February will be a busy and love-filled month around Prince William County and Manassas with several events and activities scheduled. Take a look at some highlighted events and meetings.

Wednesday (Feb. 5)

• Manassas City Public School Board Work Session, 5 p.m. (Manassas City)
• Reading to Dogs, 5 to 6 p.m. (Dumfries)
• Prince William County School Board Meeting, 7 p.m. (Woodbridge)

Friday (Feb. 7)

• Preschool Fair, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Historic Thoroughfare Gap Exhibit and Discussion, 2 to 3 p.m. (Manassas)
• Kid’s Night Out, 6 to 9 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• First Friday “Souper Bowl,” 6 to 9 p.m. (Manassas City)
• Adapted Recreation: Love You to Pizzas, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (Dale City)
• Valentine’s Mocktails, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)

Saturday (Feb. 8)

• Winter Waterfowl, 8 to 10 a.m. (Woodbridge)
• 7th Annual Prince William Native Plant Symposium, 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Manassas)
• African Folktale Storytime, 11 a.m. to noon (Dumfries)
• Winter Sowing, 11 a.m. to noon (Woodbridge)
• Traditional African Drum Circle, 2 to 3 p.m. (Haymarket)
• My Special Valentine Dance, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Father-Daughter Dance, 6 to 9 p.m. (Woodbridge)

Feb. 10

• Meet and Make: Introduction to Bulgaria, 1 to 3 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Tween Cuisine 101, 4:30 to 6 p.m. (Manassas)
• Manassas City Council Meeting, 5:30 p.m. (Manassas City)
• Miniature Painting Sessions, 5:3o to 7 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Prince William County School Board Public Hearing, 7 p.m. (Woodbridge)

Feb. 11

• Prince William Board of County Supervisors Work Session, 2 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Manassas City Public School Board Meeting, 6 p.m. (Manassas City)

Feb. 12

• Love Stinks!, 5 to 6:30 p.m. (Haymarket)
• Upcycled Vintage Postcards, 5:30 to 7 p.m. (Manassas)
• Anti-Valentine’s Day Party, 6 to 7 p.m. (Woodbridge)

Feb. 13

• Create to Your Heart’s Content, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (Manassas)
• State of the Parks 2025, 7 to 9 p.m. (Woodbridge)

Feb. 14

• My Funny Valentine Cookie Decorating, 9:30 a.m. to noon (Dale City)
• “Who Killed Jolly Roger,” 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. (Manassas City)

Feb. 15

• Valentine’s Pajama Jam, 8:15 to 9:10 a.m. (Woodbridge)
• Winter Market, 9 a.m. to noon (Manassas City)
• Winter in the Park, 10 a.m. to noon (Haymarket)
• Musical Instrument Petting Zoo, 10:30 a.m. to noon (Dale City)
• Polar Plunge, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Tastes of Home: African American Culture and Cuisine, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Manassas)
• “Who Killed Jolly Roger,” 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. (Manassas City)

Feb. 16

• “Who Killed Jolly Roger,” 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. (Manassas City)

Feb. 17

• Active Adults Hike, 9 to 10 a.m. (Manassas)
• Learn Now Music: Ultimate Music Class, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Woodbridge)
• Tape Town, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. (Woodbridge)
• Family Game Day, 1 to 4 p.m. (Manassas)

Feb. 18

• Prince William Board of County Supervisors Meeting, 2 p.m. (Woodbridge)

Feb. 19

• Prince William County School Board Meeting/Public Hearing, 7 p.m. (Woodbridge)

Feb. 20

• Digital Day, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Bull Run)
• “5000 Steps,” 7 to 9:30 p.m. (Manassas City)
• The Music of Janelle Monae: Love, Liberation and Joy, 7:30 to 9 p.m. (Manassas City)

Feb. 21

• “5000 Steps,” 7 to 9:30 p.m. (Manassas City)

Feb. 22

• Winter Market, 9 a.m. to noon (Manassas City)
• Throwback Craft Day, 2 to 4 p.m. (Haymarket)
• “5000 Steps,” 7 to 9:30 p.m. (Manassas City)

Feb. 23

• Culture Connection, 1 to 2:30 p.m. (Manassas)
• Carnival, 3 to 4:30 p.m. (Dale City)

Feb. 24

• Manassas City Council Meeting, 5:30 p.m. (Manassas City)

Feb. 25

• American Red Cross Blood Drive, 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. (Manassas)
• Summer Camp Preview Event, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (Dale City)
• Manassas City Public School Board Meeting, 6 p.m. (Manassas City)

Feb. 26

• Summer Camp Preview Event, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (Manassas)
• Manassas City Council Budget Work Session, 5:30 p.m. (Manassas City)

Feb. 27

• National Polar Bear Day, 9:30 to 11 a.m. (Manassas)

Feb. 28

• Spice Club, all day (Bull Run)
• Stroller Strides, 10 to 11 a.m. (Dumfries)
• Candlelight Yoga, 7 to 8 p.m. (Woodbridge)

At the Jan. 27 Manassas City Council meeting, the Department of Community Development shared its progress over fiscal year 2024, highlighting completed and ongoing projects throughout the city.

The department is split into a few divisions: long-range planning, which deals with the vision for land use through policies, ordinances, studies and project planning; development services, which deals with plan reviews, permitting and inspections; property code enforcement, which enforces the city's codes; and the parks and recreation division, which maintains the facilities and puts on public programs.

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At the Jan. 14 Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting, staff presented the economic outlook of the county, Virginia and the United States, which showed increasing home prices.

Tim Leclerc, deputy finance director for the county, gave a broad presentation at the Jan. 14 meeting, first discussing the state of unemployment.

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The Prince William County School Board (PWCS) revised the adopted 2025-2026 school year calendar at its Jan. 22 meeting in a unanimous decision. The Board approved an extra holiday observance, resulting in a day off, for the major Islam holiday Eid al-Adha on May 27, 2026, with an earlier start of Aug. 18 as opposed to Aug. 19.

PWCS already observes Eid al-Fitr, the other official Islamic holiday, in mid-March. The district also observes many major holidays, including but not limited to Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur Christmas, Presidents Day and Memorial Day.

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Happy Friday, Manassas! Welcome to another City Council preview, this time for the Jan. 27 regular meeting. This week’s meeting will be held at the City Hall Council Chambers at 9027 Center St.

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On Wednesday, the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative's (NOVEC) Board of Directors named Kristen Senechal as the organization's next president and CEO.

"After an eight-month national search, the Board selected [Senechal] because of her extensive knowledge and more than 15 years of experience in the electric utility industry," Board Chairman Wade House said. "The Board also is impressed with her leadership style of prioritizing people first."

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14 schools within Prince William County Schools (PWCS) may receive $81 million to replace or renovate their HVAC systems within the next five years.

According to the PWCS Board meeting on Jan. 15, staff are proposing nearly $82 million in improvements and replacements of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC) in 14 schools in the proposed 2026 to 2030 capital improvement program (CIP). The CIP must first be approved by the Board and then the Board of County Supervisors before it's official.

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Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) recently sent six of its lineworkers to assist the Southside Electric Cooperative (SEC) in Crewe, Va., in restoring power to the area following recent snowfall.

NOVEC sent its crew of six men, pictured above, on Jan. 7 to work for three days with SEC, which serves more than 59,000 people. The recent winter storm, according to a NOVEC press release, left 28,000 in the area without power.

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Monday was the late Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, and many local governments and organizations closed in honor of the civil rights leader's service. Here's how they, along with elected officials, honored him on social media.  

Today we commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King's life and the positive impact his legacy continues to have on so many. We remember him for his timeless values and vision that should be celebrated and embraced every day. #MLKday pic.twitter.com/cRr5IkUBnN

— Virginia American Water (@vaamwater) January 20, 2025

Happy MLK, Jr. Day! ? Today, we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as we reflect on his impactful work for civil rights and equality. Stafford Gov. offices and courts are closed. Landfill is open. More: https://t.co/TvtoK7VSxa #MLKDay

— Stafford County (@staffordvagov) January 20, 2025

Celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. not just today but every day: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." pic.twitter.com/pLSUXqlrNf