MANASSAS — The city of Manassas has acquired Annaburg Manor, a historic property, for the purpose of turning it into park space. The property has 3.65 acres of land, but the building is badly in need of renovation.
“Resident surveys have noted a lack of public space and a need for additional space in the community. This is a very nice, undeveloped area,” said Manassas city manager Patrick Pate.
Annaburg Manor was previously owned by the Prince William Hospital Corporation and they voted on last week to sell the land to the city for $846,000. The city of Manassas has 60 days to perform “due diligence” and assess the physical condition of the property.
Ideally, for the city, an interested nonprofit organization will step up and take over the renovation of the property before those 60 days are up. Prince William Hospital Corporation will provide a $75,000 challenge donation to that organization to help renovate the grounds.
Currently, an interested party has not emerged, but “we are hoping someone steps in to get it fixed,” said Patty Prince, communications manager for the city.
After the 60 days are up, Manassas city council will have the ability to publicly vote to appropriate the land.
Over the years, the manor has fallen into disrepair, crumbling from age and lack of upkeep.
“Any time you have a structure that is not being used, you’re going to have some deterioration,” Pate said. “The hospital has been very good about any issues that were pointed out, such as a loose drainage line, and they have fixed those issues.”
Councilmember Ian Lovejoy wrote a Facebook status explaining details of the sale. “One consistent issue brought up in citizen surveys and professional analysis the city has commissioned is our lack of green space/park infrastructure,” he wrote. “This deal is mainly about securing the green space around Annaburg as a park. The house is largely just along for the ride.”
“The plan is to use money from land sales at Gateway to complete the purchase, rather than general fund/tax based revenue,” Lovejoy said.
In addition to its land, the manor has historic significance as well. It was built from 1892 to 1894 by Robert Portner, and was one of the first homes to have mechanical air conditioning. It was later used as a nursing and rehabilitation center from the 1960s to 2007, run by Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center.
“This beautiful piece of land will make a great addition to the City’s parkland,” Mayor Hal Parrish said in a press release. “On a beautiful day, I can see children playing in the park, folks taking a break from the day in this space and even an occasional wedding or event taking place here.”
This will be the 16th park for the city of Manassas. Pate said it will most likely be a passive park — something with nice walking trails and picnic tables. As the discussion moves forward, Pate said that the city will likely hold neighborhood meetings to find out what amenities residents would like to have in the park.
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY — A new pathology lab, Transcendent Pathology, will call the Prince William Science Accelerator home.
Founder, Dr. Gerelyn Henry, BS Veterinary Medicine, MBA American College of Forensic Examiners, said she chose Prince William County because of its relationship with organizations in Innovation Park, its proximity to Washington, DC and their affiliation with George Mason University.
“Our motto is from the benchside to the bedside and every step in between,” says Henry. Henry said her organization helps clients to innovate from the first stage of discovery to clinical trials and human trials and then back again.
Henry said they have two typical clients they work with. For veterinary diagnostics, she says their typical client is a practicing veterinarian, ranging from a general practitioner to a specialist like a surgeon or a dermatologist.
The second type of client they work with is a research client. She says these can range from university researchers to government or private companies. Henry said these researchers are studying a particular disease, an aspect of the disease process, natural phenomenon or the effects of a medical device like a heart valve and how it will affect the body. Henry said her lab works with these clients to determine what the course of treatment will look like.
“We help them with proof of concept studies, discovery studies, all the way to pre-clinical studies in animals or model systems,” she said.
The firm considered other locations during their search for space such as Activation Capital in Richmond; Bio Health Innovation in Rockville, Md. and the University of Virginia Research Park in Charlottesville.
Henry started the parent company of the lab, YW August Company in Charlottesville. There are several subsidiaries of the parent company, including the lab in Prince William and a Center for Integrative Veterinary Medicine that is up and coming.
The company has formed a doctor’s organization entitled IV Docs for veterinary doctors and MDs, which will be membership-based and provide escalating levels of profit sharing and opportunities for these doctors to become leaders in the organization.
Henry attended UVA School of Business and moved to Charlottesville to get the “full UVA experience.”Henry said it was here that she started her business. Henry said they are a “translational medicine and science organization.”
Henry said pathologists are concerned with the “whole spectrum of the disease process” from inception to resolution. Henry said her new lab is currently leasing 440 square feet of space and they have five to six people currently working on site. Henry said they also have some scientists and pathologists working remotely.
MANASSAS — (Press Release) VetPar is pleased to announce the final details for the 10th Annual Northern Virginia Veterans Parade.
The parade will be held on Saturday, November 3rd, 2018 at 11 a.m. and will honor the 100th Anniversary of the American Legion. This year’s Grand Marshal is former American Legion and Virginian Commander Dan Dellinger.
- A DMV Mobile Office will be on site at the Harris Pavilion to serve our veterans and their families with DMV transactions.
- The Hylton Performing Arts Center will display the Veterans and the Arts Initiative. This program benefits veterans by facilitating community engagement through local arts organizations that establish lasting connections to the arts and supports strong social relationships within the community.
- The Department of Veterans Affairs will offer information on VA benefits and services.
- The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Veterans Affairs will provide information on support and resources available through Virginia agencies.
FREDERICKSBURG —Â The Fredericksburg City Council met Tuesday to discuss three issues that have arisen with the Potomac Nationals move from Woodbridge to the city.
The P-Nats proposed a stadium resolution that would be privately funded by team owner Art Silber and Mary Washington Healthcare, the current investor. The stadium would be located on Celebrate Virginia South, near Wegmans grocery store and the Fredericksburg Expo Center.
The city’s Planning Commission amended their current comprehensive plan to bring the P-Nats to Fredericksburg. The current Comprehensive Plan calls for a Minor League Baseball stadium in Celebrate Virginia South, but it does not mention significant public support and use of the facility.
The original letter of intent was agreed upon by the city and club owner Art Silber in July. The city will contribute $1.05 million each year to the team for 30 years.
The amendments to the comprehensive plan include the city’s right to use the stadium during the off-season (starting about September 1).
The second amendment to the comprehensive plan includes transportation. The amendment includes a realignment of Celebrate Virginia South. The changes include the creation of a network of a collection of streets tied into the proposed interstate interchange.
The third amendment includes a need to have an empty portion of the Carl D. Silver Parkway right-of-way realigned. The current general development plan shows a future extension of the parkway that would extend right through the middle of the stadium property. The proposed realignment would curve around the stadium and would allow a potential Intersection with Gordon W. Shelton Boulevard.
No action took place on the proposed amendments. Instead, the city will hold another public hearing about the proposed amendments and an update on the stadium process and take action on the amendments to the comprehensive plan on Tuesday, November 13.
The current plan for seating in the stadium is along the first and third baselines and around home plate. The stadium would be constructed so that crowd noise and sound from the stadium’s public address system will be directed toward centerfield away from any surrounding neighborhoods that are located around the stadium.
The stadium could also be a future venue for music concerts.
The Potomac Nationals are currently in the midst of the 120-day study period in order for the stadium to be built. Not only are they seeking approval from the city they also need approval from Minor League Baseball and the Carolina League.
The city calls for a shared parking agreement between the Expo Center and the proposed stadium.
The team and the city’s plan to have the stadium ready to play ball by Opening Day 2020.
Fredericksburg originally tried to acquire the Hagerstown Suns in 2013 but the deal ultimately fell through because the team and the city could not agree on who would build the parking lot.
STAFFORD — (Press Release) The Treasurer’s Office will be closing early on Friday, October 26, 2018, at 3:00 p.m. for a computer systems upgrade.
The office will reopen for business on Monday, October 29, at 8:00 a.m. Citizens will still have access to search, view or pay their utilities bills and taxes online through the myStafford customer portal on Stafford’s website.
Payments can be made by phone at 1-844-817-9045 or placed in the drop box located at the entrance of the George L. Gordon, Jr., Government Center, 1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford, VA 22554.
Exclusive
WOODBRIDGE — The numbers used to project how many children will fill Prince William County classroom seats in the coming years are inaccurate.
The projections are supposed to align with the number of new planned housing developments. The inaccuracies come as the county is in talks to budget $143 million for new school buildings to get students out of classroom trailers which are commonly found throughout the school division.
Independent analysts said the school division over counted as many as 1,300 new students that would come to the schools from new housing developments across the county, resulting in a $360 million over budget projection. They charge the school division counted housing developments that ended up not being approved by county leaders or those whose developers chose not to move ahead with construction.
Dave Beavers, who works for the school division counted and said they identified an error of fewer than 400 students, “not $360 million of an issue.” He did not give an alternative amount to counter the $360 million figure.
Occoquan District Supervisor Ruth Anderson on Monday cast doubt on the accuracy of county schools projections at a meeting of the Joint County/School Capital Process Committee meeting at Prince William County Government – James J. McCoart Administration Building.
At an Oct. 2 Prince William County Board of Supervisors, Anderson said that her office discovered the inaccuracies and claimed that “the data that they are using from county development projects and feeding into their formulas have room for improvement regarding accurate projections that we use for our five-year budget and our 10-year budget.”
Gainesville District Supervisor Peter Candland at the meeting said Anderson was “a little too generous on the concern of those numbers.”
“When you go through that data- and I’ve just gone through the Gainesville district – I saw several projects that are basically off the books.” Â
The schools are still counting developments like Prince William Station in the Brentsville District – that was going to have 2,000 homes – in their projection data. “We need to get that data more accurate.” He said.
“This is the information that we use when we talk about rezoning applications, and we talk about land use issues. We come in, and we hold up that data as the Bible, and we can’t do this or we can do this based on what that information says,” Candland added.
Bob Weir, a former councilman on Haymarket town council and a former member of the Haymarket planning commission, also examined the data.
Bob Weir cited Dove’s Landing, a failed-to-launch housing development near Manassas that the county bought 22 years ago and is now slated for use as a public park. The schedule still showed 100 homes for the property, said Weir.
“It points to a level of incompetence or laziness or worse…” he added.
Weir said the school division failed to vet it, and the Board of Supervisors do not do a thorough review of the budget, so both are at fault. “The errors are of such magnitude and such differing types,” Weir said.
As for why the numbers are off, Beavers explained that there is a time lag because the revenue committee releases their projection in December and the schools release theirs in October, so they don’t quite mesh sometimes.  He also explained that they take “cues” from the business community where development may occur to build their numbers.
He reiterated that, all told, the school system only identified 395 projected students that were presumed to be located in the “incorrect geographic location.”
Beavers said their effect is “negligible.”
Candland asked what determines when the schools take a community development out of the plan – even if it’s six to 10 years past. Â
“So you don’t do a three or four- year audit?” Candland said.
Beavers said the purpose of these projections were developed to assess future school facilities.
“I think this is what scares people,” Anderson said, about there being no explanation for the chart. She asked for a reason to be provided along with the chart.
Occoquan District School Board Member Lillie Jessie cited the region’s high concentration of military causing people moving out – and how projections can be off because this is a highly transient area.
Beavers said that they embrace any help in making their data better.
Anderson said Woodbridge High School is not currently overcapacity and the charts she’s looking at say there are, mysteriously, going to be another 600 students.
“We cannot find the developments” to produce these kinds of students, she said.
Beavers replied that we have to take in to account the element of progression. “They could be elementary school students already, and they’re going to progress over,” he said.
Jessie said someone from the planning office should be on the committee to help with communication. Woodbridge District School Board Member Loree Williams said she considers the plan more of a “living document.”
Anderson said errors that her staff had found in the data, such as duplicate developments such as Ray’s Regarde — a proposed housing development of 325 homes on Horner Road in Woodbridge that last week was kicked back to the Planning Commission for further review.
Anderson and Williams, who had a tense back and forth through a good portion of the night, exchanged words about the accuracy. Williams asked that if the numbers are inaccurate, does Anderson not think the school division’s overall capital improvement plan that outlines what new school facilities are needed in the next 10 years, is a valid document?
“It’s going to be,” Anderson replied.
The members of the joint committee agreed that better communication is needed between the school division and the county government. They continue working on a solution ahead of a joint meeting of the County Board of Supervisors and School Board meeting Nov. 27.
County officials urged committee members to reach a conclusion sooner than later and decide whether or not to fund the $143 million plan to get students out of trailers, in time for the funding to be included in the next five-year budget plan early next year.
Northern Virginia elections officials are seeing a significant increase in the number of voters casting absentee ballots, a trend they expect to continue as the Nov. 6 midterm election draws closer.
Officials in Prince William and Stafford counties, along with Manassas city, will have extended hours for absentee voting in the final two weeks before next month’s local and federal election.
With less than two weeks until Election Day, deadlines are quickly approaching. In all Virginia jurisdictions:
- The final day to request an absentee ballot by mail is Tuesday, Oct. 30, by 5 p.m. That can be done via the Virginia Department of Elections website.
- The final day for in-person absentee voting is Saturday, Nov. 3. To vote in person, you don’t need to request a ballot in advance. Simply appear at the voting location with photo identification.
Officials expect the number of absentee votes to continue at the above-average pace they’ve seen so far.
“It is like a presidential year, and I know it’s true across the commonwealth,” said Leslie O. Kostelecky, elections administrative specialist in the Prince William County elections office. Most days, more than 500 county voters have been casting absentee ballots.
In Stafford County, Registrar Greg Riddlemoser said absentee voting is “definitely up,” adding that “it’s nowhere near a presidential year, but it’s more than a gubernatorial year.”
As of Oct. 24, more than 126,000 people had cast absentee ballots statewide since voting began Sept. 15, according to an analysis of voting data by the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project. That’s an increase of more than 115 percent from the same point in the 2017 election, which included the governor’s race.
In Stafford County, the increase is 185 percent compared to last year, while in Prince William County it’s 135 percent.
The Virginia absentee numbers reflect the trend nationwide, where the number of people voting before Election Day is up considerably this year, according to a report in The New York Times.
“If these patterns persist, we could see a turnout rate at least equaling the turnout rate in 1966, which was 48 percent, and if we beat that then you have to go all the way back to 1914, when the turnout rate was 51 percent,” Michael McDonald, a professor of political science at the University of Florida who studies elections, told The Times. “We could be looking at a turnout rate that virtually no one has ever experienced.”
Virginia does not permit early voting, but voters who can’t make it to the polls on Election Day can qualify to vote absentee for a variety of reasons. Those include: commuting to work or being out of town on Election Day, attending college away from home, being a first responder or active military member, being pregnant, being ill or caring for someone who is ill.
A complete list of the qualifications for voting absentee can be found on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
What’s on the Ballot
This year is a midterm election, meaning it’s not a presidential election year. All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the 100 U.S. senators are up for election.
This year, that includes a Virginia statewide U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democrat Tim Kaine, the former governor, who is facing Republican Corey Stewart, the chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, and Libertarian Matt J. Waters, a Northern Virginia political fundraiser.
In addition, there are three congressional races in Prince William, Stafford, and Manassas:
- 1st District: Republican Robert J. “Rob” Wittman vs. Democrat Vangie A. Williams.
- 10th District: Republican Barbara J. Comstock vs. Democrat Jennifer T. Wexton.
- 11th District: Republican Jeff A. Dove Jr. vs. Democrat Gerald Edward Connolly vs. Libertarian Stevan M. Porter.
There are several ways to find out which congressional district you’re in, including:
- Check your voter registration online, which lists your congressional district, via the Virginia Department of Elections.
- Check via the U.S. House of Representatives website.
You can find sample ballots for your specific locality — including two constitutional amendments plus local races — via the Virginia Department of Elections website.
Absentee Voting in Prince William County
Voters in Prince William County can cast absentee ballots in person at three vote center locations:
- Main Office of Elections
at 9250 Lee Avenue, Suite 1, in Manassas. - DMV Office of Elections
at 2731 Caton Hill Road in Woodbridge. - Haymarket Gainesville Community Library at 14870 Lightner Road in Haymarket.
All vote centers will be open Monday through Friday, until Nov. 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition, they will be open the two Saturdays before Election Day — Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 — from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Complete voting information can be found at the Prince William County Office of Elections website.
Absentee Voting in Stafford County
Voters in Stafford County can cast absentee ballots in person at the elections office at 1300 Courthouse Road in Stafford.
The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In addition, the office will be open the two Saturdays before Election Day — Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 — from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More information can be found at the Stafford County Voter Registration website.
Absentee Voting in Manassas
Voters in the city of Manassas can cast absentee ballots in person at the elections office at 9025 Center Street in Manassas.
The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be extended evening hours Oct. 24-26 and Nov. 1-2, with voting available those days from 8:30 a.m. until 9 p.m.
In addition, the elections office will be open the two Saturdays before Election Day — Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 — from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More information can be found at the Manassas Voter Registration and Elections website.
Absentee Voting in Manassas Park
Voters in Manassas Park can cast absentee ballots in person at the elections office at City Hall, One Park Center Court, in Manassas Park.
The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In addition, the elections office will be open the two Saturdays before Election Day — Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 — from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More information can be found at the Manassas Park Voter Registration website.
Absentee Voting by Mail
You also can vote absentee from home by having a ballot mailed to you. To get a ballot mailed, voters must submit an application, which can be found at the Virginia Department of Elections website .
The deadline for requesting to have an absentee ballot mailed is Tuesday, Oct. 30, by 5 p.m. Those completed ballots must then be returned to the elections office in your locality by the time the polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.
Three Things to Know Before You Go
- Whether you’re voting absentee or on Election Day, make sure your voter registration is up to date. You can verify that online via the Virginia Department of Elections.
- On Election Day, you need to know where your polling place is. You also can find that information online via the Virginia Department of Elections.
- No matter which method you vote, you’ll need to bring photo identification with you. There are several forms you can use — including a Virginia driver’s license or DMV-issued photo ID, a U.S. passport, and an employer or student ID. You can find a complete list of the acceptable forms of valid identification online via the Virginia Department of Elections.
Team CoverageÂ
FREDERICKSBURG — A heated Congressional midterm race in Virginia’s First District between incumbent Rob Wittman (R) and challenger Vangie Williams (D) took part in a debate at Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg on Monday night.
Both candidates answered controversial questions that came from moderators or the audience who wrote questions on index cards before the debate started.
Both Wittman and Williams alternated who would answer questions first. Each candidate was given two minutes to answer each question. The candidate that answered the question first was allowed to rebuttal the claims made against them.
There was no easy or warm-up question. The debate started controversially as moderator and Political Science Professor Dr. Steven Farnsworth asked about the Affordable Care Act.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) or more widely known as “Obamacare” enacted by Congress in 2010 and signed into law by President Obama. The ACA was the largest expansion of Medicare and Medicaid since both programs passed in 1965. Obamacare allowed more access to health care for people who previously couldn’t afford it.
“As I talk with the people across the first district they do not want a government take over [of healthcare],” Wittman said.
“Congressman Wittman has been in office for 11 years and his party has been in control for the most part,” Williams claimed. “They have done nothing.”
Illegal Immigration has become a hot topic over the past few years with the Trump Administration wishing to “build the wall” and Democrats strongly opposing the wall.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has become a hot topic and poker piece for both Republicans and Democrats during the budget process earlier this year.
DACA is an American immigration policy that allows some individuals who were brought to the United States illegally as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and become eligible for a work permit in the U.S.
“If an immigrant comes to America they must do so legally,” Williams said, drawing a few groans from her supporters.
“Our current immigration system is broken […] We are a country of laws,” Wittman said.
With the debate taking place at a college a question, the candidates were asked about the issue of student loan debt.
About 44.5 million former and current college students have some form of student loan debt. They owe about $1.5 trillion in debt. The average college student that graduated from college in 2016 owes $28,446 in student loans.
“The debt crisis has gotten out of control,” Williams said. “There are no incentives for colleges to help their students out. We [Congress] are going to find a way to help pay off student debt.”
“We have to emphasize Career and Technical Education. (CTE)” Wittman said. “Both should be equally represented, CTE and college education.”
Williams’ tagline of the night was “We Deserve Better” when she was referring to her statements against Wittman.
Following the debate, Wittman stayed at the debate center an hour after the event to talk to anyone who wanted to continue the conversation about current issues.
Williams stayed for about 10 minutes for photos then left and was spotted at a nearby restaurant with a small group of her supporters.
Wittman was first elected during a special election in December 2007 after the death of former Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis. Wittman was reelected in 2016 for his fifth full term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Wittman has also served on the Monnstrass Town Council, Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors, and Virginia House of Delegates.
Williams has never run for political office but is a longtime resident of King George County. Williams is a strategic planner and a mother of six daughters. Williams currently works full-time for a government contractor as a Strategic Planner/Senior Project Control Principal.
Team CoverageÂ
FREDERICKSBURG — People of all political views gathered at the University of Mary Washington for the First Congressional District Debate on Monday between Republican incumbent Rob Wittman and Democratic candidate Vangie Williams.
“It’s my civil duty to listen to what people have to say,” university student Darcy Spicer said. “I need to make sure I know who I am voting for. Even though I may lean in a partisan direction, I’m not just going to vote blindly.”
Before the debate, William’s supporters held a rally on the steps of Dodd Auditorium to promote the democratic candidate.
“I’m out here for Vangie because I would love to see a congresswoman for District One,” said Emily Taylor, of Fredericksburg. “I’d love to see an African American woman represent me and my interests. I don’t feel like Rob Wittman represents me or what I believe in.”
Voices filled the air as people were chanting everything from “love not hate makes America great” to “we have the power, they have the money.”
Once the doors opened, people stampeded into the auditorium to reserve seats. By the time the debate started, rows filled up from front to back.
The crowd cheered as first Williams and then Wittman took the stage. Both candidates received lots of applause and standing ovations; however, there was a larger response for Williams.
As the debate got started, moderator and political science professor Stephen Farnsworth went over the pre-agreed-upon regulations of crowd conduct.
Spectators were not supposed to cheer for the candidates while they were debating, but people from both sides got a little rowdy when they thought the candidates made good points.
For most in the crowd, the debate only helped to strengthen their support for their candidate.
“I was quite pleased with how Williams held her own,” spectator Eve Jordan said. “I’ve supported her from the beginning, but the more I see of her, the more excited I am to think about her representing us in Congress.”
Wittman supporters also left the debate with an air of confidence among them.
“I thought it was a good debate, but I hope that candidate William’s supporters aren’t as emotionally in despair this Nov. 6 as they were in 2016 when Hillary lost,” spectator Patrick Weakland said.
While different people supported different candidates, they all agreed that both candidates had very persuasive arguments.
“They had two different personalities,” veteran Bill Hayes said. “You could feel that a great many people in the room were with Williams emotionally, but there was some substance missing from some of her responses. Wittman was a bit more focused on the issues.”
While the debate may not have changed supporters’ minds, it energized the audience and helped spur excitement for the upcoming election on Nov. 6.