On August 22, 2020, Montclair celebrated the Chartering of a new youth club called the Montclair Leo Club, sponsored by the Montclair Lions Club.
More in a press release
A new Leo Club came to Montclair on Saturday, August 22nd when 29 members celebrated the official Chartering of the new club in a virtual meeting. The Montclair Lions Club, which is in its 42nd year of operations, sponsored the new Leo Club.Â
Montclair Lions President Mike O’Neal, who presided over the Charter Night events said, “Tonight’s event marks the official installation of 29 future community leaders. Since forming on June 30, 2020, they have grown from their original 25 charter members to 29 members representing 10 schools throughout the county. The Leo’s have taken on service projects in the community including a food drive and a pen pal letter campaign with an assisted living community. They demonstrate the exceptional youth in Prince William County, who are making a difference”Â
Leo Clubs are a youth organization of Lions Clubs International. The word Leo stands for Leadership, Experience, Opportunity. Leo Clubs encourage youths to develop leadership qualities by participating in social service activities. Clubs are open to youth ages 12 to18 years of age.Â
Ms. Shakira Mangrio, a Forest Park High School senior, is the first President of the new club. Ms. Kylie Norosky, a Charles Colgan High School junior, will serve as the First Vice President. Ms. Alyssa Osmer, a Forest Park High School junior, is the Treasurer, and Ms. Lilly Gleiman, a Charles Colgan High School junior, is the Secretary.Â
Leo President Shakira stated, “I have been blessed with a very motivated and energetic Club Membership and Board. We are excited to give back to our community. Through this important work, we plan to make a difference in our community.”Â
Leo Treasurer Alyssa Osmer, reflecting on her experiences said, “I am so happy and proud to be a part of this great organization. All of us who joined are looking for an opportunity to give back and be a part of something bigger than ourselves. The Leo’s is truly a great group of people who truly want to help”Â
The evening’s event included the attendance and remarks by Lions District Governor for District 24-L, Glen Logan who said, “In such a short time you have demonstrated the true meaning of the Lions Motto, “We Serve”. I am very impressed with the service projects that you have already accomplished, especially under the current limitations imposed by the COVID 19 pandemic. Your actions of service are an inspiration beyond your young years. Well done and thank you all!”
Leadership Prince William announced the members of its Class of 2021 and its plans for the school year.
More in a press release:
Leadership Prince William is pleased to announce the members of their Signature Program Class of 2021. The class members will kick off their year with an Opening Retreat at Skyland Resort September 24 and 25. From there the class will meet one business day per month through June; viewing Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park through a new lens during each session. Session topics range from History and Government to Health and Human Services, providing a comprehensive view of their community while participants discover more about their own leadership styles and how to better engage those in their sphere of influence to impact change in greater Prince William.
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The Rappahannock Area Community Services Board and Rappahannock Adult Activities are hosting an annual fall plant salet to help adults with disabilities.
More in a press release:
Want to go green and help adults with disability at the same time? Try kale. Or broccoli.
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The Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center has received an award for its commitment to treating patients with heart failure.
More in a press release
 Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.
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The Prince William County Solid Waste Division and Keep Prince William Beautiful are holding a fix-it fair, and fixers are needed.
This event will take place on October 17, 2020, from 10 am to 4 pm, in conjunction with Prince William Recycles Day. Residents will have the opportunity to bring items for repair and reuse.Â
“A fix-it-fair provides a convenient way for people to make their “it’s in good shape, except” items useable again and this reduces wastes and promotes reuse,” said Prince William County Solid Waste Division Chief Tom Smith.
The fix-it-fair is recruiting “fixers” and will offer a stipend to cover the time and materials they provide. Those who are interested can email [email protected] with their name, phone number, and “fix-it specialties.”
“…if you’re a “fixer: of things like jewelry, clothing, small furniture and appliances, bicycles, shoes, umbrellas, glasses, ceramics, and other portable items, your talents are needed,” said in a press release by the Prince William Solid Waste Division.
Social distancing measures will be in place to protect “fixers,” volunteers, and attendees.Â
The Prince William Solid Waste Division provides solid waste management, recycling, composting, and waste resource education to the county. It is part of the Prince William County Public Works Department.
Keep Prince William Beautiful is a non-profit environmental organization that partners with residents, businesses, and the government to educate and inspire people to be environmental stewards.
The county originally planned to host its fix-it fair in the spring but delayed the event due to the coronavirus.
Manassas Park today will celebrate the grand opening of its first library, the Manassas Park City Library.
The grand opening will take place at the library in Bloom’s Park, at 9701 Manassas Drive, the former clubhouse of the General's Ridge Golf Course.
The library is open by appointment only, and for curbside pickup due to the coronavirus pandemic. Visitors will be allowed inside the library for one hour, and appointments can be made online.Â
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The G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge was once home to minor league baseball, but it will soon become a temporary drive-in theater.Â
The idea, called ‘Movies at the Pfitz,’ was conceived by Ben Hazekamp, a financial advisor, and Valerie Meale, a business development manager at Whitlock Wealth Management in Lake Ridge. They contacted Seth Hendler-Voss, Director of Prince William County Parks and Recreation, who supported the idea and aided in making it possible.
The event, which will span over four weeks, will serve as a fundraiser for the service budgets of the Woodbridge and Lake Ridge Rotary clubs. The clubs will be donating all profits gained from car pass sales, sponsorships, and advertising to local nonprofits in Prince William County. The two Rotary clubs also are providing 10 and 15 volunteers for the drive-thru.
“During these trying times for many in our community, we wanted to find a way to give back and support both our community as well as our local nonprofits. We came up with ‘Movies at the Pfitz’ to deliver some much needed entertainment for many stuck inside for months, while giving those same people an opportunity to support local nonprofits who are serving so many in our community. This four-night drive-in is our way of giving back to the community we love,” said Hazekamp.
The event secured a partnership with A2Z Entertainment, who will be both supplying and operating equipment for the drive-in show, as well as sponsorships from multiple companies. Comcast, for example, has given the event a $5,000 sponsorship.Â
To decide on the proper films, Hazekamp and Meale hosted an online survey asking the public to vote for the movies they want to watch. They currently have four movies lined up and are trying to get the rights to air them. The movies are:
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Grease
- Field of Dreams
The fourth movie has not yet been announced.
Car passes will cost $30 per vehicle and the stadium will have a limit of 115 vehicles, and there will be two food trucks and a restaurant on-site for patrons. To keep with social distancing guidelines, each vehicle will park in every other parking space and each patron is encouraged to wear a mask outside.Â
The films will be shown on July 25, August 1, August 15, and August 22.
The Prince William County Parks and Recreation Department has updated its tourism master draft plan for 2020, a document focused on projecting community needs in the next 10-15 years.
The plan discusses in part how historic sites are assets for tourism and looks into how to utilize these sites to boost economic gains.
The plan, which is apart of the Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism’s Systemwide Master Plan, now includes the mergers of Prince William County’s Historic Preservation Division and Office of Tourism into the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.
The Historic Preservation Division has been a part of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism for almost two years, but this is the first time the Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism’s Systemwide Master Plan includes historic sites in the planning process.
The expansion of the Master Plan to include tourism and historic preservation comes If the department is folded into parks and recreation, it would come three years after the department took on the role of tourism promotion after county leaders voted to dissolve “Discover Prince William/Manassas,” a partnership between the county and Manassas City that aimed to promote the region to visitors.
The tourism plan now under consideration addresses improving visitor experiences at the county’s parks, recreational facilities, historic sites, and promoting heritage and sports tourism. It also focuses on securing public and private partnerships as well as private development investments that benefit county residents and the economy.
Heritage tourism focuses on showing the history and heritage of an area through experiences, structures and historic sites. Prince William County has 15 historic sites managed by the Historic Preservation Division. Some sites are open daily, while others are open by appointment only, and others are currently closed to the public. In 2019, almost 150,000 people visited the county’s historic sites, with 35% of visitors being from out of the county.
Sports tourism draws visitors from across the east coast to the county’s 472 sports venues that host sports events and tournaments. This includes youth, amateur, collegiate, professional, minor league, and motorsports. It also offers 11 public golf courses, 2 indoor Olympic pools, an ice arena, and fields for softball, baseball, and soccer.
Furthermore, the county currently owns 63 developed parks, which offer a number of activities for visitors, including:
- Two 18-hole golf courses
- One 9-hole leisure golf courses
- 116 sports fields
- Two waterparks
- 6 outdoor pools
- 2 aquatics and fitness centers
- A skate park
- A marina
- A dog park
“The plan provides an opportunity to fully realize the synergies created by the mergers such as incorporating new historic interpretive storytelling into the Department’s recreation program and developing outdoor recreation, sports tourism, culture, history, heritage, agri-tourism opportunities and more,” said Ann Marie Maher, Director of Tourism in Prince William County.
Due to changes in consumer travel patterns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the state and Office of Tourism’s COVID-19 recovery plan now includes a primary marketing focus on the local and drive markets.Â
“The plan is based on the level of service standards outline in the plan and is designed to address the needs of the community,” said Brent M. Heavner, the Communication Services Division Chief of the Prince William Department of Parks and Recreation.
The planned budget for the Office of Tourism this year is $1.5 million, funded by the county’s hotel tax. Budget spending will focus on supporting the coronavirus tourism industry’s economic recovery efforts.
The tourism discussions are master plan is part of the Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Systemwide Master Plan.
“The plan is based on the level of service standards outline in the plan and is designed to address the needs of the community,” said Brent M. Heavner, the Communication Services Division Chief of the Prince William Department of Parks and Recreation.
The draft is available to the public online at pwcgov.org/parks.
Prince William County’s tourism economy currently ranks 9th in the Commonwealth in total visitor spending, and in 2018, over 6,662 hospitality and tourism professionals were employed in Prince William County.Â
The Prince William County School Board is making plans to reopen schools, a process teachers at a recent rally have claimed is lacking transparency.
With the coronavirus pandemic still ongoing, and the new school year starting August 25, the Prince William County School Board has been holding meetings to discuss how to safely reopen schools.
So far, they assembled a 90-person panel and a task force to discuss plans for reopening schools. The task force consists of principals, assistant principals, and lead teachers.
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On July 30, 2020, Stafford community business leaders are invited to join the county’s interactive town hall.Â
This meeting will discuss the New Entrepreneur Development Initiative launching in Stafford County and the Greater Fredericksburg Region. The Initiative is designed to encourage business expansion and formation, particularly around technology use.
“With our virtual town hall, we can ask entrepreneurs about their business needs and opportunities to grow their business. An important part of this is that it’s not just start-ups, although it is start-ups. It’s also for existing businesses to consider new ventures or ways to do business differently,” said John P Holden, Director of Economic Development and Tourism.
