Happy 4th - Triathlon Training - Need a Road Bike!

Happy 4th of July! In preparation for several hours ruminating with the Dulles Regional Craft Brew Appraisers here in DC's beer country, it's time to get out and get some triathlon training in - for the upcoming South Riding Triathlon, September 6th.


Last year's race was an overwhelming success, though the pool got real crowded, real fast - with many slower swimmers clogging the works - it appears the seeding and management of the swim this year will be much more finely controlled. Of course, riding a big 'ol mountain bike didn't help my time any - does anyone have a used men's road bike I can buy? Will spend $200 for what should be a 5 minute improvement, and perhaps a significant move up in the "over 40 slow fat guys" rankings!

New Blog in Our Network! Achieving Professional Balance for Women and Moms

"The Fulcrumpoint" - Achieving Professional Balance for Women and Moms".

Kelly McLaughlan is CEO of KME Internet Marketing, an online marketing and social media optimization firm - and a Career at Home Mom (CAHM) of 4 young children. Having evolved and reinvented herself through the traditional stages of careers for Women and Moms (Professional, DINK, COHM, SAHM, WAHM, CAHM), Kelly offers others the benefit of her advice and techniques for achieving the right fulcrum point in the balance between professional career and family life.

Follow on Twitter - @thefulcrumpoint

Recent entries:

Practical Guidance on Getting Started with Social Media

Babies and Big Butts

COHM to SAHM to WAHM to CAHM

A More Personal Take on Professional Balance

Enjoy!

Loudoun YouthFest - Sat., June 27th, 3-9 PM, Belmont Country Club

Make plans now to attend Loudoun's YouthFest featuring Forever The Sickest Kids! on June 27th, from 3-9 pm at Belmont Country Club. Enjoy Live Music, Games, Food and Attractions, and more! Admission free. for more information, call 703-737-8335 or visit www.loudounteens.org

Loudoun Loses Another Blogger

Over at LoudounExtra.com, another key member of the blogging digerati has departed - Erica Garmen will no longer write for the "Living in Loco" blog, having handled affairs for about a year and a half following the originator, Tammi Marcoullier. So far, no replacements have been named, to take on the "all things Loudoun" mantle at this particular newspaper (The Washington Post).

Here at Gateway to Loudoun County, as Loudoun County's longest-running, Loudoun-centric, citizen-generated blog (we think so, anyway, based on our limited research), we're sorry to see Erica depart, and look forward to having another Loudoun resident and great online conversationalist join the area Blog-o-sphere. We might suggest the "Living in Loco" helm be stewarded by a group of bloggers - this may help with retention of personality and continuation of topics...

A little history about us - we originally started as "Braddock South Online", focused purely on the Dulles South/Braddock Road area back in 2006 (remember the CPAM issues?), but gradually evolved into Dulles South concerns and eventually all things Loudoun business, community, non-profits and online entrepreneurialism - injected every once in a while with some Northern Virginia women and mom-related material, and some Internet Marketing topics (for consumption by Loudoun businesses and organizations looking for more exposure).

We're very much "Made in Loudoun", and look forward to more bloggers under the same banner.

Social Media Makes a Difference - Congratulations Moms for a Cure!

Congratulations are most definitely in order for the "Moms For a Cure" Team, headed by Ari Jones, named Saturday as the 2009 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Woman of the Year for the National Capitol Area! Ari and her team managed to raise more contributions ($139,000) over the past few months than all other local competitors in this very highly visible and important annual event. Beyond Ari's incredible energy and leadership, her team's countless volunteer hours, and of course the direct generosity of donors large and small - what may have made the difference was the synergy of online and offline activities, communication and marketing.

The Moms For A Cure online presence not only made ample use of their website, but also many social media tools and forums; from Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter, to Blogs, Discussions, Emails, Online News and Magazine Outlets and Internet Marketing techniques. It's fast becoming standard and required practice for nonprofit organizations and charities, for maximum online fundraising outcomes, to orchestrate and coordinate offline efforts with smart, extensive social-media driven online campaigns.

Very unique and creative fundraising tactics are easier and cheaper to implement with Web 2.0 technology and social media forums, from online raffles (like those run by our local paws4people foundation) to online pledging campaigns. Additionally, it's far less expensive and time-consuming to manage donors and contacts using such tools. Corporate sponsors and donors also find it easier to promote their involvement and harness their own online marketing machines to supplement the direct cash value of donations, attracting even more donors. What's most important for success with social media fundraising campaigns appears to be the motivation and energy of the promoters, and the consistent, orchestrated strategy of smart social media use.

Ready to leverage social media for your nonprofit fundraising activities? The KME Internet Marketing Social Media for Nonprofits Team can help.

Congratulations to Dulles South Youth Sports Track First Season!

The Dulles South Youth Sports Track Team successfully completed its first season at Freedom High yesterday, with a great turnout at the last meet of the Spring. Events included the 1600 (mile), 200, and 4x100 relays. Freedom track team members were on hand as the team wound down things with an end-of-season party, and all agree the team was a resounding success...look for Dulles South Youth Sports Cross Country programs in the Fall, and a return of the 3rd-6th grade track program next Spring!

Kelly McLaughlan (Volunteer/Meet Coordinator) hands out awards to top finishers, while Julie Jasper (Program Founder) looks on...

Saturday Morning Fun in Arlington

Fantastic "Arlington Rap" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1RMuoQnKo .

Vote Democratic Primary Election (Governor/Lt. Governor) tomorrow, June 9, 2009

From the Loudoun County Website:

The Virginia Democratic Primary Election will be held Tuesday, June 9, 2009, in which voters will select the Democratic nominees for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, who will run in the General Election in November 2009.

All registered voters in Loudoun County are eligible to vote in this election. Polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Anyone in line at 7:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Candidates

Governor:
Terry R. McAuliffe, Brian J. Moran, and R. Creigh Deeds

Lieutenant Governor:
Jody M. Wagner, A. Michael Signer, and Jon I. Bowerbank

Brief Candidate Thoughts:

In our opinion, we've got a refreshing candidate in Creigh Deeds, who appears a bit more moderate, less tied to outside or "establishment" hierarchies, and offers practical ideas within courageous voting choices, practical funding limits and sources, expectations and promises. The Washington Post's endorsement was very clear, and we agree with most points. Particularly, his number one focus on transportation hits a clear winning chord with those of us here in Northern Virginia, dealing with life-changing traffic on a daily basis.

Summer Kids Art Classes at South Riding Multi-Purpose Center

Summer Children's Art Classes now available for signup!
Provided by ArtSmart Studio - contact them here.

Cartooning Camp
South Riding Multipurpose Center June 30, July 1st, 2nd and 7th, 2:00 pm, 4 sessions/$80.00

4 days/ 2 hours of cartooning using artist provided worksheets.
For ages 8 - 11 years/3 child minimum - 9 child maximum. Kids will create their own set of characters and develop a cartoon from it. Concentrates on drawing methods with various media and language arts.

Claymation Camp
South Riding Multipurpose Center July 7th - 9th and 14th - 16th - 2:00 pm, 6 sessions/$120.00

6 days/ 2 hours of class time using artist provided worksheets.
For ages 8 - 11 years/3 child minimum - 6 child maximum. Kids will create there own set of characters and develop a story line and a brief claymation production from it. Concentrates on: drawing and photography methods, film basics, set design and language arts.

---

Coming soon!

Once Upon an Artist

Weekly study of different artists using games, stories, puppet shows and then an art project. For ages 4 - 6 years/3 child minimum - 6 child maximum.

Artists include:

Calder, Leonardo DaVinci, Michaelangelo, Picasso, VanGogh, and more!
Classes are 1 hour long and cost $15.00 a class.

Watch your child develop basic art skills while having fun!

Drawing from the Ground Up!
Five week class focusing on the fundamentals of drawing with different media. For ages 7 - 10 years/3 child minimum - 6 child maximum.

Charge is $15.00 per class (5 classes). Kids learn drawing techniques for: Colored pencil, markers, and oil pastel.

Many projects are based on nature art and the artists who used that subject matter. Your child's drawing skills will grow before your eyes.

Investigational Drawing:
Observe, Create and Design!

Five week course focusing on the art and science of Leonardo Davinci. Each week we will draw something from a non - living model and then design a fantasy modified illustration.

All classes are 90 minutes (ages 8 - 11 years). Classes are $20.00 each (6 classes) and a studio fee of $7.00.

Topics covered are: Flying machines, cars, the human body, and more.

Some prior drawing experience preferred.

For Parents, and Those Who Love and Care for Dogs and Children

Something for dog lovers everywhere, parents, and those who care for our children...



For more information about the Paws4People Foundation out of Loudoun County, VA, visit http://www.paws4people.org, or visit CharityRaffles.org to donate.

DC - Northern Virginia Beer Festival/BrewFest - Bands and Music Announced!

This summer's Northern Virginia Brewfest|Beer Festival "A Celebration of American Beer" just announced their VA beer festival music/band lineup.

This Loudoun County beerfest, June 27-28 in Morven Park, near Leesburg, VA, features an incredible lineup of local, regional and other US-based beers, breweries and even some crafters.

The great collection of DC area bands and musicians includes:

Saturday

1:00 - Reverend Hookems

2:45 - Miguel Aubertin

4:30 - REW

6:15 - The BlackJacks - winners of the 2008 DC101 Chili Cookoff Last Band Standing

Sunday

12:45 - Smylin Jack

2:30 - Lloyd Dobler Effect

4:15 - Jah Works


We'll be there, for sure - along with several hundred of our friends and thousands of our fellow Virginia beer lovers...isn't Virginia for Lovers (of beer), after all?

#Detox your mind, body, lifestyle and fish

"Detox" is all the rage these days (i.e. #detox tweets-aplenty) but not just from a personal digestion or "green-clean" industrial cleanup perspective. (We're personally looking forward to the next opportunity to "detoxify" our Loudoun Board of Supervisors, but that election's still a bit off...) Here's an interesting post covering several detoxification avenues to consider...

Detox now!

Chantilly-Based Nonprofit Federation Draws 21 From United Way - Loudoun Philanthropist Interviewed

Per the Washington Post article:

"Twenty-one area nonprofit groups have suspended their memberships in the United Way and joined a fledgling competitor, citing years of frustration with a steady decline in workplace giving in the Washington region and lingering distrust of the local United Way since it was nearly destroyed by scandal earlier this decade. The new group, called Community1st, includes some of the region's most prominent nonprofits, including the Make-a-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic, WETA public television and the Whitman-Walker Clinic. The nonprofits' leaders are scheduled to announce the move at a news conference this morning, where they will be joined by officials from America's Charities, the Chantilly-based federation that will oversee their alliance."

We turned to a prominent local independent philanthropy professional, Diana Kingsbury-Smith Keesee, VP for Fundraising & Public Relations of the paws4people(TM) Inc. Foundation of Round Hill, VA, for some additional background...

DSO - What's your take on this news from "America's Charities", the Chantilly-based Federation heading this new alliance?

Diana - The Washington Post article about America's Charities and Community1st provided a lot of very interesting and important information for all non-profits. While our organization, paws4people(TM), Inc., is not yet affiliated with America's Charities, we are a participating charity in the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area so that federal employees have the opportunity to support paws4people by earmarking their donations for our CFC number 19234.

DSO - Was this withdrawal expected, and will more occur? How does this action reflect the environment your organization faces?

Diana - Unfortunately, this withdrawal was not surprising, and more of this type of withdrawal will occur because of the volatile economic situation and the public's demand for greater accountabilty in both the for-profit and non-profit communities, as well as federal and state funding. Fortunately for our own organization, our efforts including (a) programs to rescue dogs from euthanasia, (b) the dogs' training by prison inmates participating in our paws4prisons program (www.paws4prisons.org), and (c) the dogs' placement with wounded warriors suffering from PTSD (www.paws4vets.org) are generating increased support for paws4people Inc. In fact, there has been a significant increase over the past twelve months in the level of support we are getting from individuals and corporations. Although the primary reason for this increased support are the dramatic, life-changing benefits all our paws4people programs are providing to society, the fact that our fundraising/administrative costs are well below the traditionally accepted 25% for non-profits is also a very positive factor.

DSO - What benefits do you expect these nonprofits to find in their new
consortium, "Community1st", that they were unable to achieve under the
United Way? Should others seek to join alliances like this?

Diana - There are many benefits in working within a consortium such as Community 1st: pooling resources, access to affordable marketing, cutting costs, etc. For instance, America's Charities provides the non-profits in its Community1st consortium with lower overhead costs (6.5%), customized fundraising campaigns and fewer restrictions on where donors' money is directed and, most important, it passes 98% of each donation to its non-profit groups. All these factors are causing non-profits to withdraw from United Way because, as reported in The Washington Post, " United Way keeps 10% of most donations to its member non-profit groups, and smaller donations go to a community fund, not the designated group...United Way cannot efficiently distribute small donations because of processing costs."

DSO - Are there other consortium models that nonprofits should consider as
alternatives to those like the United Way?

Diana - Yes, there are other consortium models that non-profits should look at. I recommend the online charitable raffles program for non-profit organizations, www.CharityRaffles.org (www.npofs.org), because it provides their donors with two important incentives. (1) The donor can choose the non-profit organization he/she wants his/her donation to benefit and (2), in exchange for his/her donation, the donor gets one or more raffle tickets with incredibly good odds of winning from $20 to $1,000,000. A chance to win up to $1,000,000 while you are providing support for the charitable cause you care most about is truly a WIN/WIN situation for individuals; and, this mechanism provides the non-profits that join the CharityRaffles.org consortium with the opportunity to obtain, cost-free, a continuous stream of contributions.

Paws4Reading at the Ashburn Library

Here's an update on our Paws4Reading friends at the Ashburn Library - Paws4People dogs helping local kids to read and adjust...

Follow the Paws4People gang on twitter!

The Best Barbeque in - Colorado Springs? B'z BBQ Westward Expansion

BBQ fans in Loudoun County, and Leesburg in particular, will remember B'z BBQ at the Mighty Midget Kitchen - just last year sold and converted into the Hamburg Donor. B'z world-famous BBQ is now found in Paeonian Springs, 40602 Charles Town Pike (a little west of Leesburg on Rt. 9), operating out of the Paeonian Grocery & Gourmet.

It's also found in Colorado Springs, CO, as we've discovered this week.

Somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd magnificent Rocky Mountain IPAs, compliments of the Rocky Mountain Brewery and Homebrew Supplier of Colorado Springs, hunger struck. Following a very east-coastish Parrothead soundtrack, I located the adjacent brewpub food outlet - called B'z BBQ. Could it be?

Over a spectacular Buffalo (!) Bratwurst with spicy, award-winning peach/habanero barbeque sauce, pepper fries w/Dusseldorf mustard and another IPA, my conversation with Dan (? - may have missed the name, on the 4th beer by now) confirmed the fact that this indeed was the western CONUS headquarters of B'z BBQ...a long-distance partnership between a Baltimore native and the original proprietor of the Leesburg B'z, Brian DeVaux.

Tucked in the shadow of Pike's Peak, NORAD/Cheyenne Mountain and Peterson Air Force Base (literally right near the entrance), B'z BBQ and its affiliation with the Rocky Mountain Brewery form a roadside meal and beer tasting combo not to be beat - with some Baltimore flavor, compliments of B'z westward expansion. Beyond our surprise at actually finding such an amazingly perfect beer/brat combo here in Colorado, and the fact that it in fact echoed the equally great fare found in Leesburg and local DC "Beer Country" establishments such as Vintage 50 (have you bought your Northern Virginia Beer Festival tickets yet?), they shared a place name - B'z of CO on Paoina Rd and B'z of VA at Paeonia Springs.

Paoina must be cowboy-talk for "BBQ and Beer in the Loudoun tradition".

A Field Trip to Charlie Foxtrot

From first-hand accounts, today's Little River LCPS field trip was an utter Charlie Foxtrot (if you don't know, guess - otherwise, perhaps, suffice it to say, not the best display of a well-managed public education institute).

Starting times and pupil-to-bus allocations were all mucked up at the start. The children's "I'm lost, call the school" stickers had non-working, old phone numbers for the school (this is both appalling and dangerous). Certain bus drivers forgot their Toll Road passes, and elected not to follow contingency protocol, but take an alternate route that cost another 30 mins delay (again, appalling). Therefore all classes arrived at the same time at the Botanical Gardens, instead of a staged arrival for crowd control. No matter, anyway, that not much is actually blooming at the gardens, yet, nor that there wasn't any kind of actual educational program or schedule to partake in - just another big play day, and utter waste of taxpayer money. Even the departure times weren't well-understood by some teachers.

And then, to top it off, we get our report card home, and for the 3rd time in a row, our son is referred to as a "her", nearly every sentence in the review has spelling or grammar errors, and the feedback is shallow and non-helpful.

Does this school, and perhaps others in Loudoun county, actually understand that a school is a business, we are its customers, and the children are absolute critical assets that need to be competently managed and protected? It doesn't seem so, based on this example.

Loudoun Dulles Youth Track Meet Spring 2009

Great turnout and the weather held off for the first Dulles Youth Track Meet at Freedom High School yesterday. Races included the 50 yd dash and 400...

Dulles South Public Safety Meeting - Tues Apr 21 - 7-8PM

From the Loudoun Sheriff's Dept.:

Loudoun County, Virginia - In an effort to better utilize resources, while at the same time providing a higher level of service to county residents, the Loudoun Sheriff's Office will be hosting quarterly public safety meetings in each of the four service areas of the county. All residents, homeowners associations, community groups, and town representatives are invited to attend.

Items to be discussed are recent crime and crime trends in your area, traffic safety concerns and other public safety related issues. The meetings will be led by a Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Captain who represents your service area. Also in attendance will be supervisors from the Criminal Investigations Division, the Special Operations Division, Community Police Officers, and Crime Prevention Deputies.

The schedule for the first series of meetings is:

• Dulles South: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at the Dulles South Public Safety Center community room located at 25216 Loudoun County Parkway, Chantilly. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. and last for 1 hour. Contact Captain Jeff Ebersole at Jeffrey.Ebersole@loudoun.gov with any questions.

Free Northern Virginia Driving Clinic for Women Thurs. April 23rd 7-9PM - At Curry's Auto Service - Chantilly, VA

FREE Northern Virginia Ladies' Driving Clinic - April 23 - 7-9 PM at Curry's Auto Service of Chantilly, VA

Arm yourself with the knowledge needed to survive on the roads of Northern Virginia!

Presented by Miriam Schottland of the DRIVELAB.

Register Here

Journalists - Find More Information Here about this press release.

Make sure your Fairfax or Loudoun County Auto Insurance is up to date!

Happy Easter in Loudoun County - New South Riding Church

To those who celebrate Easter, or simply celebrate spring and renewal in general...

A new church spire rises in South Riding, of the "Community Baptist Church" congregation...(lots more great pics at http://www.cbc4me.blogspot.com/

Seen here as the sun rises...



... and sets over South Riding, VA.

DC & Northern Virginia Moms for a Cure - Rock On!

Here's a fantastic way to contribute to a great cause, join "Moms for a Cure" Team here in Northern Virginia, and kick of the DC-area Mother's Day festivities with live entertainment, bar, and a charity gift boutique & silent auction.

From the Moms for a Cure website:

"Each year the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society launches its Man & Woman of the Year fundraising campaign, and our team leader, Ari Hausfeld Jones, is one of this year’s nominees. During this year’s campaign from April 2 -June 13, our team’s goal is to raise $100,000, which will go directly to the Society in support of its longstanding mission to find a cure for blood cancers and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. This campaign is being held in 41 major cities nationwide. The Man & Woman of the Year titles will be awarded to each male and female team with the highest fundraising totals in the 10 week period."

Donate Here to Moms for a Cure

Moms, Dads, families - everyone - let's really motivate and demonstrate the DC metropolitan region and Northern Virginia as the most energized, philanthropic and mommy-powered area in the nation, as we already know it is.

More great Moms for a Cure fundraising events are underway!

Northern Virginia, DC's Beer Country Earth Day Green Events - Plus a Summer Beer Festival!

Happy upcoming Earth Day, April 22nd! Have a beer - it's the Beer Festivus.

From Beerutopia - "You may not think of beer as a particularly Earth-friendly product but in many ways the world's oldest and most popular alcoholic beverage is very green. These days, the best beer is produced by craft or "micro" breweries. These small operations are inherently more sustainable because of their size. They are to the macro breweries (Anheuser Busch, Miller) what a local farmer is to the agricultural mega corporations. They often use locally available ingredients and only deliver their beer within a small geographical area. This cuts down on transportation which in turn cuts down emissions".

In short, beer is green, and beer fests are veritable fields of greenery.

Here in Northern Virginia and Loudoun County, otherwise known as "DC’s Beer Country" (nestled among the vines of DC’s Wine Country), local micro-breweries and brew pubs are very popular, though sparse, with some clear leaders and favorites. While "Old Dominion" long served as the region’s mainstay – it’s now gone the more "macro" route, bought last year by Coastal Brewing Company (out of Annapolis, 49% owned by Anheuser Busch), and some of the very best titles including "Tupper’s Hop Pocket" are no more. The new favorites, in our book, revolve around Leesburg, at Vintage 50 and Fireworks Pizza.Vintage 50’s Loudoun beer list as a micro-brewery and restaurant is fantastic, with weekly and monthly specials ranging from Extra Special Bitters to our favorite, Point of Rocks Pale Ale – "not for the hop impaired, and is known to induce hophead hysteria".

Earth Day (April 22nd) brings with it lots of great family events, including "Earth Day at Loudoun" (in Brambleton near Clyde’s – itself not without a decent beer menu). Rebounding from Earth Day, seek hop-stimulated conversations regarding "green or sustainable businesses in Loudoun County", over at the Loudoun "Green Enterprise and Beer – Loudoun Green Drinks" gathering in Broadlands, May 1st.

Rounding out a very green and enjoyable spring beer season in Virginia, it’ll be time to head over to the very popular Northern Virginia Summer BrewFest – the very best summer gathering of beer lovers and beer makers in the entire DC metropolitan region.

The Northern Virginia Summer BrewFest "A Celebration of American Beer" will be held at Morven Park in Leesburg, VA June 27-28, from 11am-9pm Saturday, and 11am-7pm Sunday. As a "microbrew festival", the Brew Festival in Loudoun County will feature over 40 of America’s best breweries, a variety of food to complement the craft beers and great local and regional bands to entertain you.

The following Breweries participated in 2008. The Northern Virginia Summer BrewFest expects many will return – the actual list of 2009 participating breweries will be posted on or about June 1.

• Abita Brewing Co.
  
• Allagash Brewing Co.
  
• Anheuser Busch
  
• Baltimore-Washington Beer Works
  
• Bear Republic
  
• Bells Brewing Inc.
  
• Boston Beer Co.
  
• Brooklyn Brewing Co
  
• Callys
  
• Clipper City Brewing Co./ Oxford B.C.
  
• Dogfish Head Brewing Company
  
• Fordham Brewing Company
  
• Harpoon Brewing Company
  
• Hook and Ladder Brewing Company
  
• Lagunitas Brewing Company
  
• Lancaster Malt Brewing Company
  
• Mad River Brewing Company
  
• Magic Hat brewing Company
  
• Mendocino Brewing Company
  
• New Holland Brewing Co.
  
• Old Dominion Brewing Co.
  
• Otter Creek Brewing Co./ Wolavers
  
• St. George Brewing Co.
  
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
  
• Stone Brewing Company
  
• Stoudt Brewing Co.
  
• Starr Hill Brewing Company
  
• Victory Brewing Co.
  
• Vintage 50 Restaurant and Brew Lounge
  
• Wild Goose
  
• Flying Dog
  
• Williamsburg Ale Works
  
• Yuengling Brewing Company
  
• North Coast Brewing Company
  
• Kona Brewery
  
• Lexington Brewing Company<
  
• Smuttynose Brewing Co.
  
• Oskar Blues Brewing Co.
  
• Fisherman Brewing Co.
  
• Coors Brewing Co.
  
• Blue Moon Brewing Co.
  
• Miller Brewing Co.
  
• Leinenkuegals Brewing Co.
  
• Pyramid Brewing Co.
  
• Mad Fox Brewing Co.
  
• Anchor Brewing Co.
  
• Spoetzl Brewing Co.
  

2009 Online Loudoun County Promotion Business Challenge - Month 2

Here’s an update on our 2009 Online Loudoun County Promotion Business Challenge, to help stimulate business investment in the county, attract more visitors and commercial investors, and overall generate a lot more positive and attractive attention for Loudoun County as a business investment destination. Sadly, the business community doesn't appear to have stepped up to the challenge – though the Government has. How do we know?

Consider what an investor, an investment company or simply a company or business looking for attractive communities and business climates would search for on the Internet, using Google for example. Analyzing and modeling search terms for maximum relevance, impact and legitimacy is part art and part science – and happens to be something we're very good at. As a marketing agency, here's how we break down the crucial search phrase that provides a close-to-realistic indicator of who's promoting Loudoun most effectively online:

The phrase – needs to be not too long, not too short, taking a cue from the most effective website "title" tags, i.e. no more than 70 characters

Keywords/Keyphrases:

• "Loudoun" – obviously; not necessary to include "county"
  
• "Virginia" – will help attract searchers looking for more regional locations
  
• "DC" – ditto
  
• "Business" – this is the primary topic; singular is found in more adjective descriptions
  
• "Location" – this is the secondary topic
  
• "Invest" – an "action" attracter word
  
• "Great" – a very common and easy to use/understand adjective used frequently
  
• "Community" – a very commonly used measurement and focus of location-based investments
  

Order of Keywords/Keyphrases – the order is very important, as most terms near the front of the search query are deemed more important than those at the end...so here's the final phrase we've come up with to measure who's promoting Loudoun business the best online:

"Loudoun Virginia business DC location great community invest"

(If you come up with a better generic, overall phrase - please suggest it!)

Results:

We've run the query against Google, and aggregated/sorted/de-duped to highlight business results that indicate their content actually promotes the County (and isn't just picking up these keywords randomly). So, given this fairly objective analysis, here are the top 16 businesses who appear to be currently doing more than any others in promoting Loudoun on the Internet as a business investment destination, whether intentionally or not:
(Note that your search engine results may vary a little, for many reasons)

1. DullesSouthOnline.com – intentional promotion
   
2. KME Internet Marketing – intentional promotion
   
3. Cardinal Bank – unintentional 3rd-party news reference, but good
   
4. InsideNOVA.com – relaying Governor Kaine’s comments about Raytheon moving to the County
   
5. Loudoun County Virginia Business Networking – intentional promotion
   
6. Telos Corporation – comments by John Wood indirectly via Loudoun's BizConnect (though mispelled)
   
7. AOL Community Matters – intentional promotion (but it's from 2006!)
   
8. Realty Direct Eastern Loudoun – intentional promotion
   
9. Kae Davis, Real Estate Virtual IT Assistant – her “Active Rain” blog
   
10. Tony Arko, Real Estate Consultant, Market Advantage Real Estate – his “Realdiablog”
    
11. Ingrid Myers, Realtor - promoting Loudoun and Prince William counties
    
12. Kelly McLaughlan – Localism.com Blog repeats from Active Rain
    
13. The Loudoun Times - Gateway to Loudoun Blog syndications
    
14. Ellen F. Crawford CRS Broker Associate – RE/MAX
    
15. Washington Metro Builder’s Realty Council
    
16. ShenandoahConnection.com
    

Using Social Media Search Engines, to try and see what conversations, tweets or mashes regarding these words is taking place, doesn't yield many commercial entities at all, save for a handful of realtors, the blogs at the Loudoun Times and LoudounExtra, and Gateway to Loudoun County (though a commenter in the Trump Blog recently checked in with a good entry).

Therefore, where are all the Loudoun businesses online, promoting in one way or another both their affiliation with the county, and support of it as a premier business investment destination? It's time to step up – we'll have another review next quarter – at the end of the year, whichever Loudoun business legitimately shows up the highest in these rankings, will get some very search-engine-optimized online kudos and press.

What can you do, as a Loudoun business? Simply start talking about how great the County is, on your website, your blog, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, Friendster - wherever. Just do it.

This is what we're all about....

Here's a view of what we're talking about right now, here at Loudoun's #1 Community and Business Blog....(props to wordle.net)

A Rainy Spring Day Among Future Leaders at Thomas Jefferson Techstravaganza

We spent the better part of a rainy, dreary early spring day basking in brainpower and intellectual curiosity with the children at the 2009 "Techstravaganza" at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology - planned and hosted by TJ's TWIST group (Tomorrow's Women In Science and Technology) with major support from WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) and GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science).



Between hands-on experiments in structural architecture, polymer worms and lava lamp creation, many very interested and engaged kids and adults were treated to fantastic technology demonstrations by eager, polite and totally smart high schoolers. This is truly a very unique event, in a unique place produced by a very select group of tomorrow's leaders in science, technology or any other discipline that truly matters.

This is, however, an extremely difficult and family-centric road to travel, for high-achievers among the region's school population to arrive at Thomas Jefferson - documented the #1 high school in the nation by many academic measurements. Why so difficult and "family-centric"? As pointed out by Julia Stewart's very well researched Loudoun Independent story "Are You Being Served? The LCPS Gifted Education Program" - "Gifted Education is truly a "local" agenda, interest and issue"...and "parental involvement remains a lynchpin" to maintaining focus and encouraging excellence among the wide variety and varying levels of investment for advanced programs for which there is "no federal consequence for falling short". No federal consequence, perhaps, in terms of legislation - but plenty of consequences in terms of America's future global dominance in science, technology, economics and every other significant academic discipline.

In short, it's entirely up to parents to ensure their child both strives for and actualizes an academic path that leads to places like TJ; standard government-supported programs aren't enough, and in comparative terms, Loudoun is very far behind Fairfax in developing a "continuum of gifted services" that are truly differentiated, rigorous and challenging for children identified early-on as far above average. For example, it's up to parents to realize that a child really must be in Geometry by 8th grade to ensure a good chance of admittance. How to make this happen? This means pre-algebra by 6th grade, which means your child must be in math classes at least one or two years ahead of grade-level by this time - a level of instruction which is nearly impossible to extract from taxpayer-provided education without significant family investment in homeschooling, summer classes, individual tutoring or other private instruction.

Therefore, it's fairly evident that most of these great young men and women displaying exceptional poise and talent at this Techstravaganza have benefited from external support that's not found in traditional schooling, but was found at home, through exception personal initiative and capability, from significant parent or tutor figures, and/or through really good private schooling - for example at the local Nysmith School for the Gifted and Talented in Herndon. This particular school is a direct funnel for nearly half of its graduating classes into TJ. As demonstrated by the quality of programs, the absolute commitment of its teaching staff and administration, and the prevailing demonstration of community support, philanthropy and pure intra-student kindness, this very special accelerant is just what is needed for the truly gifted...but it absolutely doesn't happen without total parental commitment and investment.

Nysmith's "NYSaves" program welcomes Tigger and Dora - Nysaves is a Clean Water Project envisioned and implemented by Nysmith students for school students in Zimbabwe

As the TWIST program puts it - "helping guide young people toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is a very gratifying experience" - it's up to parents to provide this help and critical investments, and provide it early, often and in place of less worthy material investments.

Freelance Writers & Bloggers - Immediate Exposure in Northern Virginia, Loudoun and DC

Are you a freelance writer or blogger looking to get rapid exposure for your name, your work or your writing capabilities? We're offering immediate assistance.

Join the Dulles South Online writing team! Locally-grown, Nationally-syndicated.

Here's how it works:

We're seeking a local writer/blogger very much in tune with Northern Virginia, especially the "Exurbs" out to Loudoun. For your well-written and timely contributions of local-interest stories, news items, nonprofit activities, opinion, whatever - we'll help you as follows (i.e. service-for-service):

1 - your writing and byline is syndicated throughout our very popular and widely-read Northern Virginia content and social-media network. To websites, blogs, magazines, discussions, twitter, flickr, tumblr....etc...

2 - your contributions are search-engine optimized (SEO'd) for maximum exposure in this region - we are Northern Virginia's premiere Internet Marketing & Social Media firm

3 - we'll syndicate your content (written, photos, video) nationwide, worldwide across the Internet - as we do for all of our paid clients.

Let us know if you'd like to participate in this very special, very exclusive program as soon as possible. We're essentially offering very professional online promotion and advertising of YOUR writing material and/or business - for free - through our extensive network. This kind of promotion is much more effective than blogging for a local newspaper, writing articles in a local magazine, running your own blog, or trying yourself to submit material to online "ezines".

We're simply looking for the very best, most informed, utterly objective local writers or journalists - that's truly the ONLY criteria for selection. Material will be solicited at least a few times a month.

Become a local, regional, national star today! Contact us at "Resumes at KMEInternetMarketing.com", with your contact info, some background and reason why you'd like to participate, and sample (or link) of your writing (no formal resume necessary).

Brambleton March 28th: Putting an end to breast cancer AND your home's clutter!

Brambleton Double Header March 28th, 2009:

Do something good for humanity and your sanity all on the same day! Join us at the Brambleton Town Center this Saturday, March 28th, for the 2nd Annual Mini Walk for Breast Cancer & Family Fun Day. The two-mile walk will kick-off at the Brambleton Welcome Center at 9 AM and wind through the paths of Brambleton, Virginia. The cost to participate is $10 per individual or $15 per family, with all proceeds going directly to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. To pre-register for the walk, e-mail stepsistersminiwalk@gmail.com. The first 100 registered walkers will receive a goody bag with gifts and coupons from local businesses. Strollers, dogs and kids are welcome to this family-friendly event.



After the walk, join us in the Chevy Chase Bank parking lot for a community-wide Safety Shred from 10 AM to 2 PM. The public is welcome and encouraged to bring the following to shred: office paper, manila folders, small fasteners (paper clips, binder clips, staples, rubber bands acceptable).

In addition to the mini walk and community shred enjoy the fun with a moonbounce for the kids, the Arcola Fire Department fire truck, food from Brambleton loudoun restaurants, free screenings from the INOVA loudoun health mobile, sidewalk sales, a craft boutique and a live radio broadcast from 92.5 WINC FM!

We hope to see you in Brambleton this Saturday!!

Arcola Elementary Chorus performs at the2009 Cherry Blossom Festival

Per Arcola Elementary Contact: Sam Woodard

We are excited to announce that Arcola Elementary Chorus has been selected from thousands of applicants to sing at the 2009 Cherry Blossom Festival on April 2nd. As one of the first Loudoun County elementary groups to be selected, these students will be joined by performers from all over the country. They will sing from the Tidal Basin Stage at 1:45 and have the opportunity to see both the Elko HS Marching Band from Nevada and the National Hand Dance performance. "It is a great honor to be selected from thousands of applicants across the nation," Jennifer Leslie, Arcola's music teacher, beamed with pride over her students’ accomplishments. The Parents and students are just as excited. "What an incredible opportunity Mrs. Leslie has provided for our children" says parent Linda Foresha.

These 5th grade students will also have the chance to sing a portion of the Cherry Blossom performance to the School Board on March 24th during "Music in our Schools Month."

It's a Good Time For Business Coaching

Looking for an edge to gain some ground back in this economy, preserve or improve your business stature in this very competitive labor market, and generally get some serious, professional appraisal and help for your business skills?

The is the right time, in this economy, to take stock of your personal capability to derive success, satisfaction and reward from your business role and efforts.


The truth is, with a little bit of business coaching you can learn how to revive your career, make some gains financially, and ultimately become more satisfied in your job...and Northern Virginia business coaching is readily available from a number of trained and qualified coaches.

By taking advantage of professional business coaching and guidance, you can learn to make opportunities for yourself - rather than wait for other people to make them for you. You have to look at a business coach as your personal consultant who can help open things up for you - little by little - until you can take the ball and run with it.

Read more about Washington DC and Northern VA Business Coaching... or just visit one of our local leaders in services for executive coaching in the Metro DC area.

Business Shout-Out - Loudoun Eye Doctor and Eczema Relief

Every once in a while, we're inclined to give a "shout-out" to businesses that really impress us, give great service or otherwise just deserve some kudos.

The other week, I had some eye debris that needed removal - and I went to a Loudoun eye doctor I first visited over 5 years ago, Dr. Dariaius A. Unvwalla & Associates, a Loudoun Family Eye Care Provider, providing Loudoun Laser Vision consultation and treatment of eye disease. Meeting both with Dr. Taxali and then Dr. Unwalla, the service, attention and outcome were supurb, professional and very efficient. Not only was the debris removed, but great care was taken to numb the pain, check for other injury and schedule follow-up visits for checkup. An exceptional business, all the way around, at Dulles Town Center mall next to Lenscrafters.

We've got a child who's suffered from eczema for some time - this week we tried "Calcium Montmorillonite" ionic mineral (clay-based) powder (made into a compress) from California Earth Minerals on his arms and the back of his legs. In particular, we used the clay skincare powder called Terrapak. This product really worked fast and well, and provide pain-relieving comfort quickly. His rash and dryness cleared up really well, and we're looking forward to using this "living clay" to provide quick and comprehensive relief as the allergy season gets underway. Great stuff.

Nonproft Internet Marketing and Social Media Help Offered for FREE

It's time for many businesses to step up and help stem the tide of donation and service loss from the nonprofits and charities suffering during these hard economic times.

Dulles South Online and KME Internet Marketing are now offering FREE Internet Marketing and Social Media help for nonprofits seeking to raise money and attract donors online, through a strategic partnership with NPOFundingSolutionS.

Read more here.

"First Dog From Kabul - Afghanistan War Veteran and Rescue Dog" Sponsored by Middleburg, VA Resident

On February 3, 2009, Elaine Broadhead, of Middleburg, Virginia, became the first Sponsor of a paws4people^TM [www.paws4people.org] Afghan Rescue Dog when she donated the $2,000 it costs to transport rescued dogs from Afghanistan to the paws4prisons^TM [www.paws4prisons.org] K-9 Training Program at US Penitentiary – Hazelton, Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. These stray dogs were adopted overseas by American soldiers serving in Afghanistan, a country devastated by war and poverty. Some soldiers are able to bring the dogs home to their families but others cannot. These dogs become available for programs like paws4vets^TM’s [www.paws4vets.org] AfghanDogZ^TM program, which is part of a Strategic Partnership Program with the Wounded Warrior Project®.



Read more about these amazing programs...

Federal Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credits and green building incentives for energy conservation home improvements available in 2009

New Federal Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credits and green building incentives for energy conservation home improvements available in 2009:

As of January 1, 2009 there are Federal tax credits of up to 30% of cost, or $1500, for homeowners making improvements to insulation, vinyl replacement windows, non-solar water heaters, and particular high efficiency heating and cooling equipment. These credits are available for existing homes only, for the next 2 years (2009-2010). For more details and forms needed go to EnergyStar Tax Credits.

Also, as of August, 2008 Montgomery County, Maryland is offering a tax credit of up to $250 for energy conservation improvements including programmable thermostats, vinyl replacement windows, door and window insulation/caulking, and more. Find out more here.

Vinyl-Lite Windows Factory energy-efficient replacement windows are especially effective and relevant with respect to these programs; Energy Advantage Low-E Glass is a high performance, energy efficient window glass made with an invisible coating that blocks heat flow. Follow this link for more information about Northern Virginia climate conditions and Low-E energy efficient window features.

Read more about how energy efficient Northern Virginia replacement windows can earn significant residential tax credits...