HUNGRY FOR MORE TROPHIES The Battlefield boys soccer team looks ready for a long playoff run. Page 11
May 23, 2018 | Serving Haymarket, Gainesville and Western Prince William County | Vol. 17, No. 21 | www.PrinceWilliamTimes.com | 50¢
Nohe: State funding likely for Va. 28 bypass By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer
It won’t be official for a few more weeks, but additional state funding is likely coming to move forward with plans to construct a $190 million bypass for one of Northern Virginia’s most congested roadways: Va. 28 through Manassas. A project to build a bypass to Va. 28 by extending Godwin Drive has become the “preferred alternative” for getting traffic moving again on the 3.5-mile stretch of roadway between Liberia Avenue and the Fairfax County line. That’s where traffic routinely slows to just 6 miles an
hour during the morning and late-afternoon rush hours. In back-to-back studies that began in 2014, transportation planners identified possible fixes for the road, ranging from widening the highway from four to six lanes or by extending Godwin Drive, which currently ends at Sudley Road, or Va. 234 Business, just east of the Manassas Mall. The latter option proved the cheapest at an estimated $190 million. The bypass is envisioned to cut through about 4 miles of mostly undeveloped land behind West Gate and West Gate of Lomond neighborhoods and along Flat Branch
creek, a tributary of Bull Run. The road would then cross over Bull Run on a new bridge and rejoin Va. 28 at the other side of the Fairfax County line. The project is among more than 60 vying for about $2.5 billion in regional tax revenue to be doled out by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority for projects over the next six years. The NVTA is in the process of choosing projects for 2018 through 2024, which will be finalized June 14. The NVTA is made up of elected officials from nine Northern Virginia jurisdictions, including
Prince William Department of Transportation Director Rick Canizales, center, discusses the Godwin Drive extension and other projects with attendees of a May 17 town hall meeting in Manassas. Prince William and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. See 28 BYPASS, Page 5
Lake Ridge hub has struggled since the recession, but is making a comeback
Shuttered for a decade, lakeside restaurant returns to Tackett’s Mill
By Aileen M. Streng Contributing Writer
With its “crown jewel” restaurant on its lakeside ready to reopen, Tackett’s Mill is back in business. Tackett’s Mill Center, located at the gateway of Lake Ridge at Old Bridge and Minnieville roads, was one of Prince William County’s earliest commercial and residential hubs. The center is known for its two large ponds, quaint covered bridge and Williamsburg-style townhomes and office buildings. It got its start in 1983 when the working remains of the historic Tackett’s Mill grist mill, originally located in Stafford County, were moved to Prince William by Ridge Development Corporation, which had a vision for the then-undeveloped 60 acres of land south of the Occoquan Reservoir.
COURTESY TACKETT’S MILL CENTER
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Gainesville/Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | May 23, 2018
Nokesville Day 2018 Despite the rainy weekend, the Nokesville Day parade marched last Saturday, May 19. The parade is part of the annual Nokesville Day hosted by the Nokesville-Bristow Ruritans. The day includes vendors, crafts, food, kids’ activities and more. PHOTOS BY RANDY LITZINGER
Annalise Blankenship waves a flag as the Nokesville Day parade starts. Annalise is pictured with her mother, Camille, father, Greg, sister, Lorelei, and brother, Drew.
A parade participant rides a 100-year-old 1918 Indian motorcycle during the parade.
Nokesville Neighborhood Library “Cartwheelers” spin and perform with library carts during the Nokesville Day parade.
Parade grand marshal, local author and journalist Gail Williams, rides on top of a ladder truck during the Nokesville Day parade.
Community Editor Anita Sherman, 540.351.1635 asherman@fauquier.com Staff Writers ISSN 1050-7655, USPS 188280 Amanda Heincer, 540-878-2418 Published every Wednesday by aheincer@fauquier.com Piedmont Media LLC James Ivancic, 540-878-2414 jivancic@fauquier.com How to reach us Leland Schwartz, 540-351-0488 ADDRESS: lschwartz@fauquier.com 41 Culpeper Street Warrenton, Virginia 20186 Jonathan Hunley PHONE: 540-347-4222 jhunley@fauquier.com FAX: 540-349-8676 HOURS: 8 a.m. 5 p.m. weekdays, Sports Editor 24-hour answering service Peter Brewington, 540-351-1169 pbrewington@fauquier.com Publisher Catherine M. Nelson, Sports Staff Writer 540-300-4780 Jeff Malmgren, 540-874-2250 cnelson@fauquier.com jmalmgren@fauquier.com NEWSROOM ADVERTISING Editor in Chief Ad Manager Chris Six, 540-212-6331 Kathy Mills Godfrey 540-351-1162 csix@fauquier.com kgodfrey@fauquier.com Managing Editor Classified Sales Consulatants Jill Palermo,540-351-0431 Jeanne Cobert, 540-878-2491 jpalermo@fauquier.com jcobert@fauquier.com Associate Editor Evelyn Cobert, 540-878-2492 John Toler, 540-351-0487 jtoler@fauquier.com ecobert@fauquier.com
Chairman Emeritus George R. Thompson To place Classified and Employment ads: Call 540-351-1664 or fax 540-349-8676, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday — Friday or email fauquierclassifieds@fauquier. com SUBSCRIPTIONS Call 540-347-4222 Help with your subscription? Call 540-878-2413 or email CirculationFT@fauquier.com Missed your paper? Call 540-347-4222, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays Subscription: $69.68 per year within the United States. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Fauquier Times, 39 Culpeper St., Warrenton, VA 20186. Periodicals postage paid at Warrenton, Va. and at additional mailing offices
Gainesville/Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | May 23, 2018
Proposed 24-hour shift for paid firefighters has volunteers worried Volunteers question their role if paid staff work around the clock By Jonathan Hunley Times Staff Writer
A planned switch to 24-hour work shifts for Prince William’s paid firefighters would kill the county’s volunteer first-responder ranks, a volunteer assistant fire chief said this week. Steve Chappell, assistant chief of human resources for the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department, made the comment during and after a May 17 panel discussion hosted by the Prince William Committee of 100 called, “What does the future of our combined fire and rescue force in Prince William County look like?” Right now, paid, or career, firefighters work at fire stations from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and volunteers cover nights, weekends and holidays. But a plan to boost retention of paid staff would change their employment schedule from 12-hour days and 48-hour work weeks to 24-hour shifts and 56-hour work weeks. That plan, to begin July 1, 2019, would mean volunteers wouldn’t have much incentive to donate their time because paid staff would be working during what used to be hours reserved for them, Chappell said. Or, as he asked the crowd of more than 30 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in the Manassas area: “What are the volunteers going to do? Career staff will be there.” Volunteers need a “meaningful task” to
PHOTO BY JONATHAN HUNLEY
Career and volunteer Prince William firefighters served as panelists in a recent Committee of 100 discussion about challenges facing the blended fire and rescue system. The included, from left, Lance McClintock, Jim McAllister, Paul Hebert and Steve Chappell. complete when they’re working, and they might not have much to do, say, at night at a fire station populated by paid staff, Chappell said in an interview after the Committee of 100 event. “Why go to the firehouse if you don’t have a meaningful task?” he asked. Also, he said, there probably wouldn’t be enough room for everyone to stay at a fire station at night, or enough gear for them to work with: “What are we going to do? Where are we See FIREFIGHTERS, Page 5
NEWS / PUBLIC SAFETY
Police arrest Manassas teen in fatal stabbing Police arrested and charged a 16-year-old Manassas boy with second-degree murder Wednesday, May 16, in connection with a fatal stabbing earlier that morning in the Yorkshire area. According to Prince William County police, the teen met two men, both from Sterling, on the 7500 block of Prince Cole Court, to conduct “a transaction” sometime before 5 a.m. on May 16. The area is in an apartment complex off Parkland Street near its intersection with Old Centreville Road. Police were called to investigate and found the two victims, ages 18 and 20, suffering from stab wounds, the press release said. The older victim was stabbed multiple times to the upper body and later died from his injuries. The second victim, 18, was stabbed to the lower body but is expected to survive, according to a police department press release. Police identified the deceased man as Herbert Martinez III, 20, of Sterling. The other man was not identified. Detectives from the Prince William County Police Department’s Homicide Unit identified the 16-year-old as a suspect in the case and detained him Wednesday evening without incident. No other suspects are being sought in this case. Police are not identifying the teen because he is a juvenile. He is being held at the Prince William County juvenile detention facility.
Armed robbery at Dumfries gas station Police responded early Friday morning to a Shell service station at 3186 River Heritage Blvd. in Dumfries in response to an armed robbery. An employee reported an unknown man shattered a glass door with a large rock, entered the business and demanded money. The suspect took an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing on foot. No injuries were reported. A police K-9 searched for the suspect who was not located, according to a Prince William police department press release. The suspect is described as a black male, between 20 and 30 years old, 5 feet, 9 inches to 6 feet, 2 inches tall, with a thin build and crewcut short hair, wearing a white shirt over his face, gray sweatshirt, blue jeans, and gray shoes.
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