Unlike its neighbors to the west, Sterling is home to many of the county’s oldest buildings, schools, roads and even a few mom-and-pop shops. With an increase in population, the once-rural community, is busy updating roads to handle the heavy traffic flow and expanding schools to accommodate its growing number of students.
Sterling’s population is not only growing in size, but its families represent countries from around the world.
Sterling’s diverse neighborhoods influence its community events, like multicultural nights and salsa classes, foreign language programs in all of its schools, and a wide variety of ethnic restaurants.
<sh>What’s New?
<bt>Loudoun County is home to the new Claude Moore Park, located off Cascades Parkway, in Sterling. The multipurpose, state-of-the-art facility, which opened in March, is home to a 150-foot, bright blue water slide and spinning vortex, a children’s swimming pool and a competitive swimming pool, a fitness center, elevated track, gymnasium and drop-in childcare program. The recreation center, which looks like an antique barn, offers classes in tai chi, yoga and aerobics and masters swimming, diving, swim lessons, lifeguard classes, scuba diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, in the pool area.
A second phase of the two-part project will be completed in December. Once it is finished, the 9,000-square-foot addition will house a new Sterling Annex, which is currently located in a 1930s schoolhouse on Shaw Road in Sterling. The addition will enable to center to provide more classes and child care.
<sh>The School Front
<bt>While new elementary, middle and high schools are being built in places, like Ashburn and South Riding, Sterling schools are doing their best to maintain their grounds. Two of the county’s oldest elementary schools, Forest Grove and Sugarland elementary schools are undergoing major renovations to be completed by the start of the 2007-2008 school year.
Last summer, construction workers began digging and gutting the outside and insides of the schools. Come September, both schools, built in the 1970s, will be up to date, with modern gymnasiums, offices, classrooms and computer labs. Both schools will also receive new lights, sprinkler systems and windows.
Sterling and Seneca Ridge middle schools also went under renovations. The final phase of renovations will take place over the summer and both schools will receive new art rooms.
<sh>Sheriff’s Office Gets Into Community
<bt>With the Sheriff’s Office headquarters located in Leesburg, deputies are stuck behind the wheel on Route 7 for a large portion of their day. With traffic jams and a long commute from its headquarters and the recent gang activity in the area, Sheriff Steve Simpson initiated plans to install substation’s across the county.
Eastern Loudoun will receive its first Sheriff’s Office substation in Sterling Park, to be located adjacent to Rolling Ridge Elementary School on East Frederick Drive. The 18,000-square-foot facility will house staff offices, a community room, deputy work rooms and temporary prisoner-holding facilities. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office will provide 24-hour-a-day coverage, seven days a week, under the command of a sheriff's captain.