Subramanyam Hears Concerns Over Potential Medicaid Cuts
BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org
U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) on Saturday gave constituents a chance to voice their concerns about potential Medicaid cuts during a town hall meeting at Leesburg Elementary School.
Those concerns arose from a resolution by House Republicans that directs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to find $880 billion in savings over the course of 10 years—looking for a way to offset lost tax revenues resulting from efforts to retain tax cuts made during President Donald J. Trump’s first term. A Congressional Budget Office study found that Medicaid accounts for 93% of the committee’s spending outside of the mandatory Medicare expenditures.
“Folks in Washington are saying it’s OK to cut Medicaid in the name of paying down our federal debt and deficit, but then on the other hand pass a giant tax break for the wealthiest corporations who aren’t even asking for it in many cases– based on the meetings I’ve had,” Subramanyam said.
MEDICAID
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A Lasting Legacy: Historical Marker Dedicated at John G. Lewis Bridge
BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com
The final touch on the years-long effort to preserve and restore the Pratt truss bridge over Catoctin Creek was celebrated Friday with the unveiling of a historical marker highlighting its significance.
Approved by the Virginia Department
of Historic Resources, the marker along Featherbed Lane in northern Loudoun includes information about the bridge’s structural significance—it is among the longest metal truss bridges still in use in Virginia—and the work of community members to fight for its preservation.
The bridge in 2015 was named in honor of Taylorstown resident John G. Lewis
who documented the history of more than 700 historic structures in the area, including the bridge, as part of a successful campaign in the 1970s the thwart a plan by the Fairfax County Water Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers to flood the area
LEWIS BRIDGE continues on page 33
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
The Virginia Department of Transportation completed a reconstruction of the John G. Lewis Bridge over Catoctin Creek in 2023. Last week, dignitaries gathered at the site to dedicate a roadside marker to highlight its historica significance.
You can’t eat an award, but you can savor the flavors that earned it. Now, more people than ever can enjoy the taste of our award-winning cuisine. Curious about what makes us stand out? Stop by for a sample — you might even get a chance to meet our award-winning Executive Chef. No acceptance speech necessary — just bring your appetite!
LAWS Symposium Promotes Paradigm Shift to Combat Domestic, Sexual Violence
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
LAWS Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services on Tuesday hosted its first Domestic Violence Symposium highlighting the need for coordinated community strategies to prevent interpersonal violence.
The event included more than 250 professionals from across the Northern Virginia area to hear from experts in the field. The day was led off with remarks from Sen. Russet Perry (D-VA-10) followed by two long-form presentations by Dr. Jackson Katz and Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell.
Katz, the symposium’s keynote speaker, is an internationally recognized educator, author and gender violence prevention advocate. He focused on the need for a “paradigm shift” in the way that society thinks and talks about domestic and sexual violence.
“The old way of thinking about it is that domestic and sexual violence and all the gender-based violence issues are women’s issues that some good men need to help out with, and we need more of those good
men to help out those women, and we’re going to try to do more of that, getting more of those good men to help out,” Katz
said. “I’m done with this. I was done with this when I was 20 years old, as a transformative model for change. It’s not like we
need more men to help out the women, all right? In fact, I would argue that these are men’s issues first and foremost.”
While men are the primary perpetrators of violence in the world, outside of domestic violence, they are also the primary victims of violence, Katz said.
“Men’s leadership has not met the moment, not even close,” he said. “And one of the reasons is because we keep defining this as a women’s issue, and a lot of men think, ‘well, I’m a guy. It’s not really for me.’ … but this is so shallow thinking, the idea that somehow men aren’t implicated in this and it’s not really our issue.”
Katz said a big contributor to the way society thinks about domestic violence is caused by the passive language used when talking about it.
“You’ll hear people say things like, ‘how many women were raped on college campuses last year’ rather than, ‘how many men raped women on college campuses last year,” he said.
Creating that linguistic change is just
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE continues on page 34
DAR Marking Ceremony Highlights the History of Belmont Manor
BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org
The Cameron Parish Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on Sunday put a spotlight on the contributions of Ludwell Lee and his historic home, Belmont Manor.
The ceremony commemorated the placing of a historic marker on the building he constructed at the turn of the 19th century.
Chapter Regent Wyndy Fredrick said the program was to raise awareness of significant historical events that occurred in our own backyard.
“This opportunity is to bring attention to the home of Patriot Ludwell Lee, where, notably, he entertained General Lafayette in 1825. It’s very special to our region and to our nation as we commemorate America 250. Although the manor house in Belmont appears on the National Registrar of Historic Places, no marker explaining its historic significance has been placed here,” she said.
Jay Harrison recounted the history of the Lee family and the Belmont property.
Ludwell Lee was second son of Richard Henry Lee, a signatory to the Declaration of Independence. After studying law
in London, he returned to Virginia and joined a troop of dragoons to fight in the war. He became an aide de camp to Major
General Marquis de Lafayette.
After the war, he served in both houses of the General Assembly, including
as speaker of the Senate, retiring from political service in 1787.
Lee built the two-story, five-part federal mansion on the 1,100-acre property east of Leesburg from 1799 to 1802. Although the Lee family obtained a land grant, 7,520 acres in total, from Lord Fairfax in 1728, it was the first time a member of the family had lived on the property. Lee’s plantation operations at Belmont included a population of enslaved people that peaked at 80 in the 1810 census.
In 1819, Lee was a founding member and the acting president of the Loudoun Auxiliary of the American Colonization Society, which had been founded three years earlier by Loudoun County resident Charles Fenton Mercer to establish a colony in Africa for free Blacks.
Notable among visitors to the property during Lee’s time, President James Madison spent two weeks at Belmont after the President’s House in Washington, DC, was burned by British troops during the War of 1812. During his American tour in 1825, Lafayette reunited with his former aide de camp there on Aug. 10, when Lee hosted a ball for his former commanding
BELMONT MANOR continues on page 35
Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now
Dr. Jackson Katz speaks about the harmful effects using passive language can have during LAWS Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services’ symposium May 6.
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
Belmont was built at the turn of the 18th century by Ludwell Lee, who served as an aide de camp to Major General Marquis de Lafayette during the Revolutionary War.
Dulles Noise
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kickoff community meeting to lay out the next nine to 12 months of the process. Now, a design group will begin the work of identifying potential solutions. Vianair consultant Jim Allerdice said his team will help guide that process through three phases.
The scope of the project is narrow, he said during an April 10 meeting.
“The area of influence is just a geographic area that is west of the airport within which we believe that flight procedure changes will be made,” Allerdice said. “And therefore, that is the area that is most likely to have noise shift from one place to another. So, that’s where we’re going to be concentrating our efforts.”
The first phase will be an analysis of the current conditions including flight paths and noise exposure. Those results will be published when completed.
The second phase will be to develop a design philosophy. This will primarily be done by the design group and will identify the priorities and objectives of the proposed solutions. That group will be made up of representatives from impacted communities, however the membership has not been finalized according to county representatives. Those meetings will not be open to the public.
The design group will propose
On the Agenda
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screening process still applies during this promotion and most adoptions can be completed on the same day.
Bike Exchange
Hosted at Landfill
Loudoun County on May 1 launched a Bicycle exchange program that will allow residents to drop off and pick up used bicycles at the land fill in town.
Unwanted bicycles can be dropped
procedures to reduce the noise impacts based on the design philosophy and its recommendations will be published to allow for community input.
A regional project group will review the proposals to ensure that no communities outside the narrow project corridor will be impacted negatively by them. That group will be made up of representatives from county and municipal governments within 10 miles of the airport.
“One of the promises that we’re making to all of the other communities that surround the airport is that anything we do with Runway 30 departures will not affect the other communities that are outside the narrow corridor that we’re going to be working in,” Allerdice said.
Finally, during phase three, the designs will be published and submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration for consideration.
Final proposals are expected to be presented to the Board of Supervisors by late summer or fall, Allerdice said.
“It could take two years plus from the time [the FAA] receives the recommendation to the time that anything gets published,” he said.
Once membership of the design group is confirmed, work will begin. Another community meeting will be held toward the end of the group’s work, Allerdice said.
Sign up to receive updates during the process here or learn more at loudounrunway30project.com. n
off next to the free compost and mulch pick up area located just inside the entrance to the Loudoun County landfill. Residents can pick up a used bicycle on a first-come first-served basis.
Pedal-powered bicycles in good condition will be accepted, whereas e-bikes, motor bikes, scooters, wagons, plastic toys, or tricycles will not be accepted. The program is being launched as a pilot to observe the extent of public interest in a bicycle exchange program.
The landfill is located at 21101 Evergreen Mills Road and is open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. n
Medicaid
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Charles Town Family Dentistry Welcomes Dr. Sean Grady, DDS
Charles Town Family Dentistry is thrilled to announce the addition of Dr. Sean Grady, DDS, to our dental professional team. The brand-new office will be opening in May 2025 and is ready to serve the community by building exceptional patient relationships and providing top quality care to create your perfect smile. Dr Grady is pleased to be offering his services in a comfortable and modern setting.
Dr Grady has over 30 years of experience in a wide range of family dentistry, complex smile makeovers, and Invisalign. Dr. Grady offers expert treatment to restore your smile to its natural beauty. For those requiring more advanced options, the practice also provides dental implants and dentures to help you achieve optimal oral health and appearance. For those wanting cosmetic options or smile enhancement, the practice will be offering veneers and whitening too.
The office is equipped with cutting-edge technology, including a digital lab that enables same-day treatment options, so patients can get the care they need without the hassle of multiple visits. This modern facility is designed with patient comfort in mind, offering a relaxing and welcoming environment for all ages.
Charles Town Family Dentistry is now accepting appointments, and Dr. Grady and the entire team are eager to serve the community with top-quality dental care. Don’t wait—schedule your appointment today! 681-777-6453 or schedule online at charlestownfamilydentistry.com.
681-777-6453 I 860 Somerset Blvd, Charles Town, WV 25414 charlestownfamilydentistry.com.
Subramanyam said that public and private statements have been made about Medicaid being on the chopping block and that “the math only works out if you’re cutting Medicaid to get that much money in cuts.”
Speakers at the session raised several points. Some emphasized that reductions in Medicaid funding affect more than just those directly enrolled. Others pointed to potential economic impacts, where many who are enabled to work would no longer be able to.
Greg Masucci, founder of A Farm Less Ordinary, said taking away Medicaid meant taking away his ability to employ 35 people with disabilities who would have struggled to find employment otherwise. He said that losing Medicaid would force him to monitor his son 24/7.
“He was so self-injurious that we had to consider putting him in another place. We didn’t think we could keep him safe anymore,” Masucci said. “We went to places all over as far as Florida, Pennsylvania, nobody would take him, which was heartbreaking because it’s something we didn’t even want to do.”
He broke into tears and asked the audience, “do you know how difficult it is to tell your kid that even these places won’t take him?”
“That’s what will be taken away, the ability for us to care for our kids,” Masucci said. “I’m so tired of hearing people writing letters of concern. You have a guy out there with a chainsaw thinking that’s funny cutting these things, and we’re writing letters of concern.”
A table of panelists including disability advocates and nonprofit workers spoke at the event, including Teresea Champion of the Virginia Autism Project, Kimberly Crawley of the Little Lobbyists, Chair of the Virginia Board of Disabilities Dennis Findley, Director of Advocacy for the Arc of Northern Virginia Lucy Beadnell, and Cherie Takemoto from Centers for Independent Living.
“A lot of people, I find a lot of legislators don’t understand what a Medicaid waiver is,” Champion said. “I didn’t until I lived a life that my son required using one. So, I think we need to be very vocal about how we use it.”
Crawley said the Little Lobbyists was founded after she started telling
people the story of her son, who lost his healthcare after hitting a $2 million lifetime maximum at just 15 months old. She said the goal was “walk the halls of Congress and the Senate” to put a face behind the stories of Medicaid.
“The numbers that are very meaningful, but they mean a little bit more when you have to look a kid in the eye and tell them ‘this is what you’re taking away from them,’” Crawley said.
Findley said his son could have ended up in an institution without his Medicaid funding.
Isis D’Luciano, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Orthotful, said “we live in a nation that criminalizes poverty.”
“As Ms. Takemoto said earlier, about 67% of us are one paycheck away from losing our homes, losing everything, not being able to pay the bills,” D’Luciano said. “When you live in a system that criminalizes poverty, and you remove a system like Medicaid from that equation, you miss that bill because it had to go to the hospital instead of your home, you’ll lose your home.”
“What we’re doing by removing Medicaid is criminalizing disability,” she said.
D’Luciano said that without Medicaid, she wouldn’t have received treatment for a kidney infection which would have killed her.
Subramanyam provided comments after the town hall.
“I hear a lot from parents whose kids are enrolled in Medicaid, and you heard today from some parents who cannot keep their job if their kids lose that Medicaid access,” Subramanyam said. “If all people care about is our pocketbooks and the economy, they should consider this an economic issue, not just an issue about morality or health care access.”
He said legislators need to know they will be held accountable if they vote to cut Medicaid.
“I think some of these special elections featured Medicaid in them, and I hope that as people go to the ballot box in Virginia this June and November that Medicaid is front and center in people’s minds and in the messaging and all sides of the aisle when it comes to who people are going to vote for,” he said. n
Town Council Approves Lassiter Way Beautification Designs
BY WILLIAM TIMME wtimme@loudounnow.org
The Town Council has approved the conceptual design of the Leesburg Movement’s Lassiter Way Beautification project.
The proposal includes the creation of two road murals at the Loudoun and Market Street entrances to Lassiter Way, the installation of hanging lights, and additional enhancements such as landscaping. The town will refer approval of the murals over to the Commission for Public Art and direct the staff to develop a capital improvement project for the remaining work identified in the concept plan as part of the town manager’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027.
During an April 21 council work session, Leesburg Movement Chair John Papp presented renderings of the project that showed hanging plant baskets, hanging lights, and murals painted on the floors of both entrances and the middle of the road.
“The goal again is really to make this a welcome space that right now is completely unutilized,” Papp said. “Think street festivals, dance performances, anything really. Anything that’s currently being on King Street can potentially now be on Lassiter Way. Even a farmer’s market.”
Assistant Town Manager Kate Trask said committing the lighting to a CIP project would give the staff more time to develop a plan of action.
The Leesburg Movement received a $15,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Housing last June to support the project. That grant requires a $7,500 match in cash and the town’s Economic Development Department has committed $1,000.
Leesburg Movement is an independent nonprofit established as the town’s Main Street organization, a state program that provides support for communities pursuing preservation-based economic and community development in their historic commercial districts. Learn more at leesburgmovement.com. n
William Timme/ Loudoun Now
A mural painted on the side of the Town Hall parking garage on Lassiter Way.
Public Safety Ashburn Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison in $4M investment Fraud Case
An Ashburn man was sentenced to three years in federal prison for fraud relating to investment trading that lost millions of dollars of his clients’ funds while he provided them with false information.
According to court documents, Andrew Corbman, 53, was affiliated with a national estate planning company through which he obtained access to individuals interested in estate planning and setting up trust vehicles. Corbman offered financial advice to clients and potential clients, including assisting them with longterm financial planning such as trusts, annuities, and life insurance.
Over a period of years, Corbman worked with two individuals and two couples who loaned him money believing he would invest those funds and earn outsized returns. The clients were not aware that Corbman was suspended in 2016 and then permanently barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority from acting as a financial advisor or that Corbman
filed for bankruptcy in 2015, according to the Department of Justice announcement of the sentence.
By suggesting they could improve their investment returns if they loaned him money or rolled over existing loans they had made to him, he induced his clients to loan him up to $4.2 million, promising to invest or continue investing the money in stock market options trading. Corbman promised to repay the loans at rates of return as high as a 30%, plus a share of his own trading profits, according to the announcement.
Corbman misrepresented his past trading performance to induce the clients to invest or to reinvest what he owed them when the loans came due in the form of a new loan. Corbman provided at least two of his potential clients a document he claimed showed his 2021 investment results. The document boasted “112 wins, 82% win history and a 90% average return.” In fact, Corbman’s trading history
We’re working to meet Virginia’s energy needs. We’d like your input on an upcoming electric transmission project taking place in Fauquier, Prince William and Loudoun Counties. Join us at one of our Community Meetings Choose the meeting convenient for you:
Tuesday, May 13, 6-8 p.m., Mary Walter Elementary School
Thursday, May 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Patriot High School
for each year from 2019 onward resulted in substantial losses. Altogether, Corbman lost over $4 million of his clients’ money, and returned only $120,000 to one victim.
Prosecutors said Corbman not only concealed the risks from his clients but actively misled them in an attempt to stave off requests for funds and to attempt to obtain new funds.
In late 2022 and early 2023, when Corbman’s creditors demanded repayment of their expired loans agreements, he told clients he was unable to repay the loans because of unanticipated trading losses. Corbman ultimately filed for bankruptcy.
In the case, prosecutors highlighted the impacts on one victim who incurred substantial financial hardship, including having to mortgage a home, postpone retirement, and seek employment at an advanced age.
In addition to his prison term, Corbman was ordered to pay $4.15 million in restitution. n
Police Call for Witnesses in Robbery
The Leesburg Police Department is investigating a robbery that occurred at 8 p.m. Friday night in the area of 24 Plaza St NE.
While walking along Plaza Street NE, the victim was approached from behind and struck on the head, she reported. She couldn’t provide a detailed description of the suspects, but did observe two individuals fleeing the scene wearing dark-colored clothing. Personal items were taken during the incident and she sustained minor injuries.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who has information related to this case is encouraged to contact Detective J. Roberts at 703771-4500, or submit a tip anonymously to 703-443-TIPS(8477) or PoliceInvestigations@LeesburgVA.gov. n
Wednesday, May 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m., The Lodge at Hanson Park Learn more at DominionEnergy.com/MorrisvilleWishingStar
Nonprofits Tree of Life Celebrates New Ashburn Location
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
Nonprofit Tree of Life this week is celebrating the opening of its new combined eastern Loudoun location based in Ashburn.
The site, which has been operating for the past month, is replacing former locations in Leesburg and Sterling and is designed to better serve the community by being more centrally located, more cost effective, and having more space, according to CEO Susannah Lee.
The nearly 4,000-square-foot facility, located along George Washington Boulevard in University Center, is positioned near a county transit bus stop.
“We were very prayerful and strategic in finding a place that was accessible to both our partners and our volunteers, because the volunteers that work in the pantry are just as valuable as the partners that we serve, so location was key,” she said.
The new location will also provide greater visibility for the organization, especially compared to the Leesburg location, which was tucked behind the
Hogan & Sons in downtown.
“It had very limited parking, very limited visibility, and was incredibly small,” Lee said.
The services provided will largely be the same at the new Ashburn location as are offered at its Purcellville site but combining the Leesburg and Sterling into one eastern Loudoun location will help make better use of Tree of Life volunteers.
“Having the entire eastern Loudoun team, both pantries together, both offices together, and more of a sense of community, that is the most exciting,” Lee said.
The new location also provides more space and a more welcoming atmosphere for visitors with a lobby, conference room and office spaces.
“This space is much more, because of where it is and the openness of it. It
is much more suitable for people to just walk in,” Chief Communications Officer Jennifer Del Grande said. “So, the fact that all our staff is there and we can have regular hours, it was a piecemeal with the two locations and trying to deal with that so, this is just so much more welcoming and opening open for people to come in.”
The move has already opened up new relationships, Lee said.
“Sort of in our same office complex, there is an office for the Department of Family Services, and they’ve already come over and we’ve had a meeting with them,” Lee said. “We’re building newer relationships with a different office, and how we can help some of their walk ins. We’ve already come up with two ways we can better serve that community and collaborate with the county. That’s huge.”
The nonprofit will continue maintain a presence in Leesburg through its coffee shop, Simply Be, and its thrift store, The Clothing Closet. Community dinners will continue to be held at Crossroads Baptist Church in Leesburg and the Sterling Community Center.
A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for Thursday, May 9 at 11 a.m. at 45189 Research Place in Building A. n
Loudoun CARES Honors Top Volunteers with Outstanding Awards
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
Loudoun CARES, known as the Match. com of local nonprofits, honored the county’s volunteers Thursday night during its annual awards ceremony hosted at the National Conference Center.
The event, which was kicked off with the National Anthem sung by local songstress Tracy Hamlin, included remarks by CARES Board of Directors Chair Ronni Allen Ward, Executive Director Jenny Tomlinson, and Supervisor Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River) and was emceed by Loudoun Chamber of Commerce President Tony Howard.
All focused on the critical role that volunteers play in the county’s day-to-day operations.
“Volunteering not only helps those in need but creates social bonds throughout the community and in Loudoun County, we are fortunate to have so many residents dedicated to community service,” TeKrony said. “We are really fortunate. They dedicate hours to our food banks, our shelters, veterans, seniors, and they really do serve those in need.”
Each year the nonprofit honors volunteers across nine categories who have gone
above and beyond the call to serve. Each county supervisors also is given the opportunity to honor a volunteer within their district.
The night’s Judy Hines Service of a Lifetime winner, given to a community member with over 10 years of service in the county, was Patricia Benitez. Benitez who volunteers at Dulles South Senior Center and has served in Loudoun County for more than 12 years. She leads the center’s special events, serves at the café, designs and executes projects and served as an advisory board member for five years.
“Her artistic talents, leadership and genuine care for fellow members help make the center a vibrant, welcoming place,” Howard said.
Each year, CARES also chooses a winner for the Gabriella Miller Outstanding Youth award. The award’s namesake as a 10-year-old in 2013 launched a letter writing campaign called Make a Wish with Gabriella and raised more than $275,000 for the Make a Wish Foundation. Miller was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. A recipient of the Volunteer of the Year award herself, on the night of her award ceremony she encouraged the audience to stay hopeful, reminding them “there’s always a great shining star to look forward
to tomorrow.” That was 12 years ago to the night.
Miller’s award went to Alonso Rios, a member of the Youth Advisory Board for the Children’s Science Center Lab. He also leads the educational videos team which recently launched a new initiative to create instructional videos for STEM kits, distributed to community organizations that serve families with limited resources.
“As a high school sophomore, Alonso has demonstrated impressive leadership by organizing and managing his peers, through scripting, filming and editing. His work not only enhances the impact of the center’s outreach efforts but also fosters to create family engagement and STEM learning,” Howard said.
Other winners include:
Julien Martin – Outstanding Adult Resourceful Women Volunteers – Outstanding Adult Team
Margaret Shay – Outstanding Senior Loudoun VICAP Medicare Counseling Team – Outstanding Senior Team
QTS Data Centers Team Outstanding Corporate Team
Loudoun Mentors Team - Outstanding Community or Civic Organization
Mahdi Thompson – Outstanding Veteran Diane Vidoni – Chair At Large Nomina-
tion
Nayeli Mahdi – Ashburn Supervisor Nomination Ashby Ponds Recycling Team – Broad Run Supervisor Nomination
Loudoun CARES connects the community with essential services, information and support providers. Through its information and referral ConnectLine and Online Volunteer Center, the nonprofit specializes in getting the right people to the right place. In 2024, the organization connected 994 volunteers with 335 nonprofits, filling over 2,200 volunteer positions.
“We’re out there helping all nonprofits across the county bringing in volunteers to do their work. That helps us to reduce their recruitment burden, which can be onerous for big organizations, as well as help them to better utilize the precious resources that nonprofits work with,” Allen Ward said.
“Without individuals willing to give their time, treasures and talents, nonprofits would not be sustainable. Your efforts help keep our doors open. Your generosity of time and spirit keep us engaged and energized for the mission. Your skills provide hope and renewed energy for neighbors who just need a little help to get through a difficult season. So tonight, we say thank you,” Tomlinson said. n
Volunteers smile at Tree of Life’s newly opened Ashburn location on Research Place.
Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers Celebrates 30 Years of Service
BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org
Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers celebrated three decades of service and passed the torch to new leadership during a May 3 gala in Brambleton.
Established in 1995, the nonprofit chiefly provides assisted transportation to seniors and adults with disabilities, but also assists clients in maintaining independent living by helping with food deliveries, money management and handyman services.
Executive Director Susan Mandel Giblin said the organization got its start with members of the congregation at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Leesburg who wanted to help a few seniors who needed rides to their medical appointments.
“Those seniors told their friends who also needed and within a year or so, word spread of this great initiative to support the seniors in Loudoun and the volunteers went to the county and requested help to make what they were doing into a real program,” she said.
The county government, with the support of Susan Jane Stack who led the Department of Family Services, dedicated staff members to the project and helped land a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Giblin said.
The program expanded to support services beyond transportation and in 2012 added adults with disabilities and chronic illnesses to its client list.
Today, through a partnership with
Loudoun Hunger Relief and the Dulles South Food Pantry, LVC delivers meals to 115 individuals twice a month.
In 2023, the nonprofit added a van that provides transportation to clients in wheelchairs. Last year the van transported clients more than 300 times covering 8,000 miles. During the gala, the staff announced a rebranding of the service, which now will be known as the Care-a-Van.
“All of these programs have a common denominator—bringing together members of the community to support the seniors and adults with disabilities who are our neighbors, to make their lives easier, to
Run the Greenway Draws 2,400 Racers
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
Despite the rain this weekend, the Dulles Greenway’s fifth annual Run the Greenway race drew 2,400 runners to the toll road Sunday morning.
The May 4 event is Star Wars-themed each year with runners encouraged to dress as their favorite character and take part in the costume contest. The morning included three races a 5K, 10K and 1K fun run race for children.
The event also raises funds for area charities, earning a record $283,102 for 16 nonprofits this year and bringing the total amount raised over the event’s five-year span to nearly $1.18 million.
keep them healthier longer, to lighten the loads that often fall upon the shoulders of family members and neighbors, and to enhance the quality of life for all our seniors and disabled neighbors,” Giblin said. “It all comes back to the people who help our care receivers—our volunteers, our staff, our board and our community supporters like you.”
LVC Board Chair Mitchell Jacobson said the success of the organization is notable.
“Most of us have heard that a local new business has about a five year on average life expectancy. What I didn’t know is it’s about the same for a local small nonprofit. So, 30 years is really something to celebrate,” he said.
Jacobson also credited Loudoun Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), the event’s keynote speaker, with working to strengthen the county’s nonprofit community.
Randall said after taking office nine years ago she quickly recognized the value of the services provided by the nonprofit community and pushed for the government to increase its funding support to $2.5 million annually.
She noted that county staff members frequently since resident in need of food or protection from domestic violence or other services to nonprofits for help. “We were using these nonprofits as arms of county governments without giving them any money. That’s a problem,” she said, noting that the county has greatly increased its funding support.
“The first thing I want to do is more
than anything else is to say to everyone in this room, thank you because what you do every day is very hard work. It’s very hard work. It’s very important work,” Randall said. “Again, there’s no county department that’s going to feed you now. We don’t have the county drive you to the diabetes appointment department. Those departments don’t exist. If it were not for you all, some of these things would not happen, not to mention just the camaraderie, the company, the socialization. When you’re working with people that is so important. We don’t have a department that’s go sit with this elderly person and just talk to them. That’s not a department that we have. But you all do this, and that is a very important, in fact, critically needed thing to happen.”
Randall said a coming challenge for the county will be helping nonprofits that could lose funding from the federal government. Already the Board of Supervisors has provided the Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties with $5 million to provide financial buffers, she said.
Giblin is stepping down as executive director. Kelly Graham Miller, who has managed volunteer services at Valley Health and Blue Ridge Hospice, is taking over.
Giblin thanks her staff, the board and volunteers for their support.
“For the 16 plus years that I’ve been with LVC, they put up late nights, early morning meetings, being voluntold or helping one of our care receivers. All have been amazing,” she said. n
Winners this year included Purcellville resident Noah Chinemilly, who placed first in the 5K race with a time of 16 minutes and 48 seconds. Liz Lauzon was the top women’s finisher in the 5K with a time of 18 minutes and 53 seconds. Mason Joiner placed first in the 10K with a time of 32 minutes and 51 seconds and Ashburn’s Imogen Cross was the top women’s finisher in 10K with a time of 43 minutes and 15 seconds. The event also includes a 5K roll division which includes racers competing using a variety of methods such as wheelchairs. The top 5K roll winner was Riley Hall with a time of 34 minutes and 25 seconds.
The celebration area of the event included food trucks, face painting, kids’ activities and live band So Fetch. n
Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Kids rush from the starting line in a 1K dash as part of the Dulles Greenway’s fifth annual Run the Greenway event May 4.
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now Outgoing Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers Executive Director Susan Mandel Giblin speaks during the nonprofit’s May 3 gala.
Towns
Lovettsville Council Adopts $8.6M Budget
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
After three budget work sessions and two public hearings, the Lovettsville Town Council last week adopted its fiscal year 2026 budget at $8.6 million.
The adopted budget is largely in line with the original proposal by Town Manager Jason Cournoyer and reflects a few changes by the councilmembers.
The budget is based on a real property tax rate of 14.52 cents per $100 of assessed value and includes a 2.5% cost-ofliving increase and a 3.5% merit-based increase for town staff members, utility rate increases of 3%, availability fee increases of 2.7% and the elimination of the $25 vehicle license fee.
The tax rate is nearly one cent higher than the equalized tax rate to offset the approximately $53,000 collected
through the vehicle fee. A single penny on the rate accrues $55,765.
Under the newly adopted real property tax rate, average residential tax bills for a single-family home are expected to increase by $47.15 annually, while the average townhouse bill is expected to increase by $37.83 annually.
Of the $8.6 million budget, $3.8 million is allocated for capital projects in the town. In the county’ government’s FY 2026 budget, funding was approved for four town projects – East Broad Way sidewalks, $207,000; North Berlin Turnpike Shared Used Path, $500,000; South Loudoun Street School Sidewalk, $229,000; and West Broad Way and North Berling Turnpike intersection improvements $533,000.
The five-year Capital Improvement Plan, adopted that same night, totals $11.8 million and includes 16 general government projects and six
TOWN OF ROUND HILL
NOTICE OF PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
The Town of Round Hill proposes to increase real property tax levies.
1. Assessment Increase: Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or improvements to property, exceeds last year’s total assessed value of real property by 5.42 percent.
2. Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment: The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above, would be $ 0.063 per $100 of assessed value. This rate will be known as the “lowered tax rate.”
3. Effective Rate Increase: The Town of Round Hill proposes to adopt a tax rate of $ 0.066 per $100 of assessed value. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed rate would be $0.003 per $100, or 4.76 percent. This difference will be known as the “effective tax rate increase.” Individual property taxes may, however, increase at a percentage greater than or less than the above percentage.
4. Proposed Total General Fund Budget Increase: Based on the proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, the total General Fund Budget of the Town of Round Hill will exceed last year’s General Fund Budget by 30 percent.
utility projects.
The remaining budget made up of $1.9 million in the General Fund, $2.7 million in the Utilities Fund and $124,500 in the Events Fund.
The budget also keeps the Frye Court special tax district rate at 23.3 cents per $100 of assessed value, despite the need for additional repairs on the pump. The council lowered the rate from 24 cents in FY 2025. Last December, residents expressed concern about the tax after a pump failure in September effectively depleted the $24,000 reserve fund available for repairs and improvements.
Now, the area has an inflow and infiltration concern and during the May 1 meeting, the council approved an $8,320 contract for the work. Cournoyer said this would result in an interim deficit in the fund, but that will be replenished.
Fiscal Year 2026 begins July 1. See the full budget online. n
AROUND towns
LOVETTSVILLE
Council Adopts Revised Employee Manual
The Town Council last week adopted a revised Employee Procedures and Policy Manual following two months of efforts to amend the document.
Several changes updating compensation for employees were made, including adding language for upfront annual and sick leave for new full time employees, adjustments to the compensation plan for salary ranges and hourly rates, adjustments to annual leave for employees who have worked more than 10 years, clarifications surrounding compensatory leave and holiday leave, increases parental leave from 5 days to 20 days, adding up to 16
The Round Hill Town Council will hold a public hearing to receive comments on the real property tax on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 7:30PM at the Round Hill Town Office, 23 Main Street, Round Hill, Virginia. Any person interested may attend the public hearing in person or electronically and present his or her views. If this real estate property tax public hearing is postponed, it will be rescheduled for May 28, 2025 at 7:30PM.
Participation via a Zoom link can be accessed on the Town’s website, www.roundhillva.org. Written comments can be submitted to townclerk@roundhillva.gov by 3:00PM on the day of the meeting and will be presented during the public hearing.
Copies of the detailed budget and related documents are available on the Town’s website (www.roundhillva.gov) or at the Town Office, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9:00AM – 4:00PM.
Purcellville Budget Discussions Stall
BY HANNA PAMPALONI hpampalolni@loudounnow.org
Budget discussions for fiscal year 2026 have stalled following canceled meetings two weeks in a row.
Mayor Christopher called an April 29 special meeting to discuss the budget but later postponed it to May 6 following an opinion by the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office stating that Vice Mayor Ben Nett should not participate in the talks.
“Although the April 21st opinion conflicts with those previously provided by the Town Attorney and the Virginia Conflict of Interests and Ethics Advisory Council, it expressly prohibits the Vice Mayor from participating in any votes, or discussion concerning the Town of Purcellville’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget deliberations,” according to Bertaut.
Bertaut said it was “essential” to gain additional legal advice on “the Commonwealth Attorney’s efforts to prevent a member of the Town Council from participating in budget discussions” adding that the opinion differed from advice received from the town’s attorney and the Virginia Conflict of Interests and Ethics Advisory Council.
Around Towns
continued from page 17
hours of paid leave in any calendar year to provide volunteer services through nonprofit organizations and adjustments to closure pay worked during weather events.
Those changes are estimated to only have nominal fiscal impacts, according to a May 1 staff report.
“Adjustment to Holiday and Closure Pay may result in additional compensation for some employees, but a savings for essential staff compared to the Emergency Weather Plan policy currently in place,” according to the report.
He also added that the council has until the end of June to adopt a budget for the next fiscal year.
In his announcement Bertaut said that there is a “whole county movement” to keep himself, Nett and councilmembers Susan Khalil and Carol Luke from “delivering on our campaign promises of slow growth, low taxes, and doing what is best to protect our small town that all of us cherish.”
The May 6 meeting was canceled in a May 2 announcement citing lack of quorum as the reason, which means fewer than four council members would be present.
“Discussion of the [Fiscal Year 2026] Budget is now planned to take place during the regularly scheduled Town Council meeting on Tuesday, May 13,” according to the announcement. n
Amid Economic Worries, Middleburg Council Scales Back Budget
BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org
The Town of Middleburg will not be adding two more police officers to its budget next year and will scale back a few other budget items as its leaders brace for economic headwinds.
Middleburg is unique among Loudoun’s municipalities in that it derives most of its revenue from hotel and meals taxes. Concerns that households and businesses will be tightening their budgets amid concerns over the economic impact of tariffs and federal government downsizing led the council last week scuttle projections of continued revenue growth in its tourism-oriented sources.
Town Manager Danny Davis originally projected strong growth in both meals tax revenue (8.4%) and occupancy tax revenue (8.9%) based on current
trends. In the current budget, those two sources account for 70% of the town’s tax revenue.
During the council’s April 24 meeting, Davis proposed holding the revenue projections at fiscal year 2025 levels.
“Looking at the economic situation where we’re at currently and knowing that that is a very thin margin of revenues being dependent on meals and occupancy tax, what I’ve done is I’ve taken an approach for what I’m calling an Option Two of the budget,” he said.
“I think that’s reasonable. I don’t think there’s any need necessarily to assume it’s going to drop significantly more than that. However, that’s a decrease of almost $240,000 of revenue,” he said.
The key impact of the new plan will be to delete or at least delay plans to hire two additional police officers
next year, the final step planned in a multi-year effort to boost staffing in the department.
His proposal would result in about $150,000 in savings that would be added to a contingency fund that buffers the town against steeper declines or is available for other projects during the year.
Councilmembers supported the pivot.
“Given the current uncertainty of the market, the economy, and the constant change in ideas and tariffs, I’d rather err on the side of caution,” J. Kevin Daly said. “I like Option Two. That’s not throwing everything out. It’s just saying we’re going to wait and see what occurs. It doesn’t mean we can’t go back at a later date to increase the number of police officers. But for the time being, I think Option Two is the way to go.” n
The review of the policy stemmed from a decision during the council’s Jan. 2 retreat when the body voted to review several of the town’s formal documents.
The motion to adopt the revised policy passed 5-0 with Councilmember David Earl absent.
Kimley-Horn Awarded $455K Design Contract
During its May 1 meeting, the Town Council awarded Kimley-Horn consultants a $455,000 design contract for improvements to the West Broad Way and Berlin Turnpike intersection.
The $3.17 million project is included in the town’s Transportation Master Plan and is funded through the Virginia Department of Transportation Smart Scale Program and Loudoun County Capital Project grant funding. It will include minor roadway resurfacing, signing and pavement markings, curb and gutter, new ADA compliant curb ramps, drainage improvements and sidewalks, according to preliminary plans.
Town Manager Jason Cournoyer said one of the main improvements will be to convert the two lanes for drivers traveling south into the town from Berlin Turnpike into one lane.
“There has been some confusion, a lot of people stopped with that confusion, so that’s a main part,” he said.
The motion to award the contract passed 5-0 with Councilmember David Earl absent. n
Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now
From right, Purcellville councilmembers Susan Khalil, Carol Luke and Mayor Christopher Bertaut attend an April 22 meeting.
GET OUT
LIVE MUSIC
page
TOMMY AND KIM
6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 10
Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com
ZOSO: THE ULTIMATE
LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE
7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 10
Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. tallyhotheater.com
CHRIS TIMBERS BAND
7:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 10
Crooked Run Fermentation, 22455 Davis Drive, Sterling. crookedrunfermenation.com
PICTROLA
8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday, May 10
Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville. monksq.com
HALL PASS
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, May 10
Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com
RICHARD WALTON
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 11 Firefly Cellars, 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton. fireflycellars.com
EMMA G
12 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 11
Cana Vineyards, 38600 Little River Turnpike,
Middleburg. canavineyards.com
NATHANIEL DAVIS
12 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 11
Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com
JIM STEELE
1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 11
Lark Brewing Co., 24205 James Monroe Highway, Aldie. larkbrewco.com
TY BURKHARDT
1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 11 Fabbioli Cellars, 15669 Limestone School Road, Leesburg. fabbiolicellars.com
JOSEPH R. MONASTERIAL
1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 11
The Lost Fox, 20374 Exchange St., Ashburn. lostfoxhideaway.com
ERIC SELBY
1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 11
Otium Cellars, 18050 Tranquility Road, Purcellville. otiumcellars.com
BENJAMIN WEIMER
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 11 Fleetwood Farm Winery, 23075 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. fleetwoodfarmwinery.com
PATTY REESE
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 11
8 Chains North Winery, 38593 Daymont Lane, Waterford. 8chainsnorth.com
GET OUT
LIVE MUSIC
continued from page 21
PHILLIP DE PONTET
2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 11 Old Farm Winery at Hartland, 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie. oldfarmwinery.com
CHRIS DARLINGTON BAND
2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 11 Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro. harvestgap.com
ERIC TUBBS
2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 11 Flying Ace Farm, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville. flyingacefarm.com
CHERYL JACOB-ROESKE
2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 11 Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Hillsboro. doukeniewinery.com
JILL FULTON
2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 11 Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro. breauxvineyards.com
MEISHA HERRON
2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 11 868 Estate Vineyards, 14001 Harpers Ferry Road, Hillsboro. 868estatevineyards.com
KOKO BLUE DUO
4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 11 Harpers Ferry Brewing, 37412 Adventure Center Lane, Hillsboro. harpersferrybrewing.com
ABBEY ELMORE BAND
5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, May 11 Bear Chase Brewing Company, 33665 Bear Chase Lane, Bluemont. bearchasebrew.com
TEJAS SINGH
5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 15 Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg. spankyspub.com
HAPPENINGS
BOOK TALK: FROM SUBJECT TO CITIZEN
2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 8 Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Road NW., Leesburg. library.loudoun.gov/Rust
NATIVE SNAKES OF LOUDOUN
7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 8 Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn. library.loudoun.gov/Ashburn
COMEDY NIGHT IN LEESBURG
7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 8
9:30 to 11 p.m., Thursday, May 8, Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. tallyhotheater.com
OWL PROWL
8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8
Rust Sanctuary, 802 Children’s Center Road, Leesburg. loudounwildlife.org
PASTA DINNER
5 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 9
Harmony United Methodist Church, 380 E. Colonial Highway, Hamilton. harmonyva.org
BIG SIT AT ALGONKIAN
6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 10
Algonkian Regional Park, 47001 Fairway Drive, Sterling. loudounwildlife.org
LEESBURG FARMERS MARKET
8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 10
Virginia Village, 30 Catoctin Circle SE., Leesburg. loudounfarmersmarkets.org
BIRDING BANSHEE
8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 10
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, 21085 The Woods Road, Leesburg. loudounwildlife.com
5K RUN FOR RECOVERY
8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 10
Morven Park, 17339 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. $40. loudounserenity.org
CLOUD RUN AND COMMUNITY FESTIVAL
8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 10
Quantum Park, 22001 Loudoun County Parkway, Ashburn. potomac.enmotive.com
VIRGINIA TOUCH-A-TRUCK
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 10
StoneSprings Hospital Center, 24440 Stone Springs Blvd., Dulles. joshuashands.org
ART IN THE BURG
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 10 Downtown Middleburg. artsintheburg.com
CHARLES FENTON MERCER AND THE FEDERALIST LEGACY
2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10
Aldie Mill Historic Park, 39401 John Mosby Highway, Aldie. novaparks.org
LOUDOUN ART AND CRAFT DAY
2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 10
Loudoun Museum, 16 Loudoun St. SW., Leesburg. $35. loudounmuseum.org
LOUDOUN UNITED FC VS. LEXINGTON SC
6 p.m. Saturday, May 10, Segra Field, Leesburg. loudoununitedfc.com
PORTICO BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
5 to 7 p.m. Monday, May 12
The Davis Mansion at Morven Park, 17269 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. $20. morvenpark.org
MINI-COURSE: THE GERMAN SETTLEMENT
6:15 to 9 p.m. Monday, May 12
Lovettsville Town Office, 6 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Lovettsville. $50. lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org
WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME LUNCHEON
11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 13
River Creek Club, 43800 Olympic Blvd., Leesburg. $55. lcwag.org
MASTERING THE TIMELESS ART OF LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 13
Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn. ibrary.loudoun.gov/Ashburn
BIRDING AT BEAGLE CLUB/INSTITUTE FARM
8 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 14
Institute Farm, 22265 Oatlands Road, Aldie. loudounwildlife.org
Obituaries
Di Cook
Agnes diZerega Cook - Di to her friends - passed away peacefully at her home, Rock Spring Farm in Leesburg, VA on April 23, 2025. Born to the union of Alfred L.B. diZerega II and Lucy Harrison diZerega on June 30, 1936, also at Rock Spring Farm.
In 2019, Di was honored by the Loudoun Laurels Foundation in recognition of her devotion to Loudoun County through decades of volunteer work. Loudoun Laurels summarized her work when she was named a recipient of the Loudoun Laurels medal:
“Di Cook is a creative genius whose service to non-profit organizations in Loudoun County and all over the world has impacted on the lives of countless children, veterans, and their families, as well as supporters of the arts. Through her family foundation she supports organizations that provide food, health care and training to Loudoun County residents with the greatest need for life sustaining services. Di is passionate about art and floral design. For more than 20 years, she has played leadership roles in organizations that support local artists and artistic projects, garden clubs and flower shows in our community and throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is humble beyond belief, often working behind the scenes to ensure the success of an artist’s exhibit, a symphony performance, a flower show, or a community event.
When Di served on the board of directors of The George C. Marshall International Center, she led the effort to engage the Garden Club of Virginia in creating a plan for the restoration of Dodona Manor’s garden and grounds to their appearance during the years in which the Marshalls lived in Leesburg.
During her years of service on the board of directors of Morven Park, our community benefitted from educational programs and events that increased tourism and enhanced visitors’ knowledge of the Loudoun County’s rich history. Di also was instrumental in involving the Garden Club of Virginia in the design and implementation of the plans for Morven Park’s gardens and grounds. She also served as president of the Loudoun Arts Council.
Di served in leadership positions in The Leesburg Garden Club and the Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club, encouraging her fellow members to join her in giving of their time, talents, and financial resources to showcase gardens and floral designers in Leesburg, Loudoun County, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. She chaired the annual historic garden week tour which brought thousands of visitors from all over the country to Loudoun County, boosting tourism and creating opportunities for children, adults, and seniors to enjoy the bounty of our community’s gardens.”
Di was preceded in death by her siblings, Florence, Lucy, and Alfed. She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Jack; daughter, Liza; sons, John and Harrison; and grandchildren, Jack, Maverick, James, Hollyn, and Nate.
Services will be at St. James Episcopal Church in Leesburg at 10 AM on Saturday, May 17. She will be laid to rest in the Harrison family area at Union Cemetery, Leesburg, VA.
Legal Notices
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC
The Middleburg Town Council will hold a public hearing on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers located at 10 W. Marshall Street, Middleburg, VA, to consider the following:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE SCHEDULE OF WATER AND SEWER CHARGES
If approved, the ordinance would increase the water and sewer user fees as identified below effective July 1, 2025. This would result in an increase of 3% or $8.47 in the average bi-monthly combined water and sewer bill for in-Town customers (with bi-monthly use of 7,000 gallons). (By authority of Virginia Code Sections 15.2-2111, 15.2-2119 and 15.2-2143.) The public is encouraged to submit comments electronically at www.middleburgva.gov/budget.
WATER USE FEES
Bi-Monthly Rates for: Current Proposed % Change In-Town
Minimum of 2,000 gallons
Over 2,000 gallons
Minimum of 2,000 gallons
Over 2,000 gallons
$39.72 $40.92 +3%
$19.86/1,000 gals. $20.46/1,000 gals. +3%
Out-of-Town
$53.66 $55.27 +3%
$29.71/1,000 gals. $30.60/1,000 gals. +3%
SEWER USE FEES
Bi-Monthly Rates for: Current Proposed % Change In-Town
Minimum of 2,000 gallons
Over 2,000 gallons
$40.92 $42.14 +3%
$20.46/1,000 gals. $21.07/1,000 gals. +3% Out-of-Town
Minimum of 2,000 gallons $55.29 $56.95 +3%
Over 2,000 gallons
$32.96/1,000 gals. $33.95/1,000 gals. +3%
USE OF WATER BY CONTRACTORS AND OTHER PARTIES (Town Code Section 113-23)
Contractor Rates: Current Proposed % Change
Each 1,000 gallons
$39.72/1,000 gallons $40.92/1,000 gals, +3%
AVAILABILITY FEES & CONNECTION FEES
No change in availability fees is proposed. No change in water & sewer connection fees is proposed.
A copy of the ordinance is available for public inspection in the Middleburg Town Hall, located at 10 W. Marshall Street, Middleburg, VA during normal business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excepted. All interested citizens are invited to attend this public hearing to express their views.
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
TOWN OF MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA
5/8 & 5/15/25
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 § 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
INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) ANNUAL STREET MAINTENANCE CONCRETE AND BRICK REPAIRS
The Town of Leesburg will accept sealed bids electronically via the Commonwealth’s eprocurement website (www.eva.virginia.gov), until 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, for the following:
IFB NO. 100313-FY26-02
ANNUAL STREET MAINTENANCE CONCRETE AND BRICK REPAIRS
The Town of Leesburg is soliciting sealed bids from qualified contractors for annual street maintenance concrete and brick repairs. Work includes repairs to concrete curb and gutter, header curbs, concrete sidewalk, concrete driveway aprons, ramps for the mobility impaired, brick sidewalks, and other associated work identified on the bid form in various locations within the Town and all incidentals related thereto.
For additional information, visit: http://www.leesburgva.gov/bidboard 5/8/25
LOUDOUN COUNTY WILL BE ACCEPTING SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDS/ PROPOSALS FOR:
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.
CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT SERVICES
COURTS COMPLEX PHASE IV, RFP No 676860 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, June 3, 2025.
TASK ORDER SIDEWALK AND TRAIL DESIGN SERVICES, RFP No. 676871 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, June 6, 2025.
TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (TOD) BARRIERS AND INCENTIVES ANALYSIS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING POLICY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, RFP No. 676875 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, May 28, 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
5/8/25
Legal Notices
The annual meeting of Temple B’nai Shalom, Inc., a Virginia Nonstock Corporation, will be held on June 8, 2025, at 10 a.m. ET, at 7612 Old Ox Road, Fairfax Station, Virginia. One of the purposes of that meeting is to consider a proposed amendment to the ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT OF TEMPLE B’NAI SHALOM, INC The board of directors recommends that the members approve the amendment.
The text of the amendment is: Articles VII and VIII of the ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION that were admitted to record at the State Corporation Commission on July 24, 2017, and which had not been subsequently amended, are amended and replaced to read, in their entirety, to wit:
Article VII. The board of directors shall have three classes of directors:
a. Class A Directors. The number of Class A Directors shall be variable. The minimum number shall be three (3), and the maximum number shall be specified in the bylaws and approved by members possessing voting privileges. The term of office for Class A directors shall be two (2) years. Class A directors shall have staggered terms of office.
b. Class B Directors. The number of Class B Directors shall be variable. The minimum number shall be zero (0), and the maximum number shall be specified in the bylaws and approved by members possessing voting privileges. The term of office for Class B directors shall be one (1) year.
c. Class C Directors. The number of Class C Directors shall be variable. The minimum number shall be zero (0), and the maximum number shall be specified in the bylaws and approved by members possessing voting privileges. The term of office for Class C directors shall be one (1) year.
Article VIII. Class A Directors and Class B Directors shall be elected by members possessing voting privileges. Class C Directors shall be elected by those members of the Board of Directors, acting as a single voting group, holding the positions of Class A Directors and Class B Directors.
5/1 & 5/8/25
Loudoun County Public Schools
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*
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 6:30 pm School Board Attendance Zone Public Hearing & Work Session
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 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
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. Luis Caballero, Putative Father and Unknown Father
The object of this suit is to hold an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-252 for Anne Monserrat Pena Munoz; and hold a dispositional hearing for review of initial Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1278.2 and 16.1-281 for Anne Monserrat Pena Munoz.
It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Luis Caballero, Putative Father and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before April 28, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. (Adjudication) and May 29, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. (Disposition).
4/17, 4/24, 5/1 & 5/8/25
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316
Case No.: JJ050056-02-00, 03-00, 04-00
Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Nora Bella O’Brien
Loudoun County Department of Family Services v. Unknown Father
The object of this suit is to hold a hearing on the Petition for Termination of Parental Rights of Unknown Father pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1283 for Nora Bella O’Brien. Hold a permanency planning hearing and review of Foster Care Plan pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-282.1 and §16.1-281 for Nora Bella O’Brien. Unknown Father is hereby notified that failure to appear on the hereinafter noticed date and time may result in the entry of an Order approving a permanency goal of adoption as well as the termination of their residual parental rights with respect to Nora Bella O’Brien. Unknown Father is hereby further notified that if their residual parental rights are terminated, they will no longer have any legal rights with respect to said minor child, including, but not limited to, the right to visit Nora Bella O’Brien; any authority with respect to the care and supervision of Nora Bella O’Brien; or the right to make health related decisions or determine the religious affiliation of Nora Bella O’Brien. Further, Unknown Father will have no legal and/or financial obligations with respect to Nora Bella O’Brien, and the Department of Family Services of Loudoun County, Virginia may be granted the authority to place Nora Bella O’Brien for adoption and consent to the adoption of Nora Bella O’Brien.
It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before May 15, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.
5/8 & 5/15/25
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316
Case No.: JJ050219
Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Melanie Mavros
Loudoun County Department of Family Services v.
Rodney Wise (putative father); Unknown Father
The object of this suit is to hold an Preliminary Child Protective Order hearing pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1-253(A) for Melanie Mavros; and hold a Nonemergency Preliminary Child Protective Order hearing for pursuant to Virginia Code §16.1-253 for Melanie Mavros.
It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Rodney Wise, putative father; Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before May 2, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. (Adjudication) and May 28, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. (Disposition).
4/24, 5/1, 5/8, & 5/15/25
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104
Case No.: CL25-2347
Loudoun County Circuit Court
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Lovepreet Singh Athwal v. Atinder Kaur
The object of this suit is to grant a judgment of divorce; and allow service by publication
It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Atinder Kaur appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before June 6, 2025 at 10:00 AM.
5/1, 5/8, 5/15, & 5/22/25
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104 Case No.: CL25-2309
Loudoun County Circuit Court
Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Toni Valentin-Slaughter v. Matthew Valentin-Slaughter
The object of this suit is to divorce
It is ORDERED that the defendant(s) Matthew Valentin-Slaughter appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before June 6, 2025.
4/24, 5/1, 5/8, & 5/15/25
Legal Notices
ROUND HILL TOWN COUNCIL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Tax Rates, Fees and Charges (July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026)
Pursuant to Code of Virginia §§15.2-2506, -2111, -2119, -2143, -2122, -2241, -2286, -2015, §46.2-752 and §§ 58.1-3007, -3703 and -3840, the Round Hill, Virginia Town Council will hold a public hearing on May 21, 2025 at 7:30PM at the Round Hill Town Office, 23 Main Street, Round Hill, Virginia, to receive comments and adopt the proposed tax rates, fees and charges for Fiscal Year 2026. Participation via a Zoom Link can be accessed on the Town’s website, www.roundhillva.gov. Any person interested in the FY2026 Tax Rates, Fees and Charges may attend the public hearing in person or electronically and present his or her views. Written comments can be submitted to townclerk@roundhillva.gov by 3:00PM on the day of the meeting and will be presented during the public hearing. Copies of the detailed budget, rates, fees, charges and related documents are available for inspection and copying on the Town’s website (www.roundhillva.gov) or at the Town Office, Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Real Estate
(authorized by Virginia Code §58.1-3200, 15.2-2503)
Business License
(authorized by Virginia Code §58.1-3703, 15.2-2503)
Cigarette Tax
(authorized by Virginia Code §58.1-3840, 15.2-2503)
Meals Tax (authorized by Virginia Code §58.1-3840)
Personal Property
(authorized by Virginia Code §58.1-3500, 15.2-3203)
Motor Vehicle License
(authorized by Virginia Code §46.2-752, 15.2-2503)
Boundary line adjustment & lot consolidation plats (single party)
Boundary line adjustment & lot consolidation plats (two or more parties)
Other plats (One Lot Waiver Plats, Easment plats, correction plats, etc.)
Additional Submissions (applies
Loco Service Providers
Loudoun’s Century Farms: A Modern Legacy for Your Children
BY PHILIP ULANOWSKY
Raise your hand if you know that Loudoun County had more than 360 dairy farms operating as recently as the 1960s. Ancient history? I was a young boy then. Much earlier, well before the American Revolution nearly 250 years ago, colonists were coming here to start farms on land grants from Britain’s Lord Fairfax. Today, descendants of those families continue farming the same land on their “Century Farms.” I’d like you to meet some of them through a collection of portraits I’ve assembled.
Why should this matter to you? Because these are the people who produce the food we depend on. Seeing their faces and the land their families tended for generations reminds us that food starts with soil and the farmers who work it to provide the fruits, vegetables, crops, and meat we enjoy. Their continued land stewardship underscores the value of Loudoun’s farming heritage and reminds us that the beautiful landscapes they provide us are also providing us with sustenance.
Nationally, family farms have been disappearing at accelerating rates. The USDA Census of Agriculture reported a staggering 141,733 fewer farms in 2022 than in 2017, a loss of more than 20 million acres. The vast international farming operations are speculation- and profit-driven; providing healthy food is neither bottom line nor top concern. Local farms often lose money, balanced only by off-farm income, and it’s getting tougher for many of Loudoun’s farmers. Their 2024 corn crop, which suffered extraordinary losses due to drought, is one example.
Domestic Violence
continued from page 3
part of the larger issue, he added. Creating leaders, at both the adult and childhood levels, who are trained, prepared and willing to speak up and help solve the issue, is critical, he said.
“When we talk about 8 billion people in the world and the level of domestic and sexual violence in the world, it’s just totally unrealistic to think we’re going to solve the problem with micro interventions and have more people show up at a training,” Katz said. “It’s like it has to be built in much more organically.”
In 1997, Virginia initiated a Century Farms designation for farms continuously in operation by the same family for a century or longer. About 22 Loudoun farms have registered, but only half of those are presently valid — others have passed out of family hands, some sold to developers.
A farmer needs to be a scientist, manager, mechanic, innovator, and tireless worker. Think about one of our local families passing that torch through five, eight, 11 generations since the mid-1700s (or even the late 1800s). How many “greats” precede grandfather or grandmother, born in the same house that is home to the family today, still caring for the land, offering fresh food for your table?
e Portrait Project
I began my project to make portraits of these folks early last summer after seeing an article on the county’s recognition of its Century Farmers. It seemed a good thing
That can look like mandatory training on the issue for school administrators, superintendents, coaches and peer leaders as well as actions by county, state and federal officials.
“In a democratic society, we have to figure out, what are the mechanisms of accountability for our elected representatives?” Katz said.
Katz also touched on the impact that constant access to media is having on children when it comes to violence.
“We have media coming into our homes, and whether it’s through the internet, obviously the internet and streaming, everything else now, and a lot of it is really perniciously negative and harmful to young people, and yet we’re not out-
8, and 9. Most of the adults have at one time or another raised everything from vegetables, fruit, grains, and hay to cattle, hogs, sheep, and poultry. One of the farms once paid off a major debt in just a few years with sales of orchard grass. (The seed was in high demand for packing munitions for shipment in World War II.)
As I visited the farms, it was a joy to see children freely enjoying their historic countryside homes and fields, bottle-feeding a three-day-old lamb whose mother had died, carrying a rabbit over for a friend to pet, helping with some chore, playing outside around the larger animals, going for a walk with a favorite uncle, discovering things in the natural environment — it seemed like a time-warp, but growing up on a farm is as real and valuable today as it was centuries ago.
to do for local history and a small contribution to increasing awareness of the important role of local farming. I’m a former professional photographer now pursuing what I love most: black-and-white film photography. For most of the images, I used a “view camera.” That’s the slow, old-fashioned kind requiring the photographer to use a tripod and manually focus the upside-down image projected by the lens on a ground glass while placing a large dark cloth over his or her head and shoulders to block out light. Each photo is made on a 4x5-inch sheet of film. The exposed film is developed in a darkroom, and an enlarged print (like film, but with white card backing instead of clear plastic) is then made in a similar way. Nothing is automatic; it takes hours.
All my subjects were welcoming and generous, proud of the heritage they represent. One photo includes generations 7,
raged, or at least some of us aren’t. We’re not organizing to fight back in a way that we would if it was other forms of toxicity, right?” he said.
The issue is one that society as a whole needs to combat, he said.
“I think all of us have responsibility. I think the question is going forward, ‘how do you regulate content that reaches kids?” he said.
The day-long event also included presentations by Campbell, professor at Johns Hopkins University and creator of the Danger Assessment, a widely used and evidence-based tool for identifying risk in cases of intimate partner violence and preventing domestic homicide.
Attendees participated in workshops,
About those 360 dairy farms: Besides the local market, the major market was Washington, D.C., and shipments of milk and cream would go out on the W&OD train that ran from Bluemont to Alexandria. Loudoun was famous for dairy, as it had been earlier for innovative farming methods. Today, there is at least one dairy farm in Loudoun, reportedly milking a few cows for ice cream. Maybe one day it will be a Century Farm. Right now, the trend is pulling family farms in the other direction, away from land stewardship and agriculture and toward subdivision. I hope you and your children will find out more about local farming, not as some niche or boutique “destination,” but as something we need to find ways to foster before we lose it. Hopefully my Portrait Project will help inspire that journey. n
Phillip Ulanowsky documents the history of Loudoun Century Farms through black and white photography, accompanied by notes on the family history of the farms. An exhibit of his work will be at the Gallery 1, Loudoun County Government Center through May 30.
panels, and cross-sector networking opportunities designed to equip them with practical tools and deeper insight to support survivors, reduce harm, and prevent future violence.
LAWS CEO Samantha Clarke said the goal of the symposium was to help deepen the community’s understanding of violence prevention strategies and recognize that the response must be coordinated and survivor centered.
LAWS, which celebrated 40 years of services in 2024, operates domestic violence and sexual abuse crises hotline (703777-6552) and offers shelter services, legal assistance and victim advocacy. Learn more at lcsj.org. n
Philip Ulanowsky
Patrick Copeland and Maura Walsh-Copeland at Copeland Homestead Farm near Hillsboro, established in 1765.