Donation Day is Saturday, August 14th, for the Ladies Board Rummage Sale

The Ladies Board of Inova Loudoun Hospital is officially accepting donations for its Annual Rummage Sale.  Donations will be collected on Saturday, August 14 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m at:

• Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Parkway, Leesburg
• Inova Loudoun-Leesburg, 224 Cornwall Street, Leesburg

Signs will be posted to direct traffic to the specially designated trailers.

All donations received will be offered for sale at the 72nd Annual Ladies Board Rummage Sale on Friday, Oct. 15 and Saturday, Oct. 16 at Morven Park Equestrian Center, 41793 Tutt Lane (off Route 15) in Leesburg, VA.

“This is our 72nd year and what a great way to recycle,” said Sue Clewis, co-chairman of the event.  “The rummage sale will have about six tractor trailers full of fabulous finds.  It takes us a week to set everything up.”  It is the ultimate in bargain hunting and attracts a loyal, growing fan base each year. 

If you have donations to give before August 14th, just call 703-771-2985 and leave a message.  A volunteer will return your call to arrange an earlier drop off.

The first Donation Day in 1912 asked people to bring some donation, no matter how small or how large, including money, furniture, pictures, sheets, towels, pillow cases, a pound of tea, other groceries, eggs, vegetables, china, etc.  While the perishables aren’t accepted, unusual items are welcome.   Particularly rare or valuable items are needed for the Silent Auction department.

Tax receipts are provided and all the money raised goes to support Ladies Board projects in the community.  The Ladies Board raises several hundred thousand dollars each year toward special needs equipment at Inova Loudoun Hospital and awards more than $100,000 in nursing scholarships each year. 

The sale accepts furniture, clothing, books, household items, linens, lamps, sports equipment, etc., but some items cannot be accepted such as mattresses or large appliances.  For more information on what can be accepted or not, please call 703-771-2985. 

(News Release from Ladies Board website)     

New Election and Annual Meeting Communication Plan

The Web Committee put together a Communication Plan for the election and Annual Meeting coming up in November.   It was approved by the Board of Directors during the July meeting.

The Web Committee has spent a year building electronic communications and now we will utilize those channels, as well as the old ones, to keep you informed of the new candidates as well as help communicate the state of our neighborhood. 

We have added new methods for you to learn about the candidates as well as submit questions to be answered at the annual meeting.  We will also be tweeting and blasting the election results immediately from the Annual Meeting.

Each household gets one vote.  Our goal is to make it easy for you to make an informed vote.  We will also make it simple to get your questions answered about our community from the current leaders. 

Read the Full Plan

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to Contact the Web Committee.

“Opportunities are never lost. Someone will take the ones you miss.” -Andy Rooney

New Mailboxes are Sprouting around Belmont

Many have noticed a new look in the Community’s mailbox posts. The post, pictured here, is the newly approved post selected by the Home Owners’ Association Covenants Committee as the standard. The post is a sleeve that can slip over your current mail box post. (The mail box itself can be bought separately.) The post is a vinyl so that it will not deteriorate due to weather or the string used in weed whackers (as shown below).

The cost of the new post about $130.00 and can be purchased through Toll Landscaping, who is merely storing the post and passing along the reduced cost of the post negotiated by the Committee on a bulk buy. Toll Landscaping will also install the post for an additional nominal fee. That installation will include aligning the post to the vertical and setting it in cement. Notice on the picture, Toll will also provide a square mulch area, giving a few inches around the base of the post to ensure no risk of damage from lawn equipment.

If your current post has been damaged, is tilted due to other mishaps, or does not otherwise meet your expectations, you can get the specifics on buying by clicking the menu To Do –> Replace Mailbox on www.BelmontHOA.org or contacting the management office (703.723.8300).

- contributed by Jerry Kessenich, Member of the Board of Directors

Hunter Audlin of Belmont Recognized for Charity Work

Hunter Audlin, age 10 and Belmont Resident is a young philanthropist who was recently recognized for his charitable work.  He has been selected as the winner to the I Am Modern Magazine’s Posh Tots Child's Dream Bedroom Giveaway.   Stories of young philanthropists were submitted to the magazine who then selected the five top stories.  Magazine readers than voted for the best story and Hunter was selected!  

Many of us in Belmont have seen him hard at work raising money through lemonade stands and other activities.  Since 2005, he has raised $15,000! 

Hunter and his family would like to thank all Belmont neighbors who have supported his fundraising efforts over the years by donating, helping out with the stands or simply honking as they passed by in acknowledgement of his effort! 

Congratulations to Hunter! 

Here is the article from I Am Modern Magazine:

I first saw Hunter Audlin in I Am Modern magazine as the Pint-sized Philanthropist. I was impressed with this young boy who had raised so much money for those in need. When I saw that I Am Modern was having a Dream Bedroom Giveaway for a deserving child I thought of Hunter-how great would it be to give back to someone who gives so much. Below is a list of Hunter's accomplishments:

Hunter has been 'saving the world one cup at a time' since August 2005 when he learned of Hurricane Katrina's devastating effects on the children in New Orleans. Since then, Hunter has sold lemonade to raise money for local and national charities such as

• American Red Cross,
• American Heart Association (top fundraiser at his Elementary School’s Jump Rope for Heart Program for 4 years in a row),
• Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network,
• Wounded Warrior Project,
• Victims of VA Tech Shootings,
• Ashburn Volunteer Fire & Rescue,
• NLES PTO track,
• Breast Cancer Awareness,
• Autism Awareness,
• Habitat for Humanity,
• Toys for Tots,
• a family who lost their home in a fire, etc.
• His most recent goal was to raise money for a fellow NLES student, Kailee Vance, who is battling cancer.  He took his stand outside of the neighborhood for this community outreach event. He partnered with Go Bananas in Lansdowne and raised over $1400 to assist the Vance Family with medical bills. Donors as well as passersby were  invited to make cards for Kailee which were presented to her while she was undergoing her chemo treatments.

He has raised close to $15,000 over the past 5 years thru his lemonade stands. But more importantly, he has shown what can be done by showing a bit of compassion and empathy towards others.  He has made others aware of the challenges that people face and created a sense of awareness to many causes…all that have touched his heart.

Board of Directors Meeting is Thursday, Sept 16th

The next Board of Directors meeting will be held Thursday, September 16th from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm at the Civic Center.

The meeting is open to all residents.   Contact the HOA office if you have any questions about the meeting.

 

Special Guest Lori Waters, Broad Run District Supervisor, will come speak about the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act.

Refer to the website’s  eNews Article to download the Agenda.

Did You Lock Your Car Last Night?

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents to never leave their cars unlocked while unattended.  

“Larcenies from vehicles are often a crime of opportunity,” says Loudoun Sheriff Steve Simpson. “Locking your vehicle and removing or concealing high dollar items will greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim,” Simpson added. Simpson reminded residents to park in well lit areas, activate your alarm system or use anti-theft devices, and immediately report any suspicious activity to the Loudoun Sheriff’s Office at 703-777-1021.  

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office offers these tips to avoid becoming a victim of theft:  

• KEEP YOUR VEHICLE LOCKED. Most stolen items are taken from vehicles that are left unlocked
• Remove or put items out of sight, inside a lockable glove box or trunk
• Park inside your garage or in an illuminated area. 
• A visible GPS is an obvious target. Prowlers also look for any signs that one may be in your vehicle, such as a mount on the window or dashboard. Even the circle impression left on the windshield from the suction cup mount is enough for thieves to break-in. They assume a GPS is hidden somewhere inside.

Public Fireworks and Celebrations Near Belmont

There are two public fireworks displays close to Belmont.  The first one is tonight, Saturday, July 3rd at 9:25 at Lansdowne Resort.

On Saturday, July 4th, Ashburn Village will have a show at 9:30 pm which was announced by the Loudoun County Fire Marshall (see article). 

However, I cannot find an official press release about where it is, but traditionally, it is over the lake on Ashburn Village Road.  In the past years, people park along Ashburn Village Road.  Also in the past, some of the display is close to the water on the lake, so if you can get close in, it is a better show. 

If anyone finds specific information about the Ashburn Village 2010 please comment on this article to let others know.  Personally, I thought it was amazing that the small stack of newspapers that come to my house uninvited, did not have the details of the Ashburn display.

Leesburg has the biggest Fourth of July celebration.  Here is the info from www.leesburgva.org :

Independence Day Parade

Date: 7/4/2010 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Cost: Free to the public

Location: Downtown Leesburg
Leesburg, Virginia 20175

Show your patriotic spirit at the annual Independence Day Parade, held through historic downtown Leesburg. The parade will begin at Ida Lee Park and travel down King Street to Fairfax Street. Put on your patriotic best and join your friends and neighbors to celebrate the birthday of the United States!

Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks

Date: 7/4/2010 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Cost: Free to the public

Location: Ida Lee Park
60 Ida Lee Drive
Leesburg, Virginia 20176

Celebrate America’s big day at Ida Lee Park while listening to some great tunes by up-and-coming country trio Savannah Jack!  Gates open at 6:00pm, so be sure to arrive early and grab a spot for a full night of fun, food and great music. A full food court will be onsite with funnel cakes, ice-cream, barbeque, and other goodies. Complete your evening by enjoying the areas largest firework show at 9:30pm.

Have a great holiday weekend!

- Katie Ayres, Belmont Web Committee Chair

BCC Fourth of July Pool Party!

Belmont Country Club will be holding it’s annual Fourth of July Pool Party this Sunday.  Come and enjoy glitter tattoos, a balloon artist, music, a watermelon eating contest and more!

The Summer Buffet will also be available between 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM  all weekend for you to partake in all your summer fun food favorites (photo Membership IDs required). 

* Schedule of Events *

DJ: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Glitter Tattoos: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Balloon Artist: 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

*Summer Buffet*

$9.95 Adults (13 and older)

$6.95 Children (6 to12)

Complimentary for children 5 and younger

Fourth of July Holiday Hours

Belmont Country Club

Sunday, July 4^th
Golf Course & Golf Shop Open
6:30 AM – 7:00 PM

Monday, July 5^th
Golf Course & Golf Shop Open
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Tuesday, July 6^th
Golf Course & Golf Shop Closed

HOA Office

Closed Monday July 5th.