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Issue 120
Friday, June 10, 2022
Prince William County
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Dear Neighbors,
It's graduation season, which is a time of change. Echoes of the past ending, but so much excitement and promise for the future. One class President said the Class of 2022 represents resilience. Something we all have had to draw upon the last two years.
As one of the commencement speakers pointed out, we must all never lose our way to negativity. We should never let the dark negativity and pessimism of others affect us. Those who seek to tell us why the future can't be achieved, do not speak of the truth of us all.
As all of us head into a season of change, there is a feeling of lightness in the air. The future of Prince William County, and for all this year's graduates, is bright.
In Service,
Chair Ann Wheeler
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Monday, June 6, Chair Wheeler participated in a meeting with Northern Virginia Board Chairs and Mayors. The discussion included a legislative update from the Executive Directors of the Virginia Municipal League and Virginia Association of Counties, as well as a COVID-19 status update from the five area Health Directors (see data in COVID-19 section below for an update). | |
Tuesday, June 7, Chair Wheeler spoke at and participated in the PWC the Office of Equity and Inclusion's Pride Month Community Celebration and Information event. People gathered to learn more about government resources and local LGBTQIA+ organizations while enjoying music, food, and comments from state and local elected officials. | |
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"Pride is a vibrant celebration of the history and victories of the LGBTQIA+ community, but it's also a way to revel in their persistence for visibility...We as a county also continue to face tragic levels of violence against LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender women of color. It is often difficult to encapsulate the struggles and triumphs of the LGBT community without lapsing into some clichés about the resilience of the human spirit."
Ann Wheeler
Chair At-Large Board of County Supervisors
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Wednesday, June 8, Chair Wheeler's Office attended the ribbon cutting on the INOVA Pride Clinic, the first clinic of its kind in Northern Virginia. Inova, opened the clinic to provide access to inclusive, culturally competent care. The Falls Church clinic serves patients 12 and older. It accepts private insurance, Medicaid, and treats the uninsured. The clinic is a step forward in addressing the medical disparities faced by the local LGBTQIA+ community (see BOCS Pride Month proclamation article below). | |
Thursday, June 9, Chair Wheeler participated in the ribbon cutting of the new Amazon Fresh grocery store in the Sudley Manor Square Shopping Center at 7807 Sudley Road in Manassas. The store is open from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm every day of the week and customers can use Just Walk Out technology to skip the checkout line, as well as traditional checkouts staffed by employees. In addition to a wide assortment of national brands and high-quality produce, meat, and seafood, the store’s culinary team offers a range of prepared foods made fresh in the store daily. | |
Left to right: State Senator Jeremy Mcpike and staff from the PWC Department of Economic Development. | |
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“At 58,000 square feet, this location is currently the largest store in the Amazon Fresh network. We are thrilled to welcome Amazon to Prince William County and we celebrate the 150 jobs this grocery store brings to our County.”
Ann Wheeler
Chair At-Large Board of County Supervisors
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Protecting Yourself and Others:
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Tuesday, June 28
2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Links to the agenda will be in next week's issue.
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The BOCS made the following commendation, proclamations, and declaration were made during the June 7 meeting. Click on the hyperlink to read each in full. | |
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Gee Whiz Information
- GMU is the most diverse, fastest growing, and largest public four-year institution in the Commonwealth, serving 39,134 students, 10,895 staff and faculty, and 215,900 alumni.
- In 2016 and 2018 GMU achieved R1 “Highest Research Activity” status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
- Approximately 1 in 12 GMU students are affiliated with the military, including veterans, active-duty personnel, military dependents, reservists, and guardsmen.
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Proclaimed June 2022 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month (issue 119). Throughout the month, the LGBTQIA+ community celebrates its civil rights history, its dignity, and educates the public about the service gaps, restrictions to resources, and illegal discriminatory practices they face. It also encourages others to see the LGBTQIA+ as valued members of our larger community. | |
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Did You Know?
LGBTQIA+ individuals are at a higher risk of being victimized and discriminated against due to the inequitable service gaps that have been created as a result of homophobia, transphobia, societal stigmas, and legalized discrimination in the past. The BOCS created the Human Rights Commission to enforce the Human Rights Ordinance which prohibits discriminatory practices based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, and education,
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Proclaimed Wednesday, June 15, Elder Abuse Awareness Day. This year's national theme, “Building Strong Support for Elders,” recognizes that it is up to all of us to ensure proper social structures exist that enable people to retain community and societal connections, so the likelihood of abuse is reduced. | |
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Important Information
In Fiscal Year 2022, currently there are 752 Investigations of elder abuse or neglect by the PWC Department of Social Services Adult Protective Services (APS). If you suspect abuse, neglect, or exploitation of adults 60 years of age or older and incapacitated adults 18 years of age or older, call APS at (888) 832-3858.
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During the Tuesday, June 7, BOCS meeting, the Board held a work session where it was provided a detailed presentation on the Water Quality and Supply in Prince William County. The presentation panel was comprised of Fairfax Water, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Tech/Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Lab, and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. You can view the presentation slide deck here and watch it here. | | |
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Tuesday, June 14, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, there will be a Coal Ash Ponds at Possum Point Power Station Town Hall. The event will be held in the auditorium of the Potomac Shores Middle School, located at 17851 Woods View Drive in Dumfries. The agenda includes an update on the status of Dominion Energy proposals from PWC staff, community questions and comments, and next steps. | | |
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After a nationwide search, PWC has selected Kevin Costello to lead the Office of Tourism, which is accredited by Destinations International. He currently serves as the President of the Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau in New York’s Finger Lakes region. In his previous position, he served as Director of Economic Development and Tourism for the Town of Abingdon, Virginia and Tourism Coordinator for Botetourt County, Virginia. | |
In his 16-year career, Mr. Costello has developed award-winning programs that includes the Wine Trail of Botetourt County, the Upper James River Water Trail, the Abingdon Music Experience, and Rooted in Appalachia. Under his leadership, the Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau was recognized as the Tourism Office of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society in 2014. He has a Masters of Tourism Management from the University of Tennessee and a Bachelors of Tourism Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology. | |
Per 2019 Virginia Tourism Corporation and U.S. Travel Association data, PWC maintained its position as the ninth largest tourism economy in the Commonwealth with a record setting $643 million spent locally by visitors. The County is home to 48 hotels and approximately 4,875 rooms. In 2019, 7.5 million people visited PWC attractions. | | | | |
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As we move into the longer days of Summer, there are more outdoor events, gatherings, BBQs, and good old patio lounging. With all that time outside, you can hear things you may not have heard while indoors. To avoid unnecessary concern, it's a good idea to check the Marine Corps Base Quantico's Noise Advisories webpage. | |
Marine Corps Base Quantico has provided military, federal, state and local organizations robust training services since 1917. Today, its 54 ranges support live-fire and demolition training for more than 40 Federal organizations, the Department of Defense, and multiple regional and local law enforcement agencies. | | | | |
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Tuesday, June 14, is Flag Day, a time to celebrate the adoption of “the Stars and Stripes” as the nation’s official flag. It is also a good time to remind PWC residents that they can show their appreciation and respect for this beloved symbol by bringing old or tattered American flags to the PWC Landfill or the Balls Ford Road Compost facility during normal hours of operation. Simply place your flag in the special "flag only" bin so local Scout troops can collect and properly retire them. | |
You can learn more about the history of our flag and Flag Day in issue 69. | | | |
New Way to Schedule Fingerprint Services | |
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Some Details
- Fingerprinting services are available to PWC residents or those seeking employment in the County.
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Proper identification is required. Visit here for proper ID options.
- The first two fingerprinting cards cost $5 (cash, MasterCard, and Visa are accepted). Additional fingerprinting cards are $5 each.
- Fingerprinting through the Police Department is not available for immigration purposes. For that service, please locate the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services location nearest you here.
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Wednesday, June 22, at 7:00 pm, Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry is hosting a Transportation Projects and Initiatives Town Hall. The event will be held at Beville Middle School, located at 4901 Dale Boulevard in Woodbridge. If you are unable to attend, it will also be live streamed on the Neabsco News Facebook page. | | |
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Saturday, June 25, from 10 am to 2 pm, celebrate pollinators at the second annual Manassas Bee Festival. The free event will be held at the historic Liberia House and Grounds, located at 8601 Portner Avenue in Old Town Manassas. The family-friendly festival will have fresh honey and mead for tasting, honey crafts, and an apiary in progress. Bee and butterfly costumes are encouraged! | |
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. | | | | | |
