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Issue 118
May 27, 2022
Prince William County
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Dear Neighbors,
This week our Country was once again cut to its very core with the senseless violent attack on Robb Elementary School in Texas. I usually only reference local issues in my newsletter, but this nationwide spate of gun violence touches each of us and should be viewed as a local issue for all of us.
The range of emotions is overwhelming. We are grieving the innocent lives lost. We are completely heartbroken for the parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, teachers, caregivers, friends, neighbors, and community who lost them. We are devastated for those who witnessed the unthinkable. We ache for the first responders who faced the unimaginable and we are enraged at the inhumanity.
This never gets less painful, and it never should. The healing can never be complete, but we need to take actions as a community to make sure events like these never happen again. Thoughts and prayers are not enough.
In Service,
Chair Ann Wheeler
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Friday, May 20, Chair Wheeler attended and spoke at a Unity Vigil hosted by Unity in the Community in partnership with Delegates Maldonado and Mundon-King. The community gathering was held to call for peace, social, and racial justice in honor of the victims of the mass shootings on May 14 in Buffalo, New York and May 15 in Laguna Woods, California. | |
Monday, May 23, Chair Wheeler attended an informational event hosted by the PWC Department of Development Services (issue 100) in recognition of May as Building Safety Month (issue 116). | |
Monday, May 23, Chair Wheeler attended the investiture of the Honorable Katherine C. McCollam to the Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court of the 31st Judicial District of Virginia. An investiture is a ceremony where the position of Judge is formally conferred on a particular person. | |
Wednesday, May 25, Chair Wheeler spoke at the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters 37th Biennial Convention. This was the first time Prince William County has hosted the convention. The Virginia Professional Fire Fighters is an association of local unions representing over 9,000 International Association of Fire Fighters members across the Commonwealth. | |
Friday, May 27, Chair Wheeler participated in the Memorial Day Tribute (issue 117) for those who died in service. During the ceremony, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent, and PWC resident, Forrest Nelson Leamon was remembered. Special Agent Leamon's name was added to the PWC War Memorial which honors County residents who died in combat. In addition to local and state government officials, U.S. Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger attended. | |
Protecting Yourself and Others:
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Tuesday, June 7
2:00 pm
Links to the agenda will be in next week's issue.
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Important Meeting Information
Monday, May 23, the County’s control (broadcast) room, as well as the equipment located in the room and the cabling in the ceiling, suffered significant water damage during a sprinkler system repair. Due to the extent of the damage, the PWC Department of Information Technology was unable to broadcast or stream the Tuesday, May 24 BOCS meeting and was unable to provide remote participation. Staff was able to record the meeting and it is available for viewing here.
While concern was raised by a Board Supervisor to the press in attendance that something nefarious may have occurred to prevent remote participation, I can assure you that wasn't the case. These sorts of statements only undermine faith in the Board and our County government.
The Department of Information Technology, Building and Grounds Maintenance, Risk Management, and many others are working together to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. However, it will take some time to assess the full extent of the damage and to replace any necessary equipment. Updates on any impacts this will have on future meetings will be provided in future issues.
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The BOCS made the following commendations during the May 10 meeting. Click on the hyperlink to read each in full. | |
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This past winter, when the weather and/or wind chill was 32 degrees or below, Streetlight Ministries assisted 142 unhoused adults at the eastern-end hypothermia center and 102 unhoused adults at the western-end hypothermia center. This was possible through the assistance of a $500,000 state grant provided to Streetlight Ministries and local funds to Manassas Baptist Church.
The Manassas Presbyterian Church makes their parking lot available,
free of charge to Serving Our Neighbors, for drop-in services on Tuesdays and Thursdays year-round to individuals experiencing homelessness. In 2021, Serving Our Neighbors served approximately 2,000 members of the Greater Prince William Area homeless community.
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Left to right: Wade A. Hugh, Director of PWC Department of Development Services, Samir A. Alqutri, and Al Mockaitis | | |
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Monday, May 30:
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County Government Offices will be closed
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All Libraries will be closed
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County Landfill and Balls Ford Road Compost Facility will operate 6:00 am to 2:00 pm
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Courts will be closed
Additionally, Saturday, May 28, the Dale City, Dumfries, Independent Hill, Lake Ridge, Nokesville Libraries will be closed.
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Support Team Prince William | | |
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Sunday, June 5, from 3:00 pm to 7:30 pm, the PWC Police Department will be competing against the Fairfax County Police Department in the We Back Blue Home Runs and Heroes softball tournament. The family-friendly event will be held at the George Mason Softball Field, located at 4393 Patriot Circle in Fairfax. There will be special guests, food trucks, raffles, and more! Tickets start at $10, with kids 10 and under free, and can be purchased here, along with sponsorships. | |
Proceeds from the event will benefit We Back Blue, a local 501(c)(3) dedicated to encourage/support the Law Enforcement Community and bring them together with their community in a positive way. | | | |
Council Accepting Advisory Board Applications | | |
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PWC Arts Council is seeking 11 new Creative Arts Council Advisory Board members with a passion for the arts. To build on our board’s cultural diversity and be inclusive, it encourages applications from mid-career professionals, young professionals, college students, Native/Indigenous, Black, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and LGBTQIA members of the community. | |
Board service requires the willingness to serve on one or more board committees, attending monthly meetings, assisting with partnerships and artist recognition, ensuring sound fiscal management, promoting and attending programs and events, and helping to promote the arts throughout the County. A Nominating Committee will review applications and make contact with candidates. Board service begins in July. To be considered, please complete the application form and submit your resume to Herb Williams at hwilliams@pwcgov.org any time between June 1 and June 14. | |
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Last week, the PWC Mosquito and Forest Pest Management Branch discovered the first West Nile Virus positive mosquito in 2022. The sample came from a pool collected on May 3 at Little Thames Drive in the Gainesville area. Currently, no adulticiding is scheduled because most of the mosquitoes died due to a drop in temperature. However, surveillance and larviciding in that area has increased to mitigate the potential for future issues.
It was anticipated that there would be West Nile positive mosquitoes in the County this year. Monitoring will be ongoing, and treatments applied as necessary in accordance with standards. Below is general information about West Nile Virus and action that can be taken to reduce mosquito populations.
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Through Sunday, June 5, the PWC Police Department is participating in "Click It or Ticket" (issue 117) to promote seat belt safety awareness and enforce safety-belt and child safety-seat laws.
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You can learn about the history of Memorial Day, Military Appreciation Month, and wearing poppies in issue 67. | | | | |
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SplashDown Waterpark in Manassas will be CLOSED Memorial Day Weekend. It is scheduled to open Thursday, June 16, through Sunday, June 19, from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
Waterworks Waterpark in Dale City will be OPEN Memorial Day Weekend Saturday, May 28, through Monday, May 30, from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
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The Rhythms and Sounds of Black Music | |
The celebration will present Kim B. Miller, PWC Poet Laureate, along with musical performances featuring gospel, jazz, blues, classical and R&B music mixed with poetry. There will also be games, prizes, and a DJ dance party. | |
An Evening Under the Stars | | |
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Saturday, June 25, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, PWC Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, in partnership with IAM-RC Hobby Shop, is hosting the first ever remote-controlled boat race on the 8-acre Lefty Hamilton Pond in Locust Shade Park in Triangle. This will be a chance for ages 6 to 16 to compete and learn to use their remote-controlled boat. Each boat will need a transponder and will have a battery limit to ensure fair competition. Fee is $10.00 and more details will be sent to participants after they have registered. | | |
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Sunday July 17, from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm, the inaugural Victory at Vets Kids Triathlon will be held at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Woodbridge. Kids of all abilities will swim, bike and run in this fun and healthy community event. Participants will compete in 3 different age groups and receive an event t-shirt. Number of participants is limited, so register soon for the $35.00 event here. | |
Sunday, July 10, from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, a Mini Clinic at Veteran's Memorial Park in Woodbridge will help your child compete in the Victory at Vets Kids Triathlon with confidence. The optional clinic will include a targeted overview of the course, tips on navigating through each leg of the event, and maximizing time through successful transitions. Fee is $15.00 after preregistration for triathlon. Register for both here. | | | |
Educators Honored at Annual Ceremony | |
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Tuesday, May 24, the PWC Public Schools announced the 2021-22 Outstanding Educators at its annual awards ceremony.
Rhonda Jeck of Bristow Run Elementary School is Principal of the Year.
Todd Robbins of Osbourn Park High School is Teacher of the Year.
Congratulations to the winners, finalists, and nominees for being outstanding role models to your students and staff.
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Also honored at the ceremony were the following New Teacher, Lead Mentor, Mentor, New Elementary Teacher, and New Secondary Teacher. of the Year educators from the Mentoring and Induction program. | |
Students Win at International Event | |
The Winners are listed below (click on the hyperlink to see the project). | |
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. | | | | | |
