Neighborhood news: Robin Hood visits western PWC

Robin Hood and his Merry Men recently visited Osbourn Park High School near Manassas—but some of them came via the Brentsville area.

These young people joined dozens of others in the Pied Piper Theatre's fantastically choreographed, profes-sionally directed musical, "Robin Hood," sponsored by the Center for the Arts at the Candy Fac-tory.

Robin Hood himself is 15-year-old Alan Schlichting from Brentsville. According to the production program, "Alan studies piano, voice and composition and hopes to end up on Broadway one day."  With his incredible singing, he probably will.

Andrew Perrym, a 15-year-old freshman at Brentsville District High School, had the audience in stitches with his comedic representation of a neurotic Friar Tuck.

The talented Zachary Fletcher, otherwise known as the Sheriff of Nottingham, gave the audience someone they could love to hate—and laugh at. He is a 2008 Brentsville graduate.

And then there were the singers, soldiers and townsfolk, including 10-year-old Danielle Corley from Cedar Point Elementary; Emerson Freybler, an eighth-grader at Marsteller Middle School; Katie Rollins, a seventh-grader at Marsteller; Rachel Rollins, a fifth-grader from Nokesville Elementary School; and Nicolette Smith, a fifth-grader at the Linton Hall School.

Count some more bird

Wake up with the birds and help count them from 7:30 to 10 a.m. May 23 at the Merrimac Farm Stone House Na-ture Center, 15020 Deepwood Lane, Nokesville.

Though the Prince William Conservation Alliance has a preliminary bird list for Merrimac, the group is scheduling regular birding tours to help fill in the blanks.

On May 23, birders will depart from the Stone House Nature Center and travel through open fields, woodland edges and bottomland forest. Dress for the weather, if you go, and bring binoculars and cameras.

The event is free, but RSVPs are appreciated. Contact Kim Hosen at 703-499-4954.

Farmers' market to ope

Support your local farmers, gardeners, bakers, crafters, and producers: Plan to shop at the Nokesville Farm-ers' Market, which opens its third season May 23.

This year, the market will begin two weeks earlier and close near the end of September. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Raising voices in song

Some of your friends and neighbors will perform Saturday night as part of the Manassas Chorale. Nokesville

residents Mary Alice Corder, Renate Hemphill, Lisa and Wayne Stohs, Connie Glasgow, Greg Aleman, Ca-tharpin's Faye Howard and Bristow's Myra Jarrell, Carolyn Kriebel, Maryellen Lewicki, Pat Engle-mann are members of the Manassas Community Chorale.

The chorale will present its "Music of the Heart" spring concert Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Manassas Baptist Church.

You can help the chorale's "Concert with a Cause" as they support the Manassas Senior Center by bringing personal care items to the concert to donate.

Tickets are $15 for adults and free for students 12 and younger with a paying adult.

Katherine Gotthardt reports your neighborhood news from the Nokesville, Bristow and Brentsville areas every Friday in the News & Messenger. If you have news about birthdays, your family, your club or your HOA activities, please send it to Katherine at .