Statement to School Board

Last night I made the following comments in a meeting of the Loudoun County School Board:

First, let me thank you all for your good work – I do appreciate your service.

My name is Jim Barnes. From 1989 through 2010, I served as the public information officer for the Loudoun County government. In fact, I was the county’s first public information officer.

After leaving that job, I worked as a journalist covering local news across Northern Virginia for about a decade.

As you might imagine, I have sat through hundreds of public meetings, but I have never gotten up to speak as a private citizen – until now.

For many of the years I was working for the county, Wayde Byard was my counterpart for Loudoun County Public Schools. So I can appreciate what a hard job he has, and how good he’s been at it.

And when I was working as a journalist, covering Loudoun schools, he was always honest and straightforward with me, and helped steer me in the right direction.

I have always found Mr. Byard to be a hard-working public servant and a person of integrity.

Now he is facing a serious charge, and I understand that he has been placed on leave without pay. I don’t know the facts behind the charge, or even what he is alleged to have said that led to his indictment.

I trust that those facts will become known in his trial. But that won’t take place until June 20.

Six months is a long time to go without a paycheck. Six months! Please consider how that would affect your household budget. And he may not have even done anything wrong. He deserves the presumption of innocence.

It seems only fair that Mr. Byard’s pay be restored until he has his day in court. I respectfully ask that you consider doing so.

Again, thank you!

Sugarland Run: Trails, trees and much more in a pocket near the Potomac

Jimmy O’Connor and his family were living in a townhouse in Sterling, Va., 10 years ago when they felt the urge to move west.

“We had a growing family and were looking for more space — not only more space within the house, but more space outdoors — more trails and more trees,” he said.

Instead, they found what they were looking for just a couple of miles north in Sugarland Run, a compact community of 2,062 homes in eastern Loudoun County.

The Washington Post, December 30, 2020

Read full story

Commuting convenience and value for the price at the Ridings at Blue Spring

When Meg and Barton Phillips were looking to move their family from western Fairfax County, Va., to a larger house in 2003, they considered the location of the Ridings at Blue Spring to be a plus. The homes with easy access to Route 50 at the eastern edge of Loudoun County would be conveniently located for their commutes.

But what set the Ridings at Blue Spring apart was the value of the new homes there compared with neighboring South Riding, a much larger community to the west.

Read full story

The Washington Post, Oct. 28, 2020

Near the Potomac, community has three names and two qualities: Peace and quiet

Village Green at Elysian Heights goes by many names.

Nestled among farms, wineries and breweries in the gentle hills of northeastern Loudoun County, the community is commonly associated with the village of Lucketts, about two miles away. The mailing address is Leesburg. The neighborhood’s entrance signs say Village Green, but real estate listings fall under Elysian Heights. And, according to the community manager, the official name is Potomia.

Full story

The Washington Post, September 16, 2020

In Loudoun County, ‘village of Oz’ turns into an amenity-rich, family-friendly neighborhood

When Shirley Barber moved with her young family to Ashburn Farm in 1989, “it was like the village of Oz dropped down into this country area — one road coming in and out, no buildings,” she said. “There was nothing here.”

Barber and her husband, David Tabor, were the original owners of a house in the eastern Loudoun County community of 3,863 homes, most of which were built between 1988 and 1993. A few smaller neighborhoods were annexed into Ashburn Farm during the ensuing decade.

Read full story

The Washington Post, July 8, 2020

In eastern Loudoun, CountrySide lives up to its bucolic name

Pat Bour described it as “scary” in 1983 when she and her young family moved from suburban Maryland to CountrySide in eastern Loudoun County.

“There was nothing when we moved out here — no malls, no other HOAs, nothing. But once I got here, I loved it,” Bour said. “We’re retired now. We have no plans to move. I’m going to stay here until I’m taken out feet first.”

Read full story

The Washington Post, June 10, 2020

A Loudoun County enclave keeps the community engaged and families happy

South Riding has an ambitious vision: to be the most desired place to live and raise a family in Northern Virginia.

A quarter-century after its first homes were built, the picturesque Loudoun County community appears within reach of that vision. Schools, swimming pools and athletic fields are strategically placed among streets lined with flowering trees and color-coordinated homes, many of which have front porches and white picket fences.

Read more…

The Washington Post, April 2, 2020

In Loudoun, families flock to walkability and amenities of Great Falls Chase

Great Falls Chase is a place that might appeal to Goldilocks — not too big and not too small.

A compact community in the eastern corner of Loudoun County, Great Falls Chase is large enough to support such amenities as a swimming pool, tennis courts and a shopping center, but small enough that everything is within easy walking distance and neighbors recognize one another.

Full story

The Washington Post, Feb. 19, 2020

In the swim, on the field and at the lake in Loudoun’s Ashburn Village

“Sports and recreation are the heartbeat of Ashburn Village, a 5,500-unit planned community in eastern Loudoun County, Va., about 30 miles from Washington.

With 16 miles of trails, three community centers with outdoor pools, eight playgrounds and a multitude of courts and fields for tennis, basketball, baseball and soccer, Ashburn Village is built for outdoor activity.”

Read more…

The Washington Post, Jan. 30, 2020

Residents oppose development of golf course

Leesburg residents who live near Westpark Golf Course are pushing back against a developer’s plans to acquire the property and build homes on it.

Town officials announced late last year that the course is under contract to CalAtlantic, a land- development company that plans to build 27 homes there and donate most of the remaining property to the town. Since the sale’s announcement, scores of residents have shown up at town council meetings and other community gatherings to object to the plan.

Full story…

The Washington Post, Jan. 5, 2018