Girls' video takes whack at tall grass

Cakes, cookies and brownie sales helped pay for costumes and video recorder tapes.

The rest is imagination and hard work.

Several area students, along with volunteers from Canada and Detroit, recently got together in Manassas to make a public service television announcement reminding people to cut their grass.

Sarah George, Erin Harrover and Sara Moore appeared along with others in the four minute video that took about four hours to shoot and edit.

Erin, the daughter of Manassas Councilman Andrew "Andy" Harrover, said she and others needed money to do the video so they went into sales.

"We started a little company called Bakery Girls," the 12-year-old Erin said.

"We baked and we sold," said Sarah George, 12.

The video, which includes short skits, one-liners, singing and dancing, will soon appear on Comcast chan-nel 23 and on FiOS channel 39 in the City of Manassas.

Support staff to do makeup, hair and costumes for the video consisted of volunteers that included parents and grandparents, said Kisha Wilson-Sogunro, the neighborhood services coordinator for the City of Ma-nassas.

Wilson provided the set by finding a vacant property with tall grass at 9530 Prince William Street, across from Jennie Dean Elementary School. After she got the owner's permission to shoot there, filming was a go.

"They filmed in the grass," Wilson said. "We went through it a number of times. We had cue cards. We had scripts. It was pretty involved."

The purpose of the public service announcement was for the students to have a good time and at the same time get the word out about tall grass.

"We want to have a little fun getting the message out," Wilson said. "We also do note that it's serious and we want our citizens to be responsible with their private property."

The girls said they enjoyed making the video.

Sarah George said it was "rewarding."

"So much fun comes out of it," she said.

Sara Moore likes performing, so involvement in the project was a natural thing.

"I just enjoy acting and being funny," the 13-year-old said.

Wilson said the next video will be about graffiti.

"I guess at this point we're looking at locations for our graffiti shoot and we're always looking for actors," Wilson said.

Tall grass complaints are handled by Neighborhood Services on the first floor of the Manassas City Hall.

People with complaints about grass or weeds taller than 12 inches should call 703-257-8200.

The city will notify the property owner and occupant first by a door hanger, then by certified letter.

If tall grass is not mowed after notification, the Public Works Dept. will mow it and charge the property owner $150 or more.

The city will only mail one certified letter.

If a second tall grass complaint is lodged against the same property owner, Public Works will mow the grass with no prior notice at the owner's expense, Wilson said.

The Bakery Girls will continue in their sales efforts, Erin said.

"We want to get a better camera," she said.

Manassas Bureau Chief Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.