Woodbridge resident Tomika Anderson has come up with a way to reach out to single parents who need support, or ideas to school their children.

The pandemic has proven challenging enough for parents who have to stay home to teach their children or to monitor their children’s virtual assignments, but what are single parents supposed to do?

Seven years ago, Woodbridge native Tomika Anderson founded a single parent traveling Facebook group Single Parents Who Travel that has now pivoted to also helping single parents with the schooling aspects during a pandemic. The group has nearly 7,580 members, with members around the world from the Philippines to Zimbabwe.

Members in the group have started meeting outside of the group as well, and next summer will have their third annual trip where they hope to go to Cancun.

But now that the pandemic has affected travel, she’s found ways to pivot to address the needs of her members coping with the challenges of COVID-19. She is finding ways to help parents educate their kids by tapping into her own parent’s wisdom, including the idea of “Grammy School”.

“My mother came up with the idea. My son calls her Grammy, thus the name. She volunteered to teach my son this year and in talking to some of her other educator friends / fellow grandparents they decided to support each other through teaching each other’s grandkids as well, whether providing information, support or other resources,” Anderson states in an email to Potomac Local.

Tomika Anderson’s parents, Regina and Gary both taught in Prince William County Schools. Gary Anderson was most recently a principal at Graham Park Middle School in Triangle and was also a guidance counselor at Potomac High School, Garfield High School Woodbridge.

Her mother was also a teacher who trained teachers at multiple schools including Leesylvania Elementary School in Woodbridge.

“Though my parents have long been retired they substitute teach and volunteer in multiple schools across Woodbridge each year to include Leesylvania and Mary G. Porter,” Anderson said in an email to Potomac Local. “Basically my parents are an educational dream team,” Anderson added.

Tomika’s parents are now helping to educate her son Solomon, who is seven years old. Her mom has a whole “posse” of former educators, both inside and outside Prince William County, who have been discussing how to help support their grandchildren during this time.

Not everyone has an involved grandparent, so Tomika said the group has also been having Facebook Lives with parents and problem-solving with members, including those with jobs like nurses to epidemiologists to school administrators.

They had a recent Facebook Live chat with mothers and fathers from as far away as the Netherlands, discussing what they’re doing and what it looks like for their children, and some were even able to tell the others how virtual learning was already going in their state or country.

If a single parent doesn’t have a grandparent, “We definitely have some pods that have just formed,” Anderson said, where kids who are in similar grades and in close towns who work out of one parent’s home. She also said that having honest discussions with employers is also an option.

Tomika, who is black, said that there are often bad connotations to being a single parent. The goal is to create a “new narrative” around what a single parent is.

“…to empower single parents to effectively put the proverbial masks on themselves first so they can provide the best possible support for their kids — during COVID and beyond. Our kids are only as “good” as mom and/or dad are. It’s also to provide the village we all so desperately need – in real life, whether in person or online. It’s also to change the narrative of what it is to be a single parent — we are not to be pitied or looked down upon. We are real-life superheroes, especially now!” Anderson said.

Osbourn Park graduate Thumay Huynh was awarded $5,000 through Diabetes Scholars, a program of the nonprofit organization Beyond Type 1.

She will attend the University of Virginia and plans to study computer science with a minor in business. 

Huynh was born in Worcester, Mass. Fer family moved to Manassas when she was 4-years-old, where she has lived ever since.

In November 2018, during Huynh’s junior year of high school, she was in her “best physical shape” and the captain of her swim team, when she received a life-changing diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. 

Huynh was training for a swim meet when she started to feel sick to her stomach. She drank a large amount of water and kept waking up in the middle of the night to vomit. The next morning, she felt weak and missed school.

Her parents thought she had a stomach bug. She kept craving sugary foods like fruit and popsicles.

As time went on, Huynh’s parents noticed that she was making unusual comments, and eating foods she normally didn’t eat, like a bowl of vanilla ice cream for breakfast.

On November 17, 2018, she was so weak that her mom had to drag her to the bathroom. By this point, her family took her to an emergency room, where they found her blood sugar was 1,100. The normal range is anywhere from 70-150, Huynh said. She was given an official diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes.

At this point, Huynh said, she was in diabetic ketoacidosis or DKA. 

According to Mayo Clinic, “diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious complication of diabetes that occurs when your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones.” Huynh was transferred to INOVA Fairfax Hospital where she was in the ICU for three days and then on the recovery floor for two. 

From there, “It was a complete 180 change,” Huynh said. “I didn’t realize how much adjustment goes into Type 1…Insulin is your lifesaver,” Huynh said.

Today, she has to inject insulin, check her blood sugar frequently, and monitor her symptoms throughout the day to see whether she has low or high blood sugar.  Luckily, Huynh said that her diabetes didn’t affect her academics. The biggest thing was managing her blood sugars every hour of the day.

“There’s no break days,” Huynh said. 

Huynh had to learn how to see how her body reacts to exercise as well as food. She started swim lessons when she was 4-years-old and started competitive swimming when she was 10. 

Initially, the diabetes diagnosis was “devastating” for her because she lost a lot of her strength with swimming, and didn’t have a successful season that year. But, she still managed to make good progress even though she wasn’t at her fastest, and was able to push through the physical challenges.

“It took a lot of perseverance,” Huynh said. 

Despite the setback of her diagnosis, Huynh was team captain for her junior and senior years. She said she remained focused on team events and spirit events that would help create one last great experience. 

She hopes to join a swim club swimming while in college.

A total of 50 Diabetes Scholars scholarships of up to $5,000 were made available to graduating seniors with Type-1 diabetes entering their first year of college or university in the U.S. Scholarship applications open in January and are awarded by June 1 annually.

Get to know the Diabetes Scholars Class of 2020 and explore Beyond Type 1 at beyondtype1.org.

Hispanics in Manassas, much like the rest of the U.S., have a high prevalence of coronavirus cases.

After partnering with the CDC to conduct a survey of potential coronavirus patients, Prince William Health District Director Dr. Alison Ansher told the Manassas City Council on July 27 that many city residents have been hit hard by the pandemic. 

Coronavirus case numbers from neighboring Prince William County illustrate the problem. Nearly 5,000 Hispanics have contracted the disease, and 65 have died.

Hispanics in Prince William County fall second to whites as the most susceptible to dying from the disease, according to figures presented to the Board of County Supervisors.

In Manassas, the coronavirus survey found that many Hispanic residents have lost work due to the virus.

“Loss of jobs or reduced wages are substantially impacting this community,” Ansher said. “[A] need for community resources like free healthcare and food banks may continue to increase if jobs remain impacted.” 

When it comes to protecting their families from contracting the virus, many were unaware that they could use diluted bleach as a cleaning product. Some could not afford hand sanitizer, Ansher added. 

More than 20 city residents have died since the pandemic began in March. There have been 1,670 cases of the virus, with more than 120 hospitalizations.

The June survey of Hispanic households in Manassas conducted by the health district aimed to educate Hispanics about the virus, learn how the health district can better communicate with the Hispanic community about stopping the spread of the virus, as well as promoting protections for essential workers who still work on job sites during the pandemic.

“While a high proportion of respondents know and are engaging in mask-wearing, prevention strategies like frequent hand washing and social distancing were not reported as frequently,” Ansher states in an email.

When the survey began, the CDC named Manassas a coronavirus hot spot. Today, the city no longer holds that designation as the case numbers have decreased.

The survey also found a greater need for food distribution in the community. Since the onset of the pandemic, the region’s Community Feeding Taskforce has provided over 4.6 million meals to area residents in need through the help of partners like Prince William Food Rescue. 

Police in Manassas adopted “8 Can’t Wait” reform guidelines meant to serve as principles in communities across the U.S.

On Monday, July 27, city police chief Douglas Keen addressed City Council before it adopted a resolution “to acknowledge that the City of Manassas, Virginia supports the 21st century policing principles and participation in the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies accreditation process so that the City of Manassas Police Department remains a model agency for modern policing in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

The proclamation comes as the police department received began its reaccreditation process in June. It’s a process the department goes through every four years.

The new policing principles include:

• Banning police chokeholds and other neck restraints,
• Required de-escalation training to eliminate, where possible, the need to use force
• Reasonable verbal warning before the use of deadly force,
• Exhausting reasonable alternatives before the use of deadly force,
• Committing to intervening, stopping and reporting the use of excessive force by other law enforcement officers,
• Restriction on shooting at moving vehicles,
• Development of best practices for Use of Force continuum
• Requiring comprehensive reporting of incidents involving the use of force, or threatened use of force

“This is kind of setting the foundation for the future of the police department with our shared vision,” said Keen.

Manassas in recent months has been the scene of both Black Lives Matter protests and riots, forcing police on May 30 to confront a mob that shattered the glass on multiple storefronts, and looted a Walmart on Liberia Avenue. Following the confrontation, Keen told the city council he and his fellow officers became chased by rioters into the Battery Heights neighborhood, where they hunkered down and feared for their safety.

Keen later corrected his statement and said they weren’t chased, but rather took refuge in the neighborhood until backup arrived from the Virginia State Police.

“These are tough times, these are particularly tough times for police departments,” said Manassas City Councilman Mark Wolfe. “I see stuff that’s gone on in other communities, and it never even… crosses my brain that that could possibly happen here in regards to policing and police activities.”

The city’s police department has been independently accredited since 2001.

“It sets an example for your people and your future that they can expect that they’re going to be working with an outstanding organization,” said Mayor Hal Parrish II.

Manassas leaders did not endorse a plan to build a bypass around the city.

Despite the urging of Mayor Hal Parrish II, the city council deferred a vote on whether or not to support the new road that would create a new pathway to drivers to access heavily-congested Route 28 until its next meeting on August 27 — after Prince William County leaders have their say at an upcoming meeting on August 4.

The controversial bypass road would be built from the intersection of Godwin Drive near Prince William Medical Center, through an open tract of wetlands, connecting with Route 28 in Fairfax County. A total of 54 homes would be demolished to make way for a road that many say will do little to alleviate traffic congestion for Manassas residents, and would instead provide a more direct route to Interstate 66 for those commuting from the Linton Hall Road corridor in Prince William County, as well from Fauquier and Stafford counties.

Supporters of the bypass, to include the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, say something needs to be done to alleviate traffic on Route 28 between Liberia Avenue in Manassas and I-66 — the most congested stretch of road in Northern Virginia. The majority of the $300 million road would be funded by a bond Prince William County voters approved last year.

Former Prince William Coles District Supervisor Marty Nohe spearheaded the bypass project when he served as the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority Chairman before he was defeated in an election last fall. Parrish, who is retiring later this year, served with Nohe on the transportation authority.

“I’m mindful of this project that has been working its way through the process for many years. And the people of Prince William, (and) frankly Manassas, Manassas Park, and Northern Virginia, are looking for solutions,” said Parrish.

Current Prince William Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega put the brakes on the road project earlier this month when she requested more time to speak with residents whose homes could be demolished as part of the project. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors is set to take up the measure again at its upcoming meeting on August 4.

As of Thursday, July 30, Vega told Potomac Local News she still unsure where she stands on the project.

The Prince William County Transportation Department is seeking approval from supervisors to vote in favor of asking the transportation authority for about $90 million it has earmarked for a study that will determine how the future roadway could affect the wetlands in the area. The Army Corps of Engineers would need to review the study once completed, and has the ultimate say as to whether or not the project could proceed.

Manassas City Councilwoman Pamela Sebesky said the city needs to wait for the Board of County Supervisors to make a decision before it can weigh in.

“I think it’s presumptive of us a council to not allow them to make that decision and then support what the Board of County Supervisors’ decision will be in the near future,” Sebesky said.

“My sense is, as I have said, that this council needs to stand up and vote for transportation instead of slowing it down,” Parrish said.

The resolution to support the bypass died on the table.

“OK. You all are awfully quiet. I suspect you had a conversation about this beforehand as to what to do.”

Manassas City leaders will consider giving their mayor a say.

A public hearing to discuss whether or not the city’s mayor should have a vote is expected to be announced soon. Historically, the mayor has cast a vote only to play the role of a tie-breaker in the instance the council is deadlocked on an issue.

If approved, the measure would give more political power to the political party to which the respective mayor belongs. Mayor Hal Parrish, II, a Republican who has on the city council since 1993 and city mayor since 2008, will not seek re-election in the November 3 General Election.

Republican Theresa Coates Ellis and Democrat Michele Davis Younger, both current council members, seek to replace him. A win for Davis Younger would increase the Democrats’ majority on the city council, which is controlled by Democrats 4-3.

If approved, the city’s charter would not only need to be charged to permit the mayor to have a vote at all times but could also be restructured to allow changes to what constitutes a “quorum” from three to four members, as well to change the charter to allow the city to have a non-partisan election. 

Changes in the rules would mean there would need to be four city council members present at meeting to have a quorum, in order to cast a vote, up from the current required number of three.

Talks of giving the mayor permanent voting privileges have been ongoing since the city council took a retreat in January, said city attorney Craig Brown. If the council were to approve the changes, then the General Assembly in Richmond would need to approve them.

After further discussion, it was decided that a referendum vote where the public could make their voices heard would also be appropriate, as well as a public hearing before the referendum election.

City leaders discussed putting the changes to a referendum, to give voters a say on the matter. A referendum election could appear on the November 3 General Election ballot, but it has to be ordered by August 14, said Brown.

Brown went on to discuss the possibility of instituting a non-partisan election in the city. Brown said that there are two ways candidates can have their names on a ballot:  by political party, or by a petition signed by a qualified number of voters.

If the council requests a change to the charter, that would mean that those seeking a seat on the city council would only be on the ballot if they got a necessary number of signatures. Political parties, he said, would no longer nominate a candidate to run for an open seat on the council but would still be able to endorse candidates for council.

Two popular baseball fields in Manassas will soon be paved over to make way to more parking for the city’s largest employer, Micron.

Micron will pay for the construction of the parking lot that will replace two of eight fields at the E.G. Smith Baseball Complex at the corner of Route 28 and Godwin Drive, and will also build an equipment shed for use by the Greater Manassas Baseball League.

On June 3, Manassas Director of Community Development Liz Via-Gossman, during a city council meeting, told officials the EG Smith Baseball Complex in the City and how they will need to be eventually replaced.

“We have worked out an agreement with Micron. As you know, pre-COVID-19, they were in desperate need of parking, as were we,” Via-Gossman explained.

In a slideshow presented to the council, she pointed out the north lot on the property, which is now the second substation to supply electricity to the Micron complex and is no longer available to EG Smith for recreational use. This was about 70 spaces that they lost, according to Via-Gossman.

“If you were out at any ball games last spring, you know that cars were all over the place,” Via-Gossman said. 

The need for additional parking comes as the chipmaker is undergoing a massive expansion that is expected to bring 1,100 high-paying jobs to the region. At $3 billion, the expansion marks the largest public-private partnership in Virginia history, larger than Amazon’s HQ2 project in Arlington.

Micron will construct a temporary 140-space gravel parking lot, and help reform and reorganize the area noted as the West Lot so parking at the E.G. Smith complex will be more efficient, city leaders say. Micron can use the parking during the day and visitors to the ballfield complex may use it in the afternoons and evenings.

In addition, Micron is making its surface parking available for tournaments over the next several seasons as they continue construction “and while the fields are still there,” Via-Gossman said.

Fields seven and eight will be paved over to create the new parking lot, said Via-Gossman. The two fields could not be in use simultaneously because “they were overlap fields for the smaller children,” she added.

As Micron counties to expand, there is a possibility it will take even more fields away from the baseball complex, leaving the city searching for land to replace at least six fields for city-resident use. 

One of the possible ideas would be relocating some of the ballfields from EG Smith to nearby Dean Park, which has about 22 acres of undeveloped land. Via-Gossman said she was asking for “head nods” from City Council before they move forward and engage the community about this. 

Colby Poteat, President of the Greater Manassas Baseball League (GMBL), said, “Parking’s always been an issue at GMBL,” Poteat said. He went on to say that, in spring, sometimes they have had up to 900 children play at the complex for a season, and on Saturdays, almost every team plays there. 

When he was a child, Poteat played at the Greater Manassas Baseball League, and his three children all have played there as well. Poteat said the fields that are being taken for parking are where the tee ball kids played.

“The fields being taken away are the fields used mainly for our six and under Blastball and t-ball kids.  The city is going to work with us to ensure we have adequate space at other fields in the city for all of the kids to be able to practice.  Game times and fields on Saturday will look a little different as we will be playing t-ball games on the other fields which will push the start times of the older kids back to the afternoon.” Poteat said.

Manassas is beginning to spend the CARES Act money received from the Federal Government in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

At a June 22 meeting of the City Council meeting, officials unanimously approved $1 million in CARES Act federal grant revenue to recoup pandemic-related costs borne by Manassas City Schools. Andy Hawkins, the executive director of finance and operations for the city
public Schools told the council that the money would be a much-needed boost to the school system.

The funding is broad, Hawkins said, but it would cover expenditures like cleaning the schools and facilities, although he said it would primarily be to help families and students to access the internet and have high-quality functioning service to their home so they can participate in virtual instruction.

About $55,000 is required to go to private schools, while the rest goes to public schools, Hawkins said.

The CARES Act also included over $10 billion for airports. Out of that, Manassas will get $157,000 for the Manassas Regional Airport. Manassas Regional Airport Director Juan Rivera said that the funds will be used to offset payroll at the airport.

So far this year, the airport has paid out $278,000 in salaries to its employees this year, which doesn’t include holiday or overtime pay. While the airport hasn’t paid out more money in salaries so far this year than it did during the same time last year, the stimulus money was designed to keep people employed, said Rivera.

“The FAA indicated that the funds can be used for any purpose for which airport revenues may lawfully be used.  This includes [using it] for airport operational costs. By using the funds to pay back salaries, we meet those objectives,” Rivera penned in an email to Potomac Local News.

Rivera said that in all of his 30-year aviation career, this was the first grant he had seen that could be used for operational expenses.

The city council also appropriated $175,000 for small business relief funds that will be used to help merchants reeling from the government-ordered lockdowns.

City Economic Development Director Patrick Small said the city has received about 100 applications for financial aid, of which 70 met the eligibility requirements, for funding from a Cooperation Agreement between the city and its economic development authority. The EDA aims to provide up to $400,000 in grant funding to small businesses.

The motion passed 5-1, with Councilwoman Pamela Sebesky voting no because she had requested a work session to discuss the CARES Act funding, but said it had not happened yet.

A total of 115 small businesses will receive awards of $2,500 each, and will be notified over the next 2 weeks., Small told Potomac Local News.

Manassas citizens will have the chance to vote to select three out of four Democrats running for City Council in a June 23 Primary.

Polls in the city will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

The vote will occur before they head to the general election in November. There are four candidates, including the incumbents Mark Wolfe and Vice Mayor Pamela Sebesky.

Two newcomers, Helen Zurita and Tom Osina, also have thrown their hats in the ring. Only three will win and head to the November election.

Potomac Local News recently reached contacted all four Democrat candidates. Here are some of the answers provided to us from Helen Zurita.

Why are you running for office?

I have been working for over a decade as an advocate for low-income families, seniors, and children. I feel that as a member of the City Council I can help influence policy in a way that benefits working families and people that generally haven’t had a voice. Through my work in the community, I have become very familiar with the needs of working people. I want to make sure those needs are met efficiently and fairly.

How long have you lived in the city of Manassas?

16 years

What is the most important issue for you as you seek political office?

People have to be able to afford decent housing. It is important that people who work in Manassas and make a minimum wage can afford to live in Manassas as well. We need to preserve our low-cost housing and try to create more affordable units as we move forward.

What are your ideas to help the city government operate in the midst of the coronavirus?

The city government’s first priority is to make sure the basic needs of the people are met. Until people are back to work, we need to ensure that they remain in their homes, that utilities stay on and that they have food and medical care. We also must find ways to help local businesses re-open safely.

How has your campaign been affected by the coronavirus?

Unfortunately, as a result of COVID19 I have been limited in going door-to-door to meet and talk with many of the constituents. I want to hear the concerns of as many people as possible so I can work to address the concerns of the community.

Why should citizens of the City of Manassas elect you?

There are many people who feel they are not listened to or do not have a voice in government. I want to be the voice for all the people. I want our citizens to know that they are being heard and that the City Council is doing its best to meet their needs. The City Council can do so much more than just pass policy and laws. I believe we should connect people to resources and set an example by volunteering in the community to get done what needs to be done.

Tell us something about you that’s not political. 

As a mom and a grandmother, I love to spend time with my family. I also enjoy meeting new people and learning from the experiences of others. I have to say though, there is nothing better than a delicious picnic with friends and family on a beautiful summer day.

According to the Manassas election officials, Tuesday, June 16, 2020, is the last day to request an absentee ballot by mail.  Due to coronavirus pandemic, residents are encouraged voters to vote by absentee ballot.