MANASSAS, Va. — Virginia Senator Charles Colgan joined business owner Brian Cooper, CMT, LMT, Mr. Cooper’s staff, members of the Board of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, and community citizens to commemorate the opening of Mr. Cooper’s Healing Hands Medical Massage business on Tuesday, May 6, 2014.

The celebration took place at Medical Massage Specialties’ new location at 10600A Crestwood Drive in Manassas.  In addition to remarks by Senator Colgan and Mr. Cooper, the festive afternoon included a formal ribbon cutting, a lunch buffet, and tours of the facility, along with information tables featuring other health and wellness exhibit partners.  The new facility contains four beautifully designed and decorated treatment rooms in a tranquil spa atmosphere that includes a reception area, calming fountain, and quiet lounge.

The event attracted a significant crowd of business supporters.  Senator Colgan noted in his remarks that there have not been many grand openings of small businesses lately and small business openings and expansions are good for both business and the community.

Brian Cooper is nationally certified and licensed by the Board of Nursing to practice therapeutic massage in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  He hopes to become part of his client’s overall wellness program to help them better deal with the stress that is so much a part of today’s lifestyles.  Mr. Cooper notes that his D.C. Metro area clients often suffer from “commuting and computing” – two leading causes of stress, stiffness and soreness.  His goal is to alleviate these symptoms.  Medical Massage Specialties is a goal-oriented massage therapy practice that provides a variety of modalities, including, Deep Tissue/Sports Massage, Muscular Fascia Work, Prenatal Massage and Hot Stone Therapy.  These therapies may help clients ease chronic pain, muscle stiffness, and stress.

At Medical Massage Therapies, a 60 minute massage lasts the entire 60 minutes, unlike many providers that spend only 50 minutes.  The team uses only the highest quality organic jojoba and pure essential oils and their linens are always laundered in free and clear detergents.

Working with Mr. Cooper’s team are 3 additional therapists:  Fiona Jansen, a certified holistic health practitioner, who is a Usui Reiki Practitioner;  Jennifer Rader, a certified massage therapist,  who focuses on helping athletes and others who need to improve muscular health and function; and April Barker, a certified massage therapist who loves working with clients’ individual  needs to decrease chronic pain, increase range of motion and create an overall better quality of life.

To schedule an appointment or obtain additional information, please contact Brian Cooper at Medical Massage Therapies, LLC at 703-686-4092.

OCCOQUAN, Va. — Terence Quinn, owner and president of Quinn’s Goldsmith, received a custom design award at the Independent Jewelers Organization (IJO) Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Jeff Roberts, IJO president and CEO, presented Mr. Quinn with the prestigious award at the awards banquet.

The competition was open to all IJO members from Canada and the United States. There were four categories each determined by price.

Mr. Quinn won two awards that evening; First Place for a diamond and red tourmaline gold pendant and Honorable Mention for a diamond and green tourmaline gold pendant.

Quinn’s Goldsmith has been in Historic Occoquan, Virginia since conception in 1990 and in Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center in Woodbridge, Virginia since 2011. For more information, please visit: www.quinnsgoldsmith.com or call 703-494-1662.

LAKE RIDGE, Va. — On April 23rd The Rotary Club of Lake Ridge Virginia hosted its 17th annual Celebrity Luncheon at Bistro L’Hermitage in Occoquan and raised over $11,500 for local and international charities.

One hundred and sixteen people came out for the popular fundraiser which featured local elected officials and community leaders as waiters and waitresses including: Sheyna Burt, President of the Prince William Art Council, the Honorable Gerry Foreman, Mayor of the Town of Dumfries, James Livingston, the President of Prince William Education Association, Chief Kevin McGee from Prince William County Fire and Rescue, the Honorable Mike May, Supervisor, Occoquan District, the Honorable Martin Nohe, Supervisor, Coles District, the Honorable Earnie Porta, Mayor of the Town of Occoquan, and Stephen Porter, President of Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.

Lake Ridge Rotary President Mary Beth Michos welcomed everyone during her opening remarks: “I’d like to thank all the celebrity waiters for taking time from their busy schedules to help us have a fun, fabulous time while we dine and help raise money for our Club’s numerous local service projects.”

Guests were served a delicious three course gourmet meal and many participated in the Raffle giveaway that featured a Samsung Galaxy Tablet, a Stihl Chainsaw donated by Pitkin’s Hardware, a Key to Her Heart bracelet from Quinn’s Goldsmith, an Auto Detailing package from Professional Collision and four $25 gift certificates for Bistro L’hermitage.

Vice President Jason Hickman announced, “We would like to thank our Event Sponsor, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center and the following local businesses and individuals for their generous financial support: Bistro L’hermitage, Woodbridge Plumbing, Alliant Wealth Advisors, Cardinal Bank, Compton and Duling LC, Didlake, Dr. Michael Morch, Quinn’s Goldsmith, Tackett’s Mill Center, Triple Services, Vinyl-Lite Window Factory, I-95 Business Park Management, Mike Garcia and Marion Wall.”

As the event drew to a close, Michos presented Bistro L’hermitage’s owner Youssef Essakl with a special thank you plaque in recognition for the restaurant’s support of the Celebrity Luncheon over the years.

About The Rotary Club of Lake Ridge Virginia

The Rotary Club of Lake Ridge Virginia was chartered in 1988 and supports a remarkable variety of humanitarian and educational service projects that touch the lives of both local and international communities. The Club meets every Wednesday at 7:30am at Westminster at Lake Ridge.

About Rotary International
Rotary is a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary’s 1.2 million members hail from more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit rotary.org and endpolionow.org.

Submitted by: Rotary Club of Lake Ridge Virginia

The Prince William County Service Authority takes pride in maintaining its sewer infrastructure while preserving the environment around it. One example of this is the Service Authority’s new Neabsco sewage lift station, which is scheduled to open early next year. It will replace a 34-year-old facility in Woodbridge.

The Service Authority embarked on the $13 million project in order to improve efficiencies and accommodate future growth along the U.S. 1 corridor. The new facility will have more than 25 million gallons per day pumping capacity compared with the 18 million maximum at the current lift station.

“The existing pump station has served a useful life and it has been very reliable for us,” said Service Authority Operations and Maintenance Director Don Pannell. “We are replacing it before it requires a lot of excessive maintenance.”

The Neabsco lift station is a crucial component of the wastewater collection system in eastern Prince William County, pumping approximately half of the wastewater that flows into the nearby H.L. Mooney Advanced Water Reclamation Facility. The Mooney Facility treats wastewater from thousands of homes and businesses in Dumfries, Triangle, Montclair and parts of Woodbridge.

Not only is the lift station a larger, more modern facility, it is being constructed significantly higher above sea level than the current structure, reducing the chances of the station being affected by flooding. Much of the eastern side of U.S. 1 in Woodbridge is located in a flood plain due to its proximity to the Potomac River. During significant weather events, the nearby Neabsco Creek will occasionally spill over its banks, necessitating the placement of sand bags around the current facility as a precautionary measure.

The project includes the installation of a new generator to keep the pumps working during power outages. During heavy rainstorms, water can infiltrate sewer mains at their weakest points. The more water that gets into the sewer line, the greater volume of sewage Neabsco and other lift stations have to pump into the water reclamation facility to be treated.

“The Neabsco lift station project is another example of the Service Authority’s commitment to meet anticipated growth demands by upgrading and replacing existing assets to maintain the highest performance, efficiency and quality of services to our customers,” said Service Authority Director of Engineering and Planning Samer Beidas.

-Submitted by Prince William Service Authority

LORTON, Va. – This year’s 11th CD Congressional Arts Competition, An Artistic Discovery sponsored by Congressman Gerry Connolly, is the largest in the district’s history with 184 high school students submitting 238 entries. The winners of the competition will be announced Saturday (May 3) at a public reception at the Workhouse Arts Center.

Students, parents, and teachers will gather at 2 pm Saturday at the Workhouse to learn whether they have won one of the five prizes awarded at Connolly’s annual Congressional Art Competition. The first prize winner will have his or her artwork displayed for a year in the U.S. Capitol.

The reception on Saturday, May 3 from 2 to 4 pm at the Workhouse Arts Center’s McGuire Woods Gallery (#W-16), 9601 Ox Road in Lorton is open to the public.

The artwork was judged by a panel of experts representing the Prince William Art Society, Council for the Arts of Herndon, Greater Reston Arts Council, The Workhouse Arts Center, and Arts Council of Fairfax County.

The 184 students participating in Connolly’s 2014 contest come from 25 different public and private high schools in Fairfax and Prince William. For the second year in a row, Woodbridge High School had the largest participation with 31 students submitting 52 pieces. South Lakes High School had the second highest level of participation with 23 pieces from 18 different artists.

“The artistic creativity and talent of these students is very impressive,” Connolly said. “I’m proud to host this competition to showcase the quality work of our high school students and recognize the dedication of our region’s art teachers. I also appreciate the efforts of the Workhouse Art’s Center staff and our fine judges who help make this competition a success.”

Each year, Connolly’s annual Congressional Arts Competition is open to all high school students who reside in Virginia’s 11th CD. Public, private, and home-schooled students are invited to participate.

During a recent meeting at the Old Manassas Courthouse, members of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, the Manassas City Council and the Prince William-Manassas Regional Jail Board learned the findings of a Community-Based Corrections Plan which outlined population trends facing the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center (ADC).

Corrections plans, such as the one done for the ADC by Moseley Architects, are mandated by the state to show how jail populations are likely to grow. Jurisdictions must commission the plans and submit them along with a planning study to the Virginia Board of Corrections in order to apply for 50 percent funding from the state to build or expand jails.

The results of the plan showed that the population in the county grew by 40 percent between 2000 and 2010. Increasing populations mean increased arrests, which lead to higher inmate populations.

Col. Pete Meletis, the ADC Superintendent, spoke at the meeting and told the elected leaders that current jail populations have exceeded the state rate of capacity by 100% and peaked out at 158%. During spikes in the count, inmates are transferred, or farmed out, to the Peumansend Creek Regional Jail where the County owns 75 beds and to other jails across the state.

The management capacity, or the number of inmates that can be safely handled at the Manassas complex, is 1,055 inmates. Currently, the ADC state-rated capacity at 667 beds within the ADC complex in Manassas, which brings the double bunking into play, Meletis said. “We’re way over the state-rated capacity. That’s a big gap between 667 and 1,055.”

The plan showed that the inmate population on the Manassas complex is expected to grow to 1,402 by Fiscal 2020 and to 1,817 by fiscal 2028.

Complicating the issue, Meletis said, is a court system that is backed up, which means that inmates stay in the jail longer as they await trial. “With people staying longer at the same time we’re bringing more people in – that’s a bad combination that’s going to bring our counts up. That’s a big factor in what’s happening here.”

During the meeting, the elected officials discussed how the two jurisdictions might cooperate and proceed forward so that money would be in place to complete the $45.7-million jail expansion, which was recommended by Moseley, by 2019.

One of the first steps the City Council and the Board of County Supervisors need to do is send a resolution to the commonwealth stating their intention to expand the ADC. Sending the resolution to the state sets the groundwork for getting the cost of expanding into the state budget. If the two governing bodies submit a combined resolution to the state by July of this year, the governor could approve the funding for inclusion in next year’s budget.

Manassas Mayor Harry J. Parrish II and Prince William Chairman Corey A. Stewart agreed on the need for an expansion, and they agreed that the Council and the Board need to work together to address the issue.

“It’s one of those things we have to do,” Stewart said.

“We’ve all seen the graphs that indicate that the numbers are going up, and we know Manassas and Prince William County are growing, indicating the need for expansion.” Parrish said.

-Submitted by Prince William County Government

Nothing good can come of keeping unused prescription medications around the house or disposing of them improperly. So, the Prince William Police Department along with the Manassas Police Department will work with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 to get those medications off medicine cabinet shelves.

The “National Take-Back Day” initiative seeks to prevent pill abuse and theft and to provide people a safe and legal way to get rid of unused medications. According to the DEA, rates of prescription drug abuse are increasing at alarming rates. Additionally, unused prescriptions that are flushed or thrown away can cause environmental problems.

“The goal of the program is to get these old unusable drugs off the shelves in peoples’ homes to reduce the likelihood of being used by someone who shouldn’t and also to reduce the likelihood that they’ll be put into the landfill or affect our water tables,” said Prince William Police Sgt. Reuben Castilla.

The take-back collection sites in Prince William County include Sentara Lake Ridge, Novant Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas and the Heathcote Health Center in Haymarket.

Intravenous solutions, injectables and needles will not be accepted. Neither will illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine.

-Submitted by Prince William County Government

MANASSAS, Va. – The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative donated 280 tree seedlings to Manassas Park Elementary School fourth graders on April 24, 2014, in recognition of Arbor Day. Principal Stacey R. Mamon and Assistant Principal Melissa Pitts accepted the trees from Donna Snellings, NOVEC public and government relations liaison, and Eddie Bartalos, a NOVEC employee and Manassas Park resident.

“NOVEC has participated in the National Fourth Grade Foresters Program for many years,” stated Snellings. “We’ve given tree seedlings to Manassas Park Elementary fourth graders for three years. We hope our donation will help them learn how trees help to reduce carbon dioxide in the air we breathe.”

Arbor Day, which originated in Nebraska in 1872, encourages individuals and groups to plant and care for trees. NOVEC recognizes Arbor Day as part of its “green” environmental stewardship program.

Melissa Pitts, Manassas Park Elementary School assistant principal, thanked Snellings and said, “This is our first year of all students from third to fifth grade having 70 minutes of STEM [Science, Technology, Engineer, and Mathematics] every day in their curriculum. The donation of the trees is another tool that can be used in the teaching process for the program.”

Snellings said NOVEC hopes the students will “gain a greater appreciation for the beauty and benefits of nature all around us.”

Manassas Park Elementary School earned a LEED — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — Gold designation in 2010. According to the Green Building Council, a LEED certification, “demonstrates leadership, innovation, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.” For a building built in 2009 to earn the LEED designation, it had to satisfy all LEED prerequisites and earn a minimum of 40 points on a 100-point rating system scale. To earn a Gold certification, the school had to earn 60-79 points.

At its April quarterly board meeting, the Lake Ridge Parks and Recreation Association (LRPRA) Board elected its four officers who will serve for the coming year. Congratulations to President Gayle Whitlock, Vice President Doug O’Brien, Treasurer Dave Fram and Secretary Wayne Mallard.

As the LRPRA Board looks toward its 2014-2015 year, President Whitlock wants to “create a climate of engaged community-minded individuals.” Interested individuals should contact the Association at the email address below. The Board will be preparing its 2014-2015 budget and continues to move forward with its strategic plan and its mission, vision and values statements.

With the McCourt-to-Occoquan trail project now firmly in place, the LRPRA Board voted at the April meeting to form a trails oversight committee with Neil Nelson (chair), Gayle Whitlock and Doug O’Brien. The first meeting date of the committee will be posted soon on the Lake Ridge website (www.lakeridgeva.com). Homeowners are invited to attend and participate in this meeting. This is a very exciting project with lots of activities, including opportunities for local schools to become involved. For more information on the LRPRA Board contact [email protected].

COMCAST, BOYS & GIRLS CLUB AND LEADERSHIP PRINCE WILLIAM LEAD LARGEST VOLUNTEER PROJECT IN THE REGION

Manassas – April 21, 2014 – On Saturday, April 26, more than 30 local businesses will join Comcast employees and their families and friends to “make change happen” as they volunteer to improve Northern Virginia Family Service’s SERVE Food Pantry, Manassas Boys & Girls Club, Winter Branch Trails and Jennie Dean Park in the City of Manassas, V.A. as part of Comcast’s 13th Annual Comcast Cares Day.

Comcast Cares Day, which takes place each April during National Volunteer Month, is Comcast and NBCUniversal’s signature day of service and the nation’s largest single-day corporate volunteer effort. Projects range from painting curbs, street beatification, recycling debris and update fitness trails to name a few.

This year the Company expects more than 80,000 Comcast and NBCUniversal volunteers to participate in over 700 projects across the country and around the globe. To date, more than half a million volunteers have contributed over 3 million volunteer hours since Comcast Cares Day started in 2001.

This year’s collaboration is being led by Comcast, Boys & Girls Club, Leadership Prince William and the City of Manassas to improve the community during the 13th Comcast Cares Day. Event organizers are still looking for volunteers and groups to join us this Saturday between 9am – 12pm. Free vendor opportunities, event t-shirts and lunch will be provided .

Log on to www.LeadershipPrinceWilliam.org for more information. Join the growing list of Comcast Cares Day community partners that have joined this year’s volunteer efforts:

• Manassas Boys & Girls Club
• General Heiser Boys & Girls Club
• Hylton Boys & Girls Club
• Leadership Prince William
• Prince William Living Magazine
• Turner’s Total Communications
• Whitlock Wealth Managements
• Friends of SERVE
• CCAA Events
• West Star Mortgage
• Freedom Property Management
• Neville Empowerment Network
• It Works Global
• Exit Reality
• Liberty Mutual
• Coby Realty
• Light of Life Church
• Rising Above Expectations
• Jacobs & Co Real Estate
• Yellow Cab
• Novant Health
• The Pampered Chef
• G Team Sports
• Lindsey Business Group
• TekConnX
• HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire
• Team Sade’ Smith
• NOVA Technology Gateway Partnership
• The Fauquier Bank
• Smart Beginnings
• Prince William SHRM
• Potomac Local News
• Virginia Leadership Institute
• Walgreens
• Make The Future
• Christ New Birth Ministries
• Vandepool, Frostick & Nishanian P.C.