There's a new chief of human resources at overseeing two of the region's largest hospitals -- Novant Health / UVA Health System Prince William and Haymarket medical centers. 

Julie Hixson Sujik joined the system as the chief human resource officer.

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Hospitals in Prince William County and Manassas won't be affected by a new round of cuts and furloughs announced by the UVA Health System.

The healthcare provider announced that it is taking actions to mitigate $85 million per month in losses it has experienced. Those losses come after a state-imposed lockdown and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's ban on elective medical procedures in the wake of the coronavirus.

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Zandra’s, like many other restaurants, has a large kitchen.

But due to the coronavirus outbreak that has forced the closure of many dining rooms in the area and around the state, the kitchen has seen little use these past few weeks.

So, Zandra’s owner Miguel Pires he and his landlord, Sean Landry, teamed up to put his kitchen equipment to use, by cooking food and donating it to Prince William Food Rescue. There, the food is turned into gourmet meals for the hungry in our area.

Zandra’s Kitchen, located inside the old Gainesville Elementary in Haymarket, also known as Pace West, is the inspiration for the name of the project he is calling “Old School Kitchen.”

The original school kitchen had been remodeled and renovated as part of the process to be a production facility for Zandra’s, which also has locations in Manassas and Fairfax cities. But for now, Pires says he doesn’t need it.

Instead, he and Landry saw people who needed food in the area and put their heads together to solve the problem Pires launched a GoFundMe to raise funds for the project. While Pires will be paying a few people who peel potatoes and make rice, he said that the chefs are all volunteers.

The first is Jules Foeaman, a chef who operates Jules Caribbean Barbecue, a food truck in Leesburg. Foeaman has spent his time in the Haymarket kitchen smoking chicken and pork butts. Along with the food that’s been donated, they buy basic things like pasta, rice, and olive oil. These special ingredients to turn their food into gourmet meals.

 “My thought is to bring in different people,” Pires said, explaining that their goal is to work with people in the community to come and whip up their own personal recipes.

Pires said that he was inspired to spin up his charitable efforts by another local business owner, Sharita Rouse, of Tummy Yum Yum, a gourmet candy apple store in Downtown Manassas. From her apple stand at 9119 Church Street, she has been feeding 150 people a day.

When Pires heard about this, he said, “We could do that with our crew.” Now, Old School Kitchen will make meals and deliver them to Rouse, who will distribute the food.

Pires said that they will start with Rouse, but as the word gets out they will find other non-profits and other food kitchens who can use the meals.

Pires said the best way to help them is by donating. He noted that a $10 donation makes roughly ten meals.

There’s also the challenge of getting people to sign up to be volunteers for Prince William Food Rescue, who will deliver the food.

Taking the ingredients and turning them into fully-prepared meals is essential for some who don’t have the ability or knowhow to cook.

“They’re the poorest of the poor,” Pires said. “If you give them a case of lettuce, they’re just eating lettuce. “So, by preparing the actual meals it is “putting something to good use,” said Pires.

An official launch date for the “Old School Kitchen” was slated for Monday, April 13.

The Old School Kitchen comes as the Prince William County Government is working with multiple food kitchens to feed residents in the wake of the coronavirus spread. Didlake, an organization that works with people with disabilities, donated their warehouse on Breeden Avenue in Manassas that will serve as a headquarters for the food distribution in the community.

According to a county press release posted to its website:

“Born out of the desire to help those in need, Prince William County partnered with Action in the Community Through Service (ACTS), the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park and the Prince William County Community Foundation to establish the Community Feeding Taskforce — a scalable, flexible, long-term feeding operation put in place to make sure Prince William County residents who need food receive it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ACTS Development Director Aaron Tolson said ACTS has been working with Prince William County’s Emergency Management Office and other partners to build a hub-and-spoke distribution system to match the food supply to the need in the community.”

To volunteer with the Community Feeding Taskforce, download the Prince William Food Rescue app or register with Volunteer Prince William.

To donate food, please donate to either a local food pantry or call ACTS at 703-441-8606, extension 251 to coordinate a drop off time.

Prince William County firefighters were called to a barn fire near Haymarket on Thursday.

Barn fire in the 4300 block of High Ridge Road (Haymarket). Barn fully involved on arrival. Crews have the fire under control, starting to release some units. No injuries reported. Cause under investigation.

— PWC Fire & Rescue (@PWCFireRescue) January 2, 2020

Now we’re hearing from Novant Health UVA Medical Center in Prince William County, which is announcing its first baby of the New Year. A press release states:

Novant Health UVA Health System Haymarket Medical Center welcomes the new year with the announcement of its first baby of 2020. Liam Okechukwu was born Jan. 1 at the Women’s & Children’s Center at Haymarket Medical Center.

Baby’s full name: Liam Okechukwu

Time and date of birth: 2:56 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2020

Baby’s weight and height: 6 pounds, 12 ounces and 20 inches

Sex of baby: Male

Mother: Christy Uchendu

Delivering physician: Dr. Jennifer Nguyen An, OB

Liam has two siblings, a 24-year-old brother and 16-year-old sister. Liam’s father, Johnson Okechukwu, was also born on Jan. 1 and is thrilled to share a birthday with his son. The family was given a gift basket courtesy of Novant Health Auxiliary.

American Legion Post 1799 presented a $10,000 check to John Dominic, VP of The Warrior Retreat.

• The donation will support five hospitalized veterans and their families for one week to stay at the retreat and give them a break from the hospital environment.
• Post 1799 obtained the grant by applying to the American Legion “Operation Comfort Warriors” program, serving wounded, injured, or ill personnel by providing them with comfort items not usually supplied by the government.

This marks the second time in the last three years American Legion Post 1799 has applied for and received a grant of $10,000 from the American Legion Operation Comfort Warriors program.

The Warrior Retreat in Haymarket is operated by Serve Our Willing Warriors.

Six candidates gathered at the Red Rose events center in Manassas to discuss the issues facing Prince William County in the Nov. 5, 2019 Election.

• In the Brentsville Supervisors’ race, there’s Republican incumbent Jeanine Lawson and her challenger Democrat Maggie Hansford.
• In Gainesville, it’s Republican incumbent Peter Candland and Democrat Danny Funderburk.
• In Coles, political newcomers Yesli Vega, a Republican, and Raheel Sheikh, a Democrat.

Debate moderator, Northern Virginia Community College Provost Dr. Molly Lynch first asked about a plan to borrow up to a combined $396 million for new roads and park improvement projects.

• Since June, Candland has opposed the bonds because of the way the Board of Supervisors hand-selected the respective projects,  and said last night, “if this bond referendum fails in November I will start the discussion for a new bond so the new board can have a discussion.”
• Funderburk supports them because there is $200 million included for improving Route 28 between Manassas and Fairfax County, saying “Now is the time to act and stop kicking the can down the road.”
• Hansford said the $41 million park bond will provide more recreational opportunities for residents.
• Lawson said she fears the road bond would lead to more homes built in the county’s rural area, the kind of development she’s opposed.
• Sheikh says, as a business owner in Prince William County, “I pay every tax known to mankind, but we need money to fix these roads.”  
• Vega doesn’t support the bond, saying, “it’s an irresponsible approach to allocate these fund to parks when we still have [school] children seated in trailers trying to learn” 

When asked what type of new businesses would benefit the county, answers varied from attracting more job training and development facilities, to what types of businesses the county tries to attract.

• “Our economic development staff spends a lot of time chasing whales,” said Candland. “We need to do more for small business owners who want to expand.” 
• The county economic development office has a nearly $3 million annual budget, and Candland’s opponent, Funderburk, said it is “grossly underfunded” and would be more successful with more resources.
• Vega doesn’t much favor the county’s economic development process, saying “I don’t believe in crony capitalism with the government picking winners and losers.” 
• Hansford said business owners avoid coming to Prince William County because the school division boasts the region’s most overcrowded classrooms, while Sheikh called for building more centers for job training.

Lawson and Hansford traded jabs for most of the evening, but especially when it came to Lynch’s question about how to deal with a growing panhandling problem in the county.

• Hansford said panhandling could be reduced if more educational opportunities were afforded to county residents.
• “We’re not going to resolve panhandling by sending people to preschool,” Lawson said. 
• A U.S. Supreme Court ruling now prevents police from stopping panhandling, which occurs at intersections across the county.
• Funderburk called for a deeper examination of the panhandling problem, saying many panhandlers are veterans suffering PTSD, those suffering mental illness, and “some people who don’t want to work.”

One the preserving the Rural Crescent, candidates all said they want to protect the land.

• Candland and Lawson call for barring water or sewer lines to the Rural Crescent, as that, they say, is what would invite new home construction.
• Sheikh called for funding a purchase of development rights program that would use taxpayer money to purchase private property in the Rural Cresent in order to preserve it.
• Vega signed a pledge to protect the crescent in order to protect the rural way of life there, saying, “who is going to pay for new schools, new roads [that will be needed if the land is developed], it won’t be the [housing] developers.” 

The debate was hosted by the Prince William Committee of 100 and the Leauge of Women Voters, Prince Willaim Chapter.

• Voters will head to the polls on November 5.
• Read our special newsletter for more on info on the candidates.

Rockwood Bar and Grill Chef and owner Mike Cordero will serve oysters, chilled wine, cocktails, and beer.

• Guests are invited to taste samples of the restaurant’s locally caught oysters from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26.
• Afternoon highlights include live music from local favorites the Dave Thong Band, an oyster buffet, and open bar
• Rockwood’s dog-friendly patio is furnished with artificial turf and features long beer-hall style tables with outdoor games like corn hole, giant Jenga and giant Connect Four.

Rockwood’s oyster menu features raw oysters harvested from Northern Virginia.

• Rockwood is serving all-you-can-eat fresh shucked oysters, grilled oysters, oyster fritters, po boy oyster sliders, oysters Rockefeller, gourmet salad, potato salad and hush puppies.
• Rockwood’s Oyster Fest 2019 is open to all age groups (21+ will be given wristbands and drink tickets).

Tickets are $49 a person and can be purchased prior to the event.

• The event will be held weather permitting.
• Rockwood is located at 7505 Iron Bar Lane in Gainesville.

The library has waived half of its patron-owed late fines for October.

• So, for example, if you owe the library $10 in late fees, now you only owe $5.

Prince William County Public Libraries spokeswoman Rachel Johnson said that the library started the late-fee forgiveness program last year.

• It wanted to remove barriers that may stop patrons from coming into the library, she said.
• Patrons can pay off their outstanding fines for less so that returned items will go back into the library’s collection and other patrons may enjoy them.

Last year, the forgiveness program saw the waiver of $33,000 overdue fines compared to 2017.

• Many patrons took advantage of the program and zeroed out their overdue balances.

To take advantage of this benefit, go to any branch checkout desk and ask about the program.

• The library accepts all late materials that have not been damaged, lost, or have interlibrary loan fees.
• “We hope patrons that have overdue fines will consider taking advantage of the Fine Forgiveness Program. More than anything, this program is about getting patrons back to the library, even if they have fines that may have discouraged them from coming in,” said  Johnson.