Prince William County has opened eight new pickleball courts at the Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building in Woodbridge.
Many citizens have already been using the courts for a while, but a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony made things official, according to a Prince William County press release.
Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey attended the ceremony and talked about seeing people playing pickleball every day when she arrives at her office at the Ferlazzo Building.
“It’s such a refreshing and reviving thing to see because it lets me know that, in this uncertain time of COVID-19, people are taking care of their health, their hearts and their minds and most of all their spirits,” Bailey said.
The eight pickleball courts replaced several old tennis courts.
“They took a dilapidated recreational space and turned it into something beautiful. There is a huge demand for pickleball,” said Barbara Tyrrell, a USA Pickleball Assoication Woodbridge Ambassador.
J. Hall., now a professional pickleball player, said two 70-year-old women introduced him to pickleball when he was a firefighter in Manassas Park a couple of years ago, according to the press release.
“You see people [from ages] under eight to over 80. It also speaks to the cohesiveness of pickleball. It’s for everybody,” Hall said.
Hall, who goes by “Gizmo Pickleball” when he’s playing professionally, said pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sport in the United States.
“It’s addictive point, blank, period.”
Pickleball is a sport invented in 1965 with a paddle and a ball played on what resembles a small tennis court.
“My introduction when people ask me, ‘What is pickleball?’ is I always tell them it’s like tennis and ping pong had a baby. This will generally get everybody to think and laugh about it, and at that point, I’ve got them just interested enough to… at least get them out to the court,” Hall said.
Woodbridge Pickleball Ambassador Nick Katsarelis said pickleball was born of a backyard game but has grown into much more.
“These courts are great. I have played on a variety of courts in different areas, and these match up with anything I have played on. They’re outstanding. They are fantastic,” Katsarelis said.
Katsarelis also added that the courts promote camaraderie among the seasoned players, who encourage others to learn the game.
“We do very well at trying to keep it open, mixing people, trying to make people feel comfortable and included, whatever skill level they are.”
The press release revealed that Prince William County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Director, Seth Hendler-Voss, also spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and said people don’t even need equipment when they encounter one of the Woodbridge Pickleball Ambassadors.
“Anyone who happens upon these courts is happening upon not just one ambassador, but hundreds of ambassadors … always willing to loan a paddle out and teach someone to play.”
Bailey said she was ready to meet the pickleball players on their turf.
“I am so excited about the opportunity to get out here and get to know you and let you teach me how to play.”
More information about parks, recreation, and tourism in Prince William County is available at pwcgov.org.
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Newly obtained surveillance video shows a mob of protestors attacked a man outside the Prince William County Government Center in Woodbridge.
The attack occurred just before 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, just before the start of the Board of County Supervisors meeting. The video shows a 72-year-old man attempting to walk into the government center when he was attacked by a group of protesters who were calling for supervisors to defund the county police department.
No injuries were reported. Three protestors were charged.
The incident comes one month after a contentious meeting of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors when, on June 16, Black Lives Matter protestors called for the defunding of county police and accosted multiple members of the Board of County Supervisors — both Republicans and Democrats.
Following the June 16 meeting, emails poured into the offices of county supervisors showing support for county police.
“Bottom line up front: defunding the police in Prince William County will create more problems than it will solve. The slogan to “defund the police” has been adopted at the national level as a simple first step in fixing racial inequality. Without delving into that unbelievably complex topic, I instead offer to you that the Prince William County Police Department has long demonstrated an ongoing commitment to be professional, knowledgeable, and fair in the execution of their duties to each and every citizen,” penned one resident.
“A friend of mine told me about a recent meeting where many residents showed up and stated their wishes to defund the [Prince William County] police department. I feel the need to voice my concerns about this, and let you know that I have a very hard time believing this is what the majority of people in this county want. We all need our police and we need to support them,” wrote another.
Many more emails called for defunding the police department.
“This past week, our nation has been gripped by protests calling for rapid and meaningful change with regard to police behavior, an end to racism and anti-Blackness, and immediate change in how Black people are treated in America. Our county has been at the forefront of much of this action,” wrote a Woodbridge resident. “Accordingly, it has come to my attention that the budget for 2021 is being decided as these protests continue. The [Prince William County] Police Department has been a waste of our resources.”
The Prince William County Police Department scored a 93% citizen satisfaction rating in the most recent citizen survey.
Who is going to operate a new logistics center that is slated to be built on nine acres of land on Wellington Road in Gainesville?
On Tuesday, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors will vote to rezone over eight acres of land from heavy industrial to industrial/transportation use. The property is located on Wellington, near the intersection of University Drive.
An arrangement has been made by the owners of these parcels to build a logistics center that will be designed by Progressive AE, an architecture and engineering firm with offices located in Michigan and North Carolina, county officials tell us.
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CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF HENRY L. CLARKE 1935-2020 Henry L. Clarke (referred to by many as "Hank") was born in Clarke County, Creola, Alabama June 28, 1935. He was the son of Joe Lee Clarke who was 21 at his time of birth, and Ethel Mae Bettis who was 17. Henry was born at home at 6am, and he was delivered by the midwife...
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Fredericksburg Regional Transit (FRED) has announced the launch of an app called RouteShout 2.0 that helps riders track their buses, be alerted of changes, and cut down on wait times at bus stops.
According to a Fredericksburg press release, the RouteShout 2.0 app can be downloaded on iPhone and Android devices at no cost from the Apple Store or Google Play.
The app is currently available to FRED riders on all transit routes. Officials at Fredericksburg Regional Transit say FRED riders will now be able to more conveniently plan trips, reduce wait times at bus stops, and be notified of any schedule or route changes wherever they happen to be through their smartphone.
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Keolis Transit Services LLC has been awarded a five-year contract to operate and maintain its OmniRide bus service in Northern Virginia by the Potomac and Rappahannock
Transportation Commission (PRTC) Board of Commissioners.
Keolis will begin operating the OmniRide service on Nov. 1, 2020, and has already begun changeover activities to ensure a smooth transition that will be invisible to riders. The first year of the contract is worth $24,629,187 with a start-up cost of $740,523.
Keolis provides mobility services to millions of passengers in the United States. Keolis carries over 100 million passengers each year on local, commuter, paratransit, and commuter rail services in 12 cities. This includes the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter rail service, which PRTC co-sponsors with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.
