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Stay Connected With Chair Wheeler
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Issue 121
Friday, June 17, 2022
Prince William County
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Dear Neighbors,
I was fortunate to attend six of our County's Class of 22 Commencement Ceremonies. While these rite of passage events are always impactful, I found myself particularly moved when the graduates participated in the iconic tossing of their caps in the air (see pictures in Chair's Calendar below).
High School graduation is a time of ending and saying goodbye. Along with that, there can be a sense of sadness. Yet, it is also a time of accomplishment and new possibilities. In that moment, I felt excitement for what their future held. Congratulations to the Prince William County Class of 2022! I can't wait to see "the places you'll go."
Before I close, I want to acknowledge this coming Sunday there are two important celebrations. Every year, on the third Sunday in June, we take time to honor the fathers and father figures in our lives on Father's Day. This Sunday we are also recognizing one of our nation's oldest celebrations of the end of slavery, Juneteenth. You can learn more about Juneteenth and Father's Day in issue 70. You can find some of the Juneteenth celebrations taking place this weekend in County Happenings below. I wish everyone happy and safe festivities for both of these special acknowledgments.
In Service,
Chair Ann Wheeler
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Department of Social Services | |
Courtney S. Tierney, Director Department of Social Services | |
DSS appreciates the community’s generosity in providing gift cards throughout the year for children, young adults, and vulnerable elders in need. To donate a gift card, please email Linda Meier. DSS also appreciates the community’s generosity to the local partners that collaborate with it to serve those in need. Donations to the local non-profit community IS a donation to DSS. | |
"The Department of Social Services provides a broad range of needed services and assistance for residents in Prince William County. Their dedication to helping others and every day are making a difference in so many people's lives, especially during the last two years."
Ann Wheeler
Chair At-Large Board of County Services
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Over the last few weeks, Chair Wheeler attended the Class of 2022 Commencement Ceremonies of Battlefield High School, C. D. Hylton High School, Forest Park High School, Gar-Field High School, Osbourn Park High School, and Woodbridge High School. Visit the PWC Schools YouTube page to see videos of these and additional Graduation Ceremonies. | |
Did You Know?
The tradition of tossing caps at graduations is believed to have started in 1912 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland. When the graduating Midshipmen were presented their new Officer's caps, they tossed their old ones up in the air.
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Saturday, June 11, Chair Wheeler spoke at the Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary Club 2.2-mile Flags for Heroes walk (issue 119). | |
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On Sunday, June 12, Chair Wheeler joined Rabbi Shmuel Perlstein and the Chabad of Greater Gainesville community to celebrate their 5 Year Anniversary. The dinner event was held at Windy Knoll Farm. Established in 2017, the Chabad Center for Jewish Life became the first Jewish Center on the western end of the County. | |
Chabad-Lubavitch is a philosophy, a movement, and an organization. It is considered to be the most dynamic force in Jewish life today. The word “Chabad” is a Hebrew acronym for the three intellectual faculties of chochmah—wisdom, binah—comprehension and da’at—knowledge. | | | |
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Wednesday, June 16, Chair Wheeler attended the Coal Ash Ponds at Possum Point Power Station Town Hall (issue 120). You can view a recording of the Town Hall on the Prince William County Potomac Magisterial District's Facebook page. | |
"The closure of Dominion's Possum Point Power Station on Quantico Creek is a matter that extends beyond the Potomac District boundaries...it also impacts the lives of every resident of our County...Thank each of you in advance for your continued engagement on this issue as we all seek to mitigate impacts to the health and safety of our families, our friends, our land, and our waterways."
Ann Wheeler
Chair At-Large Board of County Supervisors
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The Prince William Health District (PWHD) COVID-19 Locality Metrics Dashboard dated Monday, June 13, showed Prince William County and the City of Manassas Park continue to be in a medium level of community transmission, while the City of Manassas had returned to a low level. The CDC guidelines for individual and household prevention methods by community transmission level can be found here. | |
Protecting Yourself and Others:
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Tuesday, June 28
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 next week's issue.
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The BOCS Wants Your Input | |
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PWC is currently in the recruitment process for a new County Executive. To ensure a transparent and inclusive process, the BOCS is seeking feedback from the community on what you consider to be the top priorities for our next County Executive. The County’s third-party recruiting vendor is collecting the feedback and will use it to make final recommendations to the Board. | |
Members of the community are invited to provide their input here by close of business on Friday, July 1. The survey is available in both English and Spanish. | |
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Monday, June 20 in recognition of Juneteenth:
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County Government Offices will be closed
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All Libraries will be closed
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Courts will be closed
Additionally, Saturday, June 18, all Libraries will be closed.
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You can learn about some of the Juneteenth activities taking place this weekend in County Happenings below. | | | |
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PWC is updating its 20-year Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP). The current plan, which was adopted in 2004, includes the County and the incorporated towns of Dumfries, Haymarket, Occoquan, and Quantico. The SWMP establishes a foundation and reflects the vision for management of solid waste in PWC over the next 20 years. Solid waste in PWC generally refers to any garbage or refuse from residents, businesses, schools and organizations. | |
Your Feedback Requested
Residents and business managers can send comments and questions to the County about the 2022 Draft SWMP through July 22. To learn more, you can:
- Read the 2022 Draft SWMP here.
- View the 2022 Draft SWMP slide presentation here.
- Watch a brief recorded webinar about the SWMP development process here (recording password is 8RcJpmZb).
Submit your feedback here.
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For the next several months, the PWC Taxpayer Services call center and counter locations will open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Wednesdays. This is in an effort for the Finance Department to meet with staff and provide additional training. The hours for the call center and counter locations on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday hours will remain 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. | |
Preparing your family:
Preparing Your Home:
- Trim or remove damaged trees and limbs to keep you and your property safe.
- Secure loose rain gutters and downspouts and clear any clogged areas or debris to prevent water damage to your property.
- Reduce property damage by retrofitting your home to secure and reinforce the roof, windows and doors, including the garage doors.
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If you purchase a portable generator, have a licensed electrician install the correct transfer switch for your home. NEVER try to power the house wiring by plugging a generator into a wall outlet.
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Consider building a FEMA safe room or ICC 500 storm shelter designed for protection from high-winds and in locations above flooding levels.
- Review or purchase a homeowner's insurance policy. If you live in an area that is prone to flooding, consider purchasing flood insurance.
- Take photos of all your valuables and the condition of your house inside and out, including the roof. Store the photos on a flash drive or a secure online file hosting service along with copies of your important documents.
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Here are some of the Juneteenth happenings in PWC:
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Saturday, June 18, at 1:00 pm, the Children's Juneteenth Celebration at the Weems-Botts Museum in Dumfries.
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Saturday, June 18, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, the Juneteenth Celebration with TCYouth Inc. at Cecil W Garrison Park in Dumfries.
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Sunday, June 19, from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm, the Manassas Juneteenth Celebration at Resource Fair at SplashDown Water Park in Manassas.
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Sunday, June 19, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Annual Juneteenth Parade: Honoring the Fathers at Merchant Park in Dumfries.
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Sunday, June 19, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm, the Juneteenth Cookout at Lake Ridge Park and Marina in Woodbridge.
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Saturday, July 16, and Saturday, July 23, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, the PWC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism is offering an Introduction to Fly Fishing at Silver Lake Park in Haymarket. The $18 workshop is designed for ages 16 to 99 who are interest in trying fly fishing and will cover the basics of equipment, casting techniques, tools, and safety concerns. It will also compare the differences in fly fishing from spin casting, bait casting, and traditional fishing. Register for one or both here. | |
Learn About Amateur Radio Operators | |
Field Day combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. It has been an annual event since 1933 and remains the most popular event in ham radio. | |
Amateur Radio operators provide a critical public service during times of disaster, by providing reliable communications when the normal infrastructure is offline. Licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and trained in the art and science of radio communication and basic electronics theory, they own and maintain their own communications equipment and are prohibited by federal law from receiving payment for our services. The National Association for Amateur Radio (ARRL) is their national organization and has built relationships with several served agencies including FEMA, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and many others. | | | |
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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