offices regarding heritage resources.” It includes members from each election district, including at-large, and other people with knowledge of working with historic buildings, archaeology, conservation, history tourism, and black history, among other fields.

Its members include Pastor Michelle Thomas, of Holy and Whole Life Changing Ministries International; historian Bronwen Souders, Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition member Mitch Diamond; and Envision Loudoun stakeholders committee and onetime Planning Commission member Chad Campbell, among others.

Higgins penned an op-ed for The Washington Post published Sept. 8 headlined “A Confederate soldier in this Virginia town should not stand alone.” In it, he argued “The call to remove the statue is the wrong approach.

The Confederate soldier statue should stay where it is, but it should not stand

— Supervisor Geary M. Higgins (R-Catoctin) alone on the courthouse grounds.” Instead, he said, Loudoun could follow the example of Talbot County, MD, the birthplace of Frederick Douglass, which also has a Confederate monument. It has added a statue of Douglass on the same courthouse grounds.

If Higgins’ motion is successful, the Heritage Commission’s recommendation may come with a head start. In September 2015, the Board of Supervisors voted to set aside $50,000 toward a monument honoring Union soldiers from Loudoun on the courthouse grounds. That money is held in reserve until the rest of the funding is needed.

The county government had previously contributed $50,000 to the “Spirit of Loudoun” statue honoring Revolutionary War veterans unveiled in 2015.

Clerk of the Loudoun Circuit Court Gary Clemens led the project, which

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“Loudoun County was a microcosm of our nation during the Civil War. We cannot forget that many men, Confederate and Union, heavily traversed Loudoun and lost their lives in our county, brother literally fought against brother; Loudoun is truly hallowed ground,” Higgins stated. “Nor can we forget Loudoun’s enslaved population: In 1860, 5,501 slaves lived in Loudoun County - 25 percent of Loudoun’s population of 21,744.”

Loudoun’s Confederate monument came to the forefront of conversation in the county and region after a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville became a rallying point for white supremacists and Neo-Nazis. They came to the city to protest and launch violent clashes after the Charlottesville city council voted to take down the statue. Loudoun, being a county rather than a city, does not have the authority to move its Confederate statue under state law.

“We are always better off when we learn from each other,” Higgins stated. “Let’s not tear down one another or existing memorials. Instead, let’s build our understanding of our history. Loudoun’s unique history is our strength, not our weakness. We can’t learn from history, if we hide it.”

See coverage of the supervisors’ discussion from Wednesday night’s meeting at LoudounNow.com.

Exemptions << FROM 4 all nonprofit tax exemption because he believes it’s the wrong way to help the organizations.

“Instead of granting a nonprofit exemption, if we want to give people money, we should just give them money, and we have a process for that,” Letourneau said. “And I feel like we do a better job in that process of getting to the nitty gritty of the organizations.”

“I don’t believe giving them grants so that the nonprofit can then take the money and give it back to the county to pay taxes makes a lot of sense,” said Vice Chairman Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn). “And you know we’ve had a lot of difficulty with our grant process the last several years. We’ve revised it every year to try to make it better, and every year we revise, it makes new problems.”

Loudoun has for several consecutive years attempted to revise its grant-making process.

This year it granted $1,076,469 to 32 nonprofits, which nonprofit leaders have said just isn’t enough to meet the community’s needs.

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the land is actually being used, and with what the county staff described as “targeted density increase.”

“The status quo was not going to address workforce housing or affordable housing—period,” said John Andrews, who represents the county’s Housing Advisory Board and is a former chairman of the School Board and the county’s Economic Development Commission.

But the idea of keeping the suburban east separate from the rural west is not dead in the committee.

“There ought to be a way that we can preserve the nature of the transition area but still go up in density in locations in a way that’s compatible,” said at-large appointee and retired U.S. Air Force Col. Mike Turner.

And others felt they were shooting in the dark without more concrete data and modeling from the county staff on how their decisions would impact the county.

“Several of the groups have mentioned that this was going to be a place for affordable housing, workforce housing,” said Loudoun Preservation and Conservation Coalition representative and former Planning Commission chairman Al Van Huyck. The committee had broken into small groups to discuss the transition area, then returned with every group recommending changes.

“Did anyone talk about how that’s actually going to be made to happen?”

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Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Leesburg business leaders met Monday to outline their biggest obstacles. Next step? To come up with ways to get over them.

Forum Focuses on Top Biz Owner Concerns

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

H

ow to grow their companies and zoning concerns were the top two issues cited by business owners who participated in a forum organized by the Leesburg Economic Development Commission on Monday.

Held at the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center, around 20 town business owners across different industries, including retail, health and wellness, real estate and the development community to name a few, came together to offer

their input on the current chief concerns for businesses.

Those who registered for the forum were asked in advance to cite their top concerns and that would become the focuses of discussions on Monday. The top four were, in order, growing and scaling their business; zoning; social media; and partnership resources.

Attendees broke into three groups and moderators moved from table to table to glean ideas on ways to address worries related to the top three identified concerns. Moderators were EDC members: Chairman Jim Sisley, Vice Chairman Eric Byrd, and Commis-

sioner Josh Thiel.

“We’re not actually here to solve any problems today,” Byrd said at the beginning of the forum. “We need to know what your problems are before we can start thinking about and brainstorming on solutions to those.”

At the end of the forum, the trio came away with a healthy list of input from area business owners that the EDC hopes to use to brainstorm ways to help. Chief concerns identified by participants were the town’s cumbersome and at times lengthy development review process; confusion about some existing rules or regulations; and

how to use social media to grow business and also inform others.

The EDC’s goal is to be proactive in dealing with challenges, so Byrd thanked those who attended for providing invaluable insight into the everyday plight of local businesses. The occasion also served as a time to debut the town’s new online business directory, and Byrd urged those who are not on the directory to visit the town website, under existing business services, to sign up. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

Town Council Initiates Food Truck Rule Changes

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ The Leesburg Town Council last week took the first step toward regulatory changes that could allow food trucks to operate more freely in town.

By a 6-0-1 vote, with Councilman Ken Reid absent, the council voted to initiate changes to the Zoning Ordinance and Town Code to expand the use of food trucks to be permitted as a temporary use on private property throughout town. The action means the matter will still be subject to public hearings at both the Planning Commission and Town Council, before the council takes a final vote. This is not expected to happen for several months.

Currently, food trucks are not defined in either the Zoning Ordinance or Town Code and have been allowed

only with temporary special event permits in cases where they defined as itinerant vendors. But the matter rose to the council’s attention in August when Town Manager Kaj Dentler noted that several town microbreweries had been inviting food trucks onto their property to serve busy weekend crowds. This was in violation of the Zoning Ordinance.

At first, the council was to consider only the issue of allowing food trucks at town microbreweries but, on the advice of Town Attorney Barbara Notar, agreed to consider allowing them on private property as a whole. This could open the possibility of food trucks being allowed as a temporary use in parking lots, commercial properties, and even homes. They would still be prohibited on public streets and rights

of way; however, the council will also consider in coming months allowing food trucks on the public right of way in the I-1 (Industrial) and PEC (Planned Employment Center) districts. That initiating resolution was put forward in May. Local microbreweries without a kitchen have a particular interest in the outcome of the future vote. Patrick Wilt, owner of Black Walnut Brewery on South King Street, said his customers enjoy being able to sample different kinds of foods from a variety of food truck purveyors.

“It’s something customers value,” he said. “They like the variety and the quality they can get from the food trucks.

They’re doing great work nowadays.”

Should the council not go forward

with changing the current regulations, it would be a loss to Leesburg, Wilt said.

“Customers could just go a couple miles away where there’s more freedom in Loudoun County than the Town of Leesburg,” he said.

According to Zoning Administrator Chris Murphy, enforcement of existing violations will be held in abeyance until the legislative review of the changes is complete. That means microbreweries or other establishments that invite food trucks onto their property will not be penalized for violating existing regulations, unless an immediate threat to health, safety or welfare of the community is found. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

9 Sept. 21 – 27, 2017 LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Kara Rodriguez/Loudoun Now

Marshall Scholars enjoy a tour of the George C. Marshall International Center property in Leesburg before leaving that evening to begin their studies abroad.

Marshall Scholars Visit Leesburg Forty George Marshall scholars visited their namesake’s home in Leesburg last week, just before catching a flight to begin their studies in the United Kingdom.

The program launched in 1953, established by the British government as a living gift to the U.S in recognition of the generosity of then-Secretary of State Gen. George C. Marshall and the Marshall Plan in the wake of World

War II. The first class of 12 scholars was recognized a year later, and six decades later, more than 1,900 Marshall Scholars have been sent to the U.K. Those selected for the elite scholar program apply to study at a U.K.-based university of their choosing to complete a master’s degree or even begin work towards a doctorate. Studies chosen by the scholars range widely from the sciMARSHALL SCHOLARS >> 11

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Lansdowne Woman Celebrates 107th Birthday

BY DANIELLE NADLER

When Estelle Keen was born on Sept.

18, 1910, William Taft was president, Arizona had just become the 48th state, and World War I was still another four years out.

“Think of the things she’s experienced,” a friend said Monday during Keen’s birthday celebration.

The spunky, petite woman turned 107 in the company of family members and

friends, including vice chairman of the county Board of Supervisors Ralph Buona (R-Ashburn), who gathered at the assisted living community Ashleigh of Lansdowne.

Keen was born in Jamaica, NY, and when she was about 10 years old, moved to Long Island. She moved to Loudoun County with her husband, who was a builder, just at the start of the county’s building boom.

She said her secret to a long life was being kind. “Always be nice. I never got angry. That helps,” Keen said.

Her one regret was her height, which peaked at 4 feet 11 inches. “But I think I also got noticed more in school because I was so short,” she added.

Keen was joined at the birthday celebration by her niece and her niece’s husband, Terry and Norman Weiss, of Leesburg; and her great nephew Matthew Abelson and his wife, Elyssa, of Fairfax County.

Over chocolate cupcakes and ice cream, Elyssa Abelson told Keen, “You always make us laugh.”

“Well,” Keen responded, “I try to make the best of it.”

Violet Brown, who was the world’s oldest living person, died in Jamaica on Sunday at the age of 117 years and 189 days. That makes 117-year-old Nabi Tajima of Japan the oldest person alive. She was born Aug. 4, 1900. dnadler@loudounnow.com

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Estelle Keen is greeted by her great nephew’s wife, Elyssa Abelson, during her 107th birthday party Monday.

Danielle Nadler /Loudoun Now

[ BRIEFS ] Council, Supervisors Set Joint Meeting Members of the Leesburg Town Council and Loudoun County Board of Supervisors are planning a joint meeting to discuss a few shared priorities.

The joint meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 29, in the Dulles Room of the Loudoun County Government Center. Representing the board will be Chairwoman Phyllis Randall (DAt Large), Supervisor Geary Higgins (R-Catoctin) and Supervisor Kristen Umstattd (D-Leesburg). Council representatives will be Mayor Kelly Burk, Vice Mayor Suzanne Fox and Councilman Marty Martinez. The meeting will be open to the public.

The meeting will focus on five topics agreed upon by both bodies: county land acquisition inside the town’s corporate limits; public transit; economic development; Rt. 15 North congestion mitigation; and mutual areas of legislative interest pertaining to work by the Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Municipal League.

The council voted last week on its chosen representatives for the meeting.

Randall had suggested three from each body for efficiency’s sake—the Town Council has seven members, while the board has nine—but clarified later that any member of either body that attends will be recognized and invited to participate, Burk said.

Councilman Ron Campbell raised his concerns about limiting council member participation, expressed his dismay that the vote on chosen council representatives for the joint meeting was taken while he was outside Council Chambers. Councilman Tom Dunn was successful in finding the votes for a motion to reconsider that vote, but ultimately it found the same result of Burk, Fox and Martinez being selected.

Councilman Ken Reid was absent for the vote.

Dam Lawsuit Headed to Court The legal battle between the Town of Leesburg and one of its largest HOAs over who should be on the financial hook for repairs to the dam of a stormwater management pond will finally get its day in court.

Motions are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 9 in Loudoun County Circuit Court. The judge will hear motions from both the town and the Exeter Homeowners Association, and a trial date may then be set.

Both parties agree that the dam is on HOA property, but opinions differ as to who should be responsible for the almost $1 million in repairs needed to bring the dam into state compliance.

The HOA, which represents 829 homes on 215 acres, contends that the deed of easement and the plat recorded by the town and HOA in 1990 put the onus for repairs or enhancements to the dam on the town’s shoulders. The HOA has extended settlement offers to the Town Council, all of which have been rejected. Their lawsuit seeks declaratory judgment to determine ownership of the dam.

Airshow Takes Flight Sept. 30 Leesburg Executive Airport will host the 8th Annual Leesburg Airshow Saturday, Sept. 30.

The Airshow will run from 11 a.m.

To 4 p.m. Among the many features will be a static display area, located on the airport’s parking ramp, of experimental and antique aircraft, including a T-6 Texan, a glider form the M-ASA Glider Club and a Diamond DA-62.

Other Tarmac attractions include aviation-related displays, exhibits, inflatables for kids and a wide variety of food vendors.

Beginning at noon there will be a demonstration of radio-controlled aircraft. At 1 p.m., the skies come alive with daring aerobatic performances.

Featured performers include Dan Marcotte flying his Ultimate Biplane and racing his jet car down the runway; Scott Francis demonstrating thrilling aerobatics in his MXS; as well as performances by members of the Flying Circus, a wing walker and the Commemorative Air Force’s National Capital Squadron. The Airshow will once again be narrated by Hugh Oldham, a veteran of the industry who has performed and announced at air shows for more than 30 years.

Primary parking locations for the Airshow are at Tuscarora High School and Heritage High School. Free shuttles will run continuously from 10:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. There will be no general parking at the airport. Airport parking will be reserved for guests who require accessible options. A DMV-issued permit must be displayed to park at the airport.

There is a requested donation of $3/ person or $5/family to attend the Airshow. For more details about performers and schedules, go to leesburgairshow.com.

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ences to economics to theater.

Past scholars have included two sitting Supreme Court justices—Stephen Breyer and Neil Gorsuch—New York Times writer Thomas Friedman, four Pulitzer Prize winners, a Nobel Laureate, and a member of Congress.

This year’s class of 40 scholars spent their afternoon before their evening embarkation to Great Britain enjoying a buffet lunch and tour of the George C. Marshall International Center property. Tuesday was the first occasion in many years that the scholars visited the Leesburg property, but it’s a tradition the Marshall board hopes to reprise annually, according to board member Les Janka.

“These people are the living legacy of Marshall. They’re the ones carrying it forward,” he said.

This year’s scholars hail from across the country and are studying a bevy of subjects. Devika Ranjan, a recent graduate of Georgetown University from Massachusetts, will be studying sociology with a focus on migration and the technology of identity in her first year at Cambridge University. Her second year she will switch to theater. She will be joined at Cambridge by several other scholars, all scientists.

“It’s amazing and so exciting,” to be selected as a scholar, she said, as well as to be surrounded by fellow scholars who are “so passionate about whatever they do.”

11 Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

Marshall scholars

The group of scholars also includes two University of Virginia alumni, Abraham Axler of New York and William Henagan of Georgia. Henagan will be pursuing a second master’s degree, this time in economic development policy, at London’s University College, as well as begin work towards a Ph.D. Axler will pursue a master’s in politics and communication in social policy at the London School of Economics.

Henagan said receiving the scholarship is “an enormous opportunity” and expressed his gratitude towards the British government for continuing the program. Scholars selected for the program receive free tuition and room and board, a cost that hovers around $37,000 for the two- to three-year program, Joshua Stanton, head of youth engagement for the British Embassy in Washington, said.

“I feel an intense obligation to the public good, to use the work [during the scholar program] for the benefit of many,” Axler said.

The Marshall Scholars program has become one of the most elite and competitive in the U.S. There were 930 applicants nationwide for the scholars program this year, according to Stanton, and the class of 40 represents an acceptance rate around 4 percent. Each of the eight British consulates across the country has a selection committee—mainly composed of former Marshall Scholars—who help to select that year’s class of scholars.

loudounnow.com

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

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12

[ PUBLIC SAFETY ] One ATM Robbery Suspect Apprehended, Another Sought The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office has made an arrest in the Aug. 11 holdup at an ATM machine in CountrySide.

Hameedullah Sadr, 20, of Sterling, is charged Sadr with two counts of robbery and two counts of use of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

According to the report, the victim was using the Bank of America ATM around 9:15 p.m. Aug. 11 when he was approached by a male suspect who brandished a firearm and demanded money. He fled in a car with an accomplice.

Sadr was arrested Aug. 31 after investigators executed a search warrant at his Peyton Road home, finding a wallet with one of the victim’s credit cards.

Investigators continue to seek the identity of the second suspect.

Anyone with any information regarding this case is asked to contact Detective M. Grimsley at 703-777-0475.

You may also submit a tip through the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office app.

Four Arrested After Fight at Sterling Party Deputies were called at midnight Friday to investigate a report of an underage party and juveniles fighting at a Maries Road warehouse in Sterling.

Arriving deputies saw several suspects outside drinking. The suspects fled inside and locked the door. Some people inside the building reported they were being held against their will.

During the investigation, several partygoers were cited for underage possession of alcohol and were released to a sober driver.

Others were arrested at the scene.

Janey Carballo-Renderos, 20, of Herndon, was charged with providing false identification to law enforcement, possession of alcohol under 21 and obstruction of justice. She was released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a personal recognizance bond.

Zwe P. Wintzaw, 19, of Sterling, was charged with burglary, conspiracy to commit vandalism, destruction of property, trespassing, obstruction of justice, abduction, and possession of alcohol. He was held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

Michael D. Rodriguez, 19, of Sterling, was charged with burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, conspiracy to commit vandalism, two counts of abduction, destruction of property, possession of marijuana, obstruction of justice, and possession of alcohol. He

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was held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

Billy W. Quezada, 21, of Herndon, was charged with public intoxication.

He was released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a personal recognizance bond.

Gunmen Hits Sterling Store The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office is asking for the public’s help to identify the suspects involved in an armed robbery at the High-Up convenience store in Sterling Friday.

Around 3:40 p.m. Friday, four armed males entered the High-Up convenience store in Community Plaza and stole cash and cigarettes from the store and the patrons.

Surveillance video stills of the suspects were obtained from the business and released by investigators.

If you have any information regard-

ing the identity of the suspects, you are asked to contact Detective S. Schochet at 703-777-0475.

State Police Issue Scam Warning Virginia State Police is warning all Virginians about an email scam that advises individuals they are receiving an “automated traffic ticket” from the State Police.

The Virginia State Police does not use or issue digital/automated traffic tickets or summonses. Anyone receiving such an email should delete it and not click on any links provided in the email.

The email scam is just one of numerous tactics used by scammers to harass individuals under the guise of being the Virginia State Police. In these instances, anyone receiving such a phone call should hang up.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office released these surveillance video stills of four armed suspects who robbed a Sterling convenience store Friday.

13

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Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Sheriff Michael Chapman holds up a Project Lifesaver radio transmitter, which deputies had just located near Old Waterford Road with the help of the sheriff’s office’s drone.

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a radio wristband’s signal.

“We’re the first and only in Virginia right now, and only six locations throughout the United States have it connected with Project Lifesaver,” Chapman said.

The drone, which the sheriff ’s office bought this year for nearly $100,000, also comes equipped with infrared detection and camera equipment. It has already been used for one search, although that person was found before the drone located him.

Chapman said the drone is primarily for Project Lifesaver, but it can also be used for other search-and-rescue operations and, with a warrant, in criminal cases. He added the sheriff ’s office would try to allay privacy concerns with press releases and public notifications when the drone is launched and when it comes down.

“On any case that we do this, we want to make sure we have complete transparency with the community,” Chapman said. “We don’t want anybody to think that we’re going to launch this and be spying on people or whatever.”

Tom and Heidi Bunkua were on hand for a demonstration of the drone.

Their five-year-old son is enrolled in Project Lifesaver. They said he is “very quick” and has a history of running.

“We had an incident where he es-

caped from the gym, a very high end gym that assured us they had many safety precautions and they were able to take care of children with autism with zero problems,” Heidi Bunkua said.

“And we found out two days later, after it happened, that he had escaped, and another parent saw him from the window running out of the gym playing with rocks.”

Now, their son wears a Project Lifesaver wristband 24 hours a day, even to go swimming. The Bunkuas said they were relieved to find out about the project.

“It just takes one little wiggle for him to get loose and run away in a crowd, and when we go to the parks, you never know,” said Tom Bunkua. “And when we go on vacation too, this program’s nationwide, so we just call the local sheriff ’s office at that location and they’ll have a sheriff knowing that our child will be down there.”

Sheriff ’s deputies demonstrated the drone by launching from Morven Park, searching for a radio wristband.

The drone homed in on the signal on Old Waterford Road, and deputies located the wristband—just the transmitter, with nobody wearing it for the demonstration—in about a half hour.

To find out more about Project Lifesaver or to enroll, contact the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office at 703-7770407 or go to sheriff.loudoun.gov /?nid=260.

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14

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Students line up for a bus at Tritapoe Place and Stocks Street in Lovettsville.

School Board Delays Decision to Reinstate Bus Appeal Option

BY DANIELLE NADLER

S

chool Board members representing the eastern districts of the county said they want more discussion and study before reinstating parents’ option to appeal any transportation concerns to the board.

The board voted 6-3 on Sept. 12 to move the debate over a policy change

that would allow for families to appeal complaints about bus stops and routes to the board to its Student Support and Services Committee. The previous policy, which the board unanimously amended in March, gave families that option if their concerns were not resolved by the Transportation Department staff.

In the first few weeks of the school year, parents flooded some board

members’ inboxes and Facebook pages protesting major changes to school transportation. The school system has consolidated bus stops in an effort to shorten students’ rides, fill buses with more students, and reduce the number of drivers needed. But in some cases, the changes have resulted in overfilled BUS APPEAL >> 16

Every Loudoun School Hits State Accreditation Mark

BY DANIELLE NADLER For the first time in five years, every public school in Loudoun County earned the top accreditation ranking from the Virginia Department of Education.

The division’s 89 eligible schools scored well enough on the Standards of Learning exams in the spring to receive the state’s “fully accredited” designation. That’s an especially big deal at the handful of schools who have missed the mark in recent years.

Sugarland Run Elementary School fell short of the state’s benchmark the past two years. Last year, its students scored well in English, math and history, but low in science. Sixty-three percent of its students passed the science portion of the Standards of Learning exam, seven points below the state’s

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Students at Middleburg Community Charter School line up for recess.

benchmark, resulting in an “accreditation with warning” designation.

The school worked with education coaches from VDOE, and also received more support from Loudoun school system’s instructional staff. They reviewed lesson plans, observed class-

rooms and student work, and coached the school’s teachers and principal.

Many of the school’s students have challenges, including learning English as their second language and coming ACCREDITATION >> 15

Students in the Loudoun County Public Schools’ class of 2017 exceeded their state and national counterparts on the ACT, and also tallied better scores than the county’s class of 2016.

The average composite score for Loudoun’s 2,043 graduates this year was 24.8, out of 36 points. That is 1 point higher than the Virginia average and nearly 4 points higher than the national average. Loudoun public school students scored 24.8 on the English test, 1.3 points higher than the state average and 4.5 points higher than the national average. On the math test, the students posted an average score of 24.1, 0.8 point higher than the state and 3.4 points higher than the nation.

Their average reading score of 25.6 exceeded the state by 1 point and the nation by 4.2 points. Loudoun students’ science average of 24.4 exceeded the state by 0.9 and the nation by 3.4 points.

The county’s class of 2016, with 1,866 students tested, logged an average score of 24.6.

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Principal Nick Cottone with his wife, Katie; daughter, Sienna; and son, Nico.

Cottone Welcomed as Seneca Ridge Principal Nick Cottone was introduced at last week’s Loudoun County School Board meeting as the new principal of Seneca Ridge Middle School.

He began his new position last month after previously working as an assistant principal at Mercer Middle School.

“We’re pleased to welcome him to his new role,” Superintendent Eric Williams said.

Cottone received a master’s degree in science from St. Joseph’s University and has worked at Philadelphia’s Center for Autistic Children as a therapist in the classroom; at St. Anne’s Middle School in Middletown, DE; and at William Penn High School in New Castle, DE. In 2009, he took a job in Loudoun County as a physical science teacher at Stone Hill Middle School before moving to Mercer Middle School in 2010 as a seventh grade dean.

School Board member DebSCHOOL NOTES >> 15

<< FROM 14

learning and achievement,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples said. “As we begin the transition to a new accountability system that recognizes growth and includes important outcomes such as achievement gaps and dropout rates, a commitment to continued improvement in all schools will be vital to our success.”

In June, the state Board of Education approved revisions to the Standards of Accreditation that place increased emphasis on closing achievement gaps between student groups – and continuous improvement in all schools – while providing a more comprehensive view of school quality. A final vote on the revised standards by the board is expected in November. dandler@loudounnow.com

[ SCHOOL NOTES ] << FROM 15 bie Rose (Algonkian), whose children attend Seneca Ridge, said the feedback she’s received already about Cottone is “overwhelmingly positive.” She added, “your real dedication to our community is already sensed.”

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Students at Loudoun Country Day School have committed to helping a private school in Houston after it was hit by Hurricane Harvey.

They raised $4,362 for Trafton Academy by selling pizza and doughnuts, and also collecting free-will donations.

Trafton Academy is a private kindergarten through eighth-grade school, similar to Loudoun Country Day School. It sustained considerable damage from the hurricane.

FOR CATS TOO!

In a unanimous vote Sept 12, the Loudoun County School Board agreed to exchange about 16,090 square feet of land with the National Conference Center.

NCC asked the school system to swap the land on the Riverside High School campus to provide a public access point for residents of its planned 27 age-restricted townhouses in Lansdowne.

The conference center’s initial application had traffic from those townhouses running on Charlena Beth Drive between the high school and the conference center. The new option proposes to convert the existing emergency access, located across from Thomas Lee Drive, north of Charlena Beth Drive, to a public street. That would allow for the NCC access road to Charlena Beth Drive to be converted into an emergency-only access road.

NCC still must get the final green light from the county government to build the townhouses. The conference center plans to submit a revised development application to the county Board of Supervisors for approval. Its initial application, which was opposed by county planners, requested approval to rezone eight acres for 32 townhouses. The new application will request 27 townhouses.

15

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from low-income homes. More than three-fourths of the students are considered economically disadvantaged and 70 percent receive additional support to learn English, according to VDOE. The state’s report released last week showed Sugarland’s pass rates were 88 in science, 89 in English, 95 in math, and 93 in history.

For a school to earn full accreditation, students must earn pass rates of at least 75 percent on English reading and writing SOL tests, and at least 70 percent on tests in math, science and history. High schools must also meet a

in 2015 when its pass rate in science was 14 points shy of the benchmark.

Three years ago, four schools missed the mark: Sterling Elementary School, Sterling Middle School, Park View High School and Tuscarora High School.

Those schools have since improved test scores to meet state benchmarks.

“We have much to celebrate,” Ellis said, “and will continue our efforts as we work to maintain this accreditation status.”

Statewide, 86 percent of Virginia’s 1,823 public schools earned full accreditation this school year, a five-point improvement over last year.

“I congratulate the teachers, principals, support staff and other educators in these schools for their hard work and dedication to helping students meet the commonwealth’s high expectations for

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

Accreditation

benchmark for graduation and completion.

“We are proud of all of the hard work it took to earn full accreditation status,” said Ashley F. Ellis, Loudoun County’s assistant superintendent of instruction. “From the work of the Department of Instruction on supporting schools in creating goals related to student achievement, to the focus and dedication of the leadership and each staff member at the individual schools to carry out the action steps to achieve those goals, this designation was achieved through a collaborative team effort.”

Middleburg Community Charter School and Sterling Elementary have also fallen short of the full accreditation in recent years. The charter school failed to meet accreditation standards

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16

Bus appeal << FROM 14 buses, crowded stops, and more students walking further along roads without sidewalks to get to stops.

Transportation leaders told the board they had received 1,385 grievances about bus service, and that they had responded and “closed out” 739 of them.

School Board member Eric DeKenipp (Catoctin) brought the transportation policy back to the board during last week’s meeting, in hopes that his colleagues would support reversing their previous decision and allow for families with concerns to reach the board when all other options have been exhausted.

“I realize we’re still working to streamline transportation services … but it’s resulted in parents and children left with few options, and in many cases putting them in danger,” DeKenipp said. “Why wait for an accident to occur or for a child to get injured or worse?”

Board member Jill Turgeon (Blue Ridge) agreed. When it was clear that the majority of board members were opposed to changing the policy, she said, “You all obviously are not getting the emails we’re getting. These are rural roads—you can’t just bring a flashlight out there to make it safe. … I know it was our choice to live there, but gosh

darn it, we pay taxes like everybody else.”

DeKenipp later added, “The committee process takes a month, and the truth is we have kids at risk every day.”

Yes. I just don’t think we need a policy change to do it,” she said. Rose noted that the Transportation Department has made hundreds of changes since the start of the school year. “So the pol-

Is there an issue? Yeah. Do we need to get together and solve the problem? Yes. I just don’t think we need a policy change to do it.”

— School Board member Debbie Rose (Algonkian)

Eric Hornberger (Ashburn) and Chairman Jeff Morse (Dulles) agreed with moving the policy discussion to committee. They said that it’s important that the policy is written in such a way that the board can follow it.

Morse said if the more than 1,000 families that complained in the first weeks of the school year went straight to the board, it would be unmanageable. “I don’t know if this is necessarily the wrong answer but I would like it evaluated,” he said.

Debbie Rose (Algonkian), who chairs the board’s Student Support and Services Committee that has been researching ways to improve bus service, acknowledged that there are legitimate concerns. But she said she wants to give the staff a chance to address each concern.

“Is there an issue? Yeah. Do we need to get together and solve the problem?

icy doesn’t need to be changed in order to effect changes in bus routes or stops.

They are working on them now.”

Tom Marshall (Leesburg) voted with DeKenipp and Turgeon against sending the item to committee, but said he would ultimately vote against a policy change. He said he does not believe that board members have the expertise to determine what makes a safe bus route.

Five parents brought their complaints in person to the board during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Ben Cates asked the board to reconsider placing high school and middle school students together on long bus rides. He said his children are picked up after school at Blue Ridge Middle School, then travel to Loudoun Valley High School where they wait for students there to board before heading to

their neighborhood. “Their bus ride is 55 minutes and frequently over an hour,” he said.

Brenna MacMillan said kids in her Purcellville neighborhood are now asked to walk along Telegraph Springs Road to wait for a bus in the early morning hours. The road is narrow, unlit, and has no sidewalks or shoulder. “Our middle school students are being forced to cross this road to get home each day, and elementary students are being asked to stand in the dark each morning,” she said. “We are outraged that LCPS chose efficiency over the safety of 30 students.”

Morse, Hornberger and Rose thanked the Transportation Department staff members for their work to implement a new system, with the goal of shortening students’ bus rides and being more responsible with taxpayer dollars.

“I think you did a tremendous job,” Morse said. “I’m just going to leave it at that because you’ve done a good job.”

The next Student Support and Services Committee meeting is 9 a.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 4, at the school administration building, 21000 Education Court, in Ashburn.

Families are asked to register their concerns at the Transportation Department’s online portal, webinter.lcps. org/ConcernRegistry. dnadler@loudounnow.com

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Benefit Loudoun Rocks for Charity Last year’s Loudoun Live concert came back bigger and louder as Benefit Loudoun on Saturday at Village at Leesburg. The concert is the work of Ara Bagdasarian and Amy Bobchek, frequent collaborators and volunteers—and part-time rock stars. It’s a fund of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, and brought nonprofits, bands, and rock fans together to raise money for Loudoun’s charitable organizations. Juliana MacDowell, Frayed Knots, Big Bad Juju, Todd Wright, and drumfish played the main stage, while emerging artists from Wright’s Half King Studio wowed crowds at a second stage.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Acoustic-driven modern rock band drumfish headlines Benefit Loudoun.

—Renss Greene

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Hugs after a song well danced with new friends at Benefit Loudoun.

Emcee and sponsor Cerphe Colwell of Music Planet Radio announces the next act at Benefit Loudoun.

[ NONPROFIT NOTES ] Loudoun Salvation Army Lends a Hand The Salvation Army of Loudoun County joined volunteers from the organization’s National Capital/Virginia Division to help victims in Georgia who had been in the path of Hurricane Irma.

The Salvation Army arrived with seven canteens to help with relief efforts.

Volunteers provided food, and emotional and spiritual care.

“The damage from Irma’s raging winds and punishing rains initially appeared significant and widespread, but short of catastrophic,” Major Douglas McClure, Georgia incident management commander, said in a release. “We are here to help people impacted by the storm and will continually assess the best deployment of our resources to do so.”

He offered a few tips on how to help those hurt by the recent hurricanes. McClure said cash donations are the best way to help because they allow charitable relief agencies to purchase exactly what disaster survivors need and

checks payable to The Salvation Army and write “Hurricane 2017” in the memo.

5K Fights Cancer in Canines, Kids

Contributed

Captain Pradeep Ramaji, right, and a Loudoun County Salvation Army volunteer head to Georgia.

they are easy to get to the disaster area.

“Moving a container of donated goods can sometimes cost more than the value of the items,” the release stated.

Donate by phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY, online at helpsalvationarmy.org, or mail checks to: The Salvation Army, PO Box 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301. Make

Two- and four-legged athletes are invited to help crush cancer at the inaugural Two by Four Race Against Childhood & Canine Cancer, held 8-11 a.m.

Sunday, Oct. 1, at the Brambleton Town Center.

The Canines-N-Kids Foundation and Smashing Walnuts Foundation are partnering to host this timed 5K race and un-timed 1-mile dog jog/fun run.

Net proceeds will support the nonprofits’ work to raise funds and awareness for cutting edge research in the cancers that impact kids and dogs. The event will also feature an awards ceremony and vendor fair.

The 5K (human only) timed race costs $25 through Sept. 28, and $40 through race day. The 1-mile dog jog/ fun run costs $20 through Sept. 28, $35 to race day. Learn more and register at caninesnkids.org.

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Community Leadership Award Nominations Sought

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A rendering of the new patient tower under construction at Inova Loudoun Hospital in Lansdowne, the latest piece of a $300 million expansion.

Hospital Leaders Focus on Community Philanthropy as Expansion Continues

BY NORMAN K. STYER

T

wenty years after the groundbreaking ceremony that began construction of the Loudoun Hospital Center in Lansdowne, a crowd of medial, political and community leaders gathered Thursday at the same location to celebrate another service expansion at the campus.

The groundbreaking was for a seven-story patient tower set to open early in 2020. It is the latest piece of the $770 million investment Inova Health System has made in the Loudoun market since merging with the community hospital in 2004.

But the focus of last week’s ceremony wasn’t on the concrete and steel or the patient benefits that will be offered by the state-of-the-art, all-private-room addition. It was on the community leaders who have donated to make the project, and many others, possible.

Inova Loudoun CEO Deborah Addo said the organization’s focus is all about neighbors helping neighbors—from the medical staff to members of the hospital’s boards, to the army of volunteers. The spotlight was on the community’s philanthropic giving.

“For us, a neighbor might be a person who has means that you don’t have who is willing to give you those means to support what you need to do,” she said. “So for us, those neighbors are our donors.”

The hospital in the midst of a $20 million fundraising campaign to help implement the $300 million master plan of expansions at the campus.

It publicly launched in June with a jump start of $12 million already in the bag, thanks in part to a $2 million donation from Sharon Virts and Scott Miller, and a $5 million donation from Bobbi, Karen and Fred Schaufeld. The families helped to spur earlier service expansions that improved the

The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 2018 Loudoun Community Leadership Awards. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, Oct. 20.

The awards program honors area business leaders and companies that make exceptional contributions of leadership, expertise and resources to support the needs of the community and residents.

Each Community Leadership Awards winner will have the opportunity to select one nonprofit organization to be the beneficiary of a $1,000 grant, courtesy of the Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

The winners will be announced at the Loudoun Chamber’s 2018 Annual Meeting and 50th Anniversary Celebration on Jan. 26 at The National in Lansdowne.

The categories are: Outstanding Community Leader - Large Organization (more than 100 employees), Outstanding Community Leader - Small Organization (100 or fewer employees), Executive Leader of the Year, and Young Professional Community Leader of the Year.

For more information, go to loudounchamber.org.

Landscaping Company Wins Nat’l Safety Award

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

At left, Dr. Edward Puccio, who leads the emergency department, and Inova Loudoun CEO Deborah Addo, right, told a crowd at the patient tower’s ground-breaking ceremony that the project would not be possible without the generosity of donors.

trauma-level services available locally—including the Virts Miller Family Emergency, Trauma Center and the Schaufeld Family Heart Center at Lansdowne. Donors Mike and Teresa Wheeler helped to expand emergency services in Leesburg, today’s Wheeler Family Emergency Department.

Dr. Edward Puccio, who leads the emergency department, said that philanthropy is making a critical difference.

“Names are testaments to what our donors have contributed to expanding the programs and access to care,” he said. “And the casual observer will look at and admire the shiny new hospital wings or programs the donors have made possible. But when I see these names, I see the lives of patients who have been impacted and the lives of patients who have been saved due to these individuals’ vision, aspirational spirit, and generosity.”

Virts said her family’s investment was inspired by her brother’s life-threatening aneurism two years ago. He was quickly moved to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where she said he

received excellent care. But the experience highlighted the need to have a higher level of treatment available closer to home.

“I heard from Dr. Puccio that the leading cause of death for individuals under the age 44 is trauma. So, if you’re under 44, this trauma center is really important for you,” Virts said. “I know that we had to be part of bringing trauma care to Loudoun County.”

In May, Inova Loudoun Hospital achieved the designation as a Level III trauma center.

Mark Stauder, Inova’s president and COO, also highlighted the importance of being able to offer tertiary care treatment closer to the homes of Loudoun residents and the continuing role of donors in making that possible.

“We can’t do this alone. We’re here as a community partner. We’re here as an agent to facilitate clinical growth, programmatic growth, facility growth, but we need those strong philanthropic community partners. We need to do this together.” nstyer@loudounnow.com

Environmental Enhancements was recently awarded an Overall Safety Achievement Award from the National Association of Landscape Professionals.

The NALP recognized Environmental Enhancements at the safety award’s highest level (Gold) because of the company’s commitment to peak-performing safety programs that create and maintain safe work environments for all participants.

“The driving force behind everything we do is that we care about our clients,” Fred Peratt, founder and president of Environmental Enhancements, stated. “But we also care about our crews. We have invested heavily in safety programs since day one. From our perspective, we don’t want to meet industry safety standards—we want to exceed them.”

For more information, go to eelandscaping.com

Leesburg Commercial Real Estate Showcase Planned The Leesburg Economic Development Department will present the Leesburg VA Property Reveal 360° on Thursday, Oct. 19.

BIZ BRIEFS >> 23

Thrive Senior Living Opens at One Loudoun the right people, who undergo an extensive, multi-round interview process.

Founded with a single community in 2009, Atlanta-based Thrive has developed more than 25 senior living communities in eight states and employees more than 700 people.

Leading Tribute’s One Loudoun center is a familiar face in Loudoun. Danny Davis has been hired as president of the One Loudoun center.

He is stepping down as Purcellville’s assistant town manager.

Currently serving in both posts, Davis said the opportunity to join the Thrive organization came quickly, in just the past few weeks. He is staying on

nstyer@loudounnow.com

The 140-room Tribute center in One Loudoun features a spa, salon, movie theater and outdoor rooftop terraces, as well as a variety of high-tech amenities aimed at keeping residents active and involved.

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Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

From left, Supervisor Ron Meyer (R-Broad Run), Tribute One Loudoun President Danny Davis, Loudoun Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tony Howard, and Thrive Senior Living President Les Strech celebrate the Sept. 14 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

with the town through Sept. 29 to ensure a smooth transition with his staff.

Davis was hired as the assistant town manager in 2015. Prior to that he worked in policy development and executive management for the Loudoun County government. He graduated from Purcellville’s Patrick Henry College with a bachelor’s degree in government and holds a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University.

Davis said he is looking forward to the first residents moving in in the days ahead.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

It’s not a senior living facility. It’s a community.

That’s what Thrive Senior Living President Les Strech stressed Thursday night during the formal unveiling of the Tribute center at One Loudoun.

The 140-room center features a spa, salon, movie theater and outdoor rooftop terraces, as well as a variety of high-tech amenities aimed at keeping residents active and involved.

The Tribute is separated into distinct “neighborhoods” dedicated to serving seniors with varying levels of dementia.

Atlanta-based Thrive Senior Living’s

proprietary wellness program allows residents, their families and physicians to maintain a picture of their well-being using tools such as activity trackers and in-room monitoring systems that record each resident’s routines and patterns and can report anomalies and trends.

The opening means One Loudoun isn’t just a cool place for millennials to hang out.

“We now have something for all ages at One Loudoun,” developer Bill May, of Miller and Smith, said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Strech said that his company’s philosophy for success begins with hiring

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

BY NORMAN K. STYER

21

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22

R AC E AG A I N S T CHILDHOOD & CANINE CANCER

5k & 1mile

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

FOR HUMANS

DOG JOG & FUN RUN

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2017 8AM - 11AM Brambleton Town Center, Brambleton, VA Part of the Race Brambleton Series

This event will bring together our Loudoun community and beyond — runners, both human and canine, families, running clubs, schools and volunteer organizations. 100% of net proceeds will go to support the work of the Smashing Walnuts Foundation and Canines-N-Kids Foundation in their missions to fight cancer in our most vulnerable populations — children and man’s best friend.

Register at www.prraces.com.

If you have any questions about this event, please email:

Hosted by:

The Canines-N-Kids Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Smashing Walnuts Foundation is a component fund of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, a 501(c)3, a public charity.

Pallets of E-Waste Recycled The annual Electronics Recycling Rally at Verizon’s Ashburn campus drew more than 650 participants and collected 129 pallets loaded with old computers, printers, TVs and other unwanted electronics. The free event is part of Verizon’s commitment to the environment, and the supplier disposing of the discarded items will adhere to Verizon’s zero-landfill objective, meaning the materials will be reused or recycled. During the six previous Ashburn events, more than 115 tons of e-waste was collected. The weight of last week’s collection has not yet been totaled.

Caring for dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, horses, and cattle.

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Brian A. Ta

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Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

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23

[ BIZ BRIEFS ] << FROM 20

Global restaurateur HMSHost last week opened the Washington Redskins Burgundy & Gold Club at Dulles Airport. The full-service restaurant offers travelers a chef-driven menu and a festive football-themed atmosphere, from helmets and cleats to bobbleheads, replica Lombardi trophies, and autographed jerseys from

Honoring Community Stewardship Investing in Future Leaders Contributed

Representatives of the Washington Redskins, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and HMSHost celebrate the launch of the Burgundy & Gold Club at Dulles Airport.

the team’s greatest players. A large video wall showcases the team’s history and illuminated transparent mesh images hang from the ceiling and feature the team’s legendary players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“The Burgundy & Gold Club is the perfect stop for traveling fans and HMSHost is thrilled to spotlight Washingtonians’ hometown team along with great food and drinks to travelers from around the world,” said HMSHost Vice President of Business Development, Bryan Loden.

Travelers also can shop at the adjacent retail store for official team merchandise and souvenirs.

The opening of the airport eatery comes one week before a bankruptcy court trustee was to accept preliminary bids on the auction of the defunct Hail & Hog restaurant property in One Loudoun. That Redskins-themed business closed this summer after just more than a year of operation.

join us

September 29th

to celebrate the community service contributions of

betsy davis &

This September & October,

FALL IN LOVE WITH HISTORIC OATLANDS!

Visit Oatlands for Daily Mansion Tours, Special Events & Much More!

Fall Special Events:

Speaking of the Past: Revisiting the Civil War in Loudoun, A Special History Panel Discussion October 1

bill harrison the 2017 loudoun laureates

Contemplative Yoga in Nature October 1 Scout Day October 15

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

Redskins-themed Eatery Opens at Dulles

L oudoun L aurels

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

The annual event provides a snapshot of the Leesburg commercial real estate market and highlights recent new construction as well as projects in the development pipeline. The event will begin with a showcase of available and coming-soon office, retail and commercial properties. Following the property showcase, Marantha Edwards, Leesburg’s economic development director, will moderate a panel discussion on what the shift to experiential retail means for existing and future retailers in Leesburg.

Copies of the 2017 Leesburg Retail Market Analysis will be available at the event. This report identifies potential opportunities for retailers to grow their businesses by highlighting the retail merchandise categories with the most growth potential for Leesburg.

The free event will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Cobb Village 12 Cinemas in the Village at Leesburg.

Register to attend by visiting the town website at leesburgva.gov/propertyreveal.

Fall Harvest Festival October 22 Recipe Share Afternoon Tea October 22

Special Witches’ Brew Afternoon Teas October 28 & 29 For additional details, visit www.oatlands.org 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane Leesburg, VA

to make reservations for the belmont country club gala

info@loudounlaurels.org

loudounnow.com

Paranormal Mansion Tours October 27, 28 & 29

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[ TOWN NOTES ] LOVETTSVILLE

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

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24

Historical Society Plans Membership Appreciation Event

Laura Rene Photography

Wiener dog races are as important a part of Lovettsville’s Oktoberfest celebration as the German-inspired food and beer. This year’s competition is expected to be fierce.

Short on Legs, Long on Competition It’s the 2017 Wiener Dog Races

two-dog heats using a bracket system.

Here’s a glimpse at just a few of the pups vying to be top dog:

BY JAN MERCKER Dachshunds: they’re intelligent, athletic and cute as heck running down a pint-sized race course, with short legs churning and ears flapping.

Lovettsville’s annual wiener dog races are a crowd favorite every year at the western Loudoun town’s beloved Oktoberfest celebration. And this year’s competition promises to be even more exciting as a pair of hometown youngsters gear up to take on the three-time reigning champ.

Leesburg-based Kaiser, a gorgeous short-haired 4-year-old, has earned the title of top dog for the past three years thanks to his uncanny ability to focus on the finish line. But this year, he’s getting a challenge from a pair of local favorites: Winslow, a handsome wire-haired 1-year-old with a strong local fan base (and his own line of Team Winslow T-shirts), and an adorable pup named Otto. The three competitors will take on 13 other challengers at the Sept. 23 celebration.

The wiener dog race, launched in 2013, is the brainchild of the festival’s entertainment chairwoman Stephanie Burget, with support from Mayor Bobby Zoldos and Town Council member and Oktoberfest chairman Jim McIntyre. The event draws bigger crowds each year and has gotten so popular the races were moved from the event’s main tent to a special wiener dog stadium, featuring a 40-foot track, built by Zoldos and a team of volunteers.

“I think [the race] is immensely popular partly because our fun Mayor Zoldos and the entire committee have made it a big deal, so the participants and fans alike feel like they’re involved in something special. ... But mostly I think people love it because dachshunds run funny,” said Winslow’s owner Ed Felker.

The event, which started out with a handful of local pups four years ago, now features 16 dogs running in

“He wants that toy,” Stambules said.

“Everything else around him he just zooms out and zooms right in on his little toy.”

But Kaiser’s success hasn’t gone to his head—organizers and fellow competitors say Kaiser and his parents are gracious victors and a great addition to the event—not that a few aren’t itching to see him dethroned.

Laura Rene Photography

The appropriately named Kaiser, owned by Susan and Angelo Stambules of Leesburg, is the undisputed king of wiener dog racing in Lovettsville. But will his focus and experience be enough to beat the new generation?

The King Three years ago, Susan and Angelo Stambules of Leesburg happened to read about Lovettsville’s event and decided to enter their 1-year-old pup on a lark.

“We just thought it would be kind of a fun afternoon,” Susan Stambules said.

“We really didn’t know what to expect.”

Kaiser, now 4, won his first event and has gone on to win for the past three years, making him the undisputed king of wiener dog racing in Lovettsville—and the pup to beat this year. For Stambules, the key is not his legs but his presence of mind.

“He’s a very, very focused dog,” she said. “A lot of the dogs are very sweet but they sort of look around. ... He doesn’t take his eyes off me until the door opens and then he runs as fast as his little feet can carry him.”

Like most of the races, the promise of a treat at the end is key. Stambules’ husband Angelo stays with Kaiser on the release end of the race while Susan holds his beloved stuffed alligator (that’s nearly as big as he is) at the finish line.

Ed Felker

Wire-haired Winslow has been training hard to take top honors at this year’s Oktoberfest Wiener Dog Races in Lovettsville. But does he have the focus it takes to win?

The Challenger Lovettsville’s in love with the athletic social media darling Winslow, who lost in the second round last year as an inexperienced five-month old pup.

With a year of training under his belt, he’s ready to give it his all, Felker said.

Winslow has been doing stairs for cardio and tug of war for strength. For variety, he’s also doing some tracking training and is starting to work on bird hunting to keep him from getting burned out, Felker says.

But for the energetic Winslow, like for so many teen boys, focus is everything.

“We obviously have some work to do between the ears, but he’s training well, staying focused, and we have cut back on his media appearances and other distractions leading up to the race,” said Felker, who’s known for his humorous and entertaining social media posts about Winslow’s regimen.

For Felker, who will be waiting at WIENER DOGS >> 25

The Board of Directors of the Lovettsville Historical Society and Museum will hold a special event Sunday, Sept. 24, to celebrate its members and raise money to support its programs.

The event will raise funds for the Lovettsville Historical Society’s Museum Expansion Fund, aimed at providing more space for exhibits and displays.

From 1 to 4 p.m., the public is invited to Fred George Farm, at 13620 Berlin Turnpike, and encouraged to contribute to the Expansion Fund and join the society’s membership roll.

Contributions can also be made online at lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org.

WATERFORD

Contributed

Angela Meade

Meade Performs Sunday at Old School Opera star Angela Meade will sing a recital Sunday, Sept. 24, as part of the Waterford Concert Series.

Meade’s current season includes the title roles of Alcina at the Washington National Opera in November, Norma and Semiramide at the Metropolitan Opera this winter, leading opera roles in Germany and Italy, plus other major US bookings.

The program begins at 4 p.m. at the Waterford Old School, 40222 Fairfax St. Sponsors for the concert are Virginia Friend and Charlotte Gollobin.

Tickets are $35 adult, $15 student, children 12 and younger are free. For tickets and other details, go to waterfordconcertseries.com or call 571-510-0128.

PURCELLVILLE Council to Lead Town Manager Search After reviewing options to hire outside help to recruit the next town manager, the Town Council last week voted to use in-house resources to conduct the search.

Vice Mayor Nedim Ogelman and Councilman Ryan Cool were appointed to lead the effort along with members of the town staff.

A staff report identified three consulting firms that have been used by other local governments in the area to hire top executives and estimated fees of $21,000 to $35,000.

TOWN NOTES >> 25

[ TOWN NOTES ]

Planning, Zoning Changes Advanced The Town Council last week pushed ahead with several development policy changes that have been targeted by new members.

The council held a public hearing on a proposal to restrict building heights to three floors or 45 feet in the downtown C-4 zoning district. A previous council has set the maximum height at 45 feet. Council members want to add the three-floor limit as well. The action is driven by opposition to the Vineyard Square development, which is approved along North 21st Street. The issue will come back to the council for a final vote.

The council also agreed to formally ask the Loudoun Board of Supervisors to delete the town’s Northern Collector Road from the Countywide Transportation Plan. Council members are concerned about the impact the road would have on several homes in the Wright

Credit Ratings Affirmed The national credit rating agencies last week affirmed Purcellville’s strong credit ratings that will allow to the town to achieve low interest rates as it prepares to refinance the town’s debt.

S&P affirmed the town’s AAA rating, the highest rating. Moody’s Investors held the town’s rating at Aa2 and Fitch remained at AA. According to an announcement by the town, Fitch gave the town a consideration of AAA in two key areas and a consideration of AA in the remaining two areas.

Mayor Kwasi Frazer and other council members said the action is an affirmation—in the face of some critics—that the new Town Council’s budget and fiscal strategies are sound.

“Our town’s financial consultants, and now the three national credit rating agencies, have evaluated our approaches and economic outlook and agree that Purcellville is financially strong, and our future is very bright,” Frazer said.

Wiener dogs << FROM 24 the finish line for Winslow, success comes down to the following: “20 percent genetics, 20 percent fitness, and 60 percent willingness to absorb an impossibly fevered and overwhelming environment on race day and focus on the prize at the far end of the track, which will be me. You can wave toys and treats all you want, but from 30 feet away they really just need to want to run for you.”

But win or lose, working with Winslow has been a joy, Felker said: “He is genuinely the happiest dog I have ever met in my life. His willingness to explore every challenge I present to him with confidence and enthusiasm, whether it’s practicing obedience, learning a new trick or tracking game in the field, is as endearing a quality in a dog as you’d ever want.”

The Upstart Erica Reck and her husband Lucas have owned dachshunds for their entire 19 years of marriage, and when the Lovettsville wiener dog races started, they were the proud parents of four dachshunds from the same family (along with four human kiddos). Their older dogs were proud participants in the inaugural Lovettsville race, but when the last dog from that family died in February, they adopted a longhaired German dachshund named Otto. The sweet-faced, sweet disposi-

tioned Otto is a promising racer and was the surprise winner in a friendly exhibition race against Winslow this summer.

Like Felker and Susan Stambules, Erica Reck will be the “catcher” at the finish line, with Otto’s favorite treat—a Kong toy filled with peanut butter.

For Reck, Otto’s youth could be a benefit or a drawback, but she thinks it will be more of an asset: “He’s very agile, he’s very light, he doesn’t have a lot of weight behind him, so he can just fly.”

Whatever the results on race day, spectators are sure to get their fill of thrills, excitement and plenty of adorable dogs.

“Everybody loves their cuteness, their alertness, their perkiness,” Reck said. “But they’re tough little dogs. … They’re incredibly intelligent and very loyal. They follow you around all day long. They’ll go after an intruder in your house even though they are bite sized. The loyalty of the owners is just as strong as the loyalty of the dogs, that’s why people are passionate about their dachshunds.”

Lovettsville Oktoberfest takes place Saturday, Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at locations around town. The wiener dog races take place at 5 p.m. near the main tent at 6 E. Pennsylvania Ave. For details and a full schedule including pre-fest and post-fest fun on Friday, Sept. 22 and Sunday, Sept. 24, go to lovettsvilleoktoberfest.com.

CALL FOR A TOUR!

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The council voted unanimously to handle the effort in-house. Working with the town staff, Ogelman and Cool will refine the job description, advertise the position and develop a short list of candidates to be interviewed by the council.

Alex Vanegas has served as interim town manager since the retirement of Rob Lohr Jr. in July. Assistant Town Manager Danny Davis is leaving at month’s end after taking a position as president of a new senior living center in Ashburn.

Farm subdivision north of the town limits.

Mayor Kwasi Fraser urged the staff to accelerate zoning ordinance changes that would make it clear that duplex homes could not be built with common walls that are only underground. Town planners and council members have been debating ways to more clearly define duplex construction, but Fraser said the talks have become too complex and moved far beyond his effort to ensure developers don’t skirt town regulations.

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

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[ LOCO LIVING ]

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Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Sharon Virts and Scott Miller have nearly completed the renovation of the historic 20-room Selma mansion. They purchased the property in March 2016 after the then-dilapidated property had sat empty for 16 years.

Restoration Returns Historic Selma to Stately but Cozy Stature

BY JAN MERCKER

S

haron Virts is an expert in getting things done. The Loudoun-based entrepreneur created a booming business while raising four boys. Now, Virts and husband Scott Miller have found the challenge of their lives in restoring a historic mansion in danger of crumbling into oblivion less than two years ago. And they’re rising to the task with joy and determination, bringing new life to Selma.

Two years ago, historic Selma mansion north of Leesburg was a crumbling mess. An absentee owner had abandoned the property to the elements and vandals, and the once-gleaming house

was covered in layers of dirt and mold.

After a year and a half of intensive renovations, Selma’s new owners, Virts and Miller, moved in this summer. And work is still going full-tilt as they pursue their dual goals: preserving a piece of local history and making it their family home. Selma is still a work in progress and buzzing with contractors, but the house has already made a miracu-

lous transformation into a warm and inviting residence.

It started in early 2016 when a friend posted photos of a deteriorating Selma on social media. At the time, Virts and Miller were living in Ashburn, focused on their thriving business. But Virts couldn’t get the images of Selma in shambles out of her head.

“My heart just broke. I couldn’t sleep for three days when I saw it,” she said.

The self-made businesswoman, known for her tenacity and negotiating skills, decided she had to do something.

Through contacts in the Loudoun real estate community, Virts reached out to the then-owner and made arrangements to see the property.

In January 2016, just after a major

snowstorm hit Loudoun, Virts, Miller and Virts’ teenage son trekked to the mansion. But they turned onto the now-defunct Selma Lane, which no longer accesses the house, got stuck in the snow and had to walk more than a mile to the house, only to find an empty, gloomy building, full of dirt, mold and damage. But Virts said that from the moment she opened the door, she looked right past the blight and could only see the potential.

“It spoke to me,” she said. “Houses have karma. They have a soul. It speaks to you or it doesn’t speak to you...When we’re here, I can feel it.”

Virts and Miller began negotiations SELMA >> 27

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Sharon Virts said of the Selma mansion when she visited it even when it was in disrepair, “It spoke to me. Houses have karma. They have a soul.”

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Despite being told to knock it down and start over, Virts and Miller restored Selma’s brick kitchen, built in the early 1800s, and put in a modern kitchen, family room and mezzanine. It’s now Miller’s favorite part of the house.

who have the commitment, the interest and the passion for it.”

Virts’ son, Luke Mason, who has a background in project management, is overseeing the restoration, with plenty of hands-on participation from the owners.

And for all the challenges, there have been plenty of joys and amazing discoveries, like removing layers of dirt to find stunning inlaid wood flooring, replacing valuable tiles looted from a fireplace with handmade replicas and exposing and restoring brick in the mansion’s former summer kitchen—now the family’s kitchen—in the oldest part of the house.

That brick structure in the back of the house, which predates the main house by almost a century, was in the worst shape of all when the couple bought the property. The brick had been covered with layers of rotting plaster and dry-

wall, and the room was full of wet debris and trash. Experts advised them to tear down and rebuild, but Virts and Miller stuck to their guns, bringing in masons from Williamsburg to help them restore the brick. The space, which is now a warm kitchen and family room with a contemporary heart pine mezzanine, is now Miller’s favorite part of the house.

The project is truly a labor of love for Virts, who grew up just up the road in a modest home in Lucketts, a member of the ubiquitous Virts clan whose members have populated northern and western Loudoun for centuries. She graduated from Loudoun County High School in 1980 and went on to attend the University of Virginia. She launched a consulting company in 1991 at the age of 29 and transformed it into the booming government contracting company, FCI Federal.

To follow restoration efforts at Selma, go to facebook.com/ SelmaMansionRebirth2. Learn more about the Sharon D. Virts Foundation at sharondvirtsfoundation.org.

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with the owner, a Dutch businessman who had returned to Europe and let the house fall into disrepair, and bought the house and its 50-acre lot for $1.2 million in March 2016. Then the real work began.

“In the beginning, I was like, ‘All we need are a few wire brushes and some paint. It’ll be fine,’” Virts said with a laugh. But the project turned into a huge—and expensive— undertaking.

After some initial stumbles, the couple assembled a crew of trusted craftsmen and tradespeople, and have put in tons of sweat equity themselves.

Miller, an engineer by training, labeled the first phase of the project “Seal and Secure,” with a focus on protecting the structure from the elements and keeping out trespassers. (During its years of abandonment, the house had attracted ghost hunters and fans of the occult, along with more sophisticated vandals on the hunt for valuable fixtures. The couple initially hired aroundthe-clock security to keep the house safe during early-stage renovation.

Virts and Miller say there have been plenty of challenges along the way in restoring the 1902 colonial revival mansion, built by the son of the noted Civil War commander Elijah V. White. And finding a qualified general contractor was one of the biggest.

“Very few people have worked on a building like this and we stumbled with that for a while.” Miller said. “Finally, we gave up and said we’re going to have to do it ourselves. We’re the only ones

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

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Selma

Virts met Miller on the job, and Miller took over as president of FCI in 2012.

The couple sold the business last summer and turned to philanthropic efforts. Virts created the Sharon D. Virts Foundation last year with a focus on culture, education and healthcare initiatives. Miller has two adult children, and Virts has four sons, including two teens at home at Selma.

The mansion’s third floor has become a cozy haven for the younger generation, with a man-cave known as the Cedar Room and a cozy corner room for Virts’ and Miller’s 4-year-old grandson, Charlie, in the mansion’s former nursery that looks like something straight out of A.A. Milne.

Selma does have plenty of grandeur— the couple has restored the dazzling staircase and landing. But Virts and Miller have also gone for an authentic, warm feel, seeking out period pieces at auction and combining antiques with contemporary art and decor in fun and interesting ways. And with hard work and lots of attention to detail, they’ve been able to achieve a cozy, homey feel in the 18,000-square-foot house.

“What surprised me was the serenity of it when no one’s here,” Miller said.

“When we’re just standing here looking down the valley, there’s an amazing amount of serenity here. ... Even though it’s a giant place, the rooms are very intimate. You don’t ever feel overwhelmed by the size.”

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[ THINGS TO DO ] LOVETTSVILLE OKTOBERFEST

FALL FUN loudounnow.com

OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

a talk from photographer and designer Dave Levinson on marketing strategies for artists looking to promote their work.

The event is free.

Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 a.m.-11 p.m.; Lovettsville, town-wide.

Details: lovettsvilleoktoberfest.com

Courtesy of Lovettsville Oktoberfest

LOVETTSVILLE LIONS OKTOBERFEST DINNER

This all-day event kicks off with a homemade breakfast at Lovettsville Elementary School and a German-style volksmarch, followed by lots of fun, food, music and beer both downtown and in a separate Kinderfest area for families. Beer taps open at 10 a.m., and highlights include German music from noon to 5 p.m. and wiener dog races at 5 p.m. Music continues through the night until the beer taps close at 11 p.m.

Admission, parking and shuttles are free.

Check the website for a full schedule and additional information.

LEESBURG FINE ART FESTIVAL

Friday, Sept. 22, 5-7:30 p.m.; Lovettsville Community Center, 57 E. Broad Way, Lovettsville.

Details: lovettsvilleoktoberfest.com This family celebration features ham, bratwurst, hot dogs and German sides.

The always-entertaining competition for Oktoberfest king and queen takes place at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $13 for an adult meal, $6 for a child’s hot dog meal.

LOVETTSVILLE ROCKTOBERFEST Friday, Sept. 22, 7-11 p.m.; Lovettsville Town Hall, 6 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Lovettsville.

Details: lovettsvilleoktoberfest.com Favorite hometown band Ghost Pepper gets Lovettsville’s Oktoberfest celebrations off to a rocking start with the annual Friday night tradition. Beer taps open at 7 p.m. and the yearly attempt to achieve a record-breaking crowd singing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” takes place at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 23 and Sunday, Sept.

24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; downtown Leesburg.

Details: paragonartevents.com Explore the creativity and diversity of styles in the creations of painters, jewelers, sculptors, digital artisans, photographers, mixed media and fiber artists. The festival will showcase acclaimed artists from more than 20 states and overseas.

Friends of Leesburg Public Art will offer hands-on children’s art activities at its booth on King Street.

DULLES DAY FESTIVAL AND PLANE PULL Saturday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Washington Dulles Airport, 1 Saarinen Circle, Chantilly. Details: planepull.com Teams of 25 compete to see who can pull an 82-ton airplane the fastest at this fundraiser for Virginia Special Olympics.

The event includes 5K and 10K races, a dump truck pull for kids and lots of vintage cars and airplanes.

LOVETTSVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY FUNDRAISING EVENT Sunday, Sept. 24, 1-4 p.m.; 13620 Berlin Turnpike, Lovettsville.

Details: lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org Courtesy of Loudoun Friends of Homeless Animals

BARKTOBERFEST Saturday, Sept. 23, 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Loudoun County Fairgrounds, 17558 Dry Mill Road, Leesburg.

Details: barktoberfest.org Join fellow animal lovers at Loudoun Friends of Homeless Animals’ annual pet celebration. The event features live music, games for children and dogs, food vendors and canine demonstrations.

Suggested donation is $5 per adult.

Children and dogs are free.

LOUDOUN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL Sunday, Sept. 24, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Douglass Community Center, 405 E. Market St., Leesburg.

Details: loudoun.gov/douglasscc This celebration of cultures showcases Loudoun’s diversity with performances from top musicians, food trucks, moon bounces and children’s carnival rides.

LOCO CULTURE MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR ARTISTS Thursday, Sept. 21, 7-8:30 pm.; Purcellville Train Station, 200 N. 21st St., Purcellville. Details: purcellvilleva.gov The Purcellville Arts Council presents

On the heels of Lovettsville’s Oktoberfest, the historical society hosts its inaugural fundraiser and membership appreciation gathering with food, beverages and fun.

LIBATIONS LOUDOUN HUMANE SOCIETY TRIVIA NIGHT Thursday, Sept. 21, 7-8:30 p.m.; Black Walnut Brewery, 210 S. King St., Leesburg. Details: humaneloudoun.org Individuals and teams can test their trivia skills to benefit the Humane Society of Loudoun County, win prizes and enjoy drink specials. The event is held on the third Thursday of every month.

PAWS AND PINTS Sunday, Sept. 24, noon-4 p.m.; Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. Details: pawsofhonor.org This fundraiser for the Paws of Honor nonprofit is dog-friendly and family-oriented. Tickets for adults are $22 in advance for $25 at the door and include two pints of beer.

MORE THINGS TO DO >> 29

TWO REAL ESTATE AUCTIONS

79th Annual Ladies Board Rummage Sale

DONATION DROP Saturday September 30 • 9 AM – 1PM Inova Loudoun Hospital Campuses in Leesburg 224 Cornwall Street 44045 Riverside Parkway

To Be Sold

Fri., Oct. 6 at 3:30 PM

3BR/1BA HOME ON 2.3 ACRES 12853 Taylorstown Rd, Lovettsville, VA 20180

Tour: Sat. Sept. 30 at 11 am Only $100K starting bid To Be Sold

Fri., Oct. 6 at 5 pm

COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY ON .2 ACRES (KINGS GENERAL STORE) 27 S. Loudoun St, Lovettsville, VA 20180 Only $100K starting bid

Call Brian Damewood 540.454.2326

Craig Damewood 703.303.4760

(703) 771-2985 | LadiesBoard.org | #annualrummagesale

Damewood Auctioneers

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<< FROM 28 Sunday, Sept. 24, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Purcellville.

Details: breauxvineyards.com Paint a gorgeous picture with professional guidance and all supplies provided.

Wine and snacks will be available for sale. Tickets are $35.

LAST HAM STAND-UP COMEDY IMPROV NIGHT Friday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville.

Details: franklinparkartscenter.org Don’t miss this hilarious show full of laughs for the entire family. A group of talented performers take suggestions from the audience to create wacky

LOUDOUN SCHOOL OF BALLET: OUT OF DARKNESS SUICIDE AWARENESS BENEFIT CONCERT Sunday, Sept. 24, 4 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville.

Details: franklinparkartscenter.org Loudoun School of Ballet, in cooperation with Jazz & Co, Ludicious and WDZ, present an evening of music, rap and dance as a fundraiser for suicide prevention efforts. Parental guidance is recommended. Tickets are $20 at the door.

WATERFORD CONCERT SERIES: ANGELA MEADE Sunday, Sept. 24, 4 p.m.; Waterford Old School, 40222 Fairfax St., Waterford.

Details: waterfordconcertseries.org Metropolitan Opera soprano Angela

Courtesy of Angela Meade

Meade has wowed audiences around the world with her powerhouse performances. She’ll delight local audiences with an intimate concert featuring works from Bellini and Mahler, including her signature “Casta Diva” aria. Tickets are $35 for adults, $15 for students and free for children 12 and under. Advance ticket purchase is recommended.

MORE THINGS TO DO >> 30

Doc MartEn & the Flannels 9/22/17 Doors 7:00PM

The Ten Band, A Tribute to

Pearl Jam

9/23/17 Doors 7:00PM

Fastball 10/04/17 Doors 7:00PM

Steal Your Peach-

Grateful Dead/Allman Brothers Tribute 10/6/17 Doors: 7:00PM

Beatlemania Now 10/7/17 Doors: 7:00PM

80’s Night

with the Reagan Years 10/13/17 Doors 7:00PM

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Call (703) 345-6912 for more information, and to schedule a personal tour.

Kix 10/14/17 Doors 7:00PM

Shovels & Rope 10/18/17 Doors 7:00PM

Living Colour 10/20/17 Doors: 7:00PM

Dave Matthews BAND Experience with Crowded Streets

10/21/17 Doors 7:00PM

Howard Jones

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ON STAGE

scenes and funny improv games. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for children.

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

SIP AND PAINT AT BREAUX

[ THINGS TO DO ]

10/24/17 Doors: 7:00PM

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UUCL invites you to an evening under the stars celebrating Social Justice with music, art, food, and drink in Shoe’s Secret Garden

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out with his own trio. No cover.

TARARA SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: PETTY HEARTS WITH STEVE MILLER TRIBUTE

NIGHTLIFE LIVE MUSIC: DOC MARTEN AND THE FLANNELS

Saturday, Sept. 23, 6 p.m. Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Leesburg. Details: tarara.com

Friday, Sept. 22, 7 p.m.; Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg.

Details: tallyhotheater.com

Party on at Tarara with great tributes to Tom Petty and Steve Miller. Tickets are $20 in advance.

Immerse yourself in ’90s grunge rock with these seasoned musicians. If you liked DC 101 a few decades ago, you’ll know all the words. Tickets are $10 in advance.

Credit: Sara Corwin

HOUSE CONCERT: DANIEL CHAMPAGNE

Where: Shoe’S Secret Garden, 17 n. KinG St., LeeSburG, Va (YeS! theY are open) When: September 25, 6-9 pm hoW: WWW.eVentbrite.com (Search “Loudoun FaLLS”) What: $25 - incLudeS 2 cocKtaiLS + Lite biteS + muSic + SiLent auction + Fun!

Quarter page LN.indd 1

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

[ THINGS TO DO ]

Loudoun Falls for Social Justice

U

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LIVE MUSIC: JAMIE MCLEAN BAND

L

Friday, Sept. 22, 9 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com

A welcoming congregation

Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun

Courtesy of Jamie McLean

ANN ROBINSON SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD U

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A welcoming congregation

Unitarian Universalist Church Loudoun

The former guitarist for New Orleans Dirty Dozen Brass Band has branched

9/19/17 10:30 AM

Saturday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m., doors open, 8 p.m., music begins; Ashburn.

Contact: musicontheheights@gmail.com The Music on The Heights house concert series returns with this Australian-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter who wows audiences with his heartfelt, poignant music. Suggested donation is

MORE THINGS TO DO >> 31

AT T E N T IO N H O M E OW N E R S :

[ THINGS TO DO ] $15-$20 in cash, with all proceeds going to the musicians. Email the organizer for address and further details.

LIVE MUSIC: THE TEN PEARL JAM TRIBUTE Saturday, Sept. 23, 7 p.m.; Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: tallyhotheater.com

LIVE MUSIC: THE BRUNO SOUND Saturday, Sept. 23, 9 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com With songs ranging from ballads to danceable rock/reggae to straight up rock ‘n’ roll, Bruno de Lima-Campos is a genre-bending regional favorite. No cover.

MADDY CURTIS AND BEN CURTIS: TWO OF A KIND RECITAL

STOP EXPENSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE CAUSED BY DEER!

Friday, Sept. 29, 7 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter.org Brother and sister singing sensations Ben Curtis and Maddy Curtis perform songs from the American landscape along with beautiful folk songs from across the pond, including works by Vaughn Williams, Benjamin Britten, Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson and other greats. Tickets are $15.

LEESBURG AIRSHOW Saturday, Sept. 30, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Leesburg Executive Airport, 1001 Sycolin Road, Leesburg.

Details: leesburgairshow.com The eighth annual airshow features aerobatic demonstrations, skydivers and lots of cool planes. Donations suggested.

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This top-rated tribute band captures the sound and feel of Pearl Jam at its finest as ’90s weekend continues at the Tally Ho. Tickets are $15 in advance.

COMING UP

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

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[OBITUARIES]

OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

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Alexandria, VA on October 1, 1929 to Leon and Ann Devers Trussell. Her family moved to Purcellville where she grew up on South 12th Street near her grandparents. She graduated from Lincoln High School (now Lincoln Elementary School) and attended Madison College (now James Madison University).

Mary Ann Brower Mary Ann Brower, 87, of Purcellville, VA passed away on Sunday, September 3, 2017. Mary Ann was born in

Mary Ann spent 30 years in the banking industry, working at the Purcellville National Bank, which is now the home to Valley Energy, Inc. Renamed First Virginia Bank, she retired as Vice President in 1989, which was a tribute to her determination and leadership abilities in an otherwise male dominated profession. Mary Ann was very community minded; serving her church, the Board of Directors of the Loudoun Golf and Country Club, Inc., and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Purcellville Volunteer Rescue Squad.

She was also the Town Recorder for Purcellville. Professionally, she was a member of the National Association

of Bank Women, the Junior Women’s Club, and the Business and Professional Women’s Club. Following her retirement, she volunteered her time at Emerick Elementary School.

On May 14, 1955, she married William Keith “Bill” Brower, Sr., also of Purcellville, where they made their home. Mary Ann is survived by their only son, William Keith Brower, Jr. and daughter-in-law Cheryl Verjinski Brower of Lovettsville, VA. She was the proud grandmother to Dan Brower (Sarah) of Beaufort, SC, Rob Brower of Lovettsville, VA, and Ben Brower of Falls Church, VA. She was predeceased by Bill in 2003 and her sister, Betty Trussell Klassen in 2008.

A celebration of Mary Ann’s life will be held on September 23, 2017 at 11 a.m. at Hall Funeral Home, in Purcellville. A private graveside service will follow at the Hillsboro Cemetery.

There will be no reception following the service.

The family requests donations in

lieu of flowers to be sent to either the Purcellville Baptist Church, the Purcellville Volunteer Fire Company, the Purcellville Volunteer Rescue Squad, or a to charity to benefit the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

[MEMORIAL ANNOUNCEMENT] In Memory of Marc Sagan A gathering to remember the life and work of Marc Sagan will be held at his home on Saturday, October 14th at noon.

Any who knew or would like to remember Marc, his life and his work are welcome to attend.

After the memorial, food and libations will be offered.

Questions may be addressed to: sagan.mj@gmail.com

Fountains of Living Water

(Non-denomination, Full Gospel)

Meeting at: Sterling Middle School 201 W. Holly Ave. Sterling,VA 20164

New Life

Pra ise & Delivera n ce C hu rch

*(Member of A.F.F.I. - affiinc.org)*

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BISHOP MICHAEL GILCREAST

35 mins - Frederick, MD 30 mins - Leesburg, VA www.be-blessed.org 30 mins - Winchester, VA 3 05 S .C ha rlesS treet•C ha rlesTo w n ,W V Direction s:7W to 9W to Exit-W V51/E W a shin gto n -Left to L--S.Geo rge To R--W .

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Sunday 10:15am www.fountainsoflivingwater.org (703) 433-1481 To Include Your House of Worship Email: classifieds@loudounnow.com Phone: 703-770-9723

“Whoever believes in me (Jesus)... streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:38

703-770-9723

ABC LICENSE Paolisi of Loudoun, Inc, trading as 900 Degree Brick Oven Pizza, 609 E Main St Ste A, Purcellville, Loudoun County, Virginia 20132.

The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Mixed Beverages Restaurant license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

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

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

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

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

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

110465

Loudoun County Circuit Court

Case No.:

110259

Loudoun County Circuit Court

Ana Cecilia Peña Fernañdez /v.

Gonzalo Javier Serrano Gumuci

Laurel Ngozi Anyagaligbo /v.

Tony Odili

The object of this suit is to:

The object of this suit is to:

Divorce. It is ORDERED that Gonzalo J. Serrano Gumucio appear at the above-named court and protect his interests on or before 11/03/17 at 10:00 am.

change name of child. It is ORDERED that Tony Odili appear at the above-named court and protect his interests on or before 11/03/17 at 10:00 am.

09/21/17, 09/28/17, 10/05/17, 10/12/17

09/21/17, 09/28/17, 10/05/17, 10/12/17

09/14 & 09/21/17

Employment St Andrew Presbyterian Church in Purcellville Custodian - Salary: 14.50/hr Job Summary The Custodian will oversee the day-to-day weekday cleaning, striving to keep the building clean and inviting at all times.

Summary of Essential Job Functions • Provide custodial care of the church building, with a concentration on the cleaning, of the areas used by the Neighborhood Learning Center.

• Works directly with staff and volunteers for setup/tear down of church and building functions.

• Ensure the facility is clean, attractive, uncluttered, and well-maintained, inside and out.

Minimum qualifications • Education and experience: High School diploma or GED, with one to three years related custodial experience.

• Successful completion of background check.

Abilities required • Must be self-starter who can work responsibly alone.

• Effective English language communication skills, both verbal and written.

• Maintain open and honest communication between staff, and volunteers.

• Commitment to the vision and values of St Andrew Presbyterian Church and understand the importance of the upkeep of our church building.

• Communicates with the Sexton/Building Manager about repair needs in the building.

Sexton ( Building and Grounds Manager) - Salary: $15/hr Job Summary The Sexton will oversee the day-to-day upkeep, repairs, and maintenance of the church building and its grounds, striving to keep the building clean, the grounds maintained and inviting at all times. The Sexton works in conjunction with the Pastors, NLC director, and Trustees to prepare the facility for church, school and community programs events.

We also have openings in our Ashburn, Lansdowne, Cornwall and Purcellville offices. Pediatric and or family practice experience preferred but willing to train the right candidate.

EHR experience highly recommended. We offer health, dental and vision insurance as well as direct deposit, 401k and many other benefits.

Please send your resume to lgray@ lmgdoctors.com or fax to 703-7260804, attention Lisa.

Wake up with

LoudounNow

Start your day with the Morning Minute podcast.

A KID’S PLACE www.akidsplacewest.com 16 Months Through Kindergarten

AWARD WINNING PROGRAM

is looking for: Full Time & Part Time (2:30-6pm)

Pre-School Teacher 703-777-9012 akidsplacewest@gmail.com 248 Loudoun Street SW, Leesburg

For Rent Rental near Hillsboro Restored Farmhouse 3 bedroom, 2 bath $2,500/month

We've got you covered.

Jewell Realty

703-777-7776

loudounnow.com

Abilities required • Must have good planning and organizational skills, be able to complete duties, and prioritize competing demands.

• Must be self-starter who is also comfortable working with others.

• Effective English language communication skills, both verbal and written.

• Maintain open and honest communication between staff, volunteers, and vendors.

• Commitment to the vision and values of St Andrew Presbyterian Church and understand the importance of • the upkeep of our church building.

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.

Minimum qualifications: • Education and experience: High School diploma or GED, with one to three years related custodial experience.

• General knowledge of building maintenance, general carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and custodial skills.

• Ability to read and comprehend instructions, short correspondence and memos in English.

• Physical ability necessary to safely and successfully perform all essential job functions and responsibilities, including but not limited to working with tools such as saws and drills, climbing ladders, lifting 35 pounds, etc.

• Successful completion of background check.

FT LPN or MA

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

In Print & Online

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

To advertise contact Classifieds:

Legals

33

Resource Directory BATHROOMS

BATHROOM REMODELING

OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

BARBER SHOP Ashburn Barber Shop 44031 Ashburn Shopping Plaza, #139 Ashburn, VA 20147 Ashburn Village Center Same Shopping Center as Old Giant, Popeye Chicken, Burger King, Kinder Care & Ashburn Service Center

Start to finish / To 11/2 Weeks

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$1 OFF

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DECKS Baker’s

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Taking deck projects Takingorders ordersfor forspring deck projects BUILD DECKS & FENCES POWERWASHING & STAINING FREE ESTIMATES & DECK INSPECTIONS

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Any Haircut

BOBCAT

HAIR SALON Perm, Haircut for women, men, and children

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PAINTING

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WINDOWS & FLOORS POTOMAC WINDOW CLEANING CO.

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

Licensed & Insured Contractor who performs “Handyman Services, Rental & Re-sale Turnovers“ Taking orders for deck projects Taking orders for spring deck projects *We Accept ALL Major Cards*

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Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

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35

[ OPINION ]

OPINION | CLASSIFIEDS | LOCO LIVING | BIZ | OUR TOWNS | EDUCATION | PUBLIC SAFETY | NEWS | LOUDOUN NOW Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

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36

Preparing for the Chase The early hoopla in Loudoun surrounding Amazon’s announcement that it plans to build a second massive headquarters complex on the East Coast is a bit surprising and it raises questions about the county’s long-term community development strategies.

While Loudoun may have many of the attributes that are high on the corporate search team’s checklist and today’s Department of Economic Development regularly records recruiting “wins,” the county doesn’t have a strong track record in these type of high-profile national competitions. Past leaders have put on full-court presses for jewels such as the United Air Lines fleet maintenance center and the new FBI headquarters only to come up emptyhanded.

Some of the county’s long-term economic anchors—AOL, Orbital ATK, Telos and Raytheon—originally landed in empty office buildings with room to grow. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute and WorldCom—the site of today’s Verizon campus—came for open land envisioned for office uses.

Perhaps it is the WorldCom project that offers the most parallels with the Amazon project. In the late 1990s, CEO Bernie Ebbers announced plans to move the company’s headquarters to a 534-acre campus in Loudoun and to employ as many as 30,000 people. While welcoming the economic opportunities, locals worried about providing adequate roads and amenities to support such an immense complex. The project never come to fruition. After buying telecom giant MCI, WorldCom filed the largest bankruptcy in history to that date and an accounting scandal sent Ebbers to federal prison. The campus was sold off in pieces.

The questions that surrounded WorldCom’s proposal already are being asked about Amazon. What would Loudoun do with a 40,000-person employer? How would the traffic work? Where will they live? What location could handle such a high-intensity use? Those are questions a new county task force will be working to answer.

At the same time county leaders are showing enthusiasm for this large corporate campus, they’ve been promoting planning and zoning policies that are moving away from the long-held strategy of reserving land for such uses. The death knell may have come just weeks ago when supervisors approved a zoning ordinance change that promotes developers’ efforts to convert vacant office land to mixed-use town centers—the industry’s flavor du jour. That action is sure to be followed by a flood of applications for layouts that include more homes than commercial space—all chipping away at the land available to larger economic development opportunities.

If nothing else results from the pursuit of Amazon, county leaders should walk away with a fresh understanding of the benefits and costs associated with such a large project. And if the bottom line falls on the plus side, they should ensure the county’s planning and zoning policies support a long view and provide opportunities for success the next time an Amazon comes calling.

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 Samantha Bartram John McNeilly Jan Mercker Patrick Szabo

Advertising Director Susan Styer sstyer@loudounnow.com Display Advertising Heather Donahue hdonahue@loudounnow.com Tonya Harding tharding@loudounnow.com Production Electronic Ink Leesburg, VA 20175

[ LETTERS ] A Scam Editor: I read some of the stakeholders’ comments about the Transition Area and almost threw up.

I have always thought that Envision Loudoun was a scam and that its stakeholders group was rigged to let the real estate and developers crowd decide the future of Loudoun County.

Particularly disgusting was the overt greed expressed by a guy named Henriksen who represents the Realtors gang: Apparently, it’s not enough to jam thousands of new houses into the Transition Area and ruin it, we must also allow shopping centers and gas stations so all these new folks will be enticed to move there.

Henriksen also makes a comment that illustrates just how dangerous this group is. He thinks we should focus on “meeting housing demand,” which is Realtor-speak for “we want more commissions.” He and the other stakeholders just don’t understand what truly should be the fundamental, first question: How much larger do we want Loudoun to be?

Were it up to me, I’d reduce the population by 15 or so specific people—the real estate shills on the Stakeholders Committee. They can all move back to Fairfax as far as I’m concerned. We should not let their avarice define what our county should be.

— Charles Houston, Paeonian Springs

Beyond the Dazzle Editor: The possibility of attracting the Amazon headquarters is certainly enticing and no surprise that the Department of Economic Development is on it big time with its Ad-hoc Committee of development interests.

The parameters of the project as listed, “8 million square feet of space, $5 billion in capital investment, and as

many as 50,000 full-time employees earning an average of $100,000 a year,” certainly is amazing.

While not discouraging the enthusiasm the Amazon possibility raises, I would suggest that the work of the Adhoc Committee be expanded to work with the Department of Planning and the Stakeholders Committee preparing the new Comprehensive Plan to think through the ramifications of a project of this scale on its impact on the overall county.

What will be the implications of the development on housing, school population, parks and public facilities, traffic congestion, and fiscal impact on our taxpayers? We should not be surprised to hear of some substantial concessions Amazon will want from its future host.

The Amazon headquarters may be the opportunity of the century for Loudoun, but let’s think through all its ramifications and not just focus on the dazzle of landing such a prize.

— Al Van Huyck, Round Hill

Additional Danger Editor: I was extremely dismayed to learn that Representative Barbara Comstock had signed on to co-sponsor HR 367, the “Hearing Protection Act of 2017.”

This bill has nothing to do with protecting hearing; it’s meant to increase the profits of gun manufacturers by making silencers easier to buy without a background check.

Current law requires anyone interested in buying a silencer to pass a background check (in addition to other safety measures). If silencers are removed from the National Firearms Act, it would allow felons, domestic abusers and other dangerous people to purchase a silencer from an unlicensed dealer—no questions asked.

Law enforcement organizations LETTERS >> 37

[ LETTERS ]

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

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.”

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

Cirrus SR22 Aircraft For Sale Recently earned your instrument ticket and want to move up from training aircraft to high performance, IFR capable aircraft? Need a small company aircraft or a quick ride to Ocean City on a weekend. N530E will do all of those and more.

CIRRUS SR22, 2003 w/1800 hours, 4 passenger, 170kts, full IFR Excellent condition, always hangared at JYO Professionally flown and maintained.

10 hours transition training One owner, corporate aircraft, also provide transportation for a State Delegate N530E is solidly equipped full IFR aircraft with a Parachute system for additional safety.

Instrumentation includes: • • • • •

Electronic HSI – Sandel 3308 Twin Garmin 430s GPSs Mode C Transponder – GTX 327 Two Axis Autopilot – S-TEC 55X Multifunction Display – Avidyne EX500C • Stormscope – WX500 • Traffic Advisory System – L3 Skywatch • E-MAX Engine Instruments A more detailed description of the aircraft and avionics is available upon request.

Call: (703) 424-1318 or e-mail: jmay@eit.com

loudounnow.com

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.

LE!

AB AFFORD

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.

Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

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

ACP 6 to 13 feet and the MVP 7 to 8 feet underground. Wil Orndorff, karst around the country have opposed the protection coordinator for the Virginia rollback of silencer safety laws, as it Department of Conservation and Recwould mean additional danger to the reation, says these pipelines will most public, as well as law enforcement assuredly have a negative impact on karst. The only question is to what exthemselves.

Ear protection products are ex- tent. In rural Virginia groundwater is tremely effective, which is why they are the only drinking water supply for ruused by our military and hunters alike. ral residents and livestock.

Before pipelines can be built, Water Hearing a gunshot in many cases can Quality Certification permits in accorsave lives—we know this sound means danger. I called Representative Com- dance with Section 401 of the Clean stock’s office to express my concern Water Act, must be issued by each state the pipeline passes through: West Virand I hope you’ll join me. ginia, Virginia, North Carolina. On — Amy McPike, Sept. 7, the West Virginia’s Department Ashburn of Environmental Protection revoked its approval of the MVP by an extraordinary action to vacate and remand the Slow Down Section 401 permit issued on March 12. On Sept. 15, North Carolina’s DeEditor: Recently, Loudoun supervisors partment of Environmental Quality made the difficult decision to spend announced that it is delaying its review $5.4M more to build a new parking of the ACP. Virginia’s Department of garage in Leesburg to remedy, with no Environmental Quality, on the othguarantees, two sinkholes that devel- er hand, is conducting an inadequate and rushed review of the ACP and oped under its foundation.

The county’s geologic consultant MVP. Virginia’s permit has the same could not guarantee that the problem inadequacies West Virginia based its would be fixed due to the unpredictable decision to vacate and remand. Unlike nature of sinkholes common in karst West Virginia, Virginia did not require topography. Karst topography forms site specific plans for the 1,000+ stream when highly soluble bedrock, such as crossings. Moreover, Virginia did not limestone, dolomite, and gypsum, dis- require a “revised Karst Hazard Assesssolve. The result is underground drain- ment” be submitted until after issuing a certificate and after the public comage systems with sinkholes and caves.

The American Geologic Institute in ment period was over.

Widespread opposition to the pipethe publication “Living with Karst. A Fragile Foundation” reports that karst lines have involved thousands through landscapes are “most vulnerable to en- a variety of actions including: a pubvironmental impacts. Their groundwa- lic letter from over 75 environmenter is the most easily polluted. … Fol- tal, conservation and public advocacy lowing storms, droughts, and changes groups supported by sophisticated in land use, new sinkholes can form legal teams; a 150-mile hike “Walking suddenly, collapsing to swallow build- the Line into the Heart of Virginia” tracing the ACP route; packed public ings, roads, and pastures.”

Karst topography is not unique to hearings with hundreds testifying in Loudoun County. It is also found in opposition; two days of protests/vigils many other Virginia counties such at all seven DEQ offices organized by as rural Bath, Highland, Augusta and religious and environmental groups; Pocahontas counties where two new civil disobedience. Several Loudoun fracked gas pipelines are proposed. County environmentalists participated 32.5 miles of Atlantic Coast Pipe- to varying degrees in all these actions.

It is time for the VA DEQ to do its line and 22 miles of Mountain Valley Pipeline are proposed to pass through job and uphold its mission statement: karst. Both pipelines will transport gas “Protect and enhance Virginia’s enviunder high pressure through 42-inch ronment, and promotes the health and wellbeing of the citizens of the Comdiameter pipes buried underground.

As witnessed in Leesburg, land monwealth.” Slow down the 401 perdisturbance can result in sinkholes. mit process. Re-open public comment.

Building the pipelines will require — Natalie Pien, 125-foot swath of clear cutting, borLeesburg ing, drilling and blasting to bury the

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Ashburn school

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blessing. Within weeks, they had reached their fundraising goal, accelerating plans for the school.

Several people who had attended the school were on hand to see it newly restored at an unveiling ceremony on Saturday. Dorothy Carpenter presented a certificate of promotion from second grade to third, signed by the schoolhouse’s former teacher Lola Jackson.

Louise Winzor presented the school with a painting she created of the building before it was restored, along with a plaque for the students of Loudoun School for the Gifted.

“This is a legacy, a history that we cannot forget and put under dirt,” Winzor said.

The ceremony also included religious, civil rights, and elected leaders, speeches, and music.

“There have been times in our history when we have failed to live up to those ideas that are enshrined in our Constitution, but we can take pride in knowing that together, over the long trajectory of time, we are moving toward equality,” said Attorney General Mark Herring.

“Unity is only one thing: it’s our collective recognition that we occupy not just the same space, but we all deserve equal respect as humans,” said Leesburg Councilman Ron Campbell. “Our voices, our opinions, our lives matter.”

County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) closed the ceremony saying that she, a black woman, could only hold that office because of “people that came before us for generations, names that we will never, ever know.”

She likened progress in society not to a marathon, but a relay.

Orbital << FROM 3

monthly happy hour to unwind, network and support the Loudoun Education Foundation.

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pay $7.8 billion in cash, while assuming $1.4 billion in debt. Orbital ATK shareholders will receive all-cash consideration of $134.50 per share, according to a release from Northrop Grumman.

The companies said Orbital ATK would be run as an independent business segment within Northrop, with no immediate plans to change names or its leadership team.

The agreement was approved unanimously by the boards of directors of both companies. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2018 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and Orbital ATK shareholder approval.

“The unique alignment in culture and mission offered by this transaction will allow us to maintain strong operational performance on existing programs while we pursue new opportunities that require the enhanced technical and financial resources of a larger organization,” David Thompson, president and chief executive officer of Orbital ATK, said in a release.

“Our employees will also benefit from greater development and career opportunities as members of a larger, more diverse aerospace and defense

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Louise Winzor thanks the students of the Loudoun School for the Gifted.

“We walk humbly before God knowing that these people put us in these positions; that’s what we’re supposed to do,” Randall said. “And the moment that we forget how we got here… the moment I forget any of that, I dishonor the legacy and I drop the baton.”

Each of the many speakers at the ceremony asked the people in attendance to keep up that work.

“Wake up if you’re not awake, and if you are awake, stay woke,” Randall said.

“Because you know what, we’ve not overcome. We’re not finished. The race is not yet won.”

And Deep Sran, founder of the Loudoun School for the Gifted and a candidate in the Democratic primary for the 10th Congressional district, said despite the schoolhouse’s history as the product of a segregated nation and state, he talks about the school “not as a memorial just to divided America, but a monument to what’s best in us.”

“It is a monument to the possible future,” Sran said. “It is a monument to what we can do together when we commit to work for our children and our future.” rgreene@loudounnow.com

enterprise. We will remain focused on operational excellence and execution during and after the transition into Northrop Grumman.”

Orbital Sciences was founded in 1982 by three friends, David W. Thompson, Bruce Ferguson and Scott Webster, who had met at Harvard Business School. The company, now called Orbital ATK, holds a contract with NASA to resupply the International Space Station. It also builds the motors for several missile systems— including the interceptor boosters for the U.S. Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, the nation’s primary protection against missile strikes. Orbital is designing a new rocket that is aimed at competing with SpaceX and United Launch Alliance for military satellite launches, and potentially commercial missions. Orbital employs about 12,700 people.

Northrop Grumman is one of the Pentagon’s top suppliers, and is building its B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber.

The company has about 67,000 employees.

The U.S. Air Force recently inked contracts with Northrop Grumman and Boeing to continue work on designs for a new intercontinental ballistic missile system known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program. Orbital is part of both companies’ bids.

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Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Flowers are placed along the side of Evergreen Mills Road, in remembrance of Erin Kaplan, of Ashburn.

works for a construction company that specializes in road projects. “He knows this industry well,” she added. “This road, there’s no good line of sight, no turn lanes—everything about that intersection screams to be changed. It was never meant to support the traffic that is on there now.”

Clingan and dozens of others have shared their stories of harrowing experiences along Evergreen Mills Road on the Make Evergreen Mills Road Safe Facebook page, which already has more than 2,100 followers.

The page has provided an outlet for residents who want to organize efforts to improve not only the Watson Road intersection but the entire stretch of Evergreen Mills Road.

In 2016, the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office responded to 109 crashes in the section of Evergreen Mills Road

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design so we’re moving forward with the safest option,” Buffington said.

“None of this will happen soon enough for anyone, to include me. It just takes time to fund, design, and actually build roads.”

Dee Clingan is one of many residents disappointed more hasn’t been done already. Her husband, Joe Ponceroff, was left permanently disabled after a crash along Evergreen Mills Road two years ago. A dump truck hit him head on, as he drove southbound from his home in Winchester to his job in Dulles. The dump truck’s driver crossed the center line when he came upon a traffic back-up caused by a vehicle waiting to turn onto Watson Road.

“We are not surprised that there continues to be traffic on that road but we are shocked that so little has been done about it,” Clingan said. Her husband previously worked for VDOT and now

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In the past year, Buffington’s office has worked with VDOT and county staff members to add optical speed bar markings and install larger road signs along Evergreen Mills warning of a sharp turn ahead, as well as painting a thick stop bar on the pavement at the Watson Road stop sign. They also asked VDOT to regularly trim trees and brush along the two roads.

Buffington also won enough votes on the board to add a project that would straighten Evergreen Mills Road at the intersections of Reservoir and Watson roads to the county’s Capital Improvement Program. That document serves as a roadmap for the county’s next six years’ worth of construction projects.

The design for that project hasn’t been approved, but one option would realign Watson Road to connect with Evergreen Mills further south where Reservoir Road connects, to make that a four-way intersection, which VDOT considers safer than the current set up of two T intersections. More turn lanes and acceleration lanes would also likely be added, and possibly a traffic signal.

Another option under consideration would widen easements to allow for 8-foot shoulders along Evergreen Mills in that area.

Right now, a bond to pay for the project is scheduled for voter approval in 2020, and funding would come through in fiscal year 2022.

“This year I’ll try to accelerate funding for this project and make as much progress as possible on preliminary

39 Sept. 21 – 27, 2017

Evergreen Mills

south of the Leesburg town limits. So far this year, its responded to 59 crashes.

Under the county’s current plan, it will be another four years before funding is available to widen Evergreen Mills between Northstar Boulevard and Belmont Ridge Road to four lanes.

Creators of the Facebook page want to form a task force with two people from each of the neighborhoods along Evergreen Mills Road. The task force would hold public meetings to get feedback and work as a unified voice to advocate improvements, Manning said.

“We really want to work with the county and VDOT to make sure Evergreen Mills Road is redesigned, reengineered—redone—so that it is built like the major coordinator that it has become,” she said.

Buffington and Supervisor Geary Higgins (R-Catoctin) have scheduled meetings with Manning and other residents who frequently use Evergreen Mills Road. The northern end of Evergreen Mills sits in Higgins’ district, including the crash that claimed the lives of Ashe and the two young boys.

In the meantime, Buffington has asked VDOT to do more to trim back the brush along Evergreen Mills and Watson roads and consider reducing the speed limit in that area. He’s also asked law enforcement to increase their patrol efforts there. He’s encouraging concerned residents to sign up for his newsletter at loudoun.gov/blueridge to keep tabs on the work.

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