As the 2016-17 school year gets underway, new schools are opening, and the recent controversy over school names got me thinking “who are some of these people and what did they do to merit the honor of having a school named after them? “
There are schools that have the names of historical or political figures, but there are others named to honor educators or school administrators who served Prince William County.
This series of articles will explore just a few of these special people.
Louise A. Benton
Louise A. Benton was born July 5, 1906. She spent much of her life in and around Washington D.C. Louise was a graduate of Benjamin Franklin University and one of the first Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company operators in the District of Columbia.
After 36 years of service to the telephone company, she retired to begin a second career in Prince William County. In 1960 Louise moved to Prince William and took up residence on Hoadly Road. She worked at the Partridge School a Rehabilitation Center in Gainesville.
Ms. Benton never married but was a foster mother to two daughters Louise was able to adopt and take responsibility for the raising of her grandson.
Louise collected used clothing, then washed, mended, and distributed the garments to families in need within the county. She tutored students housed at the County Juvenile Detention Home. At age 75, she was one of the first to take advantage of free classes being offered at then newly opened Northern Virginia Community College in Manassas to improve her skills as an educator.
She was an active member of the Manassas Women’s Club, Coles District Volunteer Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary, Woodbine Homemakers Extension Club, Prince William Hospital Auxiliary, Church of the Brethren Sewing Circle, League of Women Voters, Coles Little League Baseball Association, Garden Club, and Woodbine Baptist Church.
Benton died January 18, 1988. After her death, the Juvenile Detention Home planted a tree commemorating her service to the young folks housed there. The Woodbridge Homemakers club also acknowledged her by placing a brick with her name on it at the Manassas Museum.
The foster children she took in were instrumental in having her name put before the school board for consideration as the name of the Middle School on Hoadly Road near the home where she lived as a resident of the county. The Homemakers Extension Club also put her name up for this purpose. She was considered one of the county’s most notable senior citizens.
Benton Middle School, located at 7411 Hoadly Road near Independent Hill, opened its doors in September 2000. Today, the school houses 1,350 students.7411 Hoadly Road
This post is written by the Prince William County Historic Preservation Division.
More than 30 people who live in homeless camps on about 80 acres of property behind Bungalow Alehouse in Woodbridge will be forced to leave, according to Woodbridge Homeless Outreach.
Prince William County officials tell us that’s because the owner of the property posted “No Trespassing” signs, and now police will enforce the owners wishes.
From Prince Willaim County spokesman Jason Grant:
As you may be aware, the owner of the 80 acres behind Bungalow Ale House in Woodbridge has decided to post the property with “No Trespassing” signs. This is the same property that was recently in the news because there were structures built on the property that are not to code.
We were made aware of the structures after an anonymous caller contacted Child Protective Services and reported that there were small children living in a structure in the homeless camp. DSS had no choice but to remove the children and the judge required proof that the structures were unsafe, which required code enforcement to examine the structures. A code violation notice was sent to the property owner.
Because the property owner has posted the property, the people living on her property will have to leave, and police will have to enforce the property rights of the owner, if she files a notice that there are people on her property in violation of her “No Trespassing” notices.
In the event you receive any calls, I wanted to pass along the same information that has been passed along to our homeless advocates and community partner groups who work with the homeless.
The Drop-in Center will be open to any individuals on the property who are seeking assistance. We will have staff available to register those requesting services, get the process started, and connect them with services. Information on homeless services (https://www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/socialservices/pages/homeless-and-winter-shelters.aspx) and providers through the Continuum of Care (https://www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/socialservices/pages/prince-william-continuum-of-care.aspx) can be found on the County Website. The resource guide will be updated continually.
Prince William police will go about removing the homeless in phases. Here’s an email dated Sept. 13, 2016, from Courtney S. Tierney, Prince William County community services director.
There is not a specific date as the property owner understands people need time to make decisions. I did not know about the PD (police department) going to the site today and am getting clarification about this. I don’t know if I will get an answer tonight.
This is how I understand the process:
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DSS Staff and PD will visit the camp to give people notice about leaving the property within 30 days;
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Two weeks after that, PD and the Property Owner will visit the camp and issue citations to those remaining on the property noting that they need to leave within two weeks; and
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Two weeks after that, PD will remove persons from the property.
In 2011, Virginia State Police were called to remove homeless from camps at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Dale Boulevard.
Added to this post 4 p.m.
Woodbridge H.U.G.S. Director Terry Twomey says there are few places for the homeless to go once they’re displaced.
While the individuals must move, the real question is, “move where?’ PWC suffers from a severe lack of affordable housing, and NOT just for the unsheltered in this article, but also for a majority of its residents including an increasing number of adult children who must live at home, and needy individuals, who while they have a roof overhead, must either choose between paying the rent or buying food.
So this is where the majority of evicted will go, not out of the county, but to another piece of vacant land, until the uproar dies down, and if and when the quiet lasts, eventually they may move back. Such was/is the case at the site of Kmart, now somewhat ironically replaced with an AT HOME store.
While it is certainly true that in part the unsheltered brought this on themselves that is like looking at a picture and only seeing 1 square inch of the artwork. One inch is not even the essence of the work. And so in many minds, this group is just lazy, or addicts. Interestingly, our Vets, were once included in this judgement until marketing pulled them out.
The County listed the Bill Mehr Drop–In Center as a resource for the evicted. This Center has been around since 2002. So here is another real question, “Why is the Winter Shelter (located within the Bill Mehr Drop-In center, a 47-bed, overnight shelter not being opened to handle the eviction and giving the folks somewhere else to go?”
Currently, Help Us Grow Strong (HUGS), provides a meal on Saturday’s (Manassas & Woodbridge) while working to provide shelter within a Tiny House community for the unsheltered following the Housing First model which will include wrap around services to help people be their best self. People do not belong on the ground. If one would like to learn more, please check out our page www.facebook.com/WoodbridgeHUGS
Submitted:
The Fall Occoquan Arts and Crafts Show will be held rain or shine on Saturday, September 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, September 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Historic Occoquan. A 47-year tradition, this award winning outdoor street festival features more than 300 artisans and crafters, fun interactive activities for the kids, live entertainment and great food!
The Fall show is a great time to start your holiday shopping as it features many holiday-themed arts and crafts, as well as great gifts for family, friends and yourself! Be sure to stop by the new River Mill Park to listen to live music and participate in fun activities perfect for the entire family.
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 24
Time Performer Location
10 AM – 12 PM DJ John Coulter River Mill Park
12 – 2 PM Jahnel Daliya (Soul, R&B, Pop) River Mill Park
12 – 2 PM The Bull Run Troubadours Mamie Davis Park
2 – 3 PM DJ John Coulter River Mill Park
3 – 5 PM Rocknoceros (Family, Pop, Rock) River Mill Park
5 – 6 PM DJ John Coulter River Mill Park
Sunday, September 25
Time Performer Location
10 AM DJ Theo River Mill Park
10:30 AM Performances by Virginia Dance Center River Mill Park
11 AM DJ Theo River Mill Park
12 – 2 PM LATO (Blues, Rock, R&B, Soul) River Mill Park
12 – 2 PM David Toves (Guitarist) Mamie Davis Park
2 – 3 PM DJ Theo River Mill Park
3 – 5 PM Riptide (Classic Rock) River Mill Park
In addition to scheduled performances at River Mill Park and Mamie Davis Park, the Rockledge Assembly of English Country Dancers will be performing throughout the event area. Also, while you are at the show, be sure to stop by the kid’s activity area in River Mill Park to create your own artwork with Edgemoore Art Studio and have your face painted or get your very own balloon art with Fairy Jennabelle.
Admission is free. Off-site parking with shuttle bus service is available at the Vulcan Materials lot, Tackett’s Mill Commuter lot, Route 123 Commuter lot and the I-95 Commuter lot. There is a $5 round trip shuttle fee payable at the event drop-off; kids 12 and under ride free.
Funds generated by the semi-annual Arts and Crafts Show supports the Town’s Capital Improvement Program, which includes maintaining, updating and implementing infrastructure improvements, building maintenance and other public improvements like streets, sidewalks, gaslights, stormwater and more.
For more information on the Fall Arts and Crafts Show, to volunteer to help during the event, or for special rates at area hotels, visit www.occoquanva.gov or www.Facebook.com/OccoquanCraftShow, or contact Donna Brown, Events and Community Development Director, at (703) 491-2168 or [email protected].
Stafford Rock Hill District Supervisor Wendy Maurer will collect 300 signatures before moving forward to fix to failed dams in the county’s Lake Arrowhead neighborhood.
“I want to have the general consensus of the residents before we move forward with this,” said Maurer.
Maurer and volunteers are working to collect those signatures by going to door to door and talking with neighbors about Stafford County’s offer to loan Lake Arrowhead residents $542,010 to repair the two dams that make up the community’s two lakes: Big and Little Lake Arrowhead.
The dams have been in a state of disrepair since 2003.
A subsequent tax increase will be needed to repair the dams. It will take 10 years to pay off the debt incurred by the dam fix, said Maurer. Afterward, the increased property tax would be decreased by 2/3, as the county will still need to collect $30,000 a year to maintain the dams.
Unlike other neighborhoods with homeowners associations that manage lakes and community amenities, Lake Arrowhead’s HOA disbanded nearly 20 years ago after allegations of theft within in the organization, added Maurer.
A letter from county officials to residents outlines the county’s offer to Lake Arrowhead residents:
The Lake Arrowhead community owns two lakes, Lake Arrowhead and Little Lake Arrowhead, which serve as amenities for all property owners in the community. Both lakes are formed by dams that are regulated by the Commonwealth of Virginia to ensure the dams are maintained in a manner which protects the safety of those living downstream of the lakes. For many years, these dams have not been monitored and maintained in compliance with state requirements.
While your community has taken some steps to investigate the necessary measures to return these dams to compliance with state requirements, the process is still incomplete.
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors recognized the broader safety concerns of these dams and initiated an engineering study earlier this year to assess the dams. The study also identified costs and options to first bring the dams into compliance and then ensure future maintenance.
The engineering study was recently completed and renovations are required for both dams to comply with safety requirements. Total cost for the work is estimated at about $705,000, including engineering, permits, construction and an appropriate contingency.
The results of this study have been provided to the Dam Safety Division with the state, and we have obtained their concurrence with our findings. We are now in a position to begin the detailed engineering design for both dams with the assurance that the basis of design will be accepted by the regulating authority.
The County believes that a feasible approach to fund the repairs includes the use of about $138,000 from the remaining funds collected by the Lake Arrowhead Sanitary District, the use of $25,000 in grants from the state, with the balance of about $542,000 provided as a loan by the County to the Lake Arrowhead community. Details on the estimated costs and funding strategy are provided below.
We propose that the Lake Arrowhead community repay the County for the loan through the formation of a service district. This allows the residents to pay back the debt through an assessment on their property tax bill. Assuming a loan balance of $542,010 as noted above, a 10 year payback schedule, and an interest rate of 2.5% for the life of the loan, our preliminary calculations indicate that a tax rate of 9¾¢ per thousand would be necessary to fund capital cost for the renovations, along with maintenance reserve funding. After the rehabilitation loan is paid off, the rate would drop almost two-thirds to fund continuing maintenance responsibilities. The table below provides a range for the annual costs for property owners based on the assessed value of their property.
We recognize this is a major decision for the Lake Arrowhead community, and a great deal of information to provide by way of a letter. Whereas many of you may wish to be provided additional information about this proposal, and have questions answered before making a decision of this importance, we have scheduled a community meeting at the A. G. Wright Middle School on October 13 beginning at 7:00 PM. Your Rock Hill District Supervisor, Wendy Maurer, will be present along with County staff to present information on the recently completed study, as well as details on the funding possibilities to complete the renovations. We hope to see you there.
The lakes will not be drained to repair the dams. A rusted-out culvert at the Little Lake Arrowhead dam needs to be repaired, and dam at Big Lake Arrowhead needs to be raised seven inches taller, said Maurer.
@PaulBegala @GovernorVA UH-OH Trouble! pic.twitter.com/PRdTFiiM1w
— ??6630507 (@BioAnnie1) September 17, 2016
Here’s the full story from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
From Prince William police:
Armed Robbery – On September 16 at 3:10PM, officers responded to investigate a robbery which occurred in the area of Allen Dent Rd and Reservoir Loop in Dumfries (22026) earlier that afternoon. The victim, a 14-year-old male juvenile of Dumfries, reported to police that he was walking in the above area when he was approached by two unknown male juveniles. During the encounter, one of the suspects brandished a handgun while the other suspect punched the victim in the face. The suspects then took the victim’s shoes and cell phone before fleeing the area on foot. The victim was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
During the investigation, detectives from the Robbery Unit and Gang Unit identified both of the suspects as a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old male juveniles both of Dumfries. The 17-year-old male juvenile was eventually located at his residence later that evening. Detectives have obtained warrants for the arrest of the 16-year-old male juvenile. The investigation continues.
Arrested on September 16: [Juvenile]
A 17-year-old male juvenile of Dumfries
Charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit a felony, and use of a firearm in commission of a felony
Court Date: Pending | Status: Held at the Juvenile Detention Center
Wanted: [Juvenile]
A 16-year-old male juvenile of Dumfries
Wanted for robbery, conspiracy to commit a felony, and use of a firearm in commission of a felony
Submitted:
After an extensive search of highly qualified applicants, Fire and Rescue Chief Rob Clemons announced today the selection of Todd E. Lupton as Deputy Chief of Fire and Rescue for the City of Manassas. Lupton has been with the City of Manassas Fire and Rescue System since 2011, serving as Battalion Chief.
“In the five years Todd has been with the City, he has helped the EMS services grow to become award winning,” said Chief Clemons. “I believe Todd has the leadership and management qualities that will help him excel as a Deputy Chief in our Department and for our Fire Service.”
Lupton has more than 18 years of Fire and Rescue experience. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Fire Science Administration from Waldorf College, and an Associates Degree in EMS Technology from Northern Virginia Community College. Lupton has achieved the Designation of Chief Fire Officer and Chief EMS Officer through the Commission on Professional Credentialing. He is currently certified as a Fire Officer IV and a National Registered Paramedic.
During his career he has served at every rank to include serving several times as an Interim Fire Chief. Lupton was named EMS Administrator of the year in 2013 by the Northern Virginia EMS Council.
“Todd has a great range of experiences with Fire and Rescue Services and with combined volunteer and career systems,” said City Manager W. Patrick Pate. “I know Chief Clemons is looking forward to having Deputy Chief Lupton as a member of his management team.”
Submitted:
On Saturday, September 24th beginning at 10:00 AM the 34th Annual North Stafford High School Marching Band Invitational will be held at North Stafford’s A.J. Slye Stadium.
One of the longest running marching competitions in Virginia, this year’s event will feature performances by 20 different marching bands from all over Virginia. Performances will occur approximately every 15 minutes with an exhibition performance by North Stafford’s own Big Blue Marching Band at 4:30 pm. An awards ceremony will follow where judges will award competitive categories by school size.
General admission is $6 with discounts based on age and North Stafford students will receive a discount with ID while Stafford County middle school students will receive free admission if they wear their band shirt.
This event is run by the North Stafford Band Boosters, a non-profit organization that raises funds for the North Stafford High School Band program under the direction and guidance of Mr. Chris Mallory, the new Director of Bands at North Stafford High School