Neighborhood News: Young 'authors' publish works

Benton Middle School will hold its "Young Authors Open House" on Thursday, June 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. when a total of 400 fully-illustrated and bound 16-page picture books created by 6th graders will be on display and available for reading in the cafeteria. The band concert also takes place that evening.

The book project was based on David Melton's "Written and Illustrated By" model developed in the 1990s to tap into both the left- and right-brain (that is, both the clinical and creative) thinking skills of student writers. During this project, each language arts class became a publishing house, with students taking on the roles of writer, illustrator, editor and art director. Although each book is entirely the work of only one author, all books were completed with the input and assistance of other "employees" of each publishing company -- 14 companies, in the case of Benton Middle School.

The "presidents" of each publishing company -- Mr. Damanda, Mrs. Faulkner, Ms. Newcome and Ms. Poche -- extend an invitation to view these newest releases of the Benton Middle School Publishing Conglomerate.

Volunteers sought for golf tournament

The Prince William Chapter of the American Red Cross has an exciting opportunity for golf fans. Volunteers are needed for the concession stands at the 2009 AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., from Tuesday, June 30 to Sunday, July 5, an event that will help raise funds to meet disaster relief needs in the community.

The schedule for Prince William Red Cross volunteers is as follows: Wednesday, July 1, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and noon to close; Thursday, July 2 through Sunday, July 5, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 12 noon to close. Volunteers will be welcome to view the tournament before or after their shift. A free meal is included with every shift and free parking will be provided. Details about security restrictions and training will be provided. Volunteers will be required to wear khaki shorts or pants, a white polo style shirt and closed toe shoes. Volunteers will be recruited on a first come, first served basis and must be able to work a full shift and may work more than one shift if desired. Interested participants do not have to be current Red Cross volunteers.

Those interested in volunteering should contact deborahc@pwarc.org with the time slot you would like to fill, or call 703-368-4511, ext. 227 for more details. For more information on the AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods, visit www.attnational.org. For more information about the Prince William Red Cross visit www.pwarc.org.

Route 66 PT Cruiser Club

The monthly meeting of the Route 66 PT Cruiser Club takes place tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. at Dak's in Dale City. This year's PT Cruiser show, "Cruiser with a Heart" that will be held at Locust Shade Park on Saturday, August 1, will be discussed.

Fisher House is the charity that will benefit from the show this year. To learn more about the service Fisher House provides for our service men and women and their families, please visit www.fisherhouse.org. More information on the show and the Route 66 PT Cruiser Club can be found at www.route66ptclub.com.

Victory Lakes to host National Trails Day

The Prince William County Park Authority, in collaboration with Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition, will celebrate National Trails Day tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Victory Lakes Elementary School.

There will be a variety of free trails-related activities open to the public, including educational games, guided trail walks and more. This year's celebration will highlight improvements to the Broad Run Linear Park and Trail System. Four miles of trails are now ready for hiking, biking and other activities. When complete, the system will cover 10 miles, from Lake Manassas to Route 28.

For more information about the American Hiking Society and National Trails Day, visit www.americanhiking.org/NTD. To learn more about Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition (PWTS), a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, visit their Web site at www.pwtrailsandstreams.com or contact them at pwctrails@gmail.com.

Builders' Yard Sale

Project Mend-A-House's Ninth Annual Builders' Yard Sale takes place tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Prince William County Landfill, 14811 Dumfries Road, rain or shine.

Find great deals on new and gently used windows, doors, cabinets, flooring, trim, lighting fixtures, kitchen and bathroom sinks, furniture, appliances, shutters, pavers, trim, hot water heaters, etc. that have been donated by local builders and private citizens from their excess inventories. This is your chance to support Project Mend-A-House and help your neighbors live safely, comfortably and independently in their own homes. For more information on Project Mend-A-House, visit their website at www.pmahweb.org or call 703-792-7663.

Grand re-opening set for wellness center

Members of the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce will be on hand at the ribbon-cutting of the ACT Wellness Center on Friday, June 12 at 12:30 p.m. This newly expanded wellness center is located in the new Minnieville Shopping Center (next to Holly Acres Boat Sales) at 2894 Garber Way in Woodbridge. The public is invited. There will be giveaways and a Greek lunch and a chance to meet Dr. Carmelo F. Caratozzolo DC and his team. For more information, call 703-491-9355.

Free concerts

Next week's concerts at the Sean T. Connaughton Community Plaza feature the Random Act Band with Bill Vaughan at 7 p.m. on June 12, and Fairwinds Quintet on June 13 at 7 p.m. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair, pack a picnic and enjoy the shows.

Bull Run Regional Library

Genealogist Joan Hardter will share the pitfalls and the successes of her search for her maternal great-grandfather in a free programs at Bull Run Regional Library on Thursday, June 11 at 11 a.m. This program is sponsored by RELIC, a special collection devoted to genealogy and local history, located at the Library which is at 8051 Ashton Avenue in Manassas.

To register for this free program, stop by the Library, email Relic2@pwcgov.org or call RELIC at 703-792-4540 or 703-792-4524 (TTY).

Until next week.