Issue 32

Prince William County

In the last Wheeler Report, I reflected on how each person in our community has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We are all important. While this belief is deeply carved into our nation's consciousness, few have dedicated their lives to the incredibly hard battle of making it a reality.

On Friday, we lost one of those people, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A US Supreme Court justice since 1993, she died on Friday at the age of 87.  She was the second woman appointed to the US Supreme Court and the first Jewish justice since 1969. While often heralded for being a champion of women's rights, she fought fiercely to ensure the liberties our country was founded on were afforded to all its people. 

In a 2015 interview, Justice Ginsberg was asked "when the time comes, what would you like to be remembered for?" Her response was: "As someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability. And to help repair tears in her society, to make things a little better through the use of whatever ability she has. To do something, as my colleague David Souter would say, 'outside myself'. ‘Cause I’ve gotten much more satisfaction for the things that I’ve done for which I was not paid."

Summaries of the Chair's two Strategic Planning Community Conversations (Issue 28) are available. The sessions were very well attended and the conversation robust, so whether you attended or were unable to, you may find it informative to read how the participants responded to the five questions.

Next, the Strategic Planning Team will analyze all community input to identify priorities in each focus area and solicit the BOCS input. Then, they will create a draft of the Strategic Plan with goals, objectives, initiatives, and performance measures.

If you would like to read your District Supervisor's community conversations, they are all available on the county's Strategic Planning website.

Once there, scroll down to section 2 Engage Community.

On Wednesday, September 9, Chair Wheeler participated in the Ribbon Cutting for the state of the art Balls Ford Road Composting Facility! This public-private partnership between PWC and Freestate Farms will serve the greater Northern Virginia region and process more than 80,000 tons of waste per year - a significant increase over the previous roughly 30,000 tons per year. In what is a win-win, one of the groups they will be working with is Prince William Food Rescue.

October is just around the corner and the calendar is filling up. Below are some of the events happening in the county. Visit their websites to get involved.

A night of family fun at the drive-in movies with food truck vendors, popcorn, and a classic film under the night sky. All proceeds go to support local nonprofits and their missions throughout Prince William County. To maintain social distancing, cars are staggered to give space to families and friends. A limited number of car passes are available, so get yours soon.

This year you pick when, where, and how to complete the 5K! During the event dates, participate in your neighborhood, a wooded trail, a path along a stream, a treadmill at your gym, or your own home.You can bike, kayak, stand-up paddle board, rock climb, or even chase the kids around the house.

Residents are encouraged to spend the evening outside with their families and neighbors using appropriate social distancing. Neighborhood watch programs throughout the county will host motorcade stops where police officers and other law enforcement personnel can meet neighbors.

A first for PWC, this free event provides the opportunity to bring salvageable items for repair and subsequent reuse. Customers will consult with the repair person, drop off the item and then pick it up when it is ready. Social distancing and masks are required to maximize the safety of fixers, volunteers and attendees. Repair work appointments and pre-registration are required. 

PWC and Manassas City Police Departments are partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and community groups to provide a safe and legal way to dispose of unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter solid-dosage medications (i.e. tablets and capsules). Collection sites are Novant Health UVA Health System's Prince William Medical Center and Haymarket Medical Center, as well as Sentara Lake Ridge.