Prince Willam government roundup

Va. 234 commuter lot to be 843 spaces

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors will officially cut a ceremonial ribbon on the Va. 234 Commuter Lot expansion project on Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. The ceremony is open to the public.

This project increased the 350 space commuter lot by 493 spaces, making it an 843 space parking facility. In addition to the existing entrance off Va. 234, a new entrance to the facility was created off U.S. 1.

This project was financed through a local assistance grant and came in ahead of time and under budget.

County engineer donates time, talent

Sylvanus Amevor, a structural engineer and construction plans reviewer, has been selected as Prince William County's Employee of the Month for November 2009. Siavash Shahrzad, plan review branch chief, nominated him.

This year there have been significant economic constraints on county agencies, yet some agencies needed urgent engineering consulting services but did not have sufficient funding for them. Even though Amevor had a full workload as a structural plan reviewer and development project manager, he volunteered to contribute his expertise and personal time to help the other county agencies with critical needs.

Amevor evaluated the Department of Fire & Rescue's burn building at the Public Safety Training Center, determining that it was structurally unsafe and in need of repair. He was asked by the Department of Public Works to evaluate the structural issues at the Lake Jackson Dam structure bridge concrete overpass, providing recommendations and solutions to resolve the structural problems. His expertise helped protect lives and his willingness to volunteer his services, over and above his regular job, saved the county between $10,000 and $20,000.

"Mr. Amevor is a brilliant structural engineer," Shahrzad wrote in his nomination letter. "And he was willing to devote his personal time to perform work outside of his current position, which is not eligible to receive overtime pay."

Gypsy moth suppression not needed in 2010

The Department of Public Works will not spray for gypsy moths in 2010. Suppression is not needed due to the low number of gypsy moth egg masses found during the fall 2009 survey conducted by the Gypsy Moth & Mosquito Control Branch staff.

The low number of egg masses means there will be few gypsy moths in the spring that can damage local hardwoods. Public Works will address problems identified in specific locations on a case by case basis. The county may provide ground spraying if the number of gypsy moths warrants it.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provide the aerial suppression throughout the state. They plan the spring spraying based on the findings from localities in the fall. For the past several years, the county has participated in an aerial suppression program with the state to control gypsy moths and protect forested areas. The county will conduct another egg mass survey in fall 2010 to continue to monitor these destructive insects.

If you do find gypsy moth egg masses on your property, please scrape them off and place in soapy water. This will prevent them from hatching. For more information, please contact the Department of Public Works, Environmental Services Division, Gypsy Moth and Mosquito Control Branch, 14879 Dumfries Road, Manassas, VA 20112, 703-792-6279 or www.pwcgov.org.

County Thanksgiving Day closings

Listed below are the Thanksgiving holiday closings for Prince William County government offices.

Government offices: Closed Nov. 26 and 27.

Courts: Circuit, General District and Juvenile & Domestic Relations Courts will close beginning at noon Nov. 25 and will remain closed Nov. 26 and 27.

Landfill: Closed Nov. 26.

Libraries: All libraries will close at 5 p.m. Nov. 25 and remain closed Nov. 26 and 27. In addition, Neighborhood Libraries (Dale City, Dumfries, Gainesville, Independent Hill, Lake Ridge and Nokesville) will be closed Nov. 28.