Supervisor Martin E. Nohe Coles Magisterial District

Prince William Board of County Supervisors

13476 Dumfries Road Manassas, Virginia 20112

Phone: (703)792-4620 mnohe@pwcgov.org

www.ColesDistrict.org

In this edition: Purcell Road Town Hall ............ (1) Community Budget Meeting.... (1) Neighborhood Conference........ (1) Dog Licenses Due........................ (2) Police Recruits Graduate ......... (2) MBT Swan Lake Auditions...... (2) Transportation Update............. (3) Fire & Rescue Graduation....... (3) Commuter Lot Probe................. (3) SERVE Bowl-a-thon .................. (4) Senior Center News................... (4) Holiday Office Closing.............. (4) Here, Kitty Kitty! ........................ (5) Contacts........................................ (6) Ways to get Involved................. (6)

Mark your calendars for my upcoming Town Hall Meeting on the Purcell Road project that will be held on Monday, February 6, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Board Chambers of the McCoart Building located at 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge.

The Town Hall will be attended by Ernie Gonzales, the Coles District Planning Commissioner, other Planning Commissioners, and staff from the County’s Transportation Office. At the Town Hall Meeting we will discuss the status of Purcell Road and its designation in the Transportation Chapter of Prince William County’s Comprehensive Plan.

This is also an opportunity for you to give feedback before the Planning Commission Work Session on February 15. The Planning Commission Work Session will not be a public hearing. If you would like to provide input and collaborate on the future of Purcell Road, please plan to attend the Coles District Town Hall meeting.

I will also hold a Town Hall Meeting to get your feedback on the County’s proposed FY13 budget on Monday, March 19, at 7:00 p.m., the location will be announced soon. For more information about the Town Hall Meetings, please call (703)792-4620.

Purcell Road Town Hall Meeting

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Annual Community Budget Meeting Following the presentation of the proposed budget to the Board of County Supervisors, the Budget Director will hold an open meeting for the community on Saturday, February 18, from 9:00 a.m. until noon in the Board Chambers of the James J. McCoart Building located at 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge.

All magisterial district budget committee members are encouraged to attend, and the public is welcome. New appointees to other boards, commissions and commissions will also find this session to be a useful introduction to the County budget process. In addition to a presentation of the proposed FY 13 budget, there will be an opportunity for questions and answers. For more information, call (703)792-6720.

February 2012

The Prince William Neighborhood Conference will take place on Saturday, February 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the County’s Development Services Building located at 5 County Complex Court in Woodbridge. Registration opens January 25.

The event offers skills-based sessions providing insight on an array of neighborhood quality-of-life issues for residents interested in more effective participation in neighborhood affairs. Classes are separated into three different “curriculum tracks” and include a workshop on neighborhood board member development, a seminar for resident leaders on navigating relationships with renters and transitory neighbors, a discussion of community innovation ideas that can produce both environmental and economic benefits, and a working session exploring unique ways citizens can help drive local quality of life stewardship at home. A new session at this year’s conference offers an introduction to the “Community Micro-Enterprising” movement now gaining steam in neighborhoods across the U.S.

To register or for more details, visit the conference website at www.pwcgov.org/neighborhoodconference.

Prince William Neighborhood Conference

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Residents are reminded that in Prince William County, all dogs 4 months and older must be licensed by February 1, 2012.

Any dog not wearing a 2012 license tag by February 1, will be in violation of County Code and owners will be subject to a fine. The license fee is $10 per dog. To obtain a license, owners must present a valid rabies certificate for each dog. Licenses may be purchased in person at any of the following locations:

James J. McCoart Administration Building - 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building - 15948 Donald Curtis Drive in Woodbridge Sudley North Government Building - 7987 Ashton Avenue in Manassas Animal Control Bureau - 14807 Bristow Road in Manassas

If you prefer to apply by mail, an application form is available at www.pwcgov.org/tax.

For questions about dog licensing, call (703)792-6710 or email Taxpayer_Services@pwcgov.org. For all other animal control questions, call the Animal Shelter at (703)792-6465; after 5 p.m. call (703)792-6500.

Auditions for Manassas Ballet Theatre’s May 2012 production of Swan Lake will be held on February 11, at the Manassas Ballet Theatre studios. The studios are located at 9004 Mathis Avenue in Manassas.

Auditions begin at 2:30 and there is a $10.00 audition fee. Please bring a headshot, a dance photo, resume and the audition fee with you to the audition. If you would like to audition, or for more information, please inquire at (703)257-1811 or heather@manassasballet.org.

Manassas Ballet Theatre is a 501c(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 1983. Their mission is to enhance the quality of life in Northern Virginia by providing accessible and affordable professional ballet performances, educational outreach to the community, and the highest level of training to the serious student. Visit their website at http://www.manassasballet.org/.

Manassas Ballet Theatre Holds Swan Lake Auditions

Police Recruits Graduate in January The Prince William County Criminal Justice Academy Basic Law Enforcement 30th Session graduated on Thursday, January 12, at 10:00 a.m. at the Hylton Performing Arts Center. The class was comprised of 26 Prince William County Police officers and one Prince William County Sheriff’s deputy.

The 27 men and women completed a 24-week course of training in all aspects of police work, including classes in firearms, use-of-force decision making, driver training, legal training, patrol techniques, criminal investigation and crash investigation. The graduating law enforcement personnel are:

Prince William County Police Department Michael S. Bryant; Mario A. Centeno; William M. Cox, Jr.; Ashley M. Davidson; Janer Escobales; Michael J. Furr; Timothy L. Gasiorowski; Mario R. Giordani; Garrett L. Gourlay; William L. Hinzman; Anthony P. Javid; Matthew S. Jinier; Taylor H. Jones; Patricia E. Jordan; Helga K. Kay; Daniel J. Kelling; David R. Lanzendorf; Aaron J. Lintz; Steven R. Mattos, Jr.; Matthew R. McKee; Matthew E. Newbauer; Nathaniel J. Probus; Ashley M. Schoonover; Brandon M. Smock; Brett Tillett; and Jacob H. Tomb

Prince William County Sheriff’s Office Gregory K. Johnson

As the need for highly-skilled and capable law enforcement officers increases, the Department continues to seek qualified applicants for police officer positions. All interested applicants are encouraged to contact the Prince William County Police Personnel Bureau at (703)792-6580, or visit the Department’s website at www.pwcgov.org/police. You can also find them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Dog Licenses Due February 1

Members of the Prince William County Criminal Justice Academy Basic Law Enforcement 30th Session following their graduation.

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The Prince William County Department of Transportation (PWCDOT) recently announced the completion of the following road improvement projects in its last construction season:

Widening of the Prince William Parkway from 4 to 6 lanes from Old Bridge Road to Hoadly Road Dale Boulevard and Benita Fitzgerald Drive intersection improvements Springwoods Drive at Old Bridge Road intersection improvements (including construction of a sidewalk) Rippon Boulevard Trail from Wigeon Way to Marsh Overlook Drive

PWCDOT continues to move forward with projects which have been awarded contracts this fiscal year. The projects that will be under construction through part of the winter include:

Route 1 widening from 4 to 6 lanes from Brady’s Hill Road to Joplin Road (construction) University Boulevard/Hornbaker Road widenings (design/build contract) Telegraph Road commuter parking lot (500+ spaces next to the I-95/Prince William Parkway commuter lot) Rollins Ford Road improvements (includes a signal at Rollins Ford Road and Linton Hall Road)

Additionally, the department will continue to work on or will award design projects for the following facilities during the winter months:

Route 28 widening from Linton Hall Road to Fitzwater Drive (including the relocation of Vint Hill Road) Route 1 North widening from Neabsco Mills Road to Featherstone Road Minnieville Road widening from Spriggs Road to Route 234 (Dumfries Road) Prince William Parkway widening from Old Bridge Road to Minnieville Road Rollins Ford Road construction and widening from Vint Hill Road to existing Intersection improvements at Route 28 and Piper Lane. Old Bridge Road Pedestrian Facility from Mohican Drive to Dillingham Square Glenkirk sidewalk extension from Linton Hall Road to existing

If you have any questions regarding these or any other projects, please contact PWCDOT at (703)792-6825.

On Friday, January 13, at 9:00 a.m., the Department of Fire and Rescue held a graduation ceremony for Recruit Class 2011-2. The ceremony was held at the Hylton Performing Arts Center. Battalion Chief John Petrie presided over the ceremony.

Class 2011-2 consisted of 18 Fire and Rescue Technicians who successfully completed 24 weeks of rigorous academic and physical training at the Department’s Public Safety Training Center in Nokesville, Virginia.

The graduating Fire and Rescue personnel are: Ryan Barry; Amanda Rackiewicz; Dione Bowling; Randall Smith; Jameel Brady; Jessica Stull; Benjamin Carter; Donald Theal; Thomas Fill; Justin Toth; Michael Hauser; Michael Toth; Greg Klatte; Athony Tran; Paul Nicholson; Steward White; Jason Peterson; and Brian Wolf.

Fire & Rescue Recruits Graduate in January

Transportation Update

PotomacLocal.com, in partnership with NewsiT, wants to know more about the commuter lots you use each morning. With the help of citizen reporters like yourself, they want to know what commuter lots fill up quickly each morning, and what lots still have available parking late into the morning. What are the best times to find commuter parking, which lots are served by mass transit, and lots that have attracted Slugs? They also want to know of underused commuter parking lots, lots that could be better served by mass transit, and what lots commuters think could be better served by the Slug system and why. Additionally, as Virginia transportation officials look to convert the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on Interstate 95 to toll lanes, they want to know what impact such a transition would have commuters who rely on the HOV lanes daily.

This opportunity will provide PotomacLocal.com readers a chance to become citizen reporters and help produce a comprehensive story about the commuter parking situation in Virginia’s Potomac Communities. To become a contributor and submit content, please register at the NewsiT website and submit your content by January 31.

PotomacLocal.com, NewsiT Probe Commuter Lots

Members of the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue 2011-2 recruit class following their graduation.

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Help “Strike” Out Hunger and Homelessness

Senior Center News

The 2012 Strikes for SERVE Bowl-a-thon is almost here! The event will be held on Saturday, March 10, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Bowl America located at 9000 Mathis Avenue in Manassas.

The event is filled with bowling, music, door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and great fun for the entire family! All proceeds support the SERVE Campus of Northern Virginia Family Service.

Your support helps in the fight against suffering, hunger and homelessness, and is vital to SERVE’s existence as the demand for programs continues to increase dramatically:

900 families each month are receiving food assistance Over 65,000 meals were served to 400 people, including over 200 families, at the emergency shelter last year The need for emergency housing is so great that SERVE maintains a waiting list of 150 people who have no place else to

stay

To receive a bowling packet, which includes everything you need to form your team and get started with your team fundraising, visit www.nvfs.org/bowlathon. Sponsorship opportunities are also available and come with great benefits. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a sponsor, in addition to or instead of forming a team, contact SERVE.

Completed Bowl-a-thon registration forms and/or sponsorship forms can be mailed, emailed or faxed and must be received by Friday, March 2. Mail forms to 10056 Dean Drive, Manassas, Virginia, 20110, e-mail to khorowitz@nvfs.org, or fax them to (703)368-2004.

If you have any questions, please contact Karen Horowitz, Director of Development for Northern Virginia Family Service, at (571)748-2626 or khorowitz@nvfs.org. You can also visit the website at www.nvfs.org/bowlathon.

Income Tax Assistance Once again, the AARP Tax-Aide Program will be at the Woodbridge Senior Center every Wednesday and Thursday starting Wednesday, February 1, except for the last Wednesday of the month. All tax preparations will be filed electronically and each person will be given a hard copy for their records. The preparers are allowing at least a 45 minute appointment time, but will take whatever time is needed with each individual. This service is free. Please call (703)792-5081 for an appointment, or sign up at the front desk.

In Manassas, tax preparation assistance will be done at the Bull Run Regional Library, not at the Manassas Senior Center. The library is located at 8051 Ashton Avenue in Manassas. Tax preparers will be there Monday’s only beginning February 6 thru April 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Appointments are not available, only walk-ins are accepted. For more information, call (703)792-4500.

Lunch Lunch is available at both senior centers by making a reservation. For reservations, please call the senior centers in Manassas at (703)792-6405 or in Woodbridge at (703)792-5081 before 10:30am. The lunch costs $5.75 for persons under the age of 60. For persons 60 and older, a donation is requested based on income.

Below is the suggested contribution table per meal for persons 60 years or older: Monthly Income Suggested Donation

Under $300 $1.50 $301 - $400 $2.25 $401 - $500 $3.00 $501 - $600 $3.75 $601 - $700 $4.50 $701 - $800 $5.00 Over - $800 $5.75

County Offices Closed for Holiday In observance of the Presidents Day holiday, all Prince William County government offices will be closed on Monday, February 20. County offices will re-open at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 21.

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A property code enforcement case study, provided by the Prince William County Neighborhood Services Division.

There is probably no more complex relationship than the one between suburban residents and domesticated animals. Sometimes the relationship between neighbors is equally as intricate.

This is especially the case when neighbor relations become strained over the animals in and around our lives. One of the Neighborhood Services Division’s most interesting recent cases involved a brewing feud between two otherwise “neighborly” neighbors over a feral cat colony that was developing nearby.

A feral cat is one that may or may not have started out “domesticated,” but is no longer comfortable with or around humans. A feral cat is as wild as the breed once was in its natural state. In comparison, a “stray” is a cat born in a home, is now lost in the wild, but is still calm with humans.

Feral felines can react frantically when cornered and may be dangerous if encountered or handled without informed care. If feral cats find a regular source of food (particularly if cat food is left out for them regularly in abundance) they will tend to “colonize” in a particular area and can become problematic.

That’s where the strain between suburban neighbors can emerge. For a year, there had been serious tension between a young family, newcomers to a Prince William street, and their more long-established backyard neighbor. The tension was based entirely on the cat colony that had developed around feeding bowls being left for them by the long-time resident.

The situation had begun to spin out of control when Property Code Enforcement Inspector Claire Firebaugh was alerted in the fall. In addition to experience in law enforcement, Claire also brings to the table experience in Animal Control, so this was right down her alley.

The number one problem she found in this situation? Communication, pure and simple.

The new family had very legitimate concerns with the growing cat colony. Their dog and kids were relegated to the inside for fear of cat encounters, and for sure, no one wants their back yard to become an open litter box!

Their neighbor across the back yard also had concerns. There have been strays and ferals in and around this neighborhood for years. A long-time cat lover, she had for years been openly sharing the leftovers from her own pet cat’s meals with these mysterious wanderers who she would only see from time to time. She had since established relationships with generations of them, though rarely seeing them during daylight hours.

It isn’t against County Code to leave food for cats, just as it is fine to leave seeds for birds. So the cat lover saw nothing wrong with harboring “a few strays.” But for whatever reason, sometime soon after the young couple took up residence next door, a few lonely stray cats turned into a mewing and hissing colony of dozens of wild ferals. The herd was impacting the new resident’s quality-of-life every day.

The couple’s first approach to control the situation and take back their yard was to trap the ferals who went on their property and bring them to Animal Control, expecting that they would then be adoptable elsewhere. They eventually trapped and removed dozens of the feral cats! But once their plan came to the attention of their neighbor (and once the couple learned that most ferals brought to Prince William Animal Control must be quickly euthanized to protect other cats), the tension between the families escalated. Other than having the established neighbor remove some informal cat feeding “structures” she had set up (which were classified as an “outside storage” code violation), there is no specific statute that would allow Neighborhood Services to respond to the couple’s request that the neighbor be cited for the feeding and remove the feral cats.

Claire’s solution was to bring in “Super Woman.” Sherry Maier began a local organization called SADSAC (Save-a-Dog, Save-a-Cat) specifically to address the problem that arises when suburban life intersects with the domestic branch of the animal kingdom. As our communities grew quickly in the 1980s and 1990s, remaining woodlands around Prince William neighborhoods became havens for dogs and cats that were generations removed from domestication.

Sherry’s approach is to trap, and then spay/neuter ferals and strays, and provide key inoculations. If it is determined the animal is “adoptable,” Sherry seeks placement for them. If not, they are returned to their habitat once treated. Ferals live only a brief lifespan so this activity results in reduced feral populations over time and more docile behavior for the ones who remain. The feuding neighbors are, as of now, committed to this path forward and are working on rebuilding their relationship.

All this activity depends on donations SADSAC receives from the community. But this is one organization that builds elegant solutions for our neighborhoods. In this case, SADSAC has paved the way for reconciliation between two neighbors and devised an accountable yet humane way to treat the cats, and that is as valuable a service to the community one could imagine.

For more information, visit SADSAC on the web at www.sadsac.org.

Here, Kitty Kitty!

Supervisor Martin E. Nohe Coles Magisterial District

Prince William Board of County Supervisors

13476 Dumfries Road Manassas, Virginia 20112

Phone: (703)792-4620 mnohe@pwcgov.org

W W W . C O L E S D I S T R I C T . O R G W W W. P W C G O V. O R G

ACTS - www.actspwc.org Coles District Civic Association - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coles-District-Civic-Association/152351374830027 Coles District Volunteer Fire Department - www.cdvfd.org Court Appointed Special Advocates of Greater Prince William - www.casaofgpw.org Dale City Civic Association - http://sites.google.com/site/dccawebsite/ Dale City Volunteer Fire Department - www.dcvfd.org Habitat for Humanity - www.habitatpwc.org Historic Prince William - http://www.historicprincewilliam.org Hylton Performing Arts Center - http://hyltoncenter.org/preview/ Lake Jackson Citizens’ Association - http://www.lakejacksonva.com/citizen.html Lake Jackson Volunteer Fire Department - http://www.ljvfd.com/ Lake Ridge Occoquan Coles Civic Association - P.O. Box 204 Occoquan, VA 22125 Leadership Prince William - www.leadershipprincewilliam.org Meals-On-Wheels - (703)792-4156 Mid County Civic Association - www.midcopw.net NAACP of Prince William County - www.pwnaacp.org Prince William Chamber of Commerce - www.pwchamber.org Prince William Conservation Alliance - www.pwconserve.org Prince William Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - www.pwspca.org Prince William Soil & Water Conservation District - www.pwswcd.org Prince William Special Olympics - www.pwsova.org Prince William Neighborhood Leaders Group - www.pwcgov.org/neighborhoodleaders Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition - www.pwtrailsandstreams.com Register to Vote - www.pwcgov.org/vote SERVE - http://www.nvfs.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=91788 The House (A Student Leadership Center) - http://www.thehouse-inc.com/#/welcome/ Virginia Cooperative Extension - www.pwcgov.org/vce Volunteer Prince William - www.volunteerprincewilliam.org

Contacts Governor Bob McDonnell

(804)612-9111

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling (804)612-9122

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (804)698-7537

Federal Representatives Senator Jim Webb

(202)224-4024

Senator Mark Warner (202)224-2023

Congressman Rob Wittman 1st District

(202)225-4261

Congressman Frank Wolf 10th District

(202) 225-5136, (703) 709-5800

Congressman Gerry Connolly 11th District

(202)225-1492, (703)670-4989

Prince William School Board Dr. Michael Otaigbe, Coles District

(703)791-2475

Milton Johns, Chairman-at-Large (571)261-2157

Friend me on Facebook, www.facebook.com/martynohe

To subscribe or unsubscribe from our distribution list,

send an e-mail to dmoyers@pwcgov.org.

Ways To Get Involved

State Senators Richard Black, 13th District

(804) 698-7513, (703) 406-2951

Richard Stuart, 28th District (804) 493-8892, (800) 889-0229

Chuck Colgan, 29th District (703)368-0300, (804)698-7529

Toddy Puller, 36th District (703)765-1150, (804)698-7536

George Barker, 39th District (703)301-1426, (804)698-7539

State Delegates Mark Dudenhefer, 2nd District (703) 403-9710, (804)698-1002

Bob Marshall, 13th District (703)853-4213, (804)698-1013

Scott Lingamfelter, 31st District (703)580-1294, (804)698-1031

Tim Hugo, 40th District (703) 968-4101, (804)698-1040

Jackson Miller, 50th District (703) 244-6172, (804)698-1050

Rich Anderson, 51st District (804)698-1051, (571)264-9983

Luke Torian, 52nd District (703)785-2224, (804)698-1052

David Ramadan, 87th District (804)698-1087

If you know of a way for citizens to get involved in the community that is not listed above, send it to us at

dmoyers@pwcgov.org.