Business

Ballywhack Shack Café marked its grand opening with a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony this past Saturday, March 9. The café began on the town’s main drag, Mill Street, Ballywhack Shack, and has found its new a second home at 126 Commerce Street, neighboring the Golden Plum (previously known as Mom’s Apple Pie).

In a candid moment during the event, Sherry Mangas, owner of Ballywhack Shack, reminisced about the journey that led to this exciting milestone. Mangas shared her story, tracing back to her tenure at the Blue Arbor Café in 2007, where she discovered her passion for the culinary arts. Following the closure of Blue Arbor, fate intervened as she stumbled upon a humble shed on Mill Street, which she transformed into a thriving sandwich shop and hot dog stand.


Features

The Occoquan Town Council unanimously approved a new town seal following a comprehensive review process that included over 20 submissions curated through a crowdsourcing initiative supervised by Vice Mayor Jenn Loges.

The seal, designated for official town documents and related materials, was crafted better to encapsulate the town’s historical narrative and essence, incorporating visual elements emblematic of its commercial heritage, contemporary identity as a communal hub, and the significance of the Occoquan River and its surrounding natural landscape, states Mayor Earnie Porta.


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Occoquan Mayor Earnie Porta announced the passing of 19-year-old Occoquan resident Jason Brunsman, who lost his life in a car accident on Route 1. Brunsman, a lifelong resident of Occoquan, was involved in the accident early on the morning of February 14.

According to reports, Brunsman was driving a Ford Transit Van southbound on Route 1, nearing Giles Run Road in Lorton, when the vehicle collided with the rear end of a roll back dumpster truck that was stopped in the left lane, waiting to turn left. Brunsman sustained fatal injuries in the collision and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the roll back dumpster truck emerged from the accident unharmed.


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Occoquan Mayor Earnie Porta shed light on the occurrence of off-white, brownish suds and orange slime in the Occoquan River, clarifying that these phenomena are natural processes resulting from the breakdown of organic debris and bacterial action on iron, respectively.

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Occoquan Mayor Earnie Porta: “Understanding that in a community like Occoquan we are all neighbors, many of you have inquired about how you might support those impacted by the fire [that displaced eight people] at 116 Washington Street in Occoquan. After considering the best means of offering support and consultation with some of those affected, Occoquan Town Council Member Eliot Perkins has taken the lead in establishing a GoFundMe page to raise money for those affected. All proceeds will be distributed evenly among the 6 housing units impacted by the fire.”

“If you would like to contribute please go to gofund.me/c4cc641a. Thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity.”


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The Prince William County Fire Department responded to two separate incidents involving fires in different buildings today.

At 6:19 a.m., fire crews were called to the Chick-fil-A in the 9900 block of Sowder Village Square near Manassas. Units swiftly responded to reports of the building on fire, discovering flames emanating from the rear of the structure upon arrival. The fire caused moderate damage to the establishment, said Prince William County Assistant Fire Chief Matt Smolsky.


Features

Occoquan artist Vicky Somma has created many works of art throughout the years, but when she made Occoquan’s Mamie Davis Park into a Christmas ornament, she reached Hallmark Christmas Movie fame.

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The Occoquan Town Seal is getting a makeover.

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Prince William County Government: “Prince William County leaders, staff and members of the Lake Ridge community came together to celebrate the officially opening of the Occoquan Greenway Hedges Run Segment 3 Bridge that was installed earlier this summer.”

“The new bridge, for both pedestrians and bicyclists, is an upgrade to an existing trail, leased for public access from Lake Ridge Parks and Recreation Association, in the Lake Ridge community near the Occoquan Reservoir. The bridge and associated trail reroute replaces three splash-through creek crossings with a single elevated pedestrian/bicycle route.”


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