The Neabsco Creek Boardwalk, a three-quarter-mile boardwalk that allows visitors to see the wetlands and its native species in Woodbridge, has been placed among the top winners of the 2020 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award. The award acknowledges ‘successful and innovative efforts that improve Virginia’s environment,’ according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

More in a press release:

“There are approximately 17 miles of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail that run along the Potomac River in Prince William County from Occoquan at the northern end to Locust Shade Park at the southern end.

The Neabsco Creek Boardwalk, a three-quarter-mile section of the trail in Prince William County, was among the top winners in the Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) 2020 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards, an annual program that recognizes successful, innovative efforts that improve Virginia’s environment.

Board of County Supervisors Chair-At-Large Ann Wheeler states, “We are grateful for the recognition of the Neabsco Creek Boardwalk by the Governor’s office. This was such a monumental effort on the part of so many people and is a jewel in Prince William County’s offerings to its residents.”

The $4.7-million boardwalk that runs across Neabsco Creek won the award because of the part it plays in the larger local trail system. According to Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism’s Planning and Capital Projects Division Chief Brendon Hanafin, “We’re part of a region of land management agencies that are trying to put the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail together, and this is a major component of the trail in Northern Virginia. The other part of that was the engineering feat of getting it put together without disturbing the wetlands.”

The boardwalk runs along the east end of Dale City, the south end of Woodbridge, and the north end of Dumfries and connects a wide range of neighborhoods. Hanafin adds, “We’re getting a diversity of people. We’re getting a diversity of ages. It’s just an amazing project in that regard.”

As the capstone of the Neabsco Regional Park, which includes the Julie Metz Wetland, Rippon Landing and the Rippon Historic Site, the boardwalk has become quite popular since it opened in 2019. According to Matthew White, the project manager who oversaw the boardwalk’s construction, “Locally, it was kind of a lynchpin to creating a new regional park and pulling together these disparate county resources. It’s been widely well-received. People really appreciate the experience and opportunities it brings to the region. It’s a really nice quality project.”

For more information on Prince William County Government, visit www.pwcgov.org.”

The boardwalk is located at 15125 Blackburn Road.

The Prince William County Solid Waste Division is holding a free paper shredding event for residents looking to get rid of confidential documents. Only confidential documents will be accepted for shredding, residents looking to get rid of other paper materials or junk mail should not attend the event.

More in a press release:

“The Prince William County Solid Waste Division will hold a free document shred event for Prince William area residents on Saturday, November 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or until trucks reach capacity).  Two locations are available, Prince William County Landfill, 14811 Dumfries Road, Manassas and Chris Yung Elementary School, 12612 Fog Light Way, Bristow, VA.  This service will not be available at the Balls Ford Road Yard Waste Compost Facility.

This event is for residents. Only confidential documents such as bank statements and tax returns are accepted. Non confidential documents such as junk mail should be recycled at the curb or Solid Waste facility customer convenience center drop-off. Paper clips (regular size) and staples do not have to be removed.

Residents may bring the equivalent of up to four boxes (18”x12”x15” or smaller) of paper for shredding at no charge. No business or commercial shredding will be accepted. 

COVID 19 Restrictions: Customers must wear a mask and stay in the vehicle.  All items for shredding must be place in the rear of the vehicle (trunk, hatchback, or truck bed) before coming to the shred location. 

For material limits and guidelines visit www.pwcgov.org/trashandrecycling.”

The night before the first day of school is usually an exciting and sleepless one for me.

I’m pondering what I’m going to wear, what new friends I might make, and dreading or looking forward to the teachers I have. This virtual school year, however, didn’t give me that same feeling. In my mind, there wasn’t exactly anything to look forward too: I couldn’t interact with my classmates, I couldn’t have conversations with my favorite teachers, and I couldn’t have the often romanticized senior year everyone talks about. So I went to bed at a reasonable time, more filled with curiosity than anything else.

I awoke the next day at 9 a.m., the late wakeup time being of the blessings online learning had to offer, as my first class that day didn’t start until 10 a.m. I dressed with a bit of lackluster, as no one was going to see anything but my shirt anyways, and sat at my desk awaiting my first Zoom class of the day: AP Statistics.

The class, once it was in session, could only be described as two things: awkward and a bit boring. Awkward because of the long stretches of silence that often fell over us, as most of the students, myself included, refused to discuss their summers, and boring simply because I had to blankly stare at a screen instead of truly interact with my teacher.

I would have preferred sitting in a classroom wearing my meticulously picked first-day outfit, but, I didn’t complain, COVID-19 was worse than missing out on the first day of my senior year.

Once the class ended, a slight bit early to allow me and my classmates to begin our homework assignment, my one-hour lunch block began. It was a welcomed break, although one that felt a bit odd and misplaced as I hadn’t really done any real work yet.

When physically in school, lunch occurs after the first two periods, at varying times depending on the class the student was assigned during lunchtime. While that system makes more sense in my mind, virtual lunch was better. In-person lunch could occur as early as 10:18 am depending on the class, while my virtual lunch occurred at 11:20 am.

My next two classes flew by. They had the same awkwardness and staring-blankly-at-a-screen boredom, with varying levels of enjoyability based on the subject and teacher. They all assigned a small bit of get-to-know-you first day of school fluff homework assignments or pre-tests to gauge our knowledge of the subject matter.

At the end of the day, I felt odd, and like I hadn’t really done anything at all or even actually gone to school. Typically, on the first day of school, teachers don’t teach the course material, but I never felt like I hadn’t done anything with myself that day before. I didn’t even feel like an actual student on a ‘pursuit of knowledge,’ I just felt like I was watching something on my computer screen.

It wasn’t my favorite thing in the world, but, it’s the new normal, and I and my fellow students will simply have to adapt and accommodate to it.

The majority of Prince William County’s 92,000 public schools students returned to school today, using Zoom to learn instead of going to a school building, due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Gianna Jirak is a reporter for Potomac Local News and a senior at Hylton High School in Woodbridge.

The City of Manassas Fire and Rescue Department’s newest recruit began his tenure this week: Chief William A. Garrett.

Garrett, a Fairfax County native, and the first African-American to hold this position in the city replaced former fire chief Rob Clemons, who announced his retirement in late February. Clemons had been in the position since 2016, having replaced former longtime Chief Brett Bowman.

“For [Manassas City Manager Pat Pate] to think that I am the person that he wants to put in charge of ensuring the safety and welfare of the community…it’s a great honor,” said Garett.

Garett, after attending Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University, got his start in public safety in 1988 as a volunteer firefighter for Fairfax County. He then was hired as the deputy fire chief for the county in 1989, a position he held for 29 years, and completed a master’s degree certificate program from Virginia Tech.

Then, in June 2019, Garett became the Fire and Rescue Chief of Winchester, a position he held for over a year, before moving to the career he has today in Manassas.

While Garett’s career in public safety put him on the path toward his current leadership, it was not his original intent to become a fire chief.

“I can’t say I started out honestly wanting to end up in this seat, but as I evolved through my career, I developed certain interests and talents. Not the original plan, but as I moved forward it started to grow in interest,” said Garett.

Now, under his new leadership, he plans to improve the lives of its volunteer and career employees through new initiatives, specifically in regards to mental health. According to research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, it is estimated that 30% of first responders develop mental illnesses like, but not limited to, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“If I have to bring anything new, it would be towards aligning the city of Manassas with the changes that are happening in emergency services, specific to things that are for employees. For example, some of the challenges…is mental health, so I would hope towards moving towards implementing programs that would provide that level of support to career and volunteer members of that system,” said Garett.

Garett also plans to place a greater focus on how his department delivers emergency medical care in the field.

“Our lines of service delivery are changing, with more emphasis on emergency medicine. With emergency medicine, there are newer programs out there at the state level, such as mobile integrated healthcare. I would hope to bring some of those newer programs to the citizens of Manassas,” said Garett.

For now, however, Garett won’t make immediate changes and plans to instead learn about the ins and out of his new position and employer.

“This is about coming in and learning about how this organization is working the way that it does…and I think at some point I will be able to add something to the team along the way,” said Garett.

Government buildings and courts across the region will be closed on September 7 in observance of Labor Day.

Starting in Prince William County, additional county facilities, such as the landfill and libraries, will have altered operating hours.

More in a press release:

All Prince William County Government offices will close on Sept. 7 in observance of Labor Day.

Additional Labor Day closings include:

The Prince William County Landfill and the Balls Ford Road Yard Waste Composting Facility will close at 2 p.m. Sept. 7 and reopen Sept. 8.

All Prince William County Library branches will close for contact-free holds pick up from Sept. 5 through Sept. 7 and reopen Sept. 8.

Full-service library branches at Bull Run, Chinn Park, Haymarket Gainesville, Montclair and Potomac, which allow a limited number of visits by appointment, will also close from Sept. 5 through Sept.7 and reopen on Sept. 8.

Prince William County Courts will close on Sept. 7.

In Stafford County:

The Regional Landfill and Belman Road Recycling Center in Fredericksburg will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2020.

The General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, and Circuit Court will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2020.

All offices of the Rappahannock Area Health District will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2020.

Fire and Rescue    Information (540) 658-4400
Emergency 9-1-1

Sheriff’s Office        Information (540) 658-4400
Emergency 9-1-1

Magistrate               (540) 659-2968

All parks will be open as regularly scheduled 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

A deadly three-vehicle crash in Fairfax County is being investigated by Virginia State Police. The crash occurred on Interstate 95 in Lorton, after the driver of a 2001 Honda Civic lost control of the vehicle.

More in a press release:

“At 5:55 a.m. Saturday (Aug. 29), Virginia State Police is investigating a three-vehicle crash in Fairfax County. The crash occurred on Interstate 95 at the 163 mile marker.

A 2001 Honda Civic was traveling north on I-95 when its driver lost control, ran off the right side of the interstate and struck the rear of a tractor-trailer stopped on the shoulder. The impact of the crash caused the Honda to spin around into the travel lane and collide with a 2016 Nissan Titan pulling a U-Haul trailer.

The driver of the Honda, Javier Alejan Martinez-Andrade, 30, of Woodbridge, Va., was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the Honda. He died at the scene.

Neither the driver of the tractor-trailer – an adult male from New Jersey – nor the driver of the Nissan – an adult male from Hampton, Va., – was injured in the crash.

The tractor-trailer was stopped on the shoulder due to a mechanical issue. The Virginia State Police Motor Carrier Safety Team troopers responded to the scene to assist with the crash investigation, which remains ongoing.”

Back in March, Novant Health UVA Health System suspended visitation for the majority of patients due to the new coronavirus. Now, patients will be allotted one healthy adult visitor who will go through a mandatory health screening.

More in a press release:

Novant Health UVA Health System, an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient services and medical centers in northern and central Virginia, recently expanded its visitor policy to allow for limited visitation in its emergency departments, inpatient areas and surgical areas.

Effective immediately, each patient will be allowed one healthy visitor over the age of 18. Visitors will need to get their temperature taken and pass COVID-19 screening questions each time they enter a Novant Health UVA Health System facility. Additionally, approved visitors will be required to wear a mask and a wristband given to them during screening.

“While the safety of our team members, patients and community remains our top priority, we recognize the important role friends and family play in supporting the health of our patients,” said Al Pilong, chief executive officer, Novant Health UVA Health System.

The updated visitation policy applies to the health system’s three acute care facilities: Novant Health UVA Health System Culpeper Medical Center, Novant Health UVA Health System Haymarket Medical Center and Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center.

Visitors should remain with the patient while in the facility. If the patient leaves the department for medical imaging or other testing, the visitor should remain in the patient’s assigned room or return to their vehicle until the patient returns. Common areas and waiting areas should be avoided, and cafeterias are currently closed to visitors.

Pilong shared that the decision to expand visitation is in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in coordination with recommendations from the Virginia Department of Health and Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.

“While Novant Health UVA Health System is currently safe and open to provide patients with the care they need, we will continue to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 in our communities, the census at our medical centers and our health system’s supply of personal protective equipment to ensure that we are prepared for any potential surge in positive cases,” Pilong said. “We will adjust visitation restrictions as needed in the future.”

Visiting hours for hospitals’ inpatient care areas are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. Visiting hour restrictions do not apply to the one healthy adult laboring mothers designate to accompany them for the entirety of their stay or visitors appointed as designated guardians of minors or adults requiring guardianship. Visiting hour restrictions also do not apply to Emergency Department visitors; however, if a patient is transferred to an inpatient area, visitation will be limited to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

The Behavioral Health Inpatient Unit at Prince William Medical Center remains closed to visitors. Visitors are also not allowed in outpatient areas with the following exceptions:

Minors or adults requiring guardianship can be accompanied by one designated adult.

With approval of the care teams, patients may bring one healthy adult support person for special circumstances (e.g., appointments with provider to discuss test results or plan of care in provider-based clinics or outpatient clinics).

Expectant mothers may bring one healthy adult support person with them to obstetrical ultrasound appointments.

For more information about Novant Health UVA Health System and the heightened safety measures it has added for in-person visits, visit NovantHealthUVA.org/WelcomeBack

The City of Manassas has chosen William A. Garrett, a man with over 32 years of experience in public safety, to be its new Fire and Rescue Chief. Garrett will be replacing Chief Rob Clemons, who is set to retire on August 28.

More in a press release:

Just across the Occoquan River from Prince William County, a memorial will be built to remember the women suffragists who fought for the right to vote.

To celebrate and honor the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote, Fairfax County is hosting multiple museum exhibitions, events, and constructing a memorial. The county, according to a press release, has a ‘remarkable connection to the women’s suffrage movement, beyond its proximity to the nation’s capital city.’

More in a press release:

Fairfax County, Virginia has a remarkable connection to the women’s suffrage movement, beyond its proximity to the nation’s capital city. This August, declared National Women’s Suffrage Month in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment, several Fairfax County attractions are honoring this important event in United States history with special exhibits, events, and more.

“Fairfax County and the National Capital Region’s role in the story of women’s suffrage is deeply moving and one that all residents and indeed, Americans, should understand,” said Barry Biggar, President & CEO of Visit Fairfax, the county’s official tourism organization. “Our partners have put together some compelling exhibits and events to help tell this story, and we encourage one and all to visit and honor this Centennial celebration.”

For up-to-date information and event details, please visit www.FXVA.com/herstory <http://www.FXVA.com/herstory>.

Lucy Burns Museum

This new museum located on the campus of the Workhouse Arts Center, which once served as the historic Lorton Workhouse prison, tells the story of the 72 members of the National Woman’s Party who were once imprisoned at the site after picketing the White House for the right to vote in 1917. The suffragists’ experience at this site marked an important turning point in the women’s suffrage movement and one that ultimately helped secure voting rights for all women in the U.S.

The museum is open for tours on Saturdays from 12 pm – 5 pm. In addition, the museum will also offer a Lucy Burns Treasure Hunt for kids, designed by a local South County High School student. The treasure hunt will be available after August 18. Watch videos and learn more about the museum at www.workhousearts.org/lucyburnsmuseum <http://www.workhousearts.org/lucyburnsmuseum>.

Drive-In Thursdays: Bold Women in History Film Series

The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission and the Workhouse Arts Center are partnering to present a series of films spotlighting the fearless women of history that will play at the Workhouse Arts Center Drive-In Theater every Thursday in August. For the film lineup, visit www.workhousearts.org <http://www.workhousearts.org>.

Suffrage Art Exhibition

Inside the Muse Gallery at the Workhouse Arts Center, visitors can explore various mixed media artworks by award-winning artist Julia Dzikiewicz related to the women’s suffrage movement. For those not ready to venture out, this show will be available virtually as well. The gallery is open Friday through Sunday, 12pm – 5pm. For more information, visit www.workhousearts.org <http://www.workhousearts.org>.

Turning Point Suffragist Memorial

The Turning Point Suffragist Memorial, currently under construction on the grounds of Occoquan Regional Park, will be the first national memorial in America dedicated to telling the complete story of the millions of women who fought more than seven decades to win the vote. Help build the memorial and learn more about its story at www.suffragistmemorial.org <http://www.suffragistmemorial.org>.

“Marching From Suffrage Toward Equality” Live Webinar

The Turning Point Suffragist Memorial Association will be celebrating with a live webinar on Women’s Equality Day – August 26 – to discuss the past, present, and future of women’s equality. Special guests include Carly Fiorina, Elisabeth Griffith, and the Honorable Victoria A. Lipnic.

Prior to the webinar, several new videos will be unveiled focusing on the suffrage centennial, the progress of the Memorial site, and the journey toward obtaining a section of the historic, White House fence that will be displayed on the Memorial’s grounds. Register for the webinar and watch the videos at www.suffragistmemorial.org <http://www.suffragistmemorial.org>.

Pop-Up Exhibitions & History Talks

In the City of Fairfax, visitors can stop by the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center to see the traveling exhibition, “We Demand: Women’s Suffrage in Virginia,” on loan from The Library of Virginia through September 7. A pop-up exhibit from the National Archives will follow, detailing the national story of the women’s suffrage movement. In September, several History Talks will explore various topics related to the movement. Visit www.fairfaxva.gov <https://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/historic-resources/suffrage> for event dates and details.

“Progress is only possible when you understand your past and our shared histories. Fairfax County played a crucial but little known role in women’s suffrage,” said Jeff McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. “I’m glad to see so many organizations honoring the Centennial anniversary and hope residents are able to safely take advantage of these celebrations.”

To learn more about Fairfax County’s connection to the women’s suffrage movement, and to hear other stories of powerful and forward-thinking women in the county’s past, plus interesting perspectives from local young women who were inspired by their stories, visit www.FXVA.com/herstory <http://www.FXVA.com/herstory>.