STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. -- The sound of gunfire and shattering glass rang out in Stafford County over the weekend.
Authorities are looking into several reports of vandalisms that took place in the county between Thursday and Sunday.
Stafford sheriff’s deputies were called to the Pick-A-Part salvage yard on Norman Road in the Widewater area of Stafford County on Saturday morning to find glass had been shattered out of 150 junk vehicles. Though junk, Pick-A-Part is able to sell windshields and other panes of glass taken from the junk cars and the damage resulted in loss for the business, said Stafford sheriff’s spokesman Bill Kennedy. No one was injured.
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Stafford cuts summer remediation programs
FREDERICKSBURG.COM REPORTS Stafford County’s School Board approved dozens of summer school programs Tuesday night. But about 2,000 Stafford students might not have the opportunity to make up classes or exams this summer.
Prince William police chief takes to radio
WTOPNEWS.COM REPORTS The police chiefs of Fairfax and Prince William counties are guests Monday on WTOP’s “Ask the Chief” program.
Prince William supervisors pass budget, tax rate
The Washington Post reports The Prince William Board of County Supervisors passed its $914.1 million general fund budget for the next year Tuesday, but not before a discussion about a county park seemed to throw a wrench into what seemed to be an otherwise settled matter.
Stafford budget, tax rate on table
FREDERICKSBURG.COM REPORTS Stafford County supervisors will consider three versions of the fiscal 2012-13 budget at Tuesday’s meeting.
Prince William park may become a 24-hour classroom
THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTS Thirty-five miles south of the Capitol, just west of Interstate 95 and its infernal traffic, is a quiet, oft-overlooked swath of green — a national park founded during the Great Depression to give city kids an escape into nature.
Porter Library’s new garden blossoming
FREDERICKSBURG.COM reports At the Porter branch in North Stafford on Saturday, library staff, Master Gardeners, teen volunteers and area farmers offered gardening resources to help families grow vegetables in their backyards.
Colonial Forge reloads, eyes Commonwealth title
THE WASHINGTON POST reports Colonial Forge had to replace all but one starter, find a new No. 2 pitcher after the player projected to fill that role hurt his arm, and entered the season as maybe a consensus third-place pick in the Virginia AAA Commonwealth District.
NORTH STAFFORD, Va. — The plans have been on the books for years. Now officials want your input on widening a nearly three-mile stretch of U.S. 1 between North Stafford and Triangle.
A public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 10, at Hilldrup Moving and Storage in North Stafford, right where the eventual construction would take place, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Federal Highway Administration as well as local officials are expected to make a presentation at 7 p.m. outlining a preliminary engineering and design project to widen the four-lane highway between Fuller/Joplin roads in Triangle to Boswell’s Corner in North Stafford.
The widening efforts come as the most recent round of BRAC military base relocations moved 3,000 military and contracting personnel to Quantico in September. Following the move, officials in Stafford County said the relocation had minimal impacts on traffic in the region.
The widening project will be funded $800,000 grant. Those who cannot attend are encouraged to send their comments.
By Mail: Route 1/Quantico Study, 11400 Commerce Park Dr., Suite 400, Reston, Va. 20191
View Widening U.S. 1 between Prince William, Stafford counties in a larger map
DUMFRIES, Va. — Dumfries residents will head to the polls Tuesday to elect new Town Council members as well as a new mayor. PotomacLocal.com has compiled our Dumfries’ voters guide to help you understand who are the candidates and link you to their respective webpages.
Mayoral candidates
Nancy West – (Interim mayor)
Age 74
Married, four children (1 deceased)
Retired school employee
Why she’s running: “Our 2020 Vision Statement talks about developing our old port area with restaurants, shopping and parks. The town is in negotiations to make that happen and, I hope that it isn’t too many years down the road before we see a wonderful development there.”
Gerald Foreman (Incumbent Councilman)
Age: 50
Married, one daughter
Aviation logistics consultant
Why he’s running: “The Mayor performing as a Leader, serving ‘all’ the Town citizens, Business Owners, Town Government and fellow Councilmembers. The number one issue is the way Council works with each other, communicates, and exchanges ideas. We need to do a better job.”
Council candidates
Dorothea Barr (Incumbent)
Realtor
Age: Not provided
Why she’s running: Diversify town revenue streams, promote a better image of the town and ensure equal treatment of property owners and businesses regarding the application and enforcement of ordinances.
Willie J. Toney – (Incumbent, vice mayor)
Age: 61
Married, one stepson
Retired from Washington, D.C. government and youth services
Why he’s running: “I advocate for people too often overlooked and try to be a strong voice for baby boomers because this is an aging community.
Charles Brewer (former Dumfries Councilman)
Age: Not provided
Fire sprinkler services manager
Three children
Why he’s running: “I want to get the tax rate down, start a street light program and try to get the legislature to fund the Route 1 project.”
Helen Reynolds
Age: 53
Principal Systems Administrator BAE Systems
Married, two sons
Why she’s running: To bring integrity back to the council, and prosperity (bringing businesses to the town of Dumfries).
Derrick Wood
Age: 34
Married, three children
Personal chef
Why he’s running: Improve community involvement, use technology to promote the town
WOODBRIDGE, Va. — A man was struck by a train in Woodbridge on Sunday night.
Prince William police reported going to the scene on Featherstone Road, near a CSX train railroad crossing, where a man was hit by a train. The extent of his injuries were not released, and the victim was flown to a local hospital.
The railroad tracks where the man was hit are the same tracks that carry Virginia Railway Express trains from Fredericksburg to Washington. VRE trains, however, were not operating on Sunday.
WOODBRIDGE, Va. – Matt Swynenberg delivered his strongest outing of the season as he threw a complete game allowing one run as the P-Nats knocked off the Myrtle Beach Pelicans by the final score of 2-1. Potomac has won two games in a row after their six-game losing streak.
In a game that lasted just an hour and 53 minutes, Swynenberg (2-1) allowed no hits after the second inning as he retired 19 batters in a row at one point and 22 of the final 23. He gave up just three hits on the afternoon while walking one and striking out three. The start was the longest of the season by a P-Nats starter as no previous starter had finished seven innings. Swynenberg used just 94 pitches.
Swynenberg outdueled Pelicans right hander Roman Mendez (1-3), who was the hard-luck loser allowing two runs on four hits while striking out nine batters in six and two-thirds innings.
By Brian Hill
Capital News Service
RICHMOND, Va. – The rich may be rich and the poor may be poor, but a nonpartisan think tank says there’s a way to eliminate state income taxes on the poorest Virginians while providing as much as a 10 percent tax cut to everyone else.
The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy on Friday unveiled a plan to restructure Virginia’s tax system – which the group says could generate substantial economic growth.
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SPONSORED POST
MANASSAS, Va – The Prince William County Arts Council and Hylton Performing Arts Center will present Arts Alive! 2012 from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 6, at the Hylton Center, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas. Arts Alive will include performances, exhibits, hands-on activities and demonstrations by local artists and arts organizations.
Inside and outside the Hylton Center, Arts Alive will feature 18 performances on three stages; visual art on display and for sale; local authors reading their work and telling stories; and food for purchase from local vendors. Performances by Arts Council members will range from ballet to belly dancing, from orchestra to a drum and bugle corps, from children’s theater to choral music:
Arts Alive will be more than just a place to view art: there will be many opportunities for families to actively participate. Children and adults will enjoy art projects, classes and demonstrations throughout the festival. Admission to this family-friendly event is free and plenty of free parking is available at the Hylton Center.
The festival will also include presentation of the 2012 Kathleen K. Seefeldt Awards for Arts Excellence. Bob Madigan of WTOP and Tracee Wilkins of NBC4 will emcee the award ceremony, which recognizes outstanding efforts by artists, arts organizations, advocates and business supporters of the local arts. The awards presentation will take place at 2:30 p.m.
Sponsors of Arts Alive 2012 include United Bank, the Prince William County/Manassas Convention and Visitors Bureau, Burt & Peacock PLC, the Ferde Grofé Foundation, Inc., Northside Auto Sales and Bentz Communications LLC.
The event will be held rain or shine, although some outdoor activities may be canceled in case of rain. Participants are encouraged to dress comfortably given the range of locations and activities. For more information and a full schedule of the day’s performances and activities, visit PWCArtsCouncil.org or email the Arts Council.
Hylton Happenings – April 2012 from Elizabeth Lockard on Vimeo.
SPONSORED POST
By LISA CLARK
Owner, Magnificent Belly Dance
Belly dance, oriental dance, Raks Sharki, the names are different but the dance is essentially the same: graceful feminine moves intertwined with muscular articulation punctuating the beat of the music.
Why would you, the everyday woman, want to belly dance with the ladies at Magnificent Belly Dance?
At Magnificent Belly Dance, you have the opportunity to be feminine, to be outrageous, to be graceful, to be yourself and to do something just for you in the company of other everyday women. Background, size, skill level and age are unimportant. Where else can a 16-year-old woman and a 50-year-old woman feel equal and be friends?
All of this gloriously fun dancing comes with health benefits for the body in addition to the newfound freedom of the spirit and feminine energy. We use your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes to hold us steady as we dance.
The fact that we are on our feet and moving, makes belly dance a weight-bearing exercise, strengthening bones. Throw in some hip pops or hip lifts and the glutes are increasingly engaged. The movement of hip drops, hip circles, figure eights, and shimmies puts the lower back and hips through a full range of gentle, repetitive motion increasing the flow of fluids to the joints.
Just think about our slow graceful arm movements — snake arms, caresses, hand undulations, hand circles — all building strength and flexibility of the shoulders, neck and upper back. In belly dance we use our torsos in rib circles, rib slides, chest lifts, snake arms, rib figure eights, undulations, and belly rolls. We are exercising our back and abdominal muscles evenly, promoting good posture and balance. Our beautiful feminine dance accomplishes all of this and is low impact.
Whether you are the extrovert who will likely be out there dancing with the Suburban Gypsies Dance Troupe or the introvert who will be content and comfortable keeping belly dance private, the question becomes, why wouldn’t you want to belly dance?
WOODBRIDGE, Va. – Chien-Ming Wang threw four strong innings in his first rehab start in 2012 as the Potomac Nationals ended their six-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Wang threw 49 pitches and allowed one run on four hits while striking out three batters.
Wang came out after a 57 minute rain delay and needed just 16 pitches to toss a scoreless first inning. He struck out one batter and the only player to reach was Odubel Herrera on an error by first baseman Justin Bloxom.
Despite giving up a one-out single to Brett Nicholas, Wang threw only six pitches in the second inning as he got Yefry Castillo to bounce into an inning-ending 1-6-3 double play.
