Send announcements to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454. This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.
Mom's Apple Pie Co. of Sterling provided apple and pumpkin pies for a reception in the Russell Senate Building after the Capitol Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C., Dec. 9.
Local area vendors are invited to the 2005 Loudoun County Procurement Division's Buyer/Seller Information Exchange sessions. The next session will be Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 2 p.m., at the County Government Center, 1 Harrison St., S.E. in Leesburg.
Dryhome Roofing & Siding Inc. of Sterling continued its holiday tradition of donating a free roof to a worthy cause or family. The Good Shepherd Alliance has a transitional house in Lucketts called Peace House that needed the services of Dryhome. The company tore off all existing shingles and replaced all rotted wood prior to installing an adhesive ice/water shield across the eaves of the roof area Friday, Dec. 17. In addition, the company applied a Roofers' Select high-performance underlayment to the entire roof area and installed a 25-year warranty shingle by CertainTeed. The total amount of this donation is approximately $3,900.
A family with two children currently reside in Peace House at the Good Shepherd Hebron facility in Lucketts. The facility is comprised of a family shelter and two transitional houses. The Good Shepherd Alliance provides temporary shelter and transitional housing all in a safe and supportive community.
The new 2.5-acre BeanTree Learning Campus is set to open in January 2005, offering child care, preschool and after-school programs for children ages 6 weeks through 12 years. The locally-owned company was founded by Denise Price and Jennifer Bower, who have 50 years of combined experience in education and child care. The 21,000- square-foot facility, located at 43629 Greenway Corporate Drive, Ashburn, includes a Global Courtyard, which resembles a page from a storybook, Pagoda Theatre and the International Cafe, as well as the Olympic Gym with Greek architecture and themed corridors. It also features a coffee bar for parents, a child haircut salon and a comfortable and separate ill child pick-up area with state-of-the-art technology features such as a fingerprint security system and a dedicated childrenÕs Tech Hub. Visit www.beantreelearning.com.
Local area children got a taste of the holidays at the childrenÕs gingerbread class at the Hilton Washington Dulles, Saturday, Dec. 4, for area children ages 5 to 12.
The class was led by the HiltonÕs pastry chef Steve Miller. The children were each given a large hand-made gingerbread house, created by Miller, to decorate any way they desired. Various candies, chocolates and a large bag of frosting surrounded each child as they went to work on their edible masterpieces. Miller spoke with the children and shared professional decorating techniques, as they sampled some of the chefÕs other cookies and apple cider.
Exhibiting his own gingerbread skills, MillerÕs 20-foot by 20-foot, edible gingerbread village will be on display through the holidays at the Hilton.
TW Perry, a full-service buildings materials business that had acquired the JT Hirst facility last summer, held a private welcoming reception at its Leesburg location Thursday,
Nov. 4. Invited guests were treated to a video depicting the history of JT Hirst followed by commentary from Ed Quinn, chairman and CEO, who discussed the importance of the Leesburg location to the TW Perry business and how excited they were to be a part of the local business community. The
company has increased the employee base more than 100 percent to 50+ employees with plans to double the staff again in the next 18 months when TW Perry is fully functional. The company also expects sales of more than $100 million this year and to have $20 million being generated from the Leesburg location. One of the highlights of the evening was the selection of the winner of the $1,000 donation that was provided by TW Perry. The winner was Jeff Latman,
owner of Stonegate Construction, who donated the money to Loudoun Interfaith Relief.
Lansdowne Town Center LLC officially broke ground on the new Lansdowne Boulevard/Route 7 interchange. The $16 million project is fully funded by Lansdowne Town Center LLC as a part of a proffer commitment for Lansdowne. The full cloverleaf interchange, being constructed by Shirley Contracting, is expected to be completed by the end of 2005.
"Inc." magazine has released its 24th annual Inc. 500 ranking of the fastest-growing companies in the country and general contractor/construction management firm, Milestone Construction Services Inc. (MCSI) ranks No. 320 on the list with total growth of 573 percent and annual growth of 114.7 percent.
MCSI has successfully grown over the past six years from $1 million in sales to over $25 million in 2004. MCSI is forecasting their 2005 revenues to exceed $35 million. The Sterling firm specializes in construction management of schools, churches, retail and airport facilities. Recently it obtained KohlÕs Department Stores and Siena Development as national clients. In addition, they operate a Construction Consulting business out of their Baltimore office.
The Leesburg Laser Center, a laser hair removal center, has opened its doors in downtown Leesburg at 116 Edwards Ferry Road N.E., #S, in Colonial Square near Dodona Manor. Owned and operated by Kathy Sheraw, a Registered Nurse with 23 years of experience and a Certified Laser Specialist, the center provides a safe and comfortable setting for laser hair removal treatments for both men and women.
Visit the Web site at http://www.leesburglasercenter.com or call Leesburg Laser Center at 703-779-7783.
The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2004 Small Business Awards, Nov. 18, with awards presented to the following companies: Small Business of the Year, Sweet T's Fire and Ice; Agribusiness of the Year, Whitestone Farm; Entrepreneur of the Year, winner, George's Mill Farm & Stables, finalist, Not Furlong Temps; Franchise of the Year, Sign-A-Rama of Leesburg; Home-Based Business of the Year, winner, Uno Communications, finalist, Tranquil Moment; Product of the Year, winner, Glenfiddich Farm Pottery, finalist, Gigi Books; Retail Business of the Year, winner, Creep and Crawl Outfitters, finalist, European Gourmet Bakery; Service Business of the Year, winner, Everything & The Dog, finalist, Arthritis & Sports Orthopedics; Technology Business of the Year, winner, BeckITSystems, finalist, Home IT.
On Oct. 11, Napa Valley Florist relocated its floral business from Chantilly to a new location at 39472 John Mosby Highway, Aldie. Offering fresh-cut flowers, silk flowers, window treatments and an eclectic mix of antiques and seasonal gifts at the new location, Napa Valley Florists specializes in weddings, birthdays, parties, funerals and any important life event.
The U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded its Gold Medal to the Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) of NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) in Sterling, Wakefield, Va., and Newport, N.C. The award was presented in recognition of their customer service, while enduring personal hardships, before, during and after Hurricane Isabel. NOAA, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
In the two days leading up to the onset of Hurricane Isabel, more than 500 briefings were provided to the media, critical emergency services' partners, and other government agencies by the WFO in Sterling. Strong partnerships with the media and emergency service officials along with accurate and timely forecast products lead to minimal loss of life during Isabel, despite extreme coastal storm surge and widespread inland flash flooding. Weather briefings from the Sterling WFO on the anticipated flooding lead Gary Critzer, emergency manager for the city of Waynesboro to say, "Boy, you really hit the nail on the head! Your telephone briefing was the saving grace."
The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce announces Naomi Torfin joined its staff Monday, Nov. 29, as the new events manager. She will be overseeing the event planning and management services for the chamber.
Originally from St. Cloud, Minn., Torfin acquired her bachelor of arts degree in English from James Madison University in Virginia. She comes to the chamber with a background in nonprofit and events planning skills. Her previous experience includes coordinating events for "a trendy wedding and events planning company" and working as a natural resource manager in Niger, West Africa for the Peace Corps. Most recently, Torfin worked for RACCAP, a not-for-profit organization in Fredericksburg, Va., where she facilitated the prevention of child abuse.
A new 154-suite Embassy Suites Hotel and 90-suite Homewood Suites will open in the Ashburn Corporate Center in January 2005. The hotel site will be within three miles of the Dulles International Airport and directly across Waxpool Road from MCI WorldCom's 2-million-square-foot headquarters and less than one half-mile from AOL Time Warner's headquarters.
The six-story Embassy Suites Hotel Dulles-North will have approximately 10,000 square feet of function space, Latitude Restaurant, located within the lobby, an indoor swimming pool and spa, an outdoor swimming pool, two on-site fitness centers, two site business centers, and a 24-hour sundry/gift shop. The Homewood Suites by Hilton Dulles-North will include a 90-suite facility with approximately 1,000 square feet of function space, a 24-hour sundry/gift shop, an indoor swimming pool and spa, an outdoor swimming pool, two on-site fitness centers, two site business centers, on-site guest laundry facilities, business center and a 24-hour sundry/gift shop.
Hubert Construction LLC, in Gaithersburg, Md., is working on eight new swimming pool and community center complexes including Ashbrook Community Center, Ashburn, a 4,000-square-foot main pool, large wading pool, and 2,050-square-foot bathhouse; and South Riding Recreation Center, Loudoun County, a main pool, wading pool, tennis courts, tot lots and 4,342-square-foot bathhouse/recreation center.