Prince William Living July 2015

PAGE 10

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC CENTER

PAGE 20

GARDENING MAGIC IN MINIATURE

PAGE 35

RISE OF THE LITTLE TOYS

prince william living July 2015

The premiere lifestyle magazine of Prince William and Greater Manassas

Outdoor Living

PAGE 4

Elite Shooting Sports: Aiming to Be the Best PAGE 12

Lovey Hammel and Employment Enterprises PAGE 18

www.princewilliamliving.com

table of contents July 2015 Vol. 5 No. 7

FEATURE STORY Outdoor Living: Creating an Oasis All Your Own................................................4

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

4 Photo by Amanda Causey Baity

on a high note Contemporary Music Center: Bringing Music to All............................................10 destinations Elite Shooting Sports: Aiming to Be the Best...........................................12 giving back A Home Away From Home: Bull Run Warrior Retreat...................................... 14 taking care of business Lovey Hammel and Employment Enterprises.......18 family fun Gardening Magic in Miniature..............................20

10 Photo courtesy Contemporary Music Center

local flavor CJ Finz, Serving Up Seafood with a Twist............26 calendar...............................................................30 lifelong learning A Multitude of Reasons and Resources for Homeschooling...............................................34 tambourines and elephants Rise of the Little Toys...........................................35

COLUMNS

26 Photo by Amanda Causey Baity

health & wellness.................................................16 home & hearth.....................................................24 your finances........................................................28 Discover Prince William & Manassas................31

prince william living July 2015 | 1

The premiere lifestyle magazine of Prince William and Greater Manassas

Prince William Living Publisher Rebecca Barnes rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com Contributing Writers Amanda Causey Baity, Liesl Den, Delia Engstrom, Peter Lineberry, Ann Marie Maher, Olivia Overman, DeeDee Corbitt Sauter, Tracy Shevlin, Michael Spiro, Niki VanEch, Ashton Wagner, Bennett Whitlock, Emma Young Editor in Chief Emily Guerrero Copy & Production Editors Peter Lineberry, Dan Verner Photo Editor Amanda Causey Baity Photographers Amanda Causey Baity, Delia Engstrom, Robert Jinks Marketing Director Amanda Causey Baity Graphic Design and Production Alison Dixon/Image Prep Studio Online Submission Manager Paul Keily

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. 3 Efax: (703) 563-9185 Editorial Have a story you’d like our staff to cover? Contact Prince William Living editorial staff at (703) 232-1758, ext. 2, or at editor@princewilliamliving.com.

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by Prince William Living, Inc. The opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Prince William Living. © Copyright 2015 by Prince William Living, Inc. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced or translated without written permission. Visit the Prince William Living website at www.princewilliamliving.com for reprint permission.

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2 | July 2015 prince william living

About the Cover The outdoor living space at Monica Mill’s Manassas home boasts not only this gorgeous table and serene background setting but also has a brick pizza oven, relaxing fire pit, covered outdoor kitchen and eating area with beautiful colors.

Photo by Amanda Causey Baity See more photos online at pwlphotos.com

from the publisher Summertime, and the Living is Easy in Prince William

W

hether you look out your back door and see an oasis or a project, you’re sure to find an inspiration or two in our July feature on page 4, “Outdoor Living- Creating an Oasis all Your Own.” Motivated by her own fixer-upper, writer Emma Young consulted with landscape professionals and area residents on ideas for extending your living space and sense of style from the home into the yard.

Speaking of retreats, “Giving Back” (page 15) unveils the justopening “home away from home” that Serving Our Willing Warriors built for soldiers recovering from physical and emotional trauma incurred during battle. Bull Run Warrior Retreat offers wounded warriors and their families a respite from prolonged hospital stays, enabling them a brief return to a sense of normalcy and relaxation.

Then, Amanda Causey Baity describes her idea of relaxing in “Family Fun” on page 20, where she delves into the oddly obsession-inducing world of fairy gardening. Check out the step-by-step instructions for getting started on this hobby full of enchantment, with miniature gardens that double as homes to mythical creatures.

While tending tiny gardens is a creative way to entertain the whole family, make sure to also venture out and enjoy the many recreational activities that mark summer in Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park. From Rock Camp at Contemporary Music Center “High Note” (page 10) to the water parks and waterways highlighted in “Discover Prince William & Manassas” (page 31) and the temperature-controlled environment of Elite Shooting Sports (page 12), there’s plenty of ways to keep the kids—and yourself—occupied all season long.

As always, we’d love to see how you are #PWLiving. Post your pictures from the Dale City 4th of July Parade, Celebrate America festival, Music on the Marina, area farmers markets and other events highlighted in the calendar on page 30, tagged #PWLiving.

Your photo just may end up in the August issue of Prince William’s premiere lifestyle magazine.

Sincerely, Rebecca Barnes Prince William Living Publisher

Advertiser Index ACTS...........................................................................................36 Ameriprise–Whitlock Wealth Management.............................28 Apple FCU..................................................................................28 Beautiful Moments by Amy......................................................36 Best Western Battlefield Inn.......................................................9 Beitzell Fence.............................................................................29 Boys & Girls Clubs.....................................................................36 CAP Accounting, LLC.................................................................29 CASA...........................................................................................36 City of Manassas Park—Parks & Recreation...........................33 Dance Etc......................................................................................9 Discover Prince William & Manassas......................................31 Edgemoor Art Studio................................................................36 FURR Roofing...............................................................................9 Giorgio’s Family Restaurant.....................................................16 Greater Prince William Community Health Center.................36 Harris Pavilion............................................................................33 Historic Manassas, Inc. .............................................................21 IKEA............................................................................................25 Inova...........................................................................................17 Imagewerks................................................................................36 Jabs Construction..................................................................9, 31 Keep Prince William Beautiful..................................................36 Leadership Prince William..........................................................7 Linton Hall School.....................................................................23 Magnificent Belly Dance...........................................................36 Mark Gilvey Creative.................................................................36 Mary Washington Healthcare...................................................23

MightierThan................................................................................9 Minnieland.................................................................................17 Okra’s .........................................................................................33 Patriot Scuba................................................................................9 Peggy and Bill Burke, Virginia Realty Partners, LLC...............24 Piedmont Physical Therapy......................................................16 Potomac Place............................................................................29 Potomac Shores Golf Club........................................................17 Prince William Chamber of Commerce.....................................8 Prince William County Fair.......................................................23 Prince William Courage.............................................................21 Prince William Ice Center..........................................................23 PRTC Transit...............................................................................32 Robert Jinks Photography........................................................36 Semper K9..................................................................................36 Sheyna Nicole Burt, PLC...........................................................21 Stonebridge................................................................................32 Tackett’s Mill..............................................................................33 The Arc of Greater Prince William/INSIGHT............................36 The Pope Institute......................................................................32 Tiny Dancers..............................................................................22 TODOS Super Market................................................................16 VanEch Studio............................................................................31 Vintage Moving & Storage.................................................29, 36 Vision Finders Design................................................................36 Washington Square Associates................................................36 Westminster at Lake Ridge.......................................................21 Yellow Cab.................................................................................36

prince william living July 2015 | 3

Outdoor Living Creating an Oasis All Your Own

By Emma Young

Photo by Rob Jinks

“To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.”

– Fanny Price, in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park

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F

or some, the backyard is an oasis. For others, it’s an eyesore in need of serious help. Luckily, a number of area professionals and homeowners who fall in the oasis category were willing to share their process—with tips ranging from lux to do-it-yourself.

Whether for your own enjoyment or for resale, having the right mix of hardscaping, furnishings, plants and personal touches can turn your outdoor space into an inviting getaway.

Sam Mangrio, of Avery Hess Realtors in Woodbridge, explained that a well-designed yard is not just a space; it represents a lifestyle: “Listings will read, ‘Enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the day under the pergola, on your custom patio, in your beautifully landscaped yard.’” Describing a yard will often “tell a story,” he said.

Unfortunately, in my case, the story is full of adjectives like old, flat, wooden, and bare.

When my husband and I purchased our Dumfries townhome the entire backyard was a deck, from door to fence-line. We planned to eventually create a green retreat, but an inability to envision what to do with a small space hindered our meager efforts. To get started, we contacted a garden center and a landscape design firm. It turns out that help is available in a number of price ranges and for even the most challenging of spaces.

Designing Outdoor Living Peter Field, an award-winning landscape designer featured on HGTV’s “Curb Appeal,” and owner of English Country Gardens in Manassas, and Craig Wells, vice president and landscape designer with Main Street Landscape, an award-winning design firm in Haymarket, each visited our wooden 20' x 20' yard. We asked both to envision an outdoor living area that included some green space, a small vegetable or herb garden (you can’t get more locavore than eating from your own yard), and some semblance of privacy, even if it was more a perception than reality. We also asked for designs to reflect a potential range of prices, from costconscious to luxury.

Both plans are stunning. (View them at pwlphotos.com.)

Reflecting desirable traits and trends in Prince William, elements included a pergola, flagstone patio and low-maintenance perennials. English Country Garden’s plan included a small serpentine lawn, following the outline of the patio. Main Street Landscape’s design added a stone-veneered outdoor kitchen.

Field explained that several factors are typically considered when designing outdoor spaces, including “construction limitations, existing plantings, sun/shade exposures, drainage and grading, soil conditions and wind directions.”

For our yard, size impacted the designs. “The smallness of the space greatly reduces the scope of what can be done to provide luxury and still have a functional, usable outdoor living area,” said Wells.

Extending Your Living Space While a masonry patio adds luxury, Wells offered a lowercost option that could increase the return on investment: “[I] substituted pavers for masonry work in the patio. Both are elegant and beautiful, but pavers are a substantial amount less costly, so arguably offer a better value.”

Montclair homeowner Jennifer Fitzpatrick shared her own trick for a budget-friendly patio: she has a relatively more expensive slate patio in front of her home, but used stamped concrete for the larger back patio. “Plain concrete would be fine, but the patterned stone makes it look complete and elegant,” said Fitzpatrick. “The back patio is an extension of our house, so the concrete is poured directly next to the house, allowing for a wonderful continuation of our living space.”

Fitzpatrick noted some of the benefits of stamped concrete, beyond budget. “[It] is fun because the sky is the limit with pattern and color you use and it has a lower price,” she said. “I love that I don’t have to weed or clean in-between stones or relevel it.”

This was accomplished despite a hilly terrain. “When people drive up they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, you have a little oasis in the sky,’” Fitzpatrick recounted. A series of separate outdoor areas were built into and around the hill: “A huge front porch with seating, a back patio with picnic table, and a side patio which we made into a play area,” she described.

Of course, there are challenges. Retaining walls, proper grading and drainage are all concerns. “If the steps or patio are pitched incorrectly the homeowner will have problems with water running into the basement or foundation,” said Fitzpatrick, who hasn’t had this issue. “The gutters have long extenders that go underneath the ground and patios, draining away from the house and it doesn’t puddle anywhere.”

No matter your choice of patio material or location, you’ll want the area to be well-lit. For Montclair homeowner Katie Pistun, who frequently hosts outdoor gatherings, lighting on a budget was initially a struggle. “We love the light provided by tiki torches and our fire pit, but we found it wasn’t enough to support a party after dark,” she said. “We now have strings of large outdoor lights in our trees that light the area perfectly and allow our torches and fire to provide ambiance instead.” Solar lights can also be a practical solution for parts of the yard that aren’t near power outlets.

As far as furnishing the patio, a little can go a long way. “I have found that the best parties offer little in the way of seating.

It encourages guests to mingle and move about,” said Pistun.

“Tables, however, are critical. In addition to our patio dinner table and a patio coffee table, we have five six-foot folding tables for our events.” She also keeps some folding chairs at the ready, just in case. (continues on page 6) prince william living July 2015 | 5

(continued from page 5)

Planting for Function & Beauty Choosing the right plants can add both beauty and functionality.

Wells added a crape myrtle to the budget plan “to add privacy and shade in lieu of the pergola.” Another option for privacy is Hornbeam fastigiata, “skinny plants that can grow to 12 feet tall,” said Field.

For maximum visual impact, make sure that your garden will have varying color throughout the year. “Plantings are chosen for their seasons of color so that something is either spring-andsummer blooming or fall coloring,” said Field.

Lake Ridge resident Suzanne Lewis uses this strategy in her own yard. “The goal is to have select items that are relatively low-maintenance and to find the shrubs and plants that bloom at different times of the year,” she said. “Lilac for the smell in the spring when it’s blooming [and] a beautiful magnolia that blooms on and off all summer.” Additional suggestions include holly bushes and other evergreens to provide greenery in winter.

Build your garden in layers, over time, advised another Lake Ridge homeowner, Carl Norton. “A big mistake people make, they have all these great ambitions and they buy all these plants, but it’s tough to plant a lot at once. Take baby steps,” said Norton, who has spent years perfecting his zen garden.

“Walk around the neighborhood and see what grows well there.

Neighbors may even be willing to give you clippings or bulbs.”

He also recommended planting a mix of perennials and annuals, noting that impatiens and purslane will reseed and return the following year. To fill a larger space, get perennials that multiply and can be divided each spring, such as bulb flowers, hostas, sedum, vinca vines and lenten rose.

“Building a garden this way can be a slow process, but well worth the time. It lets you really experience the joy of growing plants,” said Norton.

Going Lux Beyond the basics of a patio and garden lie a limitless amount of luxury add-ons: outdoor kitchens, pizza ovens, fire pits, hot tubs.

Are they worth it?

For Monica Mills of Manassas, the answer is yes. “I want to enjoy every minute now, and enjoy my house and have it be a fun place to come to,” said Mills. Her dazzling additions include two outdoor kitchens, bar area, pergola, fireplace, “loads of seating” and a wood-burning pizza oven. “[We are] definitely known as the party house,” she said.

This didn’t equate to blowing the bank account, though. She and her husband saved tens of thousands of dollars by creating these amenities themselves, relying on online tutorials. Still, “it always takes more time and always costs more money than you think,” said Mills, recommending to keep budget in mind as you plan. “You can buy so many outdoor grilling components and

Photo by Rob Jinks

Triangle resident Mieko Oshiro said that her landscaping is inspired by a book on Japanese gardening that she received years ago.

She advises homeowners ready to tackle yard projects to “follow your heart.”

6 | July 2015 prince william living

For the Mills, elements such as an outdoor kitchen and mounted television extend the family’s living space into the yard of their Manassas home.

how you want to build around it can be as elaborate or not as you want.”

For smaller spaces and budgets, a grill on the deck may suffice.

“Grilling is not just for lunch and dinner meats,” said Sarah Pitkin of Pitkin’s Ace Hardware. “[Now you can] use your grill for pizzas, pies, s’mores, breakfast links and eggs.”

She added that a basic charcoal grill can be found for less than $100, while a high-end gas grill like the Big Green Egg can run over $1,000. When shopping, consider “preferred fuel type or cooking method, type of food you’ll be grilling, [if ] you’ll also be smoking, need a side burner, how many people you usually entertain, how much time you want to spend cooking,” advised Pitkin.

Hot tubs are another luxury item that can be procured inexpensively if you’re creative. Inflatable ones start at under $500, and some retailers offer financing on higher-end models.

Then, there is the price of Lewis’ hot tub: free. She only had to arrange transport from the original owner’s yard.

“The best time is when it’s snowing or on cool evenings, we enjoy a glass of wine and sitting in it,” said Lewis of her free find, which is now surrounded by the deck she and her husband built around it.

It is not uncommon to find homeowners giving away used hot tubs or selling them at a steep discount. Sites like craigslist.org can be a good place to search for these deals.

Think about colors that relax you, or items that reflect your style, such as garden statues or a cozy hammock for reading. Music buffs may want to invest in waterproof speakers. Let your yard cater to how you like to while away time spent outdoors.

Brian Smith has turned personalization into an art form. The Montclarion newsletter regularly features wildlife photos from his backyard. “[My yard is] like an artist’s canvas, [with] the potential of becoming something special,” said Smith. “I relish the time I spend in landscaped settings that not only are pleasing to the senses—sight, sounds and smell—but that also stimulate the imagination. “[I’ve] particularly enjoyed the family gatherings on our shrubenclosed patio. The paneled columns, fountains, hanging lanterns and cedar arches give the impression you are in an harmonious world that you could only find here,” he said.

“Guests have described it as a kind of ‘secret garden.’”

Another secret garden can be found in Triangle, at the home of Mieko Oshiro, who found great inspiration in a book on Japanese gardening she received years ago. “Being in a Japanese garden makes me calm and relaxed … flowers in the spring, [and] in the rainy season…a frog’s chorus and the sound of water,” she said.

Oshiro shared her wisdom for creating your own outdoor oasis: “I say, follow your heart and enjoy.”

Personalizing Your Space Once you’ve created a basic plan, make it your own. “Personalize your outdoor space with fun accents and accessories…like pillows or rugs,” said Ikea Public Relations & Marketing Manager Wendy Rogers.

Emma Young is a freelance writer and stay-at-home mother residing in Dumfries. She’s emphatic that this year she will get the deck project done, and can be reached at eyoung@princewilliamliving.com. prince william living July 2015 | 7

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on a high note

Contemporary Music Center Bringing Music to All

By Olivia Overman

G

rowing up with a professional saxophonist for a father, and with decades of percussionist experience under his own belt, it seems natural that Menzie Pittman would be so passionate about sharing the gift of music with the next generation.

“I found that my strength lay in helping teens and adults advance their aspirations; my positive message was something the students could connect with,” said Pittman, founder and director of education at Contemporary Music Center (CMC).

“Working together with our community’s families and sharing the joy of learning music is what Contemporary Music Center has always been about.”

If It Makes Music, They Teach It He co-founded the Haymarket business in 1989, and has since opened a second center in Chantilly. Both locations offer individual and group lessons on a wide range of instruments. Its website lists lessons for 20 instruments, ranging from guitar to the timpani (kettle drums) and French horn, as well as vocal lessons.

“We have always been known for the quality of our educators; our instructors are quite versatile, so if an instrument makes a sound, we teach it and we teach it to both young and old…age doesn’t matter,” said Pittman.

One-on-one lessons are individually tailored to meet the needs of the students and “conducted in dedicated lesson rooms at the store, with instructors that have been vetted by the store owner for their proficiency with the instrument and their rapport with students,” said Diann Stedman, mother of CMC student Emily Stedman.

“Like our clients, I am a parent, and I want our families to know we are in this venture together,” Pittman said.

10 | July 2015 prince william living

Group lessons, held once a week for an hour, turn into music sessions where together students write, arrange, play and perform what they’ve created. Using JamHub technology, they are able to plug in their instruments and headphones and listen to the music as if they were in a real studio setting.

Nurturing Musical Confidence and Style It is in these sessions that students come into their own style and develop confidence, said Pittman. Other group classes include songwriting workshops, bluegrass evenings, guitar gatherings and most recently, an early childhood music development class, called Rainbow Rock.

“We initially visited CMC to rent a violin because Emily was in middle school orchestra,” said Stedman. “We stayed with CMC for several reasons, the most important of which is the atmosphere CMC provides for students.”

“Emily, 16, has gained confidence through her involvement at CMC. She considers her instructors and mentors to be extended family. She feels comfortable to ask questions, make mistakes, and take creative risks,” Stedman added.

Thirteen-year-old Tyler Plazio takes both voice and drum lessons at the Haymarket location. “Our pursuit for drum lessons led us to CMC, but CMC has become so much more for us over the past several years,” said Tyler’s father, Joe Plazio. This summer Tyler will put his talents on show when he takes part in Rock Camp. “Tyler has participated in two summer rock camps and is looking forward to this summer as his band ‘Soldiers of Suburbia’ is planning to do rock camp together,” said Plazio.

Rock Camp is a nationally recognized two-week summer camp where the children form bands and take advantage of Pittman’s 25 years of experience in the music business. “Rock Camp concludes

Contemporary Music Center’s 4410 Room and Rock Camp both enable students to experience the rush of playing before a live audience.

It doesn’t end there. “We also provide these young stars with an experienced stage crew to address their every performance need.

No detail is overlooked,” said Pittman. “Students experience an autograph meet-and-greet and enjoy a green room that Adam Levine would approve of. Everything I experienced when I performed live is shared in our Rock Camp experience with the students.”

A Musical Community For those who can’t make Rock Camp, or can’t get enough of the rush that performing live brings, there’s @4410. A listening room opened under the Haymarket location in June 2013, it is decked-out in decor that pays homage to great musicians.

Born of the idea that students need a place to perform, @4410 has become so much more. “In the short time it’s been opened we have had a Grammy artist [Michael League], a ‘The Voice’ contestant [Paul Pfau] and the Alternate Routes drop in to play,” said Pittman. “More importantly, we have families play together; we have teen bands host shows, and co-op’s with local high schools, as well as every type of local artist you can think of.”

Battlefield High School recently made use of the room, holding an open mic night there to help support its magazine, Inside 1500. “It’s amazing to see parents, teachers and students performing and interacting together because they choose to,”

Photos courtesy Contemporary Music Center

with a concert extravaganza held at the Hylton Center for the Performing Arts, and simply put, there is no other experience like this to be found,” said Pittman. “For this concert CMC brings a team of the very best technicians in the area. We provide professional production, KirbySound, and a great videographer, Mojo Factory Productions, and the photographer who shoots all the pro concerts at Jiffy Lube [Live], Craig Hunter Ross.”

Pittman said. “The performers have a state-of-the-art experience, the school raises money and we support music, which is our job.

The entire community wins on this partnering.” He also has had similar partnerships with Patriot High School.

In addition to providing a place for students to develop their musical talents, CMC also buys and sells instruments. It carries a wide array of instruments and many brands, such as Yamaha, Epiphone, Roland, Korg, Marshall, Breedlove, Deering, D’Addario and Zildjian.

Pittman works with the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), and the former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley, on Fly-In, Congressional advocacy effort to promote the importance of music education programs. He also serves on the steering committee for the SupportMusic Coalition and on the Hylton Center’s Education Committee.

You can see what Contemporary Music Center has to offer at contemporarymusiccenter.com and follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/ContemporaryMusicCenter.

A graduate of American University’s School of Communication, Olivia Overman writes articles for online and print publications. prince william living July 2015 | 11

destinations

Elite Shooting Sports Aiming to Be the Best

Photos and Story by Delia Engstrom

S

ummer months can often cause local residents to daydream of a destination that doesn’t leave them covered in sweat and bug bites. Many find that travel options are limited, either by the desire to avoid congested highways or the price tag of some attractions. But for those looking to safely improve their proficiency with firearms, a reprieve from the humidity can be found at a place that is both affordable and a constant 71 degrees: Elite Shooting Sports in Gainesville.

Opened in November 2014 and billed as “the nation’s most advanced indoor shooting range,” Elite has quickly established itself as a popular and accessible Prince William destination.

This 65,000-square-foot building near the intersection of Routes 234 and 66 has been a lifelong dream of owner Greg Wodack, a competitive shooter for the last 25 years and the former manager of the NRA Headquarters Range in Fairfax.

Also a professional range consultant, Wodack designed the facility from the ground up, rather than retrofitting an existing building.

This allowed for engineered safety features and sealed substructures, or as Wodack calls it, “a concrete bunker in a concrete building.”

However, you’d be hard pressed to find anything reminiscent of a bunker when you enter this state-of-the-art structure.

12 | July 2015 prince william living

Visitors to Elite Shooting Sports are struck by the expansive, well-lit feel of the interior. An abundance of leather sofas and chairs in the “club room,” as well as flat screen TVs, lend a comfortable yet upscale vibe. An admitted pet peeve of Wodack’s is the harsh feel of some gun shops and ranges, so he hopes to allay any fears first-time visitors might have. “I want everyone to feel welcome, people from all walks of life and all mindsets,” he said.

“It’s also important to me that women and children feel safe and comfortable in my facility.”

In addition to the filtration and cooling system that keeps interior air a comfortable temperature and free of gun smoke, a major factor in making visitors feel comfortable is the customer service.

The nearly 50 employees have varying degrees of backgrounds with firearms, with many hired for their ability to provide a great experience to clients, said Wodack. Selected in large part for their dispositions, you might not realize which employees are military vets, lifelong shooters or college students. All have the same welcoming and professional demeanor.

In fact, if it weren’t for the firearm accessories available in the retail shop, you might forget you were even inside one of the largest indoor shooting ranges in the country. Rob Tucker, a resident of Montclair, who was visiting for the first time with his 17-year-old

Elite Shooting Sports in Gainesville has two 25-yard ranges, as well as 50-yard and 100-yard ranges and a simulation trainer for law enforcement. All guests must watch a training video before shooting at Elite for the first time.

Photos by Delia Engstrom

son Hayden, said, “Elite is even bigger than we imagined. It’s a spacious, but yet very welcoming environment. “ Upon arrival, first-time visitors like the Tuckers check in at the registration desk in the lobby. Adults 18 and over will need to present a valid ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. Children ages 7-17 are allowed to shoot with adult supervision, and must be with a parent or legal guardian at the time of registration.

Subsequent visits for a child can be with any adult. Each new patron is also required to pay a one-time $10 registration fee and fill out the necessary personal information on an iPad. Next, new customers are required to watch a 9-minute orientation video describing the range’s rules and regulations, proper firearm handling techniques and target usage. “The video was very informative and specific to this particular range. We feel well-prepared to spend time shooting here,” said Tucker.

Range Safety Officers are available at a separate counter to assist with lane rentals as well as target or ammunition purchases. Elite has two 25-yard ranges and a 50-yard range available for $20 an hour for one shooter; it’s $25 an hour for the 100-yard range. Each additional adult on a lane is $10 and children always shoot for free.

Memberships are available for $34.95 a month, with a discount available for military, law enforcement and firefighters. Protective gear for eyes and ears is available at no extra charge. Visitors must bring their own firearms.

If you’re interested in getting involved in shooting, but don’t know where to begin, Elite offers a variety of co-ed instructional classes, as well as the popular “Ladies Only” class. Held on alternating Wednesday nights and consistently sold-out in advance, an all-female instructional staff provides women with the opportunity to become familiar with different firearms. A 2:1 student/teacher ratio ensures that attendees receive the attention and level of training that Elite prides itself on.

Once inside the ranges, customers will notice the wide shooting lanes and a state-of-the-art target retrieval system. Range Safety Officers are a constant, yet quiet presence, and are readily available if needed. A Ti Training™ simulator room “provides literally thousands of decision-making scenarios for both law enforcement and civilian” training on lasers or with live-fire, according to Elite’s website. The room also has an evaluation platform. A two-story “shoot house” will also open soon, catering to training for law enforcement agencies.

When lane time has expired, there’s no need to leave to unwind.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner items are available daily in their café, along with complimentary Wi-Fi. Even at its busiest, Elite never feels crowded and you never feel rushed. While resting in the lounge area after shooting his .22 rifle, Hayden remarked, “I could stay here all day. I can’t wait for my sister to come back with us!”

Elite Shooting Sports is located at 7751 Doane Drive, Gainesville, and is open daily from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Learn more at eliteshootingsports.com.

Delia Engstrom is a freelance event photographer currently residing in Montclair. Originally from New York, she has been actively involved in photography for nearly 30 years. She has lived all over the country and enjoys exploring new locales and being active in her community in every place she has called home. She can be reached at dengstrom@princewilliamliving.com prince william living July 2015 | 13

giving back

A Home Away From Home Bull Run Warrior Retreat

By Peter Lineberry | Photos by Amanda Causey Baity

T

here’s a refurbished house in Haymarket—11,000 square feet, 15 rooms on 37 acres—that will soon welcome wounded and recovering war veterans and their families, offering a home away from home: Bull Run Warrior Retreat (BRWR). It’s located in the northwest corner of Prince William, in a sparsely populated area known as the Rural Crescent, where rolling hills nestle against the Bull Run Mountains, and where a major concern of area residents is the proposed route of electric power lines and the accompanying 100-foot towers that would bisect, among other things, Bull Run’s front yard.

While this issue plays out in the state courts—and in the court of public opinion—the work of a great many volunteers continues in preparation for the retreat’s July 4th ceremonial opening.

Shirley and John Dominick: A Challenge to Serve It all started, Shirley and John Dominick say, as a challenge from their pastor at nearby Park Valley Church to undertake a meaningful community service project. Nine years ago, the couple and others from the church began visiting wounded servicemen and women at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. Many had lost limbs, many suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Shirley, a retired Air Force officer, said that the first visits left her speechless.

Christmas gift-giving and summertime cookouts on the hospital grounds became annual traditions, and still continue. But the Dominicks soon realized that many of the soldiers missed living in a home environment, since surgeries, physical therapy and other medical needs often required years-long stays. “We always say they

14 | July 2015 prince william living

Meanwhile, Larry Zilliox is making sure that guests will eat in style.

He’s created BRWR’s Visiting Chef Program, with well-regarded local chefs taking turns preparing gourmet meals in the retreat’s kitchen, incorporating vegetables and herbs from an onsite garden.

“It is hard to find a more deserving group of people who are humble heroes and ask nothing more from us than our understanding,” said Zilliox, a disabled veteran himself. “For me I find I get more out of working with wounded warriors than I give.”

get the best care in the world there, and they do, but it’s still a hospital,” said John.

And there are plenty of others. On one spring afternoon, members of the Prince William Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority were installing identification plaques in front of trees, while a youth baseball team from Maryland was clearing brush to prepare walking trails. Scouts, children fulfilling mandatory service hours, companies on team-building missions—all have played an important part in getting the retreat ready.

This led to the couple creating the nonprofit Serve Our Willing Warriors (SOWW), which has raised many thousands of dollars for the retreat and related expenses. Shirley noted that she set up the 501(c)(3) one morning, and within hours heard from a Domino’s that wanted to hold a fundraiser on its behalf.

“When I look at the project overall, I feel it’s a heart thing,” said Shirley. “It’s showing the heart of the warriors and their families... and the heart of the community saying ‘I am longing to give back, just didn’t even know how to do it, but it’s right here in our backyard—we can do this.’”

Shirley and John Dominick will soon welcome the first guests to Bull Run Warrior Retreat.

In 2013, John used his background as a real estate broker to find and purchase the “rundown” house on Waterfall Road, which will soon be used to give selected military hospital outpatients weeklong retreats with their families. At the advice of contractors, extra time and care was taken to prepare the house for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. When the interior work is complete, the retreat will have three master bedrooms on the main floor, two more bedrooms upstairs and a playroom for children. The plan is to accommodate two families at a time, for 4-7 day stays. The basement will include a library and game room with a pool table and big-screen TV. There is also a furnished suite for the retreat’s live-in caretakers; the Dominicks envision a retired military couple in the role.

Although guests will be welcome to simply enjoy the house and its tranquil setting, the Dominicks have partnered with local organizations such as the Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center and Hylton Performing Arts Center to provide guests with free services and events. They will also receive an itinerary of regional points of interest, and transportation if needed.

One of the Dominick’s three daughters, Kelsy, is a BRWR project coordinator. “We’re appreciative of [the veterans’] sacrificial love that they pretty much give to all the American citizens, and sometimes without a thank-you,” she said. “I always think of my mother in that situation, and that’s where it comes from for me.”

An Army of Volunteers Coordinating the efforts of so many contractors and volunteers is no easy task, but Nancy Spencer, at 73, has embraced it with the enthusiasm of someone half her age. After more than a year of six-day work weeks at BRWR, she said that seeing the retreat come together is overwhelming: “To see what looked like an insurmountable task completed, there are no words. It is the support and generosity of so many that shared in making this a dream come true.”

The First Guests In April 2010, at age 20, Marine Lance Corporal Nick Thom lost his legs and suffered injuries to his hands due to an IED (improvised explosive device) in Afghanistan. He was engaged to Samantha Chambers before his deployment, and the next year they were married. After years of rehab at Walter Reed, both in Washington, D.C. and Bethesda, he and Samantha moved to a house in Broad Run provided by another nonprofit, Homes for Our Troops.

Nick walks ably with prosthetics; Samantha’s by his side every step of the way.

The Thoms recently toured BRWR with John Dominick, noting such asuch features as the new three-story elevator, grab bars and other safety amenities in bathrooms and signs of forthcoming access ramps for the front and back decks. The couple will be the first to spend a week at Bull Run, providing feedback to benefit the warriors that follow.

“A place like this, to get away from the hospital, is good mentally and physically,” said Nick. Samantha agreed, adding she “only wished this was available when we were in the hospital. The wounded will enjoy having some normalcy.”

The Thoms will be in attendance for the Independence Day ribbon cutting, as will 3-star general and keynote speaker Gregory Schumacher and other dignitaries. Their joint message to our wounded troops: Thank you and, if only for a short while, welcome home.

For more information about SOWW and Bull Run Warrior Retreat, including many ways that you can get involved, visit willingwarriors.org.

Peter Lineberry has been with Prince William Living since November 2011, and lives in Dale City. He can be reached at plineberry@princewilliamliving.com. prince william living July 2015 | 15

health & wellness Germs, germs everywhere

By Ashton Wagner

G

erms are everywhere, from keyboards to cellphones and from the bathroom to kitchen. They exist on every surface, often lurking in places we may not realize.

“The majority of the time [germs] are spread through public places,” said Dr. Steven Tang of Novant Health Bristow Run Family Medicine in Gainesville. “Germs can live on surfaces for a couple of hours. Think about touching a shopping cart after the person who used it last sneezed on it. You should take advantage of the disinfectant wipes most grocery stores offer.”

This explains why regularly washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the number-one protector against germs.

Where Germs Hide

A recent study by CBS Pittsburgh found that the single-serve office coffee maker used by employees contained 4.6 million colonies of bacteria and mold. “Damp areas promote the growth of germs,” Tang said.

Another place germs can thrive is in the refrigerator, especially in leftover food. Federal food safety guidelines recommend discarding leftovers after three or four days to prevent them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat.

Summer travel can also up germ exposure, such as sharing recirculated air on an plane. Tang suggested wearing a mask when flying, especially to new areas, where you haven’t been exposed to the germs.

“We have this social taboo of wearing a mask, but in reality, a mask can prevent a lot of germs from being spread from one person to the next,” he said. “In other countries, especially countries in Asia, people are more accustomed to wearing a mask to prevent the spread of germs.”

Swimming pools also have the potential for the spread of germs, despite the chlorine.

“It’s hard to kill some specific viruses,” Tang said. “Common warts can be transferred fairly easily, as well as athlete’s foot, which can be picked up in common locker room areas.”

Shower before and after swimming, and avoid swallowing water.

Ashton Wagner is a corporate public relations specialist at Novant Health, and can be reached at awagner@novanthealth.org.

16 | July 2015 prince william living

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taking care of business

Lovey Hammel and Employment Enterprises

By Tracy Shevlin | Photos by Robert Jinks

W

hen Temporary Solutions, Inc. opened in 1980, it was a transitional point in the lives of both Lovey Hammel and her mother, Jana Yeates. At the time, Hammel was a young mother, and her mom was being downsized after a career with the phone company.

Together, they decided to partner and open a temporary staffing company. From humble beginnings renting a Sunday schoolroom as office space, the company has grown into a nationwide provider of workforce solutions that reach all 50 states. Now operating under the parent company Employment Enterprises, Inc., the company has expanded to include Checks and Balances, Inc. and other joint ventures.

PWL: You told us about starting the business with both of you working three days a week. Starting in that manner, how did you manage to grow the business so successfully?

Hammel: We were very fortunate that about six months into our business, we became involved with a mentoring program with IBM that focused on women-owned businesses. It was our first involvement in “big business� and it was a Fortune 100 company. It gave us a new understanding of corporate expectations and professionalism and was an invaluable experience.

PWL: How important was education to your success?

Hammel: It was clear to me that I would need an education to be successful so I returned to school as a non-traditional student and attained a business degree from George Mason. I was a

18 | July 2015 prince william living

Working with her mother, Jana Yeates, Lovely Hammel created Employment Enterprises, Inc., an award-winning, nationwide provider of workforce solutions.

Lovey Hammel (center) with several members of the Employment Enterprises team, from left to right: Melanie Roe - Client Services Supervisor, Gala Johnson - VP of Marketing and Contract Services, Mark Sobczynski - Office Administrator, Pauline Tomko - VP of Sales.

businesswoman-by-day, student-by-night and wife and mother on the weekends. My husband was very supportive of my returning to school in spite of the time commitment.

PWL: It’s now more than 30 years later; how has the staffing industry changed?

Hammel: We have expanded our companies to allow us to work in different states and our companies have evolved to help people with any sort of contingent staffing needs. Today, positions are more project-oriented and people can work virtually from anywhere at anytime.

Our employees come from all phases of their career, whether it’s to build their resume or work between permanent positions.

Further, some of our employees have already had the bulk of their career elsewhere but are not yet ready to retire. Some positions are short-term positions without benefits, but others are longer term with benefits and people will move from project to project.

PWL: Working with family can be an interesting dynamic and especially so with a mother and daughter. How did you handle the family dynamic and partnership issues?

Hammel: There are both pros and cons to this sort of arrangement, but my mother and I worked together for 30 years growing the company. On the pro side, you know that you can rely on your family and you know who you are dealing with.

On the con side, it’s hard to escape business discussions and just enjoy family time.

In the early days, we didn’t advertise the fact that we were mother and daughter. I called her Jana and we made a point to keep the relationship professional in the office. Many of our clients and employees did not know that we were related. Our agreement to keep the relationship professional was a help to our partnership as well. For example, in the office, I needed her

opinion and approval as a partner, not as a parent, and vice versa.

Additionally, we made a pact that if we disagreed on an issue and one of us felt strongly opposed, the idea would be tabled. It was a trump card that eliminated major conflicts and one that we did not have to use often.

We are proud that we have managed to be good role models for woman-owned businesses and other mother and daughter teams. Father and son teams are more common, but mother and daughter teams can be successful. Think of Naomi and Wynonna Judd, or Joan and Melissa Rivers.

PWL: What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your job?

Hammel: Managing people is both the most challenging and most rewarding part of my job. When your brand is powered by people, it can be stressful. Everyone comes to the company with different needs and expectations and everyone needs to take their downtime to stay refreshed and creative.

It is very rewarding to know that we have positively impacted many of the lives of people who have worked for our company.

Whether it is in helping people build job skills or helping by career counseling, it’s a tremendous feeling.

Now I’m blessed with another generational experience with three grandchildren. I see dynamic changes ahead in social media and global workplace issues, so being in the people business, we will always be evolving. My job is to change with the times.

Tracy Shevlin is a native Virginian and long-time Manassas area resident. She is a full-time administrative assistant and parttime student at George Mason University completing her degree in Business Communication. She can be reached at tshevlin@ princewilliamliving.com. prince william living July 2015 | 19

family fun

Gardening Magic in Miniature Photos and Story by Amanda Causey Baity

I

f you’ve been inside a nursery recently, or spent any time on Pinterest, you’ve probably seen some version of a miniature garden. Mini gardens are a whole cottage industry now, with classes and clubs and a cult-like following. Fairy gardens are closely related, and are simply miniature gardens “tended” by small replicas of mythical fairy creatures.

These gardens are easy to maintain, take up little space and can be brought indoors during the off-season. When making them, I love combining one-of-a-kind handcrafted items with storebought accessories. Children of all ages light up at the whimsy of a fairy garden, so it is a great piece to add to your outside entertaining space.

It is incredibly easy to do, as many garden centers are now catering to customers’ cravings for miniature items. Most garden centers now have areas entirely devoted to this fairy garden hobby. From the tiniest of trees, plants, succulents and accessories, anyone can make a garden like this on their own.

Without the need for lifting large bags of heavy soil or bending down to dig in Virginia’s unforgiving clay ground, there’s no age restriction. Young and old alike can take part. But be forewarned, many find these gardens highly addicting.

Here is what you need to get started with your own fairy garden: Supplies: ■■ A container: Get creative and take your time looking.

You can get some inspiration from my Pinterest page pinterest.com/greenowlcrafts.

■■ Mini plants: You can use a wide variety of plants, just think small. Some that are easily found include fairy vine, Platt’s Black brass buttons, dwarf grasses, ferns, miniature evergreens, hens and chicks, succulents, wooly or creeping thyme, lavender, miniature roses, miniature daisies, miniature African violets and dianthus.

20 | July 2015 prince william living

■■ Moss: Found in the garden center or craft store. You may have some in the backyard which will save you some cash.

■■ Potting soil ■■ Accessories: Whether purchased or homemade, this is the most fun part of fairy gardening in my opinion. A great place to start is with the house or container. Once you have that piece the rest will fall into place easily.

Look around your home for dollhouse items that are no longer in use, or that need some updating. In our fairy garden, we incorporated both store-bought and homemade items. When I am out and about shopping, I seem to always have miniature gardens in mind right now. I love discovering fun little items at thrift stores, yard sales and garden centers, or even repurposing items found in nature: Acorn lids make perfect plates. Leaves are (continues on page 22)

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(continued from page 20) natural blankets and placemats. Sheets of moss can be transformed into rugs for houses. Some people even like to decorate their gardens for the holidays.

As far as directions go, there really is not a step-by-step beyond the obvious: add soil to your container and follow the package directions for each plant as you put it in the soil. Add water (enough to saturate, but not overflow).

After this dries a bit, starting adding your garden’s tiny inhabitants and their belongings. There’s really no wrong way to craft this, so just dive in.

To care for your fairy garden, be sure to water regularly. Also, feel free to give a gentle pruning to any plants that seem to outgrow their space. If you happen to lose a plant or it is not doing

well, just carefully remove it from the garden and replace it with something else. These gardens are always growing, changing and evolving, just like their full size counterparts.

If DIY is not your thing, you can visit Etsy and purchase a kit or even a completed garden. Though after getting the hang of it, you’ll probably get the urge to start another from scratch. Part of the fun is the hunt for unique items and the time spent creating the project together as a family.

Amanda Causey Baity, Prince William Living’s marketing director and photo editor, also blogs about thrifty family activities on her blog GreenOwlCrafts. com. She can be reached at acausey@ princewilliamliving.com.

Show us your gardens & win!

If you have a fairy garden started, or are inspired to start one after reading this Family Fun, share it with us on Pinterest or Instagram, using the tag #PWLfairygardens. One lucky gardener will win a $15 Etsy gift card to purchase accessories. Just don’t let that stop you from experiencing the thrill of the hunt!

22 | July 2015 prince william living

Prince William County Fair August 14-22, 2015

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home & hearth Finding the Right Size Rug for Your Room

By Niki VanEch

P

lacing the right size rug in a room is a key to making it look complete. So once you have established the best style of rug, take measurements and determine what size will be the right choice.

The room dimensions and type, as well as the furniture placement, must be taken into consideration too. Here are a few tips for making your selection:

We have roots, where others have branches.

Dining Room In the dining room, the rug should be large enough so that when the chair is pushed back it stays on the rug. Push your chairs out and measure.

Living Room In the living room, leaving a border around the room’s perimeter will make the room appear larger. Most designers favor a one- to two-foot border of floor space around a room. Placing furniture partially on the rug will create a feeling of intimacy. And here’s a question I get asked most often: legs on or off? Be consistent: if the front legs of the sofa are on the rug, then be sure the chair front legs are as well. If all the legs of the sofa are on the rug, then keep all the chair legs on too.

Bedroom A rug in a bedroom should be big enough so that when you get out of bed, you can take one or two steps before hitting the bare floor. You can use one large size rug under the bed or several smaller sized rugs around the bed. Runners work great too, with one along each side of the bed.

Hallway A long central runner can be used down the center of a hallway with furniture pushed to the sides and resting on bare floor. It’s more common to have a runner take up just one side in a hallway with furniture against the opposite wall.

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Niki VanEch is an interior designer who has been helping clients in the metropolitan D.C. area for more than 20 years.

Her home furnishings store, VanEch Studio, is located in Occoquan, Va. Her website is VanEchStudio.com. Like her at facebook.com/VanEchStudio.

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prince william living July 2015 | 25

local flavor

CJ Finz

Serving Up Seafood with a Twist

By Michael Spiro | Photos by Amanda Causey Baity

O

n any given day, a stroll through Historic Downtown Manassas (also known as Old Town) brings familiar sights and sounds of local bands, shops and restaurants—some old, some new.

Since February, CJ Finz has added its fresh take on seafood to the dining options in this historic and walkable area. This new eatery offers patrons a taste of the coast, in case you can’t make it to the beach this summer.

Christopher Sellers and Jonathan Kibben were both raised in Manassas. “I have worked in Old Town for about 15 years and have a lot of ties to the residents and customers that frequent Old Town as does my brother-in-law, Jon,” Sellers said. “We wanted to be a part of the town that we grew up in and wanted to be involved with the plans the city has for the future.”

And so, with Kibben’s Business Management degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, and Sellers’ experience working in the restaurant business for more than a decade, they decided to open up a fresh seafood restaurant in the town where they grew up.

With a menu that ranges from old standards to unusual pairings, variety is a common theme at CJ Finz.

This extends to the seating, from which you choose the style of dining you want by seating yourself either at the bar, conventional dinner tables or in the middle of the restaurant

26 | July 2015 prince william living

Manassas natives Jonathan Kibben (left) and Christopher Sellers paired up to bring fresh, affordable seafood to their hometown.

where high, family-style tables allow you to sit or stand, creating a more casual setting. There’s also a second-story deck that looks out onto Harris Pavilion.

Bartender James Shoemaker and Executive Chef William “Smiles” Lauday serve up peach sangria, Chincoteague oysters and dessert nachos.

“I loved the atmosphere,” said Mandy Gannon of Manassas. “It’s small enough to give you the feeling of a family atmosphere.”

While the eatery isn’t a sports bar, the TV’s behind the bar can accommodate the whole restaurant on game day. And though the atmosphere lends itself to more of a casual hangout than a formal dining experience, the menu features some items that you’d expect to find at a high-dollar establishment, alongside quick bites and bar food. All are fairly priced, especially given the quality.

Manassas resident Ginger Acosta has already been to the restaurant several times. “They have great food, and it’s just a comfortable place to be,” she said.

In addition to offering common seafood dishes like crab cakes, salmon and fried shrimp, CJ Finz adds a little twist to a normal seafood menu. Dishes like Ahi Tuna Tacos or the Fried Oyster Po’ Boy gives the customer options he might not find at a regular seafood restaurant. It takes two days to create the She-Crab soup, which can be enjoyed as a sauce on crab fries as well. CJ Finz also has a seafood bar, which consists of shrimp, clams, oysters, crab legs and mussels. “You’re really getting something you can’t get anywhere else in Manassas,” Acosta said.

So why the name CJ Finz? “When we decided to run with a seafood concept,” Sellers explained, “we wanted to incorporate our names in the name … as for Finz, well, it conveys seafood and to be honest, we just thought it has a nice ring to it.”

Sellers managed City Tavern Grille for 15 years, and said a lot of his clientele has followed him. “Honestly, we don’t like to tell customers to eat at CJ Finz instead of the other great establishments that Old Town Manassas has to offer … we like to support each other. However, we do believe we set ourselves apart from our neighbors with the raw bar and freshest seafood in town.”

Sellers credits the chef, William Landay, for the quality of the ingredients and creative menu items. “He has gone to great lengths to handpick ingredients, the freshest seafood, and has carefully crafted each recipe to give our customers the best experience each and every time,” said Sellers.”The oysters are [particularly] amazing, definitely worth a visit.”

Sellers also has goals for the restaurant, and wants to see it be more than just a place to eat.

“Of course, (our goal was to have) a successful restaurant in Old Town Manassas. But we want to contribute to its growth and get involved in the leadership roles within the city to foster the growth of our hometown,” Sellers said.

Michael Spiro is a former journalist with the York Daily Record in Pa., who relocated to Woodbridge in 2014.

He now works as a proposal writer in Alexandria, and is enjoying exploring his new community. He can be reached at mspiro@princewilliamliving.com. prince william living July 2015 | 27

your finances 5 Steps for Aging and Estate Planning

By Bennett Whitlock, CRPC

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t’s important to have the right documents in place to ensure that you have the help and care you need as you age—and that your estate is handled in the way you want. The following five steps can help: 1. Set up a health care proxy: Also known as a health care power of attorney, this enables you to appoint someone to make medical decisions on your behalf. Be sure to authorize this person to view your medical records.

Include instructions on tissue and organ donation, as well as medical interventions or treatments you don’t want to receive.

2. Consider creating a durable power of attorney document: You have the ability to designate an attorney-in-fact; someone you name in a power of attorney document can make financial decisions on your behalf, either effective immediately, or at a future date. If you don’t designate someone and you become incapacitated, the courts may appoint a guardian for you.

3. Purchase long-term care insurance: It can help you afford the type of care you desire if your health begins to fail.

Long-term care insurance helps to pay for services needed for chronic care that are not generally covered by health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.

4. Decide how your assets will be distributed: Whether you want to establish a foundation or leave your assets to charity, family or friends, you may want to create a will. Without a will in place, your estate will be handled according to the statutes of the state in which you reside, which may not align with your goals.

5. Create a gifting plan: Under 2014 federal tax law, you can gift up to $14,000 per person to as many people as you’d like without gift tax consequences. You can also pay college tuition for anyone without gift taxes or using any of your annual or lifetime gift tax exclusions.

Bennett Whitlock, CRPC ®, is a private wealth advisor and managing director with Whitlock Wealth Management, a franchise of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Learn more at WhitlockWealth.com or call 703-492-7732.

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calendar Tackett’s Mill Farmers Market

Tuesdays | 3:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Tackett’s Mill Commuter Lot Harbor Drive, Lake Ridge Find produce, meat, jams, bread and more each Tuesday now through November.

Market is held in the parking lot directly behind the McDonald’s. More info: facebook.com/TackettsMill.

Manassas Farmers Market

Thursdays & Saturdays | 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Harris Pavilion & Parking Lot B 9201 Center Street, Manassas Thursdays in Harris Pavilion, and Saturdays in Lot B, find fresh produce, meats, beverages, baked goods, artisan crafts and more. SNAP accepted. There’s also an evening market on Tuesdays at the pavilion, 5 - 8 pm. More info: historicmanassasinc.org.

Stonebridge Summer Concert Series

July

2nd and 4th Fridays, Through Sept., 8 p.m.

Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center 14001 Potomac Town Place, Woodbridge Across from Orvis. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the show. Featuring For the Win and Paul Pfau in July. More info: stonebridgeptc.com.

Haymarket Farmers Market Saturdays | 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Town Hall Parking Lot 5000 Washington Street, Haymarket Find Virginia-grown foods from a variety of vendors. More info: townofhaymarket.org.

Dale City Farmers Market

Sundays | 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Center Plaza Commuter Lot 14090 Gemini Way, Dale City The area’s largest producer-only market, featuring fresh produce, meat, dairy and other food products, along with handmade goods. More info: 703-670-7115, ext. 227.

Movies Under the Stars Saturdays, Through Sept., 7 p.m.

Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center 14900 Potomac Town Place, Woodbridge Free movies under the stars, on the jumbotron near P.F. Chang’s. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the show. More info: stonebridgeptc.com.

Dale City Annual 4th of July Parade July 4 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Dale Boulevard, from Beville Middle School to Center Plaza Watch one of the state’s largest 4th of July parades, with floats from more area civic groups, businesses and performers.

Then stay after the parade to check out Family Fun Day festivities, including vendors, games and entertainment in the Center Plaza commuter parking lot.

More info: visitpwc.com.

Celebrate America 4th of July Festival July 4 | 3 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Historic Downtown Manassas Celebrate America this Independence Day with one of the largest fireworks displays in Northern Virginia. The party surrounds the Historic Downtown train depot, the Harris Pavilion and the Manassas Museum, with rides for the kids starting at 3 p.m. Food concessions, novelty vendors and live entertainment begins at 4 p.m. Come early to get the best seats on the Manassas Museum Lawn for the firework display at 9:15 p.m. More info: visitmanassas.org/event.

Girls’ Night Out

July 9 | 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

WineStyles of Montclair 4394 Kevin Walker Way, Montclair Relax, catch up on gossip and enjoy some great wine and light hors d’oeuvres for the evening. Cost $12. More info: winestylesmontclair.com.

U.S. Navy Commodores

July 9 | 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Harris Pavilion 9201 Center Street, Manassas Free concert with the Commodores, the Navy’s premier jazz ensemble, performing the very best of big band jazz

for the Navy and the nation for over 40 years. Formed in 1969, this 18-member group continues the jazz big band legacy with some of the finest musicians in the world. More info: navyband.navy.mil/ event_calendar_july.shtml.

Revolutionary Readers– A Book Club for Young Readers

July 10 | 10 a.m.

Rippon Lodge 15500 Blackburn Road, Woodbridge Young readers (rising 4th-6th graders) are invited to join this book club, which will explore books and topics connected to the Revolutionary War. Each meeting will include a discussion of the book and other related activities. The book list is provided at time of registration. All titles are available at the local library. Cost is $7 per child. More info: 703-499-9812.

Flea Market at Brentsville

July 11 | 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre 12229 Bristow Road, Bristow Discover what court was like in Brentsville during its days as the fourth county courthouse of Prince William County. People from all over the county would travel there to buy and sell everything imaginable. In commemoration of this heritage, a flea market will be held. Table reservations required for market vendors. More info: 703-365-7895.

Good Vibrations with Tracey Eldridge

July 15 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. & 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Bull Run Regional Library (morning) 8051 Ashton Ave, Manassas & Potomac Community Library (afternoon) 2201 Opitz Blvd, Woodbridge Play percussion instruments as part of a rhythm community. You’ll see, hear and touch musical instruments to learn how they produce sound. For children ages 2 and up with a caregiver. Free admission tokens available 30 minutes before program begins. More info: traceyeldridge.com All events are subject to change. Check to verify dates, times and locations.

Have an event? Visit princewilliamliving.com/events to submit details to our online calendar.

30 | July 2015 prince william living

Discover Prince William & Manassas

DiscoverPWM.com

S

ummer is warming up and it’s time to get out and cool off at some of the premier attractions in Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park. Plan your family adventure at one of the area’s water parks, campsites or marinas.

The Prince William area boasts three water parks—SplashDown in Manassas, Signal Bay in Manassas Park and Waterworks in Dale City. At 13 acres, SplashDown is the largest water park in Northern Virginia. Here, guests can enjoy features like a lazy river, sandy beach, Lily Pad walk, spray fountains and 70-foot waterslide, offering a day of fun for both adventure-seeking and laid-back visitors.

Ann Marie Maher

President and CEO Discover Prince William & Manassas

Signal Bay keeps the beach theme going, with a beach volleyball court in addition to water cannons, water slides and a lazy river. Waterworks offers water slides and obstacles, wading pools and a shaded cabana area.

To enjoy our natural waterways, take a canoe trip along Powell’s Creek at Leesylvania State Park or try your hand at paddle boarding at Lake Ridge Park. Both also offer great fishing. If relaxing by the water is more your speed, visit historic Occoquan for a day of shopping and dining along the river, or book a trip on the Miss Rivershore.

M

verP W

@Disco

Facebook.com/pwcmanassas

For those who don’t mind working up a sweat, rack up the mountain bikes for a rigorous day on Prince William Forest Park’s many paved and gravel roads, which take you through a thick forest and past trickling streams. Stop for a picnic or camp in a rustic cabin, built by the Civil Conservation Corps in the 1930s (and used to train spies during World War II), or pitch a tent for an evening under the stars.

From poolside lounging to hitting the trails, there are many ways to enjoy greater Prince William and Manassas this summer. For more information on activities, camps and events this July, visit “Things to Do” on discoverpwm.com.

Ann Marie Maher is the President/CEO of Discover Prince William & Manassas.

For more information about what’s going on in Prince William and Manassas, visit DiscoverPWM.com or visit us on facebook/pwcmanassas.

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Movies Under the Stars Bring the family every Saturday night at 7pm to watch a family-friendly movie.

Summer Concerts

Every 2nd and 4th Friday at 8pm relax and enjoy live music in front of Orvis.

For more information, visit www.stonebridgeptc.com

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Manassas Park Community Center

Community Center Consider this an invitation to come and check out all that the Manassas Features:

• Indoor pool • 2 Wellness Centers featuring TRX Equipment • A banquet hall for Weddings, Birthdays & More • 20,000 Sq. Ft. Hardwood Floor Gymnasium • Dedicated Teen Center • 11 Multi-Purpose Rooms for Programs, Performances and Meetings • And Even a Dog Park!

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lifelong learning A Multitude of Reasons and Resources for Homeschooling

By Liesl Den

O

ver the past five years, the number of homeschooled students in Virginia has steadily increased from 23,730 in 2003-2004 to 35,858 in 2013-14, according to Virginia’s Department of Education reports, which include both those who register as homeschoolers and those who request religious exemptions. Prince William itself has well over 1,000 homeschoolers.

Why do people homeschool? The reasons for homeschooling vary from family to family — academics, religious reasons, athletics, peer pressure, school bullying, the school environment, a child’s special needs or disabilities. Other parents would like to send their child/children to private school but can’t afford it.

William homeschool families can participate in homeschool theater, art classes, band and sports classes. There are also homeschool classes and co-ops, where families join together to learn from one another, as well as organized field trips in the community and beyond.

For example, there are homeschool PE classes at the Freedom Center in Manassas, swim lessons at Chinn in Lake Ridge and soccer at Courage Sports in Woodbridge. Homeschoolers can also take parkour at Urban Evolution in Manassas and classes at Apollo Gymnastics in Woodbridge. Additionally, homeschoolers can get together to bowl at the AMF Dale City Lanes, go to a weekly roller skating session at the Skate-n-FunZone in Manassas, learn hockey and skating skills at the Prince William Ice Center or take horseback riding lessons at Silver Eagle Stable in Nokesville.

Other locally available resources: n Classical

Conversations (CC) is both a curriculum and an organized co-op that meets once a week; there are a number of CC groups in the area.

Stories I’ve heard from area homeschoolers include:

n Homeschool

n They

love the family bonds that homeschooling creates.

n REACH

a military family, homeschooling allowed for a consistent, unbroken education wherever they were stationed.

n WHEAT

n For

n They

couldn’t afford the private school tuition.

n Their

son was being bullied and was extremely unhappy and unmotivated in school.

n After

homeschooling their son during second grade because he needed more one-on-one attention with reading, he caught up and returned to public school above grade-level. He’s in 10th grade now (in public school) and doing well.

n Her

daughter started competing on the national level in gymnastics. Homeschooling allowed her to travel and train while still providing a rigorous education.

With its growing popularity comes a network of resources that enrich the experience for child and parent alike. In Prince 34 | July 2015 prince william living

Melting Pot organizes field trips and activities.

is Christian-led, but open to anyone, and focuses on field trips and conferences.

(We Home Educate and Train) offers classes, testing, field trips, co-ops and parent support.

n Compass

Homeschool Enrichment offers supplemental smallgroup enrichment classes in science, technology, languages, history, art, music and more.

n Edgemoor

Art Studio offers homeschool art classes.

Of course, in this area, there are also many museums and other cultural and historic sites which often host special events just for homeschoolers at various points during the year.

Liesl Den homeschools her three children and writes about their activities and adventures. Visit her blog at homeschoolden.com.

tambourines and elephants Rise of the Little Toys

By DeeDee Corbitt Sauter

I hate little toys. The plastic death traps that can be procured at McDonald’s, earned at Chuck E. Cheese or acquired at birthday parties are the bane to my existence, the portent of doom for all mankind.

These loathsome, albeit colorful, pieces of trash have properties of life not yet fully acknowledged by scientists. They propagate. One single plastic car can morph into 4,000 if left unattended on the living room floor overnight. They pulse and push and roll under couches and chairs and jump beneath pillow cushions. They are able to move unassisted and enjoy scurrying under tender morning feet in an attempt to foil the day. Their actions are not defensive; instead they aggressively attempt to destroy people around them with their limited knowledge of human anatomy.

Entire science fiction movies, books and graphic novels are written describing life after computers—which we have endowed with artificial intelligence—have taken over and destroyed modern civilization, making it a dry barren wasteland where the few leftover humans hide, piteously, among the wilds because houses have mysteriously disappeared and we have apparently regressed intellectually and in terms of self-survival. It’s a logical storyline because we are actively trying to create machines that can help complete both mundane tasks and complicated algorithms. In the end, their emotionless logic far exceeds the weaknesses we possess.

No one ever talks about the little toys. They are silent, most don’t even need batteries, and they creep along under the radar until there comes a point when suddenly you notice there are more toys than floor space. No one acknowledges or appreciates the danger they pose. Shoved in corners and piled under beds, they silently multIply.

Most can’t see the insidious way they have started to rule individual households, seemingly not cooperating or communicating with each other. But, when you step back and examine the big picture, it becomes frighteningly clear they are EVERYWHERE. These toys are the perfect weapon. Children actually beg for them. Parents, grandparents and people who call themselves friends willingly give these trinkets to the hordes of kids who have actually been known to fight over them. It seems as if we are asking them to take over the world.

Like microbial germs, they are ubiquitous. Where man has been, they have carried the vile scourge of the little plastic toy with him like the rat wearing the plague-infested flea. There are rumors that they can be found on Mount Everest and even the International Space Station.

Where did they originate? No one knows. Some suspect it was a subversive plot initiated by some faraway, foreign land. If it was, they didn’t think this through very well because that just means they will be the first geographic area to lose ground. Literally and figuratively.

In reality, as consistently depicted in those Sci-Fi prophecies, it was probably an accident that was assumed inconsequential. But the ramifications of that one mistake will be our end.

My six-year-old son has an amazing imagination and can’t stop talking. This cacophonous combination sometimes makes you contemplate the end of time and how long its arrival will take.

He often discusses vampires, dinosaurs and explosions as if these threats are imminent. He considers his mortality and those around him. His fears peak at night and his dreams are filled with the common monsters seen on TV and acted out on the playground. He also doesn’t see the real dangers lurking in his toy box.

As an adult and parent, I now have the answers about the end of time. Nostradamus and his enigmatic quatrains were not able to predict our ultimate demise. But, I, with my amazing mothering skills, can predict the cause for our inevitable end.

Mankind will not perish under the weight of a giant meteor crash, an alien invasion or even virulent biological warfare.

Instead the tiny toys that you find annoying and simply a waste or money and resources will suddenly rise up, reveal their hidden talents and be our undoing.

Don’t believe me? Look around.

What do you see?

DeeDee Corbitt Sauter is a resident of Northern Virginia. Her column, “Tambourines and Elephants,” appears monthly in Prince William Living. prince william living July 2015 | 35

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distribution sites Pick up a free copy of Prince William Living at one of the following fine locations: 15040 Heathcote Boulevard, Gainesville Appliance Connection 7101 Heritage Village Plaza, Gainesville 13851 Telegraph Road, Suite 101, Woodbridge 5101 Waterway Drive, Montclair City of Manassas 12908 Occoquan Road, Woodbridge 9027 Center Street, Manassas 2100 Rippon Boulevard, Woodbridge Discover Prince William & Manassas 9511 Technology Drive, Manassas 10611 Balls Ford Road, Suite 110, Manassas 4290 Prince William Parkway, Woodbridge Edward Kelly Leadership Center 10249 Hendley Road, Manassas 14715 Bristow Road, Manassas 4300 Prince William Parkway, Woodbridge Historic Manassas Inc Northern Virginia Community College Visitor’s Center at the Train Depot Manassas Campus, 6901 Sudley Road 9431 West Street, Manassas Woodbridge Campus, 15200 Neabsco Mills Road Manassas Christian Academy Prince William Association of Realtors 8757 Signal Hill Road, Manassas 4545 Daisy Reid Avenue, Woodbridge Manassas Christian School Prince William County Fairgrounds 9296 West Carondelet Drive, Manassas 10624 Dumfries Road, Manassas Manassas Park City Schools Prince William Ice Center One Park Center Court, Suite A, Manassas Park 5180 Dale Boulevard, Dale City Manassas Park – Parks and Recreation Prince William Parks and Recreation 99 Adams Street, Manassas Prince William Public Library System Mason Enterprise Center 14418 Bristow Road, Manassas 10890 George Mason Cir., Bull Run Hall, Rm 147, Manassas 12964 Harbor Drive, Lake Ridge The Merit School of Prince William 12993 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville 14308 Spriggs Road, Woodbridge 8051 Ashton Avenue, Manassas 8601 Mathis Avenue, Manassas Minnieland 13065 Chinn Park Drive, Woodbridge 5555 Assateague Place, Manassas 4249 Dale Boulevard, Dale City 12700 Correen Hills Drive, Bristow 18007 Dumfries Shopping Plaza, Dumfries 10368 Bristow Center, Bristow 4603 James Madison Highway, Haymarket 10910 Feeder Lane, Woodbridge 2201 Opitz Boulevard, Woodbridge 3498 Cranmer Mews, Woodbridge 13923 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge 5255 Merchants View Square, Haymarket 8299 Harness Shop Road, Gainesville

Prince William County Tourist Information Center 200 Mill Street, Occoquan Safeway 4215 Cheshire Station Plaza, Dale City 4240 Merchant Plaza, Woodbridge 2205 Old Bridge Road, Woodbridge 12821 Braemar Village Plaza, Bristow Shopper’s Food and Pharmacy 9540 Liberia Avenue, Manassas 14000 Shoppers Best Way, Woodbridge 4174 Fortuna Center Plaza, Dumfries 10864 Sudley Manor Drive, Manassas The Sign Shop 2603 Morse Lane, Woodbridge Town of Dumfries 17755 Main Street, Dumfries Town of Haymarket 15000 Washington Street, Haymarket Town of Occoquan Town Hall, 314 Mill Street, Occoquan Town of Quantico 337 5th Avenue, Quantico Virginia Realty Partners 4004 Genessee Place #209, Woodbridge

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