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Issue 158

Friday, March 31, 2023

Prince William County

Dear Neighbors,


As you can see from the Wheeler Report over the past three years, I am often out in the community speaking. I love to be able to go out and speak to groups about the many wonderful things that are happening in our community. I often call myself “Chief Cheerleader of Prince William County” because I get to speak about all the positive aspects of living, working, or visiting here.


Recently, I spoke to the Prince William Association of Realtors and this week was honored to share my thoughts at the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association. The common theme in both talks was the topic of change, as Prince William County is currently a bustling and thriving location. The weekly Wheeler Report continually highlights numerous events and activities that demonstrate our County's vibrancy. 


Being a resident of the best County, within the best Commonwealth of the greatest nation on earth, it is an exciting time to be in Prince William County, and I am grateful for the opportunity to spread the word.


In Service,

Chair Ann Wheeler


Chair's Calendar

Volunteering

Earlier this month, Chair Wheeler participated in the PWC Area Agency on Aging (Department Talks and Tours issue 106) Big Wheels Deliver Meals program. Departing from the senior center in Woodbridge, the Chair delivered meals with Jane (in photo) and Renee, who drove, a couple who had been volunteering in the program for over 15 years. 

PWC Area Agency on Aging is in need of more volunteers to help deliver nutritious meals to our homebound recipients. Learn more about the program in the video below and visit its Volunteer page to get involved.

Celebration of Life

Tuesday, March 28, Chair Wheeler attended the funeral mass for James L. “Jim” Caddigan Jr., the husband of former PWC Supervisor Maureen Caddigan. They have been married 65 years and are parents of four children. Jim served in the U.S. Army and was a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. He retired in 1979 after rising to the rank of Colonel and then became an executive in the telecommunications industry. Maureen served on the PWC School Board before serving nearly 20 years on the BOCS.

Regional Breakfast

Wednesday, March 29, Chair Wheeler spoke at the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association PWC Breakfast. Additional guest speakers included PWC Executive Christopher Shorter (bottom left in photo) and Dan Fulton, Senior Vice President of Zonda, a national housing market data and real estate analytics firm. While there, Chair Wheeler connected with NVBIA Chief Executive Officer, Deborah L. Rosenstein (bottom right photo).

Proclamation

Wednesday, March 29, Chair Wheeler's Office presented a proclamation to the Gainesville Chabad honoring “Education and Sharing Day," which will be celebrated this year on Sunday, April 2. Residents across the County are encouraged to join the celebration to raise awareness and strengthen the education of our children. 

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, a leading global advocate for the advancement of education, stressed the importance of moral and ethical education. In recognition of his outstanding and lasting contributions toward improvements in world education, morality, and acts of charity, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, and the U.S. Congress established his birthdate as a national day to raise awareness and strengthen the education of our children. 

Honoring Those Who Serve

Wednesday, March 29, Chair Wheeler attended the Prince William Chamber of Commerce Valor Awards at the Hylton Performing Arts Center. The annual event recognizes the heroic actions of police, fire and rescue workers for their courageous, often life-saving actions. This year's nominations included

 197 First Responders and 35 Scenarios submitted by 5 different departments. At the event Chair Wheeler connected with PWC Police Department Assistant Chief Kevin Hughart )right in bottom right photo) and the University of Virginia Mascot (center in bottom right photo). You can read all about this year's amazing honorees here.

Iftar Dinner

Thursday, March 30, Chair Wheeler attended the Muslim Association of Virginia's Iftar dinner at the Dar Al Noor Islamic Community Center in Manassas. The event was hosted by the Public Affairs and Civic Engagement Committee.

Town Hall

Thursday, March 30, Chair Wheeler's Office attended Potomac Magisterial District Supervisor Andrea Bailey's Community Town Hall. Topics of conversation included public safety, economic development, social service, transportation, and public works. 


BOCS
Next Meeting

Tuesday, April 4

2:00 pm and 7:30 pm


For Public Comment Time options visit SpeakUp! Prince WilliamRemote speakers must sign up by 5:00 pm on Monday, April 3. In-person speakers can sign up at the meeting.

The PWC School System will make a presentation on its Fiscal Year 2024 Budget at the 7:30 pm meeting.

View the Agenda
Register to Speak Remotely

County News

Creating Awareness

In observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the PWC Department of Social Services is inviting the public to its Annual Pinwheels for Prevention Garden planting at the McCoart Plaza on Tuesday, April 4, at 1:00 pm. The blue pinwheel is a national symbol for child abuse prevention and represents the whimsy and innocence of childhood. Its shape calls to mind the positive cycles of love and support. 

Anyone who suspects child abuse or neglect should call the:

  • PWC Child Protective Services/Adult Protective Services Hotline at 703-792-4200, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
  • State Child Protective Services Hotline at 1-800-552-7096 during weekends and holidays. 

Graduates

PWC leadership, community members and local students gathered on March 27 for the Human Rights Student Leadership Council (HRSLC), Cohort 7 Graduation Ceremony. The theme for this year's council was "Building Bridges." The public, private, and homeschooled students learned leadership skills, and explored their interests in civil and human rights, along with anti-discrimination laws. The various leaders in the County urged the council members to carry what they learned in their five months of work into the community and beyond.


The Prince William Human Rights Commission launched the HRSLC, designed for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, in 2016. The Virginia Association of Counties recognized the Human Rights Student Leadership Council in 2020 with a Best Achievement Award out of 76 submissions.

“I’ll tell you today, in Austin, Texas, there is a 20-year life expectancy difference between residents who live in some of those redlined communities and residents who do not. There is a real difference, not just 50 years ago, but today, because your voices, what you have learned in this program, we need you today. It’s not just history. It’s today. We need your voices here in Prince William County. Having young leaders like yourselves who understand local, state and federal government policies and looking at them through the lens of human and civil rights has never been more critical than it is today.”

Christopher Shorter

County Executive

The PWC Arts Council is accepting nominations for the annual Kathleen K. Seefeldt Awards for individuals and organizations that have made significant or distinguished contributions to the arts in greater PWC. The awards honor those who sustain Kathleen K. Seefeldt’s legacy of public service and support for the cultural arts. Self-nominations are acceptable. Nominations will be accepted through 5:00 pm, Monday, April 17. Learn more and submit a nomination here.

The 2023 award nominations categories are:

  • Outstanding Arts Educator
  • Outstanding Business Supporter of the Arts
  • Outstanding Individual Artist
  • Outstanding Arts Organization
  • Outstanding Patron
  • Outstanding Volunteer


Award winners in the last five years in a 2023 category are not eligible.

Calling All Artists

Keep Prince William Beautiful and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (OmniRide) are seeking artists to create public art for designated bus shelters throughout the Town of Dumfries with the theme of “CLEAN COMMUNITIES, CLEAN WATERWAYS.” Artists or Artist Teams are invited to submit qualifications to be considered for this Adopt a Shelter (Chair's Calendar issue 129) opportunity. Submissions are due by 5:00 pm, Friday, April 28. Learn more about the program and submission process here.

Important Requirement

All artists interested in submitting a letter of interest/application for this opportunity are required to attend the virtual information session on Monday April 3, at 6:00 pm. Pre-register for the ZOOM meeting here.


County Kudos

PWC Team Competing on National Stage

Since 1993, the Army Junior Reserve Officer Corps (JROTC) Honor Unit program at Woodbridge High School has focused on developing leadership, citizenship, and community service skills. Last year, they added robotic skills to their program and are making quite an impression. After a late start, they persevered to be the only JROTC VEX robotics team in Virginia to earn a spot to compete in the National Championship in Dallas, Texas this April as part of the VEX Robotics Competition. Despite being newcomers to the competition, the team is ranked 40 out of 250 teams in the country!

In VEX tournaments, a team's individual score can be high enough to gain an invitation to the national championships. The JROTC Robotics crew competed in several events and continually improved their individual scoring ability to the point they earned an invite at the end of the regular season, nationwide. In local tournaments, they stayed competitive and even led throughout a few tournaments. Climbing the rankings, the team has overcome the odds and placed repeatedly in state level competitions. Check out the video below from last year's JROTC VEX World Robotic competition to see what it is all about.

“Imagine going from never thinking you could build a robot to competing on the national stage in Dallas, Texas against all the other JROTC teams in the country. From zero to full speed ahead in one season.”

Carlos Castro

Robotics Team Lead

Woodbridge High School

Coming Together and Achieving Great Results

Shout out to the approximately 60 volunteers who ranged throughout the Marumsco Creek floodplain and wetland within Veteran’s Park to remove trash deposited from stormwater surges. They retrieved 78 bags of trash, 18 tires, 9 five-gallon buckets, and a number of other large items including a pedal car, kiddy pool, shopping cart, traffic barrel, fire extinguisher, cooler, and more. The bulk of the trash was plastic bottles and other plastic containers.


Volunteers included:

  • Hylton High School Junior Air Force ROTC.
  • Northern VA GeoCaching Organization families.
  • Individuals who live nearby and are regulars at Veterans' Park.
  • Residents from across the County.


Special thanks to the PW Soil and Water Conservation District, and the PWC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism for supporting this event.


County Happenings

Learn About Local Wildlife

Sunday, April 2, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm the PWC Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism is hosting a free Pop Up Park event at Neabsco Regional Park in Woodbridge. Meet a Ranger and Master Naturalist to learn about the diverse wildlife inhabiting the marshes and tidal wetlands of this unique sanctuary. There will be displays, hands on artifacts to discover, and something for all ages. No registration needed. Just pop on by.

"Sweet" Annual Event

Tuesday, April 4, through Saturday, April 8, is Peep Week in Occoquan. Stroll through the historic district and vote for your favorite PEEPS® dioramas and enter to win a PEEPS® basket of goodies. Enter the contest by submitting your family-friendly PEEPS® diorama by April 11 to win in one of four categories: Individual; Family/Team; Youth (ages 12-16); and Kids (12 and under). Winners will receive $50 in gift certificates to use around Occoquan!

Learn Something New

The PWC Area Agency on Aging partners with regional agencies to provide the Virtual Center for Active Adults (VCAA). The program aims to enrich the lives of older adults and adults with disabilities in Northern Virginia while combating isolation. Participants can connect with peers, engage in a variety of activities, and discover useful resources. Below are some of the interesting offerings in April. Learn more about VCAA, see their full list of offerings, and find out how to participate here.


Helpful Links

COVID-19


How to Get Vaccinated (including boosters):


How to get tested:

PWC


Ann B. Wheeler was elected Chair At-Large of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors during the 2019 General Election and assumed office on January 1, 2020. Prince William County is located 25 miles south of Washington, D.C., and is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s second-most populous county with approximately 482,000 residents. 
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