At its regular June meeting Middleburg Town Council formally adopted a budget totaling nearly $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2013. At the same meeting Police Chief A.J. Panebianco confirmed that a black bear had been sighted within the Town limits.

The Budget

The new budget ordinance sets tax rates, and projects income and expenses for the Town through June 30, 2013 of $2,970,820. General Fund expenses, covering normal operations of the town including its Police Force, totaled $1,956,949. Just over $892,671 will be spent to operate and maintain the Town's utility system. Costs for the operation of the Health Center, a town-owned building that serves as both Police Headquarters and a source of rental income from other tenants, accounted for the remaining $121,200. Projected expenses are $479,000 higher than last year.

Most of the increase, according to the Town Administrator, covers improvements in the intersection of Marshall and Madison Streets, and the completion of the Middleburg Meandering Trail, a long-awaited scenic and safe pedestrian path circumnavigating the village.

Real Estate Taxes were increased to $0.20 per $100 of assessed value, a rate designed to produce roughly the same amount of revenue as last year in the face of declining real estate values. All other taxes and fees were left unchanged.

The Town projects a 6% increase in water and sewer revenues for the new fiscal year. The timing and amount of a projected increase in water/sewer rates awaits completion of a new study, designed to determine how much water actually flows through the town's purification and treatment systems over the course of a year.

Bears

After several sightings of black bear on the outskirts of Middleburg, Police Chief A.J. Panebianco confirmed that one had been sighted within Town limits.

Black bears are generally shy creatures, but can be dangerous if approached or confronted.

They are also very smart, and quickly learn to associate human housing with food: most often in the form of bird feeders (they love suet), garbage, food for pets and livestock, compost piles, and, of course, beehives.

The Chief urged all citizens to report any bear sightings to the Police Department and to stay well away from any bear spotted.

A limited supply of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries pamphlet, "Living With Bears in Virginia" was made available, free, at the Town offices.

Salamander

On June 20 Salamander Hotels and Resorts CEO Sheila Johnson announced that an August 2013 date had been set for the opening of her company's long-awaited Middleburg luxury resort and spa.

Johnson made the announcement at a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the formal transfer of state-of-the-art water treatment facilities built by Salamander to Town ownership.

The water treatment facilities were built by Salamander and given to the town as part of a proffer/exchange, in which Middleburg brought all the land on which the Resort and Spa are located within Town limits. The proffer and annexation arrangement saved the town from having to replace its own aging water and sewer plants (a project fiscally beyond the town's reach at the time of the arrangement), and made it possible for Salamander to open without having to develop and maintain an environmentally less desirable wetland-septic based system.

Real estate taxes already paid by Salamander over the years since annexation have already been credited with saving Middleburg from either serious cutbacks in services or large increases in taxes, rates, and fees.

Once the 168-room Resort and Spa is open, revenues paid to the Town should increase substantially, according to Johnson, lowering the burden on other Middleburg tax and ratepayers.

Guests from the Hotel and Spa are also expected to generate a lot of new business for the town's retailers, restaurants, and other businesses.

Mayor Betsy Davis expressed the Town's great pleasure and appreciation to Mrs. Johnson and the Salamander organization. Johnson's confidence in Middleburg and the economy is high. The Middleburg Resort & Spa, so far, is the only luxury resort scheduled to open anywhere in the United States in 2013, and Johnson is demanding nothing less of her own team than achieving Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond ratings for the Middleburg facilities.

At the ribbon cutting ceremonies Johnson thanked the town and town staff for all its hard work to make the openings possible, and promised, "I will not let you down."

Praise for New Police Chief

Middleburg Town Council Member and Public Safety Chair Bundles Murdock was joined by the Mayor and her fellow Council members in praising the ongoing community outreach efforts of the town's new Police Chief, A.J. Panebianco and his officers.

The Chief had "gone out of his way," Murdock reported, to organize a Middleburg celebration of what has become a national public safety event, the "National Night Out."

Set for Tuesday, August 7, the event will feature exhibits of police and fire equipment from Middleburg and several other jurisdictions, demonstrations by police canine teams, a "moon bounce" and other games for children.

Council responded by appropriating $1,000 in support of the event.

Panebianco has been systematically visiting local schools and businesses since his arrival, and told council that he had volunteered for service on a dunking stool for at least one fundraiser.

Panebianco, a strong proponent of what he describes as an "open door" policy for the force, is also taking steps to literally open the door to the Town's Police Health Center Building Police Headquarters.

"Even when we're in the office," he told Council, "the department looks like it is closed," shuttered in behind a thick, steel, windowless, reinforced door.

He's looking into changing the door, ideally installing something like an old-fashioned "Dutch Door" that could be open at the top while still locked at the bottom for security while officers are in the office.

"People could see us," he said, "and more important, we could see immediately if they were waiting to see us."

All agreed it was a change long overdue.

Swearing In

At press time Loudoun County Circuit Court Clerk Gary M. Clemens was scheduled to administer the oath of office to Mayor Betsy Davis and three members of Town Council re-elected in May.

All ran unopposed, with Mayor Davis receiving a total of 35 votes. Trowbridge Littleton topped the list of vote getters with 36, followed closely by Bundles Murdock with 33 and Kathy Jo Shea with 32.

Council member Mark Snyder expressed concern at the low turnout, and at the low interest in either voting or serving at the local level. Among the ideas being considered is raising the pay of Council members.

Contributions Needed for Library Expansion

Fundraising continues for the expansion of the Middleburg Public Library.

The library's Advisory Board reports a combination of generous private supports and local foundations have already contributed roughly 70% of the $775,000 necessary to begin construction.

Contributions are now being sought from willing corporate donors and local businesses.

All contributions are fully tax-deductible and may be made online at http://www.middleburglibrary-friends.org/?page_id=15

Pledges may also be paid over time.

Once pledges reach the required level, Middleburg Bank has agreed to provide a bridge loan to allow the project to begin, using the pledges as collateral.

To make your donation payable over time (or to contribute the roughly $232,000 left to raise!) please contact Denis Cotter, President of the Friends of the Middleburg Library at (540) 687-5680 or email him at denisjcotter@msn.com.

Delicious Loudoun County Dining at Farm-to-Fork Celebration

There are many culinary treats in store for gourmands in Loudoun County when the eleven-day "Farm to Fork" celebration begins July 26th. The best-of-the-best chefs, fine farms and restaurant owners will purvey truly exceptional menus during the celebration in which 70% of the items on their special Farm-to-Fork menus are created with locally sourced produce, wine and spirits.

Inspired by the national "Where does my food come from?" movement, Loudoun's Farm-to-Fork initiative has been spearheaded by entrepreneur Miriam Nausiti who emphasizes that "…Loudoun County produces some of the best food in the nation."

"We are so fortunate to live in a region that is home to farmers and restaurateurs who respect the land and enthusiastically produce truly superb materials that inspire chefs and please customers."

Participating Middleburg restaurants include The French Hound, Goodstone Inn & Estate, Market Salamander and The Red Fox Inn.

The Farm-to-Fork initiative is a true collaboration between representatives of every level of the local food chain from farms to fine dishes on restaurant menus.

Farm-to-Fork invites organizations and institutions to participate in and promote the celebration by creating special dishes for their menus during the July 26th to August 6th period.

Prior to the actual celebration, Nausiti organized many opportunities for participating farmers and chefs to meet each other, discuss their inspirations and make plans to create dishes that will delight customers during the Farm-to-Fork events.

"The collaboration was wonderful," Nausiti said. "The sparks that were created in these conversations will ignite fresh ideas and recipes that will contribute to tremendous locally-sourced fare during Farm-to-Fork."

Customers will find a complete list of participating Loudoun County restaurants on the website: FarmtoForkLoudoun.com. Tickets and Reservations:
Please call The Little River Inn (703) 327-6742