We’re told that “SOUR” is exactly what it claims . . . “a book of bitter little love poems” – sometimes very bitter.

These poems give a brutally honest account of what we endure in the depths of a relationship, and frequently only have the power to rage against once the relationship is over.

Manassas resident, Amanda Valerie Judd, recently released her first collection of poems; “SOUR – A Book of Bitter Little Love Poems.” The collection of sour love poems was released on Valentine’s Day, and Ms. Judd says the irony of the release date was intentional.

Several of the poems touch on the verbal abuse suffered by many women at the hands of men who supposedly love them. Some of the poems are hard to read.

“They were even harder to live through,” says the author. “While it was cathartic to write them, it was almost painful to release them to the world.” While she says some of the poems are autobiographic, others are just observances she made of the relationships of her friends. “Abuse of women by the men they love is an epidemic in this country, and some women don’t even realize they are being abused.”

While she never intended for the book to be a voice for the cause, Ms. Judd is more than happy if she and her book can somehow help support the cause.

Ms. Judd grew up in northern Indiana, attending Indiana University at South Bend, where she received her Paralegal Studies Certificate.

She has worked for over 20 years in the legal community, a career which eventually brought her to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.

While she loves the law, she feels the time has come to devote herself completely to her writing. She has been writing poetry since she was a child, and although she also writes short stories, and is at work on her first novel, she considers herself a poet, first and foremost. Her poems have previously been published in a few different literary journals and anthologies, most recently in the international anthology, “The Poetic Bond V.”

Her poetry book is currently available on www.Amazon.com.

Ms. Judd lived in several Virginia cities before settling in Manassas, which she says she loves because of its small town feel. “I spend a lot of time in Old Town Manassas. I love all the little shops, and the fact that the owners actually get to know their customers.”

The coffee shops, Central Grounds and Jirani, have been especially supportive of local authors frequently hosting events for the group “Write by the Rails,” which is the local chapter of the Virginia Writer’s Club, and of which, Ms. Judd is a member.

“I credit the group with giving me the final push I needed to follow my dream.” Words of praise for “SOUR” – “Quite unique, and . . . refreshing to read.” John M. Mills, author of several books, including the award-winning, “The Year Without Christmas.”

Ms. Judd will be attending the upcoming “Beer & Books” Night at Bad Wolf Brewery on Saturday, June 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. along with several other local Prince William County writers. For more information about Ms. Judd, please visit her website www.amandavjudd.com.

Manassas City Public Schools is participating in the Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided to all children without charge and are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

Meals will be provided, at a first come, first serve basis, at the sites and times as follows:

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Stafford County is proud to announce that Regal Entertainment Group will open a 50,539 square foot luxury twelve screen movie theater in The Garrison at Stafford, formerly known as Stafford Village. The new 500,000 square foot mixed-use community, located off Garrisonville Road, is under development by The Pence Group.

“The Garrison will be an exceptional mixed-use property. Regal’s reputation for providing a luxury movie-going experience will be most welcome in Stafford County,” stated Stafford Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Laura Sellers, Garrisonville District. “Stafford did a retail survey with citizens and a nice movie theater was one of the most requested businesses.”

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On June 7, 2016, Adrian Eichhorn finished his solo trip around the world in a single-engine airplane at Manassas Regional Airport.

Eichhorn, a decorated pilot, commercial pilot, instructor and a military veteran, began his journey on April 10, 2016 from Manassas Regional Airport.  He took six-weeks to become the 121^st pilot to fly solo around the world and the 114^th pilot to fly around the world in a single-engine airplane.

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Dominion employee-volunteers took a respite from their normal daily responsibilities to work along a two-mile trail that connects the new Colgan High School to Benton Middle School and Coles Elementary School in Prince William County.

Volunteers constructed an 8 x 12-foot shed at the entrance of the trail at Colgan High School, as well as built two kiosks positioned at each end of the trail. In addition, volunteers:

?Built six benches and installed them throughout the trail.

?Installed four special trees/effects signs along the trail.

?Installed 60 tree marker signs along the trail on short 6×6 posts.

Dominion employees routinely volunteer to enhance the many communities they serve, work in and where they rear their families. Dominion volunteers have participated in more than 200 projects to improve the environment in their communities. Last year, Dominion employees logged more than 100,000 hours of volunteer time.

This summer, the Flory Center is hosting a to address the most common questions and concerns that small business owners, new and old, have. As with all services offered by the Flory Small Business Center, Inc. these conferences will be offered at no charge to the participant, however pre-registration is required.

Each conference will feature speakers who are experts in the field, from bonding experts to a master of etiquette and including a presentation from a member of the Prince William County Police Department. Running from 9:00am – 1:00pm, these conferences will cover the essentials skills and knowledge needed to better navigate through the finer details of running your own small business.

The schedule for the summer small business conference series is as follows:

Friday, July 15th – U.S. Census Research and Intro to Quickbooks
When writing a business plan or applying for a loan it is essential for businesses to understand not only their competition and their industry, but whether they have grown or declined over time. The U.S. Census website provides a wealth of free information for business owners to track and document these trends to their advantage. This website can be intimidating at first glance, but the Flory Center and a representative of the U.S. Census will show attendees how to navigate the site and use it to one’s advantage.

In the Flory Center Inc.’s ‘Intro to Quickbooks’, a certified CPA will walk attendees through the often intimidating process of using Quickbooks. The Flory Center, Inc. knows how important it is for companies to not only save money by knowing how to use accounting tools, but also how to read, understand and use the outputs. By using Quickbooks well, one can access the current standing of their company at any point in time – a crucial tool for all small businesses.

Friday, August 5th – How to Read Financial Statements
In the final conference of the summer, the Flory Center will seek to answer one of the most commonly asked questions by clients and start-up entrepreneurs – How do you read and understand financial statements without a background in accounting? Led by a Senior Vice President of Union Bank and Trust, this conference will inform attendees how to review and analyze the core financial statements that affect their company on a regular basis. For small business owners with big ideas, the most difficult, or most intimidating, part of owning or starting a small business is often the numbers – most people just don’t know where to start. This conference will help alleviate the fears that numbers can bring and allow business owners to feel confident in knowing the financial standing of their business at all times.

Registration for these conferences is available by phone at (703) 335-2500 or email at [email protected]

A session on business etiquette and crime prevention was held June 3, and a session on bonding and 8(a)/HUBZone applications was held May 6.

The Flory Small Business Center, Inc. was created by the Prince William County Industrial Development Authority in 1991 as an “economic gardening” program and the IDA continues to provide over 50% of the Center’s funding with non-taxpayer dollars. Economic gardening fosters the idea that economies can be grown locally by local entrepreneurs. The Center’s 25-year-old program is based on the needs and requests of the small businesses they serve and is the recipient of state and national awards.

The Flory Center is funded by Prince William County, the Prince William County Industrial Development Authority, and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. Mrs. Decker points out that local entrepreneurs are fortunate that our jurisdictions are committed to assisting the potential “start-up” as well as the existing small business owner.

The Flory Center works with referrals from organizations such as banks and elected officials who understand what they do and want to ensure that small businesses have access to the information and resources that they need to start, grow, and thrive. The Flory Center has been a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration since inception. For more information and to sign up for upcoming start-up workshops and conferences, contact the Flory Small Business Center, Inc. at 703-335-2500 or by email at [email protected].

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors recently announced Southland Concrete Corp. will invest $6 million and add 30 new jobs to Prince William County.

The Southland Concrete corporate headquarters and yard is newly located at 12775 Randolph Ridge Lane, near Manassas. Prince William County was selected above other regional jurisdictions due to the ease of access to transportation corridors and a readily available, highly-skilled workforce.

The company plans to use the existing building on-site for its headquarters and lease nearby land for a yard. The headquarters will employ 30 staff in addition to approximately 225 field employees.

“We are excited to be in our new headquarters facility in Prince William County. The County has been great to work with, it has many options with the zoning we need and outstanding amenities nearby, as well as, excellent transportation and a workforce that is second to none, in the area,” said Randy Green, Southland CEO and President.

“With more than 40 years as a key player in the construction industry, Southland Concrete has an established market profile and product reputation that is a valued and welcome addition to our business community,” said Corey A. Stewart, Chairman, Prince William Board of County Supervisors. “We are committed to supporting its future growth.”

Corporate headquarters are categorized as a Targeted Industry in Prince William County. As such, the Board of County Supervisors signed a conditional performance agreement with Southland Concrete to be administered by the Prince William Industrial Development Authority.

The agreement includes a $40,000 incentive grant for relocation, renovation and equipment costs from the County’s Economic Development Opportunity Fund. Southland Concrete is a recognized leader in the construction industry and manufactures cast-in-place concrete for a variety of commercial structures in the Greater Washington, DC metropolitan area.

The company performs tilt-up concrete construction for a variety of applications including warehouse, data centers and blast-proof progressive collapse office buildings, foundations and flat work for steel frame construction, podium construction, specialty projects such as parking garages, museums, retaining walls and other commercial structures.

Southland Concrete projects in Prince William County include the Montclair Community Library, Tribute at Heritage Village, Novant Health Prince William Medical Center, National Museum of the Marine Corps, Heritage Hunt, FBI Training Facility, George Mason University, Jiffy Lube Live and many others over its 40+ year history.

To learn more from the Prince William County Department of Economic Development sign-up to receive email newsletters or follow us on Twitter @ PWCDED.

Supervisor Pete Candland would like to invite local children to participate in the First Annual Gainesville District Youth Art Contest. The contest is open to all children in Kindergarten through 5^th Grade. Entries will be accepted in any medium, painting, drawing, sculpture, etc. The contest theme for the artwork is Summer Vacation.

Winners will be announced during an awards ceremony on June 8, 2016, at 6 PM at the Haymarket Gainesville Community Library. All entries will be displayed through the month of June at the library. Winners will receive a gift card and have their artwork displayed in Supervisor Candland’s office until June 2017.

Artwork should be submitted to Supervisor Candland’s office (7001 Heritage Village Plaza, Suite 210, Gainesville, VA 20155) by 6 PM on June 6, 2016.