MANASSAS — The chance to be in Pied Piper Theater’s production of Disney’s musical “Newsies” was enough to draw 115  children between the ages 8 and 18 to the Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory.

The building in Downtown Manassas was buzzing with both energy as the show’s creative team heard auditionees sing, act, and dance.  

Director David Johnson was impressed with the talent and is excited to embark on this journey.

“Doing a show with a higher demand makes the kids artistically raise themselves up to the next level so it ends up being a good experience for all involved, [and allows] the kids to have to go to a higher level of expression, which is what educational theatre is all about,” said Johnson.

What makes Newsies so different than the other shows available? It is a classic David and Goliath tale based on a true story, set to the music of legendary composer Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid), and a book by Harvey Fierstein (Hairspray, The Wiz Live!).

The original Broadway production took home two Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Choreography. The popularity of the stage musical grew so large that Disney filmed it with the original cast members and held special viewings in select movie theatres – many of them selling out.

Before it came to the stage, Newsies came to life on the silver screen in a 1992 film of the same name starring Christian Bale of “The Dark Knight” fame.

Theater companies all over the country have been chomping at the bit for a chance to bring it to their own communities. That’s when Anne Ridgeway of Piped Piper Theatre seized the day to bring it to Manassas – making it the first local company to perform the musical.   

Young actors began preparing for their auditions when they first heard the news, leading to an influx of registrations for dance classes throughout the community.

Shania Stewart is an instructor with Showcase Dance Studio and saw it first hand.

“I have students that had never taken a tap or jazz class before… this show has opened the world of dance to so many kids that may have never gotten to experience it before. I think that no matter how casting turns out, my students will have grown as performers and found a new art form to express themselves in,” she said.

The cast will rehearse through the holidays and will have three performances: January 12 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and January 13 at 3 p.m. at the Hylton Performing Arts Center.

Pied Piper’s current production of Enchanted Sleeping Beauty opens next weekend for three performances: October 27 at 2 p.m. and 7 and October 28 at 3 p.m. at Metz Middle School.

Tickets for this and other upcoming shows can be found on their website.

NORTH STAFFORD — (Press Release) Stafford’s newest local coffeehouse, The Grounds, held their ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, at 10 a.m.  Located at 50 N. Stafford Complex Center, 107, The Grounds Coffeehouse features exceptional specialty coffee, tea, and indulgent locally prepared light fare and desserts.

The seed that was planted more than six years ago has grown into Stafford’s community gathering place. Locally owned and operated, this independent coffeehouse provides a unique elegant atmosphere to meet, work, or just relax.

The Grounds is passionate about providing an exquisite cup of coffee, this means every detail is important. Coffee is purchased directly from small-plot coffee farmers and then imported, hand-roasted, and packaged. The roaster developed its Friend2Farmer direct trade program to ensure that farmers receive a fairer share of proceeds from coffee sales. Each coffee drink is handcrafted by friendly, knowledgeable Baristas.

The Grounds grand opening is scheduled for Tuesday, October 23, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will feature $1 regular drinks.

For more information, visit www.thegroundsva.com

STAFFORD — (Press Release) The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office is searching for the suspect behind a shooting into a residence that occurred last night at Arbor Grove Apartments.

MANASSAS — The Shining Sol Candle Company announced plans to put candles in a major retailer and expand its candle-making operation in Manassas.

The company struck a new deal with a home décor store Bed Bath & Beyond where customers will find Shining Sol candles at the company’s Pentagon City and Fair Lakes stores.

Shining Sol also announced plans to work with a yet-to-be-named “legendary and iconic” musician’s charitable foundation. The move would follow company collaborations with rock bands Def Leppard, KISS, and others.

The candle company was founded by Bret Michaels Band guitarist Pete Evick.

Co-owner Deron Blevins said that working with Bed Bath & Beyond was “one of the toughest things we’ve done, probably the toughest process we’ve been through since being in business.”

The candle firm needed specialized software to deal with the big box store in order to implement a process known as EDI — electronic data interchange — and needed to use barcodes.

Shining Sol’s success means the company needs more space. The firm is now renting space in a warehouse in Manassas owned by Buchanan Partners to accommodate increased production – a total of 3,100 square feet.

The warehouse is located on Kao Circle in Manassas near Tucked Away Brewing and Osbourn Park High School.

Expanding into the bigger space “Jumps them into the realm of not just four pallets, but 22 pallets of materials,” Blevins said, a major increase from their old manufacturing hub in the back room of the company’s small downtown shop at 9109 Center Street.

The company prides itself on selling soy wax candles with wooden wicks.

Since the company’s downtown storefront opened in 2016, “business has been very good,” added Blevins. Shining Sol’s retail business picked up, and the company began selling wholesale to other stores across the country.

The company will also be hiring, with Blevins calling the expansion a “leap of faith, but we have a good team of people.”

The expansion will also mean the company will no longer make candles the back room of its downtown shop.  When not on tour with his band, customers can find Evick, a Manassas native in his downtown shop.

“It has been so amazing, I couldn’t be more grateful for the time and the acceptance – it’s been an incredibly unique experience. I’ve been all over the world, but there is truly nothing like Manassas. It makes me proud to be from Manassas,” he said.

Back in November 2017, Peter O’Hanlon won his seat on the Manassas School Board, unopposed. Before that, he was appointed to fill the vacant seat held by Pamela J. Sebesky, who resigned to serve on the City Council.

This year, though, there are five candidates jockeying for the position, and only three will be elected to the seven-member board. We asked O’Hanlon to complete our 2018 Project: Election survey, and here’s what we learned.

Find your polling place

PL: What are the top three major issues facing the district you wish to represent?

O’Hanlon: Funding a school replacement, improving student achievement, and increasing parent involvement.

PL: What concrete solutions do you propose to address these issues?

O’Hanlon: We (the board) has taken the first step through hiring a new superintendent. He will take the lead on improving student achievement.

PL: We are currently negotiating with the city for our next three year funding agreement. We need to continue to ensure that funding the schools is a top priority for the City of Manassas. This does not necessitate increased taxes, just making sure our priorities are heard by the city council.

O’Hanlon: As a city, and a school district, we need to continue improving communications with all our citizens, inviting them to participate in the many activities taking place in the city and the schools.

MANASSAS — The Manassas city council on Monday night approved a special-use permit for Micron to build its expanded facility higher than the city’s current ordinances allow.

The council voted 5-1 to increase the city’s maximum building height from 75 feet to 120 feet in the case of Micron’s expansion.

Steve Silberstein, site director of Micron, told the council that the extra height is necessary for Micron’s new $3 billion expanded facility, which will house crucial technology and equipment.

Typically, changes to city ordinances require two readings at two separate city council meetings, but the council moved to expedite the process and grant the special-use permit (SUP) to Micron after one reading.

The city’s planning and zoning manager, Matthew Arcieri, urged the council to accommodate Micron’s tight schedule and confirmed the recommendation and unanimous approval of the city’s economic development department.

“The SUP can be approved, conditional on the approval of the second reading,” said city clerk Andrea Madden. “It saves processing time for staff and the applicant if there’s no objections or citizen comment.”

“Micron has an exceptionally tight schedule, and literally losing a week or two puts their schedule in jeopardy,” councilmember Mark Wolfe said.

More details on the progression of the project and other items such as utilities will be presented to the council for approval as the Micron expansion moves forward.

The taller facility will be visible from Nokesville Road and Godwin Drive and is expected to visually impact nearby industrial and business zones.

Silberstein told the council that the new Micron facility is groundbreaking in a variety of ways.

“We are not only building a manufacturing facility, but Micron has also determined that we will have worldwide basis as an R&D [Research and Development] center,” he said. “This center will really be part of the automotive center of the world,” said Silberstein. He estimated that two out of three cars produced in the world today come out of the Virginia plant, and the new facility is primed to have global prominence.

John Schafer, Micron’s engineering and construction manager, added that the additional height will allow full use of the first floor for chemicals and other hazardous equipment. He said that the original facility, built in the 1990s, is too cramped and small for Micron’s expanded needs.

Councilmember Marc Aveni was the only one to vote against the approval and noted that two other ordinance requests for telecommunication towers were not similarly expedited.

Micron’s schedule aims to start production on the new facility in the first half of 2020. The new facility comes after the company announced a $3 billion expansion — the largest ever in Virginia — in August. 

The chip maker says it will bring in 1,100 new scientists to develop new technologies for self-driving cars.

Micron is located at 9600 Godwin Drive in Manassas.

HAYMARKET  – (Press Release) University of Virginia Health System has opened a new neurosurgery clinic to bring high-quality, convenient neurosurgery care to Haymarket.

UVA Neurosurgery Haymarket is led by neurosurgeon Nevan Baldwin, MD who will initially focus on treating patients with spinal conditions using the full range of treatment options, including minimally invasive surgical procedures.

“We’re pleased to be adding Dr. Baldwin’s expertise to our neurosurgery department, and we’re excited to offer patients in Northern Virginia easier access to our neurosurgery team,” said Mark Shaffrey, MD, chairman of UVA’s Department of Neurosurgery. “Our hope is the Haymarket clinic will be convenient for patients wanting to receive the quality care provided by UVA, but not able to take the time to travel to Charlottesville.”

As Baldwin cares for patients in Haymarket, his goal is to create “a maximum patient experience.”

“When patients leave the office, I want them to feel that their entire experience was as good as it could possibly have been,” he said. “This means that they were treated promptly and with respect at the reception desk, that they were seen quickly, that they received a thorough, attentive exam and that they left with a clear explanation of their condition and a good understanding of the next steps.”

Baldwin said that Haymarket Medical Center is an ideal location for this neurosurgery practice. “We will be delivering care in the context of a forward-looking community hospital with strong operating room staff and the resources to provide the clinical support we need,” he said.

Select patients may need to have their surgeries performed at UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville, Baldwin said; if that is required, they will be able to receive their preliminary testing and follow-up care in Haymarket.

The clinic is located at 15195 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 150, in Haymarket on the campus of Novant Health UVA Health System Haymarket Medical Center. For more information, please call 571.636.6000 or visit uvahealth.com/locations/profile/uva-neurosurgery-haymarket.