Discounted CAPITALS Tickets! * Supports Habitat for Humanity

Washington Capitals have teamed up with Loudoun Habitat for Humanity. Selling discounted tickets to several games this season (each one about $10 off - some as much as $15 off) complete with discounted fees (no ticketmaster charges!). In addition to special pricing - for each ticket purchased $6 will be donated to H4H! WOO HOO! Talk about a win-win.

Order your tickets today at: www.CapsTickets.com/habitat.html

Games available:

• Monday, October 13th @ 7:00pm vs. Vancouver Canucks
• Monday, November 10th @ 7:00pm vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
• Wednesday, December 10th @ 7:00pm vs. Boston Bruins
• Friday, January 9th @ 7:00pm vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
• Friday, February 20th @ 7:00pm vs. Colorado Avalanche
• Thursday, March 5th @ 7:00pm vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Please forward this to anyone else who might be interested in seeing awesome hockey and supporting a good cause!

Come stop by and enjoy a yummy meal for a good cause!

The Good Shepherd Alliance is hosting a 25th anniversary Southern BBQ dinner on Saturday, Oct. 25th at the Ashburn Presbyterian Church (across the street from our Ashburn office).


Check out the full flyer at http://mail.google.com/a/ask-gina.com/?ui=2&ik=036f7ba9e1&view=att&th=11d1adbc67b20360&attid=0.1&disp=vah

Be well informed * Check out any crime-related reports in Loudoun County

As part of National Crime Prevention Month the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is asking county residents to help the agency fight crime by staying well-informed on issues within their community.

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office offers residents several ways to learn more information about any crime-related issues within their communities.The agency offers residents the ability to find why, where and when deputies were called to their neighborhood via the internet. Residents can access local crime incident data in near real-time on the www.loudoun.gov/crimereports website or by clicking on the link located on the Loudoun Sheriff's Office website at www.loudoun.gov/sheriff.

The information is presented on Google Maps where users can review up-to-date crime information for any location under the jurisdiction of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Residents can also receive free e-mail crime alerts that are sent when crimes occur close to home or near any other address of interest. Users control the e-mail crime alerts they receive by specifying the address, the crime types, and the distance from the address from which they wish to receive alerts.

The agency also encourages residents to sign up and receive Loudoun Sheriff's Office alerts from the Alert Loudoun system. The system was implemented in 2003 and allows residents and business owners to receive instant notification of criminal activity in the county. The system is free and allows those who sign up to receive the latest news affecting the county. The information can be sent to your 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.gov and clicking on Alert Loudoun. The service is available to anyone with an e-mail account. A friendly reminder for those having alerts sent to their pager or cell phone, due to the nature of some of the messages you may receive an alert at any time of day overnight.

Both services are free to the public, allowing county residents easy access to neighborhood crime data in near-real time and crime incident information.The Crime Reports system does not reflect sensitive calls such as incidents of rape, sexual assault, crimes against children, domestic violence and calls that are medical in nature.

Air & Scare Halloween Event at the National Air & Space Museum

Saturday, Oct. 25 ~ 4pm to 8 pm

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Free admission ~ Parking $10 per car

This annual evening event features lots of candy, costumes and fun-filled activities for everyone from tots to teens and yes, even grown-ups.

Discounted CAPITALS Tickets! * Supports a good ca

Washington Capitals have teamed up with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Selling discounted tickets to several games this season (each one about $10 off - some as much as $15 off) complete with discounted fees (no ticketmaster charges!). Better get your Caps tix quick - the SouthEast Division Champs will sell out quick this year! In addition to special pricing - for each ticket purchased $6 will be donated to NMSS! WOO HOO! Talk about a win-win.

Order your tickets today at: www.CapsTickets.com/nmss.html

Choose from the following games:

• Monday, October 13th @ 7:00pm vs. Vancouver Canucks
• Tuesday, October 28th @ 7:00pm vs. Nashville Predators
• Thursday, November 6th @ 7:00pm vs. Carolina Hurricanes
• Wednesday, November 26th @ 7:00pm vs. Atlanta Thrashers
• Thursday, December 4th @ 7:00pm vs. New York Islanders
• Thursday, December 18th @ 7:00pm vs. St. Louis Blues
• Tuesday, January 6th @ 7:00pm vs. Philadelphia Flyers
• Saturday, January 17th @ 7:00pm vs. Boston Bruins

Please forward this to anyone else who might be interested in seeing awesome hockey and supporting a good cause!

Local moving company, JK Movers, donates time & trucks for Habitat for Humanity

I wanted to share a recent experience that I have had with Matt and JK.



As many of you know, I am involved with Loudoun’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity; well, their corporate offices are moving this week….knowing the expert service that JK delivers – I quickly looked to Matt to see if this was a job JK could help with. In no time at all – I was contacted by Jim Stevens (from their commercial move division) who let me know that not only could JK help – they were going to donate all of their time and materials to make this move happen (2 trucks and 9 people for 6 hours!).



We are delighted to have their support in this move which further solidifies my high regard for JK – a local company, which provides superior service while caring about their community.



If you have used them in the past, you know what I am talking about – if you haven’t called on Matt before – what are you waiting for? Your clients will thank you.



Matt can be reached at:

Matt Plumer

Certified Moving Consultant

JK Moving and Storage

(703) 260-3048 (office)

(703) 926-3874 (cell)

mplumer@JKMoving.com



Another nugget I learned about JK during this process – they have a new website devoted to recycling furniture/items in the DC area: http://www.reusedc.org/ “don’t throw it away, give it away” - an additional way that they are giving back and reaching out.

Loudoun County Public Library ranked as one of the top 10 in the nation

The Loudoun County Public Library has been ranked as one of the top ten libraries in the United States by the highly regarded Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR).

The 2008 HAPLR edition rates over 9,000 public libraries in the U.S. using the latest federal population data. Libraries are rated, scored and ranked on 15 input and output measures. Based on those measures, Loudoun County Public Library received a score of 855. "Most libraries score between 260 and 730, so scores above and below those numbers are remarkable," according to the author, Thomas J. Hennen Jr.

According to the Loudoun County Public Library Director Douglas Henderson, "This top 10 national ranking is a wonderful complement to the 2007 county survey of residents where 95% responded that they were highly satisfied." He added, "We have a terrific staff."

For details on the rankings, visit the Hennen's American Public Library Ratings site: www.haplr-index.com.

Visit the Loudoun County Public Library website: http://library.loudoun.gov for a complete listing of services, events, and programs.


This article was taken from loudoun.gov

Conserving Energy & Cutting Energy Costs

The Loudoun County government's Energy Manager, Najib Salehi, reminds
residents and businesses that making small changes can add up to a big
difference in energy usage.

"Everyone can be his or her own energy manager," Salehi said. "As drops of
water can make rivers, it's true with energy. We make decisions every day in
our lives that can reduce carbon emissions, the energy we use and our carbon
footprint. We can make a world of difference." Salehi says some of the
small things people can do are:

. Turn off unnecessary lights
. Turn off computers when not in use
. Fix leaky faucets and leaky windows
. Install window shades on the sunny side of the house
. Carpool
. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs

Purchasing energy efficient products will be a little easier this weekend.
In connection with Energy Efficiency & Conservation Month, the state of
Virginia has declared Friday, October 10 through Monday, October 13, 2008,
as Virginia's ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday. All eligible retailers who
carry ENERGY STAR qualified products will suspend sales tax on these
qualified products that cost up to $2,500 or less:

. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs )
. Ceiling fans
. Clothes washers
. Dehumidifiers
. Dishwashers
. Programmable thermostats
. Refrigerators
. Room air conditioners

Also on Wednesday, October 8, the Board of Supervisors Ad Hoc Committee on
Energy Efficiency will hold a "listening session" from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in
the Board Room of the county government center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E. in
Leesburg.

More information about energy efficiency and conservation in Loudoun County,
including energy conservation tips for the upcoming winter, is available on
the county website at www.loudoun.gov/energy.

Learn How to Secure Your Home

As part of National Crime Prevention Month the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is asking county residents to help the agency fight crime by making their home or business as safe and secure as is possible.

As a community service the Loudoun Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Unit offers security checks to county residents and businesses. During the checks a Sheriff's Deputy trained in crime prevention will come to your home or business and check the interior and exterior and make suggestions on ways to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of crime.

The deputies often suggest a layered approach to securing your home or business. This layered approach involves such things as mailbox markings, lawn and landscape maintenance, choice of trees and bushes, and lighting.

In addition, a homeowner needs to ensure they have good locks and other security hardware on their windows and doors. Taking these measures combined with lighting and landscaping may make a home or business a less desirable target of criminal activity.

If you are a Loudoun resident or a county business owner and you would like to schedule a free security check please contact Deputy Specialist Nathan Payne at 703-777-0477 or Deputy Specialist James Spurlock at 703-771-5749 of the Loudoun Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Unit. If you have question you can also contact them by email at nathaniel.payne@loudoun.gov or james.spurlock@loudoun.gov.


Article taken from loudoun.gov

Loudoun County Hazardous Waste Collection

The Loudoun County Office of Solid Waste Management will host a Household
Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection event from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on
Saturday, October 18, 2008, at Harmony Intermediate School, 38174 West
Colonial Highway, Hamilton.

Typical HHW items are oil-based paints/stains/varnishes, paint thinners; old
fuels including gas/oil mixes, kerosene, and diesel fuel; and cleaners such
as oven cleaners, drain cleaners, bathroom cleaners, and all purpose
cleaners. Other HHW items are scouring powders, mothballs, mildew removers,
metal polishes, rust removers, wood preservatives, furniture polishes and
waxes, and pool chemicals. Fluorescent bulbs are also accepted.

Used motor oil, antifreeze, automobile batteries and propane tanks will not
be accepted at any HHW collection events. They can be recycled year round at
the Loudoun County Solid Waste Management Facility.

Also, latex or water-based paints are not a hazardous waste. Dry or solidify
leftover paint for disposal with your household garbage.

For more tips on proper paint disposal, identification of HHW or the
complete 2008 HHW event schedule, visit www.loudoun.gov/hhw or call the
Office of Solid Waste Management at 703-777-0187.

Tighter Restriction for FHA loans

Do you have alternative NO Money down options for your home buyers?
Did you get this news release?

Loudoun County offers financial assistance through the Downpayment/Closing Costs Program (DPCC) to first-time homebuyers. The program has recently been expanded to better assist low-to moderate-income homebuyers purchasing homes in the county.

Administered by the Loudoun County Department of Family Services, the program makes loans available to homebuyers with a total household income between $29,500 and $69,300. Funds are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Standard eligibility requirements apply. Highlights of the program include:

• Loan amounts up to ten percent of the purchase price or $25,000, whichever is less
• 30-year loan
• Interest rate of five percent
• Principal and interest payments deferred for the first three years
• Monthly payments begin with the fourth year and are amortized over 27 years
• No pre-payment penalty
Is the Lender (or their firm) you are currently working with on the attached list of VHDA's top producers?

If you answered NO to any of these questions – we need to talk!

Information Provided by:

Aimee Waltz
SunTrust Mortgage
46175 Westlake Drive
Sterling, VA 20165
Direct 703-444-6203
Cell 703-475-7175
Fax 703-444-6467
Aimee.waltz@suntrust.com