Potomac Green Today Fall 2020

Potomac Green TODAY

Potomac Green

TODAY Page 1

Fall 2020

Fall 2020

Volume 11 No. 4

Our Newest Neighbor See page 12 for details

In this issue . . .

Map courtesy of Loudoun County Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure

Election Results … “Truly Hallowed Ground” …

Saluting Our Volunteers ... A Crafty Couple …

A Homely Way to Travel … & Much More

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Potomac Green TODAY

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Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

Fall 2020

Potomac Green TODAY

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Fall 2020

Potomac Green TODAY In This Issue ...

Our Election Results Are In Eight residents are chosen for seats on our governing boards.

5

A Very Crafty Couple Handcrafted beauty made at home fills the Kellstrand residence.

See page 25

22

6

These Cars Are Classic You can find them in various residents’ garages.

24

Their Own Road Show A “hotel on wheels” enabled the Murrays to flee Florida.

8

Yes, You Can Travel!

Website developed by a resident opens a gateway to the world.

25

Downsizing on Cars It took time, but this couple is happy with the savings

9

“Sheltering in Place” This poet unmasks her meter.

What’s in a Word?

Try our anagram contest and find out.

25 26

How We Communicate Community survey suggests ways we can improve.

10

Outstanding Volunteers Seventeen residents are honored with Community Service Awards.

Neighborhood Park Taking Shape When completed, it will allow a variety of sports and leisure activity.

12

26-31

Our World Champion Bernie Stamm proves to be the virtual best in the world.

13

Our Community Government Including board meeting highlights, the financial report and committee reports.

34

Our “Truly Hallowed Ground” A glimpse into Loudoun’s bloody, fascinating Civil War past.

14

Better Sight and Sound The Community Center AV system gets a much-needed upgrade.

Five Years Ago 2015 election results were reported.

35

Horses, Hounds and Farming Morven Park’s 1,000 acres have been home to a variety of activity.

16

Men at Work Three residents display their artistry working on wood

18

On the Hunt in Reston This foursome escaped monotony by going scavenging for three days.

19

Want More TV Choice?

Learn how to get it right here.

20

& MORE & MORE, including Restaurant Reviews: Good Eats Emporium and Wicket Door Pub are featured.

Interior Design: The folding Screen A New Way to Recycle Prudence’s Pointers Favorite Streaming Shows PG Home Resales Local Discounts Listing Index of Advertisers

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37 38 38 39 40 41 50

Potomac Green TODAY

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COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION STAFF 703-723-5320 Mark Walker, General Manager mark.walker@fsresidential.com Ext. 103 Austin Figueroa, Assistant Manager austin.figueroa@fsresidential.com Ext. 107 Brandon McFarr, Facilities & Grounds Mgr. Brandon.McFarr@fsresidential.com Ext. 104 Angela Wright, Covenants Administrator angela.wright@fsresidential.com Ext. 106 Neidy Ayala, Resident Services Coordinator neidy.ayala@fsresidential.com Ext. 108 Ciana Griffin, Resident Services Administrator ciana.griffin@fsresidential.com Ext. 102 Beryle Wong, Weekend Front Desk Attendant beryle.wong@ourpotomacgreen.net Ext. 102

◊◊◊◊

Management Staff Hours Monday through Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

1-800-870-0010

◊◊◊◊

COMMUNITY CENTER 44499 Oakmont Manor Square Ashburn, VA 20147 Phone: 703-723-5320 Fax: 703-723-0872 Potomac Green Community Center During the pandemic the Community Center (indoor pool, gym and walking track) is available during the following hours, by reservation only: Monday - Friday 8 - 8 Saturday/Sunday 9 - 5 Please visit the community website at www.ourpotomacgreen.net for more information.

MAGAZINE STAFF magazine@ourpotomacgreen.net Janice Walker, Editor Tom Bowers, Asst. Editor Yola Goldberg Sandra O’Connell Walt Duka Carol Stamm Linda Hollis Roger Majak Ruth Walden

walkerjh@aol.com tombowers42@gmail.com blackswandsl@verizon.net soc703@gmail.com waltnsue@verizon.net carolkstamm@gmail.com Lehconsult@msn.com rmajak@gmail.com ruthwalden1@gmail.com

Fall 2020

From the Editor There’s no better time than the present to become an explorer, to push through stay-at-home monotony and explore new things to do that add zest to daily life. In this issue, we offer a number of ways to help get you started.

The election of new members to Potomac Green’s two governing boards (on which we report on page 5) suggests one opportunity that has the dual benefit of being personally gratifying and contributing to the good of our community. I refer to volunteering.

On pages 26-27, we show 17 recent winners of Potomac Green Community Service Awards, residents who have volunteered countless hours to keep our community great. We owe them enormous thanks, and we can repay them by volunteering ourselves.

On pages 28-33, we present the reports from the various committees that keep our community up and running so efficiently.

I urge you to read these reports and see what activities might interest you to the point of your volunteering. In this time of the virus, many of the meetings of these groups are offered via Zoom, so that you can learn more about them without leaving your home.

Watch for announcements, then tune in, roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Explore further by learning about other activities, for example, the quilting and wood-turning hobbies of one resident couple (page 6), the various crafts pursued by other residents (page 18) and a convenient way you can expand your TV entertainment options (page 20). And would you believe you can travel (virtually) right from your home thanks to a website created by a resident (page 24)!

If you’ve used some of your newfound indoor time to declutter your home, be sure to read our article on page 38 that tells about a new and very convenient place where the items you no longer need can be taken to be recycled.

You can also explore our past by reading about (starting on page 14) the fascinating (albeit bloody) role our county played in the Civil War – and perhaps by learning more by checking out the reference tips we provide.

Sheltering in place doesn’t mean, of course, that we can never go out, just that we must do so safely. Our Civil War article mentions several places worth visiting. We also tell about another historical site, Morven Park, which dates to 1781 and whose grounds are open for pleasant strolling.

For sheer fun, you might also get a kick out of reading about the three-day scavenger hunt in Reston that four of our residents took part in (page 19).

We offer a lot more in this issue, so please do explore all its pages.

The Potomac Green Community Association, its members, and the Board of Directors do not recommend or endorse any advertiser. Potomac Green TODAY reserves the right to decline any advertisement it deems inappropriate.

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Fall 2020

Wolf, Benezra, Durakis and Fritton Elected to Board of Directors Alice Wolf has been re-elected to the Potomac Green Community Association Board of Directors, and Marc Benezra, Tom Durakis and Bill Fritton have been elected as new members. They join President Susan Clatchey and returning members Barbara

Marc Benezra

Bill Fritton

Fitzsimmons and Murthi Guntakatta. On Nov. 6, the new board elected Clatchey as president, Alice Wolf vice president, Barbara Fitzsimmons secretary and Tom Durakis treasurer.

Tom Durakis

Alice Wolf

Gardner, McElderry and Wolf Elected to Condo Board The Potomac Green Condominium Unit Owners Association met Oct. 14 for its annual meeting. Charlotte Gardner and John McElderry were re-elected to the association’s board, and Alice Wolf was elected to

fill the seat left vacant by outgoing President Bob Chirles. On Oct. 27, the board elected Brenda Waller as president, Alice Wolf vice president, Cheryl Sella secretary and John McElderry treasurer.

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Fall 2020

Meet Your Neighbors

Artisans at Work: Bob and Martha Kellstrand, A Wood Turner & Quilter, Fill Their Home with Beauty

By Ruth Walden the finishing. A long-arm sewing machine has a frame Visiting Martha and Bob Kellstrand’s home on Adare Manor is like stumbling upon a folk arts and crafts large enough, typically 10 feet, to accommodate the width of a king-sized quilt, enabling a long-arm quilter to showroom and accompanying workshops tucked away sew together the top, batting and backing. among the villas of Potomac Green. The vibrant colors Martha owns three sewing machines – a regular and intricate designs of quilts adorn walls, beds and one, an embroidery machine and a serger, a machine that furniture. An array of wooden objects, from the uses multiple threads to seam fabric while also whimsical to the highly practical, dots tabletops, overcasting to cover raw edges – but she does not own a cabinets, counters and walls. It doesn’t take long to long-arm machine, so she hires a long realize that the Kellstrands are creative -arm quilter in Leesburg to do the and busy retirees. finishing work on her quilts. LongWhile Martha had sewn for years arm quilters charge by the square and Bob had done household projects, inch and complexity of the stitching, neither became an artisan until after so that can add a few hundred dollars retiring in 2004 and moving to a Del to the cost. While Martha and her Webb retirement community called Texas quilting group didn’t sell their Sun City in Georgetown, Texas, 30 quilts, they did sell small handmade miles north of Austin. Bob found his items, such as cloth coin purses, way to the community’s woodworking glasses cases, placemats, table shop and a group of men happy to runners, and bookmarks, at craft fairs teach him their craft. Neighbors to raise money to help defray the showed Martha quilts they had made costs of their charity projects. for injured members of the military.

It can take Martha from a few Martha’s daughter, Amy, a Marine days to a couple of years to complete helicopter pilot, was recently a quilt, depending on the size of the deployed to Iraq, so Martha was quilt, intricacy of the design, delighted to support members of the Martha and Bob Kellstrand in front of technique used and how steadily she military while learning a new craft.

Martha’s Navaho Serape quilt. works on it. She fondly recalls Martha and her fellow quilters weekend quilting retreats with her also contributed their quilts to other groups, including the Women’s Trauma Recovery Center in Temple, TX, a Texas group. “Everyone would bring their machines, and residential treatment center for female service members we’d just quilt all day. It was marvelous.” On one such who were victims of sexual abuse; the Linus Project, an weekend retreat Martha made a starburst-design quilt using a technique called paper piecing, which involves international organization providing blankets and quilts stitching fabric directly onto a paper pattern. “I did the to children in need; and local charities. “We made quilting at the retreat and then just finished it at home.” hundreds of quilts,” Martha said. “Quilters are a very Sometimes, however, she works on a quilt for a while, giving community. They donate so much of their time and work to others.” Martha is an excellent illustration of sets it aside and returns to it later.

While all of Martha’s quilts are beautiful, one is that because she doesn’t sell her quilts. Except for the ones decorating her home, she has donated all her quilts especially interesting. It’s a sampler composed of 16 blocks, each different and each with a specific meaning, to charity or given them as gifts.

A handmade quilt can be a costly donation or gift. and is called an Underground Railroad sampler.

According to legend, quilts made up of certain blocks Martha prefers cotton for the top and backing of her were hung on fences, washing lines or out of windows as quilts and wool for the batting. Fabric and other a code to guide runaway slaves to freedom. For example, materials for a full-sized quilt can run $200 or more. a quilt of crossroads blocks could direct runaway slaves Then there’s the cost of hiring a long-arm quilter to do Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

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Fall 2020

At first, Bob used the equipment in the Sun City to a crossroads or city where they could find help and protection. A quilt of shoo-fly blocks supposedly directed woodworking shop, but soon he bought his own lathe.

After the Kellstrands moved to Potomac Green in 2015, fugitives to a person who would help them. Martha’s Bob joined the Catoctin Area Turners, a chapter of the sampler quilt contains 15 such code blocks and a 16th American Association of Turners, which pre-pandemic explaining the meaning of each. met monthly in Leesburg but has switched to online Martha says quilting isn’t difficult to learn if you know how to sew: “You cut, you sew, you trim. You cut, gatherings.

Bob gets ideas for projects from his fellow turners, you sew, you trim. You cut, you sew, you trim. That’s books and American Woodturner magazine. CAT quilting.” Her workroom with sewing machines and meetings often include demonstrations of techniques and separate tables for cutting and pressing is in an upstairs examples of others’ works, and just as bedroom; Bob’s woodworking and turning there are patterns for quilts, there are equipment fills the garage. Wood turning patterns for woodturning projects. Turning entails using a wood lathe and hand tools to a bowl or vase takes Bob a couple of hours, fashion a symmetrical shape around the axis followed by sanding and finishing to create of rotation. “In wood turning the wood a smooth, polished work of wood art. moves on the lathe and the blade is held Bob spent five years as a Navy pilot, steady. In most woodworking, you move flying an S-2 Tracker aircraft, a submarine the tools and hold the wood steady,” Bob hunter, and later served 20 years in the explained. He does both.

Naval Reserve. A generation after his Sun City had its own woodworking active duty service, Bob was honored to shop, and Bob joined the woodworking pin pilot’s wings on his daughter, Amy, club. Like Martha’s quilting group, the who did two tours of duty in Iraq and two woodworkers were active in philanthropy.

“We made about 800 toys a year to donate An Underground Railroad in Afghanistan.

Bob, who worked for AT&T, and to groups like the Marine Toys for Tots, sampler Martha, who worked for New England Shriners Hospital and Operation Blue Telephone, lived on the Massachusetts Santa,” a police program providing South Shore and were introduced by holiday gifts and meals to needy families. friends. They married in 1972 and Bob also made toys for their moved to Texas 32 years later. When grandchildren – trains, cars, pull toys and daughter Amy retired from the Marines puzzles – some of which are on display in and decided to settle in Loudoun County, their home and still delight their youngest that decision brought Bob and Martha to grandchild, 4-year-old Jack.

Potomac Green.

The turned pieces, though, are the In addition to wood turning and real works of art, pleasingly symmetrical Bob’s pens and magnifying and highly polished with their rich and glass on Martha’s table runner quilting, they are members of the Potomac Green Thumbs Club and enjoy varying wood grains. A few members of the woodworking club in Sun City were also turners, and tending their garden plot behind the Community Center as well as the flowers, vegetables and herbs they grow in they taught Bob the centuries-old craft. “A friend and I their own yard. did go to Waco once for a three-day course in spindle They have two sons and five grandchildren in making,” Bob recalled, but mostly he learned by doing.

Massachusetts and their daughter and grandson Jack in He started with small objects, like pens, handles for magnifying glasses, small bowls and vases. After moving Sterling. Bob and Martha usually babysit for Jack once a week, and he’s already learned an important part of his to Virginia, he started making more intricate objects, grandfather’s wood turning hobby, the need to clean up such as Christmas ornaments and wooden flowers, and afterwards. “When Jack comes over, he says he has to do larger items such as bowls, vases and a wall clock. Part his work first,” Martha said. “So he goes into the garage of the reason for that, Bob explained, was the relative and sweeps up the wood chips and sawdust with the scarcity and cost of wood in Texas. “There’s a lot more wood around here,” Bob said, adding that sometimes he shop-vac. Then he finally will come into the house.”  and his fellow turners get free wood at places where trees are being cleared for roads or development. “We got Please turn to page 17 for more pictures of some nice walnut at Turner Farm in Great Falls,” Bob Martha’s and Bob’s creations. recalled.

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Fall 2020

Coronavirus Turns Vacation in Paradise Into Family RV Adventure

By Ruth Walden Kevin, “because once we started learning of the risks to It was supposed to be “15 days in paradise,” Mary people over 60, I didn’t want to expose my parents to that.

Murray remembers. Instead, it became two months of I’m 60, and they’re both in their 80s. We thought about self-quarantine followed by an RV adventure. driving back, but that meant stopping to eat and staying The story began in late December 2019 when Potomac Green residents George and Mary Murray; their overnight in hotels, and that was too risky.”

The Murrays were still in Fort Myers in the middle son Kevin and his wife, Nancy, who also live in Potomac of May, said Kevin, and that’s when he had an idea.

Green; and Kevin and Nancy’s five grown children and grandson, Brayden, headed to Siesta Key, FL, for a what “Why don’t I start looking for an RV? I had wanted an RV for a while. I always liked camping, but Nancy would Kevin called “a big family winter break.” While the rather stay in a hotel. An RV is like driving your own younger family members left after one week to return to work, George, Mary, Kevin and Nancy stayed for another hotel.”

After shopping around, Kevin bought a Tiffin RV, two weeks. Kevin and Nancy had been looking for a which his father described as “the Cadillac of RVs, 37½ second home in Florida for a couple of years, so they feet long and 11 feet high.” Mary catalogued the interior: decided to continue their search during their remaining four TVs, a bath and a half, time on Siesta Key, a barrier washer and dryer, fully equipped island off the coast of Sarasota. kitchen and fireplace.

“We lucked into a house Next came the problem of that had just come on the market learning to drive a vehicle as big in Fort Myers,” Kevin said. “We as a bus. Both Nancy and Kevin fell in love with the Gulf coast, took online classes and tests and and Pelican Preserve had great viewed videos, but on-the-road reviews,” so Kevin and Nancy training, usually offered by many made an offer. Pelican Preserve RV dealerships, was another is a 55+ community with a golf casualty of the pandemic. “When course, nature preserve, lakes, I picked up the RV, the salesman indoor and outdoor pools, was nice enough to spend a restaurant and theater. It’s the couple hours with me. We went “paradise” where Kevin’s parents George and Mary Murray in Kevin’s RV. to an empty parking lot, local were hoping to spend 15 days in roads and then the highway. Those two hours I spent with March after Kevin and Nancy closed on the house and furnished it. The vacation started as Mary had envisioned; him were invaluable.”

They then had their hotel on wheels but still had to it just didn’t continue that way.

George said that after a few days, “we woke up one furnish it with household necessities — pots and pans, dishes, silverware, linens and food. “We were opening morning and everything was shut down.” Then their return flight was canceled. “At first we thought we’d just boxes every day” as the online orders arrived, said George. wait it out,” Mary explained. One of the first problems Compared to the process of preparing for it, the trip they encountered was running out of their medications, so they had to have their prescriptions transferred from Giant home was short and problem-free. The Murrays spent the first night at a campground in Georgia and the second in Ashburn to a Fort Myers pharmacy. The local Winn Dixie delivered all their food. “They’d just leave it by the night in Spartanburg, SC, where Mary and George’s younger son, Chris, lives. door,” said George.

Kevin and Nancy keep the RV at a campground in “There was nothing to do except take walks in the morning and watch the people playing golf. We could see Haymarket when they’re home in Virginia. “Although it the golf course from the house,” Mary said. “We also kept was covid that instigated this all, we’re really happy we did it,” Kevin said. He and Nancy have traveled to Florida looking for alligators in the lakes.” While George and Mary never spotted any alligators, Kevin and Nancy have by RV several times, and Mary and George look forward to joining them in December for a three-month visit. photos to prove they are there.

“It was a good thing their flight was canceled,” said Kevin, Nancy, their children and 2½-year-old Brayden Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

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took it to St. Louis to visit Nancy’s family. As every parent knows, nothing beats a car ride for getting a toddler to sleep, and Brayden was no exception. “He was a gem,” Kevin said. “He napped for hours.”

George and Mary, who have been married 61 years, moved to Potomac Green from Connecticut 10 years ago to be near Kevin’s family, who lived in Great Falls.

Fall 2020

Kevin is CEO of TestPros, a Sterling company he founded in 1988 that tests the effectiveness and security of technology for clients. Kevin and Nancy joined their parents in Potomac Green almost three years ago. “They decided to downsize, but I think they also wanted to be closer so they could look out for us,” George confided. 

George, Mary and Kevin Murray show off the RV.

Going From Two Cars to One

By Carol Stamm was no longer needed to pick up my grandchildren from It was a cold, windy Friday, the day after Thanksschool and take them home. We realized in May that we giving 2008, when we went through Potomac Green for were barely using our cars at all and considthe very first time. We looked at most of ered selling one car. We considered all the models and wondered what it could be angles. like living in each of them. The one we In favor of selling a car was the money instantly liked best was the Burlington, but we would get for it, the savings in insurance the fact that it had a one-car garage took it and personal property tax, not having to off my list immediately. That was probably move a car when visitors were coming, and the first time my husband mentioned that having room to maneuver in and out of the we could live with just one car. I guess that garage. The cons were that we might want to my reaction was incredulity. There was no go in two different directions at the same way we could live with one car. time, and I would no longer be recognized For months we considered a couple instantly as BUBBY C. of different models (with two-car garages) I hate to admit that my biggest regret is until we decided that the Burlington was not having my BUBBY C license plate. It our first choice and that we would juggle Carol gave up her BUBBY C was the first thing that my grandson recogtwo cars in and out of the driveway. license plate after 16 years. nized and was able to read and the reason my The arrangement worked for 11 now beloved next-door neighbor instantly knew a lot about years. Bernie’s volunteer commitments took him away, with a car, several times a week. I went to Bethesda to help me. As for Bernie and me going to different places at the same time, that has come up exactly twice. Neither time with my grandchildren a couple of times a week, and we has it been a real problem. were able to go our separate ways when necessary and We are saving a lot of money by having just one car. juggle the cars in and out of the garage and driveway.

Unfortunately, we have no way to spend the money we are This year changed everything. Bernie no longer saving because we can’t go anywhere. My old license plate drives to Annandale to work for the Northern Virginia hangs in my garage, and two of my grandchildren, now in Senior Olympics Committee, and because of COVID, he high school, are probably relieved that I’m not picking can no longer do his volunteer gig at Loudoun Hunger them up from school with my old plate.  Relief. My daughter has been working from home, so I Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

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Fall 2020

Communications Survey Generates Seven Recommendations

By Linda Hollis

In August 2020, at the direction of the Board of Q2. Preferred Means of Communication Directors of the Potomac Green Community AssociaRespondents were asked to rank methods, with No. 1 being most preferred and 5 the least. tion, the Communications Committee conducted a survey of residents’ opinions on communications. The survey generated responses from 516 of the community’s 1,363 households, of which 449 were submitted online and 67 were submitted on paper. Overall, residents are satisfied with the current system of communications. In September all of the 895 comments on all of the questions in the survey were analyzed and summarized in a report to the Board for its October 12 meeting. After the meeting the report and the results from Survey Monkey will be posted on the Potomac Green website. The results and comments were also used to develop the Communications Email was the first choice of 87% of responCommittee’s recommendations on ways to improve the dents. Handouts at the Community Center was the last current system. With Board direction, the Committee will work to implement these recommendations in the choice of 42% of respondents, while U.S. mail was the last choice of 31%. months to come.

Q1. Sources of Community Information Respondents could choose more than one.

Q3. Rate the Current of Level of Communication Between the Association and Residents

Almost a quarter of the respondents, 24%, rated communications as excellent, 56% as good, 15% as fair and 5% as poor.

The Happenings and email are the most-used sources of community information, and several respondents also mentioned neighbors or word of mouth. The Happenings was mentioned by 90% of respondents, email by 88%, Potomac Green TODAY by 73%, the website by 54%, management staff by 24%, and flyers and posters at the Community Center by 23%.

Q.4 Readership of the Weekly Happenings

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Three-fourths of the respondents said they always read The Happenings, another 16% said often, 6% sometimes, 2% rarely and 1% never.

Fall 2020

Q8. Preferred Improvement to Communications. Rate each choice from 1 for most preferred to 4 for least.

Q5. (Online version) Suggestions for improving the Happenings

More than 50 substantive comments were received on this question, over half of which mentioned that it seemed to them that the same information was repeated week after week. Another half of the comments suggested changing the format to make The Happenings more like the weekly newsletters in other retirement communities.

Q6. Use of the Potomac Green Website

(ourpotomacgreen.net)

More than 80% of the respondents said they use the website and 18% said they did not use the website.

Q7. (If you do use the website, how do you use it?

Check all that apply.

More than half of the respondents, 56%, said that open houses or town halls were their preferred method of communication. However, according to the Community Associations Institute, more than 60% of respondents must agree in order for a finding to be significant. In addition, based on the comments received, respondents suggest that any such meeting be professionally facilitated and clearly focused on specific issues.

Nearly 70% ranked an electronic bulletin board at the gatehouse as their last choice for an improvement. Ten respondents said that a sign by the entrance would be an eyesore and would be distracting to drivers.

Q9. Do you have any other suggestions to improve communications?

This question generated more than 100 responses. The suggestions from those responses and comments elsewhere in the survey are reflected in the committee’s recommendations to the Board of Directors:  1. Improve the website, work that is underway by committee members.

2. Streamline The Happenings.

3. Improve email communications.

4. Improve the work order system.

Three-fourths of respondents look up people in 5. Provide more information on board and the community directory, 71% look up documents and committee actions. forms, 40% look at the community schedule of events, 6. Develop a guide on the governance process 35% look up information about board and committee and documents for residents. meetings, 28% read or place classified ads, 25% find 7. Show daily activities on the video monitor in information about clubs and groups, and 24% look up the Community Center lobby.  fitness schedules. Six percent use the website to participate in a discussion group.

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Fall 2020

LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS

Park to Bring Baseball (the Little League Variety) Within Walking Distance

By Roger Majak remaining 26 acres of undeveloped land there. A Potomac Green Neighborhood Park (Cover 55,000 sq. ft., $20-million car wash will be built on the Map). After several failed attempts to find a contractor, Loudoun County contracted with Waynesboro 3.6 acre parcel by Flagship, a Rockville-based firm that operates 10 car washes in Construction company to the Washington region. This complete the park across from will be their first “robotic” car the entrance to Potomac Green. wash. According to their Waynesboro also built the website, customers will be three matching One Loudoun able to have the interior of office buildings, known as their car cleaned by robots Marblehead Office Park, facwhile they watch and relax in ing Loudoun County Parkway. a comfortable lounge.

When finished, the park With demand for office will include an off-leash dog and retail space rentals park, concession stand, restsuffering because of the covid rooms, tennis/pickleball courts, The last old house on Loudoun County Parkplayground, exercise area and way, surrounded by development, finally yielded pandemic, the owners of Commonwealth and One three covered pavilions. A to the wrecking ball to make way for a car wash.

Loudoun have petitioned the paved walking trail will county for permits to replace planned office-retail surround a central conservation area intersected by a boardwalk with a viewing platform. The Little League buildings with housing on their remaining undeveloped land. One Loudoun is building baseball field and three all16 more townhouses on the purpose sports fields will be southwest corner of Marblecompleted and flanked with head Drive and Loudoun small grandstands and player County Parkway rather than an dugouts. additional office building.

The gated parking areas Commonwealth is following will be expanded to accommosuit on its undeveloped date 220 vehicles. Whether and property facing Loudoun when the stop signs at the The first "workforce" housing complex at ReCounty Parkway, although no entrances to the park and gency at Belmont Chase will be joined by senior specific housing projects have Potomac Green will be replaced housing and retail space. yet been announced. with traffic signals remains Construction has finally begun behind Topgolf under consideration but has not been decided by on XCAL, a luxury fitness and gun club. First VDOT. The work, costing $3,275,000 is expected to announced in 2017, the 66,000 sq. ft. club will house a be completed by early next summer. The map can be 16,000 sq. foot shooting range and almost 30,000 viewed online at https://www.loudoun.gov/5390/ square feet of retail space. Athletic facilities will Potomac-Green-Community-Park. include training rooms, digital simulators, a billiards One Loudoun and Commonwealth Center. room and VIP party rooms. Guns, cigars, health foods, The last “holdout” property surrounded by One and massage services will be sold in the retail space.

Loudoun and Commonwealth Center has yielded to Membership fees have not yet been announced. development. Directly across from the Loudoun Regency at Belmont Chase. Construction County Parkway entrance to One Loudoun, the property will allow Thorndike Street, One Loudoun’s activity has picked up on the 26-acre parcel across from Whole Foods between Claiborne Parkway and main east-west street, to be extended east into Ashburn Road. Toll Brothers and Good Works LP will Commonwealth Center, providing access to the Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

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build a mixed-use retail and housing development called Regency at Belmont Chase. More than 100 townhouses for active, over-55 adults featuring elevators and rooftop terraces are planned. Ashburn Chase, a 96-unit workforce apartment building, has already been completed at the north end of the property. Good Works, a nonprofit workforce housing developer based in Middleburg, plans to add at least one additional income-limited apartment complex. Aspen View Boulevard will be extended from Belmont Chase across the parkway into the Regency development at the existing stoplight. No specific retail tenants for the development have been announced.

Route 7 overpasses. The Battlefield Parkway overpass that will ease traffic into, out from, and around Leesburg is well on its way to on-time comple-

Fall 2020

tion in early 2021. Then expect construction to begin on another overpass just east of One Loudoun that will connect George Washington Boulevard and the GW Technology campus with Russell Branch Parkway at the north commuter parking lot. There will be no access to Route 7 there, but the overpass will enable traffic from the campus and surrounding neighborhoods to get to Route 28 or Loudoun County Parkway without using Route 7.

Ashburn Metro. Metro service to the completed Ashburn Station has been further delayed, this time due to Metro’s loss of riders and revenues during the pandemic. The revised estimate for the opening of the extended Silver Line to Ashburn is now summer of 2021. 

Bernie Stamm Wins Virtual World Championship

By Carol Stamm friend to help hold the high jump bar and validate the In our covid-ravaged world, the Olympics and nearly all athletic events worldwide were rescheduled height. We also enlisted our neighbor, Don Burnham, for a year later, including the World Masters Athletics who is a registered track and field official, to lend credence to the effort. I was enlisted to hold the end of the Championships, which were to be held in Toronto, tape for the javelin throw.

Canada, in late July and early August.

Bernie strained the Achilles tendon Bernie Stamm (and I, his trusty javelinon his jumping leg as he was warming up caddy and nutritionist) had planned an on the day of the event, so that event had extended trip up north to participate in this to be scratched. As it turned out, all other once-in-a-lifetime event. potential entrants had problems finding Bernie kept up his weight-training the apparatus to perform the high jump, so regimen and practiced throwing the javelin there was no competition at all. in the field behind the Weller School. High We went to Weller School two -jump practice was more difficult because weeks later and laid out a javelin course, many high schools took in their equipment with markers for various distances, on the when students went virtual in the spring. field inside the track. We went back to the Fortunately, he found a school where the field the next morning with Don, and high-jump apparatus was still out. UnfortuBernie warmed up and threw the javelin nately, it was behind a locked gate. Fortu109 ft., 2 in. We submitted the results to nately, my limber husband was able to Bernie Stamm throws the panel and awaited the results. climb the gate. Unfortunately, he was the javelin.

Eight entrants were in the event, five caught by a security guard. Fortunately, the guard found it funny that an 81-year-old would climb a from the U.S., two from Germany and one from Norway. Bernie’s throw was the longest by far, and the fence to do high jump and didn’t report him. Bernie contacted the athletic director and gained permission to next best was 93 ft., 10 in. practice.

Bernie is now a VIRTUAL World Masters Champion in the 80-84 age group. Next year the It was announced shortly after that the World canceled Masters Athletics Championships will be Championships were canceled but the Worldwide Virtual Masters Challenge would be held. This entailed held in Finland. I don’t think we’ll go, but at least he has this proud accomplishment.  performing the discipline on your own, recording it and submitting it to a panel. Bernie enlisted the aid of a Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

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Fall 2020

LOUDOUN COUNTY HISTORY

The “Truly Hallowed Ground” We Live On

By Walt Duka seceded, and residents voted 1,626 to 726 to follow Imagine a place where: their Southern brethren. The Loudoun towns of Water 1,500 stolen horses are driven down the ford and Lovettsville were notable for their Unionist main street while crowds cheer. sentiments, however, and during the war raised a  Whole armies cross back and forth, Union cavalry unit called the Loudoun Rangers. plundering and sometimes intentionally Military crossroads. Union and Confederate destroying everything in their path. troops went back and forth through Loudoun many  Brothers fight, and sometimes slay, each times. Most notably, General Robert E. Lee’s Army of other.

Northern Virginia marched through Leesburg on its  A local battle results in the death of one of way to Antietam, MD, in September 1862, and the president’s closest friends.

General George Meade’s Union Army of the Potomac  One quarter of the inhabitants are considtraversed the county in June 1863 on its way to Gettysered property, not people, and can be burg for that momentous battle. bought and sold as if In addition to the movement of they were so much whole armies, a vicious guerilla livestock. war conducted mainly by cavalry Well, you don’t have to raged throughout the county imagine because all these scenes during the war. Among the leadwere realities during the Civil War ers in that aspect of the war was in the place we call home: John Singleton Mosby, the Loudoun County. Many people Southern major who became think history is boring. Our local known as “The Gray Ghost of the history from that era, however, is Confederacy.” anything but. It is a story as Herd of stolen horses. The dramatic as any movie Hollywood An 1861 engraving shows Confederates authors of the Loudoun history has put on the screen. driving Union soldiers into the Potomac at booklet note that as the invading County residents were Ball’s Bluff. armies of both sides went through reminded of that war late last July the county, “They sucked up every horse and ounce of when the statue of a Confederate soldier (“Silent food like a giant vacuum cleaner.” In a dramatic Sentinel”) was removed from the lawn of the county reversal in October 1862, Confederate General J.E.B. courthouse in Leesburg, where it had stood for 112 Stuart’s cavalry conducted a lightning raid into years. The Board of Supervisors voted to remove it, Pennsylvania and returned with 1,500 captured horses. and it was returned to the United Daughters of the The horses were marched through Leesburg on Oct. 12 Confederacy, which had erected it.

The story of Loudoun’s involvement in the Civil on their way west with, it was reported, hundreds of Leesburg women cheering Stuart’s exploit.

War is lengthy, complicated and not easily summed Battle of Ball’s Bluff. One of the earliest battles up. However, “A Guide to Loudoun and the Civil of the war, this was a resounding defeat for the Union, War,” published in 2011 by the county’s Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, summarizes many of its which suffered more than 1,000 casualties compared to major events and provides a guide for those wanting to fewer than 160 for the Confederates. It took place at a bluff overlooking the Potomac just outside of Leeslearn more. Here are some of the stories it tells.

Where sympathies lay. You may be surprised to burg, off what is now the Rte. 15 bypass. Washington residents were shocked by the loss and by the sight of learn that the two delegates the county sent to Virginia’s secession convention in February 1861 both bodies of victims that floated past the city on the Potomac River. The leader of the Union troops at the voted for the state to stay in the Union. Loudoun’s battle, U.S. Sen. Edward Baker of Oregon, was killed position was reversed, however, after other states Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

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support that “the Gray Ghost” and other Confederate in the action. He was a close friend of President Lincoln, so much so that Lincoln had named one of his raiders were receiving from local sympathizers.

Want to Know More? Whole libraries are sons after the senator. (An account of the battle devoted to the Civil War, but if you want more detail appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Potomac Green without devoting many days to the task, a good place TODAY and can be accessed on the community to go is Wikipedia, the “online encyclopedia.” If you website in the document library.) enter “Loudoun County in the American Civil War” The evil of slavery. The 1860 census put in the search box, you will call up a detailed, yet Loudoun’s prewar population at 21,774. Of that manageable account of the full, rich number, 5,501 were reported to be history. Among other things, the enslaved persons. At the outbreak of account relates how John Brown’s the war, many of them were put to raid on Harper’s Ferry alarmed local work constructing fortifications residents, how Loudoun’s around Leesburg, others were packed geography made its involvement in off to serve their masters in the war the war inevitable, how sharp (and itself, and others used the occasion to sometimes deadly) the divisions flee North. When Union troops were among its residents, and many breached the Loudoun defenses and details about the “minor” battles and came marching through, many slaves Many Confederate veterans of the skirmishes that raged almost flocked to them and as “contraband Civil War are buried in the Union endlessly. The site is also replete of war,” they were sheltered and put Cemetery in Leesburg. with links that lead to additional to work for the Union Army. When information. the Emancipation Proclamation was Loudoun County has many issued on Jan. 1, 1863, the exodus of places where the Civil War past has slaves to the North accelerated, with been preserved. some “freedmen” becoming Union The Loudoun Museum in soldiers.

Leesburg (16 Loudoun St. SW, Leesburg’s name. Some admission free) has graphic displays people seem to think Leesburg was that make clear how bitterly the war named after Robert E. Lee. Not so. set neighbor against neighbor.

When the town was founded in 1758, it adopted the name of an influential The Loudoun Museum in Leesburg Exhibits include weapons and a set of shackles like the ones used to landowning family headed by has many Civil War exhibits. bind slaves and prisoners.

Thomas Lee. However, in 1862, before his invasion of Maryland that led to the Battle The Leesburg Union [of Churches] Cemetery of Antietam, Robert E. Lee convened a “war council” on Market Street next to Ida Lee Park contains the of generals at Harrison House (also called Glenfiddich) graves of many of the men who fought on the at 205 N. King St. in Leesburg. The attendees included Confederate side.

The Village of Waterford is a National Historic the legendary Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.

“Truly Hallowed Ground.” The Sesquicenten- Landmark that looks much the same today as it did during the Civil War. It, too, has a Union of Churches nial authors mince no words. They say the war in Cemetery (on Fairfax Street) that, unlike Leesburg’s, Loudoun was “gruesome” and that “many a young man from North and South lost his life here. … Today holds the remains of veterans from both sides of the conflict. in Loudoun we live on truly hallowed ground.” They Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park, the site tell, for example, about the cavalry battles that raged of the 1861 battle, has walking paths and guided tours along today’s Rte. 50 at Aldie, Middleburg and (in season). It also includes a U.S. National Cemetery Upperville and involved 18,000 men, making it the with graves of remains of 54 Union soldiers killed in second largest cavalry battle ever in the Western the battle.

Hemisphere. They relate the “scorched earth” tactics Details about and directions to these attractions used by Union troops in 1864 in an effort to reduce the are available via the Internet.  Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

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Fall 2020

Morven Park: A Local Treasure

By Linda Hollis during World War I. Davis graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and Columbia University Law School and had a successful law practice in New York City. In 1892, he married Marguerite Inman, whose father owned a cotton brokerage. For the first 10 years of their marriage they were members of the Orange County, NY, Hunt Club, where they enjoyed fox hunting.

By 1903, Davis was able to retire and purchase Morven Park. He and his wife became active in the Virginia fox hunting community, where he was a founding member of the Loudoun Hunt and served as Master of Foxhounds. Today, the north wing of the Davis Mansion includes the Museum of Hounds and Hunting, where visitors can see a 20-minute film tracing the sport from colonial times.

Westmoreland Davis was also a student of scientific farming methods and used the property to test new methods of raising crops and breeding livestock. He started with dairy cows and also bred horses. He helped to found the Virginia State Dairymen’s Association in 1907, and he became president of the Virginia State Farmer’s Institute in 1909. He began lobbying the legislature for agricultural reform and helped to create state-owned fertilizer plants that The north wing of the mansion includes the enabled farmers to buy in bulk. In 1912, Davis bought original fieldstone house built on the site in 1781 by Wilson Cary Seldon, a prominent Alexandria lawyer. the Southern Planter, an agricultural monthly, which The property was purchased by Major Thomas Swann, he used as a strong voice for the progressive farm lobby in Virginia. He was elected governor of Virginia a judge in Alexandria, around 1800, and he built the in 1917 and served one term. center, two-story portion of the mansion in 1830. He Among his accomplishments were the introducnamed the property Morven Park after the home of his tion of an executive budget system, overhaul of the friend, the governor of New Jersey. state prison system and creation of the state highway Major Swann’s son, Thomas Swann Jr., began system. After leaving office in 1922, Davis continued extensive remodeling around 1850. The younger to publish Southern Planter and was president of the Swann used Morven Park as his summer home while Virginia State Farmer’s Institute in 1923-24 and serving as mayor of Baltimore, before becoming 1941-42. He was also a member of the Virginia governor of Maryland during the Civil War. During Polytechnic Institute’s Board of Visitors and president the war, Morven Park served as a camp for Confederate troops from the summer of 1861 to March 1862. of the Virginia State Fair Association.

In the 1930s, Davis began raising turkeys on Mosby’s Rangers visited the property and knocked the head off a stone eagle as a gesture of defiance against pasture in moveable range shelters, eventually having the Union. The eagle now sits between the coach house as many 20,000 turkeys. During those years, Morven Park was the largest supplier of turkeys in the United and the mansion.

After Governor Swann’s death, the property was States. Turkey Hill Farm, a two-acre site north of the Davis Mansion, includes a self-guided tour of the Farm owned by his daughter, Mary Mercer Swann Carter, and her husband. The final owner of the mansion was Hand House and other interpretive signs with more information on Davis’ agricultural practices.

Westmoreland Davis, who was governor of Virginia Many may know of Morven Park as the site of the Ladies’ Board of Inova Loudoun Hospital’s rummage sale, usually held in October at the Equestrian Center. The park is in Leesburg, about 12 miles west of Potomac Green. It has entrances on the east at Tutt Road off U.S. 15 North or on the south off Old Waterford Road in downtown Leesburg. This 1,000-acre estate is now open to the public to stroll its grounds and hike its trails. During normal times, the mansion and carriage museum are open for tours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

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Fall 2020

and the Winmill Carriage Museum was built to house and display the collection. Carriages include the miniature road coach designed for General Tom Thumb of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and the hearse carriage that carried the body of President Abraham Lincoln on its train journey from Union Station to his burial place Governor and Mrs. Davis on in Illinois. cover of his publication, Morven Park is also the Reflecting pool at Morven Park Southern Planter home to one of the best Before her death Mrs. Davis established a founhorse hospitals in the United States, the Marion dation to maintain Morven Park. The property was opened to the public in 1967, and from 1967 to 1991 DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center. Morven Park it was home to the Morven Park International Eques- operates the Center for Civic Impact in cooperation with the Loudoun County Public Schools. This trian Institute. Now operated as the Morven Park program teaches civic skills that prepare students to International Equestrian Center, the property continues to host horse trials, dressage, hunter and jumper become engaged citizens. This is a fitting legacy for shows and other events. The center now hosts “Polo Westmoreland Davis, the progressive gentleman in the Park.” Matches were held every Saturday farmer. During his later years, Southern Planter called evening during July and August in 2019. for the abolition of Virginia’s poll tax, which kept Warrenton resident Viola Winmill donated her poor people from voting. The tax was not abolished collection of 90 carriages to Morven Park in 1968, until the civil rights movement of the 1960s.  Governor Davis died in 1942 and is buried in a mausoleum near the 50-foot reflecting pool, which is surrounded by ancient magnolias. Nearby are boxwood gardens designed by Mrs. Davis, who died in 1963 and is also buried in the mausoleum.

More Artwork by Martha and Bob Kellstrand (Continued from page 7)

A quilt Martha made for Bob.

Top: Bob in garage workshop with lathe and chisels. Bottom: Bob’s bowls and pepper mills.

Bob’s sea urchin and birdhouse ornaments.

Martha shows the quilt on which she is currently working.

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Fall 2020

Woodworkers Busy in the Neighborhood

By Carol Stamm In the last issue we looked at ways our neighbors were spending time while stuck indoors. I have since heard of other neighbors with interesting hobbies and pastimes: men in Potomac Green who are expert woodworkers and have spent countless hours on their crafts.

Rosewood Manor resident Kal Buda has been working for eight or nine years on a wood model of a trumpeter swan. He does this in his garage and at a tool bench set up inside his house and has a dozen or so projects Kal Buda left has been going on at the same time. carving his trumpeter Howard Stang of Oak- swan for several years. mont Manor makes a vast assortment of colorful and creative pieces in his garage on Oakmont Manor. He has made walking sticks topped with animals like lions, giraffes and birds, many of which he has given away to friends and family. He has also created many wooden toys for children. He makes perpetual motion machines, pull toys, entertaining woodpeckers that run down a pole,

sand-powered toys and automated toys that move when a crank is turned. He has donated many toys to hospitals and shelters. Hospitals no longer accept these because of pandemic concerns, but homeless shelters do, and it gives Howard great pleasure to know that children other than his grandchildren can enjoy his creations.

Bob Kellstrand has been woodworking since 2004. (See his creations on pages 6 and 17.) The Del Webb community where he Howard Stang holds sev- lived in Texas had a large woodworking area and he eral of the walking sticks he has carved. was involved with their club.

Since moving here in 2015, he has set up his tools in his garage and is a member of the Catoctin Area Woodturners. He has made beautiful bowls, pepper mills, ornaments, chipmunk feeders and toys.

Perhaps you have seen these men at work when you are walking around the neighborhood. If you do, please compliment them on their beautiful work. 

THE WAY WE WERE Do you recognize the Potomac Green residents in this picture from days gone by? Learn their identity on Page 40.

Ernie, Patty McKervey’s dog who lives on Blueridge Meadows, enjoyed Octoberfest.

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Was in 1970s

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Fall 2020

A Fearless Foursome Goes on a Hunt

By Walt Duka The four Potomac Green friends were bored stiff. It was August, hot and humid, but they were determined to get out of the house and do something. So when Rosemary Dougherty suggested they form a team to compete in a scavenger hunt in Reston, the response was a hearty yes!

Over three days, the fearless foursome – Phyllis Appel, Sue Dignan, Camille Priola and Dougherty – braved the tropical weather and scurried by car and by foot from one end of Reston to another, touching base with the sites that the hunt’s rules required them to visit.

The rules required each team to find 30 specific sites in Reston and document each “find” with a photograph. In addition, 10 general items – things like a roadwork sign, an American flag and a fire truck –

From left, hunters Rosemary Dougherty, Camille Priola and Phyllis Appel at the Mercury Fountain.

could also be included. The Potomac Green team did it all and then some, amassing several dozen photos along the way.

Every day they took a lunch break to catch their breath and compare notes.

Four of the required sites the team visited are shown in photos here: A segment of the Berlin Wall that stands in front of the German liaison building on Sunset Valley Drive, a public sculpture called “Duck, Duck, Goose” at the Reston Lake House, the Mercury Fountain at the Reston Town Center, and a statue of Reston founder Robert E. Simon at Lake Anne Plaza.

“We didn’t win a prize, and we ended every day exhausted,” said Camille, “but we were invigorated and had a heck of a lot of fun. And afterwards the walls at home stopped closing in on us – at least for a while.” 

From left, Camile Priola and Sue Dignan at the Berlin Wall section; a trio of hunters at “Duck, Duck, Goose,” and Priola in the arms of Reston founder Robert E. Simon.

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Fall 2020

Want More TV Choice?

No Need to Dream, Just Stream

By Sandra O’Connell As cool weather arrives and darkness settles in at 5 p.m. rather than 8 p.m., we will all be looking for new sources of entertainment. Fortunately, the options on television have increased beyond standard cable and network shows.

When television arrived in homes in the early 1950s, viewers were captivated, even though the choices were limited to “The Milton Berle Show” and “Howdy Dowdy.” Turn on the TV tonight, flick past the network and cable channels to tune into programs offered by one of the 200+ streaming services. Since the covid-19 crisis and the shutdown of movie theaters, streaming services have seen a 40-50% increase in membership.

What is streaming? Streaming is technology that delivers digital content via the internet to your TV, computer or mobile device. The data are “streamed” in a continuous flow without your having to download a complete file; standard TV, on the other hand, is delivered via airways or cable. Streaming companies license television shows and movies from decades past and create their own programming.

Internet streaming services offer a wide range of entertainment, are lower in price than cable, and allow you to pay for only what you watch. They are not governed by the same FCC restrictions that apply to network and cable; be prepared for more sex, salty language, violence and gore in their programming.

With vast libraries of films, current and classic TV shows, streaming TV offers access to the vaults of media companies. Think back to being riveted by “The Twilight Zone,” laughing with “I Love Lucy,” or riding the trail with Ben Cartwright and his sons on “Bonanza.” To attract new audiences, the streaming channels are creating original content: “Little Fires Everywhere” is a limited series from Hulu, “Mozart in the Jungle” (four seasons) is from Amazon Prime Video, and “Marriage Story” is from Netflix. While it is tempting to describe streaming services as “an embarrassment of riches,” that adage has to be tempered – any number of truly terrible TV shows are now available as well. (Or were you a fan of “Gilligan’s Island”?) The result of all this selection is a

confusing array of channels and shows competing for our entertainment dollars that is accompanied by bewildering pricing. This article will guide you through the basic choices of where to spend your time and money.

Do I need a new TV? Not necessarily. As long as your TV has an HDMI port in the back (standard since 2005), you can purchase a plug-in streaming device for the internet connection.

Devices are available from Amazon, Google and Roku with prices ranging from $30 to $150. Access to webbased services is built into smart TVs; however, navigating between Fios, Xfinity or Comcast and streaming services can be tricky. To eliminate the fistful of remotes needed to switch between Fios, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, you can use a voice remote such as Amazon’s FireStick, Alexa (Jeff Bezos does not own this publication) or a device called Harmony from Logitech.

Privacy concerns. All the streaming platforms and smart TVs collect information about what you are watching and sell it to third parties. Your viewing habits become fodder for marketers who target shows and ads to your interests. You have ways to opt out, but all take work on your part as the privacy agreements are buried in the set-up directions. Consumer Reports published an article in January 2020 with links to turn off snooping features in Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Samsung and Sony. For advice on privacy in streaming services see “Cord-Cutter Confidential” by Jared Newman, online at TechHive.com.

Selecting a streaming service. How do you choose among the more than 200 services that are available? Match the content with your interests, the pricing, and extras such as the ability to group channels together, DVR options and regional sports networks. The two major streaming platforms are Netflix and Amazon Prime, each with more than 100 million subscribers. The services they offer are similar, but their content and pricing are different. The chart on page xx will help you to look for the best combination of content and price that matches your interests.

If you are already an Amazon Prime subscriber,

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the $119 annual fee includes access to a wealth of movies, television shows and Amazon’s new programs. Their collection of nearly 20,000 films covers every genre from comedy to war and everything in between. The Prime Video library of TV shows is smaller than Netflix’s or Hulu’s but covers some winners like “30 Rock,” “Victoria,” “Monk” and “House.” Your Amazon Prime account is also an easy way to add and cancel monthly subscriptions of other services such as Acorn, Disney+ or Starz.

Netflix is the older streaming company and has the library to show for it. Shows worthy of binge-watching include “Twin Peaks,” “The West Wing,” and “Parks & Recreation.” Netflix began a long run of Emmy-winning original shows with “House of Cards” in 2013; they and HBO dominate Emmy nominations each season. When you tire of watching old favorites from the 4,600 films in their library, sample one of the more than 370 new TV shows and movies Netflix released in 2019. As the rights to shows run out, you may find that a program is no longer available. For example, with the launch of Disney+, Netflix lost the rights to many Disney films.

Some Netflix programs are available only by renting the DVD. Hulu has the fewest subscribers but the biggest library of old TV shows; look for your favorites from any decade. Hulu has snagged the rights to 15 seasons of “E.R.,” nine seasons of “Seinfeld” and all 12 seasons of the ground-breaking “NYPD Blue.” Hulu has won awards for its original series, “The Handmaid’s Tale.” For sports fans, the Hulu+LiveTV subscription has live sports broadcasts, subject to blackouts and regional network availability.

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Pricing. The 200+ services have fashioned a bewildering set of pricing options. Base pricing starts at $5-$10 a month; add-ons could raise costs to $50 or more. The pricing structure varies, making direct comparisons difficult. Channels are bundled with other services, Netflix charges more for viewing in HD, Netflix is ad-free while portions of Prime Video and Hulu are not. Some shows on Amazon are free with ads; on Hulu you pay a premium to be free of ads. Not all the films on Amazon are free, but you can rent or buy movies and TV episodes not included with Prime Video. Fortunately, most services offer a trial period, ranging from seven to 30 days to allow you to check out their catalog or watch a particular show.

The services are monthly; you can cancel at any time. Be sure to write down the date to cancel the trial or membership; otherwise the charges will go on autopilot every month.

How to find a program. With thousands of programs just waiting for you to press a button, how do you avoid wasting half the evening searching for something to watch? The easiest way is to use the voice remote that comes with most streaming devices.

The search feature lets you find movies and shows by title, actor, director or genre. After you have watched a few films, Netflix is not shy about making suggestions.

Many shows can be found on more than one service, sometimes at different prices or with ads. Curtail your search time with one of these apps: Finder.com, ReelGood.com, Season EpisodeWatch.com or JustWatch.com.

For fun, start with a few of the shows recommended by this magazine’s writers and editors on page 39. 

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Fall 2020

Potomac Green’s Classic Cars Uncovered

By Roger Majak Having shaped everything from our social lives to the quality of the air we breathe, the automobile is surely the preeminent cultural icon of our times. Most of us have welcomed and invested in the latest automotive technologies. A few of us, however, have also held on to cars from our early lives and the memories associated with them. We don’t often see these antiques, defined in Virginia as any car over 25 years old. They tend to be hidden away behind garage doors and under protective dust covers. Some Potomac Green residents allowed their prized automotive possessions to be photographed so the rest of us can join in admiring them.

Kathy Malling and her late husband bought their 1968 Triumph 250 new. Only about 8,000 of these roadsters were built for the American market, and fewer than 600 are believed to have survived. On one of their first long trips, a New York state trooper bestowed a speeding ticket on them – a reminder of one of the hazards of driving a zippy sports car. Years later, when it needed renovation, the first restorer was stymied by the British parts. A second restorer put it in its current pristine condition. Raising and lowering the convertible top is a tricky, two-person job. So the top stays down and the car is taken out only in fair weather. Kathy reports it draws constant smiles and “thumbs up” from pedestrians and other drivers when she takes it for a spin.

Kathy Malling calls her vintage Triumph (left) “Queen Victoria” – with racing stripes in place of a shawl. Forget built-in video screens (right). A dashboard cell phone holder brings Kathy’s Triumph digitally up to date.

Gus Harney had his Mustang Mach 1 custom made in 1973. Along with serving as the family car, it was occasionally used in Gus’s law enforcement work as a decoy to attract (or distract) drug dealers on the streets of New York City. It has survived in pristine original condition with more than 200,000 miles on the odometer. A two-car garage to protect it was essential when they moved to their Potomac Green villa home in 2011. He and his wife, Gloria, have used it for trips to Florida, but they “You won't find another Mustang don’t drive it much like it anywhere,” Gus Harney says confidently. anymore.

Wally and Ruth St. Laurent’s 1974 Dodge Charger is still a “work in progress.” Wally got it from a cousin – the original owner. Their daughter used it in college and replaced the original engine with a HEMI. Their fondest memory associated with the car is driving it to a muscle car owners’ gathering in Davie, FL, where they collected tips on how to restore it. “Wally just enjoys working Wally St. Laurent’s “work in proon it,” Ruth says, gress” Charger was originally “which is easier teal green with a black vinyl top. than newer cars because of the generous space in the engine compartment.” It can be temperamental if not started almost every day. The rest of their family and friends, she adds, “either love it or hate it.”

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Andy and Dacy Bellingham’s 1959 Porsche 356A Convertible D, a roadster popular with racers, is the fourth Porsche they’ve owned. Their first was a ’64 356C coupe that was the family car with their young son comfortably and safely strapped in an infant seat.

They bought “The D” in 1982 from the original owner who had brought it back from Germany. In the ’90’s Andy replaced the original engine with a modified ’64 C engine. The Convertible D had a short production run of fewer than 1,150, making the Bellinghams’ car a rare survivor. They have enjoyed driving it to gatherings of classic Porsche owners around the country.

Fall 2020

The memories that Maureen Page associates with her 1975 Datsun 280Z include her mother buying it for her father for their 25th wedding anniversary, driving it back and forth from her home in Philadelphia to Hampton Roads, VA, while she was in college, and partaking in the Philadephia “dating scene” with it in the 1980s. It’s a five-speed version that has had some restoration and has gone from silver to burgundy to black in its lifetime. Although it has a mere 76,000 miles on the odometer, Maureen drives it mainly within Potomac Green and no farther than Leesburg. So far, the nearest mechanic she’s found to keep it running is in Manassas. A chapter of the Z-car Club of local Z owners meets periodically in Tyson’s Corner (and online), but Maureen has yet to become a member. 

    At 6’ 6”, Andy Bellingham towers over his classic Porsche roadster. But there’s plenty of head room with the top down.    Ted and Angela Kavoukas may have the best classic car arrangement of all. Their son, Dametri, who   visits them frequently at their home on Adams Mill  Place, drives a 1970 Dodge Charger that he bought used and had renovated. They can enjoy looking at its   gleaming black body, listening to the hum of its  muscular engine, and taking a ride whenever they  wish – all without any of the costs and responsibilities of maintaining or storing it.

Lack of a passenger-side mirror and back-up camera make Maureen Page’s and other classic cars challenging to drive for owners used to the latest safety features.

           

  

“It’s just a car. Enjoy the ride, but don’t drive like MY brother.”

Tom Magliazzi (1937 - 2014) PBS Car Talk, “Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers”

Dametri Kavoukas’s renovated Charger is driven frequently to work and wherever else he needs to go.

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Fall 2020

Travel the World from Your Easy Chair Thanks to a Website Developed by a Resident

By Carol Stamm How many of us have had to cancel our travel plans more. When I clicked on Natural Wonders, I discovered since the pandemic started? Or before then, how many of amazing caves, animals of the rain forest, the Great Barrier Reef and more. Some of the links took me to us have not been able to travel because of illness or an glorious photographs and breathtaking accident? Because these are the videos. scenarios we live with, Potomac Green When and if you can tear yourself resident Matt Kelahan has created an away from this section, go back to the amazing website, Freetogo.org, that Time to Travel page and click on enables you to visit places in the world Special & Unique. That was the spot you’ve wanted to visit and see places where my husband and I spent the that you had no idea existed. On my better part of an afternoon browsing and first foray through the website, I found exclaiming over the wonders we had no myself transfixed and called my idea existed. Many are links to husband in to see the incredible sites I YouTube videos and National was seeing.

Geographic videos, among others.

Before I get into the how-to’s, Back to the Time to Travel page, here’s just a little background. Matt has and this time click on Like You Are been around technology all his adult There. Now you have two choices: The life. He has worked for Cisco Systems, Matt Kelahan, virtual tour guide Sound Traveler, which offers an several other high-tech companies and immersive experience if you put on earphones, and opened two businesses of his own. Unfortunately, he Window Swap, which is a compilation of videos taken suffered a brain injury in 2002 that left him 100% disfrom the windows of people all over the world. You have abled. He continued to work in a different capacity for to see this to believe how fascinating Cisco, but his condition, coupled with the it is. From South Korea to Australia hospitalization and subsequent disability to Kansas, people from around the of his wife, was the motivation to create world have submitted their window Freetogo.org. views.

Matt wants people to travel the It is astounding to think that in world when they can’t. He says his site is a relatively short time Matt curated for people who can’t travel freely. He all this information into an easy-tobegan working on the project in February use and exciting experience. So much 2020 and, in a few months, has created a content and wonder are available at treasure trove of more than 241 links your fingertips if you just log on. from around the world, excluding the Matt’s hope is that we share Google Arts and Culture category. That this website far and wide, especially alone has a few thousand links. His Pick your destination. with anyone who can’t travel freely. website has been visited by people from Become a member so you can receive 183 cities more than 5 continents, 13 countries and 32 states. If you have a computer, tablet or his regular updates, and contact Matt directly though the website if you have any ideas for making the website smart phone, log on and follow along. It is incredibly more successful. simple.

Matt’s intent was to serve folks who are homeLog on to Freetogo.org. You will find yourself on the home page with a short introduction and an invitation bound. He wants you to get to know the world better.

Although this started out for those who were too infirm (as a teaser) to explore Machu Pichu.

Next, click the box on the top right that says Travel to leave home, the current situation in the world has Now. Immediately, 15 buttons appear on a page labeled made us all candidates for the marvel of Matt’s website.

We may be the unintended beneficiaries, but not the Time to Travel, offering virtual visits to cities, natural wonders, zoos and aquariums, arts and culture and much unappreciative.  Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

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Page 25

POET’S CORNER . . .

Fall 2020

SHELTERING IN PLACE

Try our Anagram Challenge

By Janice Walker

By Anna Graham, Special Correspondent

I’m counting the advantages of sheltering in place: First, I haven’t needed to fix up my face.

Since I’m always wearing a mask, I’m saved from the makeup-applying task.

I won’t need to buy lipstick for a while, Since no one can tell when I give them a smile.

When I’m out walking and there’s someone I see, I think I know them and I think they know me.

But just to be sure, everyone smiles and waves.

It’s just so nice to be out of our caves!

I haven’t been to a store except to buy food.

When it comes to shopping, I’m just not in the mood.

Since I don’t go places, I don’t need new clothes.

Are styles changing? Who the heck knows?

While I miss in-person communicating, The savings I’m reaping are accumulating.

I don’t need to buy much gasoline.

Instead I’m consuming lots more caffeine.

Are we in this together when we’re really apart?

Boredom and loneliness are breaking my heart.

Will a new normal ever occur?

Will we ever be what we once were?

We’re experimenting with a new feature in the magazine this issue – an anagram contest. The challenge is to make as many words as possible from the following letters: GBERDULI Rules:  Words must have at least four letters and must be in the online Dictionary.com.  Every word must contain the letter R.  Letters may be used multiple times in a word.  Foreign words, proper nouns and plurals do not count.  You are also invited to identify a word that uses all of the letters to create a word that is familiar to Potomac Green residents.  Members of this magazine’s staff and their family members are ineligible.  Only one entry per resident.  Entries must be submitted no later than noon on Friday, Jan. 31, to Anna.Graham.PG@gmail.com. Put “anagram” in the subject line. 

The future is scary; it’s just not clear.

Some day in the future will a new normal appear?

Till then I’ll wipe the tears from my face.

I’ll be a good girl and shelter in place.

Ernie wears his mask while he shelters in place on Blueridge Meadows Drive.

DEAR ME! Walt and Sue Duka thought this young visitor was very cute until they discovered he had gobbled down two potted autumn floral arrangements they had bought just the day before. He's been told not to return.

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Page 26

Fall 2020

Community Service Awards Community Service awards were recently presented to 17 residents.

Idith Schultz has been a voting member of the Social Committee since 2014 and serves as vice president. She has planned trips to the White House, a U.S. Navy concert, the Kennedy Center and others.

Joye Durant has served on the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Grounds and Landscape committees since 2015.

Arlene Novello has served on the Social Committee since 2012 and planned Cinco de Mayo, Thanksgiving and potluck parties.

Lucy Paone has served as secretary and voting member of the Social Committee since 2015.

Sue Dignan has been the Social Committee’s lead officer since 2015 and a voting member since 2014 and serves on an ad-hoc committee.

Camile Priola has been a member of the Social Committee since 2013 and has served as treasurer for the last four years.

Jill Weiner has served on the Modifications Committee since 2012 and as chair since 2015.

Nancy Weinstein was a member of the Modifications Committee from 2013 to 2020 and was secretary for five years. She helped to develop and release community guidelines in 2013.

Diane Martin has been vice chair and chair of the Modifications Committee since 2015 and was a member of the Pool Committee.

Noel Bannerton has served on the Modifications Committee since 2015.

Jo Anne Shackelford has been a member of the Modifications Committee since 2010 and served as secretary for several years. She has been an active member in developing community guidelines.

Joanne Stoskus has been a member of the Modifications Committee since 2016 and has also served on the Elections Committee since 2014 as secretary and for the past six years as the committee chair.

Lew Townsend has been a member of the Finance Committee since 2015, Grounds and Landscape Committee from 2011 to 2014, member and chair of the Infrastructure Committee from 2018 to 2020, and is a former board member who served on several ad-hoc committees.

Kathleen Butler has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2014 and served as chair of the old Pool and the Facilities Committees.

Marianne Baker has been a member of the Grounds and Landscape Committee for four years and supports other activities.

Don Herr joined the Grounds and Landscape Committee in 2013 and has served as committee chair since 2017. He is an active member of the ad-hoc tree management committee.

Jim O’Neill has been a member of Board of Directors from 2014 to 2020 and served as vice president for four years. He chaired the Grounds and Landscape Committee and served as the board liaison to that committee. 

Adarsh Kumar (left) and Murthi Guntakatta (far right) presented Community Service Awards to Joann Stoskus, Lew Townsend, JoAnne Shackleford, Jill Weiner, Nancy Weinstein and Noel Bannerton.

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Fall 2020

Community Service Awards

Joye Durant and Idith Schultz (front) were presented Community Service awards on Aug. 26 by board members Susan Clatchey, Barbara Fitzsimmons and Adarsh Kumar.

Arlene Novello (center) was presented a Community Service award by Barbara Fitzsimmons and Adarsh Kumar.

Sue Dignan, Lucy Paone and Camile Priola (front) were presented Community Service awards on Aug. 26 by board members Susan Clatchey, Adarsh Kumar and Jim O’Neill.

Diane Martin is presented her Community Service Award by Adarsh Kumar.

Volunteer

Don Herr, Jim O’Neill and Marianne Baker were presented Community Service awards by board members Barbara Fitzsimmons, Adarsh Kumar and Murthi Guntakata. Not pictured: Kathleen Butler.

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Fall 2020

BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS Oct. 12, 2020 neighborhood assessments, and an increase The Board of Directors held its quarterly of $1.75 in the single family/villa meeting on Oct. 12, using the Zoom online meeting neighborhood fee. platform. Approximately 80 residents were in attendance. The board took action on several items.  Approved the expenditure of $24,438 from  Presented Community Service Awards to reserves for asphalt repairs as proposed by Marianne Baker, Don Herr and Robert Wolf PCM Services. in recognition of their outstanding service to  Approved the revised reopening plan for the the community.

Community Center dated Oct. 7, 2020, with  Approved items on the consent agenda. penalties for late arrivals and no shows.  Revised minutes of the July 2, 2020,  Directed management to solicit proposals special meeting – reopening the for replacing the roof at the Community Community Center.

Center.  Minutes of the July 13, 2020, regular  Approved an increase in the allowance for meeting. concrete repairs from $40,000 to $50,000.  Approved the minutes of the July 20,  Directed management to publish the 2020, special meeting – 2021 budget proposed design guideline revisions for requests. community comment for 21 days.  Approved the minutes of the Aug. 17,  Approved distribution of the lifestyle 2020, special meeting – irrigation program survey via Survey Monkey.  Approved the expenditure of $103,000 to service agreement.  Approved the minutes of the Aug. 25, paint the metal railings throughout the 2020, special meeting – 2021 budget community as proposed by Kolas Painting. work session.  Rejected the recommendations to modify  Approved the minutes of the Sept. 22, the community-wide standards.  Approved the snow removal agreement and 2020, special meeting – rejuvenation snow removal objectives for the 2020-21 items.  Accepted the 2019 audit report. snow season.  Affirmed actions taken by unanimous  Denied a request for reimbursement from a consent to appoint inspectors for the 2020 homeowner. board election by selecting the election Minutes of all meetings are available on the inspectors as the Election Committee Potomac Green website, members. (www.ourpotomacgreen.net), in the Document  Agreed to schedule a working session with Library\Meeting Minutes. the Communications Committee to discuss the next steps with the results of the Sincerely, communication survey.  Approved the 2021 budget as drafted, with The PGCA Board of Directors no increase in the general and condo

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Fall 2020

FINANCIAL REPORT As of Sept. 30 , 2020, the association held $4,146,710 in repair and replacement reserves, $685,105 in contingency reserves, $403,100 in capital funds and $1,056,618 in operating funds. These funds are held in money market accounts or invested in certificates of deposit and have earned $95,972 in interest.

Through this period the association had a total income of $3,409,075, which was $41,299 lower than budgeted. Total expenses were $3,074,489, which was $451,343 less than budgeted. The variance is largely due to lower than budgeted expenses for snow removal and payroll exspense. Year to date, there is a net income of $415,586

At the end of September, overdue assessments totaled $16,751. This is $983 higher than the previous month. Currently 15 accounts have balances more than 90 days past due. One of these accounts represents $2,964 of the total balance and is in collections. The current delinquency rate is 0.38% when compared to the annual budgeted income of $4,446,066 and is well below the community association industry acceptable rate of 5%.

Financial reports are available on the community website in the document library under financial reports or upon request at the management office. 

Committee Report Highlights Full reports begin on p. 30 Finance, p. 30 Implemented budget planning process that included community involvement and committee input.

Significant adjustments were made to the proposed 2021 budget due to the covid-19 crisis.

Funding is continued for the amenity attendants for the gym and pool facilities.

Proposed an increase of $1.75 for single family and villa units with no increase for condo units.

Communications, p. 30 Administered and analyzed resident survey on communications.

After website evaluation with the current vendor, proposed changing to a new vendor with pilot project underway.

Developed survey to help create a job description for new lifestyle program.

Infrastructure, p. 31 Made recommendations to the budget process for improvements in the Community Center.

Reviewed community sidewalks and roadways and selected a new vendor to eliminate trip hazards.

Contacted Loudoun County sheriff’s deputies for possible action to manage speeding drivers in the community.

Grounds and Landscape, p. 31 Tree inventory and assessment has been completed, and Donovan Tree Co. is cleaning and crowning trees.

Installation of wells 4 and 5 is underway to assist in managing irrigation needs in the community.

New irrigation contractor, K.T. Irrigation has completed the winterization of the irrigation systems.

Modifications, p. 32 Developed new Design Guidelines based on current legal requirements and applications submitted to the committee.

Amendments will need to be approved by twothirds of the dwelling units in the community.

Evaluated poor drainage issues and storm drain easement areas resulting in recommendations on new plantings.

Ad Hoc Contract Management Committee, p. 33 Developed a Request for Proposal for Potomac Green management services.

Met with potential bidders; proposals are to be submitted by Nov. 16.

Will conduct interviews in December and make recommendation to the board by the end of 2020. 

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Page 30

Fall 2020

COMMITTEE REPORTS FINANCE COMMITTEE

By Bruce Kronman, Chair The Finance Committee meets monthly to review financial reports and monitor association spending.

Members are Bruce Kronman, chair; Bob Wolf, vice chair; Mike Blivess, Mike Glaser, Lee Killen, Laura Legler, John McElderry, Lew Townsend and Mike Whitehouse.

For July through September, the primary focus of the Finance Committee was supporting the development of the 2021 Potomac Green Community Association budget. The committee implemented a planning process that emphasized community involvement and transparency. Committee requests, management requests for funding, Board of Director approvals for funding and multiple drafts of the budget were posted on the Potomac Green website: Document Library > Annual Budget > 2021 Budget.

The proposed 2021 budget was posted for community review Sept. 15 and was presented at a meeting Sept. 22. The budget plans a $28,106 reduction in spending versus the 2020 budget. Assessments will increase $1.75 for single family and villa units, with no increase for condo units. Significant adjustments were made to the budget in response to the covid-19 crisis. The budget plans continued funding of the amenity attendants hired to allow use of the gym and pool facilities during the pandemic period. Although nobody knows the exact timeframe in which Community Center social activity will return to normal, the hiring of a new lifestyle director and full implementation of the lifestyle program at pre-covid levels are funded for approximately half of next year.

In other actions, the committee:  Developed and referred to the board a proposal to modify the purchasing policy to require notice to community members and a meeting for community input, before a board vote for any large (> $40k) new capital spending project that is not an emergency repair and not included in the approved budget. The board returned the proposal to the committee, requesting that it incorporate the proposal in a broader review and revision of the purchasing policy. This broader review is scheduled for fall 2020 and winter 2021.  Recommended the 2019 audit report for board approval, and the board accepted it after some revisions.  Recommended funding sources for major

projects, including $24,635 for updating satellite landscaping, $57,954 for updating plantings behind the Community Center, $44,750 for drainage repair and $109,500 for the street tree program, all in 2020.  Recommended funding sources for minor projects, including air testing for the Community Center after the rejuvenation construction and conversion of kitchen lights to LED. The Finance Committee meets at 3:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month. All community members are invited to attend. 

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

By Brenda Waller, Chair, and Linda Hollis Since our last report in the Summer issue, the Communications Committee has administered and analyzed a survey of residents for their opinions on communications from the Potomac Green Community Association. The survey ran from Aug. 3 until Sept. 8.

There were 516 responses submitted, and 80% of respondents said they thought the current level of communications was either good or excellent. A more detailed summary of the survey responses, including the committee’s recommendations, is included in this issue on page 10.

For the website evaluation project, committee staff (Gerry Markowitz and Art Day) met with the current website vendor twice in September. Based on those meetings, the recommendation to the board is to change to another website vendor, HOASites, and the board approved this change at its Oct. 12 meeting. Committee staff will now proceed with a pilot project using the new vendor this fall and winter.

The board has asked the committee to collect requirements/desires of residents and committees for the support they would like to see from a lifestyle program.

The committee drafted a survey for residents that was approved at the board’s Oct. 12 meeting. A link to Survey Monkey was sent to all residents in the Oct. 14 Happenings. Lifestyle project staff (Mary Steiner and Linda Hollis) have also conducted interviews with 11 committees, clubs and groups. Interview findings have been summarized and will be reported to the committee at its next meeting. Along with the results of future interviews with PGCA board members to be conducted by Mary and Linda, this information will be provided for input to the board’s planning for a new lifestyle program. 

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Fall 2020

COMMITTEE REPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE

By Maureen Draganchuk, Chair The Infrastructure Committee was formed from the Facilities and Transportation Committees and is responsible for the Community Center complex (including indoor and outdoor recreational areas), streets and sidewalks (including streetlights), storm drainage systems, gatehouse and related systems and technology systems.

The committee submitted several items for the 2021 budget process: LED light upgrades for the kitchen and Community Center exterior, touchless bottle fillers for all water fountains, easy access touchless door entry for restrooms, hand sanitizer stations for Community Center rooms, kitchen ceiling fan, ballroom folding easy-access door, and ADAheight toilets for the restrooms. LED lights for the kitchen and hand sanitizer stations were installed under the 2020 budget and the exterior Community Center lights are scheduled for 2021. No other requests were approved.

The committee reviewed community sidewalks and roadways for repairs and selected a new vendor to eliminate the sidewalk trip hazards at half the cost of replacing the slabs. We were pleased with the initial Phase 1 grinding process and will move to Phase 2 for the remainder of the sidewalks. We have also recommended board approval for additional work in the gazebo area to eliminate hazards due to receding pavers. The remaining areas that cannot be addressed via the grinding process will be addressed by a second vendor in conjunction with sidewalk replacement work for the condo area.

Loudoun County completed storm drain repairs that were scheduled for 2020 and will evaluate the community again in 2021.

We received bids from three asphalt vendors for roadway crack-fill, and work was due to begin in October. Due to timing constraints, work for the “special pattern” crosswalks on Western Gailes has moved to 2021.

Air quality tests for the Community Center, including the pool area, will be conducted upon

completion of the rejuvenation work. Current air filters will be replaced prior to the test to obtain adequate data. We hope that no further actions will be required.

Speeding drivers through the community continues to be an issue with 38% exceeding the 25 m.p.h. speed limit. We have contacted Loudoun County sheriff’s deputies for possible action. 

GROUNDS AND LANDSCAPE COMMITTEE

By Don Herr, Chair Fall is a busy time for landscaping at Potomac Green. Our landscape contractor has completed aerating, fertilizing, topdressing and overseeding our lawns and has scheduled cultivating and touching up mulch beds. Trimming of shrubs and trees should be completed.

The 14 satellite beds in common areas and at the side and rear of the Community Center have been refurbished. The tree inventory and assessment has been completed, and Donegan Tree Co. is cleaning and crowning trees.

Installation of wells 4 and 5 is underway after getting authorization from the Loudoun County Health Department. We are also working with Loudoun County and the state’s forestry departments for advice on how to enhance, repair and improve our storm management areas and our wetlands. The summer annuals have been removed and fall pansies have been installed at the Community Center, Western Gailes and the condos.

The new irrigation contractor, K.T. Irrigation, has completed the winterization of the irrigation systems for the common areas, single homes, villas and the condos. If your system has not been winterized, you can contact K.T. Irrigation at 703-479-2638.

The Grounds and Landscape Committee meets the first Thursday of every month at 10 a.m. All residents are welcome to attend. The agenda and meeting minutes are posted on the Potomac Green website. 

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Page 32

Fall 2020

COMMITTEE REPORTS Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Eastern time.

At its last meeting, the committee presented two

By Jill Weiner, Chair recommended changes in the Community Wide Standard to the board. (The Community Wide Standard was Decisions on homeowners’ applications for approved by the board and is used by the managing agent modifications are based on the community’s Design to conduct inspections of homes for compliance.)

Guidelines. The attorneys for Potomac Green  Roof pipes, vents and boots may be black or match recommended in January that the guidelines be revised the color of the roof. because of a decision by the Virginia Supreme Court in  In cases of imitation dormers that cannot be Sainani v. Belmont Glen HOA. reached through the home (which were constructed The subcommittee formed to carry out this on top of the roof), the resident will not be cited if assignment first looked at the areas identified by the the seal in the dormer window was broken and the attorneys as conflicting with the Declaration of window became discolored.

Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions for Potomac Both changes were rejected by the board at its Oct. Green. The Declaration document was written by the 12 meeting.

This means that the standard for roof pipes, community developer and contains the overriding rules for vents and boots will remain the same: they must be the community and has been amended. A member of the Board of Directors informed us that amendments must be painted black. Any windows that become cloudy must be approved by two-thirds of the 1,363 dwelling units in the replaced even if those windows are in locations that are inaccessible from inside the home. community (500 single family, 538 villa and 325 condo Another area of concern that has developed is units). pooling of water due to poor drainage. To alleviate The subcommittee tried to clarify and simplify the drainage issues, no planting is allowed in the storm drain modification process by changing the Design Guidelines easement areas. Drainage easements are necessary to based on applications and situations that have occurred control water runoff and prevent flooding in a since the previous revision of the document. The revised document was approved by the Modifications Committee neighborhood. To evaluate the status of drainage areas in the community, I walked all of the streets and found and presented to the board. It was then sent to the situations where plantings that were not infringing on the attorneys for review and has been returned.

The subcommittee has put a tremendous amount of storm drain easement areas at the time of planting are probably within the easement areas now. time and effort into this project. It revised guidelines to Based on my observations and the information I deal with new projects for which residents have applied have been able to gather, I have several recommendations and numerous other situations that have come up as the community ages. It has become apparent that the builders for the Modifications Committee when evaluating new plantings: did not always use superior materials and construction  It is important to consider the types and number of techniques when building the homes, which has caused plantings. problems. We believe the new Design Guidelines address  The mature size of the plantings must be known. the majority of these and will be beneficial to the  The amount of space between residents’ homes community. may be a factor.

An example of an issue that has developed as the  The width of the planting area and the ground slope community has gotten older is fogging of windows. The should control the size of the plantings. windows were manufactured by a company called MI  When planting is requested on the outer side of the Windows and have a 20-year warranty against fogging retaining walls but within property lines, there must caused by a break in the seal. The company will send be a comparison of the location of the drainage replacement windows, and the homeowner pays shipping pipes in the wall with the proposed location of the costs and is responsible for putting the windows in place. plantings to ensure that the pipes and drainage This is fairly simple to do if the windows are accessible outlets are not blocked. Slow-growing trees without from the inside. The window can be slid out of the track aggressive roots are recommended for these and the new one inserted. However, in the case of a locations. Larger trees that tend to grow dormer that is not accessible from inside the home, the aggressively may damage the retaining wall. dormer will have to be deconstructed from the outside to  Each site should be physically inspected prior to install the new window, at the cost to the homeowner. approval.

Homeowners can contact MI at 717-365-2500 Monday-

MODIFICATIONS COMMITTEE

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Page 33

COMMITTEE REPORTS (Modifications Committee continued)

There have been several recent requests for removal of trees. The committee was informed that the tree closest to the sidewalk is considered the street tree. Requests for removal or replacement of street trees are handled by the Grounds and Landscaping Committee. Applications for the addition or removal of other trees should be directed to the Modifications Committee.

Residents with pending applications are encouraged to attend the Zoom meeting at which their application will be discussed. All residents are welcome to attend the Zoom meetings to better understand the application process. 

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

By Alice Wolf, Chair The Ad Hoc Contract Management Committee – Alice Wolf, Bob Chirles, John McElderry, Jim O’Neill and Susan Clatchey – has completed and scheduled several actions.  Reviewed the responsibilities of the current managing agent.  Identified possible changes to the responsibilities of the managing agent.  Analyzed and weighed the criteria to be used when choosing a managing agent.  Wrote a request for proposals for Potomac Green management services.  Identified potential bidders: CAMP, Cardinal, Community Management, FSR and Gates Hudson.  Sent the RFP to potential bidders on Oct. 5.  Arranged for bidder visits to Potomac Green on Oct. 19 at 10 a.m. (in person).  Receive submissions by Nov. 16.  Check references of companies via telephone or site visit.  Review proposals on Nov. 30 (virtual).  Recommend three companies to interview.  Invite finalists for interviews. The questions document will be sent with the invitation.

Answers to the questions are to be sent to the committee before face-to-face meetings.  Full-day of interviews with companies on Dec. 14. Times to be assigned.  Make recommendation to the board before the end of 2020. 

Fall 2020

SUNSHINE GROUP

By Mary Steiner The primary mission of the Potomac Green Sunshine Group is to provide residents with a “bit of sunshine” in the form of temporary assistance when they may need it due to illness, surgery, injury or bereavement. We bring meals, provide transportation to medical appointments, walk dogs, and provide cat care for brief periods of time.

If you or someone you know has a need for assistance from the group, please contact one of the team leads below. All service is complimentary; no compensation is given or implied. Please be assured your privacy will be maintained. Personal information is shared only with those those helping you.

Contacts for assistance are:  Meals – Contact Sharon Stanish at 703-346-1306 or sss8012@verizon.net  Dog Care – Contact Vicki Terry at 304-279-0963 or onalarkpetcare@gmail.com  Cat Care – Contact Teri Larriva at 703-724-0283 or tmlarriva@aol.com  Transportation – Contact Mary Steiner at 202-251-0883 or msmarysteiner@gmail.com If you are uncertain whom to contact or have a general inquiry, please contact Mary Steiner, Sunshine Group Coordinator, at 202-251-0883 or msmarysteiner@gmail.com.

The Sunshine Group has been able to provide assistance for many years due to the commitment of our resident volunteers. If you would like to join the Sunshine Group’s volunteer pool, please contact the team lead (listed above) for the area in which you would like to help out.

Many thanks to those who have volunteered over the last few months, including Sue Benning, Mary Callander and Marcia Martin for transportation and Teri Larriva for cat care. Due to covid-19, only five rides were provided to medical appointments during the July-September timeframe. Email committees at the following addresses: communications@ourpotomacgreen.net finance@ourpotomacgreen.net grounds@ourpotomacgreen.net infrastructure@ourpotomacgreen.net modifications@ourpotomacgreen.net social@ourpotomacgreen.net

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Potomac Green TODAY

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Fall 2020

Community Center AV System Gets Much-Needed Upgrade

By Gerry Markowitz choose to input from cable TV, a DVD player, or their The Infrastructure Committee issued a Request for Proposal in 2019 to obtain quotes for upgrading the own device. The overhead speakers are automatically controlled based on the position of the moveable wall Community Center’s audiovisual environment. The panels. project included equipment, design, delivery, The AV room will always remain locked. To installation, and configuration of hardware, wiring, accommodate user access to devices, a glass cabinet software, training and maintenance and support.

Meetings were held with Potomac Green management next to the AV room door holds the DVD player for staff, interested residents and regular users of our AV the overhead projector. In the drawer below the DVD player are three wireless microphones components to develop the RFP. The and one lavalier microphone. The key to committee finalized the RFP and sent it access the cabinet can be obtained from to several local companies. Four the front desk receptionist. Control for companies visited the Community all devices is from the touch panels Center, and three responded to the RFP. described above.

The committee selected Diversified For board meetings, members will Audiovisual of Sterling, and the Board continue to use cordless microphones of Directors approved the purchase in (also in the cabinet). The ceiling early 2020. speakers have been adjusted to The covid-19 pandemic prevented eliminate feedback. If the meeting uses in-person meetings beginning in March.

Zoom, anyone speaking from a remote When the board tried to have a remote location will be heard through the meeting, it was clear that our remote The glass enclosed cabinet conference capabilities were (shown opened) next to the AV ceiling speakers; those speaking locally room door that holds the DVD using the microphones will be heard inadequate. Although this issue was player for the overhead projecclearly by the remote attendees. not included in the original RFP, tor and all microphones.

Committees can take advantage of Diversified was asked to include a these same capabilities, based on room availability. commercially viable conferencing capability that Called numbers for Bingo will be visible from would support and control more than 200 attendees, anywhere in the ballroom, and attendees will be able to including people in the ballroom and those remotely connected. The board approved additional funding for hear the calls clearly. The new connectivity will display the main screen simultaneously on the two flataudio teleconferencing equipment. The new audio control system, speakers, amplifiers and cabling were screen TVs on mobile carts, which can be placed strategically in the rooms and operate without installed in June. The equipment included significant interruption. upgraded capabilities without having to redesign and For exercise classes, the Abingdon Room has a purchase replacement equipment for years to come. mobile, flat-screen TV cart with a DVD player, Each side section of the ballroom has a touch soundbar and multiple connection interfaces that can panel in the back wall to control the AV. A presenter in the Ashburn Room can select overhead speakers and accommodate a variety of devices.

The FirstService Residential staff has been either a handheld or lavalier microphone. If a presenter trained on the use of the touch panels and will be able wants to show a video or PowerPoint from a laptop, smartphone or tablet, two enhanced mobile flatscreen to assist residents as needed. If you intend to use the AV components, especially during a weekend or TV carts hold a DVD player and multiple connection interfaces for a variety of devices. Each TV also has a evening, you should ask the front desk to set up your AV in advance and make sure you get the key to the soundbar. equipment cabinet. You can get a form at the reception In the center section of the ballroom, which has desk to detail your AV and room setup needs.  an overhead projector and screen, the presenter can Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

Potomac Green TODAY

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Fall 2020

Five Years Ago – Fall 2015

Reagan, Townsend and Krumenacker Elected to Board in 2015

By Tom Bowers In the 2015 election for Potomac Green’s Board of Directors, homeowners re-elected Marty Reagan; returned a former member, Lew Townsend; and added a newcomer, Bill Krumenacker. Stu Millen, chair of the Election Committee, said that 631, or 55% of households cast ballots, compared to turnouts of 61% and 56% in the two previous elections.

Reports from the Board of Directors and committees included several items.  The Transportation Committee announced that it had installed a new radar speed sign and pleaded with residents to observe posted speed limits.  The sheriff’s office would begin traffic enforcement in Potomac Green.  The board approved a not-to-exceed amount for replacing tables and chairs in the card room.  The board approved the construction of a small maintenance building.  The Compliance Committee reported that 97% of the issues it identified had been resolved.  The Facilities Committee said it had moved the library and computers to the second floor and that Direct TV had been installed in the fitness center.

Sandra O’Connell explained that Potomac Green is in the Dulles Airport flight path, which was no surprise to residents bothered by noise from low flying airplanes. She said the airport had handled 300,000 takeoffs and landings in 2014 and that just over seven million passengers were on those flights. Approximately two-thirds of them were on domestic flights.

Walt Duka profiled resident Mildred Porter and related her experiences as a congressional staff member and positions with the Joint Economic Committee, the International Trade Commission and Department of Commerce. Walt described Mildred’s home as a place that delighted the eye with many objects that she had brought back from her extensive international travel.

Linda Hollis described the many art treasures in another Potomac Green home – that of Toshi Lawton, who made porcelain dolls and painted porcelain and china dishes.

Darden Chambliss related the adventures that he and his wife had when they tried Giant’s Peapod shopping program. In a related story, Carol Stamm explained how the Blue Apron online service could deliver all the ingredients one needed to make three dinners for two people. Carol also wrote about how husband Bernie had installed a fireplace blower in their home.

Roger Majak reviewed several live bluegrass music venues in the Loudoun area, including Lucketts Community Center, Herndon Church, Bluegrass Barn Frying State Park,

and Leesburg Bluegrass Jam. Roger also reported that some 50 residents had taken up the relatively new sport of pickleball.

Another story reported that resident Charlotte Miller had won two swimming events in the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics and that Adarsh Kumar, Carol Stamm and Bernie Stamm had also won gold medals. Ed Barbara was hailed as the winner of Potomac Green’s blackjack tournament, and users of the fitness center were enjoying several new machines and Direct TV. Linda Hollis reported that One Loudoun’s management had announced plans for new restaurants: Matchbox, Redskins Grille, and an Italian restaurant. Other openings were to include Barnes and Noble, Great Gatherings, World of Beer, Pho Royal and Copperwood Tavern. (Several of those establishments have since bitten the dust.) Restaurant reviews included Il Fornado in Reston and D.C. Prime in Ashburn.

The fourth annual Grand Illumination raised more than $5,000.

The column about Potomac Green news five years ago (fall 2010) mentioned articles about Neil Arena, pets that had been rescued by residents, Pulte’s being granted approval to build 390 condos, and the results of a survey that revealed 75% of households expressed “excellent” or “very good” satisfaction with the community association. Residents expressed concern about parking, speed bumps and landscaping.

The Potomac Green Numbers table reported 1,205 occupied residences and 2,260 residents. The highest reported home sale price was $579,000 for a Wythe with loft model on Golden Ridge Drive.

To learn more about what was happening in Potomac Green five years ago, go to www.ourpotomacgreen.net and click on Document Library, select Potomac Green TODAY Magazine and choose 2015 and the fall issue. 

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Potomac Green TODAY

Page 36

Fall 2020

RESTAURANT REVIEWS What to make for dinner? Reservations!

Good Eats Emporium

Wicket Door Pub

45990 Waterview Plaza Sterling, VA 20166 571-389-8449 https://goodeatsemporium.com

44921 George Washington Blvd.

Ashburn, VA 20147 703-687-3876 wicketdoorpub.com

By Linda Hollis

By Mike Fitzsimmons

The Great American Restaurant chain opened a new restaurant across the parking lot from Sweetwater Tavern in Sterling on Oct. 1. The Good Eats Emporium is a casual eatery offering food from Stupid Good Barbecue, Taqueria Loca, Good Eats Burgers & Wings, and Best Buns. It offers indoor and outdoor seating, takeout is encouraged, and delivery is available.

A friend and I picked up dinner to go. I had a pulled chicken barbecue sandwich with potato salad and cole slaw as the sides. The sandwich was served on a fresh buttered bun and the chicken was tender and deliciously sauced. Other barbecue choices include pulled pork, chopped brisket, spareribs and sausage. Sides are cornbread, regular and sweet potato fries, and macaroni and cheese. Sauce choices include Memphis, Kansas City, South Carolina and Texas.

My friend Bill had the chicken quesadillas, which were very tasty. The Taqueria also offers nachos, tacos, fajitas and tostadas, with sides of Mexican street corn, charro and black beans, rice and guacamole.

We have not yet tried the Black Angus burgers, the fried chicken sandwich, or the wings, which may be prepared in classic style, smoked and grilled, or barbecued. The Emporium menus offer a variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages as well as appetizers, salads and desserts. Lunch and dinner are served from 11:30 a.m.

Best Buns serves hot breakfast sandwiches starting at 8 a.m. along with a variety of Starbucks beverages. Pastries, sweets and treats, including Ozzie rolls and dog biscuits, are available all day. 

New and amazing, this gem is close by and fun.

It has so many five-star reviews that you can’t not try this experience. Known for grinding their own 1/2 lb. burger meat, they make everything fresh except tater tots or fries and to die-for and baked-onsite cinnamon rolls for $4.

We tried the sweet corn and chicken bisque, house salad and Southwestern burger with roasted poblanos, avocado and tater tots. For dessert, we were truly filled to overflow mode with the warm cinnamon roll smothered in cream cheese icing. Specialties like shrimp and cheddar grits or Faroe Islands salmon filet in lemon dill sauce with grilled asparagus both are on our must-try-list next visit.

They have Sunday brunch, weekday breakfasts and a robust offering of adult beverages including martinis, ritas, wines and draft or bottled beer. You can dine inside or on the patio or order for takeout.

Prices were very affordable. Service was quick and friendly, and our server frequently checked our needs.

Happy hour is from 3 to 7 p.m. and dogs are welcome on the patio and have their own menu.

A wicket door is a door within a door and was used as a narrow entrance door alongside or within a castle or city gate. Below is the one you will see at the pub. 

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Potomac Green TODAY

Page 37

Fall 2020

INTERIOR DESIGN . . .

THE FOLDING SCREEN

By Yola Goldberg The folding screen, born in ancient China, was both utilitarian and for works of art. Partitions were painted in serious themes.

In Japan, the screen evolved into a multi-tasking wonder used for many purposes. When they reached Europe and America, their decorative applications became popular for the home.

Today, thanks to loft living and open floor plans, screens demonstrate their usefulness in many ways. New designs make them beautiful and functional room dividers, a filler for an awkward corner, a television cover or freestanding artwork.

The screen in photo No. 1 can soften a corner or be an airy room divider. The one in photo No. 2 is neutral and is embellished with nail heads while screen No. 3 1

2

3

lends itself to a game room. Screen No. 4, a laser-cut pattern, adds dimension and feels architectural. Screen No. 5 is by Niermann Weeks. It has an architectural feel and is reminiscent of mirrored doors found in Paris apartments. Screen No. 6 would be great for providing privacy for a guest bedroom that’s just a nook within a large living space.

Need a project? Pick up panels (Home Depot) carved on the bottom with louvers on top and replace the louvers with shirred fabric on rods. You can also apply batting on plain panels with fabric on top, and trim with nail heads. You can also buy radiator metal panels for screens without louvers on, held in place by small trim molding.   Attach your hinges and enjoy.  4

5

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6

Potomac Green TODAY

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Keeping Potomac Green

Prudence’s Potomac Green Pointers

A NEW WAY TO RECYCLE

By Sandra O’Connell The next time you are at Trader Joe’s, look to the rear of the parking lot for a welcome addition to local recycling locations. A metal shed the width of three parking spaces is equipped with four large chutes for bagged items and a slot for CDs, DVDs, and books. The list of acceptable goods is wide, including articles sometimes not welcomed at other centers, such as toys and bedding. A large sign lists accepted goods: clothes, shoes, hats, purses, belts, personal accessories, toys, games, dishes, silverware, cookware, linens, towels, bedding, luggage, knick knacks and household items.

The list of items not accepted includes furniture, large appliances, mattresses, carpets or large items that do not fit in the chutes. The collection center is sponsored by the Green Education Foundation www.greeneducationfoundation.org, an organization dedicated to sustainability through education. Its slogan is “Rethink, Reuse, Recycle.”

Open 24 hours, the donation station is a flexible solution for when you have finished cleaning out the closets, kitchen cabinets and garage. To get a receipt, use your phone to scan the QR code attached to the shed. 

Prudence hopes that readers will contribute ideas and pointers about living in Potomac Green, ideas that have given them more enjoyment out of living in our community and the surrounding area.

Tom Bowers handles Prudence’s correspondence because she wishes to remain anonymous, so send your contributions to tombowers42@gmail.com. We’ll print your name unless you ask us not to.

Dear Prudence, I had read that water heaters should be flushed annually to remove sediment that can build up in the bottom of the tank, so I called a plumber.

He told me that gas water heaters do not have a sediment problem and do not have to be flushed.

(Electric models do need to be flushed, he said.) I had to pay for a service call, but I learned something useful that saved me an even larger expense.

If you decide to flush your water heater, here are the steps.

1. Buy a washing machine hose because it is short.

2. Attach it to the drain on the water heater.

3. Place the other end of the hose in the drain hole next to the heater.

4. Turn off the water intake – using the lever at the top of the heater.

5. Open the drain – using a screwdriver.

6. When all the water has drained, close the drain and turn on the water intake. 

Bane Electrical Service LLC Residential & Commercial Ashburn, Virginia

703‐723‐6501

www.baneelectric@comcast.net Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

Tom Bowers

Potomac Green TODAY

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Fall 2020

Sampling of Favorite Streaming Shows Compiled by Staff of Potomac Green TODAY Title and # of Seasons or Episodes

Netflix

Prime Video

A Place to Call Home (Australian)

6S

Big Valley

4S

Bodyguard (British)

6E

X

Breaking Bad

5S

X

Broadchurch (British)

3S

X

Dick Van Dyke Show

5S

Everwood

4S

w/ads

Foyle’s War (British)

9S

w/Acorn

Grantchester (British)

4S

X

Grey’s Anatomy

16 S

X

Halt and Catch Fire

4S

X

Heartland

13 S

11 S

Last Tango in Halifax (British)

5S

X

Line of Duty (British)

5S

Little Fires Everywhere

8E

Lonesome Dove

4E

Longmire

6S

X

Movie

X

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

3S

X

Mrs. America

9E

Murder She Wrote

12 S

Outlander

5S

Rebecka Martinsson (Swedish)

2S

Republic of Doyle (Canadian)

5S

Royal Pains

8S

Schitt’s Creek (Canadian)

6S

X

The Crown

3S

X

The Handmaid’s Tale

3S

The Mentalist

7S

The Last Czars

6E

X

The Two Popes

Movie

X

Unorthodox (German-American)

4E

X

White Collar

6S

(Canadian)

Marriage Story

Hulu

Other

w/Acorn

Acorn Starz

4 S w/ads

5S X Acorn 1S

9S X X Starz

X 5 S w/ads

Peacock (NBC)12 S

3S

Starz 5 S w/Acorn

X

Acorn

X Peacock (NBC) X X X

w/ads

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Potomac Green TODAY

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Fall 2020

POTOMAC GREEN HOME RESALES July through September Four villas, four single family homes and four condos were sold in Potomac Green during the third quarter of 2020 as reported by Bright MLS and Date July 6 July 8 July 10 July 24 July 31 Aug 3 Aug 14 Aug 28 Aug 28 Aug 31 Aug 31 Sept 11

provided by Walt Sobie, a realtor who resides in Potomac Green. The average days on the market was less than 30 days.

Location Island West Square Blueridge Meadows Drive Maltese Falcon Square Hope Spring Terrace Panther Ridge Drive Hope Spring Terrace Stableford Square Hope Spring Terrace Hope Spring Terrace Crescent Point Place Golden Ridge Drive Stableford Square

Model Patriot II Wythe Regency II Clarion Somerset Loft Davenport Patriot II Clarion Anthem Zachary Wythe Patriot II

Price $546,500 $600,000 $535,000 $438,000 $620,000 $385,000 $525,000 $447,000 $355,000 $670,000 $645,000 $524,000

. . . and The Way We Are (From Page 18)

Potomac Green Numbers Nov. 1, 2020 (As reported by management office) Houses and villas occupied Condo units occupied Total units occupied Residents in houses and villas Residents in condos Total residents Registered vehicles Registered pets

Frank and Suzanne Spizuoco

Did you guess right?

Stay Informed! Visit our community website: www.ourpotomacgreen.net

1,038 325 1,363 1,693 485 2,178 1,973 392

Potomac Green TODAY

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Fall 2020

LOCAL DISCOUNTS Restaurants (Discounts subject to change and exclude alcohol unless noted)  Ashburn Bagel & Sandwich Shop, Ashburn Town Sq., 10%  Ashburn Pub, Ashburn Village Center, 20%  Asian Fusion, Ice Rink Plaza, 10% off dinner, 20% off dinner on Wednesdays  Bungalow Alehouse, 44042 Pipeline Plaza, 20% on food and nonalcoholic beverages  Bungalow Lakehouse, 46116 Lake Center Plaza, Cascades, 20% on food and nonalcoholic beverages  Cantina D’Italia, 150 Elden St., Herndon, 10%  Chau’s Café, Ashbrook Commons Center, 10% on delivery, dine in or takeout, no restrictions  Chin Chin Café, Farmwell Hunt Plaza, 10%  Fireworks Pizza, Cascades Overlook, 10%  Manhattan Pizza, Farmwell Hunt Plaza, 10% off for PG residents. Mon. and Tues. 15% off with code Stuart  Mediterranean Breeze, 20693 Ashburn Rd., dine-in only, 10%  Miller’s Ale House, Potomac Run Plaza, 10% discount  O’Faolain’s, Davenport Dr., Sterling, 10%  Opa! Mezze Grill, Ashburn Village Center, 10%  Rubino’s Pizza, Ashbrook Commons, 10% discount when you mention the ad in this magazine.  Spinfire Pizza, One Loudoun, 10% discount.  Squisito, Ashburn Village Center, 15% excludes specials  The Purcellville Pub, Main Street, Purcellville. 20% on breakfast 7-11 a.m., Mon.-Fri.  Zeffirelli Ristorante, 728 Pine St., Herndon, 10%

Grocery Stores  Harris Teeter, Ashbrook Commons, 5% Thursdays, age 60+

Recreation  1757 Golf Course, Seniors 60+ $52 Mon-Thurs.; Twilight (after 4 p.m. every day) $45  Ashburn Ice House, Ashburn, $5 public skates, age 65+  Cobb Theater, Leesburg, $6 tickets Tuesdays  Wolf Trap, 50% discount on tickets to seniors (60+) in person 30 minutes prior to the program.

Local Businesses  A Dog’s Day Out, Ashburn, 10% off dog daycare and boarding only, with PG ID  Animal Medical Centers of Loudoun, one free consultation and 10% on all services, Wednesdays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Ann Ho at DuVonn Hair Salon (previously at Divine), 21735 Shellhorn Rd., 703-728-4567, 10%  Ashburn Square Barber Shop 20630 Ashburn Rd., Suite 130, Haircut $14 any day, any time, (mention Potomac Green)  Ashburn Service & Tire Center, Ashburn Shopping Plaza, 10% on service; pick up and delivery can be scheduled  Belmont Dentistry, 44121 Harry Byrd Hwy, Suite 280, Ashburn, 15%  Cleaners2U, Herndon, 50% off first order, then 30%  Friends & Family Dentistry, 44121 Harry Byrd Hwy, Ste 155, Ashburn, 10% (65+), 30% additional discount with our in-house insurance plan (all ages). Call for more info 571-918-0077.  Good Feet Store, Leesburg, $50 off 3-Step System with proof of residence.  Hallmark, Ashburn Shopping Plaza, 10%  Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets, “50 Plus Shopper Perks.” Receive 10% off entire purchase every Tuesday at stores listed at: www.premiumoutlets.com/salespdf/Leesburg50plus11.pdf  Looney’s Tile and Grout Restoration, 15% off.  Pack Rat Hauling, 10%  The Waterway Travel Team at Connoisseur Travel, Leesburg, $25/person onboard credit for cruise travel booked with us (first two in a stateroom). Complimentary cruise possible if you have a group. Group requirements vary, cruise line rules apply. Call Val or Jane for details. 866-595-3667.  Walgreen Drug Store, all non-sale items are 20% off on the first Tuesday of the month.

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Potomac Green TODAY

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Fall 2020

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Ashburn Service & Tire Center 48 Bane Electrical Service 38 Bank of Clarke County 44 Blue Mount Nursery 44 Cholina Donovan, Pearson Smith 42 Dental Innovations of Virginia 42 Edward Jones - Nathan McLaughlin 38 Fords Fish Shack 47 Friends & Family Dentistry 47 Good Feet Store 42 Hessler House 49 Jo Ann Marcario & Marie Barrisi, Pearson Smith 51 Jorge Gomez, Landscape Designer 46

K&P Construction 50 Kormann Realty 52 Legal Shield 48 Looney's Tile & Grout 43 Loudoun Smile Center 45 Restore PT and Wellness 43 Rubino's Pizzeria 46 Samson Properties Real Estate - Barbara Gwaltney 46 Samson Properties Real Estate - Linda Blanken 46 Schatz Hayes Homes 2 Senior Life Insurance 35 Walter Sobie, Long & Foster 37, 44 Wild Birds Unlimited 43

Pedro Silva Owner Licensed & Insured

Cell: 571-233-1100 kpconstructionllc@gmail.com -Interior & Exterior Paint -General Home Repairs -Bathroom Remodeling -Fine Carpentry

-Hardwood Floors -General Cleaning Services -Power Washing & More -Pavers & Stone Patios

-Roof and Siding Repairs -Electrical Installation & Repairs -Master License Plumbing -Granite Counter Tops

K&P General Construction is focused on providing high-quality service and customer satisfaction.

We will do everything we can to meet your expectations.

With a variety of offerings to choose from, we’re sure you’ll be happy working with us.

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Potomac Green TODAY

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Potomac Green TODAY

Potomac Green

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44499 Oakmont Manor Square Ashburn, VA 20147

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Fall 2020