Hop Around Old Town

Old Town stores participating in annual Easter event week of April 3rd.

Video: 13th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade

Thousands lined the streets to take part in the day's festivities.

The 13th Annual Greater Manassas St. Patrick's Day Parade took place Saturday in Old Town, where thousands lined the streets to take part in the day's festivities. The parade began at 11 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Quarry Road and Prescott Avenue before winding down Center street and coming to a stop at the Harris Pavilion. The parade lasted a little more than an hour and brought out thousands of revelers, mostly dressed in green. Those in attendance included the honorable Harry J. (Hal) Parrish ll who was named this year's parade grand marshal. Prince William County Sheriff Glenn Hill and Manassas City Council Members Marc Aveni, Mark Wolfe, Steve Randolph and Sheryl Bass were also present, along with  Senator Chuch Colgan (D-…

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St. Patrick's Day Roundup

There's a lot to do in Manassas on St. Patrick's Day.

I have scoured our Event Listings and picked the top five places (in no particular order) to be this weekend to celebrate our Celtic heritage, and here they are: 1. St. Patrick's Day Headquarters at Old Towne Sports Pub; doors open at 7 a.m. 2. Four Points by Sheraton Manassas Battlefield 3. St. Patrick's Day Bash at Hard Times Cafe & Cue to benefit the Wounded Warriors Project. 4. Blarney Ball at the Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory 5. 13th Annual Manassas St. Patrick's Day Parad in Old Town Manassas Know of an important community event coming up in just days and need to get the word out as quickly as possible? Learn how you can post announcements and events directly to Manassas Patch by watching this short, step-by-step video. …

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Poll Workers Needed for Busy Election Year

Manassas needed 30 poll workers to run Super Tuesday's election on March 6, but the city will probably use twice that number in November for the presidential election.

It's a big election year for Manassas with the local general election taking place in May, the Senate Congressional Primary this summer and the national election in November. According to Vice Chair for the Manassas Electoral Board Russ Harrison,  Manassas needed 30 poll workers or election officials to run Super Tuesday's election on March 6, but says the city will probably need twice that number in November for the presidential election.  According to Chairman for the Manassas Electoral Board Jack B. Slimp, Jr., the ballots for an election have to be prepared 45 days in advance and with back to back elections in March and May, and possibly again in June or August for the  Senate Congressional Primary, the electoral board and registrars …

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13th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade This Weekend

Manassas City Mayor Harry J. (Hal) Parrish ll named grand marshal for this year's parade.

The grand marshal has been announced and 'no parking' notifications have been placed along area roads in anticipation for this weekend's 13th Annual Manassas St. Patrick's Day Parade. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. on St. Patrick's Day at the intersection of Prescott Avenue and Quarry Roads on the east side of Old Town  before navigating its way along Center Street and coming to a hault at the Harris Pavilion.The parade is expected to last one hour. View Full Parade Route Map. Parking restrictions along the parade route and Quarry Road (staging area) will go into effect Friday, March 16, at 11 p.m. and will remain in effect until 2 p.m. Saturday, March 17. For more information visit the parade's official website. Last year's parade was a…

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Picketers Take Aim at BOA, HUD

Picketers at Prescott House blame Department of Housing and Urban Development Authority, Bank of America for decrepit state of historic home.

Picketers protested the demise of an historic home in Old Town Saturday with brightly-colored signs encouraging the mayor to "vote no" to demolishing the house and blaming Bank of America and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Authority for the decrepit state of the home. Their signs read: "HUD is responsible for this" and "Bank of America is responsible for this." Hugh Ickrath lives two houses down from 9300 Prescott Ave. and says his attempt is to get in contact with someone at Bank of America regarding the home.  The home's owner, who does not live in the home, holds a reverse mortgage through Bank of America and a government-backed HUD program. It is the job of the bank to protect and maintain the security interest of the …

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Architectural Review Board Wants Blue Prints for Historic Home

The Manassas City Architectural Review Board (ARB) is in support of having blue prints drawn up for the historic Prescott House should it be demolished.

Clarification: Lovejoy agrees zoning and code enforcement are key to preventing, detering violations in the future and preserving neighborhoods now, but does not think fines should be looked at as a source of revenue for the city as was originally stated in the article.  The Manassas City Architectural Review Board (ARB) is in support of having blue prints drawn up for the historic Prescott House should it be demolished. According to city documents, the board voted unanimously (4-0) in favor of a resolution which would support the City Council on a motion that would provide funding to complete a set of measured drawings prior to any demolition for historical and possible reconstruction purposes.  Manassas City Council Candidate Ian Lovejoy…

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Residents Make Case for Storm Water Improvements

Manassas resident John Neri lives on Battle Street near the intersection with Portner Avenue and has seen his basement flood four to five times since 2007.

Residents have helped solidify the need for a Capital Improvement Project (CIP) to improve the storm water system for an area of Old Town that endured heavy flooding during the fall storms. Manassas resident John Neri lives on Battle Street near the intersection with Portner Avenue and has seen his basement flood four to five times since 2007. But it was the heavy rains in the fall of 2011— and evidence of the flooding presented by citizens during a December City Council meeting (see attached .pdf)— that highlighted the residential flooding issues near Old Town and prompted the city’s Department of Public Works (DPW) to developed a plan to improve storm water management in the area. The current street water sewer system is inadequate to …

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Presidents Day Closures

Prince William County and Manassas City government offices, courts, schools and all libraries will be closed on Monday, Feb. 20, for Presidents Day.

Closures: Prince William County and Manassas City government offices, courts and all libraries will be closed on Monday, Feb. 20, for Presidents Day. Prince William County and Manassas City Schools will also be closed Monday in observance of the holiday.  Virginia Rail Express will not be operating on Monday. Openings: The Manassas Museum will be open on President's Day. The Prince William County Landfill is open regular hours from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Monday. Potomac Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) will be operating on a modified schedule.

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Manassas Pilot Uninjured After Emergency Landing

A small plane heading from Manassas to North Carolina had to make an emergency landing Friday in a Va. field after pilot reported engine problems.