Share This Issue on Your Social Media | |
Stay Connected With Chair Wheeler | |
|
Issue 130
Friday, September 2, 2022
Prince William County
| |
|
Dear Neighbors,
Another summer season is coming to a close. While most of us will likely focus on our plans for the three-day Labor Day weekend, the meaning behind the holiday is important and our Labor in this country, past and present, is important. In the Labor Day section of issue 81 you can learn about its origins, how it became a national holiday, and the nearby Hall of Fame. There is even a special shout-out to the Rosie's.
This weekend also marks the end of the Board's August recess and we begin again working to make Prince William County a great place to live, work and play. You'll find links to next week's meeting agenda and links to participate in Public Comment Time in the BOCS section below.
I wish all of you a fun-filled and safe holiday weekend. May it be a time of reflection as we move into this new season. If your plans happen to include grilling, issue 115 has a great Safety Tips article in the County News section to help you do so safely!
In Service,
Chair Ann Wheeler
| |
Tuesday, August 30, Chair Wheeler attended a reception honoring retiring PWC Fire and Rescue System Fire Chief Timothy L. Keen (issue 126). | |
Tuesday, August 30, Chair Wheeler attended Virginia Delegate Danica Roem's presentation of her House Resolution 154 Commending the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry, which was agreed to by the Virginia General Assembly House of Delegates on March 10, 2022. | |
|
The Haymarket Regional Food Pantry (HRFP) is a nonprofit organization staffed entirely by volunteers that provides food assistance to the residents of Haymarket, Gainesville, and surrounding communities. Originally established in 2005 as a food closet in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, it has grown to serve thousands through the support of St. Katherine Drexel Catholic Mission, Park Valley Church, Gainesville United Methodist Church, and the Town of Haymarket.
The HRFP is 100% volunteer and reaches 30 zip codes and 25 cities in Northern Virginia. In 2021, the HRFP served 2,989 clients each month and distributed a total of 327,808 pounds of food. In addition to offering boxed and canned items, it has developed partnerships with local farmers to offer fresh produce. You can support the HRFP through a financial donation, by donating needed food items at a one of the donation locations, organizing a food drive, or volunteering.
| | | | |
|
Thursday, September 1, the CDC issued a statement on the first COVID-19 updated booster, which adds Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to the current vaccine composition. This followed the FDA's announcement Wednesday, August 31, it had amended its emergency use authorizations of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to authorize bivalent formulations, which are also refer to as updated boosters. | |
In its August 26 Weekly Update (page 3), the Virginia Department of Health advised the updated booster could be available shortly after Labor Day. Details on how to get the booster will be shared as they become available. | |
|
Important Details
- Individuals 18 years of age and older are eligible for a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent if it has been at least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
-
Individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible for a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent if it has been at least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
In the coming weeks, CDC also expects to recommend updated COVID-19 boosters for other pediatric groups.
| | | |
Community Level Remains Low | |
|
The CDC Community Level Tool dated Thursday, September 1, showed COVID-19 community level for :
-
Prince William County continues to be low.
-
Fairfax, Fauquier, and Loudoun County continues to be low.
-
The City of Manassas, City of Manassas Park, and Stafford community levels were medium.
You can check the community levels in other areas here.
| | |
|
|
Tuesday, September 6
at 2:00 pm
For Public Comment Time options visit SpeakUp! Prince William. Remote speakers must sign-up by 5:00 pm on Monday, September 5. In-person speakers can sign up at the meeting.
| | |
|
|
In Observance of Labor Day:
-
Government Offices, including the courts will be closed Monday, September 5.
-
Landfill and Balls Ford Road Compost Facility will be open at 6:00 am and close early at 2:00 pm.
-
Libraries will be closed Saturday, September 3 through Monday, September 5.
| | |
|
Friday, September 9, at 9:30 am, PWC will host a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony marking the 21st anniversary to honor and remember the County’s fallen and the nearly 3,000 others who lost their lives that day. On September 11, 2001, PWC lost 22 people, more than any other community in the region. | |
The ceremony will include the posting of the colors, a moment of silence, a bagpiper playing the national anthem, remarks from Chair Wheeler, a wreath laying, a benediction, and the playing of taps. Tolling of the Bell will be performed by the PWC Fire and Rescue Department. Ringing the bell in three sets of five tolls is a custom from the days before telephones and radios to mark when a firefighter died in the line of duty. The ceremony will be held at the Liberty Memorial, between Prince William Parkway and the James J. McCoart Administration Building, at 1 County Complex Court. | |
Grand Opening Celebration | |
Main parking for Saturday's event will be at the Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center, 14715 Bristow Road, with free shuttle service available. If you are interested in fostering an animal or volunteering at the center, apply here. | |
|
“As Prince William County continues to welcome more residents, community services like the Animal Services Center will provide necessary support for all types of animals. The Board recognized the value of providing an upgraded facility to ensure the well-being and health of animals that come through the Center’s doors and grounds.”
Ann Wheeler
Chair At-Large Board of County Supervisors
| | | |
Planning Commission Hearing | |
|
Saturday, September 24, from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm, PWC Police Department is hosting a Community Fair to celebrate the County’s diversity, embrace unity among its various communities, and showcase the many facets of police work. County staff and community organizations will be available to register voters, sign up election officer volunteers, facilitate companion animal adoptions, complete Child ID forms, and more.
The event will feature live music, food trucks, performers available for photo opportunities, and face painting for the young and the young-at-heart.
Background investigators and recruiters will be present to speak to anyone interested in a career as a police officer and job applications will be accepted that day. The fair will be held at the Sean Connaughton Plaza of the McCourt Government Complex at 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge.
Not sure you want to attend? Check out the video of last year's inaugural Community Fair.
| | |
|
Friday September 16, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, come out to the PWC Department of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism's next Fridays at 5 Summer Concert Series. In addition to live music, there will be food trucks, a beer garden, and face painting. The concert will be at the Sean T. Connaughton Plaza at 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge. Admission and parking are free, so bring your chairs and picnic blankets and be ready to kick back and enjoy the evening. | |
"Pulling" for a Special Cause | | |
|
Saturday, September 17, from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm, the PWC Police Department (PWCPD) will once again be participating in the annual Dulles Day Plane Pull at Dulles Airport to help raise money for Special Olympics Virginia. The event will include the plane pull, aircraft and auto exhibits, food trucks, and a “Kids Zone” activities area. Visit the event map for details. To donate to Special Olympics on behalf of PWCPD, visit the team webpage. | |
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. | | | | | |
