The Independence Day holiday will be observed this year on Monday, July 5. That means some closures for local government offices in our region.
In Prince William County, local government offices will be closed there.
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Originals
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After over a year, Fredericksburg reggae band The Transmitters are ready to take the stage once again.
The band, John Buck on bass and vocals, Alan "Mo" Marsh on percussion and harmonica, Larry Hinkle on guitar, Jay Startling on keyboards, Brian Barbre on drums, have taken time during the coronavirus pandemic to pursue other interests, not an easy idea for a band that has been active no just in the Fredericksburg scene but has been touring since 2005.
The Transmitters’ beginnings started with Larrk Hinkle’s studying of woodworking while living in Humboldt, Calif., while there he found a radio show on station KZYM called The Blue Beat Lounge which would play rocksteady groups like Toots and the Maytals, Alton Ellis, and the Heptones. Once Larry linked up with the rest of the members of what would become The Transmitters those groups would become the foundation for their music.
The Transmitters will now bring that music back to the stage, Potomac Local News talked to bassist John Buck about the band’s return, what they’ve been up to during the pandemic, and what the future holds for the band.
Why did the band choose to play again?
"Not playing anymore was out of the question. I know how much not seeing live music has affected me during this time so I can't wait to get out there and play for people again."
How did the pandemic affect members of the band?
"The pandemic affected all of us greatly but some members took the opportunity to step back and refocus on entrepreneurial endeavors.
"Alan has started a soup delivery company, Mo's City Soups. It has downtown delivery just like the old-fashioned milkman. Fresh, homemade, heat to serving vegetarian & vegan soup delivered right to your front door. Larry continued making ukuleles from local wood at Hinkle Ukulele and began teaching woodworking at University of Mary Washington.
"Brian has made huge strides in his business Piper Percussion which produces custom-made drums and offers restoration. Jay has taken the time to care for his family while still keeping active in music. A recent show saw his amazing 80's bluegrass band Love Cannon play with Keller Williams.
"I’ve taken the time to dedicate myself to the upright bass, practice, practice, practice. We are talking about practice. I’ve continued to be an active musician in the jazz scene in DC where I now live. I miss Fred very much but I enjoy being able to pop back in town for shows and to see friends."
How has the time away changed the members of the band in terms of their music? What new ideas will they bring to the band?
"Musically, I don't think we have changed. We are ready to just pick up where we left off."
What will the future hold for the band going forward?
"The future should yield a recording of some kind. We have an older bootleg that we might try to make into an album and of course more shows in Fred and beyond."
The Transmitters will hold their return show on Friday, June 25 at the J. Brien’s Tap Room which will start at 9 p.m.
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The Manassas City School Board today was supposed to talk about implicit bias.
“It’s an important topic because it is something that everybody has. It doesn’t matter who you are, what race you are, your status… and it affects how you react to things,” said Manassas School Board Chairman Sanford Williams.
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The Stafford County Planning Commission has deferred until July a decision to approve the expansion in the Vulcan Quarry in North Stafford.
The Planning Commission held a public hearing Wednesday about Vulcan Stafford Quarry's intentions to not only expand operations at its North Stafford facility, off Route 610, in an area between the east and west pits of the quarry but to also build a new concrete manufacturing plant.
The overall project includes a request to rezone 23 acres land of, moving it from agricultural use to heavy industrial use while amending proffers on 558 acres that are already zoned as heavy industrial.
Vulcan is also asking for a special use permit for its proposed concrete plant. The new concrete plant would replace an existing plant about seven miles away on Wyche Road, near a newly constructed interchange at Interstate 95 and Courthouse Road.
Neighbors who live in the Eastern View neighborhood, next to the mining operation, which began in 1976, expressed opposition to the expansion citing air quality and dust issues, increased noise, and increased truck traffic.
They said their homes have stained damage from vibrations due to blasting at the quarry.
Should the rezoning be approved and new proffers added, the life of the quarry would be extended from its original closure date of 2085, up to 2135. Stafford County Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Barton Randall expressed concern that the extension could interfere with plans the county had to turn the rock pits into a water reservoir for the growing county.
During Wednesday's public hearing, Vulcan attorney Clark Leming, who is also one of multiple property owners who sold his land to Vulcan in order for the quarry to expand, disputed claims that vibrations from blasting damaged nearby residents' homes. He cited seismograph and monitor readings taken by Deep Earth Logic and Swedish consulting firm Polysonic, both hired by the quarry to measure the power of the blasts.
However, members of the committee weren’t satisfied with the reports since they were not yet completed.
There were calls from many in attendance including Hartwood District Representative Darrell English to set monitors in residents' homes to measure the strength of vibrations, towards the end of the meeting the commission had received one volunteer via email.
Due to the previous sessions, many updates were made to Vulcan’s application ranging from operation hours, security fencing, air quality issues, truck traffic, maintenance of buffer and berms, among the 23 new additions to the application.
The Planning Commission will revisit the Vulcan expansion application at their meeting on Wednesday, July 28.
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The massive vaccination clinic in Woodbridge will close today, leaving many in Prince William County needed to travel to the Manassas area to get their coronavirus shot.
A vaccine clinic at the former Gander Mountain store, located at 14041 Worth Avenue, will close its doors for the last at 5:30 p.m. today. Since then, the clinic opened in March and, since then, the rate of those getting the coronavirus vaccine has fallen.
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