<lst>Send your organization's announcement to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Friday before publication. Photos/artwork encouraged. Questions? Call Michael O'Connell at 703-917-6449.
The Loudoun County Board of Equalization has openings for three members. Members are appointed by the Circuit Court of Loudoun County and must be landowners in the county. Once selected, members must complete a training course given by the Virginia Department of Taxation.
Citizens interested in serving on the Board of Equalization are encouraged to send a letter of interest and resume to the Honorable Thomas D. Horne, Chief Judge, Circuit Court of Loudoun County, Post Office Box 727, Leesburg, VA 20178. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, 2002. For more information about the Board of Equalization, call the Board office at 703-777-0289.
Sterling Rotary Club invites everyone to its 14th Annual Summer Golf Classic. The tournament will take place Thursday, June 6 at Loudoun Golf & Country Club in Purcellville. The registration fee is $150 per payer, which includes green fees, carts, a golf shirt, refreshments, lunch, a "goodie bag", and the concluding buffet.
The Club is looking for individuals and corporations to be hole sponsors. Sponsorship amounts range from $200 to $3,500. The Club is also looking for donated items to be given as door prizes and "goodie bags". To register as a player or a sponsor call 703-444-5900, Extension 226, or 703-838-3520, Extension 11. For more information, visit www.sterlingrotary.org.
The organizers of the 33th Annual Bluemont Fair are asking local artists to submit designs for consideration as the logo for this year's poster and brochure. The fair will take place Sept. 21-22 The design should reflect the country theme, such as farm animals or indigenous wild creatures, plant life, barns, etc. The deadline for submissions is May 3. Send submissions to: Bluemont Fair, P.O. Box 217, Bluemont, VA 20135. Call 540-554-2367 for more information.
To get the word out about Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Loudoun Office of Youth (LOY) will be distributing 40,000 bookmarks and ribbons to be worn during April. LOY will also distribute "stickies" to participating pizzeria and restaurants. On April 13, LOY will sponsor a Blue Ribbon Family Tennis Tournament at the Loudoun Sport and Health Fair. For more information, contact 703-777-0697.
On Wednesday, March 21 the Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association (LCVA) announced the criteria for the 2002 LCVA Award Program, which will award 2001 efforts as follows:
Loudoun County Event of the Year-Criteria: An event that had a lasting benefit on the community, significant community support, value to the customer, generated overnight rooms, and effectively promoted the event to out-of-county visitors.
Tourism Volunteer of the Year-Criteria: A person who made a significant contribution to the tourism industry through volunteer service to one or more tourism-related organizations.
Tourism Employee of the Year-Criteria: An outstanding employee who provides superior service to visitors through customer service where they work.
Tourism Promotion/Campaign-Criteria: Outstanding tourism promotion or campaign evaluated on the objectives, graphics, and results generated.
Judy Patterson Tourism Award-Criteria: Awarded to an individual, organization or business that has made an outstanding contribution to the Loudoun County tourism industry (during 2001 or long-standing).
Nominations for these awards need to be made through the LCVA by filling out an application form. For more information call 703-771-7525, extension 18. Deadline: March 29.
Enter Loudoun's Tree Photo Contest. The photos should be no larger than 8"x10" and cannot be framed or matted. A sheet of paper affixed to the back of the photo should includes name, address and phone number of the photographer, location of the tree, the kind of tree (if known) and the significance of the tree to the photographer. All entries are due by March 29 to Michelle Vanhuss, Special Events Coordinator, Department of Parks, Recreation and Community, 1 Harrison Street SE, Leesburg, VA 20177. Winning photos will be displayed at the annual Arbor Day celebration on Saturday, April 13, at Banshee Reeks Park. For more information call 703-771-5308.
The Leesburg Animal Park (formerly the Reston Animal Park) will open for the 2002 season. on Saturday, March 30. Spring hours will be 10-5 on Saturday, Sunday and 10-3 on Thursday, Friday. Admission will remain the same as last year at $7 for adults and $5 for kids 2-12 years. The Leesburg Animal Park is located two miles south of Leesburg at 19270 James Monroe Highway (Route 15). It shares the site with Leesburg Gardens nursery.
Lambs, goats, ducklings, chicks and many other animals are on hand for the kids to pet and feed. Many exotic animals such as monkeys, zebra and deer are also at the park. Special events are presented on weekends during the season. An Easter Egg hunt is scheduled for March 30 and 31 at 2 p.m. Animal shows and entertainers such as Bob Brown's Puppets and Outback Jack will also be featured throughout the season. Discount rates are offered to groups of ten or more with a reservation during the week. Birthday parties can be scheduled weekends and weekdays. Off-site programs are also offered. Call 703-433-0002 for further information.
Learn hot, sexy moves, and meet a great crowd that just likes to have a good time. Kinetic Arts is offering weekly salsa lessons are given 8-9 p.m. for $10. Once a month, the group visits salsa clubs in the area. To learn more, visit Kinetic Arts, in the Countryside
Shopping Center, 36 Pigeon Hill Drive, Sterling or call 703-444-0994.
Mary Baldwin's latest regional center opened March 13 in Sterling, bringing new educational choices to the Route 7 corridor. Classes begin June 3. For more information, call 703-444-2524, e-mail sterladp@mbc.edu or visit www.mbc.edu.
Pioneer Camp for children entering grades 2-6 will take place June 24-28 at Claude Moore Park from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Campers will learn how the pioneers lived, try their food and explore nature. Cost: $150 for the whole week. Bring snack, lunch and water. Call 703-421-4907 for registration.
Nature Adventure Camp for children entering grades 2-6 will take place July 29-Aug. 2 at Claude Moore Park from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Campers will hike the Park's meadows, woods and wetlands to learn about animals and plants that live there. They will play games and make a camp T-shirt. Cost: $300 for the whole week. Bring snack, lunch and water. Call 703-421-4907 for registration.
Families can help with the peace reconciliation effort in Northern Ireland by hosting a pair of teens (choose boys or girls, one Roman Catholic and one Protestant, ages 15-18) in their home for four weeks this summer beginning July 2. The teenage boys and girls are part of the Children's Friendship Project for Northern Ireland (CFPNI). To be eligible, host families need to provide a safe, neutral setting for the teens to get to know one another, a single bedroom for them to share, and day-long adult supervision. Co-hosting with another family for two weeks of the four-week stay is an option.
For more information or to obtain a host family application, contact Jenny Mullen at 703-450-4479 or e-mail jjmullen@erols.com.