Loudoun Now for May 29, 2025

Community Clashes with Sheriff’s Office

Over Increased Traffic Stops

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Community members are raising concerns over the increasing number of traffic stops conducted by Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office deputies, saying they are signs of racial profiling by the agency. However, the agency is pushing back saying they are a sign of efficient policing.

A recent report by Sheriff Mike Chapman shows that the number of traffic stops conducted between Jan. 1 and March 31 totaled 7,088. New Virginia Majority, a political advocacy group, raised concerns that that number had risen by 65% over last year’s first quarter total of 4,290 traffic stops. NVM Campaign Director Sofia Saiyed said the stops are “pretextual” and that the Sheriff ’s Office is “practicing racial discrimination to target the immigrant community and funnel them into the deportation pipeline” in a May 19 press release.

Gathering at the May 20 Board of Supervisors meeting, residents reiter-

TRAFFIC STOPS continues on page 38

Right-Sizing Retail Economic Development Leaders Eye the Future of Shopping Local

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org

The results are surprising—and not.

In a county that boasts the nation’s highest median household incomes, retail

Loudoun’s Department of Economic Development is taking a deeper dive into the county’s retail industry, releasing the first post-pandemic analysis and dedicating more staff to support the market segment.

spending is below the national average on a per-square-foot basis. In short, Loudoun has too much retail space for its market.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Once the dominant force in local retail, malls like the Dulles Town Center are undergoing transformations built around experiential offerings.

Memorial Day Veterans Carry the Memories of Fallen Comrades

BY NORMAN K. STYER & HANNA PAMPALONI nstyer@loudounnow.org hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

In ceremonies around the county last week, families, veterans and community leaders gathered to reflect on those who died in military service.

During this year’s Memorial Day addresses, speakers shared the ongoing pain they carry for fellow service members who did not return from the battlefield.

Chuck Harris, a former Broad Run District supervisor who served two tours as a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam, was the keynote speaker for Leesburg’s annual Memorial Day observance.

Harris was drafted into the Army in 1965 and retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1992. During his service in Vietnam, he received six awards for valor and 61 Air Medals for flying in intense combat zones.

He noted this year marked the 50th anniversary of the fall of South Vietnam. “This Memorial Day, I want to introduce you to some of the individual war dead that I have known and that we are here to honor—in other words, to some of the ghosts that haunt me,” he said.

“The military code of conduct said, I am an American fighting man. I serve in the Armed Forces, which guard my country and protect our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense. I learned later, through bitter experience, a more accurate and honest version should have been I’m prepared to have my life brutally taken,” he said. “My 10-year Vietnam American War

experience, of which two years were in active combat, much of it intense, has been of no lives gloriously given, but rather only of lives brutally taken. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the wall, bears the names of over two dozen soldiers I served in combat with, as well as my flight school roommate, Chuck Harrington.”

While recounting his experiences and the loss of fellow soldiers and pilots, Harris highlighted the toll war takes on the civilian population as well—deaths and injuries not included on the military casualty reports.

“I returned home among some of the last remaining American combat troops. I was bitter, confused and angry. Why do humans kill each other?” Harris asked. “And then I became familiar with “The Pentagon Papers.” Was the Vietnam American war a just war? Was it all worth it? How would Chuck Herrington, Gordon Skinner, Rob Williams, Lou Brewer the fourth, or any of the others answer this from their places on the wall?”

Harris urged the community to do more to end division and avoid sending more young men and women into combat.

“May the loss of all these lives be not in vain. May we honor their struggle this Memorial Day by working much harder for just peace and for a better understanding of what constitutes a just war. May we as a nation work mightily for peace and justice. May we as a community struggle harder to ensure tolerance and mutual respect. And starting today, this Memorial Day, may we as individuals redouble our efforts to bring these things about so fewer soldiers at their last full measure, brutally and viciously

and our way of life.”

He recalled the deaths of Sgt. First Class Riley Stevens and Sgt. First Class Bill Brown.

“[Stevens’] death broke me, and like so many others, I buried myself in a bottle to hide from the guilt I had no reason to hold on to but couldn’t let go of,” Smith said. “It wasn’t until years later, after my second IED blast, that I began to find peace after his wife told me that his death was not my cross to bear and that I had no right to take that honor away from him. They were hard, yet loving words that probably saved my life.”

He recalled the trip through Texas to bury Stevens’ body as each car they passed pulled over to pay their respects to “a Texas son.” He said that show of support meant the world to him.

taken within the sound of silence.”

In Lovettsville, Town Council member David Smith addressed the crowd gathered at the town’s war memorial on Monday morning. A retired U.S. Army master sergeant, Smith in 1991 was deployed to Saudi Arabia and Iraq during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He also served in Panama in support of Joint Task Force Safe Haven in 1993, and numerous other training deployments across North America.

“It’s been said that the mark of a great country is measured by how it honors and memorializes those that have fought and died to protect it,” Smith said. “My hope is that we never forget to remember, to be grateful for those that have given everything to defend our safety, our freedom

“Today, our nation’s youth are literally starved for purpose and meaning in their lives. Young people take more advice and direction from 30-second TikTok videos purporting anger and disinformation than they do from true sources of encouragement and mentorship. It should be no surprise to anyone that in 2023 18% of adults, 18 to 34, were extremely proud to be Americans.”

Smith said the community needs to do a better job teaching the next generation about the goodness of the United States.

“When we speak of freedom, we must remember that it is not a passive inheritance. It is a living, breathing gift, nurtured and defended by those who had the cour-

MEMORIAL DAY continues on page 23

School Board Again Faces Policy 8040 Objections, Higgins Asks to Call Off Investigation

BY AMBER LUCAS AND PATRICK LEWIS alucas@loudounnow.org

Last week’s Loudoun County School Board meeting featured a more than two hour public comment session that included strong criticism of the division’s Policy 8040, which covers the rights of transgender and gender expansive students in LCPS, spurred on by a recent locker room incident.

The issue resurfaced in recent weeks in the wake of a video taken by a transgender student showing three boys in a locker room at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn. Speakers at the meeting describe the

video capturing the boys asking questions like “why is there a girl in here” and other similar remarks. According to one of the boys’ parents, the three are subject to an investigation for Title IX violations.

The policy states that all students will have access to locker rooms and restrooms that correlate with their gender identity, whether or not it is the same as what was assigned at birth. It also states that staff members will call students by their preferred name and pronouns and requires staff training regarding the LGBTQ+ community. This policy says that sports and other Virginia High School League activities will abide by those policies. Representatives from both sides of

the issue spoke up at the meeting. There were over 25 speakers against the policy, which included parents and grandparents of the boys as well as Del. Geary Higgins (R-30) and two candidates in the upcoming School Board elections.

Critics said the boys were illegally filmed in the locker room, and they should not be investigated because of that. They also argue that the conversation was not aimed at the student filming.

“I am speaking on behalf of my son who was wrongfully accused of a Title IX violation. LCPS claims to prioritize safety, dignity and respect. Let me be clear, no one felt safe, no one felt respected and no one walked away from that lock-

er room with their dignity intact,” Renae Smith said. “Policy 8040 was implemented under the guise that it’s helpful, but in reality it’s caused more problems than it’s ever claimed to solve and it’s time we stop pretending.”

Supporters of the policy included parents, students and alumni of the school system. They said suicidal thoughts and other issues are very high among transgender students, and policies like 8040 help to mitigate those risks.

“I stand out because I am a 40-yearold trans person. Ask yourself why that is. Don’t let politicians twist this moment to

continues on page 37

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Ray Delpesche, commander of VFW Post 1177, salutes during Leesburg’s Memorial Day Observance, for which he served as emcee.

Environmental Commission Showcases Sustainability Initiatives in Forum

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Community members interested in efforts by the county government and its partners to promote environmental sustainability gathered at the Academies of Loudoun on May 22 to hear about the work championed by the Loudoun Environmental Commission.

Topics covered at the event included education on sustainable energy programs, tips for helping the environment at home and resources available to people looking to either learn more or be more involved in the efforts.

The event’s keynote speech was delivered by Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Director Mike Rolband, who spoke on the work his office is doing to monitor and improve the state’s air and water quality, water supply and protect its land.

Rolband highlighted the interconnection between environmental protections and a thriving economy.

“If you go to poor areas of the world, or poor areas in Virginia, they can’t afford to protect the environment. So, our goal is to have a strong economy so that we can

afford to protect our environment. They’re integrated and related,” he said. “… You’ve got to have both, and you can’t just have one or the other. And so that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Rolband also touted a newly established online system that increases transparency by publicizing all department

permit requests and enforcement actions. “Anyone can see a status of any permit in Virginia,” he said. “It’s totally transparent and it helps set the staff up to perform better. … So, we’ve reduced the time it

ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM continues on page 7

Committee Endorses Banshee Reeks Horse Trails

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Equestrian trails could be coming to Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve after a Board of Supervisors committee last week voted to recommend changes that would permit horses on at least 4.5 miles of paths on the property.

The 695-acre preserve, established in 1999, is protected by a Virginia Outdoors Foundation easement. The county’s equestrians have been working to allow horses through the property for years but that has been met with strong opposition from naturalists who fear trail riding will damage the park with concerns ranging from increased trail erosion to the introduction of invasive plant species transported in horse dung.  Supervisors last May hired an independent contractor to assess the trail system for equestrian use. During the May 21 meeting,

Parks and Recreation staff members presented Transportation and Land Use Committee with four options to pursue.

The first is a no action option that does not provide and equestrian access. It prioritizes preservation of the existing conditions at the preserve. If this option is chosen, the county staff recommended adding a section to the nearby Evergreen Mills Trail that would complete a loop and improve the equestrian experience, according to Assistant Director of Maintenance, Parks, Sports and Events Tommy Cureton.

The second option requires the deviation from the current preserve conditions and would allow for two miles of equestrian trails including portions of the existing Greenway, Corner Pond and White Oak trails. This option could range in cost from $248,550 to $347,000.

The third option is split into two sub-options that maintain upland area use for most of the route, minimizing stream

VDOT Completes St. Louis Road Bridge Rehabilitation

Construction on the St. Louis Road over Goose Creek bridge rehabilitation project was completed last week.

The improvements are expected extend the bridge’s life and improve traveling conditions for drivers, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. Built in 1969, the bridge sees an average of 3,300 vehicles day.

The project, which began in January 2024, included replacing the bridge’s concrete beams with steel beams, replacing the concrete deck and repairing the bridge piers. Funded with federal and state money, the repairs cost $4.3 million and was completed under budget by Martins Construction of Falls Church.

Short to Head Emergency Management Department

David Short has been selected as the director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management, Safety and Security following a nationwide recruitment effort.

“David brings a wealth of experience in emergency management and homeland security at the federal, state and local levels of government,” County Administrator Tim Hemstreet stated in the announcement.

crossings and providing additional access closer to the visitor center. Option 3a uses an abandoned roadbed and is 2.3 miles long. The cost to develop it could range

BANSHEE REEKS continues on page 6

Short, who currently serves as the president and principal consultant for an emergency management consulting firm, has more than twenty years of extensive experience in emergency management as an executive level consultant as well as direct experience as a first responder. He currently serves as the fire chief of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company.

The Office of Emergency Management, Safety and Security oversees the county’s comprehensive emergency management program; ensures operational coordination during significant events and conducts community outreach, education and training. The office works to improve the safety of county employees, provides training, performs security assessments, updates policies and invests in countywide emergency medical equipment.

Short earned a master’s degree in business management from Linnaeus University and a bachelor’s degree

ON THE AGENDA continues on page 6

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Visitors speak with vendors about energy and environmental sustainability practices at the Environmental Commission’s annual Energy and Environment Forum May 22.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve was established in 1999 and covers 695 acres including 15 miles of trails.

Above:

GATO BUFFET; BROOKHAVEN HALL CHEST

Banshee Reeks

continued from page 4

from $275,566 to $386,856. Option 3b uses a portion of Raspberry Trail and is 2.4 miles long, ranging in cost from $301,558 to $424,028.

The final option – and the proposal recommended by both county staff and the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Board – includes use of all of the preserve’s trails that could support equestrian access. It mostly uses old road width trails that have significant hardening interspersed throughout the current system and is 4.5 miles long. This alternative is estimated to cost between $596,570 and $794,620.

“This alternative, combined with alternative one would provide a total of 8.3 miles of equestrian trail access between Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve and Evergreen Mills Trail,” Cureton said.

He said the recommendation by the PROS board also included authorizing further research into additional equestrian trail mileage in the next 12 months.

All of the plans that involve allowing equestrian trails would require an update to the Banshee Reeks Master Plan, which was last updated in 2001. The existing assessment conducted did not consider any modifications to the existing trails or the possibility of adding new trails. Cureton

said a review by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation would also be needed to bring the plans to fruition because of the potential impact to sensitive areas.

“That would be the discussion with VOF,” Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services Steve Torpy said. “The direction that we got was ‘current conditions under the current easement.’ So, there was not that discussion with VOF, because any change to that, whether eliminating or adding new trails … would have to have that conversation with VOF.”

Committee Chair Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River) won support for a motion to recommend option four, update the preserve master plan and to authorize further research into how additional mileage could be added outside of the limitations of the VOF easement.

“This has been a long process,” TeKrony said. “…I think this is a starting point. I believe there could be additional mileage in Banshee Reeks that would provide a rewarding experience to equestrians.”

TeKrony said the equestrian community has been waiting for “meaningful” multi-use trails and that she is committed to providing them.

“Banshee Reeks has 15 miles of trails, just so everybody knows and it’s 700 acres. So, it’s a huge nature preserve that we can all enjoy,” she said. n

keep the change. seriously. we mean it.

On the Agenda

continued from page 4

in business management from George Mason University.

Supervisors Award $13M Contract for Rt. 9 Roundabout

Loudoun County supervisors Tuesday night awarded a $13.3 million construction contract to build a roundabout at the Rt. 9 and Rt. 287 intersection near Wheatland.

The contract was awarded to General Excavation Inc., the lowest of two bidders for the work. Sagres Construction Company bid $19.2 million for the project.

The entire project is expected to cost $31.4 million.

Currently, traffic at the intersection is controlled by a traffic light. The single-lane roundabout is expected to significantly reduce congestion, improve safety and provide a long-term cost-effective solution for future roadway maintenance, according to a staff report. The project will also include lighting improvements, storm sewer and drainage improvements, roadway signing and pavement marking improvements, temporary traffic signal modifications and a multi-phase traffic management plan.

Construction is expected to begin this summer and be completed by mid-2027.

Supervisors Expand Tax Breaks for Solar Equipment

Tax exemptions for certified solar equipment in the county will now align with changes adopted by the General Assembly, providing more breaks for some property owners who have solar equipment installed.

Supervisor Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River) said the ordinance change will allow for a full exemption rather than a partial one. In 2025, the exemption saved the average property owner utilizing it $308.

Currently, Loudoun County grants solar energy projects of five megawatts or less a tax exemption that gradually declines from an 80% exemption for the first five years, 70% for the second five years, and 60% for all the remaining years in service.

The ordinance revisions will increase the amount of the exemption for smallscale projects of 25 kilowatts or less. For these systems, the proposed amendments will provide a 100% exemption for the life of the equipment versus an exemption that declines from 80% of the assessed value of the project for the first five years in service, 70% of the assessed value in the second five years in service, and 60% of the assessed value for the remaining years in service. n

Environmental Forum

continued from page 4

takes to get a permit by two-thirds. At the same time, we’ve reduced the time to do an enforcement action by two-thirds. So, we’re going to give you a permit, but you’ve got to follow the rules.”

The event also included smaller, breakout sessions covering topics such as upgrades to create an energy efficient home, promoting economic and environmental stewardship, stopping the spread of invasive plants, recycling and composting and data centers contributions to communities through environmentally friendly initiatives.

Clifton Institute Landowner Outreach Institute Associate Kadiera Ingram led one of those sessions, walking attendees through how to manage invasive plants.

“If you have a healthy native plant community with a lot of diversity, it can support a diversity of native insects and wildlife,” she said. “So, we want to make sure that we’re doing everything that we can to look out for native plants so that they can foster healthy ecosystems and foster a healthy environment.”

Being able to accurately identify which plants are invasive is critical, Ingram said.

“It’s actually really important to be able to tell the invasives from the natives, identify some of the native plants, and not just the things that we want to get rid of, because a lot of these invasive plants, they have native counterparts that look very similar. So, we want to make sure, when we go out there, we can also pick out the native plants, make sure we’re protecting them and make sure we don’t accidentally cut them down,” she said.

Environmental Commission members Scott Emery and Rey Cheatham Banks led the breakout sessions on ways data centers can contribute to sustainability goals specifically highlighting the opportunities with heat export.

Heat export, also sometimes referred to as district energy, involves taking the massive amounts of thermal energy created by data centers and transferring it to be used for

something else, rather than simply cooling it down. Equinix already does this in Europe, heating the swimming pool used in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In Loudoun, the company is looking for ways like that to partner with county government, Banks said.

“At Equinix, we don’t sell any of the heat that we have in the network system. We give that to the community. So, it’s not about us increasing our bottom line. It’s about how we can be better neighbors and be more sustainable. We have very ambitious sustainability goals that we are on track to keep, and this is just one of the examples of how we try to do that,” she said.

“It’s not hard to imagine that with perhaps an advanced planning, or maybe future planning, these data centers could potentially provide heat to Ashby Ponds [senior living community] to heat the facility and provide hot water to the facility,” Emery said.

In between breakout sessions, forum attendees browsed indoor and outdoor exhibits including nonprofits, businesses and county departments focused on energy and environmental sustainability.

Assistant Director of General Services Marc Aveni said the annual event is a good opportunity to engage the community in the county’s efforts to implement recommendations by the Environmental Commission.

“We’ve got things such as our tree canopy and our Solarize program and our electric vehicle charging initiative, and our work looking at data centers and energy efficiency and how we could work with them, and now we’ve added controlling invasive species,” he said. “So, we’re doing a lot of good stuff here in Loudoun and we’re very appreciative of the board support and funding to get these things going.”

The Environmental Commission was established in 2021 and is made up of 17 members charged with advising the Board of Supervisors on policies and practices dealing with the environment, sustainability and the management of energy.

Learn more at loudoun.gov/environment. n

Dominion Prepares Next Transmission Line Project – Morrisville to Wishing Star

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Community members last week had the chance to provide feedback on Dominion Energy’s next transmission line project – a 36.5-mile-long route across three counties.

The Morrisville to Wishing Star line will feature 500 and 230 kilovolt lines running north through Fauquier, Prince William and Loudoun counties. Less than five of the miles will be built in Loudoun.

The project is designed to improve reliability for the region, according to Dominion Energy.

While some of the exact routes are still being determined, according to Dominion representative Porlan Cunningham, the majority of the line and new infrastructure will be built in Fauquier and Prince William counties, including a new 230 kV line on monopoles.

The majority of the route is expected to be built along or near existing rights-ofway.

The final segment of the line, which runs from the Loudoun Mosby substations to the planned Wishing Star substation, is 4.7 miles long. The Loudoun Mosby stations are south of Braddock Road just north of the county line. Wishing Star will

be built north of Rt. 50 along Northstar Boulevard. There are existing lines with a 250-foot ROW along the same route. The corridor runs along Stone Ridge, Kirkpatrick Farms, and other communities.

“The proposed corridor will remain 250 feet wide and will contain three 500 kV lines and two 230 kV lines on monopoles,” Cunningham said.

The project will tear down existing double lattice structures to make way for new monopoles expected to be 156 feet tall – about 30 feet taller than the lattices.

There are also possible alternative routes that would divert from the existing rights-of-way. The SCC requires that alternatives be evaluated as part of the filing and the wreck and rebuild would require the approval of the regional electricity coordinator, PJM Interconnection.

The alternate route cross through Northstar Boulevard and Braddock Road.

Dominion expects to submit an application to the State Corporation Commission in July, and if approved, begin construction by March 2027.

Public outreach has already begun with meetings held in all three counties and another virtual community meeting planned for Monday, June 2 at noon. Learn more or submit comments at dominionenergy. com/morrisvillewishingstar. n

Leesburg Photographer Clark Celebrated with Lifetime Achievement Award

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

By the age of 10, Leesburg’s Jim Clark could identify every bird in the forest by its sight and sound. The pictures he took back then with his parent’s “little point and shoot camera” sparked a life-long love affair with nature photography.

After a 49-year-career in nature photography, the photographer, naturalist, writer, speaker, and workshop leader earned the North American Nature Photography Association’s lifetime achievement award.

“First it came as a total surprise. I had no idea that I would ever get an award like that,” Clark said.

Clark, an early member of the association and its president from 2002 to 2003, said the award was based on years of using his photos to promote conservation.

With eight books, a gallery on his website, and years of working for NANPA, Clark’s photos depict nature at its most pristine. His work appears in books

including the “Bird Photography Handbook,” “Between Ocean and Bay: A celebration of the Eastern Shore,” two installations in “The Adventures of Buddy the Beaver” series, “Mountain memories: An Appalachian sense of Place,” “West Virginia: The Allegheny Highlands,” “The Ultimate Guide to Digital Nature Photography” and “Coal Country: Rising Up Against Mountaintop Removal Mining.”

Clark said he started getting serious about photography after entering graduate school for wildlife ecology at West Virginia University in 1976 and purchasing his first SLR.

After that, Clark pursued his dual passion for photography and nature, spending 30 years working as an ecologist for the Fish and Wildlife Service and ducking out into nature to take pictures in his spare time.

“One of my guiding principles is that to be a great nature photographer, you’ve got to know nature – be a naturalist first and a photographer second,” he said.

Reading books and experimenting, Clark learned the basics on his own. He

worked with a Minolta system in the ’70s, back when you “took notes in an actual notebook with pencil and paper” he said. He said he really didn’t know what he was doing back then. It wasn’t until 1989 that Clark underwent a major system change.

“I was living on an island off the coast of Texas called Matagorda Island National Wildlife refuge,” Clark said. “I was the first refuge manager there, and my house exploded and burned to the ground, and I lost all my photography, everything I owned, including more than 10,000 images and all my manuscripts.”

There were only two people on the 60,000-acre island that day — Clark and his assistant who had just taken his first job with the Fish and Wildlife Service. Clark said that was a rough start for his assistant who went on to have a successful career.

“It was rather devastating, but nobody was hurt and I just started back because photography was such an obsession and

JIM CLARK continues on page 11

The Hotel Burg Moves Toward August Opening

The return of a hotel to downtown Leesburg is moving closer with the announcement last week that Hotel Burg is accepting reservations for stays beginning Aug. 1.

The 39-room boutique property plans to offer “an immersive experience for both discerning travelers and locals seeking refined hospitality and curated lifestyle moments.”

“Our vision is to create a destination that feels intimate yet aspirational – a place where modern sophistication and Loudoun County’s rich heritage intersect,” developer Kevin Ash said. “From sophisticated yet approachable design to locally sourced cuisine, every element was chosen to help guests feel deeply connected to both place and purpose. We’re looking forward to inviting locals and guests to experience the elegance, history, and community that makes this place so special.”

The project includes the Huntōn, a hunting inspired restaurant that will use open-fire cooking. Virginia native Vincet Badiee, a chef who earned his Michelin Star at Gravitas in Washington, DC, has been tapped to lead the restaurant with a menu featuring game meats, foraged herbs, and locally sourced produce.

The Burg also will include The Rooftop bar, a space outfitted with a sundeck and fire pit that exclusively serves hotel guests; and The Diana Lounge, a venue open to both guests and locals, honors the Roman goddess of the hunt; a members-only

AROUND town

Events Manager Announces Retirement

Events and Outreach Manager Linda Fountain has announced her retirement.

An employee since 2001, Fountain began her career as a part-time program assistant for recreation programs at the Parks and Recreation Department before joining staff full time as a recreation program supervisor in 2005. In that role, Fountain oversaw the preschool program, summer camps, and the fine arts and crafts shows. Her oversight later extended to recreation classes and the Recreation Outreach for Community Kids program.

In 2015, Fountain was named events and outreach manager, a role she has held since. Fountain and the events team produce 22 town events annually in addition to managing the sidewalk dining program for 18 weeks.

Fountain said among her proudest accomplishments is the creation of TASTE Leesburg, and how she revamped the Fine Arts and Crafts shows by allowing vendors to set up on Friday nights and changing booth space sizes.

In retirement, Fountain is looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren, with plans to relocate to North Carolina next year. She has resided in Leesburg since 1985.

Burk to Give State of Town Address

Mayor Kelly Burk will deliver the annual State of the Town address June 16

speakeasy-themed club called The Chase; as well as workspaces like the Reading Room and the Business Commons and fitness facilities with an infrared sauna.

To book a stay or learn more go to hotelburg.com. n

The event will take place in the Council Chambers at the Town Hall, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The address will also be streamed live on the town’s Facebook page, broadcast on the town’s cable access channels, Comcast Channel 67 and Verizon Channel 35, and available via webcast.

Burk will focus on the town’s accomplishments, current projects, and upcoming initiatives in Leesburg. n

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Construction continues on the Hotel Burg on Leesburg’s South King Street. The owners plan to welcome visitors and diners to the new complex in August.

Jim Clark

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love of mine and passion,” Clark said. “I wasn’t going to let the fire stop me from getting back into it.”

He transitioned to a Nikon system after that, using that equipment ever since. He even got a Nikon sponsorship at one point in his career.

Clark joined NANPA in the mid 1990s. Two decades ago, he left the Fish and Wildlife Service, turning his part time photography passion into a full-time career.

His first book, “West Virginia, the Allegheny Highlands”, came about after Clark and his wife settled in Leesburg. Feeling like he needed somewhere to get away and take photos, Clark spent time in his home state of West Virginia photographing the mountains and enjoying the peaceful highlands. Shifting his focus from the mountains later, he fell in love with the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland, writing “Between Ocean and Bay, a Celebration of the Eastern Shore” in 2010.

“I got just as enamored with the coastal environment as I did with the Appalachian,” he said.

Stemming from his love of birds, Clark’s photography also focuses on wildlife.

“I’ve done everything from photographing polar bears up along the Hudson

Bay to, in my backyard during the pandemic, just photographing butterflies and bees and chipmunks,” he said.

For four straight years, Clark wrote in a monthly column on nature photography for NANPA’s e-newsletter. He has also emceed NANPA’s summit, which drew in between 500 and 700 of the world’s top nature photographers. His second time em-

to just enjoy nature, develop a sense of confidence and patience,” Clark said. “We went on a book signing tour, he got interviewed, so that was quite an experience for me to be a father and have a young son like that.”

Clark also said he broke into photography at the right time. He said to make it as a nature photographer in today’s age, you have to develop skills like tour guiding, workshop leading, public speaking and working well with others – skills he learned from his time working for the Fish and Wildlife Service.

His biggest piece of advice was “to take small steps.”

A common acronym used in his workshops “PULL” stands for Patience, Understanding, Luck and Love – the key ingredients to successful nature photography.

“You just simply have to love being out in nature, no matter what it throws at you,” he said, adding that he still loves nature despite being bit by a grizzly bear once.

ceeing, he partnered with his 10-year-old son, Carson, who had just published his first book that the two worked on together.

Their series of joint children’s books, “The Adventures of Buddy the Beaver,” was the culmination of the two spending a few years together photographing a beaver family in Loudoun County and West Virginia.

“The purpose to get him to go outside was

“Even when I go outside and walk to get my steps and I’ll see something that attracts my attention, I’ll make a mental note of it and then scroll back when the moment is right. … You put me outside and sit down, and you’re going to lose my attention because I’m constantly listening and watching nature.”

To learn more about Jim Clark’s photography and writing, go to jimclarknature.com. n

Mark Ferland

Jim Clark’s love of nature, photography, and conservation led him to earning a lifetime achievement award with the North American Nature Photography Association.

Education School Administrators Eye Personality-Based Career Education Programs

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Loudoun County Public Schools’ Department of Career, Technical and Adult Education last week presented an update on its five-year plan, which includes the adoption of the RIASEC method that will categorize students into six personality types, as well as plans for work-based learning resource teacher assignments.

The CTAE department was created at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year. It was the first step in expanding career and technical education initiatives – a priority of Superintendent Aaron Spence. According to CTAE Director Michael Grubbs, the staff is creating a five-year plan to guide the expansion of the program, to be unveiled between summer 2025 and 2026.

“It’s not just about the programs that we’re going to put in these school buildings, but its more about how we’re going to change the conversations we’re having with students. The days of posting a flyer about a career and how much money they make is not working,” Grubbs said. “The career ladder is not working. Rather, the career jungle gym and having meaningful conversations with students about their careers is the direction we need to head.”

The first part of this plan, presented to the School Board May 20, is the adoption of the Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional method. These are the six personality types that students will be sorted into to help them choose a career path that aligns with their personalities.

According to the presentation, Realistic types are described as people who like working with their hands and seeing the fruits of their labor. They value skills such as motor skills. They can be careers such as carpenters, military personnel, construction workers, and firefighting.

Investigative types are very curious. They can be drawn to jobs such as scientists, professors, and researchers. They value skills like finding the answer and figuring out how to solve problems.

Artistic types aren’t just limited to fine

arts such as thespians, actors and dancers, they are also journalists, writers and designers. Artistic types value self-expression. They might also appreciate project-based work.

Social types are often seen as extroverts. They are often caring and nurturing of others. Jobs for these types may include teachers, human resources professionals and healthcare jobs like nurses and physician’s assistants that interact with patients every day.

Enterprising types are those that are most likely to take risks or start their own businesses. They may be good at public speaking or persuasion, and are drawn to jobs like finance, politicians, and similar careers.

Conventional types tend to be the organizers. They appreciate structured and traditional environments. They may be accountants, warehouse organizers, or computer programmers.

According to Grubbs, most people encompass most of these attributes, with two or three of them being dominant. He said the specific combination is called their “Holland Code.” The CTAE team also had the School Board Members identify which personality types they resonated with to give them an idea of how it will be used for students.

“It’s important that we continue to have these conversations. We’ve already mapped all of our CTE courses back to the RIASEC model, and for the student who maybe is artistic and doesn’t think they align with computer science, they would be surprised that some of our courses actually do have connections to A for Artistic,” Grubbs said. “We think this is a better model as we start to talk to students about CTE pathways and career expansions rather than promoting how much money you can make.”

Also presented to the board was the five new CTE resource teacher positions. These teachers will be tasked with supporting work-based learning in their designated zone, which consists of three or

CAREER INITIATIVE continues on page 14

School Board Reviews 5 Options for Dulles South Attendance Zone Changes

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

Five options for changing attendance zone boundaries for schools in the Dulles South area will be on the table for the School Board’s final vote June 10. One is a plan prepared by the school division staff and the other four were submitted by community members using a redistrict tool made by Virginia Tech.

The redistricting proposal is to relieve projected overcrowding at Willard and Mercer middle schools and John Champe and Lightridge high schools in future years. According to Director of Planning and GIS Services Beverly Tate, starting in the 2026-2027 school year these schools will be over capacity.

She also said this is the first step in the large rezoning initiative that will happen when a new high school, HS 14, opens in 2028.

Most of the plans involve moving students from the overcrowded schools to Freedom High School and J. Michael Lunsford Middle School, which are projected to have enough capacity to house the students comfortably.

“We are here because we know that we have two middle schools that are over uti-

lized. In my opinion, it is not something that should continue if we know we have available capacity at another school,” Tate said. “Recognizing that it involves change for students, but to have overfilled classrooms, it’s impacting their instruction, it’s impacting their day.”

The staff plan moves four planning zones from John Champe and Mercer to Freedom and Lunsford, and three planning zones from Willard and Lightridge to John Champe and Mercer.

Community members have raised concerns that the staff plan would split neighborhoods along Braddock Road in Aldie, including Kirkpatrick Farms. Residents there say that it is a close-knit neighborhood, and going to the same school as their neighbors is important. During the School Board’s May 20 meeting, speakers against this plan tended to support Plan 040.

Plan 040 would move three planning zones from John Champe and Mercer to Lightridge and Lunsford, and only one from Lightridge and Willard to John Champe and Mercer. However, while there is some community support for this plan, there is also controversy from residents in the Lenah Mills neighborhood, which would be split by this plan. Speak-

ers from that neighborhood had similar concerns over this plan as Kirkpatrick Farms has about the staff plan.

The remaining three plans were all asked to be considered by board member Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg).

Plan 289 affects the most planning zones. It moves five planning zones from the John Champe cluster to the Freedom cluster, one from the John Champe cluster to the Lightridge cluster, and two from the Lightridge cluster to the John Champe cluster.

In response to questions during the public hearings and previous presentations, Tate said that the plan would not keep the Pinebrook Elementary School community in the same middle and high school cluster.

Plan 293 moves four planning zones from the John Champe cluster to the Freedom cluster, and two planning zones from the Lightridge cluster to the John Champe cluster. Plan 935 only affects three planning zones, with two moving from John Champe to Freedom and one from Lightridge to Freedom.

Because this area was rezoned in 2020, many parents and students are against moving the planning zones at all. During the meeting and the public hearings, par-

ents and students from elementary to high school spoke up about how they wanted to stay at their schools because of relationships and go to their intended high schools with their siblings.

“As a parent of [planning zone] 7.2, one of many who is deeply concerned about the potential impact of yet another school rezoning for our family. My son is currently thriving at Willard, both academically and socially,” said parent Katherine Thomas, “We’ve already had a disruption once in Lenah Mill with the first rezoning, then again for my son personally when Hovatter opened, being separated from many of his closest friends. They’ve now been reunited at Willard and the idea of separating him from these bonds in his final year of middle school is heartbreaking,”

School Board members have been listening to the plans and debating the most important aspects to consider when rezoning. Shernoff said that Plan 289, which she put on the table because it resulted in the lowest projected capacity at all schools, was out because it caused too much disruption for the students.

A final public hearing on the proposals is scheduled for June 2 before the vote planned June 10. n

JUNE

Loudoun Renews Thomas Jefferson High School Contract, But Questions Continue

BY AMBER LUCAS alucas@loudounnow.org

The School Board last week voted unanimously to renew its contract with Fairfax County Public Schools for the 2026-2027 school year allowing Loudoun students to attend Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. However, some board members are questioning whether it is best for this to be the last renewal.

Thomas Jefferson, commonly known as TJ, is a magnet school and the only governor’s school in Northern Virginia. Like other governor’s schools, it is open to high achieving and high ability students. TJ has programs focusing on STEM, but also ranges from fine arts to international studies.

Through the contract, the Loudoun school division pays the students’ tuition, as well as providing transportation to TJ, located in Alexandria. In fiscal year 2025, tuition cost $6.7 million and transportation cost approximately $860,000. Students are not charged to attend.

Conversations on whether to continue with the TJ contract have been ongoing since the Academies of Loudoun opened in 2018. This year’s contract renewal been discussed since October, with board members questioning whether they should continue the program amid worries over transportation challenges.

School Board members questioned whether TJ was worth the money, especially with the growth of the county’s own specialized programing.

“My thought is that now we have IB, we have AP, we have academies of lab, we have HAMSci, we have ACCESS, we

Career Initiative

continued from page 12

four high schools for four of the teachers and special programs for the fifth. The work-based learning coordinator also has a high school they are responsible for. They are included in the FY 2026 budget. The teachers will help to build community business partnerships for their schools, expanding the number of students able to participate in CTE programs and internships. This aligns with the goals

have all sorts of things now that, and we’re going to get this Global Studies [Academy]. There’s a lot that we have now that we didn’t before. I’m just wondering if it’s time to start decreasing things, because it’s a significant amount of money,” Board Chair Melinda Mansfield said during an April 1 Finance and Operations Committee meeting.

“I sound like a broken record, but I caution my other board members to think about this a little bit more closely rather than simply going ahead and approving it year after year.”

— Sumera Rashid

Questions of continuing student interest in the program have also been part of the conversation. According to historical data from the school division, the ninth grade class has dropped from 116 in the 2023-2024 school year to 84 in the 2024-2025 school year. There were 393 students in 2023-2024 total and 397 for this school year.

The school system’s staff recommended keeping the contract.

“As a part of a team that is tasked with developing student opportunities in Loudoun, we recognize there are many high qualified students that are seeking opportunities, such as TJ, stuff such as

of the first annual Workforce Summit last October.

According to the presentation, the next steps for the five-year plan is not which programs to expand, but how to expand the entire program. Of the 17 career clusters in the area, 14 are represented somewhere in Loudoun County Public Schools. The missing clusters are agriculture, public safety and law enforcement and energy.

The drafted priorities to achieve their expansion goals are alignment with economic needs and career readiness, equitable and accessible offerings and inno-

IB, such as Academy of Science, Academy of Engineering and Technology, that are not able to access those programs because the demand is so high,” said Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Neil Slevin. “If we got to the point where there was more of a balance between the demand and the seats available for those programs, then we may be moving toward that area where we may consider whether or not there’s a trade off for continuing to send students to TJ. But for now, based on what we’re seeing with admissions, we just have such a high demand and a high amount of students that qualify for programs such as this, it would be difficult for us to recommend not having this opportunity.”

Arben Istrefi (Sterling) said that it will be helpful to look at the data points of enrollment, cost per pupil, and transportation costs in the Performance Monitoring Committee before making the decision to discontinue the contract in future years. Deana Griffiths (Ashburn) agreed. She said that since it is a top school the contract should continue for now and they should do a deeper dive.

Sumera Rashid (Little River) spoke up on Tuesday night as the board was voting to approve the contract, saying that while she will vote yes this year they should think more in the future.

“I sound like a broken record, but I caution my other board members to think about this a little bit more closely rather than simply going ahead and approving it year after year,” she said. “I’m going to go ahead and vote to approve the consent agenda today, but I did want to raise this as I’ll be reviewing the contract more closely next year and I ask my colleagues to do the same.” n

vation and regional relevance. These are based on priorities identified by community participants in a survey given by the CTAE department.

School Board members were supportive of the expansion ideas. Vice Chair Anne Donohue (At Large) and Sumera Rashid (Little River) said that law enforcement especially is a very important area to expand in because of the proximity to the Washington, DC, area.

School Board Member Deana Griffiths (Ashburn) was especially supportive of fine arts expansion. She said that fine

SCHOOL notebook

Mack Named Recovery School Principal

Fredericka Mack, assistant principal of Tuscarora High School, has been appointed as the first principal of the division’s new recovery school that will be housed at the North Star School, opening this fall.

She has served in her current role at Tuscarora for six years. Before that, she was the assistant director at the Grafton School in Berryville, as well as a teacher at the North Spring Behavioral Health Education Center in Leesburg.

Superintendent Aaron Spence officially welcomed her to the role at the May 20 School Board meeting.

LCPS Designates June for LGBT+ Awareness and Caribbean Heritage

Loudoun County Public Schools officially proclaimed June as Caribbean Heritage and LGBT+ awareness month last week.

With June also being the national month for LGBT pride, LCPS “acknowledges and highlights the many achievements and profound contributions made by members of the LGBTQ+ community throughout history and today.”

The proclamation read also highlights the positive effect of inclusive environments and affirms the school system’s anti-bullying stance.

Caribbean Heritage Month is meant to recognize the diaspora of culture from the Caribbean islands. It also celebrates the diversity of the school system and achievements of the Caribbean American community, the proclamation reads. n

arts often lose students to the special programs, and that fine arts needed to stay as a graduation requirement.

“When I was growing up you needed to keep your traits to yourself. I felt like that growing up as a kid but I think now, with everything being so external and a much more collaborative environment, I think that these kinds of exercises are very powerful for students to help to learn to shape their future,” said Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg).

More updates on the five year plan are coming later this year. n

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To register or inquire about transportation, call 571-439-9776, scan the QR code at right, or email aaasupport@loudoun.gov.

Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your well-being and stay on your feet!

Loudoun Credit Union Celebrates Downtown Move

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The Loudoun Credit Union last week hosted staff, members of its board, and others for its annual meeting, which celebrated plans to return to downtown Leesburg after 15 years.

The member-owned cooperative, originally chartered to serve county government employees, educators and first responders, was expanded in 2023 to serve anyone living, working, learning or worshipping in Loudoun County. In an effort to provide a more central location, it will return to a downtown office later this year.

“It’s different when you’re doing it in your own community than if I’m doing it off a screen or if I’m just doing an AI model of how to underwrite something, which is happening to consumers all across the country,” CEO Michael Falvey said. “I’m telling you, there is going to be a resurgence back to small community banks and credit unions.”

Falvey gave an example of the owners of the Leesburg Diner walking in and requesting $50,000 for a new fryer. Michael O’Conner, the owner of the credit union’s new building and the Leesburg Diner building, pointed out the importance of that convenience to small businesses.

“We’re built toward much closer to the ground—lending into the community that serves the local communities where we’re at,” Falvey said.

Mayor Kelly Burk said the credit union’s commitment to the town means a lot.

“I must also express my appreciation

for the outstanding job you’ve done so far in revitalizing the building and what you’re going to do,” Burk said. “I know you guys have plans to make it a space that people will want to come, that will want to participate and want to be part of it.”

Director of Development at the Loudoun Education Foundation Kari Murphy, also in attendance, said she was excited by the credit union board’s vote of confidence in reimagining the LEF’s tools for success and scholarship program. The program helps trade students pay for what they need to go into apprenticeship programs, she said.

“I am thrilled to say that in less than three weeks from today, we will be awarding the first three scholarships, funded by the Loudoun Credit Union, to three of our students,” Murphy said. She added that Falvey came to the LEF board to present a “bigger and grander vision” by partnering with the school division to provide more work-based learning opportunities.

“Your commitment and involvement with Leesburg not only demonstrates it’s not only a great place to work and raise a family, but it’s an excellent landing pad for our youth to return after college and launch their careers,” Burk said. “Investing in our students today could bring you to your next generation of employees or clients down the road.”

Falvey said the Loudoun Credit Union is approaching $60 million worth of member business, with $20 million in loans to members and the rest in secure investments. He said early next year, he hopes to get a small business banking program in the works.

Learn more at loudouncu.com. n

William Timme/ Loudoun Now

Members of the Loudoun Credit Union board, Mayor Kelly Burk, and community members celebrate the organization’s planned move to downtown Leesburg.

Nonprofits Station Stitchers Sew Quilts for Charity

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Station Stitchers – a group of local seamstresses – has been sewing quilts for more than 15 years delivering over 5,000 of them to local charities. Now, the group is looking to grow its mission even more.

The 501(c)3 organization is based in a studio in Purcellville and is entirely volunteer run with community members donating their fabrics, time, skills and equipment to provide quilts to individuals and families throughout Loudoun. Station Stitchers provides regular quilts to nonprofits all over the county.

Creating the quilts themselves is a group effort, Board of Directors President Marty Heinrich said.

“We have a lot of fabric at the studio. So, volunteers come in and they pull fabric or some of them just bring in quilt tops to us,” Heinrich said.

If a quilt top is donated, volunteers work to find matching backing and binding, which is placed around the edges of the quilt.

The organization also has a long arm machine at the studio, which is used to quilt the top, middle and backing together – the final step in creating a quilt. Finding volunteers who can operate a long arm is one of the needs facing the organization now, Heinrich said.

She said the board of directors was newly elected last year and that they are looking to grow the organization and make it more financially sustainable.

“We’re kind of new. We did a strategic planning session last year. How are we going to get where we want to go in five years? It’s an all new group of people, so it throws in a little bit new blood” she said.

Bev MacDonald, who owns WebFabrics in Purcellville and is the board’s vice president, helped facilitate that strategic session.

“I think the challenge today is there’s a bit of a mentality that all has to be done in that studio during the day, but we’re not reaching out to the greater Loudoun community, because there’re people that are at home, that are home sewers, that maybe want to volunteer in other ways that doesn’t involve coming and showing up and sitting in the studio,” MacDonald said.

As a result, Station Stitchers have launched community charity sews throughout the county, with the most recent being hosted at Rust Library in Leesburg on May 19.

Participants brought their own sewing machines to help piece together quilts and make new friends.

Cynthia Warhurst has been sewing for charity with Station Stitchers for three years and has completed 95 quilts so far this year.

She also coordinates all of the deliveries including to Blue Ridge Hospice for its veterans and kids camp programs, Inova Health System’s new moms and pediatric programs, Tree of Life, Loudoun Homeless Shelter and Gainesville Health and Rehab.

“We also are mentoring high school students as well,” Warhurst said. “Last year, I was a mentor for Community Builders. They’re a 501(c)3 that pairs teens with other 501(c)3s, and the teens get to pick where they want to go. And so, we had a girl that came in and she gave us 50 hours of volunteer work and probably created like six or seven quilts at that time. And then this year, starting tomorrow, I’m going to be mentoring a girl in the capstone project, from high school.”

The nonprofit’s two main overhead costs are the studio’s rent and batting,

DAR Blood Drive Begins

WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

The Ketoctin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, in partnership with the American Red Cross, on May 21 held its first in a series of four blood drives at the Rust Manor in Leesburg.

That drive, coincidentally happening on the 144th anniversary of Clara Barton founding the American Red Cross, collected 35 pints of blood. Barton also was a founding member of the DAR, Ketoctin Chapter Regent Stacey Basset said.

“Most likely there will become a time that somebody you know, or somebody in your world, will need blood,” Basset said. “You don’t want it to be the one time they don’t have enough blood.”

Mary Rodriguez, a member of the DAR Ketoctin Chapter and a former Red Cross worker, said her decision to start giving blood again after retirement sparked the new blood drive campaign.

which is the middle filling placed in each quilt.

“One of the ladies sells fabric for us,” Heinrich said. “If we get some really desirable fabric in, then she puts it up on eBay and that’s how we pay rent.”

Going forward the group is working to sell quilts online to help supplement that income and rely on donors who believe in the nonprofit’s mission.

In addition, Heinrich said they are always looking for volunteers who can match colors well to create beautiful patterns for others to use.

“We always need people to come in and cut kits but we need people to pull fabric to coordinate, so people who have a good eye for color, which is not me,” she said adding that it helps with turning out prettier products.

“If you wouldn’t put it in your house, just wait we’ll find something [that matches better],” she said.

And the organization is looking to potentially move its studio to a cheaper location when its lease ends in May of next year and for volunteers to help them improve the website.

Learn more or donate to Station Stitchers at stationstitchers.org. The Purcellville studio is located at 201 N. Maple Ave. Suite 207 and is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. n

The remaining three blood drives include one on June 12 at the Middleburg Community Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 20 at the Saint James Episcopal Church from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Nov. 11 at the Historic Douglass School from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

American Red Cross Loudoun County Liaison Abbey Overstreet said someone in the United States needs blood roughly every two seconds. Overstreet said 12,000 blood donations are needed every day to help patients in need and 82% of donations are collected at mobile blood drives such as the DAR’s series.

She also said a lack of education on the process of blood donation causes many to not participate.

Basset and Rodriguez said the difficulty of visualizing or feeling how your donation can save a life can deter potential donors. Basset said the Blood Drop app can help with that. The app tracks where your donated blood goes, providing donors with regular updates including when it gets used to help someone.

Basset also said a misunderstanding of how easy and short the process can be keeps people away.

“If you give blood, you’re done in 20 minutes, and then you wait 15 minutes to get your food and everything–but everybody needs blood eventually,” Basset said. “If you were the difference between saving a life and not, would you go out of your way to do it?” n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Station Stitchers volunteers hold up nearly finished quilts that will be donated to local charities.

Public Safety

Law Enforcement Urges Caution as Pedestrian Incidents Spike in May

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Law enforcement leaders are urging both drivers and pedestrians to use extra caution as collisions between the two have been unusually high this month.

There have been collisions between vehicles and pedestrians or cyclists on nine days during May, with multiple incidents on a few of those days.

Sheriff ’s Office deputies and Leesburg Police officers have responded to the crashes, two of which resulted in fatalities.

Over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, one pedestrian and two cyclists were struck by vehicles.

The first occurred Saturday evening just after 7 p.m. near the intersection of Ashburn Boulevard and Bruceton Mills Circle. One adult was transported to the hospital.

On Sunday after 10 p.m. near Crossroads Drive and Claiborne Parkway a vehicle collided with a cyclist, but no emergency medical services were required.

The third occurred on Memorial Day at approximately 9:30 p.m. near the intersection of Northstar Boulevard and Soave Drive and was also a vehicle collision with a cyclist. One adult was injured and transported to the hospital.

Incidents earlier in the month have occurred mid-morning and between 7 and 10 p.m. The accidents happened near Moorefield Station, Ashburn, Cascades, Broadlands and near the Dulles Town Center.

Sheriff ’s Office spokesperson Tom Julia noted that the time of day, location, and presence or absence of a crosswalk have been different during each incident.

“We’ve had almost a rash of them all over the county with different incidents, different ages. Sun glare was factor with

Fatal Sterling Stabbing Case Advances to Grand Jury

BY PATRICK LEWIS

A malicious wounding case against an Alexandria man accused in a fatal stabbing in March will advance to a grand jury following a District Court preliminary hearing Tuesday.

Lathius Martin, 40, is charged with aggravated malicious wounding in the stabbing death of Wesley Richard Scott. The incident happened the evening of March 1 outside Scott’s home on Carolina Court in Sterling. Sheriff ’s Office deputies responded and found Scott suffering from multiple stab wounds. Scott died at a hospital the next day.

Martin was arrested shortly after the incident after witnesses identified him as the killer. During Tuesday’s hearing, a witness said he saw a knife in Martin’s hand during a physical altercation and saw Martin punch Scott multiple times. The witness then saw Scott bleeding heavily from the head and neck and called 911. Martin left the scene.

Witnesses testified that Scott and Martin began arguing verbally, then physically

fought before Scott was stabbed. However, defense attorneys argued that no witness testified that they actually saw Martin stab Scott. Additionally, the weapon used in the stabbing was never recovered and witnesses did not immediately identify Martin as the suspect when speaking with deputies on scene.

Defense attorneys also argued that Scott was the aggressor in the case, which, they said, meant that Martin, if he did stab Scott, was acting in self defense, not with malice. The attorneys also said Scott had alcohol and cocaine in his system when he died. Prosecutors argued that Martin never disengaged from the fight, restarted the fight, and yelled angrily at Scott, which they said demonstrated malice.

Both arguments relied heavily on video from a doorbell camera on Scott’s house, which shows the entire altercation but does not clearly show when the stabbing happened. The video is dark and somewhat grainy.

If the grand jury issues indictments at its June 10 meeting, the case will move to Circuit Court for trial. n

one,” Julia said. “… We’re kind of jerking our heads back and forth looking at this. There is no one unifying factor.”

Leesburg Police officers responded to a hit-and-run crash involving a bicyclist at the intersection of Industrial Court and Catoctin Circle just before 10:30 p.m. May 16 and a May 15 incident when a juvenile riding a scooter was struck by a driver at 4:30 p.m. The driver in that case is facing a DWI charge.

“With the arrival of warmer weather, we’re seeing more residents enjoying our community on foot and by bicycle,” Leesburg Police Chief Thea Pirnat stated. “We urge all motorists to stay alert, reduce speed in pedestrian areas, and share the road responsibly. At the same time, we encourage pedestrians and cyclists to remain vigilant, use crosswalks, wear visible clothing, and follow traffic laws. A moment of caution from everyone can prevent a lifetime of regret.” n

briefs

Trial Set for Deputy Charged with Having Sex with Inmate

A four-day jury trial has been set for a former Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office deputy charged with having sex with an inmate at the Adult Detention Center.

Mason Zimmerman is facing two charges of carnal knowledge of prisoner stemming from an alleged Oct. 24 interaction with a female inmate. According to the criminal complaint filed in District Court, Zimmerman admitted to the charge in an interview with another deputy. He was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges April 10. The trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 27.

He had been a Loudoun correctional deputy since 2016, however the Sheriff ’s Office released a statement Oct. 28, 2024, stating that Zimmerman had been terminated as an employee. n

The Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office is investigating a hole, possibly caused by a round from a firearm, in the window at the Loudoun County Law Library in downtown Leesburg. The projectile pierced the exterior glass of the

double-paned window but did not penetrate the second sheet of glass and did not enter the interior of the law library. Deputies also searched the area outside the window with a metal detector.

Towns

Hometown Festival

Round Hill kicked off the Memorial Day weekend activities with its annual Hometown Festival on Saturday. The event included a 5K run, a parade, Memorial Day service, pie-eating contest, downhill derby and live music. See more photos at loudounnow.com/ towns. n

Hamilton Celebrates 150 Years

As the Town of Hamilton turns 150 years old, community members gathered downtown for a parade, 1.5K race and party in the park on Saturday.

The Hamilton Day parade included council members, local businesses, Sheriff Mike Chapman and more, marching down East Colonial Highway before kicking off two hours of activities at the town’s park. Residents who had purchased 150th anniversary-themed clothing were able to pick them up during the celebration as well as get free ice cream from Hamilton Baptist Church and enjoy dance performances and live music. Children enjoyed free face painting, balloon animals, games and an inflatable slide. n

AROUND towns

LOVETTSVILLE

Council Awards $10K for Park Place Well Work

The Town Council last week approved a $10,500 contract to Escalante Trucking LLC for grading and screen installation work at the Park Place well site.

The project is part of the town’s efforts to re-commission the Park Place Water Plant and is included in the Capital Improvement Plan.

Town staff solicited four local contractors to perform grading to form a new parking area in front of the water plant as well as grading of the driveway to the parking area. That work included two options: install four inches of stone and compact or install four inches of screened asphalt millings and compact.

Escalante Trucking provided the lowest bid to install four inches of millings.

The council approved the contract unanimously.

ROUND HILL

Council Adopts Tax, Utility Rates

As work continues to finalize the town’s fiscal year 2026 budget, the Town Council last week adopted the tax and utility rates for next year, including its first ever meal tax.

The council voted to hold the real estate tax rate at 6.6 cents—0.3 cents higher than the equalized tax rate that would keep bills level on average for homeowners. It is the first time in nearly a decade that the council has not reduced the real estate tax rate to reflect increasing property values. The town’s rate was 18¢ in fiscal year 2018 and has been reduced in every year since then.

The council also established a 2% meal tax rate. Although the tax has been on the books for several years, the town has not previously set a rate for collection. The new revenue stream will offset the council deci-

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

AROUND TOWNS continues on page 23

After Falling to Frederick, Virginia Valley Vipers are Playoff-Bound

BY DONN DOBKIN

The Virginia Valley Vipers finished its regular season on Sunday as it honored first responders during Memorial Day Weekend.

The Vipers will host its first-ever Purcellville playoff game on Thursday, May 29 at Patrick Henry College with a 7 p.m. tip-off against the second seeded Capital Seahawks. In its fourth year of operation, the three seed Vipers moved to Purcellville for the 2025 season from Winchester.

“The Vipers are incredibly grateful for the support of our local first responders during our Day of Service Appreciation Game,” Director of Communications & Media Relations Josh Kirby said. “As an organization, we strive to stand out by making a meaningful impact in the community we represent. We’re always looking for ways to give back, support, and uplift those who serve our area. A special thank you to the Purcellville Volunteer Fire Company for providing an incredible Touch-a-Truck experience that brought so much excitement to fans of all ages.”

Discover HUGE Savings on Quick Move-In Homes at Snowden Bridge

This isn’t just another home savings event—it’s The Big Deal! For a limited time, you can save THOUSANDS on new quick move-in Brookfield Residential homes in this amenity-filled community near Winchester.

Here’s what makes this a Big Deal: Lowest Prices of the Season Free Recreation Room* Up to $10,000 in Closing Costs*

On Sunday, despite being short-handed and banged up, the Vipers led the first-place Frederick Flying Cows by 6 to end the first quarter and by 3 at halftime. Frederick’s stifling defense closed the door on the Vipers’ opportunities in the second half, however, finishing with a 112-84 victory that belied the intensity of the first half. Frederick finished with seven players in double figures and shot 57% from the floor.

The Vipers were led by newcomer Darian Peterson with 20 points, while Jason Hutzler, despite being outsized throughout the afternoon, led the team with 8 rebounds. Jason also finished with 14 points, while Evan Makle and Dwight Glover Jr. pitched in 10 apiece. Peterson, a 6’5” guard who just returned from playing in Australia and graduating from Liberty University in Lynchburg, has played the mandatory number of games to qualify for the playoffs. The Vipers hope to see Quentin Scott, their leading scorer on the season with 30 ppg, return on Thursday.

Doors open at 6 p.m. for Thursday’s playoff game. n

Photo by Donn Dobkin

Subramanyam Introduces Agritourism Bill

BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10) has introduced an agritourism bill that would establish a separate Office of Agritourism within the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Accelerating the Growth of Rural Innovation and Tourism Opportunities to Uphold Rural Industries and Sustainable Marketplaces Act would form the office tasked with advising the Secretary of Agriculture on agritourism-related policy matters, promoting agritourism activities, and ensuring that information about federal resources available to agritourism businesses is easily accessible.

“The office would be a one stop shop of resources for grants and loan programs, technical assistance, and general guidance for people and who want to engage in agritourism,” Subramanyam said.

He said constituents have raised concerns about getting help for their businesses because there isn’t a designated federal entity to assist them.

“One of the things I’ve heard when speaking to local farmers is there’s a lot of uncertainty when it comes to federal resources available to them. They don’t have the time to hunt through dozens of websites and grant opportunities to figure out what they should apply for, so this makes their lives easier,” he said.

Loudoun’s wine industry alone

welcomes 1 million visitors a year and generates more than $48 million for the county’s economy, according to Visit Loudoun.

Subramanyam said it's one of the characteristics that makes the county special.

“My family loves agritourism. It’s one of the reasons we moved to Loudoun County. I think trying to make agritourism better and easier for every American, is going to really help our community,” he said.

Providing better and easier services for those businesses owners will benefit the entire community, he added.

“That’s why I wanted to champion this again. This was work that Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton began, and we also have authentic companion now with Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon. So, there’s a lot of momentum behind supporting agritourism in Congress, and I want to take advantage of that and push to have real support for farmers and landowners who want to engage in agritourism,” Subramanyam said.

The congressman said the bill is also receiving bipartisan support, which he expects will help it advance through the approval process successfully. n

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.

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

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

Subramanyam

Around Towns

continued from page 20

sion to forgo the $25 annual vehicle licensing fee, following similar action by the county Board of Supervisors.

For utilities, there will be no increase in sewer charges, but water rates will increase 11%, in keeping with a multi-year rate study adopted last year.

Caseman Appointed to Town Council

The Round Hill Town Council is back up to full strength after Beth Caseman was appointed last week to fill its vacant seat.

She fills the seat vacated in March by Dan Brzezynski, who moved to a new home outside the town limits.

Caseman moved to town in 2015 and previously served a stint on the town’s Planning Commission. She said she applied to join the council as a way of giving back to the community. Caseman said she enjoys work-

ing with Town Administrator Melissa Hynes and the collegial nature of the council.

The term expires Dec. 31 and Caseman plans to file to be on the election ballot in November.

After she was unanimously appointed to the post, Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court Mike Amos, also a Round Hill resident, administered the oath of office. Her first official votes included setting the tax and utility rates for next year’s budgets. n

Memorial Day

continued from page 3

age to answer their nation’s calling. For every liberty we cherish, for every comfort we enjoy, there are countless stories of sacrifice, courage and love for country that made it possible. Patriotism is not simply the act of waving a flag or singing the National Anthem. It is a deep and abiding respect for the principles our nation stands for: liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness,” Smith said.

Round Hill held its Memorial Day program on Saturday as part of the Hometown Festival.

The keynote speaker, retired Marine Alan Adelean, reflected on the young lives lost in war

“As I begin to write the speech, my reflection of this specific day brought about a lot of feelings, emotions and memories— things I really don’t like to talk about: feelings and emotions. You can ask my wife about that one,” he said. “But there’s a slogan that says Never Forget and it speaks to the names, stories and memories of the people that have passed away.

“Some of you personally know someone. Some of you know stories. Perhaps there’s some Gold Star families here today. I carry a memorial bracelet on my right

hand every day. … It’s for Lance Corporal Eric J Hodges, 21 years old. He was from Bay Point, CA. He was assigned with me to Third Battalion, fifth Marine Regiment, First Marine Division, First Marine Expeditionary Force camp, Pendleton, California. Killed in action, November 10 in Anbar province in Iraq. The date Hodges was killed not only is recognized as the birthday for the Marine Corps, but it was also his 21st birthday.

“I carry that with me every day. It answers the question — What’s Memorial Day? It sucks. But it’s also amazing, which makes no sense to so many people. It’s a day of pain. I ask myself, what do I do every day to remember to carry the name of those that perish?” Adelean said.

He highlighted the fact that most of the men and women killed in battle never have opportunities to get married or start families.

“As I look at my wife and I have two beautiful girls, and this morning, as I was getting ready to walk out, one of them said, Dad, I have a wiggly tooth. In that moment, it kind of put perspective on what Memorial Day is,” he said. I encourage all of us to live our lives in the freedom that we have for the people that can’t do it because they put down their lives in order for us to be here free, and we are truly free in this country. That’s what Memorial Day means to me.” n

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court Mike Amos administers the oath of office to newly appointed Round Hill Town Council member Beth Caseman on May 21.

Getting the Gatsby Experience at Dodona Manor

BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org

LIVE MUSIC

ERIC SELBY

4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 29 Lansdowne Woods Clubhouse, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, Lansdowne. lwva.org

DAVE NEMETZ

6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, May 29 Rebellion Bourbon Bar & Kitchen Leesburg, 1 N. King St., Leesburg. eatatrebellion.com

ZACH JONES

4 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 30

Three Creeks Winery, 18548 Harmony Church Road, Hamilton. 3creekwinery.com

BRITTON JAMES

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 30

Spanky’s Shenani gans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

CHRIS BOWEN

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 30

Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

MICHAEL PALMER

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 30 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

THE PETTY THIEVES

5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 30 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

SELA CAMPBELL TRIO

5 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 30

Villages at Leesburg, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. villageatleesburg.com

MICHELLE HANNAN & ONE BLUE NIGHT

5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 30 Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg. lostbarrel.com

ROB HOEY

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 30 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

CASEY FROM BLAZIN’ KEYS

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 30

Honor Brewing Company, 42604 Trade West

LIVE MUSIC continues on page 25

Theater lovers and history buffs alike will have a chance to participate in an immersive Great Gatsby experience starting Friday, May 30 and continuing for the next three weekends at the historic Dodona Manor in Leesburg.

Naut Human Productions will also conduct two preview performances on Thursday, May 29, with discounted tickets.

A 15-actor troupe will tackle the retelling of the F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic in a format that invites attendees to take part in a Gatsby party.

“It’s basically like a play, but I don’t always love using that word so definitively, because at the same time, it’s like you walked into the play yourself, as if you could kind of become a character in the world, too,” Cullen Gray, founder and executive producer of Naut Human Productions said.

The middle scenes of the show are spread across the entire property that was home to Gen. George C. Marshall.

“We’ll have characters in the garden, characters at the garage, characters in the back porch, and you as an audience member can kind of freely explore and can interact with these characters if you want or you can kind of sit back and watch these scenes happen,” Gray said. “We’ll have people that will be teaching 1920s dances. We’ll have a bar full of champagne, so it’s really a choose your own adventure kind of play.”

This new take on Gatsby truncates the classic story into one night. Besides the opener and closer, the middle scenes will play in a loop three times — co-occurring in different settings while different characters’ stories unfold. The format allows audiences to watch the individual stories play out and move from scene to scene as they learn 1920s dances, check out vintage cars, and party.

“If you’re somebody who loves to go to parties and dress up, you’re welcome to come in costume for the 1920s period,” Gray said. “If you love classic literature, or even if you just love to go out and drink champagne and dress up, you know, it’s fun. It’s not just a play. It really is as if you’re going to a party, which is why we call it an immersive experience.”

With two shows a night, Friday through Sunday, Gray said the experience changes based on daylight. The 9 p.m. shows on Friday and Saturday showcase the property and Gatsby party in the dark with all of

the lights turned on. 7 p.m. shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and the 5 p.m. Sunday shows give the attendees a chance to experience it in daylight. Gray said daylight patrons may want to show up again at night for a different experience.

The immersiveness and variety of experiences make up core components of the show, he said.

“It’s definitely something that we’re kind of pioneering,” Gray said. “I’ve worked in kind of the immersive theater sphere before, and there are a few things like this, but it’s something that areas like Northern Virginia have no access to. Even DC doesn’t have much of this.”

Gray said a portion of the proceeds from the show will go to the George C. Marshall International Center to support the upkeep of Dodona Manor. Proceeds also fund Naut Human’s performances, advancing its mission to provide high quality theatrical productions while celebrating and uplifting the local history of historic properties, he said.

Ticket holders also get a free tour of Dodona Manor.

“We love the property. We love the people and the place,” Gray said. He added that Marshall’s wife, Katherine, was an actress.

Gray said another goal of the performance is to get people downtown for a night out. Several downtown businesses are offering special deals for ticket holders. Partnerships include Gatsby-themed cocktails at Tarbenders, discounts at

Blossom and Bloom, discounts at Books and Other Found Things, discounts at the Global Local alongside a Gatsby themed candle, and discounts at the Catty Corner Cafe.

“We really encourage people to get dinner before the show, or a drink, or after the show away because we are feet away from downtown,” Gray said.

Before producing immersive outings in downtown Leesburg, Naut Human productions was working with film and commercials. Gray founded the company while finishing grad school. After moving back to Leesburg, he put his theater background to use, leading to immersive experiences like Dracula that was performed at Dodona Manor last year.

Naut Human’s next production, an immersive retelling of Frankenstein at Dodona Manor, is planned for five weekends from Oct. 2 to Nov. 2.

Gray said these immersive experiences let audiences build personal relationships with the characters and put themselves inside the stories.

“Instead of watching Daisy and Jay Gatsby have this tragic love story, you’re almost kind of a part of it, or a witness to it directly, so it becomes kind of a much more personal thing,” he said. “It’s much more emotionally gripping for you.”

For tickets and more information, go to nauthuman.com. Naut Human’s instagram, @itsnauthuman, also features pre-production content and information about the show. n

Naut Human Productions

Naut Human Productions' new take on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” allows attendees to take part in a 1920’s themed party.

CARBON LEAF

Friday, May 30, 7 p.m. Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

Carbon Leaf returns to Leesburg to perform their alt-country, Celtic, and folk-infused indie rock.

GET OUT LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 24

Drive, Sterling. honorbrewing.com

CHRIS COMPTON

6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 30

8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com

ANNIE STOKES

6 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 30

Velocity Wings Lovettsville, Virginia, 20 Town Square, Lovettsville. velocitywings.net

JET CAPRIEST

7 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 30

Social House Kitchen & Tap, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, South Riding. socialhouseva.com

HILARY VELTRI

7 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 30

Social House Kitchen & Tap, 42841 Creek View Plaza, Ashburn. socialhouseva.com

CARBON LEAF

7 to 11 p.m. Friday, May 30

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $50. tallyhotheater.com

ERIC CAMPBELL

7 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 30

The Dell, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. atthedell.com

KATIE POWDERLY + THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVERS

8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Friday, May 30 Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville. monksq.com

REBEL ROSE

8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday, May 30

Rai’s Rendezvous, 44042 Pipeline Plaza, Ashburn. raisrendezvous.com

BEST BETS

A FEST LESS ORDINARY

Saturday, May 31, 3 to 9 p.m. 17281 Simmons Road, Purcellville. $40. afarmlessordinary.org

Enjoy live music from diverse American genres, local craft beer and wine, food trucks, and artisan vendors. Justin Trawick and The Common Good, Personal Moose, ilyAIMY, Griefcat, Karen Jones, and Gabrielle Zwi perform.

COMING UP:

WESTERN LOUDOUN STUDIO ART & STUDIO TOUR

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 7

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 8 wlast.org

In its 18th year, the tour showcases the works of more than 40 Loudoun County artists through special exhibits and open-house studio visits.

SUGAR COAT

9 p.m. to May 31, 1 a.m. Friday, May 30

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

JOHN BENJAMIN WEIMER

12 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Honor Brewing Company, 42604 Trade W. Drive, Sterling. honorbrewing.com

RUBY JONES

12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Cana Vineyards, 38600 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. canavineyards.com

SELA CAMPBELL

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

FILM AT ELEVEN

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

JACKSON QUEENS

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 31

868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. 868estatevineyards.com

MATT BURRIDGE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyard.com

SHANE GAMBLE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Fleetwood Farm Winery, 23075 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. fleetwoodfarmwinery.com

JASON TEACH

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 31

8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com

JULIET LLOYD

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 31

50 West Vineyards, 39060 Little River Turnpike,

Middleburg. 50westvineyards.com

WAYNE SNOW

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 31 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro.

breauxvineyards.com

ROCCO & FRIENDS

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Good Spirit Farm, 35113 Snickersville Turnpike, Round Hill. goodspiritfarmva.com

ADAM KNUDSEN

2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Old Farm Winery at Hartland, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwineryhartland.com

DAN CRONIN

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 31

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

CHRIS BOWEN

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 31 Quattro Goombas Brewery, 22860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. quattrogoombas.com

PATTY REESE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 31 Chrysalis Vineyards, 39025 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg. chrysaliswine.com

CHÈVRE

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Bozzo Family Vineyards, 35226 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. bozwines.com

SIMILAR CREATURES

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Two Twisted Posts Winery, 12944 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. twotwistedposts.com

MO AND MARY MAC

3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

ZACH JONES

3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Barnhouse Brewery, 43271 Spinks Ferry Road, Leesburg. barnhousebrewery.com

A FEST LESS ORDINARY

3 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 31

17281 Simmons Road, 17281 Simmons Road, Purcellville. $40. afarmlessordinary.org

SECOND SUN

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Leesburg. vanishbeer.com

GEORGE KATSOS

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 31 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Loudoun Heights. harpersferrybrewing.com

LEVI STEPHENS

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 31 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

SIDETRACKED

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

CHAPTER 11

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Honor Brewing Company, 42604 Trade W. Drive, Sterling. honorbrewing.com

THE AMISH OUTLAWS

6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Tarara Summer Concert Series, 13648 Tarara Lane, Leesburg. $20. tararaconcerts.com

WILL SHEPARD

6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 31

868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road,

GET OUT

LIVE MUSIC

continued from page 25 Hillsboro.

868estatevineyards.com

LEXA NOELLE DUO

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Social House Kitchen & Tap, 25370 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, South Riding. socialhouseva.com

KNOX ENGLER

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 31 Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville. sunsethillsvineyards.com

VAN HALEN NATION

7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $20. tallyhotheater.com

TED GARBER

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 31

The Bungalow Lakehouse, 46116 Lake Center Plaza, Sterling. bungalowlakehouse.com

BRUCE IN THE USA

7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Loudoun Station, 43751 Central Station Drive, Ashburn. acebook.com/LoudounStation

ASHLEIGH CHEVALIE

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 1 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com

ACOUSTIC CHICKS BAND

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 1

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts. vanishbeer.com

JASON MASI

1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 1

Mt. Defiance Cider Barn, 495 E. Washington St., Middleburg. mtdefiance.com

SHANE GAMBLE

1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, June 1

8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com

LUKE JOHNSON

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 1

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com

BRITTON JAMES

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 1

Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com

DAVE MININBERG

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 1

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com

JESSICA PAULIN

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 1

Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro. old690.com

KRISTEN EYERMAN

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 1

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, 16804

Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton. thebarnsathamiltonstation.com

CHRIS HANKS

2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 1

868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. 868estatevineyards.com

JOE’S DAD

3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 1

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

JOHN KRAMER

4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 1

The Bungalow Lakehouse, 46116 Lake Center Plaza, Sterling. bungalowlakehouse.com

TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION

7 to 11 p.m. Sunday, June 1

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. $34. tallyhotheater.com

JASON MASI

6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, June 4

The Lost Fox, 20374 Exchange St., Ashburn. lostfoxhideaway.com

TEJAS SINGH

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 5

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com

HAPPENINGS

LEESBURG FARMERS MARKET

8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 31 Leesburg Farmers Market, 30 Catoctin Circle SE., Leesburg. loudounfarmersmarkets.org

BELMONT GREENE BAZAAR

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 31 43003 Chesterton St., Ashburn. belmontgreene.org

READ BETWEEN

THE VINES BOOK CLUB

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 31 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Purcellville. $15. breauxvineyards.com

LOUDOUN DAYBREAK

ROTARY BBQ COMPETITION

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 31 Loudoun County Fairgrounds, 17558 Dry Mill Road, Leesburg. $20. leesburgdaybreak.com

SNEAK PEAK WINE EVENT

12 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 31 12 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 1 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, 38906 Mount Gilead

Road, Leesburg. willowcroftwine.com

LOUDOUN PRIDE FESTIVAL

12 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 31. Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Drive NW., Leesburg. $5. loudounpride.org

SING & SWING ANTAKSHARI

6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Mercer Middle School, 42149 Greenstone Drive, Aldie. events.sulekha.com

MAGIC ON THE MOUNTAIN

6:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Walsh Family Wine, 16031 Hillsboro Road, Purcellville. $150. walshfamilywine.com

DIGGING UP THE PAST

2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 1

Aldie Mill Historic Park, 39401 Little River Turnpike, Aldie.

novapark.org

SUMMER PAINT AND SIP

6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 4

Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. $50. larkbrewingco.com

WRITING IN NATURE

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5

Morven Park, 17339 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg.

loudounwildlife.org

STORYTIME ON THE FARM

2 to 2:45 p.m. Thursday, May 29

Temple Hall Farm Regional Park, 15855 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. novaparks.org

LOUDOUN UNITED FC

VS. LOUISVILLE CITY FC

6 p.m. Saturday, May 31, Segra Field, Leesburg. loudoununitedfc.com

GOOSE CREEK OWL PROWL

9 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, June 4

Aldie Mill Historic Park, 39401 Little River Turnpike, Aldie.

loudounwildlife.org

FARMER FOR A DAY

9 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 5 Temple Hall Farm Regional Park, 15855 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. novaparks.org

Protestors at Trump National as President Meets Crypto Buyers

Protestors wave signs and chant “we will fight, we will prevail,” in front of President Donald Trump’s Lowes Island golf course May 22.

BY HANNA PAMPALONI AND PATRICK LEWIS hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

The sidewalks and lawn at the entrance to Trump National Golf Course were filled with protestors last week as the president attended a private dinner at the venue with buyers of his $TRUMP meme coin.

Lawmakers and citizens booed gala attendees as they entered the golf course and while chanting “our democracy is not for sale” and “Trump must go.” The protestors specifically referenced the gift this week of a plane from Qatar to President Donald J. Trump and the recently passed Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins or GENIUS Act, which establishes a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.

Our Revolution, a political group stemming from Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, has called the act a “sweeping crypto deregulation bill that legalizes anonymous donations and opens the floodgates to foreign-backed influence in U.S. elections,” according to a press release.

Our Revolution was leading the May 22 protest, which was also attended by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR).

Standing at the entrance to the golf course, Merkley said, “This big marble

TOWN OF HILLSBORO, VIRGINIA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Proposed Operating & Capital Budgets for Fiscal Year 2026

Notice is hereby given that the Town Council of the Town of Hillsboro, Virginia, (the “Town Council”) will hold a public hearing to receive public comment and to consider adoption of the proposed Operating and Capital Budget for FY2026. A summary of the Budget is provided below. Copies of the Proposed FY2026 Budget are available for review on the Town website, www. hillsborova.gov, or by appointment at the Town office at 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, Virginia 20132, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excepted. The public hearing, which may be continued or adjourned, will be held on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. Any person interested in the Budget may appear at the public hearing and present his or her views. The Town Council may set time limits on speakers and other rules and procedures for the conduct of this public hearing. Written comments regarding the Budget may be delivered prior to the public hearing in care of the Mayor at 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, Virginia 20132, or e-mailed to info@hillsborova.gov. All comments received will be presented to the Town Council during the public hearing.

TOWN OF HILLSBORO, VIRGINIA

Roger

L. Vance, Mayor

slab that’s right behind us, it says, ‘national golf club.’ Do you know what it really is? It is the crypto corruption club and we’re here to say, ‘hello.’”

“One of the things that we are calling for is, we want to make sure that every public official is on notice. We need to make sure that they don’t line their pockets through cryptocurrencies that are designed to benefit no one except themselves. And we are calling on Congress to pass Jeff Merkley’s End Crypto Corruption Act,” Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese said.

Merkley’s bill would ban the president, vice president, senior executive branch officials, members of Congress and their immediate families from financially benefiting from issuing, endorsing or sponsoring crypto assets.

One attendee said he was there to take pictures of the event goers with the hope of identifying them.

“We have no way of knowing who these crypto investors are and the only way to shine light under this particular rock is to get some sense of these folks identities,” he said.

The event also drew a smaller group of people who said they were pleased with actions by Trump’s administration.

“I support him in everything he’s doing and he continues to do,” one supporter said. n

morning, Loudoun!

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Legal Notices

ABC LICENSE

Deli Italiano Leesburg INC., trading as Deli Italiano Leesburg, 3 Catoctin Circle Southeast, Leesburg, VA 20175. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Retail Restaurant or Caterer Application Restaurant, Wine, Beer, Consumed On and Off Premises license.

Yasser Baslios, owner.

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.

5/29 & 6/5/25

PUBLIC NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

The Town of Leesburg will accept proposals electronically via the Commonwealth’s eprocurement website (www.eva.virginia.gov), until 3:00 p.m. on June 12, 2025 for the following:

RFP No. 100323-FY26-01

Annual Landscape Maintenance Services

The Town of Leesburg is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified and experienced firms to provide annual landscape maintenance services at various locations for the Town.

For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard

5/29/25

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION TLSPEX2024-0017 ENTERPRISE CAR RENTAL

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Special Exception application TLSPEX2024-0017, Enterprise Car Rental.

The Subject Property for this application is a property located at 17 Fort Evans Road SE. The property is zoned CD-C, Crescent District-Commercial and is further described by Loudoun County Parcel Identification Number (PIN) 189-46-2568 and totals 2.395 acres.

Special Exception Application TLSPEX2024-0017 is a request by Enterprise Mobility to allow redevelopment of the site for use as a vehicle sales and/or rental facility pursuant to Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance Section 7.10.9.D.1 Use Regulations. The Applicant proposes the adaptive reuse of two existing structures, a 3,290 square foot rental office and 2,350 square foot wash bay. Two other existing accessory structures on site are proposed for demolition.

The Subject Property is located in what the Town Plan describes as an “Area to Transform or Evolve” on the Area Based Land Use Initiatives Map (Town Plan pg. 72). The property is further designated within the Town Plan as a “Retail Center” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (Town Plan pg. 76).

The application includes five requested modifications of the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance regulations, including two landscaping and buffer yard modifications, two modifications for building architecture, and a modification for loading space requirements

Additional information and copies of this application are available at the Department of Community Development located at 222 Catoctin Circle SE, Suite 200, Leesburg, Virginia 20175 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting Debi Parry, Planner-Land Use, by telephone at 703-737-7023, or by email at dparry@leesburgva.gov

At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations at the meeting should contact the Department of Community Development at (703) 771-2765 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.\ 5/22 & 5/29/25

LOUDOUN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLE

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

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

TOWN

OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER MINOR SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION TLSPEX2024-0012 CHURCH AND MARKET

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing on TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Minor Special Exception application TLSPEX2024-0012 for Courthouse Square Development Associates, LLC (Church and Market).

The Subject Property for this application is a vacant property at 9 East Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20175. The property is zoned B-1, Community (Downtown) Business District, and is part of the H-1, Overlay, Old and Historic District. The property is further described as Loudoun County Parcel Identification Number (PIN) 231-38-6044 and totals 1.566 acres.

Minor Special Exception Application TLSPEX2024-0012 is a request by Courthouse Square Development Associates, LLC (Church and Market) to amend previously approved Special Exception Application (TLSE-2018-0005) to provide up to 167 residential units (increase of 51 dwelling units) and reduce the amount of office use from 11,500 square feet to 1,500 square feet.

The Subject Property is located in what the Town Plan describes as an “Area to Strengthen (and Protect)” on the Area Based Land Use Initiatives Map (Town Plan pg. 72). The property is further designated within the Town Plan as “Downtown” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (Town Plan pg. 76).

The application includes a requested modification of the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance regulations for open space and active recreation area. This requested modification amends modifications that were previously approved.

Additional information and copies of this application are available at the Department of Community Development located on the second floor of 222 Catoctin Circle, Suite 200, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting Scott E. Parker, Senior Planning Project Manager at 703-771-2771 or sparker@leesburgva.gov

At these hearings, all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations at the meeting should contact the Clerk of Council at (703) 771-2733 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711.

5/22 & 5/29/25

Loudoun County Public Schools

Legal Notices

Dulles South Secondary School Attendance Zone Change Process Spring 2025

The Loudoun County School Board has scheduled a series of meetings to facilitate the review of Dulles South area secondary school attendance zones. The current boundaries for Freedom High School/J. Michael Lunsford Middle School, John Champe High School/Mercer Middle School, and Lightridge High School/Willard Middle School will be reviewed in the attendance zone process.

Tuesday, April 22, 2025* 4:30 pm/6:30 pm

Wednesday, April 30, 2025 6:30 pm

Monday, May 5, 2025 6:30 pm

Tuesday, May 20, 2025* 4:30 pm/6:30 pm

Monday, June 2, 2025 6:30 pm

Tuesday, June 10, 2025* 4:30 pm/6:30 pm

*Regular School Board Business Meeting

School Board Attendance Zone Overview

School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing & Work Session

School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing & Work Session

School Board Review of Secondary School Attendance Zone Recommendations (Information)

School Board Attendance Zone Briefing & Public Hearing

School Board Adoption of Secondary School Attendance Zone Changes (Action Item)

The meetings will be held at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building (21000 Education Court, Ashburn) and broadcast live on Comcast channel 18 or 1070 (HD) and Verizon Fios channel 43, as well as viewable via the Loudoun County Public Schools website (www.LCPS.org/webcast).

Attendance zone information and data, as it becomes available (including potential attendance zone plans being considered or reviewed by the School Board), will be posted on www.LCPS.org/2025DSBoundary.

Details on how to sign up to speak at an attendance zone public hearing will be provided at www.LCPS.org/citizenparticipation.

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

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

Email: LCPSPLAN@LCPS.ORG

4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29 & 6/5/25

TOWN OF LOVETTSVILLE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

LVZA 2025-0001, AMEND ARTICLE 42-VI, RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS

ARTICLE 42-IX, OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION SPACE

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-2204, 15.2-2253, and 15.2-2286 of the Code of Virginia, 1950 as amended, the LOVETTSVILLE TOWN COUNCIL will hold a public hearing at its meeting on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 6:30 pm, in the Town Council Chambers, 6 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Lovettsville, Virginia, to consider an amendment to Chapter 42, Articles VI and IX of the Zoning Ordinance. Written comments regarding this item can be submitted to clerk@lovettsvilleva.gov by 3:00 pm on the day of the meeting. Members of the public may access and participate in this meeting electronically.

The purpose of the hearing is to consider amendments to the Zoning Ordinance that would require open space for residential subdivisions proposing more than 5 lots, and would remove a requirement that 50% of the open space be designed to accommodate ballfields, swimming pools, or other active recreation.

All persons desiring to speak will be given an opportunity to do so at this meeting. Written copies of statements are requested but not required.

The proposed amendment is available for review at the Town website at: www.lovettsvilleva.gov/ government/planning-commission/. You may also request a copy be sent to you via phone or email by contacting John Merrithew, Planning Director at (540) 822-5788, between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm weekdays, holidays excepted. In the event the meeting is postponed, the public hearing will be convened at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Lovettsville Town Council.

5/29, 6/5

COUNTY OF LOUDOUN

FIRST HALF REAL PROPERTY TAX DEADLINE

Henry C. Eickelberg, Treasurer

June 5, 2025

Loudoun County Treasurer Henry C. Eickelberg reminds residents that Thursday, June 5, 2025, is the deadline for payment of Real Estate Taxes.

Payments received or postmarked after June 5, 2025, will incur a 10 percent penalty and interest. Any such penalty, when assessed, shall become part of the tax with interest accruing on both the tax and penalty at a rate of 10% annually. Taxpayers who are having financial difficulties should contact our Collections Team 703-771-5656.

PAYMENT OPTIONS AND LOCATIONS

• Online: www.loudounportal.com/taxes

• Telephone: 1-800-269-5971 may be called 24 hours a day.

• By Mail: County of Loudoun, P.O. Box 1000, Leesburg, Virginia 20177-1000

• In Person: Treasurer’s Office Locations

Government Center Sterling Office 1 Harrison Street, S.E. 46000 Center Oak Plaza 1st Floor 1st Floor Leesburg, Virginia 20175 Sterling, Virginia 20166

• Drop Box: A secure 24-hour drop box is available outside both the Leesburg and Sterling office locations.

Payments can be made using electronic check (eCheck), paper check, or major credit cards, including VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Please note: A convenience fee applies to credit card transactions, but there is no fee for payments made by eCheck or paper check.

Regular Business Hours: The Treasurer’s Office is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Please contact the Loudoun County Treasurer’s Office at 703-777-0280 or email taxes@loudoun.gov if you have not received your bill or if there are any questions.

Stay up to date on tax information by subscribing to the Tax Notices category of Alert Loudoun at www.loudoun.gov/alert. You can also text the word “TAXES” to 888777 to receive text messages about tax-related information, including upcoming deadlines. Please note: Additional message and data rates may apply.

For information regarding Real Property or Personal Property Tax Exemptions or Deferrals, please contact the Exemptions Divisions of the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office at taxrelief@loudoun.gov, by phone at 703-737-8557 or visit www.loudoun.gov/taxrelief 5/29/25

LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS/PROPOSALS FOR:

ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR TWO LOUDOUN COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE PROJECTS, RFP No. 676865 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, June 17, 2025.

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING INSPECTION (CEI) SERVICES FOR CROSSTRAIL BOULEVARD SEGMENT C, RFP No. 677879 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, June 24, 2025.

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING INSPECTION (CEI) SERVICES FOR WAXPOOL ROAD AND LOUDOUN COUNTY PARKWAY INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS, RFP No. 676868 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, June 16, 2025.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE WASHINGTON & OLD DOMINION TRAIL AT-GRADE CROSSING PROJECT, IFB No. 641808 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, June 10, 2025.

Solicitation forms may be obtained 24 hours a day by visiting our web site at www.loudoun. gov/procurement . If you do not have access to the Internet, call (703) 777-0403, M - F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

WHEN CALLING, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT

5/29/25

Legal Notices

PUBLIC HEARING

The LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS will hold a public hearing in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, at 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, June 11, 2025, in order to consider:

PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT OF THE RICHLAND FOREST

RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PARKING DISTRICT DUCKSPRINGS WAY (ROUTE 3003), BULLRUSH PLACE (ROUTE 3004), BLACKBERRY COURT (ROUTE 3005), AND MAYAPPLE PLACE (ROUTE 3006)

Pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-1427 and § 490.04 of the Codified Ordinances of Loudoun County, and the receipt of a petition representing the required number of eligible addresses, the Board of Supervisors gives notice of its intention to propose for passage of an ordinance establishing a new Residential Permit Parking District, to be known as the “Richland Forest Parking District”, along sections of Ducksprings Way (Route 3003), Bullrush Place (Route 3004), Blackberry Court (Route 3005) and Mayapple Place (Route 3006), public road right-of-way located in the Algonkian Election District. The public road rightof-ways proposed for inclusion within the Parking District are not primary highways and are not located within an incorporated area of the County. Within the Parking District, on-street parking during specified hours and days shall be permitted only upon display of a valid parking permit or visitor pass. Vehicles parked in violation of the Parking District’s restrictions may be subject to towing at the owners’ expense, and the owners of such vehicles shall be subject to fines. The Richland Forest Parking District shall be designated on an Official Residential Permit Parking Map and shall be physically identified by the County with signs.

A complete copy of the full text of the above-referenced proposed ordinance and the Official Residential Permit Parking Map for the Richland Forest Parking District, are on file and available for public inspection in the Office of the County Administrator, County Government Center, Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-777-0200. Documents also may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: www.loudoun.gov/bosdocuments (for Public Hearing documents, follow the link for “Board of Supervisors Business Meetings, Public Hearings and Special Meetings”).

LEGI-2023-0065, GREENFIELD FARM REZONING:

ZMAP-2023-0003, SPEX-2023-0008, SPEX-2024-0022, SPEX-2024-0023, SPMI-2023-0004, ZMOD-2023-0012, ZMOD-2023-0013, ZMOD-2023-0014, ZMOD-2023-0015, ZMOD-2024-0009 & PLAT-2024-0249

(Zoning Map Amendment, Special Exceptions, Zoning Modifications, & Subdivision Exception)

Orme Farm, LLC, has submitted applications for the following: a zoning map amendment, special exceptions, zoning ordinance modifications, and a subdivision exception for approximately 174.74 acres of land located west of Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621), east of the Dulles Greenway (Route 267), and north of Hogeland Mill Road (Route 649) in the Catoctin Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as:

236-15-4867-000 N/A

236-46-5707-000 41451 Shreve Mill Road, Leesburg, VA

236-27-7526-000 N/A

/60//10/////3/

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For ZMAP-2023-0003, the applicant seeks to rezone the Subject Property from the AR-1 (Agricultural Rural – 1) zoning district to the PD-H4 (Planned Development – Housing 4) zoning district to be administered as R-4 (Single Family Residential - 4) utilizing ADU (Affordable Dwelling Unit) regulations and the PD-CC(CC) (Planned Development – Commercial Center (Community Center) zoning districts under the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance (Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance) to develop 496 single-family detached (SFD) and 22 multifamily attached (MFA) dwelling units at a density of 3.37 dwelling units per acre and up to 44,265 square feet (SF) of commercial uses. For SPEX-2023-0008, SPEX-2024-0022, and SPEX-2024-0023, the applicant seeks three special exceptions in order to (1) permit a convenience store with gas pumps, (2) permit a restaurant with drive-through facilities, and (3) allow the minimum lot width, Traditional Design Option for SFD units to be 30 feet for certain lot types. For SPMI-2023-0004, the applicant seeks a minor special exception to increase the maximum SF for commercial uses by 1,000 SF. For ZMOD-2023-0012, ZMOD-20230013, ZMOD-2023-0014, ZMOD-2023-0015, and ZMOD-2024-0009, the applicant seeks five zoning modifications in order to: (1) reduce the minimum front yard requirements for SFD Traditional design option from 15 feet to 5 feet for SFD D1 and D2 typologies, (2) to reduce the nine-foot minimum side yard requirements for Traditional Design Option SFD A, B, and C typologies to an eight-foot minimum side yard; (3) for Traditional Design Option SFD D1 typology lots to a zero-foot minimum side yard on one side of each dwelling unit and an eight-foot minimum side yard on the other side of such dwelling unit if an eight-foot minimum distance is maintained between the adjacent dwelling unit; (4) for Traditional Design Option SFD D2 typology lots to a four-foot minimum side yard if an eight-foot minimum distance is maintained between adjacent dwelling units; (5) to reduce the minimum rear yard requirements for SFD Traditional design option from 25-feet minimum to 15-feet minimum for SFD C, D1, and D2 typologies, to permit private street access for certain SFD units, increase the total land area dedicated to retail and service uses from three percent to six percent, eliminate street tree requirements for private streets serving as alleys, and to reduce the permanent open space buffer between shopping center uses and residential districts from 75 feet to 50 feet. The applications are being processed under

the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Grandfathering Resolution, dated December 13, 2023. LEGI-2024-0019, LUCKETTS WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY: CMPT-2024-0003, SPEX-2024-0039, & SPEX-2024-0091 (Commission Permit, Special Exception, & Minor Special Exception)

Loudoun County Department of General Services has submitted applications for the following: a commission permit, special exception, and minor special exception for approximately 37.81 acres of land adjacent to Lucketts Elementary School, south of Lucketts Road (Route 662), east of James Monroe Highway (Route 15), and west of Falconaire Place (Route 3875) in the Catoctin Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as:

138-45-4663-000 42429 Lucketts Road Leesburg, VA /20//20/////1/ 179-30-6314-000 14560 James Monroe Highway Leesburg, VA /30///2/////7/ 179-30-6877-000 14550 James Monroe Highway Leesburg, VA /20////////33/ 179-40-7230-000 42631 Lucketts Road Leesburg, VA /20////////39/ 179-40-8655-000 42367 Lucketts Road Leesburg, VA /20////////39A

For CMPT-2024-0003, the applicant seeks to permit a sewer service area served by an existing sewage treatment plant. For SPEX-2024-0039, the applicant seeks to modify the CR-1 (Countryside Residential – 1) Legacy Zoning District under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance to permit a sewage treatment plant to support a sewer service area. For SPEX-2024-0091, the applicant seeks to modify the Type C Buffer to eliminate the minimum 95% opacity requirement for fences, walls, and/or berms, reduce the width from 25 feet to 10 feet, and reduce the planting requirements from 120 to 84 plant units per 100 linear feet around the entire subject property.

LEGI-2024-0052, BANNEKER ELEMENTARY RENOVATION AND ADDITION: SPEX-2024-0072

(Minor Special Exception)

The Loudoun County School Board has submitted an application for a minor special exception for a 19.22-acre property located south of Snake Hill Road (Route 744) and east of St. Louis Road (Route 611) in the Little River Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as PIN # 596-25-2318-000 and Tax Map # /72////////25/. For SPEX-2024-0072, the applicant seeks to permit a public school to be served by on-site sewer and water systems.

LEGI-2024-0027, JESSE COURT: ZMAP-2024-0007 & SPEX-2024-0044 (Zoning Map Amendment & Special Exception)

Repulse Bay II, LLC, and Andrew J. Parker have submitted applications for the following: a zoning map amendment and a special exception for approximately 16.26 acres of land located south of East Severn Way (Route 847), east of Sully Road (Route 28), and northwest and west of Atlantic Boulevard (Route 1902) in the Sterling Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as PIN #: 043-40-7465-000, and Tax Map # /80//16/////2/.

For ZMAP-2024-0007, the applicants seek to rezone the Subject Property from the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district administered under the 1972 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance to the IP (Industrial Park) zoning district under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. For SPEX-2024-0044, the applicants seeks a special exception to allow Machinery and Equipment Sales and Services use in the IP zoning district.

LEGI-2023-0074, BELMONT COVE REZONING:

ZMAP-2023-0006, ZMOD-2023-0032, ZMOD-2023-0056, ZMOD-2023-0057, & ZMOD-2024-0008 AND BELMONT COVE APPENDAGE: ZCPA-2024-0004

(Zoning Map Amendment, Zoning Modifications, and Zoning Concept Plan Amendment)

Rooney Properties, LLC has submitted applications for the following: a zoning map amendment, zoning modifications, and a zoning concept plan amendment for 8.19 acres of land located west of Russell Branch Parkway (Route 1061), east of Belmont Manor Lane, and South of Leesburg Pike (Route 7) in the Ashburn Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject property is more particularly described as:

(continued on next page)

083-36-3675-000 N/A

083-36-5250-000 N/A

Legal Notices

/62AB/1/////D/

/62AB/1/////C/

083-36-5928-000 N/A /62AB/1/////B/

For ZMAP-2023-0006, the applicant seeks to rezone the Subject Property from the PD-OP (Planned Development – Office Park) zoning district to the R-16 ADU (Townhouse/Multifamily Affordable Dwelling Unit) zoning district to develop 78 single family attached dwelling units. For ZMOD2023-0032, ZMOD-2023-0056, ZMOD-2023-0057, and ZMOD-2024-0008, the applicant seeks zoning ordinance modifications for various regulations affecting the Subject Property including but not limited to reducing building setbacks and landscape buffers along Russell Branch Parkway, allow residential units to front onto open space, modification to the landscape buffer, and to modify tree canopy requirements. ZMAP-2023-0006, ZMOD-2023-0032, ZMOD-2023-0056, ZMOD-2023-0057, and ZMOD-2024-0008 are being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023. For ZCPA-2024-0004, the applicant seeks to reduce the required building setback and eliminate the required parking setback on a portion of the Subject Property. ZCPA-2024-0004 is being processed under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance

LEGI-2023-0070, HIDDENWOOD ASSEMBLAGE: ZMAP-2023-0004 (Zoning Map Amendment)

Edward Y. Papazian and Judith C. Papazian; Thomas Devine Harmon and Pornpit Mrigalakshana, Trustees of the Harmon Living Trust; Frank W. Hardesty and Angela Cannady Hardesty; Venugopal Ravva and Vara Laxmi Ravva; Lisa Sweeney Bell and Scott Bell; John A. Ward and Nancy L. Ward; Keith E. Calhoun and Kristin E. Calhoun; Jay Baltzer and Stephanie McGrady; Gary G. Hosaflook and Joyce E. Hosaflook; Brent Bumgardner; Paul C. Farmer and Holly A. Farmer; Abdus S. Azad; Sharmeen Khan and Asim Khan; Kashif Iqbal and Ayesha Iqbal; Michael E. Duncan; and Patricia Catherine Cave and Jonathan Earley have submitted an application for a zoning map amendment for approximately 28.92 acres of land located east of Racefield Lane (Route 877), south of Cameron Parish Drive (Route 3444) and north of Stone Springs Boulevard (Route 659) in the Dulles Election District (the Subject Property). The Subject Property is more particularly described as:

203-37-7428-000 N/A

203-37-8437-000 N/A

203-37-9642-000 42112 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

203-38-0747-000 42120 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

203-38-1952-000 N/A

203-38-3156-000 42140 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

203-38-4261-000 N/A

203-38-5465-000 42160 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

203-38-6670-000 42172 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

203-38-7775-000 42186 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

203-38-8980-000 42206 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

PUBLIC NOTICE

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The LOUDOUN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT has accepted application for preliminary plat of subdivision for the following project.

PLAT-2025-0114

Stone Hill

Ms. Angela Rassas, of Toll VA LLP, of Reston, VA is requesting preliminary plat of subdivision approval to subdivide approximately sixteen (16.6) acres into eighty-five (85) lots and associated easements. The property is located south of Evergreen Ridge Drive (Route 3100) and east of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 607). The property is zoned R-16 (Townhouse/Multifamily Residential), under the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The property is more particularly described as 123-15-0056-000 and 123-25-5394-000 in the Sterling Election District.

Additional information regarding this application may be found on the LandMARC System http:// www.loudoun.gov/LandMARC and searching for PLAT-2025-0114. Please forward any comments or questions to the project manager, Samantha Lockwood at Samantha.Lockwood@Loudoun.gov or you may mail them to The Department of Building and Development 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, Virginia by June 25, 2025. The Department of Building and Development will take action on the above application(s) in accordance with the requirements for preliminary subdivisions outlined in Section 1243.08 of the Land Subdivision and Development Ordinance (LSDO).

5/22, 5/29, 6/5, 6/12 & 6/19/25

203-39-0184-000 N/A

203-39-1290-000 42224 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

203-39-2395-000 42234 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

203-39-3598-000 42240 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

203-49-4606-000 42258 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

203-49-5711-000 42268 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

100/B/1/////9/

100/B/1/////8/

100/B/1/////7/

100/B/1/////6/

100/B/1/////5/

100/B/1/////4/

203-49-6816-000 42274 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA 100/B/1/////3/

203-49-8021-000 42292 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA 100/B/1/////2/

203-49-9224-000 42298 Hiddenwood Lane Aldie, VA

100/B/1/////1/

For ZMAP-2023-0004, the applicants seek to rezone the Subject Property from the CR-1 (Countryside Residential – 1) Legacy Zoning District to the PD-IP (Planned Development – Industrial Park) zoning district to allow up to 334,000 square feet of industrial park uses. The application is being processed under the land use and development regulations of the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Grandfathering Resolution dated December 13, 2023.

Copies of the proposed plans, ordinances, and amendments for each land use application listed above may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center; Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770246 (option 5) to request hard copies or electronic copies. Additional project files related to land use applications for public hearings may be reviewed electronically at loudoun.gov/landmarc. In addition, documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: loudoun.gov/bosdocuments.

Board of Supervisors public hearings are held in the Board Room of the Government Center. Meetings are televised on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40. Meetings also are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings.

Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views regarding those matters listed for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the public hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. For this public hearing, advanced sign-ups will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on May 30, 2025, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on June 11, 2025. Members of the public may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members. Members of the public may also submit comments on land use items electronically at loudoun.gov/landapplications.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory, or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200/TTY711. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings.

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

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF PURCELLVILLE

5/22 & 5/29/25

The Town Council of the Town of Purcellville will hold a public hearing in the Town Council Chambers located at 221 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM for the purpose of receiving comments on, considering, and possibly voting on the following item:

Town Code Amendment: The Town hereby gives its intent to amend Chapter 74-Taxation, by creating Article IX. Daily Short-Term Rental Tax, Section 235 through 247; of the Town Code of the Town of Purcellville:

1. The Town Council proposes adopting an ordinance to enact a tax on tangible personal property held for rental and owned by an individual engaged in the short-term rental business, at the rate of one percent (1%) on gross proceeds.

At this public hearing, all persons desiring to present their views concerning this matter will be heard. In addition, all persons have the option of sending an email to the Town Clerk, Kimberly Bandy, at kbandy@purcellvilleva.gov, with written comments or questions concerning the proposed amendment. Emails sent by 4:00PM the day of the Public Hearing will be part of the written record for the public hearing, but may not necessarily be read aloud into the record at the public hearing.

Christopher Bertaut, Mayor

5/22 & 5/29/25

Legal Notices

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER TOWN PLAN AMENDMENT

LEESBURG GATEWAY

TLTPAM2024-0001

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205, 15.2-2285, and 15.2.2225 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the Leesburg Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Town Plan Amendment application TLTPAM2024-0001 – a request by Leesburg Gateway, LLC and Battlefield 7 LC (collectively the “Owner”) to amend the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan by adding a new development alternative and policy guidance that allows data centers, flex industrial buildings, and parkland under “Opportunity Area No. 3- Eastern Gateway District” (LLTP, pgs. 200, 201).

The Town Plan Amendment applies to three contiguous parcels totaling 101.926 acres (the “Property”), which are further described as Loudoun County Parcel Identification Numbers (PIN) 148-35-0679, 148-25-9434, and 148-15-6486. These parcels are 52.772, 46.391, and 2.763 acres respectively.

The Property is bounded by Route 7 (East Market Street) to the south, Battlefield Parkway to the east, Potomac Station Drive and PIN 148-35-3920 to the North, and PIN 189-49-6489 (the Leesburg Outlet Mall) to the west.

PIN 148-35-0679 is zoned R-1, Single-Family Residential District and R-2, Single-Family Residential District, PIN 148-25-9434 is zoned RE, Single-Family Residential Estate District and B-3, Community Retail/Commercial District, and PIN 148-15-6486 is zoned RE, Single-Family Residential Estate District. The subject properties are also subject to the Gateway District (Overlay).

Town Plan Amendment Application TLTPAM2024-0001 is a request by Leesburg Gateway, LLC and Battlefield 7 LC to provide a development alternative for the Property. While the existing land use pattern contemplates a Mixed Use Neighborhood, the proposed development alternative would allow data centers, flex space, and parkland. The new policy language would provide land use guidance and include specific policy addressing parkland and open space requirements, buffering and landscaping, transportation infrastructure, and building and site design.

The Town Plan designates the Property as a “Place to Transform or Evolve” on the Area Based Land Use Initiative Map (pg. 72). The Property is further designated as “Innovation Center” on the Character Areas for Preservation & Change Map (pg. 76). Guidance of the Eastern Gateway District Small Area Plan which designates the Property as Mixed Use Neighborhood also applies.

A separate Rezoning Application (TLREZN2024-0003) has also been submitted by the Applicant that includes a concept plan and proffers for the Property. This rezoning application is still under review.

Additional information and copies of these applications are available at the Department of Community Development located at 222 Catoctin Circle, Suite 200, Leesburg, Virginia, 20175, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), on the Town’s website at leesburgva.gov, or by contacting Scott E. Parker, Senior Planning Project Manager at 703-7712771 or sparker@leesburgva.gov.

At these hearings, all persons desiring to express their views concerning these matters will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations at the meeting should contact the Clerk of the Commission at (703) 771-2434 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711. 5/22 & 5/29/25

JOINT PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE FY 2026-FY 2031 SECONDARY ROAD SIX-YEAR PLAN AND FY 2026 CONSTRUCTION IMPROVEMENT BUDGET PRIORITY LIST

In accordance with Virginia Code §33.2-331, the LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS and the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (VDOT) will jointly hold a combined PUBLIC HEARING in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room, County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, on WEDNESDAY, June 11, 2025 at 6:00 p.m., to consider adoption of the FY 2026 – FY 2031 Secondary Road Six-Year Plan and the FY 2026 Construction Improvement Budget Priority List (Secondary Road Six-Year Plan) developed for the secondary roads in Loudoun County.

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

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

The list of highway improvement projects in the proposed Secondary Road Six-Year Plan, and the proposed FY 2026 Construction Improvement Budget Priority List may be examined at the Loudoun County Government Center; Information Desk, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 703-7770200. Documents may be viewed and downloaded electronically 72 hours in advance of the public hearing at: loudoun.gov/bosdocuments They can also be viewed at the Virginia Department of Transportation Leesburg Residency Office, 41 Lawson Road, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call (703) 737-2000.

Board of Supervisors public hearings are held in the Board Room of the Government Center. Meetings are televised on Comcast Government Channel 23 and Verizon FiOS Channel 40. Meetings also are livestreamed at loudoun.gov/meetings.

Members of the public desiring to do so may appear and present their views regarding those matters listed for public hearing. Members of the public who wish to provide public input, whether electronically or in person, are encouraged to sign-up in advance; however, speakers may sign-up during the public hearing. If you wish to sign-up in advance, call the Office of the County Administrator at (703) 777-0200. For this public hearing, advanced sign-up will be taken after 8:30 a.m. on May 30, 2025, and no later than 12:00 p.m. on June 11, 2025. Members of the public may also submit written comments by email sent to bos@loudoun.gov. Any written comments received prior to the public hearing will be distributed to Board members. Members of the public may also submit comments on land use items electronically at loudoun.gov/landapplications.

Hearing assistance is available for meetings in the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting Room. If you require any type of reasonable accommodation as a result of a physical, sensory, or mental disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Office of the County Administrator at 703-777-0200/TTY-711. At least one business day of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than one day of notice. FM Assistive Listening System is available at the meetings.

BY ORDER OF:

Phyllis J. Randall, Chair Andrew Beacher, Assistant District Administrator Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Virginia Department of Transportation

5/22 & 5/29/25

TOWN OF LEESBURG

NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION TLSPEX2024-0013 MCDONALD’S DRIVE THROUGH EXPANSION

Pursuant to Sections 15.2-1427, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2205 and 15.2-2285 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the LEESBURG PLANNING COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, to consider Special Exception application TLSPEX2024-0013, McDonald’s Drive Through Expansion.

The Subject Property for this application is a property located at 335 East Market Street. The property is zoned CD-C, Crescent District Commercial and is further described by Loudoun County Parcel Identification Number (PIN) 231-20-3436 and totals .74 acres.

Special Exception Application TLSPEX2024-0013 is a request by Franchise Realty Interstate Corp to amend a previously approved special exception for an eating establishment with drive-in facility pursuant to Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance Section 7.10.9.D.1 Use Regulations. The Applicant proposes adding a second drive through lane to facilitate drive through operations for the restaurant.

The Subject Property is located in what the Town Plan describes as an “Area to Transform or Evolve” on the Area Based Land Use Initiatives Map (Town Plan pg. 72). The property is further designated within the Town Plan as a “Crescent Area” on the Character Areas for Preservation and Change Map (Town Plan pg. 76)

The application includes two requested modifications of the Town of Leesburg Zoning Ordinance regulations, including a modification to reduce the number of parking spaces provided and a modification for loading space requirements.

Additional information and copies of this application are available at the Department of Community Development located at 222 Catoctin Circle SE, Suite 200, Leesburg, Virginia 20175 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or by contacting Debi Parry, Planner-Land Use, by telephone at 703-737-7023, or by email at dparry@leesburgva.gov

At this hearing, all persons desiring to express their views concerning this matter will be heard. Persons requiring special accommodations at the meeting should contact the Department of Community Development at (703) 771-2765 three days in advance of the meeting. For TTY/TDD service, use the Virginia Relay Center by dialing 711. 5/22 & 5/29/25

Legal Notices

TRUSTEE’S SALE OF Lot 258, Phase 2, “WOODSTONE”, located at 46706 Bullfinch Square, Sterling, Virginia 20164

Loudoun County parcel identification number (PIN): 014-36-2708-000 Loudoun County tax map number: /81/Q/2///258/

In execution of a Deed of Trust dated December 6, 2023 from Evelyn M. Drouot and Brian D. Nguyen, securing the original principal amount of $200,000.00, recorded in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, Virginia as Instrument Number 20231227-0051197, the undersigned Trustee will offer for sale at public auction to the highest bidder, on Friday, June 13, 2025, at 1:00 p.m., on the front steps of the Charles Hamilton Houston Courthouse located at 8 E. Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176, the property described as follows:

Lot 258, Phase 2, “WOODSTONE”, as the same appears duly dedicated, platted and recorded in Deed Book 1098 at Page 1883 and corrected in Deed Book 1125 at Page 798, among the land records of Loudoun County, Virginia.

Street address: 46706 Bullfinch Square, Sterling, Virginia 20164

Sale will be made subject to the lien of a prior Deed of Trust dated August 13, 2018 from Evelyn M. Drouot and Brian D. Nguyen, to Long and Meyhart P.C., as Trustee, for the benefit of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as beneficiary, recorded in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, Virginia as Instrument Number 20180814-0047633, securing obligations in the original principal amount of $294,500.00, the said prior deed of trust having been assigned to U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association as Indenture Trustee on behalf of and with respect to Barclays Mortgage Trust, 2022-RPL1, Mortgaged-Backed Securities, Series 2022-RPL1, as Indenture Trustee, and Equity Trustees, LLC having been appointed as Substitute Trustee.

Terms: A deposit of Ten Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($10,000.00) shall be required of any bidder, other than the holder of a note secured by either Deed of Trust referenced above, before such bidder’s bid is received. The deposit shall be paid by cash or by certified or cashier’s check payable to Moyes Hanssen Overson, PLLC, Escrow Agent, and shall be refunded to the bidder unless the property is sold to such bidder, in which case it will be applied to such bidder’s credit in settlement. Should purchaser fail to complete the purchase promptly, the deposit shall be applied to pay the cost and expense of sale, and the balance, if any, shall be retained by the Trustee as such Trustee’s compensation in connection with the sale, and the property shall be resold at the risk and costs of the defaulting purchaser

The successful bidder shall be required to close within fourteen (14) days from the date of sale. Time will be of the essence as to the closing date and the payment of the purchase price. Settlement shall be at the office of the Trustee or other mutually agreed location. The balance of the purchase price shall be in cash or its equivalent.

Once a bid has been accepted during the auction, it cannot be withdrawn except by leave of the Trustee. Any bidder who attempts to withdraw such bidder’s bid after it has been accepted by the Trustee may be required to forfeit such bidder’s deposit.

The property and any improvements thereon shall be sold in “AS IS” condition, with all faults and without warranties or guarantees either express or implied. Prospective bidders should investigate the title to the property prior to bidding. The sale of the property is not subject to, or contingent upon, the successful bidder’s ability to obtain title insurance. The successful bidder shall assume all loss or damage to the property from and after the time of sale. Purchaser shall be responsible for all costs of the conveyance, which shall be by special warranty deed, including, but not limited to, the preparation of the deed and the grantor’s tax. Real estate taxes shall be adjusted as of the sale date. The sale is subject to such additional terms as the Trustee may announce at the time of sale. The purchaser will be required to sign a Memorandum of Sale incorporating all the terms of the sale. The Trustee shall not be required to take possession of the property prior to the sale thereof or to deliver possession of the property to the purchaser at the sale.

The Trustee reserves the right to withdraw the property from sale and to reject any bid by declaring “NO SALE” after the last bid received on the property. In the event of postponement of sale, which postponement shall be at the discretion of the Trustee, advertisement of such postponed sale shall be in the same manner as the original advertisement of sale.

Michael J. Overson, Trustee

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael J. Overson, Trustee

Moyes Hanssen Overson, PLLC

21 N. King Street

Leesburg, Virginia 20176

Telephone: (703) 777-6800

5/29 & 6/5/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104 Case No.: CL25-1782

Loudoun County Circuit Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Justin Alexander Paz v.

Name change

The object of this suit is to notify father of name change

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Arturo Alexander Paz appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before July 18, 2025 at 10:00 am.

5/8, 5/15, 5/22 & 5/29/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.: JJ048910-04-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Andrea Isabel Benitez and Loudoun County Department of Family Services v. Wasnat Mojamet, putative father and Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a second permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-282.1 and §16.1-281 for Andrea Isabel Benitez.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Wasnat Mojamet, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before June 17, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

5/8, 5/15, 5/22 & 5/29/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ049287

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Anne Monserrat Pena Munoz

Loudoun County Department of Family Services v. Dayana Nicole Pena-Munoz

The object of this suit is to hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-278.2 and §16.1-281 for Anne Monserrat Pena Munoz.

It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Dayana Nicole Pena-Munoz appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before May 29, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. (Disposition).

5/15, 5/22 & 5/29/25

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

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

Case No.: CL25-2859

Loudoun County Circuit Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re June B. Lane, Petitioner v. Edward S. Lane, Respondent

The object of this suit is for a judicial determination of the death of Edward S. Lane, Jr.; notice of this suit by publication being required by Virginia Code § 64.2-2304, it is therefore

ORDERED, that Edward S. Lane, Jr., and any other person with an interest in this determination or having information that Edward S. Lane, Jr., is alive appear on or before 9:00 a.m. on July 18, 2025, before this Court at its courthouse in Leesburg, Virginia, and take such advisable and necessary actions as will protect their interests.

5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29/25

Yard Sale in Tavistock Farms on Saturday May 31 from 8am-1pm. MISC

Items include: furniture, household goods, kitchen items, decor, entertainment, women’s clothing (M-XL), women’s shoes (W 8-9), toys, nerf guns, lego sets, slime kits, homeschool curriculum, books, and more!

Loco Service Providers

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

Published by Loudoun Community Media

RENSS GREENE

Executive Director rgreene@loudounnow.org

BILL CLIFFORD Chief Development Of cer bclifford@loudounnow.org

NORMAN K. STYER Executive Editor nstyer@loudounnow.org

EDITORIAL

AMBER LUCAS Reporter alucas@loudounnow.org

HANNA PAMPALONI Reporter hpampaloni@loudounnow.org

WILLIAM TIMME Reporter wtimme@loudounnow.org

ADVERTISING

SUSAN STYER Advertising Manager sstyer@loudounnow.org

TONYA HARDING Account Executive tharding@loudounnow.org

VICKY MASHAW Account Executive vmashaw@loudounnow.org

Opinion

Water Worries

Recent visitors to Loudoun County may get the impression we live in a rain forest.

Despite this month’s frequent precipitation, the region continues to recover from severe drought conditions. And those managing utility systems already are bracing for a return to water use restrictions should weather return to its arid patterns that have dominated in recent years. It is no small concern.

A hydrologist’s report presented to the Round Hill Town Council last week documented five consecutive years of below average rainfall. Since 2021, the region’s deficit totaled 33 inches. The town’s investment in improved monitoring technology for its network of more than a dozen wells is providing stark, but important, visualizations of the depleting groundwater supplies, as

Roundabout Worries

Editor:

Working with the USAF, I lived in the UK for 13 years. I was required to obtain a supplemental USAFE driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle in country during this extended period of time.

A skill that was new to me, and required my understanding before operating a motor vehicle, was navigating a traffic circle; I had no experience with these since all my prior driving experience was in the USA.

VDOT is now designing and constructing traffic circles throughout the state. Unfortunately, my fellow drivers have absolutely no idea how they should navigate these traffic features, i.e., how to signal (however signaling is now considered optional since laws are never enforced), who has the right of way, how to enter, how to exit, etc.

I suggest a large public service media campaign to help educate Virginia drivers on the proper use of these new features. Without some form of education, traffic circles will not improve safety; this is a misnomer being presented in many VDOT and municipality construction justifications.

— Paul Miller, Lovettsville

well as the pace and scale of recharging aquifers.

Nearby in Middleburg, town leaders are wrestling with proposed policies that could impose water rationing should conditions again worsen this summer or fall.

While these utility managers debate alternatives to curb water use when needed, their studies typically find that it is a very small percentage of their customer base that are using large amounts of water.

The challenge residents often face when use restrictions are imposed is how to get their neighbor to turn off his irrigation system so they don’t feel guilty running their dishwasher or taking a long shower.

Sometimes, the lawn should just turn brown.

Not this week though. Time to get the mower out again.

LETTERS to the Editor

Arrogance

Editor:

I decided to listen to the livestream of the May 20 School Board meeting to hear some acquaintances testify about the bathroom/locker room issue and it was clear to me the Loudoun School Board is not just out of touch but wants to squelch testimony it does not agree with.

First, I had to listen to the comments, as opposed to watching on Webcast because apparently, this School Board disallowed the filming of the Public Comment portion some time ago. Why? I guess they view it as a public relations problem for them.

Second, they give very little time to speakers; it seemed to be under two minutes. How can a citizen speak their case in less than two minutes?

Third, Chair Melinda Mansfield must have interrupted at least 10 speakers, by my count, for mentioning the recent incident -- that was all over the media -- was at Stone Bridge High School and involved "three boys." Why is that a problem? Well, I guess this School Board has a problem listening to people whom they disagree with.

Her interruptions took time from these

speakers, too. This is no way to treat the public and taxpayers.

But the fact students had to divert from their studies and families to sit before these politicians to complain about the dismissal of a popular teacher, demand a better storage room for the theater at Broad Run High School — and most of all — parents and at least one grandparent had to demand justice for three boys who were in the correct bathroom vs. the student who perpetrated the controversy clearly shows this School Board and administration are completely out of touch.

I wonder if any of these School Board members even bothered to meet with any of these parents or students privately to discuss their concerns.

Never in my 10 years in office on the Leesburg Town Council or Loudoun County Board of Supervisors did I or any of our colleagues try to squelch testimony and input from the public, or cower in fear of the them, the way this gang did Tuesday night.

I have never seen Chair Randall of the

LETTERS continues on page 37

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LETTERS to the Editor

Loudoun Board -- also majority Democrat -- interrupt speakers and try to squelch them like Ms. Mansfield did. And, the Loudoun Board seems to not fear the public by turning off the cameras like this School Board does.

But perhaps it's time the voters of Loudoun wake up and elect parents to the School Board, not a bunch of distant arrogant politicians. Any elected person who fears his or her constituents has no right to be in office.

— Ken Reid, Tysons Corner

No Shortage

Editor:

Your May 22 article, “Warning Signs Increase as County Leaders Monitor Impact of Federal Cuts,” shows a troubling economic trend in Loudoun: layoffs, rising unemployment, and too many qualified workers chasing too few jobs.

Yet Rep. Suhas Subramanyam champions expanding the H-1B visa program. In a Times of India article from November 2024, he called expanding H-1B access and easing green card paths a top priority.

Since 2023, the U.S. tech sector has cut well over 200,000 tech jobs. During

continued from page 37

the same period, the federal government approved or allocated a comparable number of H-1B visas, many within Northern Virginia. Loudoun residents face a flooded job market, competing against an influx of mid-grade workers for dwindling opportunities.

Furthermore, H-1B visas are often used to suppress wages. A 2023 Economic Policy Institute study shows that employers pay H-1B workers belowmarket rates, undermining Loudoun’s workforce, where high living costs require stable, well-paying employment.

Programs like H-1B once filled essential gaps. But, now they are tools used to flood the market, suppress wages, and displace domestic technology workers - blocking paths where many in the U.S. once found upward mobility.

There’s no labor shortage. There’s a labor surplus. Subramanyam’s priorities appear to serve corporate interests, not constituents. There may be a time in the future when these programs will make sense again. But, at the moment, Loudoun tech workers need some relief against an unnecessary immigration pipeline.

— Aaron Perrin, Leesburg

— By Chip Beck, beckchip@aol.com

Policy 8040

continued from page 3

attack 8040 just to win votes. I commend LCPS and ask that you continue to protect trans kids because if we don’t, their best-case future might be to become like me, one of the few rare survivors carrying the stories of those that I have lost,” Jude Armstrong said.

School Board Chair Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) and Vice Chair Anne Donohue (At-Large) both were active in reminding the audience of the decorum rules, which bar actions such as heckling, yelling and applause. There were many instances of speakers being asked to redirect their comments because of the School Board policy that prohibits speakers from presenting material that that could identify individual students.

Higgins, who was asked to generalize his comments by Mansfield during his speech, released an open letter to the School Board on Friday that echoed his sentiments from the meeting. He called Policy 8040 “radical” and asked the board to end the investigation into the three boys shown in the video.

“LCPS is failing these young men and has the potential to ruin their futures should this ridiculous [Title IX] investigation not stop. These young men were understandably uncomfortable with a girl in their locker room, who was filming them, and yet the boys are the ones in trouble,” he wrote.

Higgins also cited the Grimm vs Gloucester County School Board court case in 2021, in which Gavin Grimm, a

transgender male, sued his former school system and won for not allowing him to use the same boys bathroom as everyone else, despite his sex legally being male on his birth certificate. That case applies only to bathrooms and not locker rooms and sports, so the school division cannot use the case to justify their actions, Higgins stated in the letter.

“As a former LCPS School Board Member, as well as a current LCPS grandparent and elected State Delegate, I have sat in your seats, and I know first-hand about the responsibilities of a school board member. I must say I am thoroughly disappointed and frustrated, but unfortunately no longer surprised, by the behavior of LCPS… and the disregard LCPS has for their own policies, state and federal mandates, and the law,” Higgins wrote.

Loudoun Now reached out to all School Board members for comment but received no response.

In a May 6 press release, school administrators said the division would not investigate or discipline students for their opinions, thoughts or beliefs as long as they do not violate policies prohibiting hate speech, discriminatory language, threats or harmful or disruptive conduct.

“However, LCPS does investigate and may take disciplinary action when student behavior violates LCPS’ Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook for Families and Student Code of Conduct,” according to the announcement. “… Because this matter could result in discipline, LCPS will not discuss the specifics of the incident publicly. Student privacy is a fundamental right protected by both policy and law, and LCPS is firmly committed to upholding that principle without exception.” n

Traffic Stops

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ated those concerns.

“Here in Loudoun County, traffic stops have increased almost 30% just since the beginning of this year, even though white and Hispanic residents are getting ticketed at traffic stops at about the same rate, Hispanic residents are eight times more likely to have their vehicle searched than white residents. This is clear racial profiling,” Sarah Pace said.

During the first quarter of this year, 3,343 traffic stops were conducted with white drivers, with 2,368 of those resulting in tickets and 31 including vehicle searches. During that same time, 1,194 stops were made on Hispanic drivers, with 759 leading to tickets and 90 vehicle searches. Black or African American residents were stopped 846 times with 566 of those leading tickets and 14 resulting in vehicle searches, according to Sheriff’s Office data. The remaining stops were categorized into American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander; and unknown or other.

According to the most recent census data, 51.3% of Loudoun residents are white, while 14.2% are Hispanic and 8.4% are Black.

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tom Julia said the increase in traffic stops is attributable to better data, leading to more efficient uses of the deputies’ time.

“As we’ve gotten better trying to look at data analytics, where we can more predictably allocate patrol deputies based on time of day, etc. … We’re getting a lot better at figuring out where to deploy folks,” Julia said.

Julia said more deputies are being positioned in Loudoun where there is natu-

Local Retail

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County leaders face challenges of both supporting its existing retail base, guiding redevelopment of aging shopping centers, and helping to envision the next generation of shopping spaces.

The retail study, presented to county supervisors earlier this month, is the third analysis of the industry since Executive Director Buddy Rizer joined the department in 2007.

“Obviously, retail is an important part of any economy, and we want to make sure that we’re working off of some sort of real data-driven analysis,” Rizer said. “We think that there’s some information in here that can really help drive policy, drive an understanding of where we can spend

rally more traffic and along busy corridors known to lead more crime into the county. No traffic stops are made without a reason, he said.

“We are stopping for cause. A search is either granted or done with probable cause, such as ‘I see a gun in the back seat,’” he said. “…The most things we’re finding in these cars, particularly in the eastern part of the county is cocaine, its fentanyl and firearms.”

In a May 22 press release, the Sheriff’s Office said 65% of all vehicle searches are conducted in eastern Loudoun, where “there is also a significantly higher Latino population than in other parts of the county.”

“There are longstanding issues in the greater Sterling area … and managing crimes there is a challenge,” Julia said.

He said that the increase in traffic stops is a good thing because it means that the work the Sheriff’s Office is doing is effective. In addition, the agency is reporting lower crime rates in the area served by its eastern Loudoun station, with serious assaults down by 17%, auto thefts by 36%, robberies by 40%, and larcenies by 37%.

“We’ve been working on this for quite some time. We’re very pleased to see these results. … We’re seeing a dramatic reduction in crime, especially in Sterling area and that is a big deal. The people who live there deserve to be safe,” he said.

During that same May 20 meeting, community members also raised concerns over an agreement between the Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The agreement was formalized in March and has deputies inquiring with other agencies about detainers prior to releasing a person incarcerated at the Adult Detention Center. If ICE has a detainer, the Sheriff’s Office will hold the person to be picked up by federal agents for up to

our resources and our time. But a lot of it’s going to be what’s important to retail establishments, and then what’s important to the customers.”

While the market already had been transformed by the expansion of online shopping, that trend accelerated when families were hunkered down at home during the pandemic.

“I think that what’s really changed is the way that people are using retail,” Rizer said. “This is the first post-COVID study, so we are seeing the impact of the way that consumer behavior has changed, and the need for approaching things a little bit differently.”

He said the department waited for the market to reset before taking a new look at the trends.

“We didn’t want to do it right after COVID, because in any major uproar like that you have to kind of hear it out and

48 hours.

Chapman appeared before supervisors May 6 to dispel “misinformation” surrounding the agreement, saying his deputies are not arresting anyone based on their immigration status and that the agreement only applies to people arrested on charges unrelated to their immigration status.

But speakers at the board meeting said the agreement is making Loudoun residents feel unsafe and putting the county’s economy at risk.

“I see firsthand how ICE and our sheriff are unjustly targeting vulnerable people in our community,” resident Darryl Cornell said. “They both fail to keep people safe and instead prey on our community through fear, intimidation and unaccountable violence. So many wonderful humans in our community are consumed by anxiety as we watch new laws criminalize our beloved neighbors, turning valued community members into victims of state violence.”

“These agreements with ICE are in the midst of abuses of power, unprecedented in their brazenness, in their cruelty and in their reckless disregard for the rights codified not only in the Constitution, but in the nature of our existence as human beings,” Zahra Husrieh said.

Stephen Rose, who operates Potomac Vegetable Farm, said the impacts of the agreement will affect all Loudoun residents.

“I think it has the potential to have a devastating impact, both on the economy of Loudoun County, the rural economy specifically, and as many speakers before me have mentioned, it has the potential to destroy communities,” he said. “We know very well that this is not a policy that will only impact criminals or violent offenders. This is something that affects families, hard working individuals, people who are trying to make a

watch it and then kind of get to a settling point before you start to make decisions. You never want to make a decision on strategy right after something like that. You want to make sure that some of the stress and some of the active behavior has normalized a little bit.”

The report, prepared by consultant StreetSense, focused on three distinct retail markets in the county: Rt. 7, Rt.50/ Arcola, and zones around the Metrorail stations.

Rt. 7 is the county’s largest and most well-established market with nearly 6.5 million square feet of retail space. That’s 2 million square feet over today’s market demand and nearly 1 million square feet above the projections for 2034, according to the analysis.

Current retail space in the Metro corridor is roughly double today’s demand, but demand there is projected to triple, to

living. I know many citizens who are afraid that they will be targeted just because of their heritage and their background. And I know people who have arrived here legally under temporary protected statuses and have had that status revoked and have no possibility of returning home but are now living in a state of terror.”

Supervisors Koran T. Saines (D-Sterling) and Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) thanked the community for expressing their concerns but said they should be directed to Chapman who has sole control over the office.

“We do not have a police department. [Prince William County] can control what their police department does and how they control the streets,” Saines said. “We do not because we have a sheriff that’s duly elected by you, the citizens, as we are duly elected by you, and he reports to the citizens. So, I encourage you, as you’re doing, you’ve emailed us with your comments regarding the actions, I encourage you to do the same and email him. Ask for a sit down meeting with him to understand why he’s signed up for this program and share your concerns and your thoughts.”

“We cannot defund the entire Sheriff’s Department, just like we cannot defund the entire school system,” Briskman said. “They have their own bodies that govern them. They have one body that governs them. His name is Sheriff Michael Chapman. I appreciate everyone coming here today and putting your concerns on record. Now this needs to be a press conference in front of the Sheriff’s Office if you want to have any influence over the decisions that he makes. The emails should not be coming to the Board of Supervisors. They should be going to Sheriff Chapman, not us.” n

more than 1.5 million square feet, over the next decade as development occurs along the Silver Line.

Rt. 50 also is viewed as oversupplied with retail at approximately 1.5 million square feet, but demand is expected to surpass the current inventory during the next 10 years.

For now, the oversupply of retail space is a top challenge, a concern exacerbated by the significant amount of shopping Loudoun residents do across the border.

“We’re over-retailed per national average. It’s almost double the national average, yet we still get a ton of leakage for retail out of here. We see, especially on the Rt. 50 corridor, a ton of leakage going into Fairfax. And that’s kind of interesting to us,” Rizer said.

continues on page 39

A Loudoun Moment

Local Retail

Despite a glut of retail space as measured by consumer spending, there are not a lot of empty storefronts.

“We have low vacancy rates—on average, about 4.7%, which is tremendous. But not all retail is created equal and we’re starting to see some of the aging centers that that are struggling a little bit. We’re starting to see redevelopment opportunities for them.”

That redevelopment, like that underway at the 1990s-era Cascades Marketplace, includes a focus on creating walkable, connected spaces, as well as adding more residential development into the mix.

“We’re seeing much more of a trend to retail wanting to go into lifestyle [ex-

periences]. Commodity retail is generally dead. There’s not a ton of commodity retail out there because most commodities are now bought online.”

Anchoring retail centers with attractions like movie theaters or upscale bowling alleys are increasingly important.

“The whole goal is to get people there. When you want to do that, you think of a lot of different other ways. You’re seeing all these indoor racetracks or climbing walls,” Rizer said. “All these are designed to get people in. Then once you get people in you have that opportunity to leverage their time to actually do that shopping. I think any major shopping area is going to need reasons to go, and that is going to be largely either the actual shopping has to be amazing and there has to be a critical mass around it, or they have to get in there because of some activity.

“You want to go there because you’re

going to meet friends there, you’re going to play some games, you’re going to do some experience … and then maybe if you need something, you go a little bit early and you pick it up at one of the shops, or you stay after, and have dinner,” Rizer said.

Rizer acknowledges that, unlike some other economic development targets, the county government has a limited role in attracting specific retailers—although County Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large) put in an enthusiastic plea for a Zara store during the recent retail briefing.

Instead, he said his department can focus on changes to improve access, signage and visibility for retail centers.

“I think one of the things that we’ve done is here, and this came out in the study, [is realizing] we need to take a more proactive approach to retail here in the department. We’re going to kind

of break it out to have the Small Business Team handle local main street retail. We’ll assign somebody to do support on bigger retail going forward,” Rizer said.

The department can look at administrative and regulatory adjustments that can support strategic retail growth.

“We think that making sure that our signage plans allow that visibility, we think connectivity, walkability, all of those things are really going to be very, very important. And the county can play a role in that, and should play a role in that,” Rizer said. “Developers should be also playing an active role with that part of the challenge. If you’re a developer and you have low vacancy, it’s like at what point then do you want to completely blow it up and start all over again?”

Read the full 2024-2025 Retail Corridor Study at loudounnow.com/resource_room. n

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

A green heron flies through the sunrise on the Potomac River near Point of Rocks.

Photo by Douglas Graham