From a press release: 

Preparing to combat that time of year when, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly a third
(31%) of all U.S. traffic deaths involve drunk drivers*, free Lyft rides will be offered to deter impaired driving throughout the Washington-metropolitan area on Cinco de Mayo (May 5th).

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Recognizing that businesses are the backbone of Manassas, the Manassas City Council recently issued a proclamation declaring May “Business Appreciation Month.”

“The strength of the City of Manassas relies on the strength of its business community,” says Mayor Harry J. Parrish II. “Our businesses create jobs and make the City a great place to live, work, and do business.”

Through Business Appreciation Month, the City of Manassas honors and celebrates its thriving businesses and the engaged business owners who are very involved in the community. They enthusiastically support local service groups, youth activities, and participate in events like this week’s upcoming First Friday Gallery Walk where downtown merchants will showcase local artists’ works.

According to the Virginia Employment Commission, the City has 1,530 business establishments within its boundaries. Its businesses range from new start-ups to corporations with more than 1,000 employees and feature unique shops, restaurants offering a spectrum of cuisines, and even breweries and a distillery.

To thank the business owners and operators who choose to be located in the City, the City of Manassas and the Prince William Chamber are hosting a free Manassas Business Appreciation Breakfast on Thursday, May 11, 8:00-10:00 a.m. at the Center for the Arts (9419 Battle Street, Manassas). Local businesses are encouraged to spend the morning networking with each other and mingling with the mayor and members of the City Council. Members of the business community may attend this invitation-only event by contacting Nicole Smith with the City’s Economic Development Department at 703-853-3701.

When you close your eyes and picture the perfect, idyllic summer day, does that day include the beach? On the other hand, you could be imagining a day at an amusement park or a lake. Is your perfect summer day a day where your only decision is when to reapply the sunscreen?

If you are a working parent with school-age or teenage children, the idea of summer vacation presents some unique challenges. School is out of session which means the kids are home all day. Many children become bored, and parents are looking for ways to keep kids busy and engaged–all while having a fabulous time and making new friends.

The summer camps offered at the Manassas Park Community Center are specially designed to keep your children involved and engaged. Each camp offers a different theme and encourages thinking, sharing, and socializing.

Tony Thomas, Recreation Services Supervisor, says he and his staff have developed the summer camps around a variety of interests.

“If you have a sports lover, we have sports camps. If you have science lovers, we have science camps. If you have art lovers, we have art camps,” says Thomas. “We even have camps for children who imagine their name in neon lights on Broadway.”

Kids, ages 3-5, can participate in weeklong playschool camps where they will learn about bugs, music, and space. They can also learn about the wonders of the ocean and go around the world in five days. Each camp has been designed to help preschoolers learn about their world and to have fun!

Picture this: your school age child’s imagination soars as he or she is transported to Japan sometime in the 1800’s where their emperor needs the campers help to defeat the enemy. The Emperor has put together an army of Samurai soldiers and only has one week to train his loyal farmers. They will need to build their own Samurai armor to protect them against the enemy forces. Campers will use Nerf archery, rubber foam Bo staff, and water artillery to defend the Emperor’s nation in Samurai Warrior’s Camp. Read More

Flowers bloom, trees begin to grow their leaves, and animals wake from their slumber in the spring.

One of the more symbolic celebrations during the beginning of the year is Easter. There are traditions and symbols that are associated with the festive day one may not know about, including a fox, a chicken, and of course, the rabbit.

Where did the Easter Bunny come from? The egg giving hare has been associated with Easter for centuries, with some of the first mentions of this furry animal in 16th-century German writings. The Easter Bunny is believed to have imported to the United States by Pennsylvania Dutch settlers.

Known as the Osterhase, he was not the only animal to bring eggs to children on Easter throughout history. In parts of Germany and Switzerland, children also waited for eggs from the Easter Cuckoo, the Easter Rooster, the Easter Stork, the Easter Fox, and the Easter Chick.

Besides coloring eggs for the celebration, other traditions, such as the egg tree, also found their way to American though the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s.

Furthermore, gift giving has become a part of the Spring celebration, with the giving of candy or baskets full of candy. Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in America, with chocolate Easter Bunnies — solid or hallow — usually as the main attraction.

The confectionary animal wonders began appearing in Easter celebrations the early 20th century due to advances in chocolate molding techniques.

On Saturday, April 8, Ben Lomond Historic Site, along with their friends at the Pat White Center, are hosting its annual Eggstravaganza from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Egg Hunts will be at 11:30 am, 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. at the historic site and each hunt will be separated by age groups.

Try your skills at a historic egg roll as well as enjoying fun kid-friendly games and crafts at Pat White Center at Ben Lomond. Guest are encouraged to bring their own basket for egg collecting. Tours of the Civil War Hospital will be available.

Please purchase tickets at Pat White Center at Ben Lomond. Admission is $5 per person, with children 2 and under free. Ben Lomond Historic Site is located at 10321 Sudley Manor Dr., in Manassas. 703-367-7872.

On Saturday, April 15, Rippon Lodge Historic Site host its annual Easter Egg Hunt from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Egg hunts are at 11:30 a.m.., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. on the lawn and each hunt will be separated into age groups.

Along with the search for colorful eggs, crafts, lawn games, and tours of the historic house make this a day the whole family may enjoy. Guest are encouraged to bring their own baskets for egg collecting, and a picnic lunch.

House tours will be available on the hour. Admission is $5 per Child, $2 per Adult; and children two and under free. Rippon Lodge Historic Site is located at 15520 Blackburn Road in Woodbridge. 703-499-9812.

Full of delightful activities the whole family may enjoy, don’t miss out on these two popular events. Come and celebrate Easter this spring with Historic Preservation in April!

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Women from across Northern Virginia are making plans to attend the Prince William Women’s Leadership Conference: The Art of Being a Successful Woman.

Now in its 6th year, the conference is the culmination of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce’s annual Women’s Leadership Series. The Art of Being a Successful Woman will be held at the Regional Center for Workforce Education and Training (2645 College Drive; Woodbridge, VA 22191) from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2nd. The conference is sponsored by BION, Inc. Registration for the conference is available online at PWChamber.org along with expanded event details.

Dr. Beth Cabrera, Author & Senior Scholar at the George Mason Center for the Advancement of Well-Being will be the conference Keynote speaking on the premises outlined in her book Beyond Happy: Women, Work, and Well-Being. As a writer, researcher, and speaker, she helps individuals achieve greater success and well-being. Her leadership development programs focus on strengths, purpose, mindfulness, and workplace well-being. In 2009, she founded Cabrera Insights to help individuals and leaders apply principles of positive psychology for enhanced engagement and performance.

The theme of this year’s conference centers around the pressures women face (both internal and external) in order to be considered a “success.” Breakout session speakers will drive home the idea that success is a work in progress, much like creating a work of art. And like art, success is also subjective. The event website paints a picture of a woman who has it all together and finishes by saying, “Whew! Sounds like a lot of work! It’s time you learned that any great work of art is created in layers: built little by little into something beautifully, interestingly comprised of both intentionality and happy mistakes!”

Breakout sessions include:

–Shaping Your Future, taught by Kathy Strauss, Creative Director at Imagewerks & Lori Muhlstein, CEO at Lorim Resources

–The Art of Being a Visionary Leader, taught by Nicole Chamblin, Chief Visionary at Visions Productivity Solutions

–Sales is Not a 4 Letter Word, taught by Rebecca Vaughan-King, President at Imagine, Inc.

–Empowering Women to Achieve Success, taught by Dr. Sabrina Brandon Ricks, President at SBR Workplace Consultations

–Failure is for Winners: Why Failing Right is the Key to Success, taught by Rebecca Barnes, Founder & Publisher of Prince William Living Magazine

–Savvy Women: Smart Investors Take Charge of Their Financial Future, taught by Emily Dupree, Regional Director of MFS Investment –Management

For the full agenda, visit PWChamber.org. Says past attendee Ramunda Young with Northern Virginia Community College, ““The quality and quantity of dynamic women present offered wonderful opportunities to connect and build relationships.”

Women from all walks of life are invited to join the women of the Prince William Chamber of for a day of powerful presentations and inspirational workshops, at the Prince William Women’s Leadership Conference: The Art of Being a Successful Woman. For more information call 571-765-1876 or email [email protected].

Sponsors for The Art of Being a Successful Woman are: Novant Health UVA Health System, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, NOVEC, Prince William Living and the Prince William/Gainesville Times.

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It’s been about a month since the Wingate Inn in North Stafford changed its name to Holiday Inn Express, and there’s already been a noticeable improvement.

The rooms are completely renovated, and the pool went from a chlorine-filled swimming hole to a salt water oasis, and the continental breakfast is now anything but bland.

The changes are part of an $6 million renovation project at the hotel located the heart of North Staford, across from Stafford Marketplace. Changing the brand of the hotel was a significant move to attract and cater to business travelers.

“If we’re going to do a full renovation we’re going to go for a higher brand,” said Amal Lambaraa, Managing Director of Lambaraa Hospitality LLC at the Holiday Inn Express in North Stafford.

The new name not only means fresh linens and a brighter coat of paint. It means a better, healthier complimentary breakfast with low-calorie pancakes, waffles, and grab-and-go healthy options like fruit and gourmet coffee.

“Some days, the breakfast you take away can also be your lunch. You can take your food with you, and that prevents you from needing to run out to a gas station to get food or coffee,” added Lambarra.

There is over $1 billion in new hotel construction happening across Virginia right now. Leading the pack are these types of “select service” hotels. Read More

A statement from Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program: 

The Covanta Fairfax, Inc. waste-to-energy facility, located at the county’s I-95 Solid Waste Management Complex in Lorton, has been closed due to damage from an extensive fire at the facility last week. Damage assessment and plans to restore the facility to operation are ongoing. Until more information about the condition of the facility is made available, it should be considered closed indefinitely, as a practical matter.

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A statement from Fairfax County Recycling and Trash: 

The Covanta Fairfax, Inc. waste-to-energy facility, located at the county’s I-95 Solid Waste Management Complex in Lorton, has been closed due to damage from an extensive fire at the facility last week.  Damage assessment and plans to restore the facility to operation are ongoing.  Until more information about the condition of the facility is made available, it should be considered closed indefinitely, as a practical matter.  This announcement will be updated as the condition of the facility and a recovery plan and schedule are developed.

Other than smoke resulting from the fire, no emissions of waste or other materials from the facility have occurred.  Please be aware that the municipal solid waste being processed at this facility is generated by residential homes and commercial establishments - no hazardous wastes are accepted at this facility, as this is prohibited by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ). The VA DEQ is aware of the fire and resulting situation. 

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