The 4th Annual Prince William County 5K Walk for Mental Health Awareness is scheduled for Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Locust Shade Park, Triangle.

The event aims to educate, advocate, and dispel myths about mental illness. Participants will walk on grassy, gravel, and paved paths, with both rigorous and easy routes available.

The event will feature community programs, music, food trucks, and speakers Shanita Nolan and Lisa Madron. Sponsors include the Boys & Girls Club, Mike Garcia Construction Inc., and Potomac Health Foundation.

Registration is online. 

Forest Park High School’s special education students, affectionately known as the ‘A’ Street Bruins, recently enjoyed a memorable evening at their annual prom, organized by Special Education teacher Ashley Tayon. The event, held on Saturday, May 11, was a celebration of the students’ achievements throughout the year, complete with music, dancing, and delicious food.

Ashley Tayon, who leads the ‘A’ Street Bruins, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to showcase her students’ accomplishments. “Each year, we come together for a night of recognition and fun,” she said. “It’s a chance for our students to dress up and enjoy themselves in a glamorous setting.”

This year’s prom, themed “A Night Under The Big Top,” transformed Forest Park High School’s cafeteria into a colorful circus extravaganza. With the help of local vendors and restaurants, including Crimson Coward, Nando’s, and Olive Garden, among others, over $1,000 worth of food and desserts were provided, ensuring that the students and their families had a memorable culinary experience.

Preparations for the event began weeks in advance, with students and staff working diligently to create decorations that fit the circus theme. “It felt like we were inside a circus tent,” Tayon said. “The atmosphere was lively and festive, setting the stage for an unforgettable evening.”

The prom also featured music from DJ Mr. D, who kept the dance floor packed with his selection of tunes. Additionally, a photo booth provided by Flick It Up Photos allowed students to capture special memories of the evening.

One of the event’s highlights was the contribution from Kona Ice, who provided a jockey box that perfectly complemented the circus theme. “Kona Ice has always been a huge supporter of us,” Tayon noted. “Their generosity added an extra layer of fun to the festivities.”

Tayon expressed her gratitude for the support received and the opportunity to create lasting memories for her students.

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Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) announced a funding allocation of nearly $1 million for Occoquan today.

Mayor Earnie Porta expressed gratitude, stating, “Thanks to the efforts of the Congresswoman and her staff, the town now is the recipient of almost a million dollars in funding that is going to enable us to be able to do the remediation and improvements on our stormwater system that, again, we simply could not have done ourselves.”

The nearly one million dollars allocated will be utilized to address various critical needs related to stormwater management. Porta outlined the intended use of the funds, stating that they will enable the town to undertake “the remediation and improvements on our stormwater system” that are essential for the community’s well-being and safety.

The funding will specifically support initiatives aimed at enhancing the town’s stormwater infrastructure. This may include measures such as repairing or upgrading existing drainage systems, implementing flood mitigation strategies, dredging sediment buildup in stormwater arteries, and strengthening infrastructure resilience to floods.

Additionally, the funds may be allocated toward implementing new technologies or practices to improve stormwater management efficiency and effectiveness. This could involve the installation of advanced monitoring systems, green infrastructure projects, or other innovative solutions to mitigate the impact of stormwater runoff on Occoquan’s environment and infrastructure, officials said.

Spanberger emphasized the collaborative nature of the project, noting, “What’s really exciting about this community project funding is that it is based on our work together, our office, the federal representative working with the local community.” She praised Occoquan’s proactive approach, saying, “The town of Occoquan made such a compelling and straightforward appeal and application that our team, in working directly with the town, were able to put forth a strong package to be able to get this direct funding.”

The event held outside the town hall concluded with the ceremonial presentation of a symbolic check representing the awarded funding.

Meanwhile, Spanberger will host a telephone town hall on Thursday, May 16, from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Spanberger, currently serving her second term in Congress, announced earlier this year that she would not seek reelection to Congress. Instead, she has set her sights on the Virginia Governor’s mansion, with plans to run in the upcoming 2025 gubernatorial race to replace Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

The Virginia Women and Family Support Centers’ Mom’s Boutique provides essential support to mothers and their families, offering a wide array of items and services to meet their needs.

In an effort to create a welcoming environment for mothers, the Virginia Women’s and Family Support Center Mom’s Boutique in Gainesville is undergoing a transformation with the support of Keller Williams’ RED Day of Service on May 9. “With their support, the Mom’s Boutique will transform into a welcoming haven, allowing women to relax and feel at ease while shopping for essentials for themselves and their children,” spokeswoman Emily Ennochs said.

“We provide essentials such as diapers, wipes, gently used or new clothing items including onesies and pajamas, and a variety of hygiene products like baby soap, shampoo, lotion, and diaper rash cream,” explained Ennochs. VAWFSC Mom’s Boutique. “Additionally, we offer feeding supplies like bottles and sippy cups, and depending on donations, baby gear such as strollers, car seats, and high chairs,” she adds.

Beyond providing physical resources, the Mom’s Boutique is also focused on offering support programs tailored to the needs of women in the community. “We are excited to announce that we are working on developing community classes specifically designed for women in our community,” Ennochs said. “We will continue to offer other support and resources aimed at helping mothers thrive in our community.”

As preparations for the service day on May 9th continue, the VAWFSC Mom’s Boutique invites the community to contribute to its efforts. “If you would like to join in our mission, please consider donating at vawfsc.org or bringing donations for the Moms’ Boutique to our Haymarket House,” said Ennochs.

The Mom’s Boutique, formerly known as Carried To Full Term, is expanding its services and spaces to address homelessness among women, children, and families with a holistic approach. “Our goal is to provide mental health, trauma recovery, education, and supportive maternal health programs,” the representative emphasized.

With the support of the community, the Virginia Women and Family Support Centers’ Mom’s Boutique aims to continue its mission of ending homelessness for women and families, providing vital resources and support to those in need.

As of March 1st, 2024, VAWFSC acquired two additional spaces, for a total of three houses in three areas – Haymarket, Gainesville, and Manassas. With this expansion, we look forward to housing 18+ pregnant mothers and their families at any given time.

If you would like to join in our mission, please consider donating at vawfsc.org, bringing donations for the Moms’ Boutique to our Haymarket House at 6740 Fayette St. Haymarket, VA 20169. Thank you for being part of our mission to end homelessness for women & families.

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By Morgan Sweeney

(The Center Square) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed Virginia’s budget for fiscal years 2025-2026 Monday after the state’s General Assembly voted to pass it in a special session convened for that purpose.

The $188 billion biennial budget was agreed upon at the tail end of last week after protracted and extensive negotiations between Youngkin and conferees.

Despite the Republican governor holding the line and not allowing taxes to be increased, he and the Democratic-majority General Assembly were able to reach a compromise due in large part to general fund revenues to date exceeding forecasts. They’re currently expected to surpass original projections for the year by over $1 billion.

“While Virginians’ elected officials can sometimes be far apart on policy, today demonstrates and reiterates that we can come together to deliver for the Commonwealth. This budget resolution was empowered by the strength of our labor market, with more Virginians working than ever before and investments by businesses large and small that have fueled record revenues for the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said in a statement.

Democrats tried to include a digital sales tax in the compromise budget – something they adopted from Youngkin’s December budget proposal – but the governor objected to the tax without the accompanying tax breaks he had included in his introduced budget.

While the sales tax would have increased revenues by over $1 billion, the budget passed Monday relies on $525 million from excess revenues to help implement some Democratic priorities.

Chair of the Senate finance committee Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth – one of the most vocal critics of some of Youngkin’s budget proposals and goals – lauded the conferees’ work and praised the final product.

“I want to take this moment to thank the conferees and the committee staff for their hard work and dedication,” Lucas said. “There’s a lot to love about this budget…. This is a win for the commonwealth.”

The budget includes 3% raises for teachers and state government employees each year and increased funding for K-12 schools and higher education. It also includes additional funding for law enforcement, mental health and substance abuse treatment services, transportation and conservation, among other initiatives.

Notably, the budget lacks one other item for which Democrats fought intensely: Looping Virginia back into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. On Youngkin’s first day in office, he issued an executive order to sever Virginia’s ties with the initiative, viewing it as a burden to Virginia’s pro-business environment and as a “backdoor tax” to residents whose energy bills could be raised by utilities trying to recoup costs.

Legislation making Virginia a part of the Initiative was passed in 2020. The Initiative attaches a cost to CO2 emissions. Participating states – a coalition of 11 Northeastern states before Virginia joined – place limits on how many CO2 emissions power plants can produce. Plants can purchase emissions credits if they need more allowable emissions or risk penalties and fines. A lawsuit claiming Youngkin acted outside the scope of his powers as governor by effectively repealing passed legislation through executive action is ongoing.

Del. Richard Sullivan, D-Fairfax, lamented the death of Democrats’ efforts to incorporate RGGI back into Virginia policy through the budget from the floor – while vowing to resurrect it in the future.

“I will vote today for the budget, Mr. Speaker, because of the long list of important advances it makes for the commonwealth. But my vote will be tempered by great disappointment at an opportunity squandered by our governor,” Sullivan said. “Also my vote will be filled with resolve to get Virginia back into RGGI just as soon as possible. This is not over.”

Republicans aren’t thrilled with many aspects of the freshly approved budget, but most voted to pass it.

“While the budget isn’t what a Republican House of Delegates would have produced, the document signed by the Governor today is a significant improvement over the budget sent to him at the end of the regular session,” said House Minority Leader Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, in a statement.

“Today’s budget contains no tax increases and does not require that Virginia rejoin the failed Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. It reflects compromise, with both sides dealing in good faith to meet our most basic responsibility,” Gilbert said

If lawmakers had not been able to compromise with the governor by June 30, Virginia would have been at risk of a government shutdown.

UVA Health Prince William Medical Center is gearing up to celebrate a significant milestone: its 60th anniversary on June 22, 2024. This commemoration marks six decades of unwavering dedication to providing healthcare services to the Prince William County community. 

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