Management and Training Consultants, Inc. (MTCI) is pleased to announce that Gen. (ret.) Bantz J. (John) Craddock is the newest member of its Board of Advisors. Gen. (ret.) Bantz J. (John) Craddock currently serves as Engility Corporation’s Global Strategic Advisor.

The General’s unparalleled knowledge, marked by decades of service to our country, will benefitMTCI’s Board immensely. His experience serving as a distinguished leader in both the corporate and military arenas particularly offers MTCI insights into strategic revenue growth.

Gen. Craddock previously served as Senior Vice President for Strategic Relations of Engility Corporation, where he led a team focused on developing and maintaining relationships with strategic customers.

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Some PRTC bus routes and timetables have been adjusted starting today, December 1, as the Fall Service Change takes effect. The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission updates its schedules twice annually – in the spring and fall – to reflect current running times and make other changes such as updating routing and relocating bus stops as necessary.

The most significant change is the splitting of the Montclair OmniRide commuter bus service into two separate routes. This plan is being implemented in order to accommodate growing demand and provide faster and more reliable service to passengers.

Prior to the Service Change, a single Montclair OmniRide route served both the Pentagon and multiple destinations in downtown Washington, D.C. Starting today, the route has been split into two: a Montclair-Pentagon route and a Montclair-D.C. route. The new Montclair routes originate at Cardinal & Bonneville, and service to the Dale City Commuter Lot and the stops at Minnieville & Savannah has been discontinued.

After being considered for elimination earlier this year, the Tysons Express route continues to operate, thanks to funding from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. The route has been renamed Tysons OmniRide, charging regular OmniRide fares ($5.75 SmarTrip and $7.70 cash), and one PM trip has been removed. Additionally, the Tysons Express bus wraps that differentiate the route’s buses from the rest of the PRTC fleet will be removed.

The Fall Service Change also includes the following changes:

• The last two Manassas OmniRide AM trips now only serve the local stops at the Portsmouth Commuter Lot and on Portsmouth Road. Those trips now operate express from Portsmouth Road to I-66 via Sudley Road.
• Two trips have been eliminated from both the AM and PM Dale City-Washington schedules, among other timetable changes.
• The Dale City-Pentagon/Crystal City and Lake Ridge-Pentagon/Crystal City routes no longer serve the stops at Clark & 20^th and Crystal & 18^th.
• The Dale City – Navy Yard route no longer serves the stop at 12^th & M, and some timetable changes have taken effect.
• Route 1 OmniLink buses have discontinued service to the stop at Fraley & Graham Park. Timetable changes have been made to the route.
• Timetable changes have been made to the Manassas OmniLink route.
• Prince William Metro Direct schedules have not been updated for the Fall Service Change. New versions will be released later in December when the I-95 Express Lanes open and Virginia Megaprojects funding for the Saturday service ends. Free fares will continue on Saturdays until the opening of the Express Lanes. At that time, weekday Metro Direct fares will be charged for the Saturday Prince William Metro Direct, and the number of Saturday trips will be reduced.

Updated bus schedules are available online at PRTCtransit.org, at the PRTC Transit Center and on buses.

For more information about any of PRTC’s transportation services, please visit PRTCtransit.org or call Customer Service at (703) 730-6664.

The drinking water infrastructure next to a former military duplex in Triangle is getting a much needed upgrade that will improve water quality and enhance system operations in the neighborhood.

The Prince William County Service Authority is in the process of replacing 60-year-old water mains next to the Melrose Gardens apartment complex off Graham Park Road with new 8-inch ductile iron pipe. The project is expected to be completed in spring 2015.

The Service Authority embarked on the $2 million Melrose Gardens project this fall due to the large number of water main breaks occurring in one of the oldest sections of Prince William County.

Along with installing more than a mile of new pipe, the project includes new hydrants for better fire suppression and the installation of isolation valves, which will allow the Service Authority to limit the impact on the 270-unit apartment complex if there is a water line issue.

In the past, water main breaks in the area necessitated turning off the water for the entire apartment community. With isolation valves, the Service Authority can pinpoint the problem without affecting large numbers of residents.

Upgrading that section of the water distribution system also benefits the neighboring network of pipes that serve other customers along Graham Park Road, said Service Authority Project Engineer Ron Tatariw.

The project entails resurfacing some of the streets in the Melrose community, similar to the recently completed water main replacement project in the Belmont community of North Woodbridge.

“It’s always a challenging project when you are attempting to keep an existing water system in operation while replacing it with a new one,” said Tatariw. “The community has been extremely supportive of the project.”

Members and staff of Westminster at Lake Ridge (WLR), a continuing care retirement community, invite local residents to join them in giving to the Marine Corps’ annual Toys for Tots campaign and the Northern Virginia Family Services local food pantry.

Those interested in donating can bring new, unwrapped toys to the Toys for Tots collection box in the retirement community’s main lobby. The collection box will remain open through Wednesday, Dec. 17.

This marks the sixth year that members and staff at Westminster at Lake Ridge have participated in the Marine Corps drive which distributes toys to deserving children in the immediate vicinity.

Westminster at Lake Ridge volunteers also set up a Gratitude Tree in their lobby as they looked forward to Thanksgiving. According to WLR Chaplain, Dawn Haeger, residents and staff were invited to hang leaves on the tree on which each of them penned what made them grateful.

Non-perishable food items were left under the tree as a giving gesture to others. Two hundred pounds of food were then donated to Operation Turkey. The holiday food drive is a project sponsored by SERVE, the volunteerism campaign of the Northern Virginia Family Services (NVFS) organization. The non-profit NVFS feeds 800 at risk families monthly.

“This is a very important project to us, and our members volunteer monthly to help SERVE with their important mission to give a hand up to the most vulnerable in our community,” explains Rev. Haeger.

Both toys and non-perishable food items can be dropped off at the Westminster Lobby. Please label food donations ‘Att: Chaplain’ and leave with the receptionist. The continuing care retirement community is located at 12191 Clipper Drive in Lake Ridge. Parking is available in any non-reserved spot in the lot to the left of the main entrance.

Westminster at Lake Ridge strives to set a good example for the community and inspire others to consider toy and food donations during the holiday season. During these cold winter months, it is important to make sure these worthy charities can bring hope to the youngest, the homeless and those who are struggling to feed their families at this special time of the year.

 House of Mercy is requesting volunteers and donations of new toys, clothing, gift cards and gift-wrapping supplies for the nonprofit humanitarian organization’s annual “Christmas with Mercy” free holiday gift program for children of its clients in need.

House of Mercy, located at 8170 Flannery Court in Manassas, Va., is asking to receive donations before Saturday, Dec. 13, when the agency will distribute gifts to eligible clients who registered in this year’s program, said House of Mercy Executive Director Ann Cimini. The registered clients, of low income, number about 200 families, which include collectively nearly 400 children, she said.

Gift donations should be unwrapped and suitable for a child aged newborn through 14, Cimini said.

The agency also needs volunteers Dec. 9 through Dec. 12 to help sort and arrange gift selections and to otherwise prepare for distribution day, she said. Volunteers are needed on Dec. 13 to assist clients regarding gift choices and to wrap and distribute gifts. The event will be held in a building suite in the industrial park where the organization is located, Cimini said.

In addition, the agency seeks “baker elf” volunteers to sign up for the program. “We’re asking for baked treats and other goodies to set out for our clients and volunteers to munch on,” Cimini said.

Cimini anticipates a shortfall of gift donations for this year’s program, she said. House of Mercy partners with Toys for Tots®, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s annual Christmas toy drive, to help support the agency’s Christmas program, in its fourth year.

“Toys for Tots provides the lion’s share of gifts for our program, but the campaign suffered record low donations last holiday season. That trend is in place again for this Christmas,” Cimini said. Consequently, “we are relying heavily this year on individuals and civic groups to help us provide gifts to these children in need,” she stated.

Another factor in the expected shortfall is the economy’s uneven recovery, especially since U.S. government sequestration, which has had a negative impact on donations as a whole to local nonprofit organizations, Cimini said.

“Those who provide food, clothing and limited financial assistance to families in need, as we do, have seen a decrease in donations and an increase in the number of people we serve,” she said.

“Christmas with Mercy” program donations can be dropped off at House of Mercy’s donation center, located at 8120 Flannery Court in Manassas. Donors can also place donated items, except for food, cash and gift cards, in the agency’s program drop boxes, located at The UPS Store in Gainesville (7371 Atlas Walk Way), Retro Fitness in Manassas (11714 Sudley Manor Drive) and in the foyer of Hooters in Manassas (8503 Rixlew Drive), Cimini said.

Additionally, to help make donating easy during this year’s program, she said, House of Mercy has created “Christmas with Mercy” wish list gift registries at Kohl’s, Target and Amazon. Prices of items listed range from about $15 to $25. Listed selections can be purchased in the stores or online and shipped directly to House of Mercy.

To find the program lists online, click “TargetLists” at the top of the home page at www.target.com, “Registries” on www.kohls.com and “Wish List,” and then “Baby Registry” on www.amazon.com. Then type “House of” as the first name and “Mercy” as the last name of the organization. (Typing “House of Mercy” in Amazon’s initial search box under “Wish List” brings visitors to the gift registry of an organization of the same name in Rochester, N.Y.)

Under “AmazonSmile,” Amazon’s charity support program, shoppers logging onto www.amazon.com can also designate the local agency (“House of Mercy, Roman Catholic, Manassas, Va.”) to receive a percentage of the total amount they spend shopping on the site. An alternative designation is “Missionaries of Our Lady of Divine Mercy,” Cimini said.

For more information or to sign up for a volunteer shift or as a “baker elf,” visit www.houseofmercyva.org and click “Our Causes” and then click “Christmas with Mercy.” Both groups and individuals are welcome as volunteers, Cimini said.

On Thursday, Nov. 20, seven new deputies for the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office graduated from the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy Law Enforcement Officer Basic Class #132.

These seven individuals were Deputy Jason P. Aubry, Deputy Brandon A. Boyle, Deputy Timothy S. Clayborn, Jr., Deputy Moises J. Martinez, Deputy Cody L. McCormick, Deputy Mikel J. Reyna and Deputy Catherine E. Whited.

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Manassas Mall will host Santa Cares on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 8 – 10 a.m., welcoming children with special needs to a photo environment that supports their sensory, physical and developmental needs.  The sensory-friendly event is designed to take place prior to regular mall hours to lessen behavioral triggers associated with malls at this bustling season of the year.

The nationally recognized Santa Cares event will take place at the Santa Photo Experience in JCPenney Court, as a result of a partnership between AbilityPath.org, a national online resource hub and special needs community and The Noerr Programs, a leading marketing and digital imaging company providing the Santa and Bunny Photo Experience at malls nationwide.   

Malls take great care to build a sensory friendly environment for children with special needs. They open during private hours and create a calmer atmosphere by turning down the lights, turning off the music and fountains, and allowing families to sit in a waiting area instead of in line.  These adjustments provide a calmer sensory-friendly environment and allow children and their families to have their own special magical moment with Santa.

“Each year, we receive heartfelt notes from parents and grandparents expressing their appreciation for a magical moment because of the Santa Cares program,” said Sheryl Young CEO of AbilityPath.  “Many parents tell us they settled with the fact that they’d never have a picture of their child with Santa. AbilityPath was created so parents of children with special needs would never need to settle, and giving every child a special moment with Santa is one example of our commitment to that promise.” said Young. 

“We are thrilled to be the venue for this incredible event,” said Kelly Gilfether, Director of Marketing at Manassas Mall.  “Santa Cares brings joy to children with specials needs in our community, and it is truly an honor to be involved in this program.”

“Santa Cares fulfills our dream of providing a comforting and physically accommodating experience for families with children that have special needs,” said Judy Noerr, co-chief executive officer of The Noerr Programs. “We appreciate the participation of Manassas Mall in expanding this program, allowing more families to share the magic and tradition of the holidays.”

The private event begins at 8:00 a.m. and continues until 10:00 a.m. local standard times at Manassas Mall when the mall opens to the general public. Families are encouraged to RSVP prior to the event at Abilitypath.org.

In addition to a numbering system, social stories and activities to avoid waiting in line, participating families will be able to receive four complimentary Christmas photo cards with their purchase of a Santa’s Favorite Photo Package during the event.

Stafford will cap off a year of celebrating its 350^th Anniversary with the world premiere of “Stafford, Virginia: Our American Story,” a film chronicling Stafford’s past, present and future. The film will be shown on Monday, December 1, 2014, at 6:00 p.m. at Mountain View High School, 2135 Mountain View Road, Stafford, VA 22556.

“When the Board of Supervisors started planning for the 350^th Anniversary, we wanted to have the type of events that people would remember for years, as people remembered Stafford’s tricentennial in 1964,” said Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Jack Cavalier, Griffis-Widewater District. “With the help of the Blue Ribbon Committee, our partners, sponsors, volunteers and citizens, we have succeeded beyond what I could have imagined. This movie is the exclamation mark to our year and serves as a lasting legacy that documents where Stafford County has come from and where it is going.”

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On Nov. 1, 2014, Project Mend-A-House (PMAH) held the first ever Fall Fix-It Fest. The day was organized and executed by PMAH Project Manager, Rob Pennington, and his 5 volunteer team leaders (Bill Hoehn, Edrys Laprea, Dean Quick, Patrick Wesley and Eric Zuniga).

Together, they marshalled 40 volunteers and PMAH staff members at 5 project sites to tackle major projects for clients from around the county. Volunteers braved a cold, wet Saturday to make a difference in the lives of low income seniors by making home repairs to make their homes more livable.

Among the volunteers were a number of first time PMAH participants, including seven adolescents. Over the course of several hours, the PMAH teams were able to accomplish repairs including replacing doors and siding, fixing gutters, yard cleanup, replacing flooring, installing safety grab bars and various plumbing repairs.

“It was wonderful to see so many members of our community pulling together to make a difference in their neighbor’s lives at our first Fall Fix-it Fest.” said PMAH Executive Director, Jennifer Schock-Bolles, “Thank you to everyone for their dedication and hard work, without volunteers, Project Mend-A-House would not exist.”

This event was conceived as a way to tackle bigger projects and involve new volunteers under the guidance of more experienced team members. Another community volunteer day, the Spring Spruce-up is being planned for early next year. PMAH plans to make these annual events to mobilize the community for a day of service and help raise the quality of life for some of the needier members of Prince William County.

Project Mend-A-House needs volunteers. To join PMAH’s team, please contact the organization at 703-792-7663 or visit the website at www.pmahweb.org.