The Equine Rescue League marks a milestone this year – over 32 years of service to equines in need and the local community.

This year’s Fall Open House will be a reflection of all the Equine Rescue League has accomplished as well as a celebration of the horses, ponies, donkeys and mules who have come through the farm shelter. Many magnificent creatures have passed through the League’s facility. They have been physically and emotionally healed and have gone on to wonderful careers and loving homes.

The Open House provides an opportunity not only to learn about the League’s rescue, rehabilitation and adoption programs, but to also meet a variety of breeds and horses of all ages that are available for adoption. Each has their own moving and inspiring story of triumph.

Anyone with an interest in horses is welcome to come to the Open House. Whether looking for a new equine addition to the family or not, all are invited to spend time with the horses, enjoy the beautiful Loudoun County countryside and participate in a weekend of fun and activities.

Activities for the 32nd Anniversary Fall Open House include Live Music, Live Demonstrations, Used Tack sale, Bake Sale, Raffles and so much more. Funds raised are used to feed resident horses and provide each with necessary veterinary, farrier and dental care.

The Spring event will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 15 & 16, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Promise Kept Farm in Lovettsville, VA. Admission and parking are free. To ensure a safe and fun weekend for all, the League asks that visitors not bring their pets to the farm shelter.

For more information, please call 540-822-4577 or e-mail the League at [email protected]. The Equine Rescue League also maintains a website at www.equinerescueleague.org.

LOCATION: 12681 Taylorstown Road, Lovettsville, VA 20180

The Equine Rescue League is a non-profit organization that was established in 1990 to rescue and rehabilitate abused horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, provide educational services regarding equines to the local community and provide shelter, rehabilitation and adoption services for those animals in need.

Publish your press release for FREE on Potomac Local here.

Tuesday, October 11, 2022, Board of County Supervisors’ Meeting
James. J McCoart Administration Building 1 County Complex Court Prince William, VA 22912

Public access to Lake Jackson could be eliminated if the Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) reject a requested conservation easement for Dove’s Landing. In the 2019 Prince William County Unmet Needs Rating for Recreational Facility survey, 76% of those surveyed named waterfront park access as a top priority. Waterfront park access ranked No. 2 in a study that offered more than 30 recreational options. However, lack of a conservation easement opens the door to change. Some local residents oppose the Dove’s Landing Master Plan that will enhance public access to the natural area and Lake Jackson waterfront, even though these are publicly entitled. Conservation easement supporters overwhelmingly spoke out, at two public Master Plan meetings, on the need to protect the area.

All historical sites that are eligible come in under historic easements to ensure they are protected for future generations. We need to value our natural areas as much as our historical ones. As development progresses en masse, we know conservation in perpetuity is our best defense. When compared to surrounding localities with green space, Prince William County is behind. Federal government, regional government, everyone but the county has protected large lots of green spaces. Dove’s Landing is an opportunity for the county to show they’re committed to protecting environmental assets.

The master plan of the 235-acre site is slated for discussion at the October 11th (BOCS) meeting. Dove’s Landing provides unblemished woods and waterfront access for passive recreational use. It also encompasses Cedar Run and the Occoquan River. The Dove’s Landing portion of the Occoquan River is not just a wildlife habitat and water resource. It also flows into the Occoquan Reservoir that provides drinking water to nearly 40-percent of Northern Virginia.

Our priority is to ensure Dove’s Landing natural area parkland is permanently protected with a conservation easement that protects water quality and preserves untouched open spaces. The county spent $1 million to expand Dove’s Landing Park, and to repair the Lake Jackson Dam. This is public land, and the public deserves to use it.

We, along with our partners in conservation, ask the public to come out, voice support for a conservation easement, and mandate Dove’s Landing be left wild and beautiful. Those not able to attend the BOCS meeting can email the county directly at [email protected].

[More info]

Publish your press release for FREE on Potomac Local here.

According to the Pew Research Center, women represent a quarter or less of workers in computing and engineering. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Girls’ Tech Day is helping to change that.

On Saturday, October 1, AWS brought together more than 300 girls and young women from Prince William County, as well as across the DMV, to inspire and motivate them to pursue interests in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). Girls’ Tech Day is a free, half-day learning event that focuses on each of the STEAM areas with activities designed to educate, inspire, and to be enjoyed. The program showcased a wide range of tech careers and introduce participants to female tech trailblazers who shared their career journeys.

“On behalf of AWS, we’re proud to be able to help drive greater access to STEM education, particularly, supporting efforts to expose young girls to technology,” said Diya Wynn, Senior Practice Manager for Responsible AI, AWS. “Exposure to STEM education at a young age can be pivotal. I was exposed to tech when I was in the 3rd grade, and it was that experience that inspired me to choose a career in this field.”

AWS partnered with local schools to engage more the more than 300 middle school, high school, and college students across Prince William County and the DMV. Girls excitedly participated in interactive workshops that included experiencing using machine learning to program a microcontroller to “teach a machine” to sort cereal from marshmallows and experiencing what it is like to be a forensic scientist and crime scene investigator by collecting and processing evidence from a mock crime scene. Girls also heard from enriching panelist that included Deshauna Barber, 2016 Miss USA, IT Analyst & Army Reserve Officer, and Mental & Physical Health Advocate; Sarah Goolishian, documentary photographer and filmmaker; James Mitchell, Performance Analyst, Washington Spirits; and several women leaders within AWS.

AWS Girls’s Tech Day is part of a collection of activities AWS is spearheading to support STEAM education in Virginia. In 2019 Prince William County opened the world’s first AWS Think Big Space, an educational lab that provides students, educators, and communities with hands-on technical education and cloud computing training. AWS has now funded 38 spaces globally, including at Wakefield High School in Arlington County, Virginia. A new space is underway for Loudoun County, slated to open in the fall, which will also serve as an educational training hub for teachers in northern Virginia.

“AWS wants to inspire and support students and young women in the communities where we have presence. We’re proud to call Virginia home, and we’re excited to host this event here in Prince William County, building on our ongoing efforts to bring STEAM education opportunities to young learners,” added Wynn.

Girls’ Tech Day was launched in 2018 in Virginia, and since then, it has hosted in-person and virtual events in cities across the globe, reaching nearly 7,000 girls and young women aged 8-24, to inspire and motivate them to develop and pursue interests and careers in technology.

Publish your press release for FREE on Potomac Local here.

Workhouse Haunt: Nightmare Harvest Coming October 2022
Northern Virginia’s Outdoor Walk-Thru Haunted Trail Returns

Lorton, VA – (Sept. 30, 2022) The Workhouse Arts Center is thrilled to announce the return of a Northern Virginia Halloween season favorite, the Workhouse Haunt, an immersive scare-inducing outdoor haunted trail. This year’s Haunt, titled “Nightmare Harvest,” will run on weekends from Friday, Oct. 7 through Saturday, Nov. 5. Friday and Saturday hours are 7-11pm and Sunday hours are 7-10pm. The Haunt will also perform on Halloween night, Monday, Oct. 31, from 7-9pm. Each Friday and Saturday night from Oct. 7 through Oct. 29, live bands will perform in the Rizer Pavilion near the Haunt Bar, where guests can purchase snacks and beverages. Tickets are now available for purchase and prices start at $30 per person. Visit www.workhousearts.org for schedule and event details.

The Workhouse Haunt is a long-standing Northern Virginia tradition, which serves not only as Halloween entertainment, but also as an extension of the Workhouse Performing Arts Program, allowing local youth to practice their acting skills, set production and overall theatrical skills, with the training of seasoned professionals, Guests will travel in small groups for a frightening experience that brings them next to the site’s abandoned, historic buildings where they will encounter terrifying characters and sights that are not for the faint of heart. Tickets are sold online only, via timed entry, and advance purchase is highly recommended to reserve a time slot.

“This year we have partnered with the Lorton Community Action Center to encourage guests to give back to the community by donating food and other items when they attend the Haunt,” says Leon Scioscia, President and CEO of the Workhouse Arts Center. “We will have a drop off location available on site.”
InsideNoVa is the media sponsor for this year’s Haunt, and tickets for the Haunt Preview Night can be purchased directly from their website.
Haunt: Nightmare Harvest 2022 Schedule:

Fridays – Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 7pm – 11pm.
Saturdays – Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5, 7pm – 11pm.
Sundays – Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 7pm – 10pm.
Monday – Halloween, Oct. 31, 7pm – 9pm.

From Oct. 7 through Oct. 29, Friday and Saturday evenings will include a rotating schedule of live music in the Rizer Pavilion, which also serves as a check-in area and “virtual line” for Haunt entry. The slate of talent will be uploaded on the Workhouse website and ticketing pages as each band is confirmed.

Food trucks, soft drinks, wine, and themed-specialty drinks will be available for purchase on site. Bunnyman Brewing will be the exclusive beer vendor for the Haunt. And will feature selections of microbrew favorites from their unique draft beer truck. As Oct. 1 is Preview Night, food and beverage service will not be available.

About Workhouse Arts Center
The Workhouse Arts Center, a project of the Workhouse Arts Foundation, helps to grow and support a vibrant arts center that offers engaging opportunities and inspiring experiences for all in visual and performing arts, education classes, historical perspective, community engagement and personal enrichment. The Workhouse is housed at a unique historical property–a 55-acre portion of the DC Correctional Complex’s former campus in Lorton, VA that dates back to 1910. After the complex’s closure in 2001, Fairfax County leadership and an adaptive reuse task force transformed the site into a community arts center where people could learn about, participate in, and be inspired by the region’s and nation’s best visual and performing arts talent, and come together for festivals and community building. Opened in 2008, the Workhouse Arts Center now curates and presents a dozen art exhibitions from local, regional and national artists. It houses nearly 65 resident and associate artists who produce 70-plus annual shows, presents 300 performing arts events and offers over 300 education classes, engaging nearly 100,000 people annually.

About InsideNoVa
InsideNoVa is Northern Virginia’s leading news source. Its primary website, InsideNoVa.com, receives over 3 million page views and 900,000 unique visitors a month, and the company also publishes weekly newspapers in Prince William, Rappahannock and Culpeper counties, as well as a group of community lifestyle magazines and FauquierNow.com. Its ticketing platform, InsideNoVaTix.com, is the exclusive ticketing partner for events at the Workhouse Arts Center.

About Lorton Community Action Center
The Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC) seeks to provide low-income individuals, senior citizens, and families residing in Fort Belvoir, Lorton, Newington and other portions of southeast Fairfax County with access to basic needs and the opportunity to empower themselves through LCAC’s self-sufficiency programs. LCAC strives to connect people with other programs in the area that will have a positive impact on a family’s long-term “health. LCAC’s goal is to break the cycle of poverty and prevent homelessness through a variety of services and programs.

About Bunnyman Brewing
Bunnyman Brewing, a micro-brewery tucked away in the suburbs of Fairfax/Burke, Virginia, crafts high-quality beers with an exciting rotation of unique and variations. Bunnyman proudly features an 18-tap self-pour system in the main taproom and an additional 9-tap system in the Mezzanine, allowing guests to pay by the ounce. There are 3 tasting areas – the lower main tasting room, an upstairs Mezzanine, and ample outdoor space, including a large Oktoberfest tent. We invite you to come by, relax, have a beer, and tell some local stories about the legendary Bunnyman.

Publish your press release for FREE on Potomac Local here.

ARTfactory invites you to our first annual Haunted Hallows Ghost Tour on October 22, 2022. Our spine-tingling tours will consist of fictional and historical ghost hosts that will take you into some local shops and iconic stops in Manassas’ historic district. Be prepared to meet some other spirits along the way.

Join our family-friendly soirée at the ARTfactory where there will be Halloween music, dancing, sweet treats, games, and our Phantom Photobooth. A special guest appearance from the Sanderson Sisters of the NOVA Realm will put on a small performance.

Tours will begin at 7pm and 8:15pm. Please arrive 10 minutes before the tours begin. Tickets are $25 per adult and $18 per child and can be purchased at https://www.virginiaartfactory.org/tickets/.

To inquire about this special event or if your business would like to sponsor this event and be a part of ARTfactory history, please contact ARTfactory’s Executive Director, Talya Conroy at [email protected] or call (703) 330-2787.

Press Contact: Talya Conroy,
Executive Director
[email protected]
(703) 330-2787
9419 Battle St. Manassas, VA 20110

[More info]

Publish your press release for FREE on Potomac Local here.

Reduce congestion and pollution! Get some exercise and fresh air! OmniRide, in partnership with Commuter Connections, is asking residents to pledge to be car-free on September 22, 2022. On this day, the agency would like residents to forgo commuting alone by car and instead choose to either use public transportation, carpool or vanpool, bike, walk, or even telework from home.

Car Free Day is a worldwide event that encourages greener methods of travel. Commuter Connections hosts Car Free Day in the Washington, DC region to bring awareness to the benefits of travel options such as transit, bicycling and walking; and telework for people who can work from home. Carpooling and vanpooling count too, which is referred to as “car-lite” since they are both lighter on the wallet and the environment than driving alone in a car.

Everyone who signs up to take the free pledge at www.carfreemetrodc.org will receive a District Taco promo code for $3 OFF an online order of $10 or more, and will be automatically entered in a raffle for a chance to win great prizes, including a Samsung Galaxy Tab, gift cards from Giant Food Stores, VRE commuter train round-trip passes, $25 SmarTrip fare cards, Capital Bikeshare annual memberships, annual Washington Area Bicyclist Association memberships, and more! Raffle prizes were made possible by the generosity of many local businesses who are using this opportunity to support going green and cleaner air for the region.

Pledge participants also have an opportunity to learn about the transportation options, infrastructure, and resources in Prince William County, by playing BINGO. Play for a chance to win a City of Manassas gift card or one of five OmniRide gift bags. Prizes will be mailed to the winners after they have been contacted.

Commuter Connections is a program of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). Commuter Connections promotes bicycling to work, ridesharing, and other alternatives to drive alone commuting; provides ridematching for carpools and vanpools; and offers the free Guaranteed Ride Home program. Commuter Connections is funded by the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and the U.S. Departments of Transportation.

OmniRide’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program assists employers to coordinate ridesharing and implement teleworking and commuter benefits programs for their employees. OmniRide TDM also partners with other agencies on transportation planning and operating initiatives, ridesharing strategies, transportation planning studies, capital project management, policy analysis, and regional coordination.

“Car-Free Day reminds the residents of Prince William County about how we can get out of our SOV’s (Single Occupancy Vehicles) and into a form of transportation to travel and commute throughout the region,” said Holly Morello, OmniRide TDM Manager. “It is our hope that once residents experience how easy it is to use alternative transportation and the many benefits that come with it that they will choose to make this a habit in their daily lives.”

There are many benefits to going car-free for both humans and the planet. Bicycling and walking are great ways to stay healthy. Using more sustainable ways to get around helps reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion. The more people who travel using bicycles, buses, trains, carpools and vanpools, the fewer pollutants are released into the atmosphere.

[More info]

Publish your press release for FREE on Potomac Local here.

Eats Burgers is holding a Give Back Day to raise money for Thurman Brisben Center on October 23rd 11am-7pm.

[September 15, 2022]: “When our community calls, we do our best to answer,” says Kelly Hunt, owner of the newly opened local burger joint, Eats Burgers. “A representative from the Thurman Brisben Center reached out concerning the need for a sponsor to help cover the cost of radio advertising that is desperately needed to get the word out about fundraising going into the holiday season. We immediately knew that we must help.”

The Brisben Center is the greater community’s largest full service, year-round, residential emergency homeless center. Their mission is to provide temporary shelter and equip residents for employability to resolve poverty and obtain housing for the 3000 women, children and men that experience homelessness in the Fredericksburg region each year. The need is greater than ever and will continue to grow in the colder months.

Eats’ sister restaurant, Mason-Dixon Cafe, launched “Give Back Mondays” last December and since has raised over $6,000 for many local charities, one of which includes the Shelter. “Giving back to the community that I grew up in and has supported us for 10 years is incredibly important to me,” says Hunt. “We are not just “Where the Locals Really Eat”, we are the Locals. We are this community, and we are so proud and lucky to be here. It’s the least we can do.”

Eats is joining in the local effort by kicking off this first of many charity events. The event will be held at the restaurant, located in the restored old Mr. Dee’s on Lafayette Blvd., and will feature fun activities for kids, live music on the patio, lots of great raffle prizes generously donated by local businesses, and more. Eats will donate 10% of the total sales from the day to the Thurman Brisben Center, in addition to 100% of the money raised through raffle sales and donations.

“The Shelter’s goal is $1500. That is what is needed for the radio advertising, but we want to raise so much more for them,” says Mark Clark, District Manager. “We know that we can do it with the help of our amazing Fredericksburg community.” They are hoping for a big turnout for a day of fun and great food for a great cause.
About Eats Burgers

Eats Burgers is located at 701 Lafayette Blvd, in downtown Fredericksburg. Their menu features fresh, local beef smash burgers, fresh hand battered seafood, foot-long hot dogs and desserts featuring local favorites, Freddy’s Donuts and Tilly’s Homemade Ice Cream. For more information about Eats and the upcoming events, visit www.eatsburgers.com and follow them on Facebook and Instagram @eatsburgersfxbg.

Media Information
Contact Person: Kelly Hunt
Contact Number: 540-220-8867
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.eatsburgers.com

[More info]

Publish your press release for FREE on Potomac Local here.

On August 20, 2022, an Expungement Clinic will be held in Manassas. This is the second expungement clinic to be held in the area.

The first-of-its-kind in Virginia event debuted in the Town of Dumfries created and led by Dumfries Vice Mayor Monae Nickerson and Councilwoman Selonia Miles. The event, which was held with the support of Clerk of Circuit Court Jacqueline Smith, Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth and the Dumfries Police Department, has been credited with creating a “blueprint” for such events across the Commonwealth.

Inaccuracies on criminal records can stem from mismatched identities, erroneous inclusion of minor offenses, or stale court case information. This can prevent people from becoming gainfully employed, accessing housing, and taking advantage of other important opportunities.

The August 20 event will be held at the Manassas Volunteer Fire Station located at 9322 Center Street in Manassas. Inspired by the success of the Dumfries clinic and her experience as a volunteer attorney there, this event is being held by Delegate Michelle Maldonado, with the support of the Circuit’s Constitutional Officers: Clerk of Circuit Court Jacqueline Smith, Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth, and Sheriff Glenn Hill.

The Prince William County Bar Association is generously providing free training for attorneys and legal services to the clinic participants to make the event a success. Those interested are encouraged to preregister by following this link: tinyurl.com/2p8ckfze.

The Friends of the Occoquan team and mascot Sheba invite you to come out and be a River Hero!

Saturday, October 1st, 2022
9 AM to 12 PM

At one of these 5 locations:

Lake Ridge Marina
Contact:  Renate Vanegas  703-674-6659

Town of Occoquan
Contact:  Julie Little    703-491-2168

Occoquan Regional Park
Contact:  Alex Vanegas   703-674-7847

Fountainhead Regional Park
Contact: Sonia Monson  703-581-5487
https://www.friendsoftheoccoquan.org/
Bull Run Marina
Contact: German Vanegas 703-624-7124

How do I sign up?

Look at the locations (above) and email ([email protected]) the required information listed below.

1. Location/Check-in time
2. First and last names of the volunteers in your group
3. Contact number and email address
4. Do you need a community service letter? Please include your name and mailing address.

Refreshments will be in a grab-and-go style and will include packaged snacks and bottled drinks.

Please wear sturdy shoes and proper attire for getting muddy.

There is no rain date for this event.  In case of inclement weather please check the FOTO website or Facebook page for updates.

Get out with your family or friends and do your part in keeping the source of our drinking water pristine.

For more details visit our website homepage at https://www.friendsoftheoccoquan.org/

OmniRide has scheduled a series of public hearings to discuss proposed changes to multiple routes.

The proposed changes include:

• OmniRide Express – Routing changes to I-66 OmniRide Express routes to reflect the anticipated opening of Express Lanes; New route from Manassas to Dulles/Reston; Multiple routing changes to
• I-95 OmniRide Express routes
  OmniRide Metro Express – Additional service and routing changes on Route 60; Route 61 becomes a shuttle between multiple western commuter lots
• OmniRide Local – Additional hours and routing changes for Route 65 and Route 67
• OmniRide Access – Additional hours

Public hearings will be held:

• Monday, August 15, 2022, at 5:30 pm
  at Manassas Mall Community Room
  8300 Sudley Road, Manassas, VA 20109
  (Use mall entrance near IHOP and turn right for Community Room)
• Tuesday, August 16, 2022, at 6:00 pm
  at the OmniRide Transit Center
  14700 Potomac Mills Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192
• Wednesday, August 17, 2022, at 5:30 pm
  at the Georgetown South Community Center
  9444 Taney Road, #100, Manassas, VA 20110

OmniRide is the operating name for the mobility services offered by the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC). The organization provides Local bus service in Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park; Express service for commuters along the I-95 and I-66 corridors to employment centers in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.; and Metro Express which connects riders with Metro Stations. In addition, OmniRide’s Employer Services assists local employers who wish to establish or expand an employee transportation program.

You can learn more about the proposed changes at OmniRide.com.

About Us

The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), operating as OmniRide, provides a variety of services in Prince William County, Stafford County, the City of Manassas and the City of Manassas Park including: OmniRide Express and OmniRide Local bus routes; OmniRide Ridesharing for the promotion of carpools and vanpools; and OmniRide Employer Services which helps businesses to implement and expand commuter benefit programs. PRTC also co-sponsors the Virginia Railway Express in partnership with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.