Happy Monday, Manassas! Welcome to another City Council preview, this time for the Jan. 13 regular meeting, the first of 2025. This week’s meeting will be held at the City Hall Council Chambers at 9027 Center St.

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Prince Wiliam County is teaming up with the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (NVCT) to conserve Doves Landing Regional Park in Manassas.

NVCT is a regional nonprofit founded in 1994 to safeguard the region’s wildlife and natural landscapes. According to the nonprofit’s website, it has protected more than 9,000 acres of land across the region in both urban and rural areas.

Doves Landing is a 308-acre park with access to the Occoquan River. 95% of the land is forested and the area around the river are considered a crucial wetland habitat. The county acquired the land in the 1990s, but remained vacant until the Board of County Supervisors made it a park in 2013.

In 2022, the Board adopted a new master plan for the park and replaced the 2013 master plan. The updated plan now accounts for the additional 73 acres acquired by the county in 2020.

“With the ongoing development pressures and increased population growth occurring in Prince William County, preserving lands for passive recreation and environmental protection are even more important for the health and wellbeing of the county’s residents,” the master plan document states. “Having 500 acres of essentially undisturbed waterfront forest that is available for hiking, biking, fishing and paddling, creates a respite for residents to enjoy the outdoors.”

Doves Landing currently has around 3 miles of trails and 1 mile of shoreline access to the Occoquan River.

“The need to preserve our natural and cultural resources for future generations to enjoy freely from development pressure is stronger than ever and we are grateful for partners like NVCT who make the conservation easement process easy for jurisdictions like ours,” Seth Hendler-Voss, director of the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation, said. “We are proud to serve a community and board of elected officials who prioritize our unique environment.”

Many local residents and groups including the Prince William Conservation Alliance have been advocating for Doves Landing’s conservation since its inception, the county press release stated.

“Local residents spoke loudly and clearly about their desire to see this special place conserved for its natural beauty, and we are committed to working with the dedicated county parks staff to fulfill that promise,” Alan Rowsome, executive director of NVCT, said.

The UVA Health Prince Wiliam Medical Center in Manassas has earned a top spot in the U.S. News & World Report list of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, a recent press release stated.

The hospital system’s Manassas campus received a “high-performing” rank from the publication, the highest recognition a hospital can receive. U.S. News & World Report highlighted the hospital’s low unnecessary Cesarean section and newborn complication rates and saw it as a birthing-friendly facility.

“I am incredibly proud to have our teams once again recognized for their hard work and unwavering dedication to providing exceptional healthcare to the families of our communities,” said Michelle Strider, chief nursing officer of UVA Health’s community medical centers and clinics in Northern Virginia and Culpeper. “Our teams consistently give their best in our labor and delivery, mother-baby, and neonatal intensive care units. We are deeply committed to offering the highest level of care in the most advanced community care environments, inspiring hope from the very start for our newest little Virginians.” “

Nearly 63% of babies born at the hospital were exclusively breastfed or fed breast milk during their hospital stay, which is above both regional and national averages.

“The average in the South is 38.8% and the national average is 49%. Feeding breast milk boosts an infant’s immune system and brain development and may protect against allergies, asthma, obesity and other conditions,” the U.S. News & World Report’s page said.

According to a press release from the hospital, the Manassas campus delivered 1,932 babies in 2024 and admitted 238 babies for care in the newborn intensive care unit.

“Rankings only catch a glimpse of the daily exceptional work performed by our maternity teams,” Keisha Walker, director of women’s and children’s services, UVA Health Prince William Medical Center, said. “I am incredibly proud of the consistency and dedication our team demonstrates every day, providing care during a time that is both exciting and, at times, overwhelming for our patients and their families. This well-deserved recognition reflects our ongoing mission to deliver superior healthcare to people of all ages.”

The Prince William Medical Center joins several other facilities in Virginia that were ranked as “high-performing,” including UVA Health’s Culpeper Medical Center, VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax and the Sentara Princess Anne Hospital in Virginia Beach.

Manassas Park City Schools (MPCS) announced that all schools will be closed on Monday, citing snowy conditions as the reason for the closure.

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Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) announced that all schools will be closed on Monday, due to forecasted inclement weather.

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In late December, the Prince William County Police Department celebrated the graduation of its 50th Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) class. The students were made up of professionals from the county, Manassas, Manassas Park, the Adult Detention Center, Prince William County Sheriff’s Office and various state agencies.

Prince William County Police Officer Latrell Guy, who was a member of the 50th class, said he now better appreciates the hardships people face in dealing with mental illness.

“I just have a better understanding of what the person themselves might be going through and get them the help they need rather than go to a more restrictive route,” Guy said. “We need to understand what they have to live with and how we can help them get through their day. It’s something everyone should take in general to be more knowledgeable about these situations.”

According to a Dec. 31, 2024, press release from the county, the program, which was created in 2012, trains officers and community partners on how to help those experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The training also provides information on resources throughout the community.

“We want to get better trained in de-escalation techniques, at being able to recognize signs of mental illness and becoming familiar with and providing information about the resources available. We want to put that all into one package,” Prince William County Police Sgt. Eric Beard, the CIT assistant program coordinator, said.

Since the start of the program more than 10 years ago, more than 1,000 people from the various agencies have successfully finished the 40-hour training. In the county’s police department, nearly 500 officers have graduated. The program initially held two to three sessions per year, but now is able to hold closer to six or seven each year.

“[The program] has led us to … other collaborations – the Marcus Alert initiative, co-responders, our entire response system in Prince William – has been because of relationships we’ve built through starting this program,” Heather Baxter, behavioral health program manager with the county’s Community Services department, said. “I think this sets Prince William County apart from the rest of the state. Our relationships and the way we work together between mental health and the police departments has just made for an open relationship that has led to so many opportunities for us.”

Volunteer Prince William has opened up several new opportunities through the holiday season. Make sure to check out some below.

Greetings, Prince William: Although we’re in the holiday season, Martin Luther King Day isn’t too far off, and the MLK Youth Community Choir is seeking students in grades K-12 to join the choir and make a joyful noise!  Participants will rehearse for a pre-event concert at Chinn Park Regional Library on Jan. 4 at 1:30 p.m. in the Community Room followed by a special performance at the Prince William Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta (PWCAC- DST) 40th Annual Dr. King Youth Oratorical Competition and Program being held Jan. 18.  Rehearsals have begun, but more participants are welcome – no tryout is needed!

• If you love helping others learn, we have a wonderful opportunity for you!  The winter semester for BEACON for English Language and Literacy is currently underway!  They’re still urgently recruiting for a few in-person and online evening volunteer teachers for this semester.  One-day-a-week and two-day-a-week evening options are available at various class levels.  Evening classes meet from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Manassas, Manassas Park or on Zoom. No teaching or foreign language experience is required and training is provided.  To learn more, please sign up for a virtual information session or contact Seth Mazzaro at 571-428-2524.
• The “Power of A Knock” can help a homebound senior get nutritious meals!  Meals on Wheels urgently needs volunteers to deliver meals to homebound senior citizens on weekday mornings.  Volunteers must pass a criminal and driving record background check.  Routes take about 1.5 hours to complete, training is provided.  You’ll feel great when you find out how inspiring it is to serve this vulnerable population and make their day!
• The holidays may be here, but hunger never takes a holiday!  The SERVE campus of Northern Virginia Family Service has an ongoing need for Food Recovery Driver volunteers age 21+ to make routine pick-ups to rescue food from grocery stores and restaurants to help food insecure families.  Shifts are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon; their greatest need is for Monday drivers.  Volunteers are asked to commit to at least one shift per week for at least six months or longer.  Volunteers must have a valid driver’s license and should be prepared to lift up to 50 lbs.  Ride-along training with experienced volunteers or staff and vehicle provided.  Just one day a week can make a life-long impact on a family in need!
• The hard-working staff at Northern Virginia Food Rescue is looking for volunteers who are available to be On-Call to help with offloading large truckloads of food deliveries when they arrive at their warehouse located at 10535 Battleview Parkway, Manassas 20109. This role is vital in ensuring that they can quickly rescue and distribute food to families in need.  Volunteers would be on call from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. with varying delivery times.  Communication is done via text message when a delivery is on the way and help is needed.  Volunteers should be prepared to lift heavy items.  A brief mandatory training will be held for those volunteers selected for this position.  You’ll feel great knowing you’re doing your part to help food-insecure families in our local community!  Please text 571-370-3073 to let them know you’re interested.
• Your office, group or club can provide the comfort of a hot meal during the winter months!  Streetlight Community Outreach Ministries’ hypothermia shelter located at 14716 Potomac Mills Road in Woodbridge has an ongoing need for groups to prepare and drop off meals for 30 adult residents through March 30, 2025.  Meals are needed each night and should be prepared off-site and dropped off at the shelter between 6:30 and 7 p.m.  There are many openings in January, and you’ll feel great providing a hot, nourishing meal for the homeless to enjoy!

Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) will start accepting Christmas trees and greens starting Thursday through Jan. 12 in Gainesville.

According to a press release, NOVEC will be accepting both trees and greens without any decorations, ornaments, hooks, wires or light strings starting the day after Christmas. Drop-off will be available at its Gainesville Technical Center at 5399 Wellington Branch Road.

“Recycling holiday greens is just another way we help area residents and the environment,” Rick Carpenter, NOVEC Vegetation Management manager, said.

Vegetation Management will use the trees and greens to make mulch, which will reduce holiday landfill waste. According to an Environmental Protection Agency study, commercial waste increases by approximately 25% during the holiday season in comparison to the rest of the year. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, this may result in about 1 million extra tons of waste each week.

Drop-offs don’t have to take place during business hours. Greens can be dropped off in the parking lot demarcated with orange safety cones. For more information, contact the Vegetation Management department at 703-335-0500, ext. 1600, or [email protected].

Prince William County Schools (PWCS) and Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) are partnering with Varsity Tutors, an online 24/7 tutoring service. Within the last month, both PWCS and MCPS have announced their partnership with the company. Administrators in the school districts have expressed excitement over the new service they're able to offer students at all levels. "We are pleased to add these services to the many supports we are providing in MCPS to meet the learning needs of students and ensure their success in school and life," Ed Stephenson, Ph.D., MCPS' director of instruction, said. Varsity Tutors is in 500 schools nationwide, and will now provide students in two local districts. The service has 24/7 online tutoring services from a human in multiple languages and in multiple subjects, including reading, writing, math, biology, computer science and many more. Varsity Tutors employs tutors that can teach at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Stephanie Soliven, Ed.D., associate superintendent for teaching and learning at PWCS, said in the Dec. 4 School Board meeting that it'll be a helpful tool for students and parents alike.

"Through our approaches at making more tools available for students, further connection with parents and continuing the professional learning journey of our teachers and our staff, we are targeting every available option to support our student learning needs," she said. Soliven said students can also take additional courses through Varsity Tutors, either to advance in a subject or to discover new courses that may not be offered in PWCS. "You may have that fifth grader that is super excited about advanced math in sixth grade, but a little nervous about some of the skills and content — but they know they want to be on that advanced trajectory — they can do some additional coursework," she said. "[There's] a huge range of really cool high interest classes. I think this is so important because it fills some of that need at home for some of our students that maybe are missing out on some key skills, want to do some additional enrichment opportunities and can't do it in the school day." Soliven also emphasized that this service pairs students with human tutors. Students will be able to log into the platform, discuss the problem and then get paired with a person who can help them tackle it. "The live tutor is sharing a whiteboard with the student and literally mapping out the questions and the problems with them. It is not [artificial intelligence]," she said. "It is a human being on the other end guiding the students through the steps." Varsity Tutors also offers on-demand essay review, live group classes, self-study, college and career readiness and celebrity-led classes. PWCS School Board At-Large Chair Dr. Babur Lateef echoed the positives about the new service. "I can be a personal advocate on the fact that Varsity Tutors does a terrific job," Lateef said during the meeting on Dec. 4. "My kids have used them for many years. They are incredible and really work well." MCPS School Board Chair Suzanne Seaberg said she's excited for Varsity Tutors to make an impact in the district. "We are excited to partner with Varsity Tutors. This opportunity enables us to provide extra services for students so they can reach higher academic goals," Seaberg said in an email.