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Issue 69
Friday, June 11, 2021
Prince William County
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Dear Neighbors,
As we release this issue of The Wheeler Report showcasing so many celebratory events both past and future, I cannot help but be reminded of all we have lost in the last 15 months. In addition to the 499 souls that Prince William County has lost to COVID-19, there are countless other residents who were affected by their passing.
Many of our residents knew someone who passed away from COVID-19, both within and outside of our County. Sadly, due to the very nature of the illness, many were not able to say good-bye. Of the over 45,000 verified cases of COVID-19 in our county, there are people still experiencing side effects and for some the impact will be lifelong.
Finally, as we return to a “new normal” and are grateful to resume our engaging lives, please remember that there are many who have suffered financially and emotionally due to the pandemic, that still need help. May we all work to make sure that all of our neighbors and friends are taken care of as we emerge from this trying time.
We are stronger together.
In Service,
Chair Ann Wheeler
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On Wednesday, June 8, Chair Wheeler attended the Remembrance Ceremony hosted by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission for the 2,364 loved ones, friends, and neighbors who passed due to COVID-19 since March of 2020. During the ceremony, a special 'Ringing of the Bell' was held for each municipality in Northern Virginia. Across the windows at the venue were 236 flags, each one representing ten of the lives lost. |
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Chair Wheeler represented PWC during the County's ceremonial 'Ringing of the Bell.' A video of the ceremony can be viewed here.
The Greater PWC area lost the following:
- 499 residents in PWC
- 47 residents in the City of Manassas
- 11 residents in the City of Manassas Park
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Celebrating an Important Milestone |
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The 2020 - 2021 school year comes to a close this week and is a fitting capstone to PWCS's splendid graduation season. Chair Wheeler was able to attend ten of the ceremonies. Following a year of challenges and isolation, the joy and energy from the students, as well as their families and friends, was amazing to experience. Below are just some of the memories captured at these rites of passage.
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On Wednesday, June 8, Chair Wheeler attended the Public Input Session hosted by the PWC Department of Social Services on the future daytime Homeless Navigation Center ( issue 68) to serve adults experiencing homelessness. Over 100 people attended and engaged in rich conversations of a broad range of perspectives which will help to shape the path forward for this valuable project. It was particularly encouraging to hear so much support for the center from advocates for the homeless.
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“The staff will rethink this proposal, and we’ll go back to the board as a whole. … I think we heard a lot of concerns, and that’s what public meetings are for."
Ann Wheeler
Chair At-Large Board of County Supervisors
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Supporting an Awareness and Fund Raising Event |
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On Thursday, June 9, Chair Wheeler attended the Special Olympics Virginia 2021 Law Enforcement Torch Run®. This event is one of three that the County's law enforcement holds each year to raise money for the Special Olympics. More details about the successful event can be found in the County Kudos section below.
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On Monday, June 7, Chair Wheeler participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Manassas City Library. The library offers “Take and Make” activities, STEAM programs, composting activities, and free access to e-books, e-audio, digital and print magazines as well as entertaining and educational programs. There are twelve public computers and free, high-speed Wi-Fi. Located in Wellington Station Shopping Center, at 10104 Dumfries Road in Manassas, it is the first within the City of Manassas and within walking distance of several nearby neighborhoods. It serves both County and City residents. |
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“The Manassas City Library’s opening represents a continued collaboration … between the city and the county. Adding a 12th library to our community further helps us with our strategic goals of making sure that we reach all sections of our community. The staff, the resources and the information made available really will help … children and life-long learners as well as workforce development. ”
Ann Wheeler
Chair At-Large Board of County Supervisors
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Vaccination 101
To schedule a Prince William Health District vaccination appointment for:
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Adults, go to vase.vdh.virginia.gov, enter your zip code, select “25-miles” for Distance Range.
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Adolescents aged 12-15, go to vase.vdh.virginia.gov, enter your zip code, select “25-miles” for Distance Range, and search for Vaccine Type “Pfizer.” A parent or guardian, with legal proof, must be present at the vaccination appointment and verbally attest to the age.
To find additional vaccination locations:
- Go to vaccines.gov to find locations near you with your local pharmacies, hospitals, community vaccination, and health centers, and doctors’ offices.
- Text your zip code to 438829 (GETVAX).
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Upcoming Vaccination Event |
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Help spread the word about the Johnson & Johnson vaccination event on Saturday, June 19, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center Street in Manassas. Pre-register here by entering zip code "20110" and vaccine type "Johnson & Johnson." Walk-ups will be accommodated based on vaccine availability.
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Tuesday, June 15
2:30 pm and 7:00 pm
For Public Comment Time options,
visit SpeakUp! Prince William.
Remote speakers must sign-up by
5:00 pm on Monday, June 14.
In-person speakers can sign up at the meeting.
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Sign up is open to participate in the “listening session” hosted by the BOCS at the Tuesday, June 22, at 7:30 pm meeting to provide feedback on the draft of the 2021 – 2024 Strategic Plan ( issue 65). Developed with input from the community, the Strategic Plan is designed to help the County achieve its long-term vision. As such, it provides crucial policy guidance for service delivery and resource allocation decisions during the BOCS' four-year term.
The goal of the “listening session” is to receive feedback on the draft plan before it is finalized and adopted in July. The “listening session” will use the same format and process as public comment time at Board meetings. The public may comment remotely or in-person. Remote speakers must sign-up here by 5:00 pm on Monday, June 21.
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On Saturday, June 12, at 6:00 pm the Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary Club is hosting a community walk to commemorate this year’s Flags for Heroes event. Following the walk, a ceremony will commence at 7:00 pm with local dignitaries in attendance. You can sponsor a flag to honor a veteran, healthcare provider, firefighter, police officer, teacher, or any hero that you feel deserves to be honored. Learn more about how to get involved here. |
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Opportunity to Participate |
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The next Racial and Social Justice Commission meeting is on Thursday, June 17, at 6:30 pm. The public is invited to participate and share their experiences on education, government services, and/or policing in person or remotely during public comment time. Pre-register here to speak remotely. The meeting will be held at the J. James McCoart Administration Building located at 1 County Court Complex in Woodbridge. You can view the meeting live stream here.
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On Thursday, June 17, PWC joins a very limited number of municipalities across the country when the Department of Public Safety Communications launches the next generation of 9-1-1 called the Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network (ESInet). |
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Upgrading the 9-1-1 infrastructure positions in PWC will begin leveraging modern technology for processing emergency calls, to include better location information from callers and to transfer misrouted calls intended for surrounding municipalities more quickly. With ESInet in place, the County will also be ready to receive photos and videos in real-time from the public when reporting an emergency once the technology is ready.
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PWC Public Schools is a recipient of the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and is seeking community input into the development of the plan for these funds to support students and schools. To participate you can:
Details on the 2021-2022 Fall learning plans can be found here.
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Wednesday, June 16, at 7:00 pm the PWC School Board will hold its final meeting of the 20-21 school year at the Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center, 14715 Bristow Road in Manassas. This is the last meeting before the retirement of Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Steve Walts. Citizens who wish to speak either in person or electronically must pre-register here by 4:00 pm the day of the meeting.
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You will need to provide your complete address, telephone number, and e-mail address for the record. Those wishing to speak electronically will be provided with a link to register to do so. Meetings are broadcasted live on PWCS-TV ( Comcast Channel 18 and Verizon FiOS Channel 36) and can also be viewed live online on the PWCS-TV Web site. Archived meetings are available on the PWCS-TV Video On Demand Web site. |
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On Thursday, June 9, approximately 30 PWC Law Enforcement and several Special Olympians participated in the Special Olympics Virginia 2021 Law Enforcement Torch Run®. The event raised over $4,000 for Special Olympics. The 1,900-mile, 8-day Torch Run involves more than 2,000 law enforcement officers and personnel representing more than 200 law enforcement agencies across Virginia. The event will culminate with the Torch Run Final Leg and the Flame of Hope lighting of the cauldron to officially open our Summer Games in Richmond. While the games will not take place this year, it is great that after last year's virtual run, for this year's to be in person. |
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“We’ve been partnering with the Special Olympics for several years now with the Torch Run, the Plane Pull and the Polar Plunge, and we certainly feed off the energy and the dedication of our Special Olympics athletes. It’s definitely a great partnership we have with them. We’re honored to raise money for the worthy causes associated with the Special Olympics, and we look forward to future events.”
Jonathan Perok
Prince William Police 1st Sgt.
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The National Merit Scholarship Corporation named Patriot High School Class of 2021 graduate Abigail Lacuesta a 2021 National Merit Northrop Grumman Scholarship winner. Lacuesta is one of approximately 1,000 high school students nationally who won 2021 corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards. |
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Lacuesta was first recognized as a semifinalist with one of the highest-scoring 2019 SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in the state, which serves as an initial screening. Winners were identified by judges as having the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Lacuesta will attend Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, to major in English. |
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In addition, congratulations to Sophia Evanisko and Avik Rao from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology for winning National Merit Scholarships.
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Evanisko, a PWC resident and former Mountain View Elementary School and Bull Run Middle School student, earned the $2,500 National Merit Scholarship.
- Rao, a PWC resident and former Glenkirk and Piney Branch Elementary Schools and Bull Run Middle School student, earned the National Merit University of Maryland Scholarship.
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Celebrating Extraordinary Teens |
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Aptly timed as we close out the PWC school year, Prince William Living is celebrating 10 Extraordinary Teens in its June issue. The video below captures the event that celebrated these young leaders in our County and the article highlights the passions and accomplishments of each one. These students are a wonderful testament to an impressive generation and the future of our County.
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Fair Housing
For the first time in over 20 years, the region is coming together to collaborate on fair housing, with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) leading this effort. COG, its local government members, and their public housing authority partners, are working together on a Regional Housing Equity Plan, also known as the Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. This will ensure that the region is better aligned in its efforts to expand housing choices so that all people can choose to live in communities with access to quality jobs, schools, housing, and transportation options. Learn more in the video below and here. |
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An Important Acknowledgement |
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Initial skirmishes between British troops and colonial militiamen began in April 1775. Two months later, in June, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to form a unified fighting force, the Continental Army. This included the creation of what was essentially the first “American” flag, the Continental Colors. The flag was comprised of 13 red and white alternating stripes and a Union Jack in the corner. It wasn't too long before General George Washington, among others, realized the flag should be more distinct from the British flag. |
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On June 14, 1777 the Second Continental Congress took a break from writing the Articles of Confederation to pass a resolution stating that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white,” and that “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” On Aug. 3, 1949, President Harry S. Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14 as National Flag Day and requesting an annual presidential proclamation calling for its observance.
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Over the centuries, as our nation has evolved, the flag has expanded from 13 stars to the current 50. The last iteration was in 1960 following the admission of Alaska and Hawaii. That flag was officially raised for the first time on the Fourth of July in 1960 at Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the “Star-Spangled Banner” during the War of 1812. Our current version is the longest-tenured banner in American history.
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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. |
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