| Top News |
Crew change office moves to aid traffic
By Caryn Goebel
Media General News Service
The frustrations felt by motorists held up at train-blocked intersections in Manassas will be eased within a year now that Norfolk Southern trains will change crews outside the city, across the county line.
The Prince William County Planning Commission approved a public facilities review Wednesday allowing the Department of Rail and Transportation to build a 4,136-square-foot crew changing station on Milford Road, north of the Bristow Road intersection with the train tracks.
Moving the yard office from its current location on Stonewall Road in Manassas is the first step in alleviating traffic tie-ups that can be up to a half-mile long at five intersections within city limits. [more]
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Intersection work ahead
U.S. Route 234/29 construction to start next month
By Chris Newman
Manassas Journal Messenger
 After a five-year effort to find funding and a reasonable compromise, transportation officials and the U.S. Park Service announced Wednesday that the $2.5 million road project for the accident-plagued Route 234/29 intersection will begin in early December.
The 18-month project will add left-turn lanes to each leg of the intersection to reduce its high frequency of rear-end accidents. Also in the plan: a pedestrian bridge over Young’s Branch south of the interchange so visitors do not have to walk on the Route 234 shoulder, improved roadway drainage, undergrounding of electric lines within 500 feet of the intersection, and a relocation of the parking lot to the east side of the historic Stone House. [more]
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Internet to help recruit teachers
By Kevin Killen
Manassas Journal Messenger
The Prince William County personnel department is using the Internet as a way to recruit new personnel, and it is working well, according to a report given to the school board Wednesday night by Rick Fitzgerald, director of personnel for county schools. But the old way is not yet obsolete.
Fitzgerald told the school board that many online sites have been the key to hiring new personnel this past year, and will be used extensively in the future.
“We were able to hire a good amount of staff from the Internet this past year, but we still have found the best way to recruit potential employees is recruiting trips to colleges,” he said. [more] |
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Study may end open classrooms
By Tiffany Schwab
Manassas journal Messenger
A new study shows that Prince William County Public Schools could enclose open classrooms at 14 of its buildings for $23.8 million.
Architects Moseley Harris & McClintock performed the study for the Prince William County School Board at a cost of $76,000, said Robert Ferrebee, associate superintendent of management for the school system.
The buildings which would be in line for the renovations are Kerrydale Elementary School, Rockledge Elementary School, Sudley Elementary School, Minnieville Elementary School, Osbourn Park High School, Stonewall Jackson High School, Woodbridge High School and Gar-Field High School. [more] |
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Three teens killed in Halloween night car chase
By Kate Bissell
Media General News Service
FALMOUTH Three teen-agers died and another was injured when their car crashed on Forbes Street during a high-speed chase Halloween night.
The teens were trying to catch up with people in another car who had thrown unknown objects at them. One of the victims was on her cell phone with a 911 call taker when the single-car accident occurred.
Passengers James Whaley, 15, Ashleigh Toombs, 14, and Jennifer Harding, 18, all of Stafford, were killed. The driver, a 16-year-old Stafford boy, was taken to Mary Washington Hospital and is expected to survive. [more] |
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Kids robbed, given perscription drugs while trickor-or-treating
By Kate Bissell
Media General News Service
Two children were robbed, one at knife point, and another child was given a plastic baggie of Ritalin pills while trick or treating in Prince William on Halloween.
Still, the night was relatively quiet with less reported incidents than expected, Prince William police spokesman Dennis Mangan said Wednesday.
The first incident occurred about 7:30 p.m. when a 12-year-old boy was robbed by a teen-ager with a knife near Dumfries.
The boy was walking in the 3200 block of Mountain Laurel Loop when the robber approached and tried to grab the boys bag of candy. The boy held onto the bag, and the teen pulled out a small knife, police said. [more]
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| Sports |
| Yardline: News and notes
 Despite its heartbreaking 10-7 loss to Madison County last Friday, Brentsville (4-5) still controls its own playoff destiny. With a power points rating of 3.9, the Tigers are in fourth place in Division II of Group A Region B. All four teams in the division are wild-card teams at the moment. Only a Strasburg loss to George Mason and a Manassas Park win over Brentsville could change that. Currently all three district leaders are in Division I, where Manassas Park (6-3) is. [more]
Cross country: Tigers capture Region B title
 NEW MARKET As the train keeps on rolling, so does the lawn mower.
The locomotive known as the Brentsville’s girls cross country team, owners of five straight Group A state titles, breezed to a 48-point win over second-place Strasburg while the boys team surprised many with a strong second-place finish to Page County at the Region B race at New Market Battlefield Park Wednesday afternoon.
Freshman Mindy Peele paced the Tigers with a second-place time of 20 minutes, 46 seconds as six of Brentsville’s runners placed in the top 15. [more]
Cross country: Raiders’ runners ready for regionals
 Less than a week after winning their first-ever Cardinal District champ-ionship, the Stonewall Jackson girls cross country team is looking ahead to the Northwest Region meet, which begins Thursday at Panorama Farm in Charlottesville.
Expectations are high. The Lady Raiders are led by a pair of freshmen in Kristin Milot and Kerry Urso, who finished seventh and eighth respectively in last week’s Cardinal District meet.
“I’m expecting great things,” said Raiders head coach Beth Moss. [more]
Girls basketball: Brentsville girls to face biggest test
 NOKESVILLE It was close last time, but other than a few minutes of the second quarter, Brentsville had no problems against Clarke County in a 39-26 win Tuesday night.
The Tigers (18-3, 9-2 Bull Run District) jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first three minutes and led 14-5 after one quarter. However, Clarke County (7-13, 3-9) rallied in the opening minutes of the second quarter to cut the gap to 14-11 with 4:19 left.
After the run Brentsville finished out the quarter with a 12-1 spurt, including three Julie Englehart baskets, then opened the second half with another 7-1 run to put the Eagles away. [more]
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| Food |
| Wolf’s Pizza
 Wolf’s pizza is so delicious that two award-winning chefs have come over from Italy to learn how to make it.
Mario Buscato and Diego Enzo, both from the Venice area, arrived at Dulles on Friday to spend three weeks as owner/chef Danny Wolf’s shadow, learning his pizza-making tips and tricks.
Wolf first met the Italians when he was the only non-Italian to place at the World Pizza Championships in Italy last April (he placed eighth).
“After the world championships, we were all celebrating, drinking wine,” said Wolf. [more]
Local food review: Queen’s Gambit
When you first see Queen’s Gambit restaurant, your first thoughts might be: Why have I never seen this place before?
The answer, quite simply, is that it’s tucked away on Black Forest Lane, off Prince William Parkway, with woods on all sides of it. Its seclusion lends an air of mystery.
The biggest mystery I encountered during my meal at Queen’s Gambit was: Where is my waitress?
Actually, the initial contact was almost immediate, which is excellent, however the further I got into my meal, the less I saw my server. [more] |
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| Business |
| Serving up a surprise
 Anyone who hasn’t played tennis for a while at the Montclair Golf, Tennis and Swim Club is in for a big surprise.
The tennis program and facilities have made a vast improvement under new Director of Tennis Kevin McClure.
In fact, there is an all new tennis staff at Montclair and each of them are dedicated to upgrading all phases of the tennis program.
McClure, who came on board in April, has eight years experience as a tennis director. [more]
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It’s My Town
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