Rust to Close
<bt>The Rust Library in Leesburg will be closing Friday, June 1, at 5 p.m., in order to begin the expansion and renovation of the facility. It is expected to open a temporary location this fall. Readers will be able to return books and other materials to the Rust Library as long as the book drops are open. After June 1, it is recommend that residents use the other library branches in Loudoun County until the temporary location is open. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us for more details and updates.
<sh>Open Burning Ban Begins
<bt>The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office reminds citizens that open burning is prohibited countywide during the period of June 1-Aug. 31. This regulation also applies to the seven incorporated towns within Loudoun County.
The regulation on open burning is based upon air-quality standards developed by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and is enforce locally by the Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office. Bonfires and the burning of materials normally permissible, mainly leaves, grass and brush, associated with agricultural needs, is prohibited during this period. The use of outside barbecue grills and campfires are not affected by this ban.
Violation of the Loudoun County Fire Prevention Code is a Class 1 misdemeanor, which carries a possible fine of up to $2,500 and up to one year in jail.
Any questions should be directed to the Fire Marshal's Office at 703-737-8600 or by visiting the Fire Marshal page of the Loudoun County Web site, www.loudoun.gov.
<sh>Housng Program Enrollment Closing
<bt>The Loudoun County Department of Family Services will no longer accept applications for assistance in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance program as of July 1. There are more than 900 families waiting for funds to become available to assist them with their rental payments. Many of these families have been on the waiting list for more than five years. Based on the large number of families on the waiting list and limited funding in the HCV program, the department has received approval from the Board of Supervisors to stop taking new applications for the program.
The HCV program is a federal rental assistance program funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. There are 647 families receiving assistance under the HCV program in Loudoun. The last time people can apply for this program will be June 20, from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. This can be done by calling 703-777-0353 or in person at the Department of Family Services located at 102 Heritage
Way, N.E., Suite 103, in Leesburg.
<sh>Seeking Information
<bt>The Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's assistance in locating the suspect or suspects involved in damaging numerous windows at an Ashburn construction site.
On May 9, Sheriff's deputies were called to a construction site in the 43600 block of Russell Branch Parkway for damage that occurred to a building and machinery sometime between 4 p.m. the previous day and 6:30 a.m. that morning. A pellet gun damaged numerous windows of an office trailer and a building under construction. The windows on several pieces of machinery, including a bulldozer and a front-end loader were also damaged. The company estimates the total damage to be nearly $100,000.
If you have information about this case, contact Investigator M. Grimsley of the Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475. If the caller wishes to remain anonymous, contact Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919. If the information leads to an arrest and indictment, the caller could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. The company has also offered a $2,500 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and indictment.
<sh>Know Rules Before Barbecuing
<bt>The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office would like to remind managers and tenants of condominiums, apartments or multifamily dwelling complexes of the following regulations, which apply to the use of charcoal or gas grills in multifamily residential structures.
The Loudoun County Fire Prevention Code provides that all "open flame" cooking grills, to include gas or charcoal grills, hibachis or similar types of cooking devices, shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 15 feet of any combustible construction. This prohibition is intended to help avoid the accidental ignition of a combustible surface, such as a wooden deck or balcony, by hot embers falling from the fire box. The 15-foot separation is required to lessen the chances of igniting combustible walls or the balcony above in the event that a flare-up occurs from the device.
Typical multifamily structure design does not use firewall separation and can usually be identified by a "common attic" over several units. Another "rule of thumb" that can be used here is whether the owner or occupant is directly responsible for the upkeep of the lawn area. Typically, the presence of a "common area" lawn indicates a multi-family structure, and the grill restrictions would apply.
In addition, similar restrictions apply to the storage of Liquefied Petroleum (LP) gas containers in multifamily residential structures. Any storage container that exceeds a water capacity of 2.5 pounds shall not be located on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. This type of container would be associated with small tabletop or camping grills. The "traditional" LP gas grill container that is sold with a gas grill unit or exchanged at various locations throughout the county, also known as a "20-pound cylinder," exceeds this quantity limit and must be stored according to this regulation.
Violations of these requirements may result in a conviction as a Class 1 Misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
Questions may be directed to the Fire Marshal's Office at 703-777-0333 during normal business hours or visit the Fire Marshal section on the Loudoun County Web site, www.loudoun.gov.