The Area Agency of Aging will provide free tax preparation assistance for people ages 55 and older, individuals with low incomes and individuals with disabilities, now through April 10. The five locations in Loudoun County offering help include the Board of Supervisors' Satellite Office in Sterling, the Leesburg Area Agency on Aging Office, the Purcellville Library, South Riding Town Hall and the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace in Sterling. For more information, call 703-777-0257.
The Board of Supervisors has directed the Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services to initiate public participation in naming a new proffered park, a 34-acre property in South Riding. The park is located on Donegal Drive near the intersection of Dabner Drive. Amenities include a basketball court, three tennis courts, one volleyball court, two soccer fields and associated parking. Anyone interested in proposing a name for the new park should submit the recommendation in writing to: Cynthia H. Welsh, Director, Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services, P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, VA 20177-7000. Suggestions can also be submitted via email to: PRCS @loudoun.gov. Include full name, mailing address and phone number. The deadline for submissions is March 14. Call 703-771-5351.
The Loudoun 4-H Horse Judging program is seeking new members to lead and teach youth ages 9-19 in the basics of evaluating horses. The skill is needed in determining which horse to buy, and which will stand up to the rigors of equine sport. The first meeting will be held from 6-7 p.m. on Feb. 13 at the Loudoun Fairgrounds. The group will continue to meet several times a month through May. The first Judging Competition will be held at Virginia Tech on March 22. Call the Loudoun County Extension Office, 703-777-0373, for more information.
The Loudoun Healthcare Foundation has sold out its annual Winter Festival, "Moulin Rouge," on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg. For information about the event, contact the Loudoun Healthcare Foundation special events coordinator at 703-771-2922. For information about Loudoun Hospital Center, www.loudounhospital.org.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) announces the 2003 Loudoun MADD Poster/Essay Contest theme as "Be a Hero-Not a Zero!! Don't Drink and Drive." The entry must communicate, but not necessarily state, the theme. Posters will be evaluated according to attractiveness, use of color and expression. Essays will be judged by their emotional appeal, and correct spelling and grammar. Black and white photograph and video PSA entries will be evaluated for clarity and visual impact.
The "Design a Poster" category is divided into grades 1-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The "Write an Essay" category is divided into grades 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Both the "Produce a PSA Video" and "Take a Black and White Photo" categories are evaluated within grade divisions 6-8 and 9-12.
The contest is open to all public, private and home-schooled Loudoun County students. The entry deadline is Feb. 28. Questions can be sent to, and entry forms downloaded from www.maddloudounva.org, or call Susan Cleveland at 703-771-8127. Entries can be mailed to MADD Loudoun County, P.O. Box 4252, Leesburg, VA 20170. MADD awarded $3,000 in savings bonds in 2002. Winners will be announced at the MADD award ceremony in April.
Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Railroad Regional Park seeks footage in home movies, documentaries or other film of the old W&OD Railroad, which once traveled from Alexandria to Bluemont in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The railroad had various names in more than a century of service. The film footage, along with railroad memorabilia and artifacts, will be part of the agency's ongoing study of the park's history. More than 50 interpretive signs about the railroad's history will be installed along the 45-mile trail this spring. Materials from the trail archives were incorporated into the current Loudoun Museum exhibit at the Purcellville Train Station and contribute to educational projects.
To share information about available footage, call 703-729-0596, email wodtrail@erols.com or write to the W&OD Trail Office, 21293 Smiths Switch Road, Ashburn, VA 20147.
The Main Street Loudoun (MSL) program was officially launched on Jan. 9 with the meeting of the Main Street Loudoun Partnership. MSL is a countywide program that helps volunteers implement economic revitalization and historic preservation efforts within their communities. The main objective of the program is to "help Loudoun’s communities preserve their sense of place while enhancing their economic vitality." The program is modeled after the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Program. A new MSL Web site can be found at www.mainstreetloudoun.org.
MSL Partnership meetings will be held the second Thursday of every month and are open to the public. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact the Department of Economic Development at 703-777-0426.
Pre-sale tickets for the CAPS Alumni versus Metro Firefighters charity game, set for March 1, at 4 p.m. at the Ashburn Ice House, are available. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children. All of the money raised will go toward to the Burned Children's Charity. Call Brent Schnupp Fairfax County Fire and Rescue at 7034039325