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Issue 81
Friday, September 3, 2021
Prince William County
Dear Neighbors,

While the calendar tells us the last day of Summer is September 21, it always feels like the the season ends this weekend. Things seem to get busier right after Labor Day. Following its recess, the Board of County Supervisors will resume meeting next week, school will be in full swing, and before you know it, we will be talking about sweaters, apples, pumpkins and all things fall.

So let's enjoy these last "lazy days" of Summer. I wish all of you a safe and happy holiday weekend, and hope you are able take a little time to relax over the three days.

In Service,
Chair Ann Wheeler
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BOCS
The next meeting will be
Tuesday, September 7,
2:00 pm and 7:30 pm

For Public Comment Time options,
visit SpeakUp! Prince William.
Remote speakers must sign-up by
5:00 pm on Monday, September 6.
In-person speakers can sign up at the meeting.
Reminder September 11 20th Anniversary Ceremony
On Friday, September 10, at 9:30 am, the BOCS will host a remembrance service to mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks. The ceremony will be held at the September 11 Memorial Fountain near the PWC Government Complex located at 5 County Complex Court in Woodbridge. Twenty years ago on September 11, our country changed forever. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives when terrorists attacked our nation. PWC lost 22 residents, more than any other county in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. This ceremony will allow the public to honor the people that perished in the terror attacks.
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Labor Day
The Backstory
According to History.com in the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution, the average American worked 12-hour days, seven-day week. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country and were paid a fraction of the usual wage. Workers often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, insufficient access to fresh air, lack of sanitary facilities, and no breaks.
In opposition, strikes and rallies started being organized. On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City in what is considered the first Labor Day parade. Congress didn't legalize the holiday until 12 years later following a boycott of Pullman railway cars. To break the strike, the federal government dispatched troops to Chicago, unleashing a wave of riots resulting in the death of more than a dozen workers.
Becoming a National Holiday
According to the United States House of Representative, History, Art and Archives, Labor Day has been celebrated at the local and state level since 1882. In August 1883, the bill to make it a national holiday was introduced in the Senate, where it sat for 10 months without debate. When it was finally brought to the floor, it quickly passed on June 22, 1884. Four days later it was brought to the House, where it replaced an earlier version and subsequently passed with no objection. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed S. 730 into law, declaring Labor Day a national holiday.
Hall of Honor
In 1988 the Department of Labor (DOL) established the Hall of Fame to honor people and groups whose distinctive contributions in the field of labor have elevated working conditions, wages, and overall quality of life of America's working families. The DOL transformed its Hall of Fame into the Hall of Honor in 2013 as part of its centennial commemoration. Inductees are chosen each year, and a formal induction ceremony is conducted at the DOL in Washington, D.C.
The Rosies
In 2020 the "Rosies" were inducted into the DOL Hall of Honor. The name “Rosie” came from Rosalind Walter, who went to work in a Corsair factory in 1942. Rosie became a household name due to the famous, archetypical depictions of Rosie the Riveter by Norman Rockwell in the Saturday Evening Post and J. Howard Miller’s famous “We Can Do It!” commissioned by Westinghouse. The Rosies played an instrumental role in winning World War II.
It is estimated that between 5 and 7 million women held war industry jobs during World War II, increasing the female work force to about 19 million. This permitted American industry to transform to war production rapidly, supplying not just our armed forces, but also the armed forces of the Allied powers. Learn more about the Rosies, see footage of them in action, and hear great stories and passion from some still living in the video below.
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 470,000 residents.