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Issue 129
Friday, August 26, 2022
Prince William County
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Dear Neighbors,
This is a time of transition. Last week, pencils were sharpened to get ready for the first week of school and next week, we'll be making cook-out plans for the Labor Day weekend. While we won't be wearing sweaters anytime soon, and unlike many retailers, I'm not ready to fast-forward to Halloween, for me, these two annual events start the transition from Summer to Fall.
While beginnings and endings are typically acknowledged, transition phases is also worth noting. They happen in a variety of ways and, importantly, give us time to adjust. This issue's articles on a new shift in COVID-19 levels and the process of updating the County's Comprehensive Plan are a type of transition. Some people like transitions, others get uncomfortable.
Next week we have the last day of August and the first day of September. Then it's the last day of Summer and the first day of Fall. Take a little time to appreciate the transition phase.
In Service,
Chair Ann Wheeler
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Saturday, August 13, Chair Wheeler attended the Prince William County Community Foundation (PWCCF) Back-to-School Community Event in Dumfries. At the event one-thousand free backpacks filled with school supplies were distributed. PWCCF founder, Dr. Vanessa Gattis (top left corner), and Habitat for Humanity Prince William County President and Executive Director Markus Crewe (top right corner) were there. | |
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Learn More About the Foundation
PWCCF is nonprofit founded in 2018 by Dr. Gattis, a PWC resident dedicated to helping improve the quality of life of residents and providing sensible solutions in our community. PWCCF's services portfolio includes initiatives in the areas of healthcare, education, wellbeing, and food insecurity.
The Foundation also created and sponsor a monthly Community Conversation. The free virtual series allows community members to learn more about local organizations, nonprofits, and small businesses; as well as become informed about current and relevant topics that affect our community.
Thursday, September 1, through Friday. September 2, PWCCF is hosting its annual fundraising initiative, PWC Gives!, a county-wide, 24-hour online fundraising event designed to promote charitable giving in and throughout Prince William County, Virginia.
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Saturday, August 13, Chair Wheeler attended the annual Prince William County Fair (issue 128), the largest county fair in Virginia. | |
Thursday, August 18, the Office of Chair Wheeler attended the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Mill Street Pedestrian Improvements near the Occoquan Town Hall. PWC, the Town of Occoquan, and the Virginia Department of Transportation collaborated on the $310,000 project that began in 2018. The changes improve pedestrian safety, accessibility and connectivity. The project included five crosswalks and nine ramps with detectable warning domes that comply with the American with Disabilities Act. | |
To listen to the interview, go to this webpage, and click on listen. The audio track will appear on the bottom of the page. Drag the blue progress slider to the 24:40 time mark for the start of Chair Wheeler's interview. | |
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Amanda Griffith with Neasbco District Supervisor Victor Angry
Dale Boulevard and Minnieville Road (in front of Giant Shopping Center)
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Emily Thomson
Sudley Road and Diggs Road
(in front of NOVANT Health)
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Sherry Bosarge
Prince William Parkway at
McCoart County Complex
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Tamao Nakayama
Old Bridge Road and Antitam Road
(across from Woodbridge High School)
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Additional Project Details
The artists were selected through an open call for proposals by KPWB. They were given the theme of environmental stewardship and encouraged to visit their selected shelter locations to see the neighborhood, surrounding community, and its cultural influences to inspire them to create their works.
Each artist received a $500 grant to create the artwork and will receive half of the proceeds from the auction of their artwork in a year. KPWB will receive the other 50%. The project will become an annual event.
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PWC COVID-19 Community Level Drops | |
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The CDC Community Level Tool dated Thursday, August 25, showed the Prince William County, City of Manassas, and City of Manassas Park COVID-19 community level has decreased to low. The adjacent counties of Fairfax, Fauquier, and Loudoun were also low, while Stafford was high.
You can check the community levels in other areas here.
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Protecting Yourself and Others:
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The VDH dashboard dated Friday, August 26, showed 302 total monkeypox cases in Virginia. Of those cases:
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Vaccine Information
PWHD is asking residents of Prince William County, City of Manassas, and City of Manassas Park who have been exposed to monkeypox, or are at high risk of being exposed, and interested in receiving a vaccination, complete its interest survey. Completing the form does not guarantee a vaccine. If you are eligible for vaccination, PWHD will contact you by phone or email to schedule an appointment.
Thursday, August 25, the VDH announced it had is expanding eligibility the monkeypox vaccine, to align with the current vaccination criteria laid out by the CDC. .The expanded eligibility includes people, of any sexual orientation or gender, who have had anonymous or multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks.
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Tuesday, September 6
2:00 pm
Links to the agenda and to register to participate in Public Comment Time remotely will be shared in issue prior to the meeting.
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Comprehensive Plan Update | |
Pathway to 2040, is the process of updating PWC's existing long-range Comprehensive Plan through 2040. You can learn more about Pathway to 2040 Comprehensive Plan update process and how this document shapes growth and the future of our County in this 3-minute video. | | |
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Sunday, August 28, OmniRide will start offering Sunday Service to its list of mobility services. Sunday service will mimic the existing Saturday service schedule and will include Local Woodbridge/Lake Ridge, Dale City, Dumfries, and Route 1 routes, along with the Prince William Metro Express, which provides service to the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station. OmniRide's zero fare Weekend Service allows riders to easily travel to destinations such as the mall, the movie theatre, grocery stores, local parks, and even the D.C. Metro. | |
Calling all Water Loving Dogs | |
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Important Details
- Must provide written proof from a veterinarian showing pets current rabies vaccination to attend. A dog tag is NOT sufficient.
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Dogs must be at least six months old and female dogs in season are not allowed.
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Limit two dogs per handler (person) and the handler must be at least 16 years old. The pool has a graduated entry so dogs can easily enter and exit the pool on their own.
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The National Museum of the Marine Corps hosts a variety of events catered to children and their families. Every second Saturday of the month, the Museum hosts a themed Family Day where children of all ages are invited to participate in fun, educational, hands-on activities as they learn about Marine Corps history. | |
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Virtual and in-person Preschool Play Dates for children under 5 offers pint size fun and introduces early literacy skills, vocabulary building, and encourages social interaction. Home School Science is a self-paced, hands-on program for students in all grade levels to learn about Marines and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Check the Calendar of Events webpage for days, times, and topics for these and more offerings.
On the Museum's Kids & Families webpage you will also find self-guided offerings. Interactive Gallery Hunts explore the Museum using pictures and questions to encourage learning and discussion for children ages 4 through 10. A wide variety of fun and educational Marine Corps Topic Worksheets are designed for use at home and for ages 8 to 88.
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Since 2015, more than 4,500 volunteers with the PWSWCD have removed tons of debris from county waterways. Last year, volunteers removed more than 13,000 pounds of trash from the county’s streams, ponds and wetlands. It was with help from these volunteers that PWSWCD's Water Quality programs was recognized with these awards. | |
If you are interested in volunteering with the PWSWCD, submit this online volunteer form. Currently, the PWSWCD has an Occoquan River cleanup scheduled for Saturday, September 24 and is set to hold a cleanup at the Neabsco Creek Boardwalk Saturday, November 5. | | | |
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. | | | | | |
