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Issue 149

Friday, January 27, 2023

Prince William County

Dear Neighbors,


When I was running for the office of Chair-at-Large, one of the items I talked about was my vision for Prince William County to be a cool, cutting-edge place to be. At this week's Viridium ribbon-cutting event (see Chair's Calendar), it was exciting to see that coming to life.


With the addition of this fabulous complex to the existing Rivergate North, and the coming Riverside Station right down the road, the Route 1 corridor is truly being transformed. This is a key entranceway to Prince William County and the investment in the area is vitally important. This gateway in Woodbridge is becoming a case study in successful revitalization, road improvements for connectivity, showcasing access to public transportation with the VRE nearby, and a lesson in how to attract the next generation of Prince William County residents.


This just adds to the list of many projects currently underway to move Prince William County forward and I am excited for them all.


In Service,

Chair Ann Wheeler


Chair's Calendar

Ribbon Cutting

Wednesday, January 25, Chair Wheeler participated in the ribbon-cutting event at Viridium in North Woodbridge. Located along the Occoquan River, the one, two, and three-bedroom apartment complex is pet-friendly. Its many amenities include a pool, fitness center, dog park, pet spa, theater room, rooftop terrace, and game room, as well as shuttles to the VRE and commuter lot. The Prince William Chamber of Commerce hosted the event with its President and CEO Bob Sweeney (County News issue 139) doing the ribbon-cutting honors (top right and bottom center photos).

Viridium is part of the current residential portfolio of The IDI Group Companies. A family-owned business, they also constructed Woodbridge's Rivergate North and are building the future Riverside Station. IDI commercial projects include Techworld, Rosslyn Center, Ballston Metro Center, Renaissance Hotel, Vista International Hotel and Leisure World Plaza shopping center.

Annual Joint Meeting

Wednesday, January 25, Chair Wheeler participated in the annual BOCS joint meeting with the PWC School Board. The meeting included a General Revenue Update, School Security Progress Update, and Community Safety Initiative (BOCS issue 144) presentations.

Presidential Event

Thursday, January 26, Chair Wheeler was invited to an Economic Development event hosted by President Joe Biden. During the event, the President announced an “Invest in America” Cabinet that will include the secretaries of Commerce, Labor, Transportation, Treasury, Energy and Health and Human Services, plus the Environmental Protection Agency administrator. It will also include infrastructure implementation coordinator Mitch Landrieu and clean energy adviser John Podesta.


The event was held at the Steamfitters UA Local 602's Apprenticeship School in Springfield. While waiting to entry the event, Chair Wheeler connected with fellow invitees Fairfax County Franconia District Supervisor Rodney L. Lusk (center in right photo), who represents that area, and George Mason University President Dr. Gregory Washington (right photo below, Chair's Calendar issue 88 and BOCS issue 120).

Presidential Event

Thursday, January 26, Chair Wheeler attended a Montclair Lions Club meeting in Dumfries. The Chair shared an update on things happening in the County and discussed matters important to the group. Club President Beth Sherman (photo below) kindly presented the Chair with a club mug.

Lions Club International has 46,000 clubs with over 1.4 million members worldwide. While each Lions club has its own service focus, there are five global causes identified and voted on by members that are supported by the association and foundation. They are Diabetes, Vision, Hunger, Environment, and Childhood Cancer.


The Leos are devoted young people who realize the power of action. Members of Leo Clubs embody the best qualities of the organization, “Leadership, Experience, and Opportunity,” There are over 7400 Leo Clubs with 160,000 members worldwide. From July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, Lions and Leos served more than 495 million people.


BOCS
Next Meeting

Tuesday, February 7

2:00 pm and 7:30 pm


Links to the agenda and to register to participate in Public Comment Time remotely will be shared in the issue prior to the meeting.

Easier Access to BOCS Voting Records

As the demonstration at the Tuesday, January 24 BOCS meeting showed, the VoteCast/VoteLog system now provides the public with a user-friendly way to track BOCS votes. Implemented last year, the tracking starts with the June 28, 2022 meeting. To utilize the system, go to the BOCS Live Video, Briefs & Archives webpage, and click on the VoteLog tab above upcoming meetings.

Search Tips When Using the System

  • In the Search VoteLog section of the page, select Board of County Supervisors from the Meeting Body dropdown menu and click search to see a list of meetings.
  • For each meeting, click the + on the far left to open the list of meeting items.
  • For any meeting item, click on the button in the Details column on the far right for a pop-up window with each Board member's vote.
  • Clicking on the meeting name in the Item column on the far right for a popup window with the meeting video for that specific item.
  • There are Keywords, Date Range, and Voting Member options to narrow your search. When using these features, be sure the Board of County Supervisors is in the Meeting Body dropdown menu. Also, for Voting Member, for best results use the title, Supervisor or Chair, and the member's last name.

County News

Special Election - Early Voting has Commenced

Following Gainesville Magisterial District Supervisor Peter Candland's resignation in December (County News issue 145), a Special Election to fill the vacant seat has been set for Tuesday, February 21. Only voters in the Gainesville Magisterial District, which includes parts of Haymarket, Gainesville, and Manassas, are eligible to vote. Important voting details can be found below and at PWCVotes.

Sample Ballot


Early Voting

  • Dates: Tuesday, January 17, through Saturday, February 18
  • Times and Days: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday and Saturdays February 4, 11, 12 and 18
  • Location: PWC Office Of Elections, 250 Lee Ave, Manassas, VA, 20110


Election Day Voting

  • Day: Tuesday February
  • Hours: 6:00 am to 7:00 pm
  • Locations: Voters go to their assigned polling place, found here.


Special Accommodations

  • Curbside Voting: Available for seniors and voters with disabilities in designated parking spaces for both Early Voting and on Election Day
  • Drive-thru voting: Is not available


Under-Age Voters

17-year olds who will be 18 by November 7, 2023, the date of the General Election, are eligible to vote in this special election


Voter Registration


Same Day Registration

  • Voters in Virginia are now able to register and vote a provisional ballot on the same day if the voter registration deadline, which is Tuesday, February 7, has passed.
  • Voters should ask to complete a Same-Day Registration when they check in at an Early Voting site or Polling Place. 

Learn more about the process from PWC Attorney Michelle Robl at the December 13 BOCS meeting here.

The process of holding a BOCS Special Election is dictated by Virginia code § 15.02-502 and § 24.2-681.

  • On December 13, the BOCS passed a resolution directing County Attorney Michelle Robl to petition the PWC Circuit Court to issue a Writ of Special Election.
  • The court must issue the writ within 15 days of the December 15 resignation.
  • The election must then be held within 45 to 60 days of the issuance of the writ, which was December 27.
  • The court selected the election date of February 21.

More Funding for Crisis Center

The PWC Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Center (Chair's Calendar issues 143 and 126) has received $2.1 million in ongoing funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia. The funding is being provided for moving forward with four of the planned eight youth 23-hour observation recliners and crisis stabilization beds at the center. Once the County has secured an additional $2.1 million in ongoing funding, the final four youth observation recliners and crisis stabilization beds will be established.

Inaugural Meeting

The PWC Joint Environmental Taskforce (JET) is holding its first meeting on Thursday, February 9, at 6:00 pm. The meeting is open to the public and will be at the Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center, located at 14715 Bristow Road in Manassas, in Room 1101 A/B. The taskforce is comprised of twelve members from the PWC BOCS and School Board, County and School Staff, County Sustainability Commission, School Superintendent's Advisory Council on Sustainability, and a School Representative.

More About JET

On June 22, 2021, the BOCS authorized the creation of the joint task force with the PWC School Board to address sustainability, clean energy opportunities, and operational resiliency for all government buildings and services, thereby leveraging the assets of the entire County to reduce the costs of moving toward clean energy options. JET is to provide a forum for informing, advising, collaborating, and addressing Countywide issues and aligning institutional policies and practices pertaining to climate change and environmental sustainability through the equity lens being continuously applied by both the County and PWC Schools. It will also make recommendations to the BOCS and School Board on funding priorities that are identified by the Office of Sustainability's Community Energy and Sustainability Master Plan, as well as the relevant County and PWCS staff that would benefit from program collaboration between them.


County Happenings

Celebrating Student Artists

The ARTfactory is hosting its 19th Annual Off the Wall High School Art Competition through January 30. This year 154 students submitted over 200 pieces. From these, 44 pieces were selected from 39 students. The event, sponsored by Lockheed Martin, has five categories: Art & Technology, Painting/Drawing, Poetry, Wearable Art, and Photography. Each category is adjudicated by a professional in the field and winners receive cash prizes.


The ARTfactory is located in Manassas. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. See some of this year's amazing pieces and hear from a few of the student artists in the PWC Schools' video below.


See the winners in the County Kudos section

Cook in a Unique Location

The PWC Parks, Recreation and Tourism is offering Tastes of Home: African American Culture and American Cuisine classes on Saturday, February 18, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Participants will be able to prepare and taste African and Southern dishes in the historic slave quarter at the Ben Lomond Historic Site. Please wear appropriate shoes and clothing for the weather. Open to ages 13 and older, program cost is $10 and advanced registration is required.

Parent and Child Class

PWC Parks, Recreation, and Tourism is offering a Parent and Child - Health and Wellness class. Participants will meet two times, Saturday, February 11, and Saturday, February 18, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, at the Pat White Center at Ben Lomond in Manassas. Parents and children will engage alongside each other in physical activities along with learning valuable information on health and nutrition. This program is for children ages 5 to 10. Class fee is $38 and you can register here.

Start Your Planning for Outdoor Concerts

While we still have quite a bit of winter ahead of us, it's not too early to start making warm weather plans. Jiffy Lube Live has started announcing shows for the upcoming 2023 concert season. You can check out the shows scheduled so far at the outdoor, live performance amphitheater, located in Bristow, and buy tickets here.

Hosting some of the biggest names in the music industry, Jiffy Lube Live is the largest music and performance-oriented venue in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Seating a total of 25,000, concert-goers can choose from 10,000 reserved seats in the covered section close to the stage or less expensive general admission lawn seats on a grassy slope that provides natural tiered seating. Guests are welcome to bring a blanket to sit on. No outdoor food and drinks are allowed into the venue, with the exception of 1 sealed water bottle per person.  


County Kudos

Off the Wall Winners

Congratulations to the five PWC High School students who took home first place in the 19th Annual Off the Wall Art Exhibition and Competition. You can see their winning pieces, as well as students who also received awards, here.


Painting & Drawing - Sophie Monseur

Maggie, Oil pastel, Osbourn Park, 12th Grade


Art & Technology - Kathryn Quintiliano

Classroom Glitches, Colgan, 10th Grade


Photography - Elizabeth Brittingham

Divergent Femininity, Colgan, 11th Grade


Poetry - Isabella Carter

“In the Minds of Thousands”, Colgan, 10th Grade


Wearable Art - Berry Buer

“Keyboard Key Mosaic Jock Jacket”, Colgan, 11th Grade 


Helpful Links

COVID-19


Vaccinations:


Testing:

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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