A site of historic interest at the edge of Brambleton Regional Park in Ashburn provides a glimpse into our area’s past. Featuring grave markers that pre-date the U.S. Civil War, members of several prominent and distantly related Loudoun County families with names like Burdine, Edwards, Havener, Hawes, Jackson, Lyon, Moran, Paxson, and Shryock connect us with events and individuals whose life and times helped shape our own. The site’s historical marker, notes the presence of Private Richard “Dick” Moran, the “Warring Methodist” and an influential member of Mosby’s Raiders – a well know contingent of Confederate soldiers, and a bold disruptor of local union army efforts of the time.
Exposure of the Lyon Family Cemetery to the elements over the decades left headstones sunken, fallen over, or severely tilted. Many were cracked. The spoils of time rendered many of their faces unreadable. The stone perimeter fence– expertly constructed and laid hundreds of years ago— had crumbled under nature’s ongoing assault. A once grand and impressive rectangular wrought iron fence surrounding a large granite marker withered with rust and tilted inward as if in protective crouch.
To restore these grounds, and with it a piece of local history, the fourteen-year-old Gray recruited an impressive array of volunteers to carry out this restorative work. The effort required not only physical repairs, but expertise of skilled craftsmen and local historic preservation organizations.
Chief among these volunteers was Mr. James Short, a former Brambleton Regional Park manager, and owner of a local gravesite maintenance company, Gravesite Guardians LLC. As a project consultant and trainer for the work crew of Troop 51 Scouts and community members helping with the project, Mr. Short conducted onsite demonstrations on marker identification, cleaning, leveling, and re-mounting.
Representatives of local historic preservation organizations contributed their expertise and abilities to the project. The Stuart-Mosby Historical Society, and the Loudon Preservation Society, assisted in archival research, database and information retrieval. Several representatives from the Daughters of the Confederacy gave of their time to help clean and remount headstones. Scouts and families of Troop 51 contributed both physical skill and enthusiasm for completing the effort.
Thanks to the work of Jack Gray and his team, visitors to this site have gained a new opportunity to understand the history of our area and country. With a greater appreciation for the events and individuals who have shaped our society, we as citizens are better prepared to discuss our shared challenges and solutions.
To explore the Lyon family cemetery historic location, and see the work of Eagle Scout Jack Gray and his team, visit Brambleton Regional Park in Ashburn.
With the wave of a virtual checkered flag, Powhatan’s Pinewood Derby features great looking cars and suspenseful finishes – with first and second-place finishers just hundredths of a second apart!
Scouting is a family affair, no more so than on Permit and Society Courts in Herndon, VA, where ten boys grew up as friends and next-door neighbors, and where all became Eagle Scouts in Troop 1570, chartered to the Clearview Elementary School PTA in Herndon. Their Eagle boards of review span a fifteen-year period. 
Tony Aiello is the audio/video engineering director for a prominent Bible church in Northern VA. Tony is responsible for the development, installation and maintenance of the critical infrastructure and support systems for multiple buildings. Tony has also started his own company providing audio/video support to the ministries of other churches around the DC area. Tony and his wife Christina live in Northern VA. Tony was Troop 1570’s 51st Eagle Scout, earning the Eagle rank on October 30, 2003.
Michael Aiello and his wife Cynthia live in a remote village in Northwestern Alaska. Michael serves as a deputy magistrate and law clerk. Michael earned his law degree at Regent University School of Law. Michael was Troop 1570’s 66th Eagle Scout, earning the Eagle rank on June 21, 2006.
Lucas Kane and his wife Sarah currently reside in Central KS. Lucas is in his final year of medical school and serving his hospital rotations. Lucas is seeking to practice family medicine. To date he has delivered or assisted in the delivery of fourteen babies! Lucas was Troop 1570’s 89th Eagle Scout, earning the Eagle rank on January 17, 2010.
by Sara Holtz, Hornaday Adviser
Pack 1530 participated in an invasive species control project led by Boy Scout John H. of Troop 159, who is working towards the coveted Hornaday Badge. The project address the growth of Japanese stiltgrass as an invasive species at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon, Virginia. Japanese stiltgrass is considered a highly invasive plant because it is not native, spreads aggressively, and crowds out native plants. John’s project aims to manually remove stiltgrass from an area identified by Frying Pan Farm Park staff, planting of native grasses and plants in their place, and future use of that area for educational purposes with youth visitors to the Park.
For more information about William T. Hornaday awards in NCAC, go to 
