Words, music, images and more from Jim Barnes
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.
In 2009, looking for good schools for their children, Christa and Brian Geno moved from Herndon to Kirkpatrick Farms, a new development in a then-remote corner of southern Loudoun County. Braddock Road, which bisects the community, was gravel in that segment, and shopping and other amenities were miles away.
They are happy with their decision, Christa Geno said.
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.
The developers of Willowsford, a few miles west of Dulles Airport, tout amenities common to new communities: parks, community centers and a future regional library. But the biggest draw might be the farmland woven into the fabric of the community.
Willowsford operates a farm stand that sells food grown on site, conducts classes on cooking local seasonal produce, and offers farm-themed camps and educational experiences for children.
Washington Post, November 15, 2015
Dulles area residents want more roads to ease traffic and connect neighborhoods; biking and walking trails; access to government services; and options for shopping, entertainment and recreation — all while trees, streams and open space are protected.
Those were residents’ central messages in input gathered through Loudoun County’s Dulles Community Outreach Project. The final report, which the county’s planning staff presented to the Board of Supervisors Wednesday, included a list of 28 “consensus recommendations,” many of which involved transportation improvements and community amenities.
Washington Post, September 20, 2015
The Canadian Brass, widely acclaimed as one of the most popular brass ensembles in the world, visited John Champe High School in Aldie recently to conduct a workshop for Loudoun County band students.
About 700 students from 10 middle and high schools attended the May 29 workshop, where the ensemble demonstrated diverse musical styles, including early Renaissance music and a Peruvian tango.
Washington Post, June 7, 2015
About 80 people packed a small meeting room at the Dulles South Multipurpose Center in South Riding on Jan. 22, as Loudoun County launched a community outreach project intended to help shape development in the rapidly growing area west and south of Dulles Airport.
Washington Post, January 28, 2015
Deputy Roy Ortutay has been appointed to serve as the first community resource deputy permanently assigned to the Dulles South Station area.
Washington Post, August 11, 2014
Since Capital Hospice began offering services to people with terminal illnesses in Loudoun County more than 35 years ago, it has focused on delivering end-of-life care and comfort to patients in their homes.
That will change next month, when the nonprofit company, now called Capital Caring, fully opens the Adler Center for Caring on the Van Metre Campus in southeastern Loudoun.
Washington Post, June 29, 2014
Bonnie Sewell, of Stone Ridge, has coupled her life experiences and her background as a financial planner to launch a new career as a divorce planner.
Washington Post, August 14, 2013