Prince William Living March 2013

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LET MOMMY SLEEP

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FIREBIRDS GRILL

I’M LATE, I’M LATE FOR … SOMETHING

prince william living March 2013

The premiere lifestyle magazine of Prince William and Greater Manassas

Women’s History in Prince William Past, Present & Future with Local Barrel Maker PAGE 14

Zonta: Women Helping Women Since 1919 PAGE 22 www.princewilliamliving.com

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table of contents March 2013 Vol. 3 No. 3

FEATURE STORY Commemorating a “Turning Point” in Women’s History: Suffragists’ Confinement at the Occoquan Workhouse............................................4

DEPARTMENTS from the publisher..................................................3 advertiser index......................................................3

4 Photo courtesy Imagewerks

on a high note Local Author Katherine Gotthardt Outspoken, Defiant, Tenacious ............................12 destinations Past, Present and Future with Local Barrel Maker ....14 taking care of business Let Mommy Sleep: Empowering New Parents......18 going places Rebecca Vaughan-King, a Role Model for Small Business Owners....................................20 giving back Zonta: Women Helping Women Since 1919........22

18 Photo courtesy Let Mommy Sleep

local flavor Firebirds Grill: Refined Dining with a Casual Attitude..........................................26 family fun e Joy of Swim Teams ........................................28 calendar ..............................................................32 tambourines and elephants I’m Late, I’m Late for … Something ....................35 distribution sites..................................................37

COLUMNS

26 Photo courtesy Tamar Wilsher-Rivas

health & wellness ................................................16 home & hearth ....................................................24 your finances ......................................................30 Discover Prince William & Manassas................33

Cover photo courtesy of Kathy Strauss/Imagewerks prince william living March 2013 | 1

The premiere lifestyle magazine of Prince William and Greater Manassas

Prince William Living Publisher Rebecca Barnes rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com Contributing Writers Cindy Brookshire, Carla Christiano, DeeDee Corbitt Sauter, Audrey Harman, Paul Keily, Luanne Lee, Ann Marie Maher, Olivia Overman, Kristina Schnack Kotlus, Helena Tavares Kennedy, Jennifer Rader and Denise Smith Editorial Staff Emily Guerrero, Peter Lineberry, Val Wallace Photography Sean Floars, Kathy Strauss/Imagewerks, Rick Martin Photography, Tamar Wilsher-Rivas Graphic Design and Production Alison Dixon/Image Prep Studio

Prince William Living 4491 Cheshire Station Plaza, PMB 55 Dale City, VA 22193 Phone: (703) 232-1758 Efax: (703) 563-9185 Editorial offices: (703) 232-1758, ext. 2 Efax: (703) 563-9185 Advertising offices: (703) 232-1758, ext. 1 Efax: (703) 563-9185 Editorial Have a story you’d like our staff to cover? Contact Prince William Living editorial staff, either by phone at (703) 232-1758, ext. 2, or by email at editor@princewilliamliving.com.

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For complete advertising information, please contact Rebecca Barnes, Prince William Living president, either by phone at (703) 232-1758, ext. 1, or by email at rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com.

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Reprints and Back Issues: To order article reprints or request reprint permission, please visit the Prince William Living website: www.princewilliamliving.com. Order back issues by calling Prince William Living Publisher Rebecca Barnes at (703) 232-1758, ext. 1.

For further information about Prince William Living, visit www.princewilliamliving.com, or contact Prince William Living at (703) 232-1758.

2 | March 2013 prince william living

We Welcome Contributors Are you a writer or photographer who would like to be published?

Prince William Living is currently looking for contributing writers and photographers. If you live in the Prince William/Manassas area and are interested in seeing your byline or photo credit in this lifestyle magazine, email us at rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com and send two to three samples of your work. College students are encouraged to apply. Are you majoring in English, journalism or communication and interested in developing writing samples and honing your skill? Contact us. We also welcome media and photography majors as contributing photographers.

Candidates should possess excellent organizational and communication skills and must be able to work independently.

Position is unpaid.

from the publisher J

oin us as we celebrate Women’s History Month. In this issue, our pages are filled with stories of inspiring women—from successful entrepreneurs to the activists who fought for the right to vote so many years ago.

While you most likely are familiar with the suffragists’ movement, you may not realize that a part of their struggle took place right over the Occoquan River from Prince William, at the Occoquan Workhouse. ere, several women fighting for suffrage were imprisoned after being arrested for protesting in Washington, D.C. Learn about a local initiative to build a national memorial honoring their efforts, in Carla Christiano’s “Commemorating a ‘Turning Point’ in Women’s History” on page 4. You are sure to gain a deeper appreciation for the heroic lengths these pioneering women went to in fighting for this essential right.

Fast forward to modern-day Prince William and you will still find women working to support other women. In fact, this month’s “Giving Back” features an organization originally founded by suffragists. Go to page 22 for highlights of the many ways that the local chapter, Zonta Club of Prince William County, contributes to programs that benefit women all around the world.

human rights. Find out how her writing helped her to weather the storm that ensued after she took a vocal stance on a controversial issue. is month, we also talked to some inspirational movers and shakers in the local business community. In “Going Places,” on page 20, Manassas-based ImagineDesign President Rebecca Vaughan-King shares her philosophies on growing a company, supporting small businesses and giving back. e only question this busy professional doesn’t tackle: When does she sleep?

Luckily, entrepreneur Denise Stern is tackling the sleep question, at least for new parents. Her innovative company, Let Mommy Sleep, provides support and resources for smoothly transitioning into parenthood. In “Taking Care of Business,” on page 18, Stern tells us what motivated her to start the business and the secret behind its success.

Of course, we sneaked in a few columns, too. With topics from new restaurants to overcoming decorating dilemmas, you won’t want to miss these either!

Sincerely, Rebecca Barnes Prince William Living Publisher

“On a High Note,” on page 12, introduces you to activist and award-winning writer Katherine Gotthardt, an advocate for

Advertiser Index ACE Hardware (Pitkin’s)............................................................25 ACTS ..........................................................................................36 Advantage Physical Therapy ....................................................11 Alpha Pets ................................................................................36 Ameriprise Financial ................................................................31 Apple FCU ................................................................................31 Arts Alive! ..................................................................................19 AVON/Teresa Giltner ................................................................36 B101.5 ........................................................................................29 Bargain Relo..........................................................................9, 36 Best Western Battlefield Inn ....................................................25 CAP Accounting, LLC................................................................31 Christ Chapel ......................................................................19, 36 City of Manassas Park—Parks & Recreation ............................9 Confidence Realty ....................................................................30 Cruise Planners ........................................................................36 Dansk Day Spa at Occoquan....................................................36 Discover Prince William & Manassas......................................33 Dominion Eye Care ..................................................................11 Edgemoor Art Studio................................................................36 Firebirds ....................................................................................21 FURR Roofing............................................................................33 GEICO ........................................................................................11 Golden Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics ............................16 Hard Times Cafe & Cue ............................................................11 Imagewerks ..............................................................................36 Lake Ridge Nursery ..................................................................36 Lavender Retreat ......................................................................10

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Commemorating a “Turning Point” in Women’s History: Suffragists’ Confinement at the Occoquan Workhouse

By Carla Christiano, Contributing Writer

Photo courtesy Imagewerks

4 | March 2013 prince william living

M

ost of us have heard of the suffragists. eir seven decades-long struggle to win American women the right to vote has made it into the history books.

Yet there is a little-known chapter to that story that hits much closer to home for Prince William residents. In fact, it was just over the Occoquan River at a dismal place called the Occoquan Workhouse where a number of suffragists were imprisoned. Now the site of Fairfax County’s water treatment facility, the women’s workhouse, which closed in the 1960s, was located across Route 123 from present-day Occoquan Regional Park and down the road from the Workhouse Arts Center, which was created from the remaining prison facilities.

“People don’t know about this very important thing that happened right across the river. ey drive past it every day. … ey know about the other history in the county like the Civil War, but not everyone knows about this story,” said Betty Dean, an Occoquan resident and member of the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial (TPSM) Committee, which is working with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority to raise funds to erect a memorial commemorating these women.

Dean and an intrepid group of 34 volunteers from throughout the region have begun their own struggles to make this suffragist story known nationwide. TPSM committee chairperson Jane Barker of Fairfax County said the suffragists’ story reaches beyond the area. “It’s not just local history, but national history,” she said.

Begun around 2007 as an initiative of the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area and the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, the committee hopes to have a memorial built on a two-acre site in Occoquan Regional Park “to honor and memorialize the struggle that went on here,” said Dean. e goal is to raise $7 million to $9 million for the project, which they hope to complete by 2020—the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote.

Struggling for the Vote Many of us today don’t think twice about being able to vote.

Even in the polarized 2012 election, when many in Prince William County faced long lines to cast their votes, only about 71 percent of registered voters in the county actually voted, down from 84 percent in 1992. More than half, or about 54 percent, of those who voted in the 2012 election were women.

But in 1913—only 100 years ago—it was a different story. No woman in the Commonwealth of Virginia had the right to vote.

In fact, only a handful of states allowed women to vote, despite more than 60 years of lobbying by women suffragist groups led

by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

“Women’s rights kept being put on the back burner. Whenever things got hard for the country, [suffragists] would back off, but the new generation led by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns said, ‘No,’ we’re not going to do that,” said Occoquan Regional Park Manager John Houser, who serves on the TPSM Board of Directors as a liaison for the Northern Virginia Regional Park

Authority. Fed up with the long process of gaining individual state recognition, Paul and Burns worked on getting national recognition and sometimes went to extreme measures.

On the eve of President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, March 3, 1913, then 28-year-old Paul organized more than 5,000 women to march through Washington, D.C. Although a crowd, estimated at 500,000 people, jeered at and threatened these suffragists, the women refused to back down. About 100 marchers were taken to a local hospital after being injured by the angry throng surrounding the suffragists.

“... when we shall have our amendment to the Constitution of the United States, everyone will think it was always so, just exactly as many young people believe that all the privileges, all the freedom, all the enjoyments which woman now possesses were always hers. ey have no idea of how every single inch of ground that she stands upon to-day [sic] has been gained by the hard work of some little handful of women of the past.”

–Susan B. Anthony (source: Dictionary.com)

Four years later, starting in January 1917, Paul, Burns and other members of their National Women’s Party staged protests outside the White House in an effort to galvanize the public. At first, people ignored the silent sentinels, as they became known, which included protesters holding up banners with slogans, such as “Mr. President, what will you do for woman suffrage?” e women protested all day and night, in all kinds of weather.

When America entered World War I that April, the public mood toward the protesters changed. Seen as unpatriotic for protesting outside the White House at a time of war, they were often harassed verbally and physically. Newspapers at the time even said the women’s demonstrations exposed President Wilson to potential assassins.

Starting in June 1917, the protesters were arrested on various charges, such as unlawful assembly or obstructing traffic. ey were given light sentences at first to dissuade them from further demonstrations. When that didn’t work, and the protests continued, the sentences became longer and harsher, with fines of $25 (which would be about $348 today) or 30- to 60-day jail terms becoming increasingly common. Paul was sentenced three times, receiving jail terms of up to seven months. When (continues on page 6) prince william living March 2013 | 5

(continued from page 5) suffragists refused to pay fines and chose jail, they were sentenced to either the D.C. jail or the Occoquan Workhouse, a prison farm the D.C. penal system operated.

Life in the Occoquan Workhouse

Although the suffragists expected plain fare and Spartan conditions, what they found were cold, unsanitary cells and worm-infested food. From July to November 1917, more than 70 suffragists were sent to the workhouse as a result of their protests. ey ranged in age from 19 to 73 and came from dozens of states. Some were recent immigrants, and others were from well-established, politically connected families. One inmate, Alison Turnbull Hopkins, had even attended a dinner with her husband at the White House, and had supported President Wilson politically and financially. Many were collegeeducated and married, and included nurses, teachers, social workers, physicians and a geologist.

Photo courtesy Imagewerks

Conditions at the workhouse were poor even by the standards of the time. Suffragist Doris Stevens described the facility, located on more than a thousand acres in Lorton and almost 20 miles from Washington, D.C., as being in “a wilderness. It is a deserted country. Even the gayest member of the party, I am sure, was struck with a little terror here.”

Supporters look over plans for the future suffragists memorial.

“ere were a lot of great strong women. ey came from all over the country, from all walks of life,” said Barker.

Although the suffragists were isolated from the outside world, news leaked out about their treatment. As a result of public outcry, the remaining 16 imprisoned suffragists were finally released from the workhouse by the end of November 1917. Yet it would be almost two more years (with many protests) before Congress passed the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote. During that time, more than 200 women would be incarcerated for protesting. Two-thirds of the states finally ratified the 19th amendment by Aug. 18, 1920, when Tennessee’s state legislature provided the final ratification necessary to enact it.

To protest the poor conditions at the workhouse, some suffragists (including Burns at the workhouse and Paul in the D.C. jail) went on hunger strikes. Fearing that the suffragists would become martyrs if they starved to death, prison officials had them strapped down and force fed. Imprisoned suffragists also endured at least one brutal attack in a night of beatings by prison guards, under the direction of the prison superintendent (Nov. 14, 1917, known as the “Night of Terror”).

“is is one of those unknown events. It impacted one-half of the population, but no one knows about it. e work that these women did set a precedent for equal rights, but they’re not recognized,” Houser said. “ese were women who were not supposed to be out in the streets. It was totally improper for them to do this. … It’s not just that they got the right to vote; it’s the story of social change. It’s about women taking control of their destiny,” he said.

LUCY WOODEN: Prince William County Voting Pioneer The first woman to register to vote in Prince William County was 64-year-old Nokesville resident Lucy Wooden. Wooden was born in Warrenton in 1856 and employed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for almost 30 years. Although not a suffragist, Wooden was among 633 white women and 33 black women in the county who registered to vote in 1920 after the 19th amendment was ratified.

Registering was not an easy process. Like the men, the women had to meet a residency requirement and pay a non-refundable capitation tax of $1.50 to the county treasurer (at a time when the average farm worker was paid $2.82 a day, according to the Economic History Association). They were also required to pass a literacy test. Both the tax and test were eliminated nationwide in the 1960s.

6 | March 2013 prince william living

Houser sees the suffragists’ story as impacting young women of today, and as a father of two daughters, he said the story resonates with him. “We want to tell young women that there are no limits—that they can be president,” he said. Houser added that young women today often take for granted the opportunities they have and many don’t realize the sacrifices their predecessors made. “An 18-year-old woman doesn’t vote because she takes it for granted. [Young women] need to know about the 22-year-old woman who had tubes stuck down her throat [as a result of fighting for] the right to vote,” he said.

Turning Point Suffragist Memorial In 2007, Occoquan Regional Park officials at first decided the park would erect interpretative panels describing the suffragists’ history at the Occoquan Workhouse. However, following brainstorming sessions with community members, park officials chose to expand the project from a few panels to a memorial, according to Houser. “It takes as much time and energy to put

up a small memorial as a large memorial,” he explained. e change wasn’t in the concept, only in the scale, and it doesn’t change what they want to achieve, he added.

In the brainstorming sessions, participants used “turning point” among terms to describe the suffragist experience. What happened at the workhouse “was a real turning point in women’s history,” Houser said. He credited Barker’s leadership for moving the project forward, and the countless hours volunteers have dedicated to it. Barker is also former chairperson of the TPSM Board of Directors.

One volunteer, photographer Kathy Strauss of Lake Ridge, said there are memorials throughout the country honoring efforts to win women the right to vote, but there’s not a national one dedicated to this particular fight. She recalled a trip she made to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, for business and seeing beautiful bronze statues dedicated to the Canadian women’s right to vote. “ey have it, and we don’t. at, I’m sorry to say, hurt. We should have had this a long time ago,” she said.

Although the committee has unveiled an elaborate design for the memorial that includes a cascading waterfall and meditation garden, the group’s focus goes beyond the site. “Once we build the memorial, we will create programs to use it as a focal point to stimulate conversation as to what it means to engage in selfgovernment, and what it means if you don’t,” said Dean. e education programs will create an ongoing dialog on how to be civically engaged, what that means and what the responsibilities are. She said the site could offer symposiums “to make it be a living thing and not just a point on the map.”

One challenge the committee faces is attracting support, Dean said. So members will work to launch a national campaign, along with a regionally focused effort, to garner support.

Committee members hope to involve large corporations that focus on women, including cosmetic companies and foundations that specialize in civil engagement.

“Although the memorial will be on the other side of the river, it will have a positive impact on the area. … is will play an important role in attracting people [to Prince William]. It’s in Prince William’s best interest that this project be a great success. e memorial itself will belong to the region and not just to that little piece of the park,” said Dean.

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Visit www.suffragistmemorial.org for more information about the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial.

Carla Christiano is a native of Prince William County, admitted history geek and a technical writer for Unisys. She can be reached at cchristiano@princewilliamliving.com.

At 7 p.m. on March 14 at the Old Manassas Courthouse, Irma Clifton from the Lorton Workhouse Museum will present a free lecture about the suffragists and the Workhouse in Lorton/Occoquan in the early 20th Century.

For more information, contact David M. Born at 703-792-5618. prince william living March 2013 | 7

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on a high note

Local Author Katherine Gotthardt Outspoken, Defiant, Tenacious

By Cindy Brookshire, Contributing Writer

S

he looks so sweet, like a mom or a church lady. Don’t be fooled. Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt wields words with all the restraint of Gallagher’s wooden mallet.

“Shackling pregnant women is not only a human rights issue; it is a health issue,” she wrote to the state board of the Virginia Department of Corrections. “erefore, I support regulations that limit the use of restraints on pregnant inmates.” With equal conviction, she advocates for less solitary confinement of prisoners and restoring of civil rights to persons who have served their time for convictions of nonviolent felonies.

“I know Katherine and appreciate her passion for those in our community who are often voiceless,” said Kathy MacNevin Clark, chairperson of Unity in the Community, an organization made up of people of faith concerned about discrimination in Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park. “Katherine is not afraid to speak up. One voice can make a difference.”

Photo Courtesy Chip Deyerle

Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt 12 | March 2013 prince william living

Her “Tenacious Poodle” blog is peppered with blunt social commentary protesting issues such as Prince William County’s original 2007–2008 immigration policy. Gotthardt had her own words thrown back at her in 2009, however, when Supervisor Wally Covington, R-Brentsville, nominated her to a volunteer position on the board of Discover Prince William & Manassas, the Convention and Visitors Bureau. His announcement released the hounds of local political bloggers. ey copied her negative, inflammatory or provocative blog posts against the county, the supervisors and a former board appointee and emailed them to supervisors or read them from the podium during citizens’ time at board meetings. She received a barrage of phone calls and emails, and cut off comments to her blog.

e Board of County Supervisors rejected her appointment, 5 to 3, a publicly humiliating vote that FOX TV, WMAL, e Washington Examiner and other media covered.

“If you want to use your writing as an advocate, be prepared to get slammed,” Gotthardt stated, undeterred and sipping coffee at Simply Sweet on Main in Old Town Manassas. “I was a ‘fat chick,’ an ‘unhinged liberal’ and ‘the cheese had slipped off my cracker,’ which may be true by that time. How did I channel that? I wrote. I have a poem that goes, ‘You’ll never reach / the invisible me.’”

“She showed courage in the face of intense criticism, never wavering, never allowing bullying tactics to dissuade her from an important cause,” said Elena Schlossberg of Moonhowlings.net, a blog for civil debate in Prince William.

Gotthardt ignored her answering machine and unplugged from political blogs. “I started talking to and writing about women making a difference in the community, like midwives and entrepreneurs,” she said, turning in features to the News & Messenger and PW Business. “at calmed me down.”

Gotthardt’s writing also won her first prize in a poetry competition of the Kentucky-based blog, “e Political Poet.”

Her poem, “You Made Me Feel Illegal,” which appeals to anyone who has felt ostracized, starts: You made me feel illegal / the way you eyed my hair too-long-too-dyed-for-work hair / too-third-world-take-care-of-kids hair In 2009 Gotthardt published “Poems from the Battlefield,” a collection of Civil War poetry, photos and period quotes. e book proved so popular, a patron even bought the promotional poster that was hanging at Prospero’s Books in Old Town Manassas. In 2010 Gotthardt participated in “Journey rough Hallowed Ground” at the Manassas National Battlefield Park, leading middle school students through an exercise based on “e Luncheon Ladies,” her poem describing spectators who came to picnic and watch the battle of First Manassas.

“While I read it, I handed [the students] each some straw, a piece of taffeta and a strawberry cookie so they could sense what it must have felt like to be there that day, wearing a fru fru dress, sitting in a field, eating tarts and waiting for the war to start. …

Only it didn’t go as [the ladies] expected,” she explained. “en I asked them to write poems from the soldiers’ perspective, knowing that their mothers, wives or daughters were watching them. ey handed back some powerfully emotional lines.”

At 43, Gotthardt also published her first novel, “Approaching Felonias Park,” which explores predatory lending and homelessness, issues with which she is personally familiar. She was once a single mother without a home, accepting supplemental food aid. She became a victim of predatory student loans while attending a college that didn’t meet regulatory compliances. She quit a job at another college after discovering that, like the college she had attended, it was targeting disadvantaged populations and promising services that didn’t exist.

She donates book profits, including those from her epic children’s poem, “Furbily-Furld Takes on the World” (illustrated

by Selina Farmer-Williams), to charitable organizations, such as the food pantry at Bull Run Unitarian Universalist Church (BRUU) in Manassas and various historic preservation groups.

For six years she facilitated BRUU’s writers’ group, and helped edit the group’s anthology, “Eclectic Brew.” She currently serves on the board of the Prince William Arts Council, and administers websites for LeagueofWomenVotersPWA.org, WritersforaCause.org and WritebytheRails.org. Her poem, “My God Rides the Metro,” appears in “New Departures,” a Write by the Rails anthology.

Gotthardt openly shares her struggles with attention deficit and post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from a 2005 rape and assault. She navigates recovery like a mental parkour, quickly confronting and negotiating obstacles without looking back. In this way, she was able to walk into the Prince William-Manassas Adult Detention Center to teach English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) to drunk drivers, petty thieves and even sex offenders, knowing that helping them gain life skills will help break the cycle of recidivism.

“Working in the jail empowered me in a positive way,” she said.

“Others may misinterpret my advocacy as politics, but to me, it is human rights.”

In the meantime, Gotthardt has left a poetic message for her detractors: Go find yourself another chew toy.

For the rest of us, we see strength as well as defiance in her poems, such as “e Red Flagged House,” inspired by the Stone House at Manassas National Battlefield Park. e poem ends: You say you are here to protect us, we your women who don't want war, we who try to heal hurts, scouring basins with our old lace, sucking up sweat with our linens, mending the last blankets we own, and asking, “Who will protect us from you?”

To hear a reading by this local writing powerhouse, look up “Gotthardt’s Poems from the Battlefield” on YouTube.com. e author’s website is www.katherinegotthardt.com.

Cindy Brookshire, a frequent contributor to Prince William Living, met Katherine Gotthardt in June 2009, when George Mason University’s Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution invited them to participate in the workshop, “Being Heard and Building Relationships in Prince William County, VA” at Point of View, in Mason Neck, Va. Point of View is a world-class retreat facility dedicated to fostering peace.

prince william living March 2013 | 13

destinations

Past, Present and Future with Local Barrel Maker

By Olivia Overman, Contributing Writer

S

tarted in San Francisco in 1999, ousand Oaks Barrel Company has gone from strength to strength since moving to the East Coast a little more than 10 years ago. Now, with its new Distillery Store on Main Street in Old Town Manassas, owner and CEO Bryan Weisberg expects the company to grow even more.

At the store, Weisberg showcases all things whiskey-related, from barrels to bootleg kits, home furnishings to humidors. Visitors should also keep an eye out for the summer opening of Weisberg’s National Spirits Museum, next door to the shop.

Worldly Past to Local Business Owner Weisberg’s colorful history includes being the former bassist for rock band Until December, co-owning a company that produced the first interactive audio CD and being a partner in Five Star Entertainment, which created the award-winning “Art of Magic” game.

However, it was while Weisberg was at play, traveling around Europe on his motorbike in 1990, that he found the inspiration that would eventually lead to his barrel company. He and a friend “met a guy from India, living in the South of France, and he 14 | March 2013 prince william living

invited us back to his house where he tapped a small barrel of wine,” Weisberg said. “I thought this was a great lifestyle.”

Fast forward to 1998, when Weisberg received a small barrel as a gift from his father, leading to a “Eureka!” moment. “I knew this is what I was supposed to do,” said Weisberg, who set about learning the business.

Inside the Cooperage Business When Weisberg started ousand Oaks, it was the only company in the U.S. producing small, personal-size barrels. Today, it is one of only two companies in the nation producing barrels in this size, according to Weisberg.

Working out of the store and another Manassas-based location, 15 craftsmen produce all types of barrels and related products for ousand Oaks. “e quality depends on the quality of wood used and the craftsmanship. We get our wood [American White Oak] from Missouri,” Weisberg said. e company produces about 50,000 barrels a year. Businesses and home enthusiasts use handmade barrels for making and aging wine, whiskey, bourbon and tequila.

Photos courtesy Sean Floars

Craftsman putting the final touches on the assembly of barrels.

A peek into the Distillery Store in Old Town Manassas.

Weisberg projects as much as 200 to 300 percent growth in online sales and 40 to 80 percent growth in his retail business this year. ere is such a market for the smaller barrels his company crafts because “in larger barrels there is a higher surface-to-alcohol ratio,” he explained. e higher the surface ratio, the longer the aging process. It can take two to five years to age alcohol in a larger barrel, versus four months in a smaller one, he said.

“It used to be first you had a retail store, then developed an online presence. With us, it has gone the other way,” said Weisberg. “is is a new trend a lot of businesses we work with are moving into.” He explained that the addition of the Distillery Store allows customers to interact with the product and company in a different way.

“While the cost to produce is much higher when using the smaller barrels, it allows these small micro breweries to get up and running in a quicker time frame,” Weisberg said. is is especially important for businesses just starting out. Home distillers also rely on his barrels for aging whiskey in smaller quantities.

Other products for sale at the Distillery Store and on its website include shot glasses, bottles, signs, make-your-own kits and barrel furnishings, including tables, ice chests and serving sets.

Weisberg contracts with all of the major whiskey distributors, such as Captain Morgan, Jim Beam and Kentucky Bourbon Ale. Selling barrels and related products, the company also participates in about 500 festivals a year, including the Manassas Wine & Jazz and Clifton Wine festivals. ousand Oaks employs people throughout the country to man its booth at festivals. A craftsman in Virginia Beach makes the barrel furniture sold at the Distillery Store.

“Part of what we do here is ... create jobs. If you are lucky enough to be in this position, then it is your responsibility to do this,” said Weisberg.

From Virtual to Reality e Distillery Store opens a new chapter for ousand Oaks, which has traditionally gotten barrels to market as a wholesaler, online and through festivals.

Soon, customers can also get a view into the history of whiskey and barrel making. When the National Whiskey Museum opens, it will feature a number of artifacts that Weisberg has collected over the last 15 years. Displays will include rare posters, vintage advertisements and a bottle signed by prohibition-era rum runner and NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. When the museum opens to the public in summer 2013 admission will be free, with donations encouraged. In honor of his nephew who has muscular dystrophy, Weisberg plans to donate any funds raised to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Weisberg said, “is is a way to help that cause. To watch young kids go through that is painful. You try to think of all the things you can do to help. If I have something here people are interested in, and can raise awareness, everybody is better for it.”

Whether you are drawn to the past, present or the future of this unique destination, plan a visit to the Distillery Store next time you are in Old Town Manassas. Learn more at www.distillerystore.com or by calling 703-885-1483.

A graduate of American University’s School of Communication, Olivia Overman has written articles for a number of online and print publications. She can be reached by email at ooverman@princewilliamliving.com.

prince william living March 2013 | 15

health & wellness Answers to Your Questions about Diabetes What is diabetes? It's not an illness you can catch like a cold or cure like an infection. It's a condition in which your body cannot maintain the right level of blood sugar or glucose—the source of energy that powers muscles, organs and other body systems.

Can diabetes be treated? Yes. The main goal of diabetes treatment for both type 1 and type 2 is to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as safely possible, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Treatment for type 1 involves matching the diet, activity and injected insulin.

Treatment for type 2 usually involves changes in diet, weight loss (if needed) and regular exercise. Medication, such as insulin (injected medicines that improve the release or use of insulin) or oral medication also may be necessary. A person with diabetes needs to get regular screening tests for possible complications.

What Can I Do? Learn all you can about diabetes. Attend diabetes education sessions at an accredited program, where you can obtain individualized education. Prince William Diabetes Services program is recognized by the ADA for quality patient education. Staff includes certified diabetes educators, registered nurses, dietitians and exercise specialists.

“There is a lot of misinformation out there about diabetes and how it is controlled,” said Kathy Reily, diabetes educator in the Prince William Hospital Wellness Center. “Diabetes education can make a huge difference in a person’s quality of life and confidence in living well with diabetes.”

For help with your diabetes, Prince William Hospital Wellness Center’s certified diabetes educators can help you create a plan for healthy lifestyle changes, including plans for weight management, healthy choices and blood sugar management. To learn more, call 703-369-8405.

Upcoming Event: On Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Prince William Hospital will host a free diabetes expo with health screenings, food demonstrations, a question-andanswer session with physicians and diabetes specialists—and more. The event will be held in Medical Building 1, in the Fourth Floor Conference Room of the main hospital. More information can be found online at www.pwhs.org/events.

Prince William Health System (PWHS), part of Novant Health, is a nationally recognized health and wellness provider comprised of an integrated network of inpatient and outpatient services and programs. PWHS serves the greater Northern Virginia community to provide care for the entire family. In early 2014, PWHS will open a new 60-bed community hospital in Haymarket. Visit PWHS online at www.pwhs.org.

16 | March 2013 prince william living

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taking care of business

Let Mommy Sleep: Empowering New Parents

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By Jennifer Rader, Contributing Writer

hen people begin a business, many variables can motivate them. It may be a burning desire, a personal experience or a critical vacancy. You could say that Bristow resident Denise Stern, founder and CEO of Let Mommy Sleep, can relate to all of these factors and more.

Prince William Living spoke with Stern to find out how she filled a void and created a sought-after service in the D.C. metro area.

Photo courtesy Let Mommy Sleep

PWL: When and how did Let Mommy Sleep begin?

Stern: Let Mommy Sleep began as a business in September 2010. I had been pregnant with twins and already had a 17-month-old. My husband had no time off and I was diagnosed with preeclampsia [pregnancy-related high blood pressure]. ... I was a regular mom with a challenging task.

PWL: What is your background? Had you previously owned a business?

Stern: My undergraduate degree was in public relations. After graduation I worked in an office but always wondered, “What’s next?” I knew I wanted to create something. I had also owned a shop in Occoquan. But, prior to opening the Occoquan Basket Co., I didn’t know you could just start a business.

PWL: What kind of care and service does your company provide its clients?

Stern: We have been able to fulfill an observed vacancy focusing on how important it is to be a new mother and new parents. We are in over 200 homes doing baby care and seminars teaching individual clients and groups how to care for their babies in the transition from the hospital. We give education and support, such as newborn breastfeeding, getting multiples on the same sleep schedules and age-appropriate instruction for infant feeding and sleep. And we are available as an overnight nurse to actually let mommy, and daddy, sleep.

PWL: What is the driving force behind Let Mommy Sleep?

Stern: We feel as mothers we are supposed to grind on and suck it up, and that’s just not okay. Let Mommy Sleep is all about empowering families, serving families with a level of care they deserve.

18 | March 2013 prince william living

Laura Hegarty, RN, with one of the babies whose parents receive help from Let Mommy Sleep (LMS). Hegarty oversees care and the writing of training materials as a member of the LMS Medical Advisory Board.

PWL: How is all this accomplished?

Stern: We find we have two types of clients: the new “planner parents,” those who are, for the most part, ready for their new arrival, and the “Whoa, we didn’t know it would be this way” parents. But both [types] find Let Mommy Sleep provides the support they are looking to receive in this new chapter of their lives.

We do this by having a team of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who are very knowledgeable and experienced in neonatal care and who provide an elite service to those wanting personal assistance.

Photo courtesy Let Mommy Sleep

PWL: What is your advice to others who are considering starting a business?

Stern: Be authentic. It truly has to be in your heart and your passion. If it’s not part of you, you might as well not even start because people can see right through it. Our clients know that we, for the most part, are moms talking to moms. And go to the source to get your message and vision out there even if it involves paid advertising.

Let Mommy Sleep is the presenting sponsor of “A Baby Affair,” the D.C. metro area’s boutique consumer event for modern moms and moms-to-be. e event will be March 17 at Long View Gallery in Washington, D.C. For more information on “A Baby Affair” and Let Mommy Sleep, visit www.letmommysleep.com.

Stern speaks to the Arlington Chapter of Mother Offering Mothers Support Club (MOMS Club) about infants’ sleep.

A nonprofit development director for more than 10 years, Jennifer Rader now works as a freelance writer and consultant. She lives with her son and husband in Manassas and can be reached at jrader@princewilliamliving.com.

PWL: What are the challenges you have found in providing your particular service?

Stern: Our service is a relatively new concept for people in the U.S. People have heard of baby nurses, but it’s more likely seen in movies or with celebrities. rough research we found these arrangements are common everywhere else in the world. e U.S. is the only country to discharge new parents without support.

2013

e other challenge is from the clients’ perspective. ey, or others, question if they are “mom enough.” We want to overcome these challenges to our brand and our clients through awareness. We want people to know that it’s okay to need extra hands, to ask for help.

PWL: How do you promote Let Mommy Sleep?

Stern: Our outreach is about 50/50 between regular paid advertising and referrals. We maintain a presence through social media, working with mom-related pages and directly with mom clubs or groups.

PWL: Tell us about the charitable arm of Let Mommy Sleep.

Stern: We have “Mission: Sleep,” a nonprofit organization that we started in April 2012. It provides free, overnight newborn care to military families. ... e qualification is a deployed, injured or deceased spouse or partner. We really feel transitional care should be available to everyone, but not all can afford it.

Prince William County

Arts Council

PWL: Does Mission: Sleep only serve military families?

Stern: We focused on military because of the obvious circumstances that deployments can bring to the family, but we have moved to other special circumstances. For example, we had a client whose husband had been killed in the line of duty as a police officer while she was pregnant. We were able to support her, through our unique abilities, during a very emotional and difficult time.

PWL: What are the plans for the future of Let Mommy Sleep?

Stern: Our first goal is to grow the number of families we are serving. Since we started we have expanded north into the Baltimore area. en, [we would] possibly franchise nationwide, but there is more research to be done to plan the steps to accomplish that goal. I would like to set up a network of headquarters in multiple locations if we develop Let Mommy Sleep in other markets. prince william living March 2013 | 19

going places Rebecca Vaughan-King a Role Model for Small Business Owners

By Audrey Harman, Contributing Writer

Vaughan-King’s business savvy can be traced to the tender age of seven, when she launched her first business venture: selling Christmas cards door to door. “I quickly learned that I love people, and I love sales,” she said. “I now have over 20 years in sales and marketing, but won’t say exactly how many.”

You could say entrepreneurship is in Vaughan-King’s blood. Her grandparents ran a pub in Wales and her father started a manufacturing plant in Maryland. According to Vaughan-King, she and her husband are now carrying on the same independent streak. King started the company after working as a freelance graphic and web designer for most of his career. Vaughan-King came aboard full time in 2011. “I was growing tired of commuting,” she said. “And I wanted to help Patrick on his journey of building ImagineDesign.”

According to Vaughan-King, small businesses are a driving force in our economy and within the community. Entrepreneurs understand the culture of the community they serve. She explained, 20 | March 2013 prince william living

Photo courtesy Rick Martin Photography

R

ebecca Vaughan-King and her husband Patrick King started their full-service design and marketing firm ImagineDesign in 2004. At the time, they lived in Fairfax, Virginia. As the business began to expand and mature, “we were looking for a business community that would nurture us,” Vaughan-King said. ey relocated to Prince William in 2007.

According to Vaughan-King, they found the business community they were looking for and “a neighborhood full of warm and welcoming people.”

“A local baker is going to be more aware of the area around his or her shop, and can change the company to adapt and better serve customers as their needs change. Large businesses aren’t so nimble, and can’t mold to their communities as well.”

To support small businesses, Vaughan-King suggested, “People can support small businesses best by giving them preference. Consider a local computer repair shop before calling a national chain.” She added that often these smaller businesses offer less expensive services than national companies, so you will keep your money within the local economy while saving some, too. ough Vaughan-King said she is a “work in progress” with much yet to learn, just being an entrepreneur makes her a great role model for other aspiring women. “I feel that it’s just as important as having a diverse range of ethnicities as business owners,” said Vaughan-King. “Solving problems, handling interpersonal conflicts, remaining innovative and competitive and building corporate culture are all served well by diversity. Quite frankly, I think that a lack of women business owners on a local and national level is depriving our business world of some much-needed perspective. I think that’s become evident as we see this diversity increase.”

To give back to the community, Vaughan-King and ImagineDesign work with several nonprofits and charity events. “Growing up, I noticed that nonprofits are often taken for granted until the need arises, and then they’re important for a short while,” said VaughanKing. “I’ve always believed that we all need to do our part to help, at the very least, to thank them for being there.”

One of the ways that Vaughan-King gives back to the community is working with the American Red Cross National Capital Region.

ImagineDesign designed the website for the organization’s “In the

Bag: Purses for Preparedness” fundraiser, a silent auction of designer handbags. In 2012, the event raised $66,000 for the Red Cross, with 125 bags sold.

THE MANASSAS CHORALE

is year, Vaughan-King is also chair of the Prince William County Leadership Council of the American Red Cross National Capital Region. In this role, she is busy planning the first “Red Cross Prom,” a fundraiser that will include live music, a silent auction and, of course, prom-themed decorations and activities. It takes place April 26 at Heritage Hunt Country Club in Gainesville.

Linda Mathes, Red Cross, National Capital Region CEO, said the Leadership Council raises funds that “provide emergency food, shelter and supplies to families uprooted by home fires and other disasters … teach first aid, CPR and AED training, swimming and lifeguarding to businesses, schools and individuals and … provide assistance to the men and women of the military and their families here and abroad.”

Each year, ImagineDesign also donates a website redesign to a worthy nonprofit group through its “We Fight Ugly” competition.

Vaughan-King said that at any time, ImagineDesign is doing at least one pro bono project.

“It seems like if there is a worthy cause, Rebecca is involved in some level. Whether it is helping other small businesses grow or supporting community nonprofits, there she is, lending her expertise and energy,” said Andrea Whaley, events director at the Prince William Chamber of Commerce. ImagineDesign has donated a number of services to the chamber, including a website redesign and event marketing materials. is combination of community involvement and business savvy has proved a winning formula. Accolades for the firm include recognition as “Business of the Year” at the 2012 Prince William Chamber Business Awards, international recognition at the Hermes Awards and winning the 2011 Platinum MarCom Award. In 2012, Vaughan-King was awarded the Young Professionals of Northern Virginia (YPNOVA) Scholarship, which provides partial tuition for Leadership Prince William, a nine-month program that nurtures emerging and existing community leaders. “e times I see the most success with business owners is when they’re enthralled in their work, and are enthusiastic about what they have to offer,” said Vaughan-King. “I guess the best piece of advice I can offer is to love what you do. It’s the only way your business will survive through the not-so-fun stuff.”

To learn more about Vaughan-King and ImagineDesign, visit www.imaginedc.net, or “like” www.Facebook.com/ WeFightUgly.

Author Audrey Harman has a B.A. in English and Spanish from Hollins University and is currently pursuing a M.A. in Publications Design at the University of Baltimore. She resides in Woodbridge and can be reached by email at aharman@princewilliamliving.com.

prince william living March 2013 | 21

giving back

ZOnTA:

Women Helping Women Since 1919

By Helena Tavares Kennedy, Contributing Writer

A

group of suffragettes and high-profile women, who included famous aviation pilot Amelia Earhart, founded the nonprofit organization Zonta International in 1919 in Buffalo, New York. eir goal was to create a worldwide service organization of business executives and professionals who work together to help women around the world.

Photo courtesy Zonta Prince William County

ey took their rather unique name from a Sioux Indian word meaning “honest and trustworthy.” According to their website, Zontians “volunteer their time, talents, skills and energy to local and international service projects designed to advance the status of women.” Today, Zonta has about 30,000 members in more than 1,200 clubs in 63 countries. e Zonta Club of Prince William County, the local chapter of Zonta International, is located in District 3 of the organization.

District 3 extends from southern New York through Virginia, including the Mid-Atlantic states of New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, part of Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. e Zonta Club of Prince William County serves the county as well as the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

Women from a variety of occupations comprise the nearly 20 members of the local club. ey include a pilot, lawyer, NASA employee, military, engineers, real estate executives and business owners.

“Our Zonta organization includes such a broad variety of business women, all of whom have dedicated themselves to serve women in our community and beyond,” said Linda Taylor, president of the Zonta Club of Prince William County. “I love the fact that while we represent many areas in the business world, we come together with a focus on improving the lives of women.”

22 | March 2013 prince william living

Surrounded by family and friends, 2012 Jane Klausman Women in Business Scholarship recipient Olivia Ford (center) accepts her award. Shown (L to R): David Ford, Sr., David Ford, Jr., Olivia Ford, Loretta Smith and Glorious Ford.

e local Zonta club meets monthly to pursue this common goal through service projects. According to the club’s website, the following projects address a wide range of issues all considered basic human rights for women’s development: ■ ■ ■ ■

Women’s economic self-sufficiency Legislative equality Access to education and training Health, nutrition and family planning

Prince William area. e Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship is named after one of Zonta International’s founding members and is geared toward women who are undertaking business studies and are in at least the second year of an undergraduate program or through the final year of a master’s program.

Photo courtesy Zonta Prince William County

e second scholarship is the Young Women in Public Affairs Award, geared toward female Prince William area high school students aged 16 to 19 who are college bound and demonstrate leadership skills with a commitment to public service. Applications are accepted through March. A scholarship committee, usually consisting of three Zonta members, reviews all applications and decides on the recipient by late March or early April.

The More, the Merrier

Sherrill Pusey organizes shoes Zonta collected for Soles for Souls, a program that provides gently used shoes to people in need.

How Zonta Achieves Its Goal Another member initially asked local Zonta member Vikki Youravich, prior to her joining, to attend a meeting to learn more about the organization. Youravich, who owns Just Write, a personalized printing business, had not heard of Zonta at that time. ree years later, she said she is happy that she made the time to go to that first meeting, adding that she was impressed with the women around the table. “It was women helping women. ese were all women who are trying to help betterment and advancement of women in our area and around the world,” said Youravich.

She has served on several committees within Zonta, primarily public relations and membership. Her involvement has included planting a garden at a Woodbridge senior center and hosting a jewelry show in her home for the Bead for Life Program. Ugandan women make the jewelry, which provides them with a source of sustainable income. Youravich’s most memorable project is a Mother’s Day event at Transitional Housing BARN, Inc., a Bristow-based nonprofit organization that offers transitional housing and case management services to homeless mothers and their children. Zontians spent much of the evening with women at the BARN, holding a social in their honor.

Youravich explained that during their monthly meetings, the Zontians decide which groups they will help and always look for new groups that would benefit from their volunteerism and donations. e organization is also always on the lookout for new fundraising activities to support its annual scholarship program, she said. Currently, funds are raised through wine tastings, a silent auction, White House ornament sales and two annual yard sales during May and October in the Long & Foster parking lot in Woodbridge. e amounts offered for each scholarship vary depending on the total raised that year.

e local Zonta club is always looking for new members, Youravich said. e more people who participate, the more women they have to provide ideas and to help with fundraisers and service projects.

“More members means we can do more things for more women in the county and for Zonta International,” said Youravich.

For more information about the local club, visit www.zontaprincewilliam.org or contact Sherrill Pusey, membership leader, at sherrill.pusey@longandfoster.com.

A nonprofit marketing director and an all-women’s college graduate (from Mount Holyoke College), Helena Tavares Kennedy also enjoys freelance writing in her spare time. She has lived in Manassas with her husband and two children for 12 years and can be reached at hkennedy@princewilliamliving.com.

Zonta at Work Zontians help advance women through a variety of service projects. A few service projects of the Prince William club: ■ Collect and take used shoes to the VA Runner store, which donates them to needy individuals across the globe through Soles for Souls.

■ Donate funds to Court Appointed Special Advocate.

■ Mentor women and children living at BARN, and donate much-needed items.

■ Help secure transitional housing for women veterans until they find a civilian job and permanent home through the Final Salute program.

■ Sell jewelry handmade by Ugandan women to support the women’s artistry and income through Bead for Life.

■ Provide financial support to Beat the Odds, which gives at-risk youth opportunities to attend college and be successful in their lives.

For more information about Zonta’s local efforts visit www.zontaprincewilliam.org.

e club offers two scholarships for women who live in the prince william living March 2013 | 23

home & hearth Analysis Paralysis

By Denise Smith of FA Design Build he biggest obstacle faced by many homeowners is their own inability to make a decision. I call this syndrome Analysis Paralysis. The fear of making a mistake becomes so powerful that no decision at all is made. To compound things, Analysis Paralysis is more likely to strike when more than one person is involved in the decision-making process, common in many home improvement projects.

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The Key to Meeting Your Real Estate Needs

I recently worked with a couple who came to us midway through their project. They were hung up on choosing between a matte or gloss sheen in the finish of their wood.

Although it was only a very small portion of the entire scope of work, this decision became the convergence of all the difficulty they had had in making decisions up to this point.

Analysis Paralysis was responsible for putting the project on hold.

How many times have you searched and searched for the perfect item, only to come back to the very first one you liked? While this may seem coincidental, the phenomenon of the first choice being the best is, in fact, scientifically supported. Contrary to intuition, in a 2004 study Sheena Iyengar of Columbia University found that when faced with too many choices, the brain begins to physically shut down, and the quality of decision making steadily declines as more information is gathered. When faced with a choice, continual and sustained mining for information can actually be detrimental.

My advice to this couple, as well as to anyone else experiencing the inability to decide, is to try to remember their very first reaction to the products they are considering. The subconscious has made the decision quickly, processing the pros and cons at the speed of light.

This emotional response, commonly called the “gut reaction,” will continue to nag you for as long as the debating over gloss level (or other small details) continues.

In the case of this couple, their first choices differed from one another’s. While this may appear to be a great obstacle, it is actually good, because instantly the choices have been narrowed down to two—the same number as sides on a coin. If only all decorating decisions were as simple as heads or tails!

Denise Smith is the design and sales consultant of FA Design Build. She believes every person deserves a timelessly beautiful space, regardless of budget or circumstance, and has the unique ability to discern a customer’s inner design concept and break it down into a workable plan. She can be reached at dsmith@fadesignbuild.com.

24 | March 2013 prince william living

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local flavor

Firebirds Grill:

Refined Dining with a Casual Attitude

By Paul Keily, Contributing Writer

F

irebirds Wood Fired Grill, located in the recently expanded Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center shopping center, opened its doors last November, making it one of the newest additions for the chain, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. e company chose Woodbridge, according to General Manager Joe Ortega, to “offer a dynamic dining experience like no one else in the Prince William area.”

Firebirds focuses on “an innovative style of American cuisine, using a blend of bold seasonings, spices and sauces that makes each dish flavorful from beginning to end,” Ortega said. But what really sets Firebirds apart is the wood-burning grill which gives many of the foods a tremendous, smoky flavor, he added.

Photo courtesy Tamar Wilsher-Rivas

Another distinct feature of the restaurant is its “firebar,” an impressive fireside bar. When first entering the restaurant, customers are greeted by two stunning visuals: the waterfall display above the firebar and the bar itself, which features a $30,000 rainbow of backlit liquor bottles. “It just may be the eighth wonder of the world,” Ortega said. e firebar also includes a massive stone wall with a fireplace. “e owner of Firebirds fell in love with log cabins on a trip to Colorado and decided to put fireplaces in all of his restaurants,” explained Ellie Baro, bar manager.

On the opposite wall is a wine display featuring hundreds of domestic and international bottles. “I wish I had one of these at my house,” commented patron Jermaine Hinds of Woodbridge.

Additionally, the restaurant offers a wide variety of delectable starters, salads, entrees, sides, burgers, sandwiches and desserts.

An all-inclusive meal, for example, might begin with the lobster spinach queso appetizer and a grilled shrimp and strawberry salad, followed by a filet mignon wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon, a loaded baked potato, and finishing with a slice of Crème Brulee Cheesecake. e meals are filling, as Woodbridge resident Andrea Patterson attested as she left the restaurant. “I’m still full. e burgers were so good and the sweet potato fries were the bomb. I’ll be sure to tell my friends,” she said.

26 | March 2013 prince william living

Firebirds General Manager Joe Ortega and Executive Chef Erick Kronquist outside the new restaurant at Stonebridge.

e chefs are well-trained and experienced. Executive Chef Erick Kronquist works hand in hand with his two sous chefs, Jay Reinhardt and Miah Wood. Combined, the three have more than 48 years of experience in running proven kitchens.

He described Firebirds as “a polished casual dining restaurant,” adding that the eatery is “the type of place where guests can grab a great burger or salad before catching a movie, or they can enjoy an

e dining area makes up the bulk of the restaurant and faces the open kitchen and grill. It is decorated with vases, cornucopia-like baskets, and paintings of impressionistic landscapes, still-life and animals. Booths and tables are both available. Diners can relax to the sounds of a commercial-free and eclectic mix of classic and modern rock, country, smooth jazz and reggae. Firebirds can accommodate up to 256 customers.

Photo courtesy Tamar Wilsher-Rivas

Ortega has high hopes for the new location. “I see us continuing to grow and capture a large portion of the Northern Virginia market,” he said.

Firebirds is located at 15100 Potomac Town Place in Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center. It is open Sunday through ursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For reservations and questions, call 703-763-5022, or visit www.firebirdsrestaurants.com.

The firebar is a distinctive feature at Firebirds, welcoming patrons to sit down and relax.

incredible steak or grilled lobster tail along with a bottle of wine and make an evening of it.”

Paul Keily recently graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English that includes a concentration in creative writing. He lives in Fredericksburg and can be reached at pkeily@princewilliamliving.com.

In addition, the restaurant has an an indoor cocktail seating area and an outdoor patio, which adjoins Stonebridge’s central drive – making it ideal for people-watching during the warmer months.

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Baro has been working for Firebirds for three years; she transferred from North Carolina to open the Woodbridge location, she said.

“I love working here. e company has helped me from day one,” she said. Waitress Rachael Hannoosh, of Woodbridge, said she also enjoys her job at Firebirds. “We all work well together, we’re all helpful, and we all enjoy each other. e management is open and helpful; I can go to them with anything,” she explained.

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Firebirds employs about 100 people in its Woodbridge location.

“Our wait staff and management are professionals who share a ‘hospitality mentality’ where we have fun taking service seriously,” said Ortega, who added that he gained 10 years of management experience at Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill before joining Firebirds in June 2012. He said the move “was a perfect fit for my personality and desire to grow.”

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e bar area includes three large flat-screen TVs, making it a great place to watch the game or chat with friends, Baro said. e most popular drinks are the cilantro cucumber gimlet and Firebirds’ spinoff of the cosmopolitan, Sex and the Queen City, named in honor of its origin in Charlotte. e bar has six beers on tap, including the locally produced Optimal Wit from Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria.

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e customer response to the new location has been positive, according to Baro. “e thing I’ve heard most is that Woodbridge needed a place like this, so people could go out to a nice restaurant and enjoy themselves," she said. “We have a lot of people who would go all the way to [the Firebirds in] Fredericksburg. ey’re excited to have a location closer to home.” She added, “e bar has been very busy almost every night; people love to drink here.”

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family fun The Joy of Swim Teams

By Kristina Schnack Kotlus, Contributing Writer

W

hen it comes to sports, I seem to have some kind of a karma block that prevents my children from choosing the ones that happen in the middle of the day. In fact, we pay some hefty cash for our children to play hockey at 5:30 in the morning! On the weekend!

Genius.

However, there’s something about the sports that requires you to set an alarm that translates to some quality family fun. When I talk early mornings, tacos in a bag, tents and spandex, some of you probably know that I’m not talking about a camping trip with gymnasts, but summer swim team.

I really didn’t think I would enjoy swim team. Practice every weekday morning of the summer and Saturday meets with a show time of 6:30 a.m. didn’t sound like a fantastic way to spend the better part of the break, but it turns out that summer swim team is a great way to enjoy some fun with your kids! Sign ups start early in the year, though, and it’s easy to miss registering your child if you don’t know to look—which brings me to my list of “things you should know if you’ve never participated in a summer swim team.”

First, sign up early. is is especially true for teams that offer an option for younger swimmers. Since the swim team fees can’t be beaten with a stick in terms of cost versus time in the water, slots fill up quickly, especially for programs available to younger siblings, such as the Ridgewood Barracudas “Take Your Mark” and “Little Cudas” programs.

Next, come prepared to hang out. Swim team, while highly supervised with lots of coaches, is not a drop-off sport. I had a great time at practice, though. Bring your Kindle loaded with a junky novel or two and make sure your water bottle is full. Most parents are happy to sit and chat, and you can make lots of great new family friends on the pool deck. ird, be prepared for the weather. Swimming is not cancelled for cold, rain or winds. Short of lightening, your kids are going to have their happy little tails in the pool. Most days, that’s fine, but a few of the early practices will be chilly! Bring hot cocoa and clothes to change into after practice when necessary.

Finally, come prepared for meets. Parents bring tents and lawn chairs to wait out the time between their children’s events. Cash is a must for the early morning hamburgers from the grill and games for the kids to play with their swim team friends. It’s a long day, especially for little siblings, but it’s totally worth the time and 28 | March 2013 prince william living

energy to see a huge group of children become fast friends in just a few weeks of swimming.

You can find details about each team by going to the main Prince William Swim League page at www.pwswim.com. e teams in the league are listed below, along with registration or try-out information if it was available at press time: Ashland Stingrays: Open registration starts early April. No tryouts required.

Ben Lomond Flying Ducks Braemar Blasters Bridlewood Bridlewaves Brookside Hurricanes: Open registration Feb. 15 through April 30. Swimmers must be able to safely make it 25 meters across the pool on the first day of practice, Tuesday, May 28.

Dale City Frogs: Registration will begin March 1. Accepts swimmers regardless of speed, as long as they are able to swim the length of the pool without assistance.

Dominion Valley Sharks: Open registration from March 1 through March 15, or until all spots are full.

Kingsbrooke Sea Lions Lake Manassas Blue Dolphins Lake Ridge Lancers Meadowbrook Makos Montclair Seahawks Old Bridge Breakers Piedmont Tsunamis Ridgewood Barracudas: Tryouts required to ensure a minimum level of confidence in the water.

Southbridge Fighting Seals Stonewall Park Swim Team Sudley Seahorses Urbanna Otters Veterans Park Marlins Victory Lakes Piranhas Virginia Oaks Sea Devils Wellington Dolphins: Tryouts will be held March 17 to ensure a minimum level of confidence in the water.

Westridge Waves Kristina Schnack Kotlus and her husband reside in Woodbridge with their three children. She is a born and raised Prince William native and the owner of PwcMoms.com, a resource for parents.

prince william living March 2013 | 29

your finances Comparing the Costs: Public vs. Private College

By Luanne Lee, Your College Planning Coach ll too often parents tend to focus on the sticker price of college tuition instead of the actual total out-of-pocket cost. A simple but critical formula to know before your child applies to any school is “Cost of Attendance” minus “Estimated Family Contribution” equals “Need.”

(COA – EFC = Need.)

A

The estimated family contribution is what the government says you are financially responsible for after you file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The need is the difference or gap in what it will cost to send your child to a particular college compared to what your family is expected or can afford to pay.

To better understand the differences between private and public colleges, including the types of assistance each may be able to offer, use this quick list comparison of a four-year education:

Private Colleges 1. The national average COA is about $38,000 yearly.

2. The “sticker price” (cost before financial aid) is higher than at public schools.

3. Can offer more aid due to endowments and private donations.

4. Students are more likely to graduate with a degree in four years or less.

5. The bulk of assistance is primarily based on financial need, with aid that meets 70 percent to 100 percent of families’ college financial need.

6. Fewer students per class and lower student-to-professor ratios than public universities.

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Public Colleges 1. COA averages nationally about $18,000 per year.

2. Largely supported by state funds, can offer lower tuition rates—particularly to in-state residents.

3. Special entrance consideration is at times given to instate applicants.

4. Some schools price match in-state tuition rates for outof-state students.

5. Offer aid, on average, that meets 40 percent to 70 percent of families’ college financial need.

This comparison and formula can help you decide which college option is more affordable for your family, depending on your family’s particular situation.

Luanne Lee, CCPS, Your College Planning Coach, specializes in late-stage college planning. She coaches parents and students on financial aid and college selection. Lee can be reached at 703-928-9036 or through her website, www.yourcollegeplanningcoach.com. She’s also on Facebook.

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calendar 18th and 19th Century Project Runway March 2, 10 a.m.

Old Manassas Courthouse 9248 Lee Avenue | Manassas What was the “in” hemline in 1780?

When did hoopskirts become the must have. Explore the trends in women’s fashions from the 18th and 19th centuries. Tea and cookies will be served.

Tickets: $5 per person. Free for children younger than six. Reservations recommended. Call 703-499-9812.

agencies, local, state and county police departments and more. Open to all students and the public. Free.

Greater Manassas St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 9, 11 a.m.

Center Street Old Town Manassas | Manassas We proudly announce the 14th year of our parade. Come out and join us in all the fun.

Lecture: Women’s Suffrage in the Washington, D.C., Area

March 2, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

March 3, 4 p.m.

Metz Middle School 9950 Wellington Road | Manassas Tickets: $12 per adult; $10 per child 12 and under.Tickets are available online at www.center-for-the-arts.com.

March 14, 7 p.m.

Old Manassas Courthouse 9248 Lee Avenue | Manassas Irma Clifton, from the Lorton Workhouse Museum, will present a lecture about the suffragists and Workhouse in Lorton/Occoquan in the early 20th Century. Her presentation will include details about the suffrage movement in the Washington, D.C., area from 1913 to 1920. Free. Donations accepted.

Youth Orchestra of Prince William (YOPW)

Women in the 19th Century Lecture and Tour

Pied Piper Theatre's Production of “Treasure Island”

march

March 3, 4 p.m.

C.D. Hylton High School 14051 Spriggs Road | Woodbridge YOPW presents a concert that highlights the development of string players. e concert begins with the Preparatory Orchestra, which is the beginning level string ensemble; progresses through four levels of development, including the Primo Orchestra and Repertory Orchestra; and culminates with the Concert Orchestra. is performance will also include the Hylton High School Concert Choir onstage with the YOPW Concert Orchestra. Tickets: $10 for adults ($6 for students and seniors). Free for children younger than six. For more information, visit www.yopwva.org.

Law Enforcement Job Fair 2013

March 6, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Northern Virginia Community College 15200 Neabsco Mills Road | Woodbridge Looking for a job in law enforcement?

Visit the Law Enforcement Job Fair 2013. Obtain information and inquire about job opportunities with federal 32 | March 2013 prince william living

March 16, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre 12229 Bristow Road | Bristow Women held many different roles during the 19th Century and specifically during the Civil War. Women’s role in the family, society and during the war and the hardships they faced (childbirth, lack of rights, etc.) will be discussed. Guests will also tour the farmhouse and learn about what daily life was like during the period.

Admission: $10 per person.

2013 Youth Summit March 16, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Stonewall Jackson High School 8820 Rixlew Lane | Manassas 2013 Youth Summit sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Open to all middle and high school students, as well as parents, guardians, educators and community service partners. ere will be workshops and lunch. Attendees are asked to bring a canned good. Register at www.omicronchiomega-aka.org. For more information, call Rhonda Scott-Coates at 703-407-5697.

Gar-Field High School Spring Craft Show March 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

14000 Smoketown Road | Woodbridge e show includes commercial vendors and also artists and crafters with a variety of quality handmade crafts and food items. Proceeds support students, faculty and staff of Gar-Field High School with a variety of scholarships, awards and programs. Free admission and parking.

For more information, email garfieldspringcraftshow@gmail.com.

Manassas Chorale Voices United Concert March 16, 7:30 p.m.

Hylton Performing Arts Center 10960 George Mason Circle | Manassas e Manassas Chorale presents Voices United – 150 voices and instrumentalists celebrating the power of music and faith in our lives, featuring guest composer Pepper Choplin. Tickets available online at www.hyltoncenter.org, by phone at 888945-2468, or at the Hylton Center Box Office. For more information, visit www.manassaschorale.org or call 703-738-6452.

Christ Chapel Presents the 2013 Easter Production “King of Kings” March 24, 11 a.m.

March 28 and 29, 7 p.m.

March 30, Noon Christ Chapel 13909 Smoketown Road | Woodbridge e special noon showing on Saturday, March 30, will be followed by Christ Chapel’s annual Easter Carnival. Come and see this dynamic play, which portrays the ministry of Jesus as told through music, drama and dance. Call 703-670-8481 for more information or learn more online at www.christchapel.org.

An Evening of Latin American Music March 27, 7 p.m.

Northern Virginia Community College 15200 Neabsco Mills Road | Woodbridge An Evening of Latin American Music with guitarist and composer Dr. Jose Manuel Lezcano. A multi-media showcase proving the guitar in Latin America speaks many languages. eater Room 120. Free. For more information, email Carmen at cfigueroa@nvcc.edu.

Discover Prince William & Manassas

VisitPWC.com

he long, dark days of winter are coming to an end and spring is officially right around the corner.

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This is one of my favorite times of the year to explore the great outdoors in Prince William & Manassas. From the mountains to the rivers, there are endless opportunities to satisfy any outdoor enthusiast right here in our backyard.

Take the family for a hike through the Bull Run Mountains and join one of the monthly exploration programs offered by the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy.

You can also bike one of almost 40 miles of trails at Prince William Forest Park or challenge the family in a physical fitness test at Leesylvania State Park. Along the park’s almost two-mile long fitness trail are exercise stations to test your strength, flexibility and endurance.

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STAY CONNECTED

Ann Marie Maher Or relax and enjoy a lazy day on the water by boarding a Executive Director Miss Rivershore Charters boat for a guided tour down the Discover Prince William & Manassas Occoquan River. If you prefer baseball to boating, catch the Potomac Nationals opening day April 5 at Pfitzner Stadium.

Spring also marks the start of festival and fair season. One of the most beautiful festivals of the year is April 7, with the annual Bluebell Festival at Merrimac Farm.

Wander through a carpet of Virginia’s bluebells along Cedar Run, spot butterflies and birds and enjoy nature activities perfect for all ages. Other planned events this spring include the Greater Manassas St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 9, the Old Town Manassas Spring Gallery Walk on May 3 and Nokesville Day on May 18.

This spring, I hope you take advantage of all the unique events and outdoor attractions we have right here in Prince William & Manassas. To get the most up-todate information, be sure to connect with us at discoverpwm.com.

Lecture: Pickett’s Charge March 28, 7 p.m.

Old Manassas Courthouse 9248 Lee Avenue | Manassas Historian Matt Atkinson from Gettysburg National Military Park will provide a detailed look into the events of July 3, 1863, and the men of General George Pickett’s division who made history that day. Free admission. Donations accepted.

Egg Hunt March 30, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Rippon Lodge Historic Site 15520 Blackburn Road | Woodbridge House tour included. Admission: $5 per child. ($1 off with canned food donation.)

Free for children younger than two. Please bring exact change. Pony rides and moon bounce are additional cost.

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tambourines and elephants I’m Late, I’m Late for … Something

By DeeDee Corbitt Sauter, Contributing Writer

My papers were squared on the tabletop; spacing between the piles looked measured. I told myself neatness counts. A dollar store calculator represented the tight budget in review. Red pens, highlighters and pencils completed another pile. An iced glass of Diet Coke dripped condensation which the bank statement collected.

Money. Budget. Although neither of those are four-letter words, they are topics that elicit a litany of amazingly profane vocabulary.

In our household, our funds are carefully assigned to categories in the attempt to delude ourselves into thinking we are financially prepared for any emergency. Our monthly bills are in a column, our annual expenses are in another list, and we actually have an emergency “ON” account, which stands for “Oh Nuts!” Any fiscal calamity that makes us wail “Oh Nuts!” is potentially covered by this special savings.

We revisit these accounts regularly to make adjustments because one day I am certain we will not be surprised by the disparity between our outflow and income. Household accounting seems black and white. Money cannot be manufactured from air, although centuries of alchemists certainly tried their skill at turning base metals into gold.

Books, classes and TV shows are available to help the average American stretch the power of the mighty dollar, and when we complete our weekly task of rationalizing our meager spending, I feel proud. In fact, I have considered buying a tiara with the profits. But, no matter how hard I work, I cannot seem to transfer this budgeting skill to the calendar.

I am fully aware that I cannot buy that frivolous craft organizer or pretty purse because I do not have the money. In fact, I

often repeat this mantra while shopping: “I cannot spend what I do not have!” So what makes me think that I can commit unavailable time by saying “Yes” to another activity? A watch, wand or magical powers that could slow time would almost be more valuable to me than all the riches of the world.

I have a calendar. I have more than one, in fact. I have the paper one that is usually shoved in my purse or ubiquitous tote. I use it as a quick check and to jot reminders. It’s also beautifully adorned with birthday prompts and holiday stickers just because I like pretty things.

We also have an online version. My husband and I are equally responsible for reserving dates and making sure we are not overbooked.

But what we consistently fail to consider is the taxable time associated with any activity. Like the financial budget, there are always unexpected expenses. We build them into the numbers. Food is really food plus tax. An additional 10 percent is always calculated into home renovation costs for the unexpected. So making adjustments is not unfamiliar to me.

Yet I forget to factor the time needed to get ready and travel to any destination, in addition to the hours spent enjoying our activity. I simply forget over half the calculation.

Saying “Yes” to making a poster takes less than a second, and the promised artwork is gorgeous in my head: vibrant colors, glitter, straight lines and completed in less than an hour. Seriously? What am I, delusional?

Gathering the supplies takes more than an hour because I have yet to recognize that I do not live in a bubble. As quickly as I can assemble my materials, my children can find use for them and they are scattered to the four messy corners of the house.

Field trips, dinners, meetings, classes, play dates, in addition to sleeping, eating and cleaning, all take far more time than I have.

How in the world can I read anything, ever, AND do laundry? Is it realistic to actually cook dinner while paying attention to the children? Grocery shopping not only cuts into my savings but also naptime. It’s obvious that I do not have a clear, or even foggy, understanding of time.

While perusing the Internet for craft ideas, which apparently I have no time to complete, I often stumble upon blogs, updated daily by working mothers who have 12 children under the age of seven. They not only make the crafts I covet, but they invent them, all while preparing healthy gourmet meals, tending to the garden, changing the oil in the car and learning Mandarin. In this electronic age, they can brag about all their accomplishments far too easily.

While I can weave a respectable budget out of numbers, columns and highlighters, I fail desperately with a schedule.

The hands move in giant circles on that clock, but other than documenting the passage of time, it only succeeds in making me dizzy.

Which, of course, requires another nap.

Which may or may not take valuable time from my daily activities. But I have no idea because I have no sense of time. Or direction, but I am pretty sure that’s unrelated.

At least I can tell you where to buy cheap bread.

DeeDee Corbitt Sauter is a resident of Prince William County. Her column, “Tambourines and Elephants,” appears monthly in Prince William Living.

prince william living March 2013 | 35

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