An effort by Prince William County Occoquan District Supervisor Ruth Anderson cleared the way to create the state’s first multi-jurisdictional designated arts hub.

This week, Occoquan River Communities announced it had completed its mission of helping to establish an identity for the Occoquan area, to include the Workhouse Arts Center just across the Occoquan River in Lorton.

The new group has formed in its wake. 

From a press release: 

The Board of Directors of Occoquan River Communities today announced plans to dissolve the formal nonprofit organization and transition to an informal alliance (Occoquan River Communities Alliance) without membership dues or by-laws.

ORC president Betty Dean stated “ORC was originally formed to help establish a regional identity and forge alliances amongst locations on both sides of the Occoquan to promote and celebrate our community. That mission has been accomplished.  The leaders at each of our venues work together regularly to promote the area and share ideas– as evidenced by annual events such as WinterFest and RiverFest which will continue.”

The collaborative relationships formed through ORC were essential to the creation of the recently formed Northern Virginia Arts & Culture District – the first such district in the commonwealth to cross jurisdictional boundaries.  The new District will allow for even more collaboration between the Workhouse Arts Center, the Occoquan Regional Park and the Town of Occoquan. 

John Houser, ORC Vice President said, “Ten years ago when we first started talking about creating an organization there were so many plans for the area that were just sketches on paper.  Places like Rivergate, the Science Center and Belmont Bay, a completely re-imagined Occoquan Regional Park and the River Mill Park at the Town of Occoquan, lived only in our imaginations.  Today you can take a boat from the Town up to Belmont Bay and see how all of these things have come to life.” 

In recent discussions about its future, members of the ORC board determined that the formal organization with its dues-paying members and by-laws was no longer necessary.  Leadership will continue to maintain regular contact and will take turns organizing quarterly get-togethers to share information and collaborate. The organization’s Facebook page, which has more than 800 followers, will be converted to a page called the Occoquan River Communities Alliance, where participants will continue to provide updates on area events and developments. 

The board also announced that it will be distributing all funds remaining in its account after final administrative expenses in the form of grants to support the following regional events and projects:

• $1,000 to Riverfest
• $1,000 to Winterfest
• $1,000 to Turning Point Suffragist Memorial
• $500 to Friends of the Occoquan
• $110 to River Mill Park to purchase an “ORC” logo brick
• All remaining funds to George Mason in a named, one-time scholarship/research grant to support the new Science Center

“We realized that we no longer needed the formal structure, expense or administrative burden that comes with being a legal entity,” said Dean.  “We’re all committed to continuing to support each other and promote the region – but informally, and with a lot less paperwork!” 

From Occoquan Woodbridge Lorton Volunteer Fire Department:

Woodbridge, VA December 9th, 6:00 a.m. – Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Firefighters responded to the report of a two story commercial structure fire at 14339 Jefferson Davis Hwy in Woodbridge. Crews arrived within minutes and reported smoke showing from the roof.

Crews forcibly entered through front door and found fire on the first floor. The source of the fire was found in a storage area and was contained. An additional sweep of the building was conducted. The fire was knocked down in less than 10 minutes.

Several people were inside an adjacent unit evacuated.

The blaze is under investigation by the Prince William County Fire Marshal’s Office. Fire and Rescue units from OWL VFD, Dale City VFD, Dumfries – Triangle VFD, PWCDF&R, and PWCPD responded to the incident.

OWL VFD is one of the largest and busiest volunteer fire departments in the United States with almost 300 members. OWL VFD provides fire suppression, EMS care, and rescue services to 80,000 residents in our 27 square mile area through the operation of three fire stations. OWL volunteer Firefighters and EMTs work the 6 pm to 6 am shift, five days a week, plus 24/7 holidays and weekends.

Are you looking for unique gifts this holiday season but not interested in the hustle and bustle found at the major retailers?

Why not shop small in the City of Manassas. You’re sure to find something for everyone on your list at one of the charming shops in Historic Downtown.

All lit up for the holidays, Historic Downtown Manassas is a hidden gem with independently-owned boutiques featuring jewelry, homeware, clothing, original art, candles, and much more. Take a look at these gift suggestions to get a glimpse of what Manassas shopping has to offer. Check out VisitManassas.org for a full list of stores and activities. Better yet, bring the family and enjoy a day of shopping, an amazing meal and perhaps a little hot chocolate and ice skating.  

Fun & Tasty Stocking Stuffers

Bacon treats? Lip gloss? Fidget Spinners? Yup. You can get all three, and even Havana Banana flavored soda at Popcorn Monkey. If they have an oversized stocking, you could also put a tin of delicious popcorn in there…it would not disappoint. Prices on stocking stuffers starting at $3.99.

For the Person Who Has Everything

There’s at least one person on everyone’s list that you agonize over every year. A great way to approach a gift for the person who has everything is to pick delicious perishable items. Manassas Olive Oil Company will allow you to customize a gift basket with things like artisan olive oils, balsamic vinegar, and pour spouts, and a dipping dish. The friendly staff will even package it up with a pretty holiday bow.

For the Kids (No batteries or assembly required)

Give your child the opportunity to discover their music talent by teaching their fingers something useful (other than how to use a Nintendo controller). Prince William String Academy offers music lessons in piano, violin, viola, cello, and bass. Four half-hour lessons with a professional musician, only $140. 

For the Person Who Embraces the Holiday Spirit 

These one-of-a-kind earrings from McCall Studio Gallery (a division of DMVISUAL) will ensure that the person donning these beauties will be sparkling brighter than the tree. Pick up some holiday spirit with these snowman or Christmas tree crystal earrings. A pair starts at $30.99.      

For the Person Who’s Ready to Get Fit in 2018 

Center Street Studio is the perfect place to start or continue your fitness journey. The easiest way to get started is with the Wellness Package for New Students for only $199. The package includes the “Intro to the Pilates Reformer” (three private Pilates apparatus lessons), a three-class yoga pass, two thirty-minute health-coaching consultations.* Give the gift of transformation- a more confident and healthy you in the new year. 

*For new students to Center Street Studios only. One package per person.

For the Hostess with the Mostess 

For the person who loves to host, give them a beautiful serving platter that can suit any occasion, season or holiday. Introducing the Nora Fleming platter- with interchangeable “minis,” you can transform one platter into the ultimate platter for every possible celebration. Platters and minis are available at Love, Charley (along with lots of other charming shabby chic homewares). Prices vary depending on the size of the dish.  

For the Craft Beer Aficionado 

For the lover of craft beer, or the person looking to expand their palate, pick-up a limited or barrel-aged release, available only at the Heritage Brewing taproom. Toast to friendship with the gift that will be the perfect addition to any holiday dinner table. Six packs start at $11.99. 

What had started as a fast-paced struggle across the Low Countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and finally into France itself, the First World War was already five months old by December of 1914.

In September, the French and British Armies had stopped the German drive short of Paris, at the Marne River. Warfare slowed down as soldiers dug trenches; the ‘front’ facing enemy positions were only the very tip of a system that stretched miles deep.

Infantrymen, in contact with the enemy, did not expect much of a Christmas celebration that year under such desperate conditions. Units rotated periodically, with a day of rest in less exposed trenches to the rear, where they would not be under direct fire. This brief relaxation would be the most men would expect for the holiday.

Ignored by officials on both sides, Pope Benedict XV attempted to arrange a truce between the warring powers for Christmas.

What actually happened came from men in the field, without any apparent organization. It started after men settled into the trenches in November… it began with arrangements (ceasefires) while recovering the dead from No-Man’s Land. Burial parties, from opposing sides, then exchanged information and food with each other.

In many places, the lines were close enough that the soldiers could shout across at each other, whether to taunt or simply chat. Conversing was especially clear among the German and British armies, because many men had visited or lived in both nations, and could communicate with each other in English.

On Christmas Eve, British soldiers reported that German soldiers started singing songs and playing music. Soon, the British responded with their own tunes and songs. The shouts between men took on a festive tone, exchanging seasonal greetings. Who first raised their head above the trenches goes unrecorded, but officers and infantrymen from both sides, began to emerge. And no one fired. Artillery fell silent in some sectors.

Orders, of course, strictly prohibited any of this fraternization, holiday or not. Many company officers and Generals were afraid that it would prevent men from continuing the fight afterward. There seemed to exist among the soldiers in the trenches, a sort of understanding, born from their shared condition, regardless of general orders.

This did not extend to all soldiers, of course. Captain Billy Congreve of the Rifle Brigade wrote in his diary, “We have issued strict orders to the men not to on any account allow a truce, as we have heard rumours that they will probably try to. The Germans did. They came over towards us singing. So we opened rapid fire on them, which is the only truce they deserve.”

On the other side of the issue, Captain Bruce Bairnsfather of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment observed among his men that, “There was not an atom of hate on either side that day; and yet, on our side, not for a moment was the will to war and the will to beat them relaxed. It was just like the interval between the rounds in a friendly boxing match.” While there was suspicion, mistrust, and prejudice on both sides, it was pushed aside for that peaceful meeting.

The high command’s fears came to fruition in some of the battlefields the day after Christmas. Private Frank Richards of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, wrote in his memoirs, “During the whole of Boxing Day (December 26th) we never fired a shot, and they the same, each side seemed to be waiting for the other to set the ball a-rolling.”

In the end, as units rotated back to different positions, and simply as time passed, the informal truces ended. These ‘truces’ became a distant memory, as the first year of a brutal struggle would go on another four years, with 29 million soldiers killed or wounded, over 57% of those serving. There would never be another Christmas quite like the one in 1914.

This December at Rippon Lodge in Woodbridge, Prince William County’s Historic Preservation Division will be presenting Christmas Through the Ages. This special holiday-only program starts off with a tree lighting on the lawn December 2 and continues every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through December 23. The first tour of the day begins at 11:00 am and the last at 3:00 pm.

Each walk through the Lodge with one of the guides takes a visitor through some American holiday-time traditions; from the 1700s celebration of the time between Christmas and Epiphany, known as Twelfth Night, through the Victorian age, 1920s, and 1930s, learn how we came to celebrate Christmas as it is today.

Another special occasion will be a visit from Santa Claus on December 9th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Parents will be given a ‘Things Santa Should Know’ card before their child meets that right jolly old elf in his temporary residence in Rippon Lodge’s cabin.

In a follow-up post to our Davis Ford and Yates Ford roads Traffic Think Tank, here’s a video we showed during the event on Oct. 19, 2017.

We asked PRTC Executive Director Bob Schneider about traffic conditions on the two-lane roads and challenges managing mass transit in low population density areas. 

Video transcript: 

For PRTC and OmniRide, our biggest challenge is in the mid-county area and its lack of density.

So we don’t have dedicated transit services in that corridor and instead really rely on road network to get commuters, residents to the park and ride lots.

Some of our top areas are Horner Road. So many of those residents in that community travel to Horner Road to pick up our services, use slugging, or many other means of transportation such as vanpool or carpool.

In terms of safety and transit utilization, there are some big challenges.

First and foremost it’s a beautiful area, therefore, its low density. All that low density makes it really difficult to effectively manage transportation, mass transit issues, and with those being the roads that very little infrastructure in terms of sidewalks, which of course and any pedestrian would want, simultaneously there are not a lot of crosswalks, or very many, if any intersections with traffic signals.

So it makes it very difficult for us in order to manage turns, have that infrastructure that brings pedestrians to the forefront.

One of the best solutions that we’re looking at is two things, one of which is looking at the Horner Road expansion of the parking and ride lot. Is there a chance to improve or increase capacity at the park and ride lot which is a challenge, but all that do is draw more commuters through that corridor or possibly increase congestion.

One of the alternatives would be to look at, is there some way to take advantage of the park and ride lots closer to the interior of the county that are more conducive to travel that we could serve more effectively.

If you think about it, one large commuter bus traveling through an intersection in moves 60 cars at once. That’s the equivalent of what happens when those vehicles move through. Simeltenousuly, that’s the equivalent of 15 cars, four lanes wide four lanes wide on I-95.

That one transit bus removes all those cars, and because we have the occupation of the HOT lanes, we’re able to move residents in and out of D.C. much quicker.

Those are some of the key issues we face along the Yates Ford and Davis Ford corridor.

From Prince William County police:

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VIRGINIA . . . A total of 2,262.2 pounds of expired or unused prescription medications was collected in greater Prince William County on Saturday, October 28th. The event was sponsored by the Crime Prevention Unit of the Prince William County Police Department, the City of Manassas Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center, Sentara Lake Ridge, and Novant Health UVA Health System Haymarket Medical Center.

 

• Manassas City Police and sponsors collected 1,432 pounds of expired or unused
  prescription medications at the Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William
  Medical Center collection location in the city of Manassas.
• Prince William County Police and sponsors collected a total of 830.2 pounds of expired
  or unused prescription medications:
•  471.1 pounds at the Sentara Lake Ridge collection location in Woodbridge, and
• 359.1 pounds at the Novant Health UVA Health System Haymarket Medical
  Center collection location in Haymarket. Read More

From the Town of Occoquan:

(October 20, 2017 – Occoquan, VA) On October 16, 2017, the Town of Occoquan presented resident Laurie Holloway with its Volunteer Award. Ms. Holloway was awarded the Walter D. Bailey Volunteer Award and recognized for her contributions to the community during a volunteer appreciation event at Occoquan’s Bottle Stop Wine Bar on Monday evening.

Ms. Holloway has been a resident of Occoquan since 2016 and during that time has shown a deep commitment to community by quickly and readily volunteering her time and talents for the betterment of the town. She has volunteered for multiple events including the semi-annual Occoquan Arts and Crafts Show, an event that brings more than 10,000 people to the community and generates revenue in support of the Town’s Capital Improvement program, and for the spring and fall community clean-up days.

She can also be seen picking up litter daily on her walks through town and has officially adopted the Mill Street parking lot under the Route 123 Bridge as a clean-up location through the Keep Prince William Beautiful Adopt-A-Spot program. In addition, she has recently been appointed to serve on the Town’s Architectural Review Board, which is responsible for preserving the historic district’s unique cultural heritage and identity.
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