Ventech Solutions, an information technology company, is bringing 200 new jobs to Prince William.
According to a release from the Prince William County Department of Economic Development, Ventech Solutions is planning to invest more than $1.5 million, establishing the company’s regional base of operations at 23,392 square foot facility on Battleview Parkway in Manassas.
Ventech’s positions offer an average wage of $80,000, according to a release.
Governor Terry McAuliffe and Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart made comments about Ventech’s decision to move to the area.
“As Governor, I am working to help the Commonwealth become the leading state for Information Technology (IT) as we build a new, Hi-Tech Virginia economy. We have the assets and the infrastructure, and with the help of strong corporate partners like Ventech Solutions continuing to expand the company’s footprint into the Commonwealth, I am confident we will be the Cyber-Capital of America,” said McAuliffe in a release.
“We’re delighted to welcome Ventech to Prince William County and to our growing IT business community. The addition of 200 new jobs at an average salary of $80,000 a year is a great example of the type of jobs we are attracting in Prince William County,” said Stewart in a release.
Prior to Ventech Solution’s decision to come to Prince William County, the board of supervisors committed $50,000 from the ‘Economic Development Opportunity Fund’ to encourage the company to locate in the county, according to a release.
A release stated that the $50,000 will be used to offset the cost of equipment purchase and renovations for Ventech Solutions.
More from a release:
“It was important for Ventech to establish a strong presence in the National Capital Region, at the center of a growing healthcare IT industry with access to a highly-skilled workforce and talent pipeline. Prince William County delivers all the requirements that a growing Inc. 5000 company needs to fulfill major mission-critical programs that are of national importance,” said Herb Jones, CEO, Ventech Solutions Inc.
The need for advanced technologies to increase productivity, to manage and to analyze data and to enhance security has created significant market demand for stable and innovative IT companies. Prince William County is well-positioned to take advantage of the expansion of the IT industry due to its ever-growing technical workforce and accessibility to the Northern Virginia workforce; strong educational assets and emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); and redundant power and fiber networks.
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A group of Prince William residents and family members of Jim Breslin are raising funds for ‘The Ride to Conquer Cancer’.
The bike-riding fundraiser, which benefits John Hopkins University’s Cancer Center, will be a more than 150-mile ride on September 19 and 20.
Tim Breslin’s brother – Jim Breslin – was the inspiration for him to ride, because Jim Breslin passed away in March 2014 from esophageal cancer. This will be Breslin’s second year participating in the cancer fundraiser.
“One of my sisters saw the ad for ‘The Ride to Conquer Cancer’ [in 2014] which benefits John Hopkin’s Cancer Center, and my brother was being treated there. So she thought it would be a great thing to do – and neither of us were bike riders – but we signed up to do that,” said Breslin.
According to Breslin, his brother was a Nokesville resident, a retired responder from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, and a bus route manager for special needs children for Prince William County Public Schools.
Breslin said that his brother a selfless man who always put the needs of others before himself.
Breslin’s team was able to raise $38,000 last year for the event, and hope to continue to raise funds for this year’s ride.
This year, Breslin will captain the team, which includes Jim’s son, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and former colleagues from Fairfax County fire and rescue.
Governor Terry McAuliffe met with parents, teachers and administrators at an ‘education roundtable’ at Brooke Point High School in Stafford last week.
Meeting in the newly completed library facility at the high school, the roundtable, which was run by Virginia Secretary of Education Anne Holton, gave time for parents to speak to McAuliffe about education.
A lot of the usual topics were discussed – reducing class size, investing more money into education, supporting teachers and adding programs.
“We have to reduce class sizes, and we have to provide our teachers with support – whether it be professional development, administrators that are there to observe and to mentor…in my own elementary school, they wouldn’t be able to make color copies without being scrutinized,” said one parent.
“When teacher’s come into a school, there’s not funding for [teacher development] and that goes into everything…if you can keep your teachers engaged, and excited, and give them time to understand the teaching method, how to more effectively manage their classroom time,” said another parent.
During the roundtable, McAuliffe spoke about the success of the free and reduced breakfast and lunch program in Virginia.
“I want to thank my wife – our ‘First Lady’ – who’s whole effort has been to make sure that every child that goes to school has access to a breakfast and lunch, because we have so many children in the Commonwealth – about 300,000 when I became governor…you can’t learn if you’re hungry,” said McAuliffe.
A final point McAuliffe made during the gathering was that there were jobs available in Virginia, but not enough skilled workers to take them.
According to McAuliffe, he regularly meets with CEOs of large companies, who tell him that there aren’t enough workers with the right skill set to take available jobs at their companies.
McAuliffe stated that students need to be educated and get the skills they need, in order to keep major companies in the Commonwealth.
As construction at the intersection of Route 1, Route 17 Business and Route 218 in Falmouth draws to a close, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will begin overnight paving work.
According to VDOT, milling paving and line stripping work will begin tomorrow night, and run through September 30.
Traffic will still be able to move through the intersection, but there may be some delays, stated VDOT.
More from a VDOT release:
“We appreciate the community’s patience with us over the past 18 months during numerous lane closures and traffic shifts at the intersection,” said Michael Coffey, P.E., Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Assistant District Administrator for Construction, Fredericksburg District. “We look forward to removing cones and barrels at the end of the month, and delivering a better travel experience for drivers, pedestrians, and emergency responders.”
What Motorists Can Expect
Virginia State Police will direct traffic at the intersection every night from Sept. 8-30. Hours will vary depending on the day of the week. Mobile single lane closures will be in place.
Traffic will be under law enforcement control on the following schedule:
- Sunday: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Monday-Thursday: 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Friday-Saturday: 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Traffic will be permitted to pass through the intersection while overnight work is underway. Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time and to expect brief delays.
An intermediate and final layer of asphalt will be applied across the entire intersection and each approach on Route 1, Route 17 Business, and Butler Road.
Up to 12 inches of new asphalt will be applied in some locations. New pavement markings will be painted after paving to define the boundaries of the new traffic pattern.
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The Coles district is getting a new fire station.
But the location and plan for the new Coles District Fire Station is currently the subject of some controversy, as one of the proposed sites would require the county to dig up and move an old cemetery on the property.
The original station at 13712 Dumfries Road in Manassas, was built in 1976, according to county documents.
“The current station we have has exceeded its life cycle…a few years ago we hired a consultant – it was an architectural firm – who took a look at each of our stations…the recommendation for the Coles station was that it be replaced. Putting any more investment into that station, really isn’t going to give [us] the proper return. The construction style of that building was only meant to be a 30-year building, and we’ve far exceeded that,” said Prince William Fire and Rescue Chief Kevin McGee.
The new fire station would take 18-months to complete once it has been approved, said McGee.
According to McGee, the cemetery – which is abandoned – was from the 1800’s, and the county did not originally own the parcel the cemetery is sitting on, but purchased it as part of the plans to replace the fire station.
“We looked at some of the options for how to place the station on the property, and there was [the] cemetery. It was abandoned. We’ve known that it was there, but it is kind of ‘hidden away’…there are not visitors to it, it’s an abandoned graveyard,” said McGee.
Potomac Local visited the cemetery and found that there were no headstones remaining, but there were some field stones, and that the ground had sunken in, in the areas where human remains are buried.
“When looking at the site, it was very difficult to locate a station without moving the cemetery,” said McGee.
Four options for the fire station
County documents show that there are four options for the new fire station – with ‘Option A’ being the preferred route, according to McGee.
‘Option A’ would build a new fire station next to the current station, and relocate the cemetery to another site on the property, according to county documents. This would fit into the $10.7 million budgeted for the project, by Prince William County.
‘Option B’ would entail rebuilding on the same location, using a temporary facility in the interim, which would cost an additional $1.2 million, stated county documents.
‘Option C’ would be to build a two-story station, which would impact response times – according to McGee – and cost an extra $888,275, stated county documents.
And ‘Option D’ would reduce the sound buffer area for nearby residents, by building around the cemetery, it would create a segregated access point for apparatus, and cost an additional $1 million, according to county documents.
Descendants, historical groups upset by plans to move cemetery
While McGee stated that the county wants to involve descendants of those buried in the cemetery in the process, and wants the relocation of the graves to be done in a respectful way, the Prince William County Historical Commission and descendants have expressed their concerns.
“The Historical Commission objects to [the preferred plan] as we feel there must be some alternatives to disturbance of the cemetery…one being a two story firehouse, which would be similar to the last five firehouses built in Prince William County, and the proposed firehouse for Bacon Race [Fire Station]. They’re arguing that two story firehouses actually have a problem with increased response time, which we could not understand, as to why it seems to be the preferred plan in the past and the present,” said Bill Olsen, a member of the Prince William County Historical Commission.
Olsen stated that cemeteries shouldn’t be considered ‘moveable’ sites.
“The discussion should be, ‘Is there justification for moving a cemetery’ which is not normally considered a moveable object,” said Olsen.
Susan Tansill, a county resident whose husband is directly descended from one of the families buried at the cemetery, stated that moving the cemetery is a bad idea. Tansill had spoken with the county after hearing about the possible disinterment.
“When I responded back to the [county] that we were really more interested in hoping that they would keep the cemetery intact, I didn’t hear anything back from the county…our family feels that it’s better to preserve the dignity of the deceased, and work around, what is obviously inconvenient, but a fact on the site, instead of digging them up,” Tansill said.
A public hearing about the fire station and the cemetery will be held on September 8 at 2 p.m. at the McCoart Building in Woodbridge. Following the public hearing, the board of supervisors will ultimately select which of the four options the county will pursue, to build the new Coles District Fire Station.
Prince William County Public Schools officials exhumed graves at the site of the future Charles J. Colgan High School, just across the street from the Coles District Fire Station. The remains dug up will be re interned at the high school site.
Get ready for some fun at the Occoquan Craft Show.
The craft show – which is celebrating it’s 46th year – will be running September 26 and 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
According to Occoquan Craft Show Director Krista Forcier, more than 260 vendors will be exhibiting and selling items at the show.
There will also be art, music and food at the craft show, said Forcier.
More on parking for the Occoquan Craft Show:
There are four parking lots that visitors can use; Vulcan Materials at 10000 Ox Road, Lorton, VA, the Tackett’s Mill Commuter Lot at the corner of Harbor Drive and Old Bridge, the 123 Commuter Lot at the corner of 123 and Old Bridge, and the I-95 commuter lot at I-95 and 123. All parking lots will have continuous shuttles to and from the event for a $5 round trip fee. Children 12 and under ride free.
Parking changes are coming to Downtown Manassas.
According to Manassas spokeswoman Patty Prince, following a survey given to residents and tourists in the area, the city will undergo some changes to parking.
More on the changes from a Manassas release:
This fall changes are coming to parking in and around the Historic Downtown area of the City of Manassas. Improvements are already underway at City Hall and the Parking Garage. Changes of note include:
Daytime public parking in the garage has been moved from Levels 4 & 5 to Level 2 for customer convenience. Level 2 will have both four-hour free parking and all day paid parking. The entire garage remains free and open to the public on evenings and weekends and after 10 a.m. on weekdays.
Permanent closure of the Journal Messenger Lot (Lot I) for public use.
Additional public and downtown employee/resident parking at City Hall.
Lengthened hours for public parking at the Manassas Museum and City Hall.
Additional four-hour public parking in the Water Tower Lot (Lot B).
When all of the changes are put in place, parking will be more streamlined. Parking lots on the north side of the railroad tracks and all on-street parking will have a two-hour time limitation. On the south side of the railroad tracks, near Prince William Street, public parking lots will have a four-hour time limitation. All permit and time restrictions will cease at 5 p.m.,Monday–Friday, excepting Red Permit commuter restrictions that will end at 10 a.m. There will be no permit or time restrictions in effect on evenings and weekends.
As always, certain parking lots and on-street parking may be closed for special events or street cleaning. Always read the posted signs before leaving your vehicle.
All of these changes come as a result of citizen recommendations gained from an online survey of residents and visitors, and the parking task force made up of residents, businesses and city staff. Task force information can be found atwww.manassascity.org/parkingTF. For more information on permits, visit www.manassascity.org/parking.
Prince stated that the changes to the City Hall lot and it’s additional parking are already available, but there are not set dates for the other parking changes to take effect.
It will be up to Virginia’s State Corporation Commission to decide where a new electric transmission line will run in Haymarket.
The project, which has been met with an outcry from the community, currently has five different routes that are on the table, according to the Dominion Power website.
Recently, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution stating that they would only support the ‘I-66 Alternatives’ plan, which would bury the transmission lines underground near I-66 and Route 29.
Other routes would potentially place large overhead transmission lines through residential areas, according to Dominion Power maps.
Why the need for a new transmission line?
The purpose of bringing a transmission line project to an area would typically be to increase capacity and service for all residents in the area, but this may not be the sole reason for the project in Haymarket.
In a Washington Post article, it is reported that the transmission lines are being built for the benefit of one customer – Amazon – as it is reported that they are building a new data center in Haymarket that will need additional power capacity.
Senator Dick Black and Delegate Bob Marshall have even stated that they believe Amazon is the reason for the project and have written letters to Amazon’s owner Jeffrey Bezos.
Amazon did not return Potomac Local’s request for comment.
Who pays for the project?
According to Dominion Power spokesman Chuck Penn, there is no official cost for any of the proposed routes – but it will be at an upward of $140 million.
“We do not have cost estimates for each route…initially when we first announced the project – the so-called ‘railroad route’ – was in the neighborhood of $60 million…and the preliminary cost for the ‘hybrid route’ was $140 to $142 million. But since then, we’ve determined that that estimate is low,” said Penn.
And according to Penn, this cost is going to be passed to all of the rate-payers, regardless of if the transmission line is being built for the benefit of one business, like Amazon.
“We don’t view it as being for any customer – it’s a block lode increase…ultimately, the cost of the project will be passed on to the rate-payer. And when I say rate-payer, that’s across the entire Dominion footprint – across all of Dominion’s customers…every resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia that is a Dominion customer will be paying for this project,” said Penn.
According to Penn, Dominion Power does not get the final say on the route chosen for the project. The route is decided by the State Corporation Commission.
“There’s been a very robust and healthy exchange of information, with regards to this project, and we have benefitted greatly from these ongoing interactions with the community. And it translated into three of the routes that were under consideration that we’re going to recommend to the State Corporation Commission…the reality of it is that it’s very rare, that any transmission project is universally endorsed by all parties,” Penn said.
Currently, there is no set timeline for the commission to select a route.
Grab some beer, cider and mead in Centerville this October.
Mad Fox Brewing Company is sponsoring the 9th annual Northern Virginia Fall BrewFest, which will be at the Bull Run Regional Park on October 17 and October 18, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
According to a release, there will be more than 50 craft beers, ciders and meads available at the event.
More on tickets and details of the event, from a release:
The NoVa Fall BrewFest is ready to host serious brewers and beer fans alike. The focus for the NoVa Fall BrewFest will be fall and winter seasonal brews from local and regional breweries with some added meaderies and cideries in the mix. There will be more than 50 craft beers, ciders and meads to sample at the festival, with a nice representation from the local DC Metro area that has seen an explosion in the opening and establishment of craft breweries.
A ticket to the BrewFest costs $25 in advance online or $35 at the door. A ticket gives you admission to the festival, a special commemorative beer tasting glass and six tickets to taste your choice of craft brews. Designated driver tickets are also available for $10; children under 16 are free with an accompanying adult. Additional beer sampling tickets can be purchased for $2 per ticket.
For more information on the 2015 Northern Virginia Fall BrewFest, visit www.novabrewfest.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @novabrewfest and like us on Facebook.
