Prince William Living August 2013 by Prince William Living

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WRITE BY THE RAILS

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FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS

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STOP LOOKING AT ME

prince william living August 2013

The premiere lifestyle magazine of Prince William and Greater Manassas

LEARNING A Lifetime of Discovery

Keeping up with Change: Education through the Ages PAGE 4

Tricks of the Trade from a Home Educator PAGE 22 www.princewilliamliving.com

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table of contents August 2013 Vol. 3 No. 8

FEATURE STORY Keeping up with Change: Education through the Ages..................................4

DEPARTMENTS from the publisher..................................................3 advertiser index......................................................3

4 Photo courtesy Kathy Strauss/Imagewerks

on a high note Write by the Rails: Raising Prince William’s Literary Proﬁle ..............10 destinations Our Libraries: Beyond the Printed Page ..................16 taking care of business Future Business Leaders of America in Prince William Schools: Preparing Our Youth for Career Success ..............20 family fun Tricks of the Trade from a Home Educator ..........22 giving back 10 Years and Growing: Lifelong Learning Institute ..................................26

16 Photo courtesy Kathy Strauss/Imagewerks

local flavor À La Carte: Customized and Personal Catering and Event Design ..................................28 calendar ..............................................................32 tambourines and elephants Stop Looking at Me..............................................35 distribution sites..................................................37

COLUMNS

28 Photo courtesy Amy Falkofske

home & hearth ....................................................12 health & wellness ................................................18 your finances ......................................................30 Discover Prince William & Manassas................33

prince william living August 2013 | 1

The premiere lifestyle magazine of Prince William and Greater Manassas

Prince William Living Publisher Rebecca Barnes rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com Contributing Writers Cindy Brookshire, Carla Christiano, Paul Keily, Helena Tavares Kennedy, Kristina Schnack Kotlus, Dr. Christopher Leet, Ann Marie Maher, Jennifer Rader, DeeDee Corbitt Sauter, Bennett Whitlock, Vickie Williamson Editorial Staﬀ Emily Guerrero, Peter Lineberry, Val Wallace Photographers Amy Falkofske, Kathy Strauss Copy Assistant Marissa Cameron Graphic Design and Production Alison Dixon/Image Prep Studio Advertising Account Executives Michelle Geenty and Jennifer Rader Prince William Living, the premiere lifestyle magazine of Prince William and Greater Manassas, is published monthly by Prince William Living, Inc. e opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reﬂect the views of Prince William Living. © Copyright 2013 by Prince William Living, Inc. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced or translated without written permission. Visit the Prince William Living website at www.princewilliamliving.com for reprint permission. Subscription rate is $12 (Continental U.S.) for one year. Change of address notices should be sent to Prince William Living Publisher Rebecca Barnes at rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com. Reprints and Back Issues: To order article reprints or request reprint permission, please visit the Prince William Living website: www.princewilliamliving.com. Order back issues by calling Prince William Living Publisher Rebecca Barnes at (703) 232-1758, ext. 1. For further information about Prince William Living, visit www.princewilliamliving.com, or contact Prince William Living at (703) 232-1758.

Prince William Living 4491 Cheshire Station Plaza, PMB 55 Dale City, VA 22193 Phone: (703) 232-1758 Efax: (703) 563-9185 Editorial offices: (703) 232-1758, ext. 2 Efax: (703) 563-9185 Advertising offices: (703) 232-1758, ext. 1 Efax: (703) 563-9185 Editorial Have a story you’d like our staff to cover? Contact Prince William Living editorial staff, either by phone at (703) 232-1758, ext. 2, or by email at editor@princewilliamliving.com. Advertising Prince William Living accepts display advertising. For complete advertising information, contact Rebecca Barnes, Prince William Living publisher, at (703) 232-1758, ext. 1, or at rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com. Social Media

Prince William Living can be found on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube and Google+.

Get More Prince William Living You don’t have to wait a whole month for more great information about your community. Visit www.pwliving.com any time to get daily updates on events, the arts, nonprofits, dining and entertainment in your neighborhood. Look for Prince William Living contests, get-togethers, deals and more. You can also submit a story or event online. Stay plugged into what is happening and what is important to you. Prince William Living is your community magazine, all month long.

Join Our Team of Advertising Representatives We know your type. You are a self-starter, somebody who people respect and want to say “yes” to. You never do anything halfway. With at least two years of sales experience, you have mastered the art of truly listening so that you can deliver real value to clients. The idea of carving out a profession that puts you in the center of our growing community is energizing. Flexible is our middle name. This contract position offers you flexibility. Working full- or part-time, control your earning potential and build a schedule that offers work-life balance. Though you will be “your own boss,” you will have the full support of our staff and be a valued member of the Prince William Living team— while growing professionally and leaving your mark on the greater Prince William community. The ideal candidate has at least two years of sales experience and a passion for the Prince William Living mission. Sound like you? Send your resume to our publisher at rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com.

2 | August 2013 prince william living

from the publisher All ings Summer

on’t let the approaching start of the school year and the adorable school girl on the cover fool you—this is not Prince William Living’s back-to-school edition. Rather, we like to think of this as our “Learning starts at birth and never ends, so let’s explore the many ways to learn in Prince William” edition.

Ok, we didn’t really make our staﬀ say all of that, but it is what we hope you will take away from this issue. e reality is that when it comes to education, your mom was right; it is the key to success. e amount of schooling a person undertakes directly correlates to his or her earning potential. Continued professional development further increases that potential, and embracing lifelong learning can reduce the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. en, there’s “the greater good.” An educated populace also means lower crime rates, a more skilled workforce and overall higher quality of life in the community. No wonder we here at Prince William Living are such strong supporters of education at every stage of life.

Advertiser Index Absolute BBQ............................................................................36 ACE Hardware (Pitkin’s)............................................................25 ACTS ..........................................................................................36 Advantage Physical Therapy ....................................................19 Alpha Pets ................................................................................36 Ameriprise–Whitlock Wealth Management ............................31 Apple FCU ................................................................................31 AVON/Teresa Giltner ................................................................36 Bargain Relo..............................................................................25 Beacon Electrical Services ......................................................36 Bella Vita....................................................................................23 Best Western Battlefield Inn ....................................................25 CAP Accounting, LLC................................................................31 Christ Chapel ............................................................................36 City of Manassas Park—Parks & Recreation ..........................23 Confidence Realty ....................................................................30 Creative Brush Studio ..............................................................36 Cruise Planners ........................................................................36 Dance Etc...................................................................................34 Dansk Day Spa at Occoquan....................................................24 Discover Prince William & Manassas......................................33 Dominion Eye Care ..................................................................19 Edgemoor Art Studio................................................................36 EuroBronze................................................................................36 FURR Roofing............................................................................24 Gaeltek, LLC ..............................................................................34 Gainesville Ballet ........................................................................9 GEICO ..........................................................................................9 Golden Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics ............................18 Hard Times Cafe & Cue ............................................................15 Historic Manassas, Inc. ............................................................34

Once you catch the learning bug yourself, the best thing to do is to share it. Volunteer to read to youngsters at an elementary school or with groups, such as Smart Beginnings of Greater Prince William, which fosters early childhood education opportunities. Or offer your talents at Lifelong Learning Institute-Manassas, which offers unique learning experiences to those age 50 or older. Encourage those around you to keep learning and growing. As you flip through the pages of this, our “learning never ends” issue, I hope that you are inspired to try new ways of expanding your horizons and those of the people around you. After all, learning is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the ride!

Sincerely, Rebecca Barnes Prince William Living Publisher

Imagewerks ..............................................................................36 Lavender Retreat ......................................................................19 Love by Cupcake ......................................................................36 Linton Hall School ......................................................................9 Magnificent Belly Dance ..........................................................36 Merry Maids ..............................................................................36 Minnieland Academy................................................................15 Northern Virginia Community College....................................14 Nova Music Center ..................................................................25 Novant Health ..........................................................................C4 Options for Senior America ....................................................36 Parrish Services ..........................................................................8 Patriot Scuba ............................................................................29 Peggy and Bill Burke, Long & Foster Realtors........................12 Persnickety Cakes ....................................................................36 Potomac Crest ..........................................................................19 Potomac Place ............................................................................9 Prince William Chamber of Commerce ....................................7 Prince William County Libraries ..............................................17 Prince William Ice Center ........................................................15 PRTC/OmniLink ........................................................................23 Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center ............................C2 Simply Stunning Faces ............................................................21 SPARK ........................................................................................15 The Marketplace at Madison Cresent ....................................36 Tiny Dancers ............................................................................24 Upscale Resume Services........................................................36 Washington Square Associates ..............................................36 Westminster at Lake Ridge ......................................................34 Winestyles ................................................................................25 Yellow Cab ................................................................................36 Your College Planning Coach ..................................................31

prince william living August 2013 | 3

Keeping up with Change

Education through the Ages By Carla Christiano, Contributing Writer

ext month students in Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park will begin another school year. For some, it will be a time to buy new book bags or school clothes. Others will fret over their upcoming “Standards of Learning” (SOL) tests or worry what major to choose. Chances are, most aren’t thinking about their educations as a lifelong pursuit. But the truth is whether you are currently in school or many years past it, you never stop learning.

Importance of Lifelong Learning Academic and popular media have discussed the topic of lifelong learning for decades. In 1975, Dr. Wilbur Cohen wrote in an editorial for ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), “e scientiﬁc and technological explosion in this century has caused us all to recognize that learning is a continuous, permanent, lifelong pursuit.” If he were alive today, Dr. Cohen would be amazed at the rate those technological changes occur now, almost 40 years later. Yet the key for keeping up with change is the same as it was in 1975: education. “In the past, we took it for granted that what we are teaching you is what you need to know. We no longer do that because we’ve come to the realization what you need to know today may not be what you need to know 20 years from now,” said Dr. Pat Puttre, former associate superintendent for middle schools for Prince William County Public Schools. “at’s where we encourage lifelong learning—the understanding that there will always be change. ere will always be forward momentum.”

Key to Financial Success e prospect of getting any kind of education can seem daunting, especially if you add up the years needed for most formal schooling: up to 13 years of elementary through high school and an additional two to four years for trade school or college—more for graduate degrees. However, this time investment yields ﬁnancial beneﬁt. 4 | August 2013 prince william living

Studies show that those without at least a high school diploma struggle more economically than their college-educated counterparts. Christine Cruzvergara, director of University Career Services at George Mason University, said college graduates have a lower level of unemployment than those with just a high school diploma. She cited a May 3 article in e New York Times (“College Graduates Fare Well in Jobs Market, Even through Recession”) that reported the April unemployment rate at 3.9 percent for those with a college degree, in contrast to the overall unemployment rate of 7.5 percent that month. e article stated, “In fact, there are more employed college graduates today than employed high school graduates and high school dropouts put together.” Education’s value also shows up in salaries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time workers age 25 and older without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $457 the ﬁrst quarter of 2013, compared with $651 for high school graduates with no college and $1,189 for those holding at least a bachelor's degree. “Our students recognize that a high school diploma is just the beginning of one’s educational journey. A path for a more prosperous life correlates to the education that they have,” said Dr. Bruce McDade, superintendent of Manassas Park City Schools.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” Henry Ford

McDade said students understand that if they drop out of school, they limit their prospects for a prosperous life. Statistics show their concern is valid. e Bureau of Justice Statistics’ special report on “Education and Correctional Populations,” published in 2003, stated that as many as 41 percent of inmates in state and federal prisons and local jails in 1997 had not completed high school or its equivalent. In comparison, only 18 percent of the general population had not ﬁnished the 12th grade. University studies conﬁrm the connection. Northeastern University researchers, using census and other government data, published a report in 2009 showing that the high school dropout rate correlates with the nation’s prison population. Further, the researchers, analyzing 2008 unemployment rates, found that 54 percent of dropouts age 16 to 24 were jobless, compared with 32 percent of high school graduates of the same age, and 13 percent of those with a college degree.

Start Them Young Recognizing that the most important time for child development is birth to age 5, “learning should start from day one,” said Dr. Samia Harris, executive director and principal of Lake Ridge-

based Prince William Academy, a private school that teaches children from infants to eighth grade. She added if a mom enjoys reading to her baby, the child will grow up loving to read. Alternately, said Harris, if the mom treats reading to her baby as a task she has to accomplish ﬁve minutes before bedtime, the child will not love it. “We must pass to the children the passion to love to learn so that they look forward to it. ey should love to be in school. ... If you [only] teach the child to pass tests, then you’ve lost an opportunity to teach a child to love to learn for the rest of their lives,” Harris said, adding that children taught only to pass tests will forget after the test what they’ve studied. “Real knowledge is comprehension,” she said. “School is very important for kids. e earlier they can get into school, the better they will be,” said Erick Gallegos, director and owner of Cardinal Montessori School, a private school in Woodbridge of about 120 students aged 3 to 11. He said that Montessori’s approach focuses on conversation and ﬁne motor skills. “Enhancing a child's natural curiosity leads to greater curiosity and learning, which, in turn, leads to a lifelong learner,” said Gallegos.

Keep Momentum Going During kindergarten, kids are enthusiastic and curious—just ask any of their teachers. “ey want to learn about everything all day long,” Puttre said. “We need some sort of momentum to keep that high energy and curiosity moving through.” She said that by middle school, it’s diﬃcult to keep children engaged because the content gets more challenging to learn and they can’t always explore topics that interest them. “In middle school, it becomes even more critical [to engage students] because they either start down the road of a lifelong learner or not. ey just count the days until high school graduation,” she said. Teachers can add discovery activities to the curriculum so that students “look at items from every angle and not what’s merely ﬂat on the textbook page,” said Puttre. So how do you turn a classroom education into a lifelong love of learning? In Prince William County Public Schools, which, with (continues on page 6) prince william living August 2013 | 5

(continued from page 5)

employable sometimes requires retraining, and more people are turning to community colleges and universities for their ongoing educational needs Provost Dr. Roger Ramsammy of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) at its Manassas campus said parents once told their children “to do what you like.” ey can no longer say that because the reality is that students will eventually have to ﬁnd a job. “Why would you ﬁnish a degree based on desire? e world is changing and people need to adapt,” he said.

more than 83,000 students, is the second largest school division in Virginia, educators focus on “student engagement, and having relationships with students, which, in turn, makes it more meaningful. We don’t have students sitting in rows, facing front,” said Puttre. “We have them interacting. ... I think we have added more interest, tried to keep up with the world beyond education and integrate skills that will benefit students in that world.” Manassas City Public Schools Supervisor of Alternative Education Dr. Lukisha Barrera Gibbs, speaking on behalf of her staff, said, “Classrooms and schools should be inviting for students, fostering personal relationships between teachers, students and student peers. Building personal relationships is important because students need an adult other than their parents that they can bounce their opinions and learning experiences [off of ].” To inspire the more than 7,000 students in the school system to continue learning, she said the children are exposed “to mentors, career workshops, college field trips and non-traditional opportunities.” At Manassas Park City Schools, educators promote the three R’s— not reading, writing and arithmetic, but “rigor, relevance and relationships,” McDade said. It’s not a new concept, he said, and explained that by rigor he does not mean that work should be beyond students’ comprehension, but challenging enough to prepare them to compete in a global environment. Relevance requires creativity since educators compete with social media for students’ attention. Regarding relationships, when a school system is as small as his, “you get to know the kids on a personal level,” he said. With only 3,000 students in the school system, “it’s almost like a family,” said McDade. Students stay together in classrooms from kindergarten through high school. “Because of our small size, we can connect. We can get them excited about learning,” he said.

Continuing Education for Changing Workplace Technology has impacted just about everything in our lives, including the workforce. Keeping oneself up to date and 6 | August 2013 prince william living

To keep current, colleges and universities also have had to adapt, moving beyond the strict curricula of the past. eir catalogs now include topics that were unheard of just a couple of decades ago, but that better correspond to the demands of today’s workplace. Ramsammy said that one hot topic now is cyber security and that NOVA formed a task force to determine what the school needs to do to follow the trend. He also said that he often hears from employers who have difficulty filling positions, especially in Information Technology (IT) fields, because applicants are not qualified. Employers are frustrated and want schools to focus on what students need for jobs, Ramsammy explained. “ey really need to be trained for the job, rather than for a degree,” he said. But keeping up in today’s workplace is challenging. People change jobs, and careers, multiple times throughout their lifetime, said Cruzvergara, adding that workers no longer stay in the same job for decades. “We’re trying to educate our students on the reality of the marketplace,” she said. “If you know you’re going to switch jobs at some point, what are the skill sets that are transferable?” Cruzvergara asked. “What students will be smart to remember is that your major is not your particular career,” she said. “And since many employers hire across a broad range of disciplines, it’s not your degree that dictates your salary; it’s the industry you choose to work in and what the market will bear for that industry.” Cruzvergara added, “For people to be successful, they need to be more flexible about how they think about their skills. Passion and desire will take them only so far. ey need to keep learning. I think college is just the beginning.”

After Job Ends Much of education is geared towards career preparation, but what happens when you retire? For a growing number of people aged 50 and older, the answer is organizations such as the Lifelong Learning Institute–Manassas (LLI-Manassas), which allows them to continue to learn and engage in their community without focusing on career preparation. Established at NOVA’s Manassas campus in 2003 with 20 people, LLI-Manassas now has more than 300 members and offers 40 to 50 classes per semester on a wide range of topics, including gardening, cooking, kayak making, stream monitoring and Native American flute making. “Retirement is a void that is created because many people have developed their identity around a job that they were performing ... until all of a sudden, they are no longer engaged in the business. en the question becomes, ‘Now what do I do with the rest of my life?’” said David Ward, recently elected president of LLI-Manassas, which is a member-supported nonprofit organization. “Self-worth is not about career. It’s not about the career identity that you developed. It’s about being a whole person.” LLI-Manassas staff work to prevent that void, he said. “e scientific studies say if you don’t have an active mind [and] an

active social life, you are in danger of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s a lot earlier,” said Ward, who noted that LLI participants come from a variety of backgrounds. “It’s not skewed so that they’re all university nerds. ... We have people from all over who have a lifelong interest and want to explore,” he said, adding, “By the way, there are no tests.” Carla Christiano kept a promise to her grandparents to get an education and holds a B.A. and M.A. With every story she writes for Prince William Living, she learns something new. She can be reached at cchristiano@princewlliamliving.com.

Aged 60 or Older? Virginians age 60 and older, regardless of income, may register for and audit courses in any Virginia institution of higher education. Students may have to pay for course materials and laboratory fees. Learn more online at www.vda.virginia.gov/eldereducation.asp. For other ideas on lifelong learning, look for the online version of this article in the “Feature” section of pwliving.com. prince william living August 2013 | 7

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prince william living August 2013 | 9

on a high note

Write by the Rails Raising Prince William’s Literary Profile By Cindy Brookshire, Contributing Writer

hen I was a senior at West Springfield High School, Robert Serling (“e President’s Plane Is Missing”), brother of Rod Serling (“e Twilight Zone”), came to talk to our creative writing class. I decided then that I wanted to tell stories like they did. Today, some of the same teachers and writers who have helped hundreds of students develop their creative writing skills through the Northern Virginia Writing Project, hosted by George Mason University (local novelist Pete Pazmino, Woodbridge High School creative writing instructor Cathy Hailey and retired school teacher Dan Verner of Manassas) are also nurturing “Write by the Rails” (WBTR), a networking group of writers in Prince William. In April 2011, Pazmino and I started the group with two other writers: Katherine Gotthardt and Sheila Lamb. We first met at a coffee shop, now called Grounds Central Station, in the heart of Manassas’s art and tourism district. e second meeting, in August 2011 at nearby Okra’s Cajun Creole, brought together 12 writers. In two years, Write by the Rails has grown to about 175 members throughout Prince William, Manassas, Manassas Park and even Warrenton. We communicate through Facebook, attend informal bimonthly “meet-and-greet” gatherings in coffee shops and restaurants around the area and meet monthly on the third ursday of the month at 7 p.m. in Trinity Episcopal Church in Old Town Manassas. In June, the club elected its first set of officers. e group recently published “New Departures,” an anthology featuring 22 members’ works, donating the first $100 in royalties to the Prince William Public Library Foundation. ree members recently launched new books of their own: Kelly McDermott Harman (“Did I Say at Out Loud? Conversations about Life”), Linda Johnston (“Hope Amid Hardship: Pioneer Voices from Kansas Territory”) and Charles Sutherland (“e Poison Planters: Sowing the Seeds of Global Genetic Genocide,” with contributor Jonathan Slevin). 10 | August 2013 prince william living

WBTR has since become the Prince William Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club (VWC), filling what once was a void in literary draw to this region. WBTR fills a local niche as well. Of 42 arts groups represented on the Prince William County Arts Council, which WBTR joined in January, none until now embraced writing and poetry as their central mission. WBTR’s mission includes raising the local profile of the literary community and encouraging young writers. e group maintains a website, www.writebytherails.org, that acts as a clearinghouse of all things literary, with fresh content by individual writers and links to members’ websites. anks to grants from the Virginia Writers Club and Prince William County, WBTR is pursuing the first year of an ambitious strategic plan. e group is an inclusive organization that welcomes members without discrimination of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability. WBTR accepts, recognizes and fosters a diversity of intellectual and artistic written expression.

Local Literary Scene A sampling of literary events and resources WBTR helps promote and members participate in: n Open mic nights and readings. In Haymarket, the “Piedmont Writers” gather during “Poets’ & Writers’ Night,” the first Friday of every month at Deja Brew Coffee House to share and hear stories and poems, bonding creative ideas with caffeine. In Manassas, Grounds Central Station offers weekly open mics for writers to read their works, and every Tuesday City Tavern Grille is home to spoken-word poetry. Also in Manassas, readings are held during “Take Out Tuesdays” in the summer at the Harris Pavilion, and also at the shop “e ings I Love” in Old Town Manassas during the store’s “Spring Gallery Walk.”

Photo courtesy Chip Deyerle

Clockwise from left, Write by the Rails members Cindy Brookshire, Valerie Wallace, Claudia Lefeve, Leigh Giza, Mary Kay Montgomery, Nancy West and Dan Verner participated in a recent meet-and-greet at Panera Bread on Liberia Avenue in Manassas. Photo by Chip Deyerle.

n Book launches, sales and signings. is past spring, local author Tamela Ritter chose Lion & Bull Restaurant in Haymarket to celebrate with other WBTR members the launch of her book, “From ese Ashes.” And in Woodbridge last December, the Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma eta Sorority, Inc., hosted its third annual “Rolling Out the Red Carpet Book Signing Event” at the Prince William Association of Realtors’ building in Woodbridge. Also, WBTR members participate in book sales and signings held at bookstores throughout Prince William and take advantage of the many local fairs and festivals, from Haymarket Day to the Manassas Railway Festival, that offer table space for authors. n Manuscript groups. WBTR members and other writers wishing to share their writing and offer encouragement and constructive criticism can join open-manuscript writers’ groups that meet at Bull Run Regional Library in Manassas. Additionally, the “Second ursday Children’s Lit Writers’ Group” meets at Chinn Park Regional Library in Woodbridge, and the Bull Run Unitarian Universalists in Manassas also opens its BRUU Writers’ Group to the public. e National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) drop-in group meets year-round at Barnes & Noble in Manassas. n Programs at the Prince William Public Library System. e library system offers activities, contests, events and resources that support and encourage exploring authors and

their works. ere’s also an annual “Local Author Fair” at Bull Run Regional Library. n Opportunities through Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). For three years, English professor Robert Bausch has led an annual three-day Woodbridge Writers’ Retreat, bringing local authors to the Woodbridge campus to critique student manuscripts, oﬀer craft talks and read to the public. Bausch, who has taught creative writing for 36 years, received a 2013 Outstanding Faculty Award by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Also, NOVA’s Manassas campus has sponsored an annual writing contest for 24 years and presents such free literary events as “An Evening with Sonia Sanchez,” which took place in February. Sanchez, an award-winning writer, poet and playwright, has authored more than 16 books. n George Mason University’s Northern Virginia Writing Project (NVWP). Since 1977, NVWP has nurtured more than 7,600 teachers, including educators in Prince William area school districts, whose teachers have taught more than 900,000 students. Since 1987, more than 7,100 students have participated in the Young Writers and Families Programs through NVWP.

Festival Expands to Prince William What began as a two-day literary event in 1999, organized by George Mason and the City of Fairfax, has expanded into a weeklong, multiple-venue, regional festival that brings together people (continues on page 13) prince william living August 2013 | 11

home & hearth Accessorizing Your Space for Greater Visual Impact By Vickie Williamson Custom Framer and Interior Designer

think of the decorative accessories in a room as the jewelry for the space. They finish the room’s look and tie the whole decorating scheme together. Over-accessorizing, however, can leave a room looking cluttered and make people feel uncomfortable in the space.

The Key to Meeting Your Real Estate Needs

Unless your goal is to ward off guests or you just adore dusting, it is better to have fewer accessories than too many, and not having something is also better than having the wrong something. A decorative accessory should enhance the completeness or attractiveness of a room or space. Here are a few types, and some tips on how to effectively use them: n

PILLOWS add impact. Decorative pillows make an impact on a space, adding color and texture while providing a useful purpose. Mix them up for an eclectic style or keep them similar in color for a more sophisticated look.

GREENERY instills warmth. Whether you prefer live or silk, greenery adds a wonderful, much-needed feel to any room. Try varying the heights and styles and see what works for you.

ARTWORK complements the space. Also, in some circumstances, the room should complement the artwork. If you have a piece of artwork that you just must use in the space, then by all means use it. Pull out colors from the art to use for other accessories in the room. It’s better to have a few larger pieces than many small undersized ones. Art is subjective; if you like it, then it is what should be displayed in your home. BOOKS enhance visual impact. I love using books to decorate. This might have something to do with the fact that I love to read them. However you feel about reading, though, books make for marvelous accessories and can be stacked for greater visual impact.

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(continued from page 11) of all ages and interests. e 15th annual Fall for the Book Festival, Sept. 22-27, will include Sanchez and literary headliners activist and author Ralph Nader, memoirist Cheryl Strayed, novelist David Baldacci, historian Juanita Patience Moss and humorist Dave Barry. It will also add a new event that extends the festival into Prince William. e Fall for the Book event in Prince William (“Haute Cuisine at the Hylton”) will be ursday, Sept. 26, at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on Mason’s Prince William Campus in Manassas. Admission is free. A panel discussion with all participants, moderated by PotomacLocal.com publisher Uriah Kiser, will start at 6 p.m., followed by cooking demonstrations, tastings and book sales and signings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Participants at Sept. 26 Prince William Event Participants at the Sept 26 Fall for the Book event “Haute Cuisine at the Hylton,” at the Hylton Performing Arts Center, include: n

Norman Davis, with co-owner Zane Beg, owns and operates The Sweet Life, a custom cakery in Annandale. The chocolatiers and pastry chefs have competed in 12 Food Network Challenges and four with TLC/Discovery and have appeared on the Oprah Show. They have designed cakes for U.S. President Bill Clinton, comedian Rosie O’Donnell, business magnate and financier T. Boone Pickens, singer Patti Labelle and The Washington Post as well as others. People Magazine chose The Sweet Life to represent Virginia in its feature, “A Cake from Every State.”

Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray have risen to the top of the vibrant culinary scene in Washington, D.C., since opening their first restaurant, the highly acclaimed Equinox, in the district more than a decade ago. Their Harvest Moon Hospitality Group now includes four restaurants, two catering companies and partnerships with leading brands and institutions. Their book, “The New Jewish Table: Modern Seasonal Recipes for Traditional Dishes,” proves them as pioneers in the movement to promote regionality and seasonality on the plate.

Krista Gallagher and Kris Schoels, editors and Virginia Tech alumni, include recipes from the best eateries on and off the campus in “A Taste of Virginia Tech,” which also explores the college’s culinary history through essays, remembrances and more.

Forrest Pritchard’s memoir “Gaining Ground: A Story of Farmers’ Markets, Local Food and Saving the Family Farm” offers glimpses into the business, politics and personal struggles of modern-day agriculture and charts the author’s own journey from lost profits to renewed prospects for the future.

Michael Stein is a staff writer for the blog DCBeer.com, which seeks to promote and grow the D.C. area’s craft beer culture through its locally focused beer website and its tasting and educational events.

Peter and Laura Zeranski’s “Polish Classic Cooking and Polish Classic Desserts” offers not just a tour of Poland’s culinary landscape—from beet soup, pierogies and potato pancakes to mazurkas, babas and more—but also a taste of the country’s history, heritage and customs.

To come up with a list of author recommendations for the event, WBTR polled a variety of local sources. As a result, the festival committee built a combined book and food event appealing to residents’ love of farmers markets, locavore restaurants, gardening, tailgating, cakes and craft beer.

Local Author Joins Participants WBTR member Claudia Lefeve, a Manassas author, will be among participants taking the stage Sept. 26. Lefeve will join the panel with her husband Chef Dave Lefeve of Market Salamander in Middleburg. “It’s an honor to be asked to present at this year’s Fall for the Book,” said Claudia Lefeve, who, when she’s not writing, teaches criminal justice at the NOVA-Woodbridge campus. “Food has always been a focal point of my writing, whether it be Aunt Maggie (“Travelers Series”) hosting her own cooking show in an alternate reality or the DeLeon sisters operating their own restaurant in the ﬁctional town of Caldero (“Darkly Beings”).” She hopes to showcase “Darkly Beings” at the Fall for the Book event, she said. In keeping with the theme of her book, Dave Lefeve will make his famed gumbo, using organic sausage proﬀered by Forrest Pritchard, another participant at the event. “Dave has spent enough time in South Texas to recreate all my favorite dishes from home,” said Claudia, who was born and raised in the Gulf Coast border town of Brownsville, Texas. “And, fortunately for me, when I’m on a book deadline, he does all the cooking.” For regular updates on Fall for the Book 2013, visit www.FallfortheBook.org. For more information about Write by the Rails, visit www.WritebytheRails.org.

Cindy Brookshire in June was elected president of Write by the Rails (WBTR). In 2012 she received the Kathleen K. Seefeldt Pioneer Award for launching WBTR. She can be reached at cbrookshire@princewilliamliving.com.

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OUR LIBRARIES Beyond the Printed Page By Helena Tavares Kennedy, Contributing Writer

any of us probably chewed them as a baby, ripped them as a toddler, ignored them as a teenager and now cherish them as an adult. ey are everywhere you look—at the store down the street, in kids’ backpacks and at school and even tucked away in mysterious hidden corners of your home. We are talking about books. While they might be found all over, the best place to seek a large selection of these and other reading materials is still your local library. Here in Prince William, oﬀerings go beyond the printed page, with a number of interactive learning experiences.

With 10 libraries throughout Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park, most area residents have easy access to a branch of the Prince William Public Library System (PWPLS). Maybe you have taken your kids to your local library for story time or just gone yourself for music CDs or the latest New York Times bestseller. 16 | August 2013 prince william living

1. Five dolls from the “American Girls” historical collection can be checked out at the Bull Run branch in Manassas. Each includes information on the history of what life was like in Prince William during the period the doll depicts. 2. Nearly 150 popular magazine titles, such as Consumer Reports, National Geographic and O: the Oprah Magazine, are available for electronic download. 3. Patrons can sign up to receive weekly emails from “Wowbrary,” which display, by category, every new item added to PWPLS’s collection that week. 4. Practice tests for professional exams, GED and higher education are available 24/7 online or during operating hours at library branches. 5. A wide variety of programs are available. Children’s activities include Lego competitions and exchanging Pokemon cards,

Photo courtesy Kathy Strauss/ImageWerks

More than Meets the Eye

But there’s much more than meets the eye at these community institutions. Five fun, and free, types of oﬀerings you may not know are available at our local library system:

while adults can explore hobbies such as knitting, stamp collecting and British literature. Go to www.pwcgov.org/library and click “Calendar of Events” to ﬁnd programs. PWPLS’s most popular services include the ability to place on hold books, DVDs, music and other media. From their home computer, patrons can reserve a title, even in the middle of the night, at their library branch of choice for later pick-up. DVD borrowing makes the list of most popular services, said Jean Ross, PWPLS associate director of materials management. “While streaming media are popular, there are still many, many in our community who prefer or, by necessity, need DVDs,” she said. “We have movies, PBS specials, ‘History Channel’ documentaries and even pregnancy exercise DVDs. ese serve as popular enhancements to many of the books and research materials that we stock.” Another in-demand service is computer assistance. “People love to come in and use our public access computers to apply for jobs, take a test, answer their email or to learn new skills,” Ross said.

PWPLS recently conﬁrmed its place as a community destination through a customer satisfaction survey. Responses included: n “As the parents of a 3-year-old, we take full advantage of the Early Learning Center and all the enrichment programs oﬀered.” n “My son is going to graduate school and has used your ‘Gale Electronic Resource’ to practice for the Miller Analogy Tests. He thought they were very helpful.” n “I love and greatly appreciate the [PWPLS]. I utilize books, audiobooks, DVDs, music, everything. ank goodness for public libraries; they open up my world.” Authors also appreciate public libraries. While they still want readers to buy their books at bookstores or online, novelists see public libraries as a way to reach a wider audience, according to Emily Arsenault, e New York Times notable author of three novels (“Broken Teaglass,” “In Search of the Rose Notes” and “Miss Me When I’m Gone”).

Loving the Library

“Libraries are very important to a newer author building a readership. ey give people the opportunity to give your work a try without having to spend money on an unknown they’re not sure they’ll like,” she said.

With the advent of e-books and e-readers and the closing of some big bookstores across the country, you may not expect the library to be a hoppin’, happening place, but it still is. PWPLS records show that the number of registered library card users increased seven percent in 2012 over the prior year’s total.

To keep tabs on the latest events at any Prince William library or to reserve books online, sign up for newsletters, look up locations and hours and more, visit www.pwcgov.org/library or www.facebook.com/PrinceWilliamPublicLibraries.

Any time of day at area branches, people can be found using library computers, doing homework, checking out DVDs and asking librarians a variety of resource questions. People keep coming back because “it’s free and open to any age, every need, every socioeconomic group and provides something for everyone in the community,” Ross said. “is ensures that people can pursue their educational, career or life goals without cost.”

A nonproﬁt marketing director, whose ﬁrst job in high school was as a public library page, Helena Tavares Kennedy enjoys freelance writing in her spare time. She has lived in Manassas with her husband and two children for 12 years and can be reached at hkennedy@princewilliamliving.com.

Library System by the Numbers n

PWPLS loans more than 3.7 million items and receives more than 1.3 million visits in a year (based on its statistics for its fiscal year July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012).

During a typical month, staff handle more than 100,000 information requests, both electronically and in person.

The norm monthly is nearly 50,000 hold requests for materials—most done electronically.

Total e-book downloads are rapidly growing, at a rate of 40 percent month over month.

Last year, 12,545 children and 3,616 teens participated in PWPLS’s “Summer Reading” program. They collectively read more than 130,000 books in just one summer.

PWPLS has 328,974 registered users, served by 220 staff members, half of them part-time. Hundreds of volunteers also assist.

Join one or more of our

Book Clubsat the African-American Book Discussion Brit Lit Book Club Bull Run Book Talkers Central Reads Book Club Chinn Park Chats Historical Fiction Book Discussion Latino Reads Book Club Miss Glenna’s Storytime Multicultural Book Club Mystery Book Club Nokesville Book Discussion NOVA Novel Book Club Random Reads Book Club Science Fiction Book Discussion Third Thursday Thrillers Book Discussion

Library Check out these clubs and more at

www.pwcgov.org/library

prince william living August 2013 | 17

health & wellness The Diet Equation By Dr. Christopher Leet, MD, FACC Emeritus besity is an overriding health problem in our society. The latest data from the Center for Disease Control indicates that 36 percent of the adult population—and 20 percent of children— have been diagnosed with significant obesity. Treatment of obesity and chronic illnesses adds to the problem of spiraling healthcare costs. On the other hand, diets and gimmicks to lose weight are some of the most profitable businesses going.

Keep in mind that this condition is purely a mathematical problem. Losing weight is simply about calorie balance between what goes in (food) and what is burned off (exercise). Nothing else is in the equation. Some diets may cause faster weight loss initially, but all even out after a year or so. The difficult part is picking a diet you can live with, since a temporary loss is of no long-term benefit to the body. All the supplements advertising to help you lose weight are of very questionable use, and some are actually dangerous. Knowing your cholesterol levels can provide an intelligent guide to selecting the diet that is best for you. High cholesterol puts one at risk for heart disease and stroke, whereas a high triglyceride level is seen in diabetics and severely obese individuals. For those with cholesterol above 250, a diet low in saturated fats, even vegetarian, is appropriate. Watch food labels to keep saturated fat below 2.5 grams per serving. A person with high triglycerides (above 250) may benefit more from a low-carb diet. Still, it’s all about calories. I know many obese vegetarians. Note that significant weight loss may lower your cholesterol and triglycerides. It is useful to have them rechecked periodically. Those who are unable to lower their weight or test results with sensible dieting may need medications, such as statin or other drugs, to assist. Surgery, such as gastric banding/bypass, should always be a last resort for weight loss. The concepts for weight loss are straightforward. It is putting them into action that is the hard part, and very few diets are effective without a careful exercise program to accompany. Dr. Christopher Leet has been practicing medicine for nearly 40 years and specializes in cardiology and internal medicine. His practice is in Manassas. 18 | August 2013 prince william living

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taking care of business Future Business Leaders of America in Prince William Schools Preparing Our Youth for Career Success By Jennifer Rader, Contributing Writer

n 1937 Dr. Hamden L. Forkner of Columbia University developed the concept of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), a nationwide nonprofit education association that prepares students for careers in business and business-related fields. Today, FBLA, officially FBLA-Phi Beta Lambda, is the largest student-run organization in the U.S., with more than 253,000 members, and one of the oldest businessrelated associations in the world. FBLA was officially established in the fall of 1940, when the National Council for Business Education (now known as the National Business Education Association) took on the sponsorship of a national organization to consolidate the thousands of business clubs in high schools and colleges already in operation across the United States. e association appointed committees to formulate FBLA’s general plans, vision and mission, which is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career-development programs. FBLA follows a tiered organizational model with individual chapters at the school level, and multiple chapters combining to form regions encompassing parts of the U.S. Prince William area FBLA school chapters, which include a high school chapter in Manassas City Public Schools and another in Manassas Park City Schools as well as chapters in Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS), are in FBLA’s Germanna Region and attend regional activities and events together. Prince William Living interviewed PWCS Supervisor of Career and Technical Education Dr. David Eshelman to find out how FBLA inspires and educates the next generation of entrepreneurs in our community. 20 | August 2013 prince william living

PWL: Are FBLA chapters run independently of each other or are there common activities, curricula or benchmarks? Eshelman: e FBLA organization provides individual chapters with well-deﬁned policies and procedures of which all individual chapters comply. Yearly, the national and state level leaders modify and adopt a program of competitive events, representing the many facets of business world skills, towards which individual chapter members prepare entries for presentation at regional competitive events. Winners from that event move onto compete at the state level, with those winners moving onto compete at the national level. ese events recognize and reward student excellence in a broad

Prince William Students’ Projects Excel in FBLA Competitions Local FBLA students have “always excelled in the competitions at both the state and national levels,” said Dr. David Eshelman, Prince William County Public Schools supervisor of career and technical education. Accolades this school year in state competition include: n n n n n n n

Work Processing I: First Place.* FBLA Principles and Procedures: First Place.* Business Financial Plan: Second Place.* Local Chapter Annual Business Report: Second Place. Technology Concepts: Fifth Place. Who’s Who in FBLA Recognition (multiple members). Honor Chapters (multiple schools).

*Moving onto FBLA National Competition.

range of business and career-related areas. Every year Prince William County Schools proudly sends FBLA winners to compete and be recognized at the state and national levels. PWL: How many schools in Prince William County Public Schools have FBLA chapters? Eshelman: All the high schools within Prince William County have some form of FBLA chapter. FBLA’s program of work is included within the daily classroom instruction. Many of the existing school chapters are regularly engaged in planning and supporting school-wide events, such as food drives and career awareness programs. Yearly, a number of school chapters provide teams and individual students to compete in the Regional Competitive Event. Students winning at those events move onto compete at the state [level] as well as national events. In spring of 2012, Prince William County Schools installed their first middle-school chapter at Woodbridge Middle School. While not always formally associated directly with FBLA, all the [county] middle schools with a business offering do incorporate FBLA competencies into their daily instruction. Additionally, several schools also offer students the opportunity to be a member of an afterschool “Business Club.” Prince William County Schools would like to see the expansion of FBLA chapters at the middle-school level in the future. PWL: What is the goal in providing FBLA to the students? Eshelman: Prince William County Schools supports the overall FBLA goal of preparing students for careers in business. is goal includes: n n n n n n n

e promotion of competent, assertive business leadership; Understanding American business enterprise; Establishment of career goals; Encouraging scholarship; e promotion of sound ﬁnancial management; e development of character and self-conﬁdence; and, e facilitation of the transition from school to work.

PWL: Does FBLA provide a specific curriculum or structure to the schools? Eshelman: e club is co-curricular [in Virginia] and integrates into the primary curriculum with core tasks [as seen in “Standards of Learning” testing], as well as experiences and competitions at the regional and state events. e competitions provide incentives to excel academically in order to be successful in the competitive events. PWL: How has having FBLA chapters contributed to the schools and students? Eshelman: FBLA benefits the students by helping them learn more about business careers, establish occupational goals, get firsthand experience with businesspeople, practice effective

money management and learn the value of community responsibility. [ey also] get on-the-job training in a wide range of business activities, including planning, fundraising, conducting meetings and managing finances, time and resources. It provides student members with the opportunity to see business issues prior to making career decisions. e FBLA organization places a high priority on providing students, regardless of genders, ethnicities, religions, national origins or disabilities, with opportunities to provide leadership. FBLA benefits the schools by providing a real-world tie to business. It puts schools at the forefront of current events through participation in civic and business activities within the community. e resulting positive publicity for the school not only increases enrollment in the business programs, but also increases the opportunities for partnerships with local businesses. PWL: Has FBLA produced entrepreneurs from its graduates or current students? Eshelman: Prince William County FBLA has produced many successful students who often come back and share with students in current classes. One of our outstanding entrepreneurs, David Garcia, was recently highlighted in the FBLA “Member Spotlight” [in the Winter 2013 issue of FBLA’s national publication] “Tomorrow’s Business Leader.” [Writer’s Note: Garcia, a 2012 graduate of Potomac Senior High School in Dumfries, owns and publishes Corillo Magazine, an online urban Latino publication with more than 3.96 million viewers.] A nonprofit development director for more than 10 years, Jennifer Rader now works as a freelance writer while studying nutrition and wellness. She lives with her son and husband in Manassas and can be reached at jrader@princewilliamliving.com.

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family fun

Tricks of the Trade from a Home Educator By Kristina Schnack Kotlus, Contributing Writer

hile you might not be able to tell just from looking at us, my husband and I are “those” people. It’s hard to tell sometimes because I don’t limit my wardrobe to knee-length denim skirts and I haven’t yet ordered the requisite number of Libertarian-themed bumper stickers, but I’ll let you in on our little secret: We home educate our children. For those of you not in the know, “home educate” is the cool term for those of us who are trying to encourage independent learners, not recreate classrooms in our living room. We have educational philosophies and read books, such as “Cultural Literacy” and “e Core” and “e Well-Trained Mind.” One goal that we have for our children is that they become selfmotivated learners, fostered by the guidance of parents or mentors, but secure in the knowledge that they are their own teachers. It’s very omas Jefferson. Some days that philosophy works, and other days, if you stand outside my house, you can hear me pulling my children’s teeth out with pliers, or, as others call it, “math.” If you prefer to look at it in more universal terms, all parents are fighting a daily battle against the television sucking away our children’s time. When we’re between core subjects, or if I’m working one on one with a particular child, I want my kids to have fun, but while still learning, without me being directly involved. With a little educational feng shui, any parent can ensure his or her kids have access to fun, beneficial opportunities that are just as easy as finding the remote. Here are some tricks of the trade: n Keep it together. Kids are more likely to pick a learning-based game or activity if it’s together. Just like you’re more likely to get something accomplished if you’re not searching for all the components, you can set up your kids for success by keeping games or centers self-contained. Shoe boxes work, but plastic Rubbermaid-style containers are a favorite of mine since the kids are more likely to pick something they can see looks fun. Keep your materials where your kids can see them, or get to them if they’re old enough to be responsible. 22 | August 2013 prince william living

n Age it. To get simple ideas for each child, search for Montessori projects by age. One to try for pre-writers—load a box with an empty ice cube tray, multi-colored craft balls and a pair of tweezers. Gripping each ball with the tweezers is a pre-writing skill. Have your child sort the balls by color for an extra bonus. For older kids, select activities that will entertain and challenge your child. Tangram sets, simple plastic shapes with puzzle cards, get progressively harder. Or go basic. Save duct tape and cardboard tubes. en issue a challenge to build something: an egg-safe car, a robot that makes beds, anything that will engage your child’s imagination. n Rotate it. After organizing your materials, keep your costs down by rotating them or swapping with a friend. Your kids are only going to put that Lego® set together so many times before they get bored, but if it disappears and then comes back, it’ll be exciting again. n Time it. We all want what we can’t have. So make things more enticing with a time limit. Books from the library have to go back, and there’s a ﬁne involved if they’re late. So those books are more likely to be read, at least in our (continues on page 24)

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(continued from page 22) house. Big projects, such as 100-piece puzzles, can get frustrating, but not if you only get to work on them for 10 minutes daily. n Rule it. One thing I hear again and again from parents is that they wish their kids did more creative activities, but that it’s too messy. Give your child guidelines to reduce mess. Even small children can learn and follow the rules about craft materials. Whether you keep a box of watercolors that can only be used in the bathtub (and, yes, I know people who do that) or if the easel is kept in the shed or on the back porch and the kids do art outside, teach your children where messy activities happen so that they can participate in them without you getting angry and frustrated. A few rules about clean will also go a long way. n Order it. Know where you can purchase materials that will engage your children’s minds. It’s easy to pick up a video game and claim it teaches letters, but you can do better than that. Try games, such as Qwirkle, building materials such as magnetic rods and balls, or really anything from MindWare.com. If your child is old enough to follow basic directions, watch for deals on prepared kits for rockets, solar robots, crafts, birdhouses or whatever else your child is interested in. For scouts, check their resource book for ideas that will keep them engaged and earn them patches. If you have a hard time being creative, subscribe to BabbaBox, Little PassportsTM or Green Kid Crafts, which deliver a new box full of fun to your child monthly. n Show it. Finally, be sure that you show your kids that you’re interested in learning, too. Pick up a book yourself, rather than playing another level of Candy Crush Saga. We all know you’re not going to get to the end of that game, anyway. Keep something going that challenges your mind, even if it’s just Sudoku you work on while you wait at sporting events. Kids follow examples. 24 | August 2013 prince william living

By setting up your home to be a learningand exploring-friendly environment you can help your kids be self-entertained and continue to grow their minds all year long.

Kristina Schnack Kotlus is a local mother of three children and the owner of PWCMoms.com, a resource for parents and families in Prince William County. Visit her site or Facebook page for an events calendar, reviews and more ideas for summer fun.

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giving back 10 YEARS AND GROWING

Lifelong Learning Institute By Cindy Brookshire, Contributing Writer

Photo courtesy Karen Waltman

he Lifelong Learning Institute – Manassas (LLIManassas), which celebrates its 10th anniversary this October, is a moving force of nature. Each year, this nonprofit organization offers its members 40 to 45 courses, social activities, day trips and public speaker forums. In this way, LLI-Manassas meets its mission to provide affordable, educational and social opportunities in a friendly atmosphere for adults age 50 or older. e structure mirrors 400 LLIs around the country—volunteerdriven and hosted by a college or university. Locally, home base is mobile, shifting from NOVA’s Innovation Park location to Colgan Hall on NOVA’s Manassas campus, as well as to donated community space throughout the area. For $100 annually, members can participate in a host of activities as well as spin-off mutual-interest clubs. ese may focus on anything from bridge and Mah Jongg to books and photography. “People ask, ‘Why are you coming back to college?’ and we tell them, ‘You can’t stop learning,’” said LLI-Manassas President David Ward. Course selection each semester is up to the individual. Want to shadow “A Day in the Life of a Washington Lobbyist”? DC lobbyist Nancy McLernon leads the way. Intrigued by the phrase “cigar tastings”? Enter Brett Fry’s Tobaccology in Bristow. LLI day-trippers can also weave through places of worship or take a walking tour of the Battle of Bristoe Station with military historian Ron Mayer. Gainesville resident and LLI member Ann Cain said that the institute’s partnership with the Hylton Performing Arts Center has enhanced her enjoyment of performances, which she now watches and discusses with classmates. Cain talked about a LLI pre-concert lecture by Manassas Symphony Orchestra conductor Jim Villani which brought her face 26 | August 2013 prince william living

A LLI-Manassas October hike at Sky Meadows State Park near Paris, Va., with, from left to right: Patricia Campbell, Patricia Engelman, Faye Howard, Carol Riley, Jerry Laffey and Sondra Ahalt. Laffey, a Sky Meadows volunteer, led the hike.

to face with Julliard-trained clarinetist Jon Manasse, the guest musician that day. “He is an incredible artist,” complimented Cain, who said Manasse not only performed a concerto Benny Goodman commissioned Aaron Copeland to write for the clarinet, but gave the back-story. “e pieces he played for us in class were just outstanding. I could imagine myself there in 1947,” she said. Explaining that Prince William has become a destination for retirees, Cain said that LLI “is an enrichment for its citizens.” For LLI supporters on NOVA’s Manassas campus, such as history professor Dr. Rebecca Hayes, hosting LLI gives the college a chance to give back to the community. As Phi eta Kappa advisor, Hayes engages her honor society students to volunteer for and lead LLI

Photo courtesy Nadine Moscoso

Photo courtesy LLI

Photo courtesy Jim Anderson

LEFT: A LLI-Manassas spin-off adventure group explores Dublin. From left, Sondra Halt, Carol Riley, Margaret Dyer, Marg Anderson, Sandy Williams and Jim Anderson. MIDDLE: Bill Kallin, Virginia director of AARP, gives a LLI-Manassas presentation. RIGHT: LLI volunteer Elaine Ahern reviews hands-on science concepts with students at Manassas Park Elementary School.

workshops such as “Are You Smarter than a Smartphone?” to make learning social media easy and fun for seniors. “e students connect with these seniors in a way that’s unique from their relationship with their own parents or grandparents, and they earn community service credits at the same time,” explained Hayes. Additionally, Hayes teaches history classes for LLI that have produced an informal travel group, which toured England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland in 2012. is summer, the group cruised in Alaska and Vancouver. “I’m 36 and they tired me out,” said Hayes of the U.K. trip, in which she participated. “ey’re active learners, and they’re open to adventure.” More formally, all LLIs are portals to the Elderhostel Institute Network (EIN), which Elderhostel, Inc., funds. EIN has networked LLIs around the world for more than 23 years, providing information on educational opportunities for older adults through its Road Scholar program, which is open to the public. e network lists select LLI-Manassas courses among its offerings, bringing international visitors excited to explore our area. As the nonprofit approaches the 10-year mark, Ward shared two challenges his organization is addressing in its strategic plan. e first is accommodating growth. “We’re running out of space that can support our class sizes,” said Ward. A recent overview of elder law, taught by Haymarket attorney Barbara Lloyd Kessinger, had to be split into two sessions when it drew 120 participants. Already tripling its membership in its first decade, LLI-Manassas is expected to double its current number of members by 2017, to more than 500, he said. Lack of diversity is the second challenge. LLI’s membership remains predominantly white and English-speaking, even with NOVA’s diverse international faculty and student body, and Prince William County’s status, as of the 2010 U.S. Census, as a “majority minority” jurisdiction. Outreach efforts continue, Ward said. e organization will hire a paid staff member by 2014 to help with marketing efforts to bring in more diverse programming and participants.

LLI is also represented on NOVA-Manassas’s outreach committee, which works to improve workforce development and to help bridge the campus’s communications gap with veterans and immigrants, who don’t take full advantage of NOVA resources, said Heidi Adamson, NOVA-Manassas’s director of outreach. “As they get involved with LLI, they get involved in the bigger picture,” she said. In addition, while NOVA-Manassas Provost Dr. Roger Ramsammy builds partnerships to strengthen STEM-H (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health) programming on his campus and oﬀers STEM Academy credits for local high school students, LLI helps with STEM at the elementary school level. Mary Foster, who serves on LLI’s board of directors, trains and sends LLI volunteers into third- and ﬁfth-grade classrooms to review science units.

“Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi

“e lessons are easy, scripted and fun,” explained Foster, whose volunteers recap basic concepts, such as electricity, simple machines and states of matter, to prepare students for “Standards of Learning” (SOL) tests. “You don’t have to have a science or teaching background. e kids are happy, the schools are happy and the volunteers walk away feeling like they’ve done something. And they have.” For more information about LLI-Manassas, the Elderhostel Institute Network and EIN’s Road Scholar program, call LLIManassas at 571-606-0247 or visit www.lli-manassas.org. Cindy Brookshire is a baby boomer living—and learning—in Manassas. She can be reached at cbrookshire@princewilliamliving.com. Save the date—Oct. 5—for LLI’s 10th anniversary at the Regency Clubhouse in Haymarket with music by “Jazz to the Bone.” Learn more; go to www.lli-manassas.org and click the calendar icon. prince william living August 2013 | 27

local ﬂavor

À La Carte

Customized and Personal Catering and Event Design By Paul Keily, Contributing Writer

aren Baker founded À La Carte Catering and Event Design in Haymarket during 2001 as an eventplanning business. She thought this market segment in Northern Virginia would be the next to boom, she said. Her hunch was correct.

Photo courtesy Amy Falokfske

Two years later the company branched out to also include catering services, and today oﬀers customized and personal catering as well as event design, said Baker, whose number of employees has expanded from ﬁve to 22. Adding catering was an easy decision, said Baker, explaining, “It’s where my heart is. I love the food portion of events. You can also control the quality a lot better when it’s coming from your own company.”

Caters to Variety of Clients Renowned locally for its cuisine, À La Carte has two professional kitchens and also provides event planning and coordination services, including site coordination, entertainment, photography, transportation and equipment rentals, Baker said. “We can do the whole gamut,” she stated. In 2007, Baker formed Blue Sky Picnics, À La Carte’s division handing outdoor events. Preparations for those are signiﬁcantly diﬀerent than for indoor events, she said. À La Carte works with clients large and small, whether it’s supplying sandwiches for a tailgate—or organizing every detail of a corporate event for thousands of people. e business puts together events and fundraisers for large companies in Washington, D.C., and also works with local charities and small organizations. “We recently catered an event with the Prince William County Schools called ‘Art for Spark’ at the Hylton Performing Arts Center,” said Baker. “We also work with local schools for silent auctions.” Baker’s ability to predict and adapt to change helps À La Carte survive and thrive. “Back in the early 2000s we [planned] a lot of 28 | August 2013 prince william living

À La Carte owner Karen Baker (front center right) and some of her staff.

corporate events and were busier during the week and not as busy on the weekends. We did a lot with the government in D.C. and our primary clientele were defense contractors,” said Baker. “When the recession hit in the spring of 2008 … it cut our business in half. So we went after the social market. People were still getting married and throwing birthday parties. So now we’re busier on the weekends.” In early 2009 Baker’s company catered an all-day inauguration event at a prominent law firm in D.C. “Wednesday night before Obama’s first inauguration we got a call from an event planner in D.C. asking if we could put together a bid for 800 people. It was such a bad time for businesses, and especially small businesses, we couldn’t afford not to do it,” said Baker. More than 1,200 people turned out. When the food she planned had dwindled, Baker called a deli down the street, and her staff made submarine sandwiches. “It required a lot more thought and preparation than our normal events. … It was an amazing feat,” she reflected.

ideas. At Forlano’s I brought the two together and got experiences combining fresh, local food with new ideas, and at e Whole Ox I learned butchery.” Smith and Weissflog worked together at Poplar Springs. “I couldn’t do this without Scott,” Smith said. “To succeed you need different outlooks and to surround yourself with talent. We’re great at bouncing ideas off of each other.”

Take a Seat at “Chef’s Tasting Table” À La Carte also operates the Jefferson Room, a French-styled restaurant located at 6608 James Madison Highway in Haymarket. e eatery offers personalized dinners created by À La Carte. Private dinners include a menu custom-designed during personal consultations in advance. Additionally, the “Chef ’s Tasting Table”offers evening courses created at the chef ’s discretion, with diners able to choose from several course-tasting menus.

À La Carte is also known for its commitment to quality. “Karen and her team infuse hard work and creativity into everything they do. With À La Carte Catering, a cheese display is not just a cheese display. It is a work of art. eir food is always delicious as well as beautiful,” said Andrea Whaley, event director for the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, which has used the company’s catering service for a number of events.

Cooking “Outside the Box” One unusual event Baker’s business plans and caters is the annual “Beast Feast” at Pearmund Cellars in neighboring Fauquier County. ere, her team serves exotic dishes, such as sea urchin linguini and salt and pepper crispy crickets, along with python soup and kangaroo loin. “e Beast Feast is always a challenge because our chefs have to ﬁgure out how to use the animal and how to make it taste good,” Baker said.

e restaurant is also open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Breakfast is served all day and includes such menu items as sweet potato biscuits and the “Sunrise Burrito.” For lunch, expect customer favorites, such as “Indi Pot Pie” and fish and chips. e lunch menu also includes a variety of burgers, sandwiches and salads. e Jefferson Room often hosts chef and wine table dinners, rehearsal dinners and networking events, Baker said, and will soon open a “traiteur case” offering fresh, ready-to-go food. Learn more about the many services offered by this multi-faceted company at www.alacartecaters.com. For reservations at the Jefferson Room, call 703-754-2714. Paul Keily recently graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a degree in English and a concentration in creative writing. He lives in Fredericksburg and is seeking professional opportunities and can be contacted at pkeily@princewilliamliving.com.

Before catering an event, Baker creates a customized menu and budget with clients that meet their needs. À La Carte makes all its dishes from scratch, including ingredients from local farms, she said. e menu changes seasonally under the direction of À La Carte Executive Chef Eric Smith and Sous Chef Scott Weissﬂog. Baker applauds her chefs for “keeping up with trends, but also sticking to the classics,” she said. Smith has many years of training, starting with the culinary program at Stratford University's Falls Church campus. He also honed his skills in restaurant positions with Virginia’s Ayrshire Farms (based in Upperville), Poplar Springs Inn & Spa (in Casanova) and Forlano’s Market and e Whole Ox Butcher and Deli (both located in e Plains). “Ayrshire Farms got me into the farm-to-table movement and taught me recipe testing and food design,” he said. “I really got into a creative mindset working there. At Poplar Springs I was encouraged to think outside the box and experiment with new

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your finances Gaining Financial Independence By Bennett Whitlock, CRPC Private Wealth Advisor

enerations of Americans have sought financial independence through economic highs and lows. Following are a few ideas for ensuring long-term financial stability for yourself and your family:

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Be true to yourself. No one wins when you try to keep up with “the Jones.” It’s important to understand your own financial circumstances and resist the urge to match others’ expensive lifestyles, which may simply be a facade. Consider your own budget, long-term goals and personal values when making important financial decisions. Pursue happiness within your means and the real prize—a secure financial future—will likely follow. Pay yourself first. You’ve probably heard this advice before. Automatically invest a portion of every paycheck into your retirement account and maximize any employer match that’s available to you. It’s also easy to set up an automatic transfer from your checking account to your savings account. Be realistic and prepared. Have you considered what may happen if you faced a sudden job loss, long-term illness, natural disaster or other unexpected event? Review your insurance coverage to evaluate if you are properly protected. It’s also a good idea to have liquid assets equivalent to six months’ worth of expenses. This emergency fund prepares you to weather most financial storms.

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calendar Pied Piper Theatre Summer Camp: Footlights and Fairy Tales July 29 – Aug. 9 and Aug. 12-23 9 a.m. -11:30 a.m. Center for the Arts 9419 Battle Street / Manassas Fun introduction to theatre for ages 5 to 7. Includes basic performing skills through movement, music and imagination. Children have fun acting out a play based on a childhood story or short tale with a performance on camp’s last day. Camp cost: $220 ($198 for Center of the Arts members). Register at www.center-forthe-arts.org or call 703-330-2787.

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Pied Piper Theatre Summer Camp: Theatre Express!

July 29 – Aug. 9 and Aug. 12-23 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center 10960 George Mason Circle / Manassas Two-week musical theatre day camp for ages 8 to 12. Runs Monday through Friday each week. Includes workshops in acting, improvisation, music, dance, stage combat, mime, makeup and more. Workshop with a performance on camp’s last day. Camp cost: $420 ($378 for Center of the Arts members). Register at www.center-for-the-arts.org or call 703-330-2787. Ticket oﬃce is located at 10900 University Blvd. in Manassas.

Military Band Concerts

Aug. 1 and Aug. 22 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Harris Pavilion 9201 Center Street / Manassas Enjoy free concerts by talented musicians who serve in the military. “U.S. Army Blues” will perform ursday, Aug. 1, and the “U.S. Navy Sea Chanters” will play on ursday, Aug. 22. Chairs are limited; please bring your own.

Friday Night Family Movies

Aug. 2 and Aug. 9 7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. Harris Pavilion 9201 Center Street / Manassas Free Friday night movies throughout the summer. Bring a chair, blanket, popcorn

and feel free to wear pajamas. For more information, visit www.harrispavilion.com.

information, call 703-330-2787 or email info@center-for-the-arts.org.

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Sunday Ice Cream Concerts/Socials

Aug. 3 ● Noon – 4 p.m. Best Western Battleﬁeld Inn / Manassas 10820 Balls Ford Road / Manassas Mark your calendars and don’t miss a cool “stay-cation” in Manassas for a great cause. Help Friends of SERVE raise funds to support SERVE campus programs. SERVE, the Manassas campus of Northern Virginia Family Service, assists individuals and families in Prince William who are in need. Escape to the tropics at this pool party, which includes live music (“Calypso Nuts”), food and fun in the sun (rain or shine). Your ticket to the islands is $20 and includes BBQ lunch, 50/50’s, raﬄes and a chance to “Chuck a Duck” (sponsored by Rob Cavaleri of AFLAC) for a big prize. RSVP to khorowitz@nvfs.org.

Aug. 4, Aug. 11, Aug. 18 and Aug. 25 ● 3 p.m. – 4: 30 p.m. Harris Pavilion 9201 Center Street / Manassas Every Sunday in August, enjoy a free concert by a community orchestra band followed by free ice cream. Limited seating so please bring your own chair if possible. Ice cream provided by Prospero’s Books, Opera House Gourmet and e ings I Love. For other events, visit www.harrispavilion.com.

National Night Out

Aug. 3 ● 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Harris Pavilion 9201 Center Street / Manassas Bring your furry friend to “Dog Days of Summer” where there will be free treats, raﬄe giveaways and fun competitions. For more information, email annamg5250@aol.com.

Aug. 6 ● 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Manassas Museum Lawn 9101 Prince William Street / Manassas “National Night Out” is “America’s Night Out Against Crime,” a time for residents to come together and take a stand against crime in the community. Get to know the city staﬀ and volunteers who help keep you safe year round. Event includes live entertainment, games, antique cars, vehicle and helicopter displays and free health screenings, as well as ﬁre, rescue and police demonstrations and more. Free. For more information, visit www.manassascity.org/NNO.

Summer Sounds Concerts

Takeout Tuesdays

Dog Days of Summer

Aug. 3, Aug. 17 and Aug. 31 ● 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Harris Pavilion 9201 Center Street / Manassas On Aug. 3 “Andrew McKnight & Beyond Borders” will perform in one of a series of “Summer Sounds” free concerts that the Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory, in partnership with Micron Technology Foundation, the City of Manassas and the Harris Pavilion, oﬀers on alternate Saturday nights throughout each summer. Award-winning singer/songwriter McKnight and his band perform eclectic arrangements that stretch beyond Appalachian, blues and folk music. On Aug. 17, “Dixie Power Trio,” the East Coast’s premiere “Louisiana variety band,” will perform, and Aug. 31 the Prince William Community Band will play patriotic American music. Bring your chairs, blankets and picnics. For more

Aug. 6, Aug. 13, Aug. 20 and Aug. 27 ● 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Harris Pavilion 9201 Center Street / Manassas Every Tuesday enjoy a variety of entertainment by talented locals while dining on a meal from one of the restaurants in Old Town Manassas. Or bring your own dinner. Free. Limited seating so please bring your own chair.

Super Turf Saturday Aug. 10 ● 9 a.m. – Noon St. Benedict Monastery 9535 Linton Hall Road / Bristow Talk and demonstration in the Teaching Garden on best practices for fall lawn care. Lectures include “Do’s and “Don’t’s” and identifying types of bothersome weeds in your lawn. Free. For more information, call 703-792-7747. Is part of Virginia Cooperative Extension –

Have an event? Visit www.princewilliamliving.com/events to submit details to our online calendar. 32 | August 2013 prince william living

Discover Prince William & Manassas

ome commemorate Civil War history and discover the stories, people and events that forever changed our nation as Prince William Historic Preservation Division, Manassas National Battlefield Park and City of Manassas host a series of programs this month to honor and remember Prince William’s past.

Join historians and City of Manassas officials Aug. 23-25 for the Manassas Civil War Weekend. Planned events include Civil War baseball, living history, children’s activities, live music, twilight tours of Manassas Cemetery and guided tours of Liberia Plantation, which served as headquarters for both Union and Confederate troops. Saturday night, Aug. 24, commemorate the night Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson led his troops to the Manassas railroad where they destroyed more than 200 Union railcars. The city will recreate that night with bourbon tastings, BBQ and the burning of a railcar.

Disco Ann Marie Maher Executive Director Discover Prince William & Manassas

Facebook.com/pwcman Facebook.com/pwcmanassas

Labor Day weekend Manassas National Battlefield Park will mark the 151st anniversary of the Battle of Second Manassas/Bull Run with living history, guided tours and artillery demonstrations. The tours will highlight key battle sites. Also in August, the Prince William Historic Preservation Division will offer weekend tours of Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park. For a complete list of Civil War commemoration events, visit Manassasbullrun.com. There, you can also find more information on the Civil War Experience Pass we created. The pass saves people more than 50 percent on entry admissions at six local historic sites. Ann Marie Maher is the executive director of Discover Prince William & Manassas. For more information about what’s going on in Prince William and Manassas, visit DiscoverPWM.com.

Prince William Master Gardeners’ “Saturday in the Garden” program.

“Visit to Africa” Aug. 14 ● 11 a.m. - Noon Hylton Performing Arts Center 10960 George Mason Circle / Manassas Established to preserve the culture of the Senegambia Region, the Kankouran West African Dance Company takes audiences on a tour of the region’s music and dance styles. “Visit to Africa” dazzles audiences with its electrifying dances and rhythms reﬂecting West Africa’s cultural traditions. Adults: $15; Children: $5. For tickets, call 888-945-2468 or visit www.hyltoncenter.org or ticket oﬃce.

Family Day: USMC Covers and Medal of Honor Aug. 10 ● Noon – 3 p.m. National Museum of the Marine Corps 18900 Jeﬀerson Davis Highway /Triangle Make Marine dress covers and your own Medal of Honor award. Free admission and parking. Museum store and restaurants available. For more information, call 703-965-3198.

Visit www.PWLiving.com for Daily Updates on Events and to Submit Your Own Events

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tambourines and elephants Stop Looking at Me By DeeDee Corbitt Sauter, Contributing Writer

Throughout time, actions that were previously considered immoral or illegal are routinely questioned by each generation. What used to be considered bad often becomes just a matter of personal belief. This phenomenon has led us to live in an age when almost anything is reasonable. Maybe not entirely acceptable, but certainly not intolerable. It is preferable to present both sides of an argument prior to coming to an irrational conclusion. In fact, the bottom line these days is theoretically universal understanding. We are no longer permitted to have opinions lest they be confused with judgment. I have personally arrived at the age where I seem to care less and less. I think I am supposed to feel a greater drive to guide our nation’s youth and feel a righteousness that comes with experience, longevity and, in my case, maybe a few pounds. But it’s not working that way. I am most assuredly highly opinionated and have no problem sharing my beliefs when asked. Sometimes I don’t even need an invitation to speak. Regardless, I can just as easily walk away from these conversations without feeling compelled to make anyone accept my views.

“We are no longer permitted to have opinions lest they be confused with judgment.” I am, however, highly intrigued by cultural and social changes, clothing styles and tattoos along with piercings and other forms of personal expression. These few topics alone can send people into heated discussions that end friendships. Historically (and rest assured, no research has been done), tattoos have been used for thousands of years to permanently depict social status or religious beliefs, protect from evil spirits, maybe identify possession and, as in the case of the “Scarlet Letter,” to recognize the wanton ways of a wicked Pilgrim woman. Albeit the scarlet letter was less of a tattoo and more embroidery art and definitely not factual, and so should probably not be mentioned at all. I was brought up within the strict confines of definitive tattoo and piercing boundaries. The answer was no. There was no discussion. Both of these body modifications were explained as a dangerous way to become permanently disfigured. Harsh judgment will undoubtedly follow as a result of intentional self-mutilation. There was no room for

debate. Until, naturally, you left the house and became an adult who could defend yourself to all of your potential employers, your parents and your God. I did just that. When I went to college, I purchased independence and pain in the form of bilateral pierced ears. A few years later, I decided to try to be modern and hip and got my left ear pierced a second time. Who comes up with these fads? I garnered many looks from the three earrings I used to wear, but never lost a job because of my choice. I have an equally brazen friend who decided to get a tattoo—a crescent moon surrounded by stars gracefully inked on the lateral side of her left ankle. She was quite unashamed about her décor, showing all her friends, sporting shoes without socks and crossing her legs at every possible moment. After all, she was in her late 20s, overly educated, living with her husband and two children and was certainly capable of getting a tattoo. The bravado evaporated when she went home to visit her parents. Although her dad was one of the nicest men in the universe, as a colonel in the army he had many strong opinions, especially when it came to his youngest child and only daughter. So she carefully placed a flesh-colored bandage over her art and successfully hid it from her father until her progeny eventually revealed the long-kept secret. Surprisingly, after the obligatory “I’m disappointed” speech, they all survived the incident and moved on. This attempt at secrecy never made sense to me. Tattoos and multiple piercings scream for attention. In my opinion (which in the long run will be worth nothing), these forms of art make a statement. They are body billboards in the highway of life advertising politics, religion, animal preferences, family trees and even favorite cartoons. If money is spent on this advertising, it is obviously meant to be read and examined. Otherwise, what is the purpose behind the pain and cost? Diaries can keep secrets; billboards can’t. If someone decides to make their opinions known on a blog, Facebook, video or tattoo, there will be someone who is going to disagree. Opinions cannot be stopped, no matter how PC this country gets. If you put it out there, expect some feedback. Oh, and don’t turn around, I am reading your arms.

DeeDee Corbitt Sauter is a resident of Prince William County. Her column, “Tambourines and Elephants,” appears monthly in Prince William Living. prince william living August 2013 | 35

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Minnieland 5555 Assateague Place, Manassas 12700 Correen Hills Drive, Bristow 10368 Bristow Center, Bristow 10910 Feeder Lane, Woodbridge 3498 Cranmer Mews, Woodbridge 13923 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge 5255 Merchants View Square, Haymarket 8299 Harness Shop Road, Gainesville 15040 Heathcote Boulevard, Gainesville 7101 Heritage Village Plaza, Gainesville 5101 Waterway Drive, Montclair 12908 Occoquan Road, Woodbridge 2100 Rippon Boulevard, Woodbridge 9511 Technology Drive, Manassas 4290 Prince William Parkway, Woodbridge 10249 Hendley Road, Manassas 4300 Prince William Parkway, Woodbridge

City of Manassas 9027 Center Street, Manassas Confidence Realty 17201 Wayside Drive, Dumfries Edgemoor Art Studio 12616 Lake Ridge Drive, Woodbridge Edward Kelly Leadership Center 14715 Bristow Road, Manassas GEICO Dave Stinson, Sr. 6446 Trading Square, Haymarket Golden Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics 3320 Noble Pond Way, Ste 109, Woodbridge 238 Potomac Avenue, Quantico Historic Manassas Inc Visitor’s Center at the Train Depot 9431 West Street, Manassas Manassas Christian Academy 8757 Signal Hill Road, Manassas Manassas Christian School 9296 West Carondelet Drive, Manassas Manassas Park City Schools One Park Center Court, Suite A, Manassas Park

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