My name is Katy Patton and I am raising money for Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research at the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine.

Over the past six years, I have watched a close family friend of mine battle this disease, and she has been an inspiration to me.

On Sunday, Oct. 21, I will shave my head as a token of appreciation to everyone who has donated. I will hold an event at Aquia Church at 1 p.m. This event is open for anyone to attend.

Any size donation is appreciated, and as a special bonus, any donations of $100 or more will be awarded with a turn with the razor on my head!

A raffle will take place where for $5 you can be entered into a drawing to be take a turn on the razor first!

For more information on ACC and how to donate directly to UVA, please visit medicine.virginia.edu/research/research-centers/cancer-center/teampages/adenoid-cystic-carcinoma.

STAFFORD, Va. -- Stafford’s fire and rescue department has received the green light to purchase a new $1.3 million piece of equipment.

The organization will replace an 18-year-old heavy rescue stationed at Falmouth Volunteer Fire Department, a truck that has lasted eight years longer than originally anticipated, with a new heavy rescue truck.

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DUMFRIES, Va. — Environmentalists will work to bring back a stream on the brink.

Next fall, Prince William County plans to spend $2 million to restore Dewey’s Creek – a small stream that flows for about a mile from U.S. 1 in Woodbridge to Quantico Creek in Dumfries.

At 6,400-feet long at a cost of $300 per restored foot, this is the largest stream restoration project the county has ever attempted. The greatest completed so far was a stream 1,200 feet long.

Dewey’s Creek is littered with debris, old TV sets and trash, and log jams. Because the stream water flow has shifted direction so many times, cables anchoring power lines to the ground now sit in the middle of the water.

Especially troubling is the condition of the ground at a culvert where the stream flows underneath U.S. 1. Soil along the stream bank is pulling away from the concrete and that could cause the culvert to become unstable. Trees that sit along the stream bank are already having a hard time staying rooted in the ground due to erosion.

“A lot of these [culverts] were born out of the best intentions, but was we find after years of research, it shows us the ways streams were designed to manage storm water, it’s no longer the best practice,” said Prince William Environmental Engineer Clay Morris.

Morris is leading the effort to restore the stream, and said Prince William is one of a handful of counties in the area using their own funds for stream restoration. Because the project is being handled “in house,” Morris’ team can begin working once the project has reached the 60-percent completion rate in the design phase.

The restoration effort will be broken up into four segments, and each has a different set of challenges.

Segment one will entail creating a new channel for the stream to flow through to get water away from power lines, then filling in older portions of the stream. They’ll also build a Newberry Riffle, as crews will add new rocks in the center of the stream to control water flow.

Segment two will see the addition of a Bankfull Bench, which actually lets water out of the stream bank in cases of heavy rainfall and flood.

Subsequent sections of the stream will see reforestation and other improvements.

Dewey’s Creek eventually spills into Quantico Bay, which as of late has been the focus of Dumfries officials who want to fight an invasive underwater plant, Hydrilla. While officials have urged dredging Qauntico Bay to rid the waterway of the weed, there are no plans to in place to do so.

The restoration could take about a year to complete.

BREAKING NEWS

4:30 p.m.

In a letter to Sheriff Glen Hill, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement representative Gary Mead told the Prince William County law enforcement official the 287g program is being phased out in favor of more efficient means of indentifying illegal immigrants inside the U.S.

You can see copy of the letter by clicking here. A copy was also sent to Colonel Pete Meletis, superintendent of the Prince William County Adult Detention Center.

Immigration officials earlier this year said a cancelation of the 287g program would save taxpayers $17 million.

 3:40 p.m.

A controversial agreement between federal officials and the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office is under review.

Sheriff Glen Hill was notified by the U.S. Customs and Immigration Department an agreement between the two agencies that allows trained sheriff’s deputies to check the legal status of all persons charged with crimes in Prince William County will be extended until the end of the year.

In exchange for the training, the original agreement stipulated the data collected would be shared with customs officials, said Hill.

The program known as 287g will be evaluated by federal officials through Dec. 31. Afterward, Hill will learn if federal officials will decide to continue the 287g program with his department. Hill said he does not know what federal officials will review and has little details on the evaluation process.

A statement from Prince William County Board of Supervisor Corey Stewart on Tuesday afternoon blamed the Obama administration, saying the White House chose to completely end funding for the 287g program after 2012.

3:10 p.m. 

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — A controversial program that helps law enforcement in Prince William County identify illegal immigrants will not be renewed.

Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart announced the program known as 287g with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which allows the sheriff’s office to determine the legal presence of those jailed and charged with other criminal offenses, will come to an end in Prince William this year.

Stewart said the Obama Administration decided not to renew federal funding for the program, and  that county officials were notified last week.

The 297g program became controversial in 2007 when the Prince William County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution allowing law enforcement officers to check the legal presence of anyone on the street. That rule was later determined to be too costly to enforce, and now legal presence is checked at a courthouse in Manassas after someone has been charged with a crime.

Officials in Prince William field a lawsuit against immigration and customs enforcement in an effort to see the data collected from arrestees that was later turned over federal authorities. The lawsuit is still pending.

Supporters of the program said 287g took violent criminals off streets. Opponents of the program said local governments should not be able to check immigration status, and they feared the program would deter crime victims from talking with police.

DALE CITY, Va. — In the home opener for the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) hockey team, many of the players showed off their first-year nerves.

Playing against Blue Ridge Hockey Conference (BRHC) powerhouse Radford University at the Prince William Ice Center in Dale City, it was apparent early that the game was not going to go NOVA’s way. NOVA played the first 10 minutes of the game even before Radford’s Chris Merrick scored with a blast from the point.

Eight minutes later, NOVA was on a power play but let up a fluke goal due to a bouncing puck to Radford’s Antiono Conde, and with 10 seconds remaining in the period Radford come down on NOVA on a 3 on 1 before backdooring NOVA’s goalie Daniel Titus to go up 3 to zero to end the first.

Coach Barrett Haga tried to steady his troops, but the hard-hitting Radford team was getting NOVA rattled.

The second period was filled with NOVA and Radford occupying the penalty box with a combined total of 80 penalties. NOVA’s young players were not used Radford’s heavy hits and were clearly getting flustered. Radford took advantage of the “dazed and confused” NOVA team and opened up the floodgate by scoring five more unanswered goals to go up eight to nothing to end the second.

“When it rains it pours, and tonight Radford is bringing the rain,” said Haga during the break.

NOVA Assistant Coach Powell wanted the team to finish strong and play for pride, but unfortunately, it would not be NOVA’s night. Radford came out in the third with a vengeance by sending a clear message that they are the team to beat in the BRHC.

Scoring at will in the third by added six more goals to their total, Radford broke the backs of this young NOVA team. The only glimmer of hope was a goal by NOVA’s Dylan Downs and a nice pass from Austin Woolf in the third to prevent a Radford shutout, but that was little consolation in the end.

Final score Radford 14- NOVA 1.

“Adjustments will be made, and we need our leaders to step up. We play two more league games this week against William and Mary and Old Dominion this weekend, and I have a gut feeling that we will get this monkey off our back and win these two. The biggest thing our players need to learn is to have respect for the game, and once they learn to have respect for the game, the wins will follow,” said Haga.

Next game William and Mary at NVCC at Prince William Ice Arena in Dale City on Friday Oct 19 at 9:15 p.m. It’s free.

-Submitted 

Story By
STEPHANIE TIPPLE

Photography by
MARY DAVIDSON

Editor’s note: This is the third is a series of stories in October that will explore some of the more haunted places in and around Virginia’s Potomac Communities.

DALE CITY, Va. –– There is a historic mansion tucked away in Dale City with a long history – as well as a few spirits.

Bel Air Mansion is a 25-acre home that was constructed in 1740. It was first owned by the Ewell family, with one of the owners, Charles Ewell, having strong ties with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. After the Ewell family moved out, Bel Air ended up in the hands of Washington’s first biographer Reverend Mason Locke Weems.

For a long period after the Civil War, the home fell into disrepair and was abandoned, until the Flory family purchased the property in the 1940’s. Bel Air stayed in the family for several decades, until Bill Naedele, husband to one of the Flory descendants, decided to sell the mansion earlier this year.

The home was purchased this past summer by Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart.

As you would expect with the oldest manor home in Virginia, there have been more than a few reports of things that go bump in the night. The property seems untouched from its earliest days in the colonial period, complete with an old barn and a family cemetery on the property.

“We have not seen any ghosts, but what [Ann Flory] said back in the 50’s that there were many ghosts stories, including an old man who they had met, who said that when he was a young boy he came up here — and this was before the house was restored and reoccupied and when got to the house — he saw ghosts looking out at him from the windows,” Stewart said.

Many other people have stories to tell about the property, including those who have worked on and in the house.

“Some of the cleaning people, I met some of them and they came back here during the auction and they told me that there was a piano that played by itself, and it was not a player piano,” Stewart said.

People have also reported seeing people walking back from cemetery toward the house at night.

Because the Flory family lived in the home for many decades, it’s no surprise that they’ve had a few personal interactions with the spirits on the property.

“In the early 1950’s, Dr. Flory, who worked for the State Department, knew and was good friends with a lot of the diplomatic community, including the ambassador of Brazil. And the ambassador of Brazil, according to Flory, was staying in the guest bedroom upstairs and woke up in the middle of the night and saw an old woman in the rocking chair staring at him, rocking back and forth. He left the house the next morning, and would not come back,” Stewart said.

This closely mirrors a later experience a couple had, staying in the same room, where they had the covers torn off of their bed in the middle of the night.

There were two other particular experiences on the property that are sure to send a shiver up even the bravest ghost hunter’s spine. A very sad young woman, dressed in black, often wanders around the house in mourning, looking for her husband, who some believe was a casualty of the Civil War.

Many funerals were held on the property, and it was an old custom to host a funeral feast for the attendees of the time in the formal dining room. Several years ago, the Flory family entered the formal dining room, to find that the room had been set up for a funeral feast, yet no one had done so.

Overall, Stewart and others feel that the spirits aren’t malicious, but are kind and just want to remain in the home that they loved. The Stewart family said the home will continue to be preserved and cherished, with all of its history and colonial beauty.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Popular Republican Congressman Rob Wittman will debate his challengers on Oct. 29.

Democrat Adam Cook and independent Gail Parker have been invited to debate the incumbent congressman at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.

Wittman’s congressional district includes Stafford County and portions of Prince William County. He has served in congress since winning a special election in 2007 to replace late congresswoman Jo Ann Davis.

More from the University of Mary Washington:

The University of Mary Washington will host a debate for the candidates in the 1st Congressional District of Virginia race on Monday, Oct. 29. The debate will be held in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

The debate will feature Democratic candidate Adam Cook, Independent candidate Gail Parker and Republican incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman, who is seeking his third full term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and the director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies, will moderate the debate with local journalists as panelists.

SPONSORED POST

The General Heiser Boys & Girls Club in Dumfries is enjoying being back in “Fully Operational Mode.” Through the month of September we have been planning, planning, and planning, but now in October the fall sports season has begun at this club for the first time in three years.

With plans of starting a full fledge basketball league the spring 2013, the Fall Basketball Clinic began Oct 3. The sessions are divided into two age groups, ages 5-9-years-old and ages 10-14-years-old.

The clinic covers the basic fundamentals of basketball, teaches children how to display good sportsmanship, and how to be a good teammate. If your child is ready to get started with their basketball career or get back on the court, this clinic is where you need to be.

The 5-9-year-old age group sessions are Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 pm and Saturdays 9:30 to 11 a.m. The 10-14-year-old age group sessions are Thursdays 6 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays 11 to 12:30 p.m.

For more information visit our website at bgcprincewilliam.org/heiser , or call Wes Cherry at 703-441-0611.

MANASSAS, Va. — It may not be Virginia’s Skyline Drive but Prince William County’s main thoroughfare is now beaming with fall color.

Bright orange, red, yellows, and green leaves adorn the trees along a five-mile stretch of Prince William Parkway between Woodbridge and Manassas. This largely undeveloped land this portion of the parkway traverses makes it a great scenic route this time of year.

Fall foliage usually peaks in this area about the end of October, making it one of the last portions of the state to experience bright fall foliage.

For drivers looking to get more than just a commuter’s view of fall leaves, nearby Prince William Forest Park offers a haven of natural beauty and history tucked away from the suburban sprawl of the Potomac Communities.

The park’s main entrance is just off Interstate 95 on Joplin Road in Triangle and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

By KJ MUSHUNG

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan will make an appearance in Fredericksburg on Tuesday, Oct. 16. Ryan’s appearance was originally scheduled to be at Celebrate Virginia Live but has been moved to the Fredericksburg Expo Center due to rain soaking the Celebrate Virginia Live field, according to the campaign.

Country music singer Collin Raye is being advertised on the venue’s website as a special guest at the event.

The Expo Center is located at 2371 Carl D. Silver Parkway. Doors open at 4 p.m., and the rally is slated to begin at 6 p.m.

Free tickets may be picked up until 9 p.m. tonight or from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Tuesday at either of the two area Romney-Ryan campaign offices.

The Stafford Victory Office is located at 2773 Jefferson Davis Highway in the Aquia Park Shopping Center. The Fredericksburg Victory Office is located at 1311 Central Park Blvd., in Fredericksburg’s Central Park development.

Additionally, tickets may be obtained by visiting MittRomney.com/VA.

Tickets, if available, may also be picked up at the door of the event, but people are urged to obtain them beforehand.

The Expo Center holds about 3,400 people in its exhibition halls and another 600 in the ballroom, according to its website.