Manassas Journal Messenger | Summer’s over and schools here

It’s not officially over, but it feels like it.

Summer vacation came to an end Monday and people took advantage of its waning at cookouts, parks and baseball fields.

Danny Tanner and his sister Andrea said they didn’t mind the close of the vacation season.

“I’m glad that it’s the last day of summer,” Danny Tanner, 9, said Monday at a Potomac Nationals game.

“This summer has been fun, but I can’t wait to get back to school,” the Marshall Elementary School student said.

Andrea was excited, if a little nervous, about her upcoming school year at Benton Middle School.

“It feels like a long summer,” the 11-year-old said.

“I’m going into middle school, so I’m glad school is coming on,” Andrea said.

Troy Teachey took his 9-year-old son, Devin, and a couple of remote-control speed boats to Leesylvania State Park for a last, lazy day of summer; the last they’re likely to spend at the park for a while.

“It’s kind of sad,” Troy Teachey, 41, said.

“All the fun you had on the weekends — they’re all going to be replaced with homework and no vacations,” the Woodbridge man said.

Eric Percival and Michelle Handy worked summer jobs this year at a small snack bar at the park.

They had differing opinions about the last day of summer.

Handy, who has worked at the park for the last five summers, just graduated from nursing school.

“This is my summer job. Now I’ve got to get a real job,” she said.

Though Percival, 17, said working at the park was a great summer job, he likes the routine of school.

Getting back to Gar-Field Senior High School is a means to an end for him.

“I’m happy,” he said. “It’s one step closer to going to college.”

Jim Clark of Burke and his son, Nathaniel, also spent their summer’s last hurrah at the ball park. But they were a little less thrilled at the prospect of a new school year.

“I’m sad that school is starting again. I go to college so I have to go to school too,” Clark, 37, said.

Nathaniel said he would miss summer’s fun.

“I have to go to school and study, and I can’t go swimming anymore,” Nathaniel, 9, said.

Public pools close with school’s opening.

The Lopez family — Tom, his wife, Anne, and their children, Kristen, 8, and Brian, 6 — came from Lorton to spend an afternoon watching the Nationals play ball on Monday.

Tom Lopez, 44, said he would miss the fun of summer, but looks forward to the structure of the school year.

“It’s been a busy summer for us,” he said. “If you look at it from a parent’s perspective, you’re looking at a relief.”

Still he’ll miss the time off with his wife and children

“Times like this will be very hard for us to get together as a family,” he said.

Kristen said she was mad about school starting, but her mother gave her up.

“She’s not mad,” Anne Lopez said.

“She’s had her bag packed for school for a month,” Anne Lopez said. “She had her new outfit on today.”

Anne Lopez said coming to a ball game was a great way to spend the last day of summer.