News

Stafford County’s Sheriffs will host Coffee with a Cop on October 30 at The Grounds Coffeehouse from 9 – 11 a.m.

The Coffee with a Cop program is a free, public event that allows community members to ask questions or have casual conversations with deputies. Spokesperson Ryan Wilbur said, “The goal has been and will always be to build a meaningful relationship with deputies and community members.”


News

From Potomac Mills mall

On Thursday, Oct. 31 children and families are encouraged to dress in their spookiest costumes to enjoy free candy and fun at Potomac Mills. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the mall will offer trick-or-treating at participating retailers, marked with a pumpkin sticker in their windows. Guests will also get to snap photos with Halloween characters roaming the mall and visit the photo station in Grand Court (near TJ Maxx) for more fun photo opportunities.


Manassas

Greetings, Prince William: Mark Your Calendars for Volunteer Prince William’s Fall Reverse Raffle & Dinner in support of Untrim-A-Tree, October 19, 6:30pm at Prince William County Fairgrounds 10624 Dumfries Road, Manassas 20112. Doors open at 6pm, the raffle begins at 7pm. Your $100 donation includes dinner for 2, two drink tickets per ticket and the opportunity to win prizes leading up to the Grand Prize of $10,000! It should be a fun evening of good food, networking, and a chance to win the Grand Prize, all to support a cause which will guarantee vulnerable children in our community will have a Merry Christmas on December 25! Please email [email protected] for more information.

If you are looking for other opportunities, please don’t forget to call our wonderful team at Volunteer Prince William at 703.369.5292. You can also visit our website at www.volunteerprincewilliam.org. Thanks so much for all you do in our community.


Fredericksburg

A consulting firm, Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects, is seeking more public input on the future of Alum Spring Park, Old Mill Park, and Ficklen Island in Fredericksburg. Since February, they have been gathering feedback to refine the city’s Parks and Recreation master plan.

Key issues identified include flooding and outdated facilities at Old Mill Park, the need for improved access and trail repairs at Alum Spring Park, and the potential removal of a concrete dam at Ficklen Island. The consultants have developed several concepts to address these concerns and now ask the public to weigh in on their recommendations before presenting them to city council this fall.The firm’s presentation, including maps and surveys, is available online.


Fredericksburg

After almost forty years, Library Director Martha Hutzel will retire from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library (CRRL) on Sept. 30. Hutzel was appointed director in 2016 after several prior positions at different library branches, including branch manager and head of circulation.

Hutzel said she was inspired to become a librarian “by [her] mother, who is still living at 102, and by [her] father, both of whom loved books and reading and set that example for their 13 children.” After completing chores on the dairy farm she grew up on, she and her siblings were allowed to read whatever they wanted. In the 1980s, Hutzel moved to Fredericksburg and immediately got a library card and part-time job at the Fredericksburg location. She said the staff “welcomed me with open arms and I fell into them.”


News

Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS) is holding a supply drive on Aug. 3, and donors will get a chance to dunk an administrator.

The drive will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. at Target in Stafford Marketplace (Stafford Marketplace (1090 Stafford Market Place).  SCPS Spokeswoman Sandra Osborn said the staff at Hartwood Elementary has signed up for the dunk tank.


News

Stafford County Animal Shelter has once again reached capacity and is pleading for adoptions and fosters.

In the month of June, the shelter has “had a record 32 dogs surrendered to our shelter in just 20 days,” according to their Facebook page. In addition to the surrenders, the shelter has had 23 stray dogs, with only 18 being reunited with their owners so far. They posted “57 dogs [are] currently in our care – 41 of them are available for adoption. This situation is unprecedented and simply not maintainable. Despite reaching out to our community countless times in the past few months, we find ourselves in an even worse situation each time we catch a glimpse of relief and the fact is, we are now at a breaking point.”