Middleburg’s Community Community Newspaper Middleburg’s Volume 16 Issue 5
B E L O CA L BUY LOCAL
OP ITY AND SH R COMMUN SUPPORT OU
Printed using recycled fiber
Old Ox Brewery Ribbon Cutting
Page 31
LOCALLY
mbecc.com
August 22 ~ September 26, 2019
US Eventing Triumphant at Pan Am Games
Page 7
Middleburg Town Council Report Dan Morrow
facebook.com/MiddleburgEccentric
Continued page 20
Request in homes by Thursday 8/22/19
Full Story on Page 12
PRST STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID DULLES, VA PERMIT NO 723
ELECTION 2019: A DEBATE ON THE VISION FOR LOUDOUN’S FUTURE
POSTAL CUSTOMER
Photo By Nancy Kleck
Christmas in Middleburg At the July 25 regular meeting of the Middleburg Town Council Jim Herbert, long-serving Chair of the Christmas in Middleburg Committee reported that his group planned to focus more of its efforts in the year ahead to “the financial health” of the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization legally responsible for the event. The organization’s new goals: to rebuild their financial reserve; increase annual revenue by $15,000, and contract paid parttime staff to run the event. Last year’s weather led to increased costs for the event and exhausted the 501.c.3’s reserves. A $400,000 endowment, properly invested, Herbert noted, would provide $15,000 in interest income annually and allow the hiring of part-time staff. At this point, the Myers Group appears to be the Committee’s first choice for paid staffing services. Christmas in Middleburg, to this point, has been organized and run by volunteers and, according to Herbert, no immediate changes are planned in the way the celebration is run. That said, Herbert expressed hope that the Myers Group could be hired as early as possible, noted that invoices for 2019 sponsorships would be going out in August, and asked for a continuation of Town Council financial support.
“Lean on cash,” according to Herbert, the event needed to pay for updating its web site and for help with the software used to manage event parking. Middleburg Town Administrator Danny Davis noted that the Town could immediately donate an extra $9,000 to Christmas in Middleburg, over and above its currently budgeted contribution. Council agreed that $9,000 could be sent immediately to Herbert’s organization and noted that the Committee could apply “for whatever additional funding it desired” through the Town’s Cultural & Community Events Committee Open Late Concert Over twenty businesses and restaurants have already agreed to stay open late on July 26th in conjunction with the National Sporting Library & Museum’s Open Late Concert Series. Business and Economic Development Direct Gaucher expressed hope to achieve one hundred percent participation from the businesses on Washington Street during the August concert. Town Administrator Davis noted the need to create a social media campaign around this for the future. Middleburg Oktoberfest According to Business & Economic Development Director Jamie Gaucher the Town’s new Oktoberfest celebration, held in conjunction with the Fall Art in the Burg, “would lean heavily” on the staff of Middleburg’s new Old Ox