According to the Associated Press, “A record 2 1/2 feet or more was predicted for Washington. As of early Saturday, 10 inches of snow was reported at the White House, while parts of Maryland and West Virginia were buried under more than 20 inches. Forecasters expected snowfall rates to increase, up to 2 inches per hour through Saturday morning.”
Cabin Fever/Digging Out – Open Thread
Health care … goodbye to Anonymous Is A Woman’s blog … your snow stories here.
Town Hall Meeting Wed. Oct. 21 at GMU-PW
Sharing information if you’re interested — The business community, as well as residents, are invited to provide input on the future of land use and transportation in the County at George Mason University’s Prince William Campus on Wednesday, Oct. 21:
4:00 p.m. – Hard Hat Tour of the Hylton Performing Arts Center
Spaces are limited. Last tour at 5:00 pm. Sign up by contacting Kristina Dugan at 703-993-6092 or [email protected].
6:00 p.m. – Business Community Comprehensive Plan Town Hall Meeting, Verizon Auditorium
PW BOCS is hosting the meeting to provide info about the comprehensive plan. Martin Briley, Director of Econ Dev, Ray Utz, PWC Long-Range Planning Director & Rick Canizales, PWC Transportation Dept Manager will speak, followed by an open Q & A period.
8:00 p.m. – Business Community Presentation and Reception
NAIOP (trade assn for developers) and the two Chambers (PWC-Greater Manassas and PW Regional) will sponsor a brief presentation by Paul Weinschenk, The Peterson Companies. A reception will immediately follow.
This the final in a series of town hall meetings that were held thru out the county. For more info on the proposed changes, visit www.pwcgov.org/PlanUpdate. You can offer your comments, ideas & concerns by e-mailing [email protected] (Put “2008 Comp Plan Update” in the subject line) or call the Planning Office at 703-792-6830.
Blogger goes to jail
There is a Washington Post editorial today about a Charlottesville, Virginia woman who went to jail for “identifying a police officer with intent to harass” on her blog. She posted his name and address with a street-view photo of his house. She also “previously advocated creating a separate, all-white nation and her blog veers from the whimsical to the self-righteous to the bizarre.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/09/AR2009080902126.html?nav=hcmoduletmv
The Post defends her Constitutionally-protected free speech, but also identifies what it calls the real problem, “an overly broad, ill-defined ban on harrassment-by-identification” in the Virginia statutes.
9500 Liberty Film trailer
Sharing an e-mail from Eric Byler —
Dear Friends,
Annabel Park and I have a documentary coming out this fall. 9500 Liberty explores the social, political, and economic fallout from one of America’s fiercest battles over immigration policy at the local level. We feel that our film will help illuminate what is really at stake in the upcoming national debate over immigration policy.
Watch our trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlZkL_0lZ1Q
Please share our new website: http://9500liberty.com/
Please join our Facebook group at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=13491935091&ref=ts
And/or please follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/9500Liberty
Thanks,
Eric Byler & Annabel Park
HOA “us vs them,” graffiti liens, how to make change happen
This is a continuation of the HOA “Us vs. Them” discussion from the “Trotting Out the Past” thread.
I am a member of the Chamber of Commerce, which is like an association for business people. I pay dues, I get to network with others to pick up business contacts, and I give back by volunteering my time on committees, events and offering my professional services for free. I can be part of the decision-making if I want.
How is a homeowners association different — why is it so “us vs. them”? Isn’t it an association of all homeowners who pay dues? Read More
Hard Hat Tour of Hylton Performing Arts Center
CAPAC, the Creative and Performing Arts Center, an arts group based in Woodbridge, did a hard hat tour of the new Hylton Performing Arts Center on the campus of George Mason University’s Prince William Campus on June 23. Here’s the video:
http://www.youtube.com/user/GISASProductions#play/all/uploads-all/0/KUtNvyf-F0k
Words of Compassion
Words of Compassion is a document of supportive statements on immigration compiled by Unity in the Community. http://www.unityitc.org/documents/Compassion.pdf If you are a person of faith, search for your denomination and see what the leaders of your faith have to say about this issue.
PWC Police all a-Twitter
News & Messenger this morning reports that the Prince William County police are using Twitter now — its free, it’s fast and it’s yet another tool to communicate with the community as much as possible.
Check it out: www.twitter.com/PWCPoliceDept
Neighborhood Action Forum Saturday at GMU-PW
Anyone interested in improving their neighborhoods is welcome to come for some face-to-face dialogue at an Action Forum this Saturday, May 30, from 8:30 am to noon at George Mason University’s Prince William Campus. City Council member Steve Randolph will be one of our speakers. It’s free, but to register, and for more details, go to www.pwsc.org
Check this out: (Joe Budzinski of www.novatownhall.com and Help Save Loudoun) has found common ground with two other Loudoun citizens from different points of view on the immigration debate (Ricardo Cabellos-Reyes and Ben Kelahan) to launch a “Neighborhood Listens” project two weeks ago. The project focuses on direct, informal communication between diverse neighbors to meet mutual goals of safe, clean neighborhoods.
http://novatownhall.com/2009/05/14/neighborhood-listens-project-just-launched/
http://leesburg2day.com/articles/2009/05/25/news/fp181agreement052109.txt
What do you think?
John Grisham to Host Screening of 9500 Liberty May 21
A screening of the film “9500 Liberty” is scheduled for Thursday, May 21 at 7:30 pm at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theater. It’s based on youtube.com/9500liberty and covers two years in the debate over immigration in Prince William County. It’s being hosted by John Grisham and it’s a benefit for the Virginia Justice Center.
http://www.justice4all.org/Event
There is a private reception for donors, then a screening followed by a panel discussion. The screening tickets are $25 each. Virginia Justice Center works for the rights of the most underprivileged in our society.
Another screening is scheduled for June.
‘Frozen River’ at GMU-PW Sat. May 16 at 7:30 pm
George Mason University and Unity in the Community (www.unityitc.org) concludes its Immigration & Human Rights Cinema series with a screening of “Frozen River,” a 2008 Sundance Festival Grand Jury award-winning film at 7:30 p.m., on Saturday, May 16 in the Verizon Auditorium at GMU’s Prince William Campus, 10900 University Boulevard, Manassas. Admission is free, and a facilitated discussion follows the film.
“Frozen River” is a drama focusing on an upstate New York trailer mom who is lured into illegal immigrant smuggling. The desperate woman teams up with Lila, a Mohawk Indian from the reservation that straddles the US-Canadian border. Together they begin carrying illegal immigrants across the frozen St. Lawrence River. Actress Melissa Leo earned an Academy Award nomination for this performance.
Free parking in the Occoquan Parking lot.
In Recession, Some See Burst of ‘Neighboring’
Here’s a link to a front-page article in the Washington Post today that quotes Kisha Wilson-Sogunro, Neighborhood Services Manager for the City of Manassas:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/03/AR2009050302330.html
Kisha’s Week of Hope program starts June 13. Join the burst – plan a neighborhood event or improvement project this summer!
‘Maria Full of Grace’ at GMU-PW
The Immigration & Human Rights Cinema continues tomorrow evening, Saturday March 21 at 7:30 pm, with a screening of “Maria Full of Grace” in the Verizon Auditorium on the George Mason University, Prince William Campus. After the film is a facilitated discussion. The film is rated “R” and raises economic and social issues related to drug trafficking, immigration and human exploitation. The film is in Spanish with English sub-titles. Admission is free.
Neighborhood Solutions
An article on third page of the Prince William Extra in The Washington Post this morning, “Residents Given Reins to Improve Neighborhoods: Manassas Program Lets Neighbors Discuss Issues, Generate Solutions:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/06/AR2009030603810.html
Check out the Neighborhood Leaders Group through the county also – their next meeting is Wednesday, March 11 from 7 – 8:30pm and is in the Occoquan Room of the McCoart Building.
