<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 two weeks before publication. Photos/artwork encouraged. Questions? Call Michael O'Connell at 703-917-6449.
Loudoun Hospital Mobile Health Unit, The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Council (TPPC), and Young Parent Services, in recognition of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, will host a May 13 brunch for professionals who work with youth. The council is composed of public and private agencies that focus on teen pregnancy prevention activities. For more information about the brunch or the issue of teen pregnancy, call 703-737-8878.
The 2002 Personal Property Tax bills (first half) due May 6, 2002 have been mailed and should arrive the first week of April. Taxpayers who do not receive a copy should contact the Loudoun County Treasurer's Office at 703-777-0280 or by e-mail at taxes@loudoun.gov.
Web browsers can now visit http://redcross.ebay.com to bid on items ranging from exotic vacations to high tech gadgets and sports memorabilia. Nearly 50 Red Cross Chapters nationwide will participate in this year's auctions. This year there will be two 10-day auctions The first between April 22 and May 2, and the second between April 29 and May 9. All money raised will support vital Red Cross disaster relief services. Last year the action raised $320,000. For more information call 202-728-6694 or visit www.redcrossdc.org.
Belle Grove's 23rd Needlework Exhibition will take place June 20 through July 7. The event showcases hand-crafted needlework pieces from across the region. This years theme, "From the Mountains to the Valleys...God Bless America," celebrates America and its patriotic heritage. Entries for the exhibition will be accepted June 14 and 15 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and June 16 from 1-5 p.m. For more information contact Amy Keller by phone at 540-869-2028 or by e-mail at bellegro@shentel.net. Visit the web site at www.bellegrove.org.
Beginning May 1, 2002, the Loudoun County Commuter Bus Service will begin new bus service weekdays from the Cascades/Countryside area to the West Falls Church Metro Station The pick-up location in Cascades will be the bus shelter on Palisades Parkway. Commuters can park their vehicles at the Community Lutheran Church and walk to the bus shelter on the neighborhood blacktop path. Pick-up times are 5:50 a.m., 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. with arrival times at West Falls Church about 30 minutes later. In the afternoon, passengers can pick up the bus at West Falls Church at 3:55 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. The location for pick up at West Falls Church is the Washington Flyer bus bay on the north side of the Metro station. Cost for the service is $20 for a block of 10-one way tickets, or $3 for one-way cash fare. From May 1-17 these trips will be free. The schedule is available on the web at www.loudoun.gov/transportation/does/commuterbussery/cascadeswestfal/index.htm. For more information, call 703-771-5665.
Morven Park, the historic home of Governor Westmoreland Davis, opened for the 2002 season on April 6. The area offers visitors a glimpse into Virginia county life during the early years of the 20th Century. The park is located at 41793 Tutt Lane in Leesburg. Visit www.morvenpark.com for more information.
Franklin Park Performing & Visual Arts Center is calling for volunteers to participate in the first Western Loudoun Outstanding Weekend Arts Festival in Franklin Park on Saturday, May 18 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and Sunday, May 19 from 1-6 p.m. Volunteers are needed to help set up, work in the Children's Art Area, the Outdoor Art sales Tent, and to help inside the theater. Volunteers and their families will receive free admission to the festival. For more information contact Barbara Sample at 540-338-8598 or e-mail at bsample@loudoun.gov.
The American Cancer Society's four-session smoking cessation program for adults, will take place May 13, 15, 20 &22 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Loudoun Hospital Center Medical Pavilion located at 44055 Riverside Parkway, Leesburg. The program will offer information and strategies to help current smokers stop smoking. For the program to be effective, participants are asked to plan to attend all four lessons. The program costs $10. Call 703-771-2974 for information and registration.
Loudoun officials are inviting county residents to participate in the Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 3. The event is designed to encourage residents to reduce traffic and to improve their health by biking whenever possible.
Loudoun County will participate in one of the regional Bike to Work Day "pit stops" from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at Raflo Park in Leesburg. The event will feature Supervisor Mark R. Herring (Leesburg District) and Leesburg Mayor B. J. Webb. Breakfast foods will be served, raffle prizes will be awarded and T-shirts will be given to those who were among the first 2000 participants to register for the region-wide event on www.waba.org. For more information about Bike to Work Day in Loudoun County, call the Office of Transportation Services at 703-737-8624.
Applications are now being accepted for Discover Loudoun, a class offered by Leadership Loudoun and the Loudoun County Government. It costs $40 per person and includes a bus tour and materials. The participants will receive an orientation to Loudoun County, experience the county government at work, explore the county and non-profit agencies in real-life scenarios and connect with Loudoun County community leaders. Call 703-771-5511 for information and registration.
With Loudoun County distributing new telephone directories, residents and businesses are encouraged to recycle old directories at the following drop-off centers: Arcola Community Center, 24244 Gum Springs Road (Route 659); Hillsboro Elementary School, Route. 9 Hillsboro; Loudoun County Landfill, Evergreen Mill Road, 3.5 miles south of Leesburg; Lovettsville, the George Center at 1 Berlin Pike (Route 287); Lucketts Elementary School, 14550 James Monroe Highway (Saturdays 8 a.m. - noon); Mickie Gordon Memorial Park, Carters Farm Lane (Route 627), east of Middleburg; Park View High School Recycling Center (through April 30), 400 W. Laurel Avenue in Sterling; Philomont Fire Department, 36560 Jeb Stuart Road (off of Snickersville Turnpike).
For more information, call the Loudoun County Recycling Hotline at 703-771-5318 or visit www.loudoun.gov/oswm/.
Thanks to Loudoun County's Christmas Tree Recycling Program, the Solid Waste Management Facility has a fresh batch of free mulch available for Loudoun County residents. The county collected 21 tons of trees since the holidays. Call the Loudoun County Recycling Hotline at 703-771-5318 for more information about this and other local recycling programs, or visit www.loudoun.gov/oswm/.
BSA Troop 761 Scouts and coed 761 Venturers of Sterling will be jointly selling premium top quality shredded hardwood mulch to area residents and businesses. Priced at $4 per 3 cubic foot bag with a five bag minimum order, Scouts are now accepting orders. Mulch will be delivered to homes or businesses on the weekend of April 13. Mulch can be ordered by sending a note with name, address, and telephone number along with the quantity desired and a check to Troop 761, c/o George Mendez, 21074 Gladstone Drive, Sterling, VA, 20164. For more information, call 703-450-4157, or e-mail ramage@tidalwave.net.
Travelers Aid Washington D.C. is looking for volunteers to help airline passengers have a smooth trip through Washington Dulles International Airport. Travelers Aid volunteers provide assistance with general information about the airport facilities, directions to ground transportation and connect travelers with special assistance if necessary. Call 703-572-7350.
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is seeking citizens to fill vacancies on the following county advisory boards, commissions and committees: the Commission on Women, has a vacancy for a Chairman's representative to complete a four-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2003; the Community Services Board has five vacancies for representatives to serve four-year terms expiring June 30, 2006; the Commuter Bus Advisory Board has vacancies for an at-large representative and a Dulles District representative to serve four-year terms expiring Dec. 31, 2003. These representatives must be riders of the Loudoun County Commuter Bus Service or commuters; the Historic District Review Committee has four vacancies for representatives to serve four-year terms expiring June 30, 2006; and the Rural Economic Development Council has a vacancy for a Banking and Finance Industry representative to complete a two-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2003.
Anyone interested in serving one of these committees should send a letter of interest or resume to the Board of Supervisors, 1 Harrison Street, SE, P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, VA 20177. Applicants must indicate which committee they are interested in and in which supervisor's district they live. For more information, call 703-777-0204.
A new MOPS group will be starting at Capital Community Church in Ashburn Village. Call 703-729-7493 or 703-858-4461 for registration information. All mothers with children from infants to age five are welcome. Child care will be provided.
The Children's Friendship Project for Northern Ireland (CFPNI) is seeking local families to host a pair of Protestant and Roman Catholic teens (boys or girls ages 15-18) in their home for three to six weeks this summer. To be eligible, families must 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. For more information or to obtain a host family application, contact Jennifer Mullen at 703-450-4479, or visit our web site at www.cfpni.org. Interested families can contribute to peace and healing this summer with CFPNI.
CHADD is an organization that provides education, support, and legislative advocacy for persons, young and old, who are struggling with AD/HD and all subtypes. It also raises awareness and understanding of AD/HD by providing education programs for families and professionals at both the local and national level. CHADD provides support to families and links professional services providers and increases legislative awareness and advocacy for all those affected by AD/HD
The Loudoun County Chapter will be working with local educators, providing programs to help them teach children with AD/HD. They will also be compiling resources for parents and adults with the disorder.
The group will be meeting monthly at the Town Hall location. For further information, e-mail the group at loudounchapterchadd@yahoo.com.
The Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum is looking for seasoned Volunteers to help with archiving material and objects, and scanning 19th and 20th Century family and business documents. For more information call Anna Fasolo at 703-421-5322.
For the fourth year, the Virginia Legends Walk is asking the general public to nominate great Virginians past and present. So far, 26 Virginia Legends have been chosen, including Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Pearl Bailey, Arthur Ashe, Patsy Cline and Alan B. Shepard.
A statewide panel of 570 judges made up of university presidents, heads of museums and historical societies, librarians and members of the media choose from potential Legend candidates. Qualified candidates must have been born in Virginia or lived in the Commonwealth when they made their most notable achievements. Those achievements must be of worldwide or national significance.
Last year's candidates included William H. Harrison, Tom Wolfe, Secretariat, William Styron, Ruth Brown, Steve Case, Douglas Wilder, Katie Couric, Robert Duval and Bruce Hornsby.
A candidate who is picked to be a Virginia Legend will have his or her name added to a permanent exhibit in Virginia Beach.
To request a nomination form visit va-legends.com. Nominations can be e-mailed to enter@va-legends.com or mailed to Virginia Legends Walk, Reflections III, Suite 121, Virginia Beach, VA 23452. Nominations can also be called in toll-free at 800-333-6397.
The Growing Stage are in the planning stages of their first ever gala scheduled to take place Friday, May 24 at the Lovettsville Gaming protection Association on Berlin Turnpike in Lovettsville. Entertainment will be provided by The Growing Stage's Youth Arts Ensemble and Loudoun Valley High School's Jazz Ensemble. This event will include a buffet dinner and a silent auction. to receive an invitation, call 540-338-5367.
Charlene Connolly, provost of the Medical Education Campus currently under construction at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC), has been chosen to participate in the National Institute for Leadership Development LEADERS program, an international program for administrators and faculty in higher education. The program will help Connolly create for the new NVCC Medical Education Campus.
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.
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.
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.
A Sterling Suburban Area Community Meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2002, at Park View High School, located at 400 West Laurel Avenue in Sterling. This will be the fourth in a series of community input meetings on implementation of the Revised Comprehensive Plan in eastern Loudoun County. The meeting will feature small group discussions, which will allow residents to work together in identifying community priorities for the Board of Supervisor's consideration. Residents who plan to attend the Sterling Suburban Area community meeting should RSVP by Thursday, April 25, to the Loudoun County Public Information Office at 703-771-5511.
As warmer weather approaches, Sheriff Stephen O. Simpson would like to remind Loudoun residents to never leave windows, sliding glass doors, and garage entrances open while they are not at home. This can create an opportunity for burglars to enter your home with little effort. In 2001, Sheriff's Deputies investigated over 40 burglaries where intruders simply entered an open garage door. So far this year, the County has had 17 cases of burglary due to residents leaving their garage doors not secured. Residents are also advised not to leave vehicles unlocked, especially when they have a garage door opener in the vehicle.
The Northern Virginia Family Service is looking for foster families for abused and neglected children. African-American families are particularly needed. Help is needed in both full-time and short-term programs. Training, support and financialcompensation will be provided. For more information about the Northern Virginia Family Service call 703-533-9727 or smcallister@nvfs.org.