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Health & Fitness

April 2013 E-Update

My most recent E-Update with information about a few things going on around the Occoquan District.

Greetings!
 
It has been a few weeks since my last update and as you know, spring is a busy time around the county. I wanted to take a few moments to update you about a few things happening in and around the district that may be of interest.

 
Old Bridge Sidewalk Construction Update
On Tuesday, April 9, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted to approve funding for the construction of sidewalk between Mohican Road and the Festival Shopping Center on the northside of Old Bridge Road. This stretch of sidewalk has been in the works for sometime and construction is scheduled to begin the week of April 22, 2013. For more information, please call the Occoquan District Supervisor's Office at 703-792-4643.


Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
Do you have bottles of prescription drugs that have expired or that you no longer need to take? You may be aware that you should not throw them in the trash, flush them down the toilet, dump them down the sink or the garbage disposal, or leave them sitting in a cabinet or medicine chest. So what do you do with them?
 
On Saturday, April 27, 2013, the Prince William County Police Department will join with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to provide you with a safe and legal way to dispose of these unwanted items. Simply bring your prescription drugs to the collection sites at Prince William Hospital, Heathcote Health Center and Sentara Lake Ridge from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The City of Manassas Police Department will join the effort at Prince William Hospital.
 
Last September, more than 1,080 pounds of expired prescription drugs and other medicines were collected in Prince William County during the DEA's fall "Take-Back" initiative. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
 
This nationwide prescription drug "Take-Back" initiative seeks to prevent pill abuse and theft. According to the DEA, rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
 
During this initiative, prescription and over the counter solid dosage medications (i.e. tablets and capsules) will be accepted. Intravenous solutions, injectables, and needles will not be accepted. Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine will also not be accepted during National Take-Back Day.
 
For more information on this program, including updates on the Police Department collection sites, click here. You can enter your ZIP code to find the collection site nearest you. For more information, please call the Crime Prevention Unit at 703-792-7270.

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Community Shredding and Compost Event
To learn more about yard waste and composting, attend the Prince William County Compost Awareness Day event on Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Balls Ford Road Yard Waste Compost Facility, 13000 Balls Ford Road, Manassas. The compost event, hosted by the Prince William County Solid Waste Division, is free to the public.  A free paper shred service for area residents will also be held.
 
Get tips and techniques on composting from WTOP's "Garden Guru" Mike McGrath, the local Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District. Keep Prince William Beautiful volunteers and Future Farmers of America from Brentsville High School will also have displays and materials to share. Plus, there will be an exhibit that shows compost in various stages and a composted grass display. Residents may also purchase an affordable backyard compost bin kit to get their own composting project going.
 
For more information on Compost Awareness Day and the free paper shred event visit www.pwcgov.org/trashandrecycling or call 703-792-4670.


The New Dominion Choraliers Spring Concert "Love and the Spirit"
Press Release - The New Dominion Choraliers of Prince William County will present their Spring Concert "Love and the Spirit" over Mother's Day Weekend, on Saturday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m. and on Sunday, May 12 at 3:00 p.m., at Freedom High School, 15201 Neabsco Mills Road, Woodbridge, Virginia, 22191. 
 
The Choraliers, directed by Katherine Nelson-Tracey, will fill your hearts and uplift your spirits with the beautiful and powerful melodies of songs like "Fairest Lord Jesus", "You Raise Me Up", and "Lean on Me/We Shall Overcome".  Songs such as "Love Me Tender", "The Greatest Love Of All", and "I Will Remember You" will surround you and your family with the joy of love. There'll be some foot-stompin' fun, too, with tunes such as "Rhythm of Life", "Ain't That A Kick In The Head?", and the timely "We May Not Be Vampires, But We're Still Men!".  The concert will be a wonderful way to celebrate and share, with family and friends, the rebirth and renewal of life, hope, and dreams that are the promises of spring.
 
NDC has two smaller auditioned groups that will also perform--the NDC Singers, a mixed group, and Voci d'Angeli, a women's group.  Piano accompanists are Joe Swetnam and Kathy Tuttle, and instrumental accompaniment will include flutist Jen Fournelle, guitarist Mark Orahood, string bass with Robbie Melson, and Marshall Maley on drums.
 
The show will start when the talented Mary G. Porter Traditional School Elementary Chorus, directed by Karyn Kelsey, takes the stage at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.  The Dance Etc. School of the Arts, under the artistic direction of Ann Boyle, will illustrate several of the choral songs with dance.
 
NDC will again support Trevor's Treasures, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing toys for children with cancer, by collecting new, unwrapped toys and monetary donations in the lobby.
 
The New Dominion Choraliers is an award-winning volunteer, non-auditioned, chorus of dedicated amateur and professional musicians, and is widely recognized for its musically diverse performances as well as its commitment to the communities in which it performs.  NDC is an Affiliate Arts Organization at the Hylton Performing Arts Center.
 
For more information, visit NDC's website at www.newdominionchoraliers.org or call 703-590-2147 or 703-498-8906. 
 
Get tickets at the door, from any NDC member, or online through the Schedule or Tickets pages on their website.  Ticket prices are $15.00 for Adults, $10.00 for Seniors/Students/Military/Veterans, $5.00 for ages 5 through 13, and Free for ages 4 and under.

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7 Miles of Improvements Coming to I-95 in Prince William County
Press Release from VDOT - Construction began on April 1 on the Virginia Department of Transportation's $40 million project to construct auxiliary lanes and widen the shoulders on a seven-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in Prince William County.  The project is designed to ease several chokepoints, add capacity during emergencies, and reduce weaving and merging.
 
The inside and outside shoulders between Dumfries Road and the Prince William Parkway will be widened,  both north and southbound, to 12 feet with full-depth pavement to make the shoulders suitable for traffic use during accidents, evacuation, enforcement and detours.  New guardrail and lighting also will be added.
 
Auxiliary lanes will be constructed at three locations to create safer access and merging, particularly at the truck scale area. To create the auxiliary lane, crews will extend the acceleration and deceleration lanes between on- and off-ramps.
 
On I-95 South, auxiliary lanes will connect the Opitz Boulevard on-ramp with the Prince William Parkway off-ramp, as well as the truck rest area on-ramp with the off-ramp to Route 234.
 
On I-95 North, an auxiliary lane will connect the Dumfries Road on-ramp with the truck weigh station off-ramp.
 
Lane Construction is the contractor for the project which will be complete in August 2015. Most of the work will take place at night or behind barriers to minimize disruptions. All lane closures will be coordinated with the 95 Express Lanes project.


DFR Requests Your Help in Preventing Outside Fires
Over the past few weeks, firefighters, in Prince William County and other local jurisdictions, have responded to numerous outside fires. Outside fires consist of wildland fires, crop fires, rubbish fires, arson fires, recreational fires, equipment use fires and mulch fires often started by human activity such as smoking materials and open burning of debris.
 
In 2011, according to the National Fire Protection Association, 686,000 outside fires were reported, an increase of 8.2 percent over 2010. Of the 2011 outside fires, an estimated 338,000 were brush, grass, and wildland fires, a significant increase of 11.2 percent from the year before.
 
According to the burn law, which began on February 15th and continues through April 30th, burning is permitted between 4:00 p.m. and 12 midnight; however, a burn permit must be obtained from the Fire Marshal's Office prior to burning. For more information on burning regulations, please visit Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue at www.pwcgov.org/fire and click on Fire Marshal's Office and Burning Regulations or contact the Fire Marshal's Office directly at 703-792-6360.
 
Although ninety percent of fires are due to human error or carelessness, these fires are preventable. To prevent outside fires, follow these simple safety tips:
 
Proper Disposal of Smoking Materials
DO NOT discard smoking materials such as cigarettes, cigars and lighted matches into mulch laden landscapes, flower beds, shrubs, bushes, grassy areas or woods
Protect your home or business by providing an area for individuals to properly extinguish and discard their smoking materials
 
Landscaping
Provide a reasonable amount of space between flammable vegetation and your home or business to create a fire-wise/fire-safe area
Avoid using highly combustible plants; use fire resistant plants (visit your local nursery for assistance)
Remove dead plants, trees and shrubs, wood, debris and low tree branches
Keep plants watered during the heat of the summer
Remove small trees and plants growing under trees; they permit ground fires to jump into tree crown
Regularly, trim grass surrounding your home or business (up to 100 feet)
Stack firewood at least 30 feet from your home
Provide proper clearance to electric devices, e.g., decorative lights
Decorative/Building Materials
Avoid using materials that burn such as wood and use the following:
Siding - stucco or aluminum siding
Fences - stone, metal or vinyl
Decks - stone, masonry, or tile
Additional Safety Tips
Most homes and businesses have exterior water faucets/spouts.  Purchase a hose(s) that will allow you to not only water your landscape but serve as a fire hose. In the event fire occurs among your landscape, the fire hose will help to saturate the area with water in an attempt to prevent the fire from further spreading to vegetation surrounding your home or business. Whether at home or on the go, if you discover an outside fire, call 911 Immediately! 
 
Spay and Neuter Your Pets to Prevent Over-Population

This article is brought to you by the Prince William County Animal Advisory Committee (AAC). The mission of the AAC is to help improve the quality of life of companion animals in the county. - Springtime brings warmer weather and the onset of puppy and kitten season. Did you know that one female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in six years and one female cat and her offspring can produce 370,000 kittens in seven years? These numbers are staggering and are a primary reason for the euthanasia of over 3.5 million homeless cats and dogs in the United States each year. Spaying and neutering your pets will greatly reduce the pet over-population in the county and decrease the tax dollars that are required to feed, house and euthanize abandoned animals.
 
Spaying and neutering your pets is not only the responsible thing to do but the procedure also helps your dog and cat live a longer and healthier life. Spaying eliminates the stress and discomfort that female cats and dogs endure during heat periods, prevents the risk of uterine cancer, and decreases the risk of mammary cancer. Altering male cats and dogs eliminates testicular cancer and reduces the risk of most forms of prostate related disease. Neutered males are also less likely to roam and fight which prevents the spread of contagious and often deadly diseases.
 
Contact your veterinarian or local spay/neuter clinic to schedule an appointment for your pet.


Child Abuse Prevention
From Prince William County Department of Social Services - April is recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month across the country.  Preventing child abuse and neglect is a community problem that depends on involvement among people throughout the community.  Child maltreatment occurs when people find themselves in stressful situations, without community resources, and don't know how to cope.  The majority of child abuse cases stem from situations and conditions that are preventable in an engaged and supportive community.
From a historical perspective, until the 19th century children were considered property and there were no laws to protect children.  Organized child protection emerged from the rescue in 1874 of nine year-old Mary Ellen Wilson who lived with her guardians in one of New York City's worst tenements.  Her story can be found by clicking here
 
It was the Great Depression of the 1930s, however, that initiated change in the government's role in social welfare.  In 1935, as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal, Congress passed the Social Security Act.  Tucked away in the Social Security Act was an obscure provision that authorized the Children's Bureau "to cooperate with state public-welfare agencies in establishing, extending, and strengthening, especially in predominantly rural areas, [child welfare services] for the protection and care of homeless, dependent, and neglected children, and children in danger of becoming delinquent."
 
The 1960s witnessed an explosion of interest in child abuse.  Behind the scenes, Congress placed new emphasis on child protection with amendments to the Social Security Act in 1962.  Increasing public awareness of the need to ensure the safety and welfare of children led to the passage of the first Federal child protection legislation, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), in 1974.  In 1983, April was proclaimed the first National Child Abuse Prevention Month. As a result, child abuse and neglect awareness activities are promoted across the country during April of each year.
 
Starting in 1989, the Blue Ribbon Campaign, which serves as a physical reminder to end child abuse, began with one Virginia grandmother's personal commitment to end child abuse. By tying a blue ribbon to the antenna on her van, she "made people wonder." When members of her community asked about the significance of the ribbon, Bonnie Finney shared the tragic story of her grandson's death.  Three-year-old Michael Wayne "Bubba" Dickenson was killed at the hands of his mother's violent boyfriend.  In her words, "We must protect our most precious gift of all...our children. Please wear a blue ribbon...give one to your friends...tell them what it means...you may save a child's life!"
 
The truth is that the Child Abuse Prevention programs save lives and futures. As we look back across history, it is clear that the effort to protect children is a story of progress and hope. As you read this sentence, a social worker right here at Prince William County DSS is making a decision that will protect a child.  It takes all of us to be involved in supporting families to raise their children in the safe, nurturing environment they deserve.


Holiness Tabernacle Food Distribution
In partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB), Holiness Tabernacle provides free, healthy and nourishing food to Prince William County every second Monday from 12 to 3 P.M. and hosts the CAFB's Mobile Food Pantry every fourth Monday (where fresh produce is distributed).
 
For more information on Holiness Tabernacle's food distribution, please contact Holiness Tabernacle at (703) 497-7928. The church is located at 1440 Old Bridge Road in Woodbridge, VA. Visitors are encouraged to bring grocery bags.


Supervisor May's Constituent Service Facebook Page
Please be sure to check out our Facebook page the next time you log on. While I've always used Facebook personally and politically, recently I've found that many constituents want to contact me for constituent services on Facebook as well.  As a result, we have created a special page designed specifically for constituent services. If you "like" this page, you will be able keep up with what's going on around the district, ask questions and even ask for help if you need it. Please be sure to check it out at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Supervisor-MikeMay/122519247895858!

Thanks for reading our E-Update! If you would like to receive these E-Updates directly to your email, please contact Alyssa at aedson@pwcgov.org or call 703-792-5180. As always, if we can ever be of service to you, please do not hesitate to contact us by email, phone, or Facebook.

Best regards,

Mike May, Occoquan District Supervisor

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