The Greater Prince William community is gearing up for the 4th Annual Juneteenth Parade, which will be held on June 19 at Prince William Forest Park.
Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the U.S., marking the 159th anniversary of Union General Gordon Granger’s announcement of the end of slavery in Texas. This year, the event will honor the contributions of the “Divine 9,” a group of historically Black fraternities and sororities that have supported Black communities for over a century.
Formerly known as the Dumfries Juneteenth Parade, the event is now organized in partnership with the National Park Service and The Virginia Black Lifestyle Magazine. The celebration will begin at 10 a.m., with free entry to the park for all attendees. Following the parade, a self-guided Family Jubilee will allow participants to explore Black Heritage sites within the park, including Pyrite Mine, Amidon Farm, Clifton Mill, and more.
The Juneteenth Program, which will follow the parade, will feature notable speakers and presentations, including Pastor William Archer as the program MC, Juneteenth haikus by Kim B. Miller, a family presentation by Mr. John Reid, and remarks from members of the Divine Nine and the Rep. Abigail Spanberger, (D-7th, Woodbridge, Stafford, Fredericksburg) Congressional District Representative. Melissa Weih of the National Park Service will discuss Black Heritage at Prince William Forest Park.
Participants are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs, packed meals, and water to enjoy the Family Jubilee portion of the event. The park offers several amenities, such as water fountains, restrooms, picnic areas, and grills. Spectators are advised to arrive by 9:30 am for optimal viewing. Volunteers interested in helping with the event can contact the organizers by email at [email protected] by June 17.
The parade has been held in Dumfries in the past. This year, the town is hosting a different Juneteenth event.
The president was joined by the Secretary of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, the AmeriCorps CEO, and members of Congress to announce $7 billion in grants through the EPA’s “Solar for All” grant competition, which provides funding to states, municipalities, and nonprofits to deliver residential solar power to 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Additionally, the president announced the start of the American Climate Corps, a federal jobs initiative to hire 20,000 Americans to build clean energy and climate resiliency projects around the country. The American Climate Corps is modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps, a workforce initiative started by then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt following the Great Depression in 1933. The Civilian Conservation Corps developed and built the Prince William Forest Park in Triangle.
“It’s fitting to be here in Prince William Forest Park … [the Civilian Conservation Corps] put Americans to work to conserve our country’s natural resources. Thousands of young Americans built this park, providing jobs, recreation, hope and healing at the time,” the president said. “We know today, we face another kind of existential threat that requires equally bold and clear action.”
Biden said the effects of climate change were wide-reaching across the globe, and that last year’s Earth Day was the hottest Earth Day on record. In announcing the “Solar for All” program, Biden said that energy costs are some of the biggest costs for low and moderate-income families. The program will save households more than $350 million in electricity costs annually – or approximately $400 per household – according to a White House statement.
“‘Solar for All’ will give us more breathing room and cleaner breathing room,” Biden said. “It’s going to also create 200,000 good paying and union jobs over the five years in communities that need it the most.”
In addressing jobs, the president said the American Climate Corps would “bring out the best in young people to do what’s best for America.” Americans can apply to join the Corps through a newly launched website, climatecorps.gov, which will feature 2,000 positions in 36 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and are hosted by organizations specializing in clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience.
“You’ll get paid to fight climate change, learning how to install those solar panels, fight wildfires, rebuild wetlands and weatherize homes, and so much more that will protect the environment and build a clean energy economy,” Biden said.
According to a White House statement, Corps members will have access to an apprenticeship program from the North American Building Trades Unions’ nonprofit partner, TradesFutures. The statement also said 13 states have already launched statewide Climate Corps programs and will work with the American Climate Corps to provide increased opportunities and projects to combat climate change.
Derrick Anderson, a Republican congressional candidate for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, countered the president’s assertions and said his energy policies benefit other countries rather than Americans.
“Joe Biden’s energy policies are benefitting China — with our taxpayer dollars —while Americans are hurt badly. Biden is helping the same country that’s buying up land near our military installations and is sending military-aged males over our porous border,” Anderson said. “Biden should be apologizing to Virginians, not giving speeches. When I’m in Congress, I’ll do everything I can to reverse Biden’s mess.”
The president will participate in additional events this week to commemorate Earth Week and highlight his administration’s actions against climate change, according to The White House statement.
Today’s visit marks the second to Prince William County in 2024. He kicked off his campaign with Vice President Kamala Harris in January at the Hylton Performing Arts Center. President Barack Obama visited Prince William County in 2012, marking the last time a Democrat running for the White House visited the county, once regarded as a must-stop bellwether for national elections for candidates of both the Democratic and Republican parties.
Obama held a campaign rally at Richard G. Pfitzner Stadium, formerly the home of the Fredericksburg Nationals (Potomac Nationals), where he arrived via helicopter.
Editor’s note: Potomac Local News covered this story remotely and was not provided with advance notice of the president’s visit.
Kevin Sandell is a freelance reporter for Potomac Local News.
President Biden is scheduled to deliver a speech today at Prince William Forest Park. The event, to commemorate Earth Day, will commence at 2:45 p.m. Those interested can watch the speech online.
A portion of the 13,000-acre recreational area near Quantico Marine Corps Base is closed to visitors to accommodate them.
The closure and restrictions imposed on the park are in response to a request from the United States Secret Service to ensure a secure staging area and perimeter with adequate standoff distance to safeguard the President during his visit, federal documents state. These temporary measures are also aimed at enabling the Secret Service to conduct security sweeps of the area, secure the landing zone for the President’s arrival, and ensure public safety.
The National Park Service, assessing the situation, deems the closure necessary to protect visitors during the Secret Service’s operations considering the nature of their activities. Although the National Park Service explored the possibility of an alternate or smaller area, the Secret Service determined that lesser restrictive measures or an alternate location would not suffice based on their security assessment.
This visit marks President Biden’s second to Prince William County in 2024. He kicked off his campaign with Vice President Kamala Harris in January at the Hylton Performing Arts Center. President Obama’s visit to Prince William County in 2012 marked the last time a Democrat running for the White House visited the area, once regarded as a bellwether for national elections. Obama held a campaign rally at Richard G. Pfitzner Stadium, formerly the home of the Fredericksburg Nationals (Potomac Nationals), where he arrived via helicopter.
Jonathan Ladson, 32, from Woodbridge, won the Marine Corps 17.75K today at Prince William Forest Park. He finished the run in one hour, six minutes, and 26 seconds.
For the third year in a row, Ladson and Alex Trouteaud, 44, from Barnesville, Md., were the top two finishers, with Trouteaud trailing by 89 seconds.
From the Marine Corps Marathon organization that organized today’s race:
Though it wasn’t the warmer weather Ladson typically thrives in, the cold and wet didn’t stop him from pushing through and finally winning on his tenth attempt. At the start of 2024, Ladson stated multiple running goals to include taking the 17.75K title. “This was number one,” expressed Ladson.
Rounding out the top three male finishers was Brian Reider, age 38, from Bridgeport, WV. coming in at 1:09:25.
Leading the female finishers was Elizabeth Rodriguez, age 28, from Allentown, Pa. with a time of 1:19:20. “It went really well today,” said Rodriguez. “It was definitely challenging but I thrive on the challenge, so it was super fun. There were lots of hills with a lot of ups and downs, but I really enjoyed it.” Active duty in the Air Force, Rodriguez travels in to participate at multiple MCMO events a year. She is the current Quantico 12K Female Champion.
Coming in as the second place female was Andrea Rodman, age 41, from Bealeton, Va. followed by Alexandra Pena, age 29, from Richmond, Va. Their times were 1:25:27 and 1:26:04, respectfully.
The 1,722 finishers also earned guaranteed entry into the 49th Marine Corps Marathon (MCM). Known as “Access Granted,” finishers also received guaranteed entry into the much anticipated 50th MCM.
The 11.03 mile event, which commemorates the founding year of the United States Marine Corps, is a qualifying event of the 2024 Semper Fidelis Challenge. This challenge is a multi-event combination pushing runners to complete today’s distance, the Marine Corps Historic Half on May 19 in Fredericksburg, Va. and finishing with the Marine Corps Marathon on October 27 in Arlington, Va. The Marine Corps 17.75K is also the first tier of the 2024 Distinguished Participant Program, motivating runners to complete a live event from each of MCMO’s 2024 race weekends.
Runners across the United States are also registered to complete the 17.75K distance virtually. Participants in both the in-person and virtual events received a specially designed technical shirt, finisher medal and more.
Runners have the opportunity to #RunWithTheMarines again on May 19 as part of the Marine Corps Historic Half Weekend in Fredericksburg, Va. Entries are still available online.
The Marine Corps Marathon Organization (MCMO) will hold the Marine Corps 17.75K at the national park near Dumfries. Over 2,000 runners will begin running the 11-mile course at 7 a.m., with the last participant estimated to finish around 11 a.m. Marathon organizers say that significant delays should be expected between 4:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. on event day.
Road Closures and Time:
The biggest delays will be seen on Route 234 between Waterway Drive and Country Club Drive. Closures and times will follow as such:Pleasant Road will be closed to vehicular traffic from 5:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
One southbound lane and one northbound lane of Route 234 will be closed from 3:45 a.m. until end of the event, estimated to be around 12:00 p.m.
Southbound Route 234 will be fully closed to all traffic from 6:30 a.m. until the start line clears, estimated to be around 7:30 a.m.
Scenic Drive will be closed from Parking Lot D to Turkey Run Road from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.Event Day Detours:
South Route 234 traffic will be detoured onto Waterway Drive starting at 6:30 a.m. Traffic will be rerouted to Route 234 at Country Club Drive.Parking and Shuttle Information:
Participants and spectators will be able to utilize several parking lots along Route 234. It is highly recommended for runners to carpool and park at the following parking lots and use the provided shuttles:Route 234 Commuter Lot, 17300 Dumfries Road, Dumfries, Va.
Quantico Center (Fettler Commercial Buildings), 3850 Fettler Park Drive, Dumfries, Va.Grace Church, 17100 Van Buren Rd, Dumfries, Va.
Forest Park High School, 15721 Forest Park Dr, Woodbridge, Va.The designated shuttles will transport participants back and forth between the start/finish area at Montclair Tabernacle Church of God before and after the event. On event morning, the free shuttles will begin operating at 4:30 a.m., with the last pre-event shuttle departing the parking lots at 6:20 a.m. Post-event shuttles will begin running shortly after 8:30 a.m. from the 17.75K finish area and return to the designated parking lots. Each bus will be labeled with a specific parking destination.
There are also a limited number of parking spaces at Moncure Park and Montclair Commuter Lot. Due to the closer proximity to the start/finish area, there will be no shuttle service to these parking lots. Therefore, participants who choose to park in these areas are expected to walk to the start/finish area.
There is no participant parking at John F. Pattie Elementary School, Washington-Reid Preschool Center or Montclair Tabernacle Church of God.
Prince William Forest Park campground guests have been notified and provided detail through the park.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors will decide on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, whether or not data centers belong near Prince William Forest Park, the largest natural protected area near Washington, D.C. The server farms would be built on the east/north side of Dumfries Road (Route 234), east of its intersection with Independent Hill Drive.
The plan to build a data center campus on the property stirred interest and controversy within the community. If approved, it would be the first major data center project east of Manassas.
In a recent public hearing held on February 7, 2024, the Planning Commission made a significant decision regarding the future of Parsons Business Park. The commission recommended the denial of the Proffer Amendment, signaling a setback for the proposed rezoning of 90 acres of land.
The Parsons Business Park had previously been dedicated to selling topsoil and plants. The rezoning request aimed to amend existing proffers, increase the maximum height of data center buildings, and alter the base zoning designation to accommodate business and industrial uses.
Despite the plans, the Planning Commission stood firm in its decision to deny the rezoning request.
Following the denial, the Applicant, Parsons Business Park, LLC, responded by proposing proffer amendments to address concerns raised during the public hearing. These amendments sought to mitigate building height issues, environmental impacts, and design elements.
Key updates to the proposal included:
- Clarification of buffer encroachments
- Implementation of a 150-foot data center building restriction line
- Reduction of building height to 85 feet in specific land bays
- Enhancement of stream buffer width from 25 to 50 feet
- Strengthening of provisions related to environmental impacts
- Addition of sustainability measures
The Board of County Supervisors will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, at the McCoart County Government Center, 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge. Most of the county’s data center campuses are in the western areas, along Interstate 66 in Haymarket and Gainesville.
In December, Superviosrs approved the PW Digital Gateway, a soon-to-be sprawling data center complex on 900 acres next to Prince William County’s second National Park, the Manassas National Battlefield, site of the first major battle of the Civil War.
A Facebook post from Prince William Forest Park highlights the beauty of snow covering the forests in the park.
It mentions that trails are still snow-covered, while Scenic Drive and parking areas have been cleared of snow. However, caution is advised due to the remaining icy patches on the roadways.
The park encourages visitors to enjoy the winter weather.
The park’s main entrance is on Joplin Road, just off Interstate 95 at Quantico. Click this link to learn more about “Northern Virginia’s best-kept secret.”
National Park Service: “A new National Park Service report shows that 294,916 visitors to Prince William Forest Park in 2022 spent $19.1 million in communities near the park.”
“That spending supported 222 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $27 million.”
“The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists at the National Park Service. The report shows $23.9 billion of direct spending by nearly 312 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park.”
“As for the economics of visitor spending, the lodging sector had the highest direct effects, with $9 billion in economic output nationally. The restaurants sector had the second greatest effects, with $4.6 billion in economic output nationally.”
“Report authors also produced a tool that enables users to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value-added, and output effects by sector for national, state and local economies. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage.”
The park sits at 18170 Park Entrance Road in Triangle.
Press release: For visitor safety during a wastewater system improvement project, Prince William Forest Park will close the orienteering course from June 20 through October 27. The project will cause periodic closures at Turkey Run Ridge Group Campground, and many of the points on the course are in or adjacent to the campground – including the starting point. Due to heavy equipment operation and excavation occurring in the area, the park has decided to close the orienteering course while work is ongoing.
“Parking will still be available in a limited capacity at the Turkey Run day-use area while the work is ongoing, though visitors are encouraged to use caution and follow all closures in the area. While visitors will still be able to access Turkey Run Ridge Trail from the day-use area, access to the Little Run Trail loops, Old Blacktop Road, and Mary Bird Branch Trail from the Turkey Run day-use area may be closed periodically due to the infrastructure work. These trails are still accessible from other parking areas in the park such as Parking Lot E, Parking Lot F, and Parking Lot H.”
“Based on this past year’s visitor numbers, we generally have anywhere around 100 to 200 people use the orienteering course each month.”
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