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People Notes

Send announcements, which are open to the public at no or minimal cost, to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102 or e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454. For additional listings, visit www.connectionnewspapers.com.

Pinar Smith of Park View High School was awarded a $1,000 scholarship through Comcast's Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program.

Karen Krei, chair of the Student Recognition Committee of the Loudoun Volunteer Services Board of Directors, presented Andrew Livingstone, a junior at Dominion High School (DHS), with a Certificate of Appreciation, honoring him as Student Volunteer of the Month on April 25. The small ceremony took place in the Athletic Department of Dominion High School.

Army Pvt. Jeremiah J. Spain has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

He is the son of Kevin Spain of Barnfield Square, Leesburg, and grandson of Karen Spain of Stockbridge Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y. Spain is a 1999 graduate of Bennett High School, Buffalo.

A benefit for Loudoun Interfaith Relief, held at Lightfoot Restaurant April 24, raised $15,000 to support feeding the families served by the nonprofit. So far this fiscal year, LIR has prepared and distributed 261,000 meals to more than 29,707 individuals.

The Loudoun Commission on Women recognized 10 Outstanding Women of Loudoun County, May 15.

The winners were Sharon Wells, community service-youth; Kim Prince, community service-youth; Karen Chadwick, community service-seniors; Kristina Bouweiri, business development; Vanessa Mertz-Myers, public safety; Eleanor Fall, cultural arts; Marianne Mount, partners in education for adults; Nancy Lasik, partners in education for youth; Judith Romberg, leadership; and May Kearney, education.

Three Stone Bridge Students won top state honors in a technology competition in Hampton, VA. The state-sponsored competition, called "Technosphere," hosted hundreds of high-school students from across the commonwealth and consists of several different technology-related contests.

Stone Bridge seniors Mike Henessy and Logan Brown, as well as junior Sam Conolly teamed up for top honors in the "Engineering Design" contest. The first-place finish involved designing and building a "wave-generating machine" used to test different barrier reef designs. The contest also involved producing a display of the design including a video tape of the testing and a model of the reef design. Students were also required to defend their design during an interview.

The CountrySide Women's Club announce its new officers for 2007-2008: Teresa Bettac, president; Elaine Stiger, first vice president; Anita Jones, second vice president; Sally Velt, treasurer; and Joan Louise McCaffrey, secretary.

Michael Francis of Ashburn has been named a United States National Award winner in football by the United States Achievement Academy. The academy recognizes fewer than 10 percent of all American high-school students. Criteria for selection includes the student's academic performance, interest and aptitude, leadership qualities, responsibility, enthusiasm, motivation to earn and improve, citizenship, attitude and cooperative spirit, dependability and recommendation for a qualified sponsor.

Francis, who attends Briar Woods High School, was nominated by his coach, Charlie Pierce. He will appear in the United States Achievement Academy's official yearbook, which is published nationally. He is the son of Anna Devassy and Paul Francis of Ashburn.

The Piedmont Arts Foundation, formerly the Tony & Nik Foundation, has named six students as recipients of the 2007 Piedmont Arts Foundation Drama Award. Making the grant more significant is the fact that each was selected for this honor by their peers, the students that make up the Foundation’s Student Board. Receiving unrestricted grants of $1000 are Tali Custer, Potomac Falls High School; Jake Thiewes, Stone Bridge High School; Sabrina Ripperger, Stone Bridge High School.

Receiving unrestricted grants of $500 are Zach Betz, Loudoun County Run High School; Katie Dalby, Loudoun County High School; Alexandra Wicker, Broad Run High School.

The Ashburn Ruritan Club awarded students from 17 elementary, middle and high schools in Ashburn with the 12th annual Outstanding Student Citizen Awards. The awards were presented Tuesday, May 15, at Eagle Ridge Middle School in Ashburn.

The award winners are John "Connor" Hill, Ashburn Elementary School; Rebecca Pelletz, Belmont Station Elementary School; Elizabeth Morton, Cedar Lane Elementary School; Joshua Smallwood, Dominion Trail Elementary School; Stephanie Davis, Hillside Elementary School; Nadia Davis, Legacy Elementary School; Andrew Hoyler, Mill Run Elementary School; Katelyn Salvatore, Newton-Lee Elementary School; Cerella Chandra, Sanders Corner Elementary School; Sophia Hamdan, Selden's Landing Elementary School; Anna Tyrlik, Belmont Ridge Middle School; Brooke Medeiros, Eagle Ridge Middle School; Sarah Kim, Farmwell Station Middle School; Katelyn Catalfamo, Saint Theresa School; Nicole Poltash, Broad Run High School; John Manning, Stone Bridge High School; and Rachel Macasieb, Briar Woods High School.

The Ruritan Civic Service Award went to Ruritan student member Jackie Picollo.

Del. Tom Rust (R-86) was honored by the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance with the group’s "Dust, Blood and Sweat" award in recognition for his efforts to secure the first new transportation funding for this region in 20 years.

Army Pvt. Sarah E. Steinhice has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

She is the daughter of Cheryl Steinhice of Saddlebrook Place, Leesburg. Steinhice is a 2004 graduate of Loudoun County High School, Leesburg.

More than two hundred people attended the Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association's 11th Annual Meeting and 2006 Tourism Awards at Lansdowne Resort Clubhouse March 30. The winners of the 2006 Tourism Awards are:

Tourism Employee of the Year (Management): Jo Ann Sweeney, front desk manager, Holiday Inn Washington Dulles.

Tourism Employee of the Year (Non-Management): Lorita Malipal, guest service agent, Hampton Inn & Suites Leesburg.

Volunteer of the Year: Kim Labash, chair of the Bluemont Fair.

Tourism Event of the Year: Christmas in Middleburg.

Tourism Promotion/Campaign of the Year: Jazz on the Potomac, Lansdowne Resort.

Judy Patterson Tourism Award: Margaret Hubert, Tarara Winery and Peter Dunning, Bluemont Concert Series.

LCVA Partner of the Year: June Stanich of June Stanich Photography.

LCVA Distinguished Service Award: Organizations recognized included company Chief Kevin Wright for Hamilton fire units, Chief Joseph Pozzo, and Fire Marshall Keith Brower on behalf of all the fire and rescue personnel and volunteers who fought the Waterford School blaze.

LCVA Humanitarian Award: Embassy Suites Dulles North and Dysautonomia Youth Network of America (DYNA).

For the second year in a row Loudoun Sheriff's Deputy Aaron Taylor was recognized for his efforts in curbing drinking and driving in the county.

Taylor was among several law-enforcement personnel from around the Northern Virginia region recognized at the ceremony held at Westpark Hotel in Tysons Corner. Taylor arrested 39 impaired drivers in 2006. Taylor has been with the Sheriff's Office since June of 2004; he is currently assigned to the Sheriff's Office Community Policing Unit and serves the town of Round Hill.