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| Board Calls for Study to Revamp Toll Structure on Dulles Greenway |
It was announced on January 20, 2012, that the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is calling on the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to conduct a study to explore the feasibility and legality of distance-pricing tolling along the Dulles Greenway.
A resolution unanimously adopted by the Board also asks the Virginia General Assembly to review the enabling authority which created the Dulles Greenway, including any authority for changing the ways tolls are charged on the road, and also to consider placing a cap on the overall toll rate structure.
While the resolution “acknowledges the benefits the Dulles Greenway, and its operator Trip II, have provided” to Loudoun’s residents and businesses, the resolution also expresses “deep concern as to the rising cost” of using the toll road, adding that the “Dulles Greenway tolls continue to escalate at ever-increasing rates which has led to increased traffic congestion on alternate roadways and may negatively impact the prospects for long-term economic growth within Loudoun County.”
In addition to the resolution, the Board approved a draft letter from Chairman Scott K. York to VDOT requesting the feasibility study of distance-based pricing of tolls on the Greenway.
| Governor, Board of Education Honor 31 Loudoun Schools |
The governor and the Board of Education announced Thursday January 5th, 2012, that 447 schools and two school divisions earned 2012 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) awards for advanced learning and achievement. This program recognizes schools that far exceed minimum state and federal accountability standards and achieve excellence goals established by the governor and the board. To qualify for the Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence, schools and school divisions must meet all state and federal achievement benchmarks for at least two consecutive years and achieve all applicable excellence goals.
Seven Loudoun Schools received the 2012 Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence.
· Belmont Station Elementary
· Lowes Island Elementary
· Lucketts Elementary
· Newton-Lee Elementary
· Pinebrook Elementary
· Round Hill Elementary
· Waterford Elementary
Seventeen Loudoun Schools received the Board of Education Excellence Excellence Award.
· Aldie Elementary
· Arcola Elementary
· Creighton's Corner Elementary
· Kenneth W. Culbert Elementary
· Emerick Elementary
· Hamilton Elementary
· Hillside Elementary
· Horizon Elementary
· Hutchison Farm Elementary
· Legacy Elementary
· Liberty Elementary
· Lincoln Elementary
· Little River Elementary
· Mill Run Elementary
· Mountain View Elementary
· Sanders Corner Elementary
· Sycolin Creek Elementary
The seven Loudoun schools receiving the Competence to Excellence awards are:
· Banneker Elementary
· Briar Woods High School
· Broad Run High School
· Hillsboro Elementary
· Loudoun Valley High School
· Lovettsville Elementary
· Stone Bridge High School
| Board of Supervisors Formally Opposes Proposed NVTC Lobbyist Program |
Board of Supervisors Formally Opposes Proposed NVTC Lobbyist Program
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has adopted a formal position against a proposal by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) to create a “legislative advocacy and public outreach program” at a cost of $250,000 annually. The money for the program would come from member contributions, including those of Loudoun County and five other Northern Virginia jurisdictions.
In a letter to other members of the NVTC, Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott K. York says Loudoun County “will strongly object” to its transportation dollars being diverted to fund an NVTC lobbying program, especially when positions put forth by the NVTC sometimes conflict with those of Loudoun County. In the letter, York also points out that “each of NVTC’s member jurisdictions has individual representation programs in Richmond, which, when collectively applied, is a more meaningful expression of regional positions than a single voice from NVTC can or will be.”
The NVTC allocates up to $200 million in state, regional, and federal transit assistance each year among the member jurisdictions. Its budget is funded primarily by the Commonwealth of Virginia and by its local governments, including Loudoun.
| Volunteers Needed to Help Low-Income Families Prepare and File Taxes |
The Loudoun County Department of Family Services and the Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging are joining together to help people in the community file their taxes free of charge, and in many cases obtain a tax refund.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, locally known as the Northern Virginia CASH Campaign, (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) relies on volunteers to deliver tax preparation services at no cost to working families and individuals in the community who earned less than $50,270 in 2011.
Volunteers contribute a few hours weekly during the tax season to help prepare tax returns, or serve as greeters, screeners, site coordinators and interpreters. Free tax certification training is provided by the Internal Revenue Service to all volunteers in January. Successful tax preparers are computer savvy, have a knack for working with numbers, use a 10-key number pad, and spend a minimum of 30-to-40 hours to prepare for the IRS examinations.
The Northern Virginia CASH Campaign is leading the Northern Virginia effort to mobilize a coalition of public agencies, businesses, libraries, faith and community-based groups to operate the tax assistance program at 19 sites throughout the Northern Virginia area beginning on January 31, 2012. Last year, four Loudoun County sites assisted about 1,300 residents file for $1,919,906 worth of refunds.
To register as a volunteer, or for more information about the Northern Virginia CASH Campaign, please contact Karen Velez at 703-771-5718 or via e-mail at karen.velez@loudoun.gov for evening and Saturday morning opportunities. Please contact Debra Bressler at 703-777-0505 or via e-mail at debra.bressler@loudoun.gov for weekday opportunities. Additional information about the tax program is available at www.nvacash.org.
| Planning for College, It is never too early |
Recent research and studies have found that students are waiting until too late to start looking at colleges.Too often, graduating High School students find themselves behind the curve when it comes to college selection. Rising GPA's and SAT Scores have served to make Colleges more competitive than ever. High School students should start considering college admission requirements almost as soon as they enter High School. Some colleges require AP courses in order to enter various schools of study, and others require completion of certain course levels. There are minimum GPA and SAT requirements. If a High School student is not careful, they could find themselves off the necessary curriculum path required to reach the prerequisite courses of their college of choice.
The point at which attending college moves from a conceptual thought to a pending reality often occurs when the student starts doing research on the colleges themselves. Visiting the prospective college campus is highly recommended. Altogether, selecting and being accepted to a college can often be quite an ordeal. A great source for comparison of Virginia colleges is http://www.collegesofva.com. This site is designed as a quick and easy reference guide linking to both student reviews and Collegeboard.com profiles.
Another source that has proved invaluable to many college bound students is online at: www.princetonreview.com . This site offers free registration, and rates the colleges, offers attending student comments, and statistical reports on admission requirements as well as student life. This site also offers the 'Best of', and the 'Worst of' in hundreds of categories. Find out which college ranks 1st in the "DORMS LIKE DUNGEONS" category.
An additional online reference for colleges is: www.collegeboard.com. This site is brought to you by the SAT organization, and here you can register for the SAT's, get your scores, send them to colleges, and get facts about those colleges as well. Both websites offer search engines based on student preferences, and are free for students to use.
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1/21/2012
- Ice frosted trees- the lonely guardians of a Fog filled sky along an empty route 7, as the recent Ice Storm kept people from venturing out.
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