Countywide Burn Ban Extended

The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office has extended the countywide prohibition on open burning indefinitely beginning on September 1, 2008.The current ban on open burning, which went into effect on June 1, was scheduled to expire at midnight August 31, 2008. However, due to the current dry conditions, with no long term forecast for measurable rainfall,the ban is continued until outside conditions improve.

According to W. Keith Brower, Jr., Fire Marshal for Loudoun County, local rainfall for the month of August and for the year is below normal. "We talk regularly with our partners at the National Weather Service and the Virginia Department of Forestry in an attempt to weigh all factors that contribute to fire spread. The low water tables, lack of recent rainfall and sustained moderate to low relative humidity all suggest continuing this ban as the prudent action for public safety." According to Brower, ponds and streams used for firefighting water supplies in the areas of the county are so low that additional fire tankers are being added to structural fire responses in the areas of the county not covered with fire hydrants.

The only exceptions provided for under this ban are for campfires or grills used for cooking. This ban applies to all areas of Loudoun County, including the seven incorporated towns. Violations of the open burning ban could result in a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.00.

Any questions should be directed to the Fire Marshal's Office at 703-737-8600. Persons may also obtain more detailed information by visiting the Fire Marshal page of the Loudoun County website,www.loudoun.gov/firemarshal.

Article taken from www.loudoun.gov

Beautiful Rental in Rivercrest!

Beautiful Rental in Rivercrest!

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Loudoun Sheriff's Office Announces 24th Citizen' s Police Academy

Enrollment is Limited

Loudoun County- Sheriff Steve Simpson announces the formation of the 24th Citizen's Police Academy, which will commence on Tuesday September 23, 2008.

The free sessions will be held one evening per week for 11-weeks and each session will be two hours in length (7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.).

All classes will be held at the Sheriff's Office Administration Building in Leesburg with the exception of the firearms training session, which will beheld at the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office firearm's range located off of Route 50, in the Chantilly area.

Sheriff's Office personnel will conduct the training classes, providing an overview of all the aspects of law enforcement within the agency. Members of the class may also have the option of participating in a ride-a-long with a deputy after completing the academy.

The classes are open to Loudoun County residents over the age of 18. To enroll in the Citizen's Police Academy, please contact Ginger Wines or Bonnie Burke at the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office at 703-777-0407, during normal business hours of 8:30 AM. to 5:00 PM.

Registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Enrollment is limited to 24 participants.

Article taken from loudoun.gov

End-of-Summer BBQ at Belmont Sept. 6th!

It's the 2008 Season Finale!
All Day Party, Noon until 11:00pm
Featuring live music from 9 bands!
Serving Fabulous Food from Original Steakhouse, Famous Dave's, Buffalo Wing Factory, & Carolina Brothers BBQ

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http://liveatbelmont.com/index.html

Ready to sell your home? What do you need to do before a realtor arrives?

• 2 extra keys ~ one for the lockbox & one to keep in the office


• Copy of your plat, floor plan, survey, any builder information & title work (if available)


• Loan information including the company name, address, phone number, & loan number.


• The same for a second lender if you have an equity line of credit or second mortgage.


• The name & contract information of your HOA.


• List any recent upgrades or improvements along with the home's best features.


• Complete annual utility cost worksheet


• Please have all decision makers who must approve the sale of the property available upon the first meeting to set up listing


• Any names of person's who could be in need of a realtors insite (if you wish)

Loudoun County Family Services Sponsors Annual School Supply Drive

July 31, 2008

Area stores, in cooperation with the Loudoun County Department of Family Services and local nonprofit human service agencies, are holding a drive in August to collect school supplies for children who cannot afford them. Shoppers across Loudoun County will have the opportunity to help prepare a child for school by donating needed supplies at local Loudoun Giant stores, the Leesburg Pharmacy, Cascades Library, Curves in Purcellville and all Loudoun County Community Centers.


Look for a donation box or shopping cart with the School Supplies posters and fliers in participating stores and community centers. Items that students need include: book bags, spiral notebooks, three-ring binders, pencils, loose leaf 3-ring paper, scissors (round end), rulers, crayons, composition books, pocket folders, Kleenex, plastic storage bags, liquid soap and lots of miscellaneous items. If you have a child in school, check out their supply list for more ideas.


Loudoun nonprofits, government agencies, and elementary schools, working with low-income families, will distribute the supplies in time for school in September. Participating agencies include: YMCA-Big Friends, Northeast Coalition, Loudoun County Department of Mental Health/Mental Retardation/Substance Abuse Services, the Loudoun County Youth Shelter, Young Adults Project, Transitional Housing and Emergency Shelter Programs, Loudoun County Department of Family Services, MotherNet Healthy Families Loudoun and several area elementary schools.


For more information, call the Department of Family Services at 703-771-5375.


# # #


Contact: Carrie Jackson, Department of Family Services, 703-771-5375





Article taken from http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=2308

Crime Incidents Now Available in Interactive Map

By Erika Jacobson(Created: Monday, August 4, 2008 4:02 PM EDT)



Residents wondering why they saw Loudoun County Sheriff's deputies in their neighborhood one evening, or what the cars with loud sirens rushing down their street were doing can now look online for answers.



The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office announced today it had partnered with CrimeReports.com to place incidents of crime in an interactive, Google-style map for residents. The partnership, which has been in the works for several weeks, is an important tool for keeping residents informed about public safety issues and what is occurring in their neighborhoods, Sheriff Stephen O. Simpson said.



"As Loudoun County continues to grow, it becomes more and more difficult to reach out to every community," Simpson said in a statement. "This system will help us keep the community better informed without affecting manpower. It is our opinion that a well-informed community is a safer community.



Every night, crime incident information, including the type of incident, the date and the block address, will be pulled from the sheriff's office server and update on the CrimeReports Web site.



To use the Web site, residents are advised to use their mailing addresses, not their community names. Communities such as Broadlands and Brambleton are listed under Ashburn and Lansdowne is listed under Leesburg. Only the South Riding community can be looked up using the community name. The sheriff's office, however, recommends using as specific information as possible to ensure that the site is most useful to residents.



"If you do too much of a wide stance [the site] could post things on top of each other," sheriff's office spokesperson Kraig Troxell said. "It is best to put in the full address."



By default, the Web site only pulls up more serious crimes, such as theft, assault and homicide, but residents can look up less serious crimes including property damages and quality of life crimes by selecting them from the "crime types" drop-down menu. Troxell said the sheriff's office is hoping other crimes will become default for Loudoun addresses.



"Often that's what people are most interested in. They can find that information but they just need to be able to know how to find it," he said.



Loudoun is the first Virginia jurisdiction to use CrimeReports, but several Maryland counties have employed the site and Washington, DC, has used the service for years, Troxell said.



Residents can search for incidents back to the beginning of the year, but Troxell reminded residents only incidents handled by the sheriff's office are included in the site. Incidents investigated by local police departments, such as Middleburg, Leesburg, Purcellville, will not be listed.



Crimes as rape, sexual assault, domestic violence and crimes against children, also will not be listed on the Web site. Because of the specific nature of the locations on the site, it could identify a victim that would otherwise be anonymous. The sheriff's office also often only releases the area where a sensitive crime occurred, making it difficult to locate it on a map.



"We want to make sure the information [on the site] is accurate," Troxell said. Often victims will report a rape or molestation when they arrive at the hospital, and because they are either unwilling to name the location or cannot remember the exact location, the incident report lists the hospital's address.



The Web site does, however, locate all registered sexual offenders living in a specific area and provides links to the Virginia Sex Offender Registry.



The site also has a traffic feature, where law enforcement can have accidents listed, but Troxell said the sheriff's office has not decided whether it will activate that feature or not. The department is working on its own technology to notify residents of accident sites.



"We are developing a traffic Web site," Troxell said. "You can use it from your home computer or your cell phone and see where an accident is located."





Article taken from http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2008/08/04/news/fp450crimereports080408.txt

What style is your home?

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http://www.realtor.org/rmoarchitecture_guide/residentialstyles

The "Must-See" places this summer in Loudoun County!

Looking for something to do around town before the summer ends? There's plenty to do right here in Loudoun County! Such as taking a trip to historic district of Leesburg or Middleburg, shopping at the outlets in Leesburg, cruising across the Potomac River on White's Ferry, and visit the many wineries for a refreshing taste of local wines!

Check it out at http://www.visitloudoun.org/visitors-guide/mustsee/

Helping Loudoun County Residents with Daily Commutes

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office & the County's Department of Information Technology have developed a website to aid residents with their daily commutes

The website, www.loudoun.gov/traffic, lists traffic incidents worked by theLoudoun County Sheriff's Office, the Middleburg Police Department and thePurcellville Police Department. Commuters can use the site to check theirroute to and from work to determine if there are any traffic-related issues."Due to the high volume of traffic on our roadways, something as simple as astalled vehicle on the shoulder of the road can cause major delays," saidLoudoun Sheriff Steve Simpson. "The website won't help alleviate traffic,but it will give Loudoun commuters timely accident information and roadwayconditions to assist them with their travel plans," he added. The listedincidents include major accidents, road closures, property damage accidents,minor accidents, hit and run accidents, traffic signal malfunctions, roadwayobstructions and disabled vehicles.

The website lists the incidents in real time and can be accessed from anycomputer with internet access or via HTML enabled mobile browsers. To viewthe website on your cell phone go to www.loudoun.gov/mobiletraffic. TheSheriff's Office reminds residents never to use your mobile browser whileoperating a vehicle.

Traffic-related issues worked by the Virginia State Police will be listed ifthe trooper was dispatched by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office EmergencyCommunications Center. Traffic incidents worked by the Leesburg PoliceDepartment are not listed.

Members of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and the Department ofInformation Technology worked on the law enforcement traffic site for thepast several months. The incidents listed on the site include:

Major Accident: Crash involving one or more vehicles and possible seriousinjuries
Property Damage Accident: Crash involving one or more vehicles with minor orno injuries.
Disabled Vehicle: A malfunctioning vehicle possibly impeding traffic flow.
Hit & Run Accident: A single or multiple vehicle crash where a vehicle hasleft the scene.
Traffic Signal Malfunction: Traffic signals are either malfunctioning or offdue to power failure. A intersection where there are four-way trafficsignals that are off due to a power issues must be treated as a four-waystop.
Road Closure: Roadway is closed due to police activity or severe weatherconditions.
Roadway Obstruction: An object in the roadway is interfering with trafficflow or motorist safety.

The website is seen as one tool in aiding residents with their commutes.Residents should continue to follow traffic reports from the media fordetailed information regarding traffic-related issues. The agency alsoencourages residents to sign up and receive Road Closure alerts from the Alert Loudoun system. The system is free and allows those who sign up toreceive the latest news affecting the county. The information can be sent toyour e-mail as well as cell phones or pagers that receive text messaging.

Residents may register by logging onto the county website at www.loudoun.govand clicking on Alert Loudoun. The service is available to anyone with ane-mail account. A friendly reminder for those having alerts sent to theirpager or cell phone, due to the nature of some of the messages you mayreceive an alert at any time of day or night.

The system was implemented in 2003 and allows residents and business ownersto receive instant notification of major road closures as well as criminalactivity in the county.


Article taken from www.loudoun.gov

Despite economic troubles across the nation, Loudoun still continues to grow

By Sandhya Somashekhar (Contact)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008

If there were any doubt that Loudoun County's long-standing reputation for rapid growth and affluence is changing, consider this: During the first six months of the year, the number of foreclosures in Loudoun almost matched the number of new homes permitted.

From January through June, there were 956 foreclosures in Loudoun. During the same period, the county authorized the construction of 1,172 new homes, a 20 percent reduction from last year and about two-thirds less than at the height of the building frenzy four years ago.

Although the numbers hardly paint a complete picture, they illustrate a dramatic turnaround in a community that grabbed national headlines because of its wealthy, fast-growing population.

Just a few years ago, government hearings were packed with residents dismayed by the transformation of their rural county into a buzzing suburban hub. Now, county officials are more likely to field complaints of next-door neighbors disappearing overnight, leaving behind overgrown lawns and the threat of sinking home values.

"There's a lot to worry about," Supervisor James G. Burton (I-Blue Ridge) said. "I'm somewhat pleased that the number of building permits is down. But we've got a real problem in certain pockets of the community where the empty houses are leaving a bad impression of the neighborhood."

It is a pattern repeated in other parts of suburban Virginia that experienced a growth boom in recent years. Prince William County, which was among the 50 fastest-growing counties in the nation four years ago according to the Census Bureau, registered about 3,600 foreclosures from January through June of this year. A similar turnaround has occurred in Stafford County, which also was on the top 50 list that year.

"Those areas were hot and had the most transactions. There were lots and lots of mortgages taken out," said John McClain, deputy director at George Mason University's Center for Regional Analysis. "Unfortunately, many of those mortgages were subprime."

At the peak of the building boom in 2003, Loudoun issued more than 6,600 residential building permits, the final authorization needed for a builder to construct a house, townhouse or condominium. A year later, the Census Bureau rated Loudoun the nation's fastest-growing large county. Today, at 280,000, the county's population is more than triple what it was in 1990.

Many residents and officials say that the 2004 growth rate was not sustainable and that it has led to crowded roads and schools and rising tax bills. They say the recent drop in building has been a good thing for Loudoun, giving the county time to catch up by constructing schools, fire stations and other needed facilities.

But the corresponding plunge in home values and the spate of foreclosures has caused some worries because of their impact on real estate tax revenue.

"We continue to need the respite" from new home construction, said Ben Mays, Loudoun's deputy chief financial officer. "You don't want such a slowdown that you have a tax problem, but a slowdown isn't in and of itself a bad thing for us right now."

Few think the issue of growth has vanished from Loudoun for good. Indeed, the most recent figures show home values in Prince William and Loudoun creeping higher, suggesting that the housing market might have hit bottom there. In Loudoun, tens of thousands of homes have been approved but have yet to be built. Many predict that builders will take advantage of that backlog when the economy improves.

Mays and others say Dulles International Airport, Loudoun's proximity to Washington job centers, Metrorail's proposed extension into Ashburn and Tysons Corner's planned redevelopment will help the county's economy — and the housing market — bounce back.

But for the moment, many Loudoun residents aren't seeing cranes and bulldozers out their windows. Rather, they are seeing "For Sale" signs on their neighbors' yards with the word "FORECLOSURE" dangling on a plaque below.

In the past few months, there have been two foreclosures on Mike Keeney's Sterling street, one next door and one across the street. In one case, the residents moved out in the middle of the night, he said. Although lawn crews occasionally come to trim the grass, "the one next door is getting a little ratty," he said.

But Keeney, who sits on the county's Planning Commission, says he is not eager to return to the days when it seemed like subdivisions were cropping up overnight.

"We have a couple of applications [for new developments] in the works or coming down the mill this fall," he said. As far as the county's growth goes, he said, "I know it's going to rear its head again."


Article taken from http://loudounextra.washingtonpost.com/news/2008/aug/06/loudoun-building-boom-buckle-under-economic-strai/

FHA Loan Information

Check out this site for everything you need to know on FHA loans!

http://www.fha.com/important_facts.cfm

Leadership Loudoun Recruitment Breakfast Set for August 13

July 31, 2008

The Leadership Loudoun Board of Directors is hosting a recruitment breakfast on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at Tuscarora Mill Restaurant, located at 203 Harrison Street, S.E. in Leesburg, from 7:30-9:00 a.m. This is an opportunity for people interested in applying for the 9-month leadership development program to meet with board members and staff who will explain the program and answer questions. The event is free and open to the public.

Leadership Loudoun is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, founded in 1991, with the mission to develop and engage current and emerging leaders to work together to serve the good of Loudoun County, Virginia.

Graduates of the program are active in Loudoun County as they serve on boards, commissions and committees, and volunteer with area nonprofits and community organizations. Since 1992, 389 members have graduated from the Leadership Loudoun program. They have left a mark on the community with over 65 impact projects; service on over 500 boards, commissions and committees; and some have been elected to public office.

If you plan to attend or would like more information, please contact Robin Geiger at 703-771-5511. Visit the website at http://www.leadershiploudoun.org/ .

# # #

Contact: Robin Geiger, Community Relations Manager, 703-771-5511


Article taken from http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=2306

Loudoun County Launches Environmental Preservation Awards Program

July 15, 2008



The Loudoun County Department of Building and Development has launched an awards program to identify and recognize development projects in Loudoun County for their efforts to preserve the county's natural resources through erosion and sediment control.



The program encourages nominations from individuals, industry representatives and county staff to identify those projects that have demonstrated sensitivity to environmental protection issues and continued attention to these issues throughout the duration of construction.



The award categories are:

• Single-Family Residential


• Single-Family Residential Community


• Multi-Family Residential Community


• Commercial/Recreational/Public Projects


• Linear or Atypical Projects


• Tree Preservation

The awards are intended to recognize those developers, builders and contractors in Loudoun County who provide erosion and sediment controls above the minimum standards to protect their construction sites from sediment runoff and to mitigate any negative effect on the environment. Many projects make environmental protection a priority during site development, overcoming sensitive environmental site conditions with innovative design and effective construction techniques.


More information, including a link to the online nomination form, can be found on the county government website at www.loudoun.gov/bd-environmental-awards or by calling the Department of Building & Development, 703-777-0397.




Article taken from http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=2286

Want to get involved in county gov?

Opportunities Available to Participate in County Government
July 30, 2008

• Advisory Commission on Youth: Sterling District representative; two community group representatives
• Cable and Open Video Systems Commission: Blue Ridge & Sterling Districts
• Commission on Women: Blue Ridge & Catoctin Districts
• Community Criminal Justice Board: Potomac District
• Community Services Board: Two at-large representatives
• Courthouse Grounds and Facility Task Force: Two at-large representatives
• Disability Services Board: Six at-large representatives
• Equal Employment Opportunity Plan Committee: Four at-large representatives
• Facilities Standards Manual Public Review Committee: One at-large representative
• Library Board of Trustees: Catoctin District
• Loudoun Health Council: Representative of the general public; representative of a health-related non-profit agency
• Parks, Recreation and Open Space Board: Potomac District
• Transportation Safety Commission: Broad Run & Catoctin Districts
• Water Resources Technical Committee: Three at-large representatives
• Woods Road Special Exception Review Committee: Three at-large representatives

For information about specific vacancies, contact Rosey Rai, County Administration, 703-771-5034, or by e-mail at Rosey.Rai@loudoun.gov. Information about each board, committee and commission is available on the Loudoun County Government Website at www.loudoun.gov/advisory.

Article taken from http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=490